“This is what the LORD says:  Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast number; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15

Boldly I spoke, “LORD, You know what is happening in this place. You have not given words to my child so he cannot tell me. But I know what is transpiring and I entrust this to You! The battle is Yours! Fight for this child!”

And yet, when my precious child must leave his haven of love and safety and go out into a world he doesn’t fully understand, and is unable to speak his needs, I worry. I remember the tears flowing down my child’s face. I watch my child in the rear-view mirror, singing, laughing, dancing in his seat, yet when we reach a familiar path of a place that he needs to go, the smile turns to a frown, his head drops in defeat, and a low whimper emerges… my heart is crushed. I cry out, God! Why aren’t you fighting for him?!

One day turns into another. The strain of trying to manage this crisis is affecting his health.  I’m sure he wonders why I am allowing this injustice to continue. Nonetheless, I know it’s not physical cruelty but mental demoralization due to ignorance. The child doesn’t know that I am fighting for him and his rights but the numbers against me also are growing.  I cry louder, God! He is an innocent child suffering so deeply! I am surrounded with no help in sight!

On a different day, the child slowly descends the stairs with his bag behind him and a weight on his shoulders. We make it to the end of the drive and he lethargically gives his faithful pup a treat as I mouth the words assuring his companion as he leaves from this spot he will after so many hours return to this same spot. His four-legged companion is partially blinded by the child’s suffering because of her love for him.

The days have been long and hard. No longer does the child find comfort in his mother’s long warm embrace. He knows she loves him with a never-ending love… but not even the hugs or kisses bring him comfort or joy.

Skidamarink a dink a dink, skidamarink a do, I love you.

His formerly cherished transport arrives. Head bent down, the loving warm greeting from the driver swirls past him like leaves floating in the wind, but with his eyes filled with tears, the child doesn’t even notice. He walks down the barren dark aisle and slumps into his seat. No longer does the window entice him to give a final glance to his mother. He doesn’t know that behind her glasses are a thousand tears waiting to explode. The vehicle creeps away.

Safe inside from any eyes being able to see, the mother sits at the desk with the Bible opened in front of her. She pours out her tears and her heart before the LORD.

And the LORD whispers to her…

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the vast number, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

The mother decides that both she and her son need a desperate, healing respite. She carries the child away in their motorized chariot to a secret garden where the heartbreaking arrows can’t penetrate the child’s mind. They arrive with the sun lighting their path. The aroma of the wind is of scented flowers. The birds joyfully wave as they fly around their heads whistling happy tunes. The mother propels the child in his wheeled sled down familiar and unfamiliar trails.

The mother swiftly turns the corner and is awestruck by what lies before her eyes. To any other person, it would look like a pile of common rocks, but to her, the vision was clear…memorial stones. She gazes at the stones, unable to breathe. Joy, gratitude, and praise swell up from her soul.

Early in the morning, Jacob took the stone that was near his head and set it up as a marker. (Genesis 28: 18). The LORD spoke to Jacob in a dream about his future.

Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean to you?” (Joshua 4:5-6). The LORD parted the Jordan river so they could cross over on dry land.

Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The LORD has helped us to this point.” (1 Samuel 7:12).

The mother remembered and smiled; how many times has the LORD helped us to this point?

The time the officials told you that the child would never be yours…

The scores of times you were protected traveling overseas…

The myriad of times that the LORD has supplied every physical need…

The mother, now immersed in peace glanced to see the child in the sled with wheels gaining speed down the path. At the speed of light, she ran after the escaped sled and snatched it before it careened into the waiting pond. The child was now laughing! The first laugh in numerous weeks. The mother too erupted into laughter.

A moment in time later, the Lord moved. Prayers were answered. The child’s feet were no longer dragging as he made his way down the drive. His head was up and watching as his once again cherished transport arrived to take him to his daily destination. The child began returning at the end of the day with a smile on his face. He no longer feared the morning trips. He loved listening to his mother sing again in the morning. Changes slowly happened.

Why my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)

I would have lost heart unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psalm 27:13-14)

Waiting for the LORD to answer in the middle of a crisis takes patience and perseverance. Sometimes the LORD answers quickly, sometimes it takes a long time. God waits for us to see if our faith will stand firm when everything around us is crashing down.

Are you struggling right now? Do you believe that God is not hearing you? Stand firm! Give it to God, He will fight the battle for you. You may have to take some steps and work, but He will open the doors.

The best thing that you can do in a crisis is to pray first, trust always, and remember all the times that the LORD has been faithful to you before. You might gather some stones to remember.

Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14:13-14)

Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will SUSTAIN you. I have MADE you and I will CARRY you; I will SUSTAIN you and I will RESCUE you. (Isaiah 46:4/Emphasis added)

It’s a New Year! Some of us positively dream of a new year ahead. We have been weary and overwhelmed over the past few years. Many of us are just getting our heads above the water, praying, we will be lifted up and not crashed down by another wave. Others move cautiously, reading the headlines and imagining the worst. I gave up the news and television years ago. It always depressed me. I may scan a few headlines and pray for some heartbreaking situations, but I’ve chosen this year, more than ever, to choose joy and to always trust God.

As I have done in the past several years, I had planned to read through the Bible. I don’t do it for a “Hey, look how holy I am” reason. I do it to know God more intimately each day. This is why each year I read from a different version of the Bible and use a different reading plan. But something strange happened!! I didn’t get to read the first ten days of the year because of some health issues, and there were some other personal time-depleting circumstances. I tried to begin with Genesis 1 on January 11th but soon found that I was just rush reading and not really meditating on God’s word or listening to what He wanted to say to me. I decide to skip the previous days and begin the reading for the date it was. January 13th, Genesis 37.

Only God…I marveled, pondered, and was even amused that God would start my reading this year with Joseph. I know Joseph well. I have studied his story many times. His rejection and abuse are familiar and personal. But it’s his faithfulness that I have aspired for. He was crushed… he was deeply broken… he was forgotten… but the Lord was always with Him. Joseph trusted God, despite what happened to him. Joseph was sold into slavery at age seventeen and didn’t begin his higher position working under Pharoah until he was age thirty!

Have you grown impatient with God’s timing? I know I have at times.

I was blessed as God showed me new insights through Exodus and the Israelite’s rescue and journey toward the promised land.

Enter January 23, 2023, or 1/23/23.

The day before I had watched an amazing sermon. The pastor was emphasizing not to focus on the entire year of 2023 – as none of us truly knew what would happen in the world this year (not that we ever know what will happen), but to focus on one day, committed to the Lord, with a desire, “A priority and desire to navigate the natural world with a supernatural mindset.” I am a very symbolic, visual person, but let me clarify that this isn’t some magic ritual… just a symbolic day to see what God’s word is to each of us. I prayed that night God would put a hedge of protection around my morning. I was open to however He wanted to use me.

The point of the sermon? What are your priorities? What are you required to do as a believer? What is your purpose? What is your desire?

God never disappoints us when we dedicate uninterrupted time to reading His Word and listening to what He has to say. The morning before I woke, I had a three-point dream, and earlier in the night a reminder of what God had first rescued me from. I need you to know that I never remember dreams. Normally, when I wake up, my dreams sprint off like an Olympic runner. Not this time… still to this day, I remember every point God showed me.

• The first rescue… and there were many more over my life.
• The loss of a gift… God took it away because of pride.
• An opportunity to help someone, and in the dream I didn’t help… so someone else did. This is a reminder that if we don’t do what God asks us to, He will get someone else to do the job. What a significant loss that would be for us!
• The only point I could not interpret was a child who was poor and needed water. I tried to help but couldn’t… then I awoke. I’m still listening for guidance on that one.

January 23, 2023’s reading was Exodus, chapters 17 and 18.

Write this down on a scroll as a reminder.

Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the LORD rescued them.

Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the LORD had done for Israel when he rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. “Blessed be the LORD,” Jethro exclaimed.

Then Jethro, Moses’s father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God…

I know what God has done in my life – some of it miraculous. Does my life inspire others? I pray so. Not what I’ve done but what the LORD has done.

So my worship, offering, and sacrifice to God, among other things, is the book telling of His marvelous ways. It doesn’t matter what others think. It’s what God has called me to do. It’s between God and me.

I am not as old as some young people think I am but the years are passing quickly. The point is, though, I have God’s promises, the same as you for this moment. God has rescued me in ways you would not believe! More than once! God has cared for me, carried me, sustained me all of my life. May the glory and honor be given to Him.

What about you? January 23rd has passed, but again, it wasn’t a magical day. You can pray right now that God would meet with you tomorrow. He can do more than you can imagine or dream of!! (Ephesians 3:20).

Why would you not want to see what God can do through you??

SERMON: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg-dxlE_Slg – A Supernatural Mindset in a Natural World. Louie Giglio

The sound of the water is loud; the ocean waves are powerful, but the LORD above is much greater. Psalm 93:4/NCV

Ponder on this verse until we return.

Currently under construction and will return in January 2023.

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

I would love to write in my book daily as I hope and pray to be finished in a few months for publication. As a single mom (or a mom in my new ministry group who refers to herself not as a single parent but as an only parent), it is difficult to accomplish everyday tasks! When you have a special-needs child (a friend calls these children, differently-abled children), that is dependent on their daily needs, the time available to do anything becomes microscopic. Predominantly, differently-abled children have enormous medical conditions too!

It is very difficult for an only parent to find time to…

• Take care of the house and yard work.
• Keep up with the laundry (and some differently-abled children, like my son, produce a boatload of dirty clothes, sheets, and pads)!
• Buy groceries and prepare meals.
• Manage the maintenance of your vehicle.
• Control heaps of paperwork to the insurance company, and state agencies for services for your children, pediatricians, and specialists, plus insurmountable phone calls to the same agencies.
• Continually fight the school system so that your children receive a quality education.
• Endlessly look for programs, camps, and activities that will welcome your child and benefit your child too!

The list is cease-less.

I have designated a day for writing and would love to write on other days, but even the hours of a designated day can mysteriously vanish with unplanned interruptions and tempting distractions.

Mostly I pray,

Lord, lengthen the day!

Lord, make the hours go slowly!

Lord, inspire me more quickly!

God’s response to me?

Value your time!

Allot your time wisely!

Number your days!

If you are like me, you cringe when you receive your weekly screen time announcement on your phone. That is so distracting!😊 I was actually happy to receive my notice last week… 14% down from the previous week! High-five! Then I glanced at the “Daily Average.” My first thought was, I could have written two chapters in that amount of time!

Without honoring the time the Lord has given us, a year can pass before you can blink.

What else dissolves your time? Binge-Watching shows? Having conversations with friends or neighbors that may not be edifying? In-person window shopping? Online window shopping? Seeing how many people comment or like your Facebook posting? I get wrapped up in the talent shows. I used to sing and dreamed of being a professional singer when I was younger. There’s nothing wrong with watching the competition. It’s what my thought patterns are during or after the show. How often do you daydream after a Netflix series or dance competition?

You don’t want to end the day saying, I wish I would have…

So put your phone down. Turn off your computer.

Read a book to your child. Sings songs with your child. Talk to your child about life!

Give your full attention to your spouse or friend or partner. Full attention! No, uh, huh… whatever you say… it’s okay with me.

I read recently a good recommendation. Don’t ask, How was your day? Instead ask, What will you remember about this day?

Value your time.

Allot your time wisely.

Number your days.

365 days a year.

720 hours in a 30-day month.

1440 minutes in a day.

God values your life. He also values your minutes.

What are you going to do with your minute? I’m going to go finish writing chapters in my book!

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. James 1:19

If you are short like me, you learned a long time ago that you had to walk fast to keep up with everyone. It could take me up to two or three steps just to keep up with another person’s one step forward.

For me, after walking fast for all my life, it became a habit. As I got older, people would ask me, Why are you walking so fast?! Slow down! Yes, they were close to my height but obviously didn’t grow up with tall family members or friends!

Sometimes we need to be swift. James says, “Be quick to listen.” Timothy says, “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace...” 2 Timothy 2:22. Another word for flee is to run away… skedaddle!

I am also thinking we should be swift to help someone in need…

• Pray for a friend, neighbor, coworker, relative, or stranger.
• Provide food to someone who is financially struggling.
• Be a babysitter to a single parent who needs a break.
• Provide your services to someone who is a caretaker for a terminally ill family member.
• Help an elderly neighbor, who can’t drive, by taking them to run errands, go grocery shopping, or to doctor appointments.
• Sit with someone who has lost a spouse, family member, or friend… just sit and listen.

Be swift to smile, open doors, allow someone in front of you in a store line or car lane. Be swift to give a word of encouragement.

But predominantly, the Lord wants you to slow down and wait:

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

I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in His word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning. Psalm 130:5-6

Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. Isaiah 40:31

Cease striving (be still) and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10

Tomorrow morning when you wake up and look at your never-ending “to-do” list, turn it over… close your eyes… and pray to the Lord who loves you dearly. Run from things that can harm you, discourage you, waste your time, or steal your peace. Start your day… slowly… in communion with the Lord and His precious word. You will have more peace and strength to accomplish things on your list, and the unexpected things that try to steal your time and your joy.

“As the foundation of faith is being undermined and the walls of truth broken down, God is calling all His children to refocus on the essentials.” Taj Pacleb

The first and foremost essential is to know God more and follow Him.

The next indispensable thing for me is to care for my totally dependent special-needs son.

Finally, to complete this book of hope and encouragement of God’s faithfulness.

With new conviction and focus, I find that I will drop Wednesday’s Ripples for a while until the book is completed. I will go back to bi-weekly postings on the blog. The book is getting to a point where I will begin to post excerpts from it.

In the meantime, I pray that you receive your daily refreshment, guidance, and ripple of inspiration from God’s Word.

What is God calling you to refocus on?

“Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14/NAS).

It has amazed me while writing the stories of God in my journey, seeing His hand interwoven in between each line. I now have perfect peace as I visualize the scenes in my head of all that has transpired in my life. I have not always had a calm heart when I have recounted those same backward glances inside out.

Looking through the monocle of God, understanding more His flawless faithfulness, I can now see the things that happened to me both emotionally and physically had nothing to do with me. It all had to do with the person’s history and coping strategy. Those previous inside feelings that came out of me caused more harm to myself and those around me.

I can see clear as crystal Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I have experienced that unquestionable peace many times before.

• The first time I flew overseas by myself to a Third-word country.
• The hundreds of times that I traveled by train or taxi alone when I lived overseas.
• The drive from Washington State to Virginia took nine days, with my autistic son and his ESA puppy.
• I have lost count of the number of times that I have had speaking engagements, executed seminars, and completed training groups for people in special education, and regarding the atrocities of human trafficking to audiences both in the U.S. and overseas. When I turned each event over to the Lord, I had boundless peace, an anointing each time that captured the audience… only by the Lord’s empowerment, “You made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:3).

Why is perfect peace so important? Happiness is fleeting, sorrow is but for a moment, anger is destructive both to your health and to your relationships, but inner peace can last for a lifetime. I know at least fifty times that pursuing and having peace is in the Bible.

• Psalm 34:13, “Seek peace and pursue it.”
• Hebrews 12:14, “Pursue peace with all men.”
• Romans 14:19, “So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
• 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, and live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

The great orator, Merriam-Webster, said that to pursue is…”to follow in order to overtake, to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish.” Pursue peace to overtake what? For example, in my life… peace guards my heart and mind so that when I look at past abuses and rejection, it doesn’t overwhelm me or engulf me. Even in the present, if someone does or says something hurtful, I can have peace knowing,

1. It’s not about me.
2. The Lord knows all about it
3. Something good will always come from it.

Remaining in peace is also a blessing.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God – Matthew 5:9

However, it is not possible for us alone to maintain perfect peace. We can try on our own, but it is like pushing a lawnmower without fuel. As hard as you push, the grass is still not going to get cut unless there is fuel and oil for the lawnmower engine to make the blades turn.

Our body was not created to run without fuel. We need food for physical energy and Divine anointing for inner peace. That Divine anointing comes only from God through His word.

You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm4:8)

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

So the next time the enemy whispers any past rejection, abuse, or failure in your ear, forgive the person or yourself, and, Do your best to live in peace with everyone, (Romans 12:18/NCV). Obtain the power to enable you from the One True Source, Christ.

I am deeply grateful for the peace that I cannot fabricate on my own.

Shalom

Meditate further: Colossians 3:15, Psalm 29:11, John 14:27, Proverbs 16:7

Favorite Bible Study

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).

The only way to know which verses to share with people when they are…

Lost

Afraid

Grieving

Depressed

Confused

Lonely

…is to know which verse meets an individual in their spiritual maturity and knowledge.

It is common for many Christians to quickly bestow a verse to someone who is hurting without ever knowing the heart condition of the person they are sharing with.

We can never exhaust our efforts in studying God’s Word. In this instant, we only know a little, but when we reach heaven, our knowledge and understanding will be limitless.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know only in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. I Corinthians 13:12

With that in mind, it’s almost Fall! Schools have started almost everywhere, except where I live, and ministry is resuming in the churches. That means Bible Studies are forming too!

So it is your time to share…

What is your favorite Bible Study, and why? How did it mature you in your knowledge of God? How did it make you fall more in love with Jesus?

I can’t wait to hear your answers first, and then I will respond.

Come on! Be brave! Share about the wondrous love of God that you have learned!

Entrust Endlessly

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22/ESV

“Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders – he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people topple into ruin.” (The Message).

Psalm 55:22 is one of those familiar verses that everyone knows by heart. It is a verse that is graciously and lovingly handed out by pastors, good friends, and caring people trying to encourage you when you are experiencing trials.

Don’t carry that load; it’s too heavy. Give it to God!

Being an attentive friend sometimes causes us to say well-meaning words and share verses with those who are suffering. We want those we care about to not be in pain, but it isn’t always that easy. If we don’t know the history of someone, we may not know how the current sorrow truly affects them.

Before you speak words of comfort, ask the Lord how best to encourage your friend or family member.

In the same way, we ourselves cannot aimlessly throw our distress to God. Yes, sometimes in our lives when we are so crushed by what is happening, all we can do is speak the name of Jesus…

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18),

…during those times of calling out the name of Jesus, the cries are coming from the depths of our souls with genuineness.

The aspiration of casting our cares on the LORD is a full release of the weight from our shoulders. The release of the burden seems so easy and would truly be desired…

If only…

How many times have you been to a youth camp where you wrote your burdens secretly on a piece of paper in a ceremonial process and then as a group joyfully released those symbolic burdens into a flaming barrel, (but not as scorching as the flaming fire Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego experienced!), with a hopeful ambition of never remembering those painful arrows again?

Have you taken part in a Good Friday church service, wherewith tear-stained paper, illuminating harshly written words of cruel things against you, or shamed descriptions of what you had once done to someone else, you faintly walk to the front of the sanctuary with lead-weighted feet and attach the paper to a life-size wood cross? As you slowly stumble back to your chair, you nearly collapse from the emotional fatigue, but then… a shimmer of hope shines in your heart, and for once, you believe those burdens are finally gone… only days later to be opening those same doors in your mind. Why?

I believe the commentary from Matthew Henry, a pastor from the 1700’s, gives us a hint…

“In every trial let us call upon the Lord, and he will save us. He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome” (emphasis added).

I have found more recently, that to release my grief, anxiety, disappointment, sin, and heartbreak to the Lord, I have to spend more time with Him in prayer.

Sundays, my practice is to watch a sermon online because of the pandemic the churches still shut special needs ministries down (in our area), and childcare workers are almost zero. This past Sunday was communion Sunday.

Even after the service was over, and I had already taken communion, I spent time on my knees confessing and, with my whole heart, soul, and mind, entrusting all of my uncertainties and anxieties in my life. Afterward, the connection with the Lord was as deep as an endless well.

Previously, I have created a blessings jar, writing blessings as they occur, putting them in the jar, and then in the New Year rejoicing over all God had done. I know many others that do that same activity. Let me also suggest something a little different along with that activity. Why not make a jar where you can write your anguish, anxieties, the hurtful things people have done to you, and the sins that you also have done?

Why?

If you ignore the trials or carelessly give them to God, or stuff them inside and quietly be upset and hurt, they will resurface… over and over and over again. When you write them on paper, you can fully release them to God. Stick the paper in the jar and at the end of the week, give each to God again. You will find over time, and with repetition, the more you dwell in the presence of the Lord and share your burdens, the more frequently the peace will come. The trials don’t always disappear, but you can have peace in the presence of them (Isaiah 26:3-4).

The Lord knows how we are, He knows we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). He knows we are weak. That is why He wants us to spend more time with Him so that He can strengthen us. As Matthew Henry said, “He shall hear us, and not blame us for coming too often; the oftener the more welcome.”

Entrust your endless cares to God for He loves you.

Be grateful that you have someone who will walk with you in the fire!

Meditate further: Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 12:12, James 1:12.

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

Count Your Blessings

I have two hummingbirds and four feeders. And yet, the two birds fight over one feeder. The scene is comparable to us on the path of life. We have blessings beyond measure… daily, yet we grumble to God when someone seems to receive something bigger, brighter, or more often. We believe what someone else owns has greater value.

The biggest blessing we have to those of us who have a personal relationship with Christ is our salvation.

The second biggest blessing that everyone has is the breath of life. We go to sleep at night, in peace, if we so choose, and the next morning, we wake up and we are breathing. There was absolutely nothing we did to make this happen. It is also a Divine gift.

When you look at what is going on in the world, value the gift of breath. It is here today and then gone instantaneously.

We may not have a powerful breath if we are struggling with an illness, but if you are reading this… then you have breath for another moment.

Often we take blessings, such as breath, for granted. We wake up and our mind goes into autopilot. We think of everything that concerns us on a new day.

Can we get the things we need to get done when we are alone?

What is going to happen to our children at school today?

Will we be able to pay our bills this month? What if there is an emergency?

What is going to happen in our world next?

Before the day has begun, we are exhausted and out of breath. Instead, when we awake, we should make time to breathe deeply and think about how valuable that gift is. Why are we blessed with another moment, another day? I know, that when there are children and pets in the home, it is difficult to lie still for a moment. It’s not impossible.

If you generate a time to acknowledge all the blessings that you have, you won’t be meditating on what you assume you are lacking.

How many times have you deeply yearned for a popular knickknack or the latest digital toy, only to buy it, use it once or twice, then it disappears in a drawer like the long-lost white elephant gift?

Do you remember how many boxes you have taken to the local thrift store? The items you have set out for free at the corner of your yard? Those are things we once coveted.

Why not hunger for things of more value?

Why not use your time, talent, and resources with those who are hurting?

So many come to mind right now…

The flood victims of Eastern Kentucky.

Those who had to leave their homes because of wildfires.

Families that have escaped the war in Ukraine.

Children who need mentors. Many children have struggled with the losses of the pandemic.

Teachers and medical staff and police officers and firefighters… all needing encouragement.

Single parents.

In the morning… Find a quiet place, if just for a few minutes. Give thanks for all that God has done and blessed you with.

“The point is that somewhere, someone needs the gifts that God has blessed you with. When you allow Him to use you in those gifts, people will be blessed by it.” G. Brockman

Meditate further: Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 23:1-2