Help For Your Daily Walk

Have you ever seen those T-shirts that say “not friendly, do not approach” on them? What they are saying in a sarcastic way is “don’t get too close to me” … indicating their disposition at the moment is less than desirable. It could mean they haven’t had their coffee yet or maybe they are not interested in having you step into their world. (Kind of like some Chihuahuas) It got me to thinking how this should be the way we are with the devil. “Do not approach”! Years ago, I had

Abraham was told that God was willing and able to bless him and he in turn would be a blessing to others. “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” - Genesis 12:2 Many times, the Israelites had to learn the difference between a curse and a blessing. They were so stubborn, the original group didn’t even make it into the Promised land. The blessing of that beautiful land flowing with milk and honey wa

When I was looking at this picture this morning, it reminded me of how much I really love my Jesus for all He’s done for me in my life. We sometimes just talk about it so casually, the intensity of what He went through for us becomes lessened somehow. The very fact that He did it FOR US is amazing. So today I want to share the second verse of “My Jesus, I Love Thee” as a reminder for us all. “I love thee because thou hast first loved me and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tr

Those “self-doubts” can be so debilitating. They can cause loss of energy, and the ability to function as you normally would/could. Maybe a lot of things have happened in your life that have affected your ability to see things the way you should. Maybe someone or something has clouded your vision of the you that Jesus sees. Let’s remember some things today. •You are a Masterpiece - created by God •You were created anew in Christ Jesus when you asked Him into your heart as Lor

One of Webster’s definitions for rehearsal is “something recounted or told again”. If you are getting ready for a part in a play, you may go over (rehearse) your lines again and again. Why do you do that? You do it so that you don’t forget them. When it comes to your past life, the one that was not so good, that rehearsal needs to be closed and finished with all the “props” put away. Your past is definitely a part of your story but is not what defines you. What defines you no

No matter if you feel small, insignificant or in many ways foolish … God can use you. Just remember how your situation was before you became a Christian. Did you know anything about how this “God thing” really works? You may have been a real rounder in this crazy world, but God still loved you and wanted you to be a part of His world. People may have even doubted that what you experienced was real, yet you knew in your heart it was and your life began to reflect that change.

Being generous does not always mean money. Google helped me with this explanation. “Generosity without money means giving your personal energy, skills, and presence to lift others.” How much generosity you have is up to you. You have to “decide in your heart” how much money, energy or time you will give. If you give grudgingly, you are not fooling anyone … especially God. It is even made clear that He “loves a cheerful giver”. I hear many say, that we should only give expecti

Remember that Louis Armstrong song with these lyrics … “When you're smiling, when you're smiling The whole world smiles with you When you're laughing, when you're laughing The sun comes shining through”? Not everyone WILL smile, but your concern is not to MAKE them smile … it is to let your happiness show. I find it difficult to “not” smile at someone who sends a smile my way. Don’t you? This is part of that, “don’t let anyone steal your joy” thing. Just because someone is ha

There are those that do not want you to succeed or be happy. I don’t know if it is jealousy or some other deep-rooted thing going on with them. They may themselves be miserable and want everyone else to be as miserable as they are. Whatever they are dealing with, don’t let those words they toss at you change who you are. Proverbs tells us to guard our hearts. And here is how important that is. We are to guard it ABOVE ALL ELSE. In the meme it says to “guard your happy”. Don’t

When you make the decision to be happy instead of miserable … your life will change dramatically. Isn’t it interesting that we have that choice? As the meme says, “Joy is a decision, not a feeling”. I know that there will be times when life just gets hard. You “feel” as though there is nothing to smile about. Stop in those moments and think about where your strength to face those times comes from. The JOY of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah could have chosen many words to

Let’s be honest, it is tough to love those that are” unloving”. But, if we are to love like Jesus, that has to go out the window. There are no conditions … just love others. And since we are focused on the virtues of a child, let’s consider how they love. Here are a few I thought of… •They share their toys and sometimes their snacks (with a little encouragement) •They give hugs and smile •They say thank you (most times with a twinkle in their eye showing real appreciation) •T

Being humble. Do you find that difficult? Kids have a way of being okay with that. Think about when a baby begins their journey in this cruel world. They are content to be held and be the smallest in the room. Granted, they don’t have a choice but to be held and fed and be small. They depend on others to meet those needs. And when those needs aren’t met immediately, they let ya know. Think about a baby many years ago that was destined to be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

One of the best examples of how a child totally trusts is when they are invited to jump off a tall porch into the arms of their dad. No second thoughts … no worries as to whether he will land on the ground … no need to keep asking his dad if he will catch him …HE JUST JUMPS. A child will totally trust. (Unless they have been given a reason not to trust.) That total trust that a child shows is the sort of trust we need in our Christian walk. We need to trust like a child. Tha

Jesus tells us simply to change our thinking to be more like children. As we grow up into teens and then adults, our objective is to “give up childish things”. This is, in itself, a great choice. The frustrating thing that comes with that though, is that we start complicating everything. We start overthinking way too much. Sure, we should not “act” like a big ole kid anymore, but we should not forget the simplicity of how a child thinks and goes about their life. In my next f

The only thing that we have that we really can’t get more of is … time. It is important to use it wisely. You’ve heard that, right? If we know this, then why do we waste it on holding grudges and being unforgiving? I wake up every morning, not getting any younger. I wake up with the same amount of time that I had the day before. How will I do things differently today in a way that pleases the Lord and doesn’t waste time on the things that are not helpful to me or others? We a

You’ve got a million things on your mind and on your plate. You struggle through the day with so many things that you can’t seem to even hear the gentle voice of the Lord. He speaks to us through our Spirit and sometimes we will refer to it as a nudge from Him. Time to simplify things. Read the Bible and listen. Sit quietly and let your mind rest a bit from all of the chaos of your life. You give your mind the opportunity to hear what the Lord has said to you in the scripture

I’m sure you remember when Moses lifted the staff and the Red Sea parted so that the Israelites could cross on dry land. If nothing else, you remember Charlton Heston playing the role of Moses in the old movie. Do ya know what God (through Moses) actually told them prior to that incident? They were doing their thing that they tended to do often, complaining. Running off at the mouth, so to speak. And Moses said in the Message translation, “shut your mouths”. He also told them

When you wake up in the morning, do you thank the Lord that you are blessed? As a child of God, you should never wake up wondering how many “good things” you need to do today to be blessed … you already are. You have every spiritual blessing right now. You still want to do many good things, but not to achieve or earn His blessings on your life. You have those. In today’s verse it says it plainly. He has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing.” Why? Because we are united wi

I am all about it. I love when everybody just gets along with each other. I love when the bickering stops and the accusations cease. I love when family and friends seek to understand each other and enjoy each other's company. Don’t you? We sometimes look back at the “good ole days” and long for those times of what we saw as peace and tranquility. Things aren’t always what they seem in our memories. I am sure that our older friends and family had struggles were weren’t even aw

I used to hear the phrase, “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good” tossed around. When I heard that, it was a negative assessment of a person that had trouble relating to folks in the here and now because all they seem to be able to talk about was heaven or Jesus. Without meaning to, they became “unapproachable”. As I look back on that, I can see why I “thought” that or heard it said about this person. They were so focused on their faith and so excited about it, they jus