wildchild

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.

- Proverbs 29:18 (NLT)

What a crazy world we are in right now, with social distancing and the fear of COVID-19 high on everyone’s minds, the anxiety can suck the life right out of us.

While we are staying safe at home, we have to remember to be alive.

What does it mean, to be alive as opposed to just living?

Does it mean to do whatever we want, no matter the consequence? 

NO!

We can’t just go off willy-nilly doing what we want, regardless of whether there are “stay at home orders” or if we are finally back to normal.

We can’t be a wildchild - we have to listen to what God is telling us, we have to obey His word.

Even when we are safe at home or in the shopping center with or without our masks, we cannot just exist.

We need to remember what we have learned, know that God gave us this life to live to the fullest, not be a wildchild, but to be His child, and that means to obey His word.  

Gifties!

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

—Ephesians 2:8-10

 Oh my goodness, I just love it when I am surprised by my friends, they have a tendency to shower me with cat themed items.

Gifts are the best especially when they're truly given, with no strings attached and all we have to do is receive them.

In fact, the greatest gift we've ever received has nothing to do with our friends or our passions for cats (or anything else, I do realize there is more in the world than cats!).

The greatest gift we ever received is the gift of compassion, mercy and love from God.

We didn't earn it, deserve it, or purchase it.

God gave it through His sacrificial gift to us.

Our salvation is not because of something that we have done, but because of His kindness and love for us.

And the more loved we feel, the more loving we are.

Give the gift of kindness to someone today, you will see the blessings come back.

share

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

- Mark 16:15

Wednesday, May 25th, 2016 – four years and two days ago I started posting my “daily bread” to my blog.

Back then I emailed daily to 84 people, today it is 122 people.

There are days that nearly 60 people have read the blog (nearly 1000 blog posts!).

That is a lot of people that are hearing the word of God, but we have so many more to reach!

Who can you share His word with today?

Are we Facebook friends, because if we are, you can share the link to my blog from there.

Do you want to forward this email?  I’m ok with that!

The more people that hear His word, the more people will want to know what it is about this God that we love so much.

And we should be ready to share Him with everyone.   

mighty

The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.

- Zephaniah 3:17

We have a mighty God indeed! 

He is kind, and merciful and compassionate and – OH! Song reference!

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
And fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
And now I surrender
(I surrender)

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King
Jesus

Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King

Savior, He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever, Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Oh my goodness, He is mighty and He is there for me – for ME!

All we have to do it reach out, we can be saved by a mighty God!

It's never too late

Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

- Isaiah 59:1 (KJV)

I believe that I can say with certainty that we all have regrets.

I am sure we have all done things that we may not be terribly proud of having done.

Sometimes, the things are drastic enough that we lay awake at night thinking about the mistakes that we made in our lives, wondering if those mistakes are so terrible that we can never go back.

Nothing we have done is so terrible that we can’t go back.

It may be painful for us, it may tear open wounds, but remember, our God is the God of second chances, but you have to ask for forgiveness and you have to forgive yourself and those that hurt you.

God’s love for us is so strong and knows no boundaries, we can always pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

There is always hope in Jesus.

It’s never too late.  

Grief

Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.

- Psalm 119:50

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend.

Officially, Memorial Day is an American holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May.

It was originally set up to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military, but a lot of folks celebrate in other ways.

My grandmother and mother always called it “Decoration Day” and that was the day we would visit all the cemeteries, putting flowers and flags on all the graves, my brother and I would walk the old cemeteries and try to find the oldest headstone, then go to the library to research the people, the year and other stuff (that was before the internet!!).

Memorial day is kind of hard for some, especially those facing a recent loss.

Loss and grief fades as time passes, life goes on and we learn to deal with our grief in different ways.

There are many emotions to work through and we never forget those that we loved.

God promises that He will comfort us while we grieve, in Him we have hope, His strength will help us to overcome the pain in time.

The joy in your life will return, God promised.  

this too shall pass

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

- Hosea 6:3

We have had a weird year, haven’t we?

Normally at this time we have said goodbye to winter, are welcoming spring and looking forward to summer.

This year is different, and realistically this year is a lot like life – think about it:

We live through seasons where we are cold, hidden, trapped, buried under our circumstances and our choices – sound familiar?

The is a light though, there is clarity and warmth, freedom and happier times, we just have to look for it.

We can let our circumstances bring us down and ruin our happiness, or we can seek and acknowledge God and know that this too shall pass.

I get knocked down

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

- James 4:8 (NLT)

You might be wondering where I came up with that quote for this verse, especially since the actual song reference has a drinking theme.

Take a look at The Message translation of this verse: So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.

It is the only way you’ll get on your feet.

I have been pretty far down in my life, and it has been my faith in God that has kept me going.

God gave me an amazing husband for this crazy life, and God has put me in the right places to do His work.

No matter what happens, I know that I can turn to God, and He will pick me up.

do you know?

Friend, don’t go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God’s work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn’t know the first thing about God.

- 3 John 1:11 (MSG)

Do you know about God?

Do you know that when you do good things, you are doing His work?

How often you do something seemingly simple, like holding open a door or letting someone go ahead of you in a line (although right now that is probably limited)?

On the flip side, do you harbor evil in your heart, going out of your way to make things miserable for others/

There are so many people in the world that claim to love and follow God, but their actions show differently.

Show the world that you know God.

good morning

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

- Psalm 143:8

Most everyone has a morning routine, does your morning routine include time with God? 

One of the first things that I do each morning is send out this message, a word from God and my thoughts about it.

It’s scientifically proven that surrounding yourself with good and happy thoughts improves your attitude. 

Richard Harvey, Ph.D. said on myhealth.va.gov “A positive attitude may allow a person to feel more energetic, get fewer colds, flu, and other diseases, and recover more quickly from illness or injury. Optimistic people may even live longer than pessimistic people. Besides that, people with a positive and optimistic attitude are usually more enjoyable to be with.”

Spending time with God each morning gives me a better outlook for the day ahead, and on the really bad days, I try to turn to scripture.

I am not saying that it always works, I still have bad days and sometimes bad attitudes, but knowing that God is there every minute is definitely a picker-upper!

I challenge you to spend time with God each morning before you begin your routine, see how it changes you.

show mercy

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

- Jude 1:22-23

Going along with yesterday’s verse, even when people are doing the wrong thing we need to love them.

We can share our story of faith, we can share the power of the blood of Jesus and maybe bring them back to the Father.

When we share our faith, we are making an attempt at rescuing those that are hurting.

Just remember as you are sharing, that these people are hurting in some way, shape or form and make sure that you are not passing judgement too, because that will just push them further away.

Love and mercy, those are key.  

do good

O Lord, do good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with you. But banish those who turn to crooked ways, O Lord. Take them away with those who do evil.

- Psalm 125:4-6

“Well, her heart is in the right place.”

I have heard that often, trying to explain someone that just can’t quite do the right thing.

You can’t just be good on the outside, no matter how hard you try. 

Goodness comes from within, from the heart, so if your heart is in the right place, you should be able to do good, because you trust in the Lord and faith is the root of righteousness.

But those that turn their backs on God, who let evil win, well even if “their heart is in the right place” God is going to see the truth.

Hopefully they will see that what they are doing is wrong, and ask forgiveness. 

outsiders

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

- Colossians 4:5-6

As we start to reopen the country after social distancing, it is important to remember that not everyone you meet is a Christ follower.  

Your cashier may be having a really bad day and seems rude, or your wait staff at the restaurant may just completely mess everything up.

We have to be wise, we have to take those opportunities where we are angry or upset because of someone else and we have to treat them with grace.

Yes, it is hard to smile when someone dumps soup in your lap, but if the tables were turned, would you rather have someone screaming at you for being clumsy or stupid, or have someone that understands that mistakes happen.

People are watching, your reaction may change a person’s heart.

Be gracious.

sharp!

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

- Proverbs 27:17

We were able to attend Sunday services in person this week, for the first time since March!

Yes, we had restrictions, masks, gloves, 6 feet, and not everyone came to the physical campus, some still enjoyed digital services.

It was so good to get out with like minded people, to enjoy the music and the sermon in person.

I love that we are an advanced culture that we were able to utilize digital means and social media to still worship, but much prefer the in person stuff.

Even from a distance, my church family tried to ensure that we were sharpening one another, the pastors would reach out, the women would talk.

Iron sharpens iron – we need each other.

Even when we are socially distant, we need each other.

happy Mother's Day

As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

- Isaiah 66:13

Happy Mother’s Day!

I know not all of you are mothers, but at some point in our lives we all had mothers!

I can remember being little, and I would run to my mom for comfort when I got hurt or scared.

Heck even as an adult when I was sick I wanted my mommy!

As a mom, I did my best to provide a level of comfort to my kids – even my fur kids (but I think we comfort each other).

It is good to know, that even after our mothers are gone, whether it’s because we moved on or they’ve gone to Heaven, we still have comfort.

We have comfort in our Lord, and no matter what we can always run to Him.

gray hair

Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

- Proverbs 16:31

Two days ago the state of Arkansas allowed hair and nail salons, barbershops, massage parlors and tattoo studios to reopen under major restrictions.

I am definitely one that has missed my hairdresser (she is a friend as well as an amazing stylist) and getting my toes done every couple of weeks.

The last time I saw my hairdresser was February 3rd, so I am sporting a LOT of gray in my hair, which my children do not hesitate to point out, reminding me of a cute joke I saw on the internet:

One day, a little girl is sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly notices that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looks at her mother and inquisitively asks, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while, and then said, "So, Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

So maybe that momma was trying to make her little girl better behaved, and maybe my gray isn’t caused by my kids, but I kind of like the idea that it is a crown of glory.

We all know that everyone will likely go gray (or bald!) as we age, I just hope that my grays are from godly living.

(and I might still cover mine when I see my hairdresser in a few weeks 😊 )  

National Day of Prayer

For we live by faith, not by sight.

- 2 Corinthians 5:7

According to my calendar, today is the National Day of Prayer.

The definition of prayer is a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God.

When we pray, we are putting our faith in God that He will hear our prayers.

I truly believe in the power of prayer, I have seen it work, even recently in the lives of people that I care about.

Today, I ask you to live by faith, and pray for our country as we start to open back up that no more lives are lost to this virus.

Pray for the leadership of the country that the decisions that are made are right for each city and state.

Pray for the essential workers, the ones that continued to work in public every day, risking their own health and the health of their families, regardless of if they are doctors, nurses, emergency responders, truck drivers and even the factory workers and security that never stopped to ensure we had critical care and supplies.

Pray for the families that have lost loved ones, and have not been able to mourn with family and friends due to social distancing.

Pray without ceasing, and let your faith carry your prayers to the Father.   

trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

- Proverbs 3:5-8

This verse is a favorite of my wonderful father-in-law.

Since today is his birthday, I hope to honor him by using one of his favorite verses since he is my favorite 😊

My father-in-law is an amazing example of living for Christ.

He loves his family unconditionally and spends a lot of time in prayer for us.

He has taught his family and others what it means to trust in God, from moving his new family from Wisconsin to Iowa to start his own business in a small town, to knowing that God will provide for his every need.

I am so thankful that God gave me an earthly father figure as amazing as him. 

And i am thankful to know that I can trust in God every step of the way, no matter what. 

Happy birthday Dad, I love you!

motorcycles and God

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

- 1 Peter 3:15

Last weekend my amazing husband and I had the opportunity to participate in three rides with the motorcycle community.

The first was Friday afternoon, a little boy from our church had his 6th birthday, so we gathered up some of our biker friends from the Christian Motorcycle Association and a few random motorcycle enthusiasts plus probably 20 cars belonging to church members.

We lined up and drove by the little boy’s house honking, revving and waving.

The second was Friday night, sponsored by the city of Pea Ridge and the parade went through the entire town!  

It was amazing to see all the families sitting or standing outside waving and thanking us for joining the parade, I’m sure there were nearly 100 bikes!

The third one was on Saturday for a little girl also turning 6 years old, Grandma and Grandpa ride and arranged a parade for her. 

The biker community came through and I think there most have been 75 bikes roar past her house.

The cool thing about these parades is the wide variety of representation that joins in, there were members from Tribe of Judah Motorcycle Ministries, Combat Vets Motorcycle Association, Christian Motorcycle Association, Polecats MC and many others wearing their colors proudly.

The organizers prepare the group for 30-40 minutes for a 20 second ride past someone’s home.

What if you had 20 seconds to tell someone about the Gospel?

Are you prepared to share His Word, His teaching, and show them that Jesus is the way?

I hope that people see my CMA colors and ask me about Christ, because I want to continue to “change lives one heart at a time”.

May the Force be with you

But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.

- 2 Thessalonians 3:3

Well, I had to find a Bible verse for today, being May 4^th and Star Wars day (May the 4^th be with you).

I found this one, about how the Lord will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 

What if, the Force is God and the empire is the evil one!

There are many articles about the parallels between Star Wars and Christianity, some even published on church websites (UMC and Catholic Exchange, just google it).

The articles speak a lot about re-birth, sacrifice and redemption and about how even corrupt characters can find forgiveness.

Perhaps I am grasping at straws here, but if we look around, we can find many ways in which God’s message finds its way into our daily lives.

Hopefully we can always see the rebirth of creation, and let the Holy Spirit be the force that guides us.

believe

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

- Romans 4:3

Do you believe?

I do, and my belief in prayer was solidified just this past week or so.

My friend had to take her husband to the emergency room because of severe pain, and of course, she had to drop him off, she could not go in with him and she was devastated. I asked her if I could share her story with my ladies groups and she agreed. 

Within minutes we had close to 100 ladies praying for my friend and her husband.

He had complications with a medication that he was taking, but after just two days in the hospital they were able to adjust his medications and he was back home resting and being cared for by the love of his life.

I truly believe in the power of our prayers, not so much that we 100 ladies had a role to play in his recovery, but that his wife and all of us, giving praise and glory to God and His own faith are what brought him home from the hospital.

He still has healing to do, but I believe he will get through this.

Abraham believed that God would provide, and God did provide.

I hope that I have the faith of Abraham, and I hope that you believe too.