light up the world

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

– Matthew 5:14-16

How do you view your identity as a follower of Christ?

Is it as a good church goer?

Or reading your bible every day?

Jesus goes past all of that and calls us the light of the world.

Do we see ourselves as a force that illuminates all that is around us?

Song reference!

We are the light of the world

We are the city on a hill

We are the light of the world

We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine

We are called to spread the news

Tell the world the simple truth

Jesus came to save, there’s freedom in His name

So let his love break through

Every day people see you. 

What do they see?

Do they see the person you are, the person that God wants you to be, or the person that your boss/spouse/society wants you to be? 

I don’t like trying to keep those three separate personas, I want to be the person that God wants me to be. 

I saw a quote once that said “When you are not the person God has called you to be, you keep others from being the person God has called them to be.”

I want to be the person that God wants me to be. 

If that means letting my light shine, well then, I hope I am blinding!!

Have a blessed day!

admit it

For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths.

– Proverbs 5:21

My kids used to get so mad when they got into trouble for doing something wrong, but sometimes it seemed that they had little or no remorse.

I have been known to ask them if they were upset because they know what they did was wrong, or if they were angry because they got caught.

A dear friend of mine recently shared with me that his son once asked him “How do you know what the right thing is?”

“Simple”, my wise friend answered. “Ask yourself this question: If your father finds out, will I be ok with the consequence?”

Just to clarify – are you willing to take the punishment that equals the sin?

Because there is no such thing as hidden sin.

God not only sees what we do, but He sees why we do it!

When we realize that nothing escapes God’s view and the need to cry out for mercy becomes real, that is when we need a Savior.

Without that realization, we are still held captive to our sin, for we are not aware of our true need.

Jesus Christ came to set captives free, but the chains that come off are the ones that we are willing to admit that we have.

Have a blessed day!

do the right thing

My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul; my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;  for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.

– Proverbs 1:10-11,15-16

My kids went to Westside Elementary in Rogers, AR, where one of the things they were taught from the first day is “Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.”

Temptation is all around us.

There are multiple times in a day when we are faced with decisions that will affect other people in a detrimental way.

While we may not be enticed today in the same manner as in Biblical times, the opportunity can occur at lunch,  during a break, out shopping with friends, or even at a church event.

Don’t give into this conniving, for in the end the people doing these things only set a trap for themselves by their actions.

The wisdom of this proverb is as relevant for us today as when it was first written.

Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

Have a blessed day!

wisdom and patience

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.

– Proverbs 19:11

When I choose verses to post and talk about, I often feel that some of God’s words are jumping out and grabbing my by the throat. 

This is one of those verses.

How often we repeat to ourselves to be patient, that “good things come to those who wait”, yet we watch as people around us tend to receive many of the things we want, and sometimes we watch those same people get those things by say unconventional means.

Or say we circle a parking lot looking for the best spot, then we see someone backing out and we hurry to that spot, only to have a car come from the opposite direction and snag that spot.

Then it just makes us mad.

It is one thing to be patient when things are going our way; it is another thing to be patient when we feel wronged.

As C.S. Lewis stated, “Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying us at the moment.”

We show our true wisdom when we are faced with offense.

Can we overlook the faults (or indiscretions) of others – even when it hurts?

Have a blessed day!

do as i say, not as i do

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

—James 1:22

Have you ever told someone “do what I say, not what I do”?

Can you really and truly expect someone to respect you if you tell them to do one thing, and then turn around and do the exact polar opposite of what you said?

I’m telling you, it doesn’t work that way.

There is an old saying "The proof of the pudding is in the tasting."

Well, the proof of biblical wisdom and understanding is in the living.

To simply know the truth doesn't mean a whole lot; to live the truth is everything.

We should really examine ourselves and be sure that we are living the truth.

His truth.

Have a blessed day!

Paybacks

Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you.

—Proverbs 20:22

There are probably a handful of people in the world that I feel strongly about, people that I feel like deserve my revenge.

But vengeance is an awful and painful way to respond to those whom we feel have wronged us.

The LORD is our assurance of just rewards.

Leave it to him.

Escalating vindictiveness only leads to broken people and to broken lives.

Worse yet, it leads to broken character.

Have a blessed day!

Chosen

In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will,

– Ephesians 1:11

God chose me.

How profound and wonderful is that statement?

This great love is what every person faces when they come into the kingdom of heaven.

It’s not just when we die that we can experience God’s love and salvation, but we have it throughout our lives – God is working things out in ways that we don’t see.

Take heart; God is actively involved in your life, both in ways that you can see and ways that are invisible to your view.

Rejoice in that truth.

Trust in His unending love.

Have a blessed day!

Can you finish the task?

I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.

—John 17:4

I find that the most satisfying thing for me is to finish a task that I have been assigned.

Whether it is a task assigned to my at work, at church, one that my husband says needs done, or just something I know I need to do.

It is like putting that last piece into a jigsaw puzzle – the feeling of accomplishment is so cool.

One of the most amazing things that Jesus ever said, He said to His Father in heaven: "I have completed the work you gave me to do..."

In fact, when He breathed His last, He said; "It is finished."

What if we would live with the glory of God as our highest priority?

After all, this is our purpose as God's children.

The more priority we place on His kingdom, the more we can rest assured that we can finish our lives with a line similar to Jesus!

We may not yet know what He wants us to do, but I sure hope that at the end of my life I can say with my whole heart that I completed His work here on Earth.

Have a blessed day!

What does your character say about you?

 Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.

—Psalm 37:16-17

Which do you think is more important to others, your money or your character?

You might hear this question a lot . . . quite often at the worst of all possible times when you are most vulnerable.

Martin Luther said that the last thing to get converted in a man was his wallet.

Will you choose the little of the righteous over the wealth of many wicked?

I’d like to think that my character speaks for itself.

Bottom line is that we need to make that decision now before the circumstances change.

For me, God, His Kingdom, His will, and His righteousness come first, how about you?

Have a blessed day!

The road less traveled

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

—Matthew 7:13-14

Here is a twist, I am going to quote poetry!

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. – Robert Frost

How many times have you come to a point in your life where you had to choose which path you would take?

Do you weigh all of your options, discuss with friends and family to get their vote on what choice you should make?

Majority rules is the edict of democracy, a blessed political philosophy for so many people over the course of history.

But, "majority rule" doesn't apply to the Kingdom of God.

God sets the standard, not us.

God's holiness is the goal, not just trying to be better than someone else.

Most, regrettably, will never find the way of the Lord.

Everyone wants it their way but listen, there is one crucial problem with wanting things our way: it leads to ultimate disaster.

God, the Creator and Sustainer of all life, is the only One who can set life's agenda.

Will you choose His path?

Have a blessed day!

Just a word

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

– Matthew 6:8

Do not be like them.

Whoa.

But wait!

If God already knows what we need, why should we pray?

Jesus reminds us that we shouldn’t come before God with a laundry list, and directly after this verse, He teaches us to pray the Lord’s prayer.

The “do not be like them” was referring to the hypocrites, the pagans, those who basically pray just to hear themselves talk, not to talk to the Father.

You see, true prayer cultivates trust in God, it creates a place of fellowship with God, and it makes us available to partner with God to change the world around us.

Come to Him in times of praise and in times of need, He is there for you!

We serve a mighty God; let Him guide you.

Have a blessed day!

Plans for hope

 "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

—Jeremiah 29:11

At the point of our birth, really even before we are born, God knows what He has in store for us.

As we get older, we face some very real struggles and some of us (me) need this constant reminder – that God has a plan. 

In the midst of despair, God has promised prosperity, hope, and a future.

Jeremiah told God's people that 70 years after the devastation in Israel, God would deliver and restore them.

How many times along the way did these people abandon God?

How many times have we abandoned Him?

But He did not abandon them or His promises to them.

And He won’t abandon us.

He was faithful.

And He is faithful.

In fact, even while they went on their way doing terrible things, God was planning and preparing a bright future for them.

Let this be a reminder to us that no matter how deep our own personal gloom may seem, God does have plans for us.

He will keep His promises to us.

He will deliver and bless us.

We can have a vibrant hope and a bright future because of His faithfulness and our trust in Him.

Song reference! (wow – three in a row!)

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

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There's not a day ahead You have not seen
So let all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

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
I will trust in You

Trust in Him.

Have a blessed day!

A presence

Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

—John 17:3

Jesus tells us that eternal life begins now!

Granted, right at this very moment we can’t enjoy all of the blessings that await us when we go home to the Father.

But, Jesus wants us to know and to experience His love and the Father's presence in our lives right this very minute.

Jesus even prayed this for us!

We need to seek the Father — not to just know about Him, but to know Him.

He longs to draw near to us and will do just that as we draw near to Him.

He is at work in us, so the real issue isn't His nearness, but our awareness of His presence and work.

Let's open our eyes and our hearts to our Father, and ask Him to reveal His presence to us! 

Song reference!

There's nothing worth more
That could ever come close
No thing can compare
You're our living hope
Your presence, Lord
I've tasted and seen
Of the sweetest of loves
Where my heart becomes free
And my shame is undone
Your presence, Lord
Holy Spirit, You are welcome here
Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere
Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for
To be overcome by Your presence, Lord
Your presence, Lord

Find His presence in you.

Have a blessed day!

Start a fire!

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

– Exodus 3:5

The definition of “holy” is dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.

So, what makes any ground “holy”?

The presence of God.

Have you ever noticed that the Scripture calls us a holy people?

Well, what makes us holy?

It is that very same presence.

Remember the story of the burning bush, where Moses encountered God?

The God who took an ordinary bush and transformed it into a place of destiny for Moses can take our lives and transform us into a people of destiny.

Through Jesus Christ, you and I ARE the holy ground of God.

For those who understand this, a fire begins to burn in our souls.

Song reference!

Start a fire in my soul
Fan the flame and make it grow
So there’s no doubt or denying
Let it burn so brightly
That everyone around can see
That it’s You, that it’s You that we need
Start a fire in me

Are you ready to take His presence with you wherever you go?

Have a blessed day!

The promise that will never fail

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

– Matthew 24:35

I recently lost a good friend. 

It was a shock, one day she was fine, the next day she had to have emergency surgery and three weeks later she was gone.

Think about this: everything that you see around you will pass away, but the promises of God will last forever.

I know that my friend is with her Redeemer, I know that He has fulfilled His promise to her.

This promise from Jesus says that we can trust His word, that no matter what, He is with us.

It may take time, but God’s promises are faithful.

They will never fail.

Have a blessed day!

Time to get dressed!

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

– Ephesians 6:13-14

Oh boy!

When I was little, one of my favorite things to do was play dress up.

As I would put on each piece of jewelry, each fabulous dress, the wonderfully grown up high heels and make up, I would think about what each piece would do.

The tiara represented that I was the princess of my make-believe world, the dress and shoes determined if I was going to a ball or afternoon tea, and of course, depending on the event this princess was attending, her jewelry marked the occasion.

It is the same with the armor of God.

In today’s world, there is chaos and danger and we have to wrap ourselves in His word.

Start with the belt of truth.

In the days that the Bible was written, the belt of the Roman soldier was the centerpiece of his armor, holding his tunic and his weapons.

In other words, make sure that the truth of God’s word is at the center of your life.

To simply quote Scriptures is not enough; we must live with truth at the core of our day to day life.

We live in a culture of personality, but the Bible tells us that living with integrity is what allows us to move quickly and hold other weapons within reach.

Do you want to dress in the armor of God?

I do! 

Have a blessed day!

Give, and it will be given to you

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

—Luke 6:38

God loves to give, bless, and empower us, sometimes that is hard to believe, but it is true.

There is a saying that when praises go up, blessings rain down and that is also true! 

God gives us “things” and “stuff” and talent to bless us, and He wants us to bless others; He wants us to be conduits of His blessing.

When we are faithful, generously and faithfully using what He has given us to administer, He blesses us with more to use to help others and bring Him glory.

As we give, share, and bless, God continues to supply us with more than we can imagine!

Have a blessed day!

Peace beyond understanding

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4:7

According to the Bible, there is nothing wrong with realistically acknowledging and trying to deal with the identifiable problems of life.

To ignore danger is foolish and wrong.

The key word there is “realistically”, because it is also wrong, as well as unhealthy, to be immobilized by excessive worry.

There have been times when I am pretty sure that I let people down because I allow my anxiety to take control.

Sometimes, my anxiety keeps me from doing things that I really love, and that breaks my heart.

Such worry must be committed to prayer to God, who can release us from paralyzing fear or anxiety, and free us to deal realistically with the needs and welfare both of others and of ourselves.

Prayer is the antidote to anxiety, for prayer reminds us that God is ultimately in charge of everything.

Are you captured by your anxieties? Talk to Him, He is waiting for you.

How is your prayer life? Remember that we are supposed to pray without ceasing.

Peace that is beyond all of understanding is waiting for those who can cast their cares upon the One who cares for them.

And talking your way through the anxiety might just alleviate a bit of the stress.

Have a blessed day!

Freedom

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

– Galatians 5:13

Happy 241^st birthday, America!

Fun facts:

The stars and stripes on the American flag represent the 50 states and original 13 colonies, respectively.

The story of the red, white and blue is that the colors represent purity and innocence (white), hardiness and valor (red), and vigilance, perseverance and justice (blue).

July 4th is a great celebration of freedom in the United States, a celebration of the freedom from British rule, tyranny and taxes, a freedom that was given to us in order to live responsibly.

I would be remiss if I did not point out here that freedom is not free – thank you to all Veterans for fighting for our great country.

Thank you to Jesus, for setting us free from sin.

We have been set free to serve God and share in His grace eternally, and we need to make certain that we do not use our “freedom” as an excuse to do anything that we want – that is not what it is about!

The freedom that Christ gives is best expressed when we serve each other humbly in love.

So celebrate with fireworks and picnics, but also celebrate by finding ways to serve others well, which is true freedom being expressed.

Happy 4th of July!

We must have a song!

If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life
And I had to start again
With just my children and my wife

I'd thank my lucky stars
To be living here today
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can't take that away

And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me

And I gladly stand up
Next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA

From the lakes of Minnesota
To the hills of Tennessee
Across the plains of Texas
From sea to shining sea

From Detroit down to Houston,
And New York to L.A
Well there's pride in every American heart
And its time we stand and say

That I'm proud to be an American

Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me

And I gladly stand up
Next to you and defend her still today
Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA

Have a blessed day!

a conversation

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

– Ephesians 6:18

Prayer 101

Do you know how many time prayers are mentioned in the Bible (and how many were answered)?

There are 650 prayers listed in the Bible.

There are approximately 450 recorded answers to prayer in the Bible.

The first time prayer is mentioned in the Bible is Genesis.

The Bible records Jesus praying 25 different times during His earthly ministry.

The apostle Paul mentions prayer (prayers, prayer reports, prayer requests, exhortations to pray), 41 times.

Although prayer can (and should) be done from any bodily position, the Bible lists five specific postures: sitting, standing, kneeling, with one's face to the ground, and with hands lifted up.

In Jesus’ model for how His disciples should pray, He provides five areas of focus: That God's name be honored - the focus on his everlasting glory (“Father, hallowed be your name”); that God's kingdom come - the focus on his eternal will (“your kingdom come”); that God's provision is given - the focus on our present (“Give us each day our daily bread.”); that God's forgiveness is granted - the focus on our past (Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.); that God's deliverance will be provided - the focus on our future.

The Bible lists at least nine main types of prayer: prayer of faith, prayer of agreement, prayer of request (also known as petition or supplication), prayer of thanksgiving, prayer of worship, prayer of consecration (also known as dedication), prayer of intercession,  prayer of imprecation, and praying in the Spirit.

Doesn’t that kind of want to make you have a conversation with God right now?

Have a blessed day!