FireStorm Faith Ranch

Never give up!

Often times we fight for something, put in 120% effort, stay loyal and continue to remind ourselves it is worth it. But what happens when you continue to get rejected, you always hear no, or every time you take one step forward you get knocked back 10 steps? Do you lose hope? Do you question why? Do you lose the 🔥 in your heart to keep fighting?

Many of us will fight through some of the fires to continue along the path to accomplish what we started out fighting for. We don’t give up “easily,” but somewhere at the halfway point or just before our drive starts to decrease, we lose steam and motivation. We soon see all the negative that’s been testing us and we begin to question the worth of the end result.

God never leaves you. No matter the highs or lows the worthy or unworthy the right or wrong, He sticks with you through everything. He feels all your emotions, He hears all your thoughts and He chooses to walk beside you, carry you, and Love you through it all. That Love is selfless, unconditional, and eternal.

As humans we are so quick to lose hope, question, doubt, and convince ourselves the end result isn’t worth it. When we analyze the situation after not succeeding, we talk ourselves out of our true strength. Why? Are you not stronger than your mind? Are you not capable of conquering anything this world has to throw at you? Do you not trust God will carry you through? Stop quitting early! Stop giving up! The heartache will come. The tears will fall, and the mental confusion will spiral, but God has overcome EVERYTHING in this world and He won’t let you fall.

Next time you doubt if you’re in the right place, or if you want to keep fighting for something that has changed you as a person or altered your life, don’t give up. Your heart will guide you and show you the beauty in every season. Not all your days/seasons will be happy. Not every journey will carry you and comfort you, but it’s how you respond and listen to what you truly want that will determine your happiness.

Keep fighting no matter what has happened to you, because at the end of the day your loved ones are worth your time and love. Your career is worth you being your best even if your path takes a different turn than you anticipated. Your happiness is still in your heart waiting to shine through to bless someone else. Don’t EVER give up. The second you throw in the towel or accept it “just wasn’t meant to be,” the devil just won another battle. Don’t give him that satisfaction. You are strong. You are smart. You are loved.

Fight for what you want. When you get knocked down/rejected find the 🔥 and fight back harder, stronger, and with a fear that will make the devil cower. Nothing is impossible with God!

Thank you.

How many times do you say this phrase? Who do you say this to, and why?

Most of us say “Thank You,” to someone for holding the door, providing us a meal, helping us when we needed an extra hand, or simply from making a phone call to say “Hi.”

Saying “Thank You,” is a kind gesture to show gratification to someone for helping you when you needed it the most. We all need help at different stages in our lives, even if it’s simply someone opening a door for us at the grocery store. Simple, kind gestures share a light from our hearts that can change someone’s day.

Aside from telling our friends, family, and strangers “Thank You,” do you ever stop to tell God “Thank You?” Maybe some of us do, but most of us probably don’t. When our prayers are answered we give credit to God for blessing us, and we praise Him greatly during those times. But do you ever stop in the middle of your day and just say “Hey God, Thank You.” I hardly ever did this in my past, but I’ve made a more conscious effort to truly thank God!

God loves to hear your voice no matter what you say. Prayer, song, a simple conversation are some ways we talk with God to feel His presence and learn what our next step may be in our journey. Recently, I’ve been stopping myself in my busy day and just saying “God, Thank You for all the blessings you’ve bestowed upon me.” Some days I’m specific about my gratitude for the things He’s changed in my life and the miracles he’s made possible. Sometimes I simply say thank you for the sun shining, the breath in my lungs, or my family and the blessing of having jobs, a roof over our head and food to eat. Saying “Thank You,” doesn’t have to be complicated or a huge drawn out prayer, but simply just a short phrase to show your appreciation.

Think about the feeling you get when someone thanks you for something kind you did for them. Your heart is warmed by joy, peace, gratitude, and love. You feel as though you made a difference in someone’s life. Now think about thanking the one person who created you and everything in this world. Imagine the amount of joy and love you heart can be filled with by showing gratitude to our creator. When you thank God for the warm sun, the prayers He answered, for waking you up today you are putting your focus on Him and the reason you are worthy. Don’t just give God credit, but stop multiple times a day and truly thank God for His beauty, your life, or just for the rain that waters the soil so we can eat. Find joy in the small things, because that is what makes the biggest difference in your future and success.

Today I spoke to God:

“God, Thank You for strengthening my heart, never letting me break, and holding me when I was in the middle of a war. Your presence and love have granted me peace, strength, and a faith rooted in an unbreakable foundation. Thank you for guiding me, teaching me to fight for the promises I made, and always showing unconditional love to those that mean the most to me. Thank You for your wisdom and words to overcome the enemy. I’m truly grateful for you believing in me through my trials and victories. Thank You God!”

What will you Thank God for today?

Time.

Why? This small three letter word holds so much power. A tiny somewhat overlooked word that most of us push aside to bury deep within our thoughts is the one word that can influence your mental state, physical appearance, and even functionality. Why?

Many of us begin a journey or commitment and plan out tasks, goals, and step by step milestones to achieve along the way to our end result. We are filled with excitement and energy when we begin our journey looking forward to accomplishing the task we have created. Sometimes our journey has normal ups and downs and we succeed reaching our goal, but sometimes we get lost along the way or abandon our entire mission and lose our purpose. Next thing you know we look back and are confused about what happened, why did we begin this journey, was it worth it? The biggest question haunting us: Why?

Today many of us want to put in the effort and see results in a “timely” manner, meaning what we consider a decent amount of time to accomplish a goal, see results, or take the next step. Unfortunately, when we put our own timelines together, we are often left discouraged, disappointed, and unmotivated.

God’s timing is the ONLY one that matters. You see, God created you perfectly in His eyes. He is the only one who knows every hair on your head, your thoughts before you even voice them or think of them, and your true heart. We often set goals, make a plan, take the first few steps, and pray obediently. We keep our spirits up through excitement of embracing all the emotions, actions, and expectations as we navigate this journey. But as we pray and are walking along this path, we soon become less excited, distracted, and worry that God has not heard our prayers. We begin to put a timeline together in our heads with expectations of accomplishing the goal we created. When that timeline expires and we haven’t made progress or completed our journey we question: Why God? Did you hear me God? Where did I go astray? Why is everyone else happy and successful? Why?

God’s time does not line up with our Earthly minutes and hours. God can see things along your path that you can’t imagine. His ability to guide you along the journey you’re seeking has a purpose. When you put a reasonable timeline together in your head of when you should accomplish success, 2 things happen:
1. You miss the purpose of your journey and the importance of why you began.
2. You are assigning an amount of time to something that can’t see and telling God when you should be successful.

Time isn’t just 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Time holds faith, promise, truth, and loyalty. Those who truly put their faith and trust in God and wait on Him reap the deepest results and accomplishments. They experience God and all the blessings He has in store for you. They find themselves on a deeper level experiencing the beauty of this world through what God intended for us to see and embrace. People who truly wait for God’s timing don’t lose hope or faith, but receive clarity and peace by being obedient.

Don’t get in a hurry to expect results from a season in your life that you “think” should be resolved with your time stamp. This will cause you to not only lose yourself, your drive, and your faith, but it will make you question why God? When we question God, we’ve lost the reason why we began our journey in the first place. When our prayers seem unanswered, our faith and strength tested far more than we can handle, and our hope shattered by losing the one thing we love the most, remember God never left your side. Through all your trials and victories God is right beside you experiencing it all.

Time has a purpose. Keep praying through all the storms, sleepless nights, and small wins. God DOES answer your prayers. Just make sure you don’t tell Him when you expect to hear His response.

Happy 4th of July!
May blessings fill your life always.

In God’s hands, how much does that mean YOU’RE worth?

God Loves YOU!

Making you new.

Change is never easy. It can come in many forms such as having to move due to a job, moving for family, moving on from relationships, or even meeting new people who will impact our lives in ways we were blinded to in our past. Regardless of the reason, change alters our mind and direction in life.

When big events happen, God is working to make you new. Sometimes we question did God put this big change in my path? Is this the right direction or decision for me? If I give up everything is it worth it? What are the consequences of my decision? Will my decision hurt those I love? Millions of questions, worry, and uncertainty shadow our consciousness and blinders slowly fade out what God is trying to do. Let go, be vulnerable, and embrace what God is molding you into.

As we go through life changing events, we begin to learn new identities about ourselves that may have been hidden or that we never knew were part of us. Part of embracing change is allowing God to transform you into a new season and guide you into a new chapter of prosperity. But sometimes, in order to push us to our full potential we must first navigate grief, depression, fear, and extreme sadness. When negative aspects arise, seek God and ask Him how to navigate this step to overcome it. By understanding the importance of each of these, God is showing you how to conquer these events in the future with your newly strong character that He is molding you into.

Don’t confuse change with failure. Why would we want to stay in the same routine that never changes? That sounds boring and depressing. Don’t you want to grow and improve your abilities to challenge yourself to conquer harder goals? Of course you do! So when change gets hard, when friends are lost, don’t see it as a setback but rather a giant leap into a brighter, more prosperous future. Blessings will come and when they do, you will look back and see the purpose of having to leave that job, walking away from relationships, and taking a chance when you didn’t know what tomorrow held.

Don’t guard yourself for others. Don’t pass up an opportunity to embrace familiarity. Step out in faith. Embrace change and all the fear and sorrow that accompanies it, and trust that God has a brighter future for you. Change is a gift. Trust!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, husbands, and father figures. May your day be blessed with Love! Thank you for all you do. You truly are appreciated and seen!

Lies!

Any form of lie, white lie, deceit, or withholding information when you’ve wronged someone corrupts your character and trust.

Lies can only be withheld or hidden for so long. At some point the person lieing will slip up, begin to answer questions with short disorganized responses that are out of character, and their actions will raise concerns. God instills in us to not lie no matter the heartache it will bring on someone. Speaking lies and false truths are the characteristics of the enemy. So why do so many people feel the need to hide things from our friends, loved ones, and coworkers? Because we are afraid of the reactions and consequences when words are physically spoken. We fear the loss of friendships, marriages, jobs, etc. As humans, we are bound to make mistakes. Those of us that own up to their mistakes or reveal information that could impact a situation or relationship gain more integrity and trust from those we care about the most. Realizing you made a mistake is the first step, but the mature adult second step is actually speaking up and sharing information that shouldn’t stay hidden.

Secrets are just as dangerous as lies. Keeping something from someone to “protect” them or thinking a person doesn’t need to know every detail destroys trust and opposes God’s fundamental nature of truth. Communication is one of the biggest downfalls in today’s society. Many of us are guarded because we’ve been hurt, taken advantage of, or lied to and our trust has been broken more than it’s been restored. Building walls provides security we think we are safe in when we are actually one step of away from crumbling.

God wants us to love each other wholeheartedly. Trust and truth are at the forefront of being vulnerable in this situation. So challenge yourself to always be open with everyone you meet, never hold anything back, and provide a sense of honesty and security people can confide in. If your friends or family shy away from you because they know you will tell them exactly how you feel, embrace that! Sometimes we don’t “want” to hear the real truth, we are simply seeking false comfort and validation to boost an empty happiness. The truth can be painful. But I promise you being lied to will have longer lasting pain that will struggle to heal overtime instead of dealing with the truth in the moment.

So next time you want to give a white lie, a shortened response to not reveal “too much,” or keep a secret, know that your character and integrity have already been compromised and may not ever be fully healed by those you love the most. Speak the truth and trust God will stand with you no matter the outcome. Never underestimate someone who is willing to fight for a friend or loved one only to find out they’ve been lied to recently. This can cause you to lose someone who you care about the most. Will it be worth it in all aspects of your relationship?

“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

Rock bottom.

Some days you think it can’t get any worse, but then life surprises you and pushes you further down into depression, and makes you question everything. What do you do when you’re at your absolute lowest?

Many times when we hit rock bottom questions surface: “why me,” “what did I do to deserve the pain,” “why did I have to lose everything,” “am I not good enough,” “what more do I need to sacrifice?” We focus on the negative and swirl around everything and everyone we lost. But did you ever stop and look at the bigger picture? What if God was teaching you a lesson through this season? What if there was a specific reason for losing everything and everyone who you thought made you who you are?

Sometimes we need to hit rock bottom to see what God was trying to tell us. We venture down a path that doesn’t lead to our greater purpose, and we need a wake up call, because the subtle hints weren’t making enough of an impact. When we lose everything or those we care about the most the pain is unrecognizable and we are certain there is no way to overcome this hurt. But God has you wrapped in His arms. Don’t allow fear to decide who you are or your worth. The lessons you have to navigate and experience have a purpose and will answer all the questions you’ve been worrying through.

Next time when everyone you love is gone, you’re jobless, homeless, etc remember seek God first and I guarantee He’s preparing and molding you for something better. He will not give you more than you can handle. It what’s you do with the heartbreak, depression, and worthlessness that will determine your courage, and strength. Never give up and find the good in everything. Your answer may be telling you it’s time to move on to bigger and better things so your next season can shape you into the person you were born to be.

Love. It is the greatest gift we are given and are able to receive. It holds so many emotions: happiness, peace, heartache, rejection, and even strength. How can one word, and one “emotion” hold so many possibilities?

When you truly love doing something you put your whole heart and soul into it because you the joy you feel encompasses every fiber of your body. If you’re blessed enough to find true love it changes your life because you share memories and words with someone you trust wholeheartedly. Witnessing your child being born and raising them throughout many milestones, opens your eyes to a new form of love so deep that you never knew you were capable of feeling. You see, Love truly is the greatest gift of all no matter what season or circumstance you encounter it in.

But what happens when that beautiful, warm, fulfilling love is taken from you or absent after you’ve harbored it for so many years? We feel broken. Questions surface forcing us to ask ourselves: what did I do wrong, am I not pretty anymore, should I have reached out, why now, am I enough, what changed? Millions of questions race around searching for an answer so we can “fix” what we think we broke. We long to be accepted, to experience different types of love across diverse relationships, and to be loved by those we love the most. The reality is Love is still there, because God never left you! God’s Love is the greatest, most fulfilling Love available on this Earth.

When Love is taken from you or not shown to you from those you care about the most, the pain can be extremely hard to accept. No one wants to feel unloved, empty from a loss of a loved one, or not good enough, but this is the time where we need to focus on God’s Love above all others. Sometimes we may realize that it might be time to let go of those who don’t value us anymore, step away from friendships that are only one sided and move on. Knowing you’re truly loved by God without expectations is what your heart should harbor and embrace daily. Remember, God created you for a purpose. People will come and go throughout your life, but knowing who you are and surrounding yourself with those people who truly value you and love you will allow you to grow as an individual, a friend, and follow in the path God has planned for you.

So, during your dark seasons of rejection, loss, emptiness, and confusion, seek God’s love above all others. In your seasons of bright, warm, and fulfilling emotions embrace the love you’re shown and blessed with. Focus your energy on those people in your life who truly reciprocate the love you show them back to you. God’s Love is unconditional. Therefore Love is the greatest gift of all. Cherish it, because you never know when you might lose it.