When I first asked to write I wanted to talk about what the Lord has done in my marriage just a month into it, but I felt the Lord lead me to write about something else. As hard as it is to do, especially with everything that goes on nowadays, Jesus calls us to love and pray for our enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,”

Matthew 5:43-44

I can promise you I am not good at that. As much as I hate to admit it I’m the type of person to hold a grudge. In my line of work, there are a ton of different people, with a ton of different backgrounds and beliefs on how things should be done. This pretty much guarantees that at some point in the day, someone will annoy me. Now when that time comes it’s always my choice to forgive them and turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39), or to treat them as an enemy. There are countless examples in the Bible of what acting this out, or the result of it looks like. The best example by far is in Luke 23. Jesus after being battered by the Romans, and mocked by the Jews hung there on the cross. He didn’t curse those people but instead said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they have done.” After everything Jesus went through, he still cared for their salvation. Still wanted the Lord to forgive their sins against him.

It isn’t easy loving the people who harm you, but everyone is a Child of God whether they acknowledge it or not. Our God is the type to leave the 99 to save the 1. We need to remember that the love we show to our enemies can have a massive effect or influence on their walk with the lord. Pray over your enemies, show them the love of God through your actions as Jesus calls us to do.

I’m fortunate enough to live in a time that reality tv is at its peak. 

I’m not talking about “The Kardashians” or “Love is Blind”. I’m thinking of a show that took place in West Monroe, Louisiana, featuring men with long facial hair that love ducks. 

This show is incredibly different because it first aired in a time that TV wanted to display anything but a Christ-like nature, and they did just the opposite. 

The head of the family that starred in this show is Phil Robertson. Phil was unapologetically alive for Christ and learning about Phil was inspiring but also convicting. 

After Phil gave his life to Christ, he felt so called to share the good news. He would feel convicted by seeing a stranger in a parking lot because he didn’t know where they stood with Jesus. He even tried to share Jesus with people who stole from him. 

I’m not sharing this to brag about how cool Phil Robertson is, but there is something we can all take from him. We have the same opportunities he did, and we can take them. 

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says to the disciples , “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Christians, we all come from different walks of life, but we are united in one purpose, to seek out the kingdom of God and lead others there too. 

My prayer is that I and whoever reads this will notice and take advantage of their opportunity to spread the good news, that eternal life is found through faith alone in Jesus Christ for all who accept Him. 

With the 4th of July approaching I know we are all preparing to celebrate the United States as an independent nation. This was a time when soldiers made significant sacrifices to secure our freedom, and still today many men and women give their lives to protect our freedoms. Soldiers have a dedication to their country prioritizing it above their own lives. They have a sense of duty,selfless service, responsibility to values, honor, bravery, courage, perseverance, suffering, and etc. The life of a soldier can actually be compared to the life a christian should live.

As christians we are in the army of Christ. We are to live our lives in obedience and discipline to the Father, our commanding officer. We have to continually seek and follow His guidance. He leads us by faith and through prayer and reading His word on a daily basis. We must prioritize our committment to set aside time to hear from God. This will empower us to face whatever battles may come our way. It also will give us the wisdom we need to make decisions and to lead others to Jesus.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

 

As soldiers for Christ we have a duty to selfless service and a responsibility to spread the gospel. We are to put others and their well-being before our own. Our lives should be full of humility and love for others. We should live following the example of Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, never for personal gain or recognition. This can be giving our time to serve in our church, community, or even workplace without expecting recognition. We have to have pure hearts that truly desire to please God without it being an obligation. We may feel unappreciated at times but we can rest assured that we are pleasing the Father!

“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:15

As soldiers for Christ we will experience times of suffering which leads to perseverance. We have to stay focused on our goal which is to live fully for God. Our suffering will always have a purpose usually in the sense that we experience growth that will deepen our faith. It also gives us the ability to be a help for our fellow brothers and sisters when they suffer.  This can take a lot of bravery and courage just as it does a soldier in a battle. As christians we have to fight battles daily. Satan is constantly standing against us to try and defeat us. He knows what triggers us. He knows how to cause us to doubt. BUT God is greater than the enemy, He gives us the strength to fight the devil and our fleshly desires. We just have to stay focused and always look to the Lord.

“Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3

As christians in God’s army we get to serve the highest commanding officer of all!! He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!! We know He has already won the battle. Jesus Christ has defeated death through His sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection. We will face many battles in this life but God has given us His word as a weapon against the enemy. When we read the word of God, pray, seek His will, and keep our faith, we win the battle!!!

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

A topic that’s been heavy on my heart this past year has been walking through the wilderness. 

As I entered into my first year of college last fall, I felt foreign to the world. I didn’t have sports anymore, I was distant from friends that I have grown up with, and I was scared to death of what the future looked like for me. 

I would think to myself, “How do I navigate my future when I have no idea what it even looks like, or where the Lord is leading me? What if I choose the wrong career path and waste my life and money going to school for something I don’t even like?” 

One day at bible study we were discussing being obedient to the Lord. As we were discussing this, the question I previously stated came into conversation. We began talking about what if we think we’re being obedient to the Lord, but in reality the Lord was leading us somewhere different. 

My pastor told me something that gave me such peace. He said that no matter which path you choose, the Lord will be glorified if you are choosing HIM and putting HIM in front of your every step. That reminds me that no matter where I am in life, or how foreign the circumstances seem, the Lord will be glorified. 

Another thing to add is that when it seems you are in the wilderness, make sure that your identity is being found in Christ. Not in your boyfriend/girlfriend, sports, social media, or the world. 

When we lose focus on who God calls us to be, we lose focus on where he calls us to be. 

Going forward, I hope to encourage everyone with this verse from Isaiah 42. In verse 19 it says, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers on the desert.”

 

When Adam and Eve fell to temptation in Genesis 3, sin entered the world. The first man and woman were cast out of Eden when they chose to disobey God. In the followingchapters of Genesis and throughout scripture, we see shame, strife, death, disobedience, pain, chaos, and people living as though there were no God. Though God sent a flood to cleanse the earth, it didn’t take long for sin to become rampant again. When we look at the world around us, we see the destructiveness of sin. We have the same enemy that the first man and woman had, and he will do anything to keep us from knowing and walking with God. We have assurance even in this because Jesus tells us in 1 John 4:4: “Little children, you are from God and have overcome, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 

 

Romans 6:23 tells us: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Father God sent His only Son to be our Savior. What an unbelievable,indescribable gift of love – the love that sent Jesus to take our place on the cross. We earned the death sentence, yet He willingly poured His life out for us. Hebrews 5:7-10 reminds us that Jesus suffered in our place: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” 

 

When we hear the “old, old story about a Savior who came from glory,” the Holy Spirit stirs our souls and leads us to the nail-scarred feet of Jesus. For the first time, we see ourselves through His eyes – our lostness and utter helplessness to save ourselves. We see and grieve at the depravity of our sin, but we also rejoice at the depth of love poured out for our redemption. We come to know that it is the love of Christ that brings us straight into His arms. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us: “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” There is no greater love…

 

But the story doesn’t end at our salvation. We, too, are called to walk the path of suffering, to stand in the gap for others. We have a story to tell, and we will pay a price for sharing the story. Some will scorn and think us ignorant, and others may seek to silence us as we share the truth of God. We must always remember that Christ was no stranger to suffering. His suffering saved us from eternal death; likewise, we will experience suffering when we follow Him. Suffering reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus who molds and fits us for the paths we are called to walk. Suffering leads us to put our hope in Him, and in Jesus, we have the Light of the World that sets us apart in a dark world that desperately needs a Savior. Jesus brings a sweetness into our suffering when we lean fully into His love. He is all we need. “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

 

 

 

 

“For the despondent, every day brings trouble;

for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 NLT

I thought of a childhood memory when I read “continual feast” in this scripture. Often

our favorite memories involve food or is that just me? Summertime for me as a child

meant a road trip to Mississippi to visit my paternal grandmother. We confidently knew

we would be greeted with something warm on the stove and a table filled with pies and

cakes. This would be every day of our visit. Her kitchen felt like a banquet that never

ended.

Proverbs 15:15 puts two drastically different lives side by side. This verse reminds us

that how we see life has a lot to do with what’s happening in our hearts.The New Living

Translation uses the word “despondent.” A despondent person is defined as someone

that often behaves as if their situation, or someone else, has total control of their story.

Despondency or discouragement can often look like an inward sigh that says “this is just

how things are” or “nothing will change”. This inward distress shows up in how a person

lives and speaks. Every day seems to be a “bad day.”

I thought about Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. A cloud seems to follow him around

while he says things like “oh well” and “it probably won’t work anyway.” Then, on the

flip side, there’s Tigger, who bounces into a room full of hope and energy, even if

nothing around him looks all that exciting. It’s the same Hundred Acre Wood. Same

weather. Same world. But Tigger has a totally different mindset and he’s wearing an

entirely different pair of lenses.

This verse is such a good reminder that joy is an inside job and so is hopelessness. It’s

like a crime show where the twist is that the thief was inside all along— someone

trusted, someone no one suspected. Sometimes the thing robbing our peace is our own

thoughts, fears, or expectations quietly convincing us that today is just one more

struggle.

So, what do you and I do when we realize the thing stealing our peace and joy might be

coming from inside? We let God into it. We let Him speak truth to those despondent

thoughts that say things like “nothing’s ever going to change”, “just another bad day”, or

“why expect anything different today?”.

Like David we self-reflect— “Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?”. And

then we make a decision: “I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my

Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11)

It doesn’t mean everything around us will suddenly be perfect. But it does mean our

perspective can shift. We don’t have to live like every day is just one more thing tosurvive. With God, we can start to see hope again. And with a heart that has hope, even

the hard days begin to feel a little lighter and the table looks a little fuller.

I understand now why as a child my grandmother’s kitchen left such an impression on

me. It wasn’t just the food… it was what else was offered— it was the joy, the love, the

invitation. Her table was a reflection of her heart. God is still cooking up goodness, and

His daily invitation is to “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who

take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

 Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB)

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy…”  I live out in the country in the Upstate of South Carolina. Summer is lovely here- there’s abundant sunshine, blue skies with mountain views & rolling  hills  all around.  

Everything is green and something is always blooming. Right now tiger lilies beautify the road sides & the hydrangeas and gardenias are really showing out. A half mile down the road, our good friends farm- they have everything from cows to eggs to strawberries and my personal favorite- white peaches. 

Most people have a garden- my Daddy has a huge one! All this real, local produce has me thinking about spiritual fruit.  It is probably because of my Sunday School class. Each summer we combine a few classes and participate in a group study. 

This summer we are focusing on the FRUIT of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.  These two little verses pack quite a punch, don’t they? I’d love to share some of the things I am learning during this summer season of refreshment. 

First of all, the fruit of the Spirit is FULL and complete. Did you notice that it is F-R-U-I-T singular? Prior to this study I thought about them as the F-R-U-I-T-S plural. I thought of them separately as things that I could work on, with some incomplete and some achieved and some that weren’t “me”.  But really they are all part of God’s character. 

He possesses them ALL effortlessly and all at once.  I am realizing that I cannot try harder to be more loving or more patient etc.  God causes these changes in me as I trust and live for Him. He brings about this fruit in its season, just like those strawberries that I love to eat each May!

Next, the fruit must be FRESH! We must spend time examining our hearts. This time will inevitably show sin and/or relationships and areas we need to work on. Sin stops up our relationship with God and essentially rots the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. We must confess and repent to prune  (see John 15:1-8) so that we can continue to grow and produce fruit. 

Lastly, we need to FOCUS on the fruit. Where can we look? There are several places- your Bible, your prayer life, and how you are ministering to others. Don’t let that Bible get dusty this summer! Continue to read and pray and learn. Seek Him. If we don’t spend time with God, how can we expect  Him to challenge our progress? Who can you share one (or all) of these attributes? Who needs to hear about Jesus? 

I get so busy and distracted especially during the school year. I know I miss opportunities He puts right in front of me.  Maybe we can use the slower pace of the summer to adjust our outlook.

I hope you enjoy your summer and all the fruit it brings. Try not to be discouraged.  Paul offered the Philippians this reminder  “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6. 

Don’t automatically go there. 

When the picture is posted. The one that makes you cringe. Just don’t mentally go there. 

One was posted a few weeks ago with me in it, and my first inclination was to think, “Wow, this really highlights the most unflattering part of my body.”

But I wasn’t looking hard enough. I wasn’t looking at what really mattered. 

The smiles. The happy tears. The sparkle in my loved one’s eyes. The meaning of the moment. 

Ladies, we’ve got to stop that. 

First of all, I guarantee you no one else honed in on that body part except for me because if they did – well, that’s just weird. 

Second of all, who cares!!! Let’s retrain our minds to focus on what matters. 

Let’s focus on the meaning of the moments not the insecurities that we see that no one else does. 

Let’s focus on our family and our friends and our faith. 

Let’s focus on the freedom we have in Jesus Christ. 

After all, we will all have perfectly perfect bodies in Heaven. And here on earth, I guarantee your loved ones think you’re perfect just the way you are. 

Now that’s good news. 

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

rays of Sunshine 

At the start of every school year, I pack up my backpack with pencils, folders, papers and anything else I might need. I always just kind of guess with how much stuff I should put in there, and I keep a stash of extras in my closet in case I run out of anything. This year, I just put a random amount of paper in my math binder and was like “yeah that looks about right” and didn’t think anything about it again. Until it was the day before our last homework assignment, and I see exactly one sheet left. 

Exactly one sheet. 

I used the exact perfect amount of paper in my sophomore year of high school in my binder. 

I didn’t plan it. 

I never noticed it and was like “hmmm if I plan this out accordingly it will line up like this.” There were days I did random doodles when I wasn’t paying attention in class, or gave a classmate a sheet and yet every thing lined up perfectly in the end…

And this was a huge deal to me.

Literally a week before I had been praying to God for wisdom and just a sign that He was there for me. When I told all my friends about my perfect amount of paper, they were all just kind of like “cool- whatever.” None of them were as amazed by this as I was. 

God knows exactly how many hairs are on my head, and He knew exactly how many pieces of paper I would need for my Algebra 2 math class. He showed up for me in such a tiny way, but it was such a miracle to me. 

When I was reaching out, He didn’t give me a huge spectacle. He gave me a tiny miracle that other people looked over, but that meant everything to me and showed me that He loves me and cares for me every single day. God answers all your prayers and shows up for you every single day.

“But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬