Good Morning Lord,

Blessed be this day, Lord, your day of rest!

May we find rest today, whatever that rest may be or looks like!

Our world is in turmoil, and I don’t think it’ll ever find peace and rest again.

Some of us, who belong to you, are watching the writings on the wall!

We are anxiously looking to the sky for your glorious return when you will take your church home! Not the buildings or even some who sit in those pews but your own, those who walk and talk with you…those who know you!

We don’t need to be perfect! We don’t need to be Bible scholars! We don’t need academic degrees or pedigrees.

We need an open heart and believe in your son Jesus Christ whom you sent as an engraved invitation to spend eternity in your loving care.

Forgive us, Lord, as we have removed you from our country! Those who say “America isn’t based on God!” apparently flunked history! You were the foundation when our forefathers created America!

You have been removed from schools, and look at what shape they are now in! When I was in school, we said the Pledge of Allegiance and never feared being shot to death. Teachers and students now daily walk into schools with fear as they’ve become a war zone!

Prices are out of control, and so is our government!

But…this is all part of your plan!

So, I humbly ask for your strength, courage, and boldness to stand firm in our beliefs and to be the best example we can be. Lord equip us with knowledge, bring darkness to light as we stumble along, and help us to remember the best testimony about you is our own story. Please, help us to share our story.

Lord Jesus, you brought the written word to life! You are the key that opens the door to Heaven. We are told that all who believe in you and claim that belief will spend eternity with you! Father, I Believe! You sent your son to die on the cross in my place. I am a sinner who repents those sins and accepts the washing in the blood of Jesus Christ, who is now my Lord and Savior. In his glorious name, I commit these words, my heart, and my spirit. Amen

I pray for you a day of joy, laughter, and rest! Thank you for sharing a few moments in Sunshine. ❤️☀️☺️

“A Christian in his surroundings should encourage everyone to be better, instead of being the one who stoops to be like everyone else.” Walking with the Savior~Max Lucado

We are called to be an example, and we are called to encourage!

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

I love this scripture!

Let no one despise you for your youth! What my pastor would call your BC!!! Before Christ! Even if many of us knew our Lord growing up, loving the Lord, sitting in his sanctuaries on Sunday mornings by choice. We still probably went through rebellious ages and stages where we didn’t set a good example. I know I fit that bill!

What about the ruthless sinner, the bully you grew up with, the boss who cheated you, the partner who hurt you, the liars, the swindlers, the users and abusers, the thieves and murderers?

Are they allowed a BC…Jesus thinks so, and so should we!

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.”

The new version, the new walk, the new world within Christ can feel as foreign as your first day of any new adventure. Mistakes will be made, new lessons in faith will be learned, and stumbling and tripping can still and will happen!

Now what? Do we sit in judgment of others? Do we get discouraged? Do we think they will never change, or I can’t do this? It’s too hard; I will never change. Do we stop and go back to what was comfortable?

NO!!!

Psalm 37:23 NLT “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”

Philippians 4:13 NIV “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

We must start looking at ourselves and those around us through the Lord’s eyes! He believes in us. He Loves us. His word shows us the way, strengthens, and encourages us every day!

We should try and reflect that love on those around us! Be an encouragement, not a stumbling block. Offer hope and faith when a brother, sister, or friend is struggling with theirs!

1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT “So encourage each other and build one another up, just as you are already doing.”

Remember, believers, we are to be an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.

It’s a new day and a brand new start! Lamentations 3:23 NLT “Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” ❤️

And with that, go out and have a blessed day, and thank you for spending a few moments in Sunshine! ☀️❤️☺️

1 John 4:19 NKJV “We Love him, because he loved us first.”

1 John 4:19 NIV “We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4:19 NLT “We love each other because he loved us first.”

God is love and created love.

He is the ultimate example of love!

Shocking as it may seem, we didn’t choose to give our hearts and lives to the Lord. He chose us!!! Let that truth sink in! The God of the universe placed his spirit of love in your heart so that one day you would recognize that still, quiet voice leading you closer to him.

I included three translations of this particular verse. The first one is The New King James Version. The second two are the New International Version and New Living Translation. The second and third translations take the context further by recognizing God is the author of love. Our spirits and hearts are finely tuned to love not only God but each other.

This is where it gets dicey!

We are a fickle brood, and our love often runs parallel to the love we receive. Duh! But Wait…is that how the Lord intends for it to be?

1 Peter 4:8 NIV “Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

“Covers over a multitude of sins” as in burying them under a blanket of love! I told you it gets more challenging!

Yes, that’s precisely what the Lord’s love means, that is exactly what we receive from his love and what he expects from us to others.

We are human. We will make mistakes, speak wrong words, misbehave, stumble and fall! We will intentionally and unintentionally hurt with our words, attitudes, and pride.

We are children of The Lord Most High, expected to recognize our behavior, repent and apologize.

Remember, we are to love because we follow he who is love, and we are to forgive as he forgives us!

From the cross where Jesus hung came this prayer!

Luke 23:34 NLT “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.”

An excellent example for us to follow!!! Very hard to achieve as it’s opposite to the world’s ways. It takes much prayer and desires to walk in peace rather than discord!

Matthew 5:44 NIV “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Maybe, just maybe, if we try each day to love the way Jesus loves, we will walk much freer and lighter, and those around us might notice and start doing the same thing! Who knows what trickle effect we might have?

Be blessed, try and be a blessing and thank you for spending some time in Sunshine. ☀️❤️😌

Mark 2:22 NLT “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine will burst the wineskins and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

Wikipedia.org ~ “Other interpreters of the Torah observing community would state that this new skin represents a new body as we die to our old self, and then we see the new wine symbolizes a new spirit, which is the spirit of God within us, the new wine into a new body.”

I love how Max Lucado expresses this scripture; “You can’t put new life into an old lifestyle. The inevitable tragedy occurs. The new life is lost.”

Old habits are hard to break! Old haunts are hard to give up! Often old friends are hard to balance!

When we give our hearts, minds, and spirits to the Lord, he takes up residence in us!

As he is making himself more comfortable, he may throw out some trash talk, clear up some tangled messed up thoughts, shake the dust of stale living out, mop up the shame and guilt, wipe away the crumbs left from brokenness and blow open the windows of our souls giving us a renewed beautiful view.

We don’t have to change to come to God. He loves us just as we are, but he loves us too much to leave us that way!

So, as he slowly moves furniture around, tidies up, and brings a fresh new breeze to our tired spirits, let him!

One of my favorite mottos is: “Let Go and Let God!”

Dear Lord, thank you for the power of your life-changing love! Lord, help us to let go of our past sins, mistakes and failures. Help us to look at you and not ourselves. Show us the way to your path of peace and help us to not look back! Yesterday is over, today is right now and tomorrow is not here yet so help us to see and care for today and rest that you are in our tomorrows as well. We thank you for the growth, changes and hope. In your glorious name Lord Jesus I pray. Amen 🙏

May your day be blessed and thank you for sharing my Sunshine. ❤️☀️☺️

Dear Lord Our Father In Heaven…

Glory be to thy name…

Bless this day, your holy day, Father God.

Some will sit in your sanctuaries.

Some will gather in homes sharing you through watch parties.

Some will sit behind an electronic device and receive your word from the comfort of their homes.

Some will sit amongst the forest feeling the strength and majesty of your presence.

Some will sit on your ocean shores, feeling your power behind the pounding waves.

Some will sit on the rocky beaches of a lazy river or stream and be reminded of your quiet gentleness.

Some will not think of you at all, and many more do not acknowledge you.

I lift up my brothers and sisters who sit in your presence today, as it isn’t always easy yet worth it.

I pray for those who don’t know you and for the peace your love brings to our spirits and life.

I pray for the lost to find a way to you!

I pray the lonely find a voice in their quiet to visit with you and the Holy Spirit to reach into their hearts so they hear you back!

I pray for our world as it’s spinning out of control; at least, that’s how it appears and feels.

I pray that we remember You are in control and watch over and protect those who trust in you, our Mighty God.

I pray for a day of peace, joy, and laughter…In your name Lord Jesus, I pray…Amen

Psalm 103:12 NLT “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

In love and mercy, the Lord removes our sins when we turn to him and repent. He doesn’t move our sins into the trash can or a city or two away; God moves them as far from us as the east is from the west.

This is an incredibly profound analogy. North meets south at the South Pole, and south meets north at the North Pole.

East and west never meet—there is neither an east pole nor a west pole.

“East and west are at right angles to north and south. East is in the clockwise direction of rotation from the north. West is directly opposite east.” http://www.National Geographic.org.

If you follow a straight path north you will eventually begin moving south. But no matter how far one travels east, they will always be moving east. North and south have definable points, but east and west are the opposite. To say that God removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west speaks volumes about how much God forgives us.

So now comes the hard part! Forgiving ourselves! Trusting that God’s word is always irrefutable, and if he’s removed our sins into infinity, we should also!

This doesn’t come easy to the human psyche nor the Christian heart and spirit but we need to follow our Lords example.

We need to acknowledge our sin, repent, bury and move forward but as we move forward to move in grace, knowledge and peace!

Jesus spread his arms from east to west for you and I…his love and forgiveness are never ending. Walk into those arms, and as they wrap around you, you will find rest, acceptance and love!

Be blessed by this and thank you for spending a few moments in Sunshine. ☀️❤️☺️

The Oxford language dictionary describes this word as: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Intend, if possible, to do something. A feeling of trust!

Now, take this definition and apply it to God’s word regarding hope:

Hebrews 11:1 ESV “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Proverbs 23:18 ESV “Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

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

Romans 12:12 ESV “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, ‘says my soul; therefore, I will hope in him.”

I live on hope! I trust in the Lord’s promises and have never walked away from him hopelessly! I believe in the Lord’s promises which fill me with hope for my needs and desires for today, resting in his grace for tomorrow.

Are you facing a dreaded day, a scary tomorrow? Have your dreams fallen short, and desire wanes? Does today look like it’s going to be the same as yesterday? Turn these emotions over to God, and ask him for strength in your hopes, dreams, needs, and desires! Ask for a renewed spirit and step! Possibly a new direction within your path!

Then…

Be open to a new idea or thought, an unexpected event coming to your town that might be the answer to some questions about where, when, and who! A new job offer or promotion takes you out of your comfort zone but into your new realm of promise!

When you put your hand and hope in God…the possibilities are endless!!!

Thank you for sharing a few moments in Sunshine, and I pray for you a blessed day! ❤️☀️☺️

They surround us…

It begins in grade school and continues through life.

There is always someone bigger, stronger, and more prosperous. We have mates, partners, and bosses! The monopoly board of high tech and services that dictate our existence.

The threat of the electricity being shut off, the big red letters demanding what you owe! The eviction notice because your hours were cut back at work, and the rent went up!

The braggart at work who is always spouting off! Your manager, who wields the schedule as a tool of punishment! The spouse who is mad because of all the money spent at the grocery store but is the same person who gripes because there’s nothing good to eat in the house!

King Ahab had a bully knocking on his door! King Ben-Hadad of Aram and his massive army, including 32 kings and all their chariots and horses that went with them, surrounded Samaria!

Thus, putting King Ahab in an uncomfortable position.

Ben-Hadad issued threat after threat after threat…all an act of the bigger, the stronger, oppressing the smaller, the weaker! The final message to King Ahab was that all he owned would be lost to him, his kingdom, his wealth, all his wives and children! He was going to be destroyed!

Now righteously, King Ahab was a bit intimidated and turned to his counsel for advice. It just so happened there was a prophet in the midst! The Prophet did as we all should; he turned to God in prayer!

God answered the prophet that his strong arm would protect!

That was all King Ahab needed to hear! He trusted in the God of Isreal to deliver his people from the threats being hurled over the wall by a loud-mouthed bully!

This is the message King Ahab sent back to King Ben-Hadad in answer to all his threats of annihilation!

1 King 20:11 NIV “The King of Isreal answered, ‘Tell him: One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.”

RIGHT!!! And this is precisely the same attitude we need to carry!

Bullies are everywhere! We can’t speak because that might hurt someone’s feelings!

We can’t pray or worship publically because that might offend someone!

We can’t get ahead because our system is broken!

Prices are through the roof!

The struggle is real!

So the next time a bully shows up, throwing threats your way! The next time you open the mailbox and something mean is waiting inside…

Remember:

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

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

King Ahab trusted in the God of Isreal. With an army that couldn’t come close to comparing to the enemies, he was victorious, and we can be as well!

I hope you are blessed today and thank you for spending a moment in Sunshine. ☀️❤️☺️

One definition of applying is to put it to use, especially for some practical purpose. Merriam~Webster

Going to church and hearing a sermon of Gods word, good!

Reading the Bible full of Gods word, good!

Hearing others speak of Gods word in praise and recognition, good!

Applying Gods word into your daily life, Great!!!

We can hear and read all we want, but until we start practicing what’s being preached, we will find our true peace and maturity in Christ.

God’s ways are not the ways of the world and often feel strange and uncomfortable and, at times, outright impossible.

For example:

Luke 6:38 NIV “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full-pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

Point and case: You have one dollar in your pocket and see someone in dire need! The world says hold onto that dollar because you are going to need it! God says, give it away, and I will bless your heart, spirit, and finances!

Matthew 5:44 NIV “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Whaaaat, seriously! I still struggle here but pray I still do! Does it say we are to hang with them? No! But prayer can be in many forms, prayers for truth to be revealed! Prayer for forgiveness, help, understanding, that eyes be opened if there is a conflict, hearts be softened. We don’t have to pray that they win the lottery, just being as sincere as we can be!

Here’s another hurdle!

Ephesians 4:32 ESV “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Okay, I’m going to be real here…there are people in the world that make it hard to be kind! I am still in pre-school when it comes to holding a grudge, and I come from a long line of tempers!

So, when dealing with issues of frustration, I have to consciously remind myself that I am not only a child of God but an example, and he and the people around me are watching my behavior right now! No, really I do! So, no screaming , cussing, yelling, throwing a fit and demanding my way! Kindness goes a lot farther; this I have found!

Forgiveness…I just admitted I’m a grudge holder, so I still have training wheels on my bike along this adventure. I have to speak forgiveness out loud physically, face screwed up as if I’ve just eaten a lemon, and repeat a time or two hundred while often in a grumbling demeanor. The Lord laughs and tells me to keep trying…and I do!

Do I feel the forgiveness? No, but eventually, the Lord will iron out my wrinkles, and the ugly I have been carrying will dissipate, and peace will remain…until the next time!

Remember we are but a work in progress…

Philippians 1:6 ESV “And I am certain if this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Meaning, that He, knows we won’t always get it right, we will fall and stumble, and we will make mistakes again and again!!!

But, with his hand and help along with our desire to grow and change…We will ALWAYS GET BACK UP AND TRY AGAIN NEXT TIME!!!

These are but a few of God’s instructions for living a peace-filled life. They work, indeed they do, and as a new uncomfortable pair of shoes one day become broken in and comfortable, so does try daily to do it God’s way because you can see and feel a difference…it becomes intoxicating!. Really!!!

Be blessed today and thank you for sharing a moment or two in Sunshine. ☀️❤️☺️

I am of the character nature who dislikes change…

Inevitably, I will fight it, to no avail each time but fight, yet I do!

Most people probably fit into this category because change is unknown! The mind automatically assumes the worse; at least mine does , and I’m not sure why because I usually run toward the positive side.

Change can often resemble a minor earthquake in our small world sector. The ground shakes and feels unsteady, leaving us unsure of the next step! Why does change always begin with a picture of blackness?

Again, because it’s unsure, somewhat intimidating, and quite a bit daunting. The unknown!

I have a dear friend who is experiencing a change in her world, she is in the middle of a move, and her ground is shaking. She knows she will be fine; she knows this too shall pass, but in the interim, she has a quake!

She knows I understand because we are much alike and share many life experiences. So, when her world began to change, she turned to a spiritual sister for prayer and support. But, ultimately, to the one who never changes…Her Lord Jesus Christ!

Hebrews 13:8 ESV “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

I love this scripture and find much solace in the promise because our world is but sifting sand, and I get uncomfortable when it shifts.

So, to my girlfriend and anyone else experiencing a change of any sort, remember these two scriptures and settle in, you’re not alone!

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.”

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

I hold my friend up in prayer, having been in her shoes much of my husband’s career and transfers, knowing the struggle is real but finding some of the moves I dreaded most became some of my most treasured lessons and memories.

Dear Lord, I lift to you all those going through changes in their lives. Whether the changes are wanted or dreaded, be with them, and grant peace in their hearts and spirits: strength to do the tasks ahead and satisfaction at the end, a job well done. You are our strength, peace, and joy. I ask for that joy to fill all your kids, Papa God, and I give you humble Thanksgiving for always being beside us. In your glorious name Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen

Be Blessed today, Try and Be a Blessing, and Thank you for spending a few moments in Sunshine. ☀️❤️☺️