maybe it’s ok

I am sure that our suffering now cannot be compared to the shining-greatness that He is going to give us.

- Romans 8:18 (NLV)

 

We have all been through a lot during our time on earth.

Some have faced more struggles, and some have had a harder time dealing with them.

If anyone claims they have never struggled, they are likely not telling the whole truth.

Each of us carries a sense of brokenness and has experienced some form of rejection.

In 2019 the band We Are Messengers released a song called Maybe It’s OK, the lyrics hit home:
If I didn't know what it hurt like to be broken

Then how would I know what it feels like to be whole

If I didn't know what it cuts like to be rejected

Then I wouldn't know the joy of coming home

Maybe it's okay if I'm not okay

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

If I didn't know what it looked like to be dirty

Then I wouldn't know what it feels like to be clean

And if all of my shame hadn't drove me to hide in the shadows

Then I wouldn't know the beauty of being free

Maybe it's okay if I'm not okay

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

Father, let Your kingdom come

Let Your will be done

Here in my heart as in Heaven

Father, let Your kingdom come

Let Your will be done

Here in my heart as in Heaven, oh

Maybe it's okay if I'm not okay

'Cause the One who holds the world is holding onto me

Maybe it's all right if I'm not all right

'Cause the One who holds the stars is holding my whole life

Now I'm alive in You

We're bursting at the seams

Now I'm alive and I can see You in everything

Maybe it's okay if I'm not okay

You see, that is the glory of our Father, He loves us, through our brokenness, our rejection, when we are dirty and hiding,

He loves us and will bring us through, holding us up through the pain.

It’s ok, we don’t carry our burdens alone when we are with Him. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

lucky day

A man never knows when he is going to run into bad luck. He is like a fish caught in a net, or a bird caught in a snare.

- Ecclesiastes 9:12 (TLB)

 

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! 
Are you feeling lucky today? 
According to the Bible, we do not know when we will experience good or bad fortune.

The events of our everyday lives are not random or by chance, but part of His plan.

God's grace—the unearned, undeserved favor He lavishes on us—is not "luck of the draw."

God is in control of all things.

Trust in God rather than fortune or luck; when we follow Him, there is no room for chance.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

He’s kind

 The Lord is kind and merciful, patient and full of love.

- Psalm 145:8 (ERV)

 

Music is everywhere.
Personally, I love music, I listen in the car, between meetings at work, music speaks to me.

Think about the movies and TV that you watch, how many soundtracks are born from great movies?
OK, that may have been a bigger thing years ago when we still bought albums, cassettes, and CDs.
For real though, sometimes we hear a song that just clicks, or resonates with us.
In 2023 Cory Asbury released a song called “Kind”, look at the lyrics: 
Sometimes marriages don't work, and sometimes babies die

Sometimes rehab turns to relapse and you're left just askin' why

And for all the prayers I've prayed, I still wonder if He's real

And if He is, how is He choosin' who He does and doesn't heal?

I've tried to run from Jesus, I've started holy wars

I've tried the patient waitin' and the kickin' down the doors

I've cursed His name in anger with my fist raised to the sky

And in return, all He's ever been is kind

And I've burned my fair share of bridges

I learned to tuck my tail and run

Watch the wreckage in the rear view

From all the crooked things I've done

And I know that He forgives me

But it's hard to forgive myself

I can't help but think that amazing grace is for everybody else

I've tried to run from Jesus, I've started holy wars

I've tried the patient waitin' and the kickin' down the doors

I've cursed His name in anger with my fist raised to the sky

And in return, all He's ever been is kind

All He's ever been is kind

And I know I wasn't there

But when I look up at the cross

I see the darkest day in history

I guess that's what kindness cost

I've tried to run from Jesus, I've started holy wars

I've tried the patient waitin' and the kickin' down the doors

He knows I don't deserve it

But He's never changed His mind

All He's ever been is kind
Holy catfish and boy howdy – how many nails does that hit on the head? 

We all have pain, and sometimes it is overwhelming.
But God. 
God is kind, and He loves us through it all. 
God shows up for those who are going through heartbreak. 
We are not alone. 
God will heal us. 
God is all we need. 

Every human out there has had pain, suffering, doubt, and confusion.
Many of us have prayed prayers that we feel go unheard and unanswered.
We get angry with God for the circumstances we are facing, often circumstances we’ve created ourselves.
But God. 
God is good and kind. 
And He loves you.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

no hiding

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 (NIV)

 

Remember playing hide and seek as a child?

I always believed I had the perfect hiding spots where no one could find me.

Yet, I often ended up being the first one discovered.

I've since realized that we can't hide from God.

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

This can be intimidating at times, as we are imperfect humans and sinners, and our thoughts aren't always pure.

Thankfully, our God is abundant in mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love.

I have been thinking a lot of my friend and mentor Leon lately, so I wasn’t surprised to come across a conversation that we had in 2019.
He told me that I could share his words then, I don’t think he’d mind if I share them again.
 “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 can’t hide.

Once again, I am so blessed for having known Leon, for his mentorship all these years.
There is a reason why his words came to mind while preparing to write today’s verse.
I don’t know the reason now, perhaps I never will, but I still thank God for my friend, for his wise words, and for allowing me to share.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

nothing

I am sure of this. Nothing can stop God from loving us. Death cannot do that. Life cannot do that. Angels cannot do that, nor can demons do that. Nothing that happens to us now, or that will happen in a future time can do that. No powerful spirits can do that. Nothing that is high above the world can do that, nor anything that is deep down below the ground. Nothing else in the whole universe can stop God from loving us. Because of our Lord Christ Jesus, we know how much God loves us.

- Romans 8:38-39 (EASY)

 

First, did you know there is a translation of the Bible called the Easy English Bible? 
I did not, but I like what it says about these two verses. 
In today's world, there is a significant focus on mental health. 

Many of us have faced tough times that make us feel unworthy of love, especially the love of an almighty Father.

But remember, you are enough.

A few years ago, I attended a Bible study where the leader asked us to find verses that demonstrate God's love for us.

If this verse doesn't convey that we are loved, I'm not sure what will.

Nothing could prevent Jesus from coming to save me.

No distance between heaven and earth, no tyrannical king trying to end His life, no jeering mobs shouting "crucify him," no disciples abandoning Him, no soldiers mocking Him, no whip tearing His flesh, and no cross taking His physical life. 

Not one thing stopped Jesus from saving us.

Not one thing.

You are enough.

While we may never be in control of our life circumstances, fully trusting in Him brings relaxation and peace.

Interestingly, this verse doesn't mention trust.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Trust that He will keep you safe. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can be assured that we will never be separated from God's love. You ARE enough.

Read the NIV translation of this verse:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Trust that He will keep you safe.

Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we can be assured that we will never be separated from God's love.

You ARE enough.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

go on

May the Lord fill your hearts with God’s love. May Christ give you the strength to go on.

- 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NIRV)

 

Keep going, even when life gets tough.

Sometimes, life can be challenging.

We may feel lost and tempted to give up, but we must keep moving forward.

Today, we have various tools to help us navigate our paths.

With maps providing verbal directions right in our hands and vehicles equipped with navigation systems, we can easily travel from point A to point B using the best possible routes.

However, if we stray from the path, our handy assistants immediately recalibrate to guide us back on track.

It's unfortunate that we don't have a GPS for our hearts or a spiritual Siri to prompt us to make a U-turn when necessary.

Thankfully, we do have guidance.

Through prayer, Bible studies, spiritual leaders, pastors, and our Bibles, we can seek the Lord's direction.

By giving our hearts to God, we receive His love in return.

Keep going, even when life gets tough.

Stay strong, my friends, and let the Lord be your GPS!

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

be kind

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

- Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)

 

Love your neighbor as yourself.
When most of us hear this verse, we think about things that are going on around us,  there is a lot of anger and hate being spread in the world today.

But what if we look a little deeper than normal, and think about how we love ourselves?
Tenth Avenue North released their song Kind To Myself recently, and they posted these words on Instagram:
“If God leads us to change through kindness, why do we try to shame ourselves into it? Let's start speaking to ourselves the way He does—with grace, love, and curiosity. Our new single ‘Kind To Myself’ talks about this”.

Here are the lyrics:
I've tried to hate myself

Thinking that’s how things will change

But it never helps

Piling up the blame

Fighting fire with fire

Hurt with more hurt

Breaking my own heart

Makes everything worse

I gotta be kind, kind to myself

Cause I can’t change, change any way else

If the kindness of my Savior

Is how He changes me

Then I can be kind, kind to myself

I know it sounds insane

But the old way wasn't working

I try to medicate

When the pain's under the surfacе

I've never hеaled by powering through

I had to learn how to see me

The way that You do

I gotta be kind, kind to myself

Cause I can’t change, change any way else

If the kindness of my Savior

Is how He changes me

Then I can be kind, kind to myself

Yeah (Kind)

Don’t misunderstand (Kind)

It’s not permission (Kind)

It’s conviction over condemnation (Kind)

Oh the curious love of God (Kind)

It's such a better and sweeter song (Kind)

Has a way of showing me

What’s really going on, going on, yeah

What does the voice in your head sound like when you fail for the thousandth time?

Is it cruel or is it kind?

Oh, I gotta be kind, kind to myself

Cause I can’t change, change any way else

If the kindness of my Savior

Is how He changes me

I can be kind, kind to myself

I have hated myself.

A lot.

Often.

Why? 

Maybe if we were not so hard on ourselves, we’d find it easier to love our neighbors.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible