If you read yesterdays blog, you know we went to Clemson with our son. One of the speakers said something that really stood out to me. “They got accepted, they belong here”. Wow! Can you flip that and imagine God saying that to each one of us? Now let’s read Jeremiah 17:7 NIV; “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Have you asked Jesus to live in your heart and for the forgiveness of your sins? ‬Good news, we’ve already been accepted. We belong with Christ Jesus. The answer was yes before we even asked. We have a Godly confidence when we put our faith and trust in Him.

Look at this photo taken by Ray White. What do you see? I see two sets of flip flops. I imagine they belong to a couple who are walking the beach. For me taking my shoes off is an indication I am feeling comfortable. It may also indicate confidence. Yesterday in church we sang the song Holy Ground. Below is the piano tracks with lyrics, arranged by Russell Mauldin. On this Mindset Monday, I encourage us to open that song, take off our shoes, close our eyes, and really worship. Thank God, for we have been accepted and belong in Him. Now let’s go in confidence today!

Click Here to worship!

This past week we had the joy of experiencing Clemson orientation with our son. There were signs on the light poles with different sayings. This sign pictured below got my attention; savor this season. I am sure they are referring to living in the moment over the next 4 years of college life. For me personally I thought about savoring all seasons. In Philippians 4:4 NIV we are instructed to Rejoice always; “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

In the song Find Your Joy, the lyrics sing; “Rejoice again, find your joy in Him”. On this Spiritual Sunday I encourage us to find our joy as we rejoice in God’s presence. Even through seasons of trials we can rejoice. We can savor the season by finding Joy in Him.

Click Here to worship with Bryan and Katie Torwalt. Will you make the choice today to rejoice always? To live in the moment? And to savor this season?

Click here to watch today’s “See You Saturday” video and to find out what the shelf in the picture has to do with spiritual growth.

Julie and I talk a lot about looking for Godwinks. On this Finish Friday I want to share with you how God winked at me yesterday.

I have a Timehop app on my phone. Each day I get a notification for me to open the app and look at photos that were taken on that day. Yesterday afternoon when I opened the app I found the pictures featured in today’s photo. The scripture that I shared a year ago is also one of the scripture promises God laid on my heart to share yesterday. If you recall, I also wrote about a rainbow being a symbol of a promise of God which is featured in the second photo that I took 4 years ago. When I saw these two pictures I immediately sent them to Julie to share how excited I was to see them. I am also humbled at God’s awesome ability to give us confirmation just when we need it. I also realize there are probably many times a day that I am not attune to the Godwinks before me.

This Finish Friday morning I offer a prayer for each of us.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your everlasting love and mercy. You know the road ahead for each of us today. Open our eyes, ears, heart, and mind to receive the blessings you send our way. Make us aware of the confirmations and Godwinks sent our way and may we offer up praise in response. As we travel through the day, may each of us revel in your everlasting love and presence. May all that we say and do today give you all honor and glory. We ask all this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

If you were unable to read yesterday’s post, Click here to read it now.

Sometimes I need to be reminded of how blessed I am by the promises of God. How about you?

Tuesday I ventured to the Florence Farmer’s Market with my in-laws. When I stepped out of the vehicle I was overwhelmed by the vibrant colors. As we walked through the stands of fruits and vegetables, God convicted me to reflect on the promises of the Bible, beginning with the covenant God made marked by a rainbow in the sky.

“So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬
Read Genesis 9 for the full story.

This Thankful Thursday I encourage you to look up some promises of God and find one to carry with you today. Let that promise speak into your current situation. Allow the words of God to strengthen, encourage and give you comfort. Every time you think of the promise today, offer up words of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Here are a few promises to get you started.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.””
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭31:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41:10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭32:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””
‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We would love to hear from you. Comment below your favorite promise of God.

For the past several weeks on Water Walking Wednesday, Julie and I have been talking with you about the mission of Christians to spread the word of God. I would like to continue that today by sharing again from our pastor, Charles Wilbanks.

This past Sunday, Pastor Charles preached on the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37. I encourage you to take a moment to read it now.

Pastor Charles focused much of his sermon on the lawyer’s question: who is my neighbor?

As you know, our neighbor is everyone. Therefore our mission field is everyone. Wow! That’s a big task. However the way we tackle our mission field is by one loving act at a time and we can join together with other Christians . Love should be our driving force and as Pastor Charles said, “Love grows when allowed to ripple outward, reaching out into the community.”

What ways are you currently serving with other Christians to advance the love of God into your community? How are you spreading the Gospel? Are you helping create a ripple outward into your community?

Our Christian mission is to spread the word of God through love. I encourage you to pray today for how you can intentionally join with other Christians to cause a ripple of love into your community.

What a beautiful path that is captured in this photo by Ray White! The path ahead looks peaceful. Is the path ahead of you also peaceful?

This Transformation Tips Tuesday I want to remind you that your path can be filled with peace if you allow the Lord to direct your way. You will face trials, tribulations, and obstacles that Satan will use to try to rob you of peace and joy. However, if you have spiritual disciplines in place, you will be able to rely on those practices to help you stay grounded on the path with Jesus and have peace, no matter where the path leads.

Some of the spiritual disciplines I practice are prayer, worship, meditation, journaling, scripture reading, keeping a gratitude journal, and fasting. What about you? What are ways you stay focused and grounded on the path of Christ? If you aren’t sure what all could be considered spiritual disciplines, do an internet search and see all the ideas. I encourage you to intentionally ponder what spiritual disciplines you currently practice and I challenge you to try a new one or return to one you have let fall by the wayside. Consistently practicing spiritual disciplines will help you stay focused on the path with Christ so that when you meet obstacles, you can still have peace because your joy will come from Christ.

As you begin your Transformation Tips Tuesday I encourage you to Clicks here to listen to the song “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus” by Steffany Gretzinger. Especially pay attention to the words in the chorus that end with, “let it be known, in you alone, my joy was found.” May that be known for you and I!