Author: cindygrasso

Cindy Grasso is a writer, speaker, and the Discipleship Pastor at Cape Christian in Cape Coral, Florida. She has been married to her fun-loving​ husband, Bobby Grasso for 24 years and is the proud mom of two amazing teen boys who keep her updated on all things tech. She is down to earth, relatable and has a unique way of bringing the Word of God to life with simple illustrations and metaphors. She is the also the founder of Beloved, a women’s movement with a mission to inspire women of all ages to learn to live loved every day and to fully discover who God created them to be.

Move Beyond Fear

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“By an act of faith, he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents.”  Hebrews 11: 8 MSG

Fear will hold you captive in your comfort zone.

The only way to break fear’s hold is by an act of faith.

To go after all that God has called you to, you are going to have to move beyond the fear that holds you there.

Fear can be overwhelming when it is a general mass of unknown anxiety so you need to name it.  What are you afraid will happen when you step out in faith? Define it or one part of it. Narrow it down, find the core.

But also be aware of this: facing the fear doesn’t take away the emotion of fear but it allows you to replace the lie that fear is telling you with the truth of God’s Word. When you name the fear you disarm it of its power but it takes a while for your emotions to fall in line with your faith.

Courage is feeling the fear and stepping out in faith anyway. 

You may not know where your journey will end up but you can be sure that the God who calls us to step out in faith does.

Faith is choosing to trust God with the path, every step of the way, the detours, the disasters and yes, the destiny.

God is calling you forward, don’t let fear stop you today.

Name your fear: what is it you are afraid of happening if you step out in faith?

Speak God’s truth: what verse inspires you to have courage?

(Mine is Philippians 4:13)

Dream Again

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“By faith, barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said.” Hebrews 11:11 MSG

We are born dreamers.

As children, we see that world around us and dream about being a part of it. We dream about what our place in the world will be, what we will do and who we might become.

The dreams revolve around us and what it will mean for us if those dreams come true.

As we grow up, there are some dreams that hold onto us more than we hold onto them.

It is those dreams that feel devastating when they shatter and remain unfulfilled.

When the Lord told Abraham that Sarah would give birth, she overheard it and laughed (Genesis 18:11).  She laughed not because she thought it was funny but because she thought it ludicrous. The dream of having children probably died when she was in her 60s or 70s.  She had accepted her barrenness.

God often challenges what you have already accepted.

He will speak a word to you that seems impossible.

Something that seems ludicrous.

Something that you gave up on and now He is asking you to dream again.

But this time to dream it differently.

Place your hope not in what the dream will do for you but in what God wants to do through you.

God asked Sarah to dream again. She knew she couldn’t do it, could not make it happen. But somewhere along the line…she chose to trust God.

Then God showed up and does what only He can do: the impossible.

My friend, put your hope in God today.  And when He calls you to dream again, say yes and be open to embracing whatever He wants to do through you.

Don’t hold onto the dream, hold on to the Dream Giver.

It Takes the Same Amount of Energy

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“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”     Philippians 3:13-15 NIV

What does it mean to live by faith and not by sight? It means making decisions on how to live based on where God has called you to go, not where you have been before.

It’s faith because you haven’t seen it yet.

It’s faith because you are hoping for something different than you have had before.

It’s faith because you are becoming someone new in Christ that you haven’t been before.

The direction where you are looking makes a difference in the direction you are going…and it takes the same energy.

You can stay stuck in self- pity or look to Jesus for self-confidence.

Look back and make yourself miserable or look forward in faith. Either way, it takes the same energy. It’s a daily habit, it’s the intention, it’s the determination to keep your eyes on Jesus and what He has for you.

My friend, spend your energy today believing God for impossible things you can’t see yet and leave the past with all its mistakes behind.

Are you looking at your future through eyes of experience or eyes of faith?

What are you trusting God with today?

P.S. God will heal the wounds of your past while giving you His vision for your future.

Risk

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“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,”   Nahum 1:7 NIV

When you step out in faith with God, you are going to face great risk.

You will have to walk in what I call “crazy obedience”.

The kind of obedience that leaves what you know, sacrifices whatever is needed and eagerly embraces temporary difficulty for the hope of a future promise.

Know that even though the risk seems great, the God you serve is greater and the reward you will reap is priceless.

This is the prayer I am whispering over you today, “Jesus, take care of my friends as they step out in faith. Thank you that they are trusting you as they face risk. Reward them with courage and vision and do what only You can do – the impossible. Amen”

Faith

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“So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.”     1 Corinthians 2:5 AMP

When your faith rests in the wisdom of man, it falters because at it’s best, it is a human attempt to explain the divine.

When your faith rests in feelings, it surges and wanes like the waves of the sea.

When your faith rests on experience, it morphs into whatever you are experiencing now, good or bad.

When your faith rests on Jesus and what He has done for you, it is the rock upon which the waves of emotion break, the wisdom that confounds the wise and the truth that gives your experience perspective.

Stop worrying about how you feel, what others say or what happened in the past.

Put your faith in Jesus and who He is.

He is bigger than your fears, knows what to do with your worries and is working behind the scenes to bless you.

May today be filled with the promise of the finished work of Jesus in your life and bring you to a new level of faith that is not tossed by emotions but anchored in God’s unchanging love for you.

What do you need to trust Jesus with today?

Ready and Waiting

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“But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything.  Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.”
Isaiah 30:18

When the boys were in elementary school they got out at 2:20pm and I would try to get to the school at the latest by 2:00pm so I can get a good spot in the pickup line. If you have ever experienced the stress of picking your child up in the craziness that is the end of an Elementary school day, you know how important this is.

One day I had to pick them up early from school and as we walked from classrooms to the car, Kyle looked at all the cars waiting in line and said: “Oh, they are already here?” Then he said, “I thought you just got here right when school is out”. I said, “Nope, if I waited until then I’d be way in the back of the line, so I get here early so I can be right on time for you.”

As I pulled in to wait in the pickup line the next day, I thought about Kyle’s perception, “I thought you just got here right when school was out.”

We forget that most things are not always as they seem but only as we see them.

Just as I made a point to be at the school early so that I can be “on time” for the boys, so God is working in ways we can’t see and don’t know about in our lives. He is going ahead, preparing the way and getting His grace and power ready to be right on time in our lives.

Even as we pray, Jesus is preparing to be right on time.

I can’t see what God is doing “behind the scenes” in my life or in yours, but I know He is working. I don’t know how he is going to meet your need, but I know He will. I don’t even have to worry about the whys or hows. I only have to “wait” for Him which means “to expect, look and long for Him, for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship!”

I am praying that you will experience God’s matchless, unbroken companionship today. That you will know that while you may be surprised about what is happening in your life, Jesus is not.

He is ready and waiting for you with His love, peace, victory, favor, and joy to give you what you need today.

Get Up

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“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
    But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Get up.

God is not done with you.

God is not done with your purpose.

God is not done.

Get up…..again.