I attend Athey Creek Christian Fellowship Church in West Linn, OR (Atheycreek.com). The pastor, Brett Meador, is one of the best teachers I have sat under. His knowledge of the Bible and how he can tie the Old Testament with the New Testament is seamless (as it should be). I feel very blessed to learn from one of God’s mighty teachers.

It just so happens that a few Sundays ago, pastor Brett was teaching about sacrifices made in the temple, Jesus the greatest sacrifice, and Us!

Hmmm, what did he just say? Us! Now isn’t that Old Testament stuff? In today’s society, we don’t go around sacrificing anymore! Right?

Wrong!

1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst.”

Romans 12:1 NIV: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God this is true and proper worship.”

Now before you start building the altar and gathering the wood for the fire allow me to show you another manner of self sacrifice.

The Daily transforming of your mind; by dedicating to him, your:

Mouth: Lord, I offer you my mouth. I ask that you help me with my words; may they be sprinkled with grace and kindness. I wish to speak words of positive affirmation laced with joy and laughter! I ask for your assistance in what I say, but how I speak, I am mindful of tones and expressions that corrupt!

Feet: Guide my paths, Lord. There are beautiful places for my feet to walk and areas of life I shouldn’t be; help me to distinguish between and make the right choices. To seek you before I head off on an adventure or deed! To be led to those who need you.

Hands: The things I touch and how I touch! To hold onto what I need and to discard that in my life that I don’t. To give a gentle touch and a kind word! To offer and share your nail-scared hands, Lord Jesus!

Ears: What I listen to and who I listen to. Lord, help me receive your thoughts, prompting, direction, and word! I would love to hear your thoughts of me, not my peers. I long to fill my head with peace, not discord and racket.

Eyes: Lord, help me to see people as you do. To look past me! To walk in love and compassion but also in discernment. To read your words and see the changes they make in my life. To see you, Lord Jesus, each day I awake, the same face I see as I drift off to sleep!

Psalm 119:18 ESV: “Open my eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things out of your law.”

Lord, Help me to be a living sacrifice by the transforming of my mind!

Help me be a service to you! ☺️

I shall think about that tomorrow!

It sounds similar to a quote from one of my favorite movie heroines, Miss Scarlet O’Hara!

But it also reminds me of a scripture I have lived on for many many years.

Matthew 6:34 NIV: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I do not believe the Lord is instructing us not to do our due diligence in the preparations of our lives, such as planning for retirement, specific insurance if our family is prone to illnesses, and or a nest egg, if possible, to ward off incidents.

BUT…

He is instructing us not to look to tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or next decade! We shouldn’t fear what tomorrow will bring and our inabilities! Tomorrow is dark because it hasn’t arrived yet! What lives in the dark? Fear!

Leaving tomorrow alone is easier said than done; this I know, but once again, we must flex that muscle of trust and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 46:4 ESV “Even to your old age I am he, and I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”

What a gigantic message in a tiny verse!

Even in your old age, I am he! Scripture tells us repeatedly that God is never changing, and that is one thing that makes our foundation so strong: it doesn’t shift! The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same God we follow! The God you first met at whatever age is still the same God you follow today! And as we age, our bodies become old and frail. He will forever be strong within!

And I will carry you! In this scripture, God is talking to the Israelites who were captives in Babylon that He is their true God and not the pagan idols they had come to worship. Their personal idols/gods that needed to be carried when moved! We don’t have a God who needs to be carried; we have a God who carries!

I have made, and I will bear! Genesis 1:1 ESV: “In the beginning. God created the heavens and the earth.” The very first line in the Bible! God created us, and he bears us. To bear something is to accept, to tolerate, to endure! He not only tells us he bears us, but he also loves and protects us!

I will carry and I will save!!!

And with that said, need there be more?

Life is full of ups and downs! We will always have fears to face, dragons we will have to subdue, battles we will fight, and victories to be won!

Don’t forget to put on your armor and take the Lord with you!

Today is a new day, go out and win it! ☺️

Dear Lord My Father In Heaven,

I raise my eyes to the dark morning skies and stare at the crescent moon still hanging on the last hours of its graveyard shift.

The day hasn’t started and yet I already feel tired.

My mind wants to sag because it is a new day, yet the same! The same drudgery from yesterday meets me today! I despise it when I land in one of these ruts of self.

Lord, I refuse to let this feeling overtake me and I need your help in the battle. Your word in Philippians tells us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!

Lord, I need your strength! Apparently, I am in a battle of my flesh! I chose to overcome this mood I woke up in and chose instead peace and quietness within my soul!

Thank you Holy Spirit for an abundance of the fruit of your spirit: peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, and love!

Help me to see the beauty in my world, to concentrate on my blessings. And even tho I am humbly thankful for my home, car, food, and means. I long to focus on my health, family, and friends, to look at nature through your eyes, Lord, your beautiful creation, and to appreciate being a part of it! A part of you, Lord!

Please help me to take my eyes off of myself!

So I begin this day by getting dressed in your armor so I am ready to battle life’s discontent and trials.

I start my day by putting on the full Amor of you, God: the belt of truth buckled around my waist, the breastplate of righteousness in place, my feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to this, I carry the shield of faith, which can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one, put on the helmet of salvation, and carry the sword of the spirit, which is the word of you, God.

Armed and determined to have a glorious day. I humbly thank you Lord for always being with me. In your name Lord Jesus, I pray. 🙏

I hope if you find your day is looking like a challenge that, you will say this little prayer of armor and let God help you fight your demons.

Be blessed! 😌

The mountain looms before you; it’s Goliath in proportion, and you feel tiny in comparison.

How did I get here? What do I do?

Paralysis sets in because our main and often only focus is on the mountain! It’s all we can think about, our minds running constant reruns of the situation and how to climb over it!

We need to realign our view and focus on Jesus, letting him become our guide through this treacherous terrain. Our thoughts are about how to get over the mountain, but if we pause, pray, pay attention, and listen, we may discover Jesus has a little path through the mountain.

Mark 11:23 ESV: “Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”

Matthew 17:20 NIV: “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move.’ Nothing will be impossible for you,”

What mountain are you staring at?

Is it financial debt, a wayward child, an addiction, a desire for a mate, the loss of a mate, a career change, and possibly with that location?

More than likely, the mountain didn’t just appear; signs of warnings had probably been going off, but we chose to ignore them and climbed on! Now, in essence, we need to climb back down said mountain!

Remember the small mustard seed it’s attached to faith!

Hebrews 11:1 NIV: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

So, pray to the Lord about your mountain! Ask him for guidance in doing your part and then daily speaking to the mountain in positive affirmation and leaving the rest to Jesus!

Ex: Credit Card debt – our part, stop using it! Pay diligently, speak daily in your prayers, thanksgiving that your mountain of debt is cast into the sea, and move on in your day, trusting Jesus has this!

Ex: Your marriage is in a rocky spot – pray about your actions and attitudes, do as much as possible in your power, and leave the rest in Jesus’ hands!

Ex: Someone you love has an addiction problem – you’ve done all you know humanly possible to do! Give it to God, and picture your loved one healed and whole again! The same applies if your mountain is a health issue or your addiction; do what you can and leave it to the Lord!

Ex: You’re lonely and longing for someone special to spend time with. Pray about what you might need to do, changes you may need to make, places you might need to go, and chances you might need to take. Listen quietly, and then be willing to step out of your comfort zone and go for it!

You’ve lost your partner, and you don’t know how to function without your other half! There’s a part of you lost, empty, confused, and scared. Jesus knows your situation; turn your fears over to him, and he will gently cradle you, and eventually, you will feel his strength seeping in!

Remember I mentioned the mountain didn’t appear in a day and probably won’t disappear within a single day? And how can I know this? I have climbed many of these mountains. I walked, kept my faith diligently, and watched my mountains dissolve in the sea!

On His truth, you can be sure; on His truth, you can rest. 😌

Picture your heart as your garden. Your garden, with its rich soil, is all churned and ready for planting. In your greenhouse, sitting right next to your garden, are tables with little seedling pots bursting full of new life!

What seeds are you planting?

Galatians 6:7 ESV: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

We can plant seeds of hope, truth, patience, forbearing, positive energy, faith, joy, trust, and peace. These seeds will produce a bounty of beautiful flowers and vegetables.

OR

We can plant seeds of anger, frustration, lies, cheating, gossip, backbiting, doubt, sadness, and discontent. These will produce a garden of life-choking weeds.

Matthew 12:33 NIV: “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.”

How do you think people view you? Do they instantly picture you with a smile or a scowl? What about your overall outlook? Is your glass half full or is it almost empty? Is it a brand-new day or is it just another day?

Our hearts and thoughts need daily work and cultivating like any garden or flower bed. Constant care and upkeep, pulling weeds, plucking off dead leaves and blooms, hoeing and watering.

Are you clipping, pulling up, and discarding negative thoughts? Tossing harbored hurts, resentments, and old ugly memories into the burn pile?

Are you watering with prayer, scripture, fellowship, teachings, and devotions, determined to fertilize with positive, upbeat thoughts and motivation?

Because of the internet, we can google any word, put scripture behind it, and receive God’s word and direction for our lives. Today, you can sit and watch church from home in your pajamas. You can go to any bookstore and find a plethora of Christian-based books to read and or listen to! Remember, we aren’t traveling these bi-ways alone.

Two books I would highly recommend to start your seedling process are Joyce Meyers’s “Battlefield of the Mind” and Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling.” These are two entirely different reads, and both are so beneficial.

Hosea 10:12 NLT: “I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now, is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.”

Have a blessed day! Spring is approaching; let’s cultivate a cheerful garden this year! 😌

When the sun rises darkness flees!

No dark can withstand the power of light!

God is Light! Satan is darkness!

Fear is like darkness: alone, cold, dank, and scary! It is a shadow, a smokescreen, a temporary attempt to hide the light!

How many can relate to waking up in the wee hours of the morning when darkness penetrates? The small worries and cares become large, and the significant problems become monstrous!

Only to then ponder your fears the following morning, in the daylight, over a cup of coffee, finding that even tho the problems may still exist, they aren’t quite the catastrophic size they felt at 2 am.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Satan is real! He’s not a cartoon character with pointy ears and a tail carrying a pitchfork to poke you with. In actuality, Satan (Lucifer) is noted to have been the most beautiful of God’s angels.

He’s cunning, crafty, knowledgeable, and a liar! He attacks from the inside, he’s mayhem! He attacks our peace, our minds, our bodies, our health, our homes, our marriages, our children, our jobs, and our lives!

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

John 8:12 ESV: “Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

1 John 1:5 ESV: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Dear Lord Jesus,

Please help me to remember that you are the light in my life! That light dispels darkness, and you defeated Satan on the cross. You have dominion over heaven, earth, and me; I walk in your protection and light. Please help me remember to cast out the darkness that scares me and to turn on the power of your light. Grant me your blessed peace over the anxiety of fear. 1 John 4:18 tells us there is no fear in love, and within your perfect love, we can cast out all fear! In your name we trust; in your light, we walk, and in your name, we pray! Amen 😌

I keep a small notebook for jotting notes or ideas for inspiration or direction. As I thumbed through this morning, I found the rouge tomato plant!

I did not write about who wrote about or where I read about the rogue tomato plant , but I loved the analogy.

Picture a summer garden. The sun is shining, bees are buzzing, and the air is fresh. You gaze at your garden, each vegetable type lined in pretty rows.

Oops, what, and where did that tomato plant come from? Standing tall amongst the zucchini was an errant tomato plant! The author had no idea how the plant arrived at its destination, but there it was!

The author’s takeaway from this was the harmony that seemed to exist between the two different types of vegetables. The zucchini didn’t try to change to the tomato, and the tomato stayed true to itself. ❤️

Has God set you in the middle of the zucchini? Do you stand out like a beacon of light, standing tall and true to yourself? Or do you try and scrunch down, hoping to resemble the company around you?

Do you struggle with where God has you, or do you trust the Lord? Understanding that if he brought you to it, he will get you through it!

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT: “Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.”

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 9:10 ESV: “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O’Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

OR! Maybe, just possibly, you are the rogue tomato, and the zucchini patch with all its sleek low riders looked better than where you are right now! But then what if they aren’t? What if you made a terrible mistake and want to go back home?

Romans 8:39 ESV: “Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.”

1 John 1:9 ESV “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In Luke 15:20, we are shown a perfect example of a father’s reaction to his lost son returning home. Put yourself in the son’s shoes and God in the father’s.

Luke 15:20 NIV: “So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.”

So wherever you find yourself today, remember you are never alone; God is always with you! 🥰

Peace, it’s not a very big word but it covers a lot of ground!

Today, I’m not talking about peace in the Middle East! Not within our governmental parties or the world! Nor the peace with your spouse, children, or family members!

But peace within self! How is that elusive butterfly obtained? Well, there are bookstores full of self-help books. There are counselors galore hoping for a chance to help you explore your mind. There are herbs and pills of many colors. Then ~ there’s Jesus!

James 3:17 NCV: “The wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure, then peaceful, gentle, and easy to please.”

In my morning devotion, Max Lucado shared this scripture and his thoughts, which deeply resonated with me. And I hope it does with you as well! (Max Lucado, “Just Like Jesus”)

The heart of Jesus was pure; Jesus’ heart was peaceful. Jesus was in constant communication with God the Father!

He knew and trusted Him! We can too!

When the disciples were all distressed because of the multitudes of people Jesus just told them to feed! They reacted in the flesh, like how are we supposed to do that! We are in the middle of nowhere with a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread. They must have given Jesus a look of confused disdain! Jesus didn’t worry! “He thanked God for the problem.”

When the disciples were caught in a raging storm upon the sea, scared out of their wits as water crashed upon and in their boat, they were sinking fast, and where was Jesus, over on a pillow sound asleep! Why and how was that achieved? Jesus trusted God! And so can we!

When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, Peter chopped off a soldier’s ear! Seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Jesus in turn, gently healed! In a knee-jerk reaction, have you made a mess? Give it to Jesus to heal!

Upon writing this this morning, I see a common denominator: the disciples reacted in the flesh; Jesus responded in the spirit! We, as well, will always have our first reactions be of the mind and flesh; This is where we need to stop, drop, and pray! To be more like Jesus in situations, peacefully in trust of God above!

This is the beginning of a beautiful prayer and change in reaction! Ask God to help you control your fleshly emotions and to replace them with wisdom and peace. Believe me when I tell you what a game-changer life can be when we inject the wisdom from said prayers into whatever situation we may be facing!

1 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” 😌

Revelation 3:20 ESV: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to join him and eat with him, and he with me.”

1 John 14:6 ESV: “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Romans 10:13 ESV “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,”

Romans 5:8 ESV: “But God shows his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 1:12 ESV “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Father God,

I bow before you this day with thanksgiving for the power of life over death. I invite you, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart to be my Lord and Savior! I welcome you into my earthly dwelling that I may spend my days down here walking beside you, talking with you, dining with you, crying, and laughing with you. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins. I believe through you, I have the keys to the kingdom of God. After my days on Earth, I look forward to eternity with you, where peace and love abound, no darkness or pain will be found, no disease or death! I long to walk within your light down here and in your glorious light up there. In your glorious name, Lord Jesus, I invite you in! Amen 😌

Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist!

Stand firm, stand your ground, stand strong; no one enters a battle lying on a cot, lounging in bed, or stretched out in the recliner, at best possibly sitting around a boardroom table, but for the most part, we arm ourselves and take a stance.

Ephesians 6:10-17 gives us the full armor of God! As we begin our day it behooves us to put on his armor as we head into the world and battle.

Ephesians 6:10-14 NLT: “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will able to stand firm against the strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places You will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”

I did a study on the belt of truth! First, the belt spoken of here is not the flimsy leather strap men wear these days and doesn’t correctly reflect the picture we should be seeing.

The Roman soldiers wore the belt Paul would have been talking about and would have been made of heavy, thick leather and metal with a protective piece hanging down the front. The belt would have held the soldier’s sword and other weapons.

The belt of truth holds the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God!

The word of God is Truth! It is so important in the life of a Christian to know and understand the truth!

John 14:6 NLT: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Our first article of clothing to protect us is Jesus!

Knowing and understanding Jesus and his word is our most crucial defense against the lies, deceptions, and perversions of the enemy who lurks on this earth, looking for those he can destroy! Watch the nightly news; he’s doing a good job!

Without knowing the truth and standing on God’s word, we are susceptible to every wind of doctrine conceived and known to man. The masses are screaming, chanting, and yelling at each other! Destruction lies at our feet! We are in a battle!

1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”

Ha, act like many women I know, strong sisters who walk daily in our Lord Jesus Christ! 🥰