November 30

On November 30, 1995, my son’s father succumbed to the disease that had taken over his body. His ashes are now buried in a family cemetery. He didn’t die in vain, he was a seed that was planted; people heard about Jesus because of him. He was zealous for our Savior, and thankful that He had forgiven him of all his sins. His memorial service was packed, and the gospel was presented. I watched as hands went up all over the congregation. It was a testament to the power of Jesus. When someone dies and you know that they went to heaven, the sting of death is not as harsh or as hard to bear. You still grieve, but it’s more about yourself than the one who’s in the presence of the almighty. What will be said of you when you die? Will people know that you followed Jesus? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you might need to make a change. Set your heart toward Him, and allow His power to flow from you like living water.

"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  John 7:38

November 29

As I continue to read and study Ezekiel, I see practical lessons for today, and for the gentiles, those of us who are not Jewish. Any who come against the nation of Israel will not stand! God is very clear about that, but what about you and me? We have accepted Jesus as our Savior and are called by His name. Most of the Jews have not taken on the name of Christ and still have hardened their hearts towards Him. Paul says we are adopted, and are blessed with every spiritual blessing. Though most of Ezekiel was written to the Jews, we can still glean quite a bit of food from these scriptures. The correction the Jews have faced comes because of their disobedience, but those who come against them face His wrath and annihilation. How much more will He protect and defend those of us who love His Son? You can take every promise written in the Word as truth for you! We are blessed and privileged to be called by His name.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, Ephesians 1:3-5

November 28

The Lord is for you, not against you! Though sometimes it seems that He is slow to react on your behalf, it may not be slow at all. There are pieces to the puzzle that must fall into place in order for that plan to work. When we have to wait, the results seem so much sweeter. I’ve had people come against me in the past, causing me anxiety, and an overall sense of turmoil at that time, only to watch as God’s plan for them unfolds before my eyes. Woe to those who come against God’s beloveds! He will not let your case go unavenged. He is sovereign over all that He has given you, and over what he has left in your care. He will take up your cause, though it may not be instantaneous, or in our timing. Know that if you’re going through troubled waters now, the storm will pass, the seas will calm, and you will be able to swim out of it, and you might even get to watch as your enemy is defeated!

"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”"  Romans 12:19

November 27

Discouragement sets in after you have tried and tried to help turn someone around. You’ve talked until you’re blue in the face to get them to change, but nothing happens. They are like the dry bones that Ezekiel saw in a vision. Just as Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy over the dry bones to hear the word of the Lord, we must do the same. Command those lifeless people, dry bones to hear God’s word! Once they’ve heard the word, they become modern day zombies, alive but dead. So, if you think about it, zombies are real! Anyone who has heard the Word, but doesn’t believe in Jesus is the walking dead. Ezekiel was also commanded to prophesy to the breath to come from the four winds and breathe on these lifeless bodies to live, and they came to life! Maybe that’s what we’re missing, maybe we need to command breath to come into their lifeless bodies, that they may know Jesus. Now, how you do that without looking like a freak, I’m not sure. I’ll let you figure that part out! I’m sure Ezekiel looked like a freak too!

Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD”... "Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” Ezekiel 37:4 & 9

November 26

I watched my three year old grandson while his mom enjoyed some time with other adults. He’s just like his pawpaw in so many ways that it’s a little scary. He loves heavy equipment, and cranes his neck to see construction sites as we drive pass them, just like his pawpaw. He doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty and doing a little work. Richard and I had filled his truck with fire wood and hadn’t unloaded it, so I had Trey help me. We got out the wagon and I began handing him some of the cut wood from the truck. He was so proud that he got to use his muscles. There are good things that are passed on to our children and generational things that they may need to overcome. With our help, we can accentuate their positive attributes, and teach them how to overcome the sins that get repeated that can sometimes derail their lives. This may be an ongoing process, so we need to pray for them to become a new creation in Jesus.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17

November 25

As I’m trudging through the book of Ezekiel, I use the word trudging because every day I want to put it down and start another book. It’s a prophecy, and a warning to Israel, and very little of it has to do with me or you. Then I come to chapter 34, which seems to go quite well with Psalms 23, still a warning, but to the shepherds. Then God orders Ezekiel to speak tenderly to His sheep and give us a hope for the future, and a promise. Finally, there is a  bright spot in this doom and gloom, and that bright spot is the promise of a good shepherd, Jesus. He is our promise of peace, He fills our bellies with the knowledge of the Holy, and His precepts, which is what God had intended for His shepherds, but they just fattened themselves and let the sheep go hungry. This is an important note, share what you know about Jesus! Don’t just fatten yourself with knowledge, share your food. Don’t be a fat sheep!

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Ezekiel 34:15-16

November 24

Twenty three years ago, my relationship with Jesus changed. I had been a Christ follower for a long time, since I was nine, but sometimes the circumstances you are in will draw you closer to Him. My first husband was very sick with a dreadful disease and was drawing close to his death. We had nurses and hospice coming into our home and were very busy. Because of all the stress and uncertainty, I spent a lot of hours in prayer and reading my Bible. There is amazing counsel in the Word, and comfort in the Holy Spirit. There is nothing good about any disease, however, there is good in what it brings you to, if it brings you to Jesus. He was my safe place, my refuge and strength, a very present help in my time of trouble. Let whatever struggle you are dealing with today, bring you to your knees in the presence of the Almighty, and collapse under the weight of His love.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah Psalms 46:1-3

November 23

It had been a while since we use the electric knife, so when I got it out of the cabinet and it was dirty, I was surprised, because I know I wiped it down before I put it away. I either hadn’t cleaned it very well, or grime just grows! I cleaned it up and we used it. Before putting it away again, I decided to give it a really good cleaning, getting down in the cracks where it comes together. I got a wild hair and decided to take it apart, and much to my surprise, the inside was filthy! I was disgusted! It’s an electric device, I don’t think opening it up should be part of the routine! If that knife was human, I would say it was like a Pharisee, what Jesus would call a whitewashed tomb! If you were to look inside some “Christians,” the filth inside would disgust you.

The name “Christian” invokes the same connotation in the secular world as Pharisee does in the Christian world. Stop using Jesus’s name if you’ve not turned away from your sin. We are the reason our world is turning up-side-down. The enemy uses our behavior to trap us. We can’t turn anyone to Jesus until we turn ourselves around. 

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. Matthew 23:27-28

November 22

“All our disquieting fears arise from our ignorance of God and mistakes concerning him.” Matthew Henry Commentary. There it is in a nutshell, the reason we have fear! It’s true that in our minds, we don’t give God the power He deserves. Part of my daily praise includes the words: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power.” From this verse it sounds like we are the ones who give Him power, which is not true, He’s certainly not powerless without us, but we need to be confident in Him. If we give into our fear, and let anxiety overtake us, we are ignorant of who He is. I’m in God’s word every day, and I still don’t take to heart who He is, and sometimes become consumed with fear of what man can do to me, when I should be more concerned with what God can do to the unholy one who is causing me the anxiety! Let go of your fear of man, and be confident in God!

"So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

November 21

When I worked at Publix back in the 80’s, today, the day before Thanksgiving, would be a big push! The grocery carts would be gone, and the lines to check out would be clear down the aisles. My shift would fly by because there was no time to pause, no time to think, it was hustle and bustle until the store closed. All of this frenzy for one meal, and one special day to give thanks to the Lord for all He has blessed us with. Because of that experience, I do not wait until the last day to get my groceries. The point is, don’t wait. If you are reading this and haven’t given your life to the Lord, it’s time. The time of His return is drawing near, and you won’t get more warning than this. There will be no last minute hustle, only chaos if you’re left behind. No one can do this for you. You will not be saved because of your heritage, it’s a decision that only you can make. Please accept Jesus as your Savior today.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:16-18

November 20

What are we doing? The people of our country have gone mad! To try and say that there is no gender difference is a crazy notion, and we are playing with fire! God created us different, and each of us has our own role. You cannot decide to be the other gender if you are unhappy with who you are. To try and blur the line between the genders serves no good purpose. More often than not, we see men taking advantage of this craziness, posing as a woman in a boxing match, or as runners in a women’s race, where they go on to win. It only proves God’s point, that He made us different. The takeaway is, don’t try to be something you are not. God created you, and loves you the way you are. He created both genders in His image, and we are here to please Him. He is the only one that matters. In God’s eyes, we are not the same, but are equal in value and are to be treated fairly.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:27-28

November 19

Let me start out by saying, I’m not much of a card giver. However, giving a card will fulfill two of the five love languages; gifts, and words of affirmation. On this particular day, I received a special card from a sweet little seven year old girl who wrote, “I love you Teresa Gonzalez.” She had decorated it herself with stickers, making it even more special. It was out of the blue, and for no particular reason. Then, a few moments later, I received a stack of giving cards made for our Sister Keepers for special occasions, or when someone is ill. First, I received a card, and then a prompt to give a card. I don’t know if this will change me into a card giver, but it does make me think about how the Lord gives us love, and wants us to show others the same love He gives us. Remember to be loving to other humans. One kind word given could make a difference, and brighten someone’s day.

"We love because he first loved us."  1 John 4:19

November 18

Sometimes I carelessly go about my day without a thought or remembrance of God. It’s not that I’ve completely forgotten about Him, I’m just living. He knows. He understands. Let’s be real, it’s like that with anyone that lives in your household; you know they are there, and you acknowledge them when you’re not busy, but we have certain requirements of life to fulfill. Am I like Paul and do what I do not want to do? Yes! I would prefer to live harmoniously with, and in the Spirit all day long, but because I’m made of flesh, I’m drawn to doing what the flesh calls for. Here’s the good news if you’re like me; you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you! He lives within you if you have surrendered your life to Jesus.  Stop worrying about your commitment to Him, your every breath is living for Him. You are not condemned, you are privileged, because you are a believer!

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” Rom 8:1 & 9

November 17

I’ve always loved Brandon. There is something beautiful about the grand old oaks with their swaying moss that adorns every tree. To have a home nestled among them is so sweet. This morning, with a chill in the air and the sun shining, I decided that it was the perfect time to start a fire in the fire pit. There aren’t many days that we can do that because we live in such a hot climate, so anytime I get the chance, I become a fire bug. It makes me feel like I’ve been camping. All of this to say, enjoy your moments. Life is not easy when you’re displaced from your home, meaning, we are just ambassadors for the Kingdom to bring about the reconciliation of others to God, until He calls us home.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

I’m still in Florida y’all, so I’m in my mermaid hat and bare feet!

November 16

Have you had some trying times? We all have! It’s when we try to muddle through it alone that causes us the most distress. Many times I have to remind myself to ask for help! How ridiculous is that? God is right here among us and we forget just how powerful He is and how He has promised to always be with us and keep evil away. When we become arrogant and think we can do it on our own, disaster strikes and things go haywire, but notice, because you belong to Him, everything turns out fine. I keep getting lessons of trust that I wish I didn’t have to go through, but hopefully I will be calm when the next anxiety causing issue arises and am able to fully trust in Him who created all things. Put your trust in Him, He is where our help comes from.

A Song of Ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. Psalms 121:1-2

November 15

I don’t know about you, but my home office can become a big mess! Stacks of mail, file folders, and other office stuff can pile up, and become a catch-all for clutter or things I’m trying to hide from guest. When I’m home, I get a little lazy, and preoccupied with television, food, and the recliner, so paperwork gets no attention until it becomes necessary. I spent a good portion of the day filing, and moving all that mess, and still didn’t get to the bottom of the stack, but at least I made a little headway. We are closing in on the end of the year, so I need to get everything in order, because tax season is just around the corner. Have you ever noticed that our daily lives reflect a spiritual truth? Things can get messy in our heart, fear, pain, and other thing left unchecked can pile up, making us miserable. As Christians, we need to be free of the clutter. We must get out of the recliner and make an effort to cleanse our hearts. “Tax day” is just around the corner, and we need to be prepared. Make your confession to the Lord, pray, and trust what He’s doing.

"let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."  Hebrews 10:22

November 14

Along with a few couples from my church, my husband and I attended a gala for the Pregnancy Care Center of Plant City. Their theme was “Every child deserves a birthday.” We had finished our dinner and the guest speaker was wrapping up, when I got a text from my sister saying that the newest member of our family had arrived, a sweet baby girl. She, not unlike the babies we were celebrating, was the product of an unplanned pregnancy. When I say unplanned, I mean it wasn’t planned by her parents, but obviously God had planned it, sometimes we have to catch up to His plan. I believe God has a special assignment for this baby girl, because just after I got the text, they instructed us to sing “Happy Birthday!” It was so fitting for that particular moment. Sometimes God shows you how the pieces of His puzzle fit together and when they fall into place, it paints a beautiful picture and lays out a glimpse into the future. In addition to that, the speaker kept calling babies a gift from God, and it just so happens that this baby girl was born on her daddy’s birthday! Such a sweet, sweet, gift.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Psalms 127:3-4

November 13

Sometimes the words of the enemy come through someone you love. They don’t mean to be his tool, they don’t even know they are being his tool, but it happens to the best of us. The enemy can use us too, so don’t be arrogant. Well meaning people may think they are helping when offering you advice, but their words slither through our mind and turn into something that makes the devil do a dance. When fear begins to creep in, shut it down immediately, before it takes you for a ride on the dark side. When the devil tells you, “you can’t,” God says you can! 

As an example, after telling a few people about taking my paddle board around the tip of the island, I heard more than one say, “oh, I’m so afraid of the current there.” I knew about the current before I tried it. I also knew about the sharks that hang out in that area, but I did it anyway and I’m still alive to tell about it. The enemy says you can’t, but God says you can!

"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."  2 Timothy 1:7.  "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13

November 12

We get so wrapped up in ourselves that we forget about our brothers and sisters in Christ living in other parts of the world. They are fighting battles that we know nothing about, and dealing with issues that we’ve never dealt with. Though we are from different cultures, our struggle against darkness affects us the same way. We have heartache and tragedy, and feel the pain of the war waged against us in the heavenly realm. Take some time today to help them by standing in the gap and offering prayer on their behalf. If you don’t know what to pray, open your heart to the Holy Spirit, He prays on our behalf every day, and will go before the Father, if you are sincere. 

If you are located outside the United States and need prayer for anything, please post it here so we can come together as one in Christ. For those who are in the U.S. that need prayer, you can private message me, and I will pray for you and share your request with other prayer warriors.

"praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,"  Eph 6:18

November 11

It’s been a long time since I took my paddle board out on the water, but this day was the perfect. The breeze was nice and the water was as clear as glass. I always peruse the bay side because there is less wave action and the seashells are more plentiful, but because the water was clear on the gulf, I put in on the beach to see what I could find. There wasn’t much to see other than red tide particles floating just below the surface, until I came across a sand dollar grave yard. I picked up enough to finish filling my giant jar. Since it was nice out, I decided to keep going and rounded the end of the island at Boca Grande pass; there is a strong undercurrent in that area. I crossed the pass to an island and began finding all kinds of shells, making it one of my best shelling adventures. I seldom go into deep water, however, sometimes you have to cross a deep cut to fulfill your calling. The water can be treacherous, but collecting empty souls and giving them hope for a future can be all the incentive needed to do what God sent you to do. Venture out beyond your comfort zone and let God fulfill His work through you.

"“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father."  John 14:12