"Why?"

There's so much going on right now that I don't understand.  Situations within my personal life, my extended family and friends, and even in our country.  And I think it's safe to say that most folks go through seasons where they find themselves asking, "Why?".

"Why did I lose my job?"

"Why haven't I found love?"

"Why did I have that accident?"

"Why didn't I get into the school I really had my heart set on?"

"Why did so-and-so get sick?"

The list of 'WHY?" questions is endless, and I apologize: I do not have any answers.

What you and I do have is a truth we can hold onto that will get us through.

No matter how hard, unfair, or heartbreaking a situation is, we can all shift our focus beyond this present struggle and find comfort, hope, and healing for our hearts in this Bible verse:

Romans 8:18 "Our present sufferings are insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us."

What? God says our suffering is insignificant? My mom passed away, and it was HORRIBLE, and God says it's of no consequence and unimportant?

Yes, He does say that but only because when compared to the AWESOMENESS that awaits, it really does not matter.

Let me say it this way.  My mom died and I have not had the pleasure of her company for almost 26 years, but because she is with Jesus, and because sooner or later that GLORY will head my way, I will have the pleasure of her company FOREVER! Once I am hopscotching  from planet to planet with her and enjoying Cuban coffee  -  her favorite  -  by the Milky Way, it really won't matter.

Insert your own struggle...

Maybe it's..."I have been sick for so long and I am weary, but because GLORY will head my way, I will have the blessing of PERFECT HEALTH FOREVER!"

Or..."Love has seemed to bypass me on this earth, but because GLORY will head my way, I will be loved perfectly by my Lord, FOREVER!"

What about..."I lost my job, and I lost my house, but because GLORY will head my way, I will live in  the best mansion in the sky FOREVER!"

There is not one heartache or injustice that will ever be so powerful that the GLORY cannot heal.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the promise of Glory.  It's what gets us through this life.  Help us have the right perspective in our suffering.  Keep our eyes on the bigger picture, which is You.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

  

A Better Way to Start the Day

Psalm 143:8 "Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I entrust my life."

Greetings,

I typically wake up when Jorge kisses me on the cheek before he leaves for work at 6:30 AM.  I'll say, "Have a great day and come back to me, Babe." Then I will readjust the covers so Hershey Pie and I are all nice and cozy. and we will both fall back asleep until 7:30. That's when my day really begins.

It's always a flurry of activity as I take my vitamins, let Hershey out then in then out then in, look at my To-Do list and add more to it, turn on the news, put away the dishes, start fielding phone calls, check emails, fold the laundry, make my coffee with just a splash of cream no sugar, and on and on it goes...

But a couple of days ago I came across Psalm 143:8 and thought, "There's a better way to start the day!"

What if before I did any of the stuff above, before my head even left the pillow, I whispered to my Lord, "Let me hear of Your unfailing love and lovingkindness this morning, cause me to experience Your faithful and gracious mercy right now before I get out of bed. Show me where to walk, teach me the way I should go, because I give myself to You, I lift up my soul to You, and I long for You."

I believe with all my heart that God will always answer this prayer, and I can't wait until tomorrow morning.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We look forward to starting each morning with You.  There are so many things competing for our attention, but the only One Who can encourage us and show us how to live is You.  We trust You with our life and the lives of our families. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Everlasting

Greetings,

One of my most prized possessions is a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal that Jorge gave me in 1985. We were only dating for a few weeks at the time, and I just thought it was the most thoughtful gesture ever from the most gorgeous guy ever. I have had it all these years, and I love that each of my children played with it when they were young.  Other than a missing eyebrow it's in pretty good shape, and every now and again when I see it in the back of the linen closet, I am reminded that someone has loved me for a very long time. It blesses me.

God has loved me for a very long time too, and His love is everlasting.

Jeremiah 31:3 "I love you with an everlasting love...I will continue to show you My kindness."

God's love for us has always been and will always be.  It's eternal, perpetual, ceaseless, boundless, indestructible, and uninterrupted.

And because His love is so fierce  - no one else's love comes close  -  He shows us kindness, continuously.  Can we all take a step of faith today and tell Him that we trust His love? His kindness? His intentions toward us? That He is in control? That He knows what He is doing? That His timing is perfect? That He knows what to do and when to do it?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am taking a step of faith today and  declaring that my trust is in You.  I refuse to  focus on what is happening around me.  Rather, I set my sights on You.  You are my Lord, my Provider, my Defense, my Health, my Healer, my Joy, my Peace, and my Hope.  You are the One Who loves me with an incomparable love.  I take comfort in this truth.  I am calm because You show me kindness.  Please open my eyes to see You in the midst of my circumstances.   I believe with all my heart that You are at work in my life right now setting me up to be blessed.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Communication With God

"Blessed and joyfully nourished by God's goodness are those who hunger and thirst for right standing with God, for they will be completely satisfied" (Matthew 5:6 Amplified Bible).

Greetings in the mighty name of our Lord, JESUS!

A while back I was running errands, and as I was pulling into the parking lot of a craft store, I realized I left my cell phone at home.  I was too far from home to turn around and get it, but the thought crossed my mind.  Instead, I rushed to get everything done so I could hurry home and get my phone.  It felt weird to be unplugged and disconnected from the rest of the world.  I send a bunch of texts throughout the day, and I am always on the alert for any messages from family and friends.  And who can live without “Breaking News” bulletins?

When I finally made it home and grabbed my phone, there was nothing new.  No missed calls, no messages, no alerts, N-O-T-H-I-N-G!  The world did not, in fact, end because I was unplugged from it for a couple of hours.    

Can the same be said of our relationship with the Lord?  Can we stay unplugged from Him for any period of time and be okay? Can we stay disconnected from the One Who nourishes our souls without it affecting us? When was the last time any of us felt the urge to “turn around” from whatever we were doing so we could connect with Jesus? Do we ever find ourselves “rushing” to get to Him? Do we even feel anxious when we forget about Him? What if we were as diligent in our communication with God as we are in our communication with everyone else via every device and social media available? 

Are any of the six questions above important?

YES!, and the answers will determine the quality of our lives.

When we become active seekers of God our strength is renewed (Isaiah 40:31), our prayers are answered (John 16:24), joy is abundant (Acts 13:52), we will be led in peace (Isaiah 55:12), and our paths are made straight (Proverbs 3:6).  These are just a few of the wouldn't-want-to-live-without-em' blessings that are ours when we plug in and connect with Him.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are so passionate about our communication. Most of us can’t go for an hour without checking our phones, myself included. And we thank You for the ability to keep in touch with family and friends.  But You are the source of every good thing in this world and in the world to come; staying connected with You blesses us in immeasurable ways, and we are grateful. Thank You for reminding us today that the greatest relationship we will ever have is the one with You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~     

Progress, Not Perfection

Happy Valentine's Day,

Almost every wedding I have ever gone to, mine included, someone read that well-known, familiar passage from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up and never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance...love will last forever!"

Isn't love romantic?

Isn't love goose bumps provoking?

Isn't love HARD!?! 

Truly loving someone like the Bible defines it requires a lot of self-sacrifice.  

But I am reminded of something one of my Bible teachers said, "Progress, not perfection, is key."

Thank God!  I bet most of us haven't always loved perfectly, but I also bet most of us have made progress over the years. As I read the verses above, I cringe at some of the ways I acted as a 21-year-old immature bride and young mother. But as I re-read them I also marvel at how I have changed over the last thirty years.  My greatest area of growth has been in the keeping-my-mouth-shut department unless I had something kind to say.    

How have you grown? In what areas could you use improvement?

As we think of the people God has placed in our life to love, let's stay committed to loving them better and better. God is committed to helping us.

PRAYER:  Dear Lord, Thank You for love.  You are the Creator of love and the Definition of love.  You would never ask us to live up to Your standard of love if it were impossible or if it weren't the best way to live a blessed life.  Help us to love more and to love better. Empower us to be more patient, kinder, more forgiving and giving.  Help us to keep disappointments buried and keep the faith no matter what.  Thank You that love is so powerful it lasts forever! In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Know Your Source

Greetings,

1 Chronicles 4:10 "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." 

Have you ever cried out to God? Have you ever asked Him for blessings? Have you ever petitioned Him for increase? An increase in finances, health, peace, children, joy, wisdom...? Have you ever implored Him to protect you and keep you from trouble because, let's face it, no one wants to willingly suffer?

If you have, then you are in great company!

Jabez was bold, to the point, and honest.  Most importantly, Jabez knew His source.  He knew the only One Who could answer Him, the only One with the resources, power, and willingness to respond, was the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. 

And how did God respond? "God granted his request."

God gave Jabez what he asked for, and this encourages me to pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are the source of everything we need in the life! Like Jabez, we cry out to You today and ask for blessings.  We also ask that you would enlarge our territories.  Yes, we want our businesses and jobs to prosper so we can bless our families and others, but we also want increase in wisdom so we can have better relationships and make better decisions.  We also pray for Your mighty hand of protection over us and those we love. Thank You that You are willing to answer us just like You answered Jabez.  In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Shedding His Blood...

Greetings,

Recently my strapping hunk of a husband donated blood, and he was happy to do it given that as many as three lives will be saved as a result.  Other interesting facts he learned while strapped to the needle include, "Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood," and  "Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from donors."  I am grateful for him and others who donate because transfusions saved my life years ago!

When he finished, they gave him orange juice, a couple of cookies, and a nice long-sleeved shirt that says, "Make a difference: Donate Blood."

Jorge did make a difference, but someone else Who willingly gave up His blood made a difference too  -  the greatest difference of all.

"Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood" (Romans 3:23-25).

Christ's blood frees us from the penalty of sin, which is separation from God.  Since we are now in right standing, we can boldly approach our Lord in prayer and praise. 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your undeserved kindness.  You love us so much that You sent Your son for us. We do believe that His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and we are free!  We have joy in Your presence, and we have hope that You, Who did not spare Your own son but gave Him up for us, will also graciously gives us all things (Romans 8:32).  We need peace, faith, joy, healing, protection, provision, and guidance.  Thank You for Jesus' life-saving, sin-forgiving blood. AMEN. 

Our Journey~

"By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped" (Ecclesiastes 4:12 The Message Version).

Greetings,

Years ago I chaperoned an overnight field trip with Rayray's soccer team all the way from Miami to glorious Tampa Bay.

She had a lot of fun, laughing her teenage head off, but me? Not so much. The other chaperone on that trip sat next to me the entire time, and all she did was complain  -  ABOUT EVERYTHING.

The bus smells, the girls are loud, the seats are uncomfortable, why can't we use the on-board bathroom?, the driver swerves too much, these snacks are stale...on and on it went for four torturous hours. When we finally arrived at our hotel I was exhausted but also immensely relieved to know I had a private room. Glory!

I thought about this little experience because of something my fabulous Pastor Bill once said: The people you travel with depends on the quality of your journey.

Isn't that the gospel truth?

Let us pray that we would be good traveling companions and that those who enter our lives and our families' lives would be as well.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, So much of the peace we enjoy comes from us and those we love being in the right relationships. A strain in that area brings so much heartache. Spare us, Lord! Help our children choose wisely. If they encounter the wrong crowd, change the crowd. And for those of us who feel stuck because of vows we took, thank You that we have hope in You. Turn any rocky relationship around so we can live in joy and peace. And no matter how old we get, we could always use a good friend. Bless the friendships we already have, and help us open our hearts to new ones. We want to be a blessing in the lives of others and we welcome others who will bless us along the way. In Jesus' name, AMEN~