God is Love: Alexis Newlin

Showing posts with label Alexis Newlin. Show all posts

Friday, December 18, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Provision

God Provides
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

–Luke 12:22-24 (ESV)

Have you ever dealt with lack?

In Luke 12:13-21, there is a parable about a rich farmer who had an over abundant harvest one year. Therefore, he decided knock down his current house and build a bigger barn to store up all he can of his crops so that he won’t have to worry about being in need. He builds it and then God comes to tell him that he is foolish, because his time on Earth is now done.

For a while this parable confused me. Isn’t it wise to save up? Isn’t it okay to store enough for ourselves? Why is God chastising him?

I grew up extremely poor, so when I received anything, I would cling to it in fear that I could possibly lose it at any moment. Sometimes that did happen, so I certainly get the mindset of the rich farmer and the urge to hoard things to prevent future poverty. The uncertainty of not knowing if we’d keep our home or have enough money at the end of the month caused a lot of anxiety for me growing up. When I reached adulthood, I swore that I would never have to depend on anyone and that I would always be able to take care of myself.

The problem that I and the farmer both had was a lack of trust in God to provide.

When hard times happened and I had to ask for help, it was a challenge. I felt like I failed. It revealed pride and a serious lack in trust in God. Depending only on myself is not the type of relationship God intended to have with me.

Underneath that parable are the following verses in Luke 12:22-24 (ESV):

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!”

We are not to worry about anything because God will provide everything. If God takes care of the birds, why wouldn’t He take care of us?

In my times of poverty as a child, God did provide. One time, as my family and I were in the process of being evicted, one of my mother’s coworkers miraculously gave her what she needed to cover the rent. When we needed food, friends would step in and buy groceries. Even in my adult life when I have faced financial troubles, God has, without fail, provided the funding for what I needed. Poverty is hard, but God sees it and will always provide.

In closing, I’d like for you to remember this Bible verse found in Psalm 34:10 (NIV): “The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

Let’s Pray: Dear God, Help us to remember that with you, we never lack. You see us and know what we need. Thank you for always providing for us. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and launched her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com

Friday, November 20, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Brokenness

Love Anyway
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” –John 13:34 (ESV)

There is a lot of brokenness in our nation. Racial clashes, political differences, poverty, divorce, gun violence, injustice; it is everywhere and happening every day.

These are subjects I am afraid to talk about or acknowledge. I don’t watch or read the news often. When I do, I find myself anxious and overwhelmed by it all. When I hear stories about injustice in our country, I get so angry. I hate the brokenness. I wrestle often with what action to take. Sometimes the action that I take is ignoring it but I know that this is incorrect.

Recently I watched a video where the artist expressed how he felt about the brokenness in our nation. It made me sad; even now I tear up writing about it. It was hard to watch as it displayed the brokenness that our nation has struggled with for decades. It is sad that there is so much division, violence and hatred. God didn’t intend for any of this.

Let’s read some Bible verses about what God wants for humankind:

He calls us to love one another: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (John 13:34 ESV)

He meant for us to be united: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1 ESV)

Division is the plan of the enemy: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25 ESV).

I asked God what my portion is in all of this, because ignoring isn’t an option. God said a few things: Pray. Love others. Speak up.

I will pray that we are united as a nation – despite our differences – and I will pray that all plans from the enemy to destroy us as a nation be destroyed. I will make a choice daily to love others and seek to understand beliefs different from my own. I will choose to see the person, not their color, sexual orientation, economic status, political preference or religion. Even if my voice trembles, I will speak out against injustice.

As children of God, we are called to love anyway. This is how we unite our nation. This is how we defeat division. Today, think of ways that you can love others despite differences. We are so much stronger together. Divided we will fall.

~*~

Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, October 16, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: God calls us to love one another like Jesus Christ

He calls us to love
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” – John 13:34 (ESV)

We are no match for the gates of Hell, for the sin that resides within us and the evil that seeks to destroy us and everything we hold dear. Alone we cannot overcome this darkness. We are hopelessly lost. The only answer that gives us a fighting chance is LOVE. Jesus is love. Through Him and only Him, do we ever have a chance for victory.

Now love is not easy. It is hard work. It takes putting ourselves aside, admitting that we are weak and need a Savior. God has revealed that love is one of his biggest weapons. Jesus saved us all with one simple act. Love. He conquered sin and death for us all. And when we use it, we can conquer anything. We just have to learn how.

So I took a look at 1 Corinthians 13, because I needed to figure out this “how to really love” thing. Like I mentioned before, it’s hard. Why is it hard?

I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself. For one, I’m human. And with that comes selfishness, pride, impatience, foot-in-mouth syndrome, and anger. And when I’m wronged, here come vengeance and unforgiveness. It’s a mess, but it’s what you default to when you are human and try to go it alone.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.”

There’s a lot to love, many things this one word seems to hold. Yet, it was Jesus Christ’s one command to us in John 13:34 (ESV) was, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

I look at that command and think: “God, I am so human. I want what I want, when I want it and how I want it. How can I possibly follow this?”

Yet, He calls us to love. It’s a scary thing because we’re human. And better yet, you want us, with all our mess, all our stuff, all our love of self, to join together with another human – with all their stuff and mess and love of self – and call it love.

Wow. That’s an even bigger command. To let worlds collide, very different worlds, and learn to love within them.

So what do we do with all of this? What is our plan?

We have to follow love. It’s the only way to win. It’s the only way to defeat the enemy. It’s like a throat punch to the devil every single time we choose to love. Every time we choose unity over separation, another throat punch. Pretty soon the devil can’t speak anymore hate and fear into our lives because his throat is swollen shut. That’s an awesome thing.

Every time we lay ourselves down, and choose these things and choose Christ, the enemy reels back in and it causes him pain. It makes me happy to know that every time we do this one simple act, to love, it destroys the enemy.

So I choose love. No matter how difficult, how scary or how painful…I choose love.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Salvation

Salvation
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

– Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)

I am a sinner.

One of the sins I constantly struggle with is judging. Man, do I judge others. What they wear, how they look, what they believe. In my head, I look down on so many. Another sin: I lie. If it will keep me from being in trouble, I’ll run to lying. If it will help me gain favor, I’ll lie. If it will help preserve a friendship, I’ll lie. Another one: anger. And another: lust. And another … and another.

There is such ugliness inside my head and within my heart.

Because of my sin, I deserve to die. I deserve hell. If it were up to me to make things right, to live a life of rightness and perfection … I could never do it.

If it were up to me, I’d end up in hell, my right judgement, forever separated from God.

Because I am a sinner.

Because eternal damnation as punishment is what I deserve.

In fact, it is what we all deserve.

But it’s not up to me. Thank God, my salvation is not up to me. Nor is it up to you.

There is this beautiful person, who stepped up and took my place and your place. His Name is Jesus Christ (God’s Son). He faced the wrath of God and experienced much suffering and pain. He took our sin, our shame and placed Himself on the cross. He knew who we are: sinners who would fail God daily. Despite this knowledge of a very true fact, Jesus decided that He wanted to take our place anyway.

Jesus took the blame so that we may have eternal life. (John 3:16) He took our all our sins so that we can live, forgiven and accepted by our Father. So now, when God sees us, He sees His Son. So instead of our dreadful sinfulness, God sees us as blameless, pure, holy, forgiven, loved, accepted.

I am so thankful for this gift of salvation! It’s not just fire insurance keeping me out of hell. It is a life of freedom, knowing that I am saved, redeemed and loved by a Holy God who despite my broken nature, loves me anyway. God loves you anyway!

This life with Jesus Christ is such a gift. I want you to have this gift too.

The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 (ESV):“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

If you don’t know Jesus and want to start a new life in Christ, all you have to do is say this prayer to your Maker: “God, I am a sinner. I need you. I believe that Jesus loves me and died for my sins. Please forgive me. I turn from my sins and accept you as my savior. Please come into my heart and make me new.”

That’s it. Jesus doesn’t care about your past. He doesn’t care that you will mess up or even if you are messed up. Nothing you have said or done is too great, neither is it too dreadful for Jesus to stop loving you! He wants you, all of you, no matter what you’ve done.

It’s time to run to Him and be made whole.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Making a Joyful Noise drives away negativity

Make a Joyful Noise
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” – Psalm 100:1-2 (ESV)

Have you ever been slammed with worries and negative thoughts?

I have.

Sometimes I get woken up in the middle of the night, thoughts of my ever growing to do list keeping me from rest. In the mornings before I dive into my quiet time, negative thoughts attack as I prepare to sit down with the Lord.

Sometimes I forget that I am in a battle. The enemy wants to destroy us and to do that, he’ll go after us in our minds. Those negative thoughts and emotions can be so strong that they cause us to forget that we are children of God, we are loved and we need not to worry about what comes.

I forget that the Lord has equipped us all with weapons to defeat the enemy. The ones He is always reminding me to use is worship and praise. When we sing to God, hell trembles. Darkness flees. The enemy shakes; he hates it. He can’t stand to be near it.

In the middle of another attack on my mind, the Lord whispered to me: “You’re being attacked. I want you to sing.”

Immediately I began to sing. The worries and stress that had such a hold on my mind began to lift. I felt lighter, freer. Soon my worries were gone as I was wrapped in praise and worship for my God.

Friend, praise and worship is such a powerful weapon. There are many instances in the Bible were praise and worship were used to change negative situations into more positive outcomes:

For freedom: Paul and Silas singing praises to God were rescued by an angel while imprisoned in Acts 16:25-34 (ESV)

As a weapon: Joshua and the Israelites defeat Jericho in Joshua 6 ... Jehoshaphat defeated Moab and Ammon without a fight in 2 Chronicles 20:18-23 (ESV)

When we praise God through song, we remind ourselves and the enemy who’s in charge. We remember all the things that the Lord has done for us. We remember how much we are loved by God. Instead of being filled with worry and anger, we become filled with gratitude and love for our God.

We cannot be wrapped up in ourselves or our problems if we are lifting our voices in praise to God. It doesn’t matter if you can carry or tune or not, our praise, our worship is beautiful to Him.

So the next time you find yourself being attacked by the enemy, lift your voice in song to the Lord. He will flee and you will have victory.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, July 17, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Rest Well

Do you rest well?
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
–Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

Do you rest well?

God has made it more apparent to me that I do not. I am my own worse task masker, constantly driving myself to do more and more until I break down. As I am breaking, weary, crying and feeling as if the world is closing in on me, God whispers to me.

Our conversation sounds like this:

God: Will you let me have it all? Please, just rest.

Me: But God, I have a million things to do. There are people counting on me. I have to get things done. I can’t rest right now.

Convinced that everything rests on my shoulders, I attempt my many things on my overflowing to do list and find that I simply can’t do it. God whispers to me again: “Just rest.”

When I finally do rest, I read God’s Word (The Holy Bible). I listen to my favorite podcast or music. I pop on my favorite comedy. I go get a massage. I take a nap. In doing these things, I find that I start to feel better, to feel lighter. The weight of world begins to lift and I realize that I’ve carried burdens that I am not meant to carry.

I’m reminded of this verse in Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I’ve tried to do it all, without consulting God. Often, I ask myself, “Do I keep working, or do I take a break?”

Just that simple question in prayer to God would make my life so much easier. I often forget that Jesus rested.

There are many verses that detail Jesus taking breaks from His ministry:

Jesus resting on a boat during a storm (Mark 4:35-40).

After feeding the 5000 people, He went alone to pray (Matthew 14:22-23).

Encouraging the disciples to take a break after going out to minister to others
(Mark 6:30-32).

God rested after His creation of this world and all that lives within it
(Genesis 2:2-3).

If the God of all creation can take a break from his work, it is okay for us to do so as well. We need rest. Our bodies are not meant to work constantly. If we are constantly working, we leave no room to replenish ourselves.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve seemed to confuse resting with laziness. I’ve bought into the lie that if I allow myself to take breaks, or do things that I enjoy, I’m being lazy. Yet, that is so untrue! The truth is that we need balance of work and rest. If we are tired and weary all the time, we will be ineffective for the kingdom.

So how can we rest well?

1) Spend time with God: Just that alone helps you rest. In your quiet time, you can lay out all your worries and cares to God. He can let you know which burdens are actually His and ones you need to let go of. If you find it difficult to read or pray, just worship. Singing praises to God will lift your spirits and bring joy to your soul.

2) Take care of yourself: This is a big one that I struggle with daily. It is important to get enough sleep, eat well, hydrate, exercise and take breaks. It’s amazing what a simple nap can do! By taking care of ourselves, we’re better able to do the things God has called us to. My pastor once said that we should be working out of the overflow that God gives us. If you’re empty, you can’t help others.

3) Do things that you enjoy: It is okay to watch your favorite show, listen to music, read that book, go outdoors or hang out with friends. God wants us to engage in things that we enjoy. He wants us to spend time with those that we love.

Remember the importance of taking care of yourself, as our Savior did the same.

Take time to just sit at His feet and rest in His presence.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, June 19, 2020

Devotionals from the Heart: How to have freedom from fear

Freedom from Fear
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have reviewed the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, Abba! Father!”
–Romans 8:15 (ESV)

Let me tell you about something I seriously hate: FEAR. It is by far the worst thing that is out there in this world. It’s running thick in this season in many people around us. It is the very enemy of our souls. Once it attaches itself to you, its bondage can be very difficult to break.

This is my story:

I spent the majority of my life bound up in fear. My mom was a believer but a worrier, and she often expressed her worries to us. She had many worries, mostly financial. There were many times we were facing homelessness, not having enough food, having the lights turned off. It was a high stress environment. Because of our family’s lack in my childhood, I vowed to never struggle financially as my mother did. I would never require help from others and I would do everything myself. I set out to be financially independent.

Everything I did in my life was based upon this fear: that I would not be able to take care of myself and have no one to depend on. There’s a lot of pride in this belief that it is up to me to provide for myself. I was a believer, but my actions stated that I did not believe or trust that God would take care of me.

With my way, I thought I was being safe. I thought I was free.

In reality, I was deceived. I had become a slave to my fear.

And sadly, like fear does, it flows into other things: fear of love, fear of losing loved ones, fear of losing control, fear of sickness, fears about what others think, etc. In my mind, if I didn’t have any of the above fears happen, I’d be okay. Life would be good.

Then my biggest fear happened: I lost my mother.

I ran to God, but I also started building a wall. I closed myself inside it. I vowed to not let anyone in for the fear of the pain of losing someone again.

The beautiful thing about God is, that once we are His children, He’ll only let you live in bondage for so long before He comes in and starts shaking things.

That’s exactly what He did to me. He brought a friend to kick a hole in my wall. Then another. And another. I started to venture out, to see what life could be like outside the walls of my self-protection. When scary things happened I would run back inside. Eventually, I would stay outside my walls longer and longer. I’d let more people in, start new friendships, try new things, find new adventures.

My walls were still there until one day, after I had another world rocking moment, God knocked my walls down. I felt exposed, vulnerable. God said, “It’s time to learn how to live free.”

My life has never been the same.

It hasn’t been easy. I still deal with fear daily. I just choose not to live by it. It no longer rules over my life. In fact, I do many things that I fear. But, I am doing them with God. He’s always there. He always will be. He loves me and as soon as I cry out to Him, He’s right there.

Once that truth is realized, there is so much freedom. We are not meant to live in fear. It is bondage. It’s a spirit of slavery and we are NOT slaves. We’re meant to be free, just like God says in the following verses from His Word (The Holy Bible):

“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have reviewed the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry, Abba! Father!”
–Romans 8:15 (ESV)

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

– 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

In this current season where fear is running rampant and we’re questioning our mortality, remember this: God is bigger. He is bigger than our fears. Bigger than any virus. Bigger than our “what ifs.”

Run to Him. Trust that He cares for you. Choose to live in that freedom.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should always listen to God's direction

Go Right
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Since COVID-19 started, I now take drives to explore the mountains in my town so I can satisfy my travel bug and connect with God through nature. I’ve lived in California for almost seven years and there is still so much I haven’t discovered yet. That is one positive in this quarantine time.

I am so thankful that I am surrounded by so many places that I can explore in under three hours. Each time I take one of these drives, I come back feeling grounded and refreshed, having spent a bit of time out in nature with God.

Last Saturday, I revisited one of the backroads that my friend mentioned to me a few weeks ago. The mountain road is curvy, tree-lined and covered with wildflowers before it cuts through a beautiful valley. The sights on this road are absolutely breathtaking, and because of its sharp curves, you have to go slow or you will plunge off the edge of the mountain. The slow speed allows you to really take in all the beauty around you: wildflowers, large oak trees, birds singing, cattle grazing in the hillside. It’s now one of my favorite places to go.

At the end of this drive, there is a fork in the road. If you choose left, that will lead you back to town in about 20 minutes. I’d gone left three weeks ago and it was a beautiful drive. Now there was an option to go right, but I’d never gone that way before. I was a little afraid of getting lost and I didn’t want to accidentally end up three hours away from home.

I heard a whisper from God. “Go right.”

I was scared to go right. I knew what was to come if I went left since I’d gone that way before. So I went left.

The urge to go right became stronger. I felt like God was saying, “Alexis, if you turn into this turnout, you can still U-turn and go right.”

I knew that urge would not go away until I decided to go right. Swallowing my fear, I pulled into the turnout, made a quick U-turn when it was safe and headed right.

I am so glad I did.

Not only was the drive beautiful, it ended at a marina of a very large lake I’d never seen before. I couldn’t go onto shore because the lake was closed, but from my parking spot I got to take in a beautiful view: crystal blue water with mountains as a backdrop.

If I had listened to my fear and continued to go left, I would have missed out on discovering this lake. Taking a different path, the one that God chose for me, ending up being better than my original plan.

That often happens in my Christian walk. I don’t know about you, but I am not a big fan of the unknown. I like routine, I like to know what lies up ahead so I can plan and weigh my options. I like to be in control.

However, none of that exists in the unknown. Walking in the unknown plans that God has for us, takes a lot of trust and faith.

Faith that God knows what is best for us.

Faith that He is always with us, especially when things are hard.

Faith that although we think we may know the way, God always has a better way.

When God calls you to take a new path or leads you into the unknown, remember these verse from Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV):

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

We may think we know the best way, but friend, God always knows better.

Trust Him.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Safety

God is our safe place
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to it and is safe.”

– Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)

Do you have a need to feel safe in your life? Is that need preventing you from taking steps of faith in your Christian walk with God? Here’s how I handled one aspect of this need to feel safety in my life.

I struggle very much with the fear of being hurt by another person, whether it be a friend, spouse, sibling, stranger…I do not want to get hurt. Because of this fear, I often try to put myself in situations where I won’t experience hurt and I won’t try to connect with a person unless I can feel completely safe with them.

I told one of my friends this while out to lunch one day and she told me these wise words:

“That’s a lot to put on a person – feeling safe with them. It’s an impossible request to meet. Only God is your safety. No one on this earth can fulfill that. You may need to repent to God for this, for seeking safety in someone other than Him.”

Bam! My eyes were opened. SAFE. That’s it! Not feeling safe was the root of my fear. If I didn’t feel safe, there were a lot of things that I would refuse to do outside of this situation.

I had to feel safe and secure before taking action in many areas of my life. So after realizing this, I took this new information to God. We went on a journey to find out where my holding on to safety higher than anything else came from. This is what we found:

As a child, my environment was unpredictable. It was not always safe. As I grew older, I vowed to always have a safe place and have those around me that I considered safe. It became an idol. What I called being cautious was actually me being fearful. Yikes.

God then had me look up the definition for safe from Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Here is what I found to define the word safe: free from harm or risk : UNHURT 2a: secure from threat of danger, harm, or loss 3: affording safety or security from danger, risk, or difficulty 5a: not threatening danger : HARMLESS 6a: not likely to take risks : CAUTIOUS b: TRUSTWORTHY, RELIABLE.

I look at this definition and to me, being safe on this earth almost seems impossible. We encounter things and people that could harm us every single day. There is no way that we can go one day without encountering some sort of physical, emotional or mental harm.

I was honest with God, telling Him: “I am trying to grasp the concept that you God, are my safe place. That you will protect me and keep me from harm. Many painful things happen every single day. How are you keeping me safe if I get hurt?”

It is so beautiful when God answers.

This is what He said to me and it redefined my definition of safe:

I use your pain to grow you. The injuries you encounter help you grow stronger and stronger each and every day. How do you grow without trial?

A flower must work in order to bloom. It must break its way out of the seed, and then plow through the soil to get to the water and sunlight it needs just to bloom. When it blooms, behold, there is all manner of things that can and will destroy the flower – too much rain, not enough water, too hot, too cold – yet it still blooms.

You are to bloom no matter what you encounter. When trials come, when you feel afraid or face danger, when you feel unsafe then I, God, will be there. I will be a safe place. I will stand beside you; hold you up so you do not fall.

Despite what comes, I am your safe place.

This sent me on a quest to study everything the Lord says about His safety and protection. I found so much. I keep finding verses that show how He has protected us and continues to protect us. Words like, refuge, stronghold, strong tower, shield, shelter, secure and fortress describe our Father and the beautiful things that He does for us if we run to Him. Some of my favorite verses from this study are:

Proverbs 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous run to it and is safe.”

Proverbs 30:5 says, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 28:7 says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song, I will praise him.”

This has been such a beautiful journey to take with the Lord and a journey that I am still walking. It was hard to admit that at times I do not feel safe with the Lord. But, had I not admitted it, I would still have this barrier between God and me. God will do anything to let us know how much He loves us and cares for us.

Although there are times I don’t feel it, it gives me comfort to know that His protection and love for us is splashed all over the pages of His word. God is, and will always be, my safe place.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Arise

Arise: Learning to be comfortable with what God has called you to do
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

– Isaiah 60:1 (ESV)

Since 2014, on January 1st, God has given me a new word to define my year:

Hope (2014)

Change (2015)

Authority (2016)

Restore (2017)

Victorious (2018)

Trust (2019)

And every year, on New Year’s Eve (December 31), I try to cheat by trying to find out what my word will be before New Year’s Day (January 1) or by giving God ideas of what I think my word should be.

This year (2020) was no different. I found myself asking, “God, will my word be Brave? Can you give me a hint? What difference does a few hours make?”

God never gives in to my attempts to cheat. I imagine Him smiling as He tells me, “You know the drill. You’ll find out at midnight on January 1.”

This year I brought in the new year with friends. We ate an enormous amount of food, played board games and had an indoor “snowball” fight. It was so much fun that I forgot about my desire to know my word for the year. As I got into the car to go home past midnight, God said to me, “Your word for the year is Arise.”

This word stopped me in my tracks. “Arise?” I asked, quite stunned.

“Yes. Arise.”

I pondered this word for a moment, still not quite sure of what to think about it. Then I smiled.

“Okay, Arise it is. I like it!”

Since January 1, this year has felt like a whirlwind. I didn’t have much time to sit down and study my word out of the year until recently.

I love to break words down and study them out. When I found a free moment, I plopped down in my favorite chair, grabbed a chai latte and dug into all things Arise. Here’s what I discovered: Arise as defined by my favorite gal pal (Merriam Webster) means, "to begin to occur or to exist: to come into being or to attention, to get up or stand up, to move upward."

Arise requires movement. A stepping up. Not staying in the same place.

Renouncing the old and embracing the new. Changing levels.

Arise scared me.

I don’t know about you but I love being comfortable. I love routine and LOVE when things don’t change. There is a sense of safety in all these things. To arise, to walk out the word that God gave me to define my year, would require movement. Stepping up. Change. Things that I feared. Things that weren’t comfortable or required a ton of trust. Things that wouldn’t allow me to hide anymore.

As I fleshed this word out, God brought this verse Isaiah 60:1 (ESV) to me: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

We can be so tempted to stay hidden for fear of failure, or what others think. We can embrace remaining comfortable or disdain change because we fear moving forward. I think what causes us to feel this way is that we forget who is inside us. We forget God is walking with us, lighting our way.

God is our light.

God fills us with His glory.

Therefore, we must get up, move forward in what He has for us and shine so that others may see Him.

When God is asking you to arise, whether it is a new job, relationship or parenthood, He knows the plans he has for you and He knows your potential. With God, we can’t fail. So friend, take that step. Move toward that scary thing that you want to do. Arise. Shine and remember, the glory of the Lord is with you.

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and hopes to launch her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com

Friday, February 21, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: Lessons on learning how to let go of a "Lot"

When you have a “Lot”: Learn how to let go through the story of Abraham
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him.”
–Genesis 12:1-4a (ESV)

For a long time, I felt very stuck. There were promises that the Lord gave me, yet nothing changed. When I would come to the Lord to ask where He wanted me to go or wanted me to do, He led me to Deuteronomy 34. Moses was soon to die and the Israelites were about to cross over into the promised land.

During my reading, this verse (Deuteronomy 34:4) stuck out to me: “And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.”

Then I felt God speak to me saying, “The former things can not come with you to the new place I am taking you.”

At the time, I thought I knew what God was talking about. I thought God was talking about my fear. As the year went on and things started to unravel, I soon learned what God meant. I had to let go of something, and it was very hard. However, as soon as I decided in my heart to let go of that thing, a stronghold was broken and God was able to move more freely in my life. Since letting that thing go, life has been much easier. I’ve received blessing after blessing and received clearer direction for where God wanted me to go and what He had for me.

Later on, while reading Abraham’s story, I realized that all that time, I was holding on to a “Lot.” It blocked me from my blessing! Read Genesis 12:1-4.

God made a huge promise to Abram: He would make him a great nation and bless him. This promise was a big deal; Abram had no offspring, he and his wife Sarai were old, and yet God still had big plans for him. All Abram had to do was to leave everything behind and go where God told him. Abram partially obeyed, bringing Lot with him.

This small detail brought big problems for Abram. There was discord between his workers, (Genesis 13:5-7) and Abram later had to rescue Lot (Genesis 14:8-16).

Keeping his ties to Lot caused more trouble than God intended for him. Abram’s partial obedience was actually disobedience which made it difficult for God to fully bless him.

However, each time Abram decided to separate from Lot, he was blessed. He was given good land and more promises, (Genesis 13:14-18), he was blessed by the high priest Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20), his name was changed and he received the blessings and promises of God (Genesis 17:1-8).

When God asks us to let go, the unknown can be scary. We must remember that God knows best and holds our future in His hands. When we let go of what we think is best, it opens the door for God to give us His best.

What are you holding onto?

~*~
Author Bio:

Alexis is a 36-year-old lover of Jesus, loose leaf tea, roller coasters, writing stories and going on adventures. Originally from Marietta, GA, Alexis now resides in Fresno, CA.

You can always find Alexis outdoors enjoying a walk in her neighborhood, scoping out the newest food truck, hanging out with friends or planning her next trip.

Her church, The Revival Center, and family mean the world to her. They have supported her through the loss of her mother and her own cancer diagnosis.

Alexis enjoys encouraging others by reminding them not to look at what they see, but to always look to God, who is working in the unseen.

Alexis currently writes for several online ministries and hopes to launch her first podcast – The Brave Podcast – in January 2020.

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com

Friday, January 17, 2020

Devotionals for the Heart: God's Truth

Fight guilt with God’s truth
A devotional by Alexis Newlin

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
– Romans 8:1 (NIV)

Do you ever beat yourself up or struggle with guilt after making mistakes?

I do.

I’m starting a podcast and it’s all very new to me: working with audio equipment, using the right app for editing and learning about soundproofing.

All of this is way out of my element. I’m a writer, not a podcaster. Then God informed me that I would do this podcast and now I am both.

It’s been quite a learning curve. I mess up a lot.

Today’s blunder involved sound.

Several months ago, I set up an interview with a friend that God selected who has a wonderful story to tell. Grateful that she said yes to this new endeavor of mine, I placed her on my calendar several months out so I would have enough time to prep for her interview.

Finally her interview date arrived. I turned off all fans, dripping water, anything that could mess up my audio quality for this interview. With my equipment set up, sound checks done, I was ready to go.

Then the sound of metal clanking and an engine revving floated through my window. My landscapers were here and my microphone was picking up every single sound they made. I forgot that my landscapers usually arrive on Thursday mornings around 7 o’clock to do yard work. Therefore, I had to cancel the interview.

My guest was gracious and rescheduled but I felt terrible. How could I forget such an important detail?

Honestly, I am my worst enemy when I make mistakes. (I may have a slight problem with perfectionism.) I am overly hard on myself. I play the mistake over and over again in my head, going over what went wrong and how I failed. I tell myself things like:

“You should know better.”

“You’ve failed.”

“You never get things right.”

“You let everyone down.”

“Why do you always forget the details?”

“You’re a disappointment to God.”

After this conversation with myself, I’m not feeling too great. These lies have weighed me down. The guilt hangs on me like a heavy millstone. I feel myself slipping away from God, too ashamed to be in His presence.

I forget the most important truth found in Romans 8:1: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Because we are children of God, we’ve gained our freedom from condemnation through Christ’s sacrifice. He put himself on the Cross because He loves us and wanted to take the weight of our sin away. That weight is eternal suffering and separation from God.

When we sin, repent and ask for forgiveness, God out of love forgets it. It’s as if the sin never occurred. So when we choose to continue to bring up that sin or feel guilty about it after receiving God’s forgiveness, we are basically saying that our sin, our mistakes are too big for the Cross.

Nothing is bigger than the Cross.

God knows we’re human. He knows we’re going to mess up. Yet He loves and forgives us anyway.

When you’re feeling guilty or unable to forgive yourself, remember that no condemnation comes from God. God convicts our hearts when we sin, but offers love, forgiveness and ways to change. Any lasting guilt and shame you’re feeling comes from Satan. We have an accuser, an enemy of our soul who seeks to destroy us through false accusations, shame and guilt. When you’re struggling with this, you’re being attacked friend.

When those attacks come against you, fight back with truth. Here are some of my favorites:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” –2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
–Psalm 103:12 (NIV)

Then he adds: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

–Hebrews 10:17 (NIV)

When guilt comes, remember:

You are loved. You are chosen. You are forgiven.

~*~
Author Bio:

~*~
Connect with Alexis:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apeachincali/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/apeachincali
Podcast: http://thebravepodcast.buzzsprout.com
Website: www.apeachincali.com