Last night I listened to a Steven Furtick Podcast titled, “The Other Hand”. As I listened I reflected on my word of the year for 2021, refine. The other hand is the sin in our lives. The bad habits or faults that are revealed behind closed doors. To refine is to remove impurities or unwanted elements. This fire pit pictured here is full of sticks waiting to be burned. We all have sticks called sin that needs to be refined in the fire.

In this verse from Psalm 73:26 NIV we can be thankful for the parts of us that fail; “My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”. On this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful that God continues to refine me. I am thankful that He is my strength and my portion forever.

You can listen to The Other Hand by clicking this link!

We tend to compartmentalize our faith. We give God our plans for His final approval. We make things more difficult than what they need to be. Just like this picture divided up into 4 sections, we have everything where we think it needs to be.

Picture this 3 mile trail that winds around East Bay. Although it is not straight, it is a continuous path with a start and a finish. Part of being a Water Walker is to trust, submit, and start.

1. Trust God even when we don’t understand or see what comes after the first step.

2. Submit our plans, not for final approval but for full surrender.

3. Start moving forward by asking God to lead us in the path we should go.

The start might be messy. The middle might be nerve-racking, and the finish might look different than we had planned. Will you trust, submit, and start in what God has for you today?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Prov‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One Sunday after church I took this photo of these lilies. It is such a beautiful image to watch the flowers transform through the different seasons. At this particular point these lilies were at their peak in full bloom. Like most flowers they eventually wither, only to return more beautiful and plentiful the following year.

My life verse is Philippians 1:16 NIV; “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” We too change throughout the seasons of life. Sometimes we grow more beautifully and sometimes we allow ourselves to wither. Either way Christ Jesus is continually working on each of us.

On this Transformation Tips Tuesday let’s reflect what season we are in. Are we allowing a good work to be done or are we stagnant? Are we feeling confident or defeated? As faithful stewards let’s go in prayer with open hearts, minds, and hands for what God wants to do in us.

In church yesterday Pastor Charles said when we rest and reset, we reclaim a proper perspective on our lives. Hopefully we all found time this past weekend to rest so that we can reset for the week ahead.

When I see this basketball hoop, I see a challenge. We can choose to let our challenges get the best of us. Or we can choose to reclaim that perspective and take on our challenges with God’s help.

I love this verse from Psalms. It encourages me to open my eyes to the blessings God has for me instead of focusing on my challenges. On this Mindset Monday let’s position ourselves for the blessing. Dribble the ball and shoot for the best! To dribble is to take the ball forward. Will you move forward in what God has in store for you today?

“Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” Psalm‬ ‭34:8‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split” Matt‬ ‭27:51‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The veil being torn symbolizes you and I having a direct connection with Jesus. In this song, “I Say Yes” by Kim Walker-Smith she sings about having an encounter with God. Some of the lyrics sing; “I want an encounter, a real encounter. I say yes to your love. I say yes to your freedom. I say yes to your heart and all of your healing. Your ways are higher. Lord, I surrender. I come to you just as I am”.

I encourage you to listen and worship to the song; https://youtu.be/nPVTbKo-LTI

This is a picture of a cross mounted above our church doors. It is one of many crosses throughout the church. A cross like this one symbolizes that Jesus is alive. All barriers, including the veil have been broken.

As we go to our places of worship, let’s go seeking an encounter. Surrender anything that would compromise that encounter as you enter into His presence.

Yesterday I came across this tree with huge leaves. It was a large, healthy, strong tree. Then I began to think about how old the tree may be and all it has withstood. As we finish this week, let’s all commit to being “planted in the house of the Lord” so we can flourish. I encourage you to read all of Psalms 92 this morning and pray about what you can do to ensure you continue to grow healthy and strong. Let’s Finish Friday by flourishing.

P.S. What kind of tree is this?

Today is Thankful Thursday. Be intentional today about thanking God for “every good and perfect gift “. This beautiful sunset was a blessing to me last night. I snapped many pictures and this was one of the last. As I watched the sun set, I gave thanks to God for being a Master Artist. Look today for all the beauty around you. No matter what we face today, we have much to be thankful. Tell the Maker how thankful you are for new mercies.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.””
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:22-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬