Finding Favor

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8

Ever wonder why Noah stood out head and shoulders above others in his generation? Why did God look upon him with favor? Noah walked with God and was righteous. Do you have what it takes to be a "Noah" in this generation? Walk with God daily. Don't let the things of this world zap your strength. Trust Him, live for Him, and watch Him rain down favor in your life!

Dear Lord, as I walk with you daily, give me the strength to trust You and live for You. I want You to rain down on me and I will watch for Your favor in my life. Thank You Lord. In Your Name, Amen.

I pray you are having a great week. Enjoying the cooler weather is nice.
Blessings on your Thursday

Strength

"Pile your troubles on God's shoulders - he'll carry your load, he'll help you out."
Psalm 55:22

You can gain physical strength by heading to the gym. However, spiritual strength is what you need to carry you through life. Instead of lifting weights, lift your eyes and prayers toward heaven. Stretch your compassion by reaching out to those around you in love. Get your heart pumping as you push beyond your own limitations and rely more completely on God. Through it all, God will be your strength as well as your personal trainer.

Dear Lord, just give me strength to tackle what comes my way. In Your Name, Amen.

Hope your day is going well.
Blessings,

Honey to the Soul

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." Proverbs 16:24

One of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is a kind word, spoken just when you need to hear it.

Look at the unbelieving world, and how often will you find kindness? Once in awhile, in a rare human being. More often, you'll experience criticism and condemnation.

One thing that should set Christians apart from unbelievers is a caring kindness. When you don't find kindness in the church, something has gone wrong. A critical spirit isn't from God and can't help the soul and body.

But we also can't expect the church always to agree with all we do. When we've fallen into wrongdoing, it is the responsibility of caring Christians to confront us lovingly and set us on the right track. When we respond to that correction, we can again feel the kindness of those who have loved us well enough to tell us we've been wrong. We might have missed it when we were doing wrong, but wise Christians will still have used it to draw us back to the right path.

People have a hard time hearing critics, unless they know care is also there. A combination of correction and kindness often makes the difference in whether or not those words are really heard. Honey spreads easily on the soul, while criticism feels like sand in an open wound.

Whether you need to encourage or redirect another Christian, are you speaking kind words? If so, their sweetness may bring just the healing God has in mind.

Lord, give me the right words to encourage a friend or even to redirect a friend around me. Show me what to say and give me the right words to show them I care. In Your Name, Amen.

Have a great day.
Blessings,

Calmness

"Foolish people lose their tempers, but wise people control theirs."
Proverbs 29:11

Feeling angry doesn't automatically mean you've sinned. Anger is a normal response to injustice and wrong. God becomes angry over the disobedience of the people He loves. Jesus responded angrily to the corrupt money changers in the temple, but He didn't sin. It's when anger is allowed to rage or fester as resentment that it wreaks havoc with your soul and relationships. You're wise when you face your anger responsibly, discover its roots, and partner with God to control it.

Dear Lord, help me to listen carefully and hold my tongue. When I feel angry, help me to stop, listen and hold my tongue for a while. I know Your plan is for more peaceful relationships. As God's Spirit works in my heart, help me to give another person a second, a third, or even a hundred and third chance. As it says in 1 Timothy 2:8, 'I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." With Your help God, I can do this. In Your Name, Amen.

Hope your Monday is going well.
Blessings on your week,

A Time for Everything

What about…?

When will I…?

How can I…?

I could fill in those blanks a thousand different ways.

And yet this morning one passage from Ecclesiastes seems to be the answer to all of them…

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Each sentence flows over my soul. And I realize, if all the things we wanted or expected came in at once it would be too much for us. We'd drown in our desires. And so we wait, we watch, and we trust the hand and heart of the One who brings us what is best in its time.

Lord, we surrender to your ways. We yield to your rhythm. We who hurry choose to let each answer in our lives have its moment. Give us your time for everything…and help us trust you for all things. Amen.

Have a super weekend
Hope to see you in church this weekend
Blessings

Respect

"A kindhearted woman gains respect."
Proverbs 11:16

As you grow in God, you begin to demonstrate His character and nature in your thoughts, attitudes, and behavior. Through you, His goodness becomes evident to others, and their respect for you increases. This will happen not because you demand it but because it is a natural response to God's glory. For the same reason, you must respect yourself - casting down thoughts of inferiority and unworthiness. Respect God's presence and work within you.

Dear Lord, I know you desire my respect. I am Your child and You adore me. I pray I can give You respect through praise, worship, and adoration. You want to hear me -- Your precious child -- say Your name! "Knowledge begins with respect for the Lord." Proverbs 1:7. Help me show You respect. In Your Name, Amen.

Hope you are having a super Thursday. So glad tomorrow is Friday. It has been one of those short - long weeks
Blessings,

Open Homes

"Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless -- cheerfully."
1 Peter 4:9

Because our homes are our private places, the places we retreat to when we're tired to find new strength, it's hard sometimes to open our homes to others. It's bad enough that we have to cope with others' needs all day long, we feel, without having to bring them home with us! But God calls us to offer our hospitality, and He will give us the grace to do it joyfully.

Dear Lord, you open Yourself to me, offering me everything You have, and You call me to do the same for others. Just as You make me welcome, help me to make others welcome in my life. I don't want to reach out to others grudgingly, with a sense of obligation. Instead, I want to be eager for opportunities to practice the grace of hospitality. In Your Name, Amen.

Have a good day
Blessings,

Be Strong

"Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD."
Psalm 31:24

Hope is not some weak, airy-fairy kind of thing. It takes strength to put your trust in God when life batters your heart and soul. Weaklings rarely hold on to positive expectation for long, because it takes too much from them. But the spiritually strong put their trust in God and let Him lift up their hearts in hope. Then battering may come, but it cannot destroy them. Hope makes Christians stronger still.

Dear LORD, You have loved me completely. When I have hope in You, my faith cannot fail. Help me to make You joyful today by putting my trust in Your everlasting love. In Your Name, Amen.

Have a super week. I hope I will be seeing you sometime this week in a Bible study or maybe our online Bible Studies.
I would love to have you join us.
Blessings,

Feel the Love

"Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love." Ephesians 1:4 (MSG)

Need a boost of hope today? Read this passage aloud, inserting your name for each "us." Wow! Doesn't that bring home the message of God's incredible, extravagant, customized love for you? I am the focus of His love, and I bask in the hope of healing, wholeness, and holiness His individualized attention brings. You too, dear sister, are His focus. Allow yourself to feel the love today.

Dear Lord, thank you for the hope and love You give to me. In Your Name, Amen.

Have a great weekend. Safe travels to those of you traveling this weekend.
Looking forward to the start of all our Fall programing next week.
Blessings,

Spilling Over

"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
1 John 1:4

Imagine you're in the process of filling a glass with water and accidentally pour too much in. The excess goes running down the sides, splashing your hand and anything else it comes in contact with. That's how it is when you're overflowing with joy from the inside out. You can't help but spill out onto others, and before long, they're touched, too. So, let it flow!!

Dear Lord, Show me today how to spread joy around to others I come in contact with. In Your Name, Amen

Have a good Thursday.
Blessings,