where do you stand?

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

- Matthew 12:30

How many times have you heard this? 

Good grief, insurance companies and law firms use some variation of “by your side” in advertising every day!

It has been a while, so let’s do a song reference!

You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hands
You spoke all life into motion
My soul now to stand

You stood before my failure
And carried the cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
And what could I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand

So what can I say
And what could I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So what can I say
And what could I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You

So I'll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

This week, several close friends have encountered unexpected sudden changes in their lives.

God knows who you are and what the circumstances are, and He will be by your side.  

Right now, things may seem bleak, but look at everything that the Lord has done for us.

He will see you through these changes too.

I have another song reference (yes, two in one day). . . 

Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face, just don't turn away

Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?

'cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life

And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

'Cause I, I love you, I want you to know
That I, yeah I love you, I'll never let you go
No, no

And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you

Here at my side
My hands are holding you

God is on your side, I promise.

Whose side are you on?

Have a blessed day.

you can’t hide

You have searched me, Lord, and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely.

- Psalm 139:1-4

Remember playing hide and seek as a kid?

I always thought that I had these great spots where no one could find me.

I guess I wasn’t very good at the game because I was usually the first one found.

I have also come to know that we can’t hide from God. 

He knows us, He knows our hearts, our minds, our thoughts.

That can be scary sometimes, we are pitifully human and we are sinners, our minds and thoughts are not always pure.

It is a good thing that our God is full of mercy and grace, forgiveness and love.

My dear friend and I recently had a conversation in which he referred to this verse and said “God has no limit in His understanding. God has determined, understood, and known all things that would or will occur. God knows now and has always known all things—and He is certainly not bound by the actions or concepts of man in regards to good and bad, in order to know what will take place next.

God is an all-powerful and all-knowing being, in control of both evil and good - regardless however, His will stands. This is an important component of the authority of God: God is in control of everything, both evil and good. God has decreed evil in that He knew that Man would choose evil according to his free will. God could have prevented man from sinning by not creating man with free will, by not placing the forbidden tree in the garden, by not allowing Satan to tempt Eve, or God could have simply elected not to create man at all. However, God did create the world as good, but decreed to create a world in which He would allow sin to enter, according to the free will and responsibility of man, knowing that He would work it together for His good in accordance with His perfect purposes (see Romans 8:28).  Notice here that it says His  good, not the good (or lack thereof) of man.  Scripture reveals the sovereign hand of God in both good and evil as He decrees those things which come to pass:

Lamentations 3:37-38(NIV) — "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?"

Isaiah 45:7(NKJV) — "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things."

Because we can run, but we cant hide.

Thank you to my friend for his wise words and allowing me to share.

Have a blessed day.

a lesson in compassion

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

- Colossians 3:12

We all have to do things that we really don’t want to do.

I have several projects that I complain about on a regular basis, not being happy that I am involved, threatening to quit that project.

And then something crazy happens.

We come across a situation in relation to the project or event, you know the one in which we don’t want to be involved?

But in that situation, we find that we are needed, that someone or something needs us – really truly needs us.

Then we find ourselves involved, covering the situation with compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience.

We realize that the situation showed us some humility.

We learn from it.

We take what we have learned and realize that we are involved in the project or event because that is right where God wants us to be.

A lesson in compassion is always worth learning.

Have a blessed day. 

my heart is crying

Record my misery; list my tears on your scroll, are they not in your record?

- Psalm 56:8

Last week was a little rough. 

Several friends left this earthly existence behind, it was the anniversary of the death of another friend, the first heavenly birthday of yet another, and a close friend’s daughter lost her arm in an accident.

My heart cries for these people and their families.

It is reassuring to know that we do not mourn alone, that God sees our pain and He comforts us.

We may be sad, we may cry, but our Father in Heaven does not ignore us, He is holding us up through our storms.

Have a blessed day.

are you moldy?

Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.

- John 6:27

Have you ever been thinking about lunch or dinner, planning on having that leftover dish when you get home, only to find that since you originally put it in the fridge it has started growing and is now “mystery meat”?

Or been dying for a PB&J only to see that your bread is now green and fuzzy?

Come on, I know I am not the only one out there!

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could always grab food that is not spoiled?

Now, how about your heart, is it moldy? 

Do you feed your heart with food that is spoiled, or with the food that endures?

Food for the soul: the Living Word, the Bible – it never smells funny or spoils.

The Word of God heals your heart, your spirit, your mind and is even available 24/7.

Have a blessed day!

peaceful

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

- Colossians 3:15

I used to attend a church where the words “Peace be with you (and also with you)” were exchanged with every person that you greeted.

It is a fond memory for me, and a greeting that to my understanding is still practiced in some churches today.

Peace be with you.

Four powerful words.

Having the peace of Christ in your heart, provides peace all the time.

My favorite part of the day is when I can be in the quiet, just enjoying the peace of Christ.

And I am forever thankful.

Have a blessed day.

reflections

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

- 1 Corinthians 13:12

Hanging on the wall right next to the front door in my home is a little craft project that my husband received as a gift many years ago, it is a plaque with a mirror and a notepad that says “Christ reflected in me”.

Being right next to the door and at eye-level, it could be the last thing I see as I walk out the door every day.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

It is my hope, when I look in the mirror that I see a person that loves and follows the teachings of Christ Jesus.

Right now, I know in my heart that God loves me and sees me as His child.

This verse tells us that we will see Him face to face and we will know how much He loves us.

I hope that when you see me, you see Christ reflected in me.

Have a blessed day.

every day

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

- Colossians 4:2

I have never been one for new year’s resolutions, because I most always broke them pretty much before I even got started.

This year, however, I resolved to wake up 30 minutes early every day so I could read a daily devotional (or three!) and talk to God via journaling.

It is March 20^th, the 79^th day of 2019, and I have only missed two days (dumb migraines).

I really feel that my life has been enhanced by this time I spend with God.

I may be tired when I wake up, I may yawn through the reading and writing, but I will not give it up.

This time I spend, reading devotions, reading the Bible, writing in my prayer journal and writing these daily bread memos for my email/blog, this has allowed me to be more thankful. 

I see what spending time with Him does for me, and I truly hope that it makes a difference for you too.

Have a blessed day.

i'm here for you

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

- Hebrews 10:24-25

More on encouraging others!

I have mentioned before that there are a lot of things that are repeated in the Bible, I suspect, that there is a reason for the repetition.

It has been said that the average human needs to hear something nine times in order to retain the information, and that for something to become a habit you have to do it for 21 days.

I don’t know about all that, it’s supposedly backed by science, but I do know that if it is repeated several times in the Bible, God must think it is important.

So let’s keep reading the Bible, sharing His word, going to church on Sunday and Wednesday.

If you just want to grab a cup of coffee with me because you need encouragement, let me know. 

I am here for you.

Have a blessed day.

it's encouraging

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

- Hebrews 3:13

I have been writing these “daily bread” messages for several years now, I can find emails that I shared from 2010, and my blog has been going since May 2016.

I have been asked why I do it.

My initial response is because I want to share the Word of God, but I think that there is an underlying reason too.

Reading the Word of God every day has not only brought me closer to Him, but it helps me overcome the craziness of daily life.

Many times I have used Google to find what the Bible says about certain topics - from anger to zealousness (yes, from a to z) there is something in the Bible about it.

For the longest time, I only turned to the Bible when I was in need, when I was sad or angry, lost or confused.

In the last several years, I have learned that there is more to the Bible than how to deal with my emotions.

The Bible tells us to encourage each other daily, hence, the name of my blog and emails, daily bread.

Do you want to freak out the devil?  Pick up your Bible every day!

Encouraging each other is important, having someone to share the stuff that happens in life, that is important too.

I hope that if you are reading this, you find encouragement.

Have a blessed day.

beware the ides of March

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things."

- Revelation 4:1

I admit that I am a bit of a nerd, I do like Shakespeare.

The “Ides of March” is a real day, made famous in literature by Shakespeare in his play about Julius Caesar’s death in 44 B.C.

In the play, Caesar is warned about his death coming on the Ides of March by a soothsayer (fortuneteller, psychic, prophet, seer).

There are many prophecies in the Bible, some are really wonderful and some not so much.

I like this prophecy in the book of Revelation, I picture Jesus taking my hand and saying “Come”.

What happens when we get to Heaven?

Well, none of us really know, but I believe that it will be glorious, and we will finally see His wonderful face.

I suspect however, that it won’t happen on the ides of March.

Have a blessed day.

3.14 (pi day!)

Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 

- Daniel 3:14

Happy Pi day!

According to my friends on the interwebs:

Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and to eat Pie.

Since it is Pi day, I figured I would use a Pi verse.

It is no accident that I chose Daniel 3:14, because in addition to Pi, I also love chocolate and there is a whole Veggie Tales episode on chocolate that includes Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – Rack, Shack & Benny!!!

All kidding and fun aside, King Nebuchadnezzar was very upset when the three guys refused to worship his gods and idols.

So upset in fact, that he threw them into the fire.

We are often thrown into the fire because of our beliefs, society today wants us to praise actors, musicians, leaders, technology everything BUT God.

Don’t fall for it.

Stand up for what you believe in,  

You can still go have some pie, just make sure you are giving glory to God, not the pie.

Have a blessed day.

not alone

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

- 1 Corinthians 10:13

We have all heard the old expression “He won’t take you to it if He can’t get you through it”.

I call bull!

We all have trials – every single one of us.

It is not all God “making this happen”.

I was talking with a friend last week and she said “God doesn’t ‘let’ bad things happen, but I do believe that he will use the bad things to help mold us into what he knows we can be and be better equipped to do his work.  I saw one of those coffee cup phrases a while back that really resonated with me;  ‘We’re all broken, that’s how the light gets in!’”

I love that.

I know that I am a little broken.

This verse reminds us that we can handle everything that comes our way – that God will give us a way out.

That expression that I started with – let’s re-write it.

“God won’t make us go through anything alone.”

Have a blessed day

invisible

Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

1 Peter 1:8-9

How many times has our faith been questioned because we cannot “see” God?

How many stories have we heard of people challenging us to prove that God’s not dead, that Heaven is real, that miracles still happen today?

I think that my favorite is that of a college professor, trying to convince his class that God is not real by issuing a challenge to God:

Marine Proves there is a God

A college professor, an avowed atheist and active in the A.C.L.U. was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated that once and for all he was going to prove that there was no God.

Addressing the ceiling he shouted: "GOD, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes!!!!!"

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes went by. "I'm waiting God, if you're real, knock me off this platform!!!!"

Again after 4 minutes, the professor taunted God saying, "Here I am, God!!! I'm still waiting!!!"

His count down got down to the last couple of minutes when a Marine, who was just released from the Marines after serving in Afghanistan and Iraq and newly registered in the class, walked up to the Professor. The Marine hit him full force in the face! This sent the Professor tumbling from his lofty platform. The Professor was out cold.

The students were stunned and shocked. They began to babble in confusion. The Marine nonchalantly took his seat in the front row and sat in silence. The class looked at him and fell silent also.....Waiting.

Eventually, the professor came to and was noticeably shaken. He looked at the Marine in the front row. When the professor regained his senses and could speak he asked, "What the hell is the matter with you? Why did you do that?"

"God was really busy protecting America's soldiers, who are protecting your right to say stupid sh** and act like an a**hole. So he sent me."

We can’t just go out and sucker punch everyone that denies God or questions our faith in Him (although I admit, there are a few that I would like to punch!).

But here is what we can do – hold fast to our faith – don’t let others tear us down.

Keep sharing the Gospel – we don’t know when something we say might be that spark that starts a flame burning in someone’s heart and leads them to God.

Don’t pressure them, threaten them or stop being their friend, honestly, don’t even try to change their mind, but instead, live as an example, let them see Christ in you.

Have a blessed day.

it’s a trap!!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

- Hebrews 12:1-2

We all have times that we feel sorry for ourselves, I think it is human nature, but beware! It is a trap!!

Self-pity can put us into a position where we look for the easy way out instead of the God way out.

Self-pity invites the devil in to work on us, putting thoughts and ideas in our heads and taking our focus away from the One who loves us, protects us and leads us.

We don’t realize when we start down that road that we are opening ourselves up to anger, despair, hate and evil and so many times by the time we realize where we are, we are so deep in the well that climbing out seems impossible.

Then, we are stuck in an endless loop of hopelessness and desolation.  

Read this verse again.

We are surrounded by witnesses, people that KNOW what the Lord has done.

It is not easy to shake off the sadness, depression is a very real thing.

If you need help climbing out, I encourage you to call someone. 

You don’t have to do this alone.

Have a blessed day.

are you talking?

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

- Colossians 4:6

I get a lot of questions about a lot of things. 😊

You would be amazed at how many people question my faith!

There are days when I am involved in conversations where I have to admit, I am not responding very kindly.

This verse reminds us (once again) to think about what we are saying, who is listening, and what tone of voice we are using.

That old expression about attracting more flies with honey than vinegar – it's an English proverb that really means that a person would be more successful in life being sweeter, or nice rather than being mean to people or doing hurtful or dishonest things in life.

Speak from your heart.

Don’t speak out of anger.

If your words are full of grace, you will know how to answer those random questions.

Have a blessed day.

give me strength

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.

- Psalm 29:11

There are many kinds of weakness.

Physical weakness can manifest in many ways from the inability to move or walk, to an emotional response to the weakness in the form of frustration or anger.

When we lean on God, we don’t have to be weak any longer, He will give us strength.

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 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

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

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

Why spend one more moment in weakness, when He will give you all the strength you need?

Have a blessed day.

don’t be angry

Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.

- 1 Timothy 2:8

Have you ever noticed that you say things that you don’t mean when you are angry?

Do you find that when you are arguing with people, you do not get to the resolution you need?

I admit that one of my vices is watching network television, and the show “Charmed” (it’s a show about sisters that are powerful witches, their power is due to their relationship).  Like many network television shows, this one has been rebooted this season, with different sisters learning how to be “the charmed ones”.

In one of the episodes, they were trying to destroy a demon and they found that their magic was not working, no matter how hard they tried.

One of the sisters had an epiphany that the magic would not work because she was mad at one of the other sisters, so she confessed her anger, and they tried again. 

It still didn’t work, so another sister confessed her anger, once the air was clear and the anger out in the open, their magic worked and they were able to vanquish the demon.

When we live peacefully with one another it pleases God (and we get HIS magic!!).

We should not dwell on anger, we should not continue to fight with one another. 

So I challenge you to go mend fences, so you can pray without anger.

Have a blessed day.

why do you pray?

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

- Matthew 6:5

Why do you pray?

Do you only pray when you are in need or in pain? Do you pray when you are happy? Do you pray to thank God for what you have been given?

Think of prayer as a conversation with God, to communicate with Him, to tell Him what you are thinking, what you would like Him to do, to praise, honor, and worship Him.

There is no need for fancy words, you don’t need to try to impress Him, just pray from your heart.

I have a pattern that I use for my daily prayer journal, it has helped me in my verbal prayers as well:

1. Adoration – praising Him as the King
2. Thanksgiving – thanking Him for every. little. thing.
3. Confession – you have to confess your sins to be forgiven
4. Petition – things that you need or want for yourself
5. Intercession – things that others need or want
6. Dedication – give it to God, and pray that His will be done.

There are so many ways to pray, alone, with others, on your knees, or driving down the road (keep your eyes open if you are driving!)

Martin Luther King, Jr. said "To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing."

Are you getting your prayer on?

Have a blessed day.

just try and take it from me

Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

- Mark 4:15

Spring is on the way, and new things are growing. 

I love driving past a particular house in my subdivision, because the person that lives there has his yard lined with daffodils.

When I see the little green shoots coming up, I know spring is coming and I watch them get bigger every day until they bloom.

I saw a quote the other day, I liked it so much that I made it a meme and posted it on Facebook and shared it with a bunch of people:

“When you’re in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you’ve been buried.  Maybe you’ve been planted. Grow.”

When you keep God at a distance, you are inviting the devil in, just as in this verse, you are a seed along the path.

Don’t stay buried.

Don’t let evil corrupt you.

Grow.

Grow in God.

Devil can’t take my joy!

Have a blessed day.

i am scared

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—

in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

- Psalm 56:3-4

There are a lot of scary things out there.

The small group that I co-lead is doing a study on grief, and the topic last week was fear.

The dictionary defines fear as a noun and a verb, the noun is “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.”

The verb is “be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening.”

Fear is very real, rather it is a noun or a verb in your life.

Fears can manifest over time or they can come suddenly.

One more song reference this week, because we all need this one:

Fear, you don't own me
There ain't no room in this story
And I ain't got time for you
Telling me what I'm not
Like you know me well guess what?
I know who I am
I know I'm strong
And I am free
Got my own identity
So fear, you will never be welcome here

Just a snippet of the song today – but I encourage you to google it and hear the song in its entirety – it is “The BreakUp Song” by Francesca Battistelli.

Don’t let fear own you. (I need to listen to my own words here!)

Trust in God.

Have a blessed day.