July 16

I love dogs, but our home is not always safe for them or from them, and the outdoors become a hazard as well, because of predatory birds, and poisonous plants. As a good dog owner, I watch them carefully to make sure they are safe, inside and outside, and become overly protective. My husband and I are so protective, we barely trust our own family to watch our two. 

I post this blog daily because I care about you, and want to give you an advantage over the enemies schemes, and teach you how to protect yourself. Though it might be easy to protect yourself from enemies that are seen, if you don’t believe there is an unseen enemy, you may be less likely to watch out for him. Believe me when I tell you the spiritual world is real, and Jesus is your only protection from it. Armor yourself with prayer and praise, and study the Word!

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

July 15

Suppose you were like Paul, and were defying Jesus, and rejecting those who’ve put all of their faith in Him, but you knew everything there was to know about the Bible, leading up to the coming of the Christ, but you missed the truth about who that was. Then suddenly you were exposed to Jesus, beaming down from heaven in all of His glory, brilliance, and majesty! Jesus caused Paul to be blind for three days! His eyes were open, but could not see! Was he living through hell during his days of darkness because God made him aware of his sin? Jesus told Ananias “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Whatever he saw, sent him in boldness preaching, and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the scriptures that he knew so well came to life. Paul was set free.

Are your eyes open, but cannot see? If you are still worrying about what others think of you, more than you worry about what Jesus thinks, then you may be like Paul before the brilliance of Jesus showed him his error. Remove the scales from your eyes! Let them fall to the ground! Accept the freedom afforded you by Jesus. Whatever has you bound, break it off and live free!

Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:8-9

July 14

When Richard was growing up, he had a bully in his neighborhood, and most the kids were afraid of him. One day his friend and his mom saw him on the street, and his mom decided to pull up to him. His friend thought that his mom was going to blast him for being a bully, but instead, she offered him a hamburger. His friend said that the bully became his friend for life after that. 

We all have a certain amount of fear to deal with in our lives. Imagine a villain, known for coming after the ones who call on the name of Jesus, coming to your town. Then Jesus comes to you in a vision telling you to go and heal him. This happened to Ananias! Ananias did just as we all would have, talked back! Ananias did as he was told, in fear, but also trusting Jesus. The man he healed was Paul, and you and I know about this story because of Ananias’s obedience! We all have a part to play in the Kingdom of God, so if you hear that still small voice telling you to make amends with the villain in the cubical next to you, do it! Maybe all you need to do is offer them a sandwich. An act of kindness is always worth the trouble.

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. Acts 9:13-15

July 13

The persecution of Christians is happening all around the world. Because we are the body of Christ, those doing the persecution are killing Jesus all over again. Some might say that it’s not the same, however, Jesus looks at it as if it was the same. Look at Paul, he was zealous about finding those who followed the Way so he could bring them back to Jerusalem bound. He was so evil that Jesus paid a special visit to him on the road to Damascus. His words to him were “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” There will be an extra hot place in hell for those who persecute Jesus, by persecuting us. If you ever have to face it, your strength and ability to endure will come from Jesus who resides within you. Until then, continue to strengthen your faith by studying the Bible, staying prayerful, and offering praise to Him daily. Thankfully, God had an amazing plan for Paul, because most of the New Testament was written by him. Saul and Paul are one in the same, his name change happens in Acts 13.

And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Acts 9:4-5

July 12

The people who keep bringing up the past sin of a believer, they themselves, most likely, remain in sin. They do not know the love of Jesus, or that the people they accuse have been forgiven. We see this daily, especially when it comes to our current president. Yes, he has sinned in the past, but haven’t we all? If Jesus can forgive him, so can I, and so should anyone who calls themselves a Christian. I’m so thankful that my past sins are not being highlighted everyday in the public eye! If any Christian speaks ill of our president, clearly they do not know the Word of God, if they do, they are being defiant. Jesus is King and is over all the leaders that are appointed to be heads of government, whether good or bad, it’s not up to us to decide. Tread carefully my friends when critiquing others, and insure you do not enter into sin yourself. 

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13:1-2

July 11

Where is your heart? Is it bent towards Jesus? If it is, and the Holy Spirit resides in you, then you should care about people, because Jesus does. There is a war raging for souls, it is not a war of the flesh, it’s a spiritual war. To try and combat the enemy with human tools, is to lose. I’m overwhelmed with disgust over what’s happening in our world today, and measures taken by the enemy to destroy souls at an early age, either by abortion, by slavery, or by sexual abuse. Though these are all physical attacks, the spirit becomes crushed, and the enemy knows that the victims are likely to blame God or doubt His existence because they were ravaged. The enemy’s dark schemes are being brought into the light and he seems to be reveling in it. The only hope for the world today is the return of Jesus, and hearts turning to Him. God help the children who are being destroyed at the hands of sick people full of darkness, help them find Jesus and accept His salvation and the freedom that comes with it. 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” Luke 4:18-19

July 10

Where is your boldness? Who has a grip on your courage? We must speak up about the saving power of Jesus. Steven was one of the disciples that was chosen to help feed the hungry of the church, and fill in the gaps so the apostles could continue to preach. He was spreading the news about Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, and doing signs and wonders among the people, when he was seized. They lied saying that he had spoken ill about Moses and God. He was brought before the high priest and gave account from the beginning of all of the wrong they had done to the beloveds of God, including what they had done to Jesus. He triggered them with his speech! No one likes to have their sins brought into the light, but it may be the only way to reach those who have yet to follow Jesus. Steven looked up to heaven and could see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He was proud of Steven and was there awaiting his arrival. Take courage, and bring the good news of Jesus and may He stand when you enter the kingdom!

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 6:8

But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. Micah 3:8

July 9

Be careful of arrogance. I have an elderly friend whose husband has been in the hospital, but is recovering. She explained that she and her husband are in church every Sunday, and sit in the same place each week. She further explained that the preacher hasn’t come to visit, and they were very dissatisfied with him. I asked her if anyone else from the church had visited, and she named off a stream of people, and that they had offered to bring food, and had been very attentive to their needs. I just want to remind everyone that the preacher is appointed to lead the church, equip the saints for services, to bring the message of hope, and teach the ways of God. There are others who are appointed to handle the sick, those who have the gift of healing, but especially the elders, they are in charge of the sick! I’m not saying that the preacher shouldn’t visit, but when God is sending His servants to you, remember that you are probably getting those who are appointed for such a time as this. As for my friend, it seems as though her congregation is doing exactly what they have been trained to do.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14

July 8

On a day when I’m trying hard to hear the voice of the Lord, I hear silence. I prayed for Him to give me something that could help someone today, but all I got was crickets. I went back to my Bible to see if I missed something that He wanted me to expand upon, and found a psalm of David. He was encouraging us to recognize the power of God. He must have been witnessing a thunderstorm, much like we’ve been having lately. This reminded me of my recent experience. I was outside digging in the yard when it began to get cloudy, and thunder began to clap all around me, but I was determined to finish what I was doing. I was working to clean up the yard of the rental we just purchased, and had begun to uncover a cobblestone walkway and fire pit. I didn’t want to stop, because it’s exciting finding beauty in the rough, but lightning kept clapping all around me, and though I know my usefulness to the Lord and know He would probably keep me safe, I decided that it was a good idea to get out of it. Lightning is scary! The mighty power of God is nothing to be toyed with, we should be careful not to make light of it. I know He loves me, but should never put Him to the test. Don’t take God too lightly, He is serious and powerful!

Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. Psalms 29:2-4

July 6

Better late than never! I guess I needed and extra hours worth of sleep; the week's activities have finally caught up with me. The commitment I made to my Savior doesn’t end. You see, the pressure for me to have this post written by nine a.m. comes only from myself, my loving Father is not forcing me to contribute, He’s allowing me to contribute. It’s my honor to be able to bring His love to all of my friends. Neither you nor I should ever feel pressure to perform for God, our salvation comes from His love for us, not from the things we do for the kingdom. You cannot buy your way into Heaven, nor can you work your way into Heaven. Now, I will say this, you will have a tugging on your heart to do something for Him because of your gratefulness to Him for your salvation, but at no point does He require it of you. When you figure out your place, not much will stop you from fulfilling your purpose, but you shouldn’t feel stress, that’s not His way.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

July 7

My porch and everything on it is wet from the July rains. It’s my happy place when I’m away from the beach, that is, until the sun begins peaking through the trees, and the blazing heat begins to steam the water. Though while the day is still early, the sounds are beautiful and interesting. I can hear the bullfrogs in the nearby swamp, the Cuban tree frogs just outside my door, and the birds that make their home in the woods near my home. Their sounds are soothing and peaceful. Make sure you find time to seek the joy of the Lord, and refresh with the works of His hand. We get so consumed by the challenges of everyday life, that we forget to slow down and enjoy His creation. Make today the day you commit to praise Him for giving you breath, and waking your senses. Make today the day that you acknowledge how wonderful He is. Praise Him with heartfelt thankfulness, for He is good and His love endures forever.

*A Psalm for giving thanks.Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

*Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

*Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

*Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

*For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalms 100:1-5

July 5

Admitting that I didn’t listen to the Lord as I should have, is very difficult. My post from yesterday was not exactly what I heard Him telling me. It was still a decent word, but that’s God’s way. I was to write about my fall, but was also supposed to tell you that I blamed Him. I wasn’t ugly about it, I just asked Him why He didn’t protect me. The stairs I fell down, was in a home we just purchased on the courthouse steps, technically online, but it was a foreclosure sale. I got the impression before I went over there that I needed to walk through the home filling it with God’s word, reading out loud Psalms 91. I didn’t. I got busy and forgot. I worked all day in that house and not one iota of the Bible was breathed out. The lesson in this is not to blame God with a mishap! Listen when He gives you clear instructions. I should have prayed over it, read the Psalm as instructed, and asked for His blessing before I took possession of it. Don’t dismiss that still small voice. 

Don’t get me wrong, this could have happened anyway, but what if it didn’t?

This is a good verse for freedom too! When the Holy Spirit moves in, drive out the old inhabitants, bad habits and sin!

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. Numbers 33:55

July 4

Praise God today because our nation is still free! 🇺🇸 

I was coming down the stairs and missed the last step, sprained my ankle on my left foot, and jammed my middle toe on the right foot. It hurt, but didn’t seem so bad, I could still move it all around, and wiggle my toes. After working all day, it swelled up to almost double in size! I got a little worried that it may be more than just a sprain, because it hurt so bad that I wanted to cry. I went to the doctor and had an x-ray. It was as I thought, just a sprain. I also found out that I have arthritis in the joint of my big toe! Anyway, the point of this story is that no matter how bad your day is, continue to praise the Lord! He has given us life, freedom, and as long as you still have breath, you have reason to praise Him! Even if you live in a country that is not free, Jesus has set you free from your sin. Yes, we will have to live with pain, and bad days, but we are still privileged, and are still part of the kingdom of God.

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. Psalms 9:1-2

July 3

I have an old pair of flip-flops that I like to wear at the beach, but there is a problem with them, the insoles are made of leather. The reason it’s a problem is because I get them wet every time I wear them. Being wet is not the problem, the problem starts when they are drying. The insoles are glued to a rubber bottom, and when they dry, they begin to curl up. They will eventually stretch back out when I wear them. I never intended to expose shoes that had leather on them to this kind of torment, so when I first got them wet, I wasn’t sure what would happen. This is like the testing of your faith. You know the old pair of shoes won’t let you down, because they’ve proven themselves faithful. We go through trials to help us let go of the things that God wants us rid of, whether it’s pride, self reliance, or sin. Just like my flip-flops, I know that I can take them in the water and expose them to the sun, and they will still be useful to me, especially since they’ve proven themselves reliable.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

July 2

Because Richard holds a license in air conditioning, HVAC, he entered a contest at a local company for a digital thermostat, and won. They made a big deal about it, did a video to present it, and then installed it in our home. It can be controlled by an app on my iPhone, so I downloaded it. We’ve had it for a couple of months, but when we came home from our short vacation, it felt a little warm to me. I checked it, but the temperature was fine, it was just me. The next morning, I felt hot when I got up, so I checked it again, it was 78 degrees! We are in the middle of summer, I’m going to melt if this air conditioner isn’t working. I got out my phone, checked the app, and somehow I had changed it to heat! I didn’t even touch anything except the screen on the thermostat to see if it was working, how did it change to heat? Anyway, the air conditioner is cooling again, thank goodness! Sometimes we do the same thing to God. We don’t trust that He has everything under control, we question His authority, then take back what we have left in His hands. We suffer by getting anxious. Stop questioning God, allow Him to do His work on your behalf.

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Romans 9:19-20

July 1

I love the beach. I feel like it’s a place of respite and peace. I was enjoying the weather, and decided to take my chair down to the water's edge. The water was perfect, not too hot, and not too cold. The waves were coming in consistently, but it wasn’t too rough. Where I had placed my chair seemed good, however I kept getting pummeled by the waves, so I moved out a little further, but I still got tossed about. I decided to give up my chair and go in a little deeper. Amazingly, the waves became tolerable. Let me encourage you, especially if you’re new to Christianity, go deeper! It’s really rough sitting at the edge. The enemy knows when you’re not fully committed to God, and will keep tormenting you to try and get you to turn back to him and do things his way. Go all in! You’ll still get hit by a wave once in a while, but it won’t be nearly as bad as being in the breakers. Put all of your trust in Jesus. Trust Him when He calls you into the depths; you’ll not be overtaken by the waves. 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. Isaiah 43:2

June 30

Have you ever got stuck watching one of those seemingly never ending videos? They get you with a gimmick to keep you watching by not revealing the answer, and they are always trying to sell you something. I’ve never watched one all the way through to the end, I’m not even sure if they end! They don’t give you any control buttons so you can fast forward! Think about it, our life is the same way! Thankfully, we trust in God. We may not know exactly what is coming next, but we can be sure that He has already worked out the details. Just like the video, if He revealed everything, we may not want to precede to the end. Trust that God has everything under control, and rest your anxious mind.

The answer is hot dogs. It’s the one thing you shouldn’t have in your refrigerator, because it increases your chances for heart disease, just in case Dr. Gundry entices you to watch his video. Fortunately, I didn’t have to watch the entire thing to get the answer!

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

June 29

On December 10, 2011, I broke my leg. We were bicycling through a park on the Alafia River. I was carrying Coco in a sling and she wanted to get down, so I put her down and she got all messy. I couldn’t put her back in the carrier all covered in filth, so I decided to take her down the embankment to rinse her off in the river. I stepped off the pavement and down I went, dog and all. I heard what sounded like a branch breaking, but it wasn’t a branch! It was my leg! Richard offered to carry me back up the embankment, but I was too afraid of the pain it might cause. I thought that the paramedics could get me off the river bank without moving my leg too much, but I was wrong. I should have let Richard carry me, he would have been more gentle. 

My lesson in this was to trust the one who loves me, rather than a complete stranger. They did a great job, and I’m very thankful for them, but I should have listened to Richard, because it would have saved me from experiencing so much pain. 

Physically, things are going to happen, it’s the nature of being in this world, but what’s most important is protecting your heart. God loves you, and in no way wants you to be hurt, but you have to listen to Him and trust Him. Harm comes when you step outside His will; it opens you up to the enemy’s assaults. The way you hear Him is through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and through reading your Bible daily. Make sure you’re tuned in.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. Psalms 91:14

June 28

The wicked have taken up too much of my time. The destruction that is at their fingertips infuriates me. The lies that are concocted to portray Christians as the evil ones, play right into the hands of Satan. Lawlessness and disorder is a part of the enemy's plan, and it looks like he might be winning. We cannot continue to sit back and do nothing! If you haven’t been praying for our country, you need to rise up now, and call on the Lord. Cry out to Him on behalf of our freedom, and ask Him to route the enemy’s plan. Pray fervently. God listens to His children. Don’t wait, pray now!

Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law. Psalms 119:53

June 27

There is a lot in the news about gates and walls, most of it is negative. I live in a community that has a gate and walls around it. If someone wants to get in, they will get in, but it will not be as easy as a community without a gate. If you are visiting, we can give you a code or you can call from the box, and we will press a button on our phone and it will let you in.

As a follower of Jesus, you have already gained entry into the kingdom of Heaven. Someone invited you, you accepted that invitation, and completed the requirements for entry. No one will be let in if they are filthy, it’s too posh for that. In Heaven, there will be no guessing as to whether you belong there or not, you will not gain entry without trusting Jesus, and accepting His free gift and spotless cleansing, which is only available through Him. He holds the keys to the kingdom!

If you want someone to live in your heavenly neighborhood, make sure you invite them, and show them how to gain access and have their name placed on the guest list.

But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Revelation 21:27