I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I always ask my husband for a target. For example, what is my target time to be ready to leave to go to an appointment? What is the target for the dinner, i.e. what are we supposed to bring? I need a focus, a target to keep me centered.
This shows my desired target every day, all the time.
There are a lot of things in our lives that plead for our attention. There is entertainment on little devices and large televisions, just waiting for us to click. There are phones that ring and mail to be answered, especially that annoyingly cumbersome e-mail. Regardless of how many other things want our time, our time belongs to the Lord first. Then the other things fall in line behind Him. Think about what you spend your time doing and ask yourself if you are giving God enough of your time or only the leftovers. The One who created you and who also made a way for you to have a relationship with Him deserves the head seat at your table, the bullseye for your target every day.
Unless you follow me on Facebook, you don’t see the scriptures or the quotations that I post there. I try to post things that are encouraging or humorous. Here is a sampling of what I have posted recently.
I love this quotation from C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite men to quote since he was definitely wise and worth listening to. I was feeling my age this morning, so when this quotation was in my daily devotional from Nicky Gumbel on the YouVersion, I created this graphic on Canva to illustrate it.
This is a scripture quotation that I found online. I need to add this one to my memory verses because it seems that I am always in a waiting room. But I have hope there. I am pleased to say that I was discharged from the orthopedist yesterday. He told me that 18-20 year-olds do not heal as well as I am healing. So, I repeated to him that the Great Physician was working on me, and the doctor told me he believes for sure that He did this healing because it is miraculous given my bone condition and other health problems. So, while I wait, God is already answering. It just takes me a while to figure it out.
Some of my favorite quotations are from Corrie ten Boom. She is a giant among faith-filled women in my book and she is one of the saints that I look forward to seeing in heaven.
I hope that you enjoyed today’s quotes and notes. Do you have a favorite quotation to share, one that has spoken to your heart and reverberated in your spirit? Please take a moment and share with me. Thank you and have a blessed day and a better week than you can imagine!
Our freedom comes from the Lord, so we need to make sure that we appreciate it instead of abusing it. Lately, there have been a lot of news stories about people who are maligning Charlie Kirk and ridiculing his death. Some have been fired from their jobs over what they have said publicly or posted online. I am not sure how I feel about that.
First, I think that they are heartless and unfeeling, with a conscience seared that does not tell them right from wrong. Second, I think that they are not aware of how harsh their words sound to the family and loved ones of Charlie, nor do I think that they are concerned about it. Most importantly, I think that they need to be saved and find the same freedom I have, a freedom that reins me in when I am about to hurt someone else. After all, life is made up of relationships, vertically with God and horizontally with mankind. These people who are saying Charlie got what he deserved don’t want to get what they deserve. None of us does. But still, they set themselves up as judge and jury and condemn Charlie for his words, words that spread hope and truth, that spoke light into a dark world.
When you are offended by the light, it is because you prefer the darkness. But should you lose your job for your narrow-mindedness or ignorance? I want to say, “Yes, definitely! They should never say such things!” But where does it stop? This is a slippery slope that perhaps we don’t want to start down. Suppose the liberals are in charge (which realistically they will be again), then do they get to make sure people of faith lose their jobs because they post “offensive” scriptures online or say something that condemns sin?
I am not saying that these people were right in what they said. I am saying that they have the right to say it and then can suffer the consequences, if any, of those who are in their community. No consequences doesn’t mean it was right. It is just a sign loudly proclaiming how far from human decency and love for our fellow humans we have fallen as a society.
“I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” ~Evelyn Beatrice Hall (biographer of Voltaire)
I think that I believe what this quotation says. You can say what you want but know that words have consequences that may lead to being ostracized by civil society.
All of that being said, I am not a fan of such hard-hearted people teaching impressionable children. If they can keep their opinions to themselves, that is one thing, but to spew vitriol in front of a captive audience of children, that is where I would draw the line. Posting online…harmful, but someone has to read it to be affected by it. However, standing in front of a classroom and saying that Charlie Kirk deserved to die…I would take a hard line on that and suspend the offender at the very least.
I am in favor of free speech, but as I used to tell my students (the ones who insisted that they could talk when I was trying to teach), their freedom ended where mine began. There was a definite line there called courtesy and respect, and I explained it to my students. If they wanted me to listen to them when they didn’t understand, then they needed to listen to me as I tried to explain the new material to them. Did these people cross the line of respect, courtesy and dignity owed to a fellow human? Yes, but they are willfully ignorant of the Judge who will one day hold them accountable for all of their posts, tweets and other online rants.
We all have choices every day about what to say and what to keep silent about. Jesus didn’t go around condemning all that he saw. Instead, He offered an alternative of peace, love and joy in following Him. We need pray for these offensive hate-mongers, that God will deal with their hearts. Then they will truly have freedom and we won’t have to be worried about the next foolish thing they will say.
Finally, I would not fire the offenders unless they are spreading their propaganda in front of a classroom. Those with sway over our children and grandchildren should be held to the highest standard. Hollywood doesn’t like Charlie and they’re glad he died? Dont’ buy tickets to their films or pay to stream their shows. The wallet is what talks to such insensitive people. Censoring them gives them a platform to spew more hatred into a very sad situation.
Deep condolences to Erika Kirk, her children and other family members. I pray that she will listen to God’ voice and not to the voices of the haters and deniers.
Closing with scriptures and praying that you understood my point today, whether you agree with me or not.
Just a little food for thought today. In the world, people generally judge others by their homes, their cars and their bank accounts. Jesus doesn’t look at our possessions; He cares about our hearts.
We all carry life’s burdens every day. My big burden lately has been family health issues and car problems. Daily, I take those burdens to God and receive the reassurance that He is handling things. But there are some things, I confess, that are difficult to hand over to God, even though I know that is exactly what I need to do. The big one that comes to mind is my own mortality and the fact that my aging is not something I can deny. I face it in the mirror daily, every morning as I get up and struggle to get to the bathroom because of mobility issues. God has given me a verse that I recite frequently to remind myself of His care for me.
I love this promise and the fact that He is carrying me, all the way until I get into His arms. I have to admit that some days, I feel that need more than others, but I can rest in His love and His promise.
We often get so wrapped up in our own world and our own problems that we don’t look around us at what others may be facing.
We are a very self-centered people and God knew that about us. It’s part of our sin nature and we have to work at focusing outward towards others instead of only inward towards ourselves.
We are told to carry each other’s burdens. Rather, we are instructed repeatedly to give our burdens to the Lord. I think that one way of doing that is to focus on others, so that we are not so aware of our own burdens. Oftentimes, in fact, our burdens dim when we get a glimpse of the burdens others are lifting. The recent example that immediately comes to my mind is the flooding in Texas that resulted in numerous deaths, including children from a Christian camp. My first instinct was to ask “Why, God?” But I quickly shut that down and instead started praying for the missing children, the parents of those whose bodies were already discovered, the camp counselors and the rescuers. My mind was so occupied praying for strangers that I was not totally absorbed in my own world and its problems. I think that is the way we should be daily, not just during a crisis. Look out…not in because in so doing, that is how we can do the most good for the Kingdom of God.
The real secret to our being free of our burdens in that we help others and God helps us. The promise is that He daily bears our burdens. So, if we know, really know, that Jesus is bearing our burdens, that gives us the freedom and opportunity to look for others that need our help. The neighbor who needs a ride to the doctor. The friend who needs groceries but who won’t ask for help. The young mom who needs a break just to refresh her soul. You get the idea. Helping others isn’t so much time consuming as it is forcing us to look at others instead of ourselves and our own needs so much.
I got this prayer from the YouVersion Daily Refresh today. I prayed it several times before the words became truly meaningful to me. My prayer is that this post today will inspire you to help someone today, in a small way or big way. Just be a helper. Mr. Rogers (TV show from my children’s youth) would like that, and more importantly, I think that so would God!
We can trust God to always provide even when we don’t know how it can possibly happen. God is always there, always desiring the best for His children.
Times can get hard because life is hard. But no matter what, before the hard times come, we need to purpose in our hearts that we will trust God’s provision and continue to rejoice. He has given us a Savior, the gift of eternal life and a relationship with our Creator. Everything else is just extra, as they say, the cherry on top.
Do we look at all we have and have confidence that we will continue to have it tomorrow and all of the tomorrows to come? Do we recognize that all we have comes from the God who is blessing us. Thus we learn to depend on God and not on things. The things we have may vanish, but God remains steadfastly beside us.
In our world where sin is rampant and overtly practiced, it is hard for us not to condemn the sinner or condone the sin by saying nothing. Here is good advice from a recent devotional on the YouVersion App:
By saying nothing, our silence seems to condone the sin. By ranting and raving about the sin, we are condemning the sinner without offering them a different pathway. If we think about Jesus and His example, then we will get our actions and words right.
In the story of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus forgave but He also gave instructions. He told her to “Go and sin no more.” When we speak to sinners, we have to tell them about better choices, not just condemn them for their sinful actions. The better choice is believing in Jesus who forgave all and died on the cross for the sins that they are choosing to commit.
I have been guilty of silence (condoning) as well as condemnation. I want to try to do better in my witness and strive to be more like Jesus who showed the sinners a better way, pulling them to a safe shore instead of leaving them floundering in their sea of sin. We can all probably do better, but we have to make a conscious choice to do so. I hope that you will make that choice with me.
The second definition in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary is “belief and trust in and loyalty to God.” The sub-definition is “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” First, I was concerned about why faith in God is not the first definition. That place belongs to the word “loyalty.” I can see that, but my personal opinion is that the definitions are not in proper order. Nevertheless, now that we know from the dictionary what faith is, what is it really? What does the word “faith” mean to you?
To me, faith is what allows me to go through hard times, knowing that the God I love and serve is waiting for me on the other end. Faith is also what I tried to show to my children and still try to show to my grandchildren. I show them through my prayers and my testimony and my Bible study that I truly believe in God. Proof that He exists? Faith is not dependent on any scientific study but rather it depends on a relationship that is established on the day you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and start a relationship with the Father.
Faith is not a feeling that you get, but a heartbeat that pumps inside you and becomes part of who you are. I could no more wake up without faith than I could awaken without a heartbeat. I wouldn’t exist as the person I am without my faith in God, my belief that He is there working on my behalf and will never let me down.
My faith in God started as a small seed, trusting Him to save me from my sins and to bring me into a right relationship with Him. How did that seed get sown? By reading God’s Word and believing it! And every day that I read and study His Word to me (and to you), my faith is nurtured, much like watering the rose bush outside my window.
We have faith that when we go out to start our car in the morning, the car will turn on and we will go. We have faith that the GPS giving us directions knows what it is doing. You get the idea. Can you see all of the internal workings of the car that make it go? No, but you trust that it will. Do you understand how a GPS works? I guess some real brainiacs will say “of course” but I don’t understand it and doubt that most people do, but I still trust it will get me to where I want to be, even with a several “re-routing” statements along the way.
Faith in God is kind of like believing and knowing without seeing or totally understanding. I know that God created me because His Word says so. It is not by accident that I was born or that birds can fly or that fish can swim. God designed it all this way and He is the sovereign One who continues to watch over His creation. How do I know that? Because I have faith that the Word of God is totally accurate and true.
Whatever you believe in or have faith in is what your life focus is. If your belief is only in yourself, then you focus on keeping yourself happy and secure. I am glad that my focus is on God since I don’t have to be so self-centered on my happiness and security since it is a part of what God promises me, i.e. contentment and provision.
Others have used this analogy so it is not mine originally, but we cannot see the wind, but we can feel it. And if there is a big storm, we can hear it. The wind is there whether we see it or not. So is God. He is there, working behind the scenes of our lives to help us to get to know Him better. But we have to do our part. When we know a hurricane is coming, we prepare by gathering supplies like batteries and toilet paper. The Bible tells us that Jesus is coming again. Are you getting ready? Are you faith-filled and prepared to meet the Lord? You can get ready by spending time with God and His Word. Learn what it says to you about His love, sacrifice and plans for you. Every day that you spend with God is a blessing and an opportunity to build your faith.
We cannot know the future, and I don’t think I would want to know it, honestly. But I can trust that whatever the future brings, God will be right there with me. That is faith.
We may not know where life will take us each day, but we can rest assured that the One who is leading will be faithful to lead us through the storms, out of the valleys and ultimately into His presence.
My prayer is for the healing of our nation as we turn back to God. We need to look forward and not back, forgiving as the Lord forgave, and pray for our new leaders. The new President may not be the one you wanted in office, but he is the one that God allowed to be there, so the commandment is to pray for those who lead us. It doesn’t say to pray for those you like and agree with…pray for the leaders.
I spent the last four years praying for President Biden even though he was not my choice. I believe God had a purpose in allowing him to be in office. And since I don’t have God’s mind, I cannot tell you what that was. But I prayed, sometimes begrudgingly and sometimes half-heartedly, but I prayed.
Today is a new day and a new administration. I hope that you will join me in praying for President Trump and his family, for Vice President Vance and his family. May all they do be for the good of the nation and the people that God loves.
So, my health has had a few blips lately, with a visit and stay in the hospital, multiple visits to specialists and a general feeling of “what’s next.” But God has been with me through it all and encouraged me with my devotional this morning.
This is a quotation from my devotional. It expresses well what I have been doing since I found out that I have to see a neurosurgeon about my frequent headaches. I am looking up! Psalm 121 is one of my favorite psalms, reminding me that nothing is happening in my life that God does not have under His control. My help has always been and will always be from the Lord.When I am resting at night, God doesn’t rest. He is looking over me, just as He is watching over Israel. God loves me and we not allow me to stumble around aimlessly searching for Him. He is right there beside me, day and night. No matter what may come against me, the Lord is my shade protecting me from harm. I don’t know the end of this health situation, but I trust the One who does know. God is watching over my life, when I go to doctors, travel to a memorial service next week, spend time with grandchildren, whatever I do and wherever I am. He is watching over me until the day He calls me home to be with Him. That is a promise from God and what keeps me looking up in faith and expectation. God is good…all the time!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 