Meet my Yorkshire Terrier Abby. She likes to dig through trash cans. Most every morning when I go in the bathroom to get ready for my day, she sneaks around to the trash can and rummages through the trash looking for a “treasure”. Most every morning I ask her, “Have you been digging in the trash?” That’s when she acts just as a child would and she turns her head to avoid eye contact because she knows I am going to fuss at her. She knows she was in the wrong.

Abby reminds me of myself and maybe you can also relate. I have that one area that I constantly battle and keep falling into the trap of sin. I know it’s wrong, yet I still allow the lure of the trash to entice me for momentary, earthly pleasure from what is really trash treasure. I fall into a vicious cycle.

Praise God for a new day and new mercies. Praise God for redemption through Jesus Christ. Praise God for love and grace.

Today is Spiritual Sunday. Today I will go to church to worship. Today I will go to the foot of the cross, repent, and die to my sin.

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:6-7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How about you? Do you have that one sin that has enslaved you? Do you have that one treasure you have been seeking in the trash? Today, I pray that you also will go to the foot of the cross, repent, and die to that enslaving sin. May you and I feel God’s love and mercy as we are covered by our Redeemer.

Please take some time to day to listen to this testimony from Big Daddy Weave and the story behind the song Redeemed.

You may have noticed that we have been spending the week in Psalms. Today is a hard verse to read. In Ps 22:1; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?” Ps 22:1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This verse appears in the Gospels as well, Mat 27:46 and Mark 15:34 NIV; “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).” Mat‬ ‭27:46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Have you ever felt like God had abandoned you? Have you ever prayed a prayer that you didn’t think God would ever answer? In these verses Jesus is crying out to His Father. I know there have been times I have cried out. If we allow it, our relationship with God can grow cold like this photo. We must understand that Jesus’s blood was sacrificed so that we could have grace and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

On this Finish Friday, I encourage us to examine our hearts, minds, and souls. Maybe grief has caused your heart to grow cold. Maybe old resentment has gotten in between you and God. Maybe you have stopped praying because God has been silent. It is ok to be sad, mad, and silent. We are all human. I am here to encourage us all to keep the faith and keep praying long. Remember to finish strong like Jesus. We used to wear bracelets that said “what would Jesus do?” I still have mine. What would Jesus do in your situation?

Maybe none of these scenarios are you. I am sure we all have a friend or family member in need. Let’s shine the light of Jesus into their lives. Let’s encourage them that it is never too late to run into God’s arms and experience our Fathers unconditional love.

Listen to this song Why God? By Austin French.

My favorite race day verse is from Psalm 118:24 NLT; “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” On Saturday I ran a long run in preparation for a Marathon. Deborah along with our friend Melody, and my Mom joined me on different parts of that journey. I tell you this on Thankful Thursday because I am so thankful to have their support. I share this verse because even in the hard things we should rejoice.

Running long is not always easy. I like to do it because it’s a slow conversational pace that I can often get a lot of prayer miles in, or listen to podcasts and books. I know that God made that very Day, knowing I would do that hard thing. He strategically planned ever detail, down to when, where, and how my support team would come rally me on.

This very day on Thankful Thursday the Lord has made too. Some of you may be in the middle of a trial right now and think it’s impossible to rejoice. If that is you, I encourage you to rejoice in the little details like friends and family showing up in your time of need. Some of you may be on a mountain top experience right now. If that is you, don’t forget to rejoice because things have gotten easier. “Rejoice always,” 1 Thes‬ ‭5:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let’s look at David’s confidence in God from these two verses of Psalms 27:1-2 NIV; “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.” David is a great example of what is looks like to have Godly confidence.

On this Water Walking Wednesday will we remember that with God on our side all things are possible? In Matthew 19:26 NIV we read; “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””

Will we remember that when life doesn’t make sense, we have the confidence in God’s faithful promises and God is always working? In Romans 8:28 NIV; “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

When we can’t seem to grab ahold of that Godly confidence, we can recite; “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
‭‭Phil 4:13‬ NIV.

Father, Thank You for the confidence to Walk on Water that only you can provide. Help us all to be brave today to do your perfect will. Thank you for working out all the details behind the scenes. Give us the strength, that we can do all things through you! Amén

In Psalm 143:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬ we read David’s prayer to be rescued from his enemies. Verse 8 really speaks to me; “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”‬

I am a planner. I like to map out my days and my weeks. Ultimately God’s plans will prevail; “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Pr‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬. It’s when things don’t go as planned that we cry out to God.

Look at this picture and envision what the builders are planning. I imagine this will become a house on stilts. There are contractors and builders working together, trusting each other with their plans. In the end will be a beautiful masterpiece. On this Transformation Tips Tuesday will we surrender and entrust God with our plans and our lives? Will we have trust and faith like David? I say we because often I am writing to myself.

Anyone struggling with this, ask God today for a renewal. May His unfailing love wash over any anxious thoughts. May our hearts and minds be transformed.

Happy Valentines Day! Last Friday Deborah finished the week strong with an encouraging world to do everything in love. On this Mindset Monday, I want to encourage us all to do everything with grace. We tend to put a lot of expectations and unnecessary pressure on our relationships, whether it is a spouse, child, parent, friend, or co-worker.

In this Message version of Psalm 145: 8-9, God does everyone soaked through with grace “God is all mercy and grace— not quick to anger, is rich in love. God is good to one and all; everything he does is soaked through with grace.” We could allow the world to influence our mindset towards people, situations, or even ourselves that are in need of grace or we could allow God’s word to soak through. Will you be quick to anger today? Or will you be rich in love?

Can you imagine standing with John as the Angel showed him the Garden of Eden. These earthly images of the Juney Wank Falls, I am sure cannot compare. In revelation 22:1 NIV we read; “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”
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Reading this verse, seeing and hearing these images brings me joy and hope. The vastness of God cannot be contained. His love isn’t finite, it has no limits and no bounds. Although this song, Garden by Kari Job isn’t necessarily about the Garden of Eden, it is a song of hope. We can parral it with the promises God gives us. One of the lyrics sings; “You will stop at nothing to heal my broken soul”.

This world will often leave us broken. Thankfully God keeps running after us. On this Spiritual Sunday sit at the throne of God. Bask in His beauty. Imagine yourself standing their with John at the Garden of Eden. Breathe in hope, joy, and love. Let’s be open to hear what God has for us today through His word and song. I pray we will all feel a renewing to start are week refreshed by God’s living water.

Here is The Story of the Garden song. I always love to know the meaning behind a song.