January 5

My husband Richard and I have moved into a community where some of the neighbors are of an older generation. We were coming home from lunch when the lawn maintenance guy came running from the neighbor's backyard telling us that there was a man on the ground shaking. Richard jumped into gear to help him while I prayed. He couldn’t say anything, but we thought he may have fallen the night before while trying to cover his plants. The paramedics said they thought he would be okay. One neighbor, who is a believer, had thought about taking him soup the night before, but thought he wouldn’t open the door. The other neighbor, also a believer, was going to check on him that morning, but things got crazy around her house. We need to start listening more carefully to the Holy Spirit and follow through! We are all guilty of ignoring Him, but this shows you why we shouldn’t!

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:16

January 4

I want a life with no problems. I think that’s why I love getting away to the beach. The waves seem to wash away all the stress and anxiety that builds up from general everyday life. It’s a new year, a fresh start for some, but all it means to me is that it’s time to wrap up last years business and get our paperwork ready to have our taxes prepared. Not only that, but I still haven’t finished everything I need to get accomplished this week! As I’m writing this, God is speaking to me telling me that I don’t have to do this life in my own strength. He’s encouraging me to let Him be my strength when all I want to do is run away. If our life was easy, we probably wouldn’t be on earth and would be resting to the sound of angels singing. Let me encourage you to keep pushing through your stress, pain, or anything else that is bringing you down. God will be your strength! When we are weak, then He is strong.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

January 3

My prayer today is for God to give me some “want to.” There are a lot of things that I desire to accomplish, but I don’t “want to.” Today I feel like Jonah, I don’t want to go to Nineveh! We are living in a country like Nineveh where our peoples minds are so bent towards evil that it seems like all hope is lost. Do we even want these people to repent? Or, do we want them to suffer the consequences? Then I remember that God loves all of us and wants none of us to perish. His desire is for all to repent and come to Him. The grace of God is hard to understand, but it’s not for us to understand. Our job is to do our best to bring others into the loving arms of our Savior. We are to go to those overtaken by evil and tell them about Jesus. Whether they reject Him or accept Him, we will have done our part for the Kingdom and we will be credited as doing good. 

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Jonah 3:10

January 2

This year is already starting out a little rocky. It’s cold, we have a couple of issues with our tenants, and it’s the first of the month! We are in the real estate business and our main job is property management. Our income is from rentals and sometimes people neglect to pay their rent. We see it a lot this time of year because people spend more than they have on the holidays. We are understanding, but often people take advantage of our kindness. Do you pay your rent? God has given you a place to stay, feeds you, provides air for you to breathe, and puts the clothes on your back. Are you going to continue to neglect to return a small portion to help support your local church? God is your landlord and property manager, you owe him rent! He will multiply what you give Him if you will put your trust in Him. He challenges us to test Him in this. Go ahead, try it and see what happens!

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Malachi 3:8-10

January 1

Happy New Year! What a great year this is going to be! I’m happy to be alive, happy to be chosen, happy to walk through God’s will for me, and be pleasing to Him! The great thing about what I’ve listed is, I don’t have to do anything to accomplish them except trust in Jesus! It’s nice to focus on them because you can see His hand orchestrating the outcome, but you’re not the one in charge. We have a fresh new year to focus on the positive things, don’t waste it fretting over the things you have no control over. Today is a good day to thank Him and praise Him for what you do have and maybe that will change your attitude and give you hope for this new year. He’s just like our natural parents, who long to hear from us, waiting for our call. Make sure you call your Father today, He’s just waiting to reveal His plans for your future. He’s listening!

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

December 31

New year, new you! It may be a commercial on television, nevertheless I hear this saying all the time. You can change your appearance, take off a few pounds, eat healthier foods, and drop bad habits that you’ve picked up over the years, but if you don’t turn your heart towards Jesus, you’ve accomplished nothing! Besides that, I’m not even sure how you do those things without His help. Anything that I’ve set my mind to doing, I ask for God’s help and then dedicate it to Him. My thought is that I will feel obligated to do it for Him and won’t give up so easily. If you’re making resolutions for the new year, resolve to be kind to others, be compassionate toward those who are lashing out, because deep in their soul is unresolved pain and they need Jesus! This may be why He told us to turn the other cheek. Pray about your resolution, and resolve to be a better human.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

December 30

If you’ve ever been to Florida, you know about the beaches and Disney, but have you ever noticed our grand old oaks? They are spectacular! Their limbs reach the sky and create the perfect place for squirrels to frolic and birds to congregate. They are a respite from the sun on a hot day and protection from the frost on a cold day. However, during a hurricane, they can become dangerous, as many are uprooted or their dead branches are pruned by the wind. Though the clean up is costly, new life springs up as the once shaded area is exposed to the sun. So, what’s dead in your life that needs to be pruned so the light can shine on you? Don’t wait for a hurricane to prune your branches or possibly uproot you, ask God what needs to be trimmed now so you can continue to stand strong like a grand oak. He’ll answer you. He wants you to be set free from all that hinders your growth. 

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. John 15:1-2

December 29

Things aren’t always as they seem. Many years ago I was grocery shopping at our local store. People were getting off work and picking up their supper before heading home. I noticed one particular guy who looked like he had been working extra hard because he was filthy and his hair was greasy. It was unusual that I even notice him because many people work hard and get dirty doing their work. The truth is that I thought he was a bum. As I was leaving, I saw a sporty Cadillac parked at the curb, and guess who got into it? The greasy looking bum! Come to find out, he was a wealthy business owner that was well known by many in our town. The Bible teaches us not to judge by outward appearances, and that my friends is one of the reasons why! We are to show no partiality or make distinctions between others. This is a hard teaching to hold to, but as a believer, it’s necessary!

For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "You sit here in a good place," while you say to the poor man, "You stand over there," or, "Sit down at my feet," have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? James 2:2-4

December 28

God has a way of making us focus on what’s most important. If you’re worried about things rather than people, it’s likely that you will be challenged by your circumstances and forced to look at your heart. If your god has become your possessions and you’re more worried about them than the one true God, you may experience trouble or even lose them. Our God is a jealous God and will take second place to no one or no thing, so make it your mission to put Him before everything in your life. He will reward your behavior and you will become closer to Him. When we align ourselves with Him, we will automatically concern ourselves with matters of the heart; the heart of God is for His people. Live the greatest command to love God and love people, and things will fall into their rightful place and He will delight in you.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalms 51:15-17

December 27

If you are a parent, it is vital that you help guard the heart of your child. So many of us grow up with hurts caused by others that are carried into adulthood. It makes it important for you to have open communication with them so they are free to share their feelings with you. I was so proud of my daughter; when she found out my grandson had been called a name that hurt him, she immediately had him pray to reject that hurt and assured him of the value God had placed on him. If we handle these things early on, we will set them up for a successful, confident life. For your own sake as an adult, handle the pain someone causes you right away and don’t allow it to fester and grow. The enemy will use any means necessary to derail you and cause you to take your eyes off the Lord. Jesus took all of our pain upon Himself so you don’t have to carry it! 

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

December 26

Rush, rush, rush, and then nothing; it’s the after Christmas blues. I remember as a child, this day would hit me hard and make me sad because there were no more gifts to open or family to see, but as an adult, I’m glad it’s over and ready for my days to get back to normal. If we could get into the habit of celebrating Jesus every day, we might not become so deflated after a big event. There are so many things to look forward to, including a new year, new events, new souls to reach for Jesus. Now maybe I can get back to eating right again; the holiday food tends to add extra pounds! If you are experiencing mild depression from the holiday let-down, remember who your source is and plug into His power to defeat the enemies attempts to derail you. Change your focus from inward to outward and rely on Him for all of your needs. He’s ready to help you, just ask.

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

December 25

Today, I hope you are like a child opening a gift, a holy gift that could only be given by One. Have you opened your gift, or do you know what’s in the package and are leaving it under the tree for the perfect, more convenient time? Some of us take a peak and never open the package completely, we leave it in the box and never get it out to play with it. OPEN YOUR PACKAGE! It’s the best gift that you will ever receive and every time you play with it, it’s like new again. It’s not boring, it’s fun and exciting. Every day something different is revealed, but how will you know that if you don’t take it out and play with it. It’s like a real life video game, the more you play it, the better you get at it and achieve new levels. So today, be that child again; open the gift, and take it out and play with it and never put it down again. I hope you are blessed by receiving the sweetest of all presents, Jesus! Merry Christmas.

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, Ephesians 2:8

December 24

Could you have ever imagined that we would be celebrating the arrival of a King thousands of years later? Here we are rejoicing! I wonder if the shepherds and the others, who came to see Him that night, were some of those who eventually became His followers. When God decides to walk with us in the flesh, you can’t keep that a secret for very long! The King, Creator, and Savior, choosing to experience what His created experiences daily, just to give us a worthy sacrifice to atone for our sin, is incredible! As we celebrate the Savior's birth, remember that He said if we don’t praise Him, the rocks will; which is what is already happening! People are denying that He is the reason we celebrate, but are still celebrating! Only our incredible God could turn what Satan had intended for evil into the good for Him! They can deny all they want, but the truth is the truth!

He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Luke 19:40

December 23

My daughter had an appointment in St. Petersburg and my son in law and I went with her. While she was seeing the doctor, we decided to get a bite to eat. We asked the receptionist for some recommendations and she suggested a little place near the office. We were a little shocked when we saw it and were very leery about going in because the building was quite deteriorated, it gave new meaning to the expression “hole in the wall!” The people that were waiting for their food weren’t much to look at, but after placing our order, they began a conversation. We had just stepped into a culture unlike the city of its location, possibly like a place in Cuba or other Spanish city. We had left the U.S. for an hour and it was well worth it! The food was amazing, but the experience even better! Don’t be so quick to judge a situation, you never know what God has in store for you! 

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof." 1 Corinthians 10:24-26

December 22

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! We’ve all heard this song and probably sang it in church a few times, but have you ever taken to heart what it really means? What does victory actually mean? Death comes through sin and Jesus was victorious over both of them! The power of sin is in the law and Jesus was the redemption of that law! If you’ve ever tried to abide by the Ten Commandments you will quickly realize that, for those of us born with a sin nature, and that’s all of us, the law is impossible to keep. If you break even one iota of that law, you are condemned to death! Sin dangles death over our heads every day! We have been redeemed and are no longer under the law! If not for the grace of God and our Lord and Savior Jesus, we would still be under the law, and sin and death would still have a hold on us.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 1 Corinthians 15:56

December 21

There are days that I just want to stay in bed! It’s usually the day after a busy day that I need some extra rest. We have obligations, jobs, children, and spouses, that pull us in many directions. Our Heavenly Father pulls us upward, drawing us close, so we might rest in Him. Even when we are in the height of madness, He wants to bring us closer to Him. His rest is different and we can enter it while still busy! He wants us to relax our minds from worry and fear, knowing that our time on this earth is temporary and the things that draw us away from Him are meaningless. Our greatest concern should be about spending our eternity without Jesus, and that has already been taken care of by Jesus himself! So when you start to fret over a situation, ask yourself “is this going to effect my eternity?” The answer to that question is always a resounding NO!

Php 3:14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

December 20

We are living in a time where we can partake of the tree of good and evil. Just like in the Garden of Eden, we have a choice to eat its fruit or avoid it. The internet, with all its bells and whistles, can be very attractive and draws us in like a magnet. Our eyes have been opened to the wisdom of this world and are exposed to many lies. How do you filter the information? One way is, if it seems too good to be true it probably is! However, there is some information that has been disguised as truth; it sounds true, it’s not extraordinary, it’s just a subtle lie. This kind of fallacy could easily lead you astray and send you down the wrong path. This is where we need the Holy Spirit and His wisdom to keep us on track. If you’re not sure about something you’ve heard, do a little research before you begin spreading untruthful stories or false doctrines. Listen to that quiet voice, He’s trustworthy!

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15-16

December 19

Oh, what a joy it is to shop for Christmas! The streets are filled with happy people just waiting their turn and being patient with one another. Their cheerful greetings make everyone feel the joy of the season. If only this were true! People are in a rush, they’ve waited until the last minute and it’s everyone else’s fault for their panic. We all have too much to do and too many places to be. I was feeling the same way and decided to ask God to multiply my time. Guess what? He did! I’m not sure how it happened, but I calmed down, stopped worrying about the outcome and worked through everything I needed to accomplish with time to spare! Sometimes we just need to reach out to the Creator, bring our concerns before Him, and allow Him to work out the details. Our responsibility is to work diligently as unto Him. He knows what we’re dealing with and is just waiting for us to ask for help!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

December 18

You’ve probably heard this from me before, but there is something special about a community of believers enjoying one another’s company. The women of our church got together for a cookie exchange. We shared bits of our stories, laughed, and ate. It was a time appointed by God and the Holy Spirit guided our conversation and brought the perfect scripture into the light. As disciples of Jesus, we are to train others to follow the Word of God and to set an example. We have been set apart and trained in the way He wants us to go, keeping us from being sent in a direction appointed by others. We aren’t church people, we are sons and daughters of the King. Do not accept what is considered the “standard”, that would be accepting less than what He has for you, unless you see the standard as Jesus! If you’re not part of the church, ask God to guide you to the right one. 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5

If you are local to Plant City, FL, I would like to invite you to try my church, City Pointe Church. We are just regular, Jesus loving people. It’s comfortable and feels like home.

December 17

Spending time with family is probably the best part of celebrating the holidays. We get so busy with our lives that family can sometimes fall to the wayside. We met up with our children and grandchildren at a place called Christmas Lane to watch a live nativity and to hear the story of Jesus birth as it was read from scripture. The lights and decorations were beautiful, and the children loved every minute of it. There will be a few more family gatherings before the season is over which makes this heart very happy. I pray that you each enjoy your family and friends during this active time of year and that you continue to love one another. Don’t get too overwhelmed by the busyness. Slow down and take it all in, it will be over before you know it. Remember that many are lonely and may be dealing with things hidden within their hearts and a bit of kindness may help get them through their day.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7