Scripture Sunday ~ Revelation 22:17

Lake Murray Skyline
By: Toia Thompson





"And the Spirit and the bride say,
"Come!" And let him who hears say,
"Come!" And let him who thirsts come.
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely."
(Revelation 22:17)

Saturday Book of Psalms Reading ~ Psalm 86

I love this Psalm because its full David's praises to God for who He is. As you read, you can see how David reminds God of His promises as well as David making promises to God. Not only do read about David's promises to God, you read a few requests that David made known to God.

This Psalm is full of inspiration and it stirs your spirit. Psalm 86 is one of those psalms that you have to read all the way through to reap the full benefit spiritually.




Psalm 86

A Prayer of David. Bow down Your ear, O LORD, hear me; For I [am] poor and needy.

Preserve my life, for I [am] holy; You are my God; Save Your servant who trusts in You!

Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.

Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

For You, Lord, [are] good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, For You will answer me.

Among the gods [there is] none like You, O Lord; Nor [are there any works] like Your works.

All nations whom You have made Shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And shall glorify Your name.

For You [are] great, and do wondrous things; You alone [are] God.

Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.

I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore.

For great [is] Your mercy toward me, And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

O God, the proud have risen against me, And a mob of violent [men] have sought my life, And have not set You before them.

But You, O Lord, [are] a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me! Give Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your maidservant.

Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see [it] and be ashamed, Because You, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.



May this psalm reading be a blessing to you mind, body, and spirit. Blessings, Peace, and Love to you always!!!!

Thankful Thursday

"Write the vision And make [it] plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it." (Habakkuk 2:2)

I am thankful for having a vision

birthing in me by and through God.

I am thankful for the talents

and gifts He has bless me with.

I am thankful for support and

encouragement from my family and friends.

I am thankful for my husband and

children who are so loving and caring and sweet.

I am thankful for God's through His Son Jesus...

that He came that we may have life

and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Word-filled Wednesday ~ Job 35:5

"Look to the heavens and see; And behold the clouds-- They are higher than you." (Job 35:5)


This is a picture I took while I was in Lake Murray. I love taking pictures of the sky. It's a beautiful work of art given as gift from God.


Happy Word-filled Wednesday!!!

Eyes, Ears, Mouth, Feet, and Heart

I love sharing God's Word. Its full of life, encouragement, inspirations, wisdom, and joy. It's our guide or reference manual to how live a Godly life that is in the right standing with God. There's a scripture on almost everything you need to confirm. God's words says,"your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God..," (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Throughout the bible, you can find little nuggets or spiritual health tips that will instruct on how to do this even down to controlling certain body parts/organs that can affect your spiritual growth and your relationship with God. Check out Proverb 4:20-27.

My son, give attention to my words; Incline your EAR to my sayings.

Do not let them depart from your EYES; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

For they [are] life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

Keep your HEART with all diligence, For out of it [spring] the issues of life.

Put away from you a deceitful MOUTH, And put perverse lips far from you.

Let your EYES look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.

Ponder the path of your FEET, And let all your ways be established.

Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Ear - You must be conscious of what you subject your listening ear(s) to...from the kind of music you listen to all the way down to listening to certain people's conversations and so on. "Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you...," (Isaiah 55:3). "If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes,..."(Exodus 15:26)


Feet - "The steps of a [good] man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way," (Psalm 37:23). Allow God to lead you in the path He would have you to walk. In order to walk on the pathway to your purpose and destiny, you have let God order your footsteps and direct your path. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths," (Proverb 3:5-6). And when you walk in obedience, God will not allow your foot to be moved. "He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber,..." (Psalm 121:3).

Eyes - We must keep our eyes on Jesus and focus on His Ways, His Word, and keep them front and center. In addition, we must be mindful of what we watch as far as movies and TV shows. It is God whom we look up to in His Presence for strength, guidance, and even clarity. But how can we see, if we subject our eyes to see and focus on things that are contradictory to God's Word. God wants us look up to Him just like the author of Psalm 121 did. "I will lift up my eyes to the hills-- From whence comes my help? My help [comes] from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth," (Psalm 121:1-2). "Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens," (Psalm 123:1).

Mouth - The mouth is known to get a lot of people in trouble in more ways than one, which is why we should be mindful of what we say to and around people (of all ages). We have a choice of rather or not to let our words be words of encouragement, joy, positive affirmations instead of deceit, discordness, or insult. Death and life are in the power of tongue (Proverb 18:21). And where does the tongue live? That's right...inside the mouth. To be effective in the Kingdom of God, we must use the power of our tongues to speak life so that we can be soul winners and soul losers. Not only that, we must be mindful of how we use our mouths in conversations. Our mouths are not use for gossiping, cussing, or degrading others. It is for preaching the gospel (the Good News) to all nations. "Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone," (Colossians 4:6).

Heart - The heart is not only a vital organ in our physical growth but for our spiritual growth and relationship with God. We listen to the Holy Spirit with our hearts. With that in mind, we have to be good stewards over it. "Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it [spring] the issues of life." Spending time with God by praying, reading His Word, praising His Name, and Worshipping Him are ways to sustain your heart from spiritual corruption. Because if satan can grab a hold of our heart, he can try to distort our walk with Christ.

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Here's a thought: Grab a hold of your anointing oil(if you have any) and anoint your ears, your eyes, your feet, your mouth, and chest (your heart).


In reading this, I pray that we use what God has given us to edify our spirits as well as the body of Christ. Also, that we will not be ignorant to satan devices and not give him access to our spirits through our mouth, ears, eyes, and etc. That we use them to bring glory to God's Kingdom. We live and move and have our being through You. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The True Vine ~ John 15:1-8

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."
(John 15:1-8)

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My prayer is that we continue to grow in Christ.

That we bear fruit that is pleasing to God, whereas He can be

glorified through His Son, Jesus' name. In the process of bearing

fruit, I pray that we would always humble ourselves and open our

hearts to pruning so that in turn we can maintain a sold-out,

non-compromising relationship with our Vinedresser.

Finally, I pray that we will abide with the True and Living Vine, Jesus and always remain and stay forever in His Presence. In hopes, that we will experience a glorious opportunity to grow and be productive in the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Food for the Spirit

No matter how many times you try ponder, or figure out "why me" or "how could this happen to me" it can be so hard to wrap your head around things. You may or may not get the answer you're looking for, but the bottomline is that you should never lean to your own understanding or logic of things. You should trust God and acknowledge Him for who He is according to
Proverb 3:5-6.

And also try to remember all of God's promises He made for His children. He promised a life of abundance, joy, and so much more. However, in that there will be trials and tribulation to test your faith. So you must choose to breakthrough in victory rather than breakdown in defeat. I choose victory because I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus-Hallelujah!






Photograph by Toia Thompson

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.


He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.


He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.


Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You [are] with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.


You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.


Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever. (Psalm 23)

Meditating On Godly Things

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

Part of transforming and renewing your mind is meditating on things or characteristics that are in the right standing with God. When you meditate on true, lovely, pure, noble, virtuous things or things that are of good report, you won't have the time to steer your mind on ungodly characteristics or conduct.

As Christians, we must try to conrol our thought life. Controlling our thought life is part of growing in Godliness. We become mature Christians in Christ Jesus. The more we try to control our thought life and meditate on Godly things the more we won't conform ourselves to the world, but transform ourselves. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Another benefit to meditating on Godly characteristics and conduct (besides maturity and transforming) is receiving God's peace. "The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you," (Philippians 4:9). Is that awesome or what??? Imagine God's peace overtaking you and making you feel at ease in your spirit and stable in your mind (your thoughts). It's such a relaxing and joyous feeling.


The best way to start meditating is to pick a scripture or two and focus on them. Concentrate on them and really try to hear what God is saying to through His word.
So, I encourage you to meditate as instructed in Philippians 4:8. When you feel crazy or ungodly thoughts trying to creep into your mind, fight them with God's word. Our mind is a battlefield that we have every authority in Jesus' name to control and win.

Don't Run Away......Stand!!!

"So I said, 'Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.
Indeed, I would wander far off, [And] remain in the wilderness. Selah
I would hasten my escape
from the windy storm [and] tempest.'" (Psalm 55:6-8)

In this scripture, David would rather run away from his problem rather than stick around and fight. I'm sure a lot of us feel that way some (if not most) of the time. We would rather run away from or try as much as possible to avoid our problems. It's what I like to call the "Calgon Take Me Away" syndrome. Even though we can try, running away from our problems do not solve them. If anything, it can make matters worst.

Rest assure when it comes to facing our problems, (sticking around to fight for a solution), you don't have to do it alone. Even though David's initial reaction is to fly away like a dove, he knew his confidence in God would allow him to face difficulties.


"As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle [that was] against me, For there were many against me." (Psalm 55:16-18)

We, too, should have that same confidence in God to stand in the midst of the storm. Realizing no matter how hard the wind blows, how much the thunder rolls, or how loud the lightning strikes, God will be there holding your hand and leading the way. All you have to do is trust in God and give everything, every problem or situation to solve or to work out on your behalf.


"Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." (Psalm 55:22)

In the midst of it all, God will sustain (protect, support, nourish, maintain, supply, and defend) you, providing that you cast your burden(s) on Him. As a result, He will never permit you (the righteous) to be moved. You will be more than able to stand on God's word and His truth without wavering to the left or to the right.

It's more of a blessing to stand and fight than to run away. Facing your trials and tribulation builds your character and make you stronger in Christ.



"My brothers and sisters, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James1:2-4)


I pray this post is a blessing to your spirit and that you would be more than willing to face your difficulties. And realizing without a shadow of doubt that confidence in God and casting your burdens on Him will give you strength and stability to stand and not be moved.


Blessings, Peace, and Love,
Toia

Girls Nite Out!!

One thing that a woman needs is a great circle of girlfriends. Girlfriends who would lift you up when you're feeling down. Girlfriends who have your back..ready to defend you (if necessary). Girlfriends who you can trust and pray you through any situation when you don't feel like you have enough energy to pray for yourself. Girlfriends who you can hang out, laugh, or cry with and it still will be OK.

This is what I have with these group of ladies pictured below. I am so bless to have them in my life. I met these beautiful ladies only a few years ago at church per small group and choir, but I feel like I known them for a all my life.

The pictures below were taken during one of our Girls Night Out. We ate dinner at Noisy Oyster (yum!!) and went to the movies. We were celebrating my belated birthday. It was so much fun!!






















"A friend loves at all times...," (Proverb 17:17)

He is a Great God!!!

"For You [are] great, and do wondrous things; You alone [are] God." (Psalm 86:10)

"He [is] your praise, and He [is] your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen." (Deut. 10:21)

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," (Eph. 2:4)


Reading these scriptures (among many others), always tend to make me feel so good in my spirit. One thing for sure, my God (our God) is truly great. He is great beyond expectations. His love is great. His mercy is great. His faithfulness is great. He is the Great I am. No one can compare to God and all His greatness. This is something we can truly praise God for.

If you need a lifting or encoragement in your spirit, think about how great God is and remember He can do the exceedingly, abundantly far above all we can ever ask or think according to the power that works in us.

"They are new every morning; Great [is] Your faithfulness." (Lam. 3:23)


Blessings to you,
Toia




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Happy Father's Day!!

Praise God to all the fathers, especially to those who are taking their rightful place in their homes, by being a man of God and instilling Kingdom values in their homes. To the father's who are not choosing to put God first in their life at this moment, I pray they will soon and become the man and father that God intended for them to be.




Graphics for Fathers Day Comments



"Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things." (John 8:28)