Saturday, April 7, 2018

April 7

Oh, what a day! When you are about to spend precious time with the Lord, the enemy comes after you with a vengeance! Our women’s group from church planned a getaway to a remote island to get some respite from our everyday challenges. We had sixteen women make it there and every woman has a story of how the forces of evil were trying to stop them. The island is an hour and a half away and being a driver, I decided to pull my car out of the garage to give room for someone to park in it. As I turned the key to crank the car all I heard was “click, click, click!” The battery was dead! I get a grin on my face realizing the trials had begun. The enemy forgot that I had a husband that can do just about anything! He changed out the battery and we were on our way without any delays. That’s just one instance! Just know that the enemy is so jealous of our relationship with God that he will do anything to try and stop us from cultivating it to bring our hearts into alignment with His. Fight for your time with Him, even if it stirs up madness all around you. It’s worth it!

My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. Song of Solomon 2:10-12

Friday, April 6, 2018

April 6

The voice of God is revealed through His Word, but if you pay close attention, He will begin to reveal Himself to you through other ways. I love nature! If you put me outside, I will dream all day. I like to play in the dirt, ramble through the woods, walk on the beach, and anything to do with the outdoors. Because of my love for nature, God began to speak to me through it. After I learned to pick up His cues there, He taught me to see the lesson in other things. There is a lesson in everything we do, we just have to open our minds to hear it. That’s why I can pull a story out of the simple and mundane things I do every day. It has become a way of life. Every morning I begin my day by honoring God through prayer and the reading of His Word. Then I ask Him “what do you want me to write about today?” I then begin to comb over the previous day to see if anything interesting stands out; when it does, God is made known.


But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

Thursday, April 5, 2018

April 5

You never know what a day will bring. The shoe finally drops, it’s been teetering for a while. We all have issues in our families, but when you have the Lord, He makes a way when there seems to be no options. It makes me proud when I see a child, I helped raise, jump into action to save the day and give love and compassion to a child who is oblivious to everything happening around him. God knows what each of us need, and provides the right help at the right time. If you’re not trusting the Lord to take care of your family, you need to pray about that! He loves your family more than you do and has the power to help them. Stop trying to fix them and give them to God, being they are not yours anyway! If and when you finally decide to give them up, your stress and anxiety will diminish and your peace will return. That overused saying “give up and let God,” it applies to your family too.


Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

April 4

Driving by an old church I notice a parking sign right up front near the door labeled “Pastor Parking.” There are reasons that a pastor would need to establish up close parking, like a disability or illness. However, if it’s ego, I could see the devil laughing as they posted the sign. Jesus gave us an example of how we should serve Him and His flock; the key word is “serve!” We are to humble ourselves as a servant, we are last! Unlike the phrase made popular by the movie Talladaga Nights, spoken by Ricky Bobby, “if you’re not first you’re last,” in the kingdom of God, if you’re last, your first! If we’re not careful, an entitled attitude can sneak up on you, and you’ll find your head in the clouds with your nose in the air. Watch out that this doesn’t happen to you. We should be breaking our necks trying to serve one another. If you don’t have a servant attitude, get one! Begin now, serve others!


But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

April 3

When we go to the island we have to take everything we might need for the day, or however long we’re staying. There are no grocery stores or bridges, transportation is by boat only. There are carts positioned on the mainland for you to use to get your things to your boat. Yesterday, I loaded the cart while my husband parked the truck, he’s told me this before, but I forgot where to place the heavy things. Needless to say, I put them all in the wrong position which caused the cart to be hard to push. Rather than repacking the cart, I struggled for the short distance to the boat. When we got to the island, I remember to put the heavy things on the front over the wheels and the push was so much easier. Our lives are like that cart, Jesus is like the position over the wheels. If we don’t place our heaviest burdens on Him, over the wheels, the push is hard, even for a short distance.


casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Monday, April 2, 2018

April 2

I saw a T-shirt that said “Free Barabbas.” It made me pause to think about it. Though it’s repulsive, it had to be that way. The three criminals that were involved in the crucifixion story are very indicative of the truth of today. First, you have Barabbas, who was chosen over Jesus to be released rather than be crucified. We are like him because we have been released from our punishment and Jesus took our place! Then you have the one who never repented and through more insults upon Jesus as they were hanging there together, he found himself in eternal hell! Then there was the one who lived his whole life as a sinner and just before death, repented and Jesus accepted him into paradise with Him. I don’t know what happened to Barabbas after he was released, but, like us, I hope he realized how fortunate he was and made a decision to follow Him. Value your salvation!


But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." Luke 23:40-41