Encouraging and empowering people to live victorious lives in Christ

Archive for January, 2025

Making Deposits That Matter

Do you realize that you have a spiritual bank account?  No, you can’t go into a bank branch to open one of these, but our spiritual accounts do exist!  When we use banks or other financial instruments, we make deposits into them so we can draw out of them later.  If you ever tried to withdraw from an empty bank account, you are disappointed when there’s nothing for you to receive, right?

The key is to put something in your financial account before you need it.  The same applies for our spiritual bank account!  We should be adding to our account daily via spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, fasting, studying the Word etc.) so that we will have someone to withdraw when there is a need.  While we can do these things (and should) in the middle of difficult times, let’s not wait until we’re struggling to try to shore up our accounts.  When we make deposits little by little, our deposits compound (just like when our financial deposits compound with interest), and before we know it, we will have more than we anticipated!  

So let’s start somewhere!  How are you planning to make a deposit into your spiritual account today?  While financial deposits are important, spiritual deposits are the ones that really matter!  

Be blessed!

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What is Success and a Special Announcement!

When a new year comes in, many people start thinking about what goals they want to achieve for the year.  I agree with setting goals (in fact, I believe that we shouldn’t wait until a new year approaches to do this), but a part of setting goals is understanding what success is.

According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of success is a “favorable or desired outcome.”  This description is a very general one; I believe if you want to experience success, you must be more specific.

Here are a few questions to consider as you define success for yourself:

What is a favorable or desired outcome for me?

How do these outcomes line up with my beliefs and values?

Why do I want to be successful?

Notice I said “define success for yourself.”  Everyone’s definition of success is different; it depends on what’s important to them.  Someone may define success as financial prosperity so they can buy houses and cars, while another person may see it as financial prosperity so they can be generous to others. If you are a disciple of Jesus, our definition of success should line up with our Christian values and beliefs, including (I believe) a desire to grow spiritually and to become more and more like Jesus.  

The beginning of the new year is a great time to get clear on what success means to you. Once you understand it, you can ensure that the goals you set are in line with your beliefs. I encourage you to take some time to define success. Don’t compare yourself to others and their definitions; this is about you!  Once you’ve done this, I would love to hear from you!

Before I sign off, I’m excited to share that I am participating again in the upcoming Women’s Ministry for Small Churches Conference on January 25!  Specifically designed for smaller churches, the mission of the conference is to help women’s ministries go from filling a calendar to fulfilling a purpose! Help me spread the word! I’ll be speaking on “Growing in Grace: Practical Ways to Embrace Spiritual Disciplines.” Get all the details and grab your free ticket here

Have a good one!

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Only Believe!

Welcome to 2025!  2024 may have been hard for you (it was a challenging year for me for sure, a year of change and stretching).  As you are reading this, you may be thinking that, although we are in a new year, not much is different from the old one.  There may be health issues, the loss of a loved one or financial challenges that still exist as you flipped your calendar from 2024 or 2025.  What can we do?

No matter what is going on, even if nothing has changed, the last thing we should do is to stop believing.  Believing that all things are possible with God (according to Matthew 19:26), that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (according to Philippians 4:13), and that the promises of God are yes and amen (according to 2 Corinthians 1:20).  2025 has the potential to be a great year for us, but nothing can guarantee that it won’t have its challenges.  When hard times come (or as they continue), our mindset and our beliefs are key!  

As we enter this new year, I encourage you to search the scriptures for the promises that God has made to us and make them a part of your daily declarations.  The more you declare, the more you will believe!  And what you believe will carry you through the good and the not-so-good times. 

Jesus told Jairus, when his daughter died, to “only believe” (Mark 5). And miraculously, his daughter was brought back to life. Even if things look hopeless, let’s make sure our beliefs are in the One who is a miracle worker, way maker and a promise keeper!  In 2025, let’s “only believe!”

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