Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 25, 2014

Peace & Quiet

cb devo jun 25“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul….” Psalm 23:2-3a (NIV)

Sometimes we need to get away and that’s what my husband and I did for Memorial Day weekend. We didn’t have laundry done; nothing packed, just grabbed the bag of dirty laundry and took it with us to wash later. We headed to Maryland to visit my husband’s mom. No schedule or plan. I sat on the swing in the backyard, listened to the fountain bubble into the pond, and looked out over the pasture as the sun was setting. Just letting the stress, frustrations, and everything else ease out of my body. Three days of doing nothing but visiting with his mom, enjoying watching the birds in the backyard, and an entire day of no TV, not much talking, just relaxing.

This was worth more than any vacation money could buy because it gave me time to refocus my heart and mind on God. To spend precious time with family and friends battling major health issues was a priority. We’ve seen a lot of sudden losses, illness, accidents, and so much hurt in our church that just being still and letting God refresh my soul was just what I needed.

Busyness, stress, and hurts can quickly overwhelm us. We have to make time to be still and seek the peace of God when things start piling up. Otherwise we will physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhaust ourselves. Sometimes we need poured back into us what we give to others. It’s not a weakness – it’s actually a sign of strength to be willing to let others bless us back.

“Dear Heavenly Father, How thankful we are that You are the peace that passes all understanding. In the middle of our world falling apart, You are there to put things back together. Give us the courage to seek help when needed, be obedient to help others, and willing to be still at times.”

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 24, 2014

Are We Really Looking?

cb devo june24“Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
Nehemiah 8:3 (NKJ)

Overhearing my son with his tutor study for exams I heard, “Look on the page it is right in front of you.” I tried not to chuckle as I thought of all the times I was looking for something myself. It was in plain sight of me, but I just wasn’t really looking. I was focused on everything but thinking I was really looking. Ever been in that spot with me? It’s one of those times you can’t help but laugh. So many times when we are searching for answers, I know God must be standing there watching and saying, “The answer is right in front of you in My Word, just read it.” We can read it but not comprehend because we often are just trying to get it off our checklist. We get so focused elsewhere that we miss the big picture God has laid out right in front of us with the answers. Take the time to stop and focus on what God has in front of you. Ask Him for the guidance you need and trust His answer.

“Father, thank You for providing us with Your wisdom. Help us when we are looking for answers even when we think we already know.”

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 23, 2014

A Strong Foundation

cb devo jun23“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1 (NIV)

A hammer and nails we will not find in our designer purse but building, constructing, reinforcing and repairing is on the agenda. Erecting a barrier, condemning the space and blocking grace is often favored rather than building a relationship. Perhaps there’s a bridge of forgiveness to be extended, but ending that relationship seems sweeter. Navigating a new design to an old pattern – wow that’s just too much work. You see, we are great purchasers of new when old is no longer appealing. But what happens when the exchange involves people? A little Construction 101 reminds us that a house is only as stable, strong and unshakeable as its foundation. Same principle applies in relationships. A weak foundation is easily disturbed and the crumbling underneath is devastating. If we are not careful we will tear down, cast aside and discard a priceless treasure. It takes supernatural strength to repair, re-construct, reinforce and repair lives dangling by a thread. But isn’t that where God found us? Isn’t that where God empowers us? Relationships built upon the rock of grace reflect a strong foundation – a wise woman. I love the way Proverbs challenges us to build up our own relationships, our own home and our own work environment. It’s the Restorer, Redeemer and Reconciler inviting us to react and live wisely. It’s the Sovereign One compelling us to weigh the cost of foolish emotions that tear down and destroy. How we long to be wise women whose house and relationships are built daily upon the truths of God’s word.

“Father, I am so thankful that You build up my life with Your wisdom and grace. How I need You to navigate all the relationships in my life.”
For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 20, 2014

His Boundaries = His Best

cb devo jun20“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, surely I have a delightful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6 (NIV)

While we may at times feel boxed in or stifled – boundary lines are actually our helpers. Like coloring in the lines creates a beautiful picture, living within the boundaries of God’s design positions us for His delight. When we resist the urge to shortchange our morning with Jesus and recharge, we feel empowered regardless of the challenges. When we keep distractions in check and not allow them to sidetrack us from God’s plan, we feel empowered regardless of our success level. When we choose to honor His commands (God’s boundaries), we are empowered even in the midst of much needed grace. And oh how we need His grace – our natural tendency is to step over the line declaring our independence. Removing the boundary, we move ahead unprotected and vulnerable – charting a journey God never intended.

We often deceive ourselves that control is elusive and we can’t own it, but the real question is – are we yielding to God’s control or fighting for our control? Wouldn’t it be awesome if we accepted the boundary lines God has established for each of us? Instead of being destructive or resistant, we would naturally flow with what He knows is best. Your lines and my lines will probably look very different, but God is great at establishing individualized plans to empower our lives. He knows where to place those lines that will shape, transform and position us to receive His inheritance.
“Sweet Jesus thank You for the boundaries You have established in my life – protecting and positioning me for Your best.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 19, 2014

Heroes

cb devojune19We all have heroes that we look up to, but what happens when our heroes fall from illness, disappointment, or even death? One of the toughest things I’ve faced was watching my daddy go through major open-heart surgery. To see the man I always turned to for help so weak and ill broke my heart. I lost my greatest hero, my granny seven years ago. She definitely took a piece of my heart with her to heaven. It’s been tough to go into this season of becoming a grandmother without her, but the great thing about heroes is they teach us so many things. I was able to look back on her life as an example of what kind of grandmother I wanted to be.

The toughest fall is when our heroes disappoint us. Either by making bad choices, breaking a promise, and other situations that diminishes their impact. We have to remember no one is perfect, but they can be forgiven. Grace is the greatest gift God gave us when His Son died on the cross and that same gift of grace is what we can extend to our heroes.

Our ultimate hero, however, should be Jesus. He came to this earth solely to serve and to sacrifice His life on the cross to save us from death and hell. If you haven’t met this ultimate hero through the gift of salvation, please reply to this email and we would love to introduce you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for providing the greatest hero ever, Your Son. May He be the hero we turn to when our earthly heroes have fallen. Give those that haven’t met Him the courage to reach out and seek the gift of salvation.

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 18, 2014

The Bad Decision I Made For Other People

Cb Devo jun18“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

I realized that I do this all the time. I make bad decisions…for other people. I mean, no one needs help making bad decisions, right? We all make enough of them for ourselves. So, why would I get caught up in adding to that list? Simple. It’s insecurity.

You see, the bad decision I make for other people is that I decide what they think of me. I decide how they feel about me. I decide…without any proof. Without any evidence. Without any facts.

“She must not like me.” “He must be upset with me.” “They think I’m needy.” “They think I’m prideful.”
“They think I’m rude.” “Those people just don’t care about me.”

All of these mind reading types of thoughts are driven by that word I’ve already mentioned: Insecurity.

True, on occasion, someone is upset with me. Some people may not like me. They may even have negative thoughts or feelings towards me. And sometimes I need to address the decision a loved one makes. But why do I insist on making those decisions for them? Why do I allow these hurtful thoughts to creep into my mind (and hang around)? Why? Why? Why?

Yep, it’s that insecurity thing. That thing I need to start anchoring to God. That thing I need to let go of by remembering that each of us has been given our own brain and our own heart. We can make our own decisions about others; but, I don’t need to make these decisions for others.

Do YOU make these decisions for others as well? If so, how about we both say enough is enough and stop making decisions for others.

“Dear Lord, Please help me to stop assuming others think or feel badly towards me, and help me to anchor my insecurities to You. The One who loves me unconditionally.”

For His Glory

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

 

 

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 17, 2014

Enjoying The Simple Things in Life

MP900386362[1]“A joyful heart is like good medicine” Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)

Hiking with friends a few weeks ago, I had a sudden urge to stop and pick up some dandelions. I then recorded a mini-video for my grandkids in Indiana showing them their silly grandma blowing those dandelions until there were just stems left. In the process of blowing the dandelions, I got a lot of the furry stuff in my mouth and broke down in laughter. According to my daughter-in-law, the boys laughed really hard.

Sometimes the simple things are the best things we can give to others, however, we often forego the pleasure of doing them. We miss out on blessing someone else with a belly laugh because we keep thinking that just the things we find in store shelves bring joy into other people’s hearts. When was the last time you had a belly laugh? When was the last time you remember sharing something ordinary with someone else that made them laugh or smile?

There will always be plenty of time to be serious in life, but it does not have to be a 24/7 endeavor. A little break from seriousness here and there will do wonders for the soul.
Whether you choose to record a silly video of yourself for your children or grandchildren, or call someone up and chat for a bit, or go out for coffee with a good friend just to enjoy their company – make those little moments count and choose to alienate the serious things for a little bit. Enjoy the moment. Live it!!! And do laugh a little. You will be amazed at how healing it can be.

“Dear Lord, thank You for creating this beautiful earth for us to enjoy; thank You for all things, big and small, and for the joy they bring into our hearts.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 16, 2014

Skimmers

Woman Reading a Diary“With God are wisdom and might; he has counsel and understanding.” Job 12:13 (ESV)

Ever missed that all important ingredient from your recipe? One taste and you knew something was bitter. Ever overlooked a vital instruction from the back of the box? One look and you knew something was off. Ever tuned out an endless conversation? One look and you knew someone was completely annoyed. The culprit to all this madness – skimmers. Yes, you got it skimmers. We have become experts at skimming. If it takes up too much space on the page then our eyes automatically shift to skimming. Glancing over the surface…browsing the webpage… rapidly reading that email. If it doesn’t grab our attention, we move on. We scroll through Facebook and avoid conversations that invite lengthy interaction. But what happens when we shift skimming text, emails, blogposts, and twitter to skimming God’s Word? Easy to bypass what we already know – right? Tempting to glance over and browse through insignificant details – right? I love Webster’s analogy of skimming – simply put it’s examining superficially. Stings doesn’t it. Reality is – we skim without even realizing we’re doing it. Only when we become intentional, deliberate and focused do we allow our attention to be seized and held captive. So maybe it’s time we evaluated our skimming. Wonder what we are missing out on? Wonder what it will take to transition us away from skimming? The price for overlooking, dismissing or disconnecting could be far more than we any of us are willing to pay.

“Jesus , help us to reap the benefits of looking and listening deep. To lingering long and examining the details we often miss.”
For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 13, 2014

The Solid Rock

Cb devo aug8“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” Psalm 28:7 (NIV)

Ever felt the sting of trust gone wrong? We believed, we invested, we devoted and then we watched stunned. Perhaps it was a dear friend who caused our trust to fade. Perhaps it was a leader who made us distrust authority. Perhaps it was someone we partnered with at work or served alongside in ministry that redefined trust. Perhaps it was a family member who mislead us from the truth. Whoever it was, however it happened – our view of trust weakened and left us cautious and hurt.

The Psalmist David knew that cycle too well. His life was spent running, hiding and dodging the arrows of deceit. The people he thought were trustworthy betrayed him at every level. A king, his sons, his closest confidants – trust was an elusive distant dream. Amazing how deeply David trusted his Lord. Convicting how David’s heart for God wasn’t disillusioned with the depth of falseness surrounding him. Challenging that despite betrayals, David didn’t lose his song. Ever wonder why? The Psalms are filled with the words, prayers and songs of David. Moments when his heart was broken and shattered. Moments when He was overjoyed and danced before the Lord. Moments when his soul sank deep and moments when gratitude flowed from his lips. The secret to David’s unshakeable trust was found standing on the solid rock of his God sheltered in the shadow of His wings.

“Father, You are our helper, our strength and our shield – Your name is the strong tower we run to.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

 

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 12, 2014

God of Details

cb devo june12“God cares, cares right down to the last detail.”James 5:11 (MSG)

I had the privilege recently to marvel at the details in God’s creation. From driving through the mountains to being fascinated by the colors and details in a blue jay, and winding down watching a brilliant sunset. So often we get too busy to even look around.

God didn’t just provide these amazing details in the creation around us but in our own lives. God created us with unique looks, talents, personalities, gifts, and so much more. He has a personalized plan of action for each of our lives that utilizes every detail within us. Have we fully explored what we are capable of doing? Or have we stayed in a comfort zone that maybe only stretches us a little bit. Sometimes circumstances come into our lives as a means to learn about those tiny details God put deep inside us. Don’t be afraid to let God stretch and grow you because just like a beautiful rainbow comes after a storm; blessings in abundance come when you grow in Christ.

“Dear God thank You for the details in our lives. From the beautiful creation that surrounds us to the amazing person within us. Help us to not be afraid to stretch and grow with You.

For His Glory,

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Worship

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