Outside Your Bubble

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."Phillipians 2:3-4

Outside your bubble of existence there are hurting people. People who are neglected, teased, mocked, estranged, scorned, sex trafficked, ridiculed, and on and on the list goes. You may have problems of your own but peek outside the bubble and see what you encounter. 

It isn’t just the pain of rejection but pain of so many kinds where people don’t have anywhere to turn except a bridge, booze, or bottle of pills. The world seems to have forgotten them but God never does. Every nation has people who hurt. 

Whatever you are going through my friend Jesus is there and wants to comfort your broken heart. Don’t run to the culture to get comfort but run to God. 

PRAYER: Father help me to help others who are hurting or who the world rejects. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Note- Click link for 24-7 prayer resources 

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How Is Your Fruit?

 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit in this writing is meaning spiritual fruit not your bananas or things like that. But believers walking with the Lord daily should be producing fruit listed in the verse for today. 

If you in fact are the complete opposites of the type of fruits listed then it is time for some fertilizing so to speak maybe like picking up the Bible and getting it into your spirit. 

I know I don’t like the feelings I get when I am not walking in the Spirit and my fruit isn’t healthy so I have to counteract these things with prayer and Bible reading intentionally knowing that Satan would love to see me fall on my face. Go run your race and grow good spiritual fruit. 

PRAYER: Help me to develop good fruit even when trials come my way to get me to cave. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Who Are You Following?

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.Matthew 16:24

Social media has you checking a block to ‘follow’ someone or something and you can become inundated with all sorts of things that may not be that beneficial to your life. 

The one thing you should follow hard after is Jesus and the things of the Lord. What you follow will tend to shape your perspective on things  and can make you to love like He loves and show grace to people whether you feel up to it or not. 

Your mind can be saturated by the things of the Lord or the world. If you claim to be a Christ follower are you really truly following Him? Ponder that and have a blessed day.

PRAYER: Father there have been times I have been caught up following worldly pursuits more than you. Help me stay focused.  In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Why Are We Tempted To Lie, Sneak, Or Cheat?

 “DO NOT LIE TO EACH OTHER, SINCE YOU HAVE TAKEN OFF YOUR OLD SELF WITH ITS PRACTICES.”COLOSSIANS 3:9

In the beginning with Adam and Eve sin entered into an otherwise perfect world. Satan deceived Eve into thinking the fruit God told her to not eat was okay so after coaxing she ate some then gave some to Adam. Busted! 

So all the lying, cheating, manipulating, stealing originated with the fall of man in the Garden. Wow mind blowing but yet not. There were rules God gave them they chose to not listen got tempted and the rest is history. 

All mankind is born with a sin nature and has to be taught and trained by in truth and righteousness and naturally the ‘natural carnal’ man tends to sneak around and commit sin. Satan is called the prince of darkness and 2 Corinthians 4:4 speaks of the god of this world(Satan) blinding minds of unbelievers and really messing them up. So my friend stand firm with your spiritual armor on and run to defeat deception of the devil. 

PRAYER: Father we are in a world that seeks to destroy truth and manipulate the minds of people to even include believers. Help me be alert to the devil’s schemes and to pray against them. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

It’s Not Worth It

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" Ephesians4:32

Relationships are important especially those in the family. Fractures can occur over many things and God wants restoration. 

If you have been divorced God will forgive but if you are married God wants you to lean in and make marriage work. Perhaps you are dealing with a case of family estrangement and your heart aches so bad. Maybe you had a stupid fight over something dumb like accidentally throwing a treasured memento away. 

Decide first that you will love God. Give Him the person or situation that has caused division and anger. If you need to go ask forgiveness and then stop dwelling in the pit. God desires truth, healing, and restoration and he can bring restoration to what otherwise might look hopeless. Only Satan wants to keep you depressed and angry. Let it go and move on and pray on! 

PRAYER: Lord God forgive me when I have acted foolishly or hurt someone and help me forgive those who have hurt me or hurled insults at me. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Worship Through It

  “O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker” (KJV) Psalm 95:6

I saw this phrase on a man’s tee shirt one day and thought how neat that could be if we could take our problems and worship ‘through them’ instead of being in anguish. 

To worship means different things to different people. You may have heard someone say they worship the ground someone walks on meaning almost idolizing a person, but worship in the sense of a believers life is to praise and honor through songs and prayers to the Lord most high. 

Some churches call church itself their worship service but in more non denominational churches worship is a time of lifting hands in the air and singing praises and giving thanks to God for all He has done. It is separate from the actual message delivered by the pastor. If you are having a gloomy day the best thing to do is to focus on God and maybe play some praise and worship songs. Now go give praise to God in all things. He is in control. 

PRAYER: Father to your name be honor and glory and power forever more. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Note- click link for a worship song from Highlands worship in Birmingham, AL.https://youtu.be/tejMgeDWIpg?is=hcZg4-4bD3ho5tM-

 

Laid Back Luxury Living

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man." Proverbs 6:10-11

Welcome to 2026 and where I live used to be the wild untamed west and to survive you had to have or develop basic skills. Cooking, quilting, building, wood chopping, making barrels, building homes etc etc. Now I don't think ‘Shop’ or ‘Home ec’ are even courses in any US high school at least of what I am aware of. Your fitness center wasn’t heading to the gym but daily hard work and chores.  

It took hard back breaking work to create these United States of America and unless a parent or grandparent has passed on basic life skills years from now they will disappear. Stop as we approach the 250th birthday of America and really ponder our blessings and all that those before us did. Genius’s like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers to name a few. 

Be thankful each day and try to learn a skill that was used in the early days. At one time I made baskets but now my supplies are in the attic. Perhaps time to get them down. Maybe learn knitting or men learn to fix things and if you need help I know people like my husband willing to lend a hand. Don’t take your laid back luxury living for granted. Regardless if you are in a river or ocean front condo you are blessed. 

PRAYER: Lord Jesus help me not be a slothful person but work hard and help others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.