Saturday, March 23, 2019

March 23

There is no peace in our souls without Jesus. The sooner we recognize that, the better off we will be. One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is when the disciples were crossing the sea and a storm came up and began to overtake the boat. The disciples were frantic, and in fear, but Jesus was with them in the boat! He was asleep in the stern, and they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He rebuked the wind, and the sea calmed. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” We have storms come up all the time, but how do you react? Do you panic, as if Jesus is not with you, or do you rebuke the storm and sail through it with ease? Inward peace springs from a sense of divine favor. We are privileged to have Jesus, and He is for us, not against us! When you are afraid, remember who you belong to. Run and hide behind Him when the storms rage around you, because we have no need to fear! What can mere man do to us?


Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2

Friday, March 22, 2019

March 22

Since January 2, I’ve been following the ketogenic diet, and finally reached my goal weight, losing almost seventeen pounds. I have learned some powerful lessons following such a plan. It is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carb way of eating. Changing my system from burning carbohydrates for energy to burning fat for energy has been the biggest turnaround. Not only is it burning my body fat, but my energy has increased, and is sustained for the whole day. It takes some willpower to start, but after you make the change, and realize how much better you feel, sugar and high carb foods no longer draw you to them. It is a physical comparison to how your mind becomes when you fill it with the good things of the Bible; it feeds your soul, burns off all the negative things that torment your mind, and it’s full of lasting power. It also takes some willpower to change to a diet of God’s Word, but once you do, you will realize how fulfilling it is and won’t want to go back to your old lifestyle.


"But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

Thursday, March 21, 2019

March 21

The Bible gives instruction for what we should do while waiting for the return of Jesus. 
1. Be found by Him without spot or blemish.
2. Be at peace.  
3. Don’t get carried away with the error of lawless people. 
4. Grow in the grace.
5. Grow in the knowledge of Jesus.  
We are not to be idle! These are not as easy as they sound, but can be accomplished through the Holy Spirit as we strive for excellence in Him. These instructions are found in 2 Peter 3:14-18


Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 2 Peter 3:14

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

March 20

My husband and I took a trip to southwest Florida for the day. Each of us is serving on different homeowner association boards in our condo community. During Hurricane Irma, the seawall washed out and became unstable, and because it happened all the way down the coastline, it has taken some time to get a contractor out to make the repairs. In the mean time, the homeowners have created beautiful, lush gardens that they are quite fond of, but in order to make the necessary repairs, access would need to be made right through that garden! As a gardener, I understand the heartbreak of thinking about the garden being torn up by the trucks, however, sometimes you have to think about the stability of your property and possible destruction if another hurricane comes through. This one man was uncontrollably angry at the thought of the garden being destroyed! As Christians, we also need to think about whether the things we are concerned about are cosmetic and worldly, or if we are concerned with our more important eternity. Where do your concerns fit into this scenario?


But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 2 Peter 3:10

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

March 19

There is a common thread throughout the Bible, and it is God’s love for us. His love is beautiful and overflowing. However, not everything in the Bible is roses and butterflies; you can be sure that those who reject the Lord, and disregard His love will be dealt with. The most severe punishment will come to those who have experienced the truth, and then go back to living as they did before. The Bible likens it to a dog returning to its vomit, and having dogs, I’ve seen this happen, and it turns my stomach just thinking about it. Imagine being rejected by your own children, and how painful that could be, and you will understand how God feels when we reject Him by continuing in our former lifestyle. There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that the enemy will guard those who have returned to their vomit, but the good news is, God loves you, and if you will turn back to Him, He is faithful to forgive.


For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:21-22

Monday, March 18, 2019

March 18

We are very spiritual beings, though more often, we listen to the voices of this world rather than tuning in to the Holy Spirit. Think about this, we have Siri on our phones, Alexa in our homes, YouTube on our devices, television, and so on, and we listen to them more often than we rely on the Holy voice of God. Just this morning, I decided that I would rather hear an Australian male voice than the American female voice, so I changed it. That was easy, all I had to do was change my settings. My suggestion is to change the settings within yourself, and instead of asking Siri or Alexa about certain matters, ask God. This requires that you tune in and turn on your listening ability. You will find these settings in your mind, tune in, but realize that it requires a keen ability to listen. There is a caveat, God’s voice will never go against His Word in the Bible, you might be on the wrong frequency if you hear a voice that does.


(Elijah listening for God’s voice) And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 1 Kings 19:12

Sunday, March 17, 2019

March 17

My husband and I had this bright idea to take our bicycles to the Riverwalk in Tampa to enjoy our beautiful spring day, neglecting to realize that it was the annual dying the river green festivity for St. Patrick’s Day, and that it would be a crowded mess. We tried to maneuver through the people, but it was too hazardous. We loaded up and headed to Bayshore, which is touted to be the worlds longest continuous sidewalk; I’m not sure how true that is, but it was a nice ride, and we got a lot of exercise in the process! Do you make lemons into lemonade, or do you pitch a fit and throw the lemons? Things don’t always work out as we’ve planned, but if we are flexible, we won’t break when things get bent out of shape. We are not in charge of our steps! The sooner we learn this the easier life will be. God plans our steps, and all things work together for our good. When things don’t go your way, remember that God’s purpose for you will prevail, so rest easy in the process.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand. Proverbs 19:21


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