Honest Reflections

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 39:1-41:18, 2 Timothy 1:1-18, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 26:1-2

Daily Verse: “Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying, a curse that is causeless does not alight.” Prov. 26:2

Undeserved curse.

Sparrows flit from place to place, never staying in one location long, flying around exploring the world. Undeserved curses do the same thing: never landing, flying away, not causing harm.

One of my favorite proverbs; I think of it often when people say untrue things about me. People make up narratives when they don’t know the whole story, filling in the gaps with what seems logical.

People made up stories when I moved to Virginia for a second start in life after flunking out of college in Pennsylvania. Co-workers at the restaurant where I waited tables to earn tuition for school declared me pregnant. I learned about the rumor after months passed with no sign of a growing stomach. Like a sparrow flitting about the world, the curse did not land on my head, truth prevailing.

Sometimes, the truth takes longer than others to come out, but it always does. Undeserved curses don’t stand the test of time and never take root. Trust in God’s truth to always reveal itself.

Lord, forgive us for believing rumors. Please help us speak only the truth, and remember, lies told against us won’t last. Remind us of the flitting sparrow when undeserved curses haunt us. Let us always seek Your truth. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 37:1-38:28, 1 Timothy 6:1-21, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 25:28

Daily Verse: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Prov. 25:28

Broken walls.

The book of Nehemiah tells the tale of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. Solid and sturdy barricades protected the city from its enemies during that period.  Upon hearing of the need for repair, Nehemiah prayed for God’s guidance, got permission from the king who destroyed the walls to repair it, and did so with the help of his people.

Lacking self-control tears down the walls of protection in our lives.  Gluttony, a sin of excess, happens when we don’t limit the things in our lives.  Setting boundaries on how much we eat, drink, spend, etc., helps us live within our means.  But when we cross those boundaries, we destroy the walls of protection and leave ourselves open to the enemy attack.

Like Nehemiah, pray and ask God where you have lost control.  What walls need repairing, and how do you do it?  Like He did Nehemiah’s, the Lord will answer your prayer and help you restore the boundaries required for healthy living.

Don’t let gluttony keep you from living life to the fullest.  Live a controlled life with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Lord, forgive us for not controlling our actions.  Please give us an extra measure of self-control for today and always.  Help us avoid the sin of gluttony by setting reasonable boundaries that allow us to live life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 35:1-36:32, 1 Timothy 5:1-25, Psalm 89:14-37, Proverbs 25:25-27

Daily Verse: “Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.” Prov. 25:25

Good news.

Receiving positive information refreshes the soul. Nothing brings life faster than listening to stories of God’s blessings. Google “encouraging stories of faith,” and many blogs will appear with inspirational stories to uplift your soul.

In a world that emphasizes the bad, look for the good. Become a person who tells good news. Find uplifting and encouraging stories and share them with others. Help build their faith by sharing inspirational tales.

I ask God not to let me miss any divine appointments each week, and He never does. Running into a friend on my way to teach tennis; he shared all the fantastic news in his life with me. His family downsized, able to buy a new place with cash, no longer having a mortgage or a yard to mow, his joy overflowed to me. Good news from a friend nourishes a thirsty soul.

Ask God to help you find the good in life. The Lord will answer your prayers and give you a new perspective in a damaged world. When we seek the Creator’s goodness, we will find it.

Lord, forgive us for focusing on the negative. Please help us find the good in life, sharing inspirational stories with others and quenching their thirsty souls. As we view life through Your lens, align our hearts with Your will. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 33:1-34:22, 1 Timothy 4:1-16, Psalm 89:1-13, Proverbs 25:23-24

Daily Verse: “It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.” Prov. 25:24

Peaceful family.

Solitude wins over strife. People don’t want to come home to bickering and quarreling. Living on the corner of the roof alone brings more tranquility than living with a nagging spouse.

Not nagging takes work. Husbands tend to ignore to-do lists, especially things they don’t consider a priority. Wives can do the same thing. Men and women don’t share the same priorities. A wife finds loading the dishwasher a top priority, but her husband may consider proper air in the tires of the family’s car higher importance and ignore the dishes.

Husbands and wives have different roles, and every marriage differs. After eleven years of marriage, Ron and I have found a good balance in sharing the chores. I know what he doesn’t like to do, and he knows mine; we each pick up the slack for the other. 

Instead of nagging, look for solutions that work for the entire family. Ron doesn’t turn out lights, and I don’t close cabinet doors. Guess what? I turn out the lights, and Ron closes the doors I leave open. Peaceful solutions centered around compromise make for a loving home.

Lord, forgive us for nagging our spouse. Please help us find peaceful solutions to our issues in our homes. Show us how to create an atmosphere of love that welcomes everyone and glorifies You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44, 1 Timothy 3:1-16, Psalm 88:1-18, Proverbs 25:20-22

Daily Verse: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” Prov. 25:21-22

Heaping coals.

Smothering your enemies with kindness will turn the tides of the relationship. God blesses your efforts, and your foes will feel remorse for their actions. Burning coals represent guilt, pangs of consciousness for whatever your adversaries’ offensive actions.

“Gone with the Wind,” the highest-grossing movie of all time, has one of the best examples of this proverb. Having thrown herself at Ashley Wilkes, Scarlett must face his wife in front of the entire town. Her husband, Rhett, makes Scarlett wear a tawdry red dress to humiliate her further.

But Melanie, Ashley’s wife, heaped burning coals on Scarlett’s head. When the adulteress woman entered her home, Melanie treated Scarlett with kindness, embracing her in a warm and heartfelt hug and then complimenting her adversary’s dress. Grace personified as guilt poured from Scarlett’s facial expression.

Hurting people hurt others. Remembering the simple adage will help you show kindness to your enemies. God will handle the rest.

Lord, forgive us when we miss opportunities to show kindness to our enemies.  Please help us have soft hearts towards those that hurt us.  Let us respond with love when someone slaps our cheek.  Help us become more like Jesus every day.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26, 1 Timothy 2:1-15, Psalm 87:1-7, Proverbs 25:18-19

Daily Verse: “Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.“ Prov. 25:19

Bad tooth.

Unfaithful people cause pain and agony, like a bad tooth or a lame foot. Trusting unreliable people wastes time and money, especially in times of trouble. When the storms start whipping, you want dependable people to help you through them. People who will pick up the slack when you can’t.

Fall started with a case of the flu for me. What began as a headache became two weeks of the virus running through my system. Losing my voice due to coughing, I couldn’t coach. Thankfully, I have a reliable and trustworthy business partner who found people to help her cover my classes during my illness.

Trustworthy people can easily handle the pressure of unexpected storms and navigate the rough waters. But those who prove themselves lacking in character will only cause more heartache.

Don’t put trust in treacherous people. Depending on a decaying tooth or lame foot only causes more pain. Using discernment will help you place your trust in those who deserve it.

Lord, forgive us for placing our trust in the wrong people. As we move through our days, please help us choose wisely those we rely upon during the storm. Give us discernment to make good decisions that bring life to our bones. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 28:1-29:32, 1 Timothy 1:1-20, Psalm 86:1-17, Proverbs 25:17

Daily Verse: “Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he have his fill of you and hate you.” Prov. 25:17

Limit visits.

Dropping in on your neighbors too often wears out your welcome. Familiarity breeds contempt. Coming home after a long day at work, people want to relax in the sanctity of their homes. But if the neighbors descend when your car pulls into the driveway, it adds tension.

Years ago, we experienced a neighbor who dropped by too much, treating our house like he owned it. Unfortunately, setting boundaries caused friction in the relationship, but we had no privacy in our home, nor did he respect it as we did.

Difficult conversations occur when neighbors overstep their boundaries. Excessive visits will eventually lead to problems. But showing respect for others means understanding they don’t always want you around. And that’s OK.

Healthy relationships have healthy boundaries. Respecting your neighbor’s privacy and not stopping by too much will build solid relationships that stand the test of time.

Lord, forgive us for not respecting other people’s privacy. Please help us not wear out our welcome, set healthy boundaries, and build lasting relationships. Let us love our neighbors as ourselves. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 26:1-27, 2 Thess. 3:1-18, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 25:16

Daily Verse: “If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.” Prov. 25:16

Necessary moderation.

Too much of a good thing will make you sick. Whether food, alcohol, or words, overindulging upsets the stomach.   Putting excess brown sugar on my morning oatmeal always brings a tummy ache. Anyone who had one too many drinks knows what a hangover feels like. And people who overuse flattery cause a distaste in the mouth.

Excessive flattery comes with a salesperson. Recently, I received a call from a literary agent trying to recruit me. However, the broken English, lack of knowledge about my books, and scripted conversation tipped me off to their deceptive intentions. Beware when someone flatters you with ulterior motives.

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” 1 Cor. 10:23

God allows all things, but we shouldn’t have everything. Understanding our limitations helps set boundaries so that we don’t overindulge in anything. Staying grounded in Christ helps us become more self-aware and able to deal with our greedy nature. 

Enjoy moderation and live life to the fullest.

Lord, forgive us for overindulging in anything. Please give us discernment to help us make wise choices, set healthy boundaries, and live life in moderation. With You, we can do anything. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38, 2 Thess. 2:1-17, Psalm 84:1-12, Proverbs 25:15

Daily Verse: “With patience, a ruler may be persuaded; a soft tongue will break a bone.” Prov. 25:15

Patient speech.

As a sales manager, I learned a trick when dealing with unhappy customers: lower your voice. Speaking softly forced the argumentative person to stop yelling and listen. We dealt with many grumpy people in the stores where I worked. Wanting something for nothing, they always found something to complain about. But by lowering my voice and not engaging in the yelling, I could calm the situation and resolve it.

Using patient speech works. Teaching children, when they become upset, pulling them aside, and talking to them softly helps calm them down. One kid who places unreasonable expectations on himself comes to mind and gets upset quickly. Encouraging him with soft words helps him lose the high standards and rejoice in the progress he makes.

Use situational conflict to help practice patient speech. Lower your voice, repeat the complaint to the person, and then work to find a resolution using calm words. You will find patient speech reduces stiff opposition and finds peace.

Lord, forgive us for flying off the handle and engaging in unproductive speech. Please give us the self-control necessary to control our language, lower our voices, and resolve the problem. Let our words bring life to all who hear them. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20, 2 Thess. 1:1-12, Psalm 83:1-18, Proverbs 25:11-14

Daily Verse: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” Prov. 25:11

Profound speech.

Picturing golden apples in a setting of silver speaks of beauty, value, and artistry. Using words skillfully has a powerful impact on the receiver, giving them lasting encouragement.

Recently, I spoke at Life Community Church in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. In a series on prayer, they asked me to talk about the topic because of my book, Three Word Prayers. The next day, I received an email from the founding pastor giving me feedback on my talk. Full of uplifting and encouraging words, the email fueled me onward. 

Charles Spurgeon, a pastor from the 1800s, used words skillfully. His grasp of the scriptures and his communication still impact people today. Spurgeon, who wrote many sermons, books, poetry, and hymns, used words fitly, producing beautiful fruit that continues to blossom today.

Words carry weight. How we choose to use language matters. Speaking uplifting and encouraging words at the right time will spur people to become who God intends. Choose what you say wisely, and always make sure to couch it in love.

Lord, forgive us for speaking out of turn. Please help us manage our mouths well and only speak words of love at the appropriate time. Each day that passes helps us become more skillful with our language. IJNIP. Amen