90 Days with Jesus-Day 81 (Thursday's blog)

On this morning of the 81st day I have tears running down my cheeks as I have taken a glance back at what God has done on this journey. I've seen where He's carried me and spoken to me. This journey has been worth it's weight in gold! It's had an eternal impact on me!!!

When this journey first began I was a Prodigal Christian walking in a dry dessert land. There was no life to my Christian walk. There was no true joy in going to church or reading my Bible (when it did get read). It's 81 days later and my Christian walk is like a well springing up with new life in it ready to spread the news about Jesus to everybody I encounter!

The most powerful moments thus far have been sitting in silence listening to His still small voice speak to me. I've come to know that there is no other place I'd rather be than in His presence. It's there that my soul finds rest, my heart is comforted, and my mind is put at ease. I bow at His throne of Grace and He meets me there. Together we commune and talk about this relationship and how it's blossoming! It's at His feet I cast my burdens. None of them are too heavy. He takes my burdens and offers me His grace and mercy that are new with each morning!

During this journey He's asked me to step out of my boat of comfort and join Him on the water. It's on the water where my faith becomes active! Let me paint you a quick picture of what the water looks like and what I've seen there so far: Prison inmates who feel they've no hope, People seeking an answer for their life's problems, Lost souls, Physically hungry people, Rich people who think they've got it all, A woman who just needed to talk. See when you step out on the water you say, "Jesus, I trust you and whatever circumstance I find out here while on the water with you, I'll trust that you have a purpose and plan." Here's a verse that says it all too well: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight

for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. " Luke 4:18-19.

You see, it's in His presence that EVERYTHING changes. There's truly no place I'd rather be!







Overcome with Thankfulness,
-Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 80 (Wednesday's blog)

This day is young! I rose at 5:30 due to my cough and my dogs barking. Honestly, I'd not planned on rising that early, but God had different plans! You see each new day God gives us is precious! The big question I'd like to ask you is, What will you do with Jesus today? Will you make a difference in the lives of others?!!!

God will present all of us with opportunities to share Him and His love with others. How will He choose to do that?!!! Maybe somebody needs a hug or a listening shoulder, a homeless person needs foods, a friend needs a ride somewhere. The bigger question is: How will we respond to those opportunities? I know in my own life sometimes God can throw opportunity right in my lap at the most inconvenient time for me. God never promised me that ministry would be easy or convenient. He puts us all in places of discomfort so that He can get the glory. Remember the night when Jesus and His disciples were on the water and the huge storm came?!!! Pretty uncomfortable with all that wind and a boat rocking! The most important thing about that night was when they went to the source who could calm the storm things became calm again!

So, today I would like to challenge you to:

1. Use every opportunity that God presents you with to point them to the ONE who can speak peace in the midst of their storm!

God bless you!

Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 79 (Tuesday's blog)

Today God chose to speak to me while digging sweet potatoes. I didn't expect Him to speak to me in quite the way He did! So, today God spoke to me about Sin.

I was digging in the dirt and God said, "Just like you're filthy and dirty so is sin. The more you dig into sin the dirtier you'll get." I looked at the ground mounding up and some potatoes had surfaced above ground. God said, 'Sin might have deep roots and you think you can hide it, but eventually it will surface itself in due time." I thought, you're right Lord. Sin, it's filthy and it can take you into some pretty deep dark places and root itself deep into your heart.

Well the mosquitoes began to bite and the ants had gotten on me. Soon I had huge welts on my hand. I said to myself, I don't want to be out here any longer than I have to these bugs are eating me alive. God spoke, "Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."

I finished in the garden and immediately hit the shower. The dirt just poured off of me. I had to get a scrub brush under my nails. God spoke, "Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. – Isaiah 1:18

I finished my shower and then put medicine on all of my bug bites. It sure felt good to be clean! Today I am thankful for the Blood of Jesus that washed away my sins!

Got sweet potatoes?!!!

Question for today:

1. Do you have sin in your life that you need to confess so Jesus can wash you white as snow?!!!

90 Days with Jesus-Day 78 (Monday)

For a few weeks I've been bantering and undecided about how to finish the 90 day journey. I've been waiting on God to give me an answer. I've not heard from God yet on how to finish it.

The one thing I have heard God say is to do a Random Act of Kindness I hadn't planned on. He spoke to me this morning about it. I am TRULY EXCITED about this random act of kindness. It will require a LARGE amount of FAITH. It will require Faith in God, Faith in people and Faith that the person receiving this act of kindness will receive it as a blessing from God!

I will be emailing individual people I am closest to, to help me pull of my final random act of Kindness. I am asking ALL of my followers to pray for me as I obey God and do this to HONOR HIM!

If you are interested in the possibility of helping me pull off my final Random Act of kindness please email me at: godlysigns@gmail.com and in the subject line put: Final Random Act of Kindness! This is a GOD SIZED task!

God bless you,
Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 77 (Sunday's blog)

Busy! That's what this day has amounted to. I started my day at 5:30 because I had to be at a meeting at 7. Afterward I went straight to church to prepare for our Women's Ministry fund raiser! It didn't stop there. I went BACK TO WORK at 2 and my night ended at 8 p.m.

Tonight I'm weary. Wore out exhausted, but God has allowed me today to understand on the busiest of days He is my strength! Everything that He allows me to accomplish is done 100% through Him and in Him.

So, on this 77th day of the journey I would like to give God glory for a successful fund raiser and for being my strength on a REALLY LONG DAY!

God bless you,
Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 76 (Saturday's blog)

Tonight I am reminded about the importance of The Great Commission. Now, for those of you who don't know what the great commission is, allow me to explain. It's God's Way of sending us out to spread the gospel. Here's the Great Commission verse: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all of the command I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (New Living Translation).

I'm sure you've heard it time and again, but it does bear repeating. In that set of verses there are no qualifiers. It doesn't say pray about it, think about it, or talk to somebody else and get their opinion about it. Jesus gives us a direct command to go share the good news of Salvation everywhere we go. I'm finding the best way to tell others about Him is through my personal testimony. It's real because it's an experience I've had with Christ! Sharing our faith everyday with somebody is important because I firmly believe time here on earth is short and there's a hell to loose and a Heaven to gain.

What about you?!!!! Are you sharing the Great Commission?!!!!

God bless you,
Alicia Roark

90 Days with Jesus-Day 75 (Friday's Blog)

On this night there are only 15 days left to this journey! On this night I wish to share with you about the transforming power of a message! I started out on this journey for spiritual renewal and that mission has been accomplished on a grand new scale!

Over the course of this journey I've attended First Baptist Church Newport News several times because I had work meetings and that church was closer than driving all the way back into Williamsburg/Croaker when I had to work the same afternoon at 2. Anways, on a Sunday morning at FBC Newp0rt News I sat in the third row and the service began. We sang songs of praise to God and the fellowship was ever so sweet! Then it was time for the sermon! On this day his sermon was on Salvation! It was a powerful sermon, but this story was the most powerful part of that sermon. Please sit back, relax and read this story and may it touch your heart.

A man and his son were very close. The father was a renowned artist and painted frequently. He repainted many different works of art to include The Mona Lisa and multiple others. The son soon took after His father and together they would paint. Friends and loved ones began to tell them they should open a gallery to display their paintings. Eventually, they did build a gallery in the back of their yard. The son grew up and looked at his dad one day and told him he'd decided to join the military. This broke the father's heart but he understood. One day a tap came at the door of the father. An officer dressed in his military blues had come to tell the father his son was killed in battle. The father was heart broken. Memories adorned the walls of his home and in the gallery of the many paintings they did together. After the funeral the father painted some but not as often. One day while painting a knock came at the door. He wasn't expecting anybody to come visit. He opened the door and a young soldier stood at the door. The father said, "Can I help you?" He said, "Hi, my name is Sgt. Smith and your son and I served together during the war. He was a brave person and he took the bullet that should've killed me. He jumped in front of it." In the soldiers hands was a box. He said, "He gave this to me but it really belongs to you." The father opened up the box and it was some of the belongings of his son and a picture. He took out the picture and hung it in the middle of the wall amidst all of the finest paintings they'd ever painted together. It was the focal point of the gallery; the first picture you saw.

The father grew ill and eventually died. In his will he'd left word to sell/auction off the entire painting gallery. The paintings were worth millions of dollars. There was no expense spared to advertise for this auction. Auction day came and thousands of people showed up to bid on the paintings. The attorney stood up and said my client said in his last will and testament that everything must go, but nobody can bid on anything until they bid on the picture of his son.

The people started to grumble. I didn't know his son, I don't want a picture of the son. Then finally in the very back of the room a man raised his hand and said, "I"ll buy the picture of the son for $50. He was a good kid." The auctioneer said, "SOLD for $50 the picture of the son and then glanced over at the attorney. The auctioneer then said, "Thank you ladies and gentlemen for coming today the auction is now over." The people didn't understand. They were angry and livid. They'd traveled from all over and bought bunches of money with them to buy and bid on these works of art. The attorney stood up and he said, I'd like to read the rest of my client's will.

PLEASE SELL EVERYTHING! WHOEVER GETS THE SON GETS IT ALL. It's just like our Christian faith: WHOEVER GETS THE SON TRULY GETS IT ALL!

-Alicia Roark