We all grew up hearing, (well at least I did), “You are judged by the company you keep.” This statement rings true in so many aspects of our lives that it would surprise us if we truly gave it much thought.

If we associate with the slackers and rebels at work, we might be lumped into that category even tho our work might reflect otherwise.

If we sit at the gossip table at lunchtime and during breaks, we might not be joining in verbally but our face is amongst those who can’t keep secrets!

If we jump in and surround ourselves with the movers and the groovers, we might be perceived as a go-getter!

If we lend a helping hand, showing love and support to others, we might be seen as loving, a good friend, a kind person.

If we spend time with God and allow his Word, teachings, and the Holy Spirit to guide us, we might be seen as joyful, peaceful, and hopeful.

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

Ephesians 4:24 ESV “And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Colossians 3:10 ESV “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

The new has come! Does that mean we are instantly perfect? No! Does this mean we will instantly stop judging? No! Does this mean we won’t ever slip, fall or sin again? No!

It means we serve a loving God who gently picks us up, dusts us off, sets us back on our feet, and watches over us as we walk along his path, with him, keeping his company!

Who’s company are you keeping? ❤️☀️❤️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

Thank you, Lord, for always being with us!

Thank you, for the gentle reminders that even tho we scurry around, chasing the clock hands with all we have and need to do you are always beside us.

We on average have eight hours in a day to accomplish the to-do list, meet deadlines, arrive on time, be prepared, and have everything ready! We by nature cram as much into those eight hours as we can!

Lord, help us to slow down, look around, and then look up! We are asking for our day to run on your time. We are asking for you to help us prioritize our to-do list and our priorities period.

Help us, Lord, to take some quiet time and reflect on your love, mercies, and blessings. To look past the ordinary, beyond the routine, and into the spiritual realm of peace, freedom, joy, laughter, and color.

Thank you, Lord, for all the beautiful colors you have blessed us with! Please help us dedicate ourselves to spending enough time with you that colors take on a new hue, the summer breeze has a sweeter smell and the clouds above seem to settle our spirits as they gracefully float by.

The more time we spend with you, the more of you is reflected in our time. The time that says no to worries, tomorrow, the what ifs and the don’t know. The peace that says and knows that God has Us.

The refusal to allow darkness to penetrate our spirits! To fight against the spiritual darkness in the heavenly realms and to stand victorious in the light. The radiant loving light that is you, Lord Jesus.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your peace that surpasses all understanding. Your peace you give to us. Your presence even when we fail or forget to notice.

Thank you for your blessed time. Thank you for today and the hope for tomorrow.

In your glorious name, we bow with humble thanksgiving. Amen!

☺️❤️

Dear Lord, Our Glorious Father in Heaven,

We, honor your name, Jehovah Almighty God!

Thank you, Lord, for always being with us, watching over us, guiding us, loving us.

Thank you for filling each one of us, your children, with your intimate presence. Thank you, Lord, for helping us to be intuned so completely to you that we notice immediately the special nuances in our daily lives that are just from you.

You are with us always from the clean fresh air we breathe, the gentle whisper in the wind, to the delicate sway of the leaves as they flutter among the branches. The beautiful array of flowers and their rainbow of colors delight our senses; Our senses from you Lord. Thank you!

Thank you, for the surprises! Those little blessings that come out of left field, so out of the blue that we know they are from you. Thank you for the smiles.

It’s summer, the season of warmth, sun, and blue skies. The butterflies and dragonflies dot the scenery. The birds splash and play as they bathe in the trickle of the fountain. You can smell summer and it pleases the soul.

I can’t help but think about heaven on these beautiful summer days. I think that you have given us glimpses of heaven on earth. The beauty we enjoy is your creation. You love sparkling water, vast blue skies, majestic forests, and lots and lots of flowers as much as we do because look at how many you have placed within our lives, simply for our sheer enjoyment.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us in the big things, the parting of The Red Sea prayers and needs but I humbly thank you for the simple everyday pleasure of your love, protection, direction, provision, and loving gifts from your heart to ours. We love you back!

In your perfect name Lord Jesus, I pray with much thanksgiving. Amen 😌❤️

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

There are many verses within the Bible regarding being thankful. The scripture above tells us to be thankful in all circumstances. All circumstances, WOW, that feels like a daunting order to try and keep.

The funny thing about finding slivers of thankfulness among the thorns of life is that suddenly the thorns produce a beautiful rose and a lovely fragrance to the soul.

I have found that finding reasons and things to be thankful for is easier than it sounds and often it’s just a slight twist of our words. An example would go like this; “I don’t want to go to work today! I can’t stand my job and the people I work with!” “I hate my life.” OR. “Lord, you know the serious struggles I am having with my job and life. Create in me a thankful heart that I have a job, a regular paycheck, food in the cupboards, and a roof over my head. Give me the strength to fulfill my duties all the while finding gumption in seeking a new one.”

Today tho, I simply wish to share the simplicity of creating a list of thankfulness! Thanking the Lord, right out of your doldrums:

I’m thankful Lord, for you are always with me.

I’m thankful Lord, that you see me when I often feel invisible.

I’m thankful Lord, that you truly care about me.

I’m thankful each day Lord, for my health, eye-sight, and mental and motor skills.

I’m thankful my life is in your hands, leading me, providing for me, protecting me.

I’m thankful for the plans you have for my life, plans to prosper and not harm, plans for hope and a future.

I’m thankful you know my name. That I’m not a faceless blob just filling time and space, I matter.

I’m thankful you never leave me as I am, but are changing me each and every day into the person we both desire for me to become.”

I’m thankful for the Holy Spirit who fills me full of your peace, love, and gentle mercies every day.

I’m thankful for your unmerited favor upon my life.

I’m thankful for my family and their love and support.

I’m thankful you watch over my family.

I’m thankful for your blessed peace amongst mass confusion, stress, and strife.

I’m so very thankful that as I thank you for all the beauty that is you, the sadness, dread, doldrums, and the mundane of everyday life seem to slip away, and a smile appears.

Thank you for smiles and laughter!

Thank you, Lord for being with each of us today!

Here is my list: What will yours look like? ❤️☺️

It never hurts to exercise, in fact, it does our bodies good to exercise!

So, upon that line of thinking what about our spirit? What about our walk with God? We could always use some cardio there!

Isaiah 40:31 ESV “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

So grab your gym bag, sweats, and tennis shoes, and let’s go visit God’s Gym!

Philippians 4:13 ESV “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Proverbs 31:17 ESV “She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.”

Proverbs 22:6 ESV “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV “Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

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

1 Timothy 4:8 ESV “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Proverbs 24:5 ESV “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.”

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own!

2 Timothy 2:5 ESV “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

Here are some spiritual workout rules to help build your exercise routine.

Galatians 5:22-23 ESV “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

With the list in front of us and the Lord behind us, how can we lose?

Have a blessed day! ☺️❤️☀️

What can you do when your world feels bigger than you can handle?

Where do you go when you don’t know where to go?

Who do you turn to when the ground beneath your feet starts to shake and break apart?

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

You turn to the Lord, his word, and his strength.

Jesus, tells us in John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

In Isaiah, 43:2, the Lord reminds us of his sovereign covering. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Only to hear in Psalm 23:4, that we need not fear our journey for the Lord goes with us. “Even though I walk through the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 34:18 ESV “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

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

Philippians 4:6 ESV “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”

John 16:33 ESV “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

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.”

Our world is in chaos and uncertainty seems to be today’s ruler. Life seems to be revolving at a breakneck speed causing things to crack and fall apart.

There are so many lost and confused souls wandering the streets, living past poverty and hope seems to be only a word in the dictionary. I pray for the invisible because I know Lord they are not invisible to you.

Lord, you are so needed down here, yet so many despise you without truly knowing you, they rally against you and seem to find pleasure in ushering in more darkness.

I thank you, Lord, for knowing those who love you, need you, trust and follow you. Thank you for your balm of loving words on our troubled hearts. Thank you for always being right beside us, helping us, leading us, providing for us, and protecting us. In your glorious name Lord Jesus, we find peace. Amen 😌❤️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

Today is a new day of a new week of a new month. What a great way to start: fresh, clean, and new.

Lord, help us to shed yesterday’s ugly mistakes and dirty garments and replace them with your beautiful cloak of righteousness.

Thank you for your grace every moment of our days! The depth of your love that we can not fathom, washing us clean by your mercies and forgiveness.

If we could truly understand that we are your children and if we who adore our children could put ourselves in that reflection only magnified we would never fear your disapproval and corrections nor would we fear what life has in store for us.

As parents who want nothing but the best for our children, our desire for them to be healthy, happy, and whole; to be joyful, abundantly blessed, and a blessing to others and as a parent, we would do almost anything to ensure.

Why then Lord, do we miss the mark with you so badly? Your word tells us many times of your love for us, your role as father, your desires for our heartfelt desires. You tell us not to fear but to trust in you because you will never leave or forsake us. Why, then Father God do we walk around as tho expecting doom and gloom or your lightning bolt to appear from the sky ready to zap us as tho we were a cartoon character?

Why do we not walk in confidence? Why do we not hold up our heads and proclaim to the world your love and our freedom because of it? We do not belong in this world, we are just passing through.

Lord, please fill us full of your Holy Spirit! Fill us with your fruit: love, patience, kindness, peace, goodness, gentleness, self-control, plus lots and lots of joy!

Help us to know that we know that we know you are always with us and that you want nothing but the best for us and as your children we are deserving of the best.

You Lord are the BEST!

I thank you for a revelation to wash through us Lord, that we would feel your, love and presence as we begin our day, our week our month; secure in the knowledge of you and ready to show and share the love that is you!

In your beautiful name Lord Jesus I pray. Amen 😌

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven,

We honor your Holy name as we bow before you in worship.

We worship you Father for your love. We worship you with thanksgiving for your daily presence in our lives, leading us, loving us, and filling us with your peace. Your unexplained peace in the middle of any storm or trial.

Lord, each day is a new day within your kingdom and we are grateful for the opportunity to share that glory with you.

You, Lord, are the author of hope; thank you so much for the hope that is alive within us. The hope that tells us this too shall pass. The hope that tells us to keep hanging on! The glimmer of the bright glorious sun that peeks through the sky of dark grey clouds, is what your hope is to our tired souls.

Thank you for the little glimpses of heaven as we traverse through the jungle of life. A flower here, a sparkle there, an unexpected smile from a stranger passing by.

Thank you for the many miracles you still perform in our lives every day and help us not to overlook those blessings designed just for us but to be aware of your presence with us always.

Prayers, Lord thank you for the freedom through Christ Jesus and our relationship with him that we can run straight to your throne, sit right down, and start talking to you about anything that’s on our hearts.

Thank you, Lord, for always listening! Thank you for caring enough that you instruct us to cast our cares upon you because you care for us!Thank you for freeing us from chains that bind us and the revelation to recognize our chains.

Thank you, Lord, for the blue skies, the fresh air, and the freedom we have every day to just be! Thank you, Lord, for our Freedom! I pray for peace in Israel! I pray for your hand upon the United States! I pray for the lost, ignorant, confused, and forgotten.

I pray for a mighty revival to sweep our land! In your glorious name Lord Jesus, I offer you all our praise and all our love! Amen 😌

As I was dressing myself this morning in the Lord’s armor I was expanding on each piece I applied; as I got to “my feet fitted with the gospel of peace” I was given a glimpse of the fabled character Johnny Appleseed. We all know the story of the young man who traveled the countryside leaving apple seeds behind him as he went! Look at all the apple trees and apples, just imagine what a positive uplifting directional word here or there could do!

With my feet, I walk toward the Father, seeking his word: his ways, his deliverance, his direction, and his plan.

Micah 6:8 ESV “He has told you O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

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

With my feet, I walk beside God.

Psalm 32:8 ESV “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”

Proverbs 16:9 ESV “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Psalm 25:9 ESV “He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.”

Psalm 37:22 ESV “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way.”

Psalm 31:3 ESV “For you are my rock and my fortress, and for your names same you lead me and guide me.”

My feet walk the byways of my life, sharing God’s testimony of love and mercy with those He puts in my path.

Luke 8:39 ESV “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ and he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

As you can imagine there are many scriptures that speak of our testimonials but this one verse to me, pretty much sums it up and fits perfectly with my picture of Johnny Appleseed.

“Proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

We don’t need to be Bible scholars, knowing every verse and its address within. We don’t have to have a degree in the wall, longevity in a church, or all the answers.

We just simply need to share our stories of God’s loving, gracious, and protective hand in our lives.

Be blessed, share a few of your blessings, and possibly have the opportunity to be one. ☺️❤️☀️

Sometimes all we need is to be heard, to know that someone cares enough to listen.

Sometimes all we need is silent comfort, to know we aren’t alone but still need to be alone.

Sometimes all we need is to hear, “It’s going to be ok, you’ve got this and I’ve got you.”

Sometimes we need to know we aren’t alone!

Here are some scriptures that tell us, we aren’t alone, we are heard, we are seen, we are loved, we are protected and provided for! We are children of God Almighty!

And Jesus said in 1 John 4:8 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

1 Peter 3:12 ESV “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Matthew 21:22 ESV “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive if you have faith.”

Proverbs 15:29 ESV “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”

Isaiah 65:24 ESV “Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

Matthew 14:23 ESV “And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

Sometimes we need to quiet all the voices not only in our heads but also around us, including often the TV, radio, news, podcasts, and social media static. Jesus knew how to be alone because he knew he was never alone. He had constant communication with God the Father and so can we! We need to just climb the mountain, tune the world out, and tune God in!

You are going to be ok!

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.”

Proverbs 3:5 ESV “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

Romans 8:28 ESV “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Psalm 34:4 ESV “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” And to that, I say, “Thank You and AMEN!”

May you take the Lord’s words into your heart, spirit, and soul knowing he hears, he sees and he cares!

May you be blessed today with the security of his presence and love!

❤️☺️