In the Little Things

Welcome to this week’s “In the Little things” Podcast.   Have there been days in which it seems like everything you do has been hard. I know that this week has been a difficult week. Thank you for joining us as we discuss what the bible defines what is  "New Creation" versus what is "Transformation". As we navigate these difficult waters, becoming a new creation in Christ Jesus makes all the difference on how we transform into what God has always intended for us to be... Perfect and Complete... in Him! Listen to this week's "True Stories" as we walk and seek God's peace in this storm. 

Scripture: When we look at Scripture… These are the ones that come to mind..   (2 Corinthians 5:17)  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (Romans 12:2) “And do not be conformed to this world, with its superficial values and customs, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind and focusing on Godly values and ethical attitudes, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect in His plan for purpose and hope!” (Philippians 1:21) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Romans 5:2-5) “Through him (Jesus) we have also obtained access by FAITH into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in Hope of the Glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts though the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (James 1:2-4) “Count it all joy, my sisters and brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it FULL EFFECT, that you may be PERFECT AND COMPLETE, lacking in NOTHING.”

Challenge/ Application: So whenever the liar tells you that good people do not "suffer" or  that you are not worthy of His free gift of salvation and of being transformed into what He has planned and intended for you to become in Christ Jesus... reject that lie and speak God's Truth of redeeming love for you. Ask Him... "Lord where are You in this suffering and help my unbelief so that I also can be made into a New Creation in Christ Jesus name, Amen!" Stand strong on God's Holy True Word. In order for us to be able to become what God has intended… we must get rid of what baggage we are carrying by asking God to forgive us and cleanse us. Allow Him to His love to transform You into His intended beauty!

Devotional Insight:  God knows loves His creation. He never promised that we would not  have difficulties. He promised that He will always be there with us through the suffering. Put your trust and FAITH in Him. He will provide everything you need to become a strong and to have peace even in  difficult times. Ask God to come into your heart today and He will give you His Salvation and peace.

 Guided Prayer: “Thank you for you son, Jesus who suffered and died for our salvation sake. Thank you for the gift of Your Holy Spirit that resides in us at the moment of salvation. Thank you for Your Word that transforms and sustains us during our suffering. We give You thanks in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.”

Welcome to this week’s “In the Little things” Podcast.  In today's world, it seems like time is just whizzing by. It seems like there are not enough hours in the day to do all that needs to be done! From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, do you find yourself thinking of the “to do” list? Questions start popping up in my mind, like.. “What's today?- It's Monday, I need to...” “What am I going to make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?” “Is the laundry, done?” “What do we need from the store...” and so on! Well, recently today, Jennifer is going to share a cool story that will hopefully inspire, encourage, and strengthen our relationships and really be able to connect with those closest to us!

Love Jennifer as she is always so trans parable! Listen to her amazing story of walking close to God and asking Him to help her relationship with her teenage daughter.

Scripture: When we look at Scripture… These are the ones that come to mind..

(Proverbs 22: 6) “Train up a child in the way he or she should go; even when they are old; they will not depart from it!”

(Psalm 133:1) “How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity.”

(Revelation 3:20) “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” THAT is relationship and connection!

(John 15:5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

(Romans 8:38) “For I am convinced that neither death not life, neither angels nor demons, neither present, past or future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

Challenge/ Application: So this week, as you face uncertainty, disappointment, loneliness, or  if you feel that you are by yourself in this world. Understand that God wants and desires a relationship with you, too! The challenge can be overcome by 1. Making time to read His promises to you in the bible and make a true effort to spend time with him. 2. Allow God to grow you closer to Him so that you also can have an impact in your own community and serve Him in the way your Creator has equipped you! Just as Jennifer prioritizes her time in order to have time to build her relationship with her children, we must also create time to be with our Heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you for giving us a chance to be loved by you! Thanking for your promise of never leaving us or forsaking us. Jesus showed  how  tangible your love is for us, that he even died for the sins that we've done in our past! We do want to have a relationship with you Lord God and ask that this be a New day and a new beginning of a closer walk with You!  So just like you said in Your word ...[Romans 8:38] We know, God, that You long for a  relationship with us and NOTHING can separate us from Your LOVE!  So, we ask You, God, to walk with us and build the relationship that our heart has always longed for! Give us Your wisdom to grow closer to You!We ask all these thingsin the powerful name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, Amen, Selah!”

DEVOTIONAL PODCAST   “In the Little Things” - #8   “What Does beautiful Look Like”

Welcome to this week’s “In the Little things” Podcast.  This life is a very fragile thing because many times we look for approval and support in all the wrong places. We can look at magazines, social media, peers, even television and start to compare ourselves to them. In this weeks podcast we will be looking at how 'beauty' is perceived and the lens that matters in evaluating our own beauty. Thank you for joining us this week... as we have several stories to share about what is truly beautiful....

How does the dictionary define “Beautiful”?

Having qualities that delight or appeal to the senses and often the mind. Excellent; wonderful. Used to express approval or delight.

Scripture: When we look at Scripture… These are the ones that come to mind..

(Genesis 1:27) “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.

(Psalm 139:13-16) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in.”

(Ecclesiastes 3:11)“He hath made everything beautiful in His time. Beauty."

Challenge/ Application: Whenever you find yourself feeling less beautiful than someone else, stop and remember WHO is the judge of all REAL beauty. In Who's eyes does beauty come from and truly matter. Remember that God does not make mistakes. He is not a god of confusion, doubts or lies. If He declares YOU are worthy to be created wonderfully and perfectly… ...than YOU ARE HIS BEAUTY, HIS TREASURE and VALUABLE! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!

Application: God is our great Revealer and Truth!. He wants to know that you were created with the purpose of delighting Him! He delights in the beauty within you and with time (as you mature in the walk with God)  others around you will have their eyes open to see your inner and outer beauty! [Daniel 2:19-23]

Devotional Insight:  God knows your beauty and worth. For He created you and equipped you exactly how you could best represent His beauty to those around you. Every fiber of your being… He knit together before the foundations of the earth. Nothing and no one can diminish your beauty, value, or worth, from it's original design and purpose… TO DELIGHT GOD! So when the liar comes to you and says “Look that one is more beautiful than you.” Rebuke and declare the Truth of the Creator Loving God that created you in HIS BEAUTY and PERFECTION! Not our own…  I have a good friend Gail… When you call her and she cannot answer… the message on her phone is “Make up can cover your blemishes but true beauty is only found in Christ Jesus!” God within us and through us is our Beauty!

Welcome to this week’s “In the Little things” Podcast.  As we sit in the second week of this new podcast with my good friend, Jennifer. I find myself having a hard time with focusing my mind on things of God. (Colossians 3:2) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” The world noise just keeps getting louder and louder BUT God's voice and love is more and more powerful for those who live in Christ! For when we become children of God, it's His voice, His guidance, and His laws that keeps us, sustains, and ultimately gives us peace. Case in point...

“True Story”…

JENNIFER MOVING TO ORLANDO..    WOW!!!

God uses our circumstances to refine us, shape us, mold us, and sanctify us! In essence, He wants to grow us (in maturity) and bring us closer to Him. He wants us to become more and more like Jesus! HOW?  Well, first and foremost we need to Admit we need God! Sometimes our pride can get in the way of this first step. We can believe in our own abilities, power, and wisdom. We need to humble ourselves and realize without him we are nothing!

Scriptures:   “Promises”

(Jeremiah 29:11) "Set your minds on things that are above not on the things on earth!"

(Romans 8:37) “Yet, in ALL things, we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming VICTORY through HIM who loved us [so much to come down out of Glory and die for our sins to be forgiven]

(1John 4:18) “There is no fear in love. But perfect Love [God's Love] drives out all fear!”

(1Peter 5: 7 - 10) “Cast all you cares, anxieties, and or worries once and for all on Him, for He cares about you deeply! Resist the Devil who prowls around waiting to devour someone, but instead resist him and be firmly rooted in your faith in God, the God of Grace will Himself complete, confirm strengthen and establish you!

(Philippians 4:13) “I  [you and me] can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose – I am self- sufficient in Christ's sufficiency; I am ready for anything [circumstance] and anything through Him who lives in me and gives me inner strength, peace, and confidence].”

(Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,' says the Lord, plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope!”

CHALLENGE: Once you've learned your faith's ABC's … then and only then will the circumstances in your life no longer shake you up! Stand firmly on the Word of God and be in His Word everyday so that It will grow deep roots within your spirit and soul! God's promises are absolute and never changing! His love is intentional  and eternal  for you! As your loving “ABBA Father”, His word says:“I will never leave you or forsake you!” He will give you what you need (not what you think you need) He has sustained you this far, hasn't He?!

Guided Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Thank you for your unconditional love. Thank you for always patiently and lovingly walking with us in all our circumstances!Help us, Lord, to always put away our pride. Help us to seek You and hold fast to Your Word/ Promises! In Jesus Name! AMEN"

Thanks for joining us on this new episode freshly coming into the new year of 2021! With such anticipation, we are not let down by this new episode, where you finally get to meet my great friend, Jennifer Elhajj! Jennifer has a huge heart to share and comes with great new ideas and topics to cover in this podcast. As you will soon see and hear... she has so much to contribute and this podcast is just the "introduction".  As the saying goes: "Two heads are always better than one"! So true! So come along with us on this new journey as we  walk, talk, and share what God has done in  the little things of our lives, but MOST importantly, how to see the immense, strategic, and intentional Grace He has poured out on you, His daughter!!!  

Jennifer and I have known one another for about twelve years. We met at our local church and have been such great friends since. We have many things in common. Apparently more than I had imagined. Both our husbands are techy and love the outdoors, for example.  Although we both share many commonalities, we are very different in some ways, also. Just recently we found out that our backgrounds are very similar but our interests are very different. I say this, to tell you that having her on this podcast will give you a broader and more interesting viewpoint on the topics we will be covering! So I am very very excited to introduce her to you and to have her on this podcast!  It's going to be great! 

As always,  If you have any questions, or suggestions of what you would like for us to explore some particular on this journey, PLEASE let us know. We would be honored to try to cover it as best as we can and grow our walk with God, beside you! So sit back and relax as we meet Jennifer Elhajj and her beautiful heart for God and His Bride!

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them!"

Matthew 6:1 and Luke 12:34 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also!"

Ephesians 5:1 "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children."

John 15:8 "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples!"

GUIDED PRAYER: 

"Heavenly Father, Thank you for "New Beginnings" of a New Year. Thank you that we wait upon You, Your plans, Your Grace, and Your Will to be done in our lives. We seek you evermore with such anticipation, knowing that you are loving us through the storms and have an abundance of love for us. Thank you for being our Rock and Firm Foundation, whenever the ground underneath us shifts. Only YOU anchor us with Your wisdom, peace, and truth! For You are the Way, Truth, and Life! You are the  true Light in this dark world. Only You sustain us! Thank you for setting our minds, hearts, and spirit on You!! Help us to navigate through this life with courage and boldness established by the fulfillment of Your Word of Truth and Promises! Let us stand on Your Truth, so that others around us may also get a glimpse into Your sincere and unconditional love for us! Be with us as we go on with our week and show us how to love everyone, no matter where they are in their journey. We ask all these things in the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen!"

Welcome to this week’s “In the Little things” Podcast. Last week I told you how I accidentally flipped my car on the way to work one day and how God was so faithful to sustain me and protect me, even if it’s from myself.  Sure it’s hard for me to look back and recognize my own stubbornness and mistakes. But I know that God can and will use my mistakes and my imperfections to point to His perfection and His provision!  ~I wish I could say that I am always prepared for the lessons I have to learn, but the truth is that sometimes I don’t even know I have a lesson to learn!  It always seems that a lesson is about to come when I think I have everything figured out!It’s usually when I try to put myself at the top of the hill, where God reminds me that that is not where I’m suppose to be. It’s through these subtle and “little” reminders that God has taught me to stay humble and seek Him to help me get down off the hill of pride.… The journey down has never been guaranteed to be easy, pleasant, or even gentle! But sometimes it’s just quite embarrassing!

Scripture:   “Let me share with you another story.” In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it defines the word ‘embarrassment’ as being uncomfortable, disturbed, or being in an awkward or confusing situation. You may think that there are no “embarrassing” situations in the bible. But the truth is … There are many! For instance, in the book of Jonah,  Chapter 2, Jonah is swallowed up by a whale or large fish! In the book of Genesis, Chapter 6, God tells Noah to build a huge ark in the middle of a desert!  And so on…. Think about it for a moment. How uncomfortable and embarrassing would that be to have all the people you know find out that you were stuck in a fish’s mouth! It would be like posting it on the internet today and having everyone know your mistake! But interestingly enough, when you read these bible stories to children in Sunday school, Firstly… they laugh and secondly,  they will get embarrassed, feel sorry, or concerned for the characters in the story. ~The one thread that underlines most of these situations is how God deals with puffed up attitudes, or pride, and/or disobedience. God generally teaches us through a personal storm. He humbles us to realize Who God really is and why He does what He does is for our own good! Every step and even every misstep has a purpose!

Challenge: “Once in a while we need to ask ourselves, Why did my life take the turns it did? What did I learn from mypast experiences? and How has God revealed His unconditional Love to us?” Please read the following verses and write down your thoughts in your Journal.

(Genesis 6, 7, 11) (Numbers 22:21-33)(Judges 14), (Jonah 1-2).

Devotional Insight:  Nothing! Nothing! Nothing is a surprise to Our Heavenly Father! He always knows our vulnerability, weakness, and mistakes even before we know, yet He loves us deeply and profoundly through each step we take! He promises to walk through the “high and low” chapters of our lives and never will hurt us or forsake us! He is faithful! He is a Good Good Father! And He knows when to show us we have strayed, disobeyed, or we are acting foolishly! We need to be teachable and allow ourselves to be molded by Him.

Application: Now how does this story relate to God and “little things”? Sometimes we think God doesn’t really care about things that we consider small and insignificant. Things that are not really considered in the mainstream as important; such as stopping and noticing a “lonely horse”, stopping to smell the roses, or something that doesn’t impact our lives greatly. You may think to yourself, “there are more important things I need to pay attention to or do at this very moment, than that!” But, God uses everything and sometimes He uses, what we think as insignificant, to show us how much loves His creation and show how faithful His love truly is. He loves to display His love to us!! The bible says, that even the smallest of sparrows are precious to Him but you and I have more worth to Him that anything else He has created. The thing is, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO STOP  AND BE WILLING TO LISTEN to Him!  Stop the busyness and put your focus on Him and who He what He is trying to communicate to you.

Scripture:   Let me share with you another story.  (Luke 10:38-42) : “While they were traveling, Jesusentered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.’ The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Devotional Insight: In order for us to hear the Spirit’s calling and see God “In the little things”, we must know His voice! We must recognize our shepherd when he calls us to draw closer to Him, when He needs us to listen and learn what He has for us! That day, that I passed that pasture, I skipped my morning devotion because I was running late and didn’t have time, but usually I would begin my day reading and immersing myself in God’s word. God knew my heart, he knew my intentions and he knew that I had something to learn that day. Despite my rush, He knew I craved His presence! … So He had me “slow down and just listen”.

Title:  The gift of Laughter

Welcometo  “In the Little things” Podcast. Are you seeking and desiring to see God in everything, even in the little things of life? Or are you like me that can not see passed herself in times of difficulties or hurdles. Hi I’m Annabelle Ardent and I’m here to tell you that life is hard and sometimes a bit unfair. But God is always good and always Just with His mercy. He knows if we had our way and just lived our lives always on the mountain top and always victorious, (which is not what God ever promised) God knows we would always attribute our triumph on ourselves and never understand why Jesus had to go to the cross. ~ I once heard that empathy is something that has to be learned. If you are a parent or ever around children, you will see that young children feel empathy until you teach them what it is. I don’t believe God invented empathy because it was man who chose sin in the garden of Eden, but I think God perfected empathy when Christ died for us on the cross. He didn’t have to come to save us through all the pain and agony, but He chose to fulfill His promise to us and in doing so, He showed us tangible empathy for us and taught us to empathize with one another. For God is the embodiment of Love itself and with love comes patience, kindness, gentle hearted, self-control… and many other strengths and blessings form God. God sometimes shows his love through humor… Case in Point....

Challenge: Read and Write down your thoughts in your Journal.  (Genesis 21:1-6) (Job 8:21), (Psalm 4:7), (Psalm 32:11), (Psalm 126:2), (Ecclesiastes 3:4), (Proverbs 15:13), and (Prov 17:22).

Application:Have you ever encountered God’s humor like that! Perhaps you have seen His humor in a bumper sticker, or in the laughter of a child, or in a funny cloud or balloon in the sky, or in some writing message in the sky? When you least expect it, it’s as if God reaches your heart as if He just wants to make you ‘smile’! God gently is reminding you… “I’m still with you, I’m here!” He has Never left you and will Never abandon you! Sometimes God’s humor comes in the form that you would think of. For instance, I think of building a huge ship in a dessert, like Noah. Or how He has “little” young David, kill big and huge Goliath. Or how Sarah had her first baby at age ninety six. Or how the Savior of the world was born in a stable or how I managed to finally get my mom dressed after struggling for twenty minutes. “Thank you God for making us laugh!”

Devotional Insight:

How do you apply laughter in your everyday life!? By seeking and trusting Him during every difficult time. Always looking for Him, even “In the Little Things.” Ask Him, “Where are you, Lord?” You’ll be amazed how He shows himself to you! He is our greatest advocate during our grief, struggles, and painful moments!  But He is sometimes the only One who can know us well enough to make us laugh! He is our Creator. He wired us and made us to enjoy laughter! So rest in Him who holds everything together and has full control and power in His hands and allow Him to make you smile today!

Welcome to  “In the Little things” Podcast.   Title of this week's Podcast:   " UNSCATHED"

Scripture:   “Let me share with you another story.”  There once was a man by the name of Daniel. Daniel was a servant of a King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. He was a loyal servant to the king but he made the decision to worship and obey the true Living God, despite the king’s law of the day, to worship only him. Daniel was favored by Nebuchadnezzar but eventually he was thrown into the lion’s den for disobeying the king. In those days, everyone who was thrown to the lions never came back out alive. However, because of Daniel’s strong faith, the king even knew that Daniel walked with the true living God who would protect him and keep him safe. For the King said to Daniel “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” ~ As the night continued, God protected Daniel by shutting the mouths of the lions, so that they could not devour Daniel. When morning came, King Nebuchadnezzar ran to Daniel in hopes that he was okay. The king screamed, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Which Daniel, replied “O king, live forever! For my God, sent His angel and shut the lion’s mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him, O king, I have done no wrong before you.” and Daniel was UNSCATHED!

Challenge: “Once in a while we need to ask ourselves, Why did my life take the turns it did? What did I learn from my past experiences? and How has God revealed His unconditional Love to us?” Please read the following verses and write down your thoughts in your Journal.

(Nahum 1:7), (Psalm 18:6),(Psalm 18:35), (Psalm 34:7) ((Psalm 91:11), (2 Chronicles 32:21).

Application: God always goes before, those He loves and has called to His purpose. Those who are faithful and seek Him, even in adversity. When You ask Him for help, you will find Him! We must stand firm on our faith and believe that in hard times, God will be our protector, rescuer, and give us a way out. We must trust Him and know that He has an army of angels that will always protect us from evil and in doing so, those around us will know that Our God is a true and living God, that always intercedes and advocates for us during our trials.

Devotional Insight:  God is bigger than any circumstance and He is sovereign over all circumstances. Believe that He will equip you to prevail in adversity and will intercede for those who are unrighteous judged guilty. What I love about Daniel’s story is that God simply “Shut the mouths of the lions”.  Mountains didn’t shake and unshackle Daniel. Earthquakes didn’t occur to open the gates holding Daniel in the lion’s den. No huge massive event happened to take place in order to save Daniel. The miracle was that the angel of God simply closed the mouths of the lions. God showed up with His power. His angels protected Daniel by simply closing the lions’ mouths so that they could not eat him! It was a “Little” or simple thing, in the scope of what God could have really done to show His power to the king and to Daniel. God simply protected Daniel when he called out to Him!!

"Welcome to Episode #1 of "In the Little Things Podcast

Title:  GOD IS LOVE

Scriptures:  (Psalm 45:7), (Psalm 91:1), (Psalm 119:165),(Prov 10:12), (Song8:6),(Hosea 14:4), (Rom5:5), (1Cor 13:8), (1Cor 13:13), (2 Cor5:14), (2 Cor 13:11), (1 Tim 1:5), (1 John 4:8), (1 John 4:12-17), (1 John 4:19), (John 17:23)

Welcome to episode #1 of “In the Little things” Podcast. Are you seeking and desiring to see God in everything, even in the little things of life? Or are you too distracted and busy to feel His embrace around you? I’m Annabelle and I am here to tell you, first, You’re not alone if you are feeling overwhelmed with is known as “life” and secondly, I want to encourage you because God is bigger than our circumstances, experiences, emotions, or disappointments. As my first podcast, sure I’m a little scared but I’m even more excited for the opportunity to share my stories of how God uses everything for His Glory!

Devotional Insights:… In order for us to see God’s blessings and how He created us to delight in Him. We must seek Him even in the little things. We must learn and yield to the Holy Spirit as it guides us to recognize His love in the mist of “the Little things”! No matter how small something or someone is…. Remember God created it that way, for His delight, not ours. We are to partake in His blessings and seek Him for insight as to where He is showing us his love, guidance, correction, conviction, and blessing!

Guided Prayer:… “ Heavenly Father, help us to see You, feel You, know You and draw closer to You! Help our spiritual eyes to align themselves to Your Spirit! Help us not to look at a book (person) by it’s cover but help us to see all things from Your perfect perspective ~ Love! Help us to see ourselves as perfect vessels, as you created us in Your perfect image! Help us to love one another and reach out to them for the sake of the gospel, their salvation, and for Your Kingdom! Let Your will be done Lord in our lives. We ask this in the powerful and glorious name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! It’s only in His name we pray! Amen, Selah!”

Connect with Annabelle at

www.AnnabelleArdent.com