Devotionals for the Heart: God sees every injustice that you experience

Should I Stay or Should I Go?
A devotional by Angela Anderson

“I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.”—Genesis 31:13 (ESV)

I tirelessly worked four years in a place where I felt unseen and not appreciated.

No matter how hard I worked, my new supervisor did not recognize my efforts, nor did she follow through on the wage increase or bonus that was due to me.

I could not understand why she was purposefully treating me so unfairly. I wondered if I should stay or if I should go. I started applying to other companies and interviewing for other jobs, but my co-workers convinced me to stay. It wasn’t until my sixth year that upper management stepped in on my behalf and noticed the inequity. Finally, my salary and bonus were properly reflected in my paycheck, but at what cost?

There is a story in The Holy Bible that reminds me of my former situation. It is about a man (Jacob) who worked tirelessly so he could marry a woman (Rachel) was the love of his life (Genesis 29). I would imagine that Jacob felt the same way I did because Jacob worked for 14 years of faithful, self-sacrificing work to his employer (Laban who was Rachel’s father), only to be cheated out of an honest wage. The first deal Jacob agreed to was to to work for free seven years to marry Rachel. But Laban deceived Jacob and gave him Leah (Laban’s older daughter) instead of Rachel. Jacob had to work another seven years to marry Rachel.

When circumstances began to escalate even further, God gave Jacob the direct instructions in our key verse to leave and return to his home. Clearly, it was time for Jacob to go. Interestingly, this was not the first time that Jacob was prompted by God to leave. In the previous chapter, Genesis 30:25, Jacob told Laban that he and his family were leaving to go back to his home. Laban convinced Jacob to stay, and Jacob delayed his departure. Even though Jacob was being treated unfairly by Laban, Jacob became comfortable with the conditions to the point that he did not want to obey God.

God allowed the threat to Jacob’s family to increase to ensure that Jacob would not delay any longer. Keep in mind that Jacob’s family was never in danger because God was protecting them, but the threat had to seem real enough to get Jacob’s attention and force him to act. Finally, Jacob gathered his family, packed his belongings, and ran from Laban.

Sometimes God gives us clear instructions for our lives, but for some reason, we delay instead of obeying Him. Unfortunately, we will stay in the same situation from which God is trying to deliver us. When God attempts to get our attention, it is then that we realize it is more painful to stay than it is to go. Sometimes God must push us out of our current situation to prove to us that it would be more beneficial to change, and more harmful to remain the same.

It is important to note that even in the middle of Jacob’s earlier decision to stay, God showed favor to Jacob and blessed him with Laban’s livestock, even after Laban cheated Jacob out of his wages. In other words, Jacob was paid what he should have been paid in the first place. God restored Jacob’s wages and made him whole! Laban was not pleased that Jacob somehow outwitted him and Laban’s attitude toward Jacob began to change for the worse. Unlike Laban’s change of attitude toward Jacob, God’s attitude toward Jacob never altered.

In Genesis 28:15, God reminded Jacob that He was the same God who made the promise at Bethel: to never leave him or forsake him, and to bring Jacob safely back to his homeland. God was with Jacob, protected him, and did not allow Laban to harm him. We can trust that God will always keep His promises. He will never leave us or forsake us. He is the same God yesterday, today and forever!

Furthermore, just as God saw how Laban was treating Jacob and then intervened on Jacob’s behalf, God sees every injustice in our lives and in time, He will allow us to rise above those who wish us harm. And for that, we can be thankful for such a loving God who cares about our well-being as we follow his plan for our lives.

Let’s Pray: Father, I thank You for your guidance and your protection in all of my undertakings. You are such a good God and You are worthy of all praise. Continue to lead out in my life as I follow Your divine plan. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “On Time God” (Music Video) | Woman Evolve Worship x Abbie Gamboa x Chandler Moore. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Angela Anderson was born in Brooklyn (New York) and raised in New Jersey. 

She started writing at an early age and realized in elementary school that it was both a strength and a passion. She continued writing through high school, college, and into adulthood. Angela is the author of a devotional book titled Just When I Thought I Knew God. She is currently working on another devotional book.

This is Angela’s fifth year as a devotional writer for Alexis A. Goring’s “God is Love” blog. In 2021, Angela was a winner of a devotional writing contest where her words were featured in a book, Hope When Your Heart is Heavy, that was published by Proverbs 31 Ministries. The following year, another one of Angela’s devotionals was featured in Living Unbroken, which is another publication produced by Proverbs 31. Angela has a passion for inspiring and impacting others through her writing as well as speaking.

Angela is a life coach for mothers. She empowers mothers who want to identify their God-given purpose and live it fully while taking care of their family. Angela develops mothers into mompreneurs by providing them with the necessary tools to be successful and fulfilled in life. She works to help them to see their value, understand their importance, and reclaim their identity.

Angela is also the host of “The Angela Anderson Show”, a virtual talk show that launched in April of 2023 on YouTube and Facebook. The show is designed for mothers who want to pursue their dream while managing family life. The audio version of the show is also available as a podcast on Spotify.

Angela has been married to the love of her life, Duane Anderson, for 19 years. Together they have two sons: Thomas (age 11) and Ryan (age 6). Angela’s favorite pastime is journaling, and she also enjoys spending quality time with her family.

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Connect with Angela:

To connect with Angela, you can follow her on Instagram (angelanderson1104), Clubhouse (@angelize), and send a friend request to her on Facebook.

Subscribe to Angela’s YouTube channel @The Angela Anderson Show and follow the show on Spotify. Angela offers free consultations for mothers who want to pursue their dream while taking care of their family. Schedule here: www.ChatWithCoachAngela.com

You can also like and follow her Facebook page for her devotional book, Just When I Thought I Knew God.

Christmas on My Heart: Wish Upon a Star by Tabitha Bouldin

Warriors and Worriers

A devotional by Tabitha Bouldin, based on her book Wish Upon a Star

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

~Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)

Warrior = A brave or experienced fighter

Worrier = A person who is experiencing persistent mental uneasiness

It’s interesting that two little letters can change the entire meaning of a word.

I don’t have all the answers for my life, but I do know one thing: God calls each of us to be warriors. Notice the definition of warrior: A brave or experienced fighter.

How do you gain experience? Do you want the honest truth? You gain experience by going through battles, again…and again…and again.

Some people are born warriors, some people seem to have some innate gene that keeps them moving forward when everything else tells them to give up. But if you ask them, I bet they tell you that they fight against the desire to worry.

Sometimes, the drive to worry overwhelms even the staunchest warrior. The Bible tells us to not be afraid, which is slightly different from worry, but they are close siblings. What we have to remember is: God will never let anything happen to us without His approval. Yes, we will have hard times. Yes, we will suffer. But we have the ultimate promise that it will all be worth it in the end.

It is so easy to worry. Even when we try not to, the desire to languish in our problems is a persistent thought. So how do you overcome worry? Put on the full armor of God and go into battle! It’s easy to say, right? But is it easy to do? Not so much. Going into battle requires trust, and faith, and the desire to do God’s will. That is the armor of God. Clothe yourself in His substance.

A battle is not always what you expect it to be. Sometimes, a battle might be nothing more than not losing your temper. Other times, the battle might be understanding why something unspeakable has happened to ourselves or someone we love.

This is where we find the main character in Wish Upon a Star. Bryce Masters lost his wife, Molly, during childbirth and is raising their daughter, Anna, alone. After six long years, he is finally returning to the place where he grew up. Worry threatens to overwhelm Bryce when Anna reveals her wish for a mother. With the move home, reopening the town bookstore, and caring for Anna, how is Bryce going to fulfill Anna’s wish? Does he even want to? Molly was the love of his life. His heart has no room for another.

Bryce must sacrifice his will and let God have control. Only then does he have a chance to overcome his fears.

God has given each of us free will. We can choose the type of person we want to be. Change is not easy, nor was it ever meant to be. If change were easy, then life would not be what it is today. I am a worrier by nature, but a warrior through endless trials and sheer determination as I pray for strength to overcome my own downfalls.

Worrying never does us any good. All it is capable of is taking us further away from God. We should cast our cares upon Him and leave them there. If you’re like me, that is a struggle. I can toss them away, but it’s like fishing…I keep a line on them so I can drag them back to shore and worry over them some more. The Bible says, “Be strong and of a good courage” and that is exactly what I want to be.

Don’t choose the worrier path. Choose instead to be a warrior.

~*~
Author Bio:

Tabitha Bouldin was born, raised, and still lives in the same small town in middle Tennessee. 

A member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers), she has been writing for nearly five years but only recently began publishing her work.

After working for ten years as a nurse, prayers were answered that gave her the chance to be a stay-at-home mom and the time to homeschool her two boys.

Her books are meant to encourage others through the trials of life. While the stories are fiction, they come from situations that many of us face. 

~*~

Blurb for Tabitha's book (Wish Upon a Star):

Bryce Masters had everything he needed...or so he thought. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, would disagree. They were going home, moving back to Jingle Junction where Bryce would take over the local bookstore just in time for Christmas.

Losing his wife, Molly, during the birth of their daughter six years ago was tragic, but Bryce has no idea just how much it weighs on young Anna's heart until she confesses her deepest wish. 

What Anna wants for Christmas is a mother, but Bryce's heart is not ready to love again. Only God can give Bryce the desire to make Anna's wish come true. 

Only He can heal the hurt and open Bryce's heart to the power of love. But Bryce will have to be willing to listen. And when the perfect woman reveals a secret that could devastate them all, will Bryce be able to look beyond what was and accept what might be?

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Buy Tabitha's book Wish Upon a Star on Amazon

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Connect with Tabitha:
Facebook – www.facebook.com/tabithabouldinauthor
Twitter – www.twitter.com/tabithabouldin
Instagram – www.instagram.com/tabithabouldin
Blog – https://tabithabouldinauthor.home.blog

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

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Devotionals for the Heart: God Cares

God Cares
A devotional by Nanci Rubin

“Does God Care?”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked that question. But I can unequivocally say, “Yes, He does!"

When you’re hurting and you can’t see beyond your pain, His Word brings hope. But the times when our pain is constant and unrelenting, then the assembling of ourselves with one another becomes a healing balm. When our church family is interceding on our behalf, healing can begin. There is no family like the family of God. We need one another.

“Not forsaking the assembling of yourself together, as the manner some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” 

~Hebrews 10:25 (KJV)

I have so many friends who have been wounded and silently sit on the sidelines no longer willing to enter a church. Their reasons are their own. I have survived two church splits in my lifetime, neither was pretty and they left wounds that lasted a long time. Healing comes but as with all things, it came in God’s time.

I’m grateful that I didn’t become bitter. I have a couple of friends who never entered a church again. They have chosen to embrace their pain, to nurse it and rehearse it. The past holds them frozen in time. They no longer trust any ministry. It saddens me to see the wounded remain victims. God created a family and we complete each other. I pray my friends will trust again and allow God to bring them to an area in which they are willing to be healed. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Men will fail, He never will.

I was reading a book recently that was conveying how many born-again Christians who are the children of God but have never become acquainted with our Father. An interesting topic and one I have never considered.

I think a lot of us don’t realize how interested He is in each of us individually (not just as a group, or a body, or a church). He is interested in each of His children, and He loves every single one with the same love. I’ve also read that often our relationship with our earthly fathers creates an atmosphere of how we perceive our Heavenly Father. It is difficult for those of us who have had absentee fathers, abusive fathers, or harsh and cold fathers to see our Heavenly Father as the loving, caring Father He is.

In the Old Testament, after the tabernacle was built first and the temple second, they didn’t know Him as Father God. They knew Him as Elohim, or Jehovah. They did not know Him personally.

The enemy doesn’t want you to know God’s love. He wants to beat you down and tell you, your sin is too great and you can’t be forgiven. He calls to remembrance the ugliness of our sinful past before coming to Jesus.

God is not mad at you, He is mad about you! His love for you is so great there is nothing on earth to compare it to. God is love. When we’ve committed sins and remain in isolation from our guilt will eventually cause us to feel He’s not here or He doesn’t care. 

The ruse of the enemy is to alienate us from our Father, but all we have to do is repent, confess we’ve missed the mark, ask for forgiveness and move on. We’re all sinners saved by grace. 

God is not holding a big stick to wield across your back. Jesus made a way for us to cross the chasm of sin and come back to fellowship with our Heavenly Father. We must learn to see ourselves as God does. He sees us as the finished product of love, complete and whole. 

Don’t be down on yourself, God loves you just the way you are. He’ll hide you under the shadow of His wings when you need healing, He’ll carry you when you can’t walk, He’ll fight your battles for you, and He’ll never leave nor forsake you.

It is a privilege to be in service to the King. Blessings to you all.

~*~
Author Bio:

Nanci writes Inspy Amish romance. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two fur kids, Romeo and Juliet, rescue cats. She is working on her debut novel, Plain Justice.

She retired earlier than planned from nursing to care for her mother, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mom passed last year at the age of ninety-nine and Nanci has delved more into her writing.

She is active in an intercessory prayer ministry in her church, belongs to The Woman’s Club, a service-oriented volunteer organization dedicated to the welfare and enrichment of the community and volunteers two days a week at the Mary Washington Museum.

Currently, she's enrolled in Rhema Bible College’s correspondence Bible studies. She belongs to ACFW and RWA. When she’s not working, reading or writing she’s hiking with her husband at Shenandoah National Park.

Devotionals for the Heart: The Details

God, Are You Listening?
A devotional by Tammy Karasek

God is in the small details as much as He is the big ones of our lives. Scripture proves it. Read Luke 12:22-31 then ponder this: If He tends to the itty-bitty Lily of the valley and feeds the ravens, then why wouldn’t He be concerned about us as well? We worry about issues in our lives and wonder why God doesn’t answer our prayers now. Sometimes we don’t even stop to pray because we think that He wouldn’t want to be bothered with our little things.

I often think God may not be listening or may not be interested in what I need. If I’m honest, feeling unimportant is usually when I’m being impatient for a prayer not yet answered. The answer I want on my time. Through the years I’ve learned that God’s answer may not be what I was looking for and God’s timing wasn’t my timing—thank goodness!

I was reminded this past week that God has perfect timing and cares about those details in my life that are important to me. Three people made comments to me at three different times that were undeniably from God. They were directly related to questions I’d been praying—well, whining about—for several months regarding my writing and the direction in which I should go. In other words, I was searching for my purpose. Can anyone relate? None of these conversations had anything to do with the other except for the common denominator—me. None of these folks knew me, or even knew my story. They wouldn’t have had a clue I’d been praying about these things.

Yet in God’s sweet way, He used each of these three ladies to speak the words that my heart needed to hear. Words that slammed Satan’s lies to the ground faster than a throw down on a wrestling mat. The statements made in all three scenarios were delivered in such a matter of fact way, I was taken aback each time they were said. Realizing I had received answers to these long-term prayers, I just wanted to walk away to go sit and cry.

But first, I needed to ask forgiveness from God for thinking He didn’t care about the details in my life that caused me to worry and question so many things. I needed to see that He, in fact, had been listening to me through it all.

Waiting is never easy. But, oh friend, as those answers come when God chooses to deliver them, you can bet they will be at the perfect time and be just what He wanted for you. They may or may not be as fast as you’d like them and they may or may not be the answer you wanted, but you can guarantee they will be God’s best for you.

I’d like to encourage and challenge you today. If you’re holding back from asking God for an answer or for direction, might I be bold and tell you—ask for it. Then take it one step further, thank Him for the answer He will give you. Yes, have faith that He does answer and thank Him every day until you see that answer.

Step out of the way and let Him prepare you for just the right answer. In just the right time.

~*~
Author Bio:

You’ll find Tammy seeing humor and causing laughter in every aspect of life. Tammy’s past filled with bullying and criticism is the driving force of her passion to always encourage others and share with them the Reason to smile. 

She’s been blissfully wedded to her college sweetheart, Larry, for 36 years, mom to their grown daughter, Kristen and wrapped around the paw of a little puppy named Hattie.

She’s the President of Cross N Pens Christian Writers and a member of ACFW. She will be published in the 2018 Divine Moments book – Cool-nary Moments.
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Connect with Tammy:
Blog - http://www.tammykarasek.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tickledpinktam
Email - tickledpinktammy@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: God's care

Under His Wings
A devotional by Ginger Solomon

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.”~Psalm 91:4-8 (NLT)

This chapter in Psalms has long been one of my favorites. I fully understood these verses for the first time a few years ago. When we moved to Alabama, we bought land in order to raise chickens and maybe a few other things as the years progressed. And we did. We had chickens for probably ten years before I got tired of dealing with them.

In that time, we only had ONE hen who took it upon herself to lay eggs and brood (sit on the eggs so they’ll hatch) outside of our nesting boxes. I generally didn’t allow my hens to brood, because other hens would lay their eggs in the same box, and I couldn’t tell which were which. And as soon as you start messing with the eggs, the brooding hen would leave.

Anyway, she had three eggs, only one of which survived. She was a good momma, and whenever I would come around to check on her and the chick, she’d pull that baby under her wing and squawk at me.

Eventually, I ushered them back in with the other chickens. She was very protective of her baby, leading it around and teaching it things a baby chick needs to know. If another hen or the rooster came near, her feathers would plump, and she’d make warning noises. I think they were meant to scare off the offenders, but also to call her baby back to her side, because invariably the baby would hustle toward her.

This Psalm remains one of my favorites. Many times, I’ve been in a spot where I was scared or at the end of myself. I called out to God, sometimes on my face and sometimes just sitting in a chair because I couldn’t work up enough energy to even fall to my knees. He always responded. One time when my kids were still pretty small and needed a lot, I remember being in my room, listening to a Nichole Nordeman song (Holy) and crying out to God. I was on my knees with my face on the floor. It was naptime and I was tired. So very tired. And God met me there. I felt a PHYSICAL hug. Even now the experience brings tears to my eyes. It gave me the strength to get up off the floor and continue being the mom He had called me to be.

I truly think that at that moment in my life, God tucked me under His wing and provided a little protection from the fiery darts aimed at me. Because let’s be honest, having littles (I think at that time I was a homeschooling mom with seven kids, 13 and under) feels like someone is throwing fiery darts our direction. The house is never clean. The clothes are never all washed. Dinner is rarely on time. Someone always needs something. Life is busy. (Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t give up that time in my life for anything. I learned so much.)

But it is a season. And all too soon it’s over. My baby is 13 now, and several of my kids have moved away. My house is quieter. It no longer echoes with the pitter-patter of young feet. (Now I hear a few stomps from the size 10+ shoes.) The chorus of laughter from many young mouths is now a distant memory.

These days, God’s wings protect me from different things, but I hope to never “grow” so much that I think I’m too big to need his shelter. And if I do venture forth, I want to always listen to His warning of danger.

What’s your favorite verse and why?

~*~
Author Bio:

Ginger Solomon is a Christian, a wife, a mother to seven, and a writer—in that order (mostly). 

She writes or reads inspirational romance of any genre, and if she’s busy homeschooling, doing laundry, or fixing dinner, books are on her mind.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, president of her local writing group, and blogs regularly for InspyRomance.com and at gingersolomon.com.

Words of Faith: Landi's story on hitting a wall and learning to trust God

Then I Hit a Wall... My Story on How I Learned to Trust God
A Words of Faith story by Landi Jackson-James

I am a planner. I plan my day. I plan my children’s day. I plan family vacations, family outings, household projects…I plan everything. Doesn’t everything require a plan? I am persistent, driven, and determined when I set out to accomplish something. I arm myself with a carefully thought out plan and make sure that, as much as possible, I leave every stone of possible disruption unturned. If my primary method doesn’t work then I have at least three others to exhaust before I reconsider the entire approach. After all, those who don’t plan, plan to fail and I for one, do not plan to fail.

Does this sound familiar to you? Do you approach life in this manner or at the very least, do you know someone who does? This was me ten years ago after we had our first child. My husband and I found ourselves bringing her into this world, a world that was quite busy and hectic. I was in a Masters program, working full-time, and involved in several ministries at church. I panicked and turned to what I knew best and what the Project Management profession had taught me…plan every minute of the day and accomplish much! No? It doesn’t work like that? Not for humans? Well, I didn’t want to hear that. Fifteen months after our eldest daughter was born, came our second, and then fifteen months after our second child came our third and final child. Upon the arrival of each child, I updated our family plan and schedule, refusing to eliminate anything from our lives because we were capable and could do it all. It could all be planned and scheduled. Let’s roll out!

Fast forward to 2016...

Whew! The last two paragraphs made me exhausted by just writing them. I was a very courageous and daring woman ten years ago. That’s a nice way of putting it. I laugh at myself repeatedly when I reflect on what life was like, and I thank God for having an understanding and patient husband. We were busy beyond words and while I breastfed, I wrote papers for school. It was all quite frightening.

Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. There is nothing wrong with being a committed, driven, and dedicated individual who is intentional about success. We were all created uniquely beautiful, yet complex beings by our Creator and each attribute given should be fully embraced. Remember, He makes no mistakes. However, it is important to realize that our God-given abilities and attributes don’t become gifts until we partner with Jesus Christ in their use to serve others. Partnering with Christ brings balance and a perspective that will transform your abilities into life-changing agents.

Everything I described above, I was attempting to make a success without any assistance from our Heavenly Father. I could do it all. I just knew it! I didn’t trust Him enough to do it right and in the correct timing, so rather than slowing down long enough to LISTEN to His direction, I forged ahead.

When I consider the definition of “faith” as provided in Hebrews 11, it is the confidence of things hoped for and assurance of what we do not see. My issue was that I needed to see the end or at the very least, get a good idea of what the end should look like. This helped me to prepare my next move and always be one step ahead. I ALWAYS needed to be at least one step ahead.

Then I hit a wall.

I became severely anemic with a hemoglobin reading of 5.2 (normal range is 12 - 18). My doctor threatened blood transfusion, which I refused. Therefore, the agreed upon remedy was that I had to get iron drips to increase my levels back to normal, twice a week for six months. I had just finished my Masters program and was ready to tackle the corporate world. Nope. My husband told me to slow down and clear my schedule. Those were the longest six months of my life…the absolutely LONGEST…but I made it!

The awesome thing about our Heavenly Father is He knows AND He cares. I am sure he was sitting watching me, with His head tilted to the side, slowly shaking it back and forth saying, “Look at my child. She won’t let me do it.” At least that’s how I imagined it. Yet still, in His mercy, He stood by me in every decision I made and still guided me and opened doors that would lead me back to His will. Both God and I repeated this process for a long while. Eventually, God led me to a place where I trusted His attention to detail and developed the faith to just be still and listen.

Indeed, life has now changed and although it is still a process, I am living a life of peace and less stress as I continue to learn what it means to trust what I don’t see and have faith in God. However, what baffles me further is, in the midst of this peace and less stress, I have more doors open before me than I have ever had in my life. As I tell my kids,“Won’t He do it!” Praise God for this journey.

~*~
Author bio:

Landi Jackson-James was born on the island of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. She left St. Thomas to further her education in Atlanta, GA. In 2000, Landi graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and later earned her Masters in Business Administration in Technology Management in 2007. 

Landi is the Director of the Office of Innovation at the Food and Drug Administration where she was requested to join the agency by the Chief Operating Officer to start up the Innovation Lab.

In the midst of her successful professional career, Landi created and founded LaLa Speakx, a coaching, mentoring, and motivational speaking company. LaLa Speakx seeks to uplift, empower, encourage individuality in greatness, and fulfillment of purpose. She hosts a monthly online talk show named "First Mondays with LaLa" on her LaLa Speakx YouTube channel. She uses this platform to discuss real life issues and concerns as submitted by online viewers. First Mondays with LaLa takes biblical principles and applies it to everyday life, in practical ways that encourage healthy living.

Landi has volunteered at women’s shelters, fed the homeless, volunteered at local middle and high schools and universities and built schools in Panama. She is a charismatic and influential leader with 15 years of Motivational Speaking and over 10 years of experience in Mentoring and Coaching.

Landi resides in Bowie, Md. with her husband, Al James and their three children.

~*~
Connect with Landi:
Email - landi@lalaspeakx.com
Website - www.lalaspeakx.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/LaLaSpeakx/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LaLaSpeakx
YouTube Channel (LiveShow): www.youtube.com/c/LaLaSpeakxLive
LaLa Speakx, Inc. ~ (442) 7SP-EAKX ~ landi@lalaspeakx.com

Words of Faith: God Is With Us

God Is With Us
A Words of Faith story written by Cara Putman

"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."~Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) 

I want to walk through life without fear. To walk with the sure knowledge that God is with me. He. Is. With. Me.

Much of my life, I have known this to the core of who I am. In fact, this knowledge is foundational to who I am. If you read my novels, you will see that ultimately they come back to this point. That God is with us.

My characters learn that in some way.

I’ve had to learn that in some deep, real way. The way that strips the candy coating from my faith and digs deeply into the bedrock of my beliefs.

Eight years ago I had a miscarriage. Prior to that I would have said life had challenges, but it was nothing God and I couldn’t handle. Much of it was the kind of thing I could handle on my own. I’d thank God for His provision, I’d ask for His leading and His direction, but there had been very few times where I had been pushed so far beyond what I could endure that I didn’t know how to find myself. 

Here, let my words from 2010, a few months after my second miscarriage, illustrate how shattering these events were:

I’m on a quest to restore my heart.

The miscarriages have caused a piece of my heart to break. And while I want to grieve fully and completely—and some would tell you a tad too much—I don’t want to live with heartbreak.

I want to live where the sight of a pregnant woman doesn’t remind me that I’m not 7 1/2 months pregnant right now. Where the learning that another relative or friend is pregnant doesn’t pierce through my heart with another reminder that I have another little one waiting for me. That there isn’t the pain of separation. Of what ifs. Of what might have beens.

Each day I think I get a bit closer.

Then there’s an anniversary of a loss or a due date.

Or I simply go to Chick-Fil-A and see a pregnant woman or someone with an infant. And I smile as my eyes fill with tears. So if you see me like that, know I am fighting back even while my heart breaks again.

That’s where I lived. But I wrestled it to the ground with God. I had to know that when I was curled up in the closet with so much pain that I didn’t know what to do, that God was there. I had to believe that He would somehow use the pain for His good. He has.

If you’re in the midst of your own pain right now (so many of my friends and loved ones are walking such hard journeys right now), know that God is there. He never leaves. He never forsakes us. Jesus endured that, so we wouldn’t have to.

So if you can’t feel Him, look up. Look out. You will find Him. And He can put your broken heart back together again.

~*~

Author bio:

Cara C. Putman, the award-winning author of 20 books and three repackages with more books on the way, is madly racing toward deadline with her first legal romantic suspense for Harper Collins Christian Fiction. 

She graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. First for Women Magazine called Shadowed by Grace “captivating” and a "novel with the works." It received the Christian Retailing BEST Award for Historical Fiction and the HOLT Award of Distinction. 

Cara is active at her church and a lecturer on business and employment law and communications to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman received her JD from George Mason School of Law and her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. 

She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana. 

~*~

Connect with Cara:

Website - www.caraputman.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/caraputman
Twitter - www.twitter.com/cara_putman
Pinterest - www.pinterest.com/caraputman
Goodreads - www.goodreads.com/CaraPutman

Thankful Thursday: God Loves You

It's Thursday and I'm thankful that God loves you!

He loves me too. He loves ALL of his creation which means the flowers of the field, animals, lakes, beaches, the ENTIRE Universe, really!

The song "You Are For Me" by Kari Jobe is a beautiful reminder of the fact that not only is God for you, but He loves you AND is for you! Meaning when no one else is there to support or encourage you, God is on standby just waiting for you to call upon Him. I think that too often we "go to the phone" before we "go to the throne" which means we're quick to go to mere mortals to share our burdens instead of going to God who is Lord over all.  

Lately, I've realized how important it is to talk about my issues and concerns with GOD first, not family, friends, counselors, pastors or prayer warriors. Songs like "You Are For Me" remind me how important it is to trust God in every area of your life and to take your problems and praises to Him.

I love resting on the fact that God's got my back. I love being able to trust Him to direct the story of my life. He's my Best Friend, Redeemer and Savior. Each and every day is a new adventure with God. I love spending time reading His Word (The Holy Bible) and listening to songs by musicians like Kari Jobe who have a heart for Him.

I hope and pray that you will enjoy this holiday season.

May God bless you with His presence and His peace. *Philippians 4:7*

Love,

Alexis

31 Days of Prayer: God listens

"God is the best listener. He listens to our hearts when our mouths can't find the words to say." ~ The Praying Woman

We're going to keep this short and sweet today.

Classic question, a key focus of this first series for my blog has been, "Why pray?" Today my answer to you is, "because God listens". Do you know why God listens to you every time you pray? The reason for God's undying attentiveness to you is because He loves you, He cares about you and He is concerned about your journey through this life.

God cares about every single detail in your life-- so huge that you feel too overwhelmed to ask Him for help and so small that you may think He doesn't want to hear you pray to Him about it. Never ever believe that lie because God is concerned about everything that affects you. God has promised to be Jehovah Jireh which means "God will provide".

Better yet, God hears the prayers of your heart. So when you're too sick, sad, tired and depressed to pray, God reads your heart and He answers the prayers of your heart. How awesome is that? There is a God who can not only hear you before you speak but answer you while you are yet still praying! Read Isaiah 65:24.

In closing, I'd like for you to listen to this song by gospel artist CeCe Winans. The song is called "He's Concerned" and you can view it here.

I encourage you to pray your own prayer tonight, from your heart. Even if you don't have words to say out loud, silently ask God to read your heart and show His concern and love for you then trust that He will in wonderful ways!

God bless you!