Attitude Check! by Patricia Day

It was a beautiful sunny, calm morning. The humidity had diminished and the temperature comfortable. I became engrossed in my Bible reading, oblivious to all else, when suddenly I was interrupted by a neighbor calling loudly from his deck. He kept calling ‘good morning’ with great determination and his manner offended me!

Tut – I thought, can’t he see I’m busy! Why do people feel it is okay to interrupt somebody, when they are reading. Humph! Then another softer voice caught my attention. ‘So this is your attitude towards your neighbor, and you call yourself a Christian?’ I was suddenly glad I had not directed my facial expression towards him.. Hopefully, he was far enough away, to not see my disgruntled look……I do hope so!

It is so easy to let calm thoughts slip in to angry tones. I find myself in this situation quite regularly, because I do not like noise nor do I like being interrupted rudely……..that still did not justify my ‘attitude slip’. Sorry, Lord.

Prayer; Abba, keep reminding me, when my thoughts slip out onto my face. I have a very open expression – my husband often reminds me that my face betrays my inner thinking….so I need to be constantly reminded to keep those inner workings SWEET! Thank you that you are an encourager of right thinking and living. Amen

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Good or Bad! by Patricia Day

Deciding to be good or bad is a matter of personal choice. Good = purity of thought, word and deed. Bad = filled with lewdness, uncleanness and lustful thinking, unable to grasp a Jesus spirit or more likely to be unwilling to.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (NKJV)

We, as Christians, can be looked upon as being weird or unacceptable: we have no control over that – it is another person’s thinking. The sad fact is that many choose to live in their badness and even extend it to others. Personally, I choose to disregard unhealthy thinkers and instead cling to what is good! (Romans 12:9b) There is already, too much vulgarity in this earthly world and sadly, many think it is OK to be that way.

As we fill ourselves with God’s Word – we leave no room for filth or evil – God will deal with such people in His time – therefore I pray for the cleansing of sick hearts and minds that allow dark rationale to fill them. I pray for God’s supreme light to fill every nook and cranny, leaving no room for the darkness of filth to take hold. I pray for the poor folk who cannot lift themselves above smutty thinking. Why? Because they must have been treated poorly or made to feel unworthy of pure love – not seeing themselves as a beautiful creation. May God be their judge and salvation through Jesus Christ!

Prayer: Abba – many people have not experienced true love in their lives and are filled with hatred. I pray your gentle grace will fill them and lead them to living life to the full, instead of being controlled by hateful thinking. Amen!

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Down Time by Dee Dee Wike

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits — who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2-5, NIV)

I am enjoying a little down time while the family is out at the movies. How I have relished these few hours of solitude with the dog, the breeze from my box fan, and my computer! That’s not to say I don’t enjoy being with my family and friends, but sometimes silence truly is golden and frittering a little time away can be a soothing balm to a weary soul like me.

Not all down time is enjoyable, however. Sometimes we feel “down” because of stressful circumstances, unpleasant relational conflicts, or fatigue. Before long we become filled with self-pity and perhaps self-loathing. Even on the brightest days everything seems dreary and it becomes difficult to keep putting one foot in front of the other, no matter how blessed we may actually be.

So, how can we turn around our “down” days and recapture our joy? First of all, we have to acknowledge that our feelings are real rather than berate ourselves for experiencing human emotions that are as old as time. Then when need to begin thanking God for the blessings he has bestowed on us and recalling the promises he has given us in his Word. For those of us who are visual, perhaps we need to pull out a pad and pen, draw a line down the center of a blank sheet of paper, and see if we can’t counteract each complaint with a blessing. For instance, if we complain about our teenager’s rebellion, we need to turn around and give thanks that such behavior is often a normal part of adolescence, a brief season of life, and praise God for his mercy to us when we have failed to live according to his standards of holiness.

Although depression and self-pity have been around for thousands of years, there is hope for us! But we have to believe that God is able to meet us where we are, lift us out of the slimy pit, and set our feet upon a rock where we can stand firm (Psalm 40:2). Will you believe in God and take hold of his hand? He is reaching out to you today.

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Loving and Beloved! by Patricia Day

1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (NKJV)

To say “I love you” is easy. To truly deeply love is more difficult, because you have to expect nothing in return and yet be willing to give your all! God loves us unconditionally, despite our past bad actions or behaviors: He forgives us everything we might have done because He loves us so much. Once we accept that concept, we are free to grow into the people He made us to be, and we can do it because we are finally free of the guilt our past kept dredging up.

When others see how we have changed and perhaps comment on the difference, we can share this little phrase: “We are Beloved: B-eing E-ternally L-oved, O-verwhelmingly V-alued, and E-ndlessly D-ear to God. 1 John 4:19 – We love because He first loved us. (NIV)

Prayer: Father God, we are so thankful for Your persevering love given to us if we ask You to be a part of our lives. Only Your can free us of the unrelenting guilt we experience over past wrong behaviors or choices. Amen!

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On and Off by Linda Hull

The light on the clock indicating the alarm was set kept going off.  The switch was not working; on and off it went.  That switch is such a frustration to me.  I want it to stay on.  I need the light to remind me I already set the alarm.  The alarm wakes me up before it’s too late.   We all need reminders to be ready.  We don’t want to be too early or too late.

As Believers in the LORD Jesus, we too have a responsibility to issue the wake up call to a world that has turned its back on God.  We must remind people to turn to the LORD so they will be saved from God’s wrath and judgment, culminating in eternal judgment.  There is conflict throughout our world.  Turmoil is found all around us.  Judgment seems imminent.  People are concerned.  Where are the Believers who hold the truth of God’s Word to offer assurance and comfort?

Our light goes on and off.  One minute we’re all fired up ready to offer a testimony of what God has done in our life.  In the next minute we’re distracted and the opportunity is lost.  We fear what others will think about us if we admit to a personal relationship with Jesus.  On and off Christians we should be called.

We seem to be in constant need of reminders.  We belong to Jesus, yet act as though He is unimportant in our daily living.  He’s only for Sundays or special holidays.  We don’t want to appear too religious.

God help us in our sin.  We are so fickle in our love for Him.

I am reminded of Joshua who said these words to the Hebrews delivered out of bondage in Egypt.  They are found in the book of Joshua:

“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth:  and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:  but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua 24:14-15 (KJV)

We must stand for righteousness, for our LORD God Jehovah.

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Good Image or Bad Image! by Patricia Day

The wicked queen of Sleeping Beauty fame, spoke into her mirror and expected to be pleased with the response.

Ever been to a fairground and looked into the distorted mirrors? Some make you appear squat and wide. Some give you the appearance of being many feet taller than you really are – long and lanky. Still others cause you to almost vanish as your image comes back as a tiny speck, while in another you appear split in two………..amazing!

Mmmm…..Much like our characters, I am thinking. Do we reflect a good image or not? We can appear to others as good and wholesome, while inside we are not. We can present ourselves as unpleasant and gruff, while inside we are not. We can be so quiet as to be insignificant to onlookers, as we speak and are not heard. Do the opinions of others concern you? They matter to me less and less as I become older.

What is more important, is how I appear to God! Am I pleasing Him with my actions and words? Do I care for myself enough to enable me to help others? He does not care how we look – whether we are handsome or plain nor fat or thin – all He looks for is that we are representing Him in mirror image.

Can we look at ourselves and say, mirror, mirror on the wall, am I the best that I can be? Hopefully, the response would be a resounding yes!

Love your neighbors as yourself is good advice. Honor your father and your other is also great advice, but just think, if we all chose to be kind to one another and not offend or hurt – think how wonderful the world could be!

1 Corinthians 4-7 reminds us that love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy’ love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (NKJV)

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Big Mouth by Brenda Wood

Life is full of its little secrets, isn’t it? For instance, the government gives us permission to drive only after we have passed a test and received a license. Owning our own vehicle means registration numbers, insurance information and vehicle plates. We don’t share this sort of stuff because it is part of our private identification. It could be disastrous if others found it out and used it illegally.

Judges 16:15-Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”(NIV)

Read the rest of the chapter to find out why  Samson should have kept his big mouth shut!

While some secrets should remain so, others are best brought into the light. My biggest personal secrets included sexual abuse and an eating disorder. When I finally brought them into the open by sharing with others, God set to work on my healing. My openness became my new book, Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind

To tell or not to tell? That is the question. I do know the one open secret that I intend to share constantly.

John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

How about you?

Prayer-Lord, give us the grace to know when to shut our mouth and when to open it wide by sharing your love and your salvation message with others.

Life is full of its little secrets, isn’t it? For instance, the government gives us permission to drive only after we have passed a test and received a license. Owning our own vehicle means registration numbers, insurance information and vehicle plates. We don’t share this sort of stuff because it is part of our private identification. It could be disastrous if others found it out and used it illegally.

Judges 16:15-Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.”(NIV)

Read the rest of the chapter to find out why  Samson should have kept his big mouth shut!

While some secrets should remain so, others are best brought into the light. My biggest personal secrets included sexual abuse and an eating disorder. When I finally brought them into the open by sharing with others, God set to work on my healing. My openness became my new book, Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind

To tell or not to tell? That is the question. I do know the one open secret that I intend to share constantly.

John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (NIV)

How about you?

Prayer-Lord, give us the grace to know when to shut our mouth and when to open it wide by sharing your love and your salvation message with others

Because You Can! by Patricia Day

Do you experience the Monday morning blues – every day, all day?

Is it an effort to ‘raise your bones’ from your bed each morning? You are too comfortable and snuggly to want to get up and at it?

Ever thought about someone who is bed-ridden’, ‘housebound’ or hospitalized? Many cannot get out of bed unaided, due to physical limitations or serious illness. Many others are just plain housebound.

If you are not experiencing thankfulness for what you have, where you are or for your good health – would you rather change places with someone lacking the freedom of movement that you have? NO?

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So throw aside your hesitation and begin your day joyfully and ‘GET UP BECAUSE YOU CAN’ and be thankful that you are capable of making this first move of the day or night independently!

Prayer: Abba, we take so much for granted and can become complacent, or even lazy. Fill us with purpose and with gratitude as we set one foot at a time out of our beds to begin a new day. Amen.

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A New Purpose by Patricia Day

Psalm 55:22 Give your worries to the Lord. He will take care of you. He will never let good people down. (NCV – ICV)

Sigh….my patio needs major repair…………..sigh! Sigh….my flower beds do not look as beautiful as I had planned or hoped…….Tut! I have a heap of ironing to get through and it is too hot to iron……sigh! Sigh….my husband and I had a small ‘spat’ and now there is a silence going on……….oh boy!

Then I get devastating news that the only child of a dear friend has been found dead. In the blink of an eye, my pity-party is over! What seemed important a moment ago, is now trivial! My mission now is to comfort my friend however I can. My second – equally important mission – is to get this message written and issued. I need to spread the good news of God and His Son, Jesus. To tell hurting, frightened people about how encouraging His word (the Bible)is; in an attempt to stop other young adults from the deep despair or compromising lifestyles they are in, and to not think about bringing their lives to an early end as a means of escaping the fear or the pain brought by the ugliness of life.

To implore them to not give up and tell them that God loves them – just the way they are - and tell them they will feel His love, if they ask Him to show them what to do next. Thank goodness, my pity-party ended. I would not have chosen to end it this way, but now in its place is a desire to reach out and touch hearts and spirits with a renewed determination to save them from all that is keeping them in a place of despair or danger. Even if I reach one, that is great…..but more would be splendid.

Psalm 55:1-3 God, listen to my prayer. Do not ignore my prayer. Pay attention to me and answer me. I am troubled and upset by what the enemy says and how the wicked look at me. They bring troubles down on me. In anger they attack me. I am frightened inside. The terror of death has attacked me. I am scared and shaking. Terror grips me. I said, “I wish I had wings like a dove. Then I would fly away and rest. I would wander far away. I would stay in the desert. I would hurry to my place of escape, far away from the wind and storm”. Lord, destroy and confuse their words. (NCV- ICV)

Hang in there – whatever you are dealing with – there really is a better way to live. Please reach out to somebody and share your pain. Make sure it is to a good person, nobody who is a danger or a threat to you. God will help! Ask Him! NOW! God, I need Your help! I don’t know what to do next! Please, if You hear me, answer me and show me the next right step! In Jesus Name, I ask and pray, Amen.

He might now answer right away, in a way you understand, but rest assured that things will change. Trust Him!

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He knows! by Patricia Day

Revelation 2:13 I know your works, and where you dwell. (NKJV)

We all experience days or situations that are so overwhelming, we feel we cannot cope. We want to run away and be anywhere, rather than in or with the situation we find ourselves in.

We despair and give up all hope that God hears or will answer our prayers, after all we are such diminutive beings and He is so….well, IMMENSE! So ‘out there’!

Whatever your predicament, rest assured that He knows exactly where you are and what you are dealing with. He is all-knowing and nothing escapes His detection. Trust in Him and His direction, but do it with everything you have – no half measures, no pretense.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 …..I know what I have planned for you, says the Lord. I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come to Me and pray to Me. And I will listen to you. You will search for Me. And when you search for Me with all your heart, you will find Me. (NCV-ICV)

Prayer: Father God. Hear my prayer and meet my needs. I can no longer live this way. I don’t know what to do next. Please let me feel Your presence and show Me your solution to make my life better. Amen

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