Today's Devotional Scripture

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day;

the night is coming when no one can work.
John 9:4

Thoughts on today’s verse…

Most of us can look around and find reminders of good intentions. We can see areas where we never followed through to reach a goal. Seldom used exercise equipment is gathering dust. A piano, intended to fulfill our dream of taking lessons once again, sits silent. The books piled on the nightstand remain to be read. And the laptop computer purchased to write the ‘great American novel’ sits in the closet in a wonderful carrier.

Other issues and priorities have jumped out at us and demanded our attentions. Children (grown or ‘grand’) require our attention. The little ones especially – they have gifts and abilities waiting to be developed – but that takes time.

Tapping into potential takes intentional concerted effort. It doesn’t just happen. (Ask any teacher.) Time for meaningful interaction and activity doesn’t always “appear” to us as we try to juggle a full day of appointments and other commitments.

The time the Lord gives us is ours to spend – we determine how to use it. We can fill it with life-building activities or we can let it sift through our fingers like the sand through the hour glass, day by day, week by week, until before we know it, a whole year has slipped by and very little has been accomplished.

The agency I work for provided us with a class a number of years ago. It was entitled “Increasing Human Effectiveness” and I will relate one of the life lessons from the course for you here:

Imagine you have a bank account and every day (night) at midnight $86,400 is placed in that account. It is yours. You may spend it as you wish. But here’s the caveat… every day (night) at 11:59, that account empties out and at midnight another $86,400 is again placed in the account.

What are you going to do with the money? Buy a new home? Invest it? Pay off your home? Perhaps buy a new wardrobe? It’s yours – do with it what you may.

 You see, in actuality we DO have that daily bank account – every day, as long as we are alive we have – 24 hours, 1.440 minutes, 86,400 seconds waiting to be spent. It is up to you to decide how you are going to spend it.

Look at what you have planned for today and set your priorities according to the goals you have set for your life. Then do it again tomorrow and the next day and the one after that. It won’t be long before your life will be a bit more productive and fulfilling!

 My prayer…

Lord God, Heavenly Father – thank You for the gift of time. May I use the time You have given me to its full advantage. May I make a difference because You have directed my steps. In Jesus’ name I pray ~Amen!

Yours, because we’re His,

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled.

1 Peter 4:7

Thoughts on today’s verse…

1 Peter 4:7 reminds me to be clear minded and self-controlled. If my mind becomes cluttered by the day’s annoyances, it’s a given that sooner or later I’m going to lose my self-control. If I lose my self-control, I’m going to lose my joy. I don’t like it when I lose my joy. Fortunately, I have a choice in how I act and in how I react.

This reminds me of something I read by Chuck Swindoll entitled ‘Attitude.’

“Attitude”

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitude."

~Chuck Swindoll

My prayer…

Lord God, thanks for reminding me that I don’t have to let the small stuff rob me of joy. When I keep my mind centered on who You are to me, it helps to settle me down and enables me to smile instead of frown. Keep me ever mindful of Your loving support through the annoying events of each and every day. May I remember to reflect on who You are instead of who I am. And Father... when it's necessary, adjust my attitude! In Jesus’ name I pray ~Amen!

Yours, because we’re His,

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

Yet not my will, but Yours be done.

Luke 22:42

Thoughts on today's verse...

Have you ever watched runners during the Olympics preparing to start a race?  They carefully position themselves in the starting blocks, placing their feet just so, and their hands on the ground in the way they have practiced for hours and hours.  Then, with the 'pop' of the gun they take off with everything in their being.

However, if one of the racers is too eager to get those miliseconds of a head start, jumps out of the block before the gun sounds, a false start is declared, and everyone has to go through getting set in the blocks all over again.  Sometimes a race can have two or three false starts.  I'm sure by then the racers have gotten really tired, antsy, and irritable.

I've had a few false starts myself.  There have been times I was so ready to run out and grab God's will that I'm sure I heard that gun fire only to find I'd jumped out of the blocks too soon.  And you know what that means – back to the starting blocks!

Sometimes in our exuberance to be obediant we can run ahead of God's desired plans and timing.  And frankly, I've never been a good one when it comes to waiting.  Whether it's been a special project at work or medical testing that isn't very pleasant, I want to dive in and get it done and over with.  God, however, may have a different plan in mind and may have us waiting for a very good reason.  One that we can't see at the moment.

Sometimes I've gotten ahead of myself with spiritual growth and development.  I've been involved with a personal Bible study where you read through the Bible in a year.  I personally sat aside time in the day to complete the readings (which were substantial).  But at the end of the day, I couldn't remember what I'd read. 

I was reading the Word of God as if it were a textbook, and not His love letter to me.  It was the old 'what's in it for me' plan of study and it wasn't very effective.  I had to put it away for awhile.  While it is important to read the Scriptures daily, it is far more important to read until you sense in your spirit that God has said something to YOU.  Don't be concerned about reading a set number of verses or chapters a day.  The key is to read with an 'open' ear.

My prayer...

Father God, hear my prayer... and more importantly, may I hear You when you are speaking to my heart.  Then, once I have heard You, may I put into action that which You have impressed upon my heart.  Forgive me, Dear Lord, for those times I have run ahead of Your will and not been patient enough to wait upon You and Your timing.  And now, my Lord, as this day unfolds, I pray for Your guidance and direction.  I pray for a measure of grace and dignity for anything that may not go as I have in mind.  May I remember that it is Your will, not my will.  In Jesus' name ~Amen!

Yours, because we're His,

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

He has shown you, O man, what is good,
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justly, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8

Thoughts on today’s verse…

A speech teacher once assigned her students to give a one sentence speech, entitled “What I Would Like for My Tombstone to Read.” The class told her later that this assignment was one of the most challenging assignments they had ever received. In virtually every case, the students saw a great discrepancy between the way they lived their lives and the way they desired their lives to be perceived by others.

Then again, many of us make New Year’s resolutions to “turn over a new leaf.” We greet a new year with a vow or determination to “do better” in a certain area of our lives. But very rarely do we give diligent thought to what we consider the highest and noblest pursuits in life.

Today, give some thought to what you hold to be the characteristics of a respected life. What do you aspire to in your own character? Write them down. As you identify these traits, you can then see more clearly how you desire to live your life and what must change in order to live up to your ideals.

My prayer…

Oh Lord, my God… hear my prayer this day. Father, help me to define character and the traits I desire to live out in my life. What are those things I desire other people (and especially my own family) remember about me? May I remember too, that the true marks of character are not so much what others observe you doing, as those things you do when you believe others are not watching. In Jesus’ name I pray ~Amen!

Yours, because we’re His,

Tamara

Today's Devotional Scripture

If one has the gift of encouraging others,

he should encourage.

Romans 12:8

Thoughts on today's verse...

Encouragement - that is what I believe our Blog Village is all about.  At least the ones I follow.  I get to share a snapshot (and for some of you that snapshot is literal!) of your life and I more often than not walk away having been encouraged.  I may not always leave you a comment, but I do visit on a regular basis.

In some of your blogs, I am driven to peels of laughter.  In others I am driven to my knees in prayer for a particular situation you are facing.  In still others I feel a genuine bonding of our souls and spirits.  And most of us have never even met face-to-face.

It appears that a number of you leave east of the Mississippi, and I get to vicariously share in your autumn weather with your pictures and apt descriptions.  I do miss autumn in the east, but have to admit that I am not that inclined to ever have to trudge or drive through snow again.  Winter boots and heavy coats are no longer a part of my wardrobe.  However... it is a mere 32 degrees in my area of Arizona this morning.

Today in my blog I merely want to thank you and praise God for the sense of community and the spirit of encouragement I find and feel from you, my blogging friends and neighbors.

My prayer...

Abba, Father... thank You for the friends I have met and made through blogging. I pray a speial blessing upon them this day. Please Father, be with them on this day, guide and protect them in whatever circumstance they find themselves in. May Your loving hand be upon them and protect them from all danger. In Jesus' name I pray ~Amen!

Yours, because we're His,

Tamara