Romans 2:1

Romans 2:1  You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

Holy & Righteous Judge, Forgive me for donning the robe, stepping behind the desk, and pounding down the gavel to announce the "guilty" verdict. I am just as bad! I have no excuse! It's easier to look straight ahead at someone else, than it is to look down at myself. If I point a finger at others, four fingers are pointing back at me. When I put on Your holy robe and thump Your sacred gavel, playing judge, I'm setting myself up for discipline. You do not like when I step behind Your divine desk because I'm unworthy and unqualified to be there. Forgive me for filtering Your grace through my opinion, and watering down Your mercy with my own narrow-mindedness. I can't understand Your holy standard, let alone reach it! I don't know the whole story. How can I judge a book when the chapters aren't all written? Only You know the whole truth. You are the Amazing Author of every story and uniquely write each ending. If You began a good story about someone, You will finish it with a perfect ending. I believe You. I think of the thief dying on the cross next to You. In the last paragraph of his life story, he acknowledged You and asked You to remember him.  In the end, You pounded the gavel and proclaimed him "not guilty", assuring him a place in Paradise. While the watching world convicted him, You patiently pardoned him. You are so kind and merciful. Teach me, Your Honor, to be non-judgmental for Your name sake. Amen.

God is a Father of many chances. He holds back His judgment on us, allowing us time to change our mind. He expects us to do the same to others. Talk to God about who you need to show mercy today. Then, step aside, remove the robe, put down the gavel and let Him announce the verdict. He alone is worthy.

Matthew 9:10-13

Matthew 9:10-13 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Merciful Father- Icontinuously marvel at the fact that You love, chose, and adopted me despite my indecent life, impure motives, and improper attitudes. Mercifully accepting my broken life, You took me into Your heavenly workshop and turned me into a sacred masterpiece fit for a King. My beautiful new eyes will easily recognize lost and lonely souls. With a divine perspective, I'll be able to see beyond their faults to their possibilities. Unnoticed, unhealthy people all around me are dying for the gift of friendship. Like Matthew, I'll find common ground with them. Risking my reputation, I'll spend time mixing and mingling with them, showing them Your tender mercies. Exposed to You they may be radically changed into valuable works of art for Your purpose and pleasure. Father, forgive me for making this life a popularity contest. Often I'm more concerned about my rituals, routines, and reputation than I am about restoring relationships. It's not about ME. It's all about YOU. Please enlarge my heart and fill it with more of Your merciful love. Open my eyes to see who needs a touch of Your greatness today and I'll obediently reach out to them in the spirit of friendship because of Jesus. Amen.

Invite a lost and lonely soul into the core of your life today. Be courteous and authentic to them. Spend frequent time with them. Allow the Master to touch them through you. God says, three times in his Word, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Matthew 9:13, 12:7 and Hosea 6:6. He doesn't want our rituals and routines! He wants our relationship! And, when our hearts are enlarged and full of Him, we'll have a spirit of forgiveness and restoration.

Luke 12: 22-23

Luke 12: 22-23 Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

Jesus- You are such a tender loving Teacher. This is a hard lesson for me to learn. Please stick with me until I figure it out! Every day I worry about: Life - What if this or that happens? Food - What should I put in my stomach today? Low fat or low carbs? How many calories and how much fiber does it contain? Body - Am I too short, too tall, too fat, or too skinny? What will people think of me? Clothing - What should I wear today? Black, brown, blue, white, blue, green, red, yellow? Do I look good? Forgive me for wasting my time worrying about insignificant things. I should be more concerned with where I'll spend eternity, what I'll feed my mind, and the condition of my heart. Instead of looking at fads and fashions, I should thoughtfully walk through a field of wildflowers, gazing with wonder on their fabulous form. They never spend one minute primping or shopping; yet, they look dazzling. Lord, I desperately need more faith to believe that I'm more valuable than flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow. Rather than worrying about my life, I resolve to trust You more this year. Living in Your presence, I'll realize the magnitude of Your love and follow Your perfect plan, trusting You to take care of all my needs day by day. Giving my entire attention to what You're doing at the moment, I won't get worked up about the future. When tough times come, I'll trust You to sustain me for the glory and honor of Your life-giving name. Amen.

What temporal things are you worried about? What do you gain from worrying about these things? Resolve to trust God more this year by looking at life from an eternal perspective. You can exercise rigorously, eat right, put on a pretty face and dress in the latest fashions, but it's all meaningless if you don't have a pure heart. When you appear before God's throne, He's not going to look at your fine physique, pretty face and fashionable wardrobe. He's going to examine your heart. Work out with Him by reading your Bible carefully. Feed on His power packed promises. Clothe yourself in righteousness, humility and love from the armoire of God. Then, you'll have nothing to worry about because you'll look and feel splendid.

Psalm 123:2

Psalm 123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters,          As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,          So our eyes look to the LORD our God. NKJV

Merciful Master in Heaven, I am Your humble servant who looks up to You with respect and admiration. Under Your control, You treat me with loving kindness. You assign my work and reward me. While working for You is hard, it's also a joy and a delight. Looking upward, I'll have a vast view of You. From Your vantage point, my perspective will be fundamentally different. I'll find You in the doctor's office and the law office. I'll see You in the parking lot and the shopping mall. You'll be in the board room, as well as, the play room and classroom. You'll be on the plane soaring across the skyway and in the car zooming down the highway. I'll notice You on the production line and in the check-out line. I'll spot You in my pain, as well as, my pleasure. I'll even see You in the darkest people and places. You'll be in my home and in my heart. Watching You, I'll clearly see signals to do Your work. Sometimes You'll simply tell me to pray. Other times, You'll instruct me to lovingly encourage and comfort. Occasionally, You'll ask me to boldly speak out for what's right. You'll likely expect me to show mercy and kindness to intolerable people. You'll probably require me to go outside of my comfort zone to do tasks that don't come easily. Wherever I see You Lord, I'll stop, listen, and do whatever You ask to bring glory to Your high and holy name. Open the eyes of my heart Lord! I want to see You! You are my Master, and immediate obedience is necessary. For my hard work, You will richly reward me with the tender mercies of Your Son. Amen.

Are you continually focused on the Lord? If your eyes are wandering you'll miss encounters with Him. How have you seen God working around you recently? Where have you been working for Him? I'd love to hear from you!

Matthew 6:19-21

Matthew 6:19-21 Jesus commanded: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus, You are my most valuable Treasure. You are more lustrous than pearls, more majestic than sapphires, and more radiant than rubies. I rejoice in the richness of my relationship with You. Knowing You is more precious than the most brilliant diamond. Rare and beautiful, You've caught my interest and captivated my heart! Like a fool, I've invested my money in worthless possessions, accumulating assets that could be destroyed in a heart beat. My warm and cozy home is full of meaningless treasures that could easily be stolen. Blessed with an overabundance of food, I'm never hungry. I've spent a small fortune on an extravagant wardrobe that I wash, wear and waste. Forgive me, Father, for overindulging in useless pleasures when others are just looking for a simple roof over their head, begging for a mere morsel to eat, and wearing my worn out wardrobe. Because my heart and all that I have belong to You, I resolve to be more generous this year. Please touch my wallet with Your love. Show me who I can bless financially today. Willingly and wisely, I'll open my heart and my wallet, making a secure investment in Your heavenly kingdom. In return, You'll bless me with the everlasting riches of Your glorious name. Amen.

Thank God for all that He's given you. Consider all the ways you extravagantly spend money on unnecessary items while others struggle to survive. Out of heartfelt gratitude, resolve to be more generous and find someone to share your wealth with today.

Adventures of Capt'n Safety: The Great College Caper

On Monday, January 6,  as the polar vortex was moving in, we sent our son back to Cedarville University in southwestern Ohio with our old Toyota Avalon. Two weeks prior, my husband, aka, Capt'n Safety had $1,000 worth of service done to it to ensure it would be safe to haul our precious cargo on the 450 mile one-way journey. The old car has always run like a charm. In fact, I had recently said to him that I’d rather drive it than any of our other cars … nice big, spacious, luxury car with leather interior, heated seats, and a V6 engine that could still hug the highway at 90 mph with ease. 

Our son left the house at 10:00 a.m., and picked up three other students,all strangers to him, along the way. When they passed through Somerset three hours later, it was brutally cold, the wind was whipping from the west, and the snow was falling. Somewhere between Somerset and Donegal on the PA Turnpike, the little red engine light came on. A short time later, the engine sputtered "papapapaput" sparked a small flame and the old car came to a complete stop. 

Following is an account of God's provision: 

• Had me purchase a AAA membership for our son for Christmas
• Had an older man, a complete stranger, stop and give them shelter in his car ‘til the turnpike authority came
• Had the turnpike authority protect them while waiting for the tow truck
• Gave them a ride in the tow truck to the garage (Wahoo! What an adventure!)
• Sent them to a decent garage where the staff gave them shelter until Capt'n arrived
• Gave our son incredible courage and confidence to calmly manage the crisis; keeping even his companions calm and conversational throughout the ordeal
• Had Capt'n drive our van and not the Saturn to work that morning; work is 5 minutes away from the turnpike; he was able to don his super hero cape and immediately fly into action to rescue them – still 2 ½ hours away
• Gave them safe travel mercies for the remaining 5 hours of the trip through wild westerly winds, and black icy roads leading into Cedarville University
• Provided a FREE hotel room for Capt'n with my credit card reward points (I know…bad money…but God used my evil for his good.)
• Caused extreme temperatures to delay school a day, giving the kids a chance to rest and process their adventure with the heroic Capt'n Safety

As if that weren’t enough, after dropping the kids off at around 9:00 p.m., My son called me. “Mom," He said, "I left Hemaglubbin (his blood red beta fish that goes glub glub glub) in Dad’s car. Tell him not to worry; to flush it.”

Meanwhile,I was waiting for Capt'n to call me. He didn’t call ... and didn't call ... and didn't call.

My son kept texting me, “Did you hear from Dad?” 

We were both getting concerned because driving conditions were nasty. Since he hadn’t planned or packed for the trip I thought he probably stopped at Target for aspirin for his headache, a hypo-allergenic pillow cover to protect him from the attack of the dreaded dust mites, and clean underwear.

Finally at 10:30 the boy called again. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing or crying, but he said, “Mom, I know where Dad is. He just drove all the way back here to drop off my fish!Gotta love that man! Dad is so compassionate. Thanks for all you did for me today. I love you. Good night.”

Yep! God used Capt'n Safety to rescue the kids and save the fish! 

1 Timothy 6:6-8

1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Life Giving God, You are the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords. You are immortal and live in unapproachable light. No eye has ever seen You. Highest honor, everlasting power, and interminable dominion are Yours forever and ever! I'm exceedingly happy because of your incredible provision! You have given me so much more than I need. Help me to be content with what I have. It's difficult to flee from the advertising induced need for every new gadget and gizmo. In a materialistic world, distinguishing between wants and needs is tough. Teach me by Your Spirit to live a genuinely simple life, fulfilled with fewer belongings. I want to be rich in faith, hope and love. All too often I take for granted the spectacular mysteries of life, failing to recognize Your stupendous provision. The vast beauty, splendor and majesty of creation are always there for me to enjoy. Family and friends are irreplaceable blessings to be cherished and protected. Best of all, You've given me the priceless gift of eternal life through Your Son. I have so much more than food and clothing to be thankful for! Rather than chasing after meaningless possessions, I resolve to pursue a satisfying life of wonder, consistently working at what's right and pleasing to You, my Creator, who daily enriches me with amazing grace and everlasting love. Amen.

How will you simplify your life this year? How will you consistently work at what's right and pleasing to God?

1 Peter 4:9

1 Peter 4:9 Open your homes to each other without complaining. Luke 14:12-14 Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Father in Heaven- Thank you for giving me the miracle of a Christian home. This home is not mine. It belongs to You. Often the details of entertaining consume me. I want to impress people with my meticulous well kept place, my clever decorating, and my gourmet cooking. I am so busy with the preparations that I forget WHO I am serving. Empower me to put people before things. Instead of putting away the dirt, I will put away my pride and allow others to see my humanness. Shape my home into a place free of false pretensions where people can relax and be themselves. Open my heart to a needy family in my community. I will obediently open my home as a place of rest and healing for them. It is my desire to use the gifts You've lavished on me to glorify You. I am Your humble servant, please show me how to practice biblical hospitality for Jesus' name sake. Amen.

The root word of hospitality is "hospital." Hospitals are places to rest and heal. Our homes should be places where people can come to rest and heal. Do you receive exquisite meals at a hospital? Are hospitals fussily decorated? Do hospitals only serve friends and family? Think of your home as a hospital. Consider inviting to your home: the elderly neighbor who is always alone, the neighbor who's recovering from surgery, the family that just received devastating news, the neighbor that's unemployed, or someone new to your community. What's keeping you from demonstrating biblical hospitality? Resolve to aside your agenda to be more hospitable this year.

Psalm 39:4-5

Psalm 39:4-5 "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.       Remind me that my days are numbered-       how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.       My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;       at best, each of us is but a breath." NLT

Heavenly Father~           Creator of all living things~                    Thank You for the fabulous, fragile gift of life.  I will cherish every day as a valuable present from You, my loving Father. Forgive me for tossing miracle moments aside to worry about insignificant incidences. Often I spend more time securing my life on earth, than I do thinking about where I will spend eternity. Life is short! I don't have long to stay here. Enlighten my mind to Your Holy Spirit and fill my heart with more grace so that I'll be ready when You call my loved ones or me home. This is a picture perfect day that You have made. I'll rejoice and be thankful for it. Living in the blessing of each precious moment, I'll joyfully love and serve others because today could be my last chance. Please just give me more of Jesus to focus on the most important matters today for Your namesake. Amen.

You just don't know when your life will be interrupted by an unexpected event. Resolve to live each day like it's your last.  Don't miss an opportunity to tell someone you love them. Give someone a hug today. Call a friend. Be a friend.

Psalm 130:5-6

Psalm 130:5-6 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,        and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord        more than watchmen wait for the morning,        more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Lord, I admit I'm a most impatient child! Even though You promise special blessings for those who quietly wait, it's a very difficult assignment for me! I'm living in a fast-paced world where we drive fast cars through fast food restaurants, gobbling the grub as we speed down the freeway. Instant cash at ATM's and instant information on the internet provide for instant gratification. And I wonder why waiting is hard! Please dear Lord, slow me down! I want off this race track! Rather than speeding to keep up with everyone else, worrying about my security, career and relationships, I want to deliberately depend on Your provision and protection. Instead of pursuing power, prestige, and possessions for pleasure, I want to down shift, allowing You to take me to everlasting happiness. Zooming through life I miss out on opportunities to serve You; consequently, also losing the rich rewards You pay Your workers. At break-neck speed my perception is poor and my vision distorted as in the darkness of night. I simply can't see clearly! Going at a slower, safer speed I'll begin to see You for who You really are: loving, kind and reliable. I'll come to depend on You for power, provision and protection. I'll learn to trust Your principles, promises and purposes. Concentrating on Your goodness, I'll find peace and hope in Your Word, the Bible. Please fill me with patience to endure the long, silent night of my soul, eagerly expecting the definitive morning when the Son will rise and warm my heart with heavenly hope for Your namesake. Amen.

Most of us are waiting for something - a promotion or pay increase, a diagnosis or cure, the death of a loved one, a trial and verdict, a wayward child to come home, to overcome an addiction or bad habit, to win the lottery or lose a few pounds, for a voice to pick up the phone or a computer to respond. What are you waiting for? Are you impatient, like me, trying to devise your own schemes and plans to get ahead? I encourage you to slow down and go with God. In His Word you will find the only Way to peace and everlasting happiness.

Galatians 6:2

Galatians 6:2

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

John 13:34-35

Jesus said, "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." NLT

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Glorious Lord,

You are my wonderful Savior! When I stumbled and fell over shame, You found me, and compassionately picked me up in Your strong arms. Injured and weak from the fall, You resiliently carried my wounds on Your body to Calvary. There, You disinfected my sore soul with Living Water from the gash in Your side and cleansed me with the antiseptic of Your blood. You covered every mistake I ever made and ever will make.

Miraculously, You healed me and gave me a vivacious new life full of love and strength. You promised to continually carry all of my problems. Leaning on You, I won't stumble and fall from the weight of my anxieties. I'll stand up tall under stress, affectionately praising Your mighty power!

All around me are indignant, hurting people who have stumbled

and can't get up. The weight of their troubles is more than they can bear. Please enlarge my heart. Fill me with a spirit of compassion to notice the fallen people in my path. Just as You mercifully care for me daily, I resolve to graciously stoop down, pick them up, and carry their load. Since You went a great distance to save and strengthen me, I'll go the extra mile to lift up needy people. I'll voluntarily go out of my way to attentively listen to them, boosting their spirits with kind words of encouragement and prayer. Make me a mighty magnet to draw others to You for mercy. In doing so, I'll fulfill Your command to love others, and show the watching world that I belong to Jesus through whom I live and pray. Amen.
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If you know someone who's struggling financially, deliver groceries to their door. Secretly pay their utility bill or their rent.

If you're aware that someone has received devastating news, pick up the phone and call them. Tell them you're thinking of them and ask how you can help.

Go visit an elderly or disabled person. Take along a balloon bouquet to brighten their surroundings. Your presence will make their day.

Relieve weary parents of small children by taking the children for an afternoon.

Write a letter to a prisoner who's been forgotten by society. Tell them about God's forgiveness. Show them His mercy.

Offer to pray for someone who is hurting and do it on the spot. It will bless their heart to hear their name being carried to the throne!

Ask God to give you a spirit of forgiveness and forbearance. Ask for an enlarged heart and a spirit of compassion. He will be delighted to give you these things! Then, open your eyes. Look around and you will see someone close by who has fallen and needs your help. Show them that you are a Christ follower by lightening their load today.

Find someone with a load heavier than your own, and help them carry it today. It's not optional!

Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." NLT

Jesus, You are my Personal Trainer. Thank You for inviting me to come work out with You. I'm exhausted and bulging with burdens. I admit that I've lazily neglected my spiritual needs and put off coming, afraid of repeat failure. Loveless and loaded with lies, I'm tired of living like this. My heart and mind have been fed empty calories by false teachers preaching shallow theology. My soul is suffering from the stress and stain of tragedy and trouble. Constant problems and pressure have packed on the pounds and I'm absolutely miserable. I've been weighed down with worries and full of fear for too long. Lord, I'm sick and tired of carrying around this excess baggage! Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life feeling this lousy I resolve to lose weight this year. In Your precise training program, You'll gently teach me a lifestyle that totally reflects who You are. Determined to get rid of this heavy load, I'm dedicated to Your demanding daily discipline. I'll eagerly get up and access the godly equipment in Your gymnasium every day. Actively using my Bible, I'll consume reasonable portions of strength enhancing nutrients. Vigorously working through Your Words will stimulate my messed up mind to perform perfectly. Coupled with the power of persistent prayer and praise, my bulging burdens will slowly shrink as I transfer the weight of them to You. Completely trusting You with my problems will give me more energy and freedom to effectively serve and love others. Under Your gentle control my heart and mind will miraculously heal. Resting on Your powerful promises will inspire me to continue working hard toward my life long goal of being shaped into Your remarkable image. In my life, Lord, be magnified so that I can be more productive for You. Amen.

Have you resolved to lose weight this year? Consider giving the weight of your worries to Jesus. He's inviting you to "Come," work out with Him. He's offering to take your load and teach you to live differently. As you trust Him completely with your heart problems, the physical pounds may dissipate too. Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. Psalm 55:22 NLT