Crystal A. Dixon, Writer

01/15/2025

Seasons of waiting can be hard. But we cannot give up on God. He is still in control. He is fine tuning all the details. And sometimes, He is fine tuning us! Let's dive into prayer and the scriptures while we wait and find what God may be trying to teach us!

01/13/2025

Do you ever feel frenzied? Or spiritually drained, as some say?
I know I have felt that way at times.

But, why? God is not the author of confusion (1 Cor 14:33). All things from our heavenly Father are good, including our relationship with His son, Jesus.

Do we create frenzy by pushing Jesus aside? How about when we hurry and stress about the day, not pausing to pray or read God’s word? Or when we skip our worship time? Our focus is diverted, conveying we don’t have time for God.

He is still there, waiting for us.
Maybe we are praying and studying the Bible, but God seems quiet. Satan is whispering, “God has abandoned you”. Wrong! God’s silence is about our patience toward His perfect timing!

He is still there, waiting for us.

God’s good work in us began when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice when he died on the cross for our sins. All he wants in return is our love and obedience. But, where do we begin? We are imperfect women serving a perfect God!
First, we must ask Jesus to save us. Then, nurture the relationship:

Daily time with Jesus

A relationship with Jesus is most important in our life. He should be first in everything, including our time! When planning our days, we need to schedule time with Jesus. And, keep that appointment!

Pray without ceasing.

Prayer time is not over when our appointment is over. We should pray throughout our day; making prayer a constant in our daily life. Jesus wants to hear it all, from big crises to daily trifles. Try it! You will love your days more and your renewed perspective.

Read the Bible

We should be head first in our bibles every day. If not, we might be missing sweet encouragements or answers to prayers from God! The Holy Bible is truth breathed by our heavenly father – His love story for us in His own words. How can we not read it?

Daily praise and worship.

God wants us to assemble and worship together, but He also wants our individual worship. And guess what? He is already there, waiting for us! Praise him for your blessings, even the small stuff. Worship Him in song and scripture throughout your day while driving, working, exercising, shopping; out loud, or to yourself. He hears it all!

Share the love of Jesus

Jesus said the world would know his followers by our works and actions, and He commands us to love our neighbors. Don’t let him down! Be kind to others; tell them what Jesus has done for you. Bless with your blessings!

Pursuing Jesus may see overwhelming, but the reward is immeasurable. Jesus never leaves us, even when we fail or spiral out in a frenzy. He is already waiting for us: to love us, renew our spirit, and meet our needs. Take his hand and walk with Him. He will do the rest until the day you see Him face to face!

01/12/2025

01/11/2025

Your words have the power to heal or hurt others and...yourself?

What are you saying?

Are your conversations encouraging or condescending?
Are your reaction words calm or hostile?
Are your directive statements constructive or destructive?
Are you praising God for your abundant blessings or complaining about the mere trifles?

01/10/2025

Best video I have seen in a while!❤️👏🙌

01/10/2025

01/10/2025

God’s faithfulness is amazing. Perfect. Incomprehensible. Enduring. I am awestruck by His daily blessings in my life. But even on the not so good days or in difficult circumstances, God does immeasurably more than I can imagine….and more.

01/10/2025

01/10/2025

👇

01/07/2025

I cannot make it through life without God. There is no way I could have walked through this past year without Him. Sickness and loss are very real and hard parts of our time here...
But, God! He is in control of the big picture.
When I put all my trust in God, I accepted that none of this is about me. It is all about HIM.

01/06/2025

Faithful Endurance
Our culture defines success according to visible results, applauding only those who are enjoying wealth, prestige and power. While there is nothing wrong with prosperity, the true success of any accomplishment is when it is led by God’s hand.
Some of the most successful people have followed God’s plan for their lives. They may have gone unnoticed for years with little to no tangible perks or accolades. They may have suffered hostility, ridicule and isolation from those around them, but their eternal rewards will never be matched by anything or anyone of the world.

Consider Jeremiah’s success:
Jeremiah reluctantly answered God’s call. Jeremiah tried to convince God he was too young and too inexperienced to be His messenger. But God knew different. God knew Jeremiah, better than Jeremiah knew himself. God told Jeremiah not to fear the people He would send him to because He would give Jeremiah the words to speak.

Enduring Faith:
We need the enduring faith of Jeremiah to answer the call of God. No matter what task God has in place for us, be assured He has (or will) equip us with the knowledge and resources we need to get the job done. God did not promise Jeremiah the job would be easy; He promised He would be with him. And He was. Jeremiah prophesied for over 40 years through isolation and ridicule, not seeing the fruits of His labor. But Jeremiah understood it wasn’t about him. Jeremiah’s job (and OUR job) is to bring glory to God and advance His kingdom. We can get the job done. We just need not be afraid. God is with us.

Life application:
What is God calling you to do?
Do you have the enduring faith of Jeremiah to answer His call?

01/04/2025

What are You Saying?...

They are formed within seconds; many remembered for a lifetime. Some are sweet, and some sour. They come with various powers: comfort, peace, love, destruction, pain, heartbreak.

Words.

In Ephesians, Paul warns that our words have the power to encourage or discourage others; the power to hurt or to heal. We should be kind, gentle, patient, acting in love toward others as Jesus did when He lived here on earth.

I admit, shamefully, that I have spoken out or reacted in anger, frustration or pain many times toward others. I cannot take those words back and it hurts my heart so much to know I’ve hurt another through my careless words and actions. All I can do and, should do is ask for forgiveness from that person and from God.

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of harsh words and actions, you know what it feels like. It feels like someone took your heart out and crushed it by hand, or that you’ve literally been trampled on by a herd of wild elephants. Any way you try to describe the feeling, one word sums it up: heartache.

As followers of Jesus, let’s pray each day for the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts and tongues, and that all we say and do is pleasing to God and to others.

01/04/2025

Join us every morning from January 5-11 for a powerful week of prayer as we earnestly seek God's guidance and wisdom. This is your opportunity to deepen your faith and connect with others in meaningful ways. Download our prayer guide at harvestchurchnc.com and get ready to embark on this transformative journey together!

01/03/2025

Lunch time for us! What's for lunch where you are today?

01/03/2025

Good morning!

Even on a fabulous Friday, I need the strength of the Lord to seize the day. How about you?