Do you have a dream, something you have always wanted to do? Are you going after it? Sometimes we have to put a dream on hold because we have trials that require all of our time and effort. But sometimes…we get the chance of a lifetime to pursue our dreams. My great friend’s daughter got that chance.

She is living her dream of going to cooking school. Everything about the learning and cooking and practicing and sharing her journey brings her joy. It is exciting when you see someone so full of joy and passion to accomplish something! I am so happy for her! As I was reading her posts on Facebook, I found I was smiling because of her joy. She was overflowing with joy and gratitude and it overflowed to me. This verse relates:

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 NIV

This verse is so encouraging! Even when we are folding laundry or slaving away at a job there is joy. Even when our world is scary, people are arguing, and the future is uncertain, we can have joy. This verse doesn’t promise we will get all the things we want, like a new car or a raise. It means that when we delight in the Lord, He will give us our heart’s desire for eternal things, things that only He can give. Setting our sights on God, chasing His dream for us, brings peace and fulfillment. This verse explains it well:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Dear Father,

Thank you for the joy You give. You have a dream for my life that I may not see, but I trust You and will delight in You. Thank Whatever Your plan is for my life, I will have joy just because it comes from You. Thank You for all the peace that comes from living for You. If I have any gifts or talents that can be used by You, I want You to take them and live Your dream for me, through me. Whether cooking or singing or preaching or sewing, show me how I can use it to draw more people to you. I love You so much! Amen

GROWwork: Consider what you have always wanted to do. Maybe as a child, you loved to draw, play an instrument, sing or build things. I believe God gives us the desire and talent to do something we enjoy, at any age! When the thing you enjoy can be used in church or in service to others or to inspire others to have joy in a sometimes negative world, then go for it! It is never too late to use your gifts for Him. Remember…You are special. God made You for His purposes. He has a dream for you.

***Thank you, Jenee Turner for letting me share your story!

Love and prayers to all!

Tina

I woke up this morning with a phrase in my head. “Isn’t that just like Jesus?” It is still in my head. Perhaps I had been thinking about writing my devo this morning and that phrase came to mind. Also, the idea that we are to be pursuing, seeking, chasing Jesus. What does it all mean? I am not sure, but I do know we are meant to explore it today. So, let’s look at what the Word of God says about pursuing Jesus:

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV

Can you imagine going up to a king and asking for some grace or mercy? This verse takes my mind to the Wizard of Oz movie where the “man behind the curtain” doles out what Dorothy, the scarecrow and the cowardly lion need. They approach the curtain with fear and trembling, but they go because that know that the “great and wonderful Oz” can solve their problems. How do they know? They were told by others.

Isn’t that just like Jesus? Wow. Thank you Lord, for this thought this morning! You are so faithful! We are told by others in the Bible, inspired by God, that we can approach Jesus, the great and wonderful Savior! He will give us what we need. Like the imaginary Oz, maybe not exactly what we asked for, but what we need. When we seek Jesus, we will always find Him. In seeking, we sometimes have to chase Him so the world cannot influence us, I think. (that’s a whole other thought, maybe for tomorrow, or as God leads) Aren’t you glad the person we seek knows understands us because He was human like us? We can be confident when we approach Jesus! Taken from the same chapter, Hebrews 4: 13-15(NIV) says:

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4: 14-15(NIV)

It’s like playing hide-n-seek but Jesus and God are not hidden. Spiritually, we know where they are and they know where we are. One more thing popped into my head just now about finding Jesus; it is the story of the blind man who had full confidence in Jesus.

The story from Luke 18:35-42 goes like this…Jesus was on His way to Jericho. A blind beggar heard some commotion and asked the people around him what was going on. When they told him that Jesus was passing by, he shouted “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people told him to be silent, so what did he do? He yelled even louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” He couldn’t see exactly where Jesus was, but he had full confidence, by calling him the Son of David, that He was the Savior.

In verse 42, this happens! “Receive your sight!” Jesus replied. “Your faith has healed you.”

That beggar may have been blind physically, but not spiritually. He knew in His heart that Jesus was the answer to his problem. That makes him wiser than those who seek answers in the world. The world will tell us to quiet down and act a certain way, but I think we need to chase, beg and pursue Him as if our lives depended on it, which they do.

Dear Jesus,

It is just like You to be there for us, to hear our plea and give us what we need. Let it be “just like us” to chase, pursue and implore You for our needs, because we have full confidence that You can do it. Give us better spiritual eyes to see what You can do and what the world will try and do to stop us from drawing Your attention. Remind us to go to Your teachings and God’s Word for answers before going to popular advice. You know us better than we know ourselves. We love You! Amen

GROWwork: Go to Jesus with your impossible situation, believing that He can and will give you what you need to get through your trial. Ask Him in full confidence, because You know He can.

Love and prayers to all,

Tina

God has a special plan to use you and me. He wrote a script designed just for us. Zacharias was used of God in the beginning of the Christmas Story, to to lay the groundwork for God’s story to save the world. The Angel Gabriel told him he would have a son, although his wife was old and childless to date. Zacharias was not totally on board at first. What kept him from instantly rejoicing that his wife would have a baby ? He doubted, out of fear and shock. What would we do in his situation? Like Zacharias, do we doubt God’s plan or His goodness?

God chose Zacharias, but also John, to participate in the story of Jesus. The angel Gabriel brought God’s message to Zacharias about his son, John, who was to come:

“ Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:13-17 NIV

Now, that’s a pretty specific and grand plan! Because Zacharias doubted God’s message, Gabriel made Him mute so he could not tell anyone about the plan which would be fulfilled at God’s right time. What if God did that to us? What if He made us mute until His next step of the plan was accomplished? Is that what it would take to get our attention and our belief?

People outside the temple wondered why Zacharias took so long and knew, as soon as He came out, that He had seen a vision. I think this was God working also. He uses people to show other people His mighty works. He used Zacharias and was preparing to use John. According to God’s message through Gabriel, John would be filled with the Holy Spirit, BEFORE HE WAS BORN! With God in Him, He would bring back people to God.

The Casting call, if God had one for the part of John, would seek those who want to be used of God for a higher purpose than just living for themselves. John will be used to live for God and draw people to Him. What a glory and an honor! But you know…we can do that too. All we have to do is ask Jesus to come into our hearts and we receive the Holy Spirit who will guide us every step of the way!

Know this: We are all chosen to play a part in the Kingdom! He is writing all of our stories. He is the main character, director, producer and employer. He runs the lighting too and makes us shine for Him. All we have to do is come and say,

“Dear Lord, direct me to be the best version of You in me, for Your story and glory. Help me to produce the message You want. Use me. Teach me. Just as I am, I come ready and willing to be cast. I love You.” Amen.

GROWwork: Consider the characters of Zacharias and John as described in Luke chapter one. Are you a Zacharias? Do you doubt God’s plan? Are you, like John, not born yet into God’s plan, but willing to be? Is anything holding you back from taking the part? Are we writing our own story? If we can get self out of the way a bit, we can be used on His stage!

Love and prayers to all of you. Have a great day in the Lord!

Tina

If God were writing a play and He was going to cast us in a role, what would that look like? That question haunted me for a couple years. I knew I wasn’t fulfilling what He called me to do and I had no clue what it was, honestly! I went to the Word for answers because I was fresh out of them. After trying too hard to do all the right things, so my situation would change, I realized we cannot earn the life we want from God by being good. All of God’s plans for us are HIS to bestow and ours to welcome. It as if He has written a play and we are the characters. It is our job, and extreme honor, to be the best Tina, Jennifer, Evan Phyllis, Lori or Zach He has called us to be.

And He has called us, all of us, to play a part in His kingdom. Because it is the Christmas Season, let’s consider the Christmas Story as told by Luke. God had a plan that included characters of all types in His plan to redeem mankind. If He had chosen us in that plan, what part would He have assigned to us? What character do we most relate to? This is for the purpose of realizing who God made us to be and if we are playing the part that He made for us. It is about answering His call to be used in His plan.

Are you like Zacharias? Luke describes him as a priest from the division of Abijah ( a division established by King David in 1 Chronicles, 24, as to when priests would take their turns to serve in the temple.) He is married to Elizabeth. They are both old and righteous, but childless. In verse 35 of the first chapter of Luke, the Angel Gabriel came to Zacharias as he was by the altar and told him his wife would bear a son. Zacharias was “gripped with fear.”

But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zacharias; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth. Luke 1:13-14 NIV

Now, he was not only afraid, but he was also doubtful. Zechariah questioned the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18)

 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.  And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. Luke 1: 19-20 NIV

Casting call: A righteous man who loves the Lord and has served God faithfully into his old age. A man who is married to a righteous woman, who has not received what she thought God would give her. This man will be addressed by an angel, a messenger of God, as to what his future looks like. He is a doubtful, questioning man at times, but He always obeys the Lord.

Do you see yourself in Zacharias? I do, a bit, but I have not served in the church my whole life. I have BEEN in church but not served as faithfully in the church as God would have me do, I admit it. As I just read this to my husband, John, my editor,lol, he told me this:

We can relate to Zacharias because we did not have the life we wanted from God. We both had difficult first marriages that left us drained. That’s not what we thought God would give us. God brought us together at age 50, for His purposes. We doubted God’s goodness for a second, but He gave us a fresh new start at our old age!

Tomorrow we will talk about another character! If you want a sneak peek, read Luke chapter one!

Love and prayers to all of you!

Tina

You know how you can ask favors from people you know really well, that you have done favors for before? In the book of Philemon, that’s what the apostle Paul does.

The story goes…A slave named Onesimus escaped his master in Colossae and travelled to Rome. (That’s about a thousand miles!) Anyway, Onesimus ended up in a huge city and as God would have it, he met Paul, who led him to the Lord. Onesimus’ heart was changed immediately! Onesimus became a great help and encouragement to Paul and he began to love him like a son. However much Paul wanted to keep Onesimus with him, he wrote to Philemon, Onesimus’ master, to take him back.

Why would he do that? Because he could not keep something that was Philemon’s to use. Although he loved Onesimus like a son, describing Onesimus as “my very heart” (Philemon 1:12), he wants Onesimus to return to his master and he requests that Philemon take Onesimus back, even offering to repay anything that Onesimus owes to Philemon. Paul encourages him to do this favor because of the love of Christ between them, not because he could order him to. He writes to Philemon:

“But without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.” Philemon 1:14 NIV

So, Paul not only asked Philemon a favor; he asked for a favor that would send his “son” away, whose help and company he needed and loved. With good friends, we can ask them anything. Even so, Paul did not want to impose his will on Philemon. Rather he tried to convince him to do the right thing. He asks Philemon to take Onesimus back, not as a slave, but

“better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.” Philemon 1:16 NIV

Does anyone reading this see what I see? I wonder if it crossed Paul’s mind that he was, in a small but similar way, copying what God and Jesus did for us. Like God, he is sending his “son” away for the good of someone else. Like Jesus, he is willing to pay what Onesimus owes. Like God, he is giving up something He loves for the greater good. Like Jesus, he does not focus on Onesimus’ sin, but sees him as a new man in Christ, useful for the kingdom! Just wow…

Jesus,

You knew before I read this book of Philemon, that I would learn a lot and be excited by it! What a story! Once again, Paul sets the example for us, having learned from You. Please keep blessing this time in the Word with You and my brothers and sister in Christ. We want to serve You better, as slaves to a wonderful Master. Thank You for paying what we owed and forgetting our past sins. We love You so much!

GROWwork:

Consider how God gave His Son for our good and how Paul gave someone he loved back to his master. Not that we can ever repay God, but as servants honoring a Master, what can we sacrifice today for someone else’s good? Make a point of giving something you like and can use, to someone who needs it more. With no glory, let’s do it for God:) Time, money, food, books or furniture come to mind.

Love and prayers to all of you!

Tina

On the table above this sentence are three foods: apples, hot tea and the Bible, food for both physical and spiritual health and growth. The Lord says:

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Isaiah 55:2

And…

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” John 6: 32-33

My Momma used to say, “No Bible, no breakfast.” I only learned that when I read her journal after she passed away, so it is special to me. But… I am one of those people who need to eat first so I am clear-headed enough to read. I still love that saying because Momma’s four words prioritize how vital God’s Word is to our spiritual growth.

There is a direct correlation between the two. The more you feed on God’s Word, the more likely you are to grow spiritually. Noone can say…”I accidentally became a very strong Christian!” We have to, on purpose seek and learn the Bible, be hungry for it,just as we would seek any goal we strongly desire.

Jesus helps us with all of it. We just put our heart into it and He makes us what we are. That reminds me of another quote that both humbled me and excited me when I thought about it…”I am only what God makes me.” He cannot make me anything I don’t ask for. It’s on me, us, to purposefully seek all that He has for us. He is faithful to be found every single time:)

Dear Jesus:

Thank You for being the best teacher ever and saying things in a way that our hearts and minds can understand. We want Your spiritual food so that we can grow into whatever You have planned for us. Please bless us with physical and spiritual health during this time of Covid-19 and always with Your presence and wisdom. We love You so much! Amen

Love and many prayers to all of you!

Tina

On the table above this sentence are three foods: apples, hot tea and the Bible, food for both physical and spiritual health and growth. The Lord says:

Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. Isaiah 55:2

And…

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world.” John 6: 32-33

My Momma used to say, “No Bible, no breakfast.” I only learned that when I read her journal after she passed away, so it is special to me. But… I am one of those people who need to eat first so I am clear-headed enough to read. I still love that saying because Momma’s four words prioritize how vital God’s Word is to our spiritual growth.

There is a direct correlation between the two. The more you feed on God’s Word, the more likely you are to grow spiritually. Noone can say…”I accidentally became a very strong Christian!” We have to, on purpose seek and learn the Bible, be hungry for it,just as we would seek any goal we strongly desire.

Jesus helps us with all of it. We just put our heart into it and He makes us what we are. That reminds me of another quote that both humbled me and excited me when I thought about it…”I am only what God makes me.” He cannot make me anything I don’t ask for. It’s on me, us, to purposefully seek all that He has for us. He is faithful to be found every single time:)

Dear Jesus:

Thank You for being the best teacher ever and saying things in a way that our hearts and minds can understand. We want Your spiritual food so that we can grow into whatever You have planned for us. Please bless us with physical and spiritual health during this time of Covid-19 and always with Your presence and wisdom. We love You so much! Amen

Love and many prayers to all of you!

Tina

Did you ever get a note of encouragement, pat on the back or some type of guidance from someone you respect? Did it make you feel energized? It can be very motivating when someone does that for you. When I was in college, I was in a group of girls that encouraged the baseball team. We took score, ran errands, shagged balls, made or bought snacks, and sent them anonymous notes and treat bags for team road trips. Why did we do this? In the beginning, it was because we were friends with cute guys on the team honestly, but in the end, we kept doing it because it was fun to give! It became habit for us to keep them motivated with prayer and encouragement. We became invested in them. We wanted them to succeed. God changed our hearts.

In Colossians, I am overwhelmed by Paul’s encouragement to the church at Colossae. I had no clue where Colossae was so I looked it up. It was in the area that is now southwest Turkey. That means whatever Paul told the Colossians had to travel about a thousand miles to get to them! That’s about the same as the distance from Roanoke, Virginia to northern Maine. Doesn’t it show you Paul’s heart for them? He was on mission, meaning this was not about him doing a good thing; He was invested in their lives and spiritual progress! I love verses 9-13 of the first chapter, Paul tells them how much he cares by letting them know he is praying for them to mature as Christians Here is part of Paul and Timothy’s letter:

We have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,  being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:9b-12

It crossed my mind that someone who knows and loves me may have prayed a prayer like this for me. What a gift for someone to do for another! This is a prayer that will remind me…It is NOT about me but what Jesus’ love in me wants for others. Paul knows this and pours his heart out to the Colossians. Something I noticed that is cool…all the “fruit” that was in there. Paul is describing what their faith’s fruit should look like…being filled, living worthy, pleasing Him, growing…these are all action-words or verbs. Things happen when you fully live in Jesus Christ! This letter has no doubt encouraged followers for years and set a great example for us to continue what he started. Can I tell you a little secret?…Everyone needs encouragement. Everyone!

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for being our biggest encourager. Remind us to cheer on others, because we all need it. Like Paul, we ask that You hear our prayers to be closer to You but also to help others in their walk. You are so faithful. Thank you for using Paul to further Your kingdom and to set a good example for us. We can see, in his writing, that he loves You so much! We love You too!

GROW work:

Pick three people to encourage by text, Facebook message, letter or email. Let them know you are praying for them. I promise you both will be encouraged!

As always, love and prayers to you,

Tina

If I could go back thirty years and start a new career, I would be a reporter. All people are interesting! Everyone has a story to tell. I would want to know what my subject was like as a child, who in their life influenced them the most and what they live for and why. What do they regret? Do they know God? Have they been changed by God’s Word? Our lives are shaped by so many experiences, yielding life lessons learned. Our experiences could fill volumes of books.

If we did put all of this knowledge and experience and into books, we would have a sort of “life library.” Then, we could check out any of the books at any time and re-read them. That begs the question, “Would we want to?” Is it worth opening some of the books again? David would say so. He was appreciative of God’s provision for him. This is what he would tell us to do…

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20 NIV

Checking out those stored away “books” can make us grateful for all the people that He allowed in our lives. Great teachers, loving family, shepherding pastors and sweet friends are all blessings from God. Trials, although painful, can also be a reason for gratefulness. They can remind us of how God carried us through impossible situations and that is worthy of praise!

Dear Father,

We thank You for your plan for our lives. We thank You for being with us in all of our trials and helping us through them, knowing we couldn’t get through them in a way that honors You, without You.Thank you for our life library that helped shape us. Please continue to infiuence us for Your good.You are a good Father and loving God. We love You so much!Amen

GROWwork:

1. Think back on your experiences. What person, pastor or event was instrumental in bringing you to Christ? If possible to do so, thank them.
2. Write a prayer of thankfulness to God. See how many things you can think of to praise Him for.

Love and prayers to you all,

Tina