Remember the Benefits

Hey, I need to tell you about a benefit package that is out of this world!

It contains better benefits than any company I know offers.

Yes, I'm talking not only material benefits but some that apply to your peace of mind and make living so much richer and fuller.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:2

 

Yes! You can discover all sorts of perks when you read Psalm 103 - reserved only for His children.

Things like:

• All sins forgiven (verse 3)
• Diseases healed (verse 3) Think of the co-pays and deductibles you won't need to pay. 
• Redeeemed from destruction (verse 4) Not only will you save money from not having to rebuild your life, but think of the time saved!
• Crowned with love and tender mercy (verse 5) I'm envisioning love and mercy crowning our heads and dripping down to our toes.
• Fills your life with good things ...(verse 5) Take time to make a list of all the good in your life - I bet there are more blessings than you thought.

And those are only the things listed in the first five verses.

Read the whole thing to discover more, including my personal favorite in verse 8 - He is slow to get angry with you.

What a deal!

Five minutes cannot tell you all there is to tell included in this wonderful believer's benefits package. Do yourself a favor and read the whole psalm.

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This post was written in response to the prompt "benefits" given by the Five Minute Friday community to challenge writers to free write for five minutes.

My post was written in 5 minutes, but looking up scriptures and graphics took longer.

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Keep reading to see a prayer based on Psalm 103:1-5 that the Lord laid on my heart in March of 2025:

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Psalm 103:1-5 New Living Translation

Father,


I love all this psalm of David! It is such a blessing. Today I’m focusing on all the good things You give your children. Forgiveness, healing, redemption, love and tender mercies … and then You throw in an abundant life filled with good things and top it off with renewed youth! Wow!


I claim these things right now in the name of Jesus.


Our part is to never forget these benefits You have given. With everything in us, we are to praise You.


Lord, I ask You to help us remember this on the days the enemy is pressing in with doubt and discouragement. When he whispers deceitful words to influence us that You don’t care about the desire of our hearts, or that You are too busy blessing others, and You have forgotten about us.


Help us to see that maybe Your tender mercy is that it would not be good for us to have desire right now … Help us trust You – because all these good things You’ve filled our lives with show us You care.


In Jesus’ name, so be it, amen.

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

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He Keeps Us Going

 I love to define a word before I write about it. Just reading the definition can spark a creative spin on the word.

Today, I'm looking at the word "sustain."

To sustain means to support, maintain, or keep something going over a period of time. It can also mean to endure a burden, provide nourishment, or officially uphold a legal argument. [1, 2]

 

 

GO

Last week, I shared how diving into the Word of God was The Beginning of Everything Good for me while going thourgh the trial of bipolar disorder with my husband.

Today, I'm thinking about how the Word of God not only let me know God's will and character, but also sustains me. Hearing from God keeps me going each and every day. 

The Word encourages me to have staying power and not give up.  It assures me God will work everything out for my good. (See Romans 8:28). I learn I have a future and a hope just by diving into its pages. (See Jeremiah 29:11).

Why wouldn't I avail myself of the support God's word offers me?

It's worth everything to know how dearly God loves me. Read this:

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5 NLT)

He loves. He helps. He keeps us going.

Why not reach out?

STOP

The word sustain also reminds me of a fun post I wrote a few years back when I had a visitor at the church office who claimed he was The Stabilizer of the Universe. Click on the link to read and bring a smile to your face.

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This post was written in response to the word prompt, "sustain," provided by the writers at the Five Minute Friday community. The post took me 5 minutes to write but longer to add graphics, links, and scripture. It's a lot of fun so you should totally join us!

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday, InstaEncouragements Link-Up

The Beginning of Everything Good

 

My beginning as a Christian was at age 14; but the real beginning of my Christian walk was in my 30's when I began to dive into the Word for my very survival.

My husband became ill at age 31 with bipolor disorder, a mental illness that I'd not heard of back in the 80's. Once my eyes were opened to the illness; I began to see it everywhere.

But I needed help right then and there seemed to be few resources from the Christian perspective about the illness.

My only hope was to dive into the Word for help, and I'm so glad I did. 

I learned about standing on the promises in the Word of God and spiritual warfare. Even more importantly, I discovered who God was and what He was willing to do.

I also learned what the will of God is - well, actually I'm still learning. Here's a few things the bible says about His will:

• He is not willing that any should perish. (See 2 Peter 3:9)
• His will is for me to be thankful in every circumstance. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
• He is willing to heal. (See Matthew 8:2-3). The caveat is healing comes in His timing.

For me, diving into the Word of God was the beginning of everything good.

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This post was written in response to the Five Minute Friday Community's writing challenge prompt, "beginning." I wrote the post in 5 minutes, but it took longer to look up scripture references, make a graphic, and attach a prayer to illustrate my theme. 

I wrote this prayer earlier in 2026. I hope it blesses you.

THE WORD WAS THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 New King James Version

 

Father,

 

I cannot begin to tell You how thankful I am for the Word! Jesus means everything to me – Savior, Shepherd, and Scripture. I’m beyond grateful the Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the bible to write Your word – to spill out Jesus on all the pages, tying everything together and teaching us Your truth. (Oh, and Truth is another name for Jesus!) How amazing is that!

 

Also amazing is to realize the very Word of God dwells with believers!

 

Help us to grasp the blessings and authority we have through the Word. Let us keep sharing the Word, dwelling in the Word, and trusting in the Word.

 

In Jesus’ holy name I pray, may many come to You today. So be it, amen.

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday, Sweet Tea & Friends, Let's Have Coffee

Your Opinion Matters

Dear Reader,

As you might have noticed in previous blogposts, I am working on writing a book. I'm also trying to learn how to be more media savvy!

I am presenting my attempt on taking a reader survey. 

Would you consider taking the survey? It's only 4 quick questions and your answers are anonymous. It could be a signpost showing me what kind of content YOU want to read.

Just click on the link below. It's easy-peasy!

JERRALEA'S READER SURVEY

Thank you! I'm grateful.

Jerralea

All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Timing is Everything!

I was heartsick. I had put in dozens of job applications and not one had called me. My current full-time job as a church secretary was ending soon. I had to find something. I was the sole bread-winner in our family of five.

What in the world was I going to do? Didn't God care?

Desperate to find something - anything - I picked up a little freebie weekly newspaper called the Monday's Pub that mainly catered to people in the county north of me. I started reading the Help Wanted section with little hope. Most of the jobs that were ever in this paper was for CNAs or truck drivers. I didn't have any qualifications for either.

Maybe, I thought, there might be some kind of home health helper that would train me. I had little desire to do that type of work; but I had hungry mouths to feed.

Wait! There was a little box at the bottom of the last page advertising a position with a church in Jonesboro. Hey! They wanted a secretary. I was a church secretary. I had the training and the skills. Could this be what God had for me?

I dropped my resume in the mail at the little rural post office I passed on my way to the job I had for a few more days.

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This post was written for Five Minute Friday, a community that challenges writers to free-write for 5 minutes on a prompt. This week's prompt, "timing," immediately brought to mind a story I have told before, but now I want to showcase God's timing.

I have written for 5 minutes, but stay tuned for the rest of the story!

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Later, that same day, the Pastor from the church in Jonesboro called me. He said he had just checked the church mailbox and my resume was there.

This had to be God because how can a piece of mail dropped in a little town 15 miles away get delivered by noon that same day to another post office? Nowadays, this can never happen because all mail at rural post offices has to go to St. Louis before they can go to any other post office.

Pastor asked if I could come in that afternoon for an interview. Why, yes! Yes, I can. My current church would be happy to let me off early.

By the end of the day, I had the job. As I was leaving pastor's office, he casually remarked, "So glad you saw the ad. We had run it twice before and got no response. This was the last time we were going to run it before trying something else."

Timing is everything!

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It's really hard to trust and wait on God's timing. I get it. But God promises strenth while we are waiting.

Can I pray with you about waiting on God?

Wait on the Lord; 

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart; 

Wait, I say, on the Lord! 

Psalm 27:14 NKJV

Abba,

 

You know how difficult it is for Your children to wait! Even though we know going on ahead of Your timing is not a wise choice, sometimes we can’t stop ourselves!

 

We want to be brave and wait for You, Lord, but we need You to give us the strength to wait. Show us, Lord, Your perspective on things. I know if we could see things the way You see them, we would be much more patient. But on the other hand; maybe we couldn’t handle seeing things the way You see them!

 

I think the heart of every believer ultimately wants to please You. Help us keep that goal as our focus. I know You will fulfill Your word to us! The promise is sure. We stand on Your word.

 

In Jesus’ name I pray; may many come to You today. So be it, amen.

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday, InstaEncouragements Link-Up

Treasuring the Body

 Today, I'm praying for unity among believers. John 17:23 teaches us that the world will believe Jesus was sent from God when they see believers living in one accord.

I'd say that makes unity pretty important.

It's easier to focus on the things believers have in common when you realize we are all just parts of the body of Christ working together, just like all the parts of our own human body must work together. For example, both our feet must want to go the same direction, or we will fall.

I think every true believer wants to hear Jesus welcome them home at the end of their journey. 

Let's help each other stay encouraged and on the journey.

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Prayer for Unity:

¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 New Living Translation

 

Abba, 

 

We love that all believers make up one body! It is thrilling to know each person who believes Jesus is who He said He is and accepts Him as Lord and Savior becomes a part of His body. A fifth-grader in Alabama, an old man in China, a teenager in France, a mom in Africa – they are all the same in Your eyes when they become a believer. Not one of them is more important than the other. They are all loved equally.

 

But each has a job only they can do. The man in China can reach his neighbor; and only the mom in Africa can affect her community for Christ. I will never be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the people they can reach; just like they cannot come into my world and do my calling.

 

Father, we pray for Your Body right now. Help us be in one mind and one accord in reaching the world for You. Yes, our denominations and practices may differ from one another; but at the core, true believers want to demonstrate the love of Jesus to their world. Father, bless our efforts!

 

Protect us, Lord. Some of Your servants face death every day because evil wants to quiet them. Father, rescue them! Others are bound by fear. Father, release them!

 

Thank You for the gift of our brothers and sisters in Christ. May we treasure them and pray for them every day.

 

In Jesus’ holy name we pray; may many come to You today. So be it, amen.

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Sweet Tea & Friends, InstaEncouragemens Link-Up, Let's Have Coffee

A Remnant Can Turn the World Upside Down

Have you ever been part of a remnant?

I have. I am.

I am a member of a congregation that once numbered 220 for a morning worship service. But things happened. 

People left.

Eventually, it was a group of 12 of us.

We began thinking of ourselves as the remnant, the faithful few.

It was pointed out the disciples of Jesus were only 12 in number (once Judas' replacement was voted in) and they turned the world upside down.

Of course, that was with the help of Holy Spirit.

Yet, today, we have that same spirit at work among us. Nothing is impossible for those that believe.

We're still here. We number between 40-50 now. 

But we are still believing we can touch the world. 

Our message is simple. Love God. Love each other. Feed the hungry whenever we can. Trust God.

I don't know if God will use our messages on the internet to plant seed; or if He will continue to send people our way one by one. He will probably use both ways.

But we are committed to being faithful and leaving the rest in His Hands.

That's what the faithful few do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.

John 14:12-13 NLT

Adapted from a previous post. All photos created in PicMonkey by Jerralea using personal, family and stock photos. Please do not copy. 

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Thanks for dropping by the Journey! I want to always share my post, A Ticket Home, for those who might not know the way Home.

Sharing at Five Minute Friday