wating

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

—Hebrews 11:13

I'm not good at waiting for much of anything.

This time of year may be the worst, because I am excited for family and friends and events where I get to be with family and friends. :)

God does have a great Gift Day ahead for us.

On that wonderful day, all our waiting will be over and our faith will become sight.

Let's follow the example of these great heroes of faith, and welcome that day from afar, by anticipation, praising God for His victory through Jesus Christ in our lives.

Have a blessed day! 

masquerade

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

—2 Corinthians 11:14

While we wait for God's great victory for us to be fully realized, we also need to know that we are in a battle.

God will win this battle through Jesus Christ - the final outcome is certain - Christ has already won the decisive battle.

However, let's not be fooled; the evil one will do everything he can to deceive all people and confuse the lost.

Let's stick with God's plan — living His truth, listening for His voice in Scripture, and following the lead of His Spirit.

Have a blessed day! 

Don't be greedy!

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

– Luke 12:15

I probably should have posted this verse the day before Thanksgiving, as a reminder to those “Black Friday” shoppers . . .

In this story in the book of Luke, Jesus is addressing two brothers who are fighting over their inheritance.

He gives them a strong warning about thinking that their possessions can give their life worth and ultimate value.

So what if you didn’t get a “hatchling” or a Nintendo, “stuff” does not define who you are.

Greed grips our hearts when we place material things (or anything) in the place of God and His ultimate approval and blessings in our life.

We have been given the very best God has to offer in the form of His Son!

Have a blessed day! 

know Him

They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

—Isaiah 11:9

What a glorious time of blessing when we know God personally.

It will not be just us, but the vast chorus of the faithful will sing a song of joy because they know God.

Let's anticipate that day and join our hearts together in pursuit of God.

Let's not settle for merely a factual knowledge about God, but let's come to really know Him by sharing in His work, by sharing in His character, and seeking His presence in our lives.

Have a blessed day!

I care

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

—Psalm 34:18

While many of us are richly blessed spiritually and physically, many of God's people face hardship and difficulty.

You may be one of those in difficult circumstances.

Please remember that God has not abandoned you.

Jesus is the great reminder that God cares and involves Himself with the broken, forgotten, and downtrodden.

Please know as well, that lots of people are praying for you today.

Have a blessed day! 

Be a blessing

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

—2 Corinthians 9:11

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

As we examine our blessings and give thanks to God for His wonderful grace, let's ask why God has blessed us so much.

God's people are blessed to be a blessing.

Let's make sure we are not just recipients of God's blessings.

Let's commit to be conduits of those blessings to others.

Have a blessed day! 

i am still a sinner

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

– 1 John 1:8-9

The gospel gives us an interesting paradox: to be free from sin we must recognize its grip on our lives.

In other words, sin is a reminder that we need a Savior!

No matter how long one has walked with Christ, we are in constant need of forgiveness.

Yet this confession of sin creates another force — righteousness.

As we look to Christ, His righteousness truly cleanses us.

To live IN Christ is the wisdom of God to keep us in relationship and to guard us from pride.

Have a blessed day! 

Mirror, Mirror

All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.

– Proverbs 16:2

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the holiest of them all?

One of the metaphors for the Scripture is that of a mirror; when we look at God’s word, we are able to see our reflection more clearly.

But what happens when we stop looking at that mirror?

We forget what we really look like and can even deceive ourselves toward our actions!

Pride, lust, and apathy can feel normal.

Unless we allow the Scripture to expose our ways, we will justify our poor behavior.

We need more than a Bible study, we need our hearts to be transformed by the power of God’s word.

What do you see in the mirror?

Have a blessed day!

Call out

and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 50:15

This is not the verse that I had planned on using today, but on the way to work this morning, my heart was touched. 

These are sobering times that we live in today. 

People close to me have lost jobs and can’t find one. 

Others are underemployed and are just barely making it. 

People I know are going hungry so their children can have their needs filled.

Families are losing their homes because they can’t afford the rent any more. 

With turmoil going on in the world people are becoming desperate; even the people of God. 

What can we do when our backs are against the wall, when we are in desperate situations and we have nowhere to turn and we are in serious trouble?

What can we do? 

Can we call on God?

Can we depend on God? 

Can we trust in God?

Lauren Daigle (song reference!) has recently become one of my favorite artists, because her words hit so close to home:

When You don't move the mountains I'm needing You to move
When You don't part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don't give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

God desires that we depend on Him and that we seek His help. 

Think of a human father: what good father would not want his children to turn to him when they need help? 

Naturally, a father loves it when his children come to him to seek help. 

There is something special about having someone there for you. 

I guess the point I am trying to get across here is that God is this true source that we can depend on.

God truly loves those that are His. 

He loves you! 

Listen to what God says for those who are in desperate situations and what He promises when they call upon Him.

and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

Psalm 50:15

Have a blessed day!

Citizenship

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

—Philippians 3:20

No matter what your passport says, if you are a Christ follower, there is no earthly country that can hold you.

No borders that can claim you and no flag that flies above you but Jesus and the Kingdom of Heaven.

You have more in common with the believing aboriginal tribesman of Indonesia, the Christian refugee in Africa, the Bedouin brother in Egypt, the Spirit-filled Brazilian housewife, the high rise business person in Hong Kong who bows to pray in Jesus name, than you do your next door neighbors if they don't know Christ as Lord and Savior.

I am a citizen of God.

Have a blessed day! 

Seek Him

For the LORD is righteous, He loves justice; upright men will see His face.

—Psalm 11:7

Can you think of any greater promise for those who seek to be righteous and just?

We will see God face to face!

Incredible.

What a blessing!

What a future!

What an incredible Father!

So let's seek our Abba Father, the LORD God, with all heart and soul and mind and strength until that day that we get to see Him as He is.

We will be face-to-face with God in all His glory.

Have a blessed day! 

Focus, trust and hope

Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!

– Psalm 97:11-12

It has been a week, and I really thought that our nation would be ready to move on after the election, but it that does not seem to be the case.

I have seen lasting friendships and family ties utterly destroyed in the past few weeks.

This year’s election has been filled with fear and anxiety - - for everyone.

We MUST remember that our focus and trust is not in political systems, but we rejoice in the LORD, who shines light and joy into our heart.

Remember the rule and reign of God today and every day and place your hope in the LORD and not the people that were voted into office.

This is how to access peace in the midst of unsettling times.

Have a blessed day! 

where is your faith?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

—Hebrews 11:1

I know that sometimes I waver in my faith and sometimes I question God and His plan.

And that is ok.

Look at the people in the Bible - their faith wasn't always perfect, their trust wasn't always mature.

But, they stayed at it; they believed and acted with a relentless assurance that somehow, some way, God would act and deliver.

I need that kind of faith, I am sure that you do as well.

So when the going gets tough, let's stay at it with that kind of faith too!

Have a blessed day!

Veteran's Day

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

– 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Today is Veteran’s Day.

To the men and women in the military, we honor your sacrifice and your service!

We honor our Veterans, those who have fallen, those who have served and those who continue to fight for our rights and freedoms around the globe.

We remember the sacrifice that men and women have given for their country.

In the same way, God calls us to live in such a way that pleases our Great Commander.

Let this holiday remind all of us that you and I are not called to live an “ordinary” life.

There are great adventures that await those who are willing to endure hardship, and therefore, qualify for the prize.

I am wearing a “My Son Defends Freedom in the US Army” shirt today.

I could not be more proud of the soldier that he has become.

I hope that I can do something nice for a veteran today.

Have a blessed day! 

who (or what) is your idol?

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

– Psalm 135:15-18

We may not have idols that we see in our daily lives, but idols are all around us.

We make idols of career, family, comfort, and many other things that are as man-made as the ancient ones of silver and gold.

These modern idols shape us into their image just as much as the ancient ones did.

Do you trust in money?

Watch how it affects you when money is at stake.

Do you trust in status?

Don’t be surprised if you crumble when a promotion doesn’t come through.

God made us for Himself, and turning to any other god is a tragedy in the making.

Have a blessed day! 

Live wise

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

– Ephesians 5:15-17

This is a great vision for time management.

Is there something that you have always wanted to do, see, own, but had to wait because of time, money or responsibilities?

I remember being told when I learned that I was pregnant (so many years ago!) that I should have waited until we could afford to have a child.

I remember when we moved here, being told that we should not have moved because it was too expensive.

But if I would have waited to have children, I would not be a proud mom of three awesome kids.

If I would not have moved, I would have missed out on meeting some incredible people and making my life so much better.

Expect opportunities to happen, and order your life in such a way that you are prepared for those opportunities WHEN they happen.

Take a chance on things that you would normally shy away from, you might be pleasantly surprised with the results.

It would be a shame to have doors opening to you without being prepared to walk through them.

Have a blessed day! 

who is stubborn?

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.

– Proverbs 3:7

Have you ever tried to teach someone (or something) that is stubborn, like a child or a new pet?

If we are stubborn, it often means that we think that we know more than really do, and this creates a barrier to learning.

Are you stubborn in your beliefs?

As we become less wise in our own eyes we open ourselves to new knowledge that can change our lives.

This posture requires humility, and the root of humility is in the fear of the LORD.

God is greater than all, and that understanding should cause us to be less dogmatic about our own thoughts and more gracious to the perspectives of others.

Have a blessed day! 

Work with all your heart

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

– Colossians 3:23-24

I’m back!

Sometimes it is hard to come back to work after a lovely vacation or just time away.

Sometimes, when we come back and see that everything ran like a well-oiled machine while we were gone, we begin to doubt our  worth.

Stop that!! Stop looking to your employer or co-workers for validation and start looking to the Lord.

This does not mean to not listen to people that you work with, but understand that it is easy to subtly get your sense of worth from them.

Don’t equate your value with your job.

Lift up your eyes to the Lord and you may find new ways to tap into your passions in life, no matter what your current employment status is.

Oh and by the way – I am glad to be back.

Have a blessed day!

Come away

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

—Mark 6:31

"Come away."

I could be heading home to Arkansas today, but instead hubby and I decided to extend our adventure a little, just for a nice relaxing break. 

We do need to withdraw — not once-in-a-while, but often!

What is incredible is that Jesus invites His disciples (today that's us!) to withdraw with Him to a quiet place and rest with Him. 

This isn't just about getting a good night's sleep, or a nap during the day; it's about taking time in the middle of our wild and crazy days to join Him for a few moments of grace, rest, and refreshment.

Let's make these daily stops in God's Word more than quick e-mail viewing; let's let it be a time to withdraw with the Savior and take a few minutes of rest!

Today, my moment of rest just happens to be on a beach in Florida!

Have a blessed day!

God is in control

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

– John 14:27

Today my husband and I will see our youngest son graduate from Army Basic Training. 

We get to spend the afternoon with him, then we won’t see him again until Christmas.

This time though, we will be able to communicate more than we were able during basic training.

You know, it is a privilege to be in a world that can connect with each other instantly, but there is a downside to our access.

We hear of horrible events and potentially dangerous developments every day.

The daily news can bring our anxieties to new levels, but we have lived in a broken world since the fall of Adam and Eve—we just have greater awareness of that brokenness. 

Yet when we take our eyes off of the media reports and put them on God’s report in Jesus Christ, we can receive peace.

Jesus calms us in a broken world. He promised to do so.

So I send our son to his next base with this verse, knowing that God is in control.

Have a blessed day!

Our heritage

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. 

– Psalm 127:3-4

Sometimes, we need a reminder of just how precious and important our children are.

As our culture becomes more self-centered we can send a subtle message to our children that they are in our way, but the Bible reminds us of the blessing that children are. 

Whether you have a houseful of kids or have no children at all, take the time to celebrate a young life.

They are gifts to remind us that things and agendas are not more important than people.

Have a blessed day!

Safe

The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

—Psalm 121:7-8

Today, as my wonderful hubby and I begin our drive across five states to see our youngest son (for the first time in 72 days), I definitely want to begin with a prayer for safe travel! 

Our lives are not lived out on our own, alone.

The Lord is with us personally, when we are working, sleeping, driving, playing, we are never alone.

He holds our future and our safety in His hands.

The Lord will keep us from all harm!

Have a blessed day!