Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 23, 2019

Captivated By His Presence

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.” Psalm 62:1 (NIV)

We live for Friday – you know the moment when the weekend begins. Work on a major project ceases, emails can wait and just the thought of Saturday morning pushes us through the day. Destination 5:00 pm, we’re headed to the beach. I can taste the salt air. I can feel the cool breezes, and Saturday never looked so good.

There is no place I feel closer to God than watching the sun dance across the ocean or waves breaking on shore. Just gazing across the water and knowing I can’t define where it starts or stops reminds me of the magnitude of my God. Watching a father lifting up his daughter above the crashing waves reminds me of the times my Heavenly Father has lifted me above my circumstances. Enjoying an early morning walk as the sunrise quietly appears reminds me that God makes all things new each and every day. Captivated by dolphins as they glide effortlessly across the waves reminds me that God creates the perfect environment for all of His creation to thrive. Moonbeams glistening across the dark waters reminds me that God’s light always shines through even in the darkest depths of our soul.

Nothing refreshes my spirit more than to bask in the wonder of God’s presence. Sometimes it’s hard to chill out and just relax allowing our mind to be recharged and our spirit renewed. Our days leave little room for margin – white space – where idle time gets to reign. Unplugged from every device. Simply resisting the urge to get up and do something – releasing us from the “to do list” on the kitchen counter. Quiet resolve to just practice stillness and feel the warmth of God’s love.

So what’s holding us back? Satan specializes in stealing away our moments of silence and reflection because he knows we can’t help but linger on the goodness of our God. His substitutes can be found lurking around any corner. Endless interruptions saturating our minds. Distractions consuming our stillness. Noise shouting loud over quiet. Restlessness sabotaging the very thing we long for – refresh, renewal and recharge.

Sweet friends let’s not give in to the enemy’s game. Let’s guard our “quiet” places and determine to stay fixed on one imperative – the very presence of God. Let’s resist the temptation to move and choose intentionally to be still and leave room for Him to speak deep into our souls. It’s the one thing we need the most.

“Father, there are no words to describe how awesome You are, how incredible You are and how much I love the very thought of You!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 22, 2019

Laborers For The Lord

“So, I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?” Ecclesiastes 3:22 (NIV)

The cause of death was suspected to be either a strong case of pneumonia or typhoid, due to being exposed to a torrential downpour without cover. The year was 1841 and the doctors at the time used heated suction cups on the chest and a procedure called bloodletting, which, simply put, meant to cut an opening in the patient’s body to let the infectious blood out. As it turned out, the procedures failed, and the patient expired. His name was William Henry Harrison and he was the 9th President of the United States.

Mr. Harrison had been a political mover and shaker in his time and before becoming President, he had also been named the Governor of the newly formed Indiana Territory by then-President John Adams and served in that capacity from 1801 to 1812. When we look at the dossier of such an individual, we almost picture him as being invincible. But records prove otherwise, as Mr. Harrison left this earth at the age of 68, just one month after taking the Oath of Office, thus becoming the first President to die while in office.

We make plans and we dream dreams, but nothing comes with a guarantee that we will get what we wish. Mr. Harrison had many dreams for himself and for our nation, but on April 4, 1841, those dreams ceased to exist. Had the doctors been able to save him, he would have probably achieved many more great things to add to his already vast résumé.

We are all given the opportunity to do something good to help others; we are given the command to go and preach the Gospel to every nation. We are given gifts and talents which we can use to create things. God did not spare anything when He created us. He formed us and He gave us the tools with which to toil. The question is, are we being movers and shakers for Him or are we stagnant in our faith, wasting what we have been given?

“Dear Lord: Give us a fervor to do the work which You have entrusted for us to do; make us laborers for Your kingdom.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 21, 2019

His Full Attention

“Because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are open to their request.” 1 Peter 3:12a (HCSB)

Just a number in a sea of faces isn’t that how we feel sometimes? Like does anyone really know we are visible, present and worthy of their attention? Too many distractions. Too many social media options. When was the last time we really looked each other squarely in the eye, listened intently and nodded our understanding? Can honestly say, I’ve had too few real face to face communications and it leaves me longing for more.

While we are languishing in this tech savvy world, we find ourselves growing more and more like the ones we don’t want to be. Hardly see anyone enjoying dinner talk. Texting seems far more important. Pull up to a car at a red light and their fully engaged with their phone. Don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel totally unseen and unheard in the midst of so much conversation.

Love the sweet truth that I don’t have to wonder if God sees or hears me. Brings me comfort to know I have full access to our Awesome Creator – the One who made all things. He is available 24/7 and draws near to those who call upon His name. No waiting in line. No cell phones ringing or fingers texting. No guessing is God really engaged with me.

I Peter 3 reminds us that God’s full attention is zeroed in on those who are living according to His word. His eyes are fixed on those who keep their tongue from evil and their lips from speaking deceit. God is captivated by those who turn from evil and do what is good. And while we are at – God cherishes those who seek and purse peace. In simpler terms, a lifestyle aligned with His is guaranteed to have His full attention. End result, we are in His constant gaze and God’s ears are open to our requests. Now that’s worth pursuing!

“Father, Your word makes it perfectly clear – we can enjoy the fullness of Your presence if we simply keep our hearts clean and our motives pure. Your eyes delight in those who choose to do life right.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 20, 2019

Our Reward For Clean

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NLT)

Some people ascribe to the practice of spring cleaning. Spring is a time for discarding jackets, scarves, and gloves in order to better enjoy the fresh warmth. Spring is a time for buckling down and finishing schoolwork for the year, so we can enjoy summer vacation the moment final exams are over. Any deep cleaning gets pushed to the back burner for later.

Our family ascribes to the lesser known practice of the-week-before-school-starts cleaning. A wave of loathing for all things cluttered or overflowing starts the week off. Working under the pressure of a deadline—before the chaos of a new school year derails any extra projects—usually keeps us motivated. Some years, we lose steam partway through the process, giving up in exhaustion before crossing the finish line. This year we tackled every drawer, cabinet, and closet trashing, giving away, or selling everything that wasn’t necessary for our daily survival.

Just as we took the time to clean and organize our drawers, cabinets, and closets, so we as believers, must take the time to examine our hearts—every nook and cranny. What does our key verse mean when it refers to a pure heart? A pure heart is one which is free of the guilt of sin, the pollution sin causes. Our hearts and minds relish the purity that comes with living free of the pollution and guilt of sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NASB)

Our reward for an organized, clean house is a temporary feeling of satisfaction knowing there is room … for more junk to fill up every space in the coming year. The reward for a clean, pure heart is infinitely better. To “see God” is not just to see Him with our eyes but to perceive Him in all His glory, to truly know Him more than words on a page but with every fiber of our being. More than mere temporary satisfaction, seeing God fills us to bursting.

Is it time for some end of summer cleaning?

“Lord, we bare ourselves before You to be cleansed of our sin. Thank You for Your forgiveness and the clear perception to really see You.”

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 19, 2019

Securely Held By His Grip

“He (God) drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 40:2 (ESV)

“I can’t get out,” echoed from my sleepy, raspy voice. No matter how hard I tried, didn’t matter how much I wiggled or strained to reach the car door. I simply couldn’t get out. And right in the midst of my tragic moment, my sweet man is laughing his head off. You see it was 11:00 pm and we had just arrived home after a long drive from the beach. Sleep seized me once dark set in on the journey home and now, I wanted nothing more than my cozy bed. Regardless of my determined effort to pull myself out of the car it wasn’t happening. Why? I had totally forgotten about the seat belt holding me securely in place.

Wonder how many times we attempt to wiggle away from or strain to reach out from God’s protection in our lives? Feeling His firm grip as if He would withhold His best, we continuously persist in seeking our own way. Couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve sought free only to be held more captive than I’d dared imagine as a result of my own choices. All because my eyes were blinded to His ways. All because I forgot His track record of faithfulness. Definitely due to moments when I entertained the enemy’s lies.

Don’t have to look deep into scripture to find women, like us, who removed themselves from His protective care. Eve traded perfection in paradise for tasty fruit in her pursuit for more. Sarah exchanged peace and harmony with Abraham for a manipulated plan to build a family. Rebekah missed out on watching her children flourish because stealing a blessing seemed more appealing. Leah and Rachel entertained comparison and competition – the place where no one wins. And that sweet friends is just the beginning – one book (Genesis) filled with women just like us who allowed their way to seem better than His.

Our loving, kind and patient Father reminds us ever so gently that His withholding is always for our good. The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want (Psalm 23). He guards us. He goes before us. He positions us to escape any temptation strategically placed to lure us away (I Corinthians 10:13). He cautions, warns and His words are filled with the stories of real women who lived real lives just like you and me. Journeys filled with consequences and chaos from choosing their own way.

God has given us a free will – a blessed right to choose – will we embrace His divine plan or settle for a costly yet cheap counterfeit?

“Father, You long for us to rest with feet firmly planted on Your truth. Unshakeable by the lure to seek our own good in a world that will never satisfy. Fully trusting in Your way and not our own.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 16, 2019

Unpacking God Lessons

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.” Jeremiah 30:2 (ESV)

Ever attempted to cook a 45 minute gourmet meal in half the time? Ever short-changed the steps in hopes of a quick yet elegant dessert? Settling for quick is highly overrated. There’s a reason for timing – the juices simmer and tenderize the meat. And the crazy madness in keeping those steps in order – well it can make a huge difference in moist versus overbaked when it comes to desserts. Could probably write a book on all my mishaps for the sake of getting it done, in the oven and on the table. Quick never satisfies my taste buds.

Ever attempted to drive-thru a significant event just so you can move on? Ever short-changed the lessons God birthed through an experience in hopes of never looking back? Unpacking the nuggets of truth that surround life events is crucial. Everything that touches our lives has the potential to instruct, teach and reveal. Challenges and crisis speak volumes, but we often settle for survival rather than reaching deeper to thrive. Growth and transformation can only occur when we slow down, digest the details, commit them to paper and prayerful seek God’s revelation.

A journal on my desk keeps my lists of “Lessons Learned.” Intentionally, I have simmered the positives, negatives and crucial truths in my journey. Skipping the step to capture them would have made a huge difference when forgetfulness slipped in. Details are often lost in the scope of time. God’s divine provision is often dismissed when the crisis lifts. Choosing to unpack simple, yet profound God unveilings serves us well – true satisfaction.

“Father, every day is an opportunity to learn more about You and to discover Your will for our lives.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 15, 2019

Do Not Waste My Olives

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.” Matthew 25:14 (NIV)

I love olives and when I sit down to eat them, I like to see an abundance of them before me. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite places to eat is called Olive Garden (OG). Suggestive name, wouldn’t you think? At OG, the first thing I tell the server when ordering my food is to make sure I get extra olives in my salad otherwise there will only be a few to go around, and I will have to share them with other people.

Now that you know that about olives and me, let me share an experience I had one time when I went to eat at OG with a friend. We arrived, sat down and took our order. I did as I usually do and asked the server to please put extra olives in the salad. When the salad arrived, I tossed it to make sure the dressing was evenly distributed and handed my friend the serving utensils; she proceeded to serve herself with an abundance of what seemed to be just olives. I thought to myself, “Great! Another olive lover! I will have to ask for more olives.” To my utter disbelief, however, my friend ate every bite of her salad, except for the olives! I felt outraged, insulted, and robbed, all at once. I tapped my feet, I squeezed my napkin, I drew a couple drops of sweat from my brow, took a sip of water, and then I asked, “Are you saving your olives for last?” She replied, “Oh no, I do not eat olives, ever. I just could not serve salad without getting some in my plate.”
Call me unrefined, if you wish, but I had to do it – I rescued those precious olives from my friend’s plate and placed them in mine, as I would not let them go to waste.

As I think on that experience, I remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 and how the master was upset at the servant who did not properly make use of the talents placed in his care. If I am so protective of mere olives, how much more is God with the gifts He bestows upon us? Do not let yours go to waste!

“Thank You, Lord, for olives and talents. Thank You for using us.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 14, 2019

The One Who Truly Satisfies

“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (NIV)

While I have no ancient idol statues perched on my shelves – I’d have to admit there have been idols that have surfaced in my life. Busyness, exercise, perfectionism….do I really need to go on. Don’t think so. You may have experienced some of these too or perhaps you have your own personal list. Regardless, idols just creep in and consume our attention; we don’t even recognize them at first. Usually they disguise themselves as good things, but before we know it, we’re obsessed with them. Distracted, we find our attention shifting further and further away from the One true God.

When God says no other gods before Him – He means it – no need for interpretation here. So why do we attempt to lift up others, things, or ourselves in our pursuits as if He wasn’t enough. It is really no surprise that God would give this commandment first because everything else hinges on those words. We can’t receive His power, strength, or wisdom apart from giving Him first place in our lives.

So what imposters are taking us away from the One God that truly satisfies? What would cause us to even look or consider placing anything above Him? The Giver of life, Sustainer of our souls and Redeemer of our hearts has earned the right to be our First Love. Yet the visible, tangible things in front of us often lure us away.

Real question are we willing to tear down those things we have erected? How do we let them go so there is nothing else standing in the way?

It’s elementary – yet its crucial. If we want to serve Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him then we’ve got to place God higher than anything or anyone else in our lives. Total devotion is what He desires; it’s what He requires. And when we remove all the rest, we will find that He is more than enough for all that we need.

“Father, when we are willing to surrender everything, we finally realize that You alone are worthy of our devotion.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 13, 2019

Get To Steppin’ Into His Will

“…The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21

I was scheduled to go away on a ministry-related event. It was all planned. Everything had been worked out, the day and time were perfect. Nothing standing in the way. And then the day before I was to leave, something came up. Life interrupted. Nothing I could do about it, I tried, and tried, and tried. But the door was shut.

My thoughts were, “why God?” It’s ministry-related, “Why would you allow something to happen to prevent me from going?” “Not to minister, not to be a light. What have I done?” And as I wallowed in those questions, even telling my husband to “Leave me alone and let me have my pity party.” And I can truly say, party of one. God wasn’t in that. And perhaps it was a party of two. Me and the enemy, who had obviously taken control of my mind and thoughts.

Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation, where God steps in and changes things, redirects your steps? My encouragement to you is to, run to Him and His word. Meditating on scriptures like Philippians 2:5 (Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus). Blessing the Lord and quoting His word and promises are vital during times of discouragement. When God redirects our plans, we should look for his blessing, for what He is saying to us. When we allow the enemy to creep in, we can’t hear from God. While the pain we may be feeling is real, God’s grace is sufficient to carry us through. And by the way, pity parties are for babies. We need to put on our BIG girl pants, and get to steppin! Walk into His will – His way; it’s a great road trip!

“Father, I am so grateful for the many lessons you teach us. All to continually shape and conform us to your glorious image. Lord You give and You take away, but I can truly say, Blessed be Your name!!

For His Glory

Cynthia J. McCoy (strengthandhonorministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | August 12, 2019

Breaking Patterns That Don’t Serve Us Well

“For God does not show favoritism.” Romans 2:11 (NIV)

Sandy beaches and cool breezes. Starry skies and late night walks. Hallmark movies (and yes, I know they’re predictable) and anything chocolate. These are a few of my favorite things. Bet you’ve got a list too! We love our faves. Why? Because we find comfort, pleasure, stability and joy in our faves. Even if it is only temporary.

Having favorites over what we like to eat, do and watch isn’t a bad thing – truth be told – we all have them and that’s the nature of our individual preferences. But favorites with people doesn’t exactly serve us well. Growing up I witnessed this first hand – when the choosing of favorites created competition and comparisons. Snapshots still vivid in my memory bank. Trigger points I witness with others reigniting those feelings of “less than” or “not enough.”

Scripture unfolds the riveting story of those choosing favorites. Issac loved Esau; Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:28). Parents who desperately wanted a child allowing the double blessing to divide their home. Interesting how generational wrongs tend to repeat the pattern is not broken. Jacob loved his son, Joseph more than the other eleven (Genesis 37:3). Heartache, suffering, lies and deception followed all because of picking favorites, loving one over the other. Family dynamics totally wounded and destroyed.

Despite our tendency to choose favorite, God doesn’t. There is no secret list inside the pearly gates before the throne of God dictating His favorite ones. God so loved this world – everyone in the world – that He gave His only Son to die on the cross for All the world. Not just an exclusive offer or select few. There is no favoritism when it comes to our Holy God. No one is excluded from His invitation. No one has been left off the list.

Regardless of what this world offers us, favorite or not, God loves us immensely. His love is wide and deep enough to wrap His arms around us All. We are treated equally (Romans 2:11) and God doesn’t entertain bribes (Deuteronomy 10:17). The perfect place where stability, joy and belonging thrive.

So where does that leave us in the midst of all our faves? As imitators of our Father, we strive to love others the way He loves us (Ephesians 5:1). We welcome all to His table just as He welcomed us. We set the table with love and embrace differences. We resist the urge to think “less than” or “not enough” because we’re breaking the patterns that don’t serve us well.

“Father, You have set the example for us – love always wins; favoritism always wounds. Forgive us for those moments when we allow our preferences to prohibit us from loving All.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Spiritual Living

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