The Resting Place

Our Hope

When I think of Christmas one word that comes to mind is

HOPE. Jesus—the Hope of the world.

He came to give us hope for the future, that one day we will be redeemed.

How comforting to know that He gives us hope in the present, giving us the assurance that we are never alone.

He has definitely given us hope over the past, assuring us through our salvation that our failures are never greater than God’s forgiveness and power to transform us closer to His image, away from our old self.

Tonight, on this Christmas Eve, the message of HOPE rings loud in my heart because

Christ was born,

lived a sinless life,

died on a cross for my sins,

rose again three days later,

and currently sits at the right hand of my Heavenly Father.

Someday, how wonderful that He will return for His own.

Merry Christmas to my family and friends! I pray that you experience great HOPE as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that you will take that HOPE into 2022 as we look ahead to God’s plan for our lives.

Faith and Thankfulness

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

As we approach Christmas, we never fail to recall memories of days past—those that bring smiles and others that bring tears.

We’ll remember family members and friends whose physical presence is no longer with us.

We’ll be thankful for our faith in Jesus, which we pray, will stand front and center throughout the coming year.

More than ever before, we won’t take our blessings for granted.

This morning, I awoke feeling very thankful for my personal faith in Jesus and how that faith has shaped my life all of these years.

Am I perfect? Heavens, NO!

Have I made mistakes that I deeply regret? YES! More than I can say, because I’ve now lived and learned a lot of years!

But my faith tells me–no it assures me through God’s Word, that I am forgiven, loved, and accepted by my Heavenly Father, not because of what I’ve done to earn salvation, but because of what Jesus did for me and all of His creation on the Cross.

Today, each of us can rest assured that this faith I speak of will sustain us in every situation.

Faith gets us through tough times we’ve already experienced and those to come, the timing thereof only known to God.

Through our unwavering faith, we are able to experience deep joy and peace within, through the good, the bad, and the ugly of this thing called life—life that was given to each of us by a loving God.

There is not a moment of our journey that our Heavenly Father does not see. His desire is to be fully involved in every aspect of our time here on earth.

It’s good to give thanks! Are you thankful for your faith today? I sure am! Knowing that every passing day is one we will never get back, let’s make each moment count.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“Faith sees the invisible; believes the unbelieveable; and receives the impossible.” Corrie Ten Boom

Words to Live By

This is a rhetorical question, but one I asked myself today—which one of these are you struggling with, or have you struggled with in the past? One in particular stands out for me. I seek the Lord’s help more times than I can count. He is faithful and is still working everything out for my good and His glory. He will do the same for you!

You see, friends, it doesn’t matter what our struggles are. There is a solution. It’s found in the One who is always there to help us overcome our challenges. He never stops and never gives up on us when we seek His help. His name is Jesus and He specializes in mending our hearts. We sure can be thankful for that today.

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2

Twists and Turns

Life has many twists and turns

Important lessons we must learn.

Some are good, some are bad

Some are happy, some are sad

Some we welcome, some we don’t

Some we definitely did not want

But through it all we find out way

We find the strength to watch and pray

To thank our Lord for another day

As we ask Him to guide us on our way

To help us live for Him alone

Our hearts to share as we travel home

One thing we always come to learn

Is through the trials our hearts will yearn

For more of Him and less of us

It’s Him alone that we must trust.

So when you think what life has dealt

Remember this, your pain He’s felt

He’s been there with you all along

To comfort, carry, and keep you strong

He longs to write a beautiful story

Of hard times conquered, all for His glory

It’s up to us to let Him lead

For through great love, He did bleed

He gave His life so we could show

A dying world which way to go

Don’t give up, don’t stop now

For soon before Him all will bow.

Carolyn Canizales, February, 2021

Our Anchor in the Storms of Life

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

God longs for us to have an abundance of joy and peace in our hearts, even in times of disappointment, pain, or great sadness.  

When we operate in our own strength, we will grow weary as things come against us suddenly and unexpectedly. Using our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the catalyst, we must be open and willing to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through our circumstances.

As we begin to rely on God’s strength and the promises which are found throughout the Bible, we will be able to go through our circumstances with the trust and assurance that God is in control. When the storms subside, the sails may be battered and torn, but we will not sink because Jesus will always be our anchor in the storms of life.

A New Beginning

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 ESV

Some years ago, Ray and I attended a Christmas Pageant at a large church in the Houston, TX area. A modern-day version of the Prodigal Son, this drama production was a powerful story of faith in God, unconditional love, and unrestricted forgiveness.

In spite of their busyness during the Christmas season, and even though they were surrounded by others, the husband and wife in the play were missing one family member. Having chosen a life of sin and rebellion, their oldest son, Michael had left home five years earlier. Living inside a homeless shelter, and with no hope of being reunited with his family again, Michael felt extremely lost and alone.

Of course, back home there was a different outlook on the situation.  Michael’s Christian parents and other family members longed for him to come home.  The entire family had prayed for his return, and their only desire was to welcome Michael home and make up for the time that had been lost by his absence.

I think I could safely say that all of us have needed new beginnings in our lives at one time or another.  We have all needed unconditional love and forgiveness from others; and we have also needed to extend that same love and forgiveness to someone else.  

As the story ended, Michael did come home to his family. With God at the center of their lives, Michael’s family gave him the unconditional love and forgiveness that he needed. This act of mercy from his family enabled Michael to have the new beginning that he so desperately wanted.

Today, I pray that each of us will seek whatever new beginning we might need in our own life. Without reservation, may we also be willing to show others the same love and forgiveness that Jesus has shown to each of us. No doubt, we all know someone who needs a new beginning. With God’s help and guidance, let’s do our part to help make it happen for them.

Finding Shelter

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.” Psalm 55:1

Have you ever been caught in a situation where you needed to find shelter? A long hike, a thunderstorm approaching, not being familiar with your location and a bit of anxiety would certainly be one situation in which physical shelter would be needed. Seeking shelter would be the logical thing to do in order to find protection against the approaching storm.

Many times, in my own life I have needed to find shelter from the storms that raged around me. Thankfully, I have always been able to have physical shelter–a safe place that I call home. Rather, my need at times has been to find spiritual shelter. Sometimes, I wandered out in the storm before seeking the familiar shelter that I know all too well. But, eventually, I would round the bend in the road and there it was–a beautiful sight–a place to rest and be safe and comforted. My personal shelter.

On the many occasions that I have desperately sought the comfort and shelter of God’s presence, I have never been disappointed. His Word gives me hope and strength and peace. I am so thankful for this! The deep love that I have for my heavenly Father and for Jesus Christ, my Savior has made such a difference in how I handle difficult situations. The ability to go to Him in prayer and share my hurts and fears gives me the assurance that He is listening and that He answers according to His will for my life and for those around me.

If you feel the need to seek God’s shelter due to situations that are presently surrounding you, or if there are circumstances in your life that seem to be beyond your control, just remember that you have a Savior–Jesus Christ, who wants to bring you peace and hope. He will shelter you from any storm that you may face now or in the future because He specializes in calming the storms.

PRAYER:  Father God, thank you for sheltering us from the storms of life.  Through Jesus, we have the ability to rest safely in the Shepherd’s arms at all times.  Help us to trust you always, knowing that you love us beyond comprehension.  I pray this in Jesus name.  Amen.

Why Am I Here?

“And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.” Job 11:17-18 (ESV)

Many years ago, as a third-grade student in a small East Texas school, I was encouraged by my teacher to enter the annual University Interscholastic League (UIL) contest in the category of Ready Writing. This statewide contest was to me the MOTHER of them all.

In a Ready Writing Contest, students are given two hours to write expository compositions. They may choose between two prompts, each an excerpt from literature, publications, or speeches.

I felt that this contest was comparable to David going up against Goliath! However, we know what happened there, so I reluctantly agreed to participate. As it turned out, I placed third overall and was extremely happy to have done so! My love for writing began at that time, but it would be many years before I would ever do it again.

As the years rolled by and I faced life’s experiences and challenges, a genuine love for writing began to envelop my heart. My deepest thoughts seemed to flow more easily through written words. I tried different genres of writing, but was always led back to the things of a spiritual nature. I began to sense that one way I could best honor God was through my written “from the heart” type of spiritual encouragement.

I’m not an educated writer, nor am I a Bible scholar, but I sure love God’s Word, and I love to write about how much He loves us! Over the past 15 years, I have written and shared spiritual thoughts via publications, blog writing, and social media. I have had to squeeze my writing moments into a very active and sometimes hectic lifestyle. Consequently, many times I have found myself desperately in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual rest.

To be totally honest, it is during stressful and hurried times that I seldom express my true feelings. There is little time or opportunity to appear weak or sad or tired or fed up (yes, I am human). I have come to believe that this is characteristic of many women. Deep down, we feel the need to ALWAYS be strong–to give all that is within us to others, leaving little quality time for ourselves. No time to recharge. No time to refocus. No time to be renewed. Some of us are able to hide our stress and anxiety. As a result of growing up in a home influenced by alcoholism, I learned at a very early age to do that well.

With more years behind me than are ahead, and perhaps a little wisdom now, I know first-hand that trying to be all things for all people while hiding stressful feelings, only deceives us into thinking that we are strong. In reality, what we REALLY need is someone who will help carry our heavy load, listen to us, and understand where we are coming from. We need comfort. We need REST!

Today, I have Good News for you! There IS Someone who will bring comfort and rest—Someone who loves us unconditionally, and who cares what we are going through more than we can imagine! His name is Jesus. One of His many specialties is carrying the load of those who seek Him when they can’t go any further. After all, He is God! There’s nothing too big for Him to handle. He relates to every aspect of what we are feeling. The good. The bad. The ugly. And He is there to love us and give rest as only He can do.

So why am I here? At this site and at this time in my life? Perhaps it is for more than just reliving the memory of a third-grade writing contest, although that was where this writing “thing” began for me. I wanted to begin my first post with that memory as the backdrop to a deeper message.

Truthfully, I am here for each of you, and myself! I pray that you will join me on this journey, as together we will find rest for our souls, and renew our spiritual, emotional, and physical strength. I am trusting the Holy Spirit to speak to each of us and to meet our needs. My prayer is that our hearts will be made just a little bit lighter for having spent a few moments here at The Resting Place.

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