Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 30, 2014

Something To Talk About

MP900444553[1]“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17 (NIV)

Life often revolves around drama: yours and mine. Good drama the kind that inspires, uplifts and embraces life fully is amazing. Sweet stories of restoration, victories won and goals achieved. But unfortunately, we often get lost encircling those things that seek to overpower our lives – drama that stifles. Seeds of gossip, envy, anger, selfishness and restlessness grows into weeds that entangle us suffocating our peace. So what’s a girl to do when reality checks in and reveals our thrill of drama has stolen our joy, destroyed our fruit and produced a hearty crop of discontentment? How about a fresh cultivating of our hearts and minds poured out before the Master Gardener? God is our Peacemaker and when we exchange our drama for sweet surrender, we will flourish. As women, God knows our hearts are full of emotion and feelings. He wired us that way, but He never intended for us to let those emotions overpower us or to allow us to get caught up in someone else’s emotional nightmare. Bringing the unsettling areas of our lives before Him, we gain wisdom and sincerity rather than feed an unhealthy diet of strife. By safe guarding our minds and hearts, God will produce an abundant crop of trust, faith and hope that rises above any drama – now that’s something to talk about!

“Father, how sweet to truly place our lives into Your hands knowing that You alone can supply all that we need.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 29, 2014

Pursuing Wisdom

Businesswoman Looking out Window“When the Queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon and his relationship to the Lord, she came to test Solomon with hard questions.” I Kings 10:1 (TNIV)

Wealthy and beautiful, the Queen of Sheba had everything: gold, silver, servants to clean her house and do laundry and bring her chocolate whenever she wanted. Well, almost everything. When she heard about famous King Solomon, her heart was so moved that she traveled across the desert over 1000 miles to visit this man who knew God personally. Camels can only travel around 20 miles a day, so the trip took her six months each way. The Bible says that she took all of her servants, spices, gold, and gifts to give to Solomon. Once she met Solomon, the Queen talked to him for hours asking deep questions about God. She must have been satisfied by his answers because she said, “Blessed be the Lord your God” (I Kings 10:8).
Jesus mentions the Queen of Sheba in Matthew 12:42. The Queen of Sheba took great pains to find wisdom, yet the wisdom she was seeking was from man. The wisdom we have access to through Jesus far out shines that of Solomon. If the Queen of Sheba would travel six months to find truth, how much more should we search for wisdom by just opening our Bibles and our hearts to Him? Isn’t it great that we don’t have to travel thousands of miles riding stinky camels to find the wisdom we seek?

“Lord, thank you for allowing me to have wisdom through You! Please help me use that wisdom in a way that pleases You and so that others may see the love You have given me.”

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 28, 2014

Like Is Like…An Onion?

cb devo may 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, ESV)

Therapists often talk about onions. Metaphorically speaking, that is. How a person has multiple layers and we have to help them uncover or peel off layer by layer to get to the center. That core could be their real problem. Or that core could be their real self. I’ve always kind of liked the metaphor. But, one night it became more literal to me.

It was Cinco de Mayo, so, of course, I was making Mexican food. As I was taking a knife to those onions, and my eyes naturally watered, I thought of how hard it is to peel them. The deeper I got, the more sting I felt in my eyes. At some point, I just had to stop, move away from the onion, and take a breather. And it hit me…working through issues is even more like an onion than I ever thought.

This stuff is hard. Working on problematic behaviors, self-defeating thoughts, or painful emotions is tough. Before the onion is cut, it is physically whole, but no good to anyone. As the layers are removed, the onion becomes more useful, but the process of that king of uncovering is challenging. It’s easy to want to stop cutting. Even when you know that you shouldn’t. So it is with us.

Friend, are you in this place? Are you working through something? Something that you’d rather run and hide from? If so, know that you are not alone. And that even though each step is painful, getting to that core really can result in a better you. It will take time. And you may need to take a break. But, in the end, it’s worth it. Trust me. I’m a therapist.
“Dear Lord. Thank You so much for sticking with me as I work through the hard stuff. Help me cast my cares upon You.”
For His Glory,

Laurel Shaler (www.drlaurelshaler.com)
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Freedom, Spiritual Growth, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 27, 2014

Praise Him

devo katrina sept“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (TNIV)

We’ve all heard the phrase “When God closes one door, he’ll open another.” What are we doing during that period of waiting? Are we worrying, making plans to open our own doors? I love the saying on this picture because I have never thought about what I’m doing in the hallway. Usually, I am pacing the floor and worrying about the situation. We instead need to be praising God for the next door He is going to open. Not only is that door going to be something better than we could imagine, but it’s an answer to prayer. Also, that period of waiting in the hallway is a time of learning and being prepared for the answer God has for us.

Think of a time you had to knock on someone’s door for the first time. How many times did you rehearse what you were going to say or do when they opened it? There is preparation and planning even for a simple knock on a door. The trials and lessons we learn during the dark moments prepare us for the blessings waiting on the other side of the door God opens. Take the time in the hallway to sing praises and rejoice in what God has in store.

“Dear God, Help our soul not be downcast when doors are closed and prayers aren’t answered according to our will. Guide us to praise You while waiting for Your answers to our prayers and the blessings You are going to open for us. Thank You for opening the right doors at the right time.”

For His Glory

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 26, 2014

Made By God

Young Woman Standing with Arms Stretched Out“Know that the LORD Himself is God ; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves ; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3 (NAS)

“Made in America” should sound familiar, but unfortunately we rarely see that tag on our clothes or that label under our furniture. We’ve grown accustomed to spending our money regardless of what country will profit. So what’s the hype all about – the news media has brought to our attention the impact our spending could make on our own economy if we chose to buy “Made in America.” Problem is most of us don’t know where the items in our home were made; we just know we like them, we bought them and that’s about it. Wonder if we have forgotten that we were “Made By God?” It should sound familiar, but we often shed His designer label for an imitator “Made by Me.” Surveying our accomplishments, careers, possessions, friends, and abilities can convince us that “Me” did all that by ourselves. Self-sufficiency and sheer independence may make us look confident and in charge, but that was never God’s intent. We were uniquely created and destined for a relationship with our God. We had absolutely nothing to do with our birth, our family origin or the date of our arrival. God orchestrated every detail of our existence and regardless of what we may think, we can’t do life without Him. Like sheep desperately in need of a Shepherd, we were “Made By God” to dwell in His pasture and reap the blessings of being totally dependent on Him.

“Father, how sweet to know that you are God, my awesome Creator, and I can fully trust in You all the days of my life.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 23, 2014

His Presence

Woman Enjoying the Sun“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;” Psalm 84:10a (NIV)

Silence bounced against the walls. Stray laundry no longer carpeted my floor. An uncluttered sink was spotless. Did I really live here? Everything was in the right place, untouched and unmoved. HG-TV would have been proud! Martha Stewart would have sung my praises. My world seemed perfect, flawless yet something was missing. Actually someone was missing. The quiet solitude I often longed for seemed louder than I remembered. The perfection, well it was too perfect. And the empty sink was a reminder my husband was out of town. It didn’t take long for my heart to miss his sweet presence. Wonder how long it would take for us to notice if God was missing in our lives? We rarely entertain solitude so maybe we wouldn’t miss His voice. We’re usually so busy cleaning up other people’s lives that we don’t have the energy to rid ourselves of the dirty laundry that litters our path. And that spotless perfection we model definitely wouldn’t make God proud. Untouched and unmoved, we coast through life consistently managing our day totally unaware that someone is missing. And the sad reality, God really isn’t missing – we just pretend He isn’t there. Like a silent partner desperate to have a voice – God longs for us to thirst, hunger, and seek His presence. He’s counting down the days, eagerly waiting until we run into His open arms.

“Father, how perfect our world could be if we took the time to welcome Your presence, to sit at Your feet and curl up in your lap. You are the true lover of our souls!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 22, 2014

All His Glory

cb devo may22“As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good.” Ecclesiastes 11:5-6 (NKJV)

Have you ever noticed when the sky is the most beautiful? It’s either before darkness comes or when darkness is leaving. God truly shows off His glory through those magnificent colors and a little of the sun shining through.
One thing we can be certain of, the sun rises at daybreak and sets at nightfall. Notice the words break and fall when describing darkness. Sometimes God’s glory comes before darkness falls on our life, and other times God’s glory comes when He breaks through the darkness to bring a new day.

We don’t know everything about how God works, but we need to be faithful and trust Him in the darkness. It is difficult to do sometimes because darkness often brings hurt, heaviness, loneliness, despair, anger, confusion, and even loss. However, God gives us the reminder of His faithfulness that He is shining bright at the beginning of darkness falling and when the darkness breaks He comes bursting forth shining in all His Glory.

“Dear God, How thankful we are that You give us reminders of Your presence even in the darkest of hours. Help us to hold on to You until you break through the darkness and bring a new and glorious day to our lives.”

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 21, 2014

Redeeming Love

cb devo jan10“I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” Isaiah 49:16 (NLT)

Remember when we used an ink pen in grade school to write declarations of love on our hands for that special someone? Only to get home from school and our Mamas’ shaking their fingers saying, “go wash your hands…you are going to get ink poison!” Despite our pleas, we begrudgingly with head held low headed to the bathroom to scrub away any sign of our heartfelt message.

We have a Father in heaven that would never say to His Son “go wash your hands” to rid the declaration of Your love for My children. We are blood bought, pierced side and nail driven children of the Most High. We have been bought with a high price. (1 Cor.6:20) No power of hell, no scheme of man could ever pluck us from His hands. (Rom.8:39) Jesus’ scars are a permanent reminder of His finished work on mount Calvary.

The only “man-made” things in heaven are the scars on Jesus’ body. After His resurrection, He said to Thomas “…put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (John 20:27) Thomas had to see and touch to believe. We are blessed because we haven’t seen the scars on Jesus’ body, but believe anyways. Believe…Jesus suffered and died so that we may live for eternity with Him in our heavenly homes He has gone ahead and prepared for us. (John 14:3).

Jesus allowed man to etch our names on the palms of His hands by the nails that hung Him on the cross. We are His and He has the scars that spell our names to prove it.

“Father, thank You for the wonderful gift of salvation. Help us to never forget the price You paid to redeem our lives.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Gratitude, Hope, Love, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 20, 2014

Temporary Home

clouds-heaven“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV)

Have you ever noticed how restless you get with your home after a few months? Suddenly it’s time to change the way the furniture is arranged or maybe paint a room a different color. Sometimes the home that seemed to be the perfect place just doesn’t feel right anymore. As children of God, we are restless for a purpose. We aren’t home yet, and this is just our temporary place to live until we reach our eternal heavenly home. I love Carrie Underwood’s song “Temporary Home,” because it’s a great reminder that this is just a place we are passing through.
“This is my temporary home. It’s not where I belong. Windows and rooms that I’m passin’ through. This is just a stop, on the way to where I’m going. I’m not afraid because I know this is my Temporary Home.”

Not only is our home temporary, so are the troubles we struggle with on a daily basis. Underneath all the struggles, we are laying the path to eternity. What we are going through now will not last forever, however, time spent with God in heaven will.

“Dear God, Thank You for preparing our eternal home in heaven for us. As the days get weary here on earth, remind us that this is only temporary.”

For His Glory

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | May 19, 2014

Multi-Tasking

cb devo may19“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

One more text and I’m done. Opps gotta respond. Pulling out my notepad, I began listening to the speaker. My mind drifted to that proverbial list of things I needed to do, as if I would really forget them. Back to my notetaking, but then a text message – had to respond. Between nods of my head and the flicker of my nails on my cell phone, I marveled at the way I was able to keep focused and text at the same time. My brain was a marvelous multi-tasking machine. As the speaker finished, I sent one last text and responded to an email while walking out of the room. I moved thru my entire day in that same mode – always accessible, always responding – a multi-tasking pro. Or was I? At what price was I shortchanging “what was happening in the moment?” Now don’t get me wrong, I love technology but if we’re not careful all that multi-tasking spills over into our relationships with people. Unfortunately, we can be guilty of no one having our full attention including God. I love the fact that Jesus, knowing His ministry on earth was three short years, took the time to steal away with the Father. I’m sure His heart beat with a sense of urgency as the days quickly evaporated, but His need to accomplish the Father’s will was superseded by His dependence on being with the Father. What’s happening in our moments with God?

“Father, too many times I find myself slipping You in between so many other things. Help me to be fully devoted to You,”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Wisdom

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