April 20, 2023

When I was a child, my allergies were so bad that I would wake up with my eyes glued shut and so swollen I could barely see. I eventually overcame some of my allergies, but believe me; I still have reactions to certain things. Yesterday, I was cleaning some wood off an arbor using a small chainsaw, and some sawdust got in my eye. I had a hard time getting all of it out, and the more I touched my eye, the worse it got. Today, I woke up as I did as a child, with my eye glued shut. I look like someone punched me! One good thing is that it doesn’t prohibit me from being able to see; it’s merely a distraction and an eyesore. Many still cannot see even though they have their entire vision. My prayer and desire for all who are called by Christ’s name are much like Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians; that you would receive wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God and have the eyes of your hearts enlightened. Only then will you become settled about the current events that are making you anxious and taking away your peace. 

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:16-18

April 19, 2023

Some things cannot be explained. How do you explain the ability to overcome past hardships with euphoria? And, how can you have an encounter with a painful past and bring about new life, opening doors for the future, if God is not involved? Jesus has positioned us in such a way to defeat the emotions the enemy has toyed with, so he can no longer continue to sear us with the hot stick of pain. When that pain is defeated, there is joy and elation that only God can provide. God supplied freedom through Jesus’s blood to cover and release us from the prison of thoughts that have captured us and were stopping us from living the extraordinary life he gave us. Now is the time to overcome your past and move in the freedom Jesus has afforded us. For us, eternity is now; live in it! Don’t wait until Heaven to live joyfully in eternity.

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, Ephesians 1:3

April 18, 2023

If you emphasize people over things, you will start to see the pathway God has set before you. Our destination is clear, but our path to get there often differs from what we expect. We've spent nearly three days at a wedding venue that is being sold to a developer, and I am exhausted. We planned to purchase some tables and a few other items for one of our businesses, but as it turns out, God's reason for having us there was beyond what we had expected. I can't tell you the whole story because it's not mine, but I can say that 40 years after a life-altering, traumatic event, hearts were healed, closure was given, and a new chapter of life began. Tears filled with laughter replaced the mystery of the unknown. God knew that certain things needed clarification so true healing could begin. And God, in his Fatherly fashion, began orchestrating this event a very long time ago and made sure we chose the direction he had intended. As for me, he made sure that my strength in him was so strong that I could help in the healing process rather than become a hindrance. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don't rely on your own understanding because his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. When you see the big picture, you can genuinely understand the faithfulness of God. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

April 17, 2023

We are finally getting a good rain. It has been months since we’ve gotten more than a drizzle, and it’s like gold falling from Heaven. I’m so grateful and making my thankfulness known to our Almighty Father. When you go without anything for a while, you appreciate what God does when he opens the sky and pours out his blessings. I’ve prayed for months for God to bless us with rain, and he has answered my prayers. My crops are doing good because I’ve watered and fertilized them, but there is nothing like a drenching rain to help ease the burden of drought. I could say that I’m reaping what I sowed. I fervently sowed my prayers daily for rain and was grateful for a sprinkle, but God heard my cries for help and answered with the blessing of rain. The rain is fantastic, but the blessings are everlasting when we sow into God’s kingdom. Do what you must do to live, but don’t forget to build your treasures in Heaven. The rain will dry, and we will eventually need it again, but whatever we sow for God and his kingdom will benefit us forever.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:8-10

April 16, 2023

We went to the auction I wrote about yesterday, bought some nice things, and had a great day. But, As we were driving in, we stopped to talk to someone we knew who was parking vehicles. We held up the truck behind us for a moment, but the woman in the passenger seat got out before being parked, angrily shook her head, and hurried to get inside. I could understand if she needed to use the facilities, but the scowl on her face lasted the entire day! 

We all have a history, some of which we are not proud of, but we have grown in our love for Jesus, and because of him, we are forgiven those trespasses and easily forgive others. The problem some people have is lingering in their shame and self-pity, which leads to becoming chained to it. We create a pattern in our behavior, and our treatment of others comes directly from the pain we suffered because of that sin. It is so unnecessary. We must stop beating ourselves up over our past, accept Jesus’s work on the cross, and renew our minds; then, maybe the look on our faces will change to one of peace. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24

April 15, 2023

Our friend is an auctioneer, and he is auctioning off the contents of a wedding venue that will become a housing development. Yesterday, we went to the preview because they have a lot of nice things that we might be interested in purchasing. Before the property became a wedding venue, it was a horse farm, and it was gorgeous. The beautiful trees, barns, and facilities are unmatched by any other event centers I’ve visited. It seems a shame to tear it all up for houses, but that’s progress, and everyone wants to live in Florida. I can’t blame them; I love it too.

God will move forward without you if you don’t learn to adhere to his word and keep progressing. Learn to bend and move with him so you don’t break.

Think about it like a water hose; you can easily move it around trees and shrubs, but sometimes it gets a kink and shuts off the water supply. We then have to follow the hose back to see where the problem is. Once we find and un-kink it, the water begins to flow again. It’s the same way with progressing with God; sometimes, sin kinks our hose, and we must adjust and ask forgiveness so we don’t get cut off from God’s valuable resources.

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. Galatians 5:7-10

April 14, 2023

Yesterday, I spent most of my morning cleaning and sweeping up construction debris in the main house. The dust was incredible. Now that we finally installed our last exterior door, our house is sealed. It has been trying at times because we had to destroy and rebuild the house the way we wanted. Now, the pieces are being put back together, and we can almost see what the finished product will look like. Though I’m happy where I am now, I can see something better on the horizon, and the closer it gets, the more excited I get. 

Refurbishing the old house is similar to our lives as Christ-followers; our interior must be torn down and gutted so God can rebuild us the way he wants us. When we start to see what He intended, we get excited about our new lives taking shape because our future looks so much brighter. The process is not physical, but our bodies can benefit from renewing our minds because of the peace we get from no longer serving the world, allowing us to relax in our heritage as children of God.

So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7

April 13, 2023

This year’s garden is blessing us with produce daily. The green beans, squash, and okra are prolific bloomers and have continually given us food. From just one seed came one plant, producing multiple fruits, and the new seeds were more than I could count; that’s if I were to count them instead of eating them. On top of that, we are about to have more tomatoes, peppers, and peas than we can eat.

Why did God give us the law if it is impossible to keep it? The answer is to show us that we need Jesus. God’s promise to Abraham, “In you shall all the nations be blessed,” came before the law was given, and that promise remains. Abraham’s blessing came to fruition through Jesus; we receive that promise because of him. Jesus is the seed of the promise, and only through faith in him did we become children of God. Our genealogy is not part of it; we are saved only by faith in Jesus. Jesus is the one who is multiplying Abraham’s seeds, and we, the followers of Christ, are the fruit.

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:7-9

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:29

April 12, 2023

Unless our government changes and veers off the road to destruction, we may, out of self-preservation, have to hide our affiliation with Christianity. In many countries, Christians have to go underground to teach and learn about Jesus because their lives are threatened by their association with him. However, if you are hiding your faith in Him now, no good will come from it. There are ways to get around censorship online if you use it as a platform for spreading the gospel; it’s by learning not to use specific keywords. However, altogether avoiding telling others about Jesus while we still have our freedom is a form of denying him. 

Paul had an issue with Peter living like a free gentile but reverting to Jewish law when he was around other Jews, so he confronted him about it. Are you for Jesus, or are you against him? You can’t have one foot in the world and one foot in Christ; it doesn’t work that way. Choose today whom you will serve; as for me and house, we will serve the Lord. 

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16

April 11, 2023

Have you changed from pleasing the world to pleasing God? I know that it's hard to stop caring about what others think of you, but that's precisely God's expectation of us. Once we go from feeling obligated to people to becoming bound to God, it will result in people becoming naturally drawn to us because of the confidence we exude from our loyalty to Him. We must learn to trust Him with our lives, and He will surround us with His people, those who are like-minded and have also set out to please God. In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he doesn't mince words when he calls them out, telling them that he wouldn't be a servant of Christ if he were still trying to please man. Trying to please man will often result in sinful behavior. Assess yourself and make sure your actions match God's expectations of your life. If you're unsure what that is, open up your Bible; He makes it clear in His word.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10

April 10, 2023

In a small part of my garden, I’ve included perennial food plants that thrive in Florida’s heat and humidity, are relatively cold tolerant, and easily reproduce themselves. I thought it might be a good idea to have some dependable crops if food becomes scarce and we have to forage for it. They are unusual and may require getting used to if we have to include them in our diet. In researching these types of plants, I found some interesting things; we have edible weeds that grow rapidly in our yard and are also valuable for medical purposes like managing pain. I bet they would stop invading my garden if we started eating them! 

There are so many things that God has given us that have long been forgotten or are not taught anymore. Our world is rapidly changing, and if we don’t start learning the basics of living, we may find it hard to thrive in a country slowly collapsing from poor management. Hopefully, you are paying attention, heeding the warnings, and discerning the times so you are not caught off guard. 

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. Genesis 1:29-30

April 9, 2023

He has Risen! Jesus defeated death, which is why we celebrate Resurrection Day, the holiest of all days! It’s not about the prolific reproduction of bunnies and the abundance of eggs; those things distract from what happened on that wonderful day. The enemy always dangles a carrot in front of the people to take attention off the truth. That is why we must break through the lies in search of the truth and make it our mission to reject anything intrinsically evil. Though bunnies and eggs are innocent and not evil individually, using them as a replacement for the observance of the glorious resurrection makes the practice idolatry, primarily since its roots can be traced back to idolatry. Today is a good day to worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus; what he did for us on that special day could not be replicated by any other human. How privileged are we to be included as part of the chosen? Set aside your woes for one day, give God the glory he deserves, honor our Savior, and be thankful for receiving the Holy Spirit as a placeholder until Jesus returns. Forget your burdens for a moment and make today a happy day.

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:6

April 8, 2023

Last night, we passed by a fatality on our way home after having dinner with some friends. We don't know what happened, but we could see a body lying on the road. They may have been crossing the street or possibly gotten thrown from a vehicle; it was dark, so your guess is as good as mine. Others were standing alongside the road; I don't know if they knew the person, but I began praying for them and the victim's family. One moment this person was alive and walking across the street, and seconds later, they were dead. That's how quickly it can happen. Did they know Jesus? There was no way for me to know, but I felt sad. Maybe God would have given me a sense of peace if Jesus had welcomed them into his arms.

We don't know when we will take our last breath, but it is comforting to know that when our flesh dies and we have accepted Jesus as our Savior, our spirit will live on in his presence. How sure are you that you will live on in Heaven when your body dies? If you're not sure, don't wait for another second! Trust him today. We are celebrating his resurrection tomorrow, and if you believe that he is alive and that his death on the cross was to save you from your sins, tell him that right now. You don't need a fancy prayer; tell him; he hears your every thought. Accept him now; tomorrow may be too late. 

“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

April 7, 2023

One of the most precious days we hold in the highest regard is the day our sin was covered by Jesus’s death on the cross. Though it seems wrong to celebrate his death or to call it good, we know the rest of the story; it’s Friday, but Sunday is coming. Though the days seem long and quiet between his death and resurrection, the magnitude of what happened during that time has given us new life and freedom never before experienced by those who love the Almighty Creator. Every wrong you’ve done or experienced is now hidden and covered in the puddle of blood that drained from the body of Jesus, spilling onto the ground under his feet while he hung on the cross. As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus delivered all our sins to Hell and no longer remembers it, and death was overcome! Would a stranger do that for you? Absolutely not! Though many still don’t know Jesus, they are not strangers to him; He has known them since before creation. Take a moment today, rejoice, and be thankful for all Jesus has done. We are indeed a blessed people.

Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. John 16:20

April 6, 2023

The other night, we had some storm clouds brewing, but lately, they pass on by without leaving a drop. Rather than expect that they would pass, I gathered the towels hanging outside, believing the rain would fall and soak them. By the time I got back inside the house, the rain had begun to fall. I could have continued to believe that the clouds would pass and God’s blessing would miss us again; however, I put action to my hope, and my prayer materialized. I’ve prayed for rain; we needed it desperately. We can’t just think or say we believe; we must act upon it. How can you say you love the Lord without showing it? Faith without works is dead. You don’t have to work to be saved, but once saved, the Holy Spirit prods you and makes you want to work towards good. 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 2 Corinthians 13:5

April 5, 2023

Those who have been called to Christ may have to put up with a certain amount of discomfort or burden. Our calling prohibits us from becoming conceded or overly wrapped up in our own well-being. To keep us in check and remember who’s boss, we may have to live with a type of infirmity as Paul did so that he would rely entirely on God. Nevertheless, we should continue to pray for our healing as Paul did. He got an answer, but it probably wasn’t what he had hoped for.

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

The way I look at it, I would probably be dead if I were pain-free. We have everything to boast about because we are children of the Most-High God, and our inheritance is immense, and with any inheritance, there comes a certain amount of burden. We often forget what’s waiting for us and continue to live for the world. Reevaluate the way you handle daily issues and allow the power of Christ to rest upon you, but most of all, remember that his grace is sufficient. 

April 4, 2023

We put up with a lot of garbage coming out of the secular world, and yet many look at the church with condemnation. Here we were, thinking America's country music was part of the conservative voice, only to find out that they, too, have been infiltrated by woke society. I knew it, but I was hoping there was still some good coming from that genre. They are the same as the rest of the entertainment industry; a product of evil. Don't be fooled by their use of God's name; their god differs from ours. Some may believe in the one true God, but when they use his name and plan to get drunk at a party afterward, you can bet they don't know my God! And I don't know many who know and love Jesus that will wear clothing that barely covers their private parts. I'm not going to lie and say that I hate it because I'm an artsy person who loves extraordinary and lavish costumes with glitzy shimmer, but enough is enough! We all need to wake up to the truth. It's time for us to stop putting up with such foolishness and turn away from worldly folly. Pray for God to help you stay on the path of righteousness and discern what is right in his eyes. 

For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 2 Corinthians 11:19-20

April 3, 2023

There is a struggle in life, and we sometimes forget to thank God for it. Would you be where you are today if it weren't for those struggles? We all undergo periods of testing and refining; there is nothing new about that, but thanking God for them might seem odd, except that he's the one who allows it but also gets us through it. Each step we take in the refining process burns off the impurities and creates in us a clean heart that shines like gold and puts the spotlight on Jesus, which is our purpose, to show everyone how good he is and create righteous jealousy in others who are looking for more than this earthly life has to offer. So if you are struggling today and can't see a reason, seek God, submit to his will, and he will get you through it. No one loves us as he does, so go to him and ask him for help; he's waiting to hear from you today. 

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7

April 2, 2023

Yesterday morning, a raccoon walked right by my door, only a few feet away from me. It was daylight, and he was hungry and looking for trash. Thankfully the dogs didn’t see him, or they would have awakened my husband with their barking. I’m sure he came in so close because if I don’t have time to take the trash to the road, I will sometimes leave it right outside my door. Though he startled me, he only did what a wild animal naturally does. 

That raccoon was like thoughts we get when we don’t control our minds. The enemy comes close because we’ve had similar trashy ideas, and he thinks he can conquer us by captivating our attention. When that raccoon went by, I was reading and meditating on God’s word, and immediately, my thoughts were distracted by the raunchy trash picker. My dogs would have gone berserk if I had reacted rather than calmly let it go without incident. The enemy will try to control you through your mind by putting things in front of you to cause your mind to wander into his territory. When you get wild, fleeting thoughts, don’t react; hold them captive and repent if necessary.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:5-6

April 1, 2023

Did you know culinary herbs have medicinal value? According to what I've been reading, their potential to make you feel better may go beyond traditional medicine. I'm starting to believe that the cure for whatever ails us may be right at our fingertips, under our noses, readily available, and quite tasty. We've gotten so used to rushing off to the doctor that we've forgotten that God has given us everything we need to heal our sickness. Those recipes have long been forgotten and are no longer passed down to the next generation. It makes me wonder if herbs were added to our food to heal us rather than spice it up, similar to hiding bitter medication in a sugary syrup.

As I tried to eliminate strongholds in my life, God began to clarify things that I had not considered. When he exposed the lies I believed about myself, he also opened my eyes to the enemy's lies. Don't get me wrong, complete mental and physical healing is an ongoing process and will not end until we are united with Jesus, either in our death or his return. However, we must continue to work on ourselves to glorify God. As far as herbs for healing, I believe their value was hidden on purpose. As an example, look up herbs such as oregano and basil, and you will see how much God was concerned about our health and gave us what we needed right inside plants and weeds. It's something to consider and a much tastier way to take medication. 

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4