I never know from morning to morning what topic God will want to bring out in Sunshine’s devotions. Inspirations come in many forms and varieties.

As I wrote in my book of thankfulness this morning, I thanked the Lord for his changes in me. The growth and changes in many areas of my life that I have noticed because of applying his word to my existence and the future changes that will come because of my desire to follow his word!

Aha, the lightbulb moment! ☺️ Applying God’s word to our lives!

James 1:22 ESV: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Psalm 119:105 ESV: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Matthew 4:4 ESV: “But he answered, ‘It is written,’ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Romans 15:4 ESV “For whatever is written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”

Proverbs 30:5 ESV: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

Matthew 7:24 ESV: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Oh, I love this; built his house on the rock! Did you catch that? Who is the rock?

Psalm 18:2 ESV: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” YES!!!

Philippians 4:9 ESV: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

I can assure you that if you truly desire and or decide to follow what God has to say about any given subject and apply his word to your circumstances and life; you will not only notice changes around you but best of all changes within!

It’s not easy turning away from the ways of the world and retraining the brain to think in God’s terms. This can feel like you’re swimming upstream, fighting against the current when it’s so much easier to let go and roll with the flow!

But is it easier?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, strength, and might! Trust in him to help you make the changes needed, and leave the rest to him! When we can learn to let go and let God! Life gets a lot simpler!

Be blessed today! 😌

I’m in the Book of Numbers, the fourth book in the Old Testament. God is setting up his tabernacle, laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines for the Jewish people. He is instructing Moses step by step with very explicit details.

One of the instructions included a prayer that Moses was to teach Aaron and his sons, (God’s appointed priests) to pray over Isreal. The prayer is beautiful and I wish to pray it over you as we begin a new week!

Numbers 6:24-26 CSB

“May the Lord bless you and protect you;

May the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

May the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.”

In your name Lord Jesus, I commit this prayer. Amen!

I pronounce the Lord’s name over you that he Bless You and Keep You!

May your week be filled with joy and laughter!

Peace and Harmony! ☺️

We’ve all heard a million-plus times, “In God’s Timing.” This phrase is often in conjunction with a long-awaited answer to a prayer!

But what if this phrase went in another direction entirely?

After my devotions this morning, I was praying about today’s devotion and found myself traveling back in time. I visited a single mom and her three children of pre-teenage years. My memories took me to a girlfriend who was that and so much more.

This woman I speak of loved my children, and she and her family gave them a haven after school till mom got home from work. This beautiful woman of God took this struggling mom and taught, soothed, loved, and directed. She drug out her Bible regularly on a non-stop mission to teach and preach God’s beautiful words of life to me!

God will use us for his greater purpose if we are willing and he will use us in his perfect time.

Matthew 5:16 ESV: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 28:19 ESV: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

I love the last line of this last verse. “knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

My girlfriend had no idea that one day, all her godly gifts of love, teachings, and examples would produce fruit within my gift of writing. The seeds she planted close to 30 years ago are the harvests of this blog I write today.

I spent many years hearing God gives us each a special gift and that he has a plan and path for our lives! I spent much of that time wondering if I had missed that call and path somewhere along the line.

But I hadn’t and neither have you. Remember, it’s all In God’s Time!

This devotion is dedicated to Paula Cooper. I love you, and I am so truly blessed to have you in this life and to spend eternity with you one day in heaven. 😌❤️

Thank you, Lord, Thank You!

As I sat pondering this morning; looking around my front room bathed in the warm morning light I was filled with peace and gratitude.

May our homes always be a place of comfort where you reside, a place of refuge tucked safely within your arms.

Thank you, Lord, for filling the walls of my home with your presence of love. I realize that that doesn’t mean strife and life won’t beat against its doors and that storms won’t rattle my windows. All the while, I do know you are my protection and shelter during those times.

Thank you, Lord, that I’m a grandma and grandpa’s house! I watch my grandchildren of all ages enter our home, and the sense of peace is immediate because it’s different at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Oh, to be able to walk into my grandparent’s home again. Thank you, Lord, for the memories and feelings I’m blessed to carry.

Thank you, Lord, for the daily things I take for granted; help me to take the time to recognize and share my daily blessings with you. Things like fresh air and knowing the sun will shine against beautiful blue skies today!

Thank you for the morning choir of birds singing outside my windows as the beginning of daylight starts to canvas the sky! Thank you for being within that canvas.

Thank you for the simple pleasures, Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for walking with me and talking to me throughout the day! Opening my eyes and ears to the glorious feeling and sounds of your kingdom down here! You created all of this for our pleasure and enjoyment; thank you for sharing this with us.

Jesus, I pray for those who have yet to meet you, for those who need to be reacquainted with you, and for those of us who gladly walk with you each day. I thank you for always seeking us. I thank you for always being with us! Thank you for this day; I’m blessed to share it with you. In your glorious name. Amen

I love to dance.

Dancing is universal and personal! It’s an expression of body and music fluidly blending or the frantic pace and display of total abandonment.

Dancing is a great stress reliever, freeing our pent-up muscles and stretching our skeletal frames. Releasing pent up emotions.

Let’s see what God has to say about dancing.

Psalm 149:3 ESV: “Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!”

2 Samuel 6:14 ESV: “And David danced before the Lord with all his might.”

Jeremiah 31:13 ESV: “Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and young men and old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.”

Luke 15:25 ESV: “Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.”

Exodus 15:20 ESV “Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.”

Psalm 149:1-9 ESV: “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Isreal be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds.”

Seems with music and dancing comes joy! We have joy in the Lord! Have some fun today if you can and blend them both! Put on your favorite dance music, ask Jesus to join you!

He will! His presence and I dance in my kitchen any chance I get, care to join me? ☺️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

Good morning Lord, thank you for being with us as we start our day.

As I was pondering you this morning and thinking about the day ahead I was reminded of your faithfulness the one thing we can always be sure of.

I was thinking about the sunshine that is going to appear for a few hours today and the evenings that are staying a bit lighter for a little longer. These are sure signs of Spring Lord.

I realized that I take the changing of the seasons for granted. Day and night evolve into each other on a continual rotation but do I pay heed to the consistency of this?

Help me Lord, not to take you or your daily presence in my world for granted.

I am excited Lord for the comparison of your hours, days, weeks, years, and seasons. The morning arrives and you are within. The day unfolds before us and you are waiting. We settle in at night and you are our comforter.

You are in the air we breathe.

Thank you, Lord, for the assurity that we have in you and the reminder that as we can count on the day to turn to night, winter to give into spring, spring to release herself to summer, summer to bow to autumn, and autumn to succumb to winter we can count on you.

Like hands within a clock, our lives revolve around a twenty-four-hour wheel, on that we know, on that we count on.

You created time, you are time, you are always, in that we can trust.

Thank you, Lord Jesus I am humbled by this epiphany. As we can count on the changing seasons to fall in line, we can count on you to always be with us. In your name, I pray. Amen ☺️

Did you know that you can talk to God? I’m not talking about well-rehearsed prayers or using all the scriptural verbiage so your prayers sound perfect and plastic!

I’m talking about getting down to the bottom in the mud wrestling with God! Your prayers may begin like this: I am so not happy right now! I don’t understand! I seriously hate this! The I hate him/her/them! I don’t want to do this! God, are you there prayers, and why are you letting this happen?

When we share a true relationship with another we eventually allow them to see our shortcomings, faults, ticks, and hidden scars. We open ourselves to them, sharing and growing!

The same can happen with our Lord Jesus! He is the best friend you will ever need! You can go to him any time of the day or night and he’s there! You can call on him and he will pick you up! We can be as real as we need to be because he already knows our today and our tomorrow!

If you think about it prayer isn’t for God, it’s for us! How many times have you begun a prayer with; Lord, I don’t… but found by the time you were ending your prayer you were thinking, well maybe I can!

Instinctively we know that God works all things out for our best! Often the trials, problems, and people in our world are the very sanding paper God uses to polish us to a smooth glowing finish!

Psalm 145:18-19 ESV: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them”

Hebrews 4:16 ESV: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Psalm 56:8: “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?”

This last scripture sums up my point. God sees us, watches over us, and is always with us. So, be free today! Free to sit down and look up and just start talking. I promise you will be met right where you are and you will be heard! God may not remove or even fix our problems but he will make a way for us to successfully get through them!

Isaiah 43:19 ESV: “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

Are you in the wilderness feeling a bit lost or deserted? Is your land parched and dry, cracked and barren? Talk it over with the: Way-Maker, Chain-Breaker, Problem-Shaker, and Heart-Changer! ❤️

Ephesians 6:17-18 NLT: “Put on the helmet of salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in prayers for all believers everywhere.”

For quite a few months now I have been waking up in the dark hours of the morning with a gigantic ball of fear in my stomach! If I have pressing matters I can understand the fear within the lonely darkness but why the angst with no apparent reason?

This has become a battle!

Putting on the helmet of salvation is an act of mind-prepare! We know we are saved through the blood of our Lord Jesus! Head news! We are protected by the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus! Helmet wear!

When unwanted, unneeded, unwarranted, undesired, and unnerving thoughts enter our minds we need to immediately put on our helmets! Guard the good thoughts inside and protect from damaging one coming in! Remember the flaming darts of the evil one! Our minds and peace are the first things evil spirits head towards!

We must guard our thoughts at all times!

However, while guarding our thoughts we have become encased in a battle of the mind! How do we battle? With the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God?

We need to arm ourselves with scripture to fight against any battle we may face. The war against fear, health, loneliness, brokenness, financial worries, trust, our marriage, our children, our workplace, schools, and lives!

Search any said subject and start fighting back quoting scripture. The Word of God!

Fears:

Isaiah 41:10 ESV: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Psalm 56:3 ESV: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Deuteronomy 32:6 ESV: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Psalm 34:4 ESV: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

Joshua 1:9 ESV: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

1 Peter 5:7 ESV: “Casting all your anxieties on him. Because he cares for you.”

Exodus 14:14 ESV: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

John 14:27 ESV: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Romans 15:13 ESV: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Lamentations 3:57 ESV: “You came near when I called on you; you said, “Do Not Fear.”

Dear Lord, thank you for always being with us, your children. Help us to remember we love you because you loved us first. You are our Heavenly Father, watching over us every moment, help us to remember that! With humble thanksgiving, I pray in your name Lord Jesus. Amen 😌

Matthew 5:16 NCV: “You should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

We are the church of Christ! We are a walking billboard for God! Our doors aren’t just open on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings; they are open and on display 24/7.

We are Christ’s examples.

Take being a parent, are you a teacher by example or are you a hypocrite and tell your children, “do as I say not as I do?”

Growing up I had one of each! One parent raised my brother and me by example and by sharing life experiences and the lessons learned! The other raised us with strict morals, statutes, and discipline but wasn’t as big on the example part! The general attitude of I’m an adult and one day when you are then you can too! Seemed flimsy as a kid, seems flimsy as an adult.

I raised and taught my children our actions will always speak louder than our words. Please, don’t get me wrong, I made many mistakes raising my children and often didn’t set the right example. This brings up another example, and that’s one of the admittance of wrong behavior or actions.

When we can humble ourselves! When we can admit to a mistake or a wrong! When we can say I’m sorry! These are all examples of the behavior taught by our Lord Jesus.

People watch proclaimed Christians, sadly looking for our mistakes and ungodly actions. Judging us under the microscope of hypocrisy because sadly God’s churches are full of it!

Was your face the last face at the bar Saturday night and the first face at church Sunday morning? Do you preach love and forbearance but have been seen shredding a customer service clerk with your verbiage?

Are you the leader of the off-colored jokes around the printer at work? Are you the one bragging about how much you’re getting back on your taxes because you cheated the IRS?

I remember when my kids were young and we’d be in the car and a driver would make me mad and my oldest’s solution always seemed to be to flip them off, Mom! No, we have a Christian fish on the car and how would that look? Fast forward a few years and said child got his first car. I asked him if he’d like me to get him a Christian fish for it. His reply was, “No, I plan on flipping people off!”

It’s a funny story but rings so true! Our actions and words speak the loudest!

Again, we are God’s church, people are always watching us! What are you showing them? 😌

Mark 6:30-34 NLT: “The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”

These verses were in my morning Bible reading and they jumped out so loudly that I knew I needed to share.

Let me set the scene. Jesus had sent his disciples out on their first “Fishing For Men” tour and they had just returned home from a long arduous journey; they were excited to tell their Lord all they had accomplished, more than likely share some of the trials of the road and to simply be glad to be back home and in his presence.

Jesus, understanding that they were tired and hungry, in need of some serious quiet time and much-needed rest. Decided they needed a break and time away from people so he suggested they do just that, so boarding a boat, off they go.

Here’s what grabbed me this morning! Within the verse, we read of tiredness, hunger, people pressing in and on, constantly needing! One simple line that separates Jesus from true mankind. He had compassion on them.

Picture this, you’ve been working all day, with throngs of people pushing to get your attention, time, and help. If you’ve ever worked in a busy diner or retail during the Christmas season, then you know the pressure of a whole lot of people, wanting a whole lot of you at a whole lot of now! It’s overwhelming and patience often run thin.

You get home from work, feet throbbing, back aching, head pounding, and all you can think about is a hot bath. What do you find? Your husband has invited the church youth group over for hot dogs and fellowship!

What is your honest first inward reaction to this scenario?

Was it compassion? Was your first tired thought one of pride in your husband for taking the time to care about our young people and what can I do to help him?

OR

Did it more than likely resemble one of the major conflicting emotions? What? Tonight? I’ve worked all day and we were swamped! I’m tired, hungry and I just want a bath and bed! A bit of frustration arises at the selfishness of the whole scenario! Didn’t he even think about you?

Do you wonder if the disciples felt the same way? Really, all these needy people again! Man, are we ever going to get some sleep and food, I’m hungry! I imagine they did, they were human just like you and me!

This is when we learn who Jesus is and how much he loves us! He was fully man when he walked on this earth. He felt pain, and happiness, dread and joy, broken-heartedness and love, he was let down and left alone, and he got hungry and tired.

But

Instead of rolling his eyes, shaking his head, getting grouchy or slightly sneering at them we read; He had compassion on them and taught them many things.

We could all take a lesson from this example. We are also on the “Fisher of Men” tour and might we need to show a bit more compassion for the lost?