No Grumpy Christians Allowed!!

"Finally, brothers, good-bye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." - 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV)

"Be joyful always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV). "Be joyful in hope" (Romans 12:12 NIV). "Rejoice and be glad" (Matthew 5:12 NIV). "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4 NIV). Again, and again, and again God tells me to be joyful, cheerful, rejoicing. He tells me to give thanks no matter what is going on in my life (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV, Colossian 3:15 NIV, Psalm 100:4 NIV). Really?! No matter what is happening, I'm supposed to be joyful?! That's what Paul is saying when he wrote this to the church at Corinth. And it still applies today.

What Paul isn't saying is that I should always walk around with a great big, cheesy smile on my face. There are going to be times and circumstances that are going to rock my world. I am going to cry, grieve, be angry. As a believer, however, the joy of the Lord should still be inside me at all times. In Him I can find hope. By aiming for perfection, which is only found in Jesus, and knowing that God is with me no matter what my circumstances are, I can still find joy, the silver lining, in all things. I can be at peace with death, money troubles, heartache, pain, illness....with God's help. Psalm 31:24 NIV says this: "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." He will see me through anything I have to face.

When I think of a grumpy Christian, I think of the comic strip 'Maxine". The sour face, sarcastic comments, her "woe is me...nothing ever goes right in my life" attitude. How absurd and sad is it to live like that? It's definitely not the way God desires me to live. And it's surely not the way to be a testimony for Him. I don't know about you, but when I come across a grumpy person, I want to turn tail and run in the other direction, as far away as possible. Being around someone like that can ruin a perfectly good day. They tend to bring you down to their level and you leave their presence feeling drained and exhausted. At least I do. I don't want people to leave my presence feeling that way. I want them to know that I trust my God to take care of me. I want them to see me facing my life with the courage and peace that can only come from faith in my amazing Savior.

I'm taking a good, long, hard look at myself today. Am I a grumpy Christian? Do I complain and whine about my life and troubles? Do I allow circumstances to rob me of the Lord's joy? Do I walk around with a "woe is me" attitude? Do I always think, "Why me, Lord?" when something unforeseen happens? Do I think there is anything in this world too big for God to handle? If I can answer any of these questions with a "yes", then there's some changing that needs to be done in my heart, my thoughts and my attitude. Because the Bible tells me, though the wording is a little different - No Grumpy Christians Allowed!!

"We may run, walk, stumble, drive, or fly, but let us never lose sight of the reason for the journey, or miss a chance to see a rainbow on the way." - Gloria Gaither

Amazing Lord, may I never be a grumpy, whiny Christian. Open my eyes and heart to the joy and peace that You bring into my life. May circumstances not rob me of my trust and faith in You. Fill me with Your courage and strength each day, to enjoy the good and face the bad that I encounter, knowing You are in charge and there is nothing You can't handle for me. Teach me what is means to be "joyful in hope". In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.







Reordering My Priorities

"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." - Romans 12:11-12 (NIV)

Life gets out of hand sometimes. There are days when there are just not enough hours to get everything done that needs to be done. Or, to rephrase that, what I think needs to be done. Usually, those are the days that I'm exhausted by early afternoon and I've lost my desire to get anything else done that day. I've lost the zeal that Paul is talking about in this verse.

I think God is trying to tell me something today. I get the Proverbs 31 Ministries daily devotion in my email each morning. Today's devotion was titled, "Why Am I In Such A Hurry?". It was about slowing down and letting God take care of the details. About allowing Him to plan my day. The author, Lynn Cowell, gave this suggestion: take a piece of paper and make three columns. Label the first column "Things No One Else Can Do"; the second column, "Things I Do, But Could Delegate"; and the third column, "Things I Choose To Do". Then place the things that fill my life into the appropriate column and use this paper as my prayer list, asking God which of these things He wants me to keep on the list, which ones He wants me to delegate to others and which ones He wants me to give up completely. I think I'm going to follow this suggestion, especially because the holidays are coming up and then, right after that, tax season. And I can get very, very busy during these months and still feel like nothing gets done. Funny thing happens, though, when I give my day to God first thing in the morning: the important stuff gets taken care of! My day gets prioritized properly. I can get my blog posted, clean the house, do some work for my clients, meet with friends, get groceries shopped for, make dinner and even deal with anything unexpected happening. The non-important stuff tends to fall to the wayside and I don't miss it!! Amazing!!

Today was one of those days that I didn't turn over to God and I can tell. Oh, I prayed as soon as I woke up this morning. But I had overslept and it was one of those prayers that didn't cover all the bases it should have for the day. So, here I am at 9:20 PM, writing my blog. Not that it wasn't a good day - I met a wonderful friend, her daughter and granddaughter for coffee, spent some time with my youngest son, started taxes for a new client, had dinner with my husband, stopped by my mom's to write a letter to an insurance company for her - but I feel as if I left God out of my priorities today. There were other things that I really needed to get done today, things that would have gone in the "Things No One Else Can Do" column if I had one. And they were left undone. Had I prioritized my day with God at the helm, I truly believe those things would have gotten done.

Will I forget or neglect to reorder my priorities around God in the future? You can count on it. But, because my God is so awesome, He'll give me another chance, and another, and another. He'll keep reminding me, through verses such as the one above, to get back on track, find the enthusiasm and fervor and give my days to Him and the priorities He sets for my life.

“When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities.” ― Ezra Taft Benson

Dear Lord, help me to reorder my priorities each day to be in line with Your will for me. I don't ever want to be too busy for you. Show me what is important each day and teach me to let the unimportant stuff go. May my zeal and spiritual fervor for You never be lacking. I want to be joyful and full of hope, patient during times of trouble and continually in contact with You during the day. May You always be first in my priorities. In Jesus' name, Amen.





His Hand Over My Mouth

"He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin." - Proverbs 13:3 (NIV)

There are times when I regret what comes out of my mouth. Sometimes immediately, sometimes later when I actually think about what I said. Hard as I try, I don't always think before I speak. Speaking without thinking is cute in small children; it comes with the territory of being a child. Their "filters" aren't in place yet. It's not cute in an older child, teenager or adult. Then it can be hurtful and cause a lot of harm, not just to the person it was said to but also to the person who said it. Case in point: when I was in Junior High, a friend (?) of mine dared me to call another girl a bad name on the bus. Out loud. At the top of my voice. So....I took that dare! (I don't know why; brains don't function in Junior High...just ask any person who teaches that age group!!) I didn't know whether or not it was true. What I do know is that it was hurtful to her. And, because she beat me up after we got off the bus, it was very painful for me!! (I admit...I deserved it!). I did learn my lesson, though, and never did that again. But, I shouldn't have said it to begin with. I regret it to this day, and not just because I got beat up!

God wants us to filter our words through Him. He expects us to think before we speak. James 1:19 (NIV) says, "My dear brothers, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Good advice. I know when I'm angry, I don't stop to think of the impact my words have. I just want to get them out and make my point. I don't care if they cause pain, at least not at that point in time. If they tear down the person I'm mad at, so be it. But that's not what God intends. In Ephesians 4:9 (NIV), He tells me this: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." So, even when I'm angry, God expects me to stop and think about what I'm going to say before I say it. Are the words I want to say going to be encouraging or are they going to be hurtful? Can I say what I want to say in a way that is kind and not hateful? Do I need to keep this to myself? I've seen plaques that say: Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth. I need to ask the Lord to do this for me on a daily basis!!

I attempt to speak to others the way I want to be spoken to. I want to be kind and encouraging. My words can have a powerful impact on others, just as their words can have a powerful impact on me. It's all in what I say and how I say it. I'm asking God to put His hand over my mouth whenever I feel the need to say something that isn't pleasing to Him. Then I can be a reflection of the love He has for all of us.

“If someone were to pay you 10 cents for every kind word you ever spoke and collect from you 5 cents for every unkind word, would you be rich or poor?” - Unknown source

Dear Lord, please guard my tongue today. Make my words pleasing to You. I want to honor You today, Lord, by carefully and lovingly choosing the words I speak. Please place Your loving hand over my mouth when I feel the need to say something hurtful or unkind. Let me be a source of encouragement to every man, woman and child I come into contact with. May I think before I speak and not speak in anger. I ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.





Healthy Respect

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17 (NIV)

God has gifted each and every one of us with different talents, each uniquely our own. When I say uniquely, I mean that although you and I may have the same type of talent, we don't use it the same way. I realized recently that one of the gifts God has given to me is being able to write. However, my writing style is different from someone else who has been given the same gift. They may choose to write a book, become a journalist or, like me, start a blog. They may choose to ignore their talent and not use it at all. If that is their choice, then I don't believe they're showing a healthy respect for the gifts God has bestowed on them.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Aretha Franklin sang about it. One of the lines in the song says, "Find out what it means to me." That's what each of us needs to do. What does respect mean to me? The defintion of respect is admiration, high opinion, value, reverence, regard. The opposite of respect is disrespect, disregard and contempt. Do I value the gifts and talents God has bestowed on me? I know there are plenty of times when I don't respect my talents. As a matter of fact, I sell myself short quite often. I don't step into leadership, even though it's one of the gifts God has given to me, because I don't want to be seen as overbearing or bossy. I hesitated on starting this blog because I didn't want to be seen as "blowing my own horn". I don't want to be thought of as prideful. Yet, when I don't step into the opportunities my talents provide, I am regretful. I think to myself, "What if?" and "Why didn't I?" And, I now realize, I am disrespecting and showing contempt for God's gifts and cheating myself. Pearl Bailey once observed, "The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one's self. All sin is easy after that." The first step to a healthy respect of my talents is to have self-respect. "Self-respect is not about what we do, but who we are. It's about loving ourselves for ourselves - just because we are." (Authentic-Self.com). If I don't respect myself, how can I respect my talents?! The second step is to have self-confidence. That doesn't mean having a big head, being proud of myself and boasting about my greatness to others. God forbid!! It means not being afraid to step into an opportunity that can use my talents, and then using that opportunity to bring honor and glory to God. That's the reason He gave me these gifts!!

No one can force us to use our talents, to seize opportunities, to respect ourselves, to have self-confidence, to step into our gifts. That choice is completely left up to us. If we choose to have a healthy respect for our talents and use them to honor our Father, we live up to our potential. We live a fulfilled life. If we don't have a healthy respect for ourselves, who will?

"Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because someone else wants you to be different." - Stacey Charter

Dear Heavenly Father, You have bestowed talents and gifts on me to be used for Your honor and glory. May I have the self-respect, self-confidence, courage and perseverance to use these talents. Remind me at all times that my talents are gifts from You and are not of my own doing. Let me be humble, obedient and faithful to You in all things and give You all the praise. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.



The Cornerstone of My Life

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." - Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

There's a lot going on in these two verses. If I want to serve Jesus, I have to deny myself - my wants, my needs, my desires - and follow Him. He has to become the cornerstone of my life. I have to lose my life to find life. What in the world does that mean?

Hannah Whitall Smith observed, "The crucial question for each of us is this: What do you think of Jesus, and do you yet have a personal acquaintance with Him?" Let's break this down into two parts - the first part is what we think of Jesus. Some of us may think of Him as a Great Man, someone who was smart and revered in His time. Some of us may think of Him as the Son of God, beloved, sinless, perfect. Some of us may think of Him as a Friend, someone we can turn to in times of trouble. Some of us may think of Him as our Savior, coming to earth and dying for our sins. Some of us may think of Him as our Lord, the ruler of our lives. When I think of Jesus, I think of Him as all of these.  The second part of the question - do you yet have a personal acquaintance with Him - is, to me, the most important part. Most people with tell you they believe in God - the devil believes in God (!) - but hesitate when it comes to believing in Jesus. To me, having a personal acquaintance with Jesus means having come to the knowledge that I am a sinner and am on my way to Hell. It doesn't matter if I'm a good person or do good works. It doesn't matter if I was baptized. It doesn't matter if I've confessed my sins to another human being. It doesn't matter if I've never stolen from anyone, murdered, committed adultery, abused a child or any number of things that the world judges as bad. I am heading to an eternity in Hell. Romans 3:23 (NIV) tells us, "For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I admit, I'm a sinner. BUT, because of Jesus' love for me, I am a sinner saved by His grace. I am no longer heading to an eternity of suffering but an eternity spent in the Presence of Jesus. How do I know this? Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) says this: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." So, my answer to the crucial question is this: I think of Jesus as God's Beloved Son, born of a virgin, sent to suffer, die and rise again so that I might be saved from the wrath of Hell. Yes, I have a personal acquaintance with Him because I have accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. I have confessed my sins to Him and He is living in my heart. I have been saved from Hell and Heaven is the prize that awaits me. But it doesn't end there.

Getting back to this passage in Matthew, now that I've accepted Jesus into my heart, there's work to be done. Jesus wants to be first in my life. He wants me to serve Him. As I said earlier, He wants me to deny myself first, then take up my cross - my troubles - and follow Him. Obedience to His Word, submission to His will, losing my life by placing my wants, desires and needs last, leads to finding life in Him - being filled with His love and compassion for other sinners, doing what He asks, going where He leads. I desire that others see He is not just some passing fancy for me, but is the foundation on which I stand and on which I live my life. Not an easy thing to do and I fail at it more often than not. However, when I fall, Jesus is right there to pick me back up, dust me off and point me in the right direction. The cornerstone of my life.

"The first step in a person's salvation is knowledge of their sin." - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You, Lord, for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ. It is because of Your great love for all sinners that He came to be a Living Sacrifice for our sins. I thank You for my salvation and I ask that You fill me with the desire to share Your gift, Jesus, with everyone I meet. May He become the cornerstone of other's lives because of His light shining through my words and actions. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Walking in Intregity

"The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out." - Proverbs 10:9 (NIV)

What exactly does it mean to have integrity? According to the dictionary, it's: an adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. Okay, I understand that. Then I have to ask myself: do I walk in integrity? Is my moral character sound? Am I always honest? The truth is....no. I'd like to think otherwise, but I know the truth.

We've all heard the phrase, "Honesty is the best policy." It may be the best policy but it can also be difficult and painful. That's why we find it so easy to lie, to be dishonest. It's easier, causes less pain. It removes responsibility for our actions. We lie to ourselves and others and think we can lie to God. But, as this verse points out, we "will be found out." We lie to ourselves about any number of things - having that donut won't make any difference; no one will know if I cheat on my homework; I've earned my paycheck and can spend it anyway I want - and think we've gotten away with it....until we step on a scale and we've gained a few pounds or we fail the test that was based on the homework we cheated on or we don't have any money left to pay our bills. Uh oh....found out. We lie to others - pretend to like them when we don't; pretend to care about their problems; make promises we don't intend to keep - then we're found out because we told someone else our true feelings about a mutual friend and they couldn't wait to gossip or we turned our backs when we could have helped or the promise made was never fulfilled. We lie to God....or attempt to. God is All-Knowing, All-Seeing. He knows everyone of our lies. From little white ones to great big fat ones. They're all the same to Him....wrong. The 9th commandment says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16 NIV) In other words: Do not lie! Be honest!

You may be thinking, people lie all the time and get away with it. They're never found out. Maybe in this life. But on Judgement Day, ALL lies will come to light. God will judge each and every one of us and the things we thought were hidden will be made known to all. None of us will be immune, none of us will come out unscathed. However, for those of us who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, there is a silver lining, a promise from God. If we repent and ask for forgiveness, He will forgive us our lies and He will FORGET them!! One caveat - we have to be truly sorry and make every effort to be honest. We can't just say, "God, forgive me for (fill in the blank)" and then go right out and do it again. That's not being truly sorry and God knows it. He knows our hearts. He knows our moral character.

I admit that I don't often enough walk in integrity. However, I can, with God's help, walk in it more often. On my own, it's easy to walk the crooked path. But I don't want to walk that path. No matter how hard and painful it may be, walking in integrity brings the greatest rewards. I pray God will remind me of that daily.

"I'll tell you a big secret, my friend: Don't wait for the Last Judgment. It happens every day." - Albert Camus, The Fall, 1956

Dear Heavenly Father, lead me to walk in integrity today. When I am tempted to bend the truth or break it, remind me of Your commandments. May I live according to Your will and take responsibility for my words and actions when I don't. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.




Above All, Love

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." - 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

God gave me a sound spanking this morning. Then smacked me upside the head. You know, He knew just what I needed! Anger -- the thing that gets in the way of my relationship with Him -- got ahold of me yesterday afternoon and held on tightly. Wrapped itself around me, strangled me, held me captive. Completely, totally. Why, you ask? Because I let an inconvenience, a deviation to MY plans, rob me of my love for the person who I perceived to be the cause of the disruption.

Dennis ran out of gas -- gasp! how dare he! -- down the street and called to ask me to bring him a gas can. I had just put hair color on my hair -- yes, I admit, the grays are taking over -- and wasn't dressed. So, fine, I'll bring you the can -- said with attitude, I'll admit it. Before I could put my grandkids in the car, I told the youngest to go to the potty. At that point, I found out he had messed in his underwear. So, now I had to clean him up, which increased my irritation. I had to get the rest of the color in my hair and was going to go over the time limit for that...up went the irritation level. Didn't Dennis realize he was low on gas? He had told me a few days ago that his gas gauge was wrong; why didn't he put a gas can in the truck? How dare he interrupt my day by not being prepared!! 'Round and 'round these thoughts went. By the time I got the kids in the car, the gas can full of gas in the Tahoe -- no cap on it, hoping it didn't tip over -- and headed down the road, my hair full of Loreal Excellence, wearing my slippers and a robe (Lord, don't let me get pulled over!!), I was so mad that if I had been a teapot, steam would have been coming out my ears. I pulled up behind Dennis, he came and got the gas can out of the back, said Thank You...and I said nothing. My granddaughter put me in my place by saying, "You're welcome." Then she said to me, "I told Poppa, 'You're welcome' for you, Mia." Oh boy...God started working. I resisted....I like to be angry, you see. Makes me feel in control...at least that's what I convince myself of when I'm angry. God continued to work in me through Bible study -- I needed that, I'll tell you! Then I came home and read the last two chapters of Matthew -- about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Okay, Lord, I get it, I get it. I'll apologize for overreacting. So I did, but I didn't fully mean it. Then I went to bed.

God knew my heart. He knew I was still irritated. Not full blown angry anymore, just annoyed. I knew it too...so I prayed about it before I fell asleep. And, again when I woke up this morning. And His answer? This verse. Above all, love, because it covers a multitude of sins. Jesus loves me so much, He gave His life for me. Who am I to become angry over something so trivial as a disruption of my schedule? I'm not perfect, yet Jesus loves me anyway. His love for me covered ALL of my sins. Lord, forgive me and help me to be forgiving.

So, I will truly apologize this morning when Dennis wakes up. I'll mean it, too. I'm going to post this verse where it catches my attention daily. Maybe I'll make it my screen saver!! Because, above all, I really do love my husband. Even when he runs out of gas.

"Love is an act of endless forgiveness." - Jean Vanier

Dear Lord, I'm not perfect so why do I expect everyone else to be? Blind me to the shortcomings of others but open my eyes to my own.  Fill me with Your love because my own is insufficient. Guide me to live this verse today. In Jesus' name, Amen.





Why Am I So Afraid?

"He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm." - Matthew 8:26 (NIV)

Storms of life are inevitable - they're going to come whether I like it or not. Nothing I say or do is going to stop them from forming. Unfortunately, my first reaction, like the disciples', is to worry and fear. The reason for that is, again like the disciples', not enough faith. And every time it happens, I hear Jesus asking me, "Why are you so afraid?"

The Bible tells me over and over to trust God and not worry. My heart knows that; my head is another matter. Worry begins in the brain. Satan takes over my thoughts. In my heart I know Jesus can calm the storm; my head asks, "How?". My heart knows I should leave it to Jesus to handle; my head tells me, "You've got to figure this out!". Why am I so afraid to leave it in His more than capable hands? Because I take my focus off of Him and place it on the problem. I lose the self-control I blogged about a couple of days ago. It's during the storm that I need to lean on 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV): "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." I have to choose to take control of my thoughts. Choose to bring my focus back to Jesus. Choose to become obedient to Him and His Word. Choose to trust God and refuse to worry. Choose to not be afraid.

I LOVE the last five words of this verse: "and it was completely calm". What a powerful statement! What a way to live my life! Completely calm and unafraid. Is it possible? Oh, yeah!! Exodus 15:2a (NIV) gives me the basis for believing that possibility: "The Lord is my strength and my song". God's strength can empower me to weather any storm, if I choose to lean on Him. He can help me find His song, His joy, in any situation, if I choose to allow His Presence to fill me. By myself, my storms will overwhelm me. The winds of worry and waves of fear will overpower me. I choose to take my thoughts captive today and stand firm on God's promises. Today, I won't worry and God will take care of tomorrow. Completely calm and unafraid.

"Faith in God is the antidote to worry. Faith in God is the foundation of courage and the source of power." - Daily Devotions

Awesome God, thank You for this reminder that I don't have to be afraid. Help me to take my thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. Fill me with faith to trust You and Your promises and know that I am safe and secure against the storms of this life. I choose to lean on Your strength and be filled with Your joy today. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.



Recharging My Batteries

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Some days, no matter what I do, nothing seems to get done. I'll start the day with a list of things I need to do but at the end of the day, I haven't crossed one thing off the list. There will still be dishes in the sink, laundry that hasn't been done, groceries that didn't get bought, bills that didn't get paid, emails that I didn't respond to, phone calls that I didn't return....what in the world did I do all day?? And, to top it all off, I'm exhausted!! How does that happen?

This verse tells me exactly what happens on those days. I didn't turn to God for the wisdom to prioritize my day. I just took off on my own strength, my own "batteries". I didn't say no to the things I should have. I don't know about you, but I tend to fit as much into a 24-hour time period as I possibly can. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I'm off and running. Gotta do this, gotta do that, gotta go here, gotta go there. Round and round and round! Busy, busy, busy! To the point of exhaustion, irritation, anger. I'm unable to enjoy any leisure time because the list of things I still have to do keeps running through my brain. Gotta keep on going, keep on going, keep on going. Like the Energizer Bunny. Until God, in His ultimate wisdom, says, "ENOUGH! Talk with me. Let me help."

When I start my day in prayer and in His Word and ask for His wisdom to guide me through my day, things get done. I cross things off my "to do" list. He gives me the strength to get through my day and not become tired and irritated. At the end of the day, I can sit back, relax and enjoy my family and friends without anything "undone" running through my head. He knows exactly what my priorities should be. If I need to be like the Energizer Bunny and keep going, He will provide the strength for me to do so. He will recharge my "batteries". Recharging through God....what an awesome way to get through my day!

"The strength that we claim from God's Word does not depend on circumstances. Circumstances will be difficult, but our strength will be sufficient." - Corrie ten Boom

Awesome Father, I ask You for the wisdom to prioritize my day. Give me the strength to fulfill my responsibilities. Open my eyes to what is important and what isn't. Give me the courage and grace to say "No" to the unimportant things. Recharge my "batteries" today, Lord. It's in Jesus' name I pray, Amen.





Keeping My Eye on the Prize

"I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." - 1 Corinthians 9:27 (NIV)

In this verse, Paul is admonishing us to be disciplined and to be diligent about it. He doesn't literally beat his body; he is saying he has disciplined himself so that he is not a slave to it but is in control of it. Not just his body, but his mind also. He does this so that he will be worthy of the prize that is waiting for him --- Heaven!

Self-control, self-discipline, self-denial....whatever you want to call it....isn't fun nor is it easy. But it's what God calls us to have. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) says this: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." And 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV) tells us, "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love." When we diligently practice being disciplined in our thoughts and actions, God will reward us.

What does diligently practicing discipline look like? I can only speak for myself, but, for me, it's being in constant contact with Jesus. It's asking Him to help me with my decisions throughout the day. Do I really need that piece of cake? Should I watch a violent movie? What can I do to help someone in need? Do I really need to spend money on a new blouse? Why are these mean, judgemental thoughts running around in my brain? Should I really say that? Do I want to participate in what everyone else is doing? Why am I so upset because this didn't turn out like I hoped? Why am I worrying about this? I could go on and on. But, when I view things through His perspective, He will change my view of the world. He will guide me into making the correct decisions, into being disciplined and self-controlled.

What happens if we don't practice self-control? The Bible is clear on that, too. In James 3:16 (NIV) we are told, "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice." Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) spells it out even more clearly: "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." WOW!! Talk about taking our eyes off the prize!!

As I said, discipline is not fun or easy. Whether it's coming from God or I do it for myself, my sinful nature rebels against it....big time!! However, it is the best thing that can happen to me. The prize waiting for me - Heaven - and the riches God has for me there, are worth keeping my eye on.

"To go to Heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here." - Jonathan Edwards

Dear Lord, the Bible clearly spells out Your expectation that I live a disciplined life. I ask that You remind me, constantly, of Your Presence and of Your desire that I turn to You in all areas and decisions in my life. Help me to filter my view of the world through Your Son. May I give all control to You each day and keep my eye on the prize You have waiting for me. In Jesus' name I ask, Amen.





Stand Firm

"Moses answered the people, 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.'" - Exodus 14:13 (NIV)

There is a daily battle being waged for control of my mind. The world versus God. The world wants my mind to focus on my troubles, to be fearful, to worry, to take control. It wants to sap me of my courage and confidence in the face of my circumstances. Then there's God. He wants my mind to focus on Him and the peace, joy, hope and comfort He offers. He wants to build me up with His courage and confidence. I get to choose who wins this daily battle.

Jesus won the victory over sin and death for me. He faced the cross with strength and courage, through His Father. I can do the same with my cross, my circumstances. God is always near, His Presence surrounds me, He is my protector and my deliverer. He promised to give me His courage, strength and confidence. If I will stand firm on the Word of God, He will deliver me from my circumstances.

How do I stand firm? It's easier said than done. The world, Satan, the enemy....however I choose to think of it....is sneaky. The news is full of doom and gloom: the economy is tanking, unemployment is rising, flooding in some areas, drought in others. People going hungry, thirsty, living in their cars, in storage units. On and on and on. TV shows are filled with adultery, hate, cheating, stealing, me-first attitudes. The radio is filled with songs about killing, sex, pain, unhappiness. We are constantly being bombarded with things telling us that there is nothing more important than ourselves. Even some Christians are grumbling, complaining, back-stabbing. It's much easier to give in to all of this and let my mind be flooded by fear, worry, and anger. Standing firm means I fully trust in God and believe His promises. It means continually turning to Him, in prayer, worship, and study. I don't mean on a daily basis. I mean on a minute by minute basis, constantly, continually, again and again. It means choosing to acknowledge His Presence in all things and believing that, no matter what is going on, He is in control.  It means choosing to be joyful, to be hopeful, to be at peace in ALL circumstances. It is being strong in my faith, being alert and aware of the battle being waged. It is focusing my mind on Heaven, on an eternity free of pain, unhappiness and strife. No retreat, no surrender to the things of this world.

In my daily battle, I guarantee the world wins more often than I like. I don't always pray when I should, I don't turn to His Word for guidance in the midst of a crisis, I don't ask Him for help in decisions I make, I don't stand firm. I allow fear and worry to take hold. I allow anger to flood my mind. But, the war isn't over. I can make different choices. I can become more aware of when I'm letting the enemy win and choose, at that moment, to ask God to give me His courage, confidence, strength and wisdom to turn the tide against the onslaught. The more I choose to turn to God, the easier it will become to place my feet on the foundation of His promises and stand firm.

"Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm." - Abraham Lincoln

Heavenly Father, give me Your courage and confidence to stand firm against the world. When my mind is being bombarded in the daily battle, remind me of Your Presence and Your love. Remind me to trust in Your promises and to place my feet upon their foundation. When I begin to tire of the battle, fill me with Your strength, Lord. Give me the wisdom to choose You over the world. In Jesus' name, Amen.



My Children's Children

I will be posting two blogs today, yesterday's and today's.

"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children -- with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts." - Psalm 103:17-18 (NIV)

"Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong." Most of us know this song; we learned it in church from the time we were young. Another song that comes to mind is "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." Have you ever really paid attention to the words of these songs?

Jesus loves children. He became indignant with His disciples when they wouldn't let the children go to Him. In Mark 10:14, He tells them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these." He knows how trusting and loving children are. He wants them to come to know Him from a young age. As we become older, we become cynical, less trusting, unable to fully believe that God loves us unconditionally. It's much harder for us to accept Jesus as our Saviour, much less our Lord. Not so with children. It's easier for them to accept that Jesus loves them and that He died for their sins. But, it's up to us adults to make sure they are being brought up with that knowledge. They need to see us keeping His commandments, serving Him, loving Him, praying to Him, obeying Him....fearing Him.

What exactly does it mean to fear God? I had to do some research on this. My idea of fear is a heart-pounding, sweat-inducing, adrenalin-fueling feeling that something or someone is getting ready to hurt me and hurt me badly. It's an awareness that something's not right. That's not what fearing the Lord is, though. Fearing Him is being in true reverence, true worship of Him -- serving Him, cleaving or turning to Him in all things and swearing by His name, His promises. When we fear Him in this manner, in front of our children, we are showing them what it means to love God and accept His love in return.

My biggest regret in my life is that my faith wasn't stronger when my children were young. Church was hit or miss, mostly miss. They didn't see me in prayer, in Bible study. The only time I turned to God was when something was going wrong and I couldn't handle it myself. Only by His grace did my children come to know Him. Only by His grace are my grandchildren being raised in church. Only by His grace do they now see me in prayer and in His Word. I am striving to be the example of God to my grandchildren that I wasn't to my children. Thank You, Lord, for second chances!!

God's love is eternal. It endures forever. He promises that salvation will be offered to all generations...my children's children. And, should Jesus tarry in His return, my grandchildren's children. It's up to me to begin to set the example for them to carry on: of loving and serving God, of teaching others about salvation, of obeying His commandments. Truly worshipping and revering Him. What a legacy to leave for them....my children's children.

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." - Neil Postman

Dear Jesus, may I be an example to my children and to their children of what it means to fear You. May they see & hear me loving You, serving You, trusting You. May they all come to know You as their Lord and Savior. In Your name I pray, Amen.





Do I Have a Purpose?

"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of Your hands." - Psalm 138:8 (NIV)

I was at a girlfriend's conference at church yesterday so I didn't get the chance to post this blog.

I have to be honest and say I don't know what my purpose in life is. I may have said it before but it's still true. Why am I here? What does God want from me? At one of the leadership/personal growth seminars I've taken, the whole point was to find my purpose....I didn't. I thought I was going to have this BIG reveal, this Ah Ha! moment, when I just knew, deep down, what I am meant to do here on earth.......didn't happen.

I do know one thing, though. God's purpose for me isn't finished. How do I know that? I'm still here! He hasn't called me home to heaven yet. I woke up this morning, living, breathing, thinking, feeling. He still has work for me to do. Even though I don't know exactly what that work is...God knows. He will reveal it to me in His time. I don't have a clear picture of the direction my life is supposed to go in, but I am at peace with it. I know He created me for a reason. I know my future is in His hands.

Unfortunately, I try to control that future myself. I make plans....that's who I am. I'm a planner. I make lists for EVERYTHING. My husband and kids will vouch for that. I can't grocery shop without planning what our meals are going to be and making a list. I can't go on a vacation without researching our destination and planning what we're going to see and do. I'm not a "by the seat of my pants" type of girl. I want to know ahead of time what is going to happen, where I'm going to go, what I'm going to do, how I'm going to do it. But, God, with His wonderful sense of humor, loves to throw monkey wrenches into my best laid plans. He loves to remind me that HE is in control, that my plans, my choices, may not be what's best for me. He knows what is.

He promises He will fulfill His purpose for me....says so here in Psalms. He created me; I am the work of His hands and He won't abandon me....again, says so right here in this verse. My job is to be at peace with my life, to be patient until He reveals His full purpose to me. In the meantime, I am going to continue to serve Him where I'm at, pray for His will to be done in me and trust in His timing to show me what my purpose is. And He will!!

"As your faith is strengthened you will find that there is no longer the need to have a sense of control, that things will flow as they will, and that you will flow with them, to your great delight and benefit." - Emmanuel Teney

Dear God, I know you have a purpose for my life. I trust in You to reveal it to me when You know I'm ready. Let me live each day until then for You, in peace, in faith and in love. May Your light shine through me onto every person I come into contact with. I commit my life and my plans into Your hands. Do with them as You will. In Jesus' name, Amen. 





Me of Little Faith

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:24 (NIV)

When Jesus speaks the words, "You of little faith", which He does many times in the Gospels, He's talking directly to me. My faith is so small. I am easily discouraged. I don't feel I'm worthy to ask for certain things, especially when it's for myself. I don't turn first to prayer when I should. I fret and I worry and I fear. I allow doubts and Satan to run rampant through my thoughts: "Why should God answer this prayer? Who am I to think I'm important enough? He knows my sins, He'll NEVER answer this?" and so on. Oh, me of little faith!!

Prayer and faith; faith and prayer. They go hand in hand. If you have faith, you're going to pray. If you pray, you're going to have faith. The hard part for me is having true, honest and complete faith - the believe that you have received it part. In Matthew 21:21-22 (NIV), Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to this fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Jesus doesn't lie; God doesn't lie. If He said it, it's true. It's a promise. So why do I doubt? Jesus also tells me if I "have faith as small as a mustard seed....Nothing will be impossible." (Matthew 17:20 NIV). Small as a mustard seed!! That's a minute amount of faith. Oh, me of little faith!!

I want faith that can move mountains. I want faith that believes I have received. I want faith to know that I am truly loved by God and am worthy of His blessings. I want faith that God knows, sees and hears me.  I want faith that waits patiently on God's timing and not my own. I want faith that gives Him control of my life. I want faith that never wavers. I want faith that never doubts. I want faith that shows the world that Jesus is the Lord of my life. So, I will continue to pray, I will continue to study His Word, I will continue to consciously look for His blessings and miracles, I will continue to surround myself with other people who love Him....and eventually there will be no more me of little faith.

"Faith isn't the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It's simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step." - Joni Eareckson Tada

Dear Lord, forgive me for having so little faith. Grant me the faith to believe completely in You. Continue to show me through Your Word, through prayer, through time spent with other Christians, through Your miracles and blessings, just how much You love me. I believe I have received. In Jesus' precious name I pray, Amen.

Am I Worthy of the Lord?

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God." - Colossians 1:10 (NIV)

Each morning, before I start my Bible study, I read the John Wesley self-evaluation test that I have posted in the right hand column of this blog. I take the time to reflect on each question. About 2/3 of the way down is the question, "Did I disobey God in anything yesterday?". I can NEVER answer that question with a "No". I disobey Him daily. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally, but in some way, shape or form, every day, I am disobedient to God.

It's something I struggle with. Paul says here in Colossians to live my life so that I am worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way. My struggle is that I know I am not and never will be perfect, at least not in this life. So how can I be worthy of the Lord? How can I please Him? What can I, a sinner, do, to live up to Paul's instruction? I know, no matter how hard I try, I will never be fully obedient to God.

Funny thing, God knows it, too. He gave me freewill. He allows me to make my own choices. So, I can choose to be obedient to Him...or not. I can choose to follow the commandments He gives me in His Word...or not. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV). Paul also gave me a couple of other things that are pleasing to God: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. These are not hard commandments to follow, yet I know there are times during the day when I choose to go my own way and disobey.

I have been and continue to be on the receiving end of God's blessings. When I seek Him, when I obey Him, when I trust Him....oh, the blessings He heaps on me! I have also been and continue to be on the receiving end of His discipline. Through my decisions to disobey, to take control, to seek my own counsel instead of His, I bring suffering to myself and my family. All God asks of me is to have faith. To trust Him with all areas of my life. To seek His will in all my decisions. To make the right choices. And, in His infinite wisdom, because He knows I am a sinner, He sent Jesus to intercede with Him on my behalf. When I disobey, and I will, I only need to repent, truly repent, and ask for forgiveness and it will be granted. Clean slate, do over, fresh start -- a new day to make the right choices. So, as I ponder the "Did I disobey God in anything yesterday?" question, and think about the choices I made the day before, I become more aware of the things I do that are displeasing to God. Then I can choose, this day, to make a different decision in how I think, act or speak. I can choose to be worthy of my Lord.

"Although God causes all things to work together for good for His children, He still holds us accountable for our behavior." - Kay Arthur

Awesome God, I want to be obedient to You. I want to follow Your commandments. I want to live a life that is worthy of You, that is pleasing to You. Forgive me when I stumble, Lord, as I often do. May I make choices in my behavior that are consistent with my belief in You and in Your Son. May I continue to grow in my knowledge and trust of You. I ask You this in Jesus' name, Amen.



Growing Through Discipline

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

Discipline - no one likes it but we all need it. I tend to equate it with punishment but they are two different things. Punishment is being made to suffer for our mistakes. Discipline is being made to learn from our mistakes. Punishment comes from anger. Discipline comes from love. And, before you think this insight is coming from me, let me just say that this verse was part of the message presented at church about 3 weeks ago. It was definitely eye-opening to me because, as I wrote at the beginning, discipline and punishment were one and the same to me. I know better now.

What I came to understand is that God doesn't punish us for our sins, our mistakes. He punished Jesus for those. Jesus took on our sin even though He was sinless. He was beaten, He was bloodied, He was stripped, He was despised, He was spit on. He was perfect yet took on my imperfection. He committed no crime but was punished for mine. God turned His back on His Beloved Son instead of turning His back on me. That's punishment.

I also came to understand that God does, however, discipline us. His discipline is an expression of His love for us. For those of us with children...think about that. We discipline our kids to teach them right from wrong, to correct their mistakes, to show them how to act, to build their character, - and we do it out of love. You might be wondering what God's discipline might look like in our lives. Troubles, adversity, trials - that's what it looks like. Sometimes God places them in our lives and sometimes He just uses what Satan has already placed there. But, either way, he wants us to learn from them. His discipline is about maturing us. It's about building our character for Him. Those are the benefits of being disciplined. If we aren't learning the lessons He's teaching, He may allow our difficulties to linger, He may not answer our prayers, He may withhold His blessings. He may use another Christian, our conscience or the Bible to speak to us. Those are the consequences of refusing His discipline. He won't force us to learn our lessons. He still leaves that choice up to us. But, if we refuse to be corrected, to be trained, God says we're stupid. WHAT?!! STUPID?!! WHERE DOES HE SAY THAT?!! "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." (Proverbs 12:1 NIV).  Right there, that's where He says it. My devotional has this to say: The trouble with trouble isn't just the trouble it causes; it's also the trouble we cause ourselves if we ignore the things that trouble has to teach. Just a nicer way of saying we're stupid if we refuse to learn from God's discipline.

My stupidity definitely lies in my reaction to His discipline. First I'm resistant to it and resentful of it. Then I resign myself to it. And finally, FINALLY, I realize that it was exactly what I needed. If I would only skip the resistance, resentfulness and resignation and go directly to the realization...what would my life look like? I'd still need discipline...I am a sinner after all. But I'd sure learn my lesson sooner, I'd mature quicker, my character would grow faster, my troubles wouldn't hang around as long. I have been praying about and working on seeing God's love for me during this time of discipline in my life. I am in the realization stage but it's taken me awhile to get here. Growing through discipline - not fun, but worth it!!

"When faced with adversity the Christian [person] comforts [themself] with the knowledge that all of life's events are in the hands of God." - Vonette Bright

Heavenly Father, I don't like to be disciplined but I know I need it to grow in my faith and my walk with You. Open my eyes to the lessons I need to learn. Help me to skip the resistance, resentfulness and resignation and go directly to the realization of what my discipline is about. Help me to feel Your Presence and Your love through my adversities. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 



Life to the Full

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10 (NIV)

Life to the full - what does that mean? Could it mean money to do and buy anything your heart desires? Could it mean traveling all over the world and experiencing different cultures? Could it mean a huge home, fancy cars and clothes, friends constantly visiting? Could it mean having a huge loving family and spending time enjoying each other's company? Could it mean being able to help others whenever the need arises? It could, and does, mean one or all of these things for a lot of people and a whole lot more.

However, when Jesus talks about life to the full in this verse, He's not talking about any of the above. He's not talking about a life full of worldly things. He's talking about the life He provided for all of us by coming to earth. Life to the full is a gift from Jesus. We can't find it in money, or travel, or family, or friends or things. We can't buy it, bargain for it, trade for it or steal it. No matter how hard we try. All we have to do is accept it. Life to the full is experiencing the love, spiritual abundance and eternal life that Jesus gave His life for.

Jesus is the Giver of life to the full. When we accept Him, He will fill us with His abundance. Through Him we can have unimaginably full lives, no matter where we live, who we know or what we earn. Can you imagine always being at peace, always having joy deep down in your soul, being filled with love for everyone, having the courage and strength to face down every challenge, being filled with wisdom to always make the right decisions, being so full of grace, mercy and forgiveness that it doesn't matter what anyone says or does to you? To be so compassionate, empathetic, understanding and kind that it's returned to you a hundred times over? To have the discipline, self-control and confidence to do anything? No? I can hardly imagine it either but I believe that is what Jesus meant when He said he came, "that they may have life, and have it to the full.".

I can choose each day whether I want a full life in God or a full life in the world. Life in full with God is eternal, everlasting; it will never be taken away. Life in full in the world is fleeting, temporary; it can disappear in an instant. The world is the thief; Jesus is life to the full. I choose to accept the life that Jesus offers.

"God is the giver, and we are the receivers. And His richest gifts are bestowed not upon those who do the greatest things, but upon those who accept His abundance and His grace." - Barbara Whitall Smith

Precious Jesus, I accept Your gifts. I want a life to the full with You. Nothing You offer me is temporary, Lord. Whatever today brings, I have the opportunity to live it with abundance. Thank You. Let me lean on You as I experience this life You've given to me. In Your name, Amen.





Let's Take a Walk

"Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways." - Psalm 128:1 (NIV)

When was the last time you took a walk with someone you love? Not for exercise, or sightseeing, or because you had to be somewhere but just a nice, leisurely stroll and a good talk? Hand in hand or arm in arm, sharing your hopes and dreams, worry and fears? Today? Yesterday? A week ago? Months ago? Never? What about Jesus? When was the last time you took a long walk and had a long talk with Him?

Jesus took a long walk for us, carrying His cross up to Calvary. He did that because He loves us. He did that to take the place of all the rituals of the Old Testament. He became the sacrifice for our sins. He shed His blood to cleanse us. He became our bridge to God. In return, He wants us to walk with Him. Follow in His footsteps. Live as He lived. Trust Him. Talk to Him. Share with Him. He wants to hear about our hopes, dreams, and wishes. He wants to take on our fears, worries and sorrows. He wants to walk hand in hand with us. To celebrate our joys, lift us up when we fall, protect us when we're afraid. He's just waiting for us to ask Him to take a walk.

The path for my walk with Him isn't the same as the path for His walk with you. He has different plans for each of us. But, no matter how different our paths may be, the directions for walking them are clearly spelled out in the Bible. When we walk in the light - follow Jesus. When we walk through darkness - follow Jesus. When something crosses  our path that scares us - follow Jesus. When we walk through confusion - follow Jesus. When we get tired - follow Jesus. Through it all - follow Jesus. Walk with Him and talk with Him and you'll never lose your way.

"I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light." - Anonymous

Dear Lord, walk with me today. Keep me from straying from Your ways. Hold my hand as I face the challenges that cross my path. Protect me when I'm afraid, strengthen me when I'm weak and comfort me when I fall. Rejoice with me in the good times. Let me hear You as I know You hear me. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.



Claim the Victory

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." - 1 John 5:4 (NIV)

"Oh, victory in Jesus, My Savior forever. He sought me and He bought me, with His redeeming blood. He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory, beneath the cleansing flood." I love the words to this hymn. There IS victory in Jesus. By believing in Him and accepting Him into my heart as my Lord and Savior, being born-again into His kingdom, I will overcome the world. What a comfort that is - to know that no matter what adversity I face in this world, I can overcome it by having faith in my Lord. And that, when I die or meet Jesus in the Rapture, the world will never bother me again.

It's so easy to focus on our troubles, isn't it? They're here and now. We are facing them and they scare us. God, Jesus, Heaven and the rewards we have waiting for us....they seem so far into the future, don't they? It's hard to focus on what God wants for us, to have the patience to wait for His timing and His plan for our lives, to claim the victory over the devil and the world. But that's exactly what we He intends for us to do.

Have faith, believe, trust, be thankful, have patience...these topics seem to be the focus of every Bible passage God is leading me to of late. He knows how weak my faith really is. He strengthens my faith through His Word, each and every day. He wants me to claim the victory that is rightfully mine as a child of God. The victory that He provided for me by the shedding of the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. What is holding me back from that victory? Fear? Pride? Selfishness? Disbelief? Anger? Impatience? All of the above? More? What is holding you back?

I need to claim the victory over my troubles. I want to claim the victory over them. God loves me. He proved that by sending His only Beloved Son to die for me. Jesus loves me. He proved that by taking on the burden of my sin, suffering anguish and pain, and dying on the cross so that I wouldn't have to spend eternity in hell. Then VICTORY!! - He rose on the third day, overcoming death, overcoming sin, overcoming Satan, overcoming the world!! My troubles are nothing compared to what God can do.

I AM CLAIMING THE VICTORY TODAY! I will rely on His strength, His courage, His love and His promises. There is nothing this world can throw in my path that God cannot overcome. I believe and I will receive...victory is mine!

"If you think you can win, you can. Faith is necessary to victory." - William Hazlitt

Precious Jesus, I claim the victory today! No matter what disappointments, trials, troubles or sorrows cross my path, I know You can overcome them. The world and it's hardships are nothing compared to You. I place my trust in Your promises, Your timing and Your plan for me. In Your name I claim the victory, Amen.





God: Our Burden-Bearer

"Do not be anxious in anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

This is the first verse the Lord lead me to memorize when I began to study His Word. I never thought of myself as much of a "worrier". I wasn't one of those moms that rushed her kids to the doctor if they sneezed, had a runny nose or a slight fever. I treated them at home. I didn't worry about the things that were being reported on the news. I always figured God was in control and there was nothing I could do about it anyway. Even though I wasn't what I considered a "worrier" to be, I was still anxious about certain things. And, as I was out of the Lord's will at the time, they would weigh me down, become burdens and eat away at me. I would become angry at the least little thing, taking it out on whoever was closest - usually my husband and children. The only time I ever prayed and turned it over to God  was when I couldn't find a solution on my own first.

Basically, I was telling God that I didn't need Him, I didn't trust Him or His promises. Very arrogant of me! But, you know what? He never turned His back on me. He never gave up on me. As I began to find my way back to Him, He pointed out to me my lack of faith in Him through this verse. And I began to trust Him. I began to turn my worries over to Him first. I began relying less on my own abilities and more on my Lord's. He lead me to two other passages: Romans 12:12 - "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus". He opened my heart to the peace and joy that can take the place of my worry and fear. He opened my eyes to the many blessings I have to be thankful for. I am able make the most of each day because I choose to live this verse. I believe I am a much calmer, happier, loving woman because of that choice.

If you find yourself burdened by worry, anxiety, fear or sorrow, why don't you do as God asks and present them to Him? Wrap them up, tie them with a bow and give them to God. Leave them in His more than capable hands and go about your day with peace in your heart and much lighter steps. As Corrie ten Boom observed, "We are not called to be burden-bearers, but cross-bearers and light-bearers. We must cast our burdens on the Lord.".

"The more you trust Jesus and keep your eyes focused on Him, the more life you'll have. Trusting God brings life. Believing brings rest. So stop trying to figure everything out, and let God be God in your life." - Joyce Meyer

Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for being my burden-bearer. Thank You, Lord, that I don't have to live my days weighed down by my worries and fears. I trust You to take care of me and meet my needs. I trust in Your will for my life. Continue to lead me to passages in Your Word that show me how to become a stronger Christian. May I be a cross-bearer and light-bearer for you today. In Jesus' name, Amen.