October 31

Enjoy Life...or what's the point?

Psalm 90:12

Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!

We should make everyday count! Enjoy life! Appreciate those you have in your life such as you friends and family. Give back. Show love! Do things you love. Take the time. Count your blessings and be a blessing!

October 30

The story of the lost coin

Luke 15: 8-10

"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: 'Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' Count on it - that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."

When first reading this, I didn't quite get it. Now days, if I drop a coin, it is not worth the searching and looking; however, back when this was written, the coin was referring to a day's wage! Now that is worth some searching on my part.

The point of this story is to show the search! There is a lot of detail in describing how hard the woman is looking for the ONE coin that is lost.

You count! You matter! All of heaven rejoices when someone reaches out to God! Like I mentioned yesterday, people are important! They are valuable!

October 29

People are what matters

1 John 2:15

Don't love the world's ways. Don't love the world's goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father.

I try and remind myself and my family that people are what matter! Sometimes we can get so focused on our own plans that we miss an opportunity to show kindness to someone else. We always like to blame the children in our lives for being the selfish ones, but this can rise up in adults as well. We should show love to one another every chance we get. People are hungry for love. Don't put a higher priority on things than you do people.

October 28

"I'm here to PUMP, YOU UP!"

Psalm 121:1

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

Sometimes we look for strength in ourselves, and we can't find any! What we must realize is that we are looking in the wrong place. Our strength, real strength, comes from God alone, our creator.

Muscles don't match up to the power of God. I have seen large men fall apart in trouble times while small women rise up with a sense of power within because they know where their strength comes from.

When you are facing something that makes you feel weak, then rely on God's strength to get you through.

October 26

The everyday ordinary life stuff

Romans 12: 1 (The Message)

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life- and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

We can make everyday count! Putting God first in our life makes our life so much more meaningful. We all have a purpose even when we don't see it. I love how God cares about the little things, the ordinary everyday life stuff! He does care! He knows what you deal with and don't deal with. Know that you are important and loved by God. Make your life an offering to God!

October 25

Shut-up?

Ecclesiastes 5:2 (The Message)

Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you- the less you speak, the better.

Growing up, I had to learn to speak up. Once I grew up, I had to learn to "shut-up," for a lack of a better word. I think we have all said things we regret and have been around people wishing they would just relax and be quiet. I think as women, sometimes this scripture is just a challenge even though we know it to be true. Women need to talk; however, it would do us good to think on it for a little while longer before being loud to just be loud. I make it my personal goal to continue my efforts on less speaking...here goes nothing!

October 23

Seasonal

Ecclesiastes 3:1

There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth.

This scripture breathes life to my soul. There is something so comforting to know that our lives are sectioned out by seasons of time. It gives me hope for my tomorrows. With this wisdom, I can be assured that times in my life were never wasted. The schooling, studying, dreams, and experience will be used when the time is right. I won't be a stay-at-home mom forever...which is exhilarating and sad to me all at the same time, but a big portion of my life, never-the-less. I will never be a newlywed again, but get to experience a 10 year wedding anniversary next year. Having a "bikini" body was a wonderful experience, but it has said its goodbye. All of these things are a collection of my personal life, and I get to look back and look forward with a smile on my face. I hope everyong gets to enjoy their lives and find hope, find inspiration, and understand that things are seasonal.