Our Inspiration

What was the last thing you were inspired to do? Bake a cake? Sew a quilt? Design a scrapbook or photo album? Paint a picture? Teach a child? Plan a flower bed or vegetable garden? Organize a closet? Prepare a meal?

Most of us are free to do whatever we feel like doing, whenever we desire to do it. Retirees especially.

Can you imagine being in jail? I cannot. Living alone in a cell that is certainly simple, and I imagine it being cold and dark. Yet, Paul wrote many of his letters of encouragement while he was in prison. He was inspired by God to write down all the things he wanted believers to know about following Jesus. Paul wrote to equip believers to strengthen their faith and to be inspired to do good.

"All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,"                         (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).

The more I study the Word, the more I admire the work and life of Paul. I imagine him writing feverishly in the corner of a cell, sending out letters to churches and individuals so they would be ready to carry on his mission after his life ended. Paul must have wondered every day if this was the day he would face death.

Oh, God, so holy and righteous, we are humbled to come before You because You are so great! We thank You for giving us the Word to help us grow into Christians who do good work. Lord, help us see the opportunities to spread the saving news of Jesus Christ. Inspire us today to do good. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Opportunities

When I woke up 20 minutes before my alarm went off I considered lying there for awhile before getting up. I thought a little longer then reached up to turn off the alarm. I discovered that I set the time but I hadn't pushed the button to set the alarm! Another disaster averted by an internal clock controlled by God, I believe.

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers," (Galatians 6:9-10 NIV).

It seems like when I hit this -zero birthday last summer my body hit a road block that I just can't get around, over, or through. Paul warns us not to become weary in doing good. Sometimes I feel weary. I think maybe I could skip aqua fitness today. Or maybe I won't write my blog today. Or maybe I won't write a letter today. Hum...

If I quit going to water aerobics I know my physical body will get stiff and sorer. I will sit down and become immobile. I will eat my way to the next meal and move from one chair to the next... I've been there before.

Paul says not to give up. Let us use every opportunity to do good! For me that means getting up early so I can write this blog before I go to my aqua fitness class. I am using this opportunity to encourage someone else to keep moving...to keep using whatever opportunity God gives us to do good. I want to reap a harvest one day, like Paul suggests, if I don't give up.

Heavenly Father, God, Thank You for waking me up today, for giving me another opportunity to do good. Open my eyes to those opportunities where I can make a difference in someone's day or life by doing good. Thank You, God, for choosing the authors of Your Book and for all the wisdom they share. Thank You for sending Jesus to save us from our sins. We pray in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

"The Peace of God Transcends All Understanding"

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus," (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV).

There is so much good in these three verses that I don't know where to start. The focus could be on: rejoicing, gentleness, don't be anxious, thanksgiving, peace of God which transcends all understanding, or guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Any of those ideas would make a good blog topic. I will place the rest in my "idea" folder for the future.

"Peace which transcends all understanding"! Paul wrote these words from a Roman prison cell to encourage the new believers in Philippi. The word Rejoice! is the key verse of the whole book but I want to look at the "Peace which transcends all understanding". What beautiful words Paul chose. I wish I had said that! The word transcends makes me think of God's arms stretching from heaven to earth and beyond!

Webster's New World Thesaurus (2003 version) suggests: rise above, transform, excel or exceed, for the word transcend. God's peace is greater than any conflict on earth. God's peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. God's peace is in Christ Jesus ! His peace is beyond our understanding. We can never wrap our minds around God's peace. But, we can feel it. When we put our faith and trust in Christ Jesus, He lives in us, guarding our hearts and minds.

Lord God, we pray for Your Peace today. We feel anxious about the world's troubles, so we lay them down and pick up Your Peace, Lord. May You heal those who suffer, and comfort those who grieve.
May those facing serious illnesses feel Your Peace. We pray in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

Unpredictable

March has arrived bringing unpredictable weather, especially in Iowa. It can be gray with a cold wind in the morning, then shift to a breezy afternoon of warm sunshine, like today. We are so close to spring (we were spoiled by the recent warm spell) that we are aching to get outside to do anything!  The lion/lamb scenario may be in play in 2026, though I'm not sure which it was yesterday (35 degrees, windy, and cloudy). That hardly qualifies as a lion, does it?

March also brings the Girls and Boys State Basketball Tournaments. Will they bring big snowstorms this year? The State Wrestling Tournament brought 10 inches. Can basketball outdo that? Then it is on to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Together they have earned the name, "March Madness". Who can predict the winners?

Sometimes our lives can be unpredictable. We don't always get what we expect. There is plenty of heartache to go around: illnesses, surprise medical results, injuries, falls, depression, and sudden deaths are a few of the things we don't put on our radar for the future.

"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 right hand," (Isaiah 41:10 NIV).

Families can experience all sorts of unpredictable events during a lifetime. Both of our boys endured broken bones at different stages of growing up. We didn't know exactly what to expect when we had three in college at once ($$$).

"I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken," (Psalm 16:8 NIV).

When our knees and hands are shaking and all we can do is fall on our knees and pray, God is there waiting for us. We will not be shaken. God is our strength and our help. He clears the path before us and helps us keep walking, one step at a time.

Oh God, we are thankful for Your strong right hand of protection and aid. We are so grateful that You have given us a Savior who brought victory over sin and death. Lord, help us as commissioned believers to represent Jesus in our little corner of the world. Give us courage to share Your Word with others. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Put Your Trust in God

What a good way to start the day! Place your trust in God. He has a perfect plan to save us. I often ponder about God. He is so big and wonderful. He is greater than I can ever imagine. He watches over us, each one of us, and He knows our every thought and motive. There is nothing we can hide from Him.

So why would we ever not trust in God? I don't know. I'm so thankful that God is there for me every moment. I'm studying a book that reminds me not to come to God as my best friend or buddy, but to come to God in a worshipful and respectful way, giving God the honor and awe He deserves.

I am guilty of cuddling up to God, telling Him all my troubles because He is always there for me. He is always there for me, but where is the fear of God that Old Testament believers had? 

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him," (Nahum 1:7 NIV). 

Yes, God is the One whom we can place our trust in. He is there for us and cares for us always, if we trust in Him.

"Thank You, God, Most Holy and powerful One. Only You created the world with Your hands, caring for each detail that we see and notice. You are beyond amazing, Lord! I put my trust in You. Forgive my casual attitude toward You, God, and help me bow down and worship You as I should. I trust in You, my God. And I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Focus on Christ Jesus

It's another Monday morning. Is your week filled with a lot to do? My week is fairly quiet. That is the way I like it. I'm looking forward to a warm up. We were very cold yesterday: 10 degrees when we went to church. The sun was so bright and reflected off the nine inches of snow we received on Thursday night through Friday. God is good.

My big Bible sits on my desk, open, ready to be read during devotions, Bible study, prayer time, any time. God's Word is always available to lift me up and inspire me. I was drawn to the following verses that were underlined with a note I had written: "Focus on Christ!" 

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus," (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).

These instructions are easier to follow on good days and harder to follow on difficult days. Dah! But if we make these instructions part of our lives, day in and day out, we will begin to obey these commands more easily. I have practiced saying short, frequent prayers as I drive ("Lord, keep me alert and aware of my surroundings"), as I meet with a friend, as I go to sleep and when I wake up;

I am thankful, always, for God's presence with me as the Holy Spirit Who guides me through all of my days. I struggle with being joyful always. As a person with chronic depression, joy seems elusive.

God, be with us today and help us find joy in all things. Remind us to speak to You throughout our day through prayer. And guide us into a thankful attitude no matter what circumstances we face today. We ask a lot here, God, but we want to do Your will for our lives. You can help us focus on our Savior Jesus Christ. We pray in His holy name, Amen.

A Recipe for Growth

One of my weaknesses of late has been gathering recipes. Once I clicked on a Facebook page for a   "healthy" recipe and now I get dozens of recipe ideas every day. I have yet to find a great recipe that is both healthy and tastes good.

Actually, I've been addicted to recipes all my married life. I have a whole row of cookbooks in my bookcase. There I have found some wonderful recipes by great cooks. I have tagged pages with favorites that I go back to again and again.

Peter wrote a specific recipe for growing Christians. The ingredients are important individually. But, they all work together to make us resemble Jesus Christ more closely. God empowers us, but the recipe is not complete until we work at these characteristics daily and show growth.

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control, and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV).

Wow. What a list of qualities to work on! 

Faith
Goodness
Knowledge
Self-Control
Perseverance
Godliness
Brotherly Kindness
Love

And, as we read in the Scriptures elsewhere, the greatest of these is love. But it takes them all to be a growing Christian. They aren't automatically ours when we are born again. We have the Holy Spirit in us that helps us, but the work is ours to do.

Heavenly Father: when we see this list of our responsibilities, we are overwhelmed and convicted of our weaknesses. Please hear our confessions of failures, and help us rebuild our character to be the follower of Jesus Christ that You desire us to be. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. Praying in the name of Jesus, Amen.