Contentment

¹¹ "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:11-13

God wants us to enjoy every season of our lives. I believe learning to live in contentment helps us truly enjoy our lives to the fullest. Living in contentment Natalie Villa paraphrased means to be at peace during every life circumstance. Contentment is described as a state of satisfaction and also peaceful happiness. The Bible describes being content as "satisfied to the point of being undisturbed." I don't know about you but sometimes I struggle with this! Being content does not mean that we do not want things in our lives to change but it means we are satisfied in the Lord until change comes. We often think that the grass is greener on the other side, but let's be honest- the grass is green wherever you water it! Paul describes contentment best in Phil. 4:11-13 when he says, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.... I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." 

Sometimes I find myself having a hard time being content but there are some simple truths that I have found proven and true to help me stay content:

1- A grateful and thankful heart- when we are thankful for every blessing it shifts our focus.

2- Stop comparing yourself to others- when we stop comparing we can be thankful for where we are and what we do have instead of what we don't.

3- Trust God to meet EVERY need- God will meet all our needs as we trust in Him :)

4- Finding strength in Christ- we can do ALL things through Christ who gives us strength!

Ask of Me

Good morning beautiful Villagers!! There are quite a few times God tells us to "Ask" for things. This morning I am reminded to 2 of them:

1- "ASK and it will be given to you, Seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you!" Matt 7:7

2- "ASK me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the Earth your possession."
Ps. 2:8

What are you asking the Lord for today Villagers? Maybe you've been looking for some answers to tough questions, maybe you feel like you've been knocking on some closed doors forever! Well do not give up! ASK the Lord :) He is a good Father who loves to give good gifts to His children. I am praying for you all today. And I encourage you to ask the Lord for one more important thing today... His HEART. His heart and desires for you life, the ones around you and the nations. You have a very significant role on this planet. A God given mission. ASK today :)

Best of Me

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father's Day! I wanna take a minute to truly honor all the Fathers out there. And first of all I just wanna say.... I love my dad, Ken McNinch! You are the best dad!! Thank you for always loving and believing in me. You are the kindest man with the biggest heart. You have always put your family before yourself, and for taking care of us I truly honor and cherish you.

Fatherhood is so important and we need our dads! The Bible refers to the word "father" over 1,100 times. The role of a father is not a light duty, they are the main influence on a child's moral and spiritual development. Most of the time, the way we view our Earthly father is the way we view our Heavenly father. They are the ones that love us unconditionally, pick us up when we fall, give us courage to try again, train us, coach us, teach us, provide for us, defend us, inspire us, discipline us, impart wisdom and morals, plus so much more. When a father believes in their child, the sky is the limit for that child! Father's you are so needed and valued. We truly love you.

I was so excited to celebrate my amazing husband, Marco Lobos (fka Oracle) this weekend. This was his first Father's Day! To honor our daughter, Destiny, and fatherhood he released a music video yesterday on Father's Day. You are in for a special treat! Here is his video, I hope you enjoy it. I love you Marco! Thank you for being a wonderful daddy and husband :) Xoxo

 

 Marco Lobos "Best of Me"

Psalms 127:3-5 - "Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court."

Imperfect Edges

I am not perfect. Sometimes I fall. Sometimes I feel rejected and offended. Most days I have to chose faith over fear. Villagers, do you ever feel that way?

Recently, I had a terrible day. Ever have days where NOTHING goes right? That was the day I had. It was rough! I sat down at my kitchen table, started praying, and decided to do a little painting at the end of my horrible day. Sometimes I like to do little arts and crafts, it's fun and I can just relax. So I started to paint this little frame. Within minutes of starting my project, I was agonizing over how I was going to paint every little edge perfectly. The perfectionist in me started to get overwhelmed. It was going to take forever and could be impossible to get it perfect. In that moment I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart, "I love you Natalie, even with all of your imperfect edges." It was just what I needed to hear after my rough day.

Sometimes in life we face rejection and it can be painful- from family, friends, coworkers, anyone. I know it can be scary to let our "imperfect edges" show. God wants us to forgive those who hurt us. Villagers, I have good news for you.... God will never reject you, leave you, and He is more than enough for our hearts! We can always count on Him. The God who made the heavens and Earth, galaxies and other planets is passionately in love with you. Think about it, God loves us so much that He sent His own son to redeem us- that's how much He loves & accepts us. The Bible says we are co-heirs with Christ. We are adopted into the family & we have a wonderful daddy God who we get to call, Abba. He loves everything about you and even though people may not accept you, God will never leave you or reject you. His love is truly unconditional and has no limits. He is not surprised or scared by our flaws and loves us with imperfect edges and all! Villagers, I love you all so much and want you to know you are always wanted and accepted!! Xoxo, Natalie

I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Is.41:9-10

P.s. Here is my little frame :) Imperfect edges and still beautiful- just like you and me!!  

Behind the Song - "Turn it Around"

Happy Monday Villagers!!!!!!! 

Hope you had a great weekend. Wooooo! I am a little tired, we had a busy weekend! Marco and I had the privilege of attending the K-Love Fan Awards last night at the Grand Ole Opry. It was so fun! I love any excuse to get all dressed up :) It was awesome seeing so many amazing Christian artists and to celebrate what God is not only doing in Christian music but in our culture with movies, sports, and music. Matthew West & Candice Cameron Bure (DJ Tanner from Full House) hosted the evening and they were so funny! Good times for sure.

Marco and I in front of the Grand Ole Opry and inside the K-Love Fan Awards.

Behind the Song - "Turn it Around"

Well Villagers, I hope you guys are enjoying my first Blog Series, Behind the Song. We are almost done. This week I am sharing about my song, "Turn it Around." This is such a fun song! I really loved writing it and I love singing it. I wrote this song and "LOL" around the same time. I was in a pretty hard season but I started writing this song as a prayer and declaration that God was going to use every trial of mine for His glory! Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) states that, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat it's fruit." Our words have power! Sometimes we have to call things into existence the things that do not exist (Rom. 4:17) and we do that by faith. This song is a prophetic declaration in faith that God will turn things around- finances, relationships, health, everything that we need! Even know every time I sing it, I believe that it creates faith in people to believe God will turn things around.

While writing this song, I was in a place with my walk with the Lord where I was choosing to believe His goodness instead of present sicknesses, circumstances, and fears. Sometimes we feel like we are blindly choosing to believe God is good and faithful, but I promise that He is! It’s His nature. The Bible is filled over and over with examples of His goodness & faithfulness. I had never questioned the goodness of God before this time in my life. What I learned was that even in my trials God was still good, even if nothing ever changed and I was stuck in my troubles He would STILL be good because He is God. Even in the chaos God is still good because it's who He is. If you can get a hold of this concept, it will change your life. I know it changed mine.

Scriptures used to write it:

Gen. 50:20, Ecc. 3:1-14, Rom 8:28

Purpose of Song:

I hope people sing and declare this song as a prayer that God will turn everything around in their lives for His glory! I hope it encourages and strengthens hearts that God makes everything new and beautiful in His perfect timing. Sing this song in faith and watch God moves those mountains!!!!

Xoxo, Natalie