EF 2 Tornado

By Kay Heitsch

Yesterday at 1:30 am, an EF 2 tornado with 115-hour winds went through our town. ABC Nightly News reported on this last night.

This pictured location was the former business of our best man at our wedding. The employees had left for home only 15 minutes before the tornado hit.

Several areas were hit hard, but praise God, there were no reported injuries. We have so much to be thankful for.

Our Bible verse says This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24

We are rejoicing on this day that no one was injured.

There is always something to be thankful for.

What Are You Waiting For?

By Kay Heitsch

Give yourself and your worries to God, and begin enjoying the abundant life He has planned for you. ~ Live The Abundant Life Quotes ~

What are we waiting for? Are we waiting for all of our circumstances to be perfect before we live the life Jesus died to give us? When we give ourselves and our worries to God, we start to see and live the abundant life He has planned for us! What a way to live!

Our Bible verse says. The thief comes only to steal and, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. John 10:10 NRSV

There it is! Why are we allowing the thief to steal, kill, and destroy our lives? Jesus came to give us an abundant life here on earth and eternal life in heaven.

Give yourself and your worries to God, and begin enjoying the abundant life He has planned for you.

One Sweet Deal

By Kay Heitsch

Grace is a free gift from God, but to receive a gift, you must have open hands. ~ Free Gift of God's Grace Quotes ~

When we accept what Jesus has done for us, we are put right with God. Jesus paid the full price! Now that's the Gospel! We can't add anything to this gift. If we had to, it would not be free!

People talk about "sugarcoating" the Gospel. How could anything be any sweeter than the Gospel? Our sins are forgiven because of our faith in Jesus. We can have a great life right here on earth because of our personal relationship with Him. We have the Bible to show us how to do that. Ultimately, we have eternal life in heaven! Now, that is one sweet deal we all can accept with open hands.

Our Bible verse says. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8

Grace is a free gift from God, but to receive a gift, you must have open hands.

Whatever You Do

By Kay Heitsch

Do your best! ~ Life Quotes ~

It doesn't matter what we do; we can do our best in our work and play.

We don't need to get lackadaisical as we get older, either. We may not look like we did when we were younger, but we should do our best with what we have.

Our Bible verse says. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. Colossians 3:23

This verse says, "Whatever" we do, we should do it with all our hearts and do our best.

Do your best!

God Will Sustain You

By Kay Heitsch

God will give you the strength you need to get through your situation, so trust Him. ~ Inspirational Quotes ~

When you look back over your life, I'm sure you had times when you wondered how you even made it through. I know I have! God didn't get me out of a situation but sustained me through it.

Our Bible verse says. Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4 NIV

God will sustain, carry, and rescue us no matter how old we are. We can always trust Him to give us whatever we need.

God will give you the strength you need to get through your situation, so trust Him.

Faith Overides Fear

By Kay Heitsch

Let Your faith be bigger than your fears. ~ Inspirational Quotes ~

When we put our complete faith in God, we have the confidence to step out. Our faith in God overrides our fears.

Our Bible verse says. For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV

When we live by believing, our faith in God will override what we see. We know God is bigger than our fears.

Let Your faith be bigger than your fears.

Courage, Kindness & Forgiveness

By Kay Heitsch

Always try to have courage, kindness & forgiveness no matter how tough life can be. ~ Be Kind Quotes

Today is Bill and my 55th wedding anniversary. To stay married for 55 years, you must have courage, kindness & forgiveness. Life can be tough! That's a fact.

Our Bible verse says, Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

We can make it through anything if we live being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, even in tough times.

Always try to have courage, kindness & forgiveness no matter how tough life can be.

Easier Said Than Done

By Kay Heitsch

Keep still, and let God work it out. ~Let God Quotes ~

It's easier said than done to keep still and let God work something out. We all have an opinion, and most people like to give it. But sometimes, we need to keep still and let God work it out.

Our Bible verse says. The LORD will fight for you; you have only to keep still. Exodus 14:14

The LORD will fight for us! Now that is excellent news! Our part is to keep still. I know this is easier said than done.

Keep still, and let God work it out.

Before Beside Behind

By Kay Heitsch

God will go before you. Walk beside you. And stand behind you. ~ Be Strong and Courageous Quotes

We can be strong and courageous when we know that God will go before us, walk beside us, and always stand behind us. We are never alone!

Our Bible verse says. The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

When we know the LORD goes before us and is always with us, we don't need to be afraid or discouraged.

God will go before you. Walk beside you. And stand behind you. Knowing this, we can be strong and courageous!

In The Middle

By Kay Heitsch

Finish what you start! ~ Motivational Quotes ~

Commitment means finishing what you started long after the mood you said it in has left you. It's easy to be gung ho when we start something, but it takes a fight to keep going in the middle.

Our Bible verse says. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 NIV.

How wonderful it will be when we come to the end of our lives and we can say these words. It may take a good fight in the middle, but with God's help, we can keep the faith and finish our race.

Finish what you start!

God Has A Job For You

By Kay Heitsch

Somewhere under the stars, God has a job for you to do, and nobody else can do it. ~ Inspirational Quotes ~

I find it fascinating to know that God has created each of us unique. He calls us His masterpieces. He also tells us that He has made us for good works.

We do not need to compare ourselves with anyone else. We all have our own jobs that have been prepared for us.

Our Bible verse says. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT

God has made us what we are. He has created us for a life of good works. We can do all these good works through Christ, who will give us His strength!

Somewhere under the stars, God has a job for you to do, and nobody else can do it.

Put A Smile Out There

By Kay Heitsch

When you put a smile out there, you get a smile back. ~ Smile Quotes

I find this to be true. I habitually smile at people whenever I am out and about. I didn't realize I did until I noticed people smiling at me.

One day, I asked Bill if he noticed how friendly people were. He said, "They are friendly because you always smile at them first."

Our Bible verse says, A happy heart makes the face cheerful. Proverbs 15:13 NIV

So true. When we are happy inside, it shows in our faces, and we smile.

When you put a smile out there, you get a smile back.

Now I Can See

By Kay Heitsch

Walk in the light! ~ Walking In God's Word Quotes ~

For years, I didn't know what I was missing. I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't know what. Once I began studying the Bible, the light gradually shone. I started to see life more clearly.

A relative could tell I was changing. They asked, "What do you know now that you didn't know before?" I remember saying, "Once I was blind, but now I can see." (John 9:25)

Our Bible verse says. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105 NLT

The Bible is God's word. It is the light and guide to light our pathway in life.

Walk in the light! It is the best way to live!

Worry Less

By Kay Heitsch

Don't worry! Trust God! ~ Don't Worry Trust God Quotes ~

Many years ago, I went to a church where the minister asked people to place a request on the altar for something they wanted to give up. This was simple for me to know what to request because I wanted to stop worrying.

I wasn't sure how this would work out, but I soon found that whenever I started worrying about something, I immediately thought or said aloud, "I trust and thank You, Lord, for working on this problem. Then, I refused to allow it in any room in my mind.

Days passed, and soon, I found I was worrying less and less.

I didn't know this Bible verse then, but here it is! "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." Philippians 4:6 NLT

When we put this verse into practice, it works! We can stop worrying and pray about everything. God knows what we need. Also, remember to thank Him.

Don't worry! Trust God!

Be Kind

By Kay Heitsch

In a world where you can be anything, be kind. ~ Be Kind Quotes ~

Not too long ago, a friend of Todd's shared something that touched my heart and made me proud. She told me how Todd showed her kindness at school by seeing her standing alone, and he asked her to dance. This kind act of Todd's was something she still remembered after all of these years.

Todd never thought he was doing anything special, but it was special to her. We can all do something kind. Who knows how this will affect someone else many years later.

Our Bible verse says. God loves you and has chosen you as His own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Colossians 3:12 CEV

God loves us, and we are chosen to be special people. Let's be gentle, kind, humble, meek and patient.

In a world where you can be anything, be kind.

God Takes It Personally

By Kay Heitsch

Our love for God is shown by how we treat others. ~ How You Treat Others Quotes

God takes it personally how we treat other people. Especially those who can't do anything for us. We all can love people who love us. That's easy, but we are called to love even those who don't love or like us.

Our Bible verse says. 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!' Matthew 25:40 NLT

How we treat other people is very important! God says the way we treat people, especially those who can't do anything for us, shows our love for Him.

Our love for God is shown by how we treat others.

Filled With Love

By Kay Heitsch

The more we are filled with God's love, the more we are able to love others. ~ Be Filled With God's Love Quotes ~

Wouldn't living a life filled with God's love be great? We would see each person we meet as a unique child of God. There would be no room for hate when we are filled with God's love.

Our Bible verse says. Fill us each morning with Your constant love so we may sing and be glad all our life. Psalm 90:14 GNT

When I read this Bible verse years ago, it got my attention. I wish I could say I pray this prayer every day, but I don't. This is another choice we can make to live the overcoming life Jesus died to give us.

The more we are filled with God's love, the more we are able to love others.

Knowing You Are Loved Changes Everything

By Kay Heitsch

God Loves You! ~ Accepting God's Love Quotes ~

God loves us completely. He knows all about our struggles and weaknesses and loves us anyway.

My life changed once I accepted God's love for me. I began to see God differently. I saw other people and even myself in ways I never did before. Knowing we are loved changes everything.

Our Bible verse says. We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19

God has always loved us. Once we accept His love, we can also love.

God Loves You!

What Will I Say?

By Kay Heitsch

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, I can't help but think of going to a church and giving my testimony for the first time. I was terrified!

Talking about Todd dying in a car accident was something I had never done in public. What will I say? How will I react? All day long, before my testimony, I paced the floor.

I hadn't written anything down because I thought I would be able to get out of going. Now, what will I say? Will I be able to hold myself together? In the back of my mind, I thought no one would show up.

By the time I was supposed to leave, I had gotten myself worked up to the point that my nose began to bleed! I ran into the bathroom and put my head in the sink, watching the blood drip out.

Suddenly, the words, "I have not given you the spirit of fear. But power, love, and a sound mind." Wow! Somehow, I knew this was God talking to me.

My next thought was that if the devil is working overtime, something good is bound to happen. I cleaned myself up and left for the church.

This was the beginning of some incredible experiences I had. I found each time I gave my testimony, God was beginning to heal my broken heart.

A Vision And The Provision

By Kay Heitsch

God will always provide. It just might look different than what you had in mind. ~ God Will Provide Quotes

God has a plan for each of our lives. He will provide everything we need to work out His plan. God has given us the Bible to show us the best way to live. God provides us with a vision, and He also gives us the provision to complete His work. Trust Him!

Our Bible verse says. His divine power has given us everything we need. 2 Peter 1:3

God's divine power has given us everything we need to live the life God has called us to. You don't need to worry. God gives us a vision, and He also provides the provision.

God will always provide. It just might look different than what you had in mind.