Luke 12-13: Fear, anxiety, depression these words are the description of where so many live today. Part of the reason for these emotions is that we are trying to fix life on our own. It gets overwhelming when the bills come and the finances are not there. It leaves us anxious when we don’t know how to fix our children or make them want what is best for them. Depression sets in as we rest in our weakness and know that we are powerless to control anything really. Then darkness and discouragement become kindred spirits in our soul.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We can admit we can’t fix it. We can’t control, we can’t change others, we can’t make them want what is best, but we know Someone who can. That same someone is the One who is Light. He is life. He is Hope! Instead of trying to “fix” we pray and give it to our Fixer Father. We bring our requests then believe and know He can fix it. Then we listen to hear what is it that He wants me to do as a part of his fix. Then do what He says or wait patiently on Him to give the next direction. Little by little the faith that grows becomes a bright light of hope in the soul of the believer who says, I can’t but God can and even if He chooses not to His is still in Control and He will take care of me.

Luke 12:27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

John 7-9: Where does your heart and mind stay most of the time? Is it thinking about college sports? Is it in your business or in a project you are working on? Maybe it is even in your family? There is nothing wrong with any of these things being on our mind and keeping mindful of them. Some will take greater importance in your mind space than others. God wants us to have our minds and hearts stayed on Him. One of the ways we do that is by staying in His word then applying the truths we learn to all of the area our mind and heart run to daily.

John 8:31 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”

As we read His word and take it to heart, we will be better business people, parents, workers, and yes even football fans. lol. As we do our jobs as unto the Lord, love the people we are leading, worshiping with, or even cheering with we do it with a greater purpose and that is to lead them into a deeper relationship with Jesus. In turn we too grow deeper in love with the One we will spend eternity with. May we see our time in God’s word as more than just something to check off of the list but where we abide!

Matthew 16; Mark 8:11-9:1; Luke 9:18-27: From the highs to the lows sometimes it only takes a matter of a few minutes or seconds. I can’t help thinking about the Alabama vs. Auburn game a few years ago when in the last second the victory was snatched away from the Crimson Tide. Even today the Auburn nation asks frequently “Got a second?” They usually have smile on their faces.
I wonder if Peter must have felt like he too went from the smile of victory to the red faced of embarrassment in a matter of minutes as Jesus asks “Who do men say that I am.” Peter says “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” It was almost at that point as if he becomes the star student and Jesus says “flesh and blood did not reveal that to you but My Father in Heaven”. Then Peter goes from the start student to class dunce when Jesus is explaining that He will have to suffer and die. At that point the star says, may it never be and immediately the shine tarnished and Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan.” Wow! from God’s revelation to him to being called Satan himself. Oh how we easily fall from the heights of wisdom to the depths of self.
I think about myself at times when I know I hear God’s voice and His wisdom being revealed to me. I know because I don’t have the knowledge of wisdom to understand so it must be His hand on me. Then I turn around and give into my selfish natures or desires and think Hold on a second! I know better! I pray God will always reveal when I allow the enemy to cloud my thoughts and heart. I pray I will always run back to Him quickly and to know the Father’ confidence in me to use me to help build His kingdom by loving one person at a time.

Matthew 10; 14; Mark 6:7-56; Luke 9:1-17; John 6: “Don’t y’all know what causes that?” “Y’all need to get a TV.” “You do know that you have 3 already right?” These are just a sampling of the things that people said to me when I found out we were having another child. I was already teary thinking how in the world are we going to do this? I kept telling the Father, “I don’t have enough sense left to have another one.” And yet He gave this gift and I knew it. He set us out on a journey to raise all 4 of our children as best we could with the information and resources we had at the time. Did we mess up at times? You betcha! But we knew that God had called us to it and that He would have to provide. He would have to give strength. He would have to come through.
I wonder if the disciples felt overwhelmed when Jesus sent them out? I wonder if they looked at their clothes on their back and shoes on their feet along with a “now go to the town and look for someone to take you in and feed you.” and wonder how in the world! I can’t imagine someone like Matthew who had been a tax collector and had been accustomed to having money now being sent out without a change of clothes or 2 tunics. Did he scratch his head and say, “Jesus, you don’t understand how this works.” And yet God used these simple me to change the world and even our lives today.
That same 4th child I did not think I had enough sense to care for. She now serves in the Middle East learning Arabic so she can tell others about the same Man that the disciples were to make known. She resides in their same area of the country making known Him who sent them.
Today you may be overwhelmed, tired, weary or even sad because you just can’t figure out how or why. Just know God’s plans and His ways are so much greater than our own and if we will trust Him one day and sometimes one minute at a time we will get down the road and see how huge what God was doing really was.

Matthew 13:1-53; Mark 4:1-34; Luke 8:1-18: Do you ever think about what you look at but don’t see? Maybe it is a deer in the woods or a squirrel in a tree. You see the trees but you miss what is before you because you just don’t see it. Or maybe you see a bush of flowers but you don’t see the butterflies or the bees sitting on each stem. I wonder if that is not what the parables were really like. The truths were right there before their eyes yet seeing they did not see and hearing they did not hear. Is that like us too though. We sit in church week after week and some come away just have checked a box that they attended and yet others are like a sponge and God fills them to overflowing and they go out during the week squeezing their living water on any and everyone. They both hear but one truly understands and gets the message and lives it out. The other did not absorb nor did they have anything in them to pour out on others. I am sure there are times I am like the sponge and I must admit there are times I am just not seeing or hearing what is being poured out before and on me. Father please forgive me for the times I am really not listening. Help me hear your voice every time you have a word for me. Help my heart be tender and ready not just to hear but to act. Help me to see where You are at work and what You have for me.

Matthew 12:22-50; Mark 3:22-35; Luke 8:19-21; 11:14-54: Replacement is a huge part of setting a new pattern for your life. In the passages today we read of the man who once had a demon who was healed of that demon, but it was important for that man to fill the void of the darkness with light and continue in that pattern. Jesus said if the void is not filled, the demon will return with even more to find the place swept clean and ready.
I wonder in our lives how many people come to church, have an experience with the Lord, then go right back into the same old way of life and the darkness comes back with a. vengeance. If we do not work on replacing the darkness with scripture, prayer, God honoring music, christian friends and influences the drift back into the old way of life will happen quickly. We have a tendency to go back to what we know and if comfortable. Then when we are convicted we think, to what end? I already tried that and it didn’t work. It didn’t work because we never really turned away. God is saying turn away never to return to the things of the flesh. Replace them with things of the spirit. If you walk in the spirit you will not do the things of the flesh. Setting that new pattern and living in it will allow for growth to the point that the old nature will no longer “fit” who you are and saying no will be much easier in time. Until then, don’t even entertain the things of your old nature. Live in the Light!

Matthew 4:23-25, 8:14-17; Mark 1:21-39; Luke 4:31-44: If you found a cure for cancer or aids would you share it with the world? Do you think people would come from every country to try to see if it worked for them? That is what we see in the scriptures today. Jesus was healing those who were sick. He was casting out demons. These were things their doctors could not do. Jesus was doing something only someone with divine power could do. Many wanted His healing and yet not all wanted to follow His ways. I wonder if that is not much like our culture today. We want the benefits of His miracles, that is why we call out to Him in our distress, but we don’t want to make the life changes that come with being His follower. Jesus made it clear that the His way is a narrow way and few will follow it. May we all long for the Healer more than being healed. May we long for the Provider greater than just the provision. May we want Him more than His power and strength. May we want Him.

Matthew 4:1-22; 13:54-58; Mark 1:12-20; 6:1-6;Luke 4:1-30; 5:1-11; John 1:35-2:12: Some friends and I have been on a detox for about 4 weeks now. I can tell you that just being on that detox has brought out some things in me that I have not liked. When I am hungry, I am not always sweet. I know faint and fall out right. lol. I also find that I focus a whole lot more on food when I can’t have it. But I have also found out that I can say no! I can express self discipline in when and what I eat and with the Father’s help I can be successful. I wonder how Jesus felt as He was fasting for those 40 days. It said that the angels came and ministered to Him. I know that one of the most effective things I have done was to have other believers in this thing with me and we have all been praying for one another. I too have found that “Man doesn’t live by bread alone but by the Word of God”. His word can help you when you think you can’t. I have found that determination is something from within and no one can give you their determination or self discipline. Jesus was going through so much more than I could ever identify with, but I know that saying no to food and things even for a short time can be beneficial to our spiritual growth.

Matthew 1; Luke 1:1-2:38: Confession is good for the soul right? For many years I would come to the first chapter of Matthew and just skim it. I did not know these people, their names were not familiar and though I could pick out a few from the Bible stories I had heard as a child they still were just names to me. Since I have started reading the Bible yearly I have seen this chapter take on new life for me. Granted I still don’t know all of the names, but the more I read God’s word they are not just names to me anymore. They are more like old friends. lol You may be shaking your head by this point, but believe it or not the more familiar you are with the scriptures the more they do become like teachers in some ways. Some are good teachers like David, Abraham, Josiah, Hezekiah. Others did not fair so well and those of you who read my writings know I still struggle some with the likes of Solomon. As I read how there are 14 generations before captivity in Egypt, then 14 generations to David, then 14 generations to Jesus I am reminded how short the time really was. I am also reminded that just as these men played an important part in history, so do I. I am someone’s child, someone’s mother, someone’s grand mother, and the legacy I leave for those coming behind me really does matter.
When I put my feet on the floor each morning I am writing a record they may well read and evaluate as to the genuineness of my faith. I could very well sway them toward or away from their eternal home or even their children’s spiritual eternity. I pray that in generations to come they will look at my life as a turbo boost toward the things of God. I hope they will smile some at my crazy antics and weird sense of humor. I pray they will reverence and awe the mighty God I serve and see His great faithfulness to and through me.

Nehemiah 11-13; Psalm 126: I know there are many of you that are a buzz because today is the beginning of October and you are loving all of the pumpkin spice and fall colors. I get that and I love the beauty and smells of this time of year, but I always enter October with a heavy heart for the darkness that is celebrated during this time as well. From horror movies to full on celebration of all things evil my heart grieves. Granted I know not everyone is involved in that stuff. instead of celebrating the darkness my heart wants to run to the light. So today’s scriptures lighten my soul as I imagine God’s people singing in antiphonal praise around the new wall built in their beloved Jerusalem. I can almost smell the smoke of the offerings and hear the prophet’s as they read the Torah. My heart rejoices to know that those who were once captives in a foreign land had been given the privilege of returning and restoring the land they loved. They had much to celebrate, but we do as well.
So I am starting this month with Praise and thanksgiving to the One who gives life! I praise Him that though at times we may sow in tears, we can reap in joy and laughter as the Psalm says. We too were once captives of sin, but we now rejoice as Children of the Living God. We serve a God of the Living who conquered death and the grave! So on this first day of October I celebrate the life that may at times looks dead or dying much like the leaves on the trees but is very much alive within. I celebrate that just as Jesus was dead and buried that He did not come back as a Zombie, but as the Living King of Kings and Lord of Lords! I celebrate that death and evil has NO victory over this child of God! Indeed we have much to celebrate!