What Should We Do?

Luke 3: 1 – 20

Day in and day out we make choices. Some are easier than others. But what really stops us in our tracks are the big questions like, “What should I do?” This is not meaning, should I go to a party or event, or stay home. No. This question, the one that tugs on our heart, is about seeking God’s will, usually concerning something significant.

Let me interject here that we NEED to seek God’s will in EVERYTHING, especially the big decisions in life. We desperately need His guidance.

However, in the midst of waiting for the big answers, I believe God tells us many times in scripture to do what we know. Certainly in this passage, that comes through loud and clear.

John the Baptist had quite a thriving ministry, even though he was an odd sort of dude out in the wilderness. People came to hear his message of repentance and they asked him, “what should we do?” They were looking for a big theological answer – for a cosmic revelation.

There were three groups asking this question. John’s answers pretty much told them to do what they knew was right.

To the multitudes he said, share your resources with the poor or those who had a need.

To the tax collectors he said, be honest and don’t be greedy.

To the soldiers he said, have integrity in your job, don’t lie, and be content with your wages.

This all seems like simple stuff. These are things everyone should do. There’s no new revelation here. I think that is precisely what we can get out of this scripture passage. While we are waiting for God to give us the bigger answers, it’s important to do what we know.

For me personally, I see two truths I can cling to reliably. 1 – God is always working on my behalf. So while He is working on my bigger issues, I need to keep doing what I know to do – “just keep swimming” – and trust that God’s got this. And 2 – be faithful in the small things. If I can’t do the smaller things, why would God trust me with more?

So thank you Lord for leading me to this scripture today. Thank you for showing me something I have never seen before. Thank you for the assurance that as You are working on my big questions, I can continue to be faithful in what I know to do — day-to-day, in the ordinary, in the regular, in the mundane, in everyday life.

September 6, 2017September 25, 2017

Living in the land of “Mostly”

Psalm 37: 3 – 7

It seems like I end up where I am today a lot over the past 3+ years. I’m desperate to get back on track in my trusting, delighting, committing, resting and waiting patiently. Though I know I’m not the only one that goes through this, at present it just feels so singularly focused – as though I am the worst of the worst.

Maybe I should explain. After losing my husband over 3 years ago, it’s been a constant struggle to make big decisions and be responsible for so much outside my wheelhouse. All the while I find myself continuing the path of service on many levels. Sometimes it all gets to be a bit much, actually too much. Add to that a deep loneliness and it makes for one hurting mess of a person.

You might look from the outside and see someone who is walking along with God quite well and trusting. I’d have to agree with you most days. But there are other days, like today, where I see so clearly that I am still trying to do some of it in my own power. The giving over of self completely is what we all seem to struggle with, I think.

I could be wrong, but it seems like we end up in the land of “mostly”, most of the time. Trusting Jesus mostly. Committing mostly, waiting patiently mostly. . .and maybe not so mostly. The trouble is, living in the land of “mostly” isn’t good. At some point the Holy Spirit presses hard enough for us to really listen and our hearts break. We are brought face to face with our sin of “mostly”.

I sincerely believe that broken is where we need to be for God to display His love and His grace. When we stop living “mostly” and give ourselves completely to Him, He will do great things in and for us. How can He fill us when we are full of ourselves? How can He bring hope and healing to us when we are trying to work it out on our own? I read in my Jesus Calling perpetual calendar this morning, the following – and it’s quite profound.

“Understanding will never bring you peace. That’s why I have instructed you to trust in Me, not your understanding. ”

This is, of course, from Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 – very good verses to memorize.

Back to Psalm 37. Now that I’m broken, I can let God put me back together the right way. I’m choosing to trust Him as much as I can, and letting Him empower me to trust more. I’m choosing to delight in Him, something I need to be more intentional about. I’m choosing to wait patiently – whoa. . . this is a tough one, no matter who you are.

So whatever the outcome, I am actually thankful for this broken, tear-filled day. Getting with God and being honest is very healing. There will still be the struggle of “mostly”, but I’m leaning into God completely at the moment. I’m fully trusting and putting His armor on for the rest of the day. His power, not mine.

Lord – I’m a broken mess. Please put me back together as only You can. I choose to trust You completely. Help my unbelief. Help me stay in the completely camp, not the mostly camp. Thank you Holy Spirit for pressing me so hard and breaking me. I love You Lord and I lift my broken life to You – for your honor and glory. —Amen

August 11, 2017September 25, 2017

Divine Coincidences?

Luke 1

The first chapter of Luke is not the frequently read chapter of this book. Usually Luke 2 is read repeatedly during the Christmas season. But I’m focusing on the first chapter today and actually started my focus on this yesterday.

There’s so much I have never seen before. Take the introduction, for example. Luke explains that though many have written about the events surrounding Jesus’ birth and life, he’s going to write an accurate account of it too – after careful investigation of everything. You can tell he’s a doctor with his attention to detail and accuracy. There is no other book in the Bible that begins in this manner. Luke firmly states he’s doing this so Theophilus, and you & I of course, can be certain of the truth. This is the first of many things in this chapter that I find fascinating.

The next part that grips me is the way God orchestrated the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus. Just look at the facts, which some might call divine coincidences.

The “Just Happens”……….

Zacharias and Elizabeth just happen to be in the priestly line of Aaron – not just Zacharias, but Elizabeth too. When the bible talks about lineage, rarely does it mention the lineage of a woman.
Zacharias just happens to be taking his turn tending to the burning of incense in the temple which is done completely out of sight from everyone else in the temple. This sets the scene perfectly for the visitation of Gabriel.
Then it just happens that after Zacharias goes home – bam – Elizabeth becomes pregnant, just like Gabriel said.
6 months later the same angel, Gabriel, visits Mary, who is, by the way, a virgin. Gabriel announces she will be pregnant without being with a man. And oh by the way, this baby is the Messiah, the Son of God. Whoa………….
Mary just happens to accept the message and a few days later heads to see her relative, Elizabeth. Mary has heard through family that Elizabeth is pregnant and that it’s a miracle. Mary is drawn to go see Elizabeth – coincidence?
When Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, baby John inside her does a flip. At 6 months that would have been a bit jolting since the baby is a good size by then. Baby John just happens to be chosen by God before conception to be the one who will announce to everyone that Jesus is coming, so repent and get ready. Baby John just happens to be a huge piece in the overall story of Jesus’ ministry beginning.
Mary just happens to be so moved with what Elizabeth has confirmed that she breaks into an amazing song of praise. This very young girl just happens to be righteous and spiritually wise beyond her years. She just happens to be able to connect all the dots of prophecy and 100% believe she is, in fact, carrying the Messiah – without having been instructed by a scripturally knowledgeable male, which was the only way women gained scriptural knowledge at that time.
John the Baptist is born and Zacharias just happens to suddenly be able to talk after 9+ months of being mute.
After being mute for 9+ months, Zacharias isn’t just able to talk, he speaks a prophecy about Jesus and his son, John, who will be a prophet of the Most High. Zacharias just happens to have this deep insight.

That’s an awful lot of “just happens”. My God is so amazing in performing mighty works, of making the impossible, possible. I see His hand in every piece of the story – mine too.

No coincidence………….God knew.

That’s my take away from all this. God is working all the stuff of my life together too. He knew before I was born that I would marry Tracy. He knew the life we would have together. He knew all the struggles and lessons learned. He knew Tracy’s life would end before mine. He knew the journey I would embark on as I said goodbye to Tracy. He knew the calling I would embrace and the path this tragedy would cause me to walk. He knew I would face challenges and loneliness. He knows where I am going and whether it will be alone or with someone to walk beside. He knows it all. To Him my life isn’t a mystery, it’s history. He already knows how it will all play out. And so…..there really are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Every person He places on my journey is important, so I must trust Him.

This reminds me of a song – a hymn actually. “There’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” I may not know what my future holds. But I know I can trust Him. And – I know I must obey – do what I know He calls me to do. And so…………even when it’s hard, even when my heart is breaking, even when I don’t understand – – – I will trust and obey – – – because there are no divine coincidences. God is totally and completely in control. He’s the author of the play.

July 21, 2017

What God Wants. . .

Genesis 3…….Psalms………Proverbs…………….

For some time, God has nudged me, led me to read a certain book, and allowed people to speak into my life, coming in the form of sermons and faith sharing with a dear friend. They have been pieces to this puzzle.

Mind you, it all started a couple months ago really. That’s when God began drawing me closer to the truth of what He wants. And then a couple weeks ago I began thinking over Genesis 3. I’ve read it lots of times. You too? Well – maybe for the first time ever, I think I’ve got it – at least God’s message to me.

Why did everything get so screwed up in the beginning? Adam and Eve didn’t obey God. Why do we get into such messes? We don’t obey God. How in the world do we get to places where life seems impossible to handle? We haven’t obeyed God – or – maybe the issue actually is that we never asked Him what He wants in the first place. And because we ventured off on our own, we find ourselves overscheduled, overwhelmed, restless, stuck or immersed in the meaningless.

This is where I’ve been. I suspect you have too at some point. And while I am certainly not flawless in this, I AM going in the right direction. Bottom line is: 1) I needed to come to the end of myself – and – 2) I needed to focus singularly on God and ask Him what He wanted – what is essential? – what is the core, simple truth that I seem to be missing?

Obedience. Yeah – not a popular word. Neither is it something easy to do. Often we hear His voice and pretend we didn’t. Or we listen to the father of lies like Eve and decide we might have a better plan.

The Path of Discovery………………………

Let me take you down the path of discovery over the last two months as I took in and dug deep to figure this out.

Initially I read the book by Bill Hybels, Simplify. It’s so spot on as far as priorities, getting back to God and what He wants. At the end of Bill’s book he says, “We get one shot at this life. Choose a purposeful, God-first life, and you will reap rewards for today and for eternity.”

About this time I went home to NY. It had been 20 years. The main reason for going home was to speak at the induction ceremony for the Wall of Fame at my former high school. My husband, Tracy, was being inducted. It was an honor to speak on his behalf. But this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Let me back up and tell you that as I travel I always ask God to give me opportunities to minister to others. It could be simply a listening ear, word of encouragement or doing something to brighten their day by expressing kindness. This trip was extraordinarily different. It was as if there was a funnel above me where God was pouring everything in. I was the recipient of love, grace, mercy, heart healing and comfort. Though the words may not convey it, the experience was deep – beyond words deep. So add that to the reading of Bill’s book and listening to what the Holy Spirit was telling me. Bill’s book isn’t opinion. It’s solidly supported by many scriptures. And – it caused me to research the scriptures further because I wanted more. I needed more.

Over the next 6 weeks or so I heard sermons that reinforced the word – obedience. And, in sharing our faith walks, my dear friend made me focus once again on obedience – simplifying – getting priorities straight – focusing on God – letting minor things fall away – drawing me closer to God and further away from the calendar, the schedule, the tyranny of the urgent. Yikes. . . the promptings of the Holy Spirit were getting uncomfortable.

I still wanted more – so I looked up scripture about obedience. Turns out God is all about obedience. To obey is better than sacrifice. That theme goes through the whole Bible. I found references to this from I Samuel to Luke. The light bulb came on and I finally got it. Obedience – God wants obedience. Even though I may not get it perfect, my heart needs to bleed obedience.

Like so many things in God’s economy, there’s more to obedience than you might think. First of all, by choosing a “purposeful, God-first life”, it leads to simplifying. I listen to the ONE voice more than the many. Yes, it means I make tough choices, but I’d rather be true to God than the many. I’m not really accountable to all of them and neither are you, by the way.

Secondly, it pushed me to investigate the whole “delight” thing since God delights in our obedience more than sacrifice. This, too, is a big deal to God.

There’s lots on delight in the Psalms. Here are some with the original Hebrew meaning in parentheses. This totally blessed my heart. I hope it does you too.

Psalm 1:2 ~ delight in the law of the Lord (a valuable thing, desired)
Psalm 37:4 ~ delight yourself in the Lord (luxurious)
Psalm 40:8 ~ delight to do Thy will (be well pleased)
Psalm 119:77 ~ Thy law is my delight (to please)

also Proverbs……………………both are good pleasure

Proverbs 11: 20 ~ the blameless in their walk are His delight
Proverbs 15:8 ~ the prayer of the upright is His delight

God delights in me when I obey, when I put HIm first, when I make Him the best and only. In turn, we are to delight in Him – to please, to value, to desire, to luxuriate in Him.

When was the last time you were that into God? It’s a question I think we all need to ask ourselves.

So. . . starting now – I’m choosing to focus on God. I’m making Him the singular voice. Getting this right will make everything and everyone fall into the proper place. This isn’t going to always go as it should, but it is SO worth the effort. I know. Because when I have actually done this consistently, life sure seems more abundant and joy-filled.

I hope you will give this a try. Pray about it. Dig into God’s word yourself.

God wants our obedience – yeah – that’s what God wants.

June 22, 2017

Going Home. . .

John 1: 16 “From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”

I have just finished a wonderful week home, where I grew up. Home – where Tracy & I met. Home – where so many memories were made in the 20 years before getting married and moving away. My mind & heart embraced more memories than I could write about here. Each day I experienced smells, sights, sounds, people, that flooded my mind with memories – funny, strange, happy, sad, and every other one you can think of. They are all blessings!!!!!

There are many verses in God’s word that talk about blessings. I chose this one because this is how I experienced them – – “one gracious blessing after another.” You would expect that I would tell you the people were the most important. Yes – they were so very important. But the thing about this visit was that every place I re-visited, every sound, touch, taste, smell, everything evoked memories of people……………even if that people was me. (smile)

While there in the Binghamton/Tri-Cities/Owego area, I visited my high school, my college, each home I lived in, the home/area where Tracy grew up, where I met him, where we dated, the summer site at Cayuga lake where our family spent so much of our summers – oh my, so many memories, and the Mead Farm. The Mead Farm is where I stayed………………….it was just perfect………in a room upstairs in the farmhouse, quilt on the bed, cows in the barn, & field, farm equipment here and there and that wonderful aroma that perhaps only those of us who grew up in the country could appreciate. Old memories………..New memories…………..”one gracious blessing after another.”

The main reason I flew home was to speak at the Induction Ceremony for Tracy. He was inducted onto the Wall of Fame. My cousin, Bonnie Mead, was my date. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and then the ceremony. I’m not sure how to describe the honor to speak on my husband’s behalf. I looked out at faces of people who knew neither me nor Tracy and they teared up, listened intently, celebrated with me. It was extraordinary! My heart was sad, and yet full, proud, honored, soaring.

God put this whole trip together. There’s no way around it. From the very moment Bonnie tagged me on Facebook about the ceremony, everything fell into place. Within 4 weeks I was purchasing tickets, arranging car rental, place to stay etc. etc. etc. God spoke to my heart over and over and showed me that yes, indeed, I was supposed to go home. Now was the time. Blessings.

Isn’t that how God works? When we are in His will & seeking his face, He is so very faithful. I don’t deserve His favor and yet He gives it to me. I love Him so much for that. After all, who am I? Why should I enjoy “one gracious blessing after another”? I’m not sure why He chose to bless me with this trip. It’s at this point that I am so very glad He is the Author of the Play. He sees the end from the beginning. So I trust Him. I simply trust Him.

June 13, 2017June 15, 2017

Simplify. . . . Hear His Whisper

Matthew 11: 28 – 30

While getting some other things at the Christian bookstore recently, I picked up a book by Bill Hybels – “Simplify”. I respect Mr. Hybels so I picked up the book to check chapter titles and endorsements. It looked good and I know I the need to simplify. This happens each summer as I review what took place over the previous September to May. Every year the landscape and choices are a little different for me. This is the time of year I pray about women’s ministry, music, leading Adult VBS music, and lots of other stuff. In addition, I get thinking about bigger ideas – where is God leading – what happened last year in bible study, work, music etc. More importantly, I look for places I can get a better handle on commitments.

Anyway – this book, I feel, is going to be a game changer for me. Here are some of the words used in the chapter titles – overscheduled, overwhelmed, anxious, drifting, stuck, meaningless, exhausted. Do you identify with any of those??? I sure do. Maybe it’s not constant, but sometimes it almost feels like I am meeting myself coming and going. I feel overwhelmed as I contemplate the upcoming calendar or as I think about decisions which will affect the next year. My decisions affect others and it all becomes so heavy – in both mind and heart. I need to sort it out.

That’s where this book comes in. As I sit here writing this, I’m in the Detroit airport on my way home – where I grew up. I’m getting a week to visit, to attend a ceremony, to relax, to think things through. I brought the book with me and have only made it through the first chapter. Even though that’s true, I can see that it’s going to make me ask myself some serious questions. Focusing and identifying what is best among all the good is the task at hand. God talks about “the abundant life” in His word. That’s what I want. Mr. Hybels has struggled with all of this and still does to a degree. That’s why what he has to say in this book is so impactful. He’s lived this, he’s figured out some stuff with God’s help, and he is having a good deal of success employing key strategies.

How does this qualify as a devotional? Bring scripture into this and it really changes everything. There are several places where God makes the point of priorities, but I’ll just site a couple. In Luke‘s gospel Jesus goes to the home of Mary and Martha. Mary chooses to sit at Jesus’ feet while Martha freaks out in the kitchen. Mary invested in relationship. Martha, while her heart was in the right place, was demonstrating what happens when we are overwhelmed and anxious. In the process she became frazzled and I’m sure exhausted. Jesus said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Jesus was saying that connecting with Him was what was important. And in Matthew Jesus says, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

What does it all mean? I am willing to bet that I’m not the only one that feels this way from time to time. I’m learning that it’s absolutely crucial to put my energy and trust in the most important things. There is no way we can do all that we want to do. If I will keep my priorities straight, God will help me sort the calendar and requests out.

Mr. Hybels talks about “uncluttering the soul”. That is precisely what is needed. I’ll leave you with a quote from this first chapter……………so good. “…without the needless clutter clanging around in your soul, you’ll be able to hear – and respond to – each whisper from God.” I want to hear His whisper – every single one.

June 9, 2017June 15, 2017

The Ultimate Reno. . .

2 Corinthians 11: 1 – 20

When I was growing up, it was a much simpler time in all areas. There were not as many choices for one thing. Phones were stationary and had only one function. Churches didn’t have a myriad of programs. And television had somewhere between 3 and 10 channels. Amazing isn’t it?

Another thing was true too. Good and evil were relatively easy to distinguish. There were indeed gray areas as well, but not as much as today.

Today we have so many good things, it is very difficult , at times, to determine what’s best. Evil has been dressed up, concealed and promoted as either something good or simply something we should tolerate. So many of the lesser evils have become “normal” in our world. When compared to the evil of terrorism, they seemingly fade into the dailiness of life. And right there is the danger.

Satan is the father of lies. His character is all about deception. He twists things around and gets us thinking toward sin instead of away from it. He wears us down bit by bit with subtle lies until we start believing his propaganda. This is precisely what Paul is warning against in 2 Corinthians 11.

Warnings. . .

Twice in this passage Paul flashes a warning about satan’s deception. In verse 3 he reminds us how in the beginning he deceived Eve by leading her mind astray. In verses 14 & 15 Paul tells us that he disguises himself as an angel of light. And, his servants appear as servants of righteousness. This is scary stuff.

If we are honest – if I am honest – he has tricked us in so many ways. Often we are afraid to come against something if it seems it’s “not a big deal”. Or, we simply don’t see it coming. It’s so incredibly subtle that we don’t recognize what’s happened till much later.

So how do we fight back? How do we retake the ground that’s lost? How do we stay vigilant against deception? Is there a way to stand firm against the subtle lies? Yes.

What to do. . .

One way is to pray the Armor of God. Yes – the Armor of God again. . . .Get dressed every single day. Ask God to quicken our our spirit to anything that’s “off”. Ask the Holy Spirit to give us special discernment for satan’s lies and cloaked deception. Ask God to wake us up out of our spiritual slumber so we can remain on alert. Remember that there is a battle going on, whether we see it openly or not. We must acknowledge that it exists. By keeping that thought in the forefront of our minds, we are automatically positioned to see the truth. And above all we must stay in God’s word everyday and pray. God’s word is truth. God’s word is our Sword of the Spirit. We can do effective battle with knowledge of God’s word and prayer.

One other thing helps so much and is often missed when discussing the battle for our minds – Praise. Praise and worship songs are so very helpful. Psalm 22:3 tells us that God inhabits the praise of His people. Where God is, satan cannot be. I also love Romans 12:2 which says, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” That’s huge, because it’s basically saying we need to re-wallpaper our mind. And how do we do that? We do it by re-wallpapering with God’s word, with prayer and praise. We saturate our minds with Him so satan can’t find any room for his lies.

God’s Not Dead !!

So take courage dear one. We need to do this together. Yes, we’ve allowed our minds to be deceived probably in many ways. But that stops here. This is war and we must put on the Armor and re-wallpaper our minds – serious renovation. God is faithful and with His help we won’t be deceived anymore. In the words of a song – “God’s not dead. He’s surely alive. He’s living on the inside, roaring like a lion.”

June 1, 2017June 15, 2017

Who’s First?

2 Corinthians 10: 1 – 10

No matter where you look, there seems to be a structure of hierarchy.

in the animal kingdom
among birds
in organizations
in business
in the church
in our jobs
in families

It’s this concept of hierarchy, or putting things/people in order of importance, that has me struggling lately. It was tormenting me under the surface of everyday life for quite awhile. Then a combination of scripture readings and a video series called “gods at war” by Kyle Idleman, pierced my heart. As I watched the teaching video, tears came and I saw clearly the reason my heart had been hurting so much. And – I was wrecked – in a good way.

We think as Christians that we may break some of the commandments, but we certainly have not broken the first two. In reality, we have probably broken them more than any others.

The first commandment is to have no other gods (small g) before God. The second is to not make any kind of idol. In our minds we go immediately to Old Testament pictures of pagans with bizarre gods and gold, bronze, silver or wood idols. Of course we haven’t done anything like that – or have we?

It’s the hierarchy, or order, that God demands. He says in the first commandment that He must be at the top – no lesser gods before the One True God. And the second commandment goes along with that because any idol is something that comes before God. It doesn’t have to be an object, it can be good things that have gained too much importance. And that’s where I found myself – Yikes.

Gods……………..idols…………….

In the video series it addresses several gods – pleasure, love, power, money, me. None of them are awful, evil things. What we do with them and where our thoughts, money and time are spent tell a different story.

Where’s my focus? What is consuming my thoughts? Where am I stuck? What’s invading my heart and mind?

In the midst of all this I read 2 Corinthians 10 where I zero in on verses 3 – 5. I am living a life in the flesh in a flesh driven world. But, I have spiritual weapons at my disposal. I have the power of the Holy Spirit to recognize and take every “above God” thought and put it in the correct place or throw it out completely – whatever the Spirit prompts to do.

If you are struggling with this stuff like I am, take courage dear one. Don’t be discouraged when you can’t seem to get it right all the time. Me either !! Doesn’t it feel sometimes like we take 2 or 3 steps forward and one back? UGH! So frustrating. This is where I hold tightly to Philippians 1:6 – “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” I am unfinished, in progress, under construction. You and I have to cut ourselves a bit of slack. It’s not condoning excuses. It’s acknowledging that we are but dust. We’re human, broken, imperfect. But God doesn’t throw us away when we mess up. He wants us to confess, accept His forgiveness (I John 1:9) and get back in the game with Him. He has more to do in and through our lives. He is NOT done with us yet. We are not failures. He loves when we come back to Him and put Him at the very top of our priorities and thoughts.

I’m doing this daily………………

Here’s what I have started to do and you are welcome to do this too. First of all I acknowledge every day in my morning prayers that it is my desire to put God first. I ask Him to help me identify and take captive every thought that competes for His place in my life. Another thing that has become automatic every day since the beginning of 2017 is praying the armor of God on myself. It goes like this. . .

Lord – I put on the helmet of salvation – Your salvation because there is salvation in no one else. I pray protection over my mind, my eyes and my ears. I put on the breastplate of righteousness to protect my heart and other vital parts – Your righteousness because I have none on my own. I put on the belt of truth. Your truth – not truth from the culture, the country, my church, my friends, or anything but Your Word. I take up the shield of faith to extinguish the enemy’s fiery darts – the ones I can see and the ones I can’t see coming (meaning I place the shield over my head, crouching down, becoming turtle-like). I take up the sword of the Spirit – God’s Word. I infuse my mind with Your Word that I can use as I battle each day. I put on shoes of peace. May I walk through my day in peace and bless others with peace. Above all, I cover with prayer – not just at that moment but conversationally through the whole day……………………….Amen.

April 24, 2017May 16, 2017

Welcome to Flying Above !

Everyone has turbulence every single day. None of us does this perfectly. As I share in this simple devotional blog, perhaps it will help you as you experience the day-to-day turbulence as well as devastating turbulence.

Coffee & Jesus

My posts come directly from what I call my “coffee & Jesus” time. In 2015 God changed the way I met with Him. He made me slow down. So as He takes me from book to book, chapter to chapter, verse to verse, I’m listening closely to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach me. And you know what? I’m seeing new things in God’s word. Or, at the very least, I am seeing them from a fresh perspective.

Please be kind. . . . . . . . .

Writing has never been my deal. But God has recently given me a voice – on paper and with actual voice. I’m not formally schooled in scripture. But I have walked with God for 50 years and been in women’s ministry for 25 years. So please realize that I’m merely sharing what God has spoken to me. Don’t take what I have to say as gospel. Read God’s word for yourself. No doubt there will be some who either disagree or feel the need to correct me. You are welcome to your opinion. That said – please be kind and respectful when you comment.

Tag: devotional