Today is Water Walking Wednesday. Each Wednesday Julie and I encourage you to step out of your boat, follow Christ, and walk on water. Walking on water takes much faith and trust. Today, I am going to encourage you to pray a prayer that requires much faith, trust, and submission.

Life is full of ups and downs. Often the sea of our life is not smooth like glass, but instead is full of crashing waves like today’s picture captured by Ray White. As we approach the stormy seas of life, we have learned from the example God gave us in the Lord’s Prayer to pray, “thy will be done.” However, to truly mean that takes great faith. When we say, “thy will be done,” we often still have in mind what our plan would be for the situation. Then when the story unfolds, we are at odds with God because we don’t agree with His will. So today I am going to encourage you to walk on water and pray a bold prayer. Not only pray, “thy will be done,” but also pray, “Lord prepare me to accept Your will.” By adding that last part, we must give up control and submit to God’s will, even if it doesn’t line up with our own will.

We read in the Bible that in the hours leading up to His crucifixion, Jesus also struggled with His own will versus God’s will.

““Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:42-44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Are you ready to step out of the boat? Are you ready to release control and let go of your will? Are you ready to pray a bold prayer? “Lord prepare me to accept Your will.”

The pictures today are from a shelf in my kitchen that I transform each holiday. Decorating for the different seasons and changing out the decor is exciting and enjoyable to me. However, I can’t say I always approach transformation in myself with the same enthusiasm. How about you? Are you eager to change? Do you look forward to transforming?

I am currently in the process of trying to change habits. Transforming decor is much easier than transforming habits. I have had a new “aha” moment and realize not only do I need to alter my visible habits, but I also need to allow God to change my mind. In case you aren’t aware, changing the mind is not so simple. The mind has a mind of its own lol. I am learning transforming the mind requires focusing on My Savior and things above instead of on myself. So today’s transformation tip for you and I is the following prayer:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭51:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As we go throughout our day and feel the tug to change, may we be unwavering in our resolve to transform.

Yesterday I met a friend at 8 Oaks to walk while her son had ball practice. As I drove towards the park, I was overwhelmed with unexpected emotions. For a moment I wanted to burst into tears as I recalled all the memories our family made over the many years of my children playing ball at the facility. However, I quickly recalled a quote I heard a few years ago: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” (Side note: this quote has been contributed to Dr. Seuss but upon further investigation it seems it was first said by Ludwig Jacobowski.)

Back to the quote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for everything.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Remembering this quote and scripture completely changed the attitude I had when thinking about the memories of 8 Oaks. Instead of sadness, I began to have an attitude of gratitude.

This practice is called “flipping the script.” If you Google the phrase you will find there is a book and cult following on flipping the script but I became familiar with it from Mark Batterson. In his book, “Win the Day”, Batterson says the #1 habit to instill to win the day is to flip the script and change your thoughts.

Today is Mindset Monday. Is there an area in your life that you need to flip the script? I encourage you to allow Jesus Christ to help you with your script. Allow Your Savior to guide and direct your thoughts. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6.

As you begin Mindset Monday:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12:2‬ ‭NIV‬

As we go about our day, may each of us allow our thoughts to be led by Christ. Ours minds can take us in many directions, but may we flip the script to His script for each of us!

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