Our G.P.S. - Dominique Miller

I'm a planner! I want my day planned out, my week planned out, the next month planned out, even this year! So, not knowing what may get thrown into my lap tomorrow strikes a tinge of anxiety in my heart. I guess I want a crystal ball I can rub every morning that flashes what will happen in my day before it comes. God's GPS doesn't work like that. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Napkin - Dianne McQueen

The table was furnished perfectly and then the servant would wait just outside of sight until the master had finished eating .The servant would not dare touch the table until the master was finished .Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table wipe his fingers, his mouth and clean his beard and would wad up the napkin and toss it on the plate. The servant would then know to clean the table for in those days the wadded up napkin mean't I'm done but if the master got up from the table and folded his napkin and laid it beside his plate the servant would not dare touch the napkin because the folded napkin meant I'm coming back.

Love the Lord Thy God - Rebekah McCullough

How can I love the Lord with all my heart? We use this term loosely and without much thought. I believe God is asking us to love him with all our passion, all our feelings. There's things I'm pretty passionate about, my family (obviously), missions, politics, history, coffee.... Most of these things, just thinking about it, can bring me to great joy, anger, or tears. It's easy for me to get emotional and passionate about these things because I care about them so much. I've invested time, energy, and money into them. I think God is saying for us to love Him with all our emotions, our feelings, our passion. That will require time, energy, and frankly, money. (Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.) Honestly, loving God with all our heart might be the easiest one for us ladies since we tend to be more emotional creatures by design. That leads to the next one.

Preparing Your Spirit - Kim McCoy

Preparing our spirit is a daily task. It’s just as important or even more important than preparing for our physical needs each day. We must be prepared both physically and spiritually to meet the pressures and demands that we face each day.

As Christians we know that this is true, and I’m sure that probably most, if not all that are reading this devotion, already practice this daily. Sometimes we need a little reminder, like I did, about a month ago when I came across this verse in Romans.

Smore's Faith - Jami McConkey

I’ve mentioned Before Cancer and during cancer. Now I would say we are not done with cancer, but rather in recovery. Unfortunately, you are only one scan away from relapse. It’s a reality and truth that we don’t dwell on, but you can’t unknow that either! Some kids make it years and decades and some have to keep getting back in the battle against the beast of Osteosarcoma. That’s the stark reality.

Children, Christian Service, Faith, God's Will, Trials, Trusting GodAmy SappJune 21, 2021Faith, Carried, Journey, Trusting, God, Cancer

There is HOPE - Amy Sapp

The anchor is viewed as a symbol that represents "safety"... The anchor holds the ship in place, representing strength and security. The anchor is a symbol of our hope in Jesus!

Wrestling with God - Marcia Ludwick

Have you ever wrestled with God? I have. The first time I wrestled with God was on a Wednesday night, May 22, 1985. One year and 15 days before, my husband gloriously got saved. As soon as he prayed the sinners’ prayer, he turned to me and said, “Now it’s your turn.” What love, what compassion were in those words! As a new believer, my husband was concerned about my salvation. Oh how we need to be concerned about other lost souls.

My Desire or His Desire - Tammy Myers

I was a little frustrated that he wasn’t letting me pick the place to eat. I wanted to say, No… it’s my birthday and I’m hungry for Italian food and I’ve looked forward to this all day. I had not dressed for a fancy place and wasn’t prepared for this choice. After my husband kept driving toward the steak house, I surrendered my desires and decided to go along with his plan even though I didn’t understand. After all, he was the one paying for this date.

I Want Justice Now - Laurie Loveless

They chose, so stop pursuing. Be polite, pray for them. Care about them in that you want what is best for them. Don't actively get involved but don't completely close the door should they repent one day. We have a responsibility to be distinctively different."

Christian Life, Christian Service, Faith, God's Will, Trusting GodAmy SappApril 19, 2021Now, Want, Justice, Answers, Repent, Obey, Obedience

Relationship in Christ - Duska Lovelace

It doesn’t make for a good relationship if we only go to someone when we want or need something. People that love us want to know those things, but that’s not all they want to know. When we are too busy and to talk with Christ more then when we want something we are treating Him like a genie in a bottle. Maybe you have even made empty promises you can’t and won’t keep just because you are hoping the Lord may answer this request that is so desperate for a quick answer and stressing you out. Hello! He knows us better then we know ourselves and knows we are not going to follow through.

Children, Christian Life, Faith, FriendshipAmy SappApril 19, 2021Relationship, Relationships, Friends, Family, Children, Christ

Do You Have Hope? - Christa Lowe

Hope…helps you smile through the trial.

Hope…helps you to keep giving even when it hurts.

Hope…helps you to keep believing that wayward soul will find their way home.

Hope…helps you hold it all together.

Hope…helps you to never stop praying.

Hope…helps you find rest during weary and hard days.

Sometimes it’s hard to hope though.

Christian Life, Christian Service, Encouragement, Faith, Love of God, Trusting GodAmy SappApril 5, 2021Hope, Evidence, Grace, Smile, Trial, Help

Disciplined Thoughts - Erica Koske

Don’t Worry. Let God know about it. Did you notice Paul didn’t counsel us to discuss our problems to

our mom, sister, or even our husband? Bring it to God in prayer first. This would solve a majority of

problems and save us from making others the dumpster of our thoughts. I love Claudia Barba’s study on

worry in her book, Refresh your Heart. She explains, “Worry is not an emotion. It is a thought process- a

process that you can, and must control, because worry is sin.” There is a difference between worrying

and thinking through a problem. When difficulties arise, Claudia Barba explains that “disciplined thought

moves in a straight line through a tangle of difficulties to possible solutions. Worry is a swirling tornado

of thoughts centered on a fear. They repeat themselves over and over, making you dizzy but

accomplishing nothing else.” Learning to control our thoughts is vital. Remember that your mom, sister,

or friends can’t change the situation, but God can!

The Source of Sweet Water - Patti Larson

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I struggle with my tongue more than anything. I tend to be a "straight shooter", like my Dad. I've often wished I was more like my Mom, whom I've seldom, if ever, heard say a cross word to anyone.

Christian Life, Christian Service, Encouragement, Faith, Friendship, Love of GodAmy SappMarch 8, 2021Sweet, Sweetness, Water, Biter, Language, Talk, Hurt

Loving God HIS Way! - Sarah Komondor

I love God. I believe that you love God or you would not take the time to read this article. However, do I love God the way He deserves? That is a work in progress and, if I’m completely honest, some days are better than others.

The first step to loving God the way He deserves is to KNOW what the Bible teaches on this subject. Once we understand what God wants, then it’s just a matter of having the character to apply it to our lives every day.

Christian Life, Encouragement, Faith, God's Will, Love of God, Trusting GodAmy SappFebruary 22, 2021Love, Love God, Affections, Bible, Deserving, Affection, Heart

Under His Control - Joyce Kiefer

t’s easy to be afraid when things aren’t going the way we want them to go, but God is wherever

we are. Don’t let circumstances get in your way of trusting the Lord, but rather allow your

circumstances to be a way for you to trust the Lord. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “But,

you don’t know what I am going through” and you are right...I don’t; but, God does!! We don’t

need to be afraid of what is going on in our life; we just need to trust in God.

Anxiety, Christian Life, Faith, Trials, Trusting GodAmy SappFebruary 15, 2021Fear, Fret, Control, Negative, Agraid

Learning from Covid - Barb Jackson

God is sovereign and I know He allowed my husband and me to have Covid. He had a plan and a purpose. I prayed and thanked God for giving us Covid and that I believed it was His will. I admit it was a stretch for me to thank Him for Covid, but I knew I was to thank Him for all things. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” and Ephesians 5:20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” There is a song by Lynda Randle “God on the Mountain”. One of the verses says “You talk of faith, when you’re up on the mountain; But talk comes so easy, when life’s at its best; Now it’s down in the valleys, of trials and temptations; That’s where your faith, is really put to the test.”

Anxiety, Christian Life, Faith, Illness, Loneliness, Peace of God, Trials, Trusting GodAmy SappFebruary 1, 2021Comfort, Covid, Faith, Fear, Care, Love, Memorize, Meditate

Improve Your Vision - Alicemarie Johnson

One of the first things a person does when they can’t see is get closer to the object. How can we get

closer spiritually? Compassion. Jude 1:22: “And of some, have compassion, making a difference.” Learn

to see things from another’s point of view. We do not all think the same or react to situations the same;

our problems are all different. When someone has a bad day, or acts in a way that’s hurtful, try to see

what is going on in their life. We don’t always know what is happening; we don’t see everything in their

lives, and we need to have compassion. When someone is hurting or grieving or struggling with a habit,

we need to try to understand; to look through their eyes.

Christian Life, Encouragement, Faith, God's Will, Trusting GodAmy SappJanuary 25, 2021Vision, LIght, Compassion, Glasses, Bifocoals, Desire

God is Still Searching - Faye Jalbert

God gives in the Word of God, the greatest judgment when he says in verse 31c; “their own way have I recompensed upon their heads…” This is when God withdraws His Presence, His power, and His leading from us. He is giving us what we want, and that is to live as we want, to live without the commitment of service.

How many times have we read this verse and thought we need more great preachers, more evangelists or more missionaries! Have we ever looked at ourselves to see how we could be the one God is looking for to stand in the gap: to be a part of that hedge?

Christian Life, Christian Service, Encouragement, Faith, God's Will, Trusting GodAmy SappJanuary 11, 2021Purpose, Place, Plan, Gap, Searching, Courage

Not Perfect, but Transformed! - Terri Howe

It started out as a fairly small project, we were going to replace our countertops, paint, and replace the flooring and we were going to do the work ourselves with some help from others where needed. The more we looked around and talked about what different rooms needed, our list of improvements began to grow! We found a contractor that said he could do the work and began our three-week project!

Give the Gift that Counts: A Labor of Love - Jo Beth Hooker

I Corinthians13:13 says, And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. I love that verse! There is so much in this one verse. For example, the word charity is a term that means benevolent love. It is a term used to describe sacrificial love. God never does anything by accident, so it is no accident that He chose to use the word charity. Many modern versions of the Bible have opted to translate the word simply to love, but the word love does not mean the same thing as charity. The word love has many definitions; it can mean many things to many people and not necessarily does it mean sacrifice. I believe God uses the term charity because it implies giving without expecting anything in return. If I give something to Goodwill or to Amvets, I don’t want it to show back up on my doorstep. I’m giving it away. I don’t want it to come back. According to I Corinthians 13, this is the way true love is to be given-freely, with no expectation of return- but given because true joy, peace and happiness is found in what we give, not what we get.

Christian Service, Christian Life, Faith, Love of GodAmy SappDecember 7, 2020Gift, Giving, Jesus, Labor, Love