The Plumbline

He is God after all

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? (Psalm 56:4 NLT)

What has God promised for your life? Peace in the midst of turmoil? Hope in the midst of fear? Provision in the midst of lack? All of these and more! We cannot underestimate the promises of God or argue that God doesn't really provide what he promises. The promises of God are without reversal - once they were given, they remained in effect! Do we fully trust God to do as he has promised? Do we recount his promises when doubt, frustration, or turmoil come our way? If we are honest here, we might just have some pretty weak faith when it comes to trusting God to do EXACTLY as he said. We think he 'might' come through, 'might' see fit, 'might' find it within his power. That is some weak trust right there!

Sometimes we add, "God, if it is your will...", to one of God's promised actions, but we are showing we don't fully trust him. For example, God says he will provide for our every need. We have a car that is constantly breaking down. We pray, "God, if it is your will help me find a new car." Then we see the prices of all those new vehicles and look at our checkbook balance, realizing a new car is not just going to materialize! It would take a miracle! What we fail to recognize is that God's will is to send us to an honest mechanic that will do all the necessary repairs in short order at a reasonable price our checkbook can handle. We didn't get a new car, but we got a totally reliable means of transportation. Did God not follow through on his promise to provide for our needs? No, he did, but just not as we expected. He 'came through', 'saw fit', and 'found it within his power' to give us ALL we needed at that juncture in our life.

God's will or his children is to be safe, provided for, and growing in their depth of relationship with him. The 'things' or 'interventions' we think God might do or provide in our lives aren't always what we need. God's will might just be to strengthen our faith through simply trusting him to do what he has promised. We don't 'outline' God's answers to our prayers. We put our needs out there, then we trust him to take those needs into his hands, formulate the right answer to those needs, and provide as only he can provide. The trust we place in his promises isn't complicated - it is simple. We make it complicated by adding all kinds of 'conditions' to that trust. God asks us to lay down those 'conditions' because he isn't going to be 'boxed in' by our conditions. God provides in ways we never saw coming, never imagined possible. So, the next time you put 'conditions' on one of God's promises, don't be surprised when he does something 'out of the box' to meet that need! He is God after all. Just sayin!

Remember him

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1 NLT)

Remember him - this whole chapter is riddled with those two words. Before our eyes fail, our legs become wobbly, or our hair fades to grey - remember him. While there is yet time, remember him. We might need that reminder this morning - to take time out of the busy day we have ahead and just remember his goodness, grace, and love. That should spark a note of gratitude from deep within our souls, bringing praise to our lips and worship from our spirit.

The excitement of youth might just be the things that come into our days, filling them to capacity and sometimes beyond it. We make plans, set out to execute them, taken on more plans, and set things in motion to see those through. All the while, we forgot to take time to execute the most important plan of our day - remembering him. In this moment, if that is you, just rest for a moment and consider who he is. What has he done in your life that brings notes of gratitude to your lips?

Honor him with your gratitude but also be very aware of what dishonors him! Empty words of praise are not honoring to him. Teensy weenie moments carved out of our days might be all we think we can afford to give to him, but I guarantee you that when we carve out just a bit more time each day for him, we manage to accomplish way more than we did when we had that cram-packed-full schedule!

It is possible to drift into a pattern of taking only a small amount of time with him but not even give him our full attention when we do. The amount of time isn't what is important - it is that we engage if this process of remembering him. As I stop to think of my parents, the lives they lived, the memories we made throughout our lives together, I am actually honoring them in my heart. Should it be any different with the one who has redeemed my heart, making it whole and removing everything from it that only brought me harm?

The urgency of life can get in the way of our time with him more than we might realize. It destroys our focus and takes away from our consistency. It isn't the amount of time as much as it is the consistency of it. In those moments, shutting out the distractions is ever so important. When we finally settle into the peace of his presence, our day's agenda suddenly seems less and less urgent. It may take some doing to actually shut out those things that present themselves as 'urgent' but I know when we do, we will find the time we take remembering him will never be wasted. Just sayin!

Don't shy away

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15 NLT)

We all know it is easier to be happy with someone than it might be to come alongside them when they grieve, feel under the weather, or are just plain depressed. "Sadness" is a condition that has a profound impact on our minds, bodies, and even our spirit. Unwanted life events, unexpected health concerns, and even a lack of sleep can lead a person into times of feeling more than a bit 'off' in some form, right? How do we handle those moments when they are not our own - when another isn't 'quite right'? Scripture reminds us to be there for them - to come alongside and even to feel their sadness and grief.

Ups and downs come - they are part of life. We cannot avoid some of them, even if we try. Things like relationship woes might not be the easiest to deal with, but they come, don't they? Health fails us at some point, no matter how well we take care of ourselves. The events of life are going to happen - will we be there when they do? While we all might want to be there when someone is happy, we don't always run toward those who are experiencing life's woes, do we? There is just something about the 'burden' someone is carrying during those 'unhappy seasons' that might make us want to shy away.

That burden wasn't meant to be shouldered alone, though. The individual attempting to 'soldier on' in the midst of grief, anxiety, hurt, failure, or even tragic loss shouldn't have to do so alone. God's plan has always been for us to have 'community' - those we can go through life with in both the good and the 'not so good' times. That individual might just need to hear that God isn't asking them to 'soldier on' all by themselves - they have us to help them navigate through those hard places. They not only have us, but they also have the strength of our prayers. We can lift them up to his throne room and seek his interventions even when they don't have the strength to do it themselves.

It is said that anyone can make your cry, but it takes someone special to make your smile when you already have tears in your eyes. Be that someone today - the someone who identifies with the emotions of another who is struggling with something in their life that they might not have anyone else to share it with. Don't shy away from the hard emotions - they can bring the deepest and most lasting relationships that you will ever experience. Just sayin!

Be a finisher

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 08:39:44 +0000

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24 NLT)

The work assigned - what is the work God has assigned to you on this earth? Now, don't go saying that you have no clue. If you have this misguided idea that only 'some' are 'called' to be used by God on this earth, you need to change your way of thinking. God has given you specific talents or abilities - use them! It doesn't have to be pulpit ministry - it could be driving a nail with a hammer. You say that is your profession, but you don't see it as a ministry - a calling in your life. Like it or not, even your 'profession' is a 'calling'! God can use you in whatever capacity he has enabled you to be used - you just need to realize it isn't the 'pulpit' that matters.

Finish the work - don't be half-cocked or half-baked in your commitment to do what God assigned for you to do. Whatever it is, be about the work with enthusiasm and determination. I was called into nursing as a career, but the lives that crossed my path in that 'profession' were innumerable. I prayed at the bedside of the dying, held the hands of the frightened, and soothed the wounds of the hurting. Did I always have an opportunity to share the gospel message with them? No, but I could live it! I could show his compassion, share his love, and extend his grace wherever possible. Finish the work you are called to do - with gusto.

Our lives are worth more in his hands than they will ever be worth in ours alone. We don't need to develop some great talent in order to be used by him. We don't have to be the most charismatic. We just need to be available to him. Then we need to be obedient to what he shows us needs to be done. Even in so called 'retirement' you can keep on keeping on. The 'work' may change, but the heart behind it doesn't need to. We can keep on sharing ourselves, being available for whatever he reveals needs to be done. It could be we just need to ask him to show us what that is, then do it.

The moment we determine to be used by God as he has created us to be used is one that is both scary and exciting at the same time. Scary because we don't always know where it will lead us. Exciting because as we begin to explore what he has in store for us as he uses us will evoke more than a little bit of emotion from us. The most important aspect of being used by God is being open to what he tells us to do. We might feel a prompt to do something, go a particular place, reach out to an individual, start doing something in our community. Regardless of what it is, do it! You won't finish the work until you start it! Just sayin!

New clothes, but a filthy body

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. (Galatians 3:26-27 NLT)

Like putting on new clothes. Do you remember getting new clothes as a child? It was kind of exciting, wasn't it? You'd get those shiny new shoes, perfectly pressed outfit, and perhaps even new underwear. You'd don these with a sense of pride almost. You'd feel special. Why would it be any different when we receive Christ into our lives? It is like putting on new clothes - perfect in every way - a special gift that makes all of our life 'special'.

As we place our faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, we put off the old, dirty, shabby clothes of our sinful nature. We don the fresh, new, and perfect clothes of our new nature which only Christ can provide. We don't just get 'new clothes' though. When you got those new clothes as a child, didn't your mom or dad have you clean up first - taking a bath to prepare to don that new outfit? When we are clothed with this new nature in Christ Jesus, the old is washed away - all the filth and dirt of our sin. We are 'made ready' and 'prepared' to wear this new nature, all through faith in Christ - not by anything we do ourselves.

The change is instantaneous, but the fullness of that cleansing might take us a while to realize and incorporate into our lives. We try to live holy lives, but the truth of the matter is that we are unable to do it on our own. We need his nature residing within us in order for our lives to really change for good. We might attempt to don 'new clothes' through our own efforts, but we will still be the same 'unwashed, filthy sinner' under those 'good works'. We are only 'made new' when Christ does the washing!

New clothes don't belong on a filthy body any more than a new car body belongs on a rusty old car's frame. All of us needs to be made new, not in our own doing, but by the blood of Christ washing us from the inside out. Did the new clothes we received as a child make us a new child? No. At best, we felt 'special' or 'fresh', but our nature didn't change, did it? What we could never do for ourselves has been done for us in Christ Jesus. Our nature changes by welcoming him into our lives. We might think we can change on our own, but we will never be free of the filth of our sin until his grace touches our lives. Just sayin!

Listen to me

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 11:51:21 +0000

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19 NLT)

"Seek first to understand, then be understood." (Stephen Covey)

Okay, who among us is quick to speak, slow to listen? Raise your hand - come on, go ahead, admit it. We can all be this way from time to time, some of us more intent on being heard than we are on hearing. As Covey indicated, we must seek first to understand - until we do, all our speaking will be in vain. They will just be words that hit the air and dissipate. The believer isn't immune to communication faux pas. We get it wrong as much as we get it right on occasion. The more we learn about how Jesus listened to people, hearing their heart, observing their actions, seeing their trust - the more he connected with them. Trust is built when we seek to understand the other person rather than imposing our thoughts and ideals upon them.

The 'quick to listen' part of this instruction requires more discipline than we might imagine. We actually have to tune out what it is we have been thinking about, focus our attention on the one who we are attempting to communicate with, and actually listen to more than their words. The tone of their voice might indicate their stress, or emotion over a matter. The look on their face might just clue you into how much they are listening themselves!

We can all bumble with communication, but the more we adopt the slow to speak, quick to listen 'style' in our lives, the better off we will be. Why? When we take time to really listen to another as they are sharing their 'stories' or whatever is on their mind, we will learn something about that individual. We will see what excites them, finding out what frustrates them, and even notice what doesn't draw their interest. The things we learn about an individual when we take time to listen are sometimes never learned any other way.

Do we 'hear' or just listen? They are different, you know. Listening is passive - hearing is active. We come to understand only through hearing. While we all likely engage in 'listening' activities every day, we might not really engage in 'hearing' as much as we think. Perhaps today's prayer should be, "God, help me to really hear what _____ is saying today." We might just grow a little closer, find our relationship develops a little bit, and we learn something about that individual that we didn't really know. If that one we aren't 'hearing' is God, we can expect he will speak when we are ready to truly listen! Just sayin!

Are you really communicating?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29 NLT)

"The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." (Sydney J. Harris)

We all have tried to communicate with others, only to find what we thought we were getting through to them was actually 'lost in interpretation' somewhere along the way. They come away feeling confused, frustrated, hurt, at a loss. You thought you 'got through' only to find you added fuel to a smoldering fire or set up things for a doozie of a fight somewhere in what you were saying. Words have an impact, but God asks us to use them in such a manner so as to be helpful, encouraging, and in some way so that what is said is actually heard.

I daresay that most of what we consider to be 'communicating' is nothing more than sharing information. Sometimes it is the same information repeated, just in a different way. At others, it is new information that needs to be shared, but it isn't the right timing for that information to be effective in reaching the other individual. Either way, the information is put out there for another to hear, but if their heart isn't ready to hear it, it will not have the right effect. The more we interact with others, the more we will realize there is a real 'art' to this communication thing!

Perhaps one of the greatest things we can do is to stop for just a moment to ask God to help us with what we need to say. We actually open the door to a different 'method' of communication when we invite him into our conversation. It isn't just us speaking - it is him using us to help another in some way. There are times when something just doesn't need to be said, and others when what needs to be said isn't going to be heard. We need his wisdom in determining both 'content' and 'timing', don't we?

God's hope is that we enter into good communication with each other, building one another up as he speaks through us. The words of encouragement someone needs to hear aren't superficial when he takes control of the conversation. They are 'spot on' and have an impact that is meaningful. We don't always know the impact our words will have, but when we invite him to help us with our communication, we are doing much more than just sharing information - we are sharing words that bring life, ignite hope, and drive a person forward.

We cannot underestimate the power of our words. They can be much more powerful when we allow his Spirit to use them for his glory and honor, though. Just sayin!

Are you influential?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:43:10 +0000

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. (Romans 15:2 NLT)

I have had both good and bad influences in my life. As a child, I was kind of a follower, doing whatever the others in my neighborhood did. As an adult, I had to reconsider some of my decisions, though. Not all of those choices were wise. Some of the people I hung around with influenced me in a very positive way, while others didn't quite have the same effect. The longer we live, the greater the chances are that we will encounter both good and bad influences. The choice as to which to follow, and thus become, is ours!

We can be quick to point out when another is doing wrong with their life, making unwise choices that don't actually do much to improve their life and possibly even making it a bit worse in the end. Do we consistently do what is right in our own lives? It is likely that we struggle a bit to make wise choices from time to time. The hope is that those unwise choices aren't consistent. We need people in our lives that will help us see when a choice might not be the best and then stand alongside us as we 'reroute' our choices.

Helping others see what is right can be very instrumental in helping them to 'reroute' their lives, but we aren't called to be the Holy Spirit, overriding their every decision. We are called to be examples of right living, in turn helping others see the outcome of those wise choices. Building another up is important when it comes to reinforcing wise choices. Are we there, encouraging one another, pointing out when another has made good choices? If not, don't be surprised that they aren't there helping us see when we haven't been exactly spot-on in ours!

The ministry of an 'encourager' is under-valued at times. Making the right choices isn't always all that easy, especially in the face of others who are influencing us to make wrong choices. Having someone who actually acknowledges that they see us making wise choices might just be what helps us continue in that path. Why? We need to know that the 'first right step' was right! Then we need the encouragement to take the second right step and third and so on. The ministry of an encourager is often what helps us to keep on taking 'right steps' out of wrong choices and into right ones.

Who have you been called to encourage? Where have you been placed in order to be the one God uses to build another up who has been struggling with right choices? Wherever that is, whoever it is you are called to encourage, be quick to do it. You never know when that word of encouragement may be exactly what the other person needs to finally break free of bad decisions. Just sayin!

Who is you-er than you?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. (Romans 12:9 NLT)

"Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!" (Dr. Seuss) How about you? Are you free to be the 'real you' with those around you? If not, it may be that you are surrounding yourself with others who feel being 'real' isn't important. I am blessed to be around 'real people' who encourage me to be the 'real me'. Why is this important? We cannot 'pretend' our way through life - we need to be exactly who we are, all the quirks and blessings of our personality traits blended together. Pretending is putting on airs - it is speaking or acting in a way that appears to present one 'front' but is masking another set of behaviors or attitudes that we don't want others to see. It is hard to live that way for long, though. We need to be free to live genuine lives - even when they are not as 'perfect' as some may like.

When we make the choice to hold tightly to what is good in our lives and reject the rest, we might find there are others who grow uncomfortable with that choice. They don't want to be genuine with you, and they aren't all that comfortable with you being your genuine self, either. They have come to like hiding behind the 'put together' image of themselves and expect that others will not challenge whatever image it is they are putting forth. The problem is that we don't really get to know who they are! We get to know a 'made up' image of a person, but not the 'factual' person. We don't get to know where they have been hurt, or where they have struggles with things. They keep us at an arms distance all the time, never wanting to reveal any more than is absolutely necessary for fear of judgment.

That is no way to live. God's view of us is the most genuine view of ourselves that we will ever face. He sees us with all our quirks and 'irregularities', but he doesn't turn his back on us. He embraces us! He shows us what it means to love - really love - even when it is difficult. I have found that individuals who are truly in love with Jesus, who have made him the Lord of their lives, aren't wearing those masks any longer. Why? They know God (the center of their universe) and they no longer live to please people - just him. They know they must live among people, but they don't fear their judgment any longer because God has a way of making them 'comfortable' in their own skin. They don't need to hide any longer.

We may continue with our 'masked image' of our true selves for a while after saying 'yes' to Jesus, but that won't continue long when we truly begin to believe what he says about us. He tells us we are a new creation, made perfect in his image. We are strong because we have his strength. We are complete because his presence fills all the emptiness we once knew. We make knew choices because we realize that some of the old ones were made because we feared what others thought about us, how they saw us, or who they thought we should be. Jesus isn't going to settle for a 'pretend' relationship with us - he wants us to be nothing more than to be truer to who we are. Just sayin!

You have my attention now

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:26:35 +0000

Love the Lord, all you godly ones! For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! (Psalm 31:23-24 NLT)

The Lord protects those who are loyal to him - does that protection extend to you? If not, there is no time like the present to come under that protection! Wherever we put our trust determines our safety in times of trouble and turmoil, doesn't it? If we trust in the bathtub over the storm cellar in a tornado, we might not do as well, right? If we trust in God with all our heart, we will do well to not only 'manage' during the storms of life but come out the other side stronger.

What does it mean to be loyal to him? If we were honest here, we'd have to admit our 'loyalty' is sometimes quite divided, is it not? We trust him with the hard stuff, but the stuff we think we can figure out on our own, well we just plunge right on through that without even stopping to ask him if we should! Wholehearted devotion - describe that and you might just figure out what it means to be loyal to God. Some of the time, like it or not, we have little more than 'half-hearted' devotion to him. If it suits us, we are all in. If not, we 'visit' this relationship with him when times get harder, but 'ignore' it when times are seemingly going well.

Unwavering dedication to his principles is required for wholehearted devotion. That means we are obedient to the hard stuff and not just the stuff that comes easy to us. It may be easy not to steal (obedience to the eighth commandment). It may be harder not to gossip (disobedience to not slander). Obedience is a core principle when it comes to dedication to God. Loyalty requires obedience to both the hard stuff and the easier stuff - period. There is no 'cherry-picking' when it comes to our loyalty. We are either hot or cold - there is no 'lukewarm' in God's kingdom.

While we aren't always 'on target' with our behavior, God looks at our heart. If we trust him with all our heart, listen intently to his voice, and endeavor to be obedient to what he requires of us, we are doing well. When we put him first in our decisions, forsaking the tendency to do things our own way, then come to him when it doesn't go well, we are doing well. God's place in our lives determines our level of dedication. Does he have our heart (mind, will and emotions)? Is he FIRST in our decisions? Is he in control or do we retain control until it doesn't serve us well to control it any longer?

Dedication seeks his renewal daily. It means we open our hearts to him, let him speak to us about what is there that clutters our minds and muddles our emotions. In so doing, God is able to help us unburden ourselves from the things that lead to disobedience in our lives. Maybe it is time to just unpack a little bit of what we have been holding in for so long and let him finally have our full attention. Just sayin!

And your legacy?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:51:31 +0000

William Shakespeare reminded us, "No legacy is so rich as honesty." Where would we be today if this world we live in would adhere to this belief? If no one sought anything but honesty in relationships, what depth would those relationships be able to attain? If honesty was the standard by which we do business, where would the profits of a company soar? Honesty is UNDERRATED these days. The gimmick, quick cover-up, and the facade all play an active part in our society, don't they? Wouldn't it be nice if these things were no longer the way we live?

The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin. (Proverbs 11:1-5 NLT)

Honesty requires vulnerability and that is what makes it so uncomfortable for some. It means we have to be truthful with ourselves first, then with others. If that makes us squirm a little, then perhaps we should evaluate how we have been behaving. It is possible we have put up quite a 'good front' in the face of some pretty unbecoming internal habits, hurts, and hangups, isn't it? Pride always gets us into trouble, doesn't it? If not today, the trouble will soon find us! The more we rely upon 'false measures' by which we portray our lives, the harder it is to keep track of the 'falsity' we have portrayed.

Mom used to tell me lies 'snowballed'. She was oh so right! You tell one, then you need another to cover that one up, then another, and so on. Soon, you forgot the original lie, much less the truth! The more we hide what we think others will not like, the less we find ourselves able to be 'real' in our relationships and dealings. It is harder to return to truth than it would have been to just live the truth from the very beginning. The load of sin that we live under when we try to hide our sinfulness is often the hardest load for us to bear and one we bear so unnecessarily.

Right living requires honesty. We might find ourselves being totally honest with God, but only to the degree we are willing to be honest with ourselves first. We have to be able to identify those things that have been causing us to want to hide. Then we have to declare them openly and honestly to God. Why is this important? God knows those things already, doesn't he? We need the open declaration of our sin because it begins the exploration into what led us into that sin in the first place. As we discuss it with God, we find he helps us see the root of the sin. When the root is exposed (which cannot happen when we mask it), we find a path toward deliverance and freedom.

We won't understand how honesty changes the legacy of our lives until we are willing to take a deeper look behind the masks we have been wearing. Once we do, we will find God rewriting our story, piece by piece, until the mask is no longer what others see. They see the finished work of grace instead. Isn't that the legacy we all want to portray? Just askin...

Seeds of Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sun, 31 May 2026 11:35:10 +0000

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (James 3:17-18 NLT)

God's presence within us brings a wisdom that helps us deal with the things of this world, including dealing with people who may be a little hard to deal with at times. It is peace loving at the very core and therefore, it takes relationships with others very seriously and sets them as a priority. We cannot be bitter and represent Christ to the world. We cannot be angry and expect others to desire his presence in their lives. It is this gentle, peace loving, yielded spirit that makes others curious about what is 'different' within us from all the others they see.

God's presence within will manifest in many ways, but perhaps the most profound thing about how it is manifesting is in how we treat others who may not be behaving in a very nice manner. Others may demand to be heard, seen, and listened to, but God's presence within us is content to be gentle, sincere, and peaceful. It isn't that we need to shout Jesus from the mountaintops - it is that we need to live pure and holy lives. This is the most effective means of sharing Jesus with others - behaving in such a way that it is a direct contrast to the way most of the world lives.

While one who has made Christ the center of their lives will not seek the 'limelight', it will become evident to those who deal with a Christ-follower that their choices are 'different', almost as though the 'purity' of our lives comes through louder than any words could ever describe. Favoritism has no place because we know God loves every sinner - desiring that ALL would come to repentance and invite him to be the Lord of their lives. Choices we make yield a different type of fruit - there are positive outcomes even when others don't always see those outcomes from our choices.

While this world goes about multiplying its sin, a Christ-follower goes about multiplying his goodness and grace. The planting of seeds of peace may seem like it will be hard, but it yields a crop way beyond anything we sow. Choosing not to pick a fight isn't always the easiest thing, but it may just be what yields the biggest of harvests! At least it will yield the 'better' harvest in the end. Just sayin!

A little ember

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. (Romans 12:3 NLT)

Let's be truthful today - do we really make an honest evaluation of ourselves, or is it tainted by some misguided standard or lofty goal we have set for ourselves? If we were to be totally honest, most of us have set the bar either way too high or settled for it being way too low in a spiritual sense. We have become content in our 'lukewarm' state of being "Christians" but not living like Christ is our all in all, or we have become so down on ourselves because we think we haven't 'attained' the 'level' of Christian faith we think God must expect of us. Either way, we aren't right! God accepts us as we are, not as we will become. He wants us to have him as the center of our lives, with our whole hearts devoted to him.

We are not going to grow in Christ when we simply bide our time as Christians. We can go to church on Sunday, sing our church songs, and even read his Word on occasion, but our hearts aren't really changing much because he isn't our center - we are. We might think we are taking all the right actions, but if they are mere actions without any follow-through, they won't bring change. Change comes when we shift our focus off of 'living LIKE Christians' and allowing Christ to be living through us. In other words, we stop just going through the motions of Christianity and allow Christ to really begin to change us from the inside out.

What does this change look like? If I were to describe it as embers coming into full flame, you might get the idea. We all have a little ember of faith burning deep inside, but until we allow Christ to fan that ember, we won't see the flame of his life really take hold. When the flame begins to burn, there is change in our focus - we see things in a different way. Why? His vision for our future begins to burn within us and we begin to focus less on going to church and more on becoming his church. In other words, we begin to do more than 'act the part' of a Christian. We actually begin to serve, share, and give - not out of obligation, but out of a joyful hope that dwells within.

We find it isn't a chore to get into his Word. It actually begins to make sense to us - even some of the harder parts. Not because we suddenly became smarter, but because his Spirit is guiding our spirit to apprehend and comprehend it. We go after his truth with a hunger that is just not sated by a casual one verse a day kind of reading. It is as though we are being emptied of all the stuff that didn't matter and that 'void' is being filled with his Spirit. That is a good thing! We want to be filled - not just partially, but fully. The 'lukewarm' becomes 'red hot' when the embers are fanned into flames. Just sayin!

Which language are you hearing?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Fri, 29 May 2026 08:59:40 +0000

Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer captive to sin’s demands! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ’s sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That’s what Jesus did. (Romans 6:6-11 MSG)

Sin speaks a dead language - that caught my eye this morning in my reading time. There are a lot of other 'dead languages' around, aren't there? Latin, Ancient Greek, and Sanskrit are just a few. Oh sure, there are Latin roots to some of our medical terms, but the language of Latin is not spoken commonly any longer. If we can consider these languages as 'dead', why is it we have such a hard time declaring our sin-language DEAD once and for all? Why is it we pay attention to it, trying to find meaning in it?

Sometimes I think it is because we really don't want to have the old life or way of making choices for our lives 'cut off' once and for all. We want to maintain that contact with those old ways of doing things - those old sins and compromises. We talk a good talk, but we walk a pretty shaky walk! Death separates the old from the new. We'd not stir up a grave, would we? So, why do we stir up sin's talk within? Perhaps it is time we stop 'stirring the pot' and just declare that voice we have been listening to DEAD once and for all!

Alive, Jesus brought God to us. Dead, he took sin and its sin-language to the grave once and for all. That sin-language might try to get us to listen to it, but we are listening to a dead language. It doesn't make sense to us any longer because it is no longer the 'language' we should be listening to - we now listen to the language of grace. Hang onto the words grace speaks and begin to ACTIVELY reject the language sin speaks over and over in your ear. You and I ARE dead to sin and alive to God - grace is our new language.

When I tried to learn Spanish in school, it was hard for me because it wasn't my 'natural tongue'. I have forgotten most of what I learned all because I didn't practice it after I was out of school. When our sin nature was sent to the grave, our 'language' needed to change with it. We are learning a new 'tongue', so to speak. It may not come naturally to us all the time, but the more we practice listening to and using our new 'grace language' and ignore our 'sin-language', the more we will find it comes 'naturally' to us. The 'language' we hear the most often will become the one we respond to the quickest. Just sayin!

Head Noise or Heart Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Thu, 28 May 2026 11:56:40 +0000

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)

It is indeed a heartwarming thing to know God is living among us, isn't it? We don't have to do this life alone - we have his presence with us, never allowing us to be 'alone' in our struggles or our victories. It is also kind of amazing that God actually takes great delight in us as his creation - as his children, made holy and in right standing with him through the blood of Jesus. What might even be more amazing is how he comes right into the midst of our chaos and calms all our fears.

What are we to fear on this earth? Nothing! Why? Jesus goes with us wherever we go. We are never alone. We have his strength always at our disposal - we just don't lean into that strength as often as we should. We try to do 'life' all on our own terms, then when things don't work out so well, the fear begins to mount. We get more and more 'twitter-pated' and then we finally turn to him for help. What a silly way to live life, right? We have all we need; all we could ever face stands no chance when his presence goes with us.

How does he calm our fears? With his love. Imagine that - his love embraces us, holds us close, and soothes our worst fears. It settles our muddled minds. Calms our inner 'negative' thoughts. Yet, we somehow keep giving into those fears, don't we? We listen to their 'head noise' more than we listen to God's 'heart voice'. We need to turn off those 'negative noises' in our heads and start listen more to the soothing, calm rhythm of God's heart speaking deep within our hearts.

The might Savior is on our side. He stands when we are unable to stand. He moves when all our movement has proven futile. He gives when we are no longer able to give. He provides when all our provisions are used up. We have nothing to fear or dread. In the face of the worst attack from our enemy or the strongest of temptations we could face, he stands stronger, gives more strength than we ever possessed ourselves, and leads us by his tender voice. Which voice will you listen to today? Your 'head noise' or his 'heart voice'? Just asking...

In places you didn't even realize he'd been

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:5)

The activities of God in your life are frequently hard to see, much less understand. You might try to understand them the best you can, but in actuality the movement of God in and through you is often 'silent' or 'hidden'. In medical terms, we'd say his actions are 'occult' - hidden, but present nonetheless. When we don't see God at work, or 'feel' he is at work, we can still count on the truth that he is there, working as he always has been, doing what he knows is best for our lives.

God does more within us than we realize. We just go about our daily routine, regular stuff being done by regular people, but he is at work in all the ways we don't see, but that help us actually get that 'regular stuff' done. He gives us wisdom in the moment when we need it. He gives us stamina to go beyond what we might imagine possible in our own strength or ability. He brings us joy in the simplest of ways. He renews our hope when we seem to lose hope in the natural sense. His movements may not see all that 'big' or 'phenomenal' at the moment, but they are exactly what we needed when we needed it most.

At times, we see God move in BIG ways. We know for certain that it was God that accomplished that deliverance from the car accident that should have resulted in catastrophic injuries, but we walked away with nothing more than a scratch. It was God that brought us that promotion just when we needed the extra finances every month to make those ends meet. It was his intervention that helped us restore a broken relationship that we thought was beyond repair. We don't know how he does what he does, but we sure can see that he has been at work when we 'look back' and take notice of all the things that were totally out of our control.

We can never assume we don't have the resources we need because if God's Spirit dwells within us, we do! The more we look for God in our day, the more we will begin to realize where he is working, what he is doing, and how he is using events, people, and even our own actions to accomplish the things he desires - the things we need within our lives. The actions of God don't always have to be BIG - it is the small ways he intervenes that often make our day that much more productive, pleasant, and purposeful. The freedoms we enjoy because he has intervened are innumerable. We are free because he has set us free and continues to keep us free of the obstacles that would attempt to derail us from our intimate relationship with him.

Most of the time, we don't stop to consider what he is doing. We just live life and go about our regular routine, oblivious to his interventions. The more we look at what he has done, the greater our celebration of his goodness and grace will be, for we will see he has been there in our day, at work as he always is, doing what we never even considered or thought we needed. So, look back today. What has God accomplished? What has he shown you today about himself? Where was he when you didn't even know he was present? When you stop long enough to consider him, you find him in places you didn't even realize he had been! Just saying!

Creation meet your Creator

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Tue, 26 May 2026 11:49:27 +0000

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. (Psalm 139:13-14)

How well do you know the one who created all that you are? If we want to understand him more, we need only ask for his help to see clearly what he says, does, and doesn't do. Yes, I said the things he doesn't do because there are just some things that are contrary to his nature, while they may be inherent in our own human nature. He doesn't sin - it isn't in is nature. He won't contradict himself - it isn't in his nature. He won't go back on a promise - it isn't in his nature. While all those things may be part of our human nature, they are not part of his. God made us in his image, but we were born with a sin nature - able to choose to do the things that are contrary to his nature. We need his exchanged nature in order to live upright and holy lives as he intended.

Part of what he fashioned within each of us is our spirit - the place where his Spirit was designed to dwell. If we want to live complete lives, we need his Spirit within to fill that void that was created specifically for him. Our minds will be transformed by the power of the Spirit of God within us. Our choices will begin to change. Our emotions will find a balance or harmony. Without his presence in our lives, we make some pretty dumb mistakes based on some pretty dumb misconceptions. Misconceptions such as we are the most important ones in our world - our needs come first. Where his Spirit dwells, there is a change of focus - from us to him first.

God's plan in creation was to have a people who would fellowship with him. Fellowship is possible when we allow his Spirit to indwell us and to change our priorities in life. When we say 'yes' to Jesus, we welcome his Spirit to go about changing who we put first in our lives. Our 'delicate, inner parts' that he so perfectly knit together begin to function differently. It isn't that our heart beats differently, but our heart certainly directs our choices differently. Our minds don't just focus on the issues around us, seeing them as too hard for us to handle. They turn to him, study his words, and listen to his voice for direction and wisdom. Fellowship means more than just saying 'yes' though. It means we enter into relationship - purposeful and attentive relationship.

We won't walk in the fulness God intended for us until we invite him into our lives. That 'space' is going to finally be filled as intended - as we were created to be filled. The more we give his Spirit access to our lives, the less we will find our focus turning toward 'me, me, me'. Just saying!

People of Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:01:00 +0000

The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. (Proverbs 10:8-9 NLT)

How do you receive God's instruction in your life? Instruction comes in various forms, from various ways, but it is all meant for a purpose - to 'help' us. If we get a box of 'put it together yourself' furniture, it comes with packages of connectors, various pieces, packing material, and even some labels. The most valuable thing in that box is often the least used - the instruction sheet! The maker put those instructions inside the box for our reference when assembling the object, but they are little more than excess packing material if we never use them as they were intended. The same is true of God's Word, his wise counselors, and even the things he reveals in nature around us - if we ignore the instructions that are provided, we will produce something, but it may not be God's best for our lives.

People with integrity are people of integrity. They have learned that God's best comes when we listen to his instructions, taking them to heart, then acting upon them. There will always be the opportunity to reject instruction when it comes, but if we want a life of integrity, we will embrace it quickly, making full use of the instructions we are given. Why? We know they will bring together pieces of our lives that were previously disjointed, doing their own thing, and make us whole again. A person of integrity doesn't want to live a disjointed life any longer. They crave the 'unity' only God's presence can bring into our minds, will, emotions, and spirit. The more we allow his instructions to be the very thing by which we form our steps, the more our path will cleared of the obstacles that come when we choose to live without his instructions.

Just as the object that came in the box will be formed into something without using the instructions, our lives will be formed into 'something', but the pieces that are left untouched in our lives will be much like those that were left untouched in that box of 'furniture' stuff. The pieces are only useful to us when they are put to the use they were intended to be used for! Apart from their purpose, they are just 'extra' pieces, cluttering the space of our lives. We don't need 'extra pieces' in our lives - we can complicate our lives pretty well without them! We need wisdom to use what we have been given, coming to the place of understanding the use of those things within our lives, and then seeing how they actually bring integrity to the pieces of our lives when they are put to their purposeful use.

Don't be the one who says they don't need the instructions - you can neglect to read God's Word all you want, but you will be choosing to live a disjointed life if you do. Don't neglect prayer - you will be choosing to do things without the wisdom he affords. Don't get all twitter-pated over the stuff you don't understand - study it longer, use your available resources, and 'test fit' the pieces of his instruction that you don't really understand the purpose for. God isn't afraid to answer our questions, nor does he think less of us because we formulate those questions. He knows we are 'processing' the instructions - just don't spend all your time processing and never acting upon them. Just saying!

Priority Numero Uno

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sun, 24 May 2026 12:01:00 +0000

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. (Proverbs 11:4 NLT)

It is so easy to get the wrong focus in life. We can spend more time worrying over money, making money, saving money, then miss the moments in life that actually matter the most. We neglect our quiet time with Jesus. We forego the liesurely lunch with a friend. We don't make the ballgames of our children. All the while, we are caught in this endless cycle of getting more, making more. The end of that cycle isn't good, though. We might have hefty bank account but our emotional and relational accounts are drained below zero! Jesus focused on others first - relationships mattered to him and they should matter to us.

Riches aren't bad, though. I am not proposing we all live in poverty. We just need to keep our priorities straight. We need to focus on the things that really last - relationships. The first relationship that we need to focus on is the one we maintain with Jesus. When we get that one right, all the other relationships we have at home, in our community, or at work will be much better. Why? We get our focus off of us and onto others by placing it on Jesus first. Right living begins with a right relationship with Jesus. Right choices begin with understanding his will for our lives and we will never begin to understand that if we neglect our time with him.

Like it or not, death is the outcome of setting wrong priorities in life. It may not be physical death, but the death of relationships. They matter so much - there is no replacement for a great friendship, the type that helps to hold you accountable to the things that God wants for your life. In turn, you become the type of friend that helps them be accountable for the things God has designed for their lives. It isn't that we tell each other what to do, but we just make each other better because we both keep Jesus first in our lives and we help each other live out that relationship on a daily basis. Like it or not, we need one another and neglecting these relationships will certainly lead to a less fulfilled life.

Riches take many forms, but anything that takes your attention away from Jesus and others is not something we want to be pursuing. The tendency to get carried away into things and places we shouldn't be pursuing is easiest when we move away from the relationships Jesus has designed for our safety and protection. When we neglect the one we have with him, we make our priorities very self focused. When we pay attention to this relationship with him, ensuring it remains consistent and actively growing, we find we focus much less on self and redirect our focus to others as a natural result of having this vital and growing relationship with him. So, before you go off to do whatever it is you are doing today, take a 'temperature check' on your relationships. Are they alive and growing, or have you drifted off somewhere? It isn't too late to begin the process of 'righting' those relationships. First with Jesus, then with those you have been neglecting or prioritizing way down the line. Just saying!

Will injustice win out?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. (Proverbs 10:10 NLT)

It is impossible not to see 'wrong' around us today. It riddles the newscasts, fills our media feeds, and is probably evident right in your own neighborhood. The longer we live on this earth, the more we will have seen - all of it adding up to wrongs multiplied and troubles galore. Do we merely turn a blind eye to the evil we see around us - to the wrongs done to others? If we do, how will this world ever know the love or grace of Jesus? It takes the righteous to stand up to unrighteousness. It takes the people of God to drive back the forces of darkness that abound. What will we do if wrong comes our way? Won't we take up the fight because it affects us personally? Why should it be any different when we see wrong perpetrated against others? Shouldn't we be the instruments of change that this world desperately needs?

Disapproval of wrong can come in many forms, but the greatest thing we can do is stand up against wrong. We can write letters to our governmental leaders, letting them know we don't approve of a particular course of action that is proposed because it will simply promote further wrongs or injustices in our society. We can volunteer to build houses and restore shelters for those who have been 'unhoused' for various reasons, causing them to live on the streets, in their cars, or moving from place to place with no sense of really belonging. We can be the hands and feet of Christ in natural disaster, or when a loved one loses someone to a tragedy such as car accident or violent crime. We can open our homes to children whose parents have chosen a path that leaves the youngsters to fend for themselves.

Disapproval of wrong doesn't mean we are always shaking our heads and asking where this world is coming to. It means we become the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world - in whatever form that takes. There will be times when we need to take a bold approach to stand up against injustices - but in peaceful ways and with peaceful intent. We aren't driving back the forces of evil with more violence. We drive it back with God's peace and his hope. The more we become agents of peace in this world, the more hope we have of turning back some of the tide of evil that we see coming our way continually.

Will we promote peace in our communities? Will we promote it in our homes? How will this world know Jesus lest we reveal his love and hope to them through practical and peaceful means? The call isn't to turn a blind eye and shake our heads in disapproval. The call is to find a way to bring a 'bold reproof' in the face of such evil and injustice. The 'bold reproof' we are called to bring isn't in words alone. It is in actions that show how Christ would want our world to respond - in practical love. A reproof can be given by being a better example and by being there where the need exists. To wink at wrong is never going to change our world. To stand as 'bold reproofs' of such wrongs will. Just saying!

You just need to be used

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Clay doesn’t talk back to the fingers that mold it, saying, “Why did you shape me like this?” Isn’t it obvious that a potter has a perfect right to shape one lump of clay into a vase for holding flowers and another into a pot for cooking beans? (Romans 9:21-23 MSG)

We may try to tell God he hasn't done a good job at creating us the way he did, but we will never be able to be other than what we are created to be. The moment we accept that the gifts and talents he has given us are for his use, regardless of what they are, we will find ourselves presented with opportunity after opportunity to put those gifts and talents into use. When we resist what God has designed, we find ourselves miserably lost in an attempt to be other than what we were created to be. Our gifts and talents don't have to be 'big' or 'noteworthy'. God uses the painter to create beauty, the mechanic to make things hum, and the welder to hold things together. He uses the musician to lift our hearts, the one who is great with children to soothe an unhappy child, and the one with that outgoing spirit to greet those whose day just isn't going as well as they had hoped. ALL our gifts, simple or complex, are God's design.

My nose is too small, my hips are too big, my shoulders slump this way, my toes are gangly, my chin is double. All of us have fallen prey to the little comparisons in life that make us feel just a bit ungrateful for the way we appear when we look in the mirror, haven't we? The moment of questioning his design is one in which we are telling God he could have done a better job! The truth is that he gave us this 'entire package' so we each would stand out as unique. It is those uniquenesses that give us the variety that makes life enjoyable. All of these comparisons are nothing more than our pride kicking into overdrive. We see something in others, like the 'perfect' nose or the 'cute toes' and we start into the comparison wheel of doom. The more we ride that wheel, the more discontent we become with what God has created us to be and to become.

Rather than fall prey to the comparison trap, let us celebrate the way God has created us, with all the unique talents and gifts he has given to us. Let us engage with him, asking him how he will use those particular things to be of the greatest honor to him and blessing to others. It isn't about our appearance. A man with no arms can show us how well we can adapt and overcome. A child who will never develop beyond their present IQ can show us the beauty in a flower or the joy in finally being able to don their own clothing. The one who can make all gifts and talents work together is God - who are we to question his purposes and plans?

We might find ourselves wondering if some talent we possess could ever be of use to him, or others. Ask him to show you where those talents and gifts can be used. It may not even occur to you that your desire to keep people safe and warm could result in your volunteering for a local homeless food bank or shelter. The church you attend may not have even considered becoming a welcoming place to allow a homeless person to find a simple toiletry and snack kit once a week, but you might be just the one to organize the 'pantry' that affords that blessing. Our talents don't have to be big - they just need to be used. Just saying!

We can't get there from here

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Thu, 21 May 2026 11:43:10 +0000

Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. (Romans 14:1 NLT)

We spend far too much time judging others for what they do or don't do, forgetting that we do some of the same stuff, or at least we did it at some point before we invited Jesus into our lives. The old adage, "It takes one to know one," isn't all that far from the mark. We notice the things in others that we either struggle with presently or have had a history with at some point. That doesn't mean we can judge them for their behavior, though. If we judge others, we can count that we will be judged by the same standard. So, do we really want to find ourselves in that same pickle?

Arguing about what is right or wrong isn't going to bring us together - it will drive a wedge between us. In fact, that is why there are so many break-off denominations and churches these days! We have become so critical of the style of worship, the way people dress, the way a preacher teaches - missing the point that Jesus told us to be united in our faith, encouraging one another onto perfection until the day he returns for his church. Yes, there are absolutes in our faith. The commandments of God are unalterable. The truth of his word is unbending and not open for 'interpretation' any old way we want to see it. There are just some things that Jesus doesn't want us arguing over, though.

The style of worship is a good example of how silly our 'arguments' can be at times. Raised hands or not; upbeat or solemn; hand clapping or no movement at all - all this really isn't something to find fault with. God tells us to make a joyful noise (Psalm 100). Come together, let your heart flow into worship, and don't be concerned with what another is doing in their worship. Build one another up, bring another into his presence with you, and just enjoy being with Jesus.

There will be some who are weak in their faith and others who are stronger in theirs. Don't look down on those who are weak, and don't envy those who are stronger. The more we focus on what we have or don't have, the more we will drift into comparisons in a way that makes us stumble. God's plan was always to have a united body of believers, living in harmony with one another, learning the truths from his Word, and becoming more and more like him as we do. We won't get there with all this division. Just sayin!

Spiritual Energy Shines Through

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6 NLT)

Live wisely among those who are not believers - this is our goal, is it not? To live well, one must understand when they are NOT living as God intended. To understand this, we must get into his Word, spend some time alone with him, and allow him to both point out where we are not living well and show us how to incorporate obedient steps into our day.

The individual right next to you might never know Christ until they see him in us. That coworker, club member, fellow fisherman, or next-door neighbor - we all observe each other, don't we? We look at the traits and habits of each one, making some sort of 'judgment' as to who they are, what motivates them, and if we want to be around them long term. If someone looks at you, do they see Jesus shining through?

Sometimes it is the simplest things that help others see Jesus, piquing their curiosity and engage their minds or hearts into understanding what it is they are observing in us. They may hear a difference in our speech, observe a difference in how we deal with others, or something that we don't do that makes them interested in knowing what makes us 'different'. If we are always ready to give an answer for the hope we have within, we will be ready when those opportunities present themselves!

Graciousness has somehow been lost in society today. We may not observe it as often as we used to, making us wonder where mankind is actually headed. If we want to attract others to Christ, one of the surest means to do so is to always be gracious, even when the other party doesn't deserve it. Be kind, respectful, and generous - it matters how you respond to others. There is nothing more powerful than grace!

It isn't that you are just 'polite' in public. You are energized by the Spirit of God and that comes through in your actions, words, and demeaner. It is what some call 'charisma' - that thing that makes others want to actually be around you. Do some find your life a little 'offensive' because Christ lives in you? Yes, but not because they don't like what they see - your life just brings a little too much conviction to their soul! Keep on shining - there is no need to hide that joy, peace, or privilege you have in Christ Jesus. You just might be the instrument God has been waiting to use in that other person's life to bring them to himself. Just sayin!

Is this a waste of time?

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Tue, 19 May 2026 11:54:12 +0000

"One of the greatest attacks of the enemy is to make you busy, to make you hurried, to make you noisy, to make you distracted, to fill the people of God and the Church of God with so much noise and activity that there is no room for prayer. There is no room for being alone with God. There is no room for silence. There is no room for meditation." (Reverand Paul Washer)

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT)

Prayer is more than us connecting with God, sharing our hearts with him. It is the very thing that unleashes the powers of heaven on our behalf! It opens the floodgates of God's defenses, driving our enemy to his knees, and pushing back the forces of darkness that seek to bring us to ours!

Whenever we become too busy or preoccupied with the events of life to take time to be alone with Jesus, we are inviting chaos into our lives. Our spiritual enemy isn't overjoyed when we press in - he is overjoyed when we 'zone out'. The ease at which we 'zone out' is kind of frightening, most of us not even realizing we have done so.

We definitely need to 'make room' for Jesus in our day. I am a firm believer that it should be the first part of our day - giving God our best and first has always been one of the principles taught in scripture. I also believe that God isn't impressed by the 'quantity' of time we spend with him - he is more concerned about our focus while we are with him in those times.

When we focus entirely on him, what we gain in even a few minutes with him is invaluable. We might not even realize how 'empty' we have become over the hours of our day, but he knows exactly how to fill our tank once again. We don't realize how quickly and perfectly the chaotic mess of life can be sorted in just a few moments alone with him, totally focused on him, intent on finding truth in his Word and sharing our heart with him.

God isn't after our 'hours' - he is after our 'moments'. He isn't after our 'perfect prayers' - he is looking for our honest sharing. He isn't impressed with our 'bible knowledge' - he wants to share exactly what we need for our present day. We come - he meets us there. We surrender - he takes on our burden. We confess - he washes away every stain of our sin. Prayer isn't wasted time - it is worth more than gold or silver. Just sayin!

Held Accountable

noreply@blogger.com (Lauretta) — Mon, 18 May 2026 11:33:03 +0000

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16 NLT)

I grew up in a denomination that encouraged weekly 'confession' in a confessional with specific 'penance' being assigned based upon the thing confessed. I don't believe that is what this passage, though. The term 'confess' carries the meaning 'to agree with' or 'to admit'. When one confesses their sin, they are really saying they agree with God's perspective on their actions or behaviors. In other words, we admit we haven't lived according to his standards. We do this simply by acknowledging our wrong behavior with a penitent heart and a willingness to change.

Sometimes our battle with a particular sin is kind of ongoing. We struggle to break free from the wrong behavior. For example, if you have been a gossip all your life, relishing all the juicy tidbits about others you can garner, then freely sharing those 'secret insights' with others, it can be hard to break that tendency to 'be in the know' about everyone's life. It has become habitual and it may be hard to break free. When we are told to confess our sins to each other, it is because we need the help of others praying for us who are spiritually mature, being positive examples to us in their maturity, and helping us find our way into a new way of behaving.

We just don't randomly confess our sins - we find trusted individuals who are spiritually mature and we seek their guidance, prayer, and scriptural support. Too many times, we try to hide our sinfulness - we call that 'secret sin' cover-up. As long as nobody knows, we think all will be well. Meanwhile, we continue to struggle with the sin, falling into it time and time again. All the while we could have had the support of others to help us break free, but we were too fearful to admit we needed help. A spiritually mature believer can help us - they aren't our deliverer, nor are they our conscience. They are intercessors, wise counselors, and accountability partners!

Jesus is the only one to actually 'absolve' us of our sin (setting us free from blame and guilt but allowing us to take responsibility for our actions). No 'priest' or 'human' can do that for us. The 'human' portion of confession is twofold: 1) We finally are honest about our sin and our need for help; and 2) We align ourselves with others who can actually help us navigate away from sinful patterns and into new patterns that will help us live free from that sin's pull. We confess to Jesus, but when we acknowledge our sin to others, we are making ourselves quite 'vulnerable', aren't we? Yet, that vulnerability is exactly what we may need to finally and completely walk free. Confession involves accountability, doesn't it? Perhaps that is why we don't do it more often! Just sayin!