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“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.”  Ephesians 4:29

I fail miserably at this, full transparency.  Those of you who know me well have heard me swear.  Yes, I’ve been known to cuss. I really do try to work on it, but in my most relaxed settings, I have been known to swear.  I try to let everything that comes out of my mouth be uplifting and encouraging, but I’m not perfect. One thing you won’t hear me do is take the Lord’s name in vain.  That one my mother instilled in me so strongly, I’m grateful for it. There you have it, that’s my confession. Now what?

It isn’t about who you are now, it’s about who you are becoming.  God knows I’m not perfect, He knows you’re not perfect. He doesn’t expect us to be, He just wants us to try and do better.  He wants me to try and not curse today. That is all He is asking me to do. Don’t curse today. Today make it your goal to speak only uplifting and encouraging words.  When I have that mentality, I do a lot better, even in the most relaxed situations. What makes me do better? It’s the Holy Spirit that instantly convicts me when I’ve said something I shouldn’t of said.  It’s an instant knowing, “Oops, that was wrong.” You can’t do anything about it once it’s said. You can apologize, you can try to not let it happen again. The one thing you can’t do is take it back once you’ve said it.

Which leads to one of my Mom’s favorite sayings, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”  One way I speak uplifting and encouraging words is by not saying anything at all. Because I don’t have anything nice to say.  Sometimes it requires a trick I learned from a friend, I put my hand literally over my mouth to keep it closed. This has kept me out of a lot of trouble.  It is such an easy mantra to learn, to apply. If it’s not uplifting and encouraging, don’t say it.

More than anything, give yourself grace if not every word that comes out of your mouth is perfect.  God never meant it to be. He just meant you to be you, the person He created for a very special purpose here on earth.  It is one only you can fulfill. One that God created you specifically to accomplish with the words He will give you when you need them.  Words that will be uplifting and encouraging

“Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless.”  Philippians 2:14 CSB

My favorite kind of crabs are ghost crabs.  They come out at night and race to the water to feed.  There are hundreds and hundreds of them all over the beach.  Kids like to catch them and parents like the free entertainment.  They are swift and hard to catch. It’s amazing how their little legs move so quickly across the sand.  Agility is their strength. Truly a sight to see.

If you get a crab cornered though, watch out for the pinchers.  The bigger the crab the harder the pinch. They know how to fight they’re way out; they are good at it.  Crabs can be very entertaining, but the fun wears off quickly. Soon their pinching claws just become irritating, the thrill of catching them wears off.  The best way to catch a crab is just to put crab pots out, they’ll catch themselves. Eventually they get lured in by whatever bait the fisherman is using, they find themselves trapped in a big wire crate with no way out.  They are isolated, alone and it’s just a matter of time before the crab pot is drawn in and they become somebodies lunch or dinner.

If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves in similar situations.  If we tend to be “crabby” in our attitude we will isolate ourselves.  People won’t want to be around us, and eventually we’ll be all alone wondering what happened?  Crabby people grumble a lot, they are the type that complain constantly. If they don’t have something to complain about they’ll make it up.  They can be exhausting, they can be life draining. Complaining never leads to action, it just leads to more complaining. There is a difference between talking about something to get to the heart of the matter and deal with the issue, versus just complaining about it with no positive outcome.  We have to be very careful not to get caught in the cycle of complaining. It’s easy to do.

I have to not complain when the lady in line in front of me is taking too long. I have to not complain when my husband doesn’t do exactly what I want or when my day doesn’t go as I planned.  I have to not complain when God doesn’t answer my prayers in a timely manner, the way I want them to be answered. I have to work at not complaining, ALL THE TIME. It is so hard, because finding something to complain about it so easy.  But finding the good in life, that can take more work.

“Therefore I tell you, everything you pray and ask for-believe that you have received it and it will be yours.”  Mark 11:24 CSB

When I was in college, friends and I decided to ditch classes one Wednesday afternoon.  We decided we would practice what our life would be like in the future. In the future when we had an established career we would take Wednesday afternoons off and go golfing.  None of us golfed, we just thought that is what you did when you take an afternoon off from work. That was our perception of what our future would be like. It is ironic that Wednesday afternoons are the day I take off during the week, I never realized that until right now.  We did it that day, we practiced for our future and skipped classes to go golfing (although we didn’t actually golf). We were believing in our future even though we didn’t know what it was

God answers your prayers.  Every single one of them, there isn’t a single one He has missed, there isn’t one He hasn’t heard, there isn’t one He hasn’t answered.  It might not be the answer you wanted. Maybe you haven’t recognized yet that He has actually answered it, you just weren’t paying attention.  Maybe the answer is no and you’re having a hard time accepting it, or He said yes and that seems even more petrifying. I’ve prayed so many prayers in my life time, I can’t remember them all.  He’s answering prayers I don’t even remember praying. But He’s answering all of them, yours, mine, everyone’s. It’s up to us to start believing it.

It’s up to us to do the practice round.  It’s up to us to start acting like we believe our prayers will be answered one day.  Just like I did in college, I still do today, except I do it much more prayerfully. Once I pray and give it to God, I act like He has answered. I don’t know how, but I know He has answered.  I have no idea if it’s yes, no or wait, but I know He has answered. And I know He will carry me through no matter what His decision is. Paul says it best in his letter to the Hebrews:

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1

We have faith that our prayers are answered.  We have faith that if it’s not the answer we were hoping for God will get us through it.  We have faith that God’s will is truly better than our will, God’s ways better than our ways.  We have faith.

“Consequently those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.”  Galatians 3:9 CSB

I love the word “Consequently” in this verse, it reads like an afterthought, but it certainly isn’t.  God is just confirming the covenant He made with Abraham way back in Genesis 12:3. Notice though, the last word, faith.  In order to share in the covenant God made with Abraham, we have to have faith. You can be “shore” you are blessed because of your faith.

Do you remember the true story of the Chilean miners who were trapped for 69 days in the late summer of 2010?  There were 33 men who went to work on August 5 and didn’t go home until Oct. 13. A cave-in that day caused them to be trapped 2300 feet underground, 3 miles from the entrance to the mine.  Miraculously, when they were finally rescued, none were seriously injured with no long term physical effects. How is that possible? It is possible because they are blessed men who have faith.

A movie called “33” was made of this event. There is a line in it that truly epitomizes faith.  It’s a conversation between 2 of the miners. One says, “We can pray.” To which his friend says, “I don’t know how.”  Without a flinch, his buddy responds, “God doesn’t care.” And He is so right. God doesn’t care if you have the right words, He just wants you to talk to Him.  To turn to Him in your hour of need and ask for help. When you’re in the bottom of the cave and all seems lost, turn to Him. Acknowledge Him. He’s there, He’s waiting, you’re never alone.

Just as the miner’s did as they were lifted from the pit, give praise in the good times.  It is way easier to cling to God when you’re down in the pit. But when the sun is shining and you don’t have a care in the world, it’s easy to forget Who gave it to you.  It’s easy to forget the Creator in the midst of obvious blessings. Sometimes the blessings aren’t as obvious when you’re in the pit. For the 33 men who survived 69 days in darkness, they know there are blessings there as well.  They are the air you breathe, the food and water you have to eat, the lack of sickness that occurred while they were in there, the fact that they all survived with minimum health issues. Those are all blessings these men shared in a pit together.  They know the truth of this verse, those who have faith are blessed.

Be “shore” you know you are blessed.  Your faith is key to your blessed life.

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God that He has chosen you.”  1 Thessalonians 1:4 CSB

I went to my first gymnastics meet yesterday, it was for 6 and 7 year olds.  I had no idea what to expect, my knowledge of gymnastics is limited to watching occasionally on T.V.  I have no gymnastic ability whatsoever, the thought of falling backwards to do a back handspring petrifies me.  Yet I watched these brave young girls dance, twirl and flip like there was no tomorrow. It was truly amazing. They had no fear, they were being watched by hundreds of spectators as they performed their routines.  Their concentration and focus on the task in front of them was inspirational, truly. These young girls had worked hard to be here. They had qualified and were chosen to represent their team. This wasn’t just any meet, this was States.  They were competing against the best in the state.

What I learned yesterday is that each girl on these teams had to be invited to be a member of the team.  That is how it all starts for them, with the invitation. God has done the same thing for us. He has invited us to be a part of His winning team, through Jesus.  We have to accept the invitation before we start the training. Once we do that, our lives will never be the same again. But we don’t have to worry, we have the best coach in the world leading our team.  He’s got our back, literally.

Yesterday, during one of the floor routines, the young gymnast hesitated, looking over her shoulder for her coach.  The coach immediately ran out onto the mat to spot her for her tumbling run. Coach’s are allowed to do that for their young athletes.  They understand they are new to the sport and need a little more help than the advanced gymnasts. God does the same thing for us if we need it.  Just as we’re starting our run, gaining speed, getting ready for that first tumble, He’s there spotting us. He’s got His hand at the small of our back as we leap into the air, tuck our bodies and tumble.  When our feet touch the ground He helps lift us up for the next flip. Before you know it, we’ve reached the opposite corner and are saluting the judges. Cause people are watching how you handle the ups and downs of life.  They’re watching to see if you falter in your walk with the Lord. And you will, but even your missteps will be right steps with the Lord. You can be “shore” of that. He uses all things to the good for those who trust and believe in Him (Romans 8:28 NIV).

Start your run, you’ve been chosen.  The mat is all yours, God is spotting you, go for the gold.  Let the tumbling begin.

“I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born.  I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 CSB

This verse, found in the book of Jeremiah, is God’s call on Jeremiah’s life to be a prophet.  Jeremiah wasn’t thrilled, the very next verse he protests, “Oh no, Lord God! Look, I don’t know how to speak since I am only a youth” (Jeremiah 1:6 CSB).  But God’s not having it, He tells Jeremiah exactly what he is going to do, then tops it off by touching Jeremiah’s mouth, filling it with the words Jeremiah is to speak.

If Jeremiah wasn’t “shore” of himself before he was called, he definitely was “shore” of himself after.  

God gave Jeremiah a specific purpose in life.  Before he was ever formed in his mother’s womb, God had plans for him.  The same is true of you and I. Before we were ever born, God had a purpose for our lives.  He knows the number of days we will live and what He created us to do with them (Psalm 39:4 NIV).  It’s up to us to find our purpose. I found mine through my life verse, Mark 12:30-31 which talks about loving God with all your heart, mind, body and soul, and loving others as ourselves.  Love God, love others is my life motto. No matter what else I do in life, I strive to do that. Trust me it’s challenging, I fail a lot, but it’s my life mission to do a little better with each day that passes.

Kathryn Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughn found their purpose in numbers.  Brilliant mathematicians in the late 60’s. They were the “human computers” for NASA.  They are responsible for calculating the course for John Glenn’s orbit in space. A feat that changed the space race.  But no one knew how amazing they were, their work was behind the scenes. It wasn’t until the movie “Hidden Figures” came out in 2016 that their story became known.  It didn’t stop them though, they had a purpose, it was specific and they kept on task. They didn’t do it for fame or glory, they did it because it was what God made them to do.  Whatever challenges they faced, they faced knowing they were on a mission that was bigger than themselves.

The same is true of you.  You are on mission, you can be “shore” of that.  There is no one else like you. There is no one else who has the exact same relationships you do, no one who moves through the world like you do, no one who has the opportunities you have.  It’s up to you to discover how God wants to use you in the midst of the life He gave you. Who does He want you to love? Who does He want you to help? Who needs grace around you? Ask Him to show you your purpose.  As you seek to be “shore” of yourself, find your purpose to help guide your path

“May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us, so that the world may believe You sent me.”  John 17:21 CSB

June is beach month, we’re all going on a beach vacation together.  We’re going to be applying Scripture to these six principles we learn from the beach:

1. Be “Shore” of yourself
2. Don’t be “Crabby”
3. Let worries “Drift” away
4. Drown out “Pier” pressure
5. Soak Up Positive Energy
6. “Seas” Life’s Moments

The first thing we have to do is be “Shore” of who we are.  We are one in Christ. He is the tie that binds us to God, as well as, the tie that binds us to each other.  Before we can do anything else, we have to be “shore” of our relationship with Him. It all starts with Jesus.  Beginning a relationship with Jesus simply means talking to Him. Doesn’t have to be big, doesn’t have to be fancy.  Just has to be honest. I started mine around the age of 12. One Sunday after church, I was convicted of my need for Jesus. I  honestly don’t know what it was the preacher said that made me realize I needed Jesus. I just knew I did. I ran home from church that day and climbed the ladder to the top bunk of my brother’s bunk beds.  I’m not sure why I chose there, I think in my childish mind I wanted to get as close to God as I could to make sure He heard me. He heard me alright, my life has never been the same since. I just told Him I needed Him, I couldn’t do life without Him, would He please live in my heart.  That’s how my journey with Christ began, and it’s been going strong ever since.

Being “shore” of who you are means being “shore” of your relationship with Jesus. It can start with a simple prayer and turn into a lifetime of adventure.  He will take you places you never thought you would go. He will amaze you in ways you can’t even imagine (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). He will carry you through storms you never thought you would face.  In Him you will find oneness with your Creator. He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:6 NIV), fight your battles (Exodus 14:14 NIV), comfort your woes (Psalm 46:1-3 NIV). In Him you will find the peace that surpasses all understanding.  In Him you will find Oneness!

“I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 CSB

This verse makes my heart skip a beat.  How the Lord loves us, so much so, He won’t let us stay as we are, AND He won’t stop.  That is what this verse says to me. No matter how many times I mess up, no matter how many times I fall off the narrow path, He is there.  He doesn’t give up on me. He knows where we are headed and He is going to get us there. No matter how bad I think I am, was or will be, it does not deter Him one bit.  He still has a plan for me and He is working it out.

This past week I’ve had several different conversations with friends about the past, specifically sins of the past. I’ve been thinking about the mistakes I made in my life, how they changed me, how I’ve grown from them.  My life is so different from where I was 30 years ago, sometimes I don’t even know who I am. It seems to have changed more in the last 7 years than any other time. I find the person who brings my past up the most to me is me.  I’m the one who continues to condemn myself for those mistakes. God doesn’t. Some people do, but most don’t. It’s me that I have to forgive most sometimes.

It works the same way for others.  When people start following Jesus, they are acknowledging that they are sinners.  That they need Him to make them whole. And when that happens there will be change.  It won’t happen overnight, it will be day by day, but there will be change. They won’t be the same person they once were.  God will be working on them, just like He says He will. They will struggle with forgiving themselves for their pasts, just like we struggle with ours.   If we’ll look close enough, we’ll see it’s true.

The key to both of these perspectives is that God started a good work in me.  He started a good work in you. He has started a good work in us, and He’s not stopping.  God is the one doing the work, not us. It is by getting to know Him better that you will change.  As you take small steps of faith and unveil the richness of God’s glory, you will change. Each day you make time for Him, interact with Him, trust Him, you will change.  Even in the times when it doesn’t feel like God is doing anything, those are the times He’s probably doing the most. And He doesn’t need your help doing it. God has started a good work, and He will see it through to completion.

“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.”  Psalms 56:3 CSB

I was thinking this morning about the first email I ever sent to my husband Ron.  We met playing on a tennis team together. I made the first move, shockingly. We were paired up by our Captain, literally and metaphorically, now that I think about it.  We hadn’t lost a single match, but he was going to be out of town the next week, I was going to have to play with someone else.

I liked him so much, I was willing to send him an email and risk rejection. I asked him to please try and get home in time for the match. Of course, I worded it as sweet as I possibly could, which is not easy for me.  He did make it back. We lost our first match because he was so tired. But who cares about the match, because I got to be with him.

That’s a cute story, but it in no way conveys how hard it was for me to send that email.  At 40 years old, unmarried, having heartbreak after heartbreak, do you think I wanted to try again?  Heck no. You know what helped me overcome my fear of rejection? GOD. No one else, just Him. People had hurt me so desperately by this point in my life, I didn’t trust anyone.  I had put it all in God.

You know what I was thinking when I sent that email?  “Well, if he doesn’t like me God, I know You do.” That is how I overcame my fear, by trusting God.  As a result of sending that email I can now say I have been married to him just shy of seven years. He is the love of my life, my soul mate.  I literally thank the Lord for him everyday; I’m constantly praying for decades more together. But to get to this, I had to get over that.

People miss the in-between, the small steps they can’t see.  Thomas Edison discovered the light bulb. He filed his first patent in 1878 but it took two years to actually begin production.  That was two years of late nights, long days. That’s two years of failures and rejections. That’s two years of sweat and tears.  To invent the lightbulb, which we now take for granted and throw away in hordes. The further we get away from the work it took to make it, the easier it is to take it for granted.  And all of that work took faith. It took willingness to fail, willingness to get rejected, willingness to trust that no matter what, God is always with you.

There is not a journey without a step. You cannot overcome fear without trust in God.

“I pray that He may grant you accordingly to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through His Spirit.” Ephesians 3:16 CSB

This is key to understanding the power God has given each of us.  The word “being” in its original form is anthropos, in this verse it means “metaphorically, used of the internal man, meaning the mind, soul and the rational man.”  This is your spirit, the essence of who you are as a person, being strengthened by God’s spirit. That is where the power comes from for you, it’s up to you to tap into it.

What is it?  

It is God’s glory in this verse.  I love what glory means in its original form: gift.  We are to tap into the gift of God’s glory to receive His power.  The ultimate gift God has given us is Jesus. If we tap into Jesus, we are given His power in our inner being.

The other day, my husband and I were at Walmart.  He pointed out to me that they have installed charging units for electric cars.  It’s fascinating how the world is changing around us so quickly. Charging stations for electric cars at Walmart…who would have ever thought?  But they are there. I personally don’t drive an electric car, but I have friends that do. I know they need to be charged often. I know they don’t go very far in between charges.  It would be difficult for an electric car to make a cross country trip. One would have to plan out stops along the way to make sure they could get charged back up.

We are the same as the electric cars.  We need charged up often to get going. Without an influx of electricity, we aren’t going to make it.  Just like someone driving across country needs to plan out stops to get charged back up, we need to plan refills in our life as well.  We need to plan daily time with the Big Guy to give us a jolt. We need to put in place ways for little top offs throughout our day. A worship song here, a podcast there, all fuel to the fire for our inner power.  It’s not enough to know where the charging stations are, we have to plug into them to receive their power. If we want God’s power in us, we have to plug into it, repeatedly to keep our engines running.