I Think I'll Just Praise Him Anyways - Amy Brown

Last year, our family went through one of the hardest trials that we’ve ever had to face together as a family. My dad had been in the hospital with some major complications from an everyday procedure he had gotten done weeks prior, and he had to have emergency surgery to have his colon reconstructed. That, in itself- was very scary and very serious, but little did we know in the days following, the storm we would be facing. His emergency surgery had been that Saturday, but by Wednesday, instead of him getting better, he was getting much worse. During this timeframe, our church had a huge outbreak of Covid, and my mom finally convinced the doctor to test my dad for Covid.

They are Leaving, What Do I Do Now? - Sharon Monzo

Parts of me want to scream and say No! You can't leave me, but then God reminds me she has a whole life that she needs to live. I think, what if something happens to her, but then God reminds me, nothing happens without his approval, and He loves her more than I do. I think what if people are mean to her, but then God reminds me, they WILL be mean to her! There will be people all throughout her life that will be mean to her, They were mean to the nicest person to walk this earth! (Jesus) but He will comfort her and get her through it all. I think, but I will miss her, but then God reminds me, she was never mine to keep! I think, did I prepare her enough, but then God reminds me, you've done all that you can, it's between Me and her now. I think, then what should i do, but then God reminds me just pray for her and trust Me! So, that's what I'm doing! When I start to worry or get sad about my daughters all growing up and hitting these new chapters in their lives, I will just stay focused on the Lord and remember all the things God reminds me of!

Busy for the Lord - Megan Monaghan

Every day of our lives we have tasks to accomplish; whether it is as a mother, a wife, a student, or a child. We as Christians must choose to accomplish these tasks with God on our side or with the world. Every day we have to wake up and make a conscious effort to follow God’s will or do things our way. As Christians, it’s so very important to allow God to lead us in our choices.

Christian Life, Christian Service, God's Will, FriendshipAmy SappSeptember 27, 2021Busy, Work, Might, Schedule, Gossip, Christians, Effort

I Can't - Kristy Miller

One of my biggest struggles was when I was a senior in high school. I had the privilege of being born into a Christian home, went to a great church my entire life and had wonderful Christian parents, preachers, and teachers that taught me the Bible and how God wanted me to live. In spite of church 4 times a week, Christian education, chapel services, family devotion, etc., I still wasn't really sold out on this whole living for Jesus thing. I had watched several people graduate from our Christian school and immediately begin doing the complete opposite of what we had been taught our entire lives.

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."

How is Your Day? - Lucinda Metsinger

Throughout my life, I have recognized that this wisdom can be used over and over again, not just on ornery brothers, but other prickly people.

- You can use it when it comes to the church lady who has to let everyone know ALL the gossip.

- Use it on the fella who cut you off in traffic.

- Use it when dealing with people who are unkind to your children.

- You can even use it on your willful child who seems to know just the right buttons to push to send you into “Crazy Mommy” mode.

No matter who the person is, they should NOT get to decide what kind of day you are going to have or what kind of person you are going to be. Only GOD should have that power.

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.

For His Pleasure - Ruby McMiller

According to the Oxford dictionary, pleasure is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment. We take pleasure

in family, friends, church, and all types of events. They bring us such joy. We enjoy God’s creation daily, season

after season. Every need and desire were placed here for our pleasure (except mosquitoes, still not sure how they

got on the ark ; ).

Children, Christian Life, Encouragement, Friendship, God's WillAmy SappJuly 26, 2021Pleasure, Family, Friends, Church, Sports, Fun, Activity

Infertility - Mylee Restelle

Now, I know there are unforeseen, horrible, and despicable things that can happen to a precious teenage girl that are beyond her control, resulting in a teen pregnancy that is in NO WAY what I am referring to. My heart breaks for girls in situations like that. However, in my story, this was a "let's try it once to see what happens" kind of thing. I'm going to be completely honest with you: these ones always sting a little more than the others. To know that soon their arms will have a wonderful bundle of joy to love, while my arms remain empty, is gut-wrenching.

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!

The Fingerprints of a Mother- Julee Martinez

Fingerprints are a unique design God gave to every individual human. Webster’s dictionary describes fingertips a “an impression or mark made on a surface by a person's fingertip, especially as used for identifying individuals from the unique pattern of whorls and lines.” I marvel at the fact that the God of the universe could easily make the billions of different patterns needed for the billions of people on earth. The marks of a fingerprint are a reflection of the person who holds that mark.

Don't Give Up! - Becky Lyons

Growing up in a Christian home, I was always in church, in Christian school, and in a church atmosphere, going to preaching conferences, church camp, Teen Convention, church teen activities, and going to Bible college...all the usual stuff...

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

A Teacher Named Grace - Niki Lott

Grace is a gift – not earned and not deserved. It is given to us because God is good, not because we are. For those who are reading this who have already received this grace, we realize that our salvation depends wholly upon it. For those who may have never understood or received the grace of God, I want you to know that God’s love, mercy, and grace are available to you because of the kindness and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Christian Life, Encouragement, God's Will, Love of God, Peace of GodAmy SappApril 12, 2021Love, Mercy, Grace, Teaches, Teaching, Teach, Salvation, Peace

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!