Steadfast In His Purpose

/ Gail Johnson / 4 Comments

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints Ephesians 6:18

Perseverance: to continue in some course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. To be steadfast in purpose; persist

winter petunia-1This picture is one of my petunias that refused to die during this past winter. Every morning I expected to find it frozen. But no matter the temperature, above or below freezing, the little plant seemed to thrive. And instead of spindly, I found thicker stems and dark green foliage underneath.

I pruned it yesterday in anticipation of flowers in the spring. At first glance, you wouldn’t know that it had been through an icy season. I thought of the Lord’s hand in our lives and how He is there no matter the season. If we persevere through the seasonal changes we will bear fruit. And if we allow the Master to prune our barren parts, we will bear even more fruit.

Winter (cold) and summer (hot) will not last forever. In between the two seasons we have spring and fall. Both bring a refreshing time. One brings rain and the other, cooler temperatures.

icy morning-1

You may be in an icy winter or a brutal summer. You may not have chosen your path. Unfortunate circumstances may have put you where you are at this moment. But hold on. Continue on your journey with the Lord, no matter the difficulty or opposition. Be steadfast in His purpose. Grow Right. Where. You. Are.

Stead Fast In His Purpose

 

Hope In Trials

/ Gail Johnson / 2 Comments

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

  • Troubled on every side but not distressed:

Jesus said in this world we would have tribulations. At times, we may feel pressed in a narrow place, but we will not be crushed. Jesus said have courage. Through His name, we can overcome!

  • Perplexed but not in despair:

Sometimes we may see no way out of our present circumstance. We can find no peace as we face the “fightings without” and “fears within.” But we are not without hope.

  • Persecuted but not forsaken:

When the enemy pursues, remember we are not alone. Run to the Rock of Salvation! And if you can’t run, kneel. Help is on the way! No one is left behind.

  • Cast down, but not destroyed:

While on this journey we may be struck down. But we will not be destroyed. This mortal body will return to dust, but this soul will reign with Jesus!

 

Storm Ship

Celebration!

/ Gail Johnson / 3 Comments

Last month I celebrated a birthday. One year on WordPress. In the past year, I have met some wonderful people and reunited with family I haven’t seen in years. I’ve learned quite a lot and still have a lot to learn. But with your help, I accomplished some amazing things. So, I thought I would share it with you.

birthday-163362_1920

On a Facebook page, you are able to see how many people your post reached. And I thought you might be interested in how many we reached in the last thirteen months. I say we because it’s about us working together to accomplish a goal. And that goal, for me at least, is to spread encouragement. We all need a little of that, don’t we?

I didn’t add all the posts. Just the ones with 140 and above. But without your shares, this would not have happened. Woohoo for family and friends! They make everything better and much more interesting. Don’t you agree? 🙂

Also, I wanted to say I don’t always know who is sharing so I can’t always thank you. So here’s to you for all you have done to share my stories and the wonderful love of Jesus. Thank you!

Post—Reached

Don’t Stop Believing -241

Love Is a Marvelous Thing-129

The Life and Death of Christmas-397

Giving Thanks-229

Sparrows and Gravy-141

Now I Know In Part-309

Guarding Your Dreams, Guest post on Garden of Dreams-355

Plastic, Bugs, and Hot Irons-169

Submitting to the Master, article-281

Submitting to the Master, poster-159

Death and Chili-183

Choosing the Good Part-272

Memories-224

Season’s Purpose-312

Bible Journaling-277

Trust His Heart-192

Delay, Disappointments, and Detours-202

WDYB~What Do You Believe-230

Keep Pressing On-234

Some One Is Praying-299

Golden Truth-242

He Lives-157

Total-5234 Reached

 

Shared from Blog to Facebook

Saying Good-bye-117

The Life and Death of Christmas-53

Now I Know In Part-21

Submitting to the Master-28

Choosing the Good Part-20

Memories-34

Season’s Purpose-40

Bible Journaling-20

Trust His Heart-22

Maple Pecan Ice Cream-100 (Pinterest)

God is the Strength of My Heart-25

He Lives-50

Centering -21

Total-551 Shares

Yes, I know people may not have read the post. We can’t look at that. Our job is to get it into their hands—or in front of their eyes. So kudos to you for doing just that.

I am looking forward to another year with you. Hope you will join me on another year of adventure!

The gorgeous looking picture is courtesy of Pixabay, public domain.