Quote Of The Day

                                                                                                        Story of the day:  Change

   Change can sometimes be scary.  “Change defines our world.  Each day, a dazzling array of changes confronts us.  Governments fall, children grow and mature, friends move away, storms uproot trees, new buildings replace old ones, colors fade, summer turns into fall, and technological advances render modern appliances obsolete.  All these changes tend to undermine our feelings of security–we wonder what will last, what is solid, and who will be there.

   Then we turn to God’s Word, which proclaims the reassuring fact that our God does not change.  In truth, He is the same as He has always been–loving, forgiving, merciful, and just.  And, unlike the sources of many of our disappointments, God is reliable–He keeps His promises.  We can be sure that what He says, He will do.  We can know that He will be with us and for us in the future, forever, in fact, just as He is today.

   Feeling unsure or insecure as you face the continuous onslaught of change?  Plant your feet and your faith on a solid foundation–your unchanging Lord.”  (Livingstone)

Quote of the day:  Dale Galloway

“Karl Barth, famed theologian, was once asked, “What is the greatest thought you ever had?”  His answer:  “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Bible verse of the day:  Hebrews 13:8

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You that in the midst of change, I can count on Your character and Your promises to get me through the change.  You have proven Your faithfulness throughout time and because of Your faithfulness, I can rest assured that through any change, I will be okay.  I thank You for this day!

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen

Story of the day:  An act of surrender (Kim’s Collections)

   As I wrote yesterday about the continual revelation of God’s word, I believe that surrender is also a continual response. There may be a place and date that you remember when God spoke and you answered and surrendered to His voice. The place of surrender can be a reminder to us of a decision that we made, but we must continually engage our will to remain obedient in our act of surrender.

    One day as I was seeking to understand a lack of peace I was having in an area of service, I was reading through the story in Exodus of when God told Moses that he was going to be the one to lead His chosen people out of bondage. I must admit, I have more than once thought of how awesome it would be to have God speak to me through a burning bush or writing on a wall. But thankfully God still speaks and enables us to recognize His voice and receive direction from Him still today. As I read the passage where God asked Moses, “What’s that in your hand?”, God spoke to me through this passage and told me that I already have in my hand the tool and the ability to carry out the call on my life. Moses had in his hand a rod that he used in his every day job of shepherding. He was already familiar with this rod and this rod was going to be what God used to display His miracles through Moses. God showed me that I already possessed in my hand what He was going to empower and use to bring freedom to His people. I just had to pick up my “rod” and allow God to work His power through me. Now the revelation alone is not what will bring change. It is the continual surrender to the revelation, the continual taking up of the “rod” and allowing God to work His power through it, the continual, conscience decision to see the value in the familiar.

   Your “rod“ may be a talent or an ability that your have possessed for a long time and you just haven‘t seen the eternal value in it. Ask God to show you what you have in your hand that He can empower to help others walk in their freedom..

Quote of the day:  Zig Ziglar

“He climbs higest who helps another up”

Bible verse of the day:  Exodus 4:17

“And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

 I pray that today we will see the eternal value in the talents and abilities that we already possess. Breathe fresh life and fresh power on the familiar. Help us to see that the abilities we have are not achieved without your enabling grace. Reveal to us the “rod” and the potential we have in using this God-given “rod” to bring freedom to your chosen ones.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Story of the day:  Our Attitude is Contagious

     I love to laugh,  and although I may not feel like always laughing or smiling, my attitude is very contagious so I must be aware of it.  My family can tell right away if I have a good attitude or bad attitude just based on my facial expressions.  “If you’re upbeat and optimistic, people tend to emulate you.  But, if you fall prey to cynicism or pessimism, others will also.

    How will you direct your thoughts today?  Will you obey the words of Philippians 4:8, by dwelling upon those things that are true, honorable, and right?  Or will you allow your thoughts to be hijacked by the negativity that seems to dominate our troubled world?  Have you become so overwhelmed and preoccupied with the concerns of this day that you fail to thank God for the promise of eternity?  Are you fearful, angry, bored, worried, confused, bitter, or pessimistic?  If so, God wants to have a little talk with you.

    God intends that you experience joy and abundance, but He will not force His joy upon you; you must claim it for yourself.  So today and everday hereafter, focus your thoughts and your energies upon ‘whatever is commendable’“(Family Christian Press), and remember that your attitude is contagious.

Quote of the day:  Barbara Johnson

 “Developing a positive attitude means working continually to find what is uplifting and encouraging.”

Bible verse of the day:  Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praise-worthy- meditate on these things.”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I first of all want to apologize for anytime that I have allowed my attitude to effect others in a negative way.  God as much as I always want to be happy, sometimes it doesn’t always happen.  I pray that during these times, I am able to recognize this and can push through the way that I am feeling and remember that my attitude, whether bad or good, is very contagious and can have a lasting effect on others.  God, prepare my heart for the times that I am fearful, angry, or upset so that I can pray to You about them and they can be lifted.  I give all that I am and have to You and while dwelling on things that are true, Your peace will be with me, which in turn changes my negative attitude to a positive attitude and effects others in a positive way.  I thank You for this day!

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen 

Quote of the day:  Choices

    Choices are things that we do.  ”The choices we make today”, as my husband has so greatly stated, “will effect tomorrow”, so we must choose wisely.  The choice becomes our decision and once it is made, we must live with it for the rest of our life.

    Some of the words associated with the word, “choice” according to Swindoll, are “can’t and won’t.  Christians need to be very careful which one they choose.  It seems that we prefer to use can’t. 

    “I just can’t get along with my wife.”

    “My husband and I can’t communicate.”

    “I can’t discipline the kids like I should.”

    “I just can’t give up the affair I’m having.”

    “I can’t stop overeating.”

    “I can’t find time to pray.”

    “I can’t quit gossiping.”

    No, any one who takes the Scripture seriously will have to confess the word really should be won’t.  Why?  Because we have been given the power, the ability to overcome.  Literally!

    One of the best books you can read on overcoming depression is a splendid work by two psychiatrists, Frank Minirth and Paul Meier.  The volume is appropriately entitled Happiness is a Choice.  They write: “As psychiatrists we cringe whenever  [Christian] patients use the word can’t…Any good psychiatrist knows that “I can’t” and “I’ve tried” are merely lame excuses.  We insist that our patients be honest with themselves and use language that expresses the reality of the situation.  So we have our patients change their can’t to won’ts…If an individual changes all his can’ts to won’ts, he stops avoiding the truth, quits deceiving himself, and starts living in reality…”

    “I just won’t get along with my wife.”

    “My husband and I won’t communicate.”

    “I won’t discipline the kids like I should.”

    “I just won’t give up the affair I’m having.”

    “I won’t stop overeating.”

    “I won’t find time to pray.”

    “I wont quit gossiping.”

    Non Christians have every right and reason to use can’t, because they really can’t.  They are victims, trapped and bound like slaves in a fierce and endless struggle.  Without Christ and His power, they lack what it takes to changer permanently.  They don’t know because they can’t.  It is a fact…a valid excuse.   

    But people like us?  Hey let’s face it, we don’t because we won’t…we disobey because we want to, not because we have to…because we choose to, not because we’re forced to.  The sooner we are willing to own up realistically to our responsibility and stop playing the blame game at pity parties for ourselves, the more we’ll learn and change and the less we’ll burn and blame.”

Quote of the day:  William Arthur Ward

“Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not to envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.”

Bible verse of the day:  Deuteronomy 30:19

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We all have a choice to make.  The first choice is to accept Your free gift of life, and the second choice is to live a life that is pleasing to You.  Father, I don’t know all the answers to every question that people may have, but the things that You do want us to know are found in Your Word and through praying.  Father, I pray that we as Christians stop using the words can’t and won’t, as they are only excuses that aren’t helpful to Your Kingdom.  Please help me to recognize the times where I want to use these words and redirect my thinking so that I can choose wisely.

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen 

                                                                                                                                                                                       Story of the day:  Our Self Portrait

    Pictures can say a thousand words.  I especially love self portraits of people, because they fascinate me the most.  Their eyes in each of the pictures speak volumes as their stories come to life through these still images.  They tend to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father and if you look deep into the eyes of these pictures, it’s as though you can see through their eyes and into the depths of their souls.  I guess that’s why I love them so much.  And after the picture has been taken, there is no fixing it to change a pose or change their outfits.  We can take more pictures, but you can never recapture the same moment in time once a picture has been taken.  There is one picture, if I could go back and take, would say a thousand words.  It is a picture of perfection, simplicity, and built on a lot of love.  It is the picture of the Garden of Eden.             

    Nanette Kinkade illustrates this picture by saying,”God knew He needed more.  Adam was king over the ocean, the sky, the trees, the animals-nothing existed that he didn’t have, except her.  Eve, conceived through Adam’s own life, became the necessary angle of a spiritual triangle that helped mankind best see God.  With God above and the two below ever seeking His face, inevitably they grew closer together as they neared God’s presence, a perfect picture of God’s love relationship with His family.

    But since the Fall, things haven’t been the same.  Where love and trust once grew, seeds of doubt, and despair have sprouted around, covering the accurate picture of hope God intends for His people.  The truth is, Christians are bound to perfection, still.  We just don’t need to look for it in our mates or others.  Instead, we find strength and a steady love from above, from our Heavenly Father who does not change like shifting shadows.  As we receive from Him His endless grace and abounding mercy, we find the freedom to love the spouse and others that God has given us and to allow ourselves the vulnerability required to trust God and our mate or others.  God says that perfect love casts out fear.  When we discover God’s perfect love for us, our fear of failure, rejections, and of being forgotten simply fades away, and the beauty of Christ’s light warms our hearts towards all those around us.”  It does so in a way that is a reflection of God, just as the pictures that are taken of us, it is our Self Portrait.

Quote of the day:  Christy Povolish

“The Self Portraits tend to be a reflection of our Heavenly Father and if you look deep into the eyes of these pictures, it’s as though you can see through their eyes and into the depths of their souls.”

Bible verse of the day:  Genesis 1:27

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

“We have fallen so far from that original picture that You painted in Eden for Your children.” Our self portrait was given to each of us and created in Your image which in turn has become a masterpiece.  May my eyes continue to tell the story of Your will in my life.  May every picture I take radiate the Love that comes only by knowing You.  I thank You for this day!

In Jesus Name I pray,

Amen