September 2021

Faith September 28, 2021

Savor Every Moment

⁹Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil. ¹⁰Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave,^[a] there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

Savor Every Moment
Yesterday my daughter drove me to a doctor’s appointment. As I rode in the car the sunshine was beaming through the windows on my face, and it felt absolutely wonderful. The weather was perfect! It was about 78 degrees out, and it was just a glorious day. Even though the air conditioner was on, I took a moment and rolled down my window just to breathe in the fresh air. I wanted to take it all in. I didn’t want to miss a single thing about yesterday. A few of the trees have started to change colors here, and the timing is perfect because it was also the first day of Fall. Fall is absolutely by far, my favorite time of year. I was careful to look at the gorgeous trees and the beautiful clear blue sky, as we drove by. I enjoyed looking at what the Master Artist was creating. When I see days like yesterday where the weather is just absolutely perfect, I see it totally as a gift from God. Of course, we know that every day is a gift from God, but I think days like that, are considered a special gift from God.

So after getting back from the doctor’s office and taking a short nap, I decided to continue my self-care time by resting in my comfy chair. While sitting there, I decided to scroll through Facebook to see what was going on. And that’s when my day took a turn. I saw that a friend that I had not spoken to within about three years, had passed away from pneumonia at only 46 years of age. Needless to say, I was totally shocked! Her husband is now left to raise their only child who is about 8 years of age.

Last night as I thought of her, and how she enjoyed traveling, decorating her home beautifully, going to concerts, riding motorcycles with her husband, and oh let’s not forget shopping for the most gorgeous of clothes for she and her daughter, I was happy that she had lived a very full life in her short 46 years. I was happy that she had not put a thing on hold. She absolutely loved being a mom and a wife. She loved cooking from scratch and trying new recipes. She struggled with some health issues, so she always prepared very healthy meals, for her and her family. Her husband absolutely adored her, and the feeling was so mutual.

I thought of her most of the night. I remember hearing that death is for the living, and I can truly say that an unexpected death gets our attention like nothing else. It causes us to go deep in thought and to reflect. Last night as I laid in bed, I remember thanking God for my day. After hearing such sad news about my friend, I was so glad that going to the doctor was not just another ride in the car, but I was truly glad that I had savored every moment of my ride. Going forward I want to really be present and alert as I go through my day. I don’t want to just go through the motions, I want to enjoy each day that God gives me. I want to thank Him for allowing me to open my eyes to each new day. I want to savor every experience. I want to be present in every moment. Ladies I don’t want to miss a thing!

We all know that we will leave this earth one day. What we don’t know is when or how, and that’s one of the mysteries of death. But be clear, death is certain! So I encourage you to live a full life starting today. Don’t put the things that you want to do on hold. Figure out a way to do the things that are important to you or that you are passionate about. Don’t assume that you have time. As you start this process, start with time with God each and every day. Pray for His divine favor over your life. Ask Him to remind you to slow down and savor every moment. Even when life is hard, and those days will come, trust God and try to savor your day anyway. Don’t let the enemy steal your joy. Remember there is a blessing in every day, even the hard days.

She Believes 3 Devotion September 7, 2021

Happiness Is A Slice Of Pound Cake

One of the things that I enjoy most is seeing others made happy. It is even more
enjoyable for me if I have contributed to their happiness in some way or another. I
wanted to write about this today because; unbelievably we all have a special gift that if
shared, will bring happiness to someone else.
Some of us have several things that we really do well, that would be a blessing to
others. Today I would like you to search your treasure chest of special gifts and
talents. Ask yourself, what is the one thing that I do so well that it brings happiness to
others?
The next step after discovering what it is would be to remove it from your treasure
chest and dust it off. Start to notice the number of smiles that you can create, simply by
sharing your God-given gift or talent with others. Most of us already know what our
gifts are. In many cases, we may have been reluctant to share them with others in the
past, because of our own fears and insecurities, which by the way is a trick of the
enemy.
I personally know that public speaking is my gift. I love to speak and that is where I
find my greatest joy. But I will have to tell you when I really want to make someone
happy, I give them a slice of my famous pound cake, it is as though the world stops and
smiles take over. I have never seen so much happiness in one room, as when I walk in
with this pound cake. Family and friends are instantly happy just to know that it rode
in the car with me to their home and that they will soon get to enjoy more
deliciousness when they can hardly take in, in one sitting.
You may be asking how I got from talking about my gift of public speaking to talking
about the famous pound cake that I bake, from scratch I might add. The reason I
brought it up, is that there may be a varied number of things that you are capable of
doing well, that would brighten up the world of those around you.
You may grow beautiful flowers, and they certainly would brighten up someone’s day.
Let us face it, it is hard to look at a bouquet of flowers and not smile. They seem to
always bring joy. You may be a musician, and just think how many would be happy, if
you stopped by a nursing home and asked if you could go in and just play the piano for
an hour or two.
Maybe your gift is storytelling. Can you imagine how many children; in your local
Children’s Hospital would love for you to stop by, and let your imagination run wild, as
you capture their hearts with a great story. Maybe sewing is your thing. Winter is
coming. Think of how many families are struggling to afford winter clothes, and
you have the ability to whip up a winter outfit, or a nice warm blanket in a flash.

You see this is how we love others tangibly. It really does not matter what your gift or
talent is, what matters is that you use it. God created every one of us uniquely
Differently. He blessed us with these special abilities to be a blessing to others. This is
One of the ways that we are to let our light shine. Today use your gift to be a difference-maker, and bring a smile to the face of someone who could use a little happiness in his
or her life. What a beautiful and happy world, it would be, if we all used our gifts and
talents the way God intended for them to be used.

She Believes 3 Devotion September 2, 2021

Faith Like Habakkuk

Today I would like to dive into the action word Faith. Let me start this lesson by asking; How strong is your faith? How strong is your commitment as a Christian, to the God that you serve?

I know that we all would like to think that we could withstand any test, no matter how difficult. However, the reality may be, that we may not really know how well we will do until we encounter the test.

The Old Testament book of Habakkuk holds some of my favorite scriptures in the entire bible. Habakkuk was a prophet who was clearly upset with the violence, lawlessness, injustice, and wickedness that was taking place in Judah during his time. He went to the Lord in prayer, asking out of apparent frustration; “How long, O Lord must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. Habakkuh 1: 2

I could totally relate to Habakkuk when he said “ How long, O Lord must I call for help? I cry, but you do not come to save me. Haven’t we all been there at one time or another? I know I certainly have. What I love about Habakkuk’s story is this:

1. He knew who to call out to when he needed help. He was clear that God was the only one that could solve this problem. He was a man of faith and he prayed faithfully.

2. He didn’t stop praying just because he had not received an answer.

3. When he received a response from God, he was willing to listen and he was willing to share his honest feelings with God.

4. He knew the character of God. When we know the character of God, it helps our faith in Him to grow stronger. Habakkuk 1:13…

5. He remembered that historically God had been there to rescue his people in prior years. When we are having a difficult time waiting for God, it gives us so much hope, to recall what He has already done for us in the past.
Habakkuk 3:2…

6. He was committed to being faithful to God, no matter what came his way and to praise God in the process. His mind was already made up, on what his response would be no matter the trial. He clearly had faith in the One that he served. I want to encourage you to do the same. Make up your mind now, that no matter what, you will faithfully serve God. Have faith that He will come through for you when He feels that it is best.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

In this life, we all will encounter so many twists and turns that we will not see coming, and the best way to be prepared for the unforeseen, is to walk closely with God. Take Him as your partner in all that you do. Stay in His word, meditating on it day and night. Stay prayerful, by talking to Him at all times, in other words, pray without ceasing. Most importantly, take a few minutes each day, to get still and listen for His voice, which usually comes in a whisper.
Regardless of the answer that God gives you, give Him praise. This is truly the only way, to have faith like Habakkuk!