Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 30, 2011

In The Father’s Arms

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” Matthew 18:12 (NIV)

 Back when our three sons were small, we traveled to the Dallas-Forth Worth area to spend the weekend with friends. They had twin boys, and our children soon became best friends. After breakfast at a restaurant, we went for a drive. I rode with my friend, while our husbands and five boys rode in our van. Upon arriving at our destination, however, a parent’s worst nightmare unfolded. As the boys came out of the minivan, we expected our youngest son, Lukas, to also be there but he wasn’t. The men assumed he was with us, and we assumed he was with them. Panic-stricken, my husband rushed to the restaurant to look for our son. The time it took him to drive there and back with our son seemed endless. It was painful, scary, and uncertain. All we could do was pray. We were all relieved and delighted to have him back in our midst.

While we may wander away from God, we are never out of his sight. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He is always near and rejoices when we return to Him.  No matter what our circumstances are, if we cling to Him, we will always be safe.

 “Father, please help us to stay the course and look to you during hard times, so we don’t stray away from the safety of Your arms.”

For His Glory,

Luska Suzano
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 28, 2011

His Dwelling Place

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty.” Psalm 84:1 (NIV)

Don’t you just love the holidays?  Gathering with friends and family – schedules pushed aside – we linger longer,  share deeper and reluctantly leave the kitchen table.  Fullness realized – joy complete.  Kodak moments etched in our minds and displayed on our Facebook pages.  Memories that carry us through the year connecting our hearts despite miles that separate our lives.  Don’t you just love being with Jesus?   Pushing our busy schedules aside to linger longer in His presence and share deeper reluctant to leave.  Jesus loves our gathering, our curling up at His feet.  He adores our reaching, stretching as our hearts unfold.  Picture perfect moments etched in His mind and displayed on His heart.  Breathing in deep of grace – resting in His arms. Jesus draws us to come away with Him – to stay longer – to enjoy the fullness and experience joy complete.  Memories of His faithfulness and love carry us through each day connecting our hearts to His.  Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the feast rather than settle for a snack or crumbs?  Who would excuse themselves from His table, gather what we want and flee rather than accept what He has prepared for us?  We can survive on the crumbs, but I want more.  Surviving isn’t enough, I long to thrive in the presence of Jesus drenched in His love and nourished in His grace. What about you?  Don’t miss His invitation – He has the table spread before you.

“Father, my heart is satisfied only in Your presence – how lovely is Your dwelling place.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 27, 2011

Open My Eyes

“So God created the large sea animals and every living thing that moves in the sea. The sea is filled with these living things, with each one producing more of its own kind. He also made every bird that flies, and each bird produced more of its own kind. God saw that this was good.”  Genesis 1:21 (NCV)

“Look Dolphins.”   While sitting by the ocean enjoying the sound of waves crashing and the sand in our toes, I looked up and saw the most beautiful dolphins pop out of the water. In fact , they were right in front of my son and mother-in-law playing in the ocean.  Then moments later, the dolphin jumped up again this time showing more of his exquisite body.  Then we saw a group of three of them.  What a joy to see them swim across the ocean in front of us and watch people gathering along the beach to enjoy them as well..  What a blessing to watch families and strangers alike coming together in amazement of God’s great creation.

God often puts blessings right in front of our eyes, and if we’re not careful we will miss them.  Just like my son having a great time playing with his beach nana; they would have missed seeing the dolphins if we hadn’t pointed it out to them.  I wonder how many things are right in front of our eyes that God wants to show us ?  How many things have we missed while we’re engrossed in something else?

 “Father, open my eyes and lift up my chin to the things You want me to see.  Give me sensitivity to Your gentle guidance.”

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 26, 2011

Walking Daily in “Godly Shoes”

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (TNIV)

 

I’ve  spent almost a month recovering from surgery, and God has taught me many lessons and changed my perspective. Since I haven’t been able to literally walk in my own shoes, God has allowed me to figuratively walk in other people’s shoes. I realized how many things I take for granted. Being able to walk for one and being able to perform daily tasks of living is another. I had to learn to overcome obstacles with trying to get from my car to my office. I realized how blessed I am that my handicap is temporary. People who deal with handicaps on a daily basis humble me; they are more adaptable and are a lot more grateful and joyful for the little things they can do.

Some handicaps are physical and obvious but others are deeper and hidden. Instead of judging a person on what we see and hear, we need to put ourselves in their shoes. Is the cashier who is barely speaking being rude or is she hurting inside? Maybe the person that is driving slowly and “getting in your way” is praying their car doesn’t break down. Perhaps the lady at work that doesn’t dress in the latest fashions or looks a certain way is wearing what she can afford. By walking through each day with a Godly perspective, we will  “see” people from God’s viewpoint.

“Father, Forgive us for times we have judged others from the viewpoint of our flesh and not seen them with Spirit filled eyes. Help us take time to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes” and truly minister to any need You reveal to us.”

For His Glory

Katrina Redman
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Attitude, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 25, 2011

Love Notes

“He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen!”   Deuteronomy 10:21(NAS)

Who can forget the months before and after marriage when we would often find a “love note” tucked inside a book, the toe of our sock, on a pillow or any fun place?  It was so exciting to have a message from the love of our life, just to read “I love you!” Recently I realized that God sends love notes every day, and I’ve only just become aware that this is exactly what they are!  Now I’m trying to be so much more alert to His unexpected blessings: a call from a friend who’s been on my mind, a song sung in church that only He knows is a real favorite, a smile from someone who doesn’t know me, a parking place opening up near the front (!) at WalMart. May we ever be mindful that God enjoys seeing our pleasure when we receive one of His love notes, and may our praises and thanksgiving rise to Him on wings of love!

“God, how we thank You that we are ever on Your mind, that Your eyes watch over and protect us, and Your love guides our steps. Help us to be aware of the Spirit working in our lives, and as we joy in Your love and blessings, let us spread that love and joy to others.”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Hope, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 24, 2011

Magnify Him

“I will praise the name of God with a song; I will MAGNIFY him with THANKSGIVING. This will please the Lord more than an ox bull with horns and hoofs.” Psalm 69:30-31 (ESV)

Not only are we to praise the name of God with a song, but scripture says to MAGNIFY Him with thanksgiving. Magnify means to make great, to increase in size, to augment the esteem or respect in which one is held, to praise highly, to extol. The real testing in our praise comes when we go through trials. What an awesome opportunity to magnify the Lord rather than magnify our problems (Hebrews 13:15). If we keep our eyes on God, our problems will seem small and we will magnify the Lord. He will look a lot bigger than our problems and big enough to take care of us. If we focus on our problems, they will be magnified and God will seem small,  or we won’t even be able to acknowledge Him. What or Whom are we magnifying? When we begin to magnify God, we will have a heart full of thanksgiving. Joy and thanksgiving go hand in hand. When we magnify God, we will have a grateful heart and we will be joyful. Choose today to magnify the Lord. Begin to release praises no matter what you are going through, even if you don‘t feel like it. Take a step of faith – the feelings will follow. Our God is a great big God; we will praise Him and magnify Him.

“Father, I choose to magnify You today and continually praise You with my mouth with thanksgiving. I thank You that you are bigger than any of my problems and will see me through as I trust you.”

For His Glory

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

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Posted in Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 21, 2011

He Is Our Strength

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

 I have recited today’s verse many times.  But as I sit here after a long, tiring week, I am again wondering how it applies to my life.  The Living Bible translation says, “Your strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power within you.”  But I’m just not feeling it.

As a mom who works out of the house, I juggle many tasks at work and home:  dishes, laundry, shopping, cooking, car pool, homework, football practice and… dirty socks randomly scattered throughout my house.  Add to that devotions, church activities…and I am left feeling like tumbleweed rolling down the dusty streets of life.

Despite our personal preferences, God is not in the habit of handing out hall passes so we can skip all the stress and hard work.  Although I would love the opportunity to effortlessly leap tall mounds of laundry, bills and dirty dishes in a single bound, this verse is not offering us instant access to super powers like those highlighted in the pages of a comic book.

On the contrary, the reality is that we will be weak…and in need of a strong God.  When our weaknesses surface, they spotlight the fact that we need God.  Like a child holding their father’s hand, we are “enabled” because the Father holding our hand is able.  So rather than trying to conquer life, we must learn to conquer the illusion that we can “do life” on our own.  Our strength comes from relying on a God who is strong and more than able to carry us.

“Lord, I pray that our posture through life would be one of dependence on You.  Help us rely on You and look to You rather than our own efforts.”

For His Glory

Claudia Dempsey
TRBC Coffee Break

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

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 20, 2011

What’s Your Patience Level?

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14 (ESV)

What is your patience level?  How do you handle waiting for the answer you desire?  Patience is defined as the state of endurance under difficult circumstances by Wikipedia.  Patience is another word that doesn’t often come to mind in describing myself.  Patience is something God is teaching me again. His timing not mine; His will not mine.  I’m learning to rely more on Him  –  less on me.  Only with His help and His strength can I continue forward.  When I try to go it on my own, I fall down.  When I give it to Him, I move forward.  Seems so simple, yet it is so hard.  Am I the only one with this struggle?  I’m so grateful that even in my weakness, He is strong and He is there.  Seems kind of silly to think that we would try to carry the weight all on our own shoulders when we have God to carry it and handle it for us.  Why is it so hard to just fall broken and give Him all of us?  Give Him our will, and let His will be done.  God holds our future; we just have to be strong, take courage and  wait for His direction.

“Father, not my will but Yours.  I’m sorry for not always waiting but trying to go it on my own. Thank you for the courage and strength to wait for Your timing and Your great plan.”

For His Glory,

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 19, 2011

Wednesday’s Women

“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he (Jesus) always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:25 (NIV)

Who are you praying for today?  Two years ago, I would have said – I’m praying for me!  Then I would rehearse all my needs, wants,  etc.  Now don’t misunderstand me, God longs for us to bring our requests to His throne.  Prayer is the heartbeat of a thriving Child of God.  But God challenged me that January to take a deeper step and spend my Wednesdays in prayer for other women.  So I wrote down  on paper every Wednesday for the rest of the year, and God filled up the blank spaces with the names of women.  Some of these were women in ministry like Beth Moore or Priscilla Shirer.  Other Wednesdays were devoted to women in our church, friends, total strangers I met along the way.  Women I knew, women I had read about or seen speak and women I would never know personally.  God is filling my Wednesdays and teaching me that limited knowledge equals unlimited possibilities when prayers are brought to the feet of our all knowing God.  How does God want to enlarge your prayers?  Perhaps interceding for an unsaved friend. Perhaps someone’s marriage is struggling and rather than spread the news, we choose to bend the knee.  Perhaps God will fill our Wednesdays with strangers who need a special touch of His grace in their lives.  What an incredible gift – what a sweet, fragrant offering – taking women to the feet of Jesus.

“Father, help us to become women who are intentional in taking our prayers to a deeper level – reflecting Jesus’ example to a world desperately in need of His intervention.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

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Posted in Prayer, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 18, 2011

Applying God’s Truth

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”  
 I Corinthians 10:31(ASV)

 

When I moved into my new apartment, the movers had the front door open and I had the sliding glass door open lugging in boxes.  After everything has settled, I now have flies that have taken up permanent residence.  A fly buzzing around my head or sitting on my computer screen when I’m reading, writing or studying makes me want to scream.  Have you ever tried to sleep while a fly is buzzing around?  I just couldn’t catch them all, so I began closing my interior doors.  When I would leave my bedroom and it was fly free, I closed the door.  Leaving the laundry room, I made sure no flies were around then I would run and shut the door behind me.

I had to locate them all and attack! I could swat my hand at them or give them the fiercest stare, but I had to take my fly swatter out to get them one by one.  It is the same way with a bad unspiritual habit that buzzes around in our lives. We know it’s there and it keeps landing on us.  Somehow, we find ourselves swatting aimlessly without taking care of the problem. Our best weapon is to intentionally apply the truth of God’s Word. One by one, we will see those bad habits fly out of sight as we close the door behind them.

Lord, please help me get rid of “flies” buzzing around in my life preventing me from being the Christian You need me to be.  Thank you for the Word of God to help me combat these “flies!”

 

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Coffee Break
 

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Posted in Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

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