Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 24, 2020

Beneath The Surface

“Prove me O Lord and try me; test my heart and my mind.”  Psalm 26:2 (ESV)

We love the look of our homes, cars and offices when not a speck of dust or mess is greeting us, yet cleaning doesn’t usually rank high on our list of likes.  Probably the reason we tend to skim the surface in a hurry when our overloaded list demands our attention. I’m sure none of us have ever stashed all things not dishes in the dishwasher just before company walked through our doors. Or what about dusting around all those things on the table in an effort to just get it done. Oh, the things we find when we eventually go beneath the surface and clean deep.

Sound familiar?  Keeping our lives clean can easily slip to an above the surface glance.  The deceptiveness of our hearts and our inability to discern our own errors leaves us with quite a mess. We would like to think we see within ourselves with untainted glasses; however, we are often blinded to our tendencies toward sin.  Jen Wilkins  (None Like Him)  states, “So unaware am I of my own sinful tendencies that I come to the sermon to sit in judgement on others, rather than to submit myself to judgement. So ignorant am I of my own bondage to a particular sin that I completely miss the word of correction being graciously extended – to me.”

Yes, we have all probably found ourselves pointing out who needs to hear “a message” versus settling in on what God is speaking into our lives.  Finger pointing is easy until we turn that finger inward and start examining our own hearts.  Problem is we are not good at that – we desperately need God’s light shining in us to reveal what needs to be changed.  We need His help to identify attitudes which keep resurfacing or repetitive behavior which doesn’t serve us well. We need His insight on how we devalue others or promote negative talk about self – we’re really good at this one.

Yes, we can find ourselves there – key is to slow down and ask God to examine our hearts.  We can trust the loving, graciousness of our Heavenly Father to not dump all on us at one time. He will guide us to truth and will pick us up, wash us off and redeem our lives.  We can never go wrong running into the arms of our Father. And that finger which was ever so quick to point in another direction welcomes the freedom found in being personally clean.

“Father, we are so good at resisting diving deep to acknowledge sin in our hearts.  Help us to work in conjunction with your Spirit to admit, confess and turn from anything which displeases You.”

 

For His Glory

 

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Mercy, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 21, 2020

When Today Overwhelms…

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.” Psalm 94:19 (ESV)

Overwhelmed is never our desired place to reside.  I love a challenge…a push me to the edge kinda moment as long as its manageable, doable.  But in those moments when life is raging out of control and chaos is our mainstay, we feel as though we are drowning in a sea of responsibility and unpredictability.

Isn’t that where we’ve all been living in 2020?  Lots of choices, decisions and concerns complicate our lives from the time we lift our head off the bed until we collapse to sleep at night. And the sound of a morning alarm going off fills us with dread – just another day to tackle social distancing, working remotely, hot humid temps and forgotten norms for the upcoming Fall.

Lots swirling through our heads these days.  Gotta love the promises of God reassuring us of His willingness to meet us right in the midst of all our overwhelmedness.  Whenever our thoughts get out of control, and they will,  the sweet comfort of His presence calms us.  God takes great delight in soothing us with reminders of His sovereignty to rule over our days and the challenges we face.  Psalm 94 declares the transitioning of our load (all our cares and worries) to renewal and joy.  Our Spirit is revived within us when we recognize God’s power to handle all everything on our plates.

Morning comes quickly  – tomorrow will do the same.  So how will we enlist the peace of God to infuse our day?  Prior to COVID, I prayed on my commute to work.  Laying down “my list”, confiding my struggles and admitting my tendency to try to be all things to all people.  However, since my commute is simply from my bedroom to my home office, I have often failed to start my day releasing all to Him.  I just simply grab a quick shower and land in front of my computer depending on “me.”  Not a good way to start the day.

Don’t know about you, but it’s time for me to start retracing my steps….spending time laying down the cares and challenges of another day before attempting to tackle anything on my list.  Resisting the urge to carry it all and be weighed down by it all.  Welcoming God’s perspective and orchestration of how each moment plays out.  Trusting Him to guide me each step of the way.  Perfect way to start my day.

Won’t you join me sweet friends?  A planning session with our God is guaranteed to empower us with all we need for today.  Nothing else will birth such joy and delight within us even in the midst of overwhelmedness.

“Father, You take great delight in walking with us, running with us and carrying us through another day – teach us to release all at Your feet and walk away filled with joy.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 20, 2020

Hungering For More

“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” Matthew 5:6 (NLT)

“Do you want another kid’s meal?” Grandma asked Kaden, my 6-year-old.

“Yes, please!” Kaden replied between mouthfuls of silver dollar pancakes, bacon, and eggs. The boy loves pancakes and bacon. Two plates already lay clean at the side of the table, every morsel consumed by my growing boy. He had inhaled bacon offered from adult plates at the table as well. He finally sat back in the booth after cleaning another plate and declared, “I think I want more pancakes and bacon but I better not. Sadly, I don’t think I have any more room.”

In our key verse, a “hunger and thirst for righteousness” refers to a continual fulfillment with God’s righteousness. Kaden’s hunger for bacon and pancakes was eventually satisfied. The idea here is that we, as believers, hunger and thirst for more righteousness as we are filled with righteousness … causing us to hunger for more … and on and on the cycle continues. As we are satisfied with more of God, we hunger for even more.

What is this righteousness for which we hunger and thirst? It isn’t a full belly, but a heart that is right with God. Righteousness is a gift we receive through the sacrifice of Christ. “…But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ…Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (Romans 5:17-18)

Kaden’s full belly only satisfied his physical hunger for food. Our satisfaction stems from being filled to overflowing with spiritual blessings. The well never runs dry. The plates of bacon and pancakes never stop coming. God desires to fill our plates with spiritual blessings when we continually hunger for more of Him, for more of His righteousness. Our filling will lead to more hunger. We may not be able (or even want to) eat mounds of bacon and pancakes, but do we want more of Him? Let’s hold out our plates, saying, “Yes, please!” to more of God.

“Father, I come to You, asking You to continually fill my plate with more of You. Thank You for Your promise to fill us to overflowing with Your spiritual blessings when we hunger and thirst for a right relationship with You.”

For His Glory

Tammy Randlett (http://staletoast.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 18, 2020

Our Obstacles – His Victory

“There was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.” Job 1:1 (NLT)

Moran Samuel began her athletic career on the basketball court while enlisted in the Israeli Air Force. After her military service, she was recruited to play on Israel’s national team earning the unique accolade of being the only woman on Tel Aviv’s all-men basketball roster. In 2013, she was voted as one of the best players in all of Europe.

In 2010, Moran added “rower” to her sports credentials; and in 2012, she won her event at the games hosted in Italy. Moran has gone on to win competition after competition year after year, which secured her place to compete in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

However, it was Moran’s gold medal win in 2012 that made her country proud. The “Hatikvah” is Israel’s national anthem, which the event organizers realized they did not have a recording of when Moran’s came forward to accept her award. Moran asked for the microphone and acapella she sang Israel’s anthem. Afterwards, while being interviewed, she said, “If you look at an obstacle as an obstacle, there’s a good chance it will knock you down. If you look at an obstacle as a challenge, then you’ll do the maximum to overcome it. There can be small challenges, like the anthem and my taking the mic and singing and there can be bigger challenges.” If anyone knows about overcoming challenges it would be Moran because in 2006 she was paralyzed due to a spinal stroke at the age of 26.

During our lifetimes we will endure challenges, but it’s our viewpoint that makes all the difference. There’s no debate, Job in one day’s time went from top of the mountain to the rut of the valley.  Instead of Job and his friends asking “why” with the mindset of Job being punished what if they asked “what” knowing Job was blameless. The Bible is clear, Satan accused Job and in doing so God had complete confidence in Job to allow the devil to test him.

When God allows us to be tested if we tackle the suffering with humility, composure and faith knowing that God is in control with our best interests at heart then the physicalness of the pain and distress will not leave us feeling helpless, hopeless and abandoned. We can put one foot in front of the other with each step declaring, “I trust and believe You, Lord.”

“Father, we are humbled knowing You would trust us, like You did Job, when we’re tested having all certainty we’ll glorify Your name knowing You work all things for our good because You love us.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (www.KimLaceySchock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 17, 2020

A Slow Leak

“May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.” Psalm 25:21 (ESV)

“Your tire looks low,” was the comment I heard on a regular basis.  Despite my constant trips to fill it with air, the tire was low within a week. No brainer here – something was wrong, but when the tire was checked no nail or defect was found.  So the cycle continued…put in air…wait one week….tire is low.  Frustrating to say the least; however, a closer inspection indicated the problem was with the rim encasing the tire.  Never would have thought to check that but my husband did.  The leak was coming from the tire bead, which is the edge of the tire resting on the rim. A slow leak destined to continue unless we solved the real problem.

Wonder if we have ever experienced the slow leak of our personal integrity?  Little compromises left unchecked will gradually lead to bigger issues.  Peer pressure isn’t regulated to middle school and high school years.  As adults, we’ve all probably faced moments when we simply wanted to fit in and not stand out.  Going along with the “group activity” rather than walking away leaves us susceptible to lowering our standards. Like a slow leaking tire, these compromises won’t cease unless we resolve the real issue at heart.

Guarding our thoughts is key to resisting a slow leak. By saturating our minds with the very words of God, we are placing a safety net over our decisions and actions (Romans 12:2).  When we daily surrender our will to His, we position ourselves to accept His authority.  Avoiding the temptation to allow pride to dominate our actions, we humbly recognize the potential threat compromise presents (Proverbs 18:12). Best solution is to surround ourselves with people who speak godly truth into our life. By welcoming accountability, we institute a failproof plan to avoid the loss of our integrity (Proverbs 11:14)

Sweet friends, we are all on the same team – God’s team.  As believers, we form the body of Christ.  What we do, what we say impacts the entire body. The sting of regret far outweighs the pleasure of even one small leak. There is no joy found in the slow leak of one’s integrity – simply put it should grieve our hearts and remind us of our own potential to land in the same.

Praising God for His Grace which abounds to all who seek His forgiveness.  Restoration and redemption can transform our biggest failures and turn them around to glorify God.  Best decision ever is to leave compromises behind and stand firmly on the truths of God’s word.

“Father we can easily be led astray if our hearts and minds are not surrendered to You. Cultivate within us a deep desire to know and obey Your truth.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 14, 2020

God’s Healing Power

“And immediately he (the paralyzed man) rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.”  Luke 5:25 (ESV)

If we ever needed healing or knew someone who did, we would move heaven and earth to get them the best possible care.  No one wants to delay, hinder or get in the way of someone getting well.  If you check out Facebook you’ll see numerous posts where people are asking prayer for those who are sick, facing surgery or dealing with chronic illnesses.  We eagerly enlist and urgently plea for those who will intercede for those who need urgent intervention from God.

Nestled in the first few chapters of Luke we read the beautiful account of friends who literally attempted the impossible for one who couldn’t help himself.  Unable to walk, he had no way of getting to the One who could heal his weakened, crippled body. Committed to bringing their friend to Jesus, they carried him on his bed to where the Healer was teaching. Despite the crowds, this group of men didn’t get discouraged; they got creative.  Up on the roof they went and aggressively labored to remove the tiles.  Not an easy task.  These tiles were most likely made of burnt clay which would require digging thru and scooping up – intense labor.  And did I fail to mention that dust and debris were probably falling into the room while Jesus was teaching.

Seated in the crowd were the Pharisees and scribes eager to dispel anything Jesus said or did.  Skeptics at best ready to prove themselves right.  Unwilling to welcome the paralyzed man’s healing, these religious leaders questioned Jesus’ authority, and He met them head on (Luke 5:22).  And the one who could not move was instructed by Jesus to rise, pick up his bed and go home.  Without delay the paralyzed man immediately responded and glorified God.  Eye witnesses to this miraculous event were amazed – all of them – and they were filled with awe.

Sweet friends there is no one who is outside the bounds of God’s love and healing.  I have definitely ventured down this path of doubt when the fruits of one’s life leaves little hope of redemption.  But the beauty of God’s healing and power is not diminished by my skepticism. Don’t know about you, but  I don’t want my questioning and faithlessness to stand in His way.  Instead of giving up and discrediting the possibilities, I’d rather hold on tight to the hope of God’s promises and do whatever I can to bring them to the One who can heal their soul.

“Father, You have the authority to redeem our lives from the deepest pits.  Help us to be hope givers who never fail to believe in Your power to heal a single soul.”

 

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 13, 2020

A Journey of Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

I moved my regular six-week adjustment with my chiropractor ahead due to increased pain. During the examination, he noted I had been under a lot of stress! What an understatement!! While the past weeks had been difficult, I was convinced God is in control and His promises are true. The Holy Spirit drew me to His Word, birthing an assessment of Biblical characters who understood stress. David fled for his life, Paul feared for his, Esther gambled hers, Mary submitted hers, and Jesus offered his. What carried these individuals through the stressfulness of everyday living?

The answer: faith strengthened by a God who repetitively has proven Himself. They simply believed His promises. Why do we feel our lives are more stressful? We have an awareness of the outcome of their lives through reading the Bible, but somehow we fail to acknowledge reaching the victorious end required a walk of faith. Appearing to be an easy journey, we cannot disregard the fact that every step of the way involved a confrontation of fear, anxiousness, uncertainty, worry, etc. They were exactly like us. Thankfully, at their weakest moments God’s strength was made perfect and His Word was manifested.

So, the next time stress becomes overwhelming try claiming the promises of God. Pray them out loud. Personalize them. The scriptures will bring comfort, reassurance, encouragement, and strength. Confidence will build in an all caring God. The great news: one day there will be a victorious end to your walk of faith too!

“Lord, please help me to believe your promises. Teach my heart to trust in You during stressful times and claim victory in spite of my circumstances.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 12, 2020

A Year of Drought

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

How would you describe 2020? “Unprecedented” is a word I have heard a lot. But reading Jeremiah, I came across the phrase “a year of drought” and thought, that pretty much sums up 2020 for me. Haven’t we all collectively watched our plans, celebrations and for some of us, our jobs, dry up before our eyes?  And as the dry season lingers, many of us are feeling parched, thirsty for what we had before. For some of us, fear and anxiety may have started to take root.

But Jeremiah talks about having no worries in a year of drought. Never failing to bear fruit. And, the secret is trusting in the Lord and planting ourselves by the streams of His living water. What does this mean for us in the year 2020?  For me, it means:

Putting my confidence in God alone. Not the stock market, news reports, politicians, physicians, vaccines or the latest COVID statistics. Jeremiah 17: 5 says, “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.” My confidence in God’s complete sovereignty leads me to obey my God-ordained governing authorities (Romans 13:1-2) while trusting that ultimately God is in control. Proverbs 21:1 tells me, “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” So, we demonstrate our trust in God by obeying those placed in authority.  Revelations 4:11 proclaims “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  As the creator of all things He remains in control over everything, including viruses.

Planting Myself by Steams of Living Water.  Staying close to God, through prayer and filling up on His Word. This helps me “quench my thirst” for security and peace, the antidotes to fear and anxiety. God tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7) and “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Reading and trusting His Word keeps my roots well-watered.

So, how well are we trusting the Lord in this year of drought?  The answer is found in the fruit we produce…love, joy, peace, patience. May our harvest be abundant so that we can share Him with others.

“Lord, helps us firmly plant our minds and heart near streams of living water. Staying close to you and trusting you in every situation drawing others to You.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Love, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 11, 2020

Dependent

“My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  Psalm 73:26

I took a trip to ED the other evening. (For those of you around my age, it was previously known as the “ER”—not sure when the shift happened. But I digress.) It was not fun. At all. I’ll spare you all the details of the adventure, because there aren’t many positive things I can say about the entire experience…and “if you don’t have anything nice to say…”

What I will share—because we’re friends, after all—is that I herniated a disc, which, after working beyond the injury for another nine hours, turned into a complete whole-back seizure series that lasted for hours. Anyhoo, after almost a week of functioning in either a standing or prone position, I’m slowly on the mend.

I needed this incident. I didn’t need the intense physical agony, for sure. But I needed to be reminded that my flesh will fail, but God is my strength. I needed to be reminded that it doesn’t matter how competent or confident we are in our work, how close we are to loving family members, or how rooted (or not- rooted) we are in our community, we must always be 100% dependent on God.

Our finances will come and go—and every provision is from the Lord anyway. It’s all His. And our money could evaporate like smoke (layoff, medical bills, car repair, etc.) or pour down like rain. Regardless, God does not come and go. He is here and with us always (Matt 28:20).

Friends do come and go. Although I have a handful of friends who’ve known me over the decades and some deep friendships that are just a few years old, I believe the Lord brings friendships into our lives for seasons and reasons. They ebb and flow like the tide. But God never leaves us or forsakes us (Duet 31:6).

And, even though my husband and (very upset) son were next to me as I was lying on the floor unable to move, screaming and crying, they could not help me. I was alone in my pain, completely dependent on God.

I was truly terrified. But through that time—and the days since when I haven’t been able to do a whole lot for myself—the Lord has made it very clear that He is in control, and I am not. We are not. We can make plans, determine where our path is going to lead us. But God directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9). He is Sovereign, and we are depended on His provision and goodness for the very breath in our lungs.

“Lord, thanks for the reminder to hold on loosely to the things of this world and depend on You completely.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 10, 2020

God’s Everlasting Covenant

“When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” Genesis 9:16 (ESV)

If you’re like me, you live for vacation….those days when you chill at the beach, relax and get recharged.  COVID-19 has ingrained us with a deep longing for normalcy. A return to all we knew before 2020 began.  And vacation is one of those things I so looked forward to and long for – a trip to the beach. Breathing in fresh air. Feeling the sand between my toes.  Simply getting away from the same routine, same work at home environment for an entire week.

Truth is nothing is normal anymore.  Just as we headed for vacation a hurricane was aiming towards our fave vacation spot.  Should we go or stay at home?  While part of the island was evacuated, our area was allowing guests.  We arrived and hoped for the best.  One day in and during the middle of the night the house shook, the winds blew and kept us awake through the night.  Thankfully, the storm wasn’t as bad as expected.  The next morning there were no signs a storm was even in the forecast. And God beautifully painted a rainbow draped from the skyline of the ocean to the land in an almost perfect line with the most brilliant shades of pastel. Never seen anything so beautiful – in these moments normal is overrated.

Perhaps 2020 ushered in one storm after another for some of you. Maybe this year, you’ve wondered if your “new normal” will ever yield the sweet fruit of joy again.  Could it be this year, unveiled deep losses leaving you overwhelmed with grief and sorrow.  Feel free to fill in the blanks….the storms of 2020 have been difficult.

Just in case we forget, I want to remind us God is fully aware of all we are facing. He is near to the brokenhearted and comforts us with the sweet aroma of His presence.  While our storms may be still raging and yes, 2020 has not ended, we can find hope in His promises.  Our lives may be shaken.  Our hearts may be broken.  Our normal may have evaporated.  Sleep may have evaded us.  Yet nothing can separate us from the love of God.  What we thought would kill us is being transformed by our God.  His view is not limited by the raging storm but rather focused on the beauty of His everlasting covenant to not destroy us.

“Father, the beauty You birth in our life after a storm far surpasses the terror of the night.  We can rest in Your promise that joy will come in the morning if we keep our eyes on You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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