My Job

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. ~ Psalm 71:18

Does your whole family believe in God?  Have they all had the opportunity to hear of Him?  You know that's your job, don't you....to make sure they have heard it.  Maybe they have heard and yet chose to turn a deaf ear; at least you told them.  One of my many daily prayers is that my children will come to love God and His ways.  We have made sure that our children are constantly aware of God and have left no doubt in their adolescent minds as to where we stand on the subject of religion and who we serve and revere.  They will never be able to say that they didn't know, or have not heard of Him.  After all, that IS my job....to make sure they have heard of Him through me and not just the world, and whatever my child ultimately decides to do with God is up to him, but I have done my part in making sure he HAS heard.  My job IS to make sure my loved ones have heard the message of Jesus Christ!  It is my responsibility to make sure that as many generations can hear from ME that Jesus is alive, well and wants to bring EVERYONE everlasting love, life and tremendous peace through a personal relationship with Him.  No matter how old I get, this is my job!  My hope is that my kids will know, my kids' spouse will know, my grandchildren will know, my great-grandchildren will know and everyone I come in contact will know His power and might because I have not been afraid to preach the good news and they will have seen peace and miracles with their own worldly eyes in my life.  Then, I will know it's time to go on home; when my loved ones have heard. No one will wonder what this mom, wife, aunt, niece, cousin, grandma, or in-law believed, or where my faith laid for I pray it will be heard and lived right in front of their eyes.  The rest is up to God. ~

Cried Out

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer. ~ Psalm 120:1

Do you ever feel like you have more unanswered prayers than answered ones?  The thought that I can bring my big and piddly problems to the Creator of everything is mind boggling.  Nothing can touch me that God hasn't allowed.  Nothing.  Sometimes the answer to our prayer is "no", but it's still an answer whether we like it, or not.  My daddy once told me, "God answers every one of your prayers.  It'll either be yes, not right now, or no, but even if it's not the answer you want, it's still an answer."  That has stuck with me.  I ask God daily for little things, and sometimes I shout hoping He'll get the message (by the way, he can handle your yelling) and hear my plea on the larger things.  I often come with a thankful, hopeful, blessed and encouraged heart, but sometimes I come so broken that I feel like I wither, wrestle and struggle for words when praying.  Each and every time I wait patiently and listen for the answer, even if it takes days, weeks, months and maybe even years, and sometimes it's not what I wanted to hear.  Each and every time, whether it has been a "yes", "not right now", or a down right "no", things have worked out proving once again, that I am not in charge, or control of my life.  But I know who is and I can count on Him to answer me always.  I just have to be obedient, quiet, and open up my heart to listen. ~

Godly Fear

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. ~ Psalm 34:11

What do you want most for you children?  Abundant wealth, success, happiness, a job they love, a spouse, a forever family?  My prayer for my children daily is that they would learn and love to follow the Lord's ways above any of the world's ways; that they would chase after Him always.  Even when things aren't going their way; I dare say especially when things aren't going their way, that God would forever be on their lips going through trials and that even if they decide to travel down a destructive path for a bit, that God would always lead them back.  If we profess to be Christ followers as parents, than it is our daily duty to make sure we are instilling the Lord through thick and thin into our children's minds and hearts.  Pray with them, read the Bible together, help someone in need, fellowship with other believers and find a church home where you and your family can get filled up. Contrary to today's beliefs, church is part of the fellowship that God requested we be a part of, your attendance isn't required, but it pleases Him and blesses you whether you feel it, or not.  To fear the Lord is to be in total awe of Him, to realize that He can do the impossible in our favor, but also that He can and will discipline us in awesome ways if need be; He is awesome in the here and now, for the good and sometimes for the bad should He decide to allow trying times and direct discipline to be our path for a time.  Lovingly He calls to us to love on us, forgive us, and to teach us His much higher ways; as parents we are called to do the same with our children, His children.  In everyday choices and daily tasks there are many ways to show our children how to live for the Lord.  Look for them; be diligent in teaching the Lord's ways and watch Him bless them and you for your faithful and obedient efforts. ~

Wise Compassion

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  So he began teaching them many things. ~ Mark 6:34


Jesus never shied away from an opportunity to teach, whether in large crowds, or small intimate settings.  While you may feel very lost at times, Jesus will guide you and lead you in his tender teachings no matter where you are, or who you may be with.  It's called compassion, and it's a deep rooted emotion that makes people feel and move on behalf of others.  It is a great longing to help those in need, in need of anything and everything that we can help them out with.  It is a strong Christ-like characteristic that I long for and ask God to give me as often as it comes to mind as I know compassion and empathy is a weakness of mine personally.  In this self absorbed culture, it can sometimes be hard to put on the attitude of compassion, but as followers, we must!  We have all heard it said, "Be Kind.  For everyone has a battle they are dealing with."  My boss told me once, "Whenever on of our staff members, a student, or a parent is having a hard, grumpy, or difficult day and is taking it out on me, I try to remind myself that they may be dealing with something I know nothing about.  No, it doesn't always make it easier to deal with them, but it helps to keep things in perspective."  Jesus was constantly busy, but he found time for compassion.  Can't we?  Can I?  While I may not have all the answers to life's hard questions, I can be an ear.  While I may not understand why someone is so hard to deal with, I can pray with them; and while I may not understand why I may be persecuted unjustly sometimes, I can still turn the other cheek.  Compassion.  For everyone. ~

No Other

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me. ~ Exodus 20:2-3


Who, or better yet, what is your god?  Do you ever feel like you are enslaved to something?  This verse is lined with one of the ten commandments, but I believe it requires us all to take a good long look at ourselves in response to our obedience to Him and also our life choices.  Israel was told to obey, worship and call Christ her only god; Christians are called to do the same, but I bet you can think of all kinds of worldly things that grab our attention and enslave us over and above Jesus Christ and His ways.  When we believe we can do something on our own and then exalt ourselves - God does not become first.  When we worry and fret over our dwindling finances instead of seeking Christ for his provisions and peace - God does not become first.  When we fall into an unhealthy habit, addiction, or sin over and over again without listening to sound godly wisdom - God does not become first.  There are many ways the devil would like to keep us bound in his slavery to this world and the strongholds that go with that, but Christ so desperately wants to free us, untie and unbind what is holding us from Him so that He can deliver us to a safe and secure place of freedom and rest in Him. We only have to choose him first.  The world is full of idols and promises that may sound flawless and full of hope, but don't be deceived into thinking that what this fallen world has to offer is better than what Christ wants to give you.  God's will is always better - seek and worship him first. ~

Being Disobedient

From inside the fish Jonah prayed...."In my distress I called to the Lord and he answered me.  From the depths of the grave I called for help and you listened to my cry." ~ Jonah 2:1-2

Jonah had been disobedient and God had returned with consequences.  Has that ever happened to you?  O course it has!  Anytime we run from God, there are usually consequences.  Anytime we do the opposite of what God commands us, there are consequences.  Anytime we try to drag others down with us, there are usually consequences.  We don't like consequences, no one does, but they are a necessary part of life if we want to be turned around and set back on the right path.  God is always willing to forgive and receive us back when we call on the Lord with a repent-ful heart.  If you fill like you can never be redeemed, think again.  God is waiting!  Things are never as bad as they seem, for we can call on our God and He can restore our hope and help us put our lives back on the right track.  Jonah's prayer was a cry for redemption, restoration and thanksgiving.  He was, after all, still alive after being swallowed by a great fish and left there for three days!  I believe God desperately wanted for Jonah to learn from his consequences so He could show himself more than merciful.  Holy and righteous is our God and quick to forgive and shower us with grace so that we can escape the grip of sin.  Never give up!  Never give up trying to do what is right, but no that God is always waiting, even after he has dealt the consequences.  Cry out to God for his mercy and put your life in His hands. ~

Passing Through

They left that place and passed through Galilee.  Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples.  He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.  They will kill him, and after three days, he will rise."  ~ Mark 9:30-31

Have you ever felt like you have betrayed Jesus for the ways of the world?  I have.  Sometimes I am saddened by my selfishness, pride, impatience and narcissism.  Then I remember that He is quick to forgive if I will just come to Him with a repentant heart; after all, He already knows what I am thinking and feeling even when I think I have no one to turn too.  We ofter forget the greatness of Christ's empty grave.  Jesus wasn't just a great conqueror back then, but He can be today in your very life with whatever you may be facing.  But we need to remember to come draw close to Him and seek His refuge.  He will not come where he is not welcome and he will not force us to have a relationship with Him, so it's up to you to make the first step.  What we may feel we can't share with anyone, we need to share with Him for He knows our thoughts, attitudes and our hearts' desire already.  So many times Jesus spent time alone with his disciples for rest, to see how they were doing, to teach to them, or just to "be" with them and He wants the same with us.  Sometimes Jesus needs to lead us through, or to another place in our lives for maturity.  We have to trust that even when life doesn't make any sense to us, it maybe because God is leading us to a place only He knows about, or has prepared for us; we may be purposefully left blind to wander for a while as to not have the ability to mess with His plans.  Jesus conquered the grave; He can conquer your uncertainty in life. ~

Rendered Heart

Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and He relents from sending calamity. ~ Joel 2:13

One of the many characteristics of God that is truly mind boggling to me is His ability to lather immediate compassion on us that He graciously gives when we come home to Him with a genuine and repentful heart - no matter the sin.  This is so contrary to our human reasoning as we like to label one sin more sinful and worse than another so that we can sometimes makes people feel unworthy of forgiveness.  Dare I say that sometimes we use that logic to become self-righteous for our own justification of what we may be doing in our own lives.  However, this is not our God!  Sin is sin in his eyes no matter if it's forgiving the pride in your heart, the anger in your spouse, the little white lie you told, or the domestic violence going on three doors down; it's all sin, it's NOT ranked or leveled by God and it ALL can only be forgiven with a genuine repentful heart.  His compassion does not change no matter the sin.  In His Word there are promises after promises of His blessing if we would just turn our hearts; not our physical appearance, not our traditions, not even our good deeds, but our hearts to Him.  His will is for brokenness to be healed, for complete restoration to Him and in your relationships and for peace that passes all understanding.  The Creator of this universe holds nothing more precious than to have a relationship with you.  YOU!  Repentance equals a fully restored relationship littered with blessings and promises.  Why wait?  Come home!  Your Father's arms are wide and ready to lavish mercy and love all over you! ~  

Brilliant Piece

For we are God's workmanship; created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~ Ephesians 2:10

Do you realize that you are a brilliant piece of artwork?  Even though there are days when you don't feel like much of anything, think about this - you've been beautifully made not one, but twice over. And there is not, nor will there be another you! Identical twins even have a different set of fingerprints. God knew the number of your days before you were even born and then revamped and remodeled you from inside out when you became a believer.  So it's no wonder that we are called to go out and share this wonderful news with others while helping whenever and wherever we can.  His will for us is to become bright lights for him in our very own community while sharing the redeeming news of his grace.  For there are some people in this world, that only YOU can touch; people that God has placed in YOUR path for that special touch, word, or act of kindness that they need that no one else would either be able to give to that person, or that person would not be able to accept from anyone else. Let's not forget that we must have faith first and it's not ONLY by our good works that we are saved - grace is a FREE gift; however, whenever we can make a meal for a struggling friend, give someone a ride to the doctor, or even offer a friendly smile to someone as we cross paths, our God is pleased.  Be mindful of God breathed opportunities and jump on them!  You never know when you may be planting a seed, or helping am angel in disguise.  Pray that God can use you and will lead you to the people that you can effectively minister too.  If you hear a still small voice telling you to do a good and kind deed, jump on it!  Do not turn a deaf ear. ~ 

Selfish Ambition

Do nothing out of selfish ambition, or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ~ Philippians 2:3

Humility.  Just this morning I heard a study on the radio saying that the number one quality trait of a good leader is..........humility.  After all, people don't have a hard time following a boss, a quarterback, or a manager of any kind, younger, or older if that leader recognizes, appreciates and is thankful for the "team" that is backing them up.  If they are humble, they recognize that it takes everyone to make things run smoothly and they are not an ego hound.  When I hear that spiritual principal my shoulders automatically lower and hunch forward and my head hangs as I think there is no way on earth I will ever master humility.  Life here is not full of humility, but instead, a lot of the times it is filled with self-centeredness, insane narcissism, and polished pride.  Let's face it, we are a fallen people in a world who, more than not, thinks only of ourselves.  You have to be intentional to think of others first.  No, humility is a characteristic trait we have to consciously and consistently keep in check.  Jesus selfishly gave all the time during his 33 years here and trumped us all by selfishly giving his life when he could have called HUGE angels and armies of them to come rescue his beaten and torn body.  We believers know this, why is it so hard for us to always live it?  It's a big standard for us to live up to, but God graciously blesses those who will willingly walk in humility instead of pride.  It means to be constantly aware of our weaknesses and to give credit where credit is due; most likely to others and of course, to God.  We need to be quicker to pat the other guys' back instead of our own first.  There is no such thing as a "self-made" man; be humble enough to understand that; there is a creator who endowed you with gifts and the ability to use them to get where you are.  Only God can give you the wisdom, strength, and perseverance for you to accomplish anything of great value, so go humbly before him and be thankful at HIS feet.  It is hard to have the courage to always share the glory, but we are called to be humble because we are a sinful mess without HIM.  To keep our humility in check is to put others and God first.  After all, HE put YOU first when he didn't have too. ~ AMEN

Forgiveness; Really?

But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ~ Matthew 6:15

"But you have no idea what they did!  How bad they have hurt me!  Am I really supposed to just forgive them?  If I do that, they'll hurt me again.  I will be giving them an open and free ticket to hurt me all over." 
Forgiveness isn't about them!  It's about you, about me, about us.  Healing your heart from rage, anger, resentment and bitterness that will eat you alive.  Believe me, I struggle with the idea of forgiveness myself, so I don't have it all together, or all the answers, but I know what my God, the author of forgiveness says about the subject.  If you, or I, claim to want to follow Jesus, we must learn to forgive.  Yes, I know, Jesus is perfect and as humans we will never attain that righteousness, but I know I am trying daily for that right heart in forgiveness.  I believe if we give it a heart felt try and God sees that, He has no choice but to bless it, but only if our hearts and motives are right.  I have to believe it, and I have felt the peace that passes understanding through forgiveness, so I don't know why I still struggle with it;  I chalk it up to us being human and not being able to fully understand everything spiritual, but I will one day completely get it.  I pray that God will help me to be more forgiving and I expect him to show up!  Here's the tricky part, I must be willing to forgive, or God will not forgive me my offenses.  YIKES!  I want forgiveness!  I need forgiveness!  So do you. See, we don't really have a choice here; God has drawn a strong line.  I believe He knows I will struggle with this concept and He knows I am not perfect, so He is really asking me to lean on Him with an open and honest heart willing to let Him take the offense and to let Him help me forgive and He will take care of the rest.  I have to remind myself....I am not perfect; why should I think others should be.  I need to lean into Him, ask Him to help me forgive with a willing heart and then watch...God will transform my pain into restoration.  I expect it! ~ AMEN