I will rejoice today because the life I lead is all about God, not about me. It’s about His glory, not mine. All creation was made by God and for God. Everything will be done according to His plan and His purpose. Therefore, even my mundane, everyday tasks can be done in some way that will bring God glory. Perhaps it can be thanking God for food each time I eat, or being patient with people who are irritating.
My life is not about my hangups, my fears, or my problems. It’s about reflecting God’s love in everything I do. There is no need to fret or worry. There is no need to think I’m not doing enough. There is no need to think it’s all up to me whether something succeeds or fails. Of course, I must do my part but ultimately the weight of the world and even the weight of my problems are on God’s shoulders, not mine. I find that comforting.
“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~1 Corinthians 10:31
I will rejoice today because God has His everlasting arms wrapped around me (Deuteronomy 33:27). God’s arms are strong and powerful enough to carry me through any hardship I face. God’s arms are gentle and kind enough to comfort me when I mourn. God’s arms are ready to catch me if I fall. They are ready to lift me up to heaven. They hold me close. They provide refuge. They deliver from evil. They keep me safe and secure. They bring peace in a chaotic world.
God’s everlasting arms are able to keep all of us from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude verses 24-25). Plus, more than this, God’s arms offer us everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). No wonder Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a beloved hymn for all generations.
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” ~Deuteronomy 33:27 (NKJV)
A New Year has begun and Paul tells us it is time to forget what is behind (Philippians 3:13-14). The old things have passed away and God wants to do something new (1 Corinthians 5:17). In order for this to happen, we cannot afford to dwell in the past. We must embrace each new day!
Each new day is the day the Lord has made and we are admonished to rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24). I think this would make a great blog theme for 2026! So let it be said; so let it be written!
Today is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad today because this day is a gift from God. Yea, verily, each new day is a fresh start! Each new day is an opportunity to learn more about Jesus. Each new day is a chance to make a difference in the world through a smile or word of encouragement. As we yield to God, each new day is full of endless possibilities.
So let’s rejoice and be glad! Today is the day that the Lord has made!
“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” ~Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
As we approach a new year, I have some advice. Look forward. The past is to learn from, not to live in.
Many people want things to be the way they used to be. Well, guess what! That is not going to happen.
We can’t afford to get mesmerized by nostalgia. After all, our memories may not be as accurate as we think. That’s why nostalgia may be good to look back on, but not to live in. Believe it or not, the poodle skirt is long gone and so are most movie stars you remember as a kid.
Others wish things had been handled differently by those they feel wronged them. Well, guess what! It’s too late! Wishing does not change the past. Everyone has legitimate reasons to feel hurt. If we don’t let go and let God, bitterness will consume us. There comes a time when we need to just get over it and move on. It is foolish to be held captive by things we can do nothing about.
Living in the past immobilizes us. It keeps us from enjoying the present and prevents us from moving into the future. Christian lives should not be held in suspended animation. Paul says to forget what is behind (Philippians 3:13-14). The old things have passed away and God wants to do something new (1 Corinthians 5:17). However, God can’t do new things with us if we keep clinging to the old.
God wants us to move forward with faith (Hebrews 11:1). We cannot see into the future, so it can feel scary. However, God is with us. God will take care of us. God knows all our needs and doesn’t want us to worry (Matthew 6:25-32). Instead, He wants us to trust Him completely (Proverbs 3;5).
There is no better time to focus on the concept of looking forward than when we are entering a new year. Our future lies ahead, not behind us. If we don’t keep moving forward with God, then we will get left behind.
“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” ~Proverbs 4:25 (NIV)
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and I’m so glad. I love the Christmas season. While some hate the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, I relish it. Yes, I know Christmas commercialism has gotten way out of hand, but Christmas is a time when the whole world celebrates the Savior’s birth whether they think they do or not. Without Christ, there really is no “Christ”-mas.
I especially love Christmas songs. This includes Christmas carols like Silent Night, holiday standards like White Christmas, and goofy songs like Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. I’m not remotely offended even though I am a grandma!
Music can be a positive powerful influence. Studies show that music can boost moods, reduce stress, sharpen recall, help slow cognitive decline, and bring back pleasant memories. Neuroscientists say that music and memory are like neighbors in the brain—physically close and emotionally connected. When we hear a melody tied to our past, it affects the same regions that help us store and retrieve long-term memories. It’s not just a flashback, but more like a sensory time machine.
People will forget where they put their keys, but will remember the words to carols like O Come All Ye Faithful or O Little Town of Bethlehem, even if they aren’t Christians. I think God must smile when He hears atheists sing, “O come let us adore Him.” In some ironic way, they are giving honor to the one they deny exists. On the other hand, I’m sure it pleases Him greatly to hear Christians jubilantly sing Joy to the World!
So have yourself a merry little Christmas! Don’t be shy about singing or humming along when you hear a favorite song. After all, it’s been a rough year. So we need a little Christmas and a lot of Christ who makes the season possible.
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord…” ~Psalm 95:1 (NAS)
Most of us yearn to be understood. We want people to know where we are coming from, why we do what we do, and what we mean. Yet so many times we are misunderstood, but not by God.
God understands us and knows us far better than we know ourselves (Psalm 139:1). He views us through the eyes of grace, so we should never be afraid to bare our souls to Him for He loves us completely. When we feel like no one else seems to understand, that’s our opportunity to draw close to the One who does. Only He can refresh us, renew us, and heal us.
However, when it comes to others in our lives, perhaps it’s more important that we strive to understand them, than have them understand us. St. Francis of Assisi’s famous prayer gives us some insight on this. Most focus on the “make me an instrument of your peace” section which is very significant, but I find the second paragraph just as meaningful.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
The Bible admonishes us to esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). Perhaps one way to start would be to make St. Francis’s prayer our prayer, too.
“…The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought…” ~1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV)
Envy is an unhealthy desire to have something that belongs to someone else. We can envy another’s possessions, qualities, status, accomplishments, success, blessings, or even their luck. More than that, we can resent them for having what we don’t. Envy makes us miserable!
Another biblical term for envy could be covetousness. It sounds a bit old-fashioned but it basically means we want what another has. From the beginning, God said this is not a good idea. In fact, God says we shouldn’t covet anything that belongs to someone else (Exodus 20:17). That covers a lot of territory.
Once envy takes root in a heart, it can lead to works of the flesh such as discord, selfishness, dissension, hatred, rage, and many other negative actions that God cautions us to guard against (Galatians 5:19-21). That’s why we are not to have bitter-envy in our hearts (James 3:14). It’s better to fill our hearts with love for love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4). If we truly love others, we will be happy for their good fortune.
Okay, you’re saying! Envy is bad, but how do I conquer these dissatisfied longings? A couple of things come to mind…
First, we should stop comparing ourselves with others. Do we not know that God loves us just as much as He loves others? His love for us is not manifest in physical possessions or attributes. When God lifts another up for some reason, it does not mean He is putting everyone else down. Appearances can be deceiving. We don’t know what a person is going through. That’s why we run our own race, the one God tailor-made just for us (Hebrews 12:1).
Next, we should learn to be truly content with our lives in Christ regardless of our circumstances. This is a lesson Paul learned through dire experiences (Philippians 4:10-12). He concluded that he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him (Philippians 4:13).
Envy will draw our focus from Christ to ourselves. If we have any hope of contentment, we must keep our eyes focused on Christ, not those around us.
David tells us not to be envious and then gives some helpful tips on how to do that (Psalm 37:1). Trust God and do good (Psalm 37:2). Fill your mind with God’s faithfulness (Psalm 37:2). Delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:2). Commit your ways to God (Psalm 37:3). Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7). Cease from anger and do not fret (Psalm 37:8).
If we concentrate on doing these things, we won’t have time to be envious!
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” ~Colossians 3:2
In Exodus 3:14, God reveals Himself to Moses as Yahweh which means “I AM who I AM” or “I will be who I will be.” In other words, God is God and there is none like Him. Ancient scholars knew exactly who I AM was and what that meant.
When the Pharisees dialogued with Jesus about who He was, they were confused when He mentioned He had seen Abraham. They said, “You aren’t even 50 years old. How could you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered with, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born I AM” (John 8:58).
This angered the Pharisees, so they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid and slipped away (John 8:56-58). The Pharisees understood the significance of Jesus saying, “I AM.” He was declaring Himself as God. They considered this blasphemous because He was making Himself equal with God (John 5:18). Of course, they didn’t know that Jesus was God in the flesh and the very Messiah prophesied to come (John 1:1).
Jesus made several “I AM” statements that have great meaning for us. He said…
I am the bread of life (John 6:48).
I am the light of the world (John 8:12).
I am the good shepherd (John 10:11).
I am the Son of God (John 10:36).
I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).
I am the true vine (John 15:5).
I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
Jesus very clearly tells us who He is. Each “I AM” statement reveals more about Him, His nature, and what He means to us. He is our sustenance, our sustainer, our Light in a world of darkness, our guide, our hope, our provider, our protector, our Savior, our truth, our way, our victory over death, and our whole life—not just now but in the future with eternal life.
Our future rests on recognizing Jesus for who He is. He is still the great I AM who is always with us fulfilling our needs and keeping His promises.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” ~Revelation 1:8
The word practice means to do something repeatedly in order to improve one’s proficiency. Most of us could use a little practice in being appreciative. We tend to think in terms of what we don’t have, instead of being thankful for what we do have.
There’s an old legend that says God sent two angels with baskets to earth to gather the prayers of humans. The first angel was to fill a basket with the requests, wants, and desires of people. The other was to gather prayers of thanksgiving. When they returned to God, one angel’s basket was heaped high, running over with the countless petitions of men and women. The other angel had searched diligently but alas, returned with an almost empty basket.
Sometimes it’s difficult to appreciate what we have so readily available such as decent food to eat, clean water to drink, shelter from storms, and warm clothing to wear in the winter. These are basic blessings that many in the world live without. We can practice appreciation by thanking God continuously for every blessing because, indeed, all blessings come from Him (James 1:17).
Practicing appreciation means we look for something to be grateful for even in dire circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We aren’t necessarily thankful for each trial, but we can be thankful God is always with us. Problems can be opportunities to grow in deeper relationship with Him. Thankfulness can help us rise us above our circumstances.
We can practice appreciation by recognizing little things that come our way that lift our spirits. Today, did we behold sunshine, flowers, a smile from someone, a child’s laughter, a phone call from a friend, an unexpected note of encouragement, or find a good parking space? Give thanks!
The Bible tells us those who aren’t thankful are foolish (Romans 1:21). When angels in disguise come to fill their baskets at our doors, let’s be sure that one basket does not outweigh the other in our lives. One of the sweetest prayers we can offer God is an appreciative, “Thank You Lord!”
“It is good to give thanks unto the Lord.” ~Psalm 92:1
An epitaph is a phrase written in memory of a person who has died, such as an inscription on a tombstone. Have you ever thought about what you would want written on your headstone? Although, I don’t want to rush the process, we will all die at some point. How would we want to be remembered?
When my third child was born, I was exhausted. I remember telling my husband that if I died from fatigue to put “Rest in Peace” on my headstone, because it would have been the first rest I’d gotten in years.
Some think cemeteries are spooky. Not me! I love visiting them and reading headstones. For some reason, I don’t think of their deaths, but the lives they must have lived. Family plots are almost a thing of the past, but our family has one in Southeast Missouri where many of my ancestors are buried. It’s fascinating to go there with an older person who knows the history of the area. They will point out so many things that aren’t on a headstone such as that one died in the pneumonia epidemic or this one died during a feud.
There are some very funny epitaphs scattered throughout the world…
TV personality Merv Griffin’s stone reads, “I will not be right back after this message.”
Comedian Rodney Dangerfield has “There goes the neighborhood” on his.
Mel Blanc, who voiced many cartoon characters and would sign off Looney Tunes with the famous “Th-th-th-that’s all folks,” actually has “That’s All Folks” on his tombstone.
Even those not so famous have left some lasting impressions…
William H. Hahn Jr. of Princeton, New Jersey had the final word with “I told you I was sick.”
There is one from Ruidoso, New Mexico. “Here lies John Yeast. Pardon me for not rising.”
Another in Uniontown, Pennsylvania has an informative stone. “Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake. Stepped on the gas instead of the brake.”
One of my favorites comes from father and son dentists. The father John Denby passed in 1927 with this phrase: “I’m filling my last cavity.” When son Maurice passed in 1964, they added “Me too” to the stone. Don’t you just love dentists with a sense of humor? Actually, I don’t think many people love dentists but I guess it’s better to have one with a sense of humor.
I’m not sure what I would want as my epitaph. More than likely it will have my name, date born, and date died. Maybe I’ll have them put something like: “Loved by Jesus, Saved by Grace” or “Waiting for the Resurrection!” Fortunately, I have some time to think about it!
“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” ~Romans 14:8
