A reminder to rest. Don’t let Sunday become your day for chores or errands. Remember that your mind, body and spirit need to rest.
A blessing for you from God’s Word:
And a prayer for you to carry throughout the day:
Month: October 2026
The Blind Can See
When Jesus walked the earth and began his ministry here, one of the things that He did that showed people His power was to heal the blind.
Those who were healed believed in His power to heal even though many did not know that He was the Son of God. They accepted that He must get His power from Heaven because who else could bring sight to the blind?
Jesus was speaking to the religious leaders when He said this. They were not blind physically but spiritually. They arrogantly thought that they had all of the answers and Jesus in this one statement shows them how ignorant they actually are. Of course, these same leaders were part of the crowd who plotted against Jesus since they didn’t like being “called out” like that even though it was truth.
There are many today who are blind because of illnesses or defects or diseases. My sister has macular degeneration and has lost much of her eyesight. I pray for her to keep her sight as long as possible, but more than that, I pray for her spiritual eyes to be opened. She asks me to pray for her when things are going wrong for her, but she also claims not to believe in God, heaven or hell. Her spiritual eyes have been blinded, much like the Pharisees who ridiculed Jesus.
How many people in your life are spiritually blind? Before you can reach them with the gospel message, there needs to be a falling away of the scales from their spiritual eyes. God needs to prepare their hearts to hear and receive, and I think that comes with prayer. Does that mean that this is an impossible task? God says nothing is impossible with Him. So, I continue to pray for those who are blinded that they may see the truth. It is only when we realize that we are blind that we want help and that is how they are, too. They are so blinded that they don’t realize it and thus they remain in their sin. As believers, it is up to us not just to share the good news but also to pray that the hearts of the people with whom we share will be prepared to hear, understand and accept the truth. The blind can see, but we are the only ones who can help them to do so.
Near to God
On more than one occasion I have had friends and people I barely know ask me how I am still standing and able to praise God after all the challenges life has thrown at me. That generally brings to mind Job’s wife who counseled him with the unwise words to just curse God and die. (Job 2:9) Instead of turning away from God, my challenges have pushed me closer to Him. There is no place I would rather be when the doctors give me more “bad news” than pressing into God so that I know that He knows exactly how I am feeling and that I need Him.
I am not special, but like many of you, I am a walking testimony to God’s grace. I was born again in my 20’s, also got married a few months later and began my adventure of military moves. God was with me in each new place. I shared in yesterday’s post about not liking change. Twenty-five military moves with different bases and different houses didn’t change my mind on that but rather cemented it. Nevertheless, God provided jobs when I needed one, new friends in each new place and always a church to keep me centered. I was born with asthma and until the pregnancy with my third child, I had not suffered any symptoms since before my college days. With Steven, I was hospitalized several times because of extreme asthma episodes. But God brought me through and then we moved to Maine. I stayed sick a lot there, with pneumonia. I should say that my mother died shortly before we moved to Maine and that emotional stress didn’t help. Again, God comforted and helped me each time I was hospitalized. Fast forward to 2015 when I had a stroke. Again, God was right beside me as I struggled to talk (I could only stammer) and as I went through rehab to learn how to walk again. I’m not going to lie. It was hard but I literally felt God’s presence and His Spirit telling me that I could do it, whatever I needed to do. Three months after my stroke I was miraculously back in my classroom part time and ended the year as a full-time teacher again.
Life isn’t easy for anyone. The road has bumps, unexpected twists and some curves that come up fast with no warning. But God is in the driver’s seat and I have the attitude that I am along for the ride so I may as well trust Him and enjoy the ride. I am here today to declare that God saves, heals and uses wounded people who are not perfect. I am one of those and I am blessed to know that as I draw near to God, He draws near to me. Together, we make a formidable team and I bless His Name that I am still here to write this blog and tell you about His love, mercy and grace.
What has God done for you? Have you pressed in closer to Him as the days get more challenging? I have found that the way to be a survivor is to trust in God. He knows the past, the present and the future and He hasn’t changed His plan for your life. All He does is for our good always in all ways.
New Things
I am going to admit that I do not like change, of any kind. I don’t like it when a favorite outfit wears out and I have to discard it. I don’t like it when my husband moves things around in the interest of “organization” and I can’t find them. I don’t like when my doctor I have been seeing for twenty years retires and I have to find a new specialist. I just don’t like new. But God does…so there is that.
God creates new things from nothing. So when He says He is doing a new thing, it isn’t taking something old and re-purposing it. It is all brand new.
God creates and I am likely the one standing there saying, “Yes, that’s very nice, but I liked the old thing better.” I know that you are probably gasping at my boldness right now, but God already knows what I am thinking and how I feel so saying it out loud isn’t going to surprise Him. He has been working on me lately to get me to accept new things, new people in my life, a new arrangement of furniture so I can get around with my walker, and even a few new-to-me foods. But I must say that on the last one, it has to really smell and look good to get me to even try it. I am not a “Daniel Boone” kind of person willing to blaze whatever trail is needed. I am the kind of person who likes the trail already laid out with a map or GPS telling me all of the stops and places along the way that might delay my travel. God doesn’t give us a map of our lives and tell us to just follow it and we will be fine. God likes to do new things because He knows that some new things are good for us, others stretch us, others test us and in the end, they all grow us.
We may think that we have everything all figured out and then God shows us that we definitely don’t. God works within us to accomplish His goals for us and if that means changing, then that is what He works on. Again, that word I don’t like…change. With my health issues, there have been a lot of changes this last year. I have to plan trips around my medication schedule so that I am not asking my husband for a bathroom break every half hour or so when we are on the road. I had to change my Sunday school class because the building for the couple one doesn’t have a bathroom that I can use except down some very treacherous and steep stairs. I am not traveling to see grandchildren as much as I would like because I just don’t feel well, and then, of course, there are always medical appointments that intervene. I didn’t get to see my sister for her birthday this year because I had just been diagnosed with the whole heart issue and the doctor didn’t want me to travel. Road bumps are a part of life, but I am discovering that some of those bumps are part of God’s plan for me and He already knew that they were coming. I am the only one surprised by them. But God’s word says He can do “infinitely MORE than we might ask or think.” We are finite people with a finite mind, but God is not. Thus trust enters the picture and we know that He is working and doing more, more than we thought possible, more than we can even ever imagine. Who knew that I would make new friends in the new class? God knew. Who knew that the new nephrologist would be so on top of things that he calls to make sure I show up for extra labs when my numbers go up? God knew. Who knew that not visiting my sister meant that the doctor would relent and give me permission to go to our granddaughter’s wedding, even helping me with the med schedule I would need to follow to make the long trip? God knew. So, am I resting in this new world of change and adjustment? No, but I am getting better at the whole “wait and see” thing. I am more willing to wait and see what God will do to work things out in a new and creative way.
And isn’t it just like God to remind me this morning that God is preparing things for me and I cannot even imagine the new things He has waiting for me.
Prayer for School Year-Narrow Path Min.
narrowpathministries.wordpress.com/2026/10/14/audio-a-prayer-for-your-familys-new-school-year/
As a retired teacher, I think it is of the utmost importance that you commit each school year to the Lord. Public school, private school, homeschool…it doesn’t matter. The students and teachers need to be covered in prayer. There is a lot of evil in the public school system these days, with a lot being taught that young minds take as truth when they are being indoctrinated with lies. So, pray, pray, pray. And, also, advice from this former teacher, be aware of what your child is being taught. Don’t just ask how their day was and half listen. Ask specific questions about various subjects. What was the topic in history today? Science? Literature? You have the responsibility to train your child, to pray for them when you send them into the world and believe me, the world will train them if you don’t. So…pray, pray, pray and watch and listen!
Trusting in Chariots
Yesterday I had a scheduled appointment with my neurologist. He has always been one of my favorite doctors to visit because of his compassion and genuine ability to listen. Yesterday ended up being a big disappointment for me and in my devotionals this morning, God opened my eyes as to why I left feeling frustrated.
First, the doctor is usually on time or only a few minutes late. Yesterday, the nurse told me that he was running about ten minutes late. An hour later, he arrived. Usually, he asks me questions about my health and then examines me. Yesterday, the first thing he did was take out his reflex hammer and hit my left knee, the one I fell on three weeks ago that is still healing. OUCH! Right after that, still no questions, but he wanted me to get up and walk without my rollator. He walked beside me and just observed my unsteady, ambling gait. At that point, I told him I had fallen and was still healing and both of my ankles are swollen due to the congestive heart failure diagnosis. When he sat at the desk, he looked through some records, asked me a few questions about my visits with the orthopedist and nephrologist and then said, in all seriousness, “You can’t have injections for your bones because they affect your kidney. You can’t take pain medications for your arthritis for the same reason. Basically, there is nothing else we can do for you, so all I can say is ‘Good luck.’” No words of compassion or any kind of understanding for what I have been going through…just a “good luck.”
I went outside to call my husband to pick me up in front of the building and told him what he had said. He reminded me that one of the kidney doctors I had visited told me, “You have stage 3 kidney disease. You’re going to die.” And then he walked out of the room. Needless to say, I found a different kidney doctor. That is not because I don’t believe that he was telling the truth since we are all going to die, but because his bedside manner was seriously lacking.
I am not planning on changing my neurologist because of his lack of empathy yesterday. He has been my doctor since my stroke almost twelve years ago and yesterday was an anomaly for which I am forgiving him and moving on. But that is not without some insight into why his words upset me.
You see, I visit a lot of specialists because I do have a lot of physical ailments. I was born with one kidney that is failing, I was born with asthma so my lungs are not in great shape, and now I have a recent diagnosis of congestive heart failure. But in my quiet time this morning, the Lord spoke gently to my spirit and asked me about my trust. In whom do I trust? What am I depending on? If I am depending on doctors for answers, He reminded me that they are called “practitioners” because they are practicing. They don’t know everything nor will they ever. But…big but, if I am truly leaning on God to help me through all of this, then I will be fine. (After all, I do know where I am going when I do die, so that is a great consolation.) He knows what is going on and he truly cares. He isn’t going to pronounce a death sentence or tell me “good luck” as he heads out the door. He is walking beside me all the way. God opened my eyes to the fact that I have been trusting in chariots. During the Roman era, they were the sleekest, fastest and most reliable way to storm into battle and conquer the foe. But they could break down or be covered by flood waters just as the Egyptian army that was drowned in the Red Sea. So, trusting in chariots isn’t going to be what will carry me through these trials, But God will.
I need to re-focus and trust in God to heal me, not just physically but spiritually and emotionally too. What is trust? According to the Cambridge English dictionary, trust is:
to believe that someone is good and honest and will not harm you, or that something is safe and reliable
It all comes down to faith, to believing that God is good and He will not harm me. He is reliable, totally trustworthy, even with my impossibly complicated health issues. Meds won’t help, but God can, and I choose to believe that He is helping me and He will continue to help me. He encourages me daily to get out of bed and start moving, even as my body protests. I wake up each day thanking Him for the new day and for whatever it may bring. Some days are harder than others, but God is always present and always there to quietly remind me of His love and presence.
Are you trusting in chariots? Not the ones you see in museums, of course. What I mean is, are you trusting in anything or anyone who is not God? Don’t wait until you are gobsmacked by a doctor who nonchalantly tells you “good luck.” Trust God today and know that you don’t need luck…you have God in your corner, wiping away the tears and telling you that He is always with you.
The Legacy of God’s Wisdom
Passing Along God’s Wisdom (Daily Refresh, 10-12-26)
What if the choices you make today could shape someone else’s life for years to come?
Proverbs 22:6 says, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.”
It reminds us that our actions don’t just affect us—they also act as an example, guiding and directing others, whether we realize it or not. And which direction we guide others… matters.
When you trust Him, God can use your consistent acts of faithfulness over time to plant His wisdom deep in a person’s heart.
The book of Proverbs is a powerful collection of wisdom meant to teach people how to live well and thrive according to God’s values. Throughout Proverbs, parents are encouraged to pass that wisdom on to their children. It’s one of the clearest examples of the Bible telling us exactly what Scripture is for. The goal is not simply to pass on rules to follow, but to train others to see clearly so they can recognize the difference between the path of wisdom and the path of foolishness.
Proverbs 22:6 isn’t saying that parents can control the choices their children make. Instead, it points to the lasting influence of faithful, consistent guidance.
This kind of influence takes time and genuine care. It happens through repeated conversations, everyday choices, Scripture, prayer, correction, encouragement, and setting an example. If you’re not sure where to start, consider inviting a child, friend, or family member to begin a simple practice with you: reading one chapter of the book of Proverbs each day. It is full of God’s powerful wisdom for a thriving life.
Whether you’re guiding a child, mentoring someone younger, or simply trying to live faithfully before others, remember this: you may not see the results of your faithfulness today. That doesn’t mean you aren’t making an impact. Keep going. Trust God with what you cannot see. Trust that when you plant God’s wisdom, over time, it will take root and grow.
My Thoughts
In our Monday night Bible Study Group, we are studying the Book of Proverbs, and Chapter 22 was our study for last week. This verse is a principle, not a promise. God doesn’t force our children to make right choices and to follow Him and neither can we force them. But we can trust that God will bring a harvest from the seeds that we sow. Even when we don’t see the change that we want to see or the life we expect our children to live, we can still know that God is being faithful. We have three children. The oldest, our daughter, left following the Lord for a while. But then, she returned and has led her husband and family to faith in the Only One who can save and make a difference in people’s lives. Our middle son goes to a traditional, old-fashioned church, following the lead of his wife who grew up in that denomination. I have nothing against the denomination, but I know that our son does not have the relationship with God that I would like for him and his children to have. I cannot change choices, but I can continue to scatter seeds. Our youngest son is not going to church, not following God and not really including God in his life, at least not as far as I can see. His life is the product of busyness, so many activities for the children, but church is not one of them. I pray daily that he and his wife will return to the faith roots in which they were both raised. The seeds were sown, but they only found fertile ground for a while. The “cares of this world” took over and that’s where we are today. Have I given up? No. I throw out seeds when I can, especially to the grandchildren, telling them Bible stories and teaching them children’s songs about the Lord. My heart’s desire is for all of them to return to the Lord, but that is their choice. I can only scatter the seeds and say what the Spirit prompts me to say.
All of this is to say that we should not be discouraged when the seeds we sow don’t seem to be growing. God knows what is happening in the root system and He can bring about unexpected and marvelous changes. God is good, and He loves each of my children much more than I do. So I am entrusting their eternity to Him, even as I do my part to remind them of the seeds of their childhood and scatter new seeds for them to ponder.
Do you have someone in your family that needs the Lord? God’s Word will not return to Him void but will accomplish what HE has purposed, not necessarily what we expect to happen. So, sow and water and wait. In God’s timing, the blooming will come. I truly believe that. Do you?
Blessed to Be a Blessing
The title to today’s post is not just a group of words I say, but it is a belief that I truly hold. God has blessed me with so many years on earth, years in which I got married, had three children and ten grandchildren. These were all unexpected blessings for me. I am still here on earth, with congestive heart failure, compromised lungs, one kidney and bones that constantly ache. Nevertheless, I am here to do what I can, when I can, for whomever I can. And so are you. Here are some reminders about blessings and some blessings to encourage you.
The last concert I was able to attend before my stroke was with Steven Curtis Chapman and Laura Story was also there. These words are from her song, “Blessings.”
Have You Allowed the Thief in Your Life?
Most people will read this question and immediately reply “of course not.” They think of the thieves that roam the towns and cities of our nations, usually under cover of darkness. They break in when the residents are not home, or they quietly sneak in during the wee hours of the morning, taking as many valuables as they can without getting caught. Thankfully, I have never been a victim of those kinds of thieves. But I think all of us have been a subjected to the thievery to which I am actually referring.
The evil one is the thief and he wants to steal our joy, our faith, our trust in the Father. He wants to kill our relationship with the Father and to destroy our families, our hope and our happiness. But the only way he can do that is if we turn to him and give him the keys. That means we make wrong choices and fail to honor God with our lives. That thief rules lives by trickery and deceit and many of us have fallen for those lies at sometime or another.
Jesus doesn’t come into our lives to take things from us. He wants us to be happy, fulfilled and complete in Him. After all, He sends His Holy Spirit to walk with us and to live with us daily, teaching and reminding us of what Jesus would want us to do and say. Our choices will always be our choices and each time we make the right one, we are choosing that abundant life He promised. Life isn’t always easy when we walk with the Lord, but it can always be full of hope for a future with Him and a knowledge that He is walking with us no matter what we are going through. Just a side note: the thief takes us into what looks like a beautiful flower garden, we look again and it’s a desert wasteland, and he abandons us there, laughing as he makes his way to the next person he can trap with his lies. Jesus gives us choices, we make choices (sometimes the wrong ones) and He walks with us through those choices. Right or wrong, His love is ever present.
Every morning should start with a prayer of commitment and trust. Our lives are in the hands of the One who loves us most and knows us best.
This prayer is from the YouVersion daily devotional for today. It goes along with the theme. Notice that the enemy’s attacks aren’t always a direct assault on us. Instead, he tries to divert our attention, take our time, sap our energy with meaningless pursuits, etc. He is cunning, but he is also defeated. When we look to Jesus, we will find the way to the life that we really need. Under His protection, we don’t have to be concerned about the attacks of the enemy because God is our strength and fortress, if we allow Him to be.
Now go back and read the title again. I hope it makes more sense to you now and speaks to your heart. Have a blessed day!
