August 4

As I sit in a home that I'm not used to, I find it a little harder to write. Is it my surroundings? Have the airwaves become so congested with traffic that I can't hear God speaking? Maybe I'm just plain tired after working from sunup to well past sundown. Whatever has caused this interruption, it's within me. God hasn't moved, He's still there cradling me in His arms, urging me to rest easy. He tells me that I must take a moment to slow down. When He tells me this, He's talking about the traffic within my head! So the answer to one of the questions is yes, the airwaves inside my head have become congested with traffic and His quiet voice is getting drowned out. How could I possibly hear Him when I have so many other things going through my mind? God deserves to be the loudest voice you hear, so you have to let go of all the idols in your mind and make Him your priority! He will never take second place to anyone or anything. That's why He tells us to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our mind.

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Matthew 22:37

August 3

I marvel at the splendid beauty of God's creation. Looking at the intricate details of living things, I often wonder how He came up with so many different ideas. For instance, think about the soil and seed. The seed appears to be dead until you plant it in the ground and water it. It then comes to life and creates a home for other creatures, food and shade for us, and also cleans the air. All of that from dirt and seed! There are so many varieties of plants, and most have a purpose that is useful for our well-being. Not only are they good for food, but they create magnificent gardens that are a feast for our senses. They give us peace and tranquility as we soak in their beauty, fragrances, and textures. We are lured in by the songs from the birds, the majesty of a butterfly in flight, and the scurrying of the squirrels and other creatures that call it home. Take a stroll through a garden and enjoy His creation. (Exert from: Jesus Will Meet You In The Swamp-August 3)

And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. Genesis 1: 11

August 2

Tools are an important part of our lives. Have you ever been putting something together and needed a tool you didn't have? It can be frustrating! So, instead of buying or borrowing the tool you need, you try desperately to make what you have work, but those tools are just making the job harder. As a follower of Jesus, we were commanded to go teach and make disciples. Jesus has given us the tools we need, the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Well you already have the Holy Spirit, you got Him when you accepted Jesus as your Savior and King, but what about the scriptures? Do you study them or commit them to memory? If you haven't, trying to muddle through the process of making disciples can be impossible because you don't have the proper tools. So, before you try to make a presentation, you need to know what you're talking about. You can only do what God has called you to do if you truly know His heart through the scriptures.

My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:1-3

August 1

I've learned from experience that the persona given by others on social media can be much different than what you see in person. I am part of a woman's Facebook group where we all have a common interest that's all about the love of the beach. Once a year we meet in Sanibel for the shell show and then enjoy lunch together afterwards. When the group started, most members had never met. When meeting someone for the first time, things can become a little awkward, especially when a person's writing is bold and their personality is quiet. By the way, my writings are bold but my demeanor is meek. The apostle Paul was much the same in that his writings were fierce but he was calm when face to face. Rest assured, he lived the way he wrote. His enemies pointed this out and used it against him, but Paul was humble and admitted that it was true. We should also be strong and acknowledge our own weaknesses.

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 Corinthians 10:1

July 31

Cleaning a pool that has turned green is not easy, especially when it's been sitting for quite a while. It's a little scary when you know how deep this pool is and you can't see the bottom! What kind of creatures are hiding in that murky mess? You have to start somewhere so you take a sample to the pool store to see what kind of chemicals you need to balance the water. After you treat it and get the water balanced, it is perfectly clean. But how can it be clean if you can't see the bottom? Well, it is, you just have to remove the junk! Then you begin the process of brushing, vacuuming, backwashing, and cleaning the filter. We are just like this dirty pool. Jesus comes along and cleans up our spirit, but our mind and body are still dirty. It's a process to begin cleaning up our minds to match the cleanliness of our spirit and requires us to change our mind and take every thought captive. If you haven't started cleaning up that mess, it's time!

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5

July 30

You never have to try and guess where God is. He's there. He's with you. He's around you. He's next to you. He's inside of you. There is no where you can go that He's not already there. I have been to places where it felt like He wasn't, and the presence of evil felt powerful and overwhelming, but He was. In that same community, there was only one church, and it was boarded up. Does that mean that the presence of God can be felt more powerfully because of people carrying the Holy Spirit? I believe so. When I felt that strong evil presence, I was alone, even though I carried the Holy Spirit myself, He was telling me to flee. So I ran as fast as I could to get out of the area. You see, we were never meant to walk out our faith alone. That's why it's so important for us to be surrounded by a community of believers, the church. If you're not part of a church, pray and ask God to direct you to the place He wants you to serve. Plus, it just feels good to be surrounded by the family of God!

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrew 10:24-25

July 29

Have you ever had God slap you in the face with the truth? I ran across a topic in scripture called "Marks of a true Christian."  That's when a verse, that I've read many times, jumped off the page. He says "Bless those that persecute you!" What does that mean? You think to yourself, "okay, I'll pray for them, that's easy!" No! That's not good enough! He goes further to say "bless and do not curse them." You cannot pray for them one moment and then speak ill about them at another moment. In that one verse, He says it twice, "Bless them!" He doesn't say ignore it or sweep it under a rug. It's almost as if He's commanding us to bless them. Imagine the good you could do for yourself if you could speak good about someone who has mistreated you. So, when you want to share your experience with others, be careful not to curse the one who has hurt you, instead, say good things about them; that's a mark of a true Christian.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Romans 12:14

July 28

Life can sometimes be complicated. I have three friends. Each of them desire to be a mother. One had a baby, but the delivery was complicated, causing her to no longer be able to bear more children, and two of them had issues of infertility. Each of them has had to wait. God had a plan and He stirred that desire within them so that His plan could fall into place. Sometimes the wait can be agonizing, but if we push through our own agenda without doing things God's way, we could end up with a whole lot of trouble. Like the story of Abraham where God promised him a son. Sarah took it upon herself to play the role of God by pushing him to procreate with Hagar, creating a whole lineage of people who've caused trouble for the world. Be patient with the things God has put on your heart and let Him be the one who leads. One of my friends became pregnant and the other two have been chosen by birth mothers for adoption. That's God's plan falling into place!

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12

July 27

Things aren't always as they appear. Esau, a rugged man, a hunter, and a provider was well loved by his father, Isaac. Jacob was more of a momma's boy and stayed in the tent all the time. Kind of like the difference between a city boy and country boy. Esau, after coming in from the field, was exhausted and hungry. Jacob, being an opportunist and knowing how hungry he was, offered him some of the stew he was cooking if he would give up his birthright. Esau found no use for his birthright and gave it up for a moment of hunger. Esau allowed his hunger to rule over him and thus gave up his position in the family because of it. Jacob was now in line to become the patriarch. This is an example of brains over brawn. It appeared that Esau strength would make a good leader, but that was proved to be wrong. The choices we make are very important for our future. Make wise decisions, even in a moment of weakness.

This story is in Genesis 25:29-34

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:14-16

July 26

When you start to see God's plan for your life unfolding, you begin to look back on the steps that were taken to get you there. It's like going on a long trip and not knowing your destination or what you will encounter. But that's just life, isn't it? Except, when God's involved, those stops and encounters have a purpose. Sometimes there are markers and monuments where the events changed your life significantly and we may even be lucky to still be alive. Those are the moments that our direction changed. Good or bad, we ended up here, today, right now, right where God wants us to be. The road was rough and we have the scars to prove it, but that's just it, we have scars not gaping wounds. Those injuries have healed and we are better for having gone through those challenges. Now we can look back at those markers with a grateful heart and thank God, even though we went through some tragedies, we've made it to this point and have gained the riches of wisdom and spiritual growth along the way.

Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. Genesis 35:13-14

July 25

In this life you have a choice, you can either align with the righteous, or set yourself up for failure and align with the wicked. The righteous being those who've been set apart by God and serve Jesus, and the evil being anyone or anything that is against Him and His followers. We are seeing it happen with our own eyes! People that we've loved for years are being flushed out like a covey of quail and coming into plain sight! All of those people who've sold their souls to the devil are now being called out for repayment. As they open their mouths against God's people, their careers are being destroyed and their credibility dismantled! Who does this help? It helps us! We can make better choices because of it. Now that you see the faces of evil, you can choose never to associate with them again, buy their product, watch their shows, or see their movies. What Christian, knowing the truth, would continue to partake in evil? Make wise choices my friends.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Psalms 91:7-8

July 24

The summer is the perfect time of year to see fireflies, or lightning bugs, as we call them here in Florida. They are so fascinating to see! They're not really a fly, they are a beetle. They have a chemical in their bodies called luciferin and when mixed with other chemicals, it creates this spectacular light. Isn't that an interesting name? In some species, their larvae will light up the underworld because they live underground. I find it very interesting that there are species that live in the western United States, but they do not glow. It makes you wonder how God decided to make some glow up while others do not. Oh, if only everyone who carries the light of Jesus would be like the lightning bug and show off their Light! We could light up this world! Just as this beetle was given a special gift of light, we were given a special gift of light, but unlike the beetle, we can share it with others to bring light into this dark and dreary world. Be a lightning bug and shine!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

July 23

Everyone cleans up for the Lord's day; and believe me, I'm glad they do! A fresh, polished look is good to see, and a bath is good for the nostrils! I'm not opposed to people going to church just as they are; if you were to go to my church in a suit and tie, you would stand out like a sore thumb! I'm not talking about how you look. When you go all week living as you please, don't expect that because you get yourself to church on Sunday, that you are clean. Though this is a good start, living for the Lord is an everyday thing. Imagine if you were out partying the night before, engaging in reckless behavior, and a friend, who was partying with you, shows up at your church for the first time, and there you are, doing your duty as an usher or greeter. What kind of message are you sending? Yes, we've all sinned and fall short of God's glory, but at some point you have to leave that behavior behind and strive toward the likeness of Jesus.

You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21

July 22

I love cake! But, when I start letting myself eat it, my appetite for sugar spirals out of control. One thing leads to another and before I know it, I've added ten pounds, I become sluggish, and tired. The extra weight makes my clothes fit tight and I'm uncomfortable. Why do I do this to myself? I know all this happens every time I go on a sugar binge, and yet I continue. Is that a sin for me? Maybe gluttony. I certainly need to consider it a sin for myself! We all have weaknesses and we know what they are, but what should we do about them? It takes so much courage and self control to refrain from indulging in unhealthy behavior. So, whether it's lust of the flesh or lust of sugar, or whatever has control of you, you must work diligently to give it up. We should allow nothing to rule over us except the Holy Spirit. This is an ongoing process. You may give one thing up, but then another thing pops up. It's a matter of recognizing it before it becomes your god.

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

July 21

We are not alone in this world. We are not even alone within ourselves. Though we may feel like an independent soul at times, we as Christ followers, were given the gift of the companionship of the Holy Spirit. What a gracious and beautiful gift given to us by Jesus! We have such amazing power! It's supernatural! If you're hungry, ask for more! As parents, we want to give our children what they ask us for, if it's within our ability. So when we ask for our Heavenly Father to give us bread, the Holy Spirit, scripture says that He will give us what we need! Ask for more! The Holy Spirit is power, so when you ask for more, realize that with more power comes more responsibility. I grew up in the country and was given a B-B gun as a child and was taught how to handle that gun. It wasn't until I learned to handle the power of the B-B gun that I was given a more powerful gun. Learn to utilize the power of the Holy Spirit, ask for more and He will give you what you need!

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13

July 20

We all have issues in our families that are hard to deal with. Each of my children has a mess of their own, and I could run myself ragged trying to fix them, but I don't. They were created by our loving Father and I have left that responsibility to Him. He gave me to them to offer love, guidance, and emotional support, but they must seek Him as I do for things that are beyond their ability to repair. Even our prodigal son knows this and when he's down on himself, he will refer back to his upbringing and is remorseful for not following the lessons he was taught. We must be confident in God's ability to see our children through their difficulties. The worse thing you could do is to jump in and try to fix it, you are not God! However, we are responsible to intercede for them, especially when we know they aren't doing it for themselves. My point is, we must leave it to God to help our children, He loves them well beyond our love for them.

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

July 19

When you are in a situation you had never intended for yourself, God expects you to make the best of it. If life gives you lemons, make lemon bars! Lemonade is good, but lemon bars, well, they are extraordinary! We all go through changes in our lives, some are good, some are not so good; we need to learn to embrace them and watch the hand of God moving. Believe me, He has a plan for every experience and can use anything for His purpose. My husband and I were called to a different church. At the time, I didn't know where we were going. In my own fantasy I thought we would become part of a church near the beach being we spend a lot of time there. However, God had a different plan and we ended up far from the beach at a church in Plant City, and I couldn't be happier! But needless to say, the lemon bars are quite tasty in Plant City! Embrace the challenges set before you and look for the opportunity to thrive!

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. Jeremiah 29:7

July 18

Why are you worried about death? There is no sting in death if you are secure in Jesus. However, if you have not committed your life to Him, you have something to worry about. Why, in the simplicity of accepting Jesus as your Savior and the free gift of eternal life that He offers, do we question it?  If you choose wrong, you end up in Hell, a real place. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, showed nothing but compassion for those who were caught up in the misery of sin and gave them a way out, just as He has for us. Choosing to follow Jesus is not the easy way, on the contrary, the forces of evil are angered and will come against you. The choice you're making is, do you want to live in eternity with the evil that comes against you for loving Jesus or do you want to reside with Jesus, who gave you the example of peace and love? Once you choose Jesus, your fear of death and its sting is no longer an issue and your ministry on this earth changes to pleasing Him.

"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

July 17

Why isn't life easy? The challenges we face can drag us down. If only things would turn out the way we imagined them. If only everyone would live for Jesus and follow His command to love. If only everyone would open up the Word of God and get to know Him. We know this won't happen, even those who call themselves Christians don't follow these simple rules. When Jesus calls us to meet Him on that great day, it will be clear who understood the magnitude of the choice to follow Jesus and turn only to Him and away from evil. What a glorious day for us and an eye opening day for them! There will still be time for them to change, however, if you think it's hard now, wait until all of the true followers have left the earth; talk about a challenge! Live your life to love others. Open up your Bible and read for yourself how Jesus loved, He is our example. Emulate Him and become the person He wants you to be.

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17

July 16

Sometimes God sends us into a new land. When He sent the Israelites in to conquer Canaan, he commanded them to listen to His angel's voice and to do everything He says. He promised that He would be an enemy of their enemy and drive out the inhabitants of the land little by little so the beasts wouldn't have time to accumulate and overtake them. There were a lot of things for them to overcome, but God was with them and would help them. He warned them not to bow down to their gods as they would become a snare for them to sin. Each of us has our own land to conquer. We have the power of Jesus, the commander of the army of God battling for us as we move forward. Little by little we will make progress toward our goal, but not by our own strength. We have no strength in our mortal beings. Remember to decrease so Jesus may increase! It's the easiest, and the best way to win! Fight the good fight and win with Jesus!

"But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. Exodus 23:22