Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 25, 2013

Big Dreams….

MP900439397[1]“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”  Proverbs 19:21 9(NIV)

We  dreamed big and envisioned our future.  We could taste the sweetness of longings fulfilled.  We reached and stretched to realize the ideal, but awakened to find that life was not as it was supposed to be.  Those dreams were elusive  – a mere distant picture clued to our mind.  Singles long for marriage.  Moms desire to stay home with their children.  The unsaved spouse becomes more and more difficult.  That degree framed on the wall collects dust while we work for minimum wage.  The divorce papers arrive, and the happily ever after dances out the door.  It feels like life isn’t as it was supposed to be.  Wonder if Paul felt that way?  He’d spent his life killing Christians and ended up martyred for His faith in Christ.  Wonder if that thought entered Peter’s mind?  He denied Christ three times, however, his doubts and failures landed him the starring role in building Christ’s church.  Wonder if Naomi felt that way?  She enjoyed the fullness of life following her husband to Moab and returned home empty – childless and widowed.   Wonder if Mary felt that way?   Her baby – the Savior of the world – dying for her sins and rising again.  What in this life isn’t as it was supposed to be according to us?  Like Paul, Peter, Naomi and Mary embracing God’s dreams meant leaving their ideals behind.  His twist on their disappointments and disillusionments involved suffering mingled with joy and grace  – the transforming of all things into His good.  And in the happily ever after of eternity, our life is as it was supposed to be – worshipping the One who dreamed big of us.

“Father, You make all things new, better, improved and polished – a glorious shining of Who You really are!”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Success, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 24, 2013

Nip Sin In The Bud

MP900443495[1] “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.”Matthew 18:8 (NIV).

 

My reliable letter opener wasn’t doing the trick so I ran my finger through a small crease in the envelope. Ouch!  The paper sharply cut through my knuckle, leaving a lid-like cut on top of it.

Once I stopped the bleeding, I assessed the damage.  The wound was deep enough to cause discomfort and nuisance, but not deep enough for stitches. I put a Band-Aid over it and then put some “New Skin” liquid bandage when I got home. My solution lasted about 24 hours; the ends of the skin started to dry up, and I ended up with a shriveled up knuckle sensitive to the touch. Using a nail clipper and trimming the skin, I thought, would give me the most relief. Voilà!!!! Though my wound was more exposed, the skin was gone. I was able to treat it better too since it was more visible. Within three to four days, my finger looked and felt much better.

 

Sin in our lives is somewhat like the skin on my knuckle; it’s not only an eyesore, but it causes pain. We avoid proper interaction with others, because of our constant awareness of it. The Bible spurs us to nip sin in the bud and to not allow ourselves to be overtaken by it. God is a loving and forgiving God.  He will take the guilt from us if we repent and give up our sinful lives to Him.

 

“Dear Lord, thank You for not forsaking us when we falter. Thank You for assuring us that You will go with us wherever we go, and that Your hand will sustain us.”

 

 

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 23, 2013

Inviting Praise Into Your Day

Young Woman Standing with Arms Stretched Out“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalm 34:1 (KJV)

 

Do you praise God throughout the day? I exercise praise, worship, prayer, meditation of the Bible and practicing His Word. Just like when we exercise, we make it a routine and a habit. I love to walk daily and also apply myself to spiritual principles. This didn’t happen overnight. It was a habit that I’ve developed.

 What happens when we praise God? First, we are blessed to enter into His presence. When we walk in His presence then we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we choose to praise God, we begin to experience fullness of joy (Psalms 16:11). We begin to see His power at work, and we realize He can “supply all [our] needs (Phil. 4:19). Our trust in Him grows stronger. Our faith rises. Our countenance and attitudes change. All of a sudden, we are living in a supernatural realm. We are no longer giving in to, our desires; we are no longer trusting in our wisdom.

 Praises to God raises us to a higher level in the Spirit. Satan hates worship, and he cannot be in the presence of a Christian who is praising God. Satan has to flee. When we learn the power of praise, we will continue in it because we will discover the joy that God gives to us. We can choose to praise God continually by making a conscience effort to do this daily. God longs to hear our praises to Him.

 

“Lord I choose to continually bless You at all times regardless of what trials I am experiencing. I am going to praise You in the good times and the challenging times of my life. Your praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

 

For His Glory

 

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

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Posted in Attitude, Gratitude, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 22, 2013

Facing Our Fears

janet tree pic“I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4b (NIV)

Life forces us to let go of something or someone.   Our new normal doesn’t resemble the familiar, and the uncertainties challenge us to the core – that’s why fear loves to move in.  The economy depletes our savings.  Our dream job ends, and we find ourselves facing a stack of bills – that’s where fear loves to reside.  Loved ones slip out of our lives as disease wins and overwhelming grief seeps in – that’s when fear loves to control us.  Losses can quickly land us in the pit of paralyzing fear – unable to cope, function or move on.  Challenges and tragedies will always strip away our perceived securities unveiling the raw human nature that resides deep in our souls.  And it is in those moments that fear rises to the surface and that’s absolutely normal.  But when fear moves from a healthy respect of our circumstances into unhealthy fear consumed with our circumstances, we’ve charted a dangerous ride. So how do we get our perspective back on track before our fears spill over and impact the lives of others too?   The Psalmist David knew that speaking his confidence in God out loud would send the enemy running for cover.  Even in his darkest valley, David boldly proclaimed that God’s presence,  accompanying him in those hard places, would strengthen and sustain him. Letting go and embracing new normals will still test our faith, but they will no longer paralyze us and keep us locked in the past.  By trusting in God’s character,  we too can face our fears  boldly and move forward  knowing that we do not walk alone.

“Father, You have sent Your Spirit to live within us, to teach us and to comfort us.  Help us to proclaim Your name even in the midst of fear and doubt.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 21, 2013

Refined Like Silver

Close-up of Woman's Face“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”  Psalm 66:10 (NIV)

 

Psalm 66:10 tells us that God is refining us. Like silver. Do you know what it takes to refine silver? I was curious, so I looked it up…  Silver ore is heated to 1200 degrees Celsius. That’s 2,192 degrees. Forget hot flashes, THAT is HOT. From there, the silver is put into 30% nitric acid. Sodium carbonate has to be added to the furnace in order to prevent a deadly gas from being produced.

 Now, all of that information is from the internet, so I can’t guarantee the accuracy. But, it sounds to me like there’s a lot of danger in the silver refining process. And risk. But it must be done in order to produce the desired outcome. To separate the beautiful silver from the dross…aka rubbish.

 This is not unlike what God does for us. He takes us regardless of what we’re made of and refines us into His saints. We may go through fires, but God can use those trials as He, the great Refiner, purifies us. Much like a refiner adds the necessary ingredient in order to prevent the deadly gas, God can fill us with Himself in order to prevent anything that would extinguish our desire to follow Him.

 Even when we don’t know what God has in store for us, we can rest knowing He is honing us for His purpose. And while we may not yet be pure silver, we are in a continuous state of refining. Trust Him in that process today.

 “Dear Lord, I know that I can trust You as You refine me like silver. Thank You for being the great refiner.”


For His Glory,

 Laurel Shaler
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 18, 2013

Giver Of All Things

devo katria july“I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.” Psalm 35:18 (NIV)

 

Apple pie, pumpkin bread and a host of other goodies. Mmmm….Mmmm but not so Mmmm good for my waistline. The cooler temps make me want to bake, bake and then eat.  I love being in the kitchen, but being in the kitchen ignites my passion for those sweets. So what’s a girl to do?  I think it’s probably called “portion control” and a good dose of “self control.”  Too much of anything turns great into not so good. It’s the page turner from the Old Testament to the New Testament – focusing on great yet forgetting the Giver of All Things.  Fast forward to modern day 21st century – we’re no different.  We’ve been blessed….we’ve tasted great and savored it.  But too often we become consumed with the plenty.  Too often we think we’re the supplier of the plenty.  Too often we forget……and then the plenty turns into not so good. 

 

How do we break this cycle?  It starts simply with focusing on the Giver rather than the gifts.  It begins when we refuse to love “the things” God provides more than Him.  Balancing this act out won’t work, because there’s only room for one God in our lives – the one True God – who desires our undivided attention and devotion.   So what’s the great you’re holding onto?  What’s the plenty God has provided that is stealing away your thoughts of Him?   When we recognize that all that we have truly belongs to Him, then we will hold those treasures loosely. With open hands and hearts, we will release them to the One who loaned them to us for a season – now that’s an eternal greatness that’s never out of control.

 

“Father, You have entrusted us with sweet abundance – help us to treasure You more than the gifts.”


For His Glory

 Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

 

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Posted in Attitude, Hope, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 17, 2013

Walking Uprightly

Walking on the Sidewalk“He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.” Proverbs 14:2 (KJV)

 

What does it mean to walk uprightly? The upright is one whom God thinks highly of – who has a heart  for God. When we are walking rightly with God, we will have peace. If we lose our peace, we should check to see what has come between us and God. Have we allowed a root of bitterness to come into our hearts? If we have, we can ask God to forgive us and forgive those that have offended us. Perhaps we’ve lost our fear (reverence) for God?  Are we living a life that is pleasing to Him? God promises many good things to those that walk uprightly. He wants the best for us, and He has given us the knowledge of the Word so we can apply it to our lives and walk wisely before Him. God is ready to bestow His blessings, if we only obey His Word. Let’s choose to walk uprightly before Him; here are some wonderful scriptures to meditate on to keep us on the right track.

 

1. God accepts the righteous (Acts 10:35)

2. The righteous shall enter into peace and rest (Isaiah 57:2)

3. God is a sun and shield. He also gives grace and glory and withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11)

4. He gives wisdom and protection (Proverbs 2:7)

5. God will gives understanding in all things (Psalm 28:5)

6. The righteous shall walk in light and gladness (Psalm 97:11)

 “Lord, I choose to walk uprightly before you by keeping an intimate prayer life with you and meditating on your Word. Examine me, try me and test me to see that I am true to you. I choose to confess sin so that I not get perverted in my ways. Please keep me blameless Lord.”

 For His Glory

 

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 16, 2013

Wonderfully Made

cb devo oct 16“…He Holds All Creation Together.” Colossians 1:17b (NLT)

 

There are many types and kinds of glue. Usually a project will dictate the type needed, whether it’s Elmer’s, rubber cement, super glue, etc. However, did you know we are put together with glue?

Deep within our bodies there is a small protein molecule called Laminin. Here’s a crash course in cell structure. Cells organize themselves into certain molecular structures and the type of structure it is determines the type of protein. It is unknown how many types of proteins we have in our bodies. Estimates are somewhere between 10,000 and 60,000 different proteins.

 

There is one type of structure that is a cell-adhesion protein that tells the cells what their jobs are in the body. That cell adhesion protein is called Laminin. It is the super-glue that keeps everything together. Without it, our skin would not stay put over our muscles and our cells would just float away from each other.  If you were to see a picture of Laminin you would see a “cross”! That’s right Laminin is in the shape of a cross. It is no mistake that Laminin looks just like the cross of our Creator. So when the Bible says we are held together through Jesus, He literally means it!

 

When our Creator the Lord Jesus Christ was forming us in our mother’s womb, He was knitting us together with crosses. God’s glue is thousands of little crosses, invisible to the naked eye, holding us together.  We are His beautiful masterpieces woven together with crosses and saturated in love by our Creator and Heavenly Father. We can be confident that we are secure in our Father’s hands.

 

“Jesus, You not only used crosses to bind us and hold us together, but You paid for us in full with your precious blood on the cross at Calvary. Oh what a Savior!”

 

For His Glory

 

Kim Schock
TRBC Mountain Blend

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 15, 2013

Our True Citzenship

Young Couple with Two Children (8-12) Walking on the Beach“But our citizenship is in Heaven…” Phil 3:20a (NIV)

 

When events that unfold around our country and our world get us down, we have to remember that for those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ, our citizenship is in Heaven. You see, this world…the one filled with unbelievable and incomprehensible sin and sorrow…this world is only our temporary home. Yes, our citizenship is in Heaven.

 To understand what it means to have citizenship, we must first understand what it means to be a citizen.  Good ol’ Webster has four definitions for this term. There is one that seems to be the most applicable. Let’s unpack it a bit…

 The first part of this definition says that a citizen is a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection. In Heaven, our allegiance must be to the Lordship of Christ. It costs us a lot to follow Jesus, but that is nothing compared to what we gain.

 Earlier in chapter 3 of Philippians, Paul says that he lost all things. Yet. He counted it all as rubbish compared to knowing, really knowing, Christ.

 The second part of that definition tells us we are entitled to protection. Oh, yes, we have that available to us. In full. No, it does not mean we won’t suffer trials. In fact, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that in this world (you know, our temporary home), we will have trouble but to take heart. Why? Because HE overcame this world. He conquered death and offers that to us. Are we going to trust that He loves us enough to protect us? Are we going to begin our allegiance to the citizenship of Heaven now?  I think we should.

 
 

“Dear gracious and Heavenly Father, thank You so much for eternal citizenship in Heaven. Help me to begin my allegiance to Your Kingdom today.”

 

 For His Glory

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

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 14, 2013

Echoing The Father’s Words

Two Young Women in Front of the Computer Talking“My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.” Proverbs 4:20 (NIV)

His little feet followed behind her.  “Is it raining Mommy?”  he asked.  “Yes, it’s raining”, she responded.  “Yes, it’s raining,”  he echoed.   Sloshing thru a puddle stepping in her footprints, he asked, “Are we going home?”  She turned and smiled, “Yes, we’re going home.”  He echoed, “Yes, we’re going home,” and then he giggled.   A Hallmark card moment –the kind where you can just see the gleam in that little boy’s eyes and the smile that graces his mom’s face as she hears his echos.

Ever wonder if our Father longs to hear us echo His words?  What would that look like in my world in your world? Rather than respond in bitterness or anger, our Father’s words would offer gentleness, compassion and patience.  Rather than eagerly share the latest details of someone’s sin,  we’d lift them up to the Father in the quiet of our own prayer closet.  Rather than put other’s down, we’d build them up.  Rather than speak with sharpness and pride, we’d respond with grace and humility.  It’s the flip side of how our world responds.  It’s the intentional thinking that chooses to draw close enough to the Father that His words breath into our souls.  It’s the walking in His footsteps and repeating His words that transforms us  while being in this world versus being like this world.  Giving life or draining hope – the choice is up to us.  Will we chose to echo the Father’s Words?

“Father, every day we have opportunities to echo the word’s You spoke – to speak in Your knowledge, wisdom and grace.  Teach us to listen carefully to You so we will know how to respond.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Success

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