Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 12, 2018

Fruitful – Yielding More

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” John 15:16 (NIV)

When I arrived at the home of my friends, the husband was replacing the mulch on their flower beds. The wife was hard at work in her vegetable garden, harvesting all the goodies that they had planted earlier in the season. I observed how they diligently worked the soil and trimmed leaves and vines with the artistry and expertise of knowing how to get the best from their plants.

I was amused at my friends’ dedication to their plants and was amazed at how those plants responded by yielding so much fruit. Within minutes of my arrival, my friends went inside their home to fix dinner for us. Along with them was a basket full of tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, parsley and chives. The table was plentiful with the fruit of their garden.

Amazing how the fertile ground can yield so many good things that feed us and help us stay healthy. Nevertheless, someone must take the time to prepare the soil, plant the seeds and take care of the new plants so that weeds and critters won’t destroy them. The garden’s caretaker must devote many hours nurturing his or her project in order to see the harvest.

As Christians, we are like those gardeners. We must carefully prepare the soil in someone else’s heart in order to plant the seed of salvation. If we treat people kindly and show them the love of God, they will be more receptive to what we share. If we do not take the time to nurture them and show that we really care, they probably will not listen and may not be open to receive what we share. Likewise, a new believer is like a baby that must be cared for 24/7 by its mother. With the proper care and spiritual feeding, the new Christian will grow spiritually and be aflame for God and bear much fruit, also sowing seeds for the kingdom.

“Lord, please help us to be fertile soil and yield good fruit for Your kingdom.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 11, 2018

When Messy Places Spill Over

I’m a proverbial spiller. You got it. Ten children could be sitting around my table, and I’d be the one to spill my tea. Take me out to dinner and somehow slippy fingers lose their grip and wet drizzles off the edge of the table creating quite the mess. Waitress comes running to our rescue and everyone has a little bit of wet to clean up. Seems like messy always spills over and touch others.

Wonder what else in our lives spills over? Despite the fact we are convinced our actions and reactions don’t impact anyone but us, we are wrong. Everything we do, everything we say and the very things we don’t’ do absolutely affect others. No one leaves messy places without being impacted.

While my loose grip likes to follow me, I definitely don’t want what doesn’t serve me well to spill over. Takes intentionality and spiritual maturity to recognize choices that potentially can drizzle messy all around us. Pausing before reacting and responding definitely leaves less room for sticky situations. Evaluating our motives will minimize the proverbial spill we’d rather avoid. And simply reigning in our lack of self control for the Spirit’s control secures our footing.

Despite our best efforts, we can find ourselves the recipient of someone else’s mess. Easy to flip the scales and cast judgment. Doesn’t take much effort to determine messy is more than we want to help clean up. Mercy, grace, kindness and love vacate quickly in the face of a rescue we don’t intend to make. Divine wisdom seekers look to God for discernment rather than running for cover. Avoidance is preferred but then we’ve all been there when we really needed someone – just one – to step up to the plate and help us pick up the pieces.

Love our Sovereign God who knows our tendency to create messy and our lack of desire to rescue other’s messy. Blessed that He uses both to convict us, humble us, mature us, strengthen us and teach us what it means to welcome intervention and birth do-overs. Don’t know about you, but I’m not sure where I’d be if He hadn’t come running to my messy.

“Father, You are our rescuer – the One who comes when no one else will. You are our Wisdom guiding us in helping others. You are our Mercy Giver when our souls are desperately bare at Your feet. Everything we need is found in You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 8, 2018

Brave

“Calmness can lay great errors to rest.” Ecclesiastes 10:4b (NIV)

Gotta love those brave souls that seem to shine in the midst of a crisis. With wisdom, integrity and determination they press through the most difficult situations. Despite a whirl of chaos and uncertainty, they do life well – they stand strong and lead us peacefully.

Who are these brave individuals? They’re the school teachers quieting their students while a gunman fires down the hall. They’re the rescue workers talking the defeated one off a ledge and back to safety. They’re the waitresses responding calmly while being criticized for all to see and hear. They’re the parents hovering over their children while tornado winds blow off her roof. They’re the co-workers organizing groups to descend the Twin Towers when the enemy attacked. Individuals who reacted fearlessly even though they were shaking in their shoes. Individuals who didn’t get lost in the moment and lose their cool. Individuals who focused on the big picture versus the “me” picture.

How do we handle the unexpected emergency? Does calmness define us or do our actions create even more drama? Do we breathe urgent prayers for wisdom and strength or do we respond relying on self? Scripture is filled with brave souls that met their moments of crisis clinging and holding tight to the Great I Am. Shaking inside but standing firm. Responding appropriately vs. overreacting. Seeking God moment by moment, brave souls know that the One who created the universe still holds them in the palm of His hand.

“Father, life is unpredictable and can change in an instant. Help us to stay close to You and draw from Your power when uncertainty surrounds us.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 7, 2018

Story Teller vs Story Keeper

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Thinking before we speak would alleviate so much in our lives. Oddly, words often presented as a prayer request, ‘helpful’ information shared with your best friend, or sadly, details possibly capable of damaging someone’s character can be described as ‘godly’ gossip. Depending on the person there is a tendency to have the heart of a storyteller or a story keeper.

God’s Word teaches storytellers are foolish, contentious, untrustworthy, devious, deceitful, destroyers, hypocrites, insecure and prideful – to name a few. However, a godly story keeper will determine to say what brings forth that which pleases God. How?

Many scriptures address this subject in God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26, I John 1:9, Proverbs 4:23, 21:23, Philippians 4:8) which highlight several questions we must ask ourselves:

1. Is it true?
2. Is it noble & will the reputation of the other person remain in tact?
3. Is it right – did I add or take away from it?
4. Is it pure & what motivation made it necessary to be repeated?
5. Is it loving?
6. Is it honorable – did I hurt the other person’s character?

Gossip is never healthy. One guarantee words will not damage: if something can’t be said edifying say nothing at all.

“Dear Father please help me to think before I speak and always seek to edify not tear others down.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 6, 2018

Proving His Faithfulness Even In The Absence of Proof

“But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh, for she was afraid. And He said, “No but you did laugh!” Genesis 18:15 (NKJV)

We’ve all been there when our response or our actions spoke louder than we dared admit. Whispered under our breath or thoughts dancing in our minds evidenced on our face. There are simply some things that rise to the surface even if we don’t want them to. Learned this lesson the hard way in my early office worker years. Convinced I had put the copy repair technician on hold, I proceeded to tell my co-worker how difficult he was. Simply put, I spoke too long, too detailed and too unkind. Just when I got ready to regain my composure and take the technician off hold, he spoke. My closest thing to a near death experience. I literally wanted to crawl under my desk and never come out. There was no denying what my lips had spewed into the phone and room.

Denial never serves us well, even if for a moment we think we succeeded. Not owning up or simply dismissing the facts hitting us hard in the face won’t erase the truth. That’s exactly where we find Sarah in Genesis 18.

Caught off guard by God’s words to her husband, Sarah hovered in her tent listening to their conversation. The perceived truth of her aging post-menopausal body deepened laughter in her soul when she heard the promise of a child. Years had left her arms empty. Even the very thought of a resurrection of that dream perhaps appeared cruel to her aching heart. So instead of crying, she laughed, because the truth was too much to bear, too impossible and she couldn’t stand the thought of being disappointed again.

We’ve all navigated this path where the promise eludes us. And if we aren’t careful, we too will focus on the promise more than the promise keeper. God knew the ache in Sarah’s soul. He was fully aware of the passing of time that left Sarah’s body out of sync with childbirth. Yet, He delighted more in doing the impossible – proving His faithfulness even in the absence of proof.

Despite Sarah’s bold denial of her words and laughter, God assured her He sees and hears all. And just when we would have thought God would reign back in His promise, He choose instead to fulfill it.
‘Father help us to fully trust You rather than simply crave our promise. Helps to remember that nothing is too hard or impossible for You.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 1, 2018

Empowered Every Moment

“God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:33 (NIV)

It was an electronic nightmare that started the moment I walked into my office. Flipped on the power button and waited, stared and waited for that blank computer screen to disappear – it didn’t happen. So I did what any computer geek would do – I powered it back down and tried again. Three attempts and no success until I called our computer geek, and he discovered the culprit – a bad monitor. Despite the power turbo from my computer, the monitor’s disconnection left me powerless to start my day.

Sound familiar? Ever felt powerless to tackle your day? It isn’t like we don’t try. We start the morning out right. We dive into His Word fueling our soul. We eat steel cut oats fueling our body. We plan out our moments – rehearse our list of must do’s fueling our mind. And then we walk out into our world and life happens. Demands fill our schedule. Meetings dominate our day. Attitudes move in and frustration elevates. And the power burst that ignited our morning gradually starts to fade.

Why? Because as the demands move in, our focus tends to shift. As the day unfolds, we depend more on us than on Him. And before we know it, we have disconnected from our true source of power – our Almighty God. Self preservation convinces us we can do it all. Pride shouts loud – we’ve got this one. But from Heaven’s view, God whispers:

Sweet girl – I’ve got you covered. Lean into Me. Let Me carry you. Trust Me with your overload, and exhaustion. Draw near to Me and I will fill you up. Cling to My words and My strength will empower your weary. Let Me do life with you today…your constant focus, your immediate thoughts….you won’t be disappointed.

“Father, teach us the value of being empowered in Your presence every moment of every day.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 31, 2018

Temporary Sorrow

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35 (NIV)

Words like “tears,” “weeping,” “mourning,” “death,” “loss,” and “grave,” not only sound sad, but also give us an idea that what is going on in one’s life is not something that is bringing joy and gladness. When we lose someone dear to us, these words are all part of the process of grieving. And sometimes there is also fear – fear of staying alone, fear of losing something or someone, fear of losing hope and faith.

A friend recently mentioned how tough it was to go to the graveyard again for a third time in less than two years. I reminded my friend that the real dwelling of his loved ones was not in that graveyard. Somehow – I could envision my friend’s loved ones rejoicing with their Father in heaven, healthy and strong instead of frail, sickly, and tired.

Grieving and mourning the loss of loved ones is natural. Remember Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus? They had just lost their beloved brother when Jesus finally arrived. They were mourning his death, but their faith drove them to tell the Lord Jesus that if He had been there, Lazarus would probably still be alive. Even Jesus mourned the loss of Lazarus because the Bible says that He wept. But moved by those people’s faith and His compassion, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

Life is a wonderful gift from the Lord, but this world is not our final destination. We are only here for a season, after which we will go to the place where we will spend eternity. By having faith in God, trusting in Him and following His commands, we, too will be raised up and rejoice in heaven with Him. At that time, all the troubles of this world – our temporary home – will stay behind, and we will embrace our permanent dwelling.

“Lord, You created us for Your glory. You love us more than anyone will ever love us. And You call us your own. In You we have life in abundance.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 28, 2018

Divine Protection

“Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:13 (NLT)

Pulling into our driveway, I noticed something just didn’t look right. Getting out the car, I headed towards the front door and that’s when I saw it. My beautiful overflowing petunias were gone, evaporated. When I left early in the morning, I walked right past them without noticing a thing. Nipped and frayed, my petunias now looked like a haircut gone bad. Little snippets of leaves and vines circled the planter – no flowering buds insight. Who would do such a thing? How cruel? I couldn’t figure it out and then all of a sudden a harsh reality sunk in. My petunias were probably devoured by those cute deer I had seen the night before. Innocently running through our yard, I never thought they would be capable of destroying, devouring and ripping apart my petunias. My husband confirmed my suspicions. And while I was still fuming, he gave me some good advice to keep those deer from having a feast with my flowers.

You know, sometimes we leave our life exposed like those petunias vulnerable to the attacks of one who loves to devour our best intentions. Oh we might look like we’ve got it all together on the outside, but if we’re not doing something on the inside to protect our mind, our soul and our heart then we’re a sitting prey for Satan’s feast.

Distracted, busy and yes entertaining boredom, we can easily slip away from what shields, covers, protects and secures us. Forgetting His faithfulness welcomes in doubt. Releasing His truths for the lies swirling around us invites insecurities.

God’s divine advice – flee, resist and turn away – perfectly poised for victory. Cling to His word. Breathe prayers throughout our day. Confess daily. Invite accountability. Encourage community – united we will stand; divided we will fall. Clothed from head to toe in His armor ready when the fiery darts come our way. Confident not of self but of His divine protection.

“Father, we often entertain what we think we can control only to fall flat on our face. Help us to realize that Your protection plan guarantees our success.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 25, 2018

A Clean Sweep

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 (ESV)

Clean out the fridge. Sweets eliminated. Clothes to the Goodwill. Closet clean. Papers shredded. It’s the acts of a clean sweep. Getting rid of stuff that accumulates or attempts to sabotage what serves us best. Putting away the past and pushing forward to the new. Dumping excess in exchange for simpler less complicated.

Wonder if we need anything cleaned out of our lives? What do we need to eliminate emotionally? Is there anything cluttering up our minds? What has crept in while we were busy or distracted? Maybe it’s time we got rid of the stuff that hasn’t served us well. The very things we are holding onto may be the exact things that God wants us to release, eliminate and put away.

Facing the reality of what needs to be changed takes honesty and courage. If we want revival in our hearts and the lives of those around us, then we must humbly admit what needs changing and confessing. It so easy to slide through a year with the anticipation of new, better and great – but if we remain the same we will only reap the same.

Personal revival only comes after deep cleansing. Love the tender mercies of God and welcome His grace in our places that need His washing. Cherish the tears that lead to repentance and the sorrows that drive sin away. Love the arms spread wide drawing us close to His heart filled with compassion. Cling to the joy restored when whiter than snow covers us. Sing His praises in the breaking of another dawn knowing new, better and great awaits those who obey God’s commands.

“Sweet Jesus, You have covered all our sins so that we can experience the freedom of walking in your truth and grace – we praise Your holy name!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 24, 2018

Praising One Another

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 (NIV)

Great job!! I’m proud of you! I believe in you! You can do it!! Encouragement invigorates hope, inspires vision, and revolutionizes lives. Aligning with self-esteem programs in schools, churches, and the corporate world these principles invigorate better performance. Why? Statistics prove egos respond to positive feedback.

God echoed these words from heaven when Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:11) and again at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). Wonder if Jesus was motivated to please His Father even more following His blessing?

Daily affirmation opportunities are all around; but we often go about our day ignoring kindness, sacrifice, thoughtfulness, consideration, great attitudes, etc. Why not consider the employee who goes the extra mile, an obedient child, a loyal friend, a faithful pastor, or the spouse always placing his mate’s needs first?

We must be intentional. Incorporating praise will most definitely encourage productivity in any walk of life.

“Dear Father, please use me to be a positive and uplifting encourager to someone today.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Love, Spiritual Living

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