always remember

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

- John 15:13  

 

Another Memorial Day on the calendar has passed.

Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War and was known as “Decoration Day”.

It was observed on May 30^th of every year until 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May to create a three-day weekend for federal employees. 

The change went into effect in 1971 and is the same law that declared Memorial Day a federal holiday. (it’s amazing what detail you find on history dot com!)

Memorial day is for honoring U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces.
Our freedom isn’t free folks, there was a lot of sacrifice to get here. 

We honor our fallen soldiers, we mourn with their families, then we go on living like their sacrifice meant nothing.

We need to open our eyes! 

These men and women laid down their lives for us so that we may be able to enjoy our living.

God honors these men and women as people of great love.

Shouldn’t we?

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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we were made for this

Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands. May those who fear you rejoice when they see me, for I have put my hope in your word.

- Psalm 119:73-74

 

Today is Memorial Day, a reminder that our freedom isn’t free, thousands of men and women died fighting for the freedoms that we all enjoy, including the freedom that I am expressing in my Daily Bread each day.  I honor and thank every soldier. 

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming😊 .

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend “Heart of the Ozarks” which is the Arkansas State rally for Christian Motorcycle Association.

It is always fun to meet up with other chapters and celebrate what God is doing in the community.

There were three keynote speakers this weekend (I missed one), but the one that honestly impacted me the most was Sunday morning when the Arkansas State CMA Representative spoke. 
He reminded us how our messages affect our ministry when we go out into the world. 
How unforgiveness can destroy a family – any family – biological, chapter, work – unforgiveness can creep in and destroy everything.

How will other people see Jesus in us if we are showing anger?

We need to work out our problems and be the family God created us to be.

He reminded us to stay in the light because if we move out of the light we start cooling down and we won’t be on fire for Jesus.

Lastly, he reminded us to step out in our faith, and this applies everywhere: our chapters, our families, our work and yes, even our churches.

God put us on earth and called us to minister to others, sharing His word, His light, His love and hope for the lost in this world.

There will be distractions, life dumps on everyone at some time but remember that God knows what we are going through and even when we are faced with the largest problems, when we face them with Jesus, those problems don’t seem so overwhelming. 
God made us; He will give us the sense to follow Him. 

We just have to listen.

names

In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

- John 16:26-27

 

There are many references to names that I could bring up, from Shakespeare’s famous line “what’s in a name, that by which a rose is called by any other name would smell as sweet” to game shows focusing on people and their given names to multiple genres of music asking, “who are you” or “you don’t know my name”.

There is one name above all names that we should know, and that is the name of our Lord and Savior.

When we know Jesus, we come to know the Father and that is how we begin our relationship with Him.

We all know “Me and Bobby McGee”, Sweet Caroline”,  “Eleanor Rigby” and “Peggy Sue”. 
Shouldn’t we know who our Father is too? 

 

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kingdoms and towers

 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.

- Proverbs 18:10 (NIV)

 

I absolutely love watching shows that have castles in them, from the castles of England to the Scottish countryside I really think that castles are beautiful.

I love learning about the structures and what purpose they served.

The main reason that castles had towers if for defense because soldiers could see great distances to keep the castle and its inhabitants safe from surprise attacks.

The towers were strong enough to withstand firepower from opposing groups while allowing people to gather in or near the towers for protection. .

I am not surprised that God is referred to as a strong tower in the Bible.

Just as the soldiers kept their people safe in the castle walls, God keeps us safe in His arms.

He really is our strong tower.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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knowledge is power

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

- Habakkuk 2:14 (KJV)

 

There used to be TV commercials on the NBC network called “The More You Know”.

These were a series of public service announcements usually featuring personalities from the network’s television programs and occasionally the President or a notable anchorperson from a nationwide news channel. 

These public service announcements were an initiative to tell the people watching this network more about education, diversity, health, the environment, issues around the world and more. 

Other networks followed with their own versions, but “The More You Know” and its colorful star were probably the most familiar.

Can you imagine if we had this kind of reach sharing the word of the Lord? 
I know people that have gone to church their entire lives, and they still learn new things from various Bible studies and small groups.    

We should share His word however we can because we never know when our words reach someone who doesn’t know the Lord.

We should always be reaching out to share and we should never stop learning, because knowledge really is power.

 

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let’s try this

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

- Matthew 4:3 (NIV)

 

I am sure that at some point in everyone’s life they must make a choice that can be controversial in nature.

Do I marry this guy/girl even though my family does not like him/her?

Should I buy the house I know I really can’t afford just because of the relationship I have with the seller or realtor?

Maybe if I tell this little lie, it will spare my friend’s feelings and they will never know in the end.

The devil will convince you that you are making the right choice, and he will attack you daily pushing your buttons trying to get you to make the wrong decision regardless of how irrational it is. 

Don’t let that happen to you.

Think about your decisions no matter how tiny or trivial they might seem, never make a spur of the moment decision on something big.

Those wrong choices are how he gets in and starts taking over your life.

 

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bright sunshiny day

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

- Proverbs 4:18 (NIV)

 

Have you ever watched a sunrise? 

It starts out as a little sliver of light in the eastern sky, then it slowly spreads until you can see part of the circle.

Each minute the area around you becomes a little brighter until the sun has fully risen.

Depending on where you choose to watch the sunrise, it can be calming and quiet with only the sounds of nature filling the air or it can be complete chaos with background noises that don’t belong in the calm serene sunrise. 

When we are on a path of destruction it is chaos and we don’t see the beauty around us, much less feel the calm.

We feel anger and fear, envy, and hatred.

This is not where God wants us to be.

When we follow God, our path becomes brighter and more peaceful, we see the beauty in that simple ray of sunshine.

Even in our darkest hours we see the light fill our hearts, knowing He is with us.

 

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healing comes

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

- Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)

 

We have all been sick, we have all had pain.

Some people experience illness or pain at a way deeper level than others.

There is physical pain and there is emotional pain.

No matter what we are feeling, if it is an illness or disease or either physical or emotional pain, we need to remember that by Jesus’ wounds we are healed.

That healing may not come on earth, for those of us that suffer from lifelong illnesses that are not treatable and sometimes barely manageable, for those of us that suffer from PTSD or depression. 

But healing will come.

By His wounds we are healed.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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conquering fear

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

- 2 Kings 6:15-16 (NIV)

 

I have often referenced my anxiety in my writing, some people understand it, and some don’t.

I have come a long way in conquering my fears though, for example going to the store alone used to send me into a complete breakdown but over the last year I have been able to go shopping by myself and maybe a few times I might have enjoyed it. 

Then something happened last week that set me back ten years.

Last Monday night while at the store, I was followed.

At first, I thought it was just coincidence, but I started back tracking through some of the grocery section and I noticed the same man was always in the same aisle that I was in, yet he only had one item in his cart. 

Then I went to check out, he was there too, and it took him as long to check out his one item as it took me with my thirteen items.

As I was leaving the store, I called my husband and asked him to stay on the phone with me, as this guy followed me almost to my car.

When I finished putting my bags in the car he quickly walked to his car, three lanes over.

I hightailed it out of my parking space and sped through the parking lot only to have him catch up with me at the light.

My husband told me to come straight home, but I thought I could lose him if I could just get far enough ahead of him which was very dumb of me because every signal light I came to turned red and stayed red long enough for him to catch up with me.  

Finally, I got on a stretch of road where I was able to speed far enough ahead of him to get through my neighborhood without him following any longer.

I spent the next few hours processing the event and talking through it with my husband.

I can’t let this one incident prevent me from going to the store.

When I saw this verse, it spoke volumes to me - “Don’t be afraid, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

I know who my God is, and I know I am protected. 
I also have a plan for any similar situation that does not involve high rates of speed.

Conquering fear is hard, if you have never been there, please don’t judge someone that is. 

Give them your hand and help them through it, be “those who are with us”.

 

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wisdom and love

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.

- Proverbs 8:17 (NKJV)

 

Proverbs 8 starts out “Does not wisdom cry out” in verse one, and the whole chapter is “wisdom” talking about the good and wonderful things you have when you have wisdom.

In verse 22 wisdom says, “the Lord possessed me at the beginning”, which indicates to me that in today’s verse, “I love those who love me”  the word “me” is synonymous with God. 
Those who love God and seek Him diligently will find Him.

Knowing God is wisdom.

Proverbs 8 has 36 verses, which seems a little long for my daily chat, but I encourage you to read it because there are some real thought-provoking statements and gems to find. 
For those who find God, find life. 

Go read Proverbs 8, you won’t be sad that you did.

 

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powerful, amazing women

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

- Proverbs 31:30 (NIV)

 

I missed calling out Mother’s day this year.

It was a pretty tough day for me because it is the first Mother’s day without my mother.

I didn’t think it was going to be as hard on me as it was, I was really quite surprised that it hit me like it did.

I have known some powerful and amazing women in my life.

I have an aunt on my dad’s side that was one of the original “Rosie the Riveter” ladies back in World War II, she even got to go on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. the last year of her life. 

I have a cousin (also on my dad’s side) that made quite the name for herself musically by earning 2 Grammys, CMA’s Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, ACM’s Album of the Year, New female Artist of the Year and Video of the Year. 

I have a friend who is a retired Army Chaplain, she has traveled the world between her military career and her post military career.

There are so many more women that have touched my life in one way or another and each of them have been “Proverbs 31 ladies”.

Women are amazing, but women of God are even more amazing. 
I hope you have the opportunity to get to know a woman of God, and if you already know one, tell her she is wonderful.

    

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you can see too

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

- Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

 

I want to be one of those people that sees the beauty in everything, the miracle in all things and the glory of God everywhere.

But the human side of me does not let me do that.

I am not always happy.

Our hearts really do lead us the things that we hold the closest are the things that we see as beautiful and the things that make us happy.

Over and over the Bible tells us to trust in God, turn to Him, focus on Him.

When you look at all the ways you are blessed, you see God. 

And happiness flows.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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waging war

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

- 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

 

There are many weapons that Satan uses against the people of God.

Do you ever compare yourself to others and feel like you don’t quite measure up, that you are not as smart, pretty, personable or Christian as they are?

If you answered that with a “no”, I don’t think you are being honest with yourself.

I know that I often look at stuff or characteristics that my friends have and get a little envious because it is so easy to think that if I had more or knew more, I’d be secure.

It’s a foolish comparison as all comparisons are, yet don’t we do it all the time?

If only I was like her…if only I had a house like hers, a husband like hers, a job like hers…if only my children behaved like hers…

If only <insert comparison here>, then I’d feel significant, satisfied and secure.

If only . . .

The truth is, even people who “have it all” still struggle with feelings of insecurity.

These are the weapons that are used against us, that can destroy us, weapons that are not of this world.  

While these forces might have a great deal of influence in the world at large, we need to be determined that Satan's deception won't rule in us.

We must be committed to God’s truth!

Our culture is obsessed with many different gods, beliefs, and choices.

We must be vigilant to take every thought, fear and anxiety and make it obedient to God.

The world we live in is unprincipled and it doesn’t fight fair.

But we should not live or fight our battles that way.

We must use the knowledge and power we have been given to smash warped philosophies, to tear down barriers erected against the truth.

We must remember that God loves us, He made us who we are, what we are, every part, every hair, and He loves US.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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I’m fine

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

- Luke 5:30-32

 

Seriously . . . how often do you go to a doctor when you are feeling fine? 

I am really bad because I don’t even go for the yearly check-ups. 

If we walked into a Medi-clinic or emergency room and said, yeah I am feeling fine, just want to check in, we would get laughed at, I am sure.

Jesus was often criticized when He associated with people that were considered “bad” – the tax collectors, the woman at the well, the sick and lame.  

But wait - there was a reason for His behavior!

He wasn't hanging out with those people to be popular, He came to redeem the enslaved, find the lost, mend the broken and reclaim the sinner.

If He can do it, why can’t we?

Reach out to those around you that others might avoid. 

Maybe you are the only smile they will see today.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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give me strength!

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The God Who lives forever is the Lord, the One Who made the ends of the earth. He will not become weak or tired. His understanding is too great for us to begin to know. He gives strength to the weak. And He gives power to him who has little strength.

- Isaiah 40:28-29 (NLV)

 

I’m exhausted.

I feel like I have been burning the candle at both ends and it’s only the 2^nd week of May!

Each time I think that I have things under control one more crazy thing pops up and I just feel myself crumbling.

I am certain that I am not the only one that feels this way, maybe not right this minute but at some point everyone feels overwhelmed.

While I cry out “I can’t do this” my husband lovingly reminds me that I can, I have and I will again, I have changed my wording to “I have lost the ability to can”.

All joking aside, we have the strength to do anything, we just need to find that strength and we find it when we reach out to God.

God does not become weak or tired, He understands what is making us fall.

He will give us the strength we need to persevere.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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troubles

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

- James 1:2-4

 

Everyday we hear of someone we know that is going through a rough time.

Sometimes that “someone” is us.

There are many kinds and sizes of trials out there that humans face, each person handles their trials differently.

One thing that I personally never say is “I know how you feel” because I may have gone through the exact same thing that someone else is going through but I do not know how they feel. 

My dad died when I was 15 years old so I do know how I felt growing up without a dad and how sad I am sometimes that he can’t share my successes with me but I don’t know who my 45 year old friend that lost her dad last month. 

My mother succumbed to Alzheimer’s disease in December but I really lost her twelve years before her death because of the disease.

I don’t even know how to explain my feelings when she passed into the arms of her Savior.

No matter how hard we want the situation to be the same each person feels their struggles differently.

Each situation is a test of faith, a chance for us to grow in our relationship with God.

Our troubles are hard but we need to remember that we are not alone and when we come out on the other side of the situation we are stronger because of our faith.   

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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the end

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth.

- Job 19:25

 

The end.

Well that seems pretty final, doesn’t it? 
Some books have printed “the end” and then the next few pages there is more. 

I’ve seen movies that say “the end” and then the credits roll (and sometimes bloopers!).

So is it really the end after all?

I mean something else came after “the end”.

We have more to look forward to after “the end” because we have Jesus.

He lives and He will be there in the end and beyond.

It’s not the end after all.

 

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is it love?

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

— Romans 12:9

 

We use the word “love” a lot in our everyday lives.

We love coffee, we love the way a dress looks in the store, we love our car, we love cats (some of more than others).

I personally find that my heart is often not in it when I say, “I love it”, that it has become an automatic response in the world much like one says “fine, thank you” when another asks “how are you”. 

We need to stop faking and love with our whole hearts, even if that means letting go of the things that we think we love.

Coffee, clothes, cars and even cats can be gone in an instant and we are left with emptiness that can be quickly filled with evil.

That is not good at all.

Learn to be sincere, learn to love people, not things and above all cling to what is good.

God is good, cling to Him.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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yes, it is Star Wars day

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

 

This is not your normal May the fourth be with you greeting.

No, this is something completely different!

In the past I have said “May the Spirit be with you” or even “May the Force of God be with you” but today is just different.

God’s Spirit is always with us, we know this because we feel Him every time the sun warms our face.

God’s force is always at work, we know this because we breathe without thinking about taking each breath.

God is an amazing Father no matter where we are in our walk with Him.

If we are babies, He holds us.

If we are toddlers, He protects us.

If we are teenagers, He leads us.

If we are adults, He walks beside us.

For at least today I hope you find power in His words, strength in His arms, comfort in His presence.

His force is what I want for all of you today.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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a request

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of Him.

- 1 John 5:14-15

 

For the last 5 months I have been praying hard for something very specific, even asking others to pray on my behalf.

I’ve been in tears some days waiting for an answer.

I’m still waiting.

Yet I don’t feel like these prayers are not being answered or that He is ignoring me.

God knows what is best for me and for everyone really, He loves us, and He knows His plans for us.

I admit that waiting is hard, and I am heartbroken thinking that it may not end the way I want it to end, I may not get the answer I want.

It is all in God’s timing, and His will, we must be patient and wait for Him.

So, I’ll dry my tears and praise Him instead for the things that I do have, knowing that I’ll have my answer eventually.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

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rest and relaxation

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

- Matthew 11:28

 

Hello friends, I am back! 
Hubby and I took a vacation to celebrate our 25^thwedding anniversary (it was April 12^th), we figured that it was our “silver” anniversary so why not head to the “silver” state, Nevada? 
We saw a couple of shows, we rented a slingshot and went to Hoover Dam and the Valley of Fire and dodged the craziness that was the NFL draft on the Las Vegas strip. 
I did not break a leg. 
I did have one day where I was really sick, but it seemed to be a 24-hour bug (although I was very careful on eating the rest of the trip, for fear of relapse).

We came back and have been zipping around trying to shove a whole bunch of obligations and stuff into the weekend before returning to work today.

I’m not sure I feel rested.

From what I can see in the Bible, rest is very important and not only physical rest but mind and spirit too.

God rested – not because He was tired, but to set the standard for all of us!  
God rested and has told us to also rest. 

God desires rest for us because it does not come naturally to us. (this should be a direct hint to me, since I am told I don’t know how to stop . . . )

To rest, we must trust that God will take care of things for us, we must trust that if we take a day off, the world will not stop turning and things won’t completely fall apart.. (this would be good for me to acknowledge in my work environment too)

Through the years humans have become more tense and less able to relax.

Relaxing our grip on our own lives, careers, families, etc., and giving them over to God in faith is the best way to relax. (note to self: hear that? give it all to God!)
Remember that the ultimate rest is found in Christ.

He invites all who are “weary and burdened” to come to Him and cast our cares on Him.

It is only in Him that we find our complete rest—from the cares of the world, from the sadness we face, rest from the stress of our work, because He alone is holy and righteous.

Take a word of advice from the Father, and rest.

 

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