Is it just me or do you struggle with Wite-Out tape? You know the kind that has printed on its label “EZcorrect”? For me, it is anything but! I thought I had corrected the application method by the way I was holding it but even then, roughly three out of four attempts end in no correction tape laying down to cover my mistake. Or the second sweep tears up some of the first tape that actually did lay down correctly. I find myself frustratingly reaching for the original Wite-Out Correction Fluid anyway and then blowing on it til its dry.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes a swipe of Wite-Out can fix it. Sometimes we need to own it, apologize for it and keep going. It is an honorable act to own our mistakes. It humbles us and helps to restore relationships. It’s what helps to keep our horizontal relationships in a healthy space.

There is no amount of Wite-Out or apologies that can fix our vertical relationship with God. But there is good news, in fact, the BEST Good News. God’s Son, Jesus Christ, makes us clean and new! Hebrews 10:10 (NLV) reveals, “Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time.” Jesus’ blood washes us completely clean! When God looks at you and I, with Jesus as our Savior, He doesn’t see our sin. God sees the blood of Christ applied over our heart. How incredible is that?!!

There are days. Days when nothing we do or say seems to be the right thing to do or say. Talk to God about it. Days when our heart aches so badly that we have to keep reminding ourselves to breathe. Whisper to God about it. On days when it feels like the whole world is against you… and tears roll down your face… tell God about it. Because on those days, God is closer than your next breath. He is holding you close and capturing every tear that falls. And God is FOR you. Everyone else pales in comparison to the One who designed and created you, who breathed life into your lungs, holds you close and brought you through so much to this. very. day.

On THIS day, Almighty God calls you His! Today, if you’ve said “YES” to Jesus, you are a child of God. He has great plans for you and today you are one step closer to the big reveal! Heaven!! Because Jesus came to live a sinless life, died to save us from our sins and then rose again to restore us to eternity with God, TODAY is a gift that God has given us. Despite how we feel in this moment, what shall we do with THIS day to honor the Giver of all good things?

What I know is that as long as there is still breath in our lungs, God is not finished with our story. Philippians 1:6 (AMP) tells us, “I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].”

When you find yourself having ‘one of those days’ remind yourself that today is God’s gift to you and then take a deep breath, wipe the tears from your eyes and lean in to Jesus. He’s still working. There’s still hope and you’re still loved.

If you have served, or are serving, in the military you are very familiar with the command “as you were”. I’ve only seen it in the movies when soldiers stopped what they were doing to salute their commander as they entered the room. Soldiers snapped to and stayed that way until they’re given permission to return to what they were doing previously. As you were.

I began thinking about that one day and the idea of honoring your superior, stopping what you’re doing to show respect and honor to the one who is leading you. It made me think about God and how we worship and honor Him when we’re aware of His presence. When we enter a church service or prayer gathering and stop everything else we’re doing to posture our heart toward our Savior. It is beautiful that we serve a living God that responds to hearts that honor Him.

It’s also worth noting that God never tells us “as you were”. Once we connect with Jesus, we are never the same. Life is not the same. And He would never want us to return to where we were before we met Him! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEV) tells us, “Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.”

It is wholly appropriate for us to pause and humbly honor our Lord, to give attention to His presence, and offer our praise and worship without holding anything back. What we joyfully discover as we return to our work, and to life as we’re living it, that nothing will be the same after our encounter with the King! Thanks to Jesus everything is NEW!

My friend, Gail, and I got to serve together in church for a number of years and she taught me a term for something that I’d seen often in my life but didn’t know there was a name for it. Godwinks! I just didn’t believe in coincidences and neither did she. So whenever we saw unexpected things connect that wouldn’t have without some help from someone,… we would call them Godwinks. And we still do!

Truthfully, God is over every single thing in our lives. Romans 8:28 (CEV) is specific. “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him. They are the ones God has chosen for his purpose.” Sometimes when the unexpected thing happens in our day we may be tempted to think that it was random. But there isn’t a single thing that happens at random in our lives. God is at work!

It’s easy for us to acknowledge and praise God for the God-sized miracles that happen in our day. Let’s keep an intentional watch to praise Him for His Godwinks! He deserves the Glory!!

I awoke to about six inches of fresh fallen snow in our yard. It was beautifully breathtaking! The world looked fresh and new!

In our backyard, there are two bird feeders in perfect view from my breakfast nook. One of my favorite things to do is have coffee and watch the birds from that spot. On this particular frigid morning, I watched the little birds flocking to the feeders and also the birds below picking up the seed that had fallen to the ground. My beautiful cardinal was there. I watched him eat and then fly to a nearby branch while the little ones continued to eat.

As I sat there, drinking my coffee and watching those birds find their food while the weather conditions were creating challenges for survival, I couldn’t help but think about how God watches over and cares for us. He always takes care… especially when we are anxious about our situation… and we can trust that He will come through.

Matthew 6:26 (NLT) came to my mind. “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?”

We are God’s masterpiece. Consider how much He cares for the birds and how much more He loves you and I. He always has us on His mind and we are never out of His care. Today, if there is a need that you are anxious about, give it to God. He is our Shepherd and because He is… we have everything that we need! (Psalm 23:1, MSG)

The first time I listened to a song by Need To Breathe called “Who Am I”, there was a lyric that made me visualize such a powerful picture in my mind that I have never forgotten its impact. “While I’m on this road, You take my hand. Somehow You really love who I really am. I push You away, still You won’t let go.
You grow Your roses on my barren soul. Who am I to be loved by You.”

The visual of a beautiful, lush rose bush in the middle of a vast desert came to my mind and the thought that only God could do something like that. If you’ve ever endured a time when your faith was shaken to the core and you found it difficult to even muster a thought toward God let alone a prayer. And especially when we consider how undeserving we are of God’s incredible love, care and grace, those lyrics become very relatable.

Romans 5:8 (NLT) tells us, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” God’s great love for us stays. Even when we push Him away, He won’t let go. We may not see the beauty of the roses quite yet, but the Lord continues to sow and water and watch over. Keep watching and waiting. What we see as empty or barren is a space with which God can work! God is up to something beautiful in your heart and soul. It’s what love looks like!

One of my favorite women in the Bible is Dorcas, also known as Tabitha. The Word describes her as a believer who was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. She got really sick and died. Her body was prepared for burial and laid in an upstairs room. Believers in the town heard that Jesus’ disciple, Peter, was nearby, so they sent a couple of men to beg Peter to come as soon as possible.

Acts 9:39-42 (NLT): “So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them. But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, “Get up, Tabitha.” And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive. The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.” 

While this miracle itself is incredible, something else is maybe even more important to note. Did you notice Peter’s preparation for the miracle? He entered the room and it was filled with mourners. He sent them all out. Peter knew that HE had faith to believe for Tabitha’s resurrection; after all, he had been a very recent witness to Jesus’ resurrection! But, the weeping widows in this room were full of grief and focused on what she had done while she was alive.

What miracle are you praying for and who is in the ‘room’ with you? When God has given you a portion of faith to believe for a mighty miracle in your life, or someone close to you, be careful who you invite in. Whether it is a financial miracle, a relationship miracle or health miracle, ask God for discernment of who to invite to step into that ‘room’ with you. People of faith who will speak life and pray with you believing for your miracle! God is able!

I pulled up at a stop sign and as my gaze started to shift to check both ways for traffic I noticed a sign just below that read, “LOOK AGAIN”. The angle of the road was steep. It would’ve been easy to just glance but not fully take in any oncoming traffic. Those two words made me wonder what had happened at that intersection in the past to warrant an additional warning. The sign also made me pause… and look again.

Because we are God’s children, we have the Holy Spirit within us to help us each day. The more aware of His presence we become, the more we will recognize His voice when He speaks to us. If we want to be where He wants us to be – when He wants us to be there – listening for His direction is so important.

I love what Jesus, the Good Shepherd, told His followers in John 10:27 (NIV). “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” What a beautiful confirmation from our Lord that He does indeed talk with us. He knows us and He is walking WITH us! That’s the way that we follow Him.

More than once in my life, I have sensed the Holy Spirit urging me to ‘LOOK AGAIN’. Maybe you have too. Urging us so we do not miss something, or someone, that He wants us to pay attention to in our travels. Right now is a good moment to pause and give thanks for His direction in our lives. Grateful that the Holy Spirit speaks to us; He knows us, and we are able to follow Him.

Having worked in radio for many years, I have shared a good portion of my life on the air with my listeners. One of the greatest joys for me is when I am able to meet listeners for the first time and get to hear a little bit of their story! I love how God connects us at certain times in our lives. It is truly a gift that God gives us to be able to walk together for a little while.

Do you ever think about the number of people we get to bump into in a day? Think about this: every single interaction has God’s fingerprint on it. He either initiated it or allowed it. What are we going to do with it? Some are brief moments to smile and show kindness in some way. Other interactions may be life-changing. I have certainly encountered people in my lifetime that changed my life forever. I pray that God has used and will continue to use me to impact others for His Kingdom as well.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT) reminds us that, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.  If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

Aren’t you glad that we have each other?!! Two things I pray often: Lord, please don’t let me miss a single thing that You have planned for me to do today! And the second: Father God, while I don’t know someone’s story, I know that You do! Please help me to point them to You… the One who writes our story with Your goodness and kindness and Your faithfulness written on every page.

God sees you. When you are standing up and standing out for His purposes, He is directing your steps, helping you to walk on solid ground. And especially when you are feeling bereft of courage, wanting to isolate yourself or remain isolated, and even when you are feeling very short on hope, God is with you and He is FOR you.

In every moment, every emotion and situation, you and I have a choice. It might not seem like the choice to trust in God will be a prosperous one. You clearly cannot see a way out. But God! Putting our trust in Him, despite the way we feel or the way things look, is always, every single time, the best choice and the best next step.

Take in what the Psalmist said of God and then declared to himself in Psalm 116: 6-8 (MSG). “God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, He saved me. I said to myself, ‘Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; and you, foot, were kept from stumbling.'”

Regardless of circumstances, remembering the goodness of God to us in the past, and choosing to trust Him with our present and our future, is what God’s Word tells us to do. That very thing you are wrestling with right now… give it to God. He is on your side and He will save you!