Blogs

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Do you ever feel like a small, insignificant spot in a great big world? You are not insignificant. God knows how many hairs are on your head. He notices when a sparrow falls to the ground. A sparrow is a common bird, yet God notices it. He knows you, not just about you, but He knows you intimately and personally. It Is Written LUKE 15:3-6 And so He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has l

By Paula Williamson, guest writer We can let many things define us, including our family of origin, our peers in school, co-workers, failures, failed relationships, Hollywood, Facebook, Instagram, or our own conclusions. How is that working? I’m guessing it’s fine if you grew up in a perfect family, haven’t faced many hardships, haven’t taken failures personally, have no learning differences, have a perfect body, and have great self-esteem. Most of us can’t say that. For so

By Paula Williamson, guest writer We are not exempt from trouble in this life. When I was young, I remember thinking that once I got out on my own, all my troubles would be over. Wrong! The troubles I had growing up were gone, but a whole new set appeared. Cars break down, days often exceed paychecks, there are still rules to follow, and conflicts to resolve. Life has an ebb and flow–times of refreshing, times of stress, storms, and sunshine. We cannot change that. Trouble

By Paula Williamson guest writer Decisions, Decisions There are so many decisions we must make every day. There are small decisions about what to wear, what to eat, and how to prioritize. There are sometimes major decisions about relationships, loved ones, health concerns, and finances. There are decisions we do not feel qualified to make. Where can we go for help? Please don’t go to AI first. It Is Written James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, wh

By Paula Williamson guest writer Do you ever feel like you’re going under for the third time? I have! In those moments, I realize the power we hold. Many times in my life, even strangers have spoken a word that encouraged me. It felt like they threw me a life preserver. We know more than we think we do. We can tell without a word when someone is discouraged by the expression on their face, or even what’s behind the smile. Speaking an encouraging word is a gift. If you see som

By Paula Williamson guest writer I have been told by many people throughout my life that God does not hear their prayers. Life is full of ups and downs, storms and sunshine, but if our truth comes from personal experience, it will inevitably be flawed. Why? Because no one is perfect, nor does anyone have a perfect life. Consider the difference between two children, one raised in a dysfunctional family marked by fear, screaming, conflict, and substance abuse. These experie

By Paula Williamson guest writer I have been asked what difference prayer makes. All we need to do is read the Bible to see what difference prayer makes. It is filled with miraculous stories about what happens when people pray. Our personal experience does not change scripture. It Is Written JAMES 5:13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church

By Paula Williamson guest writer Wouldn’t it be great if we could look in the mirror and see who is doing the talking in our minds? If our mouths were moving, we would know it was us. If an angel were speaking, we would know it was God. If a demon were speaking, we would know it was Satan. It’s not that easy! It becomes easier when we are familiar with the Word of God. If we look through that lens, we can recognize when it’s not God, and that’s the best lens to use. When we l

By Paula Williamson guest writer The biggest mistake we can make is failing to admit that we are all part of the problem and can all be part of the solution. When we speak out loud, just 9 words, healing and solutions begin: I accept responsibility for my part of the problem. That wasn’t so hard, was it? It Is Written 1 JOHN 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Own Your Part Admitting when we are wrong is the first

By Paula Williamson guest writer We all walk by faith. Faith is believing in the unseen. We believe in many things we cannot see every day! We take for granted that our roofs will not fall in, that we will reach our destination without a wreck, that the people we love will return home each day, that the Uber driver will arrive, that the chairs we sit on will hold us up, that we will live to see another day, and more. We all exercise faith and believe the unseen. To say you ha

Paula Williamson guest writer Do you ever have those days when you think you’ve reached the point of no return–days that feel beyond repair? You know, those days when everything in the world seems too messy, too much like we’ve gone too far? Those are the days I run to the One who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the One who is closer than a breath. It Is Written PSALM 139: Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heave

By Paula Williamson guest writer There’s Always Hope! There are times in life when things happen that we do not understand, days when God feels far away and days when it feels like hope is beyond our grasp. It is on days like those that I find hope in God’s word. It Is Written JEREMIAH 29:11 For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 However, as it is wri

By Paula Williamson guest writer You Are a Blessing I remember times in my life when I definitely felt like a screwup and times when I certainly did screw up, but for a believer in Christ, we can believe what God, and His words say about us. In Him we move and breathe! Children are a blessing from the Lord. Psalm 127:3 We are chosen and dearly loved. Colossians 3:12 We are a child of God. Romans 8:6 I am forgiven. Psalm 103:12 I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to

By Paula Williamson guest writer Some people view God as a puppet master pulling all the strings, believing that what we do or don’t do doesn’t matter because everything is in His control. That’s not true. God does have a good plan for our lives. He promises blessings for obedience when we follow His paths, but He also created us with the freedom of choice. He never wanted puppets. He created us for a relationship. He will never force us to choose His way or His plan. He offe

By Paula Williamson guest writer I have heard people say, “Just when things seem to be going well, God pulls the rug out from under me.” Some don’t understand why He allows bad things to happen. Others blame Him for the adverse circumstances in their lives. Some view Him as a hard-nosed judge watching for their mistakes. Yet others view Him as good. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner who gave three servants different amounts of money before leav

By Paula Williamson guest writer People have many ideas about faith and God that are not true. Take, for instance, “Faith is for the weak.” That could not be further from the truth. Most of our false beliefs form in the first five years of life, based on life experiences or beliefs passed down by others, often by people who have never read the Bible. The Bible is filled with stories of heroes of faith. Faith is definitely not for the weak! The Bible records people who dared t

By Paula Williamson guest writer When I was younger, I used to think that everyone and everything around me controlled my emotions. WRONG! We are the ones in charge of our emotions. Emotions are a huge part of who we are, but we do not have to let them control us. None can make us mad or feel inferior without our permission. It Is Written GALATIANS 5:16 -24 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the desire of the flesh i

By Paula Williamson guest writer I wonder if we learn poor boundaries in preschool, where we are taught to just be friends with everyone. Would we tell a friend to befriend someone who treats them poorly? I think not! Why would we teach children to do so? If you want to give your kids a good foundation or to live a healthy life, good boundaries are important. The truth is, we can walk away from anyone who is treating us poorly. We do not have to respond in the same way, and w

By Paula Williamson guest writer Saving oneself for marriage brings protection and God’s blessing. There are consequences for not doing so. Soul ties form when two people have a sexual relationship. When you join yourself sexually with another, you open yourself and your seed to everything in that person’s family bloodline and to everyone they have had sexual relations with. This affects your own family bloodline. Mind-blowing, right? It Is Written 1 CORINTHIANS 6:18 F