Beautiful Uncertainty
Let’s be real for a moment. Can I just say that life is hard? We wake up every day not knowing what we are going to face and believe that it’s going to be a good day. We don’t wake up saying,
“Today I’m going to have a bad day.” That would be silly.
What can we do to start the day off right and know without a doubt we can face anything that comes our way; good or bad, happy or sad.
One way, Jesus Christ!
Did you know that you are never alone? You have a Father who watches over you 24/7 even while you sleep! He gives us His promise in His Word,
“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Psalm 121:8
How comforting is that!
Do we believe it at times when the light in our life seems to dim, and life doesn’t go on the way we expect it to?
I have so many days where I ask God,
“Where are you? Can’t you see how excruciatingly painful my life is right now? Can’t you see the tears I cry? Help me, Jesus!”
Friend, you are not alone. The cry of your heart is being heard. Jesus didn’t promise us that life was going to be easy. He said in his Word, in John 16:33,
“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Look at that word, “will.” It doesn’t say you might, or that you may have troubles. It says, “you will!”
I have been through many valleys in my life, and I’m sure you have too! It hurts! It’s real! No one but you and Jesus knows exactly how you are feeling because we all hurt differently.
What can we do to relieve the hurt? Try this! Why not turn it into something beautiful?
I have done this throughout my life, and have seen the love of Jesus through little messages He sends to me through His creation, reminding me, that He is with me. The caption above is a crested blue burd that was injured. When she was healed, we were able to release her reminding me what Jesus said in His Word,
“Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Matthew 6:26
You can read about it in my book, GLORIFIED UN-UNEXPECTATIONS, trusting God for His Unfailing Faith, Hope, and Love.
We have a choice. We can allow this battle to take us down, or we can choose to rise above and allow Jesus to change it into something beautiful.
Friend, please acknowledge your pain. Don’t be afraid of what you are going through, because Jesus Christ knows your pain. Let me say this again, Jesus knows your pain! He is the only One who can give you the strength you need to wake up and be free!
Rest in Jesus, and allow Him to take your brokenness and turn it into something beautiful! A little message may be waiting for you as well.
Embrace Jesus’ Word and His very best…YOU!
Just One More Step…A prayer for you❤
Dear Jesus,
I close my eyes and picture Jesus saying, “Just One More Step.’ I am with you, and I will carry you.”
Father in heaven; give us Your strength that is needed to overcome our physical limitations. Guide us to press on.
Thank you for never letting us fall behind. When we feel like life is moving to fast, help us to focus on You as you carry us to victory…”Just One More Step”
There may be times when the burdens are just so tough to carry and we no longer can take another step. Carry us Lord, for You know our prayer and heart’s desire; everything we do, we move for Your glory.
May we walk behind and not ahead of You, Jesus, for You are our light that leads the way. There is no room for darkness; only You. Remind us You have everything we need to overcome.
Cleanse our minds, our doubts, and fears, and renew our souls with a fresh outlook on why we are called for Your Glory. Yes! There are times when life doesn’t make sense.
Knowing that love covers all…love hurts though. We hurt, because we love.
EXACTLY WHAT JESUS DID FOR US!
Thank you, Jesus for loving us.
Take a deep breath and be reminded that every step we take no matter how fast or how tired we may become, we are called to move and change lives for God’s glory.
When we feel we can’t take another step, let us allow God to breathe new life into our souls as we tear down that wall of doubt and walk “Just One More Step.” with Jesus.
WE GO IN YOUR STRENGTH AND POWER JESUS, THAT’S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY,
Amen
Kerri Daniels, Kerri Daniels Ministries, 2019
IMAGINE THE IMPOSSIBLE!
You’re thinking about writing a book, you’re writing a book, OR you’ve published and you’re feverishly trying to write another book. And no matter which phase you’re in, you’re probably a bit frustrated.
Am I right?
Today I’m going to share something amazing with you that’s going to provide solutions to all of those woes.
Why do you think most people want to write a book?
Life is an experience, and it’s filled with so many expectations and un-expectations. You’re creative, you have a great idea that you’ve been thinking about, or better yet; it involves your life’s story.
Think about this? The Bible is filled with many true awe-inspiring stories inspired by God’s chosen. REAL LIFE! They shared life, and today their making a difference. Do you believe that God is still writing stories today? Absolutely, and He’s writing YOUR story! We just have to get the story out of our heads and onto paper. How do we do that?
My Personal Story – Inspiration of a Book
Back in March, 2016, I woke up in the middle of the night hearing two words, GLORIFIED UN-EXPECTATIONS, never knowing that one day it was going to become a published book. That same week, Rick approached me about having a dream where it was him and Jesus in the basement of Toledo Hospital. Rick came to me and said, “Kerri, I think God wants you to write a book; we didn’t go through all that for nothing!”
When I heard “write a book,” I immediately said,
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
I didn’t want to revisit those last 20+ years of suffering and pain.
In one of my blogs, I shared this conversation I had with Jesus at the window, with tears streaming down my face and it was real. This is the real live version of me questioning God about writing. Immediately, he brought to my spirit one of His amazing teachings of a tiny mustard seed; that if we had faith as small as a mustard seed we could say to this mountain move, and it will move. Listen to this live recording back in 2016 when I made the decision to climb with Jesus and picture yourself on the mountain of impossibility!
Mountain of Impossibility!
You see, if I would have listened to my own fear, I wouldn’t have been able to exercise my faith, birth Kerri Daniels Ministries – Sharing Christ | Encourage Women from my book, GLORIFIED UN-EXPECTATIONS, become a published author, or be included as one of the speakers for the 2019 Women in Publishing Summit hosted by Alexa Bigwarfe. She, along with her amazing team will provide all the tools necessary to write your book. When I stepped out of my comfort zone, and into something I had no clue what I was doing, my vision became clear and my eyes focused on not what I could do, but what God can do through me.
Don’t allow fear of the unknown of writing your book stop you!
A Special Gift for You!
So, here’s the deal. I’ve got a special treat for you. My friend Alexa has spent the last six months gathering a group of women who are authors, publishers, editors, marketing specialists, graphic designers, and many more. This will be a FREE, 4-day Online Summit that will kickoff Monday, March 4th at 10:00 am in the privacy of your own home. You will receive so much information including tips on writing, publishing, and selling your book. All you need to do is click on the link below and register. Here are a few details of what we will be covering.
Day 1: The Big Picture for Your Book – We’ll begin with a live kickoff panel of 3 very different authors to talk about their journeys and some of the challenges they’ve faced
Day 2: Your Path to Publishing Success + Mindset – Let’s learn about the different routes to publishing and which one might work best for you. AND MINDSET – this is truly an area that sets women apart from men… because… well, we overthink EVERYTHING! 🙂 Just kidding, but there are some very important lessons to be learned, particularly in overcoming our fears and doubts.
Day 3: Production, Distribution, Legal – Editing, Design, Taxes, Copyright, etc – all the mechanics!
Day 4: Book Launch Strategies, Marketing, Marketing and more Marketing – why bother writing a book if you don’t know how to sell it?
Day 5: Tools and Resources for Writing, Publishing, and Marketing Your Book – scratching the surface of the barrel here, but this will give you a good idea of what resources are available. Plus, closing Key Note with Author and Activist Chandra Brown – about taking your place at the table and why writing a book is important..
I would love for you to join me as I speak a little about “The Power of Your Story.” Your free invite is waiting for you. Click on the link below to get registered for free.
https://kerridaniels–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/free-wip-registration/
As I mentioned before, Alexa has invited over 60 authors, publishers, editors, and book marketing experts to join her at the Women in Publishing Summit (online) sponsored by Thinkific, including:
- Chandra Brooks → Activist, Author, Voice for Empowerment of Women
- Eva Natiello → NY Times best-selling author of The Memory Box
- Alinka Rutkowska → founder of LibraryBub, USA Today Best Seller and extraordinary author-preneur
- Kate Butler → mutliple-time best-selling author and co-speaker with Jack Cannfield
- Amy Collins → 26 year veteran of book sales and distribution, founder and CEO New Shelves
- Helen Sedwick→ lawyer, author, go-to legal expert for indie authors
- Roshana Pratt → former TV anchor and current marketing expert
- And many, many more
Remember, this event is FREE to register,. but only for a limited time. The videos will be available for 48 hours and then will be only available through the All Access Pass. Message me and I can tell you all about it.
Make sure to claim your free spot while there is still time.
https://kerridaniels–writepublishsell.thrivecart.com/free-wip-registration/
He doesn’t call the strong, He calls the weak, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (NIV) so that when you say there is no way I can write a book, there is a way. With God and the 2019 Women In Publishing Summit you will have all the tools needed to begin writing your story for His Glory.
I believe in you! Join me in the publishing world, and together we can make a difference.
Joyously in Jesus, Kerri
Beautifully Scarred
Scars…we all have them.
Even Jesus did. His nail scarred hands were marked with love and promise; yet not without pain. Whether our pain is physical, spiritual, emotional, or mental, the pain is real and it hurts!.
Every painful experience has a purpose when you belong to Jesus Christ. Do we focus on the pain or should we rise above and focus on His promise and purpose.? Your pain is marked with a purpose!
What a sight that must have been for Jesus’ disciples to see Him standing before them with His opened arms revealing His nail-scarred hands and feet.
Can we say the same thing about our scars?
Can we stand with strength and courage and reveal our scars knowing that they were not left there without a purpose?
We can with Jesus. He gives us the strength and courage to rise above the pain.
Allow your scars to be a reminder of how much He loves you and has called you to where you are today… An Overcomer who is…
BEAUTIFULLY SCARRED
Who doesn’t have scars? Don’t let those scars define you. Only Jesus defines who you are in Christ❤ He’s so much in love with you! You are His child! Just as the Father did for Jesus, He wants to take what has been broken in you and breathe new life and fill your soul with His life-changing promises.
He does that every single moment we go to Him and lay all of our trials and struggles at the foot of the cross, When you say, “I can’t,” God says, “I CAN,”
I’m so thankful that Jesus doesn’t base His love for us on the things we do or don’t do. He loves us because we belong to Him. Take His promise in prayer and read this prayer as you personalize it with your own name. Listen, because he’s whispering to you right now…
“But (your name), you belong to me. You have already won a victory over all your sufferings and trials that you have had to endure. Rejoice, because I am making all things new. He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (NIV)
The enemy wants only to destroy you. Stand your ground and march onward in victory because the spirit who lives in you, my beautiful son/daughter (insert you name) comes from me, and not the world. This spirit in the world only wants to wreck havoc in your life, and give you no faith, no hope, and no love. (1 John 4:4) NIV (your name), this is not what I have planned for you. Breathe in and reflect on My promise; “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Dearest friend, believe His promise right now and receive it. Every temptation we face will be a test of our faith. Will we allow our flesh which is weak, or will we allow our spirit which is willing? “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (NIV)
There is no other love that compares to the love and protection He provides in the life He has chosen for you.
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you, (your name); Now remain in my love.” John 15:9 (NIV)
Take your beautiful scars and lay them at the foot of the cross; the cross where Jesus loved us enough to receive His beautiful scars and gave up His life only so that we may have everlasting life with Him. This love will never leave us, nor forsake us. “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
Joyously in Jesus, Kerri
CALLED: Even When It Seems Impossible and You Have No Clue What You’re Doing
An Encounter with the Lord
Back in 2016, before the writing of the book, GLORIFIED UN-EXPECTATIONS, our lives changed forever. Rick shared with me his encounter with the Lord in the basement of a hospital requesting a responsibility of writing a book. I immediately said, No. I knew that I would have to go back to the place where I thought my life was over.
Message at the Window
All that changed when one day, I found myself standing at the window in my living room glaring through the screen, hoping to escape the emotions of uncertainty and see or hear something within my spirit telling me that He’s here, and everything is fine. But instead, I’m hearing a not so confident voice saying…
Climb That Mountain | In Kerri’s Thoughts & Words
I was tired of hurting…
The pain of the past was too much too take…
I didn’t want to remember how hard it was to say goodbye to my only daughter and I didn’t want to relive the scariest moment of my life as I knelt beside my son as He fought for his life!
“Be Still…”
the gentle spirit speaks; as my tears fall, searching for something or someone to hold on too.
“I’m here.”
He says to me, as he grasps my hand and gently calls to me,
“Child, you are safe, just hold on, don’t let go. Trust me and do the impossible.”
I close my eyes and I see Him, the two of us, and He’s holding me and says, “Kerri, the book has already been written. All you need to do is trust me enough to take you back to the moments when you thought I was absent.”
The Lord of the Human Impossibility
Those painful moments of my past that deflated my very soul, led me to believe what the Lord of the impossible wanted to do through me, so that His power could move in me.
You see, writing Glorified Un-Expectations was my mountain of impossibility. God takes what we think is impossible and makes it possible. When I said “I can’t write a book”, God said, He can.
Surrender
He made it possible because He gave me the strength and courage to do something I didn’t think I could do. I had to constantly rely on His direction and trust Him enough to come to a place of surrender. I had to be willing to give in, so He could move in and remove the fear of the impossible.
Writing my life’s story took time. During the two years of writing, I fought it with tears. Some days were better than others. I knew how hard it was going to be to relive those moments of despair; not just one at a time, but with all my three children.
He Was There All Along
That’s why it’s so vital to allow Jesus to move you and listen with your soul the words that His presence wants to reveal to you. A beautiful revelation that He was there all along.
He doesn’t want to keep you in the past. He only wants you to see that you were never alone. He was there. All that was needed to do the impossible, was to say His name,
“Jesus.”
Your Past Has A Purpose
We are all called for His glory. Your past has a purpose and a future with Jesus Christ. A story of redemption, whether it be through joy or sorrow is waiting to be written to bring healing to another soul.
Don’t be afraid to revisit your past. Without it, would you be where you are today?
YOU! He’s Calling YOU!
Could it be that Jesus is calling you to write your story even if you have no clue what your doing?
Do the impossible, take that step of faith, and experience the possibilities with Jesus Christ, “The Author and Finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)
Joyously in Jesus,
Kerri 🙂
Image Contributor: Mimi Thian
Moving Past the Loss of a Child
How Jesus Moves Us Out of the Past and into His Love
So many times, I ask myself this question? Why me? What do I have to offer that not only glorifies Jesus, but helps someone else? I have heard someone once say, “Don’t ever look back at your past. Keep moving forward.” Really? How can you move forward if you can’t even get past your past? Anyone who has had to say goodbye to their child too soon, knows exactly why they want life to stop and stay right where they are. Confusion, sadness, anger, guilt; every emotion that grabs hold of your heart and rips it into tiny little pieces that can never be put back together again.
Empty Arms and an IV Pole
This is me. Nine years ago, all this “Child of God” wanted to do was lock the door and sink deeper into despair. I felt like Jesus had slipped off to go bless someone else, and left me there to die. How can a God who knew my heart’s desire to have a daughter take her home so shortly after her birth? I remember that day like it was yesterday. I desperately wanted to be like all the other mothers holding their babies and full of joy. Instead, all I had to show were empty arms and an IV pole attached to my arm because of complications. There is no greater pain, than knowing for the rest of your life, a child that you carried or gave birth to has died. Yes, I know she is with Jesus. Yes, I know I have other children. Yes, I know she could have had health problems, but she was mine, and I wanted to be her mommy here on this earth.
Pain is Real and Deep
The pain is real and deep. I know. But how was I going to get out of the past and move forward? The answer is Jesus. God loves you and wants to heal your broken heart. Grieving takes time. For one individual, it can take months. Mine took years. Nine years of asking God, why? Only Jesus knew the answer, and I had to trust Him enough to release me from the past and get me to a place of surrender.
During many uncertain times, I would:
- Close my eyes.
- Picture Him with opened arms.
- Climb up into his lap like a little girl.
- Get as close to Jesus as I possibly could.
- Rest my head on His heart.
With Jesus, I felt safe and loved. When I had nothing to give, and all my strength was gone, He was able to fill my soul with His love and strength and move me to walk by FAITH, and not by sight. I had to let go, and let God.
Moving Forward
How can you offer help to someone if you have never experienced a deep despair? Whether it is a loss of a child, loss of a job, cancer, a sick child; the list can go on and on. How we move forward and get past the hurt can only be found in Jesus.
If I had not looked back to revisit my past, I would have missed the beautiful story that He continues to write in my life today.
My fear turned to faith, the uncertainty turned to hope, and my pain turned to love because “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV).
I had nothing to give, but He did, and He can do the same for you if you let Him.
It is my prayer that you allow Jesus to cradle you in His arms, and know; as He cradles you in one hand, He’s holding your precious child in the other.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
Joyously in Jesus, Kerri 🙂