Alabar

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

- Psalm 113:3

We have an event at church called “Alabar”, which is Spanish for Praise.

I can’t even begin to describe the feelings that came over me, standing in a room with others singing praise to the King.

I probably have 15 song references here, just amazing praise and worship songs.

“Great Are You Lord”, “Good, Good Father”, “Reckless Love”, I could go on and on.

The point is this, praise Him, every moment of every day.

Ok, you talked me into it! Song reference!

There is an endless song
Echoes in my soul
I hear the music ring

And though the storms may come
I am holding on
To the rock I cling

How can I keep from singing Your praise
How can I ever say enough
How amazing is Your love
How can I keep from shouting Your name
I know I am loved by the King
And it makes my heart want to sing

I will lift my eyes
In the darkest night
For I know my Savior lives

And I will walk with You
Knowing You'll see me through
And sing the songs You give

I can sing in the troubled times
Sing when I win
I can sing when I lose my step
And fall down again
I can sing 'cause You pick me up
Sing 'cause You're there
I can sing 'cause You hear me, Lord
When I call to You in prayer
I can sing with my last breath
Sing for I know
That I'll sing with the angels
And the saints around the throne

He is a wonderful Father and He deserves our praise!  

sad

Jesus wept.

- John 11:35

January 2020 has been very tough for many of my friends.

So many have lost loved ones this month, I can’t even begin to imagine their pain and I won’t say that I know how they feel.

I hurt when my friends hurt, and in the words of Truvy in Steel Magnolias, I have a strict policy that no one cries alone in my presence.

Jesus cried with the sisters of His friend Lazarus, He saw how they were hurting and He shared their grief. 

He hurts when we hurt.

It is ok to be sad when something terrible happens.

Know that you are never alone in your sorrow, and if you need someone to cry with, I am just a phone call, email or text away.  

what do you see?

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

- 1 Samuel 16:6-7

How many times have you been out in public and saw someone that just made you wonder what they were thinking?

From the multi-colored hairstyles to piercings, to clothing that has seen its better days, we all have passed someone that made us wonder.

But underneath the pierced eyebrow and gauged ear, underneath the plaid shirt and striped pants is a human – a being created by God, just like you.

I am so very glad that God doesn’t look at me and see what I see in the mirror.

I pray that God gives me His eyes to see people the way He does.

wishful thinking?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

- Romans 15:13

My devotional for 2020 asks “what differentiates hope from a wish?”

I wish my hair would hurry up and grow longer.

I hope that the cat didn’t throw up on my bed.

Both hoping and wishing are the result of a desire, but wishes end there.

Hope is the confident expectation that God has promised us strength in Him, that if we are faithful, He will provide for our needs.

Hope fills us with joy, excitement, plans for the future.

Believe that good things will happen, because when you hope in the Father, the good things will come.

Oh – and the cat didn’t throw up on my bed – so see, God is good!!!  

i'm not perfect

If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—He won’t let us down; He’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of Him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.

- 1 John 1:8-10 (MSG)

I have a past.

My past is not pretty, I have been through some things that would break others.

Things that broke me, others sailed through.

But my past does not define me.

I know that I sinned, that I still sin, but that sin does not describe the person I am.

I can admit my mistakes, I can own my sin, I am human, and while I know that I have disappointed people, I also know that there is forgiveness.

I will never claim to be without sin, because the truth is much better, the truth will set us free, free in the One who died for us, that we can be forgiven.   

peace

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

What do you think of when you think of the word “peace”?

For some, it is a secluded spot on a sandy beach, listening to the waves crash on the shore. 

For others it is deep in the forest where you can hear the birds singing and calling. 

I am at peace when I feel safe, warm, quiet. 

But the kind of peace that Jesus is talking about is a little different. 

In the time that Jesus walked the earth, when you said your goodbyes to people, it was essential that you also wished them peace. 

So here we have Jesus, He has just told His disciples that He would be leaving them, so really, He was saying goodbye, yet comforting them. 

You see, “peace” of the world kind of means lacking conflict – those quiet secluded places that we run to? We go there because there is no conflict. 

The peace that Jesus offers is forgiving and protects us while we are in a world full of conflict. 

Jesus tells us that He will give us peace, and with that we have nothing to fear.   

can i do this?

It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.

- 2 Corinthians 3:5 (NLT)

If you are like me, things come about in your life that leave you perplexed, scared, nervous and definitely thinking “I’m not qualified for that!” 

Seriously, how many parents were “qualified” to be parents when it happened? 

Most of us weren’t! 

Or, how about the first day at a new job?  

Obviously, you met some standards or you would not have been hired, but were you qualified on that first day? 

God is amazing in that He qualifies us to do His work. 

There are many examples in the Bible of God calling on people that were not what we would call up to par for the task they were called to complete. 

But God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. 

Remember that next time you are facing a challenge that leaves you thinking that you can’t do it, because if God called you, He will qualify you. 

it's not God!

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms

- Ephesians 1:17-20

It completely breaks my heart when my friends have closed themselves off to God.

They have reasons, things that happened to them personally or things they saw happen to others that they love. 

Those reasons should draw them closer to God, not further away. 

These friends blame God for what happened, rather than to lean on Him in their sorrow. 

God did not “let” those things happen, nor did He stand idly by while they happened. 

We cannot even begin to understand the things of this world, someday, God will help us understand. 

I have a list of these friends, sadly there are quite a few, and I pray for them daily, that they will someday see the amazing God that I know. 

I will never stop being your friend, and that is why I pray for you.   

do cats pray?

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.

- Psalm 118:8

I have worked in rescue for several years now, I thought I had seen it all, but nearly every day a new situation comes to us. 

Most of the kitties that we rescue are the result of uncaring humans that think animals can be thrown away or traded in when the newness wears off. 

These kitties trusted their humans to care for them and to love them, only to be put aside for the next great thing. 

Aren’t we lucky then as humans, that God loves us so much that He will not let us down? 

That trusting in Him can and will alleviate our fear, our worry, our misconception of what is right or wrong? 

If cats do pray, I think that they would thank God for the warm homes, the loving families and the food in their tummies, or if they are not fortunate to have these things, that they would pray for them, and who knows, maybe they pray for someone like me to come along and rescue them.  

I encourage you to take refuge in the Lord, He won’t let you down. 

You may not get the answer you need right away, but He will answer, and His answer is far better and more trustworthy than that of any human I know. 

grief turns to joy

Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy... Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

- John 16:20,22

Thirty-five years have passed since the day my daddy died. 

I was all of fifteen years old, I really had no clue what was in store for me and growing up without my daddy, well, it was pretty tough. 

My mother and older brother did their best, but nothing really replaces the love of a father for a little girl.

The past few weeks have been full of sadness as I have witnessed my friends lay their loved ones to rest. 

I wonder if they know that their loved ones are now cradled in the arms of the Savior, no longer hurting, rejuvenated by the Spirit. 

Thirty-five years later, I still mourn my daddy’s death, I certainly don’t expect my friends to forget their losses, but I am assured by the words of my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus that one day, I will see all of my loved ones again. 

My sorrow will turn to joy when I rest my gaze on the face of my Heavenly Father, I promise you that I’ll be running to His arms. 

faith

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

– Hebrews 11:1

It is hard to have faith sometimes. 

The world is a mess and horrible things are happening.

Some days we need to be able to turn to something for comfort.

My comfort is and always has been the Word put to music, here is a favorite:

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see
I try to win this war
I confess, my hands are weary, I need Your rest
Mighty warrior, king of the fight
No matter what I face You're by my side

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

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There's not a place where I'll go
You've not already stood

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 may not be able to “see” God, but I know He is there.

My faith is truly confidence in Him, and assurance that He will always be by my side.

recipe

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.

– 2 Peter 1:5-7

Every recipe has ingredients, and you would not be successful in your cooking endeavor if you left something out.

Someone close to me forgot flour once when making cookies – it was a disaster.

I tried to make a box cake without eggs once, it was worse than a disaster!

According to the Word, to grow in our faith, we need goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.

Each of these things mix with each other, making a stronger and better faith.

If your faith is wavering, maybe you are missing an ingredient, and you should reach out for help finding it.

I’m here for you, and if I don’t know where to find what you need, I will find someone else to help us. 

growing

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

– Philippians 3:12-14 (MSG)

One of my friends told me once that she wishes that she had my faith.

I thanked her for that, but assured her that it is not always easy.

Just like everyone, I have had terrible things happen, things that should have broken me, but my faith is what kept me going.

I may not know what will happen tomorrow, but I do know that I can’t live without God, nor would I want to.

which way should i go?

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

– Isaiah 30:21

How often do we come to a fork in the road and not know which path to take?

The struggle is real, but so is God.

I often find myself unsure of where I should go, career wise, in my prayer life, sometimes even while choosing something to buy!

That is when I have to be really quiet, and listen.

If you listen close enough, you will hear His voice guiding you.  

no words

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

– Job 2:13

Most people suffer from something, life is certainly not perfect, nor was it promised to be.

This past week, I learned of the suicide of a friend, and the tragic death of another friend’s son and daughter-in-law.

The man that took his own life, we were not all that close, he worked with both hubby and I, and had been to our home several times over the past few years.

He left behind five beautiful daughters, and I just want to hug them.

The man and wife had just begun their life together, they were married in October, their parents are expectedly devastated.

What do you say to someone that has to deal with this sort of tragedy?

It is OK to say nothing, really, it is.

The worst thing that people can say when trying to comfort a friend is “I know how you feel”.

No, you don’t.

No matter if you have gone through the exact same situation, you cannot possibly know how another person feels.

Go to those who are hurting, hug them, bring them food, send flowers, or just sit with them in silence, so they know you are there.

Sometimes you speak volumes when you say nothing at all.

new clothes

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

- Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

I am horribly guilty of not always doing what is right, I am not always compassionate or kind, I have a mean streak - and we all know that I have a severe lack of patience. 

Most of my bad qualities come out when I am driving and when I am shopping – yes I am that person that judges you by your driving ability. 

Perhaps I am thinking about things wrong – it certainly would not be the first time. 

Compassion – if someone is driving like a maniac, maybe they are rushing due to an emergency. 

Kindness – in heavy traffic, we can let someone out at an intersection to keep traffic moving smoothly. 

Humility – knowing that we are not always right – not just in driving scenarios but in lots of situations. 

Gentleness – sometimes we just need to pat someone on the shoulder and be there for them, maybe they don’t need advice, just a presence. 

Patience – well, this one can be real in every minute of every day. 

I am a child of God.  

As His daughter, I need to work on my wardrobe.

renew

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

- Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

If you know me or have been reading my daily bread for a while, you know that I love music. 

So many things can be said in a song.

All genres have some good lyrics, but I mostly listen to contemporary Christian. 

Still every now and then, I run across an oldie but goodie – like today’s song reference: 

Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold and precious silver.
Purify my heart,
Let me be as gold, pure gold.

Refiner's fire,
My heart's one desire
Is to be... holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be... holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.

Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from within
And make me holy.
Purify my heart,
Cleanse me from my sin, deep within.

Refiner's fire,
My heart's one desire
Is to be... holy;
Set apart for You, Lord.
I choose to be... holy;
Set apart for You, my Master,
Ready to do Your will.

No matter what things have happened in your life, bad decisions you have made, mistakes that you thought would follow you for life, God’s love can redeem you. 

You are worth it to Him, He will forgive you and let you start over. 

All you have to do, is ask. 

hope

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

- Lamentations 3:25-26 (NIV)

I find myself saying “I hope” a lot.

I might hope for a good parking spot or a warm day. 

Friends might hope for a new job or a good report from a doctor visit. 

Our hope should lie in the Lord, He is the one that gives us salvation. 

Sometimes we have to wait for Him, sometimes it feels like He isn’t listening to us at all. 

I can remember several times when I hoped for something, only to be disappointed when it fell through, but looking back I see that it is way better that my “hope” did not come true. 

Wait for the Lord, He knows what He is doing. 

fully known

You are so intimately aware of me, Lord. You read my heart like an open book and You know all the words I’m about to speak before I even start a sentence! You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.

- Psalm 139:3-4 The Passion Translation (TPT)

I’ve started a new daily devotional for 2020, this one is “A Little God Time For Women”. 

This is a compilation of the work of several authors by BroadstreetPublishing. 

What drew me to this particular devotional was the introduction: 

When everything else in life demands your attention, rest in the Lord to find hope, joy, and peace you need each day.  The Father is captivated by you!  He delights in every moment you choose to spend with Him.  Let your heart be filled with His presence and find the peace that is abundant there.

God know us so well, He loves us, He has plans for us, He wants us to succeed, we are fully known and loved by Him - - - song reference!! 

It's so unusual it's frightening
You see right through the mess inside me
And you call me out to pull me in
You tell me I can start again
And I don't need to keep on hiding

I'm fully known and loved by You
You won't let go no matter what I do
And it's not one or the other
It's hard truth and ridiculous grace
To be known fully known and loved by You
I'm fully known and loved by You

It's so like You to keep pursuing
It's so like me to go astray, ooh
But You guard my heart with Your truth
The kind of love that's bullet proof
And I surrender to Your kindness, oh

I'm fully known and loved by You
You won't let go no matter what I do
And it's not one or the other
It's hard truth and ridiculous grace
To be known fully known and loved by You
I'm fully known and loved by You

How real, how wide
How rich, how high is Your heart
I cannot find the reasons why
You give me so much
How real, how wide
How rich, how high is Your heart
Now, I cannot find the reasons why
You give me so much

I'm fully known (fully known) and loved by You
You won't let go (no you won't let go) no matter what I do
And it's not one or the other
It's hard truth and ridiculous grace
To be known fully known and loved by You
I'm fully known and loved by You

It’s so unusual it’s frightening

I'm fully known and loved by You

He knows every step we take before we begin. 

Will you walk with Him?

Monday again?

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

- Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

Happy first Monday of 2020.

As a child, I was a huge fan of the comic strip Garfield, really I still am.  

I felt a kinship with Garfield because we both hate spiders, tolerate dogs, love lasagna and despise Mondays. 

Sunday are either the first day of a new week, or the last day of the previous week, depending on your personal calendar. 

For most people, Monday is the first day of their work week, therefore, quite often viewed with contempt. 

What if we viewed Monday simply as a new day? 

What if we woke up every Monday (every day, really) with this verse in our heart?

C.S. Lewis said “You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.”

With these things in mind, we can look forward to new things on Mondays and in 2020. 

Let’s make 2020 a year of good beginnings! 

follow me

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

- 1 Corinthians 11:1

Adults often tell children “do as I say, not as I do”.

What are we teaching our kids, if we live by this phrase?

What we really need to do is live by example, there is a poem by Dorothy Law Nolte published in 1972, and even though it was first published nearly 50 years ago, it still holds true:

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

We can add to this today:

If children live with hatred, they learn intolerance.

I don’t think that Jesus taught hatred, criticism, hostility, fear, pity, ridicule, jealousy or shame.                     

Live in a way that looks like Jesus!

it’s all about the money

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” 

- Hebrews 13:5

This is a repeat, my friends, but it is that time of year and this is one of the (touchy) subjects that needs repeating.

The holidays are over and now, the credit card bills are rolling in.

Many people will spend the next 11 months trying to pay off the debt they added trying to buy the perfect Christmas for everyone and themselves, only to turn around and rack up the debt again in December 2020.

Tell me, is it worth it?

Does that big screen TV or the latest game console really improve your life?

I bet it doesn’t.

In 2020, I encourage you to work on getting debt free (this still applies to me too, I have a few things that need to be paid off).

Dave Ramsey has a great program in Financial Peace University and even if you don’t follow to the letter (I don’t) his process can make a world of difference (it does) and you can learn to have the best things without going over your eyeballs in debt.

God says very clearly that we should not love money (it’s one of those things that is repeated several times in the Bible, maybe we should listen!).

Let’s start there.  

resolutions

If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home, you’ll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless. You’ll forget your troubles; they’ll be like old, faded photographs. Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring. Full of hope, you’ll relax, confident again; you’ll look around, sit back, and take it easy.

- Job 11:14-20 (MSG)

Happy New Year!

So tell, me, how many “resolutions have you made for 2020?

The definition of “resolution” is “a firm decision to do or not to do something”.

I googled the most common new year’s resolutions and as one usually does, I found a lot of information (love the googles!) 

One website said this:

Every year, millions of people make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to spark positive change. The recurring themes each year include a more active approach to health and fitness, improved finances, and learning new things for personal and professional development. Chances are, more than a couple of the top 10 most common resolutions will look familiar to you:

1. Exercise more
2. Lose weight
3. Get organized
4. Learn a new skill or hobby 
5. Live life to the fullest
6. Save more money / spend less money
7. Quit smoking
8. Spend more time with family and friends
9. Travel more
10. Read more

The website went on to note that only 46% of people who make New Year’s resolutions are successful, and only 4% of those that don’t make resolutions are successful at achieving their goals.

I am not sure that I have ever managed to keep a New Year’s resolution, I am sure that at some point in time each of the ten above were on my list in some form.

The same site gives 10 steps to “realize your New Year’s resolution”:

1. Mentally prepare for change
2. Set a goal that motivates you
3. Limit resolutions to a manageable amount
4. Be specific
5. Break up big goals into smaller goals
6. Write down your goals
7. Share your resolutions with others
8. Automate where possible
9. Review your resolution regularly
10. If you fall off track, get back on quick

I think that some of the ten steps can be applied to our walk with God, especially numbers one, seven and ten.

When you begin your walk, you have to prepare for change because He will change you!!

When you share your story with others, you encourage them to share with you, we learn from one another and we grow in our relationships, both with God and with others when we share where we are and how we got there.

Just like a bicycle or a horse, if you fall off, get back on.

Starting a journey isn’t easy, and there will be set backs.

You don’t just wake up, decide to follow God and suddenly your whole world is rainbows and roses, it takes time.

I challenge you to make two resolutions this year –to know God better, and to share your relationship with Him.