Thankful Thursdays: When God answers prayers we don't think to pray

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for how God answered a prayer I didn’t think to pray.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of serving on Jennie Allen’s book launch team for her new book that was released in February 2024. The title is, Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It. For the purposes of her book launch, Jennie and her people decided to mainly communicate with all of their launch team members via text messages sent to our cell phones. After Jennie’s book launch was over, I stopped reading the texts. She was still sending a few texts every few days with bonus material and notes for the people who served on her launch team. It wasn’t often but whenever I saw one, I’d just ignore it for no good reason.

However, on February 22, I felt nudged by God to read the text that I received from Jennie’s team and I’m so glad I did because I found out that Jennie was giving each of her launch team members a FREE ticket to attend the IF:Gathering 2024 event online! Now here is why this gift was so significant and such a blessing to me: A few weeks prior to receiving this free ticket, I saw on social media that the IF:Gathering was happening again this February 2024. And I thought to myself, “I enjoyed my time attending the IF:Gathering online for the first time a few years ago. I’d love to go again but I cannot afford it. Oh well.” As quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it and carried on about my day. I didn't even think to ask God about it and pray for Him to make a way for me to be able to attend. Then less than two weeks later, what does God do? He blesses me with a FREE ticket so I can attend ALL of the IF:Gathering 2024 events online and also access the vault of previous gatherings broadcasted in the past ten years! This 2024 is the 10th year of the IF:Gathering hosted by Jennie Allen. God gave her this idea and she ran with it!

I attended the IF:Gathering 2024 event from the comfort of my own home and was so encouraged by everything from the musicians to the messages shared by speakers who love Jesus Christ and are dedicating their life to Him. The arena where this event was held in Texas was filled to the brim. It was beautiful to see so many people chasing after Jesus and being about His business of sharing His Word with the world. We all need Jesus. Only He can save us (John 3:16). And this event was a beautiful reminder of just how much God loves humankind. 

Through this, I learned that God not only answers prayers we don’t think to pray; He also hears our heart and wants to give us the desires that are according to His will. God knew that I needed to attend this evangelistic event to feed my soul and strengthen my spirit as a follower of Jesus Christ. So without me praying or asking Him about it, He made a way! God is so good.

He did this for me and He can do this for you too! Don’t be afraid to tell God what’s on your heart. Don’t be afraid to ask Him what you want. God may not always give you everything you want but He will always give you everything you need. I’m so grateful that God is faithful!

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: God is close

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful God is always closer than I realize.

Last night (April 5), I was discouraged because for months now, I have asked God to show me how to get closer to Him. The crazier our world becomes, the more important it is to have a close relationship with God and follow Jesus Christ’s lead. But to me, my prayers to God were met by radio silence from Him. And in the process, it felt like I was drifting farther away from Him. 

The silence and distance felt devastating. I asked God over and over again how to be closer to Him. I asked Him to help me feel His presence and experience His peace but still it felt like He wasn't answering me nor drawing near to me.

I am also a perfectionist and an overachiever. I know that God speaks to His people through His Word. So I bought a new study Bible in hopes that reading through it from Genesis to Revelation, would help me become closer to God. Yet despite my best efforts to draw closer to Him, God still felt distant to me and I was becoming more and more discouraged by this situation. 

However, in the midst of my discouragement and feeling far away from God last night, He put a song on my heart that I hadn’t heard nor thought of in almost two decades. The song is called “You Were Much Closer” by Fred Hammond and the lyrics remind the listener that God is always present in your life. The lyrics also encourage the listener by saying God is much closer than you realize! 

The Holy Bible says God will NEVER leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus Christ promises to be with us until the END of the world (Matthew 28:20) and He means that in the most literal sense!

God often speaks to my heart through songs. When I look up the lyrics and listen to the song on YouTube, it’s always exactly what I need in that moment.

Last night was no different. God met me in my situation through this song. And I am so grateful. I think He also was letting me know that I don’t need to perform my way into a closer relationship with Him. God just wants us to trust Him and let Him lead. I am determined now to remember that God is not far away and out of my reach. He’s right here with me, in fact, He is closer than I realize!

What are you thankful for today?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: A God who cares

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful that the God of the Universe who is the Maker of Heaven and Earth takes time to step into our lives and feel our pain.

Earlier this week I was really going through something that made me feel like God was distant and did not care about my pain. There have been things I have experienced over the years that had me questioning if God cared about me. Of course, I know that is not Biblically accurate because the Bible says over and over again how much God loves all of His creation, especially humankind.

Last night, everything was caving in around me and I went silent. It was in the silence that I heard God speak through song lyrics. God does this for me often and I always know He’s speaking to me in these times because He always places a song on my heart that I have not heard in a while and the selection of lyrics He loops in my head always speak directly to whatever situation is weighing on me. And those lyrics lift me up out of my pit of despair. They feel like a hug from God.

So as I stood by the kitchen sink, silently washing dishes, the lyrics to the song “Who Am I” sung by Casting Crowns entered my mind. This specific selection played on loop in my head: “Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth/Would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?”

It was in that moment I realized that God feels the depths of our pain. He’s not afraid of our pain. He goes there with us and He can handle all the ways we feel and He can take all of our honesty about how we feel. God is big enough to not be offended by your pain or your questioning His presence in your life.

Your pain is personal to God. In fact, God cares so much about everything you go through that He’s willing to sit in the silence with you. He’s willing to hear your cries and go deep with you. But He won’t leave you to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor and drown; He will lift you up above the surface of the troubled water that’s trying to take you under. He’ll encourage you to look up to Him and remember that He has a plan for your life and it is good (Jeremiah 29:11).

God knows we more mortals are not perfect. He knows that we experience pain. He knows that pain is part of the human experience because of sin that exists in this world, and the ongoing battle between good and evil. God knows it all and He will never leave you to fight alone. The Bible says that God will fight our battles if we only be still (Exodus 14:14).

And sometimes, He will remind you of His Presence in your life in a love language that is close to your heart and for me, that’s music.

I thank God for His steadfast love that is with us in the highs and lows of life (Psalm 139:8). I am so thankful that He is willing to go deep into our pain and help us heal. I am so glad that no situation is too much for God to handle.

He is so faithful to us.

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: Baby Christians

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for new (“baby”) Christians!

They are so on fire for Jesus Christ and endeavor to spread the Gospel Truth, also known as “The Good News” with everyone they encounter. The pore over the pages of The Holy Bible and they are eager to tell the world about a Man named Jesus who saved their soul (John 3:16).

For about a year now, I’ve seen different cars with similar bumper stickers and window stickers that say something like, “New Driver. Please be patient.”

When I see that, I automatically think of spiritual parallel along the lines of “Baby Christian. Handle with care” or “New Believer. Please be patient.”

Why is it important to be patient with people who are new to believing in God and following Jesus Christ? Simply because they are still learning and “growing up” in their faith walk with God. And just as when you start anything new (a job, a book study, becoming a parent, etc.), you need to give yourself grace and room for error. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Why? Because we’re all human which means we have flaws! We are not perfect.

Oftentimes, we either stand amazed at the passion baby Christians have for God or we are astounded when they make mistakes that more mature Christians would have avoided. This is why it’s important to be patient and help guide them back to the Bible. We need to help them survive their rocky road that happens after the new, exciting, fulfilling and invigorating feel of being a Christian fades away.

It's important to encourage baby Christians to keep drinking their “milk” but also prepare to start eating “meat” as they grow up in their relationship with God. Read more about this in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2.

Christians who are older and more seasoned by life should come along those new to the faith and share their wisdom in due time. We should make them aware of the pitfalls and remind them that there’s always hope because God is always there for us. The Bible says He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

We should encourage new Christians to keep the line of communication (prayer) between themselves and God open and remind them to keep talking to God even when He seems distant. The Bible says if we draw near to God, then He will draw near to us (James 4:8).

If you are reading this and you are a baby Christian, I want to encourage you to always go to God, no matter how you feel. He loves you with all of His Heart! When times feel dark and all hope seems lost, choose your faith over your feelings and keep moving forward in your faith journey with your Creator (God) because He is right there, by your side. He never left. Rest in Him. Abide in Him.

Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep trusting in Him. God didn’t bring you this far to leave you. He is with you every step of the way. Keep following His Son (Jesus Christ) all the way to Heaven.

Be encouraged by listening to this song by CeCe Winans, "He's Always There."

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: When God answers the prayers you didn't pray

When God Answers
A Thankful Thursday post by Alexis A. Goring

“Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.”

– Isaiah 65:24 (NIV)

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful that God always answers my prayers—spoken and unspoken—in ways I do and oftentimes do not expect.

Last week Friday was one of those nights when my issues were hitting me, hard. I went to bed feeling burdened and I woke up on Saturday morning with a lot of pain still weighing heavy on my heart. It built up within me to the point when I started venting to God. My venting session turned into anger and despair. It got to the point where I doubted that God cared about anything I was going through because I couldn’t sense His working in any aspect of all of the issues that were causing me deep pain and sorrow. 

I knew better than to tell God that He doesn’t care about me because the Bible clearly says He does (John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11, Matthew 6:26, 1 Peter 5:7). However, my pain had pushed me to the point of almost believing that He didn’t care and He wasn’t there for me. 

The silence I felt on God’s end of the communication line was deafening…until He spoke!

No, I didn’t hear the audible voice of God from Heaven. But I did hear His Words spoken through people who care about me. Only a few hours after my venting session, one of my church friends texted me asking if she and one of our Bible study members could visit me that afternoon to pray for me.

Now I’m used to church people visiting people who they care about to pray for them when they’re sick or struggling in a crisis. But I never had experienced a church friend randomly calling me to ask if they can visit to pray for me. But don’t you know it wasn’t random? I soon found out that God was in the details.

When I asked the friend—we’ll call her Essence—why she wanted to pray for me in person, she said “Because that’s what the Father would have us do.” She was referring to God as our Heavenly Father. I agreed to the visit. An hour later, Essence and our friend D showed up. They greeted me and encouraged me with Scripture. They read the passage from the Bible from Mark 4:35-41 (scripture), which is about the time when Jesus Christ calmed the raging storm with His Words.

Scripture says that Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the water when a fierce storm arose. Waves broke over their boat to the point where it was nearly swamped. His disciples woke Jesus and said “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (verse 38). Jesus rose and rebuke the wind saying “Quiet! Be still!” And immediately, the wind died down and all around them became “completely calm” (verse 39). Jesus then turned to His disciples and asked them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (verse 40)

Essence then read quotes related to this Scripture from a Christian writer. She then added her own exhortation about why we as believers need to, as soon as we wake up in the morning, put on the full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) so that we can stand strong against the devil’s schemes. She reminded me specifically to raise up my “shield of faith” to stop the darts from the enemy (the devil and his demons).

Essence and D then took turns praying for me and all of my family members. They reminded me that I am loved then gave me a hug before leaving.

Immediately after they left, I prepared space for my first virtual paint night led by a ministry leader’s wife from our church home. And guess what the theme of this faith-based paint night was? She spoke on how God doesn’t mean for anyone to go through life alone. We are meant to journey together. Always use wisdom and discretion about who you open up to but know that there are safe places for you to share your heart and our paint night, she said, is one.

Even the painting that we all created taught us a spiritual lesson. We painted mountains at sunset and our host (we’ll call her Valerie), told us that God can move mountains in our life, if we only just believe.

After the sunset that Saturday, God had fully filled me with His Love through the people He sent to love on me and He also taught me a lesson for this life on Earth. God taught me that no matter what I deal with, no matter how deep the pain goes, no matter how alone I feel, I need to remember that I am never alone. There’s song by Cheri Keaggy that says we are not without hope or love because we have Jesus Christ who is always present in our life and completely there for us. The song is called “Not With Jesus”. You can listen to it here.

So in the quiet of the evening, after paint night was over, I spoke to God again. This time, it wasn’t a venting session nor was it a lament about all of my sorrows and pain. It was a time I spent thanking Him for answering my prayers that I barely could pray (asking God to show me that He cares) and asking Him to forgive me for believing even for a minute that He doesn’t care about me. I thanked Him for always being there for me and asked Him to help me always remember this day, especially when the storms of life overwhelm me because in this life we will have trouble but the good news is God is greater than all of our troubles (John 16:33). 

Jesus has gone before us. He has overcome the world and He wants to help us be overcomers of this world too.

In closing, I’d like for you to watch this full episode from Better Together TV. It’s called “Overcoming Anger with God”. You can watch it here.
 


Be encouraged, dear friends. The Creator (God) of the Universe LOVES YOU and He is NOT going anywhere!

With love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: God Speaks

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for when God speaks!

Late Wednesday night (August 12), I was trying to focus on scheduling next week's set of devotionals for my blog. But my heart was heavy and my mind was bogged down by the issues that were hurting my heart. After what may have been about 20 minutes of feeling depressed, I felt God speak these words into my spirit:  Listen to "I Bless Your Name." 

So I went to YouTube and I looked up the version of the song "I Bless Your Name" that is performed by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.

As I listened to this beautiful song of praise to God, slowly but surely, I felt like singing praises to God too! As I began to sing with the choir my burdens were lifted, my heart was healing, and my mind was given a peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

I was also reminded of the Bible story about Paul and Silas who followed Jesus and preached for Him. The pivotal part of the story takes place in prison where Paul and Silas are shackled is chains. This was after they were beaten by people who thought they were a threat to society. Not everybody wants to hear about Jesus Christ, but Paul and Silas were not afraid to preach the truth. They were not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they were willing to die for the cause of Christ! Their passion for God landed them in a desolate place (a prison cell).

But Paul and Silas did not let the bleakness of their situation rule in their hearts nor stay in their minds. They chose to lift their voices in singing praises to God! And when they praised His Name, God set them free! Literally! Read about it in Acts 16:25-34 (KJV) which says:

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed." 

This song and Bible story gave me so much encouragement!

 I am so thankful that God is faithful! God speaks ... do you listen?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA

Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: God's Provision

Thankful Thursdays: God’s Provision 

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for God’s provision!

Over the course of these past five weeks, God has provided answers to my prayers in sweet surprises that I did not expect!

Ever since last year, I’d wanted to attend the Entrusted Women Conference. However, I had not been able to afford the travel fees along with other fees, and I wasn’t able to go over the weekend (it usually takes place on Fridays and Saturdays which conflicts with the time I spend in church and with ministry related events).

But this year, due to COVID-19, most in-person conferences had to be cancelled because of social distancing and protecting people’s health. So it was announced a few months ago this year that the Entrusted Women Conference would take place online. It would be their first virtual conference!

Delighted, I put a note on my calendar earlier this year to pay the registration fee by the deadline in June 2020. I figured that I would have more work that pays well by then and that I’d be able to pay the fee. However, two days before the money was due, I still could not afford it. I saw the note on my calendar and gave a resigning sigh because I thought that there was no way I was going to have the money in only two days. I deleted that note in my calendar and accepted the fact that I wasn’t attending this phenomenal conference for women communicators of color.

However, minutes later, I saw a new post on the Entrusted Women Facebook Group page from the founder Kia Stephens. She said that someone “just paid for a VIP Registration” to the conference. She suggested that anyone in financial need should send a message to her inbox. I noticed that the time stamp on Kia’s post indicated that she posted this message exactly 17 minutes before I read it. I figured that someone else in our group, which at the time, consisted of nearly 800 women, had already grabbed that opportunity. But as a leap of faith, I decided to apply anyway. And minutes later, I received a message from Kia saying, “You got it!” I was overjoyed!

I was also able to attend because the online version of this conference started on a Wednesday and ended on Saturday of that same week. So I was able to attend from Wednesday right up until Friday afternoon. Then since my VIP Membership included free replays until July 11, I had plenty of time after that Saturday of the conference to watch what I missed that took place after sunset Friday to sunset Saturday.

The conference was truly remarkable! I learned so much from the presenters and the workshops were wonderful! I am so grateful to God for making this happen for me! One point that I didn’t mention earlier: For the past five years since attending my first in-person writers’ conference, I had thought deep in my heart that I’d love to be able to attend more conferences. I had prayed about it too. After almost five years of not being able to attend any conferences, God answered my prayers by making a way for me to attend Entrusted Women Conference in June 2020. He also made a way for me to attend a Christian editors’ conference called PENCON in July 2020!

Now about the PENCON 2020 Conference … I wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend this one either because I could not afford it, even with the discount that I was given as a benefit of being their social media person and for serving on the conference planning team. However, at the last minute before the deadline to pay my fee, a family member surprised me with the money I needed! So I paid the fee and attended that conference from July 8 to July 10! It was a blessing.

In closing, please remember these main points:

#1: God knows the desires of your heart. If you delight yourself in Him, He will give you those desires if they are in accordance to His will. Read Psalm 37:4.

#2: God is the giver of good gifts! He wants to bless you! Read James 1:17.

#3: Just when you think all hope is lost, God will provide whatever you need! Read Philippians 4:19. My maternal grandmother used to say, “God may not come when you want Him to but He’s always on time!”

I hope that my testimony has encouraged you to reflect on God’s goodness in your own life. 

Don’t be afraid to tell your story!

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for God’s provision. What are you thankful for?

Love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: My Thoughts on The Gift of Time and Friendship

Thankful Thursdays: The Gift of Time and Friendship

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the gift of time and friendship.

My friend Holly brought this to my attention about a year ago. We’ve been friends for a few years. We talk often and during one of our conversations, she told me, “You have the gift of time and friendship.”

Her words caused me to pause because I’d never thought of time as a gift. I’ve always thought that friends who God placed into my life are a gift. But never once did I consider nor did I realize just what a precious gift time is especially for those who are running out of it.

Holly’s words caused me to re-evaluate my life. She spoke those timely words to me during a tough time in my career journey. It had been years since I graduated from college and my career path looked nothing like I planned. But still, God was present and blessing me through all the detours He led me to take in the journey to my dreams.

I thought my dreams had come true last year when God enabled me to land a full-time job in Journalism at a major magazine without even interviewing for the job. However, that journey as a journalist ended after five months.

However, that was all part of God’s perfect plan, because once again I had more time to spend with Him and more time to finish writing my devotional book! My devotional book, Stories and Songs of Faith: My Journey with God, was published in April 2020. God confirmed that this was part of His plan. He confirmed it through the words of my friends who’ve read my book and through all of the ratings which as I write this blog post, are ALL five-star ratings!

My time with God has been and continues to be precious. I realize more than ever how important it is to always make room for Him in my life and spend time studying His Word (The Holy Bible). The older I get, the more I see just how precious His Word is and how important it is to apply His truth, promises and principles to my everyday life.

I have not landed a new full-time job since my magazine job didn’t work out last year but I have been abundantly blessed by God during this time with Him and with the people in my life who love me (family and friends).

The Gift of Friendship

Growing up, I loved to read books. Every summer, our dad would drive my brother and I to the local library to borrow books. My brother would borrow books about dinosaurs and puppies while I would reach for books about friendships and characters falling in love.

Never had I ever thought that when I grew up, I’d become friends with my favorite authors whose books I read as an adult! Thanks to Facebook, becoming friends with authors has become as simple as sending a friend request. But what I cherish even more than becoming Facebook friends with these wonderful writers, is becoming real-life friends offline! I’ve met most of my favorite authors at a Christian writers’ conference that God made a way for me to attend five years ago and He continues to connect me with more of my new favorite authors! It’s such a blessing.

It’s truly special to my heart when my favorite authors and I become such good friends that we call each other on the phone even if we cannot meet in person (my author friends live across the USA and around the world).

Just before writing this Thankful Thursdays post today, I was looking at my friends on Facebook and praising God for exactly what they are: blessings!

God helped me realize how He made all of this possible. He showed me that He has perfect timing and that He has good plans for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). God reminded me that He cares about my heart’s desires.

God knew who He would bring into my life before I even asked Him or petitioned Him in prayer. Just like God knows exactly who I need in my life, He knows who you need too! Trust Him to coordinate your connections!

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the gift of time and friendship.

What are you thankful for today?

Sincerely,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: Answered prayers after years of waiting on God

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for answered prayers!

I don’t know where to begin with this blog post to tell my whole story and keep it under 1,000 words. Perhaps I will write a longer blog post sometime in the future but for today, I will keep this short and sweet.

Ya’ll, I have a testimony to share about how God answered my prayers!

My undergraduate degree is in Print Journalism. It’s always been my passion and skill set but after graduating from college and a magazine internship thereafter, it was increasingly difficult for me to land a full-time job with salary in my field of study…until this week!

Now here’s where my testimony gets long but I will try to keep it short, as promised…

After that magazine internship was over (they were not hiring full-time), God led me on a series of detours. First, I felt a strong pull from Him to get trained to become a teacher and help children. It was the same strong pull that I felt to pursue Journalism. So I obeyed and went into training in an alternative certification program that’s similar to Teach for America. However, that journey was an uphill battle and after two years of teaching, the door to having a career in Education closed.

So now that my Plan B (teaching) failed, what was I going to do?

But God had more in store! Only two months after He shut the door to teaching, He opened the door to working for a countywide newspaper! I still remember my first day on assignment. It was like the sun rising! I felt at peace, happy, productive and convinced that I was operating in my calling.

However, after half a decade of working for that newspaper, the company went through budget cuts, which meant that they had to lay off several reporters including me. So then began my search for a new job. At first, I was only looking in Journalism but then I figured that any job that paid the bills would do. So I expanded my career search but to no avail because I only landed short, temporary jobs like seasonal retail for the holidays.

Just when all hope seemed lost, God intervened. He led me to making a new friend, Kristina, who calls herself a “Writerpreneur” and set off a series of events that led me to where I am today!

Keeping it short: Kristina told me to download her FREE book and read it because of its job search related resources. So I did and in that book, there was a list of staffing agencies that represent people who are searching for jobs. The company works as an agent for the job seeker, sending job leads and working as a bridge between the client and the employer.

The agency that I reached out to, found a job placement for me immediately (literally five minutes after they interviewed me and decided to represent me). I accepted the remote job and worked on it for several months until that company decided that they want to promote within so though they replaced me with one of their in-house employees. Needless to say, I was disappointed but I chose to hold on to the fact that God has a plan. And it’s a good plan just like He promises in Jeremiah 29:11.

Let me tell you, when God moves miracles in motion, only He can take the credit because He opens doors that no man can shut.

Such was the case for me just last week (Monday, July 1 to be exact). The staffing agency called me and asked me if I’m interested in short assignment (only four days) working for a media organization that’s located in the city. I said, “Yes.” They said they would alert the employer. Then they called me less than an hour later saying that I got the job for those four days! My Mom keeps pointing out that they didn’t interview me for the job, they just hired me, so that’s a sign that God is orchestrating this behind the scenes.

Today was supposed to be my last day working for this media organization, because that’s what my agency signed me up to do.

But God had other plans! Longer story short, my supervisor called me into an empty office and told me that they want to hire me as a full-time employee! Of course, I accepted!

This whole experience reminds me of what my Grandma used to say, “God may not come when you want Him to, but He’s always on time!”

Trust me, this new job opportunity happened exactly on time! I cannot go into details and still keep this post under 1,000 words.

This is a testimony that was years in the making! I spent three full years without a new day job that provided sufficient and steady pay. My career journey has been filled with highs and lows, hopes and fears. But God knew what He was doing. He gave me the experiences I needed on those detours He sent me on to help me grow and arrive exactly where I need to be today!

I am so grateful that God is faithful!

So that is the abbreviated version of my work related testimony. Maybe one day, I’ll write a book about my journey. But for now, I’m enjoying this moment, appreciating this blessing and encouraging you to wait on the Lord.

Trust, the wait is worth it. So, whatever you’re waiting on God to do in your life, don’t give up or give in. Just trust Him! God’s timing is perfect. I can testify to that fact!

God bless you.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

P.S._ Listen to this song that’s encouraged me in my journey. It’s about taking everything – your worries, sorrows, joys and requests – to God in prayer! 

Thankful Thursdays: God's Light

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for God's Light in the darkness!

If I’m going to honest, a lot of real world situations have been weighing heavily on my heart lately. But true to how AWESOME God is, He returned the lyrics of a song to my mind. It’s a song that I haven’t heard since I was a child listening to WGTS 91.9 FM.

God often uses this method to encourage me. It usually goes like this: God breaks through the darkness with His Light by sending song lyrics into my mind, I look up the lyrics on YouTube and then listen to the song only to find out that its message is exactly what I needed to hear in that situation!

The song that God brought to my mind this morning is “Praise the Lord” and the video that I watched on YouTube featured a LIVE performance of the song by Russ Taff.

It truly encouraged my mind and reinfused HOPE into my heart as God's Light broke through the darkness. After listening to this song, I was reminded to focus on what truly matters (living for Jesus Christ and knowing that in the end, HE wins!). The song also reminded me to remember my true identity as a child of God. We are His creation. He loves us with ALL of His Heart and He has unlimited resources to help us through any and every trial that we may face here on Earth.

Life is easier to deal with when you have Jesus Christ in your life and rely on God. His power is greater than every force of evil. He is the Light in the darkness. There’s always hope when God is in the picture and the GOOD NEWS is that God is always in the picture!

I’d like to share the song with you too. Watch it via the video below:

God bless you, sweet friends.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: HOPE Eternal

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for HOPE but not the kind of fleeting hope of the heart for things we want to have or experience here on Earth…I am thankful for the eternal hope that only accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior can give you.

What brought this on, you may ask?

So glad you asked! The answer is reflection. I’ve been reflecting on words about life and death that I’ve heard over the years and I’ve been thinking about what to say in response that would help people understand why there is hope eternal available to us but we have accept Jesus into our lives to have it.

My reflections that led me to write this blog post today are several. I remembered that one day in my first career as an educator, there was a teacher who told his students something that I still recall today. A student complained to the teacher about something he did that the student thought was unjust. The student cried out, “But that’s not fair!” to which the much older teacher who had been seasoned by life responded, “Life’s not fair and then you die!”

I also recall that time in the teacher’s lounge at a school where I as a substitute teacher (I worked as a "sub" before studying to become a full-time teacher). We were on lunch break. The conversation amongst the teachers in the lounge was about how to live longer and one of the male teachers who walked in on the conversation told his colleagues with a side helping of cynicism, “Everybody dies!” Then he walked out.

Finally, I recall a conversation that I had as an adult with an older friend. She told me that she doesn’t believe in life after death. She believes that after you die, that’s it ... No resurrection by Jesus Christ, no hope of Heaven or fear of hell. So she makes the most of every day because she believes that life is precious.

Now, what is wrong with these scenarios and real-life views? To the people who believe these views nothing is wrong with it for them because everybody is entitled to believe what they want. However, as a person whose life has been not only saved but enriched by a relationship with Jesus Christ, I cannot imagine what it’s like to live with no hope eternal.

I cannot imagine that I’d never see my loved ones who have died again because of the theory that there’s no life after death. I cannot imagine going through all the trials and tribulations here on Earth then knowing that after I die there’s no hope of Jesus Christ returning to Earth to take His faithful followers home to Heaven where we will live with Him in healthy, immortal bodies forever. I cannot imagine that God will not do what He says He will do in His Word (The Holy Bible). I cannot imagine God not keeping His promises to give us eternal life through His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16) because the Bible says that God does not lie (Numbers 23:19) like we as mere mortals do sometimes.

Even before dying, I cannot imagine living without the hope in Jesus Christ that helps me survive and keeps me alive. He protects me from so much. He gives me hope in seasons of despair. He adds to my quality of life and helps me love others and treat others the way that I would want to be treated.

A verse that came to my mind when I was reflecting on all of this today is found in
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV) where followers of Jesus Christ are admonished to not grieve as those who “have no hope.” It addresses the grief process that we all experience when a loved one dies. Before closing, I’d like to share the entire passage with you:

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

In the midst of my reflections, God impressed me with a personal lesson. He showed me that when situations in my life or in the world around me become overwhelming and I feel like I’m sinking into despair, I should NOT feel hopeless. 

I realized that I have a choice: I can allow the issues of life to overwhelm me and feel hopeless OR I can choose to trust God who is Lord over ALL as I remember that no situation is ever hopeless because He is our Eternal Hope.

Please note: If any of you are dealing with chronic illness, depression, despair or any problem that makes you feel like you’re in the dark then do not only pray about, ask God to lead you to a medical professional who can help you. I’ve heard it said many times in real life and on social media that “It’s okay to talk to Jesus (Christ) and a therapist!” Don’t think that you have to handle the storms of life alone. You don’t! You have God and you can be under the care of people who God’s gifted on this Earth to be professional doctors, counselors, therapists, nutritionists, personal trainers…all to help you in every area of life!

In closing, I’d like to share this beautiful song by Terrian. It’s called “God with Us.” 

I hope that her kind, soothing voice will bless your heart and that the message in this song will help you get a glimpse of hope eternal!

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of "God is Love" blog

Thankful Thursdays: God is Always There for you and me!

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the fact that GOD is always there!

Earlier this week, I had a rough night. It was well past midnight so it was too late to call most people that I knew who have expressed that they want to be there for me.

So, I decided to send a text message to my Bible study group members from church. I used the Group Me chat app on my phone to do this. I simply wrote, “Please pray for me.” Within minutes, one of the group members responded directly to me using the private chat function so that only she and I could talk.

She simply responded with a message on prayer that she found online. The original author is unknown. This is what the message said:

Prayer Is Not Passive.

Prayer is powerful. Prayer is purposeful. Prayer is intentional.

Prayer is active warfare that engages Heaven and exposes every snare and trap of the enemy. In fact, prayer has the power to destroy every generational bondage that has plagued your family for years.

Prayer destroys yokes. Prayer disarms the weapons of the enemy. Prayer disrupts the forces of Hell and engages the armies of Heaven. Prayer breaks cycles and dismantles curses. When you pray, darkness flees. 

When you pray, addiction is defeated. When you pray, rejection repels and no longer has authority over you. When you pray, bitterness breaks. 

When you pray, sickness and disease leaves. When you pray, God steps in and favor rolls out before you. When you pray, peace surrounds you and joy engulfs you. When you pray, Heaven hears you. 

Prayer is the key that unlocks doors. Decide to engage God. 

God is listening!

~*~

God knew that I needed to be reminded that He is always there for me and that He hears every single prayer. So He sent this message to me through another one of His servants who is a member of my church family.

This message on prayer encouraged and inspired my heart. I felt strengthened as I read it because I remembered that prayer should be my first and last resort when I feel troubled. Read Psalm 46.

Prayer is the ultimate lifeline because it directly connects us with the Creator of the Universe (God). He is higher than any earthly power. He is wiser than the wisest and the most able to help us in our time of trouble. Seek Him first!

In closing, I’d like to share a song by CeCe Winans. The song is called, “He’s Always There.”

Be encouraged, dear hearts. God loves you with ALL of His Heart!

Sincerely,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: God is with me

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for the fact that God is with me!

All of yesterday (Wednesday, May 29) was filled with worry, anxiety and depression for me. I woke up with a million things on my mind, rushed into my activities for that day and returned home even more upset.

There were moments when I calmed down after talking to a few God-fearing sister-in-Christ friends but as soon as our conversation was over, the anxiety picked up again. I was so overwhelmed about several serious, real-life situations that I could barely see the light of day or any hope in the severity of it all. These situations have been on my mind a lot lately but on May 29 the thoughts of these crowded every ray of sunshine out of the picture.

A few hours before midnight, a counselor encouraged me to “tap into (my) spirituality” because they know that helps me. So I did. For the first time that day/evening/night, I opened my “True Identity” Bible and searched for Scriptures that would speak to my situation.

After spending time in God’s Word (The Holy Bible) and talking to Him through prayer, I felt better. As I closed my Bible, I started singing these words, “Sovereign in the mountain air/Sovereign on the ocean floor/With me in the calm/With me in the storm.” 

When I realized that these were words to a song that I first heard years ago, I immediately went to YouTube and typed in the first few words. The song “Sovereign” by the Contemporary Christian music artist Chris Tomlin showed up first in the search results. 

I selected the lyric video version and listened to it while I read the lyrics only to find that every single lyric spoke directly into my situation! These song lyrics silenced my worries and reminded me that I can trust God no matter what because He knows everything I need and He will always provide for me.

As the song faded out, I realized that God just spoke to me through it. I know it was His message for me that night not only because of the lyrics, but because of the fact that I hadn’t heard that song in years and had forgotten the lyrics until that night (May 29). I know that it’s not a coincidence that these lyrics came to mind after I spent time studying God’s Word!

It’s also important to note that before I started reading The Bible that night, I asked God to speak to me through His Word and He did, not only through Scripture but through the lyrics of that song reminding me that He is Sovereign.

The dictionary defines the word “sovereign” as “possessing supreme or ultimate power” and the synonyms to this word that stood out to me are “boundless,” “unrestricted” and “unrestrained.”

This definition applied to God, shows us that not only does He have the ultimate power over the entire universe and everything in it, it shows that His power is unrestricted, meaning that nothing and no one can stop what He wants to do!

God’s plans for your life and my life cannot be stopped. No one and nothing (not even the evil forces) in this world or the entire universe can stop Him from blessing you! So when God seems silent, just keep trusting Him and knowing that He is working together everything for your good (Romans 8:28) because He loves you (John 3:16) and He has GOOD plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:11)!

Be encouraged, dear friends with this: No matter what happens in human history on this planet Earth, the Creator of the Universe (God) is with you. He will NEVER leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and His Son Jesus Christ (our Savior) says in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble but “take heart” because He (JESUS) has “overcome the world!”

Romans 8:31-39 (NIV) says that we are “more than conquerors” with Jesus Christ on our side! Let’s read the full passage:

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, either height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These Bible verses give me hope that no matter what happens in this life, God is with me. I hope that these verses give you that same hope.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

P.S._Here's the lyric video that I watched of the song "Sovereign" by Chris Tomlin:

Thankful Thursdays: My Birthday!

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful that today (May 23) is my birthday!

I am grateful that God allowed me to see another year of life.

Life is filled with ups and downs, twists and turns, joys and tragedies but one thing remains: God is Good and His Love for us remains forever true and unconditional throughout eternity!

Looking back over my life thus far, I wouldn’t change anything because all of these moments – good and bad – led me to the life I have today. Nothing is always perfect here on Earth but there’s so much to be thankful for and I praise God for ALL He’s done and continues to do for me and all of the wonderful people that He’s placed in my life.

Earlier this week, my Mom celebrated my birthday with me by treating me to a peppermint pedicure and manicure at our favorite day spa then she paid for an early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants where she tipped the waiters that it was my birthday celebration, so they sung the “Happy Birthday” song to me. Yesterday, my Dad treated me to a brunch at a local old-fashioned diner. I enjoyed my favorite breakfast meal there – Banana Stuffed French Toast and scrambled eggs. The diner does the whole “farm to table” approach to dining so the food there always tastes so fresh and delicious.

Earlier today, I received a birthday card from my brother and sister-in-law with really sweet wording and a gift certificate to my favorite day spa.

All throughout this day, my family and friends who are on Facebook have posted all sorts of sweet and fun "Happy Birthday" notes on my wall. Loved ones have sent text messages to my personal phone to wish me a “Happy Birthday” too! It’s been a full day filled with showers of blessings from God and the people who care about me.

I truly feel blessed to have the people who are in my life as part of my story.

I hope and pray that you will spend time thinking about what you’re thankful for then share in the comments below.

May the good Lord our God bless you and keep you!

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: Perfect Timing

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for God’s perfect timing!

There are many ways that God’s timing is perfect.

Today, I want to talk about situations where God prompts you to do something for someone and that someone says that your timing was perfect because you sent exactly what he or she needed, exactly when they needed it.

Such a situation happened to me earlier this week. While spending “quiet time” with God through prayer and studying The Holy Bible, I read a side note in my True Identity Bible that talked about how God is deep. Here is what the side note said…

He is Deep: The psalmist was in deep despair as his enemies mocked, “Where is your God?” Though in a time of depression, he wisely reminded himself that God isn’t only in the heights; he is also in the depths. “Deep calls to deep…” Perhaps you, like the psalmist, have felt waves of despair sweeping over you, threatening to take you under. Perhaps you feel so down you can’t look up. Learn from the psalmist to remember God and share your feelings with him. When your thoughts take you to deep, dark places, let God take you deep into himself.

Inspired by this message, I typed it into my phone and sent it as a text message to several friends and family who were on my heart. One of my friends wrote a reply to me saying, “Alexis your timing is perfect. Needed this. Thank you! Deep calls to deep.”

As believers in God, both my friend and I know that it wasn’t my timing that was perfect—it was God’s perfect timing!

This is not the first time that God has impressed me to send a message, song, quote or note to someone and they responded saying that the timing of that content was “perfect.” Each time that happens, I thank God for using me to help that person and I remind that person to give glory to God because it was Him who prompted me to send that content in perfect timing.

I’ve also been reminded of the importance of diving into God’s Word (The Holy Bible) on a daily basis because each time I study His Word, He either has a message for me or someone else (or both) and when I share it with the people He’s placed on my heart they often said that the timing was perfect.

I don’t ever want to miss an opportunity to share a message that God’s given me with someone who needs it. I am grateful for God’s perfect timing.

Aren’t you?

Share your stories about situations in your life when God’s timing was perfect. Your testimony will encourage others!

God bless you, dear friends.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: A God Who Holds My Hand through this life

Thankful Thursdays: A God Who Holds My Hand

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for a God who holds my hand!

Earlier today, I was leaving the grocery store. As I pushed my shopping cart to the side, I heard a woman behind me tell a toddler in a motherly tone of voice, “Hold my hand.”

I watched as the woman carefully guided the child through the parking lot, watching out to make sure that no car or person would hit or hurt her little girl. And I thought, “Wow! Isn’t that how God interacts with us, His children?”

God offers to hold our hand and help us navigate safely through this treacherous life here on Earth. Just like a mother wouldn’t dream of allowing her child to cross the street or walk through a parking lot without holding her hand so that she could keep her child safe, God doesn’t want us to try to make it through this life here on Earth without Him.

God wants us to hold His hand and trust Him to carefully and skillfully navigate us through the trials, obstacles, heartache, pain and other discouraging or dangerous situations we may face. Why? Because He is our Heavenly Father and He loves us will ALL of His Heart. Keeping us safe and saved in His Kingdom is what He wants.

The Word of God says in Isaiah 41:13 (NIV), “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

What a powerful promise from the Almighty God!

Won’t you allow God to hold your hand and help you through life? He is the best person to do so and you can trust Him. He never fails to guide, protect and bless you! And He will always be there for you, even when you cannot sense Him near. He loves you too much to leave you to do life alone.

Always remember that the Creator of the Universe (God) loves you!

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: Lifelines

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for lifelines!

According to Google, a lifeline is “a thing on which someone or something depends or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation.”

God has placed people here on this earth to be there for us, people who we can turn to when we need help. For some, it may be your Mama or Papa. It may be your Grandma or Grandpa. It may be your Auntie or Uncle. It may be your cousin or closest friend. Sometimes, it may even be a professional counselor, therapist, psychiatrist or another licensed medical professional.

Did you know that as humans, we have a lifeline who will always be there for us? Professionals that you see face to face are limited to their office hours but God is available 24/7/365.

There’s a song by Mandisa called “Lifeline.” It is about how God is our greatest and most reliable lifeline. We can call on Him morning, noon and night. The Bible says that NOTHING can separate us from His love. 

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Now, this isn’t to discourage you from seeking professional help from another human who God placed on this Earth to help you. It’s okay to talk to Jesus AND a therapist (or another mental health professional).

I know that not everybody can afford to pay a professional to help you. So today, I’m including a list of resources that we have within the United States of America that can serve as your lifeline. I know that not all of y0u who read my blog live in America. I would encourage you to find resources within your home country that can be of service to you when you need help. But for those of you who live in the U.S.A. and need help, I hope that you will reach out to the trained professionals who operate the resources that I have listed below. Please note: A few of the resources I’ve listed are not free services but most on the list are free!

My prayer for you is that you won’t be afraid to seek help when you need it. If you’ve ever contemplated suicide, I’d caution you to NOT do it! Yes, it would end your pain but it would also end your hope, your future joy and everything that God wants to send into your life as a blessing. So please do NOT give up but do LOOK up to the One (GOD) who is ready and willing to help you through anything you’re going through! And if you feel like your prayers are not going past the ceiling and you need additional support, then reach out to the trained volunteers in the free services that I’ve listed below.

Please note: I’ve copied and pasted the words from my Google search for each resource with the exception of K-LOVE (I wrote that description).

~*~
 Short List of Resources:

Resource “Crisis Text Line”: The free, 24/7, confidential text message service for people in crisis. Text HOME to 741741 in the United States.
Website - https://www.crisistextline.org

Resource “K-LOVE” Christian Radio: Reach out to the K-LOVE Pastors, Prayer Ministry and Care Team who want to listen to you and pray for you.
Website - http://www.klove.com/ministry/prayer/

*You should be able to submit a prayer request online even if you live outside of the U.S.A.

Resource “Better Help” (not a free service): Online Therapy with a Licensed Counselor. Available Anytime, Anywhere You Need It. The Time is Now to Put Yourself First. Don't Wait, Start Therapy Today! Therapy On Your Schedule. 100% Private Environment. Make a Positive Change. Get Happy, Start Therapy. Therapy From Your Couch.
Website - https://www.betterhelp.com

Resource “Faithful Counseling” (not a free service): Affordable, Professional Counseling from a Biblical Perspective. Unlimited Counseling. Counselors Available 24/7. Professionally Licensed. Readily Accessible. Therapy Anytime, Anywhere. Types: Depression Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Counseling…
Website - https://www.faithfulcounseling.com

Resource “National Suicide Prevention Lifeline”: We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
Website - http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Resource “Hope Line”: Offering caring non-judgmental listening and referrals in times of crisis. Suicide.
Website - https://www.hopeline-nc.org/

Resource “Lines for Life”: We are here 24/7 with free, confidential, and anonymous help! Our highly trained staff and volunteers provide immediate assistance, compassionate support, and resource referrals that can put you on a path to healing. Texting on the Lifeline, Alcohol & Drug Helpline and Military Helpline is available 8am – 11pm PST daily. We’ll reply as soon as we open back up. Please remember help on the phone is always available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Website - https://www.linesforlife.org

~*~
Closing Thoughts:

God loves you. Remember that. Reach out to Him. He’s only a prayer away and He’s more present in your life than you may think!

Be encouraged, friends.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursdays: Friendships, Healing and Hope

It’s Thursday and I’m thankful for friendships, healing and hope.

God has brought wonderful people in my life over the past decade who have become dear friends, mentors and prayer warriors for me. Through the ministry of my church home this past decade of membership, He’s restored me in every aspect of the word. But it hasn’t always been this easy for me.

I’m going to be a bit more open with this blog post in hopes of helping those who may need to hear what I have to say.

I struggled with friendships for most of my younger years. I was a shy and chubby child and though people could be nice to me, they also could be mean because of how I looked. I know what it’s like to be judged negatively based on appearance even before you say a word not just because of appearance but race too. There are people in this sin-ridden world who will not like you based solely on what category they think you fit in be it size, weight, race…the list goes on. But as an adult, I found hope and healing.

Growing up, it seemed like everyone had a best friend except me. Now, I don’t know how this works for guys but for girls, having a circle of close friends and a few best friends is crucial. I’d say it is part of our social development and a benchmark that we all want. I had friends but they were all in their own inner circles. So I got left out a lot but it was not their fault because they were just hanging out with the people who they felt close to. However, that pain created a void in my heart and I wondered if I would ever have a true best friend or an inner circle.

So with each new school year, I was on the lookout. Would we have a new student who wanted to be my best friend? Would things change? Would I be included in the closely bonded social circles that I envied?

But with each passing year, things remained the same. People liked me but I hadn’t managed to gain that close inner circle and the few times when I thought I did in high school and college, those friendships fell apart.

Looking back, I think that God played a role in having those friendships fail because He wanted me to seek Him first and be friends with Him and His Son (Jesus Christ) first because honestly, the truest friend that you and I will ever have is Jesus. He’s the ONLY friend who will never fail you, talk about you behind your back, make fun of you or hurt you. Best of all, once you’re friends with Jesus Christ, you’re friends for LIFE — not just during this temporary life here on Earth but for Heaven and throughout eternity. Jesus Christ is the Ultimate Best Friend and while it’s still nice to have best friends here on Earth, if you don’t have that but you have Jesus, you truly do have all that you need.

Now for the lessons I learned…

If you didn’t grow up with close friends, it’s not too late. You can still pray to God to bring positive, life-affirming people into your life who love Him and love you! The best advice I would give the younger me who was feeling left out socially, is to pray about your problems and ask God to bless you with good people who want to be your friend.

It didn’t dawn on me to pray to God about my heart’s desire for healthy, happy, genuine and close friendships until after my college years. I guess God was waiting for me to ask Him because that’s when He really started showering down the blessings of genuine friendships on me. He led me to a church home filled with members who embrace me, love me, pray for me and support me. He led me to a Christian writers’ organization filled with people who care about me, relate to me, encourage me in my journey as a writer and pray for me. God also brought kind people into my life through Christian, Bible-based ministries on social media.

So my point is, whether your problems are with friendships or romantic relationships or anything, go to God first. He is waiting for you to share the desires of your heart with Him and He is more than ready to bless you beyond your wildest dreams. Talk to Jesus like you would talk to the best friend that you want because He is your very best friend! If you’re lonely, pray about it then ask God for wisdom of who to reach out to. You’re never the only one who is going through something. Sometimes, even the people who you see surrounded by friends are on the inside, lonely.

Also, be kind. We all have issues. We’re all going through something. You never know the battle that someone is facing. So please, be kind to everyone, even if you don’t want to be his or her best friend. If you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, like me then you know that it’s important to love God with all your heart, soul and mind AND to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). You are supposed to show care and concern for ALL humans and you’re supposed to point them to Jesus who is more than their friend, but the solution to ALL of their problems in life. Remember, He is our Savior.

My closing thoughts

So again, it’s Thursday and I’m thankful for friendships, healing and hope.

I pray that you will seek God first for everything in life, especially in your choices of friends. I pray that He will heal your heart and restore your hope in Him. Remember, with God, ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:26) and with Him, you are NEVER alone. 

God loves YOU with ALL of His divine heart and He thinks that you are worth dying for, that’s why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to save your life (John 3:16). Always remember how much you’re loved, treasured and valued by Him.

May God bless you and keep you.

Love,

Alexis A. Goring
Founder of “God is Love” blog

Thankful Thursday: God's Blessings

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for God's blessings! 

My reflections today will be short and sweet:

God blesses me and you in so many wonderful ways, whether we know it or not.

He's always there for us. He provides for our very need. He takes joy in seeing us happy and content in His provision.

God showers me with His blessings in so many wonderful ways! He gives me the gift of time. He's blessed me with family who cares and true friends who are there for me. God surprises me sometimes with unexpected blessings (those are the best)!

My gratitude for all God's blessings tonight are beyond words.

All I can say to you is, listen to the song "Give Thanks" (see video above this message), then spend time reflecting on what God has done for you and give thanks! :)

Take care and God bless you!

Sincerely,

Alexis

Thankful Thursday: My Renewed Thoughts on Prayer

“Don't ever stop living for Jesus. The extremely hard days, the beautiful days and everything in between is worth it. It's eternally worth it.” ~Heather Lindsey

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for my renewed thoughts on prayer. 

Sometimes, troubling situations hit you so hard that you wonder, “What’s the point of praying about it anymore?”

I was there, at that point earlier this week and decided to call a Christian prayer line. 

I told them within my first few sentences, “I don’t see the point of praying about this anymore. Nothing’s changing!”

The call specialist did not condone my complaints. She simply said, “Well why are you calling asking for prayer if you don’t see the point of praying about it?”

She got me with those words and I paused. My mind swirled, my emotions raged and finally after like five seconds I realized that not praying about this situation was not a good idea.

“Well I still want someone to pray for me,” I finally said.

Have you ever been there? So deep in a dire situation that you felt like all hope was lost? Sinking so low that you don’t see the point of praying anymore? What’s the point of praying to God to fix a troubled situation if He’s not going to answer your prayers? Especially if it is a situation you’ve taken before the Lord for many years, if not decades?

Oh, but don’t you know? Hope is always part of the picture when you believe in God and trust Him with the outcome.

We may not always understand God’s methods but we can trust His heart. God wants what is best for us and He always hears our prayers, every single last one. Rest assured, God has not forgotten. He’s not ignoring you (Isaiah 65:24). He’ll never leave or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5) and He’s working it all out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). I believe this to be true because I’ve seen God move in my life and work miracles before, so I trust Him to answer my prayers according to His will. Meanwhile, I know God will give me peace in the process.

There’s a beautiful song performed by Annie Herring. “The Master’s Hand” is the title of song that I want to share with you tonight. This song is a source of encouragement for me and I’ve played it on repeat for the past week. How I found it must be by God’s grace because before two weeks ago, I’d never heard of Annie Herring. But I am so glad that I know her work now. See how God moves? He’s watching out for you even before you know you need Him. He did this for me two weeks ago when I first heard “The Master’s Hand.” God knew I’d need this song this week so He led me to it.

My soul is soothed by the beautiful message about holding onto the Master’s Hand. Annie is talking about God as the Master who holds your hand through every difficult situation in life. The song is about being able to endure whatever comes your way because you are in good hands—the Master’s Hands.

I hope you were encouraged my thoughts on prayer and I hope the sweet sound and lovely lyrics along with Annie’s soothing voice will encourage you to keep praying, keep trusting, keep believing in God.

Love,

Alexis