Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 15, 2025

Just Move

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25

My pastor often says that you can’t follow someone without taking steps to go after them—moving in the direction they’re moving. This is especially true regarding Jesus. As followers of Christ, we must be walking after Him. Reading His Word—and acting on it. Doing whatever He says to do (John 2:5). Walking and working out our salvation (Philippians 2:12-13) through action…action that is in response to our salvation, not to earn it (Ephesians 2:8-10).

When it comes to doing for the Lord (serving), whether within the church itself or for a local church ministry, I’ve heard from so many Christians something to the effect of, “Oh, I’m praying about where to serve.” Then (in a French accent, per SpongeBob SquarePants), “three years later.” OK, so maybe not three years, but three months or even a year later, the response from this same person is, “Well, I’m just not sure where the Lord wants me.”

Sound vaguely familiar? Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good thing to wait on the Lord for things and pray fervently for guidance, wisdom, discernment…but nine times out of ten, the bush outside our window won’t be on fire (no matter how long you stare at it). And your dry fleece won’t be wet or your wet one dry.

Oh beloved when it comes to taking godly action, especially in serving the Lord, just move! If it is aligned with God’s Word—and serving His family or a Christ-following ministry usually is—then start doing something! You can base it on your specific God-given gifts (see one of the many spiritual gift surveys), what seems like it would be a “good fit” for you, or just on what needs to be done. The Holy Spirit will steer you once you start moving. In fact, when we’re serving according to our gift(s) and where the Lord truly wants us, we’ll experience incredible joy and energy in the action. (Can I get a witness?) This reminds me of another thing my pastor is fond of repeating: When it comes to following the Lord, we “pray, guess, and go.” Does it align with God’s Word—i.e., is not sinful? Then go for it! When you stand before the Lord someday, He’s not going to look at you disdainfully, shaking His head, and say, “You know, you really shouldn’t have served in Kids Ministry that year at your church—it’s not what I had for you.”

When I brought up this “just do something” idea at Bible study recently, my sweet mat-carrying sister tied up this concept with a mic-drop comment: “A ship can’t be steered unless it’s moving.” (This got me burrowing down a rabbit hole of marine engineering, into “sway velocity” and “surge velocity” and “rudder force”—but I’ll spare you all this.) But, yes, like a large boat, we’ve got to start going in a godly direction. Then our sweet Navigator will guide us where He wants us—for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28-30).

“Lord, You give us wisdom when we ask (James 1:5-6). But also, please give me the courage to move—to do, to say, to go—in faith and in alignment with Your Word.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 14, 2025

Praising The One Who Gave His Life

cb devo apr9“My mouth is filled with Your praise, and with Your glory all the day.” Psalm 71:8 (ESV)

Wonder how many different emotions we experience in a day? Grumpy or happy might start our day depending on whether we stopped at Starbucks on our morning commute or broke up a fight in the car as we pulled into the school parking lot. Overwhelmed might greet us as we walk into our office and see that same pile of papers didn’t disappear overnight. Joyful could have us dancing through the streets if we’ve reached a goal or overcome a difficulty. Anger might consume us if harbor resentment. Fear could be our best friend if we zero in on the negatives and overlook the positives.

Sound familiar? As women we experience a wide range of emotions in just one given day. So it’s easy to see how our roller coaster ride can impact our worship. Praising God on Sunday hands lifted high and allowing chaos on Monday to diminish who He is shaking fists at the sky. Wavering in a sea of doubt tossed about – a double minded person half believing, half doubting. The words we so easily sang with fellow believers now distant in our silence of one. The quietness of our hearts torn between the One we praise and the way we feel.

The magnitude of our worship should never match our emotions, but rather reflect the magnificence of our God. Even in the midst of swirling feelings, God is still faithful, loving, kind and true. He is never changing, always steady, forever stable and our everlasting peace. And when our day attempts to steal away our praise, let’s worship Him with hands lifted high, knees bowed low and hearts captivated with our awesome God.

“Father, elevate our praise away from how we feel to who You truly are – our awesome God!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 11, 2025

Essential Light

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

One of the many (many) things I love about living in Florida is the presence of all the fruit trees randomly growing in people’s yards—oranges, lemons, limes, and other interesting citrus types I’ve never seen before. (As I write this, my mouth is watering in anticipation of the oranges ripening on our neighbor’s tree, which hangs over our fence…so those oranges are technically ours, am I right? Actually, these particular neighbors don’t like citrus, so all the fruit from their three citrus trees will be ours, but I digress.)

Why are these fruit trees so prevalent in sunny Florida? Well, they require full sun (6-8 hours/day) to flourish. Even a few too many hours of shade can negatively impact the rate of growth, fruiting potential, and cold resilience of the trees. Light is essential.

This is a beautiful analogy for believers. All people are born into darkness—all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Not only are we in darkness and of the darkness, we are darkness (Ephesians 5:8). But, by accepting the amazing gift of grace provided by Jesus—the Light of the world— He rescues us from the darkness (Colossians 1:13; John 8:12; 1 Peter 2:9). We move into in the Light, become of the Light…we are Light (Ephesians 5:8).

And, as a result of this surrender to salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us, so that we have the power to live out our new reality…we produce fruit (Ephesians 5:9). Not lemons and limes, but love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). We live fruity lives—not to earn God’s grace and love, but in response to it.

But friend, like those luscious trees, we cannot produce this fruit without exposure to Light! Those trees need to be in the sun, and we need to be in the Son. And although we are in the Light and of the Light once saved, fruit is not automatically produced! We have to maintain daily “Son exposure”—we have to spend time with Him (He is the Light) and in His Word—it is light to us (Psalm 119:105). Moreover, also analogous to fruit trees, we cannot risk exposure to the darkness. Participating in the darkness (sin) of our old life, will—like with the tree—negatively impact our growth in the Lord, our fruiting potential, and our resilience to the attacks of the world and Satan (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 22:24-25; Ephesians 5:11). Light is essential.

One more fact about those delicious fruit trees: if they don’t have any sun, they will die. Friend, the same is true of us. If we don’t have the Son—Jesus Christ—we will surely die (Romans 6:23). What about you? Are you living in the darkness right now? Won’t you step into the Light of Jesus, repenting and accepting the free gift of salvation and reconciliation with God? I promise, your soul will flourish. If you are already a believer, how fruity is your life? If you’re not producing the kind of fruit you want, be intentional about spending sweet time basking in the Son and nourishing your soul with the light of God’s Word.

“Lord, You are the Light of the world. If anyone reading this has the weight of darkness upon them, turn their heart toward You and transform them from darkness to light, giving them everlasting life in You.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 10, 2025

The Difference Starts With You & Me

feb-9“I will save you from the hands of the wicked and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.” Jeremiah 15:21 (NIV)

When I visited Israel several years ago, I spent a few minutes in the garden outside the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem looking at the different plaques and monuments. One, in particular, caught my eye, because I was familiar with the name on the plaque: Oskar Schindler.

Back in 1993, Steven Spielberg directed the movie Schindler’s List, which told the story of a man named Oskar Schindler. In the peak of World War II, when Nazi Germans were trying to annihilate the Jewish race, Oskar miraculously managed to save thousands of Jews from being slaughtered by the callous, selfish, and horrendous nature of the Adolf Hitler philosophy of creating a “pure race.”  Schindler placed his own life at risk as he used his place of business, an armament factory, to hire and shelter Jewish men and women who would, otherwise, be sent to concentration camps to die.

The monument of which I speak was a tree. Yes, a tree. Planted right alongside the walkway, amidst other trees like itself.   It stood, tall and green, paying tribute to the memory of a man whose brave, caring, generous and selfless acts helped to ensure other generations of Jewish families would be given a chance of sharing space in this world, a man who had helped to make a difference for a race.

And if one man could do so much, how much more, then, could millions of people do, if they united and acted towards promoting the good – and the betterment – of mankind? The world needs more people like Oskar Schindler, to improve the livelihood of those who are in distress and unable to help themselves. The world needs more people who, instead of focusing on the things that are not right in this world, choose to work together to improve them and ensure the common good. If we acted selflessly to promote peace, kindness, and unity among mankind, war would be just another word in the dictionary. And it starts with you and me.

“Lord, thank you for Your saving grace.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 9, 2025

Be A Sunflower

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You.” Psalm 63:1

I love sunflowers. They’re definitely my favorite flower. Thankfully, my husband knows this—as well he should, after 25 years. So, like with every birthday and other special occasion, when Valentine’s Day arrived this year, so did a gorgeous bouquet of these bright, festive blossoms.

It’s fairly common knowledge that sunflowers have a unique characteristic when they are young: They are heliotropic. This not-so-common term simply means that the head of the sunflower follows the arc of the sun as the sun moves across the sky throughout the day. The science behind this phenomenon is pretty cool. Basically, cells on the east side of the stem elongate during the day, turning the head gradually to the west to follow the sun. During the night, the cells on the west elongate, so the flower is facing the east in time for the sunrise.

The how is definitely interesting…but what about the why? Well, scientists identify two main reasons. First, they grow more by following the sun. The second reason is that by facing the sun more, the flowers heat up faster—and the warmth attracts pollinating bees.

Sisters, because our creative God does nothing out of chance or without purpose, we can learn a simple, yet profound, spiritual lesson from these beautiful blooms: Face the Son.

So, what does this lesson look like as we live it out? Let me break it down as a set of questions we can each ask ourselves.

• When I wake up, am I facing the new mercies of a new morning?
• Do I daily soak up life-giving rays of the Light of the world through meditating on His Word?
• Throughout the day—every day—am I keeping my eyes heavenward, knowing that this world is not my home?
• Do I make the most of the nourishment provided to me by constantly seeking its Source?
• Am I growing as much as possible through spiritual disciplines (Bible intake, prayer, worship and serving)?

Like the majestic sunflower, our purpose—the why—for this “holy heliotropism” will be evidenced by the result. When we face the Son, my beloved sisters, we will exude a warmth that attracts others. And when our spiritual demeanor is inviting to those walking through this dark world with their heads bowed to the ground, we have the opportunity to turn their eyes to the only true Source of life.

“Lord, may I keep my face toward You, so that I grow closer to You and exude an inviting warmth that impacts the lost and broken people around me.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRCB Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 8, 2025

Weeding The Garden

Spring has arrived and for us, that means it is garden time! Anyone else already getting their hands dirty with soil, dreaming of the beauty to come, and looking forward to eating the fruits of your labor? We are so ready at our house!

As we were cleaning out the beds and mulching the soil, we found a few subtle weeds in the corner. We had our little garden shovel, so we quickly dug the first one up. As we went to dig out the next one, it was obvious the small garden shovel would not be enough. We had to get the ditch digger shovel! Although the weed was barely peeking through the surface, we found it had a large root ball underneath. It took time, sweat, and that big shovel to dig it out.

It was frustrating for both of us because we were not expecting such a big weed. It also lifted out a lot of the good soil with it when it was dug up, and it took extra time when we wanted to plant!

As I was working through my annoyance with this weed, Hebrews 12:15 came to mind. It says, “Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”  The message says it like this, “A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.”

That was sobering. Here we were digging out difficult weeds in the garden, yet I realized I had allowed bitterness to go undiagnosed in my own heart and I was now faced with the realization of the cost. I recognized that I had not only allowed it to affect me, but those around me, especially my family. The weight of my choice to hang onto hurts and not bring them to the Lord to uproot, while they were still tiny little shoots, hit me hard.  Right there in my little garden, God spoke to me, and I had a choice. I tried to justify to Him the pain that I had been in, through the choices of others. Yet, He reminded me that I could leave the pain with Him, turn away from the bitterness it had caused, and start over and allow Him to plant new things. It would take some time, effort, and a lot of choices to stay focused on the uprooting, but I made the decision to allow His shovel to begin removing it.

It will take time but asking Him to remove  that root has not only produced freedom and joy in my heart, but it has allowed space for His plants to grow! It is not always easy, and it is taking blood, sweat, and tears, but the result is worth it. The bitter root had caused trouble for me, as well as others close to me.

Doing things His way is always best. I ‘know’ that, yet I did not live it. Hmmm….when will I learn?!!!

“Lord, remind us that doing life your way is always best. Help us to be humble and allow you to weed our gardens as needed.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 7, 2025

Clipboard Christians

“And they were watching (Jesus) closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.”  Mark 3:2

As I was reading through the first few chapters of Mark’s gospel, an interesting rhythm arose in chapters 2 and 3 as Jesus walked out the start of His earthly ministry. As He taught, healed, and hung out with His disciples, something struck me as weird: the Pharisees and/or Scribes were always there, lurking about with proverbial clipboards in hand. Not sure why, but I envision them sneakily following and then comically popping out from around a corner or amid a crowd like a jack-in-the-box or whack-a-mole. But their allegations were anything but funny.

Throughout all the gospels, we can find these pesky Pharisees around Jesus and His disciples, watching and waiting to pounce. But even just in these five short scenarios in Mark, their intentions are made super clear. (Please go back and read Mark 2:1-3:6 for full context here.) In the first scene, Jesus is teaching in Peter’s house, and it’s packed—too packed for some guys to bring their paralyzed friend to the Lord. So, they tore off the roof and lowered him down. Jesus told him his sins were forgiven. But the Pharisees started at Jesus, clipboard up, glasses at the end of their nose: “Why’s He doing that? That’s wrong!” (Actually, here they were only thinking it, but Jesus could hear their hearts. Mark 2:6-7) Next, Jesus calls Matthew, a Jewish tax collector, to follow Him. He does and then throws a party for Jesus to bring his tax-collector friends (and other “unsavories”) to the table to meet the Lord. And then, “Pop! Goes the weasel!” The Pharisees tap their clipboard: “Why is He doing that—it’s wrong!” (See Mark 2: 14-17.) In the third and fourth situations, the Pharisees saw that Jesus and His disciples were not following the religious rules to the burdensome level set by man (beyond God’s original intent). “Why aren’t you doing this?! And why are you doing that?! Tsk, tsk!” (See Mark 2:18-28.)

In the fifth (but hardly final) scene of Pharisaical sanctimony, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and Mark states the obvious: “And they (the Pharisees) were watching Him closely (or “maliciously”) to see if He would heal (the man with the withered hand) on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him” (Mark 3:2). But this time, Jesus beat them to the punch by asking them if what He was doing was lawful. I see them quickly hiding their clipboards behind their backs, looking at Jesus with wide “I-don’t-know-what-You’re-talking-about” eyes. As they say nothing in response, Jesus healed the man (while likely staring down the Pharisees). Ah, and then they scurried away like cockroaches and began conspiring as to how they could kill Him.

As we all shake our heads in disgust at these Pharisees, let me get that mirror for us. (I know I need one.) How many of us, as followers of Jesus Christ, are Clipboard Christians? Are there certain people at church that we watch, clipboard and pen in hand, waiting for them to say or do something we deem to be pounce-worthy? Maybe it’s that the Lord delivered you from some sin or sinful lifestyle upon your salvation, so you think every other believer should be so sanctified accordingly…and when you see it, you think (or say), “Why are you doing THAT? It’s not right!” You click your tongue and move through the sanctuary, watching and waiting. “Aha! Look at her—that outfit! In church?” Or “Did you see what he did?” And “I can’t believe that language she uses—and she calls herself a Christian.”

Um, ouch. Friend, every believer is a new creation in Christ—having been moved from death to life! Praise the Lord! But there are two important things for us to remember:

  • As Jesus says in Mark 2:17, it’s not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick—He came to call sinners. And we’re all sinners, on our way Home to glory.
  • Each of us is on a unique sanctification journey, according to the will of God, becoming more and more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18) at our own pace. Your race is not mine, and mine’s not yours.

So, beloved, let’s put down the clipboard. And let’s live, love, and serve like Jesus.

Lord, forgive my “Pharisee tendencies” to judge my brothers and sisters. Help me love more like You.

For His Glory

 Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 4, 2025

Facing Obstacles Bigger Than Yourself

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (NASB)

She inspired, encouraged, and challenged me. On rare occasions glimpses of her private life surfaced – her attitude on difficult days, interaction with her children, conflict with her husband, and many other real life situations. Though there were many personal one on one encounters, the majority of lessons were learned through observation. Was each planned? Not necessarily. Who was she? Special women who helped shape me into who I am today.

Though the word mentor is not used in scripture it is exemplified throughout. One of the greatest examples is the relationship of Mary and Elizabeth recorded in Luke 1:39-56. Immediately following the angel’s unexpected birth announcement, Mary went in haste to visit a close family relative she obviously respected and admired. Staying three months with Elizabeth intensified spiritual and practical stimulation. Why? She had much to learn and many questions to ask! Returning home, Mary faced her new assignment filled with reassurance, motivation, and confidence.

Mentoring happens every day. Be an Elizabeth to someone – as Mary, she may be facing an obstacle bigger than herself and needs someone to inspire her to be whatever God has called her to be! It has been said influence speaks volumes without saying a word. It is amazing how powerful it can be!

“Dear Father, use me to mentor someone by investing in her life.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 3, 2025

TLC For Eternity

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV)

When my firstborn son, Thiago, began to walk, I was always around and ready to scoop him up immediately after a fall, to ensure he did not get afraid to stand and take another step in fear of falling. After a few trial-and-error attempts, my little man was wobbling his way around our living room.

Sometimes God gives us spiritual children whose walk starts just as that of a young babe. With the proper attention, care, nutrition, discipline, and practice, a spiritual child will become stronger and be equipped to walk on her own. Conversely, a child who is malnourished and receives poor attention and care will struggle to start on her walk.

Has God placed anyone in your life lately who needs a little TLC from you? A neighbor? A friend? Someone you met at the beauty salon? Someone in your own family?

Spiritual children are just as important in our Christian walk as are our own children. If God has entrusted someone into your care, embrace the task at hand and offer your helping hand to provide the assurance your “child” needs until she is ready to walk on her own.

As for my little guy, it wasn’t long before he was doing little races around the house and even climbing on things he should not climb on, as he was eager to show his newly found ability to move on his own.

If you are someone else’s caretaker, you are likely to have all the necessary skills to ensure their well-being. And chances are, if you look around your own environment, you will find possibilities to do something of eternal value for someone else.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for saving us. Help us, Lord, to have the same love for those who are lost.”

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | April 2, 2025

Words Of The Wise

“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” Proverbs 21:23 (NLT)

Have your words ever gotten you into trouble? Have you uttered thoughts out loud—either under your breath or at the top of your lungs—that you wish you could have taken back the moment they left your lips? How often does your tongue betray the ugly truth of your heart?

As for me, the answers to the above questions are yes, oh yes, and way too often.

Although Scripture has a lot to say on the matter, you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to know the power of the tongue. Our flesh is a formidable foe, and it’s so easy to use our tongue in a way that’s hurtful—to another person and to ourselves. And, much like squeezing out toothpaste from its tube, once spoken, our words cannot be “put back” or become unspoken.

So, how do we keep our tongue from evil (Psalm 34:13) and ensure our words are used to bring comfort and edification? Here are three simple instructions found in God’s Word. Simple, yes. Easy? Well, not so much.

1. Listen first. “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Proverbs 18:13) When having a discussion (or disagreement), it’s easy to start formulating your response without really listening to the other person. Instead, try to focus on what they’re saying, parrot back what you heard, and ask questions of clarification. Not only will we prevent foolishness, but we may quickly come to a mutual understanding.

2. Watch your tone. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) When a situation is emotionally charged, our words can be as well. The same exact sentence can carry polar opposite meanings depending on our tone of voice. This is an area of personal struggle for me. In fact, sometimes I don’t even realize I’m using a “harsh tone” until someone (usually my husband) “lovingly” points it out.

3. Be gracious. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6) When we greet each day with the gratitude of God’s grace in our own lives, recalling that we’ve been spared the punishment we deserve thanks to Jesus Christ, extending grace to others starts coming more naturally.

“Lord, set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips, so that I may bring comfort and peace—and not pain or anger—by the words I speak.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

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