Tips for Godly Daily Living

·    Live blamelessly and righteously

·    Speak honestly from your heart

·    Slander no one

·    Do good to all

·    Honor those who fear our LORD God

·    Keep God’s commands even when it hurts

·    Lend without expecting it in return

·    Do good without expecting it in return

·    Refuse bribery

He who does these things will never be shaken. ~Psalm 15:5

*tips taken from Psalm 15

Thought for the Day

Perfect

God's way is perfect. All the LORD's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our solid rock?
God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect.
He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
You have given me your shield of victory.
Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great.
You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping.


Psalm 18:30-36

Brevity

 It’s no secret, life is short. During my quiet time with the LORD this week, I came across the scripture posted above was reminded of the brevity of life. The scripture advises us to seek wisdom for this reason. So that we may live our lives wisely and in doing so avoid the traps of squandering the precious time that we have been gifted with. In some ways, this verse was like a wakeup call. For some time now, it seems that I have been living in a fog—living, but not truly living, or should I say experiencing—experiencing the simple joys of daily life, the humility of the everyday routines, the pouring in to those who come behind us, those I have been entrusted with exclusively, teaching and exposing them to the world but opening their hearts most of all to the love and joy of our LORD, the small victories that slide by unnoticed and the gratefulness for the lessons learned in the battles and struggles which unexpectedly appear. I have gone through the motions but not really paid attention to my living. A concept I was introduced to in the book, She’s Still There, written by Chrystal Evans Hurst. It is time to pay attention. That’s right, it is time to start paying attention to my life. You may ask how do you live and not pay attention to your life. Well, it’s simple, I get busy. Busy taking care of others, things, tasks, favors, and assignments, that I forget or should I say lose sight of actually looking at why I am doing these things. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that we shouldn’t do these things, we should, but we should also pay attention to why we are doing them. Is it simply because it is a good thing to do, or it is what is expected of me?  Is it because this is the thing God is calling and leading me to do? Because as it has been said by many people in many ways, a good thing isn’t always a God thing. Sometimes we are so busy doing good things that we completely miss what God has placed right in front of us to do or to be.  The verse above reminded me to not waste the time that God graciously gave me. It also reminded me to stop disregarding it by not even having the wherewithal to pay attention to it. I want to use the precious time he has given me wisely, to pursue and grow in wisdom. I want to live this life a little better every day. The only way that I will accomplish that is to pay attention to how I am living it every single day. He created me to live and to live an abundant life. I can do that when I seek Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, and follow Him. That being said, it is settled, I have decided that I am going to be more attentive to my life. What about you?

Prayer for Marriages

Marriage is a sacred covenant to be held in high esteem by all. That is what your word says, LORD. I thank you for marriage. I come to petition you to protect and help marriages today. Husbands and wives need you LORD God. Please help them to be committed to you, to seek you, to love you, to honor you and glorify you in all ways every day of their lives. Help them to remember to invite you in and make you a part of their daily lives. Help them to guard their hearts and to seek to have minds and attitudes like Christ Jesus. I pray that they will be of one mind and one purpose and unified in the bonds of peace. I pray that their units remain strong and faithful. I pray that marriages will be strong in the LORD and in the strength of your mighty power. I pray that husbands and wives will reflect your unity with the Father in their marriages daily. In your name, Jesus I pray. Amen.

Morsel of Inspiration

I shared this post last August and wanted to share this morsel again.

People are often unreasonable and self-centered.

FORGIVE THEM ANYWAY.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

BE KIND ANYWAY.

If you are honest, people may cheat on you.

BE HONEST ANYWAY.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

BE HAPPY ANYWAY.

The good you do may be forgotten tomorrow.

DO GOOD ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

GIVE YOUR BEST ANYWAY.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

Prayer for Peace in My Life

The following prayer is taken from the Armor of God bible study by Priscilla Shirer. It is one that I find powerful and feel that it may help others as well. It is my hope and prayer that it will inspire you to seek to experience God's peace daily also.

God, help me to switch off the guilt induced, confrontation-avoidant recordings that play repeatedly in my mind. And then, let your peace do what your peace does in my life. Let your peace settle my heart as a woman who has received it and experiences it daily. Let your Spirit naturally guide me in living and sharing the blessings of your peace with those around me as I submit to your leadership and promptings. In your son, Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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(photo quote courtesy of YouVersion)

This Morning's Devotional Nugget

This morning's devotion was based upon 1 Samuel 18. This is the chapter that tells the story of David and Jonathan's friendship and Saul's growing jealousy of David. From the nuggets of wisdom in the devotion, the one that spoke to me was on comparison. The author, Wendy Blight stated, "Saul kept his eye on another. We cannot be who God created us to be when our eyes are on another." That got me to thinking of how often I am focused on what someone else is doing. I also thought about how often I compare what they are doing or in some cases, not doing to my own life? Either way, my focus is in the wrong direction and not on the LORD and things of the LORD when it is on someone else. When my focus is not on the LORD, I will not fulfill his plans and purposes for my life. So today, I surrender comparison to the LORD and ask the Holy Spirit to help me to keep my focus on our LORD instead of others. Thank you LORD for your revelations and your tender nudging that move me closer to you.

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The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

1 Timothy 1:5 NLT

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Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.  

Colossians 3:14 NLT

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Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the LORD forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Colossians 3:13 NLT

Thought for the Day

"The beauty of forgiveness is not that you can’t remember what happened. The beauty of forgiveness is that, in spite of the fact that you remember and may never forget, you give up your right to punish. That is the beauty of forgiveness."

                                                                    

                                                                       -Vodie Baucham

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A Poetic Pause--"Grab Hold"

Ever been here and not been here?

Yeah, me too!

For much too long now—

Present but absent—

Present in form only.

Gotta leave the fork in the road

You know the one that holds on 

Like quicksand—taunting you as opportunities with paths

But not letting you go either way

You fight for awhile

Strong and vigorous at first

Then your energy wains

And you barely have strength

To stand, or keep your head up

And you feel as if you’ve sunk too

Low that you may not make it

As you prepare to draw that last breath

Then a hand appears

Beckoning you to grab hold

And you do!

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From My Prayer Journal

A simple one today.......Holy Spirit guide me in all truth. Amen.

Thought for the Day

I trust in your unfailing love, my heart rejoices in your salvation.

Because sometimes I have to encourage myself

Encouragement from Psalm 13:5

Thought for the Day

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14:1

Thought for the Day

Do not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season I shall reap, if I do not loosen and relax my courage and faint.

Encouragement from Galatians 6:9

(sometimes I need to encourage myself)

Thought for the Day

I lean on, trust in and am confident in the LORD with all my heart and mind. I do not rely on my own insights or understanding.

Because sometimes I need to encourage myself.

Encouragement from Proverbs 3:5 AMP

Thought for the Day

I trust in the LORD forever, 
for the LORD, 
the LORD, 
is the Rock 
eternal.

Isaiah 26:4

Thought for the Day

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

                                                               Romans 12:12

Poetic Post--"I Thought"

I Thought

I thought about flowers and trees

I thought about a cool breeze

I thought about how hot it is today

I thought about how I wanted you to stay

I thought about the end of the day

I thought about the many delays

I thought about when it turned gray

I thought about your smile

I thought about not seeing it for miles

I thought about yesterday and what used to be

I thought about how you embraced me

I thought about talking without words

I thought about how we understood each word

I thought about my favorite looks

I thought about friends of old and of new

I thought about the morning’s dew

I thought about all ways and some days

I thought about life—what was, is, and will be

Simply put, I thought about us.

Free Yourself

Thought for the Day

Trust God's timing.

Trust God's wisdom.

Trust God's ways.

Trust God.

Some Poetry..."Change Me"

Change me

Empty my heart of envy

Change me

Release my chains of negativity

Change me

Flee from me self-pity

Change me

No more thinking indecisively

Change me

To see that I am more than worthy

Change me

So that my spirit may be free

To flee with thee.

Thought for the Day

"Give voice to your dreams and not your doubts."       
                       ~Valorie Burton

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, 

let me sow love.

~St. Francis of Assisi

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Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Forgiveness

One of the tell tale signs that I am very much human is the presence of flaws. I know right, how shocking! But yes, I confess, I am a flawed individual. I am not perfect and I never will be this side of the journey. There was a time when I would never admit that I was flawed and if one was identified, I hid it as best I could. My strategy was deny, deny, deny! It has been said that with age comes wisdom, and I would have to agree, not that I think I am old in any way. But I will admit that some changes have accompanied the arrival of my 4th decade on this earth.  Luckily for me, increased wisdom and awareness are a couple of them. So now I simply acknowledge my flaws, accepting them and embracing them. They are part of the toolbox that God has gifted me to become all that He has destined me to be. One of the flaws that I have finally come to terms with and decided it was time to reckon with is the struggle with granting forgiveness. I recently made the decision that I am no longer going to live my life in bondage to unforgiveness. I decided that I would let it go. In doing so, I learned that this is a process that sometimes requires me to choose to forgive more than once, sometimes, many times over. So, it comes as no surprise that here I am battling these same feelings of unforgiveness. I am trying desperately to let go of offenses, hurts, and bitterness. The past has taught me that this is not something that I will accomplish in my own strength. Forgiveness, at least for me requires the presence and act of supernatural assistance. It is times like this that I am grateful for the Lord's promises to not leave me, to strengthen me, to help me and to work in me and utilize His strength in my weaknesses. So today, I'm clinging to Jesus, and his promises to help me. He has been faithful and has led me to some resources which have been helpful. I am going to share some of the quotes and scriptures that are helping me through this in my daily "Thought for the Day" posts.  Perhaps if you are experiencing your own battle with forgiveness, maybe they will help you in some way too. Just know we will get through this and have the victory over unforgiveness through our faith in Jesus! Don't give up!

Thought for the Day

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Thought for the Day

You do not have to seek anyone else's approval for the life God has given you to live.

-Chrystal Evans Hurst

Thought for the Day

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Luke 17:10

Thought for the Day

No one is good except God alone.

Luke 18:19

Thought for the Day

Let go of your desire to control what you cannot know.

TD Jakes

Thought for the Day

Trust in him at all times, O people;

 pour out your heart before him; 

God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:8

Lessons Learned in 2016

I have wanted to take some time to reflect on 2016 since we first uttered the words “Happy New Year!” but I have not had the opportunity. Today I finally got that chance. As I reflected on 2016, I realized that it was a year filled with lessons. Some were difficult and I hope to not ever have to repeat them, but others were amazing! I would not trade them for anything in the world. Last year was when I learned to write down my lessons, in hopes that they stick and perhaps help someone else along the way. That being the case, I have decided to share them here with you. So, here it goes—my lessons from 2016.

   

   1.    Write down lessons I have learned.

   2.   Don’t do anything expecting something in return.

   3.   Change is at times uncomfortable and lonely.

   4.   Don’t ever give up.

   5.   Take time to heal.

   6.   Forgiveness requires forgiving multiple times--along with a commitment to see it through. It can be a long process.

   7.   Jesus is always with me and has my back.

   8.   Decide in advance to get back up and begin again.

   9.   Trust Jesus.

   10. God never fails.

   11. I am so much more than I thought I was and infinitely more than the world tells me I am.

   12. God’s approval is the only one that matters and the only one I want.

   13. To say what I mean and mean what I say because those that matter don’t mind and those that mind don’t matter. (Yes, this is from Dr. Seuss and it is something I have found to be true)

   14. I cannot make people like or love me.

   15. I cannot change people, only God can do that.

   16. I can take anything to Jesus.

   17. It is an awful feeling to be cast aside and excluded—especially in places/spaces where it is least expected.

   18. Pray scripturally.

   19. Spiritual warfare. 

   20. To arm myself in the full armor of God.

   That’s my list of lessons learned in 2016. They have helped me to grow tremendously and for that I am grateful. Mostly, I have been reminded through these lessons that I am not alone in any of it. Jesus is always right there with me—before me, beside me and behind me. And what’s best of all--He is for me! And that will get me through anything!I look forward to what I will learn in 2017. In fact, I am already writing them down. J

Thought for the Day

The way of wisdom is trusting Jesus no matter what is going on in my life.

Note from Jesus Calling Devotional by Sarah Young

From My Prayer Journal

Your word is what gives me comfort in my difficulties. It is your word that gives me life. LORD I ask for your favor with all of my heart, please be gracious to me as you have promised. LORD teach me good judgment and knowledge because you are good and you do good. Thank you LORD for the difficulties I face so that I learn your statute. Keep my steps steady as you have promised. LORD let no sin have dominion over me. Redeem me from man's oppression that I may keep your rules for living. Let your hand be ready to help me for I have chosen your rule for how to live. Let my soul live and praise you, let your rules help me. Amen.

From Psalm 119

Thought for the Day

It is a major part of maturity to accept not only your own shortcomings but those of the people you love, and help them not to fail when you can.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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"You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it."

-Margaret Thatcher

Thought for the Day

"Do the things that interest you and do them with all of your heart. Don't  be concerned about whether people are watching or criticizing you."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Thought for the Day

Seek the LORD and his strength; seek His presence continually!

Psalm 105:4

Happy New Year!