i am weak

Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.

- Psalm 105:4

I am weak.

I struggle with a lot of things, some things are not even mine to struggle with, yet I do.

I stress out badly, and I know deep down that these crazy things are just that – things.

Song reference!

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising up again I bless Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

These things . . . I need to stop struggling, stop freaking out and give it to Jesus. 

He is my all in all.

Have a blessed day.

let me in!

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

- Revelation 3:20

I am kind of a freak about locking my doors, in the house in the car, I have never really lived in one of those towns where you could leave your doors and windows open and your keys in the ignition and not worry about your stuff.

So when someone knocks on my door, unless I am expecting company, I am a little (a lot) skeptical about their reason for being at my door in the first place.

Back in the day, I was a country music fan – I know, it was a crazy thing . . . but there was this song that had a cool beat and interesting lyrics. 

It is probably mildly inappropriate here, but I promise there is a tie in – the song was “Somebody’s Knockin’” and here is a snippet of the lyrics:

Somebody's knockin'
Should I let him in
Lord it's the devil
Would you look at him
I've heard about him
But I never dreamed
He'd have blue eyes and blue jeans

Well somebody's talkin'
He's whispering to me
Your place or my place
Well, which will it be
I'm gittin' weaker
And he's comin' on strong
But I don't wanna go wrong

OK, here is the tie in – there is always someone knocking.

It is really up to you to answer – it could be the devil and he could have a heck of a deal for you, or it could be Jesus, with a far better deal.

But you have to answer the door.

You can slam it in the face of the devil when you realize you don’t want that mess.

Listen to the voice that is behind the knock, let Jesus into your heart.

You won’t regret His presence in your life.

Have a blessed day.

I am good enough

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

- Psalm 32:1

One of my daily devotionals had this verse and a comment “stained by our sin, we are led to believe that we are not good enough for God.”

That my friends, is a flat out LIE.

That kind of thinking is the evil one trying to get inside your head.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing that could remove you from your Father.

When you ask forgiveness, it is given to you.

If you feel like you are not good enough or not forgiven – that is not God, honey, that is evil, through and through.

Song reference!

When he told you you're not good enough
When he told you you're not right
When he told you you're not strong enough
To put up a good fight
When he told you you're not worthy
When he told you you're not loved
When he told you you're not beautiful
That you'll never be enough

Fear, he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar

When he told you were troubled
You'll forever be alone
When he told you you should run away
You'll never find a home
When he told you you were dirty
And you should be ashamed
When he told you you could be the one
That grace could never change

Fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar

Let Your fire fall and cast out all my fears
Let Your fire fall Your love is all I feel

Oh, fear he is a liar
He will take your breath
Stop you in your steps
Fear he is a liar
He will rob your rest
Steal your happiness
Cast your fear in the fire
'Cause fear he is a liar

I am good enough.

You are good enough.

If you have any doubts whatsoever about your worth, call me . . .  I will show you in the Bible exactly how important and worthy you are.

Have a blessed day.

it is ok to not be ok

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

- Matthew 5:4

First, I apologize for being out of pocket for a bit, things should be back to normal now.

This verse, it says a lot for such few words.

We can mourn over a lot of things, a broken friendship, a misplaced treasure, a career change, the death of a loved one (human or furry).

Jesus said that those who mourn are comforted.

So that must mean that it is ok to not be ok, right?

Just remember that if you are not ok, especially if you are not ok, you are not alone.

All you have to do is reach out.    

Have a blessed day!

be careful of your influence

If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

- Mark 9:42

This past week I was given the opportunity to work with the little ones in our church.

Our Women’s Ministry hosts a “date night” on Valentine’s Day every year, we have parents in our congregation drop their kiddos off with us, we feed them dinner, let them watch movies and play games for 2-3 hours so mom and dad can get some much needed time alone.

This is not something I find pleasant. ( ! )

Blessed are those who are teachers and caregivers – after only an hour or so I was pulling my hair out – ya’all who do this for multiple hours everyday have got to be some kind of angels!!

Anyway . . .  one thing that I noticed as we had kiddos separated in age groups, is that if one was acting out, it did not take long for a couple more to follow suit. 

Very quickly one minor infraction could escalate into an all out war!

That said, we need to watch what we do and say as well, because these little ones, they not only copy each other but us as well.

We are role models, we need to make sure that we are being good role models.

Old song reference!!

O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little ears what you hear
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little ears what you hear
O be careful little tongue what you say
O be careful little tongue what you say
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little tongue what you say

O be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little hands what you do
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little hands what you do
O be careful little feet where you go
O be careful little feet where you go
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little feet where you go

O be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little heart whom you trust
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little heart whom you trust
O be careful little mind what you think
O be careful little mind what you think
For the Father up above
is looking down in love
So, be careful little mind what you think
Have a blessed day!

unseen

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

- 2 Corinthians 4:18

A lot of people find it hard to believe is something they cannot see.

There are quite a few jokes in the world about the professor/teacher that was trying to disprove that there is a God by saying that you can’t see, hear, smell or feel God, so He does not exist, and the student that counters with the fact that you can’t see, hear, smell or feel the professor’s brain, so it does not exist.

The idea of the joke is to bring humor into a tense issue, but realistically, there are still people that do not believe.

I am not sure how I would get through each day, if I didn’t have God.

I am certainly not saying that my life is perfect, because I sure have bad days, and there are times I just sit and cry.

I will however, stand strong in my faith, personally knowing that my God helps me through those bad times.

Even when I can not see.

Song reference!

You were reaching through the storm
Walking on the water
Even when I could not see
In the middle of it all
When I thought You were a thousand miles away
Not for a moment did You forsake me
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me

You were singing in the dark
Whispering Your promise
Even when I could not hear
I was held in Your arms
Carried for a thousand miles to show
Not for a moment did You forsake me

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Not for a moment will You forsake me

And every step every breath you are there
Every tear every cry every prayer
In my hurt at my worst
When my world falls down
Not for a moment will You forsake me
Even in the dark
Even when it's hard
You will never leave me
After all

After all You are constant
After all You are only good
After all You are sovereign
Not for a moment will You forsake me

I hope you know Him too – He is there.

Have a blessed day!

you are mine

But now, this is what the Lord says— He who created you, Jacob, He who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

- Isaiah 43:1

Valentine’s day. . . there are lots of opinions about this day, some are kind of messed up!

There is also a lot of history behind the day of giving candy and gifts.

From the saints in the Catholic church, to pagan roots (Lupercalia – a fertility festival), it has been declared un-Christian, today it is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world, although it is not a public holiday in any country.

I’ve heard it called Valentine’s Day, Saint Valentine’s Day, the feast of Saint Valentine and singles awareness day.

The card/candy/flower industry absolutely thrives on this holiday, as Valentine’s Day is the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, and all of those cards say one thing: “Be Mine”

We already belong to someone – right there in scripture, we are told “you are mine”.

I get kind of warm and fuzzy thinking that God has already declared me to be His.

Warm, fuzzy and loved.

Have a blessed day!

for real

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

- John 16:33

There is nothing about life that is easy or perfect.

Sometimes every day is a struggle.

For many people that struggle is very, very real.

First and foremost, let me reiterate what I have said over and over since I started my blog – You. Are. Not. Alone.

You do not have to do life by yourself.

If you are reading this, somewhere along the line we have crossed paths.

That means that someone felt like we needed each other.

What we really need though, is God.

In this world we will have trouble – there are some really bad things that happen out there – but . . . but . . . you don’t have to deal with it by yourself – Jesus was sent to bring you to God the Father.

Let Him guide you.

Let me know if you need me to show you the road so you can get there.

Have a blessed day!

are you my friend?

But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

- Luke 6:27-28

Friendship is kind of a fickle thing, isn’t it?

I have always had trouble making friends, I mean, I have lots of people that I talk to, lots of people that I interact with, but finding those true-blue-i-would-die-for-you friends, well, there are only a handful of those.

I have been hurt a lot by friends, I am sure we all have.

Those narcissists that you have trouble cutting out of your life, the person who is always right, the anything-you-can-do-i-can-do-better competitive person, the person that wants everything that you have and is willing to go to any length to get it – these are the ones that I seem to attract.

Maybe I have just gotten wiser in my old age, or maybe I am a bit more cynical or hesitant.

But no matter how these people are, God wants us to love them.

Really truly love them and pray for them.

Abraham Lincoln said “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”.

So maybe we should try a little harder, love a little more.

I am going to work on this.

Have a blessed day!   

give it away

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

What exactly is “a good measure”?

Well, I googled it (of course I did) and I found many different versions of the phrase, but it all really comes down to the same thing: for good measure is as extra or in addition, to ensure that something is good or successful.

A baker’s dozen, for example is 13, that extra one thrown in “for good measure”.

And who is going to argue that donut or roll # 13 is a bad thing?

So what does this verse really mean?

Well, in my opinion (and that is what my blog is all about – after all it is in the title: dailybreadgodswordmythoughts.blogspot.com) in my opinion this verse tells us that we need to be generous and give.  

I am not talking just about money (although it is good to share your wealth), but I am also talking about your heart, your time, you.

God gives us so much: mercy, grace, forgiveness, love . . . should we not give back?

When you walk down the hall at work, down the street, in the mall or the store and smile at a stranger, you are giving, really, you are!

What if seeing your smile is the only joy that person has encountered that day?

When someone cuts you off in traffic and you forgive them (I admit, I struggle with this a LOT), you are giving – they may not know it but God does!

In line at the drive through, if you “pay it forward”, you are giving.

Do you ever wonder how much you should give?

God never stops giving. . .  so neither should you. 

But don’t worry, you can’t out give God.

Have a blessed day!

life is painful

But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

- 1 Peter 4:13

If there is a single person out there reading this who has never experienced a painful life experience, than you can stop reading right now.

We all have something in our lives that has damaged us – life is painful!

Many times, the experience results in fear, for example, a car accident during a winter storm may leave you with a fear of driving on ice.

Even though that danger is over right now at this very minute, you might get a chill thinking about having to drive in those conditions again.

This may prevent you from going places and doing thing that you might enjoy, therefore affecting your personal relationships and perhaps even your perception of God.

My favorite line from the movie Soul Surfer is from the main character’s youth pastor.

“I don't know why terrible things happen to us sometimes. But I have to believe something good is going to come out of this.”

Sometimes, bad things happen and we may never know why.

We just know that we survived it, we have another day ahead of us, and God will never ever make us navigate these waters alone.

We might end up with a scar or two, but in the end, we are who we are because He made us and these trials and scary times just bring us closer to Him.

Hang in there, God has this too.

Have a blessed day!  

it’s not all about you

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

- Titus 3:5

Most of us work hard to earn the things we want. 

The house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, most of us have the accomplishments and outward signs of success because we have worked hard to get there.

Did you know that it doesn’t work that way with God?

He loves us from the moment we are conceived (probably before!), we do not have to earn it.

Song reference!

Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me

You have been so, so good to me

Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me

You have been so, so kind to me

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God

Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine

I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away

Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah

How fortunate are we that God is so wonderful?

His compassion for us is nothing short of amazing.

Have a blessed day!

live out your calling

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

- Ephesians 4:1

Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote those words.

I cannot imagine what it was like to be in prison back then – I am sure it was not three meals a day and a warm bed at night.

I am guess that there was not “yard time” or recreation time either.

I believe the depiction of shackles and chains to be more accurate for prison in Paul’s time.

Paul’s calling, I believe, was to share the word of God across the nations.

To encourage people to live a life for Christ, even when his own life was limited due to imprisonment, he wrote letter after letter to encourage others to live their best life for Christ.

Think about what is on your heart, what your calling really is, and then live your life worthy of that calling.

Have a blessed day!

you really think you are something, don’t you?

If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.

- Galatians 6:3

Building off yesterday’s message about pride, use this verse as a reminder that it is not all about you (or me!).

Job interviews and evaluations are hard for me, because we are told to “sell ourselves” in an job interview and to brag on everything we have accomplished in an evaluation.

I guess that I am always afraid that if I say all these wonderful things about myself I will become prideful, and I don’t want to be “that” person.

When we are not “selling ourselves” we are more inclined to notice when others need our love and attention.

Pay attention to those around you, fill them with God’s light and love.

Then you won’t fool yourselves into thinking you are something you are not.

Have a blessed day!

are you proud of yourself?

For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

- Matthew 23:12

C.S. Lewis said “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you’re looking down, you can’t see something that’s above you.”

We really should give God the glory for the things we do, because we wouldn’t have those talents without Him.

There is a difference between being proud and being humble, its knowing that God is the reason that you are able to do the things you do.

Some stuff takes a lot of practice, like playing an instrument, but the desire to play, the ability to play, that all came from God.

Be humble, make sure that you are not looking down on others and always give God the glory.

Oh, and stay tuned for tomorrow’s message (but wait, there’s more!)

Have a blessed day!

have a little patience

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.

- Psalm 130:5

I am not a patient person, we have covered this before.

Patience does not come easily to me.

I know, I know, “good things come to those who wait”.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh – song reference –

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our strong deliverer

You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint, you won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

On those days when I am weak, I need to wait for Him to strengthen me.

You know, I am weak a lot. 

Not just physically, but emotionally too.

We all are.

And we need time to develop ourselves, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

When we have waited for a long time for something, a new car or a promotion, it seems that we might appreciate it more.

So just maybe, if we have patience and wait on God to show us how to do things, we will appreciate that He is in our lives, and we will be stronger for it.   

Have a blessed day!