God Said It, I Believe It

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?”

Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

Have you ever had someone commit to do something for you or with you and for whatever reason, they decided not to follow through on their commitment? It could of been as simple as meeting for lunch or as complex as helping you move. If you were that person, you may have experienced a wide range of emotions that may or may not have included: frustration, anger, disappointment, and/or even hurt. But what really caused the emotions? Was it because you believed them to be a man or woman of their word; was it because you had faith in them; or was it because you believed they respected and valued your relationship enough to never lie to you? Whatever the case, it stung and is probably something you hope will never happen again.

And if we’re honest, we’ve probably been that person who didn’t keep their commitment. I can admit that I’ve been this person a time or two. We’ve probably also been the person who become frustrated and disappointed when things didn’t happen in our timeline or when situations didn’t go our way. When we rely on our own strength and ability (Prov. 3:5), we’re bound to break promises, make bad decisions, and yield to our flesh.

But I’m so blessed and humbled to know and serve a God who isn’t like man (Jer. 10:6); who doesn’t disappoint, like man; who doesn’t lie, like man; who doesn’t speak one thing but does the opposite, like man; who doesn’t forget; like man; who doesn’t go back on his word, like man; who doesn’t fail, like man; who doesn’t break promises, like man; who doesn’t waver, like man; who doesn’t back down, like man; who doesn’t give up, like man!

If God has ever spoken into your life, if He has every promised you anything, it doesn’t matter if it was 30 years ago or 30 minutes ago, take solace in the fact that God cannot and will not ever LIE or FAIL you (Deut. 31:8, Joshua 1:5)! Everything that He has promised, will come to pass, at the appointed time. Look at Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Hannah, the Shunammite Woman, Job, Mary, Peter, or Jesus! The Bible declares in 2 Cor.1:20 that, “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory” (NLT).

I know your promise may feel delayed, you may grow weary, you may begin to worry and doubt, your faith may waver, you may feel like giving up and giving in, you may become tired, you may feel forgotten, you may even feel tormented, angry, and discouraged. But If God said it, believe it (2 Chron. 20:20, Prov. 30:5). If God said it, stand firm on His promise (Phil. 4:19). If God said it, remain faithful to His Word (Luke 11:28, Matt. 4:4). Don’t allow your current situation, circumstances, or naysayers to dictate your faith and stance in God! If God said it, BELIEVE it!

Remember that God loves you and so do I!

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All I Want Is You (A Love Letter to the King)

Take everything
I don't want it
I don't need it, God
I just want You

"Just Want You"- Travis Greene

God, first, I just want to thank you for this opportunity to give you glory, honor, and praise just for who you are! God, you are so amazing and I stand in awe of your majestic power. You are so holy and righteous, faithful and loving, mighty and powerful, gracious and merciful, patient and forgiving. You are my source, my redeemer, the lover of my soul, the creator of everything, the Bread of Life, my shelter, my provider, my waymaker, my keeper, my anchor, my strong tower, my deliverer, my friend, my protector, my comforter, my light in the darkness, my strength, my joy, my peace, my promise keeper, and so much more. And I can’t help but bless your name!

I thank you that you sent your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins; for a debt He didn’t owe! I thank you for your presence that surrounds me and calms my fears; that overwhelms me and brings peace to my storms; that fills me and ministers to my soul. I thank you that it is in you that I live, move, and have my being.

God, I love you because you first loved me. I thank you that your unconditional love never stops drawing me back to you. And I thank you for loving me in spite of me! I thank you for never leaving me or giving up on me, even when I gave up on you or when I want to throw in the towel and walk away. I thank you that when I feel like I’m at my worst, my lowest moment, you are always there with open arms reminding me that I’m never alone. In You is where I find peace, hope, and the faith to endure. God, my love for You extends beyond what words can ever convey.

I thank you for your Holy Spirit that convicts me when I’m wrong, when I’m on the verge of making a mistake, or when I need a gentle reminder to seek your face. Purge me of all unrighteousness and of anything that is not like you. Remove everything in my life that hinders me from seeking you with my whole heart. I submit my body as a living sacrifice; I surrender my mind, heart, will, and desires to you. God, you are my only desire; nothing else can satisfy me, nothing else can fill my heart like you do.

God, above all else, I just want you. More than anything; more than all the money in the world; more than obtaining the biggest house or the flashiest car; more than gaining fame and notoriety; more than being blessed beyond my wildest dreams; more than anything this world can ever offer, I JUST WANT YOU! I thank you that my mind is set on the things above, which is eternal and not on the carnal/temporal things that will soon fade away. God, you mean more to me than anything and all I want is You!

Your humble daughter and servant,

Katrina

How Deep Is Your Love? Part 2

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”

Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

Christ’s love transcends all other love. And though his love is freely given, there was a time where I really struggled if Jesus loved me, even as a Christian. I didn’t truly recognize the depth and width of his love. I made the mistake of comparing his love to the love of humans; it’s simply impossible. Even though he was born into this world, he wasn’t of this world and therefore our earthly outlook of love is unworthy to be compared to the love of Jesus.

I remember struggling with some areas in my life, areas that I hadn’t totally surrendered to God and it caused me to feel like Christ’s love was far from me. I felt like I was on this journey alone, in the wilderness, with no safe place to turn, with no comfort, and with no direction. Even moreso, my desire to seek after him waned. I now realize that it was a trick of the enemy to make me feel like God and his everlasting love had abandoned me. But I was comforted by the end of Hebrews 13:5 that says, “…for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]” (AMP). I chose to totally surrender my life to Him; the good, the bad, and the ugly! And everytime the enemy tries to take me back to that place, I remind myself that God’s love is constant and never fails!

Believe me when I say “nothing you do will ever separate you from God’s love!” It’s backed up by the word, more specifically in Roman 8:38, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love” (NLT). And when God says something, it is so. Your past, your mistakes, your failures, your weaknesses, your guilt, your shame-it won’t drive you away from God’s love. There’s nothing you can do to earn it and there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Start basking in the love that is so freely given and know that He is with you wherever you go!

Remember that God loves you and so do I!

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How Deep Is Your Love? Part 1

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.”

Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)

Do you remember the first time someone told you that they loved you? It could of been as a child or an adult but do you remember the feelings associated with knowing that someone loved you? Growing up my mom was (and still is) my hero and whenever she told me that she loved me, I felt so protected and warm inside; I knew exactly who to call when I needed help. I believed that she would do anything in the world for me, no matter the cost or the effort. I also knew that her love came without limits and conditions because she loved me when I was obedient, when I was misbehaving, when I excelled, and when I made mistakes. There’s nothing like a parent’s love!

Now envision being loved by someone who loves you far more than your parent, spouse, significant other, child, or friend. Someone who loves you with all your flaws; someone who sees past your mistakes and loves you in spite of them; someone who fiercely fights for you and with you; someone who knew you before you were in your mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5).

Who, you say? Well, I’m so glad you asked! His name is Jesus Christ, the one who knows you better than you know yourself, the one who unselfishly shed his blood on Calvary so that you may have life more abundantly. Yes, Him; the one who woke you up this morning, the one who provides everything you need (Phil. 4:19), the one who has a plan and a purpose for your life (Jer. 29:11). Yes, Him; the one who desires for you to know the extent of His love as referenced in Ephesians 3:19, “and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]” (AMP). The depth of God’s love is endless and incomparable. He loves past mistakes, fear, doubt, anger, jealousy, mistrust, persecution, and anything else you can think of. I pray that you too are able to experience this type of overwhelming and powerful love in Jesus!

Remember that God loves you and so do I!

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Stay tuned for Part 2…

2020 Vision

“Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain…”

Habakkuk 2:2 (NKJV)

Every year, most people dedicate time to setting new goals and/or creating vision boards that outlines their plans for the upcoming year. I think creating a vision plan allows you to focus on the things that you believe God has in store for you and the things that are important to you. It’s wise to seek God for wisdom and direction before creating your list so that your visions and plans align with God’s vision and plan for your life!

My 2020 Vision (in no particular order):

  • Be more intentional about my relationship with Jesus
  • Become the healthiest version of myself
  • Travel, especially internationally
  • Become debt free
  • Increase my income
  • Increase my savings
  • Increase my seed offerings
  • Increase my charitable contributions
  • Volunteer more
  • Become a better friend and be intentional about making friends
  • Be fearless
  • Meet and/or marry my God-appointed purpose mate 😁😉
  • Grow this blog!

What are some things on your 2020 Vision list? Please let me know by commenting below!

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Get to Stepping

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

Have you ever wanted to do something or go somewhere but after a while you slowly talked yourself out of doing the thing or going somewhere? If you raised your hand or said “that’s me”, don’t feel bad because I raised both of my hands too! I’ve allowed outside influences, my own fears, and my ‘introvertedness’ keep me from doing some of the very things that I really wanted to do like dine in a restaurant by myself, attend an event by myself, start this blog, pray out loud in church, or run around the church in high praise. Whatever it may be, I’ve allowed fear to grip me and hold me hostage. However, I’ve come to realize that fear is not of God and has no place in my life. In fact, I John 4:18 says, ” Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love” (NLT). I decided to lay this issue at the feet of Jesus and leave it there; I decided to leave fear behind and “get to stepping” towards what’s in front of me.

A few Sundays ago, at my family home church, the pastor (hey Apostle Manuel!) asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing a short testimony of how good God’s been to me this year. Now, my first instinct was to say no (I don’t like public speaking and I always get emotional when I speak in front of people at church) but I said yes; I told God that I would not run or retreat when an opportunity arose for me to share His goodness. Yes, I cried (lol) but not only did I share about God’s faithfulness to me but I overcame my fear and “stepped” into this ministry journey.

I think about how fearful Moses must have been when God chose him to lead the children of Israel from captivity. Moses thought of multiple excuses of why he wasn’t the man for the job. How many of us have told God that we aren’t qualified for the tasks and assignments He has commanded us to perform. Take a moment to think about it; how can we (his creations) tell the “King of Kings”, the “I Am that I Am”, the “All-knowing and All-powerful Creator” that He has chosen the wrong person to carry out an assignment. It stings doesn’t it! But Moses took it a step farther by having the audacity to ask God to just send someone else. Can you just imagine God’s facial expression like “how dare you ask me that!” Despite his anger towards Moses, God sent Moses a helper, his brother Aaron, but Moses wasn’t given a reprieve. He had to step out of his comfort zone, step out from all that was familiar to him, step out from his place of safety and go to where God commanded him to go. I’m sure this wasn’t an easy task but He knew that what was ahead of him was far more greater than what was behind him.

It’s time for us, as Children of God, to “get to stepping” into what he has called us to do. YES, it might seem crazy; YES, it might seem challenging; YES, it might seem scary; YES, it might seem too big for you to handle, but God is in control of EVERYTHING! He knows the beginning from the end and we must learn to totally trust and depend on him, just like Moses. God equipped Moses with everything He needed to deliver the children of Israel from captivity. If He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever more (Hebrews 13:8), then won’t He also equip you with everything you need to pursue and complete your assigned tasks!

Don’t allow fear to hold you captive any longer; know that God is with you wherever you go. Give God your “Yes” and watch Him move on your behalf! God loves you and so do I!

What has God called you to “get to stepping” into? Join me by commenting #gettostepping and we’ll take this journey together!

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Welcome to “Konversations with Katrina”

Happy New Year! Can you believe that 2020 is already here? I can’t but I’m excited for this new year and every new opportunity that will arise.

Let me start by introducing myself…my name is Katrina Henry and I am a 35 year-old single woman who loves Jesus with my whole heart, body, and soul; who loves to laugh and have fun; who fiercely loves my family; who loves to help others by being a blessing; and who has decided to go after everything God has in store for me!

I’ve been tossing around the idea of starting a blog for a little while but kept pushing it to the back of my mind. Want to know what really held me back; FEAR! I allowed the fear of starting something new, of the unknown, of not being good enough, of what people will say, of wondering if anybody would read my posts, and so on. But, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I vowed that I would no longer allow fear to hold me back! Instead, I decided to stand on Isaiah 41:10 that says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (NIV).

So here I am, leaving fear behind to start this wonderful faith and life journey where we can grow, share, and learn together. My goal is to post weekly devotionals and/or life updates to not only encourage and motivate myself but to encourage and uplift someone else. I wholeheartedly believe that God has called me to start this blog during this season of my life; and I know that if God is in it, He will lead and guide me all the way! Thank you for joining me on this journey and I pray that you are blessed and that your life is forever changed. Remember that God loves you and so do I!

Here’s to making 2020 the best year yet!

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