I had a black eye for Christmas – yep, I sure did. And,it was a big, bad one, too! 

“What in the world happened?” you ask. 

Well, during an unfortunate situation with some inner ear congestion, I became close-up and personal with the tile floor in my bedroom. So, I had a huge knot on my forehead, which is STILL somewhat there almost two months later, swelling of my whole eye and forehead, and my entire eye was black – the lid and under the eye. Y’all. I’ve never even had a black eye, let alone one that lasts for two months! But you know me – if I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna do it BIG! My grandkids were laughing this weekend that they were gonna get me a t-shirt that says,

“It’s been fifty-two days since my last accident.”

As my eye slowly started getting better all throughout the month of December, I kept thinking,

“Surely this eye won’t be black for Christmas???”

But, y’all, it was indeed still black.

If I’m perfectly honest, though; it was actually a very appropriate way to end a year that I hope I never have to relive. It was honestly probably the hardest year ofmy fifty-five years. I’ve dealt with three – count them, THREE – serious illnesses and have been the caretaker for my parents all at the same time, watching them decline quickly. And, that’s very difficult in itself. So, I’ve basically been dealing with four things that, on their own, would be difficult to walk through…all at the same time. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

I mean, it’s just to the point where I sit down and take a fifteen minute coffee break, and a new part of my world starts to crumble. Ever been there? Everyone tells me,

“Remember, this is just a season.” And I’m like,

“Well, is this season like seasons in Texas, where it’s really just hot, less hot, and hotter?”

Because this season feels like it will last forever.

I feel like I can actually identify with King David, before he was king and running from Saul. God had anointed David as king and everyone was so excited and ready to get rid of Saul. I’m sure David’s family threw a big celebration the day after Samuel visited and woke up that next Monday, thinking,

“Today’s the day our boy becomes king! Who would’ve thought it?”

But, as we know from the Bible, that is NOT what happened. Instead of David getting to take the throne, Saul’s reign continued and, even after fighting Goliath, Saul ended up hating David and wanted to kill him. Sofor the next who knows how many years, David ran from Saul, while Saul tried and tried to kill him…day after day after day.

I’m sure David felt a lot like me, during this season. Like, 

“God, what is the DEAL??? You anoint me king and now the reigning king is trying to kill me? Won’t You do something, Lord? Wasn’t this your plan for my life? Why is this happening?”

We see some of David’s struggles in Psalm one hundred forty-two, it starts out like this:

I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles. 
When I am overwhelmed, You alone know the way I should turn,

And, that’s exactly how I am feeling!

As 2023 ended, I wondered what this new year would bring. Like David, I’ve been crying out to God, begging Him for new life, saying, 

“God, You’ve given me so many dreams, what happened to those? Are they still mine? Will they ever come to pass? How will they if my life continues this way? Can’t you do something, Lord?”

Finally, after a lot of whining on my part, God spoke to me and said,

“Sherra, you already have new life. I have made you new and am making you new daily. My mercies are new every morning, remember?”

Lamentations 3:22-23 are very familiar verses that remind us of His mercies,

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.

Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.

And, honestly, I had forgotten all about God’s new mercies. I just forgot that, no matter what life throws at you – and life WILL throw things at you – God’s mercies are new every, single morning. We can wake up every day to a new day; the issues, thoughts, problems from the day before can stay in the past. God’s mercies, His grace, His counsel, His peace, and His joy are new and available to us every day. All we have to do is ask for it, receive it, and choose to walk in His newness; but it’s our choice to make, every day.

“Well, what if my problems are still there?” you ask.

Oh, I get it; believe me, I get it. But God’s mercies are still there, no matter what is happening and you can still choose newness. Purposefully remembering God’s mercies, changes you and your day from its start. And,remember, too, that this “making me new” thing is God’s process; honestly, it’s part of our refining and maturing as Believers – and sometimes that’s rough. Remembering God’s new mercies daily helps us keep our eyes on Him, no matter what our day brings; it changes our focus from the problem to the problem solver. The rescue and answers may not come immediately, but that’s OK, because we can be sure and certain that God has got us and is making us new. And, we can learn so much during this time and become more like Jesus in the process, too.

Well, David finally got his day to be king. He came out of his season of running and took the throne that God had promised him. The thing I love about David is that he let it all hang out with God – you never really have to guess how David is feeling at the time of writing each of his psalms! But after he has expressed his weariness, his feelings of defeat, his fear, and on and on, he always comes back to remembering God, trusting God with his life, and remembering God’s daily mercies, while watching them play out in his life.

January is a great month to start new with God. Maybe you’re a seasoned Believer whose life is pretty calmand on target at the moment; unfortunately, life’s trials are gonna come for you at some point. Will you choose to remember God’s mercies and rest in them? Or, maybe, like me, you’re in the thick of a season of trialsand weary. I get you, friend. Even though we can’t control what trials come or what season we’re in, we can always remember that God’s mercies – for whatever we’re going through – are new every morning. Remembering and resting in that can help 2024 be your best year ever!

My eye is much better, but still black in some places; make-up helps a lot. But it reminds me of a past I made it through and the new chapter He has for me. While I’m waiting for that new chapter to begin, I choose to believe that God is good, and teaching me a lot; He’s making me new for whatever comes next!

Where Your Treasure Is

I recently read Matthew 6:1-21, and verses 19-21 stood out to me. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;  but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NKJV)

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount, arguably the most well-known sermon of Jesus. The word treasure in Greek is thēsauros, which we find several times throughout the New Testament, mainly in Matthew. Here are a couple of these verses:

Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (NKJV)

In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus is comparing the kingdom of heaven to a treasure you would give up any worldly possession to obtain.

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’ ” (NKJV)

My Latin teacher used to tell my class, “Latin has no eternal value, so we’re not gonna kick cats, break pencils, or punch

siblings because of it!” This is a comedic example but an important concept. Jesus knows the man He’s telling this to has a heart problem. His treasure is material, but Jesus tells us to store up treasures in Heaven. If you aren’t willing to give everything to be a follower of Jesus, then

your treasure is of this world and therefore, perishable.

Matthew 6:24 tells us, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (wealth).”

The question isn’t, “Is Jesus telling me to give up my worldly possessions?” It’s, “If He did, would I? How hard would it be?” This doesn’t apply to just money- it’s anything you hold higher in importance in relation to your life than God. These can be the things you give the most attention, focus, time, and

energy to into. Throughout today, think about where your treasure is because that’s where you’ll find your heart.

For more information on this concept, you can go to How can we store up treasures in heaven? | GotQuestions.org<https://www.gotquestions.org/treasures-in-heaven.html&gt;.

2 Timothy 4:16-18 ESV

At my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.

Rescue by Lauren Daigle

You are not hidden

There’s never been a moment

You were forgotten

You are not hopeless

Though you have been broken

Your innocence stolen

I hear you whisper underneath your breath

I hear your SOS, your SOS

I will send out an army to find you

In the middle of the darkest night

It’s true, I will rescue you

There is no distance

That cannot be covered

Over and over

You’re not defenseless

I’ll be your shelter

I’ll be your armor

As I was working on school stuff this song came on, and at the same time Daisy messaged to remind me about my time to share. And to be honest I didn’t type out what I had on my heart until after she reminded me because well, life is hectic right now. The feeling of struggling is very heavy. At times, abandonment comes in strong and I’m not always sure where it stems from. I’ve lost people that I love dearly whether to death or just life moving on. At times old hurts and memories that reflect this feeling come up, and it leaves me wondering why. Why does it happen? Why wasn’t I good enough to choose to stick around with? Why did they walk out?

Since moving to Arkansas and working with families who have trauma that is out of this world, some days it breaks my heart to know that they feel these things as well. I have worked hard to be the light for them in their darkest nights and while I know that I cannot rescue them, I know I’m showing God’s light to be the rescue for themselves. This is what God does – He leans down to rescue us. We cannot hide from Him. There is no low or high that we have in life where He isn’t with us. Now, if you’re anything like me some days during the highs and lows you forget He’s right next to you, and that’s okay because He is still covering us. He is our shelter and armor when life is beating us up. But my favorite thing is that He sends people to be there with us when we need more support to rescue ourselves. God is placing you where you need to be with the people you need for this season. Though people may come and go, it does not mean you are unworthy of rescuing or that you are not worth fighting for. God is always fighting for you and towards you.

Lean into God on the days you don’t see yourself where you want to be or where the love for yourself is lower. God is still covering you in love that is as mighty as an ocean where it drowns out all of the fear, shame, abandonment, rejection, and all of the other ugly feelings. Remember God will hear your softest whisper, He will strengthen you, He will bring you safely back to Him, and He will rescue you!

Happy 2024! Another year has come and gone. Were you proud of yourself this last year? Did you do some really hard things? Did you have challenges you faced? Was God with you through it all? Absolutely! He was there with you for all of the good and the not so good. He is proud of you for doing the hard things. He is proud of you for staying faithful through the challenges.

Joshua 1:9 tells us, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.

While we look forward to the new year, we will have plans for what we think this year will look like. Perhaps our new year resolutions look a bit like eating better, exercising more, or spending more time with family. However, our plans for this year are ultimately not up to us. God already has this entire new year planned out for us. He knows the challenges you will face, and he knows the joyous moments you will experience. He wants to walk beside you through it all. Trust in Him, and the rest will fall into place… ALWAYS! The scripture reminds us to be strong and courageous no matter what we are facing and to trust that the Lord is with you wherever you go.

It is easy to make plans for the upcoming year, but the true new year plans we should be making for ourself is to allow our life to revolve more around Jesus and the great plans He already has for us. We have to plan for Him to be the guidance and spirit we need for taking on the new year. Can I encourage you to make your new year resolution to walk closer with Jesus this year? I promise you won’t regret it. As you walk with Jesus and trust in Him, this will be your best year yet!

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Have hope in the Lord this new year to renew your strength to face whatever this year holds for you. By doing so, in trusting in Him, you will run with the Lord’s plans and not grow weary. Have a very blessed 2024! What a blessing it is to see a new year! Make it a good one.

And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.“

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ 

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ 

Recently, I’ve been looking at the life of Abraham, and I’ve come to stories I’ve read and heard many times in my life. Abraham has always been one of my favorite characters, and while I know this story is prophetic of Jesus, as I read it this time, God spoke to me about provision.

As Isaac and Abraham headed toward the sacrificial offering, Isaac asked where the lamb was. Abraham responded that God would provide for Himself the lamb. Then, as Abraham lifted the knife to slay his son, God called out to Abraham to stop. When Abraham looked, there was the ram that would be the sacrifice. Abraham was fully obedient in following God’s directions, and, at what we would see as at the last minute, God fully provided.

There are situations right now that I’m facing in which I just don’t see the how of it being worked out. Yet, God reminded me that it’s not my place to worry. It’s my place to trust and obey. In trusting and obeying, God will provide, sometimes at the last minute. 

As you go into this new year, are you wondering how you’re going to pay that bill? Trusting and obeying means “the Lord will provide”. Are you wondering how that work situation is going to be resolved? Trusting and obeying means “the Lord will provide”. Are you wondering how the needs of your family are going to be met? Trusting and obeying means “the Lord will provide”. Are you wondering how that relationship with a loved one will be restored? Trusting and obeying means “the Lord will provide”. We may struggle with the timeline, but no matter what the situation, trusting and obeying means “the Lord will provide” in His perfect time. 

Trust and obey no matter what. His timing is perfect. His provision is perfect.

“The Lord will provide.”

There are a few times a year I feel absolutely burnt out. I realize at these times my cup is near empty and I am spiritually dehydrated. When life gets busy, it’s so easy to rush my quiet time or skip it altogether. That daily time with Jesus is so worth it, you don’t want to miss it. 

Make it a priority to read your Bible on a daily basis. The nourishment of God’s word does not compare to any worldly thing out there. If you are a believer, inspect your walk with the Lord. Choose someone in your life to share the gospel with and pray fervently for them. 

If I can be filled up with the love and strength of Jesus, then I don’t want it any other way. Let’s start the new year with cups that are overflowing thanks to the Lord’s goodness!

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

Psalm 23:5-6