Monday... I'm back and ready to go.

We have gone from Vegas to Colorado, to Maryland, Florida, Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and back to Vegas. Well we weren't in Cuba but we cruised close to it. Yes we have been flying and cruising and now we are back home and I'm sitting here in my special coffee shop, Aspire, ready to write a word of encouragement for us.

So how are you doing? What is your Monday like? Are you ready to face another day, another week or are you ready to give up. Yes, yes, life can be difficult. It really can be tough. So how are you handling what you are facing?

There is a phrase in Psalm 119:8b (NLT) that says, "Please don't give up." And that is a very good word of encouragement. But that is not what it says here. Yes, it is so easy sometimes for us to want to give up, to just want to stay in bed and not get up. It does say that in many other Psalms but that is not what is says here in verses 7-8.

Verses 7-8 says, "As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you for living as I should! I will obey your decrees. Please don't give up on me." And that is maybe what we could be saying in the midst of what we are going though. But here is the truth. He will never give up on us, on you and me. He may step back and wait on us to learn and lean on his righteous regulations and to thank him for giving us the desire to obey what he says but he will never give up on us.

So no matter what you are facing today, he has not given up on you.

Over in Exodus 15 the children of Israel were on the other side of the miracle of walking through the Red Sea on dry ground, of escaping their slavery in Egypt but they couldn't find any water and they were complaining. No they weren't thanking, they were complaining. Now they did find some water but it was bitter. Verse 25 says, "So Moses cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink. It was there at Marah that the Lord set before them the following decree as a standard to test their faithfulness to him."

Verse 26, "He said, 'If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you."

As you continue the story of the children of Israel they didn't follow this but God didn't give up on them and he hasn't give up on us. Now God used a tree to fix the bitterness in that water. And throughout the Bible as we read it we will see that a tree represents the cross of Jesus. The cross provides the main form of healing that we all need most: healing from sin. That tree, the cross, means we get to live and it means that God has not and will not give up on us, on you and me.

So don't give up doing what he says for us to do and remember that he hasn't given up on us.

Verses 5-8 (MSG) says, "You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me."

So, let's do what he wants us to do and believe that he hasn't given up on us. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is!

Tuesday... It is so worth it. It really is! Look at this, Proverbs 5:21-23 (CEV) says, "The Lord sees everything, and he watches us closely. Sinners are trapped and caught by their own evil deeds. They get lost and die because of their foolishness and lack of self-control." That is true of so many. Now look at this, Luke 15:1-7 says, "Tax collectors and sinners were all crowding around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of Moses started grumbling, 'This man is friendly with sinners. He even eats with them.' Then Jesus told them this story: If any of you has 100 sheep, and one of them gets lost, what will you do? Won't you leave the 99 in the field and go look for the lost sheep until you find it? And when you find it, you will put it on your shoulder and carry it home. Then you will call in your friends and neighbors and say, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep.' Jesus said, 'In the same way there is mo

Tuesday... Let's be smart.

Tuesday... Let's be smart. Proverbs 12:16a (CEV) says, "Losing your temper is foolish." It really is. And it is so hard to take it back. That is not smart. There are always consequence when we lose our temper and they are usually not good. Think of the last time you lost your temper at home, at your kids, at your spouse, at your pets. at your life, at where you live, at where you work. There are always repercussions and they are not good. The New Living Translation says, "A fool is quick-tempered." The Message says, "Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly." The Amplified Bible says, "The [arrogant] fool's anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense]." It just is not a good thing. is it? But then the rest of this verse, this proverb (CEV) says, "ignoring an insult is smart." It really is. I have striven in dealing with people to give them a benefit of doubt. They didn't mean that, they

Friday... But, can be such a beautiful word.

Friday... But, can be such a beautiful word. It really can be life changing. Look at what Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians. In 2:1-3 (NLT) he says, "Once you were dead because of your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else." There it is, there it is. That is the way we are living or have lived. Dead is a definite word of finality. At least the devil thought so and maybe you do too. And then verses 4-5 starts by saying, "But", that beautiful life changing word of opportunity even though we are dead. Yes, we are subject to God's anger, "But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even t

Todays Beginning

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