Today is Mindset Monday. How will you start your week? What will you focus on? This familiar Bible verse instructs us to “set our minds on things above.” Now read the Message version of this scripture:
“So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.” Colossians 3:1-2 MSG Where are you looking today? Listen to this song, “Look Up Child” by Lauren Daigle and allow God to set your mindset for this week.
Today is #spiritualsunday. Just as in the picture, we cannot see what is ahead on our individual journey. However, by spending time in the presence of the Lord we may know better what lies ahead on our path and will be filled with joy to spread along the way. Today as you worship, revel in the presence of God. Use your time of worship to renew your joy as we begin a new week on our path.
How can I live a Christ-centered life? How can I create a Christ-centered home? This morning I have prayed and prayed for inspiration for what words to share with you and I do not have any profound words for you. In all my study and prayer this week I think it all boils down to what or who do I use as my standard of measure? Who do I look to for guidance and direction? Do I look to my family? Do I look to my friends? Do I look to my co-workers?
CHRIST-CENTERED
Instead of a longer post today, I would like to share some scriptures that I want to encourage you to look up and read. Spend some time meditating and praying. And I want to re-share a song that I shared recently because I feel it encompasses what it means to be Christ-centered. Allow your Savior to be the center of your focus as you begin your day. Remember who you are and remember whose you are.
Today didn’t start as I planned. I found it hard to get out of bed. I seemed to move slowly in getting ready for the day which meant I was running late for work. When I sat down to write for you I struggled to get my thoughts together. In fact, what I did write is not even what I am now sharing with you. Since I was feeling so unsettled in my spirit I decided it was best to not share what I had written and to wait until I was feeling more at peace. Then I walked into the kitchen and found two sinks full of dirty dishes put there after I went to bed last night. Needless to say, this was fuel for the bad attitude I already had. As I poured my coffee I started questioning where I went wrong in my parenting. Have I allowed my children to think I am the live in maid and will clean up all their messes? Everywhere I looked caused me to feel grumpier and grumpier. I left the house feeling a sense of failure and defeat. On my drive to school I prayed and listened to the Christian radio station and this is what I heard God saying to me.
God reminded me that I was letting Satan distract me and to steal my joy. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 NIV
God reminded me that I must look forward, not get stuck in my bad attitude, and trust God to help me. “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.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
God reminded me thru the song, “Maybe It’s Ok” that it’s ok if I’m not ok. It’s ok for me to sometimes feel broken so I will know what it feels like to be whole. https://youtu.be/XPZ9p00gOUU
God reminded me thru the song “Little More Like Jesus” that what I want more that anything is to be more like Jesus and less like me. https://youtu.be/DOOVx9lBMOs
In 1 John 2:6 ESV we are told “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” What does it mean to “abide in him”? Abide means to remain, continue, stay. Here is what I want you to hear today friend. ALL of us have daily struggles. ALL of us have times of weakness when we let Satan cause chaos and turmoil. ALL of us have times when we feel stagnant and stale. The way we get out of those times is by putting one foot in front of the other. We must keep fighting the good fight. We must remain, continue, and stay with Christ. Some days you are going to feel lost but keep doing those things that grow you spiritually. Continue reading the Bible. Continue talking to God. Continue to move forward. God loves you and me with such an overwhelming love. God will always love you and me. God hasn’t given up. Let’s not give up either. “Keep moving forward!”
Please spend some time listening to the words of the above songs and meditating on the above scriptures. Allow God to speak to you and give you peace.
Focus (noun): the center of interest or activity One year. Tomorrow marks one year since the last day of school for the 2019-2020 year. One year since our world was turned upside down. One year of becoming all too familiar with words and phrases we could have never imagined would become part of our daily vocabulary; quarantine, social distancing, pandemic. One year of “new normals”. One year of our focus constantly changing and being challenged. Today let’s take a moment to ponder our focus journey over the last year, but let’s not stay in the past for long. Remember when we were focused on scoring a pack of toilet paper or paper towels? Remember when the daily COVID-19 press conference seemed like our lifeline to the reality that was upon us? Remember the rollercoaster of emotions? Remember the mourning we experienced in so many different levels? All of those things have altered our focus over the last year. Now that we have reflected, let’s “keep moving forward” as Walt Disney said. I pray that through this all your true focus was our Savior Jesus Christ. Through it all, He was the one unchanging part of our lives. However, if you have moved away from Him, let’s look ahead and re-focus. Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or to the left; keep your foot from evil.” Today examine your focus. Where are you gazing? Which way are your feet going? Is your focus on God, God’s love and God’s will? Are you “living in the moment” and enjoying the gifts God has given you today? Or are you still focused on the hurts of the last year and allowing all that was lost to occupy all your focus and time? For me, last night was filled with much hope. Last night renewed my focus. Last night I had the blessing of watching my son play baseball. Tomorrow will be one year since he had been able to play the game he loves so much with his high school teammates. Last night was filled with much hope. Although it was different, I was able to see many I haven’t seen in so long, I was able to sit in the school stadium watching baseball, and I was able to hug my parents without the worry of them getting sick. I know our “normals” will continue to be new, but may we all be able to stay focused on the blessings within each moment that God gifts us. May we all “look straight ahead and fix our gaze before us.” P.S. Always have extra toilet paper for “just in case” emergencies. LOL
God has used my writing this week to speak to me and help me work through letting go of some things. For example, my many devotion email subscriptions. As I shared with you in my last blog post I recently had COVID. One of the lingering symptoms for me has been what is called COVID brain fog. I am still struggling with focusing or concentrating for long periods of time. As I have gotten back into my morning devotion routine I have continued to have difficulty reading all the devotions that I usually read. For several weeks I felt guilty that I wasn’t able to get it all read. However, this week God has reminded me that He doesn’t have a prescribed formula that He expects for our time together. Those expectations were made by me and God’s love for me is not based on how many devotions I read every day. In the song we have be breaking apart this week, “Truth Be Told”, Matthew West sings, “Can I really stand here unashamed knowin’ that your love for me won’t change? Oh God if that’s really true then let the truth be told.” Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” NIV
As I said, I receive many devotional emails. Over time I have kept adding more and more. My unread emails have accumulated over the last few weeks and sometimes have reached over 100 in my primary email. That causes me to be anxious when I look at my phone and see all those unread emails. Through my writing this week, God has allowed me to let go and get back to the basics. So tomorrow when I am able to sit and study a little longer, I will also set time aside to go through all of my emails and unsubscribe to most of them. I am still praying about which ones to let go of but I know I have to cut my list significantly. The point is I had to be open to God telling me the truth this week. I had to be open and listen.
How about you? Is there an area of your life that God is speaking to you about? Are you looking at other’s lives and making expectations for how your life should look? Is God wanting you to open your eyes and heart for the truth to be told? Today I encourage you to find a time that you can sit and listen to God. You don’t need a devotion book or email for this time. Just go back to the basics of just you and God. Be still and quiet and allow God to speak the truth to you.
Below is a list of most of the devotionals I receive each day. All of them are wonderful. Maybe one of them is just what you are looking for.
Promise: a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen.
Last week Julie encouraged us to carry God’s promises in our pocket. This week I have shared some of the many promises of God. The Bible is full of promises. In fact if you Google “scripture about promises” you will have a list of many sites to refer to. However, sometimes there are those instances when you just don’t know what to say or pray. In those trying times, there is one promise that I have learned to always turn to.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26
What a comforting promise. Can’t you just imagine it? When we are at a loss for words, the Holy Spirit groans on our behalf! The Holy Spirit intercedes for you and me! The Holy Spirit helps uswhen we don’t even know how to help ourselves!
I have to admit, this scripture has been the promise I needed this week. My family and I have been battling with COVID over the last couple weeks. Praise God that our symptoms have overall been minor. But there were moments that I felt overwhelmed and worried and unsure of what to pray. Actually some of the symptoms I have had the hardest time with are low energy level and what is being called “COVID brain fog.” I am having trouble getting going in the mornings and concentrating which has made my devotion time routine rather non-existent. As I have shared before, my morning devotion is the glue that holds me together. So this last week it was a struggle for me to even write for my daily posts. Each of these days when I wasn’t sure what to say to you, the Holy Spirit interceded for me and groaned on my behalf. God gave me the inspiration and Julie has been so helpful! I have been writing my posts in the evening and sending it to her and she posted for me each morning. What a blessing and an answer to the prayers I didn’t know how or what to pray!
What’s going on in your world today? Do you find yourself at a loss of words for your current situation? Do you feel like you don’t know what to say? I encourage you to make Romans 8:26 one of the promises you put in your pocket. Spend some time today memorizing it and committing it to memory. Then call on this promise whenever you find you are at a loss for words.
