How to Have a Grace-full Thanksgiving

Published by Leslie Newman Powerful Bible Verses 4 comments

Is discouragement leaving you looking for a grateful heart? Even in difficult times there is a way to be genuinely thankful.

Thankfulness can be such a powerful thing, but sometimes it’s hard to come by. Discouragement and the trials of life can leave us wondering how in the world we can find any sincere way to be thankful in the midst of the difficulties we are experiencing. But as ironic as it seems, being thankful is powerful and can bring relief during hard times.

As humans, we are only able to see things from a very small perspective. God, however, sees from above which gives Him a grand view. Our little perspective makes it difficult to find those moments of hope when times are hard. And unfortunately, we have an enemy who does everything he can to turn our focus to all the wrong places.

But because of Jesus in us, we can overcome the wrong perspectives and find the hidden treasures God has for us. We can reach down into the power of a thankful heart.

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This One Simple Verse Will Help You Fight Your Fear!

Published by Leslie Newman Blog Posts 12 comments

Are you emotionally stalled by a fear of failure, lack of confidence, or feelings of inadequacy? Fight your fear with this one simple verse!

Are you lacking confidence or feeling insecure? Are you stalled in taking that next step to go forward in something the Lord is leading you to do? Is fear getting the best of you?

You and me both. We’ve all been there – probably in many different situations throughout our lives. The fear is real, friends, and it takes many forms in our lives. Becuase of this, we’ve talked recently on the blog about finding confidence and overcoming insecurities.

Overcoming fear and being bold is hard, but it is something within our grasp because of the truth of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit within us.

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Who, Me? Truth for When You Feel Inadequate

Published by Leslie Newman Equipping the Believer 12 comments

Have you ever felt the Lord call you to a task but feel inadequate for the calling? Find one truth here that will help you move forward.

Have you ever felt called by God to do something, but it seems an impossible thing for you to do?

•Perhaps you feel inadequate or that you lack the necessary knowledge.
•Maybe you are asking yourself this question, “Who, Me?” (The calling is way out of your comfort zone.)
•You may feel that you lack abilities or talents to do what you know Lord is calling you to do.
•Perhaps you have a physical limitation or an illness that makes it difficult to follow through.
•You know of others that would do a much better job and be more suited to the work.
•You fear you don’t know the Bible well enough.
•You think you will make mistakes.
•In a nutshell, you are afraid.

These concerns and fears are so common that I imagine each one of us reading here today can relate to at least a few if not all of them. If you are experiencing this kind of fear in your life or you are trying to discern what the Lord wants you to do, there’s something special for you in the following verse.

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What Can God Do With Suffering?

Published by Leslie Newman Suffering 16 comments

God keeps track of all our sorrows and is always working even in our suffering. Click through to learn more about what God can do.

For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:5 NASB)

The sufferings of Christ are ours. On the surface, this truth from 2 Corinthians 1:5 doesn’t bring favorable feelings, does it? When we think about suffering, all sorts of thoughts about the awful things we see in the world today may come to mind. Or perhaps we might think of long-drawn-out painful situations we’ve experienced or watched others walk through. Suffering, on the surface, really seems to have no benefits.

But if we are walking in faith, something surprising happens – suffering becomes a powerful catalyst for growth. And incredibly, in His kindness and grace, God sends Jesus to walk beside us and comfort us in as we walk through adversity. Even when we can’t see the changes as they happen, even when we have no answers to the “whys” we may be asking, one thing is sure – the abundance of suffering we see around us or face ourselves today is always balanced by the abundant comfort we have through Christ.

Click through to read more! FREE PRINTABLE! A Prayer for Adversity

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Grace and Peace for Your New Year

Published by Leslie Newman Claiming Scriptures, Hope 14 comments

How could our new year be different if we understood the fullness of God’s grace and peace? His kind of grace changes everything! Find out more by clicking through!

Grace to you and peace be multiplied. This greeting from the apostle Peter just leaps out to me on this New Year’s Day. It’s such a good verse for new beginnings and hope for the new year, isn’t it? It’s full and rich just as it is, but if we look into the Greek root words we’ll find even more!

Did you know that the word grace in this verse comes from the Greek word xáris? This kind of grace refers how God is always leaning toward us freely giving Himself away to us because He wants to be with us.

The word peace comes from the Greek word eirḗnē, and it means “wholeness.” It refers to all the essential parts being joined together. Peace is God’s gift of wholeness.

The word multiplied comes from the Greek word plēthýnō, and it means made full to maximum potential.

How would our new year be different if…

Click below to read more! Find out what we’ll be doing this year at Journey to Imperfect!

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5 Days to a Thankful Heart

Published by Leslie Newman Word Study 6 comments

Spend 5 days in this easy study of Bible verses about thanksgiving. Come away with deep insights and a thankful heart!

Words. We hear them, we speak them, we read them. From the time we are tiny babies just starting to talk, words are part of who we are. From a very young age, we seek to know and understand the world around us through our developing language. Knowing the meanings of the words we speak and read is necessary in order to understand the world around us and interact with it.

It’s no different with the Bible. Word meanings are very important!

The Bible was first written in Hebrew and Greek. Translations are not perfect because languages are so different. The meanings of words can vary and change over time. The English words that we read in our modern translations can represent two or more different words in the original languages, so sometimes the meaning of one English word doesn’t quite do justice to the complexity of the concept implied in the original languages. This is why it’s a great idea to do a Biblical word study!

Word study can seem very intimidating, but fortunately, we have so many resources for solid Biblical research and understanding right at our fingertips. There are places online that you can go to find concordances and lexicons in order to do a deeper study of God’s word. You do not have to be an expert at languages to gain some deep insight into what God is speaking through His word!

Click below to read more and pick up your FREE WORD STUDY PRINTABLE!

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5 Action Steps to Carry You Through a Misunderstanding

Published by Leslie Newman Blog Posts, Relationships 21 comments

Misunderstandings. We all have them at one time or another. We just can’t make it through life without facing hurt feelings, harsh words, and misunderstandings within a relationship. Sometimes we receive it; sometimes we dish it out. When these kinds of things happen, our relationship feels fragile. We may stand there stunned, wondering how in the world we could be in the middle of such a misunderstanding. Or we may feel convicted, knowing it was our fault when our own bad attitudes and words created the situation in which we find ourselves.

And at this point, we have a choice.

We can avoid the situation, hide our hurts, cover up the misunderstanding, and even deny our need to seek forgiveness. Or we can be seekers – seekers of His grace both for ourselves and for pouring out to the other person. We all know the right choice, but it’s the hardest one, isn’t it? How can we move forward and turn those hurts and misunderstandings into a deeper relationship?

We can find some amazing answers in Colossians 3:12. Friends, I have read this verse many times. I have prayed it for the past few weeks since this post. I know others of you have prayed these verses right along with me. But what I didn’t realize is what we were really praying when we claimed and prayed this verse over our relationships!

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How to Handle Unrealistic Expectations – Part 2, Letting Go

Published by Leslie Newman Overcoming Perfectionism 13 comments

Do you have trouble letting go of unrealistic expectations? Read more for some truths from God’s Word that will help you let go and find peace.

“Sometimes we just have to let go of our expectations and let God work!”

I read this text from my friend, Natasha, and I thought, “It’s true, isn’t it?” Our expectations can sometimes get in the way of God’s work.

Do you have trouble letting go of unrealistic expectations? Do you wish you could find more contentment in life? Read more for some truths from God’s Word that will help you let go and find peace.

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A Grace Just for You

Published by Leslie Newman Identity 12 comments

When discouragement strikes, remember God’s grace. It’s a gift created with you in mind. It’s just enough at just the right time. Find out more here!

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Ephesians 4:7 (NKJV)

It had been a rough day. I was tired, the house was dirty, and I needed to figure out what to fix for supper. My two little children were still very young and dependent on me, and I felt like I didn’t have what it took to be a good mother to them. I was upset about other things that have since left my memory and the whirlwind of discouraging thoughts I was having felt like more than I could handle.

Have you ever had a day like that? When discouragement strikes, remember God’s grace. It’s a gift created with you in mind. It’s just enough at just the right time. Find out more here!

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Unlock the Power of Praise in Your Prayer Life!

Published by Leslie Newman Prayer 32 comments

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your prayer life? It could be praise and worship. Read to learn more about unlocking the power of praise in your prayer life! {FREE PRINTABLES!}

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your prayer life? I have. I was praying for others, asking for forgiveness, and being thankful, but it seemed like something just wasn’t quite right.

After some searching, I discovered that praise was a missing aspect in my prayer life. When I began adding in praise to my prayer time, an amazing thing happened. I began to have an entirely different focus that really impacted my thought processes for the better.

Praising God is a perspective-changer. There’s no doubt about it!

There are many ways to praise God which are as various and unique as the individuality He has created in all of us. But no matter how we do it, we’ll find that at the core of praising God is recognizing and thinking about His character. When we do this, some very important things begin to happen.

Praise invites His presence.
Praise forces us to take our eyes off ourselves.
Praise helps us understand who God is.
Understanding His character gives us hope helps bring peace.
When we understand Who God is, we find our true identity.
Praise makes the enemy flee!

Last week we studied 2 Peter 1:3 which tells us that God gives us everything we need to live a godly life. He equips us in all areas, including our prayer lives!

If we take a look at what follows (2 Peter 1:4) we gain another valuable insight about prayer. Click below to discover more! {FREE PRINTABLES TOO!}

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