Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 24, 2019

Victory Beyond The Tears

“….and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.” Genesis 21:17b & 19 (NIV)

Many of us may have experienced times when it seems like there is no way out. We may have even wondered where God was in the midst of our circumstances. A season of perhaps, asking why? A season of seeing no victory in sight. And then the tears come. Oftentimes they comfort us, but many times they depress us even more.

In this story, Sarah can’t bear children so she looks to her handmaiden Hagar to fulfill that duty for her. Hagar gives birth to Ishmael, and Sarah despises her and tells her to flee with her child. One can only imagine how Hagar is feeling. She is “put out” with her young child into the wilderness, with no one to turn to and into what seems to be a hopeless situation.

As she enters the wilderness of her life, their water supply is diminished. Hagar and her son prepare to die. She sits and begins to weep; she and her son crying. God hears them as He also hears us when we cry out to Him. He comforts Hagar and tells her not to be afraid (v.17). Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. (vs.19). God opened her eyes and she saw the well of water! She needed to lift up her head, open her tear soaked eyes and see the Victory beyond her tears.

“Dear Father, help us to know that in our times of distress, when we cry out to You, that You hear us. Please help us not to wallow in our tears or sorrow, but to lift up our heads and open our eyes so that we can see in the Victory Beyond the Tears.”

For His Glory

Cynthia J. McCoy
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 23, 2019

Wednesday’s Woman

“Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He (Jesus) always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

Who are you praying for today? Several years ago, I would have said – I’m praying for me! Then I would rehearse all my needs, wants, etc. My list would go on forever. And God longs for us to bring our requests to His throne. Even though He knows our every need, God loves hearing the voice of His children calling on His name.

Right in the midst of my list giving to Jesus, He challenged me to take a deeper step. My prayers had become so “me” focused and now God wanted me to spend my Wednesdays in prayer for other women. So I wrote down on paper every Wednesday date for the rest of the year, and God filled up the blank spaces with the names of women. Some of these were women in ministry like Beth Moore or Priscilla Shirer. Other Wednesdays were devoted to women in our church, friends, total strangers I met along the way. Women I knew, women I had read about or seen speak and women I would never know personally. My conservations with God were totally dependent on Him for who to pray for and how to pray. Amazing how limited knowledge equals unlimited possibilities when prayers are brought to the feet of our all knowing God.

How does God want to enlarge our prayers? Perhaps interceding for an unsaved friend. Perhaps someone’s marriage is struggling and rather than spread the news, we choose to bend the knee. Perhaps God will fill our Wednesdays with strangers who need a special touch of His grace in their lives. What an incredible gift – what a sweet, fragrant offering – taking women to the feet of Jesus.

“Father, help us to become women who are intentional in taking our prayers to a deeper level – reflecting Jesus’ example to a world desperately in need of His intervention.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 21, 2019

When Life Happens

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.” Psalm 42:5 (ESV)

It was the picture perfect moment. All the pieces landed in the right place. Couldn’t have imagined a better scenario. If only life could stand still in this moment, we’d be forever grateful. Wouldn’t it be incredible if we could capture the essence of our most exhilarating moments? The place where everything lines up exactly like we thought it would. Totally blessed. Never leaving this place.

And then life happens. The dream job we landed evaporates – a casualty of downsizing. The bigger than life opportunity fades quicker than it arrived. That deal we spent endless hours preparing and brainstorming for achieved accolades and then totally unraveled. The house we settled in, decorated and made the sweetest home ever crumbles in the aftermath of a fire. The spouse who exceeded our expectations walks out with no plans to return. The wellness check unveiling excellent health misses the mark when cancer introduces a new normal.

The unplanned and unexpected pivot shift shredding all we ever dreamed possible. And the most devastating twist – we were doing all the right things, the right way. Entitlement slays us. We deserved perfect. We earned our happy ever after. We followed the rules. We stayed in the lines.

Sound familiar? We’ve probably all landed here. Left in its wake, we question and doubt. We shout words we thought would never grace our lips. We evaluate everyone else who seems to be living the life we thought we had while relinquishing all that’s been taken from us. We cry till eyes are drained, we scream until our voice is silenced and we stomp tired feet in defiance. And for a while, we close out the rest of our world for fear it will be shaken too – life simply isn’t fair.

What’s a girl to do when happy ever after fades? Yes, we have to feel and process the deep loss of dreams – excusing them or ignoring them won’t erase them. Yet God can be trusted to take today’s heartache and birth His greatest glory in us. Nothing we experience whether hard or easy is wasted. The psalmist reminds us sweet friends to firmly fix our eyes on God. Rehears His character. Wait expectantly and hope unswervingly. and watch as He resurrects the deepest joy we’ve ever known.

“Father, lift up our heads when life threatens to drown out our praise. Immerse us in Your words. Eliminate our inner cries for fair. Settle us with Your peace and comfort.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 18, 2019

Windows To Our Souls

“The Lord repay your (Ruth’s) work, and full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:12 (NIV)

Actions are the windows to our souls that arrive before we utter a word. And when life deals us an unfair hand, our actions reveal the character that lies deep within us.

A young widow facing a bleak future chose to leave her home and follow her bitter mother-in-law, Naomi, into foreign territory. Who was this courageous woman – her name was Ruth. Despite their religious differences, Ruth was determined to take care of Naomi honoring the memory of her husband.

Showing kindness in the midst of bitter sorrow is a huge task, yet Ruth’s compassionate actions brought healing balm to Naomi’s broken heart. Unknown and amongst strangers, Ruth’s testimony spoke volumes to everyone she met and paved the way for God’s blessings.

What do our actions reveal about our character? Do our words match our actions or do they portray a totally different view? Ruth didn’t have to convince people of her sincerity; rather she was a living, walking reflection of what was in her heart. Can we say that about our lives? Does our exit from a room leave people wondering who we really are?

During the course of a day, we may interact with hundreds of people: co-workers, family members, friends, copier repairman, receptionist, school teachers, our bosses, and the list keeps going. Each encounter gives us an opportunity to display godly actions without even saying a word. And if we think the world isn’t watching – we’re really being fooled. Why not give them something to talk about – a woman that fears the Lord is greatly praised!

“Father, every day is an opportunity to shine for You! Help us to be beacons of light to a world desperately seeking the hope that lies within us.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 17, 2019

Beauty in Surrender

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Cor. 4:16 (NIV)

There’s nothing like a long bike or jeep ride down a scenic trail in the fall to calm the soul. My husband and I enjoy taking the top off our jeep and riding through the mountains as we take in the breathtakingly scenic views of color. I always come back from one of those rides feeling peaceful and hopeful.

What we see as beautiful is really the dying process of the changing leaf, which results in vibrant colors. The leaf is giving everything it has to the tree; it is surrendering its life in that season. As the leaf dies it will show off every color that was put in it before it dies, as long as it’s connected to the tree. And in a different season new life will appear where the dying leaves once were.

As believers, we can display the same beautiful colors with our faith.

It’s no secret that life can be cruel. It can shatter our hearts in a moment and leave us gasping for breath – unsure of what will come at us next. One minute our life is planned out for us and in the next minute – everything is gone. The landscape can change so drastically that there’s nothing left to go back to.

There will be times when we have to surrender our dreams and the way we “thought” life would be. Surrender is not giving up. It’s just accepting a purpose and plan beyond our own individual understanding – and acknowledging God’s will. Even though we may think (and feel) the brokenness will kill us, surrendering our lives to God’s greater plan will bring about a peace (and hope) that renews us daily.
If we hold onto our faith and keep taking the next step, one day at a time, sometimes even one minute at a time; our most painful seasons can become beautiful.

Just like the leaf, God put a lot of beautiful things in us when He formed us in our mother’s womb. Others are watching us in our journey, and when we allow the light of God to shine through us, our colors show off in the way we live. In our daily actions of showing love, comfort and hope to others. Even though our own lives aren’t what we had planned. The simple truth is peace and pain can co-exist in a person’s life.
If we don’t let go of our hope in Him, He will breathe new life into us and allow every beautiful thing in us to make a magnificent display for His Kingdom.

“Father help us to hold onto You today no matter how much life hurts. Help us to surrender our dreams into Your safe hands. For we know that You will renew us and allow us to display our colors for Your greater purpose.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes (www.EphraimMinistries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 16, 2019

The Hardness of Us

“For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” Acts 28:27 (NIV)

As the drizzling wet streaked across the glass, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My windshield wipers were moving. It was finally raining! Something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Felt strange to open my umbrella and feel the cool water splash around me. Surprised I even knew where the umbrella was since it hadn’t been opened for months.

Our deficit of rain consumed us this summer. Hot temps and no wet didn’t foster a good environment for gardens or plants. Our soft, plush green yard now yields dry, crunchy and ugly. The soil cracks. And autumn mums don’t even cover my front porch – too much work to water, water and water them every day. So the sprinkling of wet is welcomed despite the strangeness of its feel.

Wonder if we ever find ourselves dry and parched? Lifeless from the heat of life. Void of a sense of God’s presence due to our own absence. Souls hard and calloused unwelcoming the Spirit’s work deep within us. Dismissing the conviction of what needs to be confessed, transformed and redeemed. Listening but not truly hearing. Comfortable with avoidance. Allowing truth to not be absorbed beneath the surface. Pointing the finger outward without even a glimpse inward.

Scripture clearly warns us of the consequences of a heart which is hard, calloused and unchangeable. Rejecting the working of God’s Spirit within us will result in a defiant, resistant and unyielding heart. While we would be quick to deny our cracks and need for His touch, we sit in the midst of truth and our souls are complacent. What we hear never gets a chance to penetrate through the hardness of us because we’ve become pros at dismissing His Spirit. And the end result there’s definitely no margin for growth when confession is stalled.

Sweet friends, silence is not golden if we are squelching God’s prompting to obey His words. The better choice is to heed rather than avoid. The best way is to humbly admit. The greatest pleasure is found at His feet washed, cleansed and completely His.

“Father, our complacency and okayness with self rob us of the sheer joy of transformation. Cultivate within us soft hearts and a willing spirit to obey Your voice.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 15, 2019

Beyond Our Dreams

“I (Jesus) came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of,” John 10:10b (MSG)

One day my father announced we were going to have a yard sale. I couldn’t believe his treasure trove, the garage, was going to be cleaned out. And the neighbors did not disappoint us. One man was so proud of a gadget he found and declared, “I have been looking for this all of my life.” He asked, “How much is this?” My dad answered, “Four dollars.” The man grunted and then walked on. We still talk about how that man’s dreams could have been met for four dollars, but he turned and walked away.

How many times do we long for a dream such as a husband, a child, a job, or a home? Then one day it is there for our taking and after the, “I do’s, “ changing of the diapers, on our feet for 8 hours, or the pipes burst, we grumble and say, “Humph.” We think we want something but when we get it, we decide we really don’t want it after all.

For years, the Pharisees waited for the coming of the promised Messiah. They preached about it. Prepared for it. Then when Jesus showed up, they turned their backs and probably a “Humph” was heard. God held out His Holy hand with the most magnificent Gift of all time. Love, joy, peace personified in His Son, Jesus Christ. And He is still all we need to make our dreams come true!

“Heavenly Father, You have given me all that I need through Jesus Christ. Please forgive me for turning my back on Your amazing gifts and trying to fill my longings myself. I know that nothing will ever satisfy my desire for peace, love, and joy except Jesus.”

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 14, 2019

When Words Fall Short

“I (God) am angry with you (Eliphaz) and your two friends for you have not spoken the truth about Me, as my servant Job has.” Job 42:7b (HCSB)

We’ve probably all found ourselves in pivot moments when we simply just didn’t know what to say. Someone we love experiences a heartbreaking loss. A family member or close friend passes away. A friend loses their job. A couple’s marriage disintegrates right before our eyes. A prodigal wanders further and further away heaping on devastating consequences. An illness or tragedy attacks those in our circle. Could be we are faced with the one whose choices haven’t served them well. All moments when we are searching for the right words and the right response.

Wonder if Job’s friends felt the same way? Devastation, heartbreak and extreme loss characterized Job’s life as Satan targeted him with blows from every angle. Within moments he lost his children, servants, livestock, and if that wasn’t enough he was stricken with boils from head to toe. Extreme losses. A man of perfect integrity (Job 1:8), Job became a moving target for Satan’s attacks. When his friends learned of his heartache, they left their homes with the intent to comfort Job.

And that sweet friends is where our story lands – after long dialogues and great dissertations, Job’s comfort is short lived. His friends can’t explain the tragic events plaguing Job. They can’t wrap their minds around it so instead of comfort, they resort to judgment and accusations. They paint a false narrative of who God is and how He has interacted with Job’s life.

Have to be honest here – we’ve probably all landed there. When the suffering of this world seems larger than life, we attempt to come up with some way to rationalize it. We search for words to say – a way to explain what is so much higher than our own understanding. Like Job’s friends our initial intentions are to comfort, but in the longevity of suffering, we may bend towards judgement and a misrepresentation of God. Don’t want to land in that place.

Before a single word escapes our lips, we would be wise to pray and seek God’s wisdom. Doesn’t mean He is going to give us the answer to someone’s suffering, but we can be confident He will guide us in what to say and when to say it. God will show us key scriptures to remind them of His faithfulness, promises and love for them. He will teach us how to listen deeply and allow others to give voice to their pain without fear of judgement. And sometimes the greatest gift we bring is just being present with them in the midst of their pain.

“Father, You are our ever present help. You are faithful and true. Longsuffering and full of grace. Help us to reflect Your character to those overwhelmed by sorrow and remind them of Your great love.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 11, 2019

Bittersweet Journey

“For you (Moses) shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.” Deuteronomy 32:52 (ESV)

We pulled out the driveway and she waved as far as we could see, I found myself too facing the bittersweet of a new chapter in her life. Hard to believe it’s been one year to the exact date that the two of us made that grand exit out of her Egypt. Many struggles, frustrations, challenges , joys, excitements, changes, tears, laughter along the way. I think you get the picture.

My heart instantly remembered Moses when his chapter ended and Joshua went on to claim the Promise Land without him by his side. I’m sure those last days of Moses’ life were bittersweet that his feet would not cross over with the ones he had loved and had been challenged by. The ones he had made such an investment in were going in a different direction than him. I think you get the picture.

Bittersweet are the journeys we make in this life. I’m heading home to continue the journey God has given me; and this newly freed one is beginning the journey God has given her. Tears flow as the memories of a year spent growing, learning and encouraging end as a new season begins. But I wouldn’t have missed it for a second. I would do it all over again because investing in a life is the greatest privilege we get to make on this earth. It’s the thing that keeps living beyond us; our souls forever intertwined.

Where does that leave us in the midst of the sadness of releasing and letting go? We must keep reaching out, investing in, and encouraging others to fulfill their journey. The joy of watching one released from chains walk in freedom is a treasured gift and a sweet blessing from God. Miles can never separate what God has done in either of our lives – and for that I am truly grateful. Note to self: God loves repeat performances.

“Father thank You for bringing this dear one into my life. Thank You for the work You did in restoring and redeeming her soul. Praising You for completing Your work in both of us.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
Women’s Life Devotional

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 10, 2019

An Open Invitation

“My heart has heard you say, “come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, Lord, I am coming.” Psalm 27:8 (NLT)

Ponder for a minute this verse, David must have penned this Psalm during a moment of complete despair. How many times have we been in David’s shoes at the point of desperation? Imagine, the God of the universe sitting on His heavenly throne and the earth is His foot stool. Just like with David, God being concerned about the weightiness of our hearts due to life struggles, situations and circumstances. He cares when our hearts are heavy burdened with pain, fear, sorrow and brokenness.

We, like David, plead with the Lord to hear our anguished cries for help. The expression of our prayers show the dependence upon which we seek the Lord to answer. Our hearts are crucial and vital in the sustaining of life. God was precise in the workmanship of our bodies…especially our hearts. God Almighty can speak from heaven and pierce our hearts with His voice. The Psalmist states it’s the heart that hears the Lord say, “come and talk with me.” An open invitation by God in all His glory and splendor. He desires to spend time in a loving and caring conversation with an attentive ear and heart towards His children.

As the verse says, “Lord, I am coming.” Metaphorically, during difficult seasons of my life, I have envisioned running with arms outstretched reaching out for our Father to catch me. As I sit on His lap with my head resting on His shoulder unleashing a barrage of needs and concerns no matter how big or small. Bombarding Jesus with a pleading heart. As the Lord patiently listens to a one-sided conversation of cries for help from trembling lips and tear stained eyes. As He restores peace with the reassurance that He hears our emotional appeals.

“Father tune our ears to always hear Your voice calling us to draw near to You.”

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Prayer

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