Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 1, 2025

Proverbs – Wisdom’s Way

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”  Proverbs 1:7 (NLT)

I love receiving invitations in the mail! Whether it is to a bridal shower, baby shower, wedding, graduation, or birthday party, I am always excited to receive them, and I look forward to celebrating the exciting occasion! Invitations almost always mean celebration and joy, and they mark a momentous occasion.

As I have been reading and studying the book of Proverbs this past year, it occurred to me that the book of Proverbs is written almost like an invitation to be a part of God’s plan. Proverbs is written to invite us to walk the path that follows Jesus — a path marked by wise moral choices based on God’s Word, and one that can often save us from pitfalls, though not always guaranteed. Proverbs are not written as the Ten Commandments; they are written as fences to keep us in the healthy pasture. Can wild animals break into fences and cause destruction? Yes, they can. Proverbs are written so that we can choose to stay in the pasture – not go looking for the wild animals.

As stated above, staying inside the fence is not a guarantee for success, but it does alleviate some of the danger. The book of Proverbs presents general principles for how society would function if everyone followed God’s wisdom. Are there exceptions to the rule? Always! That is where Job and Ecclesiastes come in. These two books show the exceptions, and there are always exceptions, as many of us have lived out.

Proverbs offers us a glimpse of Jesus. It shows us how He was with God the Father at Creation, how a healthy respect for Him leads us to make the right decisions, and how we can apply the knowledge we learn in His Word to our daily lives. These are not vague concepts; these are decisive actions to take as we encounter the world around us. Proverbs addresses such issues as mental health, emotional health, anger, narcissism,  relationships, money, sex, alcohol, friendship, character, and forgiveness. God is not surprised by the world we live in, and He made a way to steer us through the decisions we need to make and the sins we want to avoid.

The Hebrew word for wisdom is Chokmah (חָכְמָה). Chokmah is the same word used for artists and craftsmen in Exodus 31. It is more than just knowing the right thing to do; it is doing it. It is using the practical wisdom God gives us in Proverbs for our daily lives. It is applying what we learn!

As I said, I love receiving invitations and looking forward to an exciting occasion! I want to invite you to join me to read the book of Proverbs in October. Thirty-one days in October and thirty-one chapters in Proverbs = thirty-one nuggets of wisdom! That is something worth celebrating!

I am so excited to see what God will do with each of us when we read and apply His principles to every area of our lives.

“Father, help us to see You have made a way for us as we walk through all the different situations in our lives. Help us to follow You.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (feel free to follow @TerrieTollerson)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 30, 2025

Unstoppable, Incomprehensible

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [overcome] it.” John 1:5

It’s getting more obvious, the darkness and the light. The chasm between them is growing wider in our culture, nation, and world—making that gap harder and harder for people to straddle. In just the first few verses of John’s gospel, he introduces us to the concepts of light and dark. “Light” refers to holiness in people, the truth of God’s word, and the Word Himself (Jesus). “Darkness” connotes sin, corruption, and lies—and it’s also the preferred environment of Satan, whose purpose, along with his minions, is to keep the world and its people in darkness. The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:8 that before surrendering to the Lord, we ourselves were darkness, but are now light in the world. Jesus also tells us, point blank, that He is the Light of the world, and whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12). I could go on and on, but you can do a simple word study on “darkness” and “light” to further explore the concepts.

As we look around (and read the headlines), evil is afoot—the darkness is darkening. But that’s why John 1:5 is so very hopeful for believers! Interestingly, even between two of the most accurate Bible translations—the ESV and NASB—there is a discrepancy of translation that could at first be perplexing…but is actually quite glorious. The ESV says when the Light (Jesus) shines in the darkness, the darkness has not “overcome” it. This is awesome! We can proclaim, “Yes! In the resurrection of Jesus, He is victorious over sin and death—and darkness! As scary and evil as things may look now, He already won—so the light will win!” Despite more Christian persecution and murder around the world than ever before in history, and even the growing rage against the light (and Light) in our own country, Jesus has not been (and cannot be) overcome. For this, we can have peace, joy, and bold confidence in our faith.

Ah, but then there’s the NASB (which I, as an aside, personally prefer because this translation always capitalizes pronouns referring to God and Jesus—could be just the writer geek in me). Here, instead of “overcome,” the Greek word is translated “comprehend” (NASB1995) or “grasp”. Friend, doesn’t this concept stir up even more hope in your heart, mind, and spirit, especially as we look around us at the mounting madness? It’s as though John is reminding us, “As Jesus shines into this dark world, just remember that the darkness simply won’t get it.” Satan, the god of this world, promotes spiritual darkness and rebellion against God—keeping people from turning to the Light and attempting to stumble those walking in the Light. Yet as Jesus shows up on the scene through His people, the world responds with utter confusion, perplexed at what they see. They shake their heads, mock, attempt to destroy. We have clearly witnessed this over the past few weeks, as a revival of sorts has broken out in our own nation…as the Light shines brighter, the darkness looks on with disdainful incomprehension.

So, Christian, let these two concepts further embolden you! Speak Truth, Life, and Light into the darkness of your own world—your family, work, community. No matter the response or consequence. The darkness won’t win—it can’t! And, God willing, your words may usher someone from darkness to light, transforming their lives and changing the trajectory of their eternity! But if they scoff, rebuff, spit, or worse, know that they just don’t get it. They are blind, the walking dead. And never forget: we were once like them (Ephesians 2:1-10)…so let’s not ever give up.

“Lord, remind me daily that I am to be light in this dark world, to shine before others that they may turn to You. Embolden me to speak Jesus in the confidence that even though some may not comprehend, the Light wins.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 29, 2025

The Perfect Gaze

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?” Psalm 121:1 (ESV)

How do you face life’s challenges? If you’re like me when life gets hard it’s super easy to cast our gaze vertically zeroing in on our circumstances. Looking straight out in front of us and allowing all those preconceived scenarios to play out in our minds. And we all know where that will land us – paralyzed with fear, drowning in self pity and making all kinds of compromises. Why? Because overwhelmed never serves us well.

Wonder what would happen if instead of focusing out at the  challenge, we chose to gaze up? To lift our eyes off the obvious and intentionally view whatever we are facing with a mind set on God’s eternal purposes. To reflect upward and know that our God is ever present, and He is all knowing, fully aware of what we need, ready to rescue us from overwhelmed and reassure us of His goodness.

It’s a hard fought journey to resist gazing in a direction that sets us up for fear and being consumed with the challenge staring us in the face. However, it is the right choice to lift our eyes toward the One who sees, hears and knows all that we are facing.

If you think it’s totally impossible to pivot your gaze, then grab God’s word and read the amazing story of Stephen. Acts 6 introduces him as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Stephen’s attributes were defined as full of grace, power and wisdom – just a little bit too much for the jealous religious leaders who sought to silence him. And when Stephen’s accusers became enraged, his gaze pivoted away from their impending threats and grinding teeth. As he lifted his eyes up toward heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Faced with complete opposition and impending stoning, Stephen glimpsed heaven – he didn’t run, he didn’t argue, he was intimidated – he simply lifted his gaze.

How I love the faith and boldness of Stephen. His courage and ability to face the hardest journey ever gives me strength to lift my gaze off my challenges. The grace he exhibited toward his accusers as they stoned him to death leaves me speechless. Jesus standing during Stephen’s persecution and hardest place ensures me that Jesus sees, hears and knows all that is touching my life.

So sweet friends, what challenge is staring us in the face? Do we have the courage and discipline to lift our eyes off our circumstances and gaze upward fully confident that God has us in the palm of His hands? Fear will fade, calm will flow, perspective will change when we release our hard journey for His eternal purposes – a focus that always serves us well.

“Father, You welcome us with open arms – ready to act on our behalf and reassure us of Your ever presence. Steady our gaze and help us to resist the urge to become overwhelmed by our circumstances.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 26, 2025

Why Capture Really Does Matter

“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 (ESV)

Taking the perfect picture has never been my talent. While I might have an eye for the best shot, my photos definitely don’t reflect any expertise. Don’t really know how I do it so imperfectly every time. Probably why selfies weren’t on my radar until I discovered this cool feature on my smartphone. Who knew you could simply say “Capture” and your phone would take the picture for you? No hitting a button. No trying to keep my hand out of the lens area. By changing the setting on my phone’s camera, my lack of photography skills has been revolutionized.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if capturing our thoughts was as simple as capturing the perfect pose?

Neuroscientists believe we have 60,000 – 80,000 random thoughts in a day. Our mind is constantly going; the only time our brain waves go to zero is if we are brain dead. From the moment we stretch and get out of bed, we realize our mind is soaring. For some of us it might be remembering our endless list of things we have to get done. For others it may be deep thoughts trying to unpack relationship issues. For some, the first thoughts we recognize in our morning could be fragments of a dream we had. And all these bombard us before we even hit the shower. No wonder we feel mentally challenged.

Positive thoughts centered on God’s word energize us, lift us up and encourage us. Filling our minds with the truth of what God says about us and our challenges. Focusing on His promises positions us to face even the hardest places with courage and boldness. These are thoughts we want to entertain moment by moment.

Sweet friends let’s keep it real here – positive thoughts are not what we get so lost in  – it’s our negative thoughts. It’s a daily struggle to short-circuit thousands of thoughts creeping in and stealing our joy. And the more we entertain unhealthy thoughts, the easier it is for our minds to settle there drowning out the positive. Creating pathways – grooves and ruts – which makes it easier for our minds to go in the same direction moment by moment.

God’s word reminds us in 2 Corinthians to take every thought captive, to seize our thoughts and ensure they are glorifying Him. Just like it took action on my part to program my phone to recognize “capture” when I wanted to snap a photo, we must take action to “capture” our thoughts. If we want our thoughts to serve us well, then we must be intentional in extinguishing negative and unhealthy chatter in our brains.

Speaking God’s truth out loud in the face of unwanted thoughts forces our minds to zero in on every word, thus ending the noise attempting to slay us. Coming up with a game plan in advance postures us for victory.  The past few weeks, I’ve mentally shouted “capture” at the slightest hint of a wrong thought. And my voice was constantly on repeat; however, I am finding I don’t easily entertain those negative thoughts to self like I used to. I’m finally taking captive what wasn’t serving me well.

Capture never sounded more beautiful….the perfect way to keep our thoughts aligned with God’s.

“Father, You have equipped us with minds capable of creativity, innovation and cultivating deep truths. Help us to actively capture any thoughts which don’t glorify you or serve us well.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Freedom, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 24, 2025

Lessons I Learned From The Shore

“Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.”  Psalm 104:25 (NLT)

I have been cleaning the photos off my phone and realized I had not made our summer vacation book from this year. As I swiped through pictures, I was reminded of how much I love the shore. The shore, the beach, the ocean, whatever you call it, is the most glorious and peaceful place on our planet. At least that is my opinion. I absolutely love any chance I get to sit on the sandy shore and listen to the waves crash over and over and over. I am the person who can never get enough of being there and takes every chance I get to go back.

One thing can add to the glory of the ocean and that is to be at the ocean with our grandsons! This past summer, I had the privilege of snuggling under the beach umbrella with our newest grandson while he slept, which gave me a lot of thinking and praying time. As I gazed over the blue-green waters and studied the majesty and consistency of the waves rolling in, I realized the ocean had taught me quite a few things about God.

-The ocean rolls in and out day after day and is constant. It does this whether I am there or not-the ocean never leaves, just as God will never leave us.

-The waves roll up onto the shore as if always trying to reach me. They consistently try to catch me time after time. God will never give up on me.

-Just dipping my toes in the cool water is refreshing. Just as dipping into scripture refreshes my soul. I may not get the full benefit of studying, but His Word always changes me, even in little bits.

-There are a variety of people doing a variety of things-sitting under umbrellas, surfing, boogie boarding, swimming, walking, sunbathing, and snuggling babies! Such a picture of the beautiful people God created and sent His son to die for.

-So many are drawn to the shore, but some do not know what to do with it. Some fear it, some admire it, and some are in awe of it. So many feel this way about God. They may fear Him, admire Him, or even be in awe of Him, but it is our choice to embrace Him and jump in fully.

-The salt in the ocean is a healer. It can help our skin, sore throats, and heals wounds, just as Jesus is our Healer, internally and externally.

-The salt can also sting, taste bitter, and burn our eyes which is what conviction does to us. The thing is, after the sting we can swim again and we remember not to do the same thing to sting again!

-Some have had a bad experience at the beach, whether sunburn or stung by a jellyfish, but that does not change the fact that the ocean is constant and majestic. The ocean is still the ocean regardless of how we perceive it. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

-Lastly, and it is my favorite lesson learned, I cannot see where the ocean ends which reminds me of two incredible truths. Truth one is that my sin is so far removed from me that God will never remember it or bring it back to shame me. Truth two is that His love for me has no ending and will go on forever.

What an awesome God we serve. His creation is an amazing representation of Who He is!

“Father, thank you for reminding us of your kindness, goodness, and majesty through Your Creation.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (Feel free to follow me @TerrieTollerson on instagram)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Gratitude, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 23, 2025

Embrace Endurance

“Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.” This was the response Charlie Kirk gave to an interviewer when asked what he most wanted to be known for after he is gone. Ironically, he made this statement just five short months before he was martyred. I’d seen this interview clip numerous times over the past week, and it came to mind again while I was reading chapter 12 of Hebrews…and I had to stop to ask myself, “Is my faith in Jesus the most important thing in my life—so much so, that others think of me as being ‘courageous for my faith’?”

Actually, I imagine many of us Christ-followers have been asking ourselves this question lately. Thankfully, the Bible is chock full of encouragement and exhortations as to why and how we can be courageous—we’re on the winning team, for one thing! And I just love the way the Apostle Paul exhorts us throughout his epistles to stand firm (Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 5:1), be bold (Ephesians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Timothy 1:6-7), and finish well (2 Timothy 4:7; Philippians 3:14; Galatians 6:9).

At the beginning of Hebrews 12, the author cheers us on in our faith. He writes, “Let’s run with endurance the race set before us.” Endurance, beloved, is steady determination to keep going, not giving up or in, despite how the world, our flesh, or the enemy might whisper, distract, tempt. And this takes courage. But how are we able to maintain this steadfast endurance? Right in those same two verses, he gives us four things to do.

  1. “We have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.” Not only do we have the example of Biblical heroes like Paul, John, James, the Apostles, the OT Prophets, etc., but we have 2000 years’ worth of steadfast men and women of faith and Christian martyrs. And we have our own experience with disciplers, faithful brothers and sisters, and pastors. These are our spiritual examples, mentors, cheerleaders.
  2. “Let us lay aside every encumbrance.” What is encumbering your Christian race? The unnecessary activities, time-suckers, obsessions that distract you and weigh you down? Social media? Work? Money? Religiosity? Lay them down! We can all run so much better holding fast only to the faith essentials—the gospel of grace and the Person of Jesus Christ.
  3. “(Let us lay aside) the sin which so easily entangles us.” Sin in our lives trips up our walk, causing us to stumble, fall, and sometimes quit altogether. We are all sinners and will be until the moment we’re in glory with the Lord. But from the point of our surrender, we are new creations in Christ, and we have the Holy Spirit in us to empower us to lay aside our sinful habits. Paul talks a lot about putting off our old ways and putting on the new (see Ephesians and Colossians, for example)…think of it as having fancy performance-improving running gear with high-tech material.
  4. “Fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Now, I’m no runner, but I imagine that in a race you’re highly aware of where your competitors are as you speed to the finish line. Not so in our race to glory. In fact, Paul makes it clear here: We are to fix our eyes on Jesus! He drew us to Him for salvation, and as we follow Him, He will bring our faith, holiness, and purpose to completion. No need at all to compare ourselves to someone else’s race. It’s just us and our Audience of One.

Friend, how is your Christian run at present? Perhaps it’s time for a refocus and a laying aside. Like Charlie Kirk, none of us is promised tomorrow. Today is the day to be bold and run with endurance. So, let’s be known for courage in our faith, to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, encouraging others to give their lives to Him as well.

“Lord, You are my Everything. Forgive me for any shame in me for speaking Truth in fear of mocking or repercussions. Make me bold for Jesus and sharing the gospel—every day. Let my sole desire be to “make heaven crowded.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 22, 2025

Growing Abundantly

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly..” II Thessalonians 1:3a (ESV)

If we think life is gonna stay the same then we are setting ourselves up for false expectations.  From the moment we breathed our first breath, we began to change and the evolving of us has never stopped. We crawled, walked, ran and leaped.  We spoke, read, wrote and sang.  And the cycle continues from sweet infant to beautiful woman.

So why do we resist glorious change?  Why do we welcome routineness and embrace familiar?  Don’t know about you but sameness offers ease for me.  I don’t have to navigate through or figure out anything, but no growth results from coasting. Sameness reeks of stagnant, still waters, unmoving to the rhythms of life.

We were created for transformation.  Despite our perceived joy often found in sameness, we truly long for the end result – radiating Jesus to our world – real beauty unfolding within us. Hugh steps outside the box of comfort invite the remaking of us.  Releasing undesirable traits unleashes the renewing of us. Quietness in God’s presence restructures us and deepens the well of new He so desires.  Challenges realign us and difficulties refine us.   All changes that birth incredible growth.

We can choose to relinquish change and remain the same, but we will never be fulfilled.  God’s growth plan looks different for every one of His children. He alone knows the best way to move us out of complacency to fruitfulness.  He orchestrates every growth spurt at the precise pivotal moment to maximize our potential.  Will it be uncomfortable?  Probably.  Will it stretch us?  I’m sure it will.  Will it be a learning experience?  Yes.  But we will never walk those paths alone.  God will be right by our side every step of the way.  He will instruct us, lead us, guide us, and cheer us on. And when the waves of fear overwhelm us, God will be our peace and calm.  He will be our reassuring presence.

Growing abundantly is where I want to be – clinging to His promises and obeying His word.  Won’t you join me on this journey?  I can promise you will never be disappointed with God’s transforming grace.

“Father, we settle too often for familiar – propel us out into the deep waves of change so that we can fulfill Your purposes.

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 19, 2025

The Best Option

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9

Ever find yourself consumed with an agenda before your knees even hit the floor? Yes, I’ve been there where I came up with all the workable solutions. I’ve told God exactly what He should do and how He should do it and when He should do it. Sounds outrageous really – our Father who desires our ultimate best has a perfect plan for those things which touch our lives. We know we can trust Him; His very name reminds us of His incomprehensible power. Yet for some reason, we feel the urge to just let Him know what He should be doing. Despite the stark reality of God’s sovereignty there’s something wired in us (our flesh) which seeks to move the plan along our way at our pace.

Prayer is one of those avenues where we feel inclined to give voice to our solutions and provide the perfect option. We will spend endless moments zeroed in on our idea of how God should work things out leaving no opportunity for Him to even speak. We’ve already zoned out what His will is versus ours. Sound familiar? Oh yes, we’ve been down this road too many times.

Fully aware of our tendencies, Jesus reminds us of the importance of praying, “Your will be done.” Giving up? Not quite how Jesus sees it. Surrender is more like yielding our free will to match the perfect will of God. Jesus not only prayed these words; He lived them. During the darkest moments of His life on this earth, the Son of God asked the very thing we often desire, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me.” He totally gets our cries for another option, a different chapter and an easier journey. But Jesus didn’t stop there like we often do. “Yet not as I will, but as You will,” echoed from His lips in the garden twice. The fulfillment of Jesus’ coming to our world and laying down His life culminated on the cross – God’s will birthing a glorious resurrection!

So sweet friends the next time we are tempted to dominate the conversation and leverage our agenda let’s choose to seek His will, verbally ask for His best and rest in His peace.

“Father, You see our world from a perspective unclouded by human emotion and preferences. We can trust You to fulfill Your purposes on earth and in heaven.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 18, 2025

Dressing For The Day

“They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:19, ESV)

For my friends in Virginia, we know that dressing for the day can be challenging.  We can start the morning out in the teens and by mid-afternoon, we could be enjoying temperatures in the seventies. Or vice versa.  I’m an open-toe girl (always pedicured and ready to shine), but if rain or extreme cold is in the forecast – a closed-toe shoe is donned. Not everyone listens to the news, but most everyone checks the weather regularly (and usually in the mornings). Even though the weather forecast isn’t one hundred percent accurate – people still regularly check it.   They want to know what to wear and if their outdoor plans are going to be safe.  They want to be prepared for the day.

There is a resource that we can go to that gives one hundred percent accuracy of how to dress for the day.  It’s the Bible.  Essential basics of dressing for the day include:

  1. Don’t be clothed in things that will weigh us down (Hebrews 12:1)
  2. Take off the old self – put on the new self (Colossians 3:9)
  3. Putting on the armor of God every morning (Ephesians 6:13-18)
  4. Be clothed in righteousness (Ephesians 4:25-5:2) (Isaiah 11:5)
  5. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, patience, and meekness as God’s chosen (Colossians 3:12)
  6. Always be sure to add peace to your day (Psalm 34:14)
  7. Put on love – which binds everything together (Colossians 3:14)

By taking the time to read the Bible in the morning, we are reminded of these essentials to “wear” throughout the day.  Thus, making us a more effective follower of Christ that day. Versus waiting until after your day is done and then reading it. That’s like leaving your umbrella at home on a rainy day.  You have an umbrella but it’s not being very effective at keeping you dry.

If we haven’t gone to the scriptures first to know what to put on and what to take off, then we’re basically “feeling” our way through the day.

Friends, I can’t stress enough, you will never find consistency in your life if you’re making your decisions throughout the day based on feelings alone. Just because your mind has a thought or a feeling, it doesn’t make it truthful or helpful to you. Equipping ourselves with the Word of God in the mornings gives us ammunition to battle those feelings.  Bringing them under the authority of God.

If you don’t have time in the mornings to sit and read, then consider having the Word read to you as you prepare for the day.  Listening to the Bible on an app or via a preacher on TV can be just as effective.

“Father teach us to dress for the day by always going to your Word first to be effective for the gospel.”

For His Glory

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

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | September 17, 2025

What’s On Your Playlist

“…You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  Leviticus 19:2b (NLT)

I love Spotify! I love the convenience, the variety and the fact that we can share lists. It is such a great tool for so many reasons. Music truly can change your mood on a dime. Who does not feel like you can climb a mountain when listening to the Rocky theme song or like you can really dance when The Cupid Shuffle begins?!

The other day, I was looking through my lists and they were like a snapshot of my life. They show my moods, the season I was going through, or a collection of what someone else thought  might encourage me. It was like walking down memory lane to think about what each of these meant to me at a particular time and how they changed me.

I realized that each of these playlists had affected me and the way I thought. It made me stop and think-what is on my playlist now? Not just in my music, but the playlist of my life.

What about you? What is on your playlist? Maybe you have a Spotify list or maybe not, but what are we allowing to shape and influence us? When we look back at this season in a year, will we be better for it or worse for it? Not the circumstances we are living in, but the person we are becoming.

These are some hard and heavy questions. I have been sitting in them for a bit now, and I really do not care for it. The battle to live carefree and maybe a little reckless is always at odds with the understanding that this life and how we live it matters. It matters a lot. It not only matters to us, but to those we have the opportunity to influence. I am not talking about not having fun. Jesus drew the crowds to Himself. I imagine He had the best sense of humor, and He was so welcoming. I am referring to the things we allow to change us or reshape us.

As we pause and think about what is on our playlists in life,  it is important to pay attention to our emotions as well as our thoughts. Are we allowing the things we focus on to bring us closer to Jesus and His purposes for us or are they moving our focus off course, away from Him?

The great thing about Spotify is that you press one little button and it can delete any song from your list. We all know life changes take a bit more effort than that. It is a place to start, though. Sometimes we need to reevaluate choices we have made, people we have allowed into our lives, commitments we have chosen, and habits we have allowed to form us.  We do this by praying to God for wisdom and asking Him to show us clearly where we may be struggling in our walk with Him. If we want our playlists to honor Him, we may need to add, delete, or rearrange.

Let’s not ruin the vibe of His amazing playlist for us by allowing anything below His standards to influence us.

“Father, help us to take a step toward You today and be mindful of what is on our playlist. Give us the courage to take off anything that is not bringing us closer to You.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (Follow me @TerrieTollerson on Instagram)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

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