Each Day...

From Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado:

Each Day...
It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
I Choose Love...
No Occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God Loves.
I Choose Joy...
I will invite God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I Choose Peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I Choose Patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I Choose Kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated me.
I Choose Goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I Choose Faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My [spouse] will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their [parent] will not come home.
I Choose Gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I Choose Self-Control...
I am a spiritual being...After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek grace. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

A friend gave me this devotional book about three years ago and I have never read through the whole thing. Being the first of the year, I was looking through my books to see what I might want to read through this year and saw this. It is going to go beside my makeup mirror to be read each morning. I really liked this preface to the devotional. It would be a great prayer to begin each day.

(Note: When I quoted things I used to put my comments in green, but starting today I will be putting what I quote in green.)

8 Quick Time–Outs for Your Soul

This was set to me by a co-worker today:

When life seems overwhelming and you are worried or feeling frazzled, do you yearn for some kind of escape Here are some ways to get through those unquiet times. Each two-minute activity includes an inspiring passage from Scripture for you to read.

When you feel like Complaining
Read: Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:34
Prayer: All too often, my focus is on what I don’t have, Lord. Please forgive me and help me to focus on and be grateful for what I do have.

When you feel that you’ve failed
Read: Each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:7
Prayer: Father, I’ve been guilty of coveting the gifts You’ve given others while disparaging the ones You’ve given me. Help me know what You’ve created me to do and give me opportunities to do it.

When you’re feeling down
Read: Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful ~ 1 Kings 21:7
Prayer: I praise and celebrate You today, Lord, in spite of my aching heart.

When you’re feeling frazzled
Read: If there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ~ Philippians 4:8
Prayer: Thank You, Father, for this great idea. I remember when ________________________________________________________ (you fill in the blank)

When you’re feeling stuck in your job
Read: The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks him. ~ Lamentations 3:25
Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the grace to keep doing, joyfully and patiently, what You’ve called me to do until You tell me to do something different. I believe You have a plan; please don’t let my impatience mess it up.

When you’re struggling with a problem
Read: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. ~ Proverbs 3:5
Prayer: Father, forgive me for trying to help You answer my prayers, and thank You for answering them better than I could have imagined.

When you’re thinking negative thoughts about someone
Read: Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful ~ Luke 6:36
Prayer: Lord, forgive my critical attitude toward ________________________(you fill in the blank) and help me to see the positive qualities You’ve put within him/her.

When you’re worried
Read: Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! ~ Mark 9:24
Prayer: I do want to trust You more, Lord. Please help me overcome my unbelief.

Washing Feet

From A Gentle Thunder by Max Lucado via the Christ Through the Bible section of my devotional bible:

Jesus Washes Our Feet

I don't understand how God can be so kind to us, but he is. He kneels before us, takes our feet in his hands, and washes them. Please understand that in washing the disciples' feet, Jesus is washing ours. You and I are in this story. We are at the table. That's us being cleansed, not from our dirt, but from our sins...

Don't miss the meaning here. To place our feet in the basin of Jesus is to place the filthiest pasts of our lives into his hands. In the ancient East, people's feet were caked with mud and dirt. The servant of the feast saw to it that the feet were cleaned. Jesus is assuming the role of the servant. He will wash the grimiest part of your life.

If you let him. The water of the Servant comes only when we confess that we are dirty. Only when we confess that we are caked with filth, that we have walked forbidden trails and followed the wrong paths.

We tend to be proud like Peter and resist. "I'm not that dirty, Jesus. Just sprinkle a few drops on me and I'll be fine."

What a life! "If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8).

We will never be cleansed until we confess we are dirty. We will never be pure until we admit we are filthy. And we will never be able to wash the feet of those who have hurt us until we allow Jesus, the one we have hurt, to wash ours.

You see, that is the secret of forgiveness. You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you. Only by letting him wash your feet can you have strength to wash those of another.

Don't Let Your Hope be Stolen

(From a daily email I get from Joel Osteen)

Today's Scripture
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria
The enemy has a goal for your life. He wants to steal your hope and joy, he wants to make you so discouraged that you just quit and give it all up. He knows that if you get discouraged and down, you will eventually settle for less than the best, and less than what God wants from you. The right attitude and mindset will prepare you for your miracle, but that can't happen if you're down and discouraged. God may take His time to accomplish what He wants to do in your life, but you can't lose heart and allow the enemy to claim victory. God will allow everything to pass as He sees fit. Your job is to have an attitude of expectancy. The rest is up to God!

A Prayer for Today
God, I know that Your timing is not always my timing. With Your help, I want to hold on to my hope and joy today as I wait for Your answer. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Curb Your Appetite

Curb Your Appetite for Trash by Phil Joel of the Newsboys
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 know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT).
I won’t lie to you—life in a rock band is amazing. I still pinch myself, half expecting to wake up as a 14-year-old boy who went to sleep surrounded by posters of my favorite bands and musicians. I’m having a blast, and touring in a band is a lot of fun. There are, however, a few challenges. One of the seemingly minor ones is that for a touring musician, the road is laden with burgers, fries and those crazy American “donut” things. Truck stops, fast food restaurants and backstage catering offer every fattening food option imaginable. Finding good nourishment can sometimes be very difficult. But, if I’m willing to put in the effort, it can always be found.
My pastor has a great saying: “You hunger for what you feed on and you feed on what you hunger for.” It’s really true! When I’m feeding myself with healthy foods, my energy levels increase and I find myself satisfied after each meal. I soon lose my appetite for the junk and become addicted to the way my body feels and functions when I’m eating well.
It’s the same principle from a spiritual angle. As Christians, we may be tempted to feed on the “junk food” of our culture: the wrong TV and Internet, pornography, the drive for fame and recognition in our own social scene, etc. If we give in to the temptation and spend little or no time with the Lord—reading His word, in prayer and intimacy with Him—we will continue to be stimulated by the “junk food.” Our minds will be coated in a “spiritual fatty layer” that will block our true potential in Christ.
The deal is this: There is an enemy of our souls. He has a plan to destroy us with a complete buffet of lifestyle garbage. I don’t necessarily mean those obvious, terrible and dark things that may tempt us. I mean anything that would distract us from pursuing God and feeding on His goodness and His words and ways. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I have a plan? How am I planning to grow and be deliberate in my pursuit of the Lord and His word?”
I’m writing about this today because five years ago, I made a conscious and deliberate decision to meet with the Lord every day arid spend time listening, learning and feeding on His presence. I renewed the simple, yet essential, practice of “the quiet time.” Rising and meeting with Him through the Bible and prayer is so important. It has radically changed my life. This is real-deal relationship-building stuff, and I need it. We all do! Without this time each morning, we risk spending our days as undernourished, ignorant, unfilled Christians who haven’t entered into the fullness of what Christ has for our lives.
In Psalm 19, King David talks about being hungry for God’s word and ways. He describes them as being “more to be desired than fine gold” and “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” When we eat the right foods, we build and strengthen our bodies. As we feed on God’s presence through His word and prayer every day, we build and strengthen our relationship with Him. We hunger for what we feed on, and we feed on what we hunger for.
So what are you hungry for?

This was in a devotional I received in the mail yesterday from KLOVE. I get these because I am a monthly donor, but because I have other things I am reading, I normally just throw it away. However, I thumbed through it and this article caught my attention. After being out of town for a weekend and feeding on actual junk food, I was happy to return home and return to my healthy food. However, the first couple days I definitely suffered from some cravings and came real close to devoring hot chocolate (regular - not sugar-free) and cheez-its. Now I have returned to my return and those foods do not even appeal to me. The same thing happens with my quiet time. Anytime we are away from home for a few days, my routine is thrown off and I don't get my normal quiet time. It's disrupts me spiritually and I am always very happy to be home and resume my quiet time with the Lord.

Self-inflicted Harm

I was cleaning out my "sent items" and ran across this. It is from a devotional I read June 30, 2005 (I suppose I should clean out my sent items more often).

Self-inflicted Harm by John Chrysostom

God requires two things from us: to condemn ourselves for our sins and to forgive others. The former is for the sake of the latter. For those who consider their own sins are more lenient toward their fellow-servants. It’s easier, then, to forgive from the heart and not merely with the lips.
Therefore, don’t thrust the sword into yourself by being revengeful. For how does the grief you have been afflicted with compare to the ones you will face by remaining angry and bringing on God’s condemnation? If you are careful, and keep yourself under control, the evil will come upon the head of your afflictors. They will suffer harm. But if you continue to be indignant and displeased, then you will suffer harm from yourself. . . See how much you gain by meekly bearing the spite of your enemies. First and greatest, you gain deliverance from sins. Secondly, strength and patience. Thirdly, gentleness and goodness. For those who don’t know how to be angry with their afflictors that grieve them will be much readier to serve those that love them. Fourthly, you will always be free from anger. Nothing can equal this. For those who are free from anger are clearly delivered from discouragement too. They won’t spend their live on useless burdens and sorrows. . . . They will enjoy pleasure and ten thousand blessings.

There are certain times and certain people that I am quick to harbor anger with...I need to read, re-read, and take this passage to heart.

Wait for God to Move

Lord, listen to my words. Understand my sadness. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, because I pray to you. Lord, every morning you hear my voice. Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer. ~ Psalm 5:1-3

Guess what! It's me again. Praying for my new job. I pray and I wait. Yesterday I read about waiting in My Utmost for His Highest. It said:

Never run before God gives you His direction. If you have the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt—wait. At first you may see clearly what God’s will is— the severance of a friendship, the breaking off of a business relationship, or something else you feel is distinctly God’s will for you to do. But never act on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will cause difficult situations to arise which will take years to untangle. Wait for God’s timing and He will do it without any heartache or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move.

So I wait and pray and wait and pray. I know that God is preparing a place for me. He has given me too many confirmations of His plan. I have faith and I will wait.

Thank you God for my new job. I trust in You. I will wait for You. I will praise You and glorify You. Amen.

By the way, Sugar Pop is reading My Utmost for His Highest also. Last night he asked me if I thought this passage was referring to my job. I said, "Yes, and when I read it I knew you would be reading it too and I wondered if you would think the same thing." God is Good!

A New Thing

This is from Joyce Meyer's "Ending Your Day Right"

A New Thing
Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? ~ Isaiah 43:19

Do you ever get really tired of doing the same old thing all the time? You want to do something different but you either don’t know what to do, or you are afraid to do the new thing you are thinking about doing? You often get into ruts. You do the same thing all the time even though you are bored with it because you are afraid to step out and do something different. You would rather be safe and bored than excited and living on the edge. There is a certain amount of comfort in sameness – you may not like it, but you are familiar with it. God has created you to need and crave diversity and variety. You require freshness and newness in your life. As this year and this day come to an end, make a quality decision to step out into the new thing God has for you. And don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

What is the new thing God has for you? How are you going to fill your life with freshness and newness during 2007? What is safe and boring that needs to be replaced?