Marlene Bertrand is a seasoned real estate broker for Bertrand Realty and a Certified Authenticity Life Coach. She empowers her real estate agents and clients alike to embrace a life and career that aligns with their true values. Marlene believes that simplicity is the key to fulfillment, and that genuine satisfaction comes from living with spiritual awareness, honoring others, and respecting the environment around us. Through her guidance, she helps people cultivate authenticity in both business and life.
How awesome it is that we serve a mighty God, one who is able to see beyond the surface of who we display, but looks into our heart and sees the goodness of our soul.
There are times in our lives when we are going to stumble and fall. We are far from perfect, this fact we know to be utterly true. There are times when we are going to say things that hurt the feelings of others, times, whether on purpose or by accident, when we are going to do things that cause physical injury to ourselves or others.
Our hopes and dreams, whether pure or dishonorable, will expose our inner soul. We cannot hide from our God who knows every hair on our bodies, who has our numbers written in His book. He knows us through and through, yet, He still loves us, imperfections and all. Our sinful nature was borne into us, but because His son Jesus sacrificed His life to make up for our sins, we can now rise above sin. We can be whole again. We can become pure by our love for the Lord.
This morning I woke up singing this song in my head, “You are awesome in this place, Mighty God…” As I sang this song, I felt the Mighty Spirit of God surround me. And, it felt wonderful. So my hope for you is that as you go throughout your day today, that you may feel the Holy Spirit in your presence. No matter who you are; no matter what you do, you can always come home to a God who loves you. Always!
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
Psalm 95:1-3
As we come together on Thanksgiving Day, gathering with family and friends, let us remember that each day is a day of thanksgiving.
Since the day Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins, we have plenty to be grateful for. We have been forgiven of much for our past iniquities, no longer bound by our past transgressions. For our confession of faith in Jesus, we have been made new. The past is behind us. We are free to walk with pride, for we are a child of God, worthy to be loved by the most High.
God is with us always and we have been given much by His love for us. And, we shall receive bountifully by our love of Him.
The following video titled “Thank You” is a beautiful song that speaks of the wonderful blessings we have received from God. I think you will enjoy it.
Happy Thanksgiving! May you receive many blessings this day and forever.
The chaos or the unsettling feelings of situations in our lives sometimes come so that God can show us what it’s like to live in His freedom – it becomes a matter of having to BOLDLY choose to create that space in our days. When we make space for God, we follow, we connect, we experience Him in all spaces (all of it) that He becomes part of our lives. We run to Him over anything else, even when that might not be so easy. He specifically tells, ask us “Come to me”
MY BEAUTIFUL FEATURED GUEST BLOGGER IS COLLENE: She blogs at https://restandchaos.com. Be sure to give her a follow. She’s an amazing and talented writer.
Bio: My husband and I have been married for 14 years and we have three kids (9, 11, and 14). I grew up in the church but ran from God in my…
How I love you, Lord! You are my defender. The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe. I call to the Lord, and he saves me from my enemies. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 18: 1-3
Psalm 18 is about gratitude for deliverance and victory.
When we are surrounded by evil, we should call upon the Lord. He will be with
us, giving us strength to overcome the evil forces of our enemies.
Today’s song: Defender, Copyrights: 2015 Gateway Create Publishing, Kindred Joy Music, Bethel Music Publishing. Performed by Upper Room.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30
This world we live in can get us down, and it is easy to let weariness sink in to the point that it bogs us down with exhaustion, fear, anxiety, and loss of hope. But, the Lord asks us to take our burdens to Him and He will receive them from us, giving us the rest and peace we need to go on living in this life on earth and forever with Him in heaven.
I like today’s song because it is a good reminder that when I feel tired and can hardly find a way to come out of a slump, I simply need to bend my knee in prayer and lift up all of my troubles to the Lord, and when I do that, He will deliver comfort to me.
When you are feeling down and out, scripture and music can help bring you back to life.
Sometimes, when I am in a place where I am feeling down and out – when I am feeling like there is no hope, I reach out to God. In reaching out to God, I turn to scriptures because I know that scriptures are the words that hold messages from God, and when I read these messages, suddenly I begin to feel better. Suddenly, I begin to feel covered and comforted by the loving hands of the Holy Spirit.
My favorite verse to read is…
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
Listening to worship music is another thing I do to comfort and quiet my soul. A song I enjoy listening to is a song by Lauren Daigle. It is called, “Rescue.”
I encourage you to listen to the lyrics of this song on those days when you feel like life is beating you down and on those days when you feel like you have nothing to gain.
As you listen to the lyrics of this song and as you are comforted by the instrumentation, melody, and soothing voice of Lauren Daigle, you will come to know that our Lord loves you more than you could ever imagine.
He suffered and died on a cross for all of us, so that our sins could be washed away… so that we could be forgiven… so that our souls could be cleansed, and so that we could be worthy of all the blessings He has to offer to us.
So, the next time you are feeling down and out, look to our Father to lift you up. He is your source of refuge and strength.
May the Lord bless you always.
Song: Rescue – by Lauren Daigle, Jason Ingram, and Paul Mabury (c) 2018 CentricSongs, See You At The Pub, Fellow Ships Music, Flychild Publishing, So Essential Tunes
We all have those days when we are so exhausted that we don’t
even know if we will be able to get through the day. We burn the candle at both
ends, we work hard, getting up early and going to bed late, trying to stuff 36
hours of tasks, errands, a social life, and recreation into a 24 hour day. At
some point we begin to wonder what life is all about. Doubt and fear begin to
etch their way into our minds. We feel tugged in too many directions and have a
difficult time figuring out which way to go. We lose focus as we chase after the
fame and fortune we so desire. We lose focus as we try to make it happen.
Whenever we find ourselves wandering and floundering through
life, worrying if this or that will happen, it is time to stop. Take a break.
Take a step back.
Refocus.
Change your goal. Change your direction. Change your thought
process so that, instead of focusing on your goals, you are now focusing on our
Heavenly Father. Seek His wisdom and guidance for what He wants you to do each
day. Start each day and each task with a prayer asking our Father what He would
have you do. Trust in the answer. Trust in the results.
Trust in the direction our Father takes you. When you abide
in Him, you will see that you struggle less in life because you have given your
life’s direction over a God who loves you unconditionally and wants only what
is best for you. There is no better direction to go than that.
Praise be to the Lord,
to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19 (NIV)
When the truth hurts,
don’t run from it. Run toward the truth and learn to live in that truth.
My pastor is a spirit-led pastor. His sermons are based strictly on the word of God, and when he preaches, the congregation is sure to hear and feel the Holy Spirit directing them.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Speaking of the Truth
I enjoy every sermon that my pastor delivers. I appreciate that I am being led by a man of God, a man who seeks wisdom from the word of God as it is written in the Bible. At the same time, I must tell you that there were times early on when the pastor would say something that smacked me right in the middle of the face. And, I would sit quietly in the pew, listening but agitated that the pastor would give reprimands from the pulpit.
Now, let me make it clear about one thing. The pastor never called me out by name; in fact, the ultimate truth is that the pastor never actually directed any of his sermons toward me. What I was hearing was the Holy Spirit convicting me through the pastor’s sermon.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
One time after one of the pastor’s sermons, I was feeling rather rebuked; I arrived home with my husband and finally told him that I didn’t like what the pastor had to say about such and such. I told him that I didn’t want to go back to a church where the pastor felt free to chastise from the pulpit.
I was surprised at my husband’s response because he said the same thing that someone had said to me many years ago when I was a very young girl. He looked me squarely in the eyes and said,
“Well, when the truth hurts, maybe you should examine your head and your heart. Because, if the pastor is delivering the word, then he is delivering the truth and if the truth hurts, you need to see what it is about the way you think or the way you feel about that subject.”
Bah bam! Hit in the
face again!
My husband was right. He didn’t hold back any punches when he reminded me that when the truth hurts, I need to examine myself and determine what it is about me that I need to change. Running to another church to try to find a pastor whose “truth” doesn’t hurt would not solve the problem. And, not going to church at all would be the worse decision of all.
I listened to my husband who is uncannily wise about many things. I calmed down and realized I needed to learn what to do to change those things in me that kept me from being the wholesome Christian I desperately wanted to be. I needed to keep going to church and stay seated and continue to listen to the messages my pastor delivered until the change in me occurred. I needed to stay and hear every message until the truth didn’t hurt anymore.
Thankfully, my attitude changed; my heart changed; and I
came to appreciate what the pastor says about everything. I trust his messages
because I know his messages are messages that are directed from the Holy
Spirit.
The Truth Will Set
You Free
Yes, sometimes the truth hurts. But, sometimes it takes
being hurt for us to realize we need to make a change in the way we think, the
way we feel, and the things we do.
The truth will set you free from the bondage of a life filled with false hope. When the truth hurts, don’t run from it. Run toward the truth and learn to live in that truth. When we live a life based on truth, we live a life that is pleasing to our Lord. The truth will deliver a life filled with love as only our Heavenly Father can deliver.
May you live in truth.
Song of Hope
The following song is inspired by John 14. It is a song that relates to the fact that the Spirit of Truth lives inside of us, guiding us.
We who believe in the Name of Jesus are protected by His Power.
We are stronger when we team up with our Father.
We who believe in the Name of Jesus are protected by His Power. Our God is Almighty. He is awesome! He gives us the wisdom and guidance we need to live in a world where things seem to be falling apart all around us.
The enemy is busy creating disruption everywhere. He is working hard to confuse us, to disorient us in every way that he can. We only need to open our eyes to see chaos. He lies to deceive us. Those who believe his lies are subjected to his defective ways. He latches onto those who are gullible and easy to persuade. And, once the evil one snags a weak one, he is like a leech, draining them of their wisdom and their ability to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. In their affliction, they, in turn, try to infect us with their faulty behavior, hoping we will join them on their downhill journey to the bottomless pit of the everlasting fire. They will only succeed if we let them.
We who believe in the Name of Jesus have the power to overcome anything and everything evil. Do you know that it is better that we not mind the things that are happening in our lives and in this world, but to mind our heart and soul? We are better to remember that our God loves us so much that He could no longer bear to see us struggling in sin. So, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to stand in for us. Jesus took on the burden of our sins so we could have forgiveness.
When I contemplate the depth of the love our Heavenly Father has for us… all of us… I just want to bow down and worship Him.
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6 (New International Version)
One of the most powerfully uplifting things a person can do is find a place in their home that is dark and quiet. And then sit in that place and pray. Sometimes when we sit silently and whisper the name of Jesus, it allows the Holy Spirit to surround us. These quiet moments are where we will find strength to ward off the evilness of this world. When we feel ourselves falling down, we can quickly gain strength simply by calling out the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
We can also find peace in music that worships the Lord. The following song is quiet and peaceful. It is a song about how there is no name greater than the name of Jesus. No name comes anywhere close to Jesus’ name. We are no longer slaves. We are daughters and sons of Christ. When we say His Name, we are blessed. We are lifted up in the Name of Jesus.
Song Title: Light Up By: Integrity Music – Written by Aaron Baxter, Sem Schaap and Hannah Waters Year: 2019
His Name is Powerful and we are blessed because of Him.
No matter how far along we are in our walk with God, we are human beings. Human beings are not perfect and so it is expected that no matter how hard we try, we are going to make mistakes, and it is expected that there are going to be days in our life when we struggle to stay on top of our little world. These are the days when we must grab a hold of the promises of God, remembering that we are God’s children. God said he would take care of his children, and recently I had an experience that showed me that God truly does take care of his children.
One day, not too long ago, I was feeling particularly down-hearted. It was going on three weeks that my computer had not been working, I was in a lot of physical pain, and I was being hit with many unexpected bills at a time when my money was not flowing in as expected. I tell you the truth; I was feeling really down and out that day.
Fortunately, I know that when I am feeling low, I need to go to the Lord for comfort.
My Daily Reader
My Daily Reader
I have a daily reader that sits on my desk. Normally, I read it every day, however I had not been reading it lately. But, on this day, I desperately needed to hear God’s voice and in my desperation I cried out loud to him, “God, I need to hear your voice right now. I need to hear your voice.”
I picked up the reader which usually directs me to a scripture in the bible. I turned the reader to the page for that day and here is what I read,
“One of the most
priceless gems you will find in God’s Word is His voice. That’s because He
speaks to us through His Word as we read it or hear it. In fact, we can’t
really learn to recognize God’s voice whispering to our soul if we are not
first hearing Him speak to us in His Word.”
Ah ha! It hit me like a hammer… The Bible is God’s word! I knew immediately, it was a message from God. The reading had not mentioned a scripture, so I opened my bible to read whatever page fell open. To my amazement, it fell open to Deuteronomy 8. This is the chapter that talks about how the Israelite people failed to be humble and took God’s protection for granted. As they traveled through the desert, God fed them, clothed them, and gave them shelter. Still, they didn’t appreciate Him the way they should have.
After reading that story, I closed my bible and again, spoke
out loud to God. “God,” I said, “That was a nice story, but how does that story
relate to me? What is it that you are saying to ME?”
I sat quietly for a moment, wishing I could have received some sort of message from that story. Feeling sad that I had not deciphered God’s message to me, I figured I would start over and so I re-read the day’s message from my daily reader. As I read, my eyes locked onto the phrase, “…God’s Word is His voice.” I picked up my Bible again and this time the page opened up to Isaiah 46. I read verses 3-4. These words jumped out at me as if God was pointing his finger at me saying, “Woman, didn’t I tell you that I would take care of you?” Isaiah 46:3-4 reads:
“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. 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 46:3-4
After reading that passage, I felt like I had heard God’s voice telling me not to worry about things. In that moment, I gave all of my troubles up to God. I asked him to handle everything. And, I tell you the truth, friends, since I let God have control of my life, things have been working out wonderfully. Even when it seems, in the moment, like something is not going to work out; I don’t worry about it because I know that at the end of the day, everything that needs to be handled will be handled.
The Lord, God is our voice of hope and His voice can be
found in the Bible.
May you hear the voice of God this day and be blessed forever.
Song of Inspiration
The following song is very inspirational to me. It speaks of God’s voice being the voice of truth. We need not pay attention to the enemy who constantly tries to bring us down. But, listen to the word of God whose truth will strengthen us and set us free from the strife of life.
Song Title: Voice of Truth Recorded by: Casting Crowns Authors: Mark Hall, Steven Curtis Chapman Publisher: Worship Together Released: 2004
Voice of Hope by Marlene 