It Really Can Be a Good Week

A new week is beginning, full of possibilities.

Can it be a good one?

My mind races ahead to all there is to do, everything that might happen.

Worry nips at my heels.
But then I remember...

There is One who has already gone before me.

It's His footsteps I can follow.

And what is the way He has for me?
Mercy.
Love.
Grace.
JOY.

He takes my heart by the hand and whispers,
"Come on, Daughter, it's going to be a good week."

And I know He doesn't mean the kind of "good" that's getting what I want and life being easy. Oh, it's much deeper, wilder, beyond my understanding than that. This "good" is about His love, eternity, who He is no matter what. It's even more solid and certain than the ground beneath my feet.

Yes, I believe it's going to be a good week after all.

And I'm finally ready to step into the day.

Are you with me?

"You have made known to me the path of life; You fill me with joy in Your presence." Psalm 16:11

Have a super day!
Blessings

Friday's Challenge

This Weekend's Challenge

I will make more time for focused prayer.

"As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer." Luke 5:16

Many times when a problem arises, our first thought is to call up a friend and get advice. While wise counsel is good, get in the habit of taking your concerns to your Heavenly Counselor first.

My prayer for you this weekend:
Lord, help me to be bold and persistent in prayer. I don't want to be arrogant or presumptuous, as if You owe me anything, but rather to be confident in what Jesus accomplished on the cross that took away Satan's rule and established Your own. Help me to have great faith that prayers works so that I am confident enough to ask for great things, knowing that You will answer in a great way. Amen

Have a super weekend.
Let me know how your challenge is going.
See you in church this weekend
Blessings,

Life

"The way you tell me to live is always right; help me understand it so I can live to the fullest."
Psalm 119:144

God has given us guidelines to live by - principles laid out in amazing detail in the Bible. Some say His rules are simply designed to bolster His ego. That's the same lie the devil told Eve when He tempted her to disobey God in the Garden of Eden. "He's just trying to keep you from having something good." he taunted. Like any good parent, God has given us rules to ensure our safety and success. Living His way is always for your best.

Lord, I don't want to take on step or make any decision without Your leading. I know You care about even the smallest details of my life and want to guide me in the way I should go. Take away my peace if I should decide to step off the path of Your greatest blessing for my life. Help me to never stray from Your perfect will. Amen

Happy Thursday.
I can see Friday right around the corner.
Praise God!!!
Blessings,

Find Some Breathing Room

For many of us, our churches have moved away from the more austere traditions of the past. Our pastors don’t wear suits. Our worship teams have drummers and you can download a podcast of the sermon. In many ways church has become more relaxed and that can be a good thing. But in the midst of all of our renovations sometimes we lose the beauty of those very old traditions.

For some Lent is thought of as more of a punishment than a celebration – a time when you had to give things up. If your parents weren’t forcing you to participate, who would choose it?

Choosing to make some room
Lent can seem like a very old fashioned idea, but it can satisfy a very modern need. As I get older, I’ve realized that Lent is all about making room. As Zihna Edwards wrote, Lent is “a time of voluntary simplicity, making space.” Doesn’t that sound lovely?

As I was researching about Lent I found the following paragraph on a blog written by a Catholic Nun. While I am not Catholic myself, I found her perspective nothing short of refreshing. She writes:

“When Ash Wednesday hits we tend to think, “O no, now I have to give something up.” But Ash Wednesday and Lent are so much more than that. It is a time of preparation, a time of freeing ourselves from the things that bind us and moving into a deeper relationship with God, our family and friends, and the Church community. It is a time to celebrate the gifts God has given us, to examine how well we live those gifts, and to clear away the things that prevent us from being the gifted person we are. What’s not to love about that?”

Fasting is more than "giving up"
Fasting is a discipline and there is much value in it purely for that reason alone. But in addition to the self-discipline of fasting there is the expectation that we will take the time that would have gone to eating and spend it with God. The other side of giving up is the space that that "something" leaves for us.

Think of your family budget. If you are trying to save up for something or if things are getting a little tight, taking something out of your expenses can give you a little wiggle room. I experienced this earlier this year when I realized how much my daily coffee added up to over the course of the year. Cutting back on coffees puts some change back in my pocket. It creates some room in my budget for other things.

It’s this space and what we do with it that can get lost in our experience of Lent. If I fast from a meal then the time I can spend with God is fairly obvious. But if I fast from a favorite food – say chocolate – it’s harder to take each instance of ‘not having chocolate’ and use that time to draw closer to God.

If you’re looking for a new way to experience Lent, try one of these ideas:

*Fast from a specific meal. This is hardly a new idea but rather than fasting from a favorite food for all of Lent, consider fasting from a specific meal – maybe lunch on Wednesdays or breakfast on Saturday morning. Set aside the time to find a quiet place and be with God. There are countless Bible studies and devotionals that will take you through the weeks leading up to Easter. Set aside this extra time to pray and meet with God.

*Fast from an unnecessary activity. This could mean turning of the television at specific times or turning off the radio on your drive into work. Find an activity that just fills the time and reclaim that time to be with God.

*Fast from complexity. Is there something that you do on a weekly basis that is fancier or more complex than it needs to be? If so, there is an opportunity to replace that with something simpler to get back some time to spend with God. If you make a big Sunday lunch each week you could serve soup & buns instead or pick up a bucket of chicken on the way home and save the time you would have spent in the kitchen. This could turn into a great way to spend together with God as a family.

*Fast from your usual quiet time routine and try something completely different. They say a change is as good as a rest. Try replacing your usual quiet time devotions with a completely different sort. If you usually study and pray at home, try a prayer walk. If you use a devotional book, try listening to worship music or a devotional podcast. Sometimes our most important activities can become routine. Switching up how you spend time with God can be a breath of fresh air.

James 4:8 says “Come near to God, and He will come near to you.” This invitation waits for us in these days of Lent. When we set aside time to draw in tighter to God He promises to meet us in those moments. If your life could use a little more peace, if you need God to remind you that He has promised to take care of you, Lent can be a wonderful time to draw in close and hear God whisper.

Father Go, so often I do all the talking. Quiet me before You now. Speak to my heart, I pray. Amen

Have a super day.
Hope to see you in church today.
Services are at 4pm & 7pm
Blessings,

Provision

"Each day that we live, he provides for our needs
and gives us the strength of a young eagle."
Psalm 103:5

What do you need today? Whether it's the finances to pay a fast-approaching bill or the courage to have a difficult conversation with a friend. God wants to provide what you need. Share your heart with Him. But before you rush off to other things, sit quietly and listen. God may reveal how you can work with Him to meet that need. He may also want to help you share with others what He's already so generously provided.

"He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth,
and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures."
Psalm 147:8

Dear Lord, you provide for us in so many ways. Help me today to not take them for granted. The fact that the sun rises each morning, encouraging crops to grow, or that our heart takes its next beat and our lungs their next breath are just a few of the countless gifts I receive from Your almighty hand. As I go through the day, help me consider the big and little ways You meet my needs. Help me to take time at the days end to give you thanks. In Your name, Amen

Have a great Tuesday.
Praise God for all his many blessings he has given you
Blessings,

Have Courage

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong."
1 Corinthians 16:13

Being a Christian can take lots of courage. As the world around us becomes increasingly hostile to God and our personal lives become tense because of our beliefs, we feel the challenge. But we are not defenseless. Christians through the ages have faced these troubles and triumphed. The Lord who supported them gives us strength, too. Let us stand fast for Jesus, calling on His Spirit to strengthen our lives. Then, we will be strong indeed.

Dear Lord, I give you my hands to do Your work; I give You my feet to go Your way; I give You my eyes to see as You see; I give You my tongue to speak Your words; I give You my mind that You may think in me; I give You my spirit that You may pray in me. Above all, I give You my heart that You may love in me - love the Father and love all humankind. I give You my whole self, Lord, that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives, works and prays in me. Amen

Another week.
Another chance to be used by God in your everyday life.
Look for that chance ~ and than do it
Blessings on your Monday

Friday's Challenge

This Weekend's Challenge

I will serve those in need on a regular basis.

"But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed." Luke 14:13-14

Make it a monthly habit to volunteer at your local soup kitchen or visit a nursing home. Do what you can to share the love of God with those in need. Contact our church to get involved with the needy in your area.

My prayer for you this weekend:
God of all compassion, my own acts of kindness and compassion need to start at home and in my neighborhood and among members of my church family. May I be sensitive to hurting people who are close to me - and may I also follow your lead as I seek to extend compassion to the poor, the downtrodden, the unlovely in my city and around the world. Amen.

Have a super weekend.
Let me know how your challenge is going.
See you in church this weekend
Blessings

Praise

"Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of [God] who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." 1 Peter 2:9

Your life is a song of praise that rises to God your Father. He revels in your decision to take His hand and step out of darkness into light. It's what He has worked so hard to accomplish. It's why He sent His Son, Jesus, to live and die and rise again. You are His trophy, His prize, the sure and certain reward of His great sacrifice. Each time you say yes to life, yes to love, yes to eternal values, you are praising Him.

Holy God, you know before I tell you how easily distracted I am. As the old hymn says, my heart is prone to wandering, and my thoughts wander too. Yet you alone offer fulfillment, abundance, security -- and that's just the beginning of a long list of the blessings I find in you. Teach me to live focused on you. Amen

Saying YES and praising God for this awesome day he has given us.
Blessings on your day,

Mercy Multiplied

"Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied."Jude 1:2

Have you ever done the math on God's mercy? If so, you've probably figured out that it just keeps multiplying itself out, over and over again. We mess up; He extends mercy. We mess up again; He pours out mercy once again. In the same way, peace, love, and joy are multiplied back to us. Praise the Lord! God's mathematics work in our favor.

God of wonders, it is a wonder that you chose me to be your child. Thank you for that amazing grace and for the purpose and meaning with which you and your love fill my life. May i live in a way that honors and glorifies you - and makes others notice and want to know you too. Amen.

Blessings on your day,

HOPE

"Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God."Psalm 146:5

Some people place their hope in financial security. Others hope their popularity, abilities, or connections will get them where they want to go. Still others hope that if they want something badly enough, it'll just happen. But only those who place their hope in God can face tomorrow without any fear of the future. When you trust in God, you do more than hope for the best. You rest in knowing God's best is His plan for your life.

Lord, make me an instrument for your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury , pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Be with me today as I go about my business. Help me keep in mind it is really your business. Amen

Enjoying the sunshine!!
Blessings to you today, let your light shine