encouragement – Hestina's Jewels

A Cheerful Heart | Hestina’s Jewels

January 23, 2024December 11, 2023Leave a comment

Beautiful Ones, is your heart full of cheer?

Today’s Word: Keep a cheerful heart!

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)

That’s a full word right there! Beautiful Ones, we know that life, ministry, work and the hurdles that come with daily living can be challenging. But even in the midst of all of those challenges, things can also remarkably rewarding. I’ve learned that rejoicing is one of life’s greatest antidotes for worry and anxiousness. Rejoicing revives the heart and helps to carry you through stressful times.

If you suspect you might be suffering from a lack of cheer, let me encourage you to look for ways to laugh more. Laughter is underrated and often overlooked as a legitimate way to nurture our souls and fill our hearts and minds with cheer. It is one of the many facets of rejoicing and is just what the Great Physician has prescribed to improve our health and bring joy back into your lives.

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (ESV)

Rejoicing is intentional, it’s a deliberate choice rooted in our refusal to allow anyone or anything to overturn it. It’s like a gentle armor for the heart that brings with it gladness and cheerfulness. It reminds us that gladness is always within our grasp. And because of that we choose to keep cheer in our heart.

Blessing & Love From My Heart To Yours,

Hestina’s Jewels

10 Affirmations to Start Your Day With Hope: You Are More Than Your Mistakes

November 1, 2023October 5, 2023Leave a comment

Blessings All You Wonderful People!

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control] – 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

Can I share something with you? I mean really be honest? Listen very carefully: you are more than your mistakes!

You may have messed up more times than you can count, we all have. But if the only smart decision you ever made was to give your life to the Lord, you are doing great!

You were smart enough to make such a life-changing decision. Now, I want you to focus–feed your faith by focusing on what is good and not the bad. Take time to look at and celebrate what you’ve done right. Don’t just focus on how you’ve stumbled. Let joy rise in your heart. Learning to be who God called you to be is a lifelong process. Be encouraged. You are still evolving, growing and learning.

Say this with me…

I gave my life to the LORD and that makes me one smart person!

I am forgiven for every wrong decision I’ve made.

I receive God’s love, His mercy and His grace.

I am moving forward and I am made stronger and wiser from every wrong decision.

God is increasing me in wisdom and in stature.

I am increasing in favor with God and with man.

I declare and decree I have soundness of mind and the ability to make sound decisions, not fear-based, emotional, or impulsive decisions. But sound decisions that please God.

I’m not stupid! I’m not crazy! I’m not an underachiever!

I’m an overcomer through Jesus Christ!

I love God’s word and I declare I walk in His wisdom and His grace! Glory to God!

Blessings & Love ❤️

3 Keys to Mustard Seed Faith | Hestina’s Jewels

February 24, 2023February 24, 2024Leave a comment

Praise The Lord Successful People!

Today’s declaration of the day is this: Keep God first, keep moving forward, and always remember that mustard seed faith, moves mountains!

Faith isn’t something we’re born with. It’s something you work at everyday like a muscle. And when we continue to work the muscle, it grows stronger. The same holds true for faith.

Here are 3 steps you can take to help you grow in faith.

Study God’s Word

The word of God is powerful. It can cut through confusion and deception quickly, allowing you to renew your mind and strengthen your faith.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2: 15 (NKJV)

Renew your mind

Have you ever seen a hamster on a wheel? It’s just running and running but not going anywhere. It’s doing the same thing and getting the same result. The mind works like that. Renewing the mind means changing the way you think so that we can determine “what is that good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12: 2 (NKJV)

Faith, trust and consistency are key

God recognizes your faith. God rewards your faith. Amazing things begin to happen—begin to shift—when we exercise our faith. When we begin to activate our “mustard seeds” it builds our confidence and trust in God. Faith releases the resources of heaven into our situation. And when God steps in, everything changes! Trusting God strengthens our faith and our hope in His word.

Make this declaration with me:

I declare that I have faith in God.

I declare that I do ask in faith.

I declare that my faith is growing.

I believe in my prayers and know God hears then!

Blessing & Love from my heart to yours,

Hestina’s Jewels

A Prayer for the Anxious, Worried or Fearful | Hestina’s Jewels

August 5, 2022July 22, 2022Leave a comment

Praise The Lord All You Wonderful People

Today’s Jewel: Cast your cares and receive God’s blessing of peace!

Anxiousness. Worry. Fear. When you look at the state of the world today, it’s not too difficult to understand why so many of us are battling the after effects of these three emotions. Some of us aren’t sleeping. Some aren’t eating. But for some of us, the effects are more intense. We become overwhelmed – paralyzed as we scramble to find some semblance of relief or normalcy.

It helps to know that even at the height of our troubles, anxiousness is optional.

Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Philippians 4:6

Worry is optional.

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. Isaiah 41:10

Fear is optional.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, of cowardice, but He has given us a spirt of power, love and sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a clam, well-balanced mind] 2 Timothy 1:7

These scriptures offer a blueprint – a beautiful example of the kind of prayers we can and should pray when we are anxious, fearful or worried. We understand that we can reject succumbing to anxiousness because God reminds us that we do not have to be anxious about anything. We can cast away worry, because God promises to strengthen and help us. We can rebuke fear because we’ve been given a spirit of power and the ability to be calm and well-balanced.

Regardless of the situation or the emotion, we can present our requests and prayers to God and He will answer us. He will protect us. He will strengthen and help us. And He will cause it all to work to our benefit.

We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Let’s petition God together…

Sweet Lord of rest and comfort, we come to you with our heaviness, with our worry, anxiousness and fear. We come to you oh God as the author and finisher of our faith. The Magnificent One. Our hope.

Help us Gracious Lord to cast our cares on you in exchange for your peace, for you hope, for your love and your healing salve. Help us. Strengthen us. Free us. Remind us to lay down our burdens and receive your light and easy yoke. Let your peace envelope us, shield us, and deliver us.

We thank you for helping us release our worries. We thank you for proving to us that we are not alone or forgotten. We thank you for being a light and keeping our shoulders light. We thank you, oh God and we bless you.

Blessing & Love From My Heart To Yours!

A Good, Good Father | Hestina’s Jewels

June 21, 2020July 20, 2021Leave a comment

Hello All You Awesome People!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

A good word on this day: God has and WILL continue to do well on your behalf. He continues to protect us, nurture us and assure us even in the midst of life’s trials or hard circumstances. It’s okay to trust Him. In fact, we should trust Him at ALL times.

For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:1 (NLT)

The Word promises that that we are granted grace and glory–He is our light and shield and promises to withhold no good thing for us. So don’t get discouraged especially when things don’t go the way you want or expect them to.

Remember the Lord grants favor and honor. He does not hold back any blessing from those who live innocently.

Did this message empower and encourage you? I like to think the word of God is a battering ram and a refreshing wind. We serve a 5-star kind of God. Don’t you agree?

Blessings & Love From My Heart To Yours,

Hestina’s Jewels

Now Faith | Hestina’s Jewels

April 13, 2020September 7, 2020Leave a comment

Praise The Lord All You Great People

Today’s Word: Faith is the Key

Once you begin to talk faith, things will begin to change in your life. Remember that faith is the key to seeing yourself the way the Lord sees me. He sees you walking in freedom, assurance, integrity, truth, and hope.

F-A-I-T-H

F – Freedom: STAND fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Ga.5:1

A – Assurance: And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Isaiah 32:17

I – Integrity: So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. Psalms 78:72

T – Truth: God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. John 4: 24

H – Hope: I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. – Psalms 130:5