Love them where they are at

John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you,".  This is a verse I quote often.    People often complain about each other.  They will give you all the reasons why they are justified in their own poor behavior because someone else offended them.  I too can be guilty of this.    We are all o love others as Jesus loves us!!  How does He love us?   He loves us so much that while we were yet sinners , He laid down His life died for us!!      It’s hard to love that way on our own.   We can ask God to help us to do so.   People that struggle with mental health issues are often treated very poorly.  Many people loose their patience with them and shun them.   It’s hard too to be patient with people that have other deceases, but seems like as a culture we are more likely to give a person with cancer a pass over a person with alcoholism.    Are you truly loving others as Jesus loves you?     Ask God to help you.   After all He is our vibe and we are His branches.”

Walk in His peace. No matter what

 John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  Bad things happen.   Unexpected things throw us off our game.   Many things don’t seem “fair”.  In ALL things God is working.  I don’t understand the Why.   But I do TRUST Him in it ALL.   When TRUST is my default answer.   I have His PEACE.    Today no matter what you have to stress about decide to rest in your stress by trusting God will make a way.    After all, He is "The Way"!

Power in His name!

Lamentations 3:55 "I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit.  56 You heard my plea:  " Do not close your ears to my cry for relief." 57 You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear."    Call upon the name of the Lord!!! There is power in His name!!!    Sometimes I can’t sleep.   When this happens I quiet my mind by thinking only on the name of Jesus.    It’s amazing how that settles me down.   There is nothing that is beyond Him.    Good quality sleep and being able to rest in stress is essential for our good health.   For me, when I concentrate on Jesus this helps me do both.   There is power in the name of Jesus.    The simplest most effective prayer I pray is simply calling on His name.  

Will you stand Or coward?

John 13:38 "Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me?  I tell you the truth, before the roster crows, you will disown me three times."” I can "feel” very spiritual during praise and worship, reading my Bible and praying.   I can “feel” like I would lay down my life for Jesus.   I sometimes imagine facing being martyred for my faith.  Would I truly have the guts, the courage to stand strong?     I can imagine that I would.    Then while having a conversation with strangers and sometimes even with my friends I’m not as bold in my faith as I know the Spirit is promoting me to be.     If I cave to being politically correct in my speech will I truly, stand for Jesus when the going gets tough?      I pray that I have the courage today in my speech and my actions to be the woman God created me to be even if I don’t “feel” like it.   I hope to practice courage in Christ today,  so I can stand strong in all things in all times .   That includes resisting the sins that seem acceptable.

Servant is not greater then the master

John 13:6 "I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."   Pride! I have fallen into the trap of getting a great message then thinking I did it not giving credit where credit is due.    Everything we have come from God.   If I can run well, bike well or water ski well these are all abilities I have because I have received an able body.   Sure I have to use my skills in order to get to be a good athlete.   But the ability is first a gift.   Reading His word, understanding it and being able to tell others is also a skill that takes practice.    Some people say, “I wish I could memorize scripture like that”.  God give us His Holy Spirt.  With His Spirit we can understand scripture and TRUST Jesus as our Lord and Savior.    Today, I will thanks God for His Holy Spirit when I am understanding and ask Him to fill me when I’m struggling.    Then I hope to remember when everything goes well.   It all from Him in the first place.

Give and get

John 13: 15 "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." These are the words of Jesus as He washed the feet of His disciples.    We are to serve others.   When I focus on myself I can see my emptiness.  When I get out of my head and help someone else, I can see God has given me more than enough to do His good will.    Of course there is a balance of taking care of myself and taking care of others.  I am truly joyful when I let the joy of Jesus fill me then I share that joy with others.  Today be inspired to Share His Joy.  Go, be of service to someone.

Faith not fear!

John 12:27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!" 

Isaiah 41:10 

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will 

Strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Psalm 3:6.  “I will not fear

 though tens of thousands assail me on every side."      Many of the trials I have faced I would have preferred not to have gone through.  Everything I have been through has molded me into who I am and helped me relate to other people who have been through similar experiences.    We all go through lots of trials in this life.   Will you let them make you bitter or better?    Today, "FEAR NOT!" God is with us!! He can make our test into our testimony!!!    We have to go through to get to!

Believe and see

John 11:25 "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes Lord," she told him, " I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."   Yes Lord!!!  I believe!!! John 11:40 “ Then Jesus said, “ Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Believe and see the glory of God!!    Have you ever heard the phrase; “ You’ll find what you are looking for.”  How about; “ You’ll see it when you believe it.”?  

Faith produces hope!   Believe!!  I can’t understand many things especially the seemingly untimely death of a loved one.    I can believe and see the glory of God!! Believe and Trust today it is “The Way”.

Help him take off the grave clothes

John 11:44 "The dead man came out , his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."   Take off his grave clothes!    I love this!!    When we are born again we receive a new Spirit within us.   The old is gone the new is here.   Why then do we continue to walk in our old ways?   It’s hard to change our life, our thinking patterns.  They become a well worn path.  We need to help each other, “ take off the grave clothes”.  One way to help each other is to not participate in sin together but identify the sin and stay away together.    Fellowship in Gods ways is very important!!   Today be inspired to "live right" together!!

Nothing separates us from our Good Shepard!!

John 10:26 "but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.  27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  30 I and the Father are one."   These are the words of Jesus    My sin makes me feel separated from God.   I can be embarrassed about the sins I don’t want to give up.   I pretend those sins don’t exist.  I don’t want to deal with my desire  for the sin,  can seem greater than my desire for God.   When this happens I simply confess it to God.  He already knows!!    I pray,  “Jesus, you know that my desire for this sin is a strong hold.    Please help me!   Help me want You, more than I want this sin!”  He hears our every prayer.  He loves us through all of our sins!!   He died once and for all.   For all of our sins and for all of us!!!    Live today know nothing can separate you from the love of God!!! 😇🙏❤️.  Keep trying to let go of the sins that snare you.  Keep reaching to God.  He is loving you through it all!!!

I was blind but now I see!

John 9:25 "He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know.  One thing I do know.  I was blind but now I see!"   I was blind but now I see!!   At one point in my life I wasn’t convicted of my many sins.    I didn’t think much about gossiping, after all everyone did it.    I didn’t think about gluttony being a sin.   I didn’t think about drunkenness, laziness, fearfulness, worry or complaining as being against Gods ways.   I was blind but now I see.   I'm thankful I am more aware of the sins in my life.   In order to go forward I need to "own " my offensive behaviors and then turn away.   If we don't know we are sinner's then we won't know we need a Savior.    Thank you Jesus for being our Savior.   Whom the Son sets free is free indeed!! 

Can you throw a stone? Likely not!!

John 8:7 "When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, "If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

It’s so easy to look at other people’s faults, and think somehow I'm not as bad.  When  I was still a functioning alcoholic, I would justify my drinking by pointing out how others were worse than I was.   Wow!!! My kids certainly didn't care that others were worse than their mom.    They had to suffer through having a practicing alcoholic as their mother until  they were 12 and 14.   They had it bad.  It didn't matter that others may have had it worse.  The only way I get better behavior, in my life is to listen to the Holy Spirt and read the Bible.   I try not to compare my sins with other people’s sins, as to somehow justify my insanity.   I try to let the Holy Spirit and the words of the Bible convict me of what I need to do or not to do.    I constantly fall short.   I just keep trying.   This constant reflection helps me stay humble when I compare myself to others I am walking in pride. Today be inspired to take the plank out of your own eye before you try to remove the speck from your brothers’.   Let’s walk humbly with our God without thinking that somehow our own sins don’t count as much as someone else’s.

Be filled no matter how empty you feel

John 7:38 "Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from him."

These are the words of Jesus.    When I was a drinker, I would try to fill myself up with the  numbing of alcohol to find peace.    I would get anxious about things and use alcohol or exercise to help me handle circumstances that bothered me.  The problem was I couldn’t get to true peace with either.      I now TRUST God in all things.    I keep looking up to God to keep my chin up and I keep asking Him to fill me and the ones I love with His Holy Spirit so that I may TRUST HIM, as my Lord and Savior therefore TRUSTING HIM.  In my everyday sometimes crazy life.   Being filled with His Holy Spirit is having streams of “Living Water” flow from me.  Im not  emptied and drained by life.    I’m full of hope, endurance desire to do right.   Let His Holy Spirit fill you today too  overflowing, no matter what!!😇❤️🙏

Peel back the layers

John 7:24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgement."   Things are not always what they appear to be.    People aren’t who they appear to be.    Have you heard the phrase, “There are many layers to an onion.”,    People and circumstances are like onions.   There are many layers.   Keep peeling back the layers and live in faith, hope and love.   Keep the faith, stay in love no matter what appears to be.  

Believe

John 6:29 "Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent."   Believe!!  We all have reasons why we can look at something horrible and say, “ If there was a God, why would He…..”.  God has given us free will.   We as a humane race have chosen sin.   There are consequences to our sin.    We can live in forgiveness and newness of life when we BELIEVE that 1.  We are sinners and can’t save ourselves. 2.   Jesus died on the cross to pay the eternal price of each of our sins.   3.  Jesus rose from the dead and is alive.   I can’t reason out the horrible.   But I can TRUST God through it all and Believe!   This is the basis for my sobriety and zeal for life!! 

Plan for it

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." It’s Friday!! Have you planned your weekend yet?    Many times I try to make sure I have something special planned for the weekend.    I love to dance, so I usually make sure to plan that.   As I am reading this verse it’s reminds me I need to “plan “ to do good works as well.   We have been given everything we need to do good works.    Often doing good, starts at home.   We can’t go save the world when our family is broke.  Sometimes it's easier to focus on helping others than taking care of our own backyard.    Don't underestimate the importance of having your own house in order.   That too is God's work. Have a great weekend.   “ For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Zeal?

John 2:16-17 "To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Fathers house into a market!"  17 His disciples remembered that it is written: " Zeal for your house will consume me."   I’m contemplating if I truly have “zeal  for my Fathers house”.    Do I have zeal for His ways?   Do I love being in His house as much as I love being on a bike ride?  Do I love reading His word as much as I love solemn water skiing?   Zeal, is a great word.   It's my opinion zeal is a choice, like love is a choice.  Today I hope to choose Zeal when I incorporate heart felt faith in my life.

With. “ALL” my heart?

Psalm 119:33 "Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.  34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart."   Obey Gods’ law with ALL my heart?   Wow.   What an order.   Today, as I read this verse I thinking how I keep His law in my heart about half way.  I intellectually say, I want to obey Gods' law with my whole heart.  Truth is I still seek things I know aren’t His way for me.    Gluttony, greed, gossip, sloth, jealousy, lust all these things enter my mind and sometimes my actions.   Today, I pray to truly, with pureness of ALL my heart,  seek God and His ways.  I hope this helps you to do the same. 😇🙏❤️