Day 29: Matthew 19:14

Matthew 19:14: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these. NIV

Today, March 18, my grandson will be five years old. Our granddaughters were born in the 80’s so it had been a long time since we have had small children to love and watch them grow. It has been wonderful to be been blessed, not only with a new grandson, but also with three great-grandchildren.

What a joy they have been. They have lifted me up when I was lonely and depressed. Their love has brought me so much peace. I am so thankful for each of them.

Lord, thank You for the gift of babies. They are truly a miracle and a blessing. We ask that You watch over them and keep them from harm. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Contributed by Marge

Day 28: Galatians 6:9

Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”   NIV

A few years ago, a friend of mine posted a link on Facebook to a song she was listening to and it caught my attention. I knew she listened to Christian music more than any other genre, so, I knew it would be a song about something in the Bible, maybe a “rocker version” of some old hymn, even. Little did I know that this very short, repetitive verse and additional encouraging words put to music would remain in my head and heart from that day forward.

“Let’s not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we’ll reap the harvest, if we do not give up! Therefore, be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing it is not in vain. Do not give up!  The harvest is coming!” ~Christian Music Artist, Beckah Shae 

Having had an on-again/off-again relationship with God during my 52 years on this Earth, these words have kept me believing, hoping, hanging in there, and able to dry the tears to see in front of me to take one more step, again. Read more…

Day 27: 2 Corinthians 5:15

2 Corinthians 5:15: ¹⁵ He died for the sake of all so that those who are alive should live not for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised.

How do you start your day? Did you hit the alarm clock and realize you hit the snooze button: now you’re 10 minutes behind schedule. Wash your hair or make coffee?  You finally leave the house and get behind the slowest person on the road. Your desk is cluttered with all the unfinished projects from yesterday and you wanted time to devote to a co-worker who was having problems.

Now re-set!

Change your routine to wake up an hour earlier. Spend quality time with God – listening to music, in prayer and meditation. Spend some time asking for direction and how you can better serve the Lord.

The following poem or prayer has always helped me center my thoughts and ask God; “How can you use me?” Read more…

Day 26: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I work full time and have a toddler son. My days are long. My days are exhausting. Sometimes it’s overwhelming. And then it’s bedtime and we say our prayers. I am teaching my son how to pray. He is only two so it is simple. “God, I love you. Thank you for everything. Amen.” And then you realize it is the simple things that matter. God does not care if your words are fancy, only that they are true. Don’t be afraid to pray. Ask him for what you need, thank him for what you have and don’t forget what really matters. It does not matter if the dishes are spilling out of the sink on to the counter or the food is smashed in the couch, but what does matter are the boy who made the messes and the God who made it all possible. The good, the bad, and everything that is important. 

Dear Lord: Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say rejoice.

Contributed by Jamie

Day 25: Hebrews 11:10

Hebrews 11:10: Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

Looking to God

There is a great group of rock formations in southeast Arizona called the Texas Canyon. My husband Carlton and I have made many trips to Arizona on I-10 because our daughter and her family live in Mesa.

In addition to our grandchildren, this rock formation is one of the highlights of our many trips. Coming or going, I anticipate the now familiar sight. I am filled with excitement to see the “elephant,” “dog,” and “dinosaur.”    I find them first and my eyes roam the static formations to pick out something I haven’t located before. There are always new “sights.”   My routine is to end with looking across the top of Texas Canyon to see what appears to be the outline of a human face that is looking toward the heavens to see God. This outline changes but the face always is looking to God.

It reminds me each time that we should always be looking for God and anticipating God’s presence in our lives. During our season of Lent we look forward to the greatest gift of all—Jesus dying for our sins. There will be the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of something new always with our eyes on God.

Father, you have created nature to speak to us about you. May we always look for your message in all we do, being aware of your  presence. Amen.

Contributed by Sue

Day 24: Ephesians 4:11-15

Ephesians 4:11-15: And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith  and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of man, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all thing into Him who is the head-Christ-

It’s All About Perspective

I have been working as a government contractor for almost 25 years, working on the same contract. As a contractor, only legal Federal holidays are acknowledged as legitimate holidays. When it comes to the Christmas season, contractors look forward to Christmas falling on Friday thus having the day after fall on a weekend and being off. That did not happen this year, Christmas fell on a Thursday making Friday a work day unless you applied for and had approved vacation. I did not; I went to work. My routine for work consists of coming to work an hour or more ahead of official start time and having my daily time with God to start my day. On Friday, December 26^th at 7AM I was asked by a colleague, “So, is this your second Monday of the week or your second Friday?”  Read more…

Day 23: Mark 11; 24-28, Ephesians 4:31,32

Mark 11; 24 – 26: 24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. 25 Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your father who is in heaven will also forgive your transgressions. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.

Ephesians 4; 31-32: 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Forgive

There are times in life when others cause us harm and we then hold on to the anger and resentment refusing to forgive. By withholding forgiveness we are only hurting ourselves.

As a child my father abused me in the most egregious manner and as a result of his abuse my mother despised me, my reward was bitter and violent. For more years than I care to admit I harbored not only fear but hate, refusing to forgive them, and only blaming myself. In those dark days I did not thrive in life, much less in my spiritual growth. It took many years and a great deal of therapy to understand that I did not Read more…

Day 22: Titus 2:6-7

Titus 2: 6-7: “….encourage the young men to be self controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned….”    

Today would have been my Uncle Charles’ 101^st birthday. Uncle Charles was a bachelor all his life, living with his parents (my grandparents). As a young boy, I had the joyous privilege to visit them in the summers at their country place, exploring in the woods, fishing and swimming in the creek, and taking care of the animals. Every morning after breakfast, the four of us would have a time of devotion from a book similar to The Upper Room. Uncle Charles would read the scripture passage, message, and lead the prayer. On Saturdays, he and I would go to the Lutheran church about two miles away and clean the church. He also kept the large cemetery in good condition during the summer months. The thing he did the best was ring the bell from the balcony every Sunday service (he even let me ring it once!). My uncle set a spiritual example for me to follow like Paul did for Titus. As I continue my spiritual journey, the traditions given to me by Uncle Charles and others throughout my life serve to enrich my faith day by day. During this Lenten season, we would do well to remember the examples set by those who have come this way before us.

Beloved Father of our Lord and Savior, help us to follow the example of Jesus every day. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who helps us along the way to be an example for Your people. Amen.

Contributed by Mike

Day 21: Psalm 23

Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. KJV

When I was teaching a six- and seven-year-old Sunday school class, I chose a lesson teaching about God. I asked the class of 15 when they were with God. The first response was one of the boys who answered “at church.”  I wrote it on the chart. “Any other places?” I asked. Another came “Prayer time at bedtime.”  Another “prayer time before we eat.”  I listened to all of the answers and then asked, “what about play time, TV time, game time, room cleaning time or study time?”  I got an emphatic “NO” to all of these. Why not, I asked. Some said, “God wouldn’t be interested in those things or “He is too busy for those things.”  How do adults feel about God?  Is He too busy to be with us all of the time? Our lives would be so much better if we would realize He is always there. He guides us, comforts us, and encourages us and He helps with the many decisions and roads of life. He will help us over the good times and over the rocky roads. How relaxing and self-assuring to know He is always with us.

Prayer: Be with me, God, every minute of the day. Be with me, God, every day of the week. Be with me, God, every week of the year. Be with me, God, every year of my life. Amen.

Contributed by Liz

Day 20: 1 John 4:7

1 John 4: 7 : Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. NIV

“I’m a Believer”

It’s my opinion that all newborn babies are weirdly funny looking little creatures and that notion was tested when I first cast my eyes on my granddaughter Evelyn. This event happened five months before Evelyn was born during a routine appointment at Scott and White with my daughter-in-law Saemi. During Saemi’s ultrasound procedure, I was able to watch the screen and up popped the grainy picture of this tiny person. You would think that as I watched in stunned silence at the image of my first grandbaby that the words of some profound scripture or sainted hymn would have come to my mind but actually it was something quite different. What popped into my head was the Neil Diamond-penned, classic pop tune from 1966, recorded by The Monkees, the song, “I’m A Believer.”  Yes, The Monkees. In a darkened exam room in Scott and White in 2010, I gazed at the weirdly funny looking face of my grandchild and (cue the music) I heard these lyrics in my mind: “Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer. Not a trace, of doubt in my mind. I’m in love and I’m a believer.”

Today is Evelyn Elizabeth Smith’s 4^th birthday and even though she now lives almost 7,000 miles away from me, I think back with such tenderness and remember the moment I glimpsed the face of my precious granddaughter for the first time. How marvelous is the human condition that allows us to love another human being so completely at first glance and to know without a doubt that this depth of love will be with us forever. How grateful I am to God that He also loves each of us at first sight and continues to love us so unconditionally. I’m a believer.

Heavenly Father:   Thank You for grandchildren. Amen.

Contributed by Becky