Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 21, 2012

Thanks Living

“O Lord You are my God, I will exalt You and praise Your name; for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.”  Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

It’s easy to offer thanks in the getting – you know when our cup is full to overflowing. When blessings abound and life is good.  Thanks spills out when getting empties our wants and exceeds our needs.  Praise is unceasing where joy resides and faithfulness follows with eager steps. Wonder what would happen if thanks was birthed from giving rather than receiving?  If instead of wanting and needing, we found our hearts searching and seeking. If instead of gathering up more, we released. If instead of accepting familiar, we longed to be more like Him and less of us.  Wonder what would happen if praise of One was lived out in us?  Instead of envy and strife, we offered grace and love.  Instead of yours and mine, we offered ours.  Because thanks living is  knit to the heart that serves.  Thanks  living hugs the hands extended.  Thanks  living welcomes the feet that go, even when going is hard.  Thanks  living clothes the voice that lifts and the written verse that speaks.  Thanks  living thrives in the midst of knowing God’s voice….obeying God’s lead…..seeing God smile.  We gather, we praise, we eat, we shop, we enjoy, we receive –and then with humble hearts we live thanks reflecting the image of One who planned it all long ago.

“Father, how sweet to be Your hands, Your feet – to show Your love and realize thanks living far outweighs the words that flow from our lips.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Wishing you and your family a Blessed Thanksgiving!
Coffee Break Devotionals will resume on Monday.

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Posted in Attitude, Gratitude, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 20, 2012

Inspired to Love

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God!” 2 Timothy 3:16a (KJV)

Have you ever questioned how deep your love for God really is?  I do!  I ask myself, “Am I loving Him with my WHOLE heart, soul, mind and spirit?”  What am I, that He would want fellowship with me?  And what can I do to give Him anything except a life full of past mistakes?

In my own devotions, I was getting to the middle of the Psalms when I read my own thoughts (Psalm 116:12, 13 NKJV) “What shall I render to the LORD, for all His benefits toward me?  I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD!”  There was my question and my answer! What can I do for Him for all the things He does for me moment by moment? I can honor Him by accepting His gift of salvation and talk to Him!  This is so beautifully sung in the hymn by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir: “What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring Him a lamb….If I were a wise man, I’d sure do my part; so what can I give Him? I’ll give Him my heart!”  We can all do this–nothing is stopping us from interrupting our day at this moment and praying:  “Lord, here is my heart.  I offer it to You with all of its flaws, and I accept Your salvation.”

“O God, my Father, You give and give, while I seem to ask, to take, and to ask more.  Here is my heart, Lord; make it Yours, and Yours alone.  In love I pray.”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Love, Uncategorized

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 19, 2012

Daily Thankfulness

I’ve joined many on Facebook in coming up with at least one thing a day to be Thankful for. Somehow it seems easy to do when it’s November and Thanksgiving is coming up. However, God does great things for us every day, and we should have a continual spirit of Thankfulness daily. It does seem easier to find the things that are wrong in life, but there is joy in looking at the blessings. The one thing that I have noticed with the daily posts about things people are thankful for is how it brings joy and memories. We’re not just thankful for material things but for family, friends, and our relationship with God. It has really made us stop and think about what really matters to us.

As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s choose to reflect on our blessings daily and beyond the Thanksgiving Holiday. Let’s find a way to be a blessing to someone else so that we become the person or situation they are thankful for. The more we spread the love of Christ negative things fade away as hope and joy abound.

“Heavenly Father, Help to us to focus daily on the blessings you have given us. Show us ways to share your love and blessings to others.”

For His Glory

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Gratitude, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 16, 2012

Fit For Him

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”  I Corinthians 6:19 (KJV)

The air is crisp, the leaves have fallen and the delicious smells of November are everywhere.  There is something about Fall that is so delightful and tasty! My favorite Fall beverage, pumpkin spice coffee, is in full brew.  Fear not, our health nor our waistline has to suffer for the season.  In fact research shows a healthy body leads to a healthy mind and helps us focus.  Now is the best time to develop a healthy habit for the Glory of God that will carry us through the holiday season.

The Bible says “the life of the flesh is in the blood” and the BEST way to get your blood moving is through regular exercise.  Exercise builds, sculpts, tones, cleanses and improves concentration.  We might not have the time or resources to take an entire family to the gym, but here are some simple ways we can keep our temple healthy:

1.         Have family exercise during the commercials of your favorite tv show.
2.         Encourage and motivate each other in how many sit-ups or push ups we can do.  Winner is excluded from a chore.
3.         Put a pile of socks at the bottom of the stairs, and whoever gets the most to the top of the stairs wins, only taking one sock at a time.
4.         Crank up your favorite Christian song and squat, hop, dance, and sing for Jesus!
5.         Move around with your children.  Bundle up and go for a simple walk around the block.

However we do it, we can take a few minutes a day to develop exercise into our regular routine.  And when we do, we implement the habit of health for Jesus – taking care of our temple.

“Lord help us see how we can better use ourselves for your kingdom and surrender to You each day.

For His Glory

Julia (Forystek) Bergstrom
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Living, Success

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 15, 2012

In His Hands

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:6 (NLT)

What do you do when someone is getting under your skin? Like they’re driving you crazy, and yet you sit there with your smile pasted on while your body is cringing in their presence.  Usually it happens with someone you have to connect with –  a co-worker, family member or perhaps a close friend.  Whether they realize it or not, they’re pushing your buttons.  Desperately trying to avoid an emotional outburst, we find ourselves hiding behind our feelings.  And the closer the person is to us, the quicker we start stirring up our mind with negativity – building a list of all their wrongs.  We see them in a different light or shall I say a different darkness. When my thinking chooses to maximize someone’s weakness, I lose sight of their strengths and my actions start to follow my thinking.  Patience and grace slip under the table when I encounter this person.  Responses spur out of my mouth and reactions follow leaving little for God to find pleasure in.  Wonder what would have happened if instead of scrutinizing them, I got down on my knees and began to pray?  Wonder if my patience level would have increased or better yet I might have gained wisdom in uncovering why they were getting under my skin?  Prayer has an incredible way of illuminating the truth and supplying us with God’s grace.   When we bring all our relationships to Him, He reveals the true value of their soul.  Gently, He reminds us that this one was worthy of the cross – shouldn’t we see them that way too?

“Father, help me to love others by choosing to focus on their strengths while leaving their weaknesses in Your hands.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 14, 2012

Feeding Our Mind

“I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11 (NIV)

Recently, a recurring dream kept me tossing and turning during the night. In the dream, I was going through different situations that were merely temptations Satan was putting in my path.  He tried to make me sin against God by not fulfilling what His word says. The way that I overcame each of those tempting situations was by quoting Scripture. Each situation would arise, and I would answer with a passage from the word of God.  That is how, in my dream, I remained free from breaking my covenant with the Lord.

When I woke up, I was pondering about what had happened to me in my subconscious. I remembered how Satan tempted Jesus after He had spent time in the desert. Jesus quoted Scripture to him and overcame the temptation.  Likewise, we must feed our minds and hearts with the word of God and make ourselves strong before temptation crosses our path, which it does.  As it happened to me in my dream, so it does happen to us in real life. If we feed our minds with things that do not edify the Spirit, then the end-result will inevitably be sin. If we arm ourselves with the word of God, we will overcome – let’s choose wisely what we put into our mind each day.

 “Dear Lord, our nature is sinful and our flesh is weak. We need Your help in order to stay strong and overcome the traps the enemy places in our path. Please help us make the right choices and  honor You with the things we choose to say and do in our lives.”

For His Glory

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 13, 2012

Tuned In To God

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Have we ever been too busy and in a hurry to let God speak to us? Sometimes God wants to speak to us loud and clear, but we don’t wait on Him to show up. Just yesterday, I was on the phone talking with my daughter who lives in Arkansas. As we continued talking on the phone, she suddenly came into my bedroom.  Still on the phone, she said, “Mommy, here I am.”  I could hear her loud and clear.  I looked up, threw the phone on the floor and screamed. I had no idea she was coming to visit me in Lynchburg. My husband and son kept this a surprise from me.

When we choose to listen to God, we will hear Him so clearly like I heard my daughter.  I was listening very attentively to her on the phone, and when she showed up I was elated. This is how our prayer life should be. God will surprise us in beautiful ways when we converse with Him. When my daughter walked into my room, I knew she was there because I was in her presence. Have we been in God’s presence lately? He wants to make Himself very real to us. Just as I received a blessing from my daughter’s presence, we can receive a greater blessing being in the presence of the Almighty God.

“Lord help me to be still before You so I can hear Your still small voice. I choose not to rush, but to seek You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Thank You that You show up when I pray.”

For His Glory

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Attitude, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 12, 2012

His Ultimate Plan

“Who else among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is glorious in holiness like you — so awesome in splendor, performing such wonders?”  Exodus 15:11 (NLT)

Navigating around a large hospital or university is daunting, isn’t it?  Recently I was on a local campus, seeking someone with NO name, out of thousands!  In each building, I was referred to another.   At each stop, I had to explain my mission: God had impressed heavily upon my heart to give my almost-new keyboard to someone “who was praying for one!”   How can one know who is praying?  God, of course!  Don’t give me any praise; I resisted for months before obeying.  By the end of two hours, I was exhausted from walking and telling my story.  Finally a woman I talked with asked if I wanted to donate it to the university School of Music. Each semester, they would lend it to a student.  Maybe not what I had prayed for so fervently, but a good “Plan B.”

Three days later, I carried it to the campus. Two gentlemen helped me get the keyboard, stool and cords inside.  Suddenly one of them said, “Oh! Dr. W. heard of your request, and he knows someone who has been praying!”  Wow! What glory went to God!!  An unknown student praying and a faculty person whom I had NOT seen heard of each and was able to get the two together!  What a beautiful testimony to those who knew of my search. God plays a personal, intimate part in our lives, and He provides “miracles” that are affirmations of His great love for us!  Hallelujah!

“Father, help me never to forget that the smallest desires and prayers in our heart are heard by You!  Why would I be amazed that the God who created this beautiful world would orchestrate two of Your children’s lives to intersect? You are so awesome, God,–thank You for Your everlasting love!”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Prayer

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 9, 2012

Restoring Hope

“I cried out, I am slipping but your unfailing love O Lord supported me.  When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  Psalm 94:18-19 (NLT )

Have you ever stripped a piece of furniture?  Years ago, I attempted this task without a clue to the muscle it would take and time.  For weeks, I diligently prepped and scraped off the residue of age old stain on a solid oak dresser.  Not only were my arms and hands sore, but the smell of the stain remover gave me quite the headache.  I loved the finished product, but it was definitely more work than I bargained for.  While restoring furniture isn’t my thing, I’m glad that God specializes in restoring lives. Just when we feel like we’ve messed up again.  Just when we feel like we have no value.  Just at the very moment when we see nothing but the ugly stain of sin covering our lives, God hears our cries.  Like stripping old stain off of a piece of furniture – God strips away the messy residue of sin when we come to Him. It’s hard work;  and it requires confession, repentance and trust that God will complete the work He started in us.  Diligently He scraps off the self-imposed doubts and worries that surface when we focus on our inability to overcome versus God’s deliverance.     Gently, God renews the hope within us and lifts our spirit – redeeming our future.  Restored, renewed, refreshed – absolutely beautiful in God’s eyes.

“Father, before I even start to slip, please help me to cry out to You and to depend on You for support.  And when my thoughts cloud my view, refresh my eyes so that I can see You clearly.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Freedom, Hope, Mercy, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 8, 2012

Reflecting God’s Word

“They that fear thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in thy word.” Psalm 119:74 (KJV)

How do people feel when we enter the room?  Do they cringe or are they happy to see us? Are we impacting someone’s life through our testimony of loving God? Are we full of faith and hoping in God’s Word? Being in God’s Word gives us an opportunity to influence many people daily. It doesn’t always have to be through our talk, but also by our walk. People will know if we are one that spends time with God. Our attitude will be Christ-like; our conversations will be God honoring. Our countenance will even shine. Will people be glad when they see us? Are we uplifting others, or are we discouraging others by our attitude? We have a great opportunity to point others to Christ. We can actually bring God’s joy to people by our presence, if we are filled with God’s Spirit. We must challenge others to hope in God’s Word, however,  the greatest challenge will be the life we live. That life should be filled with love, joy and peace. When people see that we are filled with love, joy and peace, they will know that we have spent time with God. Where are we placing our hope today? Are we causing others to be glad when they see us?

“Father, may people always be glad when they see me because I hope in Your Word. May I be an influence to all that I meet. May You be glorified in my life.”

For His Glory

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

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