Encouragment – Page 2

Room A203: A Story of Love, Friendship & Sisterhood🌷🌷

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this special presentation, please tune into the video recording, and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages your heart today!

Podcast highlights:

This is a special conversation about an amazing individual in the person of, Lydia “Tulip Petal” Edwards.
We met years ago and became fast friends and sisters in the Lord, sharing conversations of everything and nothing.
In this impromptu video post, among other things, I highlight a stretch assignment she gave me, and how that changed my life.

KJV Scripture references:

Psalm 143

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

²And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

³For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

⁴Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

⁵I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

⁶I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

⁷Hear me speedily, O Lord: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

⁸Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

⁹Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

¹⁰Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

¹¹Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

¹²And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

You know, BCUFam, I had no idea that Psalm would minister to Lydia and the BCUFam the way it did! Many of us have experienced feeling overwhelmed and desolate—-and that is NORMAL! What David did in that Psalm was to teach us feel our feelings, and to take them to the Lord, who is the ONLY one who can comfort, strengthen and advise us on our next move—–even if it’s just to trust that He knows what He is doing. And that’s what Sister Tulip Petal did.

BCUFam, Lydia passed away late last week. My Tulip Petal was beautiful flower who wasn’t called to speak on a program, did not have a dedicated platform to teach from, or a mass following, but quietly ministered in an impactful way to all the people the Lord assigned to her. I am blessed and enriched to have had her in my life for the time God allowed, and not one moment squandered. May God bless us to all be the same way about our relationships. The people in our lives are assignments from the Lord, and we want to be sure we are about our Father’s business in every interaction. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father in the Name of Jesus, as we come before You today, our hearts are heavy for the loss of our sister, yet light because she was saved, full of the Holy Ghost, and is resting without any tubes, medication or pain. And Jesus, with Your help, when we see You for the first time, we will see Lydia again, as Heaven is our final destination. Please bless and comfort all who were connected with this wonderful woman of God.

We ask You, Lord to help us be mindful of and loving in all of our interactions, and that You bless us to be an excellent witness to all around us, so that people may ask, “what must I do to be saved?” We thank You answering our petitions and for all things, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

4 Mar 2025

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Becoming a First Responder in Prayer

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

BCUFam, we are continuing our unofficial series on lessons learned from last year.
When we hear the term “first responders”, we think of the amazing Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s), paramedics, police officers, and fire-fighters that we thank God for.
First responders specialize in quickly and skillfully attending to emergency situations.
The Lord has been talking to me about being a better first responder when it comes to people and prayer.

BlenCouragesU · BCU Podcast |Becoming a Better First Responder | (Ep 377)

KJV Scripture references

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5

⁴When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

⁵Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

I Thessalonians 5:17

¹⁷Pray without ceasing.

James 5:16

⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

BCUFam, when someone requests prayer, or when the Lord prompts us to intercede for someone, we may get caught up in the cares of the day and delay or even forget to take the request to the Lord. While our actions are not intentional, when we say we are going to do something, the Lord holds us to it, so with His help, we want to pray right away, even if we need to pray in our hearts—-God does hear us! Something else for us to consider——do we get caught up trying to get information about a situation rather than pray?

For example, on an extremely cold and icy morning, an ambulance showed up at my neighbor’s home. Unable to get outside, we looked out of the window for several minutes talking through scenarios as to what may have happened, and hoping to get a glance at who was in distress. As we continued looking out of the window for answers, the Lord reminded me that rather than talking and gawking, I should be praying for whoever was ailing—-and thank the Lord and I did just that! Thankfully, everything turned out fine for the neighbor, but the lesson is, that as people of God, we are intercessory first responders via prayer. Anytime an emergency situation arises, prayer should always be our first response. Amen? Amen. Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank and praise You for this day that You have made, and that we are rejoicing and glad in! Jesus, as we listened to what Your Word had to say to us, thank You for correcting and reminding us to be fervent and immediate in our prayers, rather than forgetting to or waiting for a particular time to pray. In fact, Luke 18:1 reminds us that we always ought to pray and not to faint. On that wise, we want to be in prayer in the morning—before the busyness of the day, we want talk with You, Jesus throughout the day and evening—–acknowledging You in all our ways, so our paths will be directed. Please bless us to remember to intercede for others as You prompt us, so that Your will is accomplished in their lives. Thank You, Lord for blessing us to be better first responders in our prayer life and we will continue to bless and praise Your name, in Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

14 Jan 2025

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Letting Go and Trusting God (WHEW!)

Hey there BCU Fam!

Podcast highlights:

With the new year, we often look back over the previous year to take account of what lessons we’ve learned.
At times, I’ve attended courses at “Experience University” (EU) enough to know NOT to repeat certain situations.
Recently, in sharing my EU insight with advice-seekers, the intent was they would follow the godly, sound council.
Sometimes, the hearer chooses a different path, and that’s where the lesson of letting go and trusting God comes in.

BlenCouragesU · BCU Podcast | Letting Go and Trusting God | (Ep 376)

KJV Scripture references

Ecclesiastes 3:1

²⁴To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Proverbs 19:8

⁸He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

Luke 18:18-23

¹⁸And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

¹⁹And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

²⁰Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

²¹And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

²²Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

²³And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

Philippians 4:6-8

⁶Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Matthew 11:28-30

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

BCUFam, when we are advising the people that God has assigned to us, it can be heart-wrenching when they do not heed the biblical and wise council we offer. While it is fine to be concerned, fretting, worrying, and being consumed with their decision is not of God. Rather, what we can and what we will do is take everything to the Lord in prayer…and we will pray in FAITH! Then, we will wait in faith and look for the Lord to speak to the person/situation, and turn things around His way and in His timing. It is not easy to let go and wait, but when God takes care of a matter, it is taken care of perfectly, because He is perfect. With the help of the Lord, let it go and trust God. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for allowing us to hear Your voice through Your Word. We thank You for being here today and for the people You have placed in our lives that we care so deeply about. Lord, some of us have family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, loved ones, etc that are not making/have not made good choices, have not heeded wise and godly advice, have not secured their salvation—–whatever the situation is we are worried about. Rather than being anxious and fretful, we leave our emotions, cares and concerns at Your feet, Jesus! We want to exchange our heavy load for Your light load, as the book of Matthew 11:29-30 reminds us. We thank You for the exchange, and for giving us peace in our hearts and minds, Jesus, as You take care of the situation and us! In Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

7 Jan 20257 Jan 2025

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

A Testimony of Healing: Jim Tyska’s Story

Hey there BCU Fam!

Podcast highlights:

While high school wasn’t always the easiest place to get through, it holds VERY fond memories for me.
In between “shop” classes, we had academics where we learned with/befriended other shop students and forged close friendships.
Life took us in varied directions, but social media brought many of us back together, including my friend Jim Tyska.
Jim reached out to me regarding a dire prayer request that I outline in the podcast, and a video update* (click here) that starts at about 49:45.

BlenCouragesU · BCU Podcast | A Testimony According to Jim | (Ep 375)

KJV Scripture references

Ecclesiastes 3:1

²⁴To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Psalm 30:2

²O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

James 5:16

¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Romans 8:28

²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

BCUFam! When Jim sent me this video, the title said “Norma Prince Testimony”… So, I was thinking I would be watching another testimony and/or his church service, which I was all too happy to do! I had NO CLUE Jim would be called up to testify of God’s goodness, healing and mercy! God is faithful and has proven who He is in the life of my friend and brother!! And that is something to give God praise for!! Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the miraculous healing You have provided for my brother, Jim! This testimony serves as a reminder that You are a healer, and our faith and trust should always be in You! We thank You, Jesus for hearing our cries, and for the reminder that even in these days You are STILL real! Hallelujah! We thank You for the Tyska family, and ask that You will continue to bless, keep and save the entire family in the matchless Name of Jesus!

As we come before You today, some of us have very grave, heavy, and serious situations before You. It is our desire that You will speak to the situations, and speak to our hearts and minds, giving us the peace and assurance that You hear us, and that You will lead and guide through to victory! We ask Jesus that You send healing and deliverance to someone today! We ask Jesus, that You lift up someone’s head today! We ask that You comfort someone, that You meet a need, that You step in to assist someone in a dire, impossible circumstance! We thank You Lord, for healing someone’s heart and mind, for mending broken hearts and relationships and for forgiveness to flow freely in the Name Of Jesus!

Most of all, Jesus, we thank You for giving someone the knowledge that they need to repent, be baptized in Jesus Name, and filled with the Holy Ghost, as outlined in Acts 1 and 2! Thank You for ALL that follow through on the plan of salvation and for blessing and keeping Your people! We honor and thank You, Lord for your love and kindness toward us in Jesus Name we pray, Amen!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

*The video is entitled “Norma Prince Testimony–Wednesday PM”, so for anyone wondering, you do have the correct video! Enjoy this awesome testimony!

30 Dec 2024

BlenCouragesULeave a comment

Kairos Time, The Dress & Miss Kim

Hey there BCU Fam!

Podcast highlights:

I LOVE to talk about time. It is often measured in two ways.
Chronos or chronological time is used to tell us when something starts/ends–aka “clock time”.
The word kairos comes from a Greek term translated as the “right time” or “opportune moment”.
While we need chronos time to function on Earth, God operates in the kairos time zone.
The Lord used His timing, a dress and function to get me to meet a wonderful sister in Christ.

BlenCouragesU · BCU podcast | Kairos Time, The Dress & Miss Kim | Ep 371

KJV Scripture references

Ecclesiastes 3:1

²⁴To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

John 3:16

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Matthew 7:14

¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

BCUFam, as an update, Sister Kim and I have been in contact pretty regularly, as we pray about concerns, speak encouraging words, and talk about the goodness of God! God NEVER ceases to amaze me with how He speaks to our minds, directs our plans, and re-arranges our schedules so we follow His perfect “kairos time-zoned” will for our lives. So, with the help of the Lord, let’s be sure to acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways, so He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:6). Those paths will not only lead us to successfully manage our time in the chronos time zone, but to also be aware, alert and ready for whatever assignments God has for us in the kairos time zone. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray

Father, in the name of Jesus, as always, we bless and praise Your Holy and Precious Name! We thank Your for Your awesomeness, greatness, goodness, and for the Word You deposited into us today! We thank You for reminding us that ultimately, we run in the kairos time zone. Please helps us to remember that as we go about our tasks and assignments, that we are mindful of the people around us, and that we are ready to give an answer to them about the Hope that lies within us, which is You, Jesus.

We thank You, Jesus for the current and future Body of Christ, which consists of believers EVERYWHERE, regardless of organization, country, language or background. We ask the You continue to strengthen and keep Your people, Jesus! Please bless us to operate as a unit as You intended, Lord, to do Your perfect will here on Earth. and so we can hear “well done” when we see You in Heaven! In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!