Tag: truth

Awake and Aware

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Tuesday

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:11 MSG‬‬

If you are aware of anything today – be aware of God.

If you are afraid of anything – be afraid of getting so busy making a living that you miss making a life.

If you have to make a do to list – put “recognizing God ‘s presence” in the top spot.

Take care of whatever you need to take care of today but make sure to make room for God to interrupt, intervene, and weave Himself into each thing you do with His love, His mercy, His perspective, His grace, His strength and His joy.

If you are wondering whether God is present in your life, He is and He longs to connect with you. You are one of His favorites.

What does being aware of God mean to you?

Have you been so distracted that you are oblivious to God?

May the awareness of God supersede all else as you are embraced by a Savior who loves you unconditionally and completely.

Unlimited and Glorious

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Monday
“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:16 NLT
God has glorious and unlimited resources for you today.

You have His strength to love, to walk, to work, to hold on to hope and let go of fear.

You have His grace to cover your mistakes and feed your compassion.

You have His joy to see the ordinary beauty of humanity that is all around you.

You have His kindness to be gentle with those who are closest to you.

You have His vision to see others as He does and love them appropriately.

You are empowered to live loved as a child of God and do His will on earth as it is in heaven.

Not by your strength but by His.

Not from your limited resources, but from His unlimited and glorious resources.

Not so you will “look strong”  on the outside but so that you will “be strong” on the inside.
Receive it.
Rest in it.
Walk in it.
You have so much more at your disposal than you realize.
You have Jesus and He brings all heaven with Him.

A Simple No

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Friday

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ be ‘No.”’

Matthew 5:37 NKJV

No.

A simple answer but rarely an easy one.

At some point, you will need to say NO to good things so you can say YES to the things God is calling you to.

For those who are challenged by saying “NO”, here are ten different ways to say it:

1. I would prefer another option.

2. I would love to say yes to everything, but that would be stupid.

3. Someone would be awesome at this, I am not that person.

4. Some things have come up that need my attention.

5. We should rethink this.

6. My instincts tell me I’m just not suitable for this.

7. It would cause the slow withering death of my soul.

8. Um, no.

9. My plate is already full but I will be happy to suggest somebody else’s plate to put it on.

10. No, I’m doing all I can right now but thank you for giving me the opportunity.

What do you need to say “NO” to in order to make room for the right “Yes”?

Don’t Let Fear Stop You

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Tuesday

“By an act of faith, he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents.”  Hebrews 11: 8 MSG

Fear will hold you captive in your comfort zone.

The only way to break fear’s hold is by an act of faith.

To go after all that God has called you to, you are going to have to move beyond the fear that holds you there.

Fear can be overwhelming when it is a general mass of unknown anxiety so you need to name it.  

What are you afraid will happen when you step out in faith?

Define it or one part of it.

Narrow it down.

Find the core.

But know this: facing the fear doesn’t take away the emotion of fear but it allows you to see what it is and lie behind it.

When you name the fear you disarm it of its power but it takes a while for your emotions to fall in line with your faith.

You may not know where your journey will end up but you can be sure that God will be there with you every step of the way.

God is calling you forward, don’t let fear stop you today.

Faith is choosing to trust God with the path, the detours, the disasters and yes, the destiny of where you will end up.

Courage is feeling the fear and stepping out in faith anyway. 

What is God calling you to do? 

What is stopping you from stepping out in faith?

What is the name of your fear?

 

Resilience

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“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.
    But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

What trips you up?

How do you fall?

Is it overthinking, overeating, over-controlling, overworking, oversleeping, over-it-all-so-I-am-quitting everything?

It really isn’t what trips you up that is dangerous, it is what keeps you down when you fall.

You fell.

You are human.

Get up.

You are loved.

God is not done with you.

You have a purpose.

God has a vision for your life.

Get up and take a one step toward it today.

 

Invest in Rest

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Friday1st

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 NIV

The Greek word for “rest” in Matthew 11:28 means:

1) to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength

2) to give rest, refresh, to give one’s self rest, take rest

3) to keep quiet, of calm and patient expectation

It is an invitation from Jesus to stop your work and invest in rest.

Make time to stop producing, stop creating and simply breathe.

Take a minute or an hour to do something that fills your soul.

Close your eyes so you can really see what is going on inside of you.

Open your eyes to love the people who are around you.

It is not a one-time invitation, it is a spiritual investment for a lifestyle of trust.

Jesus is saying “come to me” whenever you need to rest and as often as you need to rest.

Are you soul tired today?

Come to Jesus, His arms are open for you.

 

 

Virtual Hug

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Wednesday 29

“Love never gives up”.
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13:4 MSG‬‬

So much can be communicated through a small touch.

A reassuring pat of the hand.

A hug.

A gentle tug on the elbow of someone who you want closer.

Holding a hand.

A small touch can make a bad thing okay, an okay thing good, and make a good thing great.

Small touches are difference makers in a relationship and in our lives.

They can be the first thing we unconsciously give and the first thing that we unconsciously withhold.

When we struggle, when we are angry, when we are hurt, we withhold the small touches.

It’s easy to forget how important they are to us and to those we love until we can’t give them anymore.

For your loved ones in your home, hug them, hold them, touch them.

For your loved ones outside your home, save them up, and send virtual hugs until it is safe to embrace them.

Today is my virtual hug to you.

 

Few Words, Big Impact

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Tuesday-April 28

After a month of the world living at home, we are all experiencing the power of words. The words on the news, the words on social media, and most definitely, the words spoken in your home.

Here are a few small sentences that can make a big difference to someone you love today:

Don’t give up.

I forgive you.

I love you.

I miss you.

Pray for me.

Go for it.

You matter.

Forgive me.

Let go.

Yes.

No.

Which sentence do you need to say today?

Jesus used small sentences too:

Follow me.

You are forgiven.

Stand up and walk.

I am He.

Pray like this.

Be healed.

Which one do you need to hear today?

The most important things are said in the smallest of sentences. Use them, receive them, say them to someone who needs to hear the truth of them today. 

 

Go After It

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Thursday copy

The important thing about goals is having the right goals.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬ NIV

Don’t waste your life going after goals to make yourself more comfortable.

Go after Jesus– His love, His agenda and His goals for your life (which has more to do with who you are than what you look like and giving more than getting more).

Life following Jesus is not comfortable or easy – it is unique, unexpected and adventurous.

At the end of your life, you may or may not have human praise and awards but if you choose the goal of letting God transform you with His love, you will have rich relationships, miraculous moments and the most important thing you can have with you as you step into eternity – Jesus.

He is the prize.

Go after Jesus and make your relationship with Him the main goal of your life.

The rest of your goals will fall in line.

May you clearly hear His voice, boldly follow His guidance and passionately pursue His heart in all things today. 

Quiet it All

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“If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”  Mark 4:23 NIV

When life gets loud, stressful and fear-filled, listening gets difficult.

With all there is to listen to for up to date information and then all the things we do to distract us from it all, it can be difficult to hear what God is saying to us.

Jesus is always communicating with you. He is always speaking truth to you.

Today is a day to listen.

To quiet everything.

To step back and breathe.

To quiet the stress, the worries, the distractions, the screens, social media, or anything else that is draining your ability to hear Jesus.

Jesus is speaking to you and He has something that He wants you to hear clearly.

I am asking Jesus to give you ears to hear and to prepare a quiet place for you to receive His word for you today.

What is creating the most internal noise in your life right now?

What do you need to do to quiet down the external noise to be able to hear God’s voice better?

What is Jesus saying to you today?