January 13

There are times when you don’t know who you are hearing from; whether it’s God, or self-talk. One morning, I decided to put down my iPad and just listen, no writing, just praying and listening. The impression I got was so beautiful, encouraging, and uplifting, it made me think, am I telling myself these things? So, I asked Him “is this You or me?” I immediately became tearful and realized that I don’t tell myself beautiful things that make me cry. The tears I cry are usually from self-pity, but never from self encouragement. The rule is, God is never condemning, His words are loving, and will concur with the Bible. If you want to hear Him, you have to close everything out except you and nothingness; He’s in the nothingness! Ask Him how He feels about you. It’s then that you will hear Him or feel an impression from Him. He wants you to be sure of His love, take it to heart when you hear Him speak.

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

January 12

What is taking you away from spending time with the Lord? Our lives are full of distractions, especially now that we have the world at our fingertips. I know that a lot of people re-evaluate their habits this time of year and consider the amount of time they spend in a virtual world rather than participating in real life, which is a good thing! God deserves our time and He deserves more than that thirty second prayer that you belt out just to get it out  of the way. If your life is already full, pray and ask Him to help you carve out some time for Him. I read a post from a young man asking his dad’s friends to please refrain from calling him while he spends time with him. I thought it was very sweet that he valued his time with his dad so much that he didn’t want any distractions. I imagine God feels the same way. I have to get up before the chickens wake up because my day is usually full, how about you?

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Matthew 6:6

January 11

There are those who preach with sugary lips, those who are harsh and preach fire and brimstone, and some who ride right down the middle. In the Bible, there were none with sugary lips, which is a warning for all. When John the Baptist came on the scene, he didn’t care who was listening, he spoke the truth! It was a different style that most had never heard and people were drawn to him. Like a judge, I want to hear the “whole truth and nothing but the truth!” Even if that truth begins with the sting of fire and death, as long as it ends with freedom and life and comes from the Bible, I want to hear it! The evangelical side of me wants to pour out the harshness of reality every day, but the practical side of me knows that most won't accept it, so I give you sweet stories to lessen the blow. Here’s a little truth for you: death will not bring you rest unless you have Jesus!

"O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

January 10

The older I get, the more I realize that time goes quickly and that I’ve probably been alive longer than I will live. That thought spurs me to rethink my life and the way I’ve been living. For all these years I have been taking advantage of time, not realizing that time is precious and we shouldn’t waste it. Our flesh is finite, we’re not going to live forever in this state of being. I’ve made some changes that will give my flesh the best life possible and to help me to stop striving. You have a choice, either build on a future that is sure or continue to strive for the fleshly life that is not promised. What is sure? The word of the Lord! Build your hope on the promises of God. We are like grass or the flowers of the field, one breath from the Almighty and we are gone! This flesh is only temporary, we won’t live in it forever. Build your hope on nothing less than Jesus. Decide today to concentrate on your infinite life. 

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:7-8

January 9

There is something refreshing about waking up to a warm rain. This rain is coming out of the south to thaw out the frosty cold that we experienced for the last couple of weeks here in Florida. Hopefully this will give our tropical plants a chance to recover and come back better than ever in the spring. I know that after I’ve received a beat down, I’ll hide out in a cave for a little while trying to recover, and somehow God will replenish my strength and give me the ability to come back with a vengeance! My plants are recovering from the frost, some of the leaves will fall off, but the roots and the branches are still strong and have life in them. When our lives are built around our Savior, He is our source of power and life. The enemy may come in and torment us for a day or a season, but he is not our source of strength. Set your eyes upon Jesus during those harsh and frosty days and His heat will keep your core strong!

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isaiah 40:29

January 8

I’ve been in the stores quite a bit lately, trying to come up with ways to make my new home feel like my own. I notice that there is an increase in rudeness; it’s as if someone has turned off the courtesy and kindness button and everyone is ignoring the feelings of others. I was in a store looking at some items on a shelf when a woman, having trouble carrying her items needed to walk past me, or so I thought. That wasn’t the case at all! She wanted to look at the items on the same shelf and stood directly in front of me! I was so shocked at her behavior that I stood there in disbelief! There was a point in my life where I would have never let her get away with doing that to me, but I’ve mellowed a bit and have learned to let the unnecessary things go. That was just one of many instances. The Holy Spirit definitely dwells within me and His guidance has helped me to overcome the craziness of this world.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20

January 7

It’s that time of year again! Stone crab season! As much as I love going to the beach and spending time on the water, being on an open boat in cold weather is not appealing to me. However, my husband and son love eating them so much that they’ll forgo their comfort just to collect those tasty morsels. They are quite a delicacy, especially when the rate per pound can go as high as twenty five dollars! Many people long to afford this edible crustacean, but we are able to enjoy them at very little cost. I may be stretching this a bit, but this is comparable to our relationship with God. Many people long for the kind of peace only given to those who trust in Jesus. This world is full of turmoil and only God can give us real peace. Peace, like the crab in a trap at the bottom of the ocean floor, is readily available. Jesus is like a trap full of crab; all you have to do is go, collect, and eat.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Jame 1:17