Open the Sails

Stepping into a sailboat and getting ready to sail an ocean is not in my comfort zone. There is something about gale-force winds, waves as high as houses, unpredictable weather patterns, and hurricanes that make me shudder.

In sailing, there are times to Trim the sails (pull them in), and times to Ease the sails (let the sails out). Luffing is when the whole sail is flogging, or let out too much and is flapping in the wind not being effective. There needs to be a confident, wise Captain at the wheel directing the crew or the boat may sink.

Life can feel like the same chaotic unstable adventure. We have moments when we follow the captain (Jesus) and life seems to be on calm water and the sunrises are beautiful!

Our lives have times of great joy, like when we were young, we may have learned “Jesus loves Me” as a children’s song. We may have been blessed with parents, or grandparents that sat with us at bedtime reading from the Bible, stories of David and the giant Goliath. Maybe we had a friend who asked us to go to a church kids’ event or summer Christian camp.

Maybe you are new to the beautiful message of Jesus, who died a sinners death for all of us, He is the bridge between God and each of His children, US! He intercedes for us to His Father after we have accepted Him as Savior and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Today can be a life-transforming day to seek HIM as Lord of our lives!

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

We may have accepted Jesus as Savior in the past, and we meant the action to believe Jesus can help us and loves us. But then life happened, and things around us were not as clear, perhaps there was division in family, brokenness, divorce, mental health, or violence and we put aside the idea that we were loved by Jesus! Human beings in our lives may have been disappointing and we are living in doubt of His love.

Even David wrote in Psalm 51 of his struggles with life and staying connected to God. David still called out to His Father God for advice as you will read here.

Psalm 51:10 NLT Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Psalm 51:11- 15 NLT Do not banish me from your Presence;
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
    and they will return to you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord,
    that my mouth may praise you.

David Leonard released a new song, Light a Fire, it is such a powerful message of hope and restoration found in the Jesus of our youth, He is a God who restores the broken and brings New Life from the ashes of the past. Enjoy this amazing song!

Let today be the day, you step into the boat with Jesus. Let Him calm the waves and direct the storm. Awake your soul. Set Sail with Him (Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) as the captain of your ship. Open the sails and let Him direct the course of your life. The waves may be choppy at times but you are no longer alone.

Identity at war

Only a slight glance at current media or news reels will show us that the world would say our identity is in crisis. Our Identities are in crisis when we forget who created us in His image and we forfeit the plans and purposes He had for us at our creation.

There are many voices vying for our attention. The Enemy of our souls, the devil wants to take our identity and our purpose before we can make a difference for God‘s kingdom. He was dethroned when he was thrown out of Heaven.

Lucifer, the most beautiful angel was thrown out of heaven because he wanted to be bigger than God and he took along with him a portion of the angels who believe the same things.That began a battle of good and evil, the enemy was jealous of Adam and Eve and their relationship with God.

The serpent in the garden brought doubt to the minds of Adam and Eve at the tree of knowledge.

We have a similar struggle and the enemy knows the details of our greatest insecurities. Who’s voice are you listening to?

We get to choose just like Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Again, I say whose voice are we listening to? Do we want to believe our identity in the devil who wants to detour God‘s plan for our lives or do we want to believe the One who created us beautifully and perfectly in his image and has our lives in the palm of His hand?

Psalm 139:17-18 NLT
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! [18] I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

I am so grateful for amazing women who share their God given wisdom and prophetic gifts such as Jane Hamon.

“We were created to be like God! He put His nature inside us so we could be His ambassadors, His representatives on planet earth. Everything He is was deposited into us in seed form. Tom likes to say His DNA was put into us—His Divine Nature Attributes. So when the devil came to Eve and said “God doesn’t want you to be like Him,” he perpetrated spiritual identity theft. Eve forgot that she already was like Him. Her true identity was that she was made in the image of God! She was created to be His daughter, His friend and His companion. This is why Jesus came to earth: to reconcile us to God, our Father, and to remind us who we really are. Demons will always try to separate us from our Father’s love by getting us to question who God is, what He says in His Word and whom He has created us to be. Excerpt From: Discernment by
Jane Hamon

We are given free will to choose who we will serve, the enemy or God? Knowledge brings wisdom, the wisdom found when we meditate on what the Lord says and we seek His wisdom first, can change the trajectory of our lives.

We must decide as individuals who we listen to, and we must share the wisdom of the Word of God with our kids and others.

Our kids are counting on our willingness to teach them the best wisdom for their lives presently and for eternity. We can’t give up that role to anyone in community.

Go to the one who created you and all nature! He is the Rock on which we must build our foundation of truth and identity!

Trust fall

Do you remember when you were a kid and a friend would challenge you to believe how much they can trust you or you could trust them? One of the ways to show trust would be to stand in front of your friend and allow her to catch you as you fell backward. It was kind of a scary proposition. Did you know this friend? Well enough to believe they would catch you when you fell? Or were they going to let you drop to the ground.?

I’ve been thinking lately life is like that it’s a continuous challenge of who to trust. Except the older you get the more you realize that the only true place of trust comes from trusting in God. Oh yeah, I have many friends and I have done the TRUST-FALL with them some I continue to keep in my life. But the one true thing that never changes is God. He never changes. Yes, sometimes we could have experiences in our life that bring fear, worry, concern, and those are the times we have to remember the promises of God.

Proverbs 3:5-8 NLT
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. [6] Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [7] Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. [8] Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8 reminds us trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, but in all things, acknowledge him, and let him direct your path.

Jeremiah 29:11 is also a reminder to believe that God is trustworthy.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. [12] In those days when you pray, I will listen. [13] If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Both scriptures of unchanging truth take our action to trust God and to seek Him above all other things. You can take these life changing steps or restart them today.

Teaching the same promises to our kids, or even friends and strangers, can be a challenge if we’re going through a time of doubt or fear. Yet it’s important for us to share with our kids, and others, the ability to trust God, regardless of knowing the end result.

Trust In You is a song by Lauren Daigle from a few years back. I just heard it on the radio today, and it reminded me yet again the importance of trusting in God.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

A dear friend shared this scripture with me recently, pearls of wisdom to jumpstart your day.

So today, if you were having a day of doubt or challenge, an unknown circumstance, not knowing the future remember you could do that trust fall with the Lord and he will never forsake you never let you down.

Photo credit by Pexels.com

Stones

While I was listening to Stones by Kim Walker Smith, I took six medium stones and wrote a scripture reference, drew a cross, for example: We walk by faith in Jesus, As for my house we serve the Lord, No King but Jesus, etc, then I anointed each with frankincense essential oil with a cross and prayed over my house as I placed each stone at the corners of our home. Glory to God!

Stones in the Bible are a memorial to God after He has moved in the lives of His children. They exemplify God and His faithfulness.

Not in my strength do I cover my home but by the authority of Christ who is the Holy Spirit inside of me!

Stones by Kim Walker Smith

Psalm 55:19,22 GNT God, who has ruled from eternity, will hear me and defeat them; for they refuse to change, and they do not fear him. [22] Leave your troubles with the LORD, and he will defend you; he never lets honest people be defeated.

As for me, I will trust the Lord! Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the news; personal life or world events. We may feel fear creeping in but we are called to something bigger. The scriptures are filled with wisdom. There is perfect truth from God for every day.

This is a great scripture to memorize from the Message Bible, rewrite it on a post it note, make it a screenshot on your phone.

1 John 4:4-6 MSG
My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world’s language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.

For our lives and those of our family, those we love, we can take actions in faith of Jesus such as covering our home in His truth. We can say aloud the truth of God; His Word.

Father, May our faith grow in You alone. We want more of you! May we meditate on Your Word. May we open our lives to the Holy Spirit. We want to give You all parts of our life. In Jesus Name, Amen!

1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Image by Pexels.com

Be still

No matter what news reports share about rumors of wars, social injustice, conflicts between the races, maybe even conflicts within your own personal circle of family or friends. There is a place of peace when we lay our fears, worries, and anxiety down to our Creator God who is the Alpha and Omega, He knows the beginning and the end. He placed the stars in the sky and knows them by name.

The Lord wants us to trust Him. It takes faith in God for the unknown future. It is impossible to lay down our life to Jesus when we are not submitting our whole life to His authority. Let Him be the Lord of your life regarding your thoughts and feelings, and when we submit to Him your actions we will show your family, friends, and even kids a parent with more peace, hope, joy, and love.

Psalm 37:7 AMP
Be still before the LORD; wait patiently for Him and entrust yourself to Him; Do not fret (whine, agonize) because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Jeremy Riddle has become my favorite Christian worship artist. His song, Know ( Be still) is so anointed in the Word of God. Let the words of the Lord flow over your mind, body, soul, and spirit.

Be Still and Know He ( the Almighty God) has the whole earth in His hands. The Lord has you, loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you. Let go of worries and fear! Be still with Him.

Psalm 1:1-3 NLT
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. [2] But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. [3] They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

Do you want to grow?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Summer is a season of sunshine, 321 days a year in Colorado, that is what I know from my personal experience. Most years, Colorado is known for being a great destination of sun and fun year round. Colorado, also, has horrendous severe thunderstorms, golf ball size hail, flood conditions and even more bipolar weather patterns.

This year I believe we are setting records for thunderstorms, hail, rain and flooding. Storms can bring trials and they can clear out the dirty, brown clouds in the atmosphere. Storms and great weather have purpose. We can grow in each climate experience.

In order for growth to happen, we need sunshine, a properly prepared soil, plenty of water ( even torrential downpours) to quench the dry parts of ground and times of peace and stillness.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 AMPC
And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

In order to grow in our faith with the Holy Spirit, Jesus, our Father God, we need Sonshine, an open heart, mind and soul connection (our spirit man to the Holy Spirit). It is necessary to make action steps to deepen this life giving relationship. Otherwise, the desert times in life will cause us to whither away and dry up our God given purposes.

We need the Living Water of Jesus, through time spent in the Bible, His Word fills the empty soil of our lives and brings more productivity. We need solid accountability field workers to encourage our digging up the weeds and tenderly caring for the tender green places of growth with Jesus!

One of the hardest things for humans is to be still and open in humility to allow God to speak into our lives. Without this step of faith and submission nothing really changes. Our stubborn nature to pride and closed ears can cause us to walk the wrong way.

As Aerosmith used to sing “Walk this way”, however, over time the world will bulldoze our potential with distraction in culture, the promise of good things but at what cost, a fleeting moment of happiness over a blessed path to a meaningful future of harvest: relationships of likeminded, loving people who realize we are sinners and it’s one step at a time that we can grow in Jesus with a full field of harvest.

So, do we go by impulsive now mentality or plan a future of potential purpose blessed by God? Deuteronomy 28 is the Bible chapter that discusses the difference between walking with God’s blessing or choosing to curse God and receive our consequence. I think I avoided this scripture but now see it’s truth.

I appreciate Paul sharing with the Ephesians his gratitude. The encouragement of a fellow Christian who spends time with God cannot be underestimated. I leave you with this prayer blessing from Ephesians 1.

Ephesians 1:16-21 NLT
I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, [17] asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. [18] I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called-his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. [19] I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. [21] Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Thank you for reading my spontaneous blog. I appreciate your taking the time to stop by for a while. May you feel the love and presence of God as you take the steps necessary to grow in Him. It will be a mighty harvest for those willing to take the risk.

End of a school year

Schools out for summer was an anthem song in the classic rock era. It’s a song that makes me reflect on the rigors of school, homework, peer relationships and all that entails.

I am humming that song today as I witness a close to the school year in my community and personally. There is more pressure on todays’ youth post-Covid to complete the school year strong. Even the years of past Covid isolation cause many students to struggle in social situations. I have seen the problem of limited skill set for healthy relationship building in communications due to cell phone use. Pressure to keep up homework and with solid results on final exams can seem daunting. Distractions abound.

Have you seen the level of academic expectations for your child? I may be in a bubble however, As I attempted to share my old time academic ability, I was blown away by the college level coursework.

Colossians 1:9-12 MSG
Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul-not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

Our prayers matter, the Master, God, will give us and our kids endurance and ability. We must rely on God to give us wisdom for encouragement and strength for our children. We must share what we are learning in this postCovid era. We can endure anything with our faith in God.

Proverbs 15:22-23 GNT
Get all the advice you can, and you will succeed; without it you will fail. [23] What a joy it is to find just the right word for the right occasion!

Ecclesiastes 12:11 TLB
The wise man’s words are like goads that spur to action. They nail down important truths. Students are wise who master what their teachers tell them.

We remind them to keep moving, keep taking the steps into Gods’ plan for their future. We remind them they do not walk alone. We are with them and so is their Savior JESUS! Even if you feel your kid doesn’t want to hear about Jesus, God will honor your efforts.

Our walk with the Lion of Judah is being observed by our kids. Do they see you spend time with God? Praying daily with them as you drive to school, or in your room at the close of day.

Do they see you seek wisdom from the Bible for the hard circumstances of life? Or do they see impulsive responses without self control? We are works in progress. (By the way, I have had moments of mistakes, I am grateful for do-overs as I ask my kids to help me to improve my approaches).

Our determination to change generational patterns from unhealthy to Gods’ best plans can turn the tide for future generations. We must be willing to build resilience, be humble to learn from Jesus, and share what we are learning.

A day without learning truth is a wasted day, take time to be in nature with your people, observing nature reminds me the amazing God created each plant and animal for our benefit. His hand is in nature, it brings joy on the journey, enjoy the summer.

Photo credit by Pexels.com

Unseen women

Mother’s Day brings a conundrum of emotions. There are many thoughts swirling in a women depending on your current status as mom or not. We must remember the amazing commitment in love, joy, nurturance, and role mothers play in the lives of their children. We should celebrate their efforts and extended actions for their families. Mother’s Day is an annual celebration however daily we should show gratitude for this amazing toughest job.

However, Mother’s Day can also bring sadness and despair for other women who either struggle to be moms due to infertility, not finding the best guy to share parenting or those who live with regret after abortion.

Another possible challenge to Mother’s Day can include deaths or trauma from families. We can’t always be sensitive to those who lived an unhealthy life with unstable moms who did not represent a Godly character. Trauma, mental health and addiction can destroy healthy bonding of mom and child. The effects of this foundation of parenting can effect generations. We are all broken people who need Jesus and we can break the patterns of unhealthy parenting for future generations.

We must be willing to do the personal work along with other older women who have traveled this road before us. Women who are being guided by the principles found in the Bible, who have servants hearts, learn from past mistakes, seek forgiveness and love Jesus.

Every woman should be celebrated as a child of God with a God given purpose. Some women have children, others shepherd children as a result of work, coaching in sports, being a great aunt who speaks wisdom to her nephews and nieces, or even in kindness to a stranger.

Proverbs 27:23 TPT
A shepherd should pay close attention to the faces of his flock and hold close to his heart the condition of those he cares for.

Women can be available to shepherd other children in their sphere of influence. This is a noble place to be an example of love and care.

God says for us to seek Him, let the shepherd lead you to the best relationship builder, Jesus.

John 10:9-15 NLT
Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. [10] The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. [11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. [12] A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. [13] The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. [14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, [15] just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.

I am grateful for the wisdom I have gained in my life as emergency trauma nurse, center director for a pregnancy medical clinic and as a mom. However, the greatest wisdom in all relationships I have and am gaining from is in my time with God.

I am grateful for those people who have invested time in my life, as surrogate parents, wise kind hearted people who love.

God is love, He is hope, help and wisdom for all women and men. We have a place to be shepherded regardless the family of origin.

So on the day after Mother’s Day, I am encouraging all women ( and men) to show compassion and love to any woman, whether a parent or not!

Just love each other, support each other, share words of encouragement, be a good listener to those who need you. Extend a hand or hug to someone near you today! Sending hugs!

Photo credit by Pexels.com

Life is a test, Speak Life

Just as in high school, you can get test anxiety and fret over the multiple choice answers. Your test prep in the Bible, the wisdom of your favorite teacher and the compassion of wisdom shared can impact your future.

Life boils down to multiple choices, turn to the left or the right, choose joy or conflict, choose pride or humility, choose to be the one with the last word or listen and consider another’s heartfelt communication.

Today I spent time asking God for wisdom in relationships. I was reminded of a solid truth, I get to make a choice to bring life or death to any person by my words and actions. I get to choose and you get to choose to speak life or death.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 ESV
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. [16] If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. [17] But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, [18] I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.

It is a daily sometimes moment to moment process of speaking life or death. The power of the tongue can not be underestimated.

Our excuses of I am tired, hungry, I feel ignored and lonely, or no one cares about me, can be the impetus for our speaking without thinking.

After all, every person has spoken without thinking. I know I have had to learn to restrain my comments and ask the Holy Spirit to help me express the truth without destroying others. Sometimes, I have to receive the truth from someone else and seriously consider if their comment and opinion has merit. Many times, I need to ask forgiveness and humbly work at restoring relationships.

Can you relate to this quick speaking impulse? It is like a Wild West movie with a quick draw from your holster. The weapon of life and death is not the gun but the tongue.

The need to have the last word is a problem in our world and in personal relationships. The best place to gain a healthy insight and solution is working on our relationship with God. When we seek His solutions, obey their content, we will find more of His life giving perspective.

The fruit of living in obedience to God is our character can be molded into more life giving responses. His pouring into our lives by the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to pour out to others more life. Generational habits can be changed, more of God in us and in our relationships leads to chains of oppression, codependency and other dysfunctional patterns broken, by the power of Jesus.

We must choose the One true God, we must turn from any idols that obstruct this relationship to our Creator God.

Asking another student for the exam answers is cheating your own life of the best source. No other person or thing should be worshiped over Him. Idols destroy our connection to God, He alone is worthy to be praised.

Scripture is clear, we get to choose who or what we serve. We can be blessed by our choice for God or cursed for seeking the wrong source.

19] I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, [20] loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Life and death, blessing or curses are your free will options. Our choice effects generations, so love GOD, the best Teacher, OBEY his voice, hold fast to Him, He is life just as He was to Abraham.

Don’t flunk the Final exam! There is no cheating, we each stand before Him with our lives. Your willingness to get extra guidance from the Great Teacher, Jesus and spend time gaining the best knowledge will be rewarded. This is a promise not only for you but for future generations.

Photo credit by Pexels.com

Be renewed!

Weary in the storm

You may feel pushed down, you may feel unseen, you may feel unknown, the enemy wants you to stop believing in the goodness of God. Praise is the best remedy for a weary soul!

Psalm 112:1-10 NLT Praise the LORD! How joyful are those who fear the LORD and delight in obeying his commands. [2] Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. [3] They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will last forever. [4] Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. [5] Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. [6] Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. [7] They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. [8] They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. [9] They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. [10] The wicked will see this and be infuriated. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted.

If we fix our eyes on the world we can feel the oppressive, dark, chaotic presence of evil. The multiple reports of spontaneous fighting, shootings, and strife can make us feel like giving up. Add to this world focused mindset and having children can bring us fear, unrest, worry and more. Our minds can effect our lives for despair or hope. Our kids can learn resilience in Jesus or to get stuck in a mind of death and despair. We have to reflect Jesus!!

Fix your eyes and hearts, minds, and souls on Jesus! There is no other place where we can gain His Presence and His peace for a new day! Something has to break, break the strongholds of depression, addiction, past hurts and renew your mind in Him!

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. [2] Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Let Basking in His Presence become a daily action. I have heard it said doing an action for 20-30 days, makes a habit become a lifestyle change. Consider making a contract with your kids, or accountability buddy (a family member or friend).

For the benefit of your life and those you love, family and friends, take the time to listen to His people praise in storms, Christian worship calms me and resets my mind on Him. Open the great book, the Bible, ask him to open your eyes to new beginnings! Give your worries to Him!

Nothing else+ The Heart of Worship, by Kari Jobe and Worship together, is beautifully reflected of the need to rely on no one else but Jesus!

Make a change today, Renew your mind in Jesus and His plans, be transformed as He fills you with truth, hope and a new perspective. Your kids, family and friends will watch your walk with Your best friend, Jesus! Others can be transformed to the best path with Him! He brings us a new confidence and strength even for the unknown future. Walking with Him is better than walking alone, He will never leave you.

Photo credit by Pexels.com