Courage (Joshua 1:1-18)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "courage."  Welcome to the first day of the next several months of your life.  God spoke long ago to a young man who was taking on a new role, during one of the most pivotal changes of his life.  Joshua for sure did not have all of the answers, but had to rely on God to be his strength for the journey ahead.  One of my most favorite verses in the Bible is what God told Joshua as he transitioned into his new role.

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

~Josh. 1:9 

My question is: are you going to live your life on the offensive, as a decisive person who finds her security and God?  There is a lot of stuff that you can focus on this year, and you will face change one way or the other.  My prayer is that you never let your quest for balance and life stop you from taking steps that God will help to make you successful.  Be bold in the way that you approach this season as well as the other parts of your life that your Creator has set before you. Take courage and succeed!

Praying for you,

MO

Bonhomie (1 Peter 3:15)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is " bonhomie.”  There are a ton of different personalities in this world.  They can actually be categorized into four major types, which causes us to adapt to those whom we care about.  Although I've never really been one to be laid back, some of the people that I most drawn to are just that kind of person.  The two guys that speak into my life daily both have a pretty easy-going manner.  It's funny that both of these dudes always know what to say at any given moment.

"But in your hearts set Christ apart as Lord, and always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully."

~1 Pet 3:15

My question is: who were the people that you are most drawn to in this life?  My mentor once told me that I want to become the person that I would like to have as my friend.  My prayer is that each of you gets better each day, knowing that to receive good friendship you must first become the person that others would like to have as a friend.  Whether you are easygoing, with a bonhomie kind of outlook, or the complete opposite… God will give the influence over people in this lifetime.  It is up to you to take the responsibility to be the kind of person that others would like to emulate.

Praying for you,

Mo

Snarky (Philippians 2:14-15)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "snarky."  This is one of my favorite words, both to say and to hear.  The reason I like the apostle Paul also much is because he was a pretty down to earth kind of guy.  The way that he lived his life before he accepted Christ was to be much different than after his revelation.  I think God knew what he was doing by getting a guy like Paul to be his ambassador.  It must've been so hard for Paul to put up with the early Christian church based on the way he lived his old life.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…”

~Phil. 2:14-15

My question is: what is it mean for you to live a life such as mentioned here?  I know that when I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior in high school that there was no way I thought that I could ever live up to Christian expectations.  But that's where I think most people get it wrong.  We are not supposed to live up to other people's expectations, only to serve God.  As you can read in today's passage, there are many similarities with the generation then, and the generations now.  What hasn't changed is God's mandate to each of us.  As believers in Christ is our duty and responsibility to live lives that are blameless and innocent, avoiding snarky dispositions that would cause others to be turned off to JC.  My prayer is that you take some time to ask God to make you such a person.

Praying for you,

Mo

Meander (Psalm 119:9-16)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “meander.” This psalm is the longest in the Bible. There are some really good nuggets of information and wisdom in these verses. The psalmist wanted to make sure that people understood what it meant to follow God and live a life of purity. This was very tough in the old days, just as it is now. Each word was specifically meant for the reader to build positively upon his or her relationship with God.

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

~Ps. 119:11

It's one thing to read God's word, but quite another to store that word into one's heart. My question is: how often do you read God's book, and of the time that you spend how much of it do you retain to memory? I think that too many times we just want to get our reading in for the day, just to feel good about spending some time in God's word. But, I think we need to look back and see the quality of the time spent with him. My prayer for you is that you take the necessary amount of time to move through God's word, and stored up in your heart. Rather than meander through the Bible, write God's word on your heart and let it meander through all parts of your life.

Praying for you,

Mo

Couthie (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “couthie.” The situation in Corinth that Paul addresses in today’s passage is probably more popular in the Bible.  He talks here about what it means to be Christian and relating to others. I guess, if you think about it, this principle could really work across the board for life. Even though the Apostle Paul was not necessarily the most agreeable person all the time, he really worked at making sure that he helped people move towards the gospel.

Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

~1 Cor 9:19

For a guy with Paul’s personality you have to understand that for him to make a statement like this was pretty crazy. My question is: are you the kind of person that others are drawn to because of the way that you act and live your life? When it is all said and done and we come to the end of this life, my prayer is that you do not have any regrets in the way that you dealt with the relationships that God has given you. Even when you do not understand somebody else's point of view, I hope that you can be couthie, or agreeable, so that maybe you can win them over in the name of Christ.

Praying for you,

mo

Deprecate (Matthew 5:43-48)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “deprecate.” Jesus understood the meaning of true persecution. When he spoke, he understood that people go through certain trials and tribulations. Each of the people in the audience listening to him had relational problems. It is probably a safe bet to say that people back then dealt with the same kind of stuff that we do today. He gave a pretty solid statement concerning the way that we should act:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

~Matt 5:43-45

My question is: in this New Year as you make resolutions, are you willing to act like Jesus? This part of Jesus’ sermon highlights the fact that we should always treat others the way that we would like to be treated. But we should also go further than that and do what others will not do. If you want to be different, this year needs to encompass an attitude of the Savior. We have no time to deprecate, or belittle, others for any reason. Let us begin this year the right way, acting the way Jesus did and treating others in a way that will make this world a better place.

Praying for you,

Mo