June 19

I still feel tired from an eventful day of travel. We didn’t leave the airport until a little after 1 pm yesterday. Once we got to the airport in Atlanta, it was a little after 3 pm; we couldn’t find our luggage, it didn’t come out with the other bags from our flight. We finally rounded it up and headed to our hotel. On our drive over, we notice that the police had shut down part of the interstate; after seeing a motorcade and secret service vehicles, we discovered we had witnessed the motorcade of Kamala Harris. It’s kind of funny, though; the cars were marked with the words “Secret Service.” Why would they put that on display if it was a secret? Maybe my eyes were deceiving me. There’s always something fishy going on with that “administration.” She was in town to push the experimental injection. There wasn’t much hoopla surrounding someone so famous, but I’m just a bystander looking in on a minor part of history.

We live our daily lives with someone extraordinary within our hearts and are saved from everlasting demise because of him. So, why would we or anyone else place another human in such high regard? We do it every day without thinking of how ridiculous we are being. Put your hope in Jesus with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within you, and place no man in higher regard than Jesus.

Here is how we should regard Jesus:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

June 18

Rush, rush, rush, then hurry up and wait! I’m flying to Atlanta for a bridal shower for my niece, and my plane was supposed to leave at 7 am. That means I needed to get to the airport by 5:30; that also means I had to get up early and leave by 4:30! We made it there, and the flight was delayed until 1 pm! Why did God plan this delay? There are five of us going, so who are we suppose to minister to? Will it be in passing, or will it be something readily observable? Maybe, it will be us who are ministered to. That is exactly what happened! It’s early and we were disappointed about the delay, but there are people out there full of smiles and love. It does your heart good to be affected by someone with a good attitude. My lesson for today is for us to be that person that ministers through our attitude and expressions. You never know how your mannerisms can change someone’s outlook. We were very blessed by this persons friendliness. Today, be a blessing to someone!

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, Ephesians 2:19

June 17

We have two small dogs, Coco and Rudy. We had Coco for five years before we got Rudy. You would have thought the world had caved in on Coco; she was so upset about this new creature in our house. It’s been five years, and at some point, she grew fond of him. Don’t get me wrong, she is still very jealous of him and nips at him occasionally, but sometimes I see her snuggled up to him when he’s lying down. Richard and I love them both and want no harm to come to either of them, but we wish they loved each other more. 

Coco is like the Israelites who love Jesus, and Rudy is like the gentiles who love Jesus; because of our love for him, God has made us one people and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility.

Don’t get me wrong; some vicious people claim to be on either side but believe me, they do not love Jesus; if they did, they wouldn’t be nasty or separate themselves from the other party. We are beginning to see the dividing line between good and evil; God is making it clear. Many will be shocked when the veil is lifted, and the darkness is brought into the light; people whom you thought were good will be seen as evil. The good people are on the side of Jesus, and Satan is the father of the evil ones. The truth is coming soon. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:3b)

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility Ephesians 2:14

June 16

I’m slowly getting my house the way I want it. Little by little, I’m refreshing and renewing some of the areas that needed attention. Yesterday, I spent most of the day in the master bathroom. I restored the floor grout using Magic Eraser, which brought it back to its original color. Then I used a razor blade to scrape out the old caulking in the shower. Another trick I discovered was to use acetone on the light fixture glass to change them from a dated brownish color to white. I did the same thing to the chandeliers in the kitchen a few weeks ago. Using this one little discovery has saved Richard from having to replace all the fixtures in the house! 

The Bible is full of tools and valuable ideas about how to live life as if you are already in the kingdom of God. In many of the parables, Jesus would start them by saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like... “ and he would go on and tell a story. If you are dissatisfied with your life, open up the gospels and follow the steps of Jesus. He will tell you how to discover your original self, slough off all the old, become renewed, and begin living your purpose in him. Try it and see; you will be amazed at how good it feels.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

June 15

Over the weekend, I had the desire to spend some time on the beach. I gathered my things and headed to the sand, only to get there and find tiny dead fish and the air thick with algae bloom, so much that I couldn’t breathe and began to cough. I got to the edge of the water and turned right around to go back home. However, a woman, who had been behind me on the path, was still meandering on it and blocked my way, and it’s not that long; in the meantime, I’m about to hack up a lung!

When you try to turn and run away from your past, remember, the devil and his cronies will do whatever they can to block your way and keep you on the deadly path. You must keep pressing forward, slicing through the powers and principalities of the air to claim victory in Jesus. 

After staring at the woman intently, she finally moved. She took her sweet time, but I eventually made my way. With the devil, you must use the prescribed words, “The Lord rebuke you.” Be careful because the Bible also cautions us not to pronounce a blasphemous judgment on the devil. (Jude 9)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— Ephesians 2:1-2

June 14

I’ve been working very hard to get the yard of my new residence under control. We have a hedge in the backyard that became overgrown and covered by vines. I remember reading that God told Adam he would be required to tame the land because of his sin; well, that's what I was feeling yesterday as I began yanking the vines off the top of the hedges. After I got most of the vines removed, Richard started trimming them up to create trees; then he watered them because they were looking sad from the lack of it; we’ve been in a drought, though we are starting the rainy season, the sand is still quite dry. This morning they look a little perkier. 

If you continue to neglect yourself spiritually, the enemy will creep in as those vines did to the hedge. It may take some work after you’ve allowed fear, trauma, unbelief, and rejection to overtake you, but if you work carefully to eliminate them from the root, you will be free to flourish and able to get over your self-pity. Work diligently with the Holy Spirit to eradicate these encumbrances from your life. Ask him for help. When you ask him what is causing your issues, be ready to hear the answer, it’s probably not what you think. Don’t slough it off, saying it couldn’t be that because it probably is! Once you’ve identified your trouble, confess, repent, anoint, and pray!

I’ve just handed you the keys to a peaceful life, but it’s up to you to use them.

Problem: fear, trauma, unbelief, rejection

Answer: confess, repent, anoint, pray

I’ve had these written on my screen saver for years, so they are always in from of me. Once you are free, you never want to be enslaved by them again. Get to work, my friends.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Ephesians 2:4-5

June 13

We went to dinner last night with some of our friends, to a restaurant just off the beach. I noticed a sign posted, “No shirt, no shoes, no pants, no service.” It was the first time I’d seen the “no pants” part. You wouldn’t think you would have to say it, but you do because you are so close to the beach. We were sitting there waiting to go in, and right before my eyes was a girl with a shirt on that barely covered her rear; she didn’t have pants on! One slip, and I would have seen all her goods! No, there wasn’t a hidden swimsuit underneath. If only I had a picture to show you; she was standing under the sign! What compels a person to be so open with their intimate body parts? It’s the prince of the power of the air, there to stir to the desires of man to disobedience. As Paul says, we were once just like them.

“among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Ephesians 2:3

Thankfully, Jesus yanked us out of the fire and seated us with him in heavenly places, and now we no longer follow worldly passions or open ourselves up to indecency. We didn’t do anything to deserve it; we were once naked, just like that girl, but he chose to be merciful and save us through our faith in him.

Public service announcement: Cover your body parts!

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