Nonce (Psalm 27:14)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “nonce.”  When is the last time you have given God a worrisome piece of your life?  Sure, we pray. But much of the time it is lip service, rather than a true and unwavering trust that he will take our cares and the burdens that come with them.  The psalmist understood this principle.  When in doubt, fear, or lack of understanding, he knew that sometimes the best action to take was to wait on God.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~Ps. 27:14

My question is: Where are you in your relationship with God concerning trust?  Sometimes we just want to reach the destination, and skip all of the tough stuff.  But we must remember that it is the difficult circumstances in life, those of which we are uncertain, that give God room to work and do what he needs to fulfill his purpose.  My prayer is that you trust God today with something that you may have kept from him.  There are a number of reasons that we do not put our faith in him, and instead try to do it all on our own.  So today, instead of taking that lonely road… for the nonce… trust him with something new. Jump out of your comfort zone and into a more accepting and understanding of God’s love.

Praying for you,

MO

Fugacious (Psalm 144:4)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “fugacious.” I remember one of my mentors telling early on in my Christian journey that I needed to make sure to take every opportunity possible within my current time in life. He said that as I got older time would speed up. He used the analogy of how kids think that summer lasts forever… and then at some point in life, summer as well as the rest of life, speeds up. That is why there is an importance on using time wisely.

“They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow.” ~Ps 144:4

My question is: how are you spending the days of your life? I think it is important to know that we sometimes overestimate what we can do a year, and underestimate what we can do in five years. Sometimes when life is not going the way we would like it, we withdraw and cease trying. But if we just hold on and try to make every day count, we will find that in a matter of time God can change and shape us. Whether it is regarding your spiritual life, or just something that you know needs to get done, God can make our lives worthwhile. So, although our lives might be fugacious, we have the opportunity to live in eternity with the father following a life of productivity, hopefully for the Kingdom.

Praying for you,

MO

Antipodes (Psalm 103.11-12)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “antipodes.”  I think one of the most reassuring parts of our realationship with God is that he allows us to remove sin from out lives by trusting in his son, without anything more than having a relationship with him. I remember as a young Christian in high school wanting to know more about this unbelievable grace that God wanted to extend, especially to someone like me. But that's exactly what we are told in the Bible that God takes the sin of those who are guilty and removes those inequities through the blood of Jesus.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” ~Ps. 103:11-12

My question is: what comes to mind when you think of the way that God has extended grace in your life? I think that early on in my relationship of Jesus, I never really thought about what it meant to live in his all-encompassing and endless grace. However, as I have moved through the years, I realize that I need to view both myself and others with more grace and acceptance. My prayer is that you allow God to change your heart today to move them closer in that kind of deep relationship, knowing that the sin in your life and the grace of God are antipodes, as far apart as one could imagine.

Praying for you,

MO

Splendiferous (Psalm 145.3-5)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “splendiferous.” This week marks the beginning of a pretty crazy season. It seems to me that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. Which means, along with that is the chaos and shopping and everything in between. The psalmist reminds us this morning that no matter what the season, we should always remember that God's greatness outweighs anything that may consume our minds and hearts at any given moment.

God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. ~Ps. 145:3-5

My question is: what are you most thankful for at this point in your life? As we enter this holiday season, my prayer is that you always put forth God's greatness, and remember that he is the reason for all that is good in your life. As he continues to guide you daily, allow his splendiferous nature to encompass your very being. Give God thanks for his mighty acts in your life today.

Praying for you,

MO

Splendiferous (Psalm 145.3-5)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “splendiferous.” This week marks the beginning of a pretty crazy season. It seems to me that the Christmas season starts earlier and earlier every year. Which means, along with that is the chaos and shopping and everything in between. The psalmist reminds us this morning that no matter what the season, we should always remember that God's greatness outweighs anything that may consume our minds and hearts at any given moment.

God is magnificent; he can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to his greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts. Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking; I compose songs on your wonders. ~Ps. 145:3-5

My question is: what are you most thankful for at this point in your life? As we enter this holiday season, my prayer is that you always put forth God's greatness, and remember that he is the reason for all that is good in your life. As he continues to guide you daily, allow his splendiferous nature to encompass your very being. Give God thanks for his mighty acts in your life today.

Praying for you,

MO

Penitent (Psalm 23:4-6)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “penitent.”  One of the most memorable scenes in the Indiana Jones trilogy was towards the end of part three.  Indiana had to go through a series of trials to reach the coveted Holy Grail.  There were a set of clues that helped him through each of the obstacles.  And at one point, one of the clues was "only the penitent man shall pass."  Of course, Indiana aces the obstacle and reaches his destination.  However, just in case you have not seen the movie, I will not spoil the ending for you.  And, although that is a funny portrayal of the word, we as Christians should strive to be as much like Christ as possible and approach him in the same manner.  This means that we need to have a contrite heart, shunning all sin and reaching out to God.

Who can climb Mount God? Who can scale the holy north-face? Only the clean-handed, only the pure-hearted; Men who won’t cheat, women who won’t seduce. God is at their side; with God’s help they make it. This, Jacob, is what happens to God-seekers, God-questers. ~Ps. 23:4-6

My question is: how do you see and listen to God on a continual basis?  Taking the time to really understand your relationship as it pertains to spiritual things is important because God wants to be a part of every decision that you make.  When you do stuff right, rejoice! When you do stuff wrong, go to God with a penitent heart.  My prayer is that you learn to seek God and experience him in both the little and big parts of your life.

Praying for you,

MO

Eyesome (Psalm 19.1-14)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “eyesome.”  What I’ve always liked about the book of Psalms is that you can open it up and read a random passage or verse, and it always seems to speak to some part of your life.  Over the years I have looked to this book for God’s decrees and expectations of me.  Today’s passage is a reminder that everything we do can be seen by others, and it is up to us as to how they view our relationship with the Lord.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” ~Ps 19:14

My question is: what are the thoughts and actions in your life?  Because we are not perfect people, it can be difficult at times to feel like we are following God wholeheartedly.  My prayer is that you look to God is the one who can redeem you and make you a better person each day.  Allow others to see your heart as eyesome and something they would want for there own lives, and make sure that you are a witness and example for those who know you.

Praying for you,

Mo

Ad Hockery (Psalm 119:1-10)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “ad hockery.”  It always seems to me that everybody else knows the way that I should proceed with my life matter what I do; everybody always has their opinion and thinks that they know what is best for me.  At first, I used to take the advice of pretty much anybody who had something to say.  The reason for this was that I figured that they had my best interests in mind.  And, for the most part, people usually did and still do.  But I realized very quickly that not very many people actually me on a level where they could speak truth into my life that would actually help me.

“Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!” ~Ps. 119:1

These are the kind of people from whom I seek my advice.  And, as you can imagine, there are very few people that fit this criteria.  I keep a high standard in my life for the people that want to help me grow to be a better person.  And that is why I put my trust and faith only in a select few.  My question is: who are the people that speak into your life?  My prayer is that you raise your standards for the criteria concerning the people that speak into your life. Put less time into ad hockery and fleeting plans, and fix your attention on the steadfast love and decrees that are from God.  Don’t take advice from just anybody.  They should be God-fearing people who strive with all their hearts to walk in the ways of Jesus.  Never waver.

Praying for you,

MO

Comminate (Psalm 146.5-9)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “comminate.”  Understanding God’s blessings can be pretty tricky sometimes.  If you’re like me, sometimes you feel like the world is against you and that they’re just is not enough time, resources, and help available to help you get through the stuff that you need to overcome.  I think that the people in the Old Testament felt kind of the same way at times.  That’s why I take a lot of comfort in reading the Psalms.

“Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” ~Ps. 146:5-9

My question is: where do you put your hope and trust?  It’s easy to say that you believe in God and trust him, but it’s a whole other thing to actually do it.  I know that for me sometimes I have to step back and remember that trusting God is an active part of my life, and not something passive that I just let happen.  My prayer this morning is that you realize that God is not about comminating us for what we do wrong, but instead bestowing blessings upon us because he does it through his grace and mercy.  Remember that God loves you and wants you to succeed.  Make the decisions today that point you in God’s direction.

Praying for you,

MO