Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 18, 2019

Count Them One By One

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1

Why is it that parents try to instill a sense of gratitude in their children from a very young age? Based on my own experience as a parent, I would say that my children’s gratitude warms my heart. A simple ‘thank you’ when you give them food or buy them a new toy, shoes or clothing can go a long way. However, it is not the words that matter, but the action. When a child expresses gratitude from the heart, it penetrates the heart of a parent like the sweet aroma of heavenly roses. In some instances, it even encourages the parent to do more than what the child has asked just to reward the good behavior.

Have you stopped to think how much more would God bless you for your simple expression of gratitude? Take a look around you! How many blessings can you count with just one glance? Are you like the child who joyfully thanks her parents for something she just received or are you like the one who grabs that gift and walks away as if nothing has happened?

The Bible spurs us to thank the Lord in the good and in the bad times (1 Thess. 5:18). Why? Because God delights Himself in our praises; this is His will for us. Do you remember a man named Job, who had it all and saw it all taken from him, and yet he remained in God and praised God for ALL of it (meaning the good and the bad)? If you check out Job 1:21-22, you will see that Job recognized that God was sovereign over all areas of his life and he trusted God to get him out of the misfortunes he had been facing.

Take a moment to talk to God one-on-one. Think of some things for which you are thankful. Praise Him. Thank Him. Bless Him. Allow yourself to be enveloped by His presence, and you will see how good it feels to be there, just you alone with Him, letting Him know you are thankful for all your blessings, counting them one by one…

“Dear Lord, we could never name each and every one of the blessings You bestow upon us, as they are many, but know that we rejoice in all that You do. Thank you!”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Gratitude, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 17, 2019

There’s No One Like Our God

“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!” Psalm 29:11 (ESV)

There was simply no one else who could do the job. So once again, we stepped up to the plate and attempted to make it all happen. Exhausted, overwhelmed and burned out, we landed empty. Discouragement rose to the surface. Unmet expectations resurfaced. Disillusionment drowned out any seed of success. Hope ran thin and giving up loomed large. All because our doing and over doing fizzled out leaving us frazzled, defeated and wondering whether we would have the energy to embrace tomorrow.

Sound familiar? How many times do we land here thinking its all up to us? Resisting the urge to ask for help carves in lots of room for the enemy to leave us vulnerable and weak. Deciding we have to take on one more thing can easily offer us a host of not so pretty emotions. Stress days invite short words, frustration, anger, impatience – I think you get the picture. Lesson learned – we are not the only one who can get the job done.

There’s simply no one like our God. When He moves into action there’s no fizzling or frazzled, defeated wondering. He never grows weary, tired or runs out of energy. Strength is His trademark. Power is His brand. Grace is His logo. Wisdom defines Him and then there’s love – His love is unimaginable. God has unlimited resources and we don’t have to worry about Him having enough within Him to start over tomorrow.

A woman who leans into the wisdom and discernment of her God finds peace and strength even in the midst of crazy busy. She knows how to achieve balance and listens closely to avoid missing God’s plan for her life. She embraces his equipping and accepts just the right tasks. She recognizes there is plenty of room for everyone to have their chance at stepping up to the plate and it all doesn’t rest on her shoulders. Greatest benefit – we all grow, we all learn, we all use our gifts. End result no one gets exhausted, overwhelmed or discouraged. And the beauty of it all – we reflect God’s character when we trust Him to get it all done and on time.

“Father, help us to resist the perceived urgent and listen for Your voice guiding us in the best direction. Show us how to use our time and when to invite rest. Teach us to trust You with our all that needs to be done.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 13, 2019

A Different Light

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:6 (NLT)

What do we do when someone is getting under our skin? Like they’re driving us crazy, and yet we sit there with our smile pasted on while our body is cringing in their presence. Usually it happens with someone we constantly have to connect with – a co-worker, family member or perhaps a close friend. Whether they realize it or not, they’re pushing our buttons.

Desperately trying to avoid an emotional outburst, we find ourselves hiding behind our feelings. And the closer the person is to us, the quicker we start stirring up our mind with negativity – building a list of all their wrongs. We see them in a different light or shall I say a different darkness.

When our thinking chooses to maximize someone’s weakness, we lose sight of their strengths and our actions start to follow our thinking. Patience and grace slip under the table when we encounter this person. Responses will eventually spew out of our mouth and reactions follow leaving little for God to find pleasure in.

Wonder what would have happened if instead of scrutinizing them, we got down on our knees and began to pray? Wonder if our patience level would have increased or better yet we might have gained wisdom in uncovering why they were getting under our skin?

Prayer has an incredible way of illuminating the truth and supplying us with God’s grace. When we bring all our relationships to Him, He reveals the true value of their soul. Gently, He reminds us that this one was worthy of the cross – shouldn’t we see them that way too?

“Father, help me to love others by choosing to focus on their strengths while leaving their weaknesses in Your hands.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Love, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 13, 2019

Kisses From My King

“And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” Mark 10:16 (NAS)

My close friends know I love to rock; always have. It is soothing, relaxing, and peaceful; which is why rocking my grandbabies happens with little effort! It’s our ‘special snuggle time!’ I rocked my children too – countless hours of singing, cuddling, and praying over them.

I remember when our 4 year-old granddaughter prepared for bed, she noticed we switched from sitting in the rocking chair to the side of the bed. My inquisitive little toddler wondered why, so I shared since she was getting so big it was a little more difficult to snuggle in the chair. I gently asked her what was I going to do if someday I couldn’t hold and rock her anymore. Pausing as she softly stroked my face, she whispered, ‘Oh, GG that’s ok I’ll rock you!’ My heart melting – she soon fell asleep in my arms.

How often do we feel too big to climb into the lap of Jesus? We’re adults for heaven’s sake – too ‘big’ to fit, right? Never! Why? Because his Word teaches He holds us close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11), He sings over (Zeph. 3:17), and prays for us (John 17:6-26).

When my granddaughter revealed she would rock me it was if God kissed me on the cheek – the tenderness of a child reflected the lovingness of a Savior who like me is eager to quieten His child. When we neglect climbing into His lap we are robbed of Him holding, singing over, and praying for us. Allow yourself those ‘special times’ – snuggling close to God’s heart and falling asleep in His strong arms!

“Dear Jesus, please help us come climb into Your lap to quieten us.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 12, 2019

Valuig His Words

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

No one reminds me to check my phone. No one tells me how to get home from work. Simple every day things I easily remember without giving it much thought. My fave recipe I can make with my eyes closed, but ask for my cell number and I have to think really hard. You see, I don’t call myself so I don’t need my number. Ask me for a friend’s number and I’d have to resort to my phone contacts – never dial the number myself. You see it’s quite easy to rely on something rather than train my mind for recall.

Memory is a beautiful gift. One we often take for granted. Good memories rescue us when times get tough and souls wage weary. Wise memories protect us from repeat mistakes. Sweet memories linger long when those we love pass away. Difficult memories resurface when we least expect it. Challenging memories attempt to keep us locked in the past.

Memory – an amazing treasure we selectively use and sometimes totally neglect. Chuck Swindoll puts it this way, “We memorize whatever we believe is worth the effort.”

Wonder how much time we spend saturating our minds with God’s Word? Have to admit, my usual go to is I can’t memorize scripture it’s just too hard. Don’t think that excuse serves me well. Especially when God’s word reminds us of the power and protection found in hiding His words in our hearts. Wonder why we carelessly skipping memorization despite God’s amazing promises? Depths of joy and hope are birthed in fixing our eyes firmly on His words. Life sustaining and wisdom granting truths rise to the surface just when we need them if His words fill our minds. Storing His words in our hearts ensures a deep foundation for life’s stormy days. Guaranteed encouragement and mighty weapons waging war against our enemy – that’s exactly what repeating His words empowers us to do.

So, sweet friends here’s our Summer challenge – choose a verse and memorize it. Even if it takes us weeks to accomplish. God isn’t impressed by our speed; He’s touched by our diligence and consistency to hide His word in our hearts. Let’s not let intimidation win out…..God would never ask us to do something we can’t do; I think we’ll find it’s easier than we thought.

“Father, Your words are life to our souls and nourishment for our minds. Lead each of us to the passage of scripture You know we need to unpack, memorize and obey. Trusting You to enable us to honor You with our best effort.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 11, 2019

Comforted to be a Comforter

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

For years, I was unable to grieve well and as a result I was unable to comfort well. I mistakenly thought that minimizing my own suffering was admirable — when in truth, I was denying not only my need to grieve but God’s promise to comfort me in my troubles. Without experiencing God’s comfort, I was ill-equipped to comfort others. I would use the same platitudes I spoke to myself when trying to “comfort” others who were in pain. When someone is suffering, quoting Romans 8:28 can feel more like a weapon than a salve. Truth, without compassion.

We cannot enter the grief of others until we enter our own grief and receive the comfort God promises. At times, I struggle with loving myself enough to believe that I even deserve God’s comfort. And honestly, I don’t. But because of who He is—a loving, merciful and compassionate Father, He has promised to comfort us. And, God keeps His promises.

Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27-28). Loving yourself requires learning to grieve well—recognizing and not minimizing our pain and accepting the comfort God promises. Only when we love ourselves, will we be able to love others well. Only when we allow ourselves to grieve, will we be able to comfort others with the same comfort we have received from God.

“Lord, draw us to love you more—with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength. Enable us to love others and love ourselves well. Teach us to turn to you for comfort in our suffering because you promise to comfort us and so that we can be instruments of your comfort in the lives of others.”

For His Glory

Ann Skalaski
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 10, 2019

The One Who Can Be Trusted

“The works of His hands are faithful and just all His precepts are trustworthy.” Psalm 111:7 (ESV)

“I’m trusting you with this,” echoed from my lips. Words I found myself saying over and over again for the past few weeks when discernment seemed elusive. The more I quoted those words to self and others, the more I realized the power these words offered.

None of us gets the privilege of the big picture. We see today and we remember yesterday but a clear unobstructed view of tomorrow isn’t ours for the taking. Sometimes that serves me well – other times it leaves me swirling in scenarios of my own thinking with no definitive truth. Either way trust is the vital link – I either trust in my unknowns or trust in God’s sovereignty.

If we’re leaning into self and relying on self, then we will have a limited perspective. Our view can easily become obstructed by our desires and plans. Our trust in self can waver when our expectations fall short. Our trust in self can easily fluctuate in a whirlwind of runaway emotions. Unstable to the core, our trust in us simply can’t be trusted.

Only option is to firmly plant our trust in the One who does know our future. God is the only One who knows all about us: our yesterdays, todays and tomorrows. Every detail even the ones that seem insignificant don’t escape His attention. Orchestrating every yes, permitting every no and cultivating growth in all our waits, God operates in a mode of perfect trust and knowledge. We can rely on His character, abilities and strength to maneuver us through life one day at a time.

Personal experience unveils these truths in the life of this dependent writer. But don’t just rest in my conclusion – check it out for yourself. Simply flip through the pages of scripture and watch God’s integrity shine. Read countless stories of how He protected, shielded and directed His children. Count God’s promises, and you will find He is the faithful Promise Keeper. Without a shadow of a doubt, you will find God, who gave His only Son, is worthy of our trust. Nothing good will He withhold from His children – the cross speaks loud and clear – God can be trusted with our eternity.

“Father, You have always operated in a mode of love and best for us. How can we rely on self when You have proven the depths of your wisdom? Teach us to lean into You, rely on You and trust You with all of our days.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 6, 2019

Worship Loud

“The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; His eyes examine them.” Psalm 11:4 (NIV)

Morning sun rose, knees hit the floor and shower beckons me. Dressed, lunch packed and my stuff gathers on the barstool. Gym bag ready and the aroma of breakfast cooked by my honey leads me to the kitchen. It’s just another day as a smile and kiss greet my morning. Clock ticks away, tv hums news in the backdrop and then we break bread – God’s Word. Savored, chewed and digested before the world invades our space. Covered by my husband’s prayer, we bow heads before feet go out the door.

Amazing the difference – when hearts are turned toward and lifted up before agendas steal us away. Humbling the effect – when breaking bread and fervent prayers quiet angry words or frustrated souls. Challenging to say the least – when cherishing the best takes precedence over all the rest. Incredible the feeling – when doors open and shut knowing love covers all. Wonder if God smiles when morning worships loud before the rush begins?

Traffic whirls, people drift – same places and routines serenaded by tunes. Just another day unfolding. Maneuvering between lanes, I remember His Words – to love my neighbors. I reflect on His Words – to keep a tight rein on my tongue. I pull into my parking spot and step out my car; I remember prayers to glorify Him in all I say, all I do – words my husband spoke over me.

Don’t have to wonder if God smiles when we worship loud. I know He does, because loving God with all our heart, soul and mind propels us to keep Him first before the rest of our world rushes in.

“Father, let the world hear You in me, let the world see You in me and most of all let the world want You because they know You live in me.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Gratitude, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 6, 2019

Tomorrow Is Another Day

“For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning” Psalm 30:5 (ESV)

How many times have you gotten to the end of your day and thought, “What a disaster! The next morning, the guilt of the previous days failures are still eating away at you. You spend the day trying to make up for it, while desperately trying not to repeat the same mistakes. Only to flop into the bed at the end of the day exhausted and still feeling like a failure.

Have you ever questioned yourself after a bad day saying “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I get this right?” Well the truth is we’re sinners. It’s in our nature. And this sinful nature makes it impossible for us to ever get it completely right. Not until we get to heaven will we be perfect and without flaws. Thankfully, God doesn’t keep score or hold grudges against us for previous behavior.

Jesus paid the penalty for our sins on the cross long before we were even born. Because of this sacrifice, we can come before God every day and start fresh each and every day. No matter how much we mess up, and oh, how we do mess up, God will always forgive.

“God, forgive me and fill me with Your assurance that every day is a clean slate. Prepare my heart daily for what is to come so that I may honor the sacrifice that was made on my behalf.”

For His Glory

Josey Bozzo
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 5, 2019

When Little Is More Than Enough

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.” Luke 16:10 (ESV)

Never been a fan of the copy machine, filing or doing anything that requires math. I think we’ve all had our share of boring mundane tasks. One of my first jobs presented me with the task of changing my supervisor’s typewriter ribbon. Now I’m really dating myself because some of you are thinking what’s a typewriter ribbon? So glad we are in the computer and savvy technology age. But that doesn’t mean boring has left us – filing still happens and scanning has taken center stage.

Give someone a little something to do and you will quickly find out if they can be trusted to get it done. And when boring is on the list, some will just excuse themselves on to something else convinced they could do better things with their time. Sound familiar? I’m sure we’ve all thought a task was let’s just say, “beneath our abilities.” But ask any employer and they will tell you it’s the success of small things that catapult others to great opportunities. It’s how we handle the seemingly unimportant and consistently deliver excellence that sets us apart.

What’s our “very little” task? Do we approach it with enthusiasm or dread? Have to admit it is easy to get careless over washing dishes when we’d rather be the chef in the kitchen. Tempting to skim over our small Life Group lesson when we envisioned ourselves speaking before thousands. Interesting how quickly we exit the room when cleaning up and serving is on the agenda – especially when we’d rather be on the platform than sweeping floors.

The smallness of the job doesn’t dictate our status of greatness. God is looking, searching and seeking for those who will prove themselves to be faithful, loyal and trustworthy. He’s looking for ones who respond gracefully and obediently walk through the doors He opens. He’s interested in those who posture themselves to serve regardless of the task – desiring the Father’s approval over man.

Perhaps, dear friend the mundane, simple task has you discouraged or feeling overlooked. Embrace this moment and complete it to the best of your ability. Seek not positioning but opportunities to allow God’s glory to shine through you. He will be faithful to entrust you with more if you remain faithful to Him.

“Father, we can get so lost in the comparison trap of who is doing what and devaluing the significance of the opportunities staring us in the face. Help us to zero in on pleasing You and release our agenda.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

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