Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 41-43 GW; Hebrews 13 GW

Love brings joy.

Acts of love don’t bring regret like acts of hatred do.  The two emotions on opposite ends of the spectrum motivate action.  You have a choice which feeling you’re going to follow.  Actively choosing to continue loving people, even when they cause you pain is the right choice.  How you love them is the question.

Boundaries in relationships create good health.  Some of my relationships are distant; some are close.   Unhealthy people can’t have healthy relationships. Only when they do the work to become healthy will, their connections become more vital.  Most people don’t want to make an effort.  Even if you’re becoming healthier, they aren’t.  Therefore, those boundaries require more space.

Establishing boundaries helps you love joyfully.  Don’t take offense if people don’t respond the way you think they should.  Placing expectations on people they never agreed to leads to heartache.  Love expecting nothing in return.  Experience the joy that comes from loving hard-to-love people.  The truth is, we’re all hard to love at times.

Love on Repeat.

Following Jesus means constant loving.  Jesus never stops loving us; we’re not to stop loving Him and others.  Every day is a new opportunity to strengthen your love muscle.  How people respond isn’t your responsibility, but you do control your actions.  As my mother always said, “You’re the one who has to sleep with yourself.”  I sleep much better knowing I have a clear conscience and did my best to love others well.

No one is perfect.  We all falter in the love category from time to time.  When that happens, give yourself grace.  Then try again.  Seek God’s guidance as you love His children.  After all, no one knows His flock like our heavenly Father.  When God prompts you to act in love, do so quickly.  Don’t waste a moment.  Joy doesn’t come until after the act.

Over and over again, love.  If people resist, love harder.  All of us crave the unconditional love God offers.  Share what God gave you with others.  Experience His heavenly joy.

Lord, as always, you Rock.  Thank You for loving us so well.  Forgive us for not loving others when we had the chance.  Help us today do better.  Time and again, let us, love.  May those around us know us for our love.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

Who can you love today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 38-40 GW; Hebrews 12 GW

Don’t quit.

Life will make you want to stop trying.  Whether you’re struggling with relationship issues, health issues, or financial issues, they can exhaust.  Beating your head against a wall gets old quickly.  When your efforts seem to no avail, quitting seems like the best option, but it never is.

Job waited for 38 chapters before God spoke to him.  After losing everything but his wife, Job sat in his misery and grief for seven days, not saying a word.  Surrounded by friends, when they finally spoke, their words weren’t helpful.  Finally, God speaks and restores Job’s life.  But Job had to go through the dark days.  Throughout his pain, Job didn’t sin.  His love for God is unfailing.

Hang on for the blessing.  Don’t let the tough days discourage you.  Remember, our reward is in heaven, not here on earth:

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:14 NIV)

Pain and love comingle.

With love comes pain.  Just this morning, I saw a post where a friend lost her beloved pet.  Part of owning dogs is understanding; their life span isn’t as long as ours.  Quickly, our furry friends become part of the family.  When they die, the pain is deep.  But if we didn’t have the love, we wouldn’t feel the pain.   We can’t avoid one if we’re to have the other.

Whatever pain you’re feeling today, allow yourself to experience the emotion.  Sit in your grief and sadness, processing the emotion.  Then move through the pain with Jesus.  Allow Him to shoulder your hurts, putting on his yoke.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29 NIV)

Instead of quitting, turn to Jesus.  Lay your heart open before Him.  Tell Him of your pain.  Empty yourself of the hurts.  Allow God to fill your soul with His love.  In God, find the strength to keep going. As you do, your faith will mature.

Lord, thank You for never giving up on us.  Forgive us for wanting to quit.  Help us persevere through the trials we face.  Give us peace in the storm.  When we need encouragement, encourage.  Help us keep moving towards our heavenly reward.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What area of your life are you struggling not to quit?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 36-37 GW; Hebrews 11 GW

Air is unseen.

You have faith whether you think you do or not.  Everyone living today believes oxygen exists, even though they can’t see it.  Without O2, we can’t live. Each breath you take is one of faith, believing oxygen is present, filling your lungs, supporting your life.   Faith believes what is unseen.

Taking steps of faith means moving forward even though you don’t know what is ahead.  Trusting, as you journey along, no matter how slowly, God is with you.  Pain is something that comes with love.  If we didn’t care deeply for other people, the pain wouldn’t exist.  God wants us to trust Him with our wounds, crying out to Him in the depths of pain.   Our most powerful prayers are the shortest, “Lord, help me!”  God will if you let Him.

Open your heart.

Believing in the Creator requires opening your heart to things unseen.  Never will you understand everything that happens in this life.  Pain is part of the journey; learning to deal with it healthily helps us move forward.  Instead of running from the hurts in life, move towards them.  Acknowledge the dark places that exist in all of us, then give them to God.  Let Him bear your heartache for you, comforting in ways only God can.

In my most painful times of life, I’ve turned to God’s word.  When my mom experienced emergency surgery to save her life, I remember reading my Bible by her bed.  When the pastor walked into the room, that was what I was doing.  Only by burying myself in God could I find His peace in dire circumstances.  God always shows up.  My habit of turning to the Bible started in my twenties.  Even though I wasn’t attending church or actively pursuing a relationship with God, I’d open the Bible and start reading when times got tough.  During my flight attendant days, I praised God for the Gideons, who placed Bibles in hotels.  I used them often.

Trust in what you can’t see.  God is with you.  His plan is unfolding in your life.

Lord, thank You for always surrounding us.  Forgive us for doubting.  Today, as we face the devil’s ploys, let us not doubt.  Give us faith to overcome any obstacle.  Our lives are Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

How are you believing in the unseen today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Jeremiah 34-35 GW; Hebrews 10 GW

God is the ultimate author.

Our actions come from our thoughts.  We either capture our thoughts, or they capture us.  When God writes His thoughts into ours, He gains control.  The bottom line is this, God’s word never comes back void.  When we are obedient to God, He blesses our efforts.

One of my favorite memories from my days at Nautica happened in the first year.  At a training, a few of us were enjoying the weather, sitting on the front porch of our hotel.  In Miami, we were oceanfront.  My roommate brought up faith, asking the group what our thoughts were on God.  Immediately, this verse ran through my mind:

“But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny in heaven.”  (Matthew 10:33 ESV)

New on the job, not knowing any of these people; I couldn’t believe the situation.  Still young in my adult walk with the Lord, I didn’t feel equipped to talk about Jesus.  But I knew I couldn’t lie because God would know.

Embrace the message.

Standing in a crowd, I felt very alone, but I cared more about what God thought than man.  When my turn came to answer the question, I said: “I love Jesus.”  What happened next was a moment I’ll never forget.  Tracy, who quickly became a friend, started preaching the gospel.  “Amen,” he said, “My aunt thinks I’m lost, but I ain’t lost. Jesus found me a long time ago.”

Let God write on your hearts and minds.  Spend time memorizing the passages that speak to your soul the most.  We’re all different.  The verses that speak to me may not you, that’s ok.  Life is best when we become who we’re meant to become and allow others to do the same.  The more pages God fills in You, the more your life will blossom.

Let God’s word lead your actions.  Replace your thoughts with His. Bloom today. 

Lord, thank You for writing Your will on our lives.  Forgive us for constantly trying to force our agenda.  As we move through the day, let us follow Your promptings closely.  Control our thoughts with Your word.  Give us courage when we need it.  Let us honor You in all things.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

How has God helped You with His word?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Jeremiah 32-33 GW; Hebrews 9 GW

Big is small.

Nothing is too big for God; we’re the ones who think it is.  Our tragedies overwhelm us, knocking us off our feet like a tidal wave.  The sheer enormity of the situation, from our perspective, is more than God can handle.  But that’s not true.  Our huge is God’s tiny.  Just because something is difficult for us to understand doesn’t mean it’s not a reality.

In our weekly prayer component, we talked about patience in suffering:

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand”. James 5:7-8 ESV

God is working in your situation.  If I were a betting woman, I’d say God probably isn’t doing things the way you want.   God is God; we’re not.  Accomplishing things in His way is God’s forte.  We answer to God; He doesn’t answer to us.

Trust and relax.

Where we landed on our discussion of patience is acceptance.  We must accept God is in control; we’re not.  

Coaching kids, every class has a high-energy child who likes to test the limits.  When I encounter such a soul, I always establish boundaries.  If the student is trying to hi-jack the class, I say the same thing.  First, I’ll get their attention by saying their name; then, I’ll ask them this question, “Who is the coach?”  Typically, that’s all I need to do to remind them; I’m in control, you’re not.

God does the same for us.  Through our circumstances, God reminds us who He is.  What is impossible for us is possible for Him.  Nothing is too big for our God.  Without a doubt, God’s plan is unfolding, one day at a time.  

Trust the plan.  Relax knowing God’s in control. 

Lord, how grateful we are You’re in control.  Forgive us for constantly trying to take the reigns from You.  Help us today become better versions of ourselves as we trust You.  Let us relax, knowing You have our best interests at heart.  In all things, You receive the glory.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What problem in your life do you think is too big for God?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 87 GW; Jeremiah 30-31 GW; Hebrews 8 GW

 God builds.

Today’s scripture is from the prophet Jeremiah talking to the Israelites who are in exile.  God is going to rescue and restore them from their miseries.  Just like the Israelites, God does the same for us.  Always in unexpected ways.

One particularly rough start to my week, God built me up in an unusual way.  After waking up feeling sad over a situation, my discipline of connecting with God each morning never fails.  Barely awake, I grab my kindle and read the day’s Bible reading.  Then I spend time in prayer through journaling.  Rough mornings like the one I was experiencing,  I’m on the floor begging God to get me going.  God never disappoints.

A few hours later, I received a random text from a friend that instantly made me smile.  Having prayed for this situation for years, I was ready to give up. God let me know; He was listening.   He was in the process of building me back up.

God knows your pain.

Pain isolates us.  We don’t think anyone else can understand the hurts we feel.  I carried a chip on my shoulder for years after my dad died.  One of the stages of grief is anger; I chose to stay in that emotion for many years.  My annoyance towards other people was because they didn’t understand how deeply I was hurting.  I blamed God for taking my earthly father; my vexation at Him was justifiable.  But God loved me anyway.  Even though I turned my back on God, He didn’t turn His back on me.  I was never alone.

God knows your pain, whatever it is.  He’s waiting for you to release your hurts to Him.  We have to let go to allow God to build up.  Holding onto our afflictions is our problem; letting them go to God makes them His.  Once we empty our hearts of the aching, God can fill them with His love. 

God is always building.  We have to let Him do the work.  When we do, we’ll dance with Joy!

Lord, thank You for building us up in our darkest moments.  Forgive us for holding onto the hurts we experience.  Help us learn to process our pain with You.  Give us the courage we need to confess our darkest thoughts to You.  Allow us to find victory from our sufferings; all the glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you need to let go of today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Jeremiah 27-29 GW; Hebrews 7 GW

Jesus prays for you.

Because Jesus is eternal, He never stops interceding.   Throughout the pages of scripture, priests stand between the people and God, offering sacrifices and atonement.  Realizing, none of them can provide total atonement; God sent Jesus.  No other priests are needed, just Jesus.  Sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus has His ear.  When you place your faith in Him, Jesus takes up your cause.

None of us are without sin.  No matter how hard we try, we can’t save ourselves.  Good deeds don’t get you to heaven; Jesus does.  Only through Him can we experience a relationship with God.  Jesus’s grace and mercy extend to everyone.  Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus will encounter His unconditional love.  No matter what the offense, Jesus forgives.  Not only does He absolve you of your misdeeds, but you can also walk boldly, knowing Jesus has your back.

Join the family.

Becoming part of God’s family means you’re never alone.  Whether you have lots of relatives on earth or few in God’s household, you have plenty.  Big brother Jesus is watching out for you.  Sitting by Dad’s side, Jesus lets Him know what’s going on with you.  He asks God to intercede on your behalf when necessary.  Nothing you do is out of Jesus’s sight.  No matter what you do, you can’t get rid of Jesus.  Blood is thicker than water, Jesus’s blood the thickest.

Picture the family gathering, God in His comfy chair He’s sat in for eternity.  Jesus by His side, smiling and happy.  Us at their feet loved utterly, adoration on our faces—what a beautiful thing, life in God’s family is.

Join today, don’t wait another moment.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  Forgive us for not turning to Him sooner.  Help us open our hearts to Him entirely.  Let us confess all of our sins, even the ones we don’t honestly believe He will forgive because we’ve judged them unforgivable.  But Jesus doesn’t; He forgives all. Today, let us believe this truth in the core of our soul.  Ingratiate us with Your love so profoundly; we have no doubt.  Jesus loves us, warts and all.  Curl us into Your arms, God; let us feel Your love today and always.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What do you want to talk to Jesus about today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Psalms 75 GW; Jeremiah 25-26 GW; Hebrews 6 GW

Make an effort.

One of the sayings I’ve adopted in my life as a coach is, “No one does anything well the first time.”  Time and again, I see frustration rear its ugly head as students struggle to make contact with the ball or make the fuzzy yellow sphere go where they want.  People expect the first time they do something to do it well, but that’s not reality.

God isn’t expecting perfection from you; He expects effort.  No matter how many times you fall, get back up and keep trying.  When I first started coaching, one student taught me this lesson.  The pupil’s lack of coordination meant he couldn’t hit the ball.  At one point, I was beginning to think tennis wasn’t the sport for him.  But he didn’t give up.  Week after week, he showed up and tried.  Eventually, he began to hit the ball, then he began to control the ball, and now he is in the top six of his tennis team.  

God sees you.

God knows you’re trying.  Even the meagerest efforts, God sees.  He knows your heart behind the action.  Loving people imperfectly is better than not loving them at all.  Intent is what God judges.  Give yourself grace when your tryings fail, brush yourself off, and try again.  When our motives are in line with God’s, He uses all things for the good.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NIV)

My favorite prayer for my husband and I, “God bless our efforts.”   Realistically, we’re not going to do the task perfectly, but with God’s help, our efforts aren’t in vain.  God knows we’re trying, and we’re doing the best we can.  The rest is up to God.

Whatever the task before you, ask God to bless your efforts.  Watch as God honors your request. 

Lord, thank You for remembering our efforts.  Forgive us for trying to do things without You.  As we move through our day, bless our efforts.  Purify our hearts, refine our motives and let us do everything to the best of our ability for You.  When we falter, help us have grace for ourselves and others.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What effort do you want God to bless today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23-24 GW; Hebrews 5 GW; Psalms 110 GW

Become mature.

Zig Ziglar was a motivational speaker in the 1990s.  A man of God, his books and speeches still impact people’s lives years after his death.  Listening to his presentation on his book, “Over the Top,” he made an interesting point:

“In the 1770s, 3 million Americans produced Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Monroe, among others.  In 1997, 266 million Americans produced?  You fill in the blank.  I can’t think of one equal to any of our Founding Fathers.”

Zig’s reasoning for this reality is because of how we learn.  During the 1700s, children learned to read and write from the Bible.  In other words, the textbook was the scriptures.  Slowly, over time, that changed.  Zig’s research to back up his point saddened me:

“According to the Thomas Jefferson Research Institute, in the 1770s, over 90 percent of our educational thrust was of an ethical, moral, religious nature.  By 1926, the percentage was down to 6 percent, and by 1951, the percentage was so low it could not be measured.”  

Growth requires discipline.

Years ago, the statistic for people who read scripture daily was 11%.  When I was looking for a Pew Research study to find a more current statistic, I couldn’t find one.  Instead, I found statistics for weekly.  Jehovah’s Witnesses were top of the list, 88% according to the poll, they believe Jesus is God’s son, but not God and the Holy Spirit isn’t a person.  Protestant’s, people professing to follow Jesus, were at 63%.  In other words, people who don’t believe in Jesus are reading the stories about Him more regularly than the people who do.

Growth can’t come without intention.  Reading the stories written by 40 authors over 1400 years has to happen more than once a week.  If you want to experience life change, discipline yourself to read the scriptures daily.  Give up ten minutes of your morning to read what God’s people have to say. 

Develop discipline, read the scriptures daily.  Become mature one day at a time.

Lord, thank You for the authors who penned the books of the Bible.  Forgive us for forgetting the collection of books has individual writers who dedicated their lives to You.  Help us become more mature by developing a daily discipline.  Let us leave the milk behind and start eating solid food.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you develop discipline today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Jeremiah 19-22 GW; Hebrews 4 GW

God rules with kindness.

Natural disasters, illness, and death of loved ones, job loss, broken relationships all make one wonder about God’s kindness.  How can a loving God allow such painful things to happen in life?  Maybe C.S. Lewis’s thoughts on pain provide an answer:

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains.  It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

In our pain, people do one of two things: turn to or from God.  During times of plenty, we don’t give God credit for what we have.  But when things go wrong, God gets all the accolades.  In reality, Jesus told us we would have strife in this world:

“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.” (John 16:33 ESV)

Life is tough.

Anyone who says God promised a rose garden is lying.  No, where in scripture do you find that promise.  But you do see people enduring all types of hardships, God their strength in the storm.  David’s psalms are a collection of praises and laments.  As one friend said, David seems bipolar; one moment, he’s on the mountain top, the next in the valley.  But David’s constant is God, who never changes.

God doesn’t have highs and lows; He is constant.  Leading with grace, He is consistent in His love and adoration for you and me.  If God didn’t cherish us, Jesus wouldn’t have come.  But because God values us so much, He sent Jesus to create a way for us to connect with Him.  

If we don’t turn to God, we won’t receive.  Allow the pain you’re experiencing to draw you towards God, not away from Him.  Listen to the megaphone. Pour your heart out to Him, tell God how you are hurting.  Let Him into the deep crevices of your soul.  Receive God’s mercy and kindness as you give Him your hurts.

Lord, thank You for Your consistency in our lives.  Forgive us for the times we turn from You.  Help us listen to You in our pain.  As we move through the storms of life, keep us afloat.  Send us help when we need it; let us bless others when they do.  In all things, the glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

Where are you turning in your times of distress?