Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 9, 2011

Who’s Driving Your Emotions

“But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15 (NIV)

Lunch time adventures always seem to follow me, so my little incident shouldn’t have been a surprise. I left the office, ran errands and maneuvered through traffic while gulping down my lunch.  It was an unusually warm November day, so  I reached over and twisted the top off my Diet Coke.  Within seconds, I was covered with fizzing warm soda.  It spewed on my steering wheel, dashboard and of course my white blouse.  All while I was driving down Rt. 221 headed back to the office.  Sticky fingers searched for at least one napkin, tissue or anything.  All I could do was laugh.  Have you ever find yourself in a sticky mess – one you never anticipated?  It happens all the time.  Stress and overload can cause our fuses to run short.   Our mouths and actions can spew out all over the people in our path.   And if we are not careful, we will leave the sticky residue of our out of control emotions.  Unfortunately, sticky doesn’t come off easily it requires some major soaking in warm water – cleansing.  The same is true with our emotions. Until we surrender them to God and seek His help, we will continue to spew out of control.    So what’s a girl to do?  How about giving our day to God before it has a chance to get overwhelming?  How about meditating on scripture, taping it to our steering wheel or placing it below our computer screen?  Bet that will solve a lot of frustration when my eyes are constantly reminded to give His Spirit full reign in my life.

“Father, when life gets challenging a good laugh lifts my heart and softens my lips.  Help me to avoid the stickiness of emotional overload.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 8, 2011

Outrageous Faith!

“He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” Luke 17:6 (NIV)

Sometimes we allow ourselves to be intimidated by our circumstances forfeiting the opportunity to shout a big “hooray” for overcoming them. In our first home, we had a large refrigerator that was never moved for me to clean behind it, just because I attributed heaviness to its large size. I wiped the door, the one side that was not against the wall, and the top of it, but always wanted to clean behind and underneath it. I went to extremes at times like getting a large ruler, wrapping it in a rag and sticking it under the fridge to remove as much dust as possible. One day, I finally decided I would move that fridge out of its space even if it were the last thing I ever did. I placed myself in front of it and outstretched my arms so I could “bear” hug it.   To my surprise, the huge appliance just slid out without toil. All those years fearing the monster of appliances and there it was, in the middle of my kitchen.  All it took was for me to believe I could do it!  It is easy to allow our thorns and trials to overshadow what God has in store for us. When we truly believe that we can do all things through Him, we will come out victorious and those intimidating circumstances will fade in comparison to His mighty strength.

 

“Father, please help us to use our circumstances for Your glory. May we have faith like a mustard seed to tell our fears to exit our hearts and minds.”

For His Glory,

Luska Suzano
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 7, 2011

Restoration

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want! He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.”  Psalm 23:1-3a (NKJV)

In our home, we have some pieces of furniture made by two of our grandfathers.  Each piece had to be stripped, cleaned, sanded, and varnished from nearly 100 years of use, until they sparkled and shone as though they had just been made.  We are so proud of them both for the people they represent, the time they took to make them, and the fact that they now grace our home.

As I reflect on Psalm 23, I am awed that our Savior and King, the Great I AM, “restores our soul” when its been dragged through the grit and grime of daily living.  He takes us in His hands and wipes the stains of the world off; He gently smooths out the hurts that others inflict, and reminds us of His love.  He tells us we’re beautiful in His sight, and that nothing, NOTHING, will ever separate us from His undying love.  He has restored my soul, given me what I need to sleep peacefully, and I can wake to a new day with opportunities to serve Him.

Dear Father, please don’t let me forget for one moment how completely You love me, and how lovingly You restore me when I have had to be in the world for a day!  Let me be an outpouring of love to others, as You have loved me.  

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Mountain Blend

Leave a Comment

Posted in Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 5, 2011

Worth The Wait

“Then he waited yet another seven days, and sent out the dove; but she did not return to him again.” Genesis 8:12 (NAS)

Have you ever been in a holding pattern waiting to take off?  So much ahead that we are ready to be a part of it.  Maybe it’s here, but then you find out it could be there.  No decisions to make because the final answer hasn’t arrived.  Maybe it won’t, maybe the current location is the correct location.  Head’s spinning, wondering, trusting, and waiting. Where are you?

Maybe we’re like Noah working so long, gathering and loading – watching for what God has spoken, only to wait again while those outside think we’ve lost our mind.  Then the rain came, and came, and came for 40 days.  In an ark for 40 days with family and animals, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, just trusting and obeying.  Waiting for the earth to dry up.  Waiting to get out of the boat. Waiting to start over.  The excitement, apprehension, thoughts of how to rebuild, things to do differently.  So much to absorb, yet with God it is possible.  With God the strength is found.  When closeness is required, growth is unavoidable.  How would Noah advise us today on how to handle our waiting patterns?  Probably, he would ask are we learning the lessons we are meant to learn while we are waiting?  Let’s ask God what He has in mind for us. It’s easy to get caught up in the future of what will be and miss what is now.  Don’t miss the opportunity of the moment that is right here, right now.

“Father, forgive my impatience, grow me, shape me, mold me as I trust you for the answers.”

For His Glory

Debbie Struble
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Faith, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 2, 2011

Childlike Faith

“From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” Psalm 8:2 (NIV)

“God is great,  God is good , and we thank him for this food. By his hands we are fed; give us, Lord, our daily bread.”  Childlike faith simply expressed with folded hands looking to the face of God.  I remember those days –how about you?  Gathering around the table we longed for our turn to pray through closed eyes that peeked to make sure no one else was looking.  Sheer sweetness to the very heart of God.  Fully trusting, fully confident and unafraid because God is great and God is good.   Wonder how often we now reflect our trust, our confidence and our courage in our God who is great and good?  Do we simply express our faith in the One who has given us our daily food, nourished our soul and given us all that we need?  Or have we forgotten His greatness?  Have we refrained from accepting His goodness?  Childlike wonder and awe often slips away as adult logic slips in.  We reason with life. We contemplate the yes, no and wait responses to our prayers.  We wring our hands or shake our fists when life yields a daily bread we’d rather not taste.  And at times we even extinguish our prayers as we fail to acknowledge His touch on our lives. But God’s sheer sweetness is still found in the heart of His child who simply expresses their faith with folded hands looking intently to the heart and face of God.

“Father,  remind me daily that You alone fed my soul with the Greatness and Goodness that flows from Your heart.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | December 1, 2011

Sound of His Voice

“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)

 

What sweet comfort in knowing that God is truly in our midst. He is always present with us. If we don’t feel like He is with us, we can trust in the fact that our walk with God is not one of feeling but of faith. His Word says that He is mighty to save and will rejoice over us with joy. Made in His image, we bring joy to Him.  This is so very precious to know that the Lord God Almighty loves us so much that he takes the time to sing over us. How precious is that? When is the last time we sang a song unto the Lord? This is also precious to Him. Whatever we are going through we can know that God is singing a beautiful song over us. He has not forgotten us. He knows what we are going through. We are not alone, God is in the midst of us, and He will save. If you have a broken heart, He is singing sweet songs over you. If you are rejoicing, He is still singing sweet songs over you.

“Father, Thank you for caring enough to take the time to sing over me. Help me to remember that You make beautiful songs for me. Give me a new song to sing to You. You rejoice over me with joy. May I always find delight in You.”

For His Glory,

Linda Reyes Shepherd
TRBC Mountain Blend

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 30, 2011

Divine Blessings

“Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me always.”  Jeremiah  35:19b (NASB)

In the book of Jeremiah there is a story told of a godly man named Jonadab, who taught his children to live in holiness and purity.  His children were so affected by his example and teachings that they boldly refused to compromise or give into temptation.    In fact, their unwavering commitment to their father’s standard was so impressive that God presented this family before the nation of Israel as an object lesson on obedience.  Then, in recognition of their uncompromising stance, God decided to bless this family.

To my surprise, however, God did not offer wealth, health or prominence to Jonadab or his crew.  Actually, He never mentioned any temporal rewards at all.  His blessing was simply this:  Jonadab would always have descendants dwelling in the presence of God.  On the surface it seems as though God looked past all the “good stuff” when digging through His proverbial “bag of blessings,”  but God did not shortchange Jonadab.  Instead, He chose to give Jonadab and his children something more valuable than gold, more lasting than health and more impactful than power and prominence.   He offered them Himself…and the gift of worshipping and serving Him!

As a mom, I cannot imagine a better gift I would want for my children than God’s presence.  Earthly treasures are fleeting, but if my children could dwell in God’s presence, then they would experience the very essence of their eternal design and purpose.   And what treasure on earth can compare to that?

“Lord, draw us to You today that we would not only know about You, but that we would know how to worship You and dwell in Your presence?  Help us set time with You above all other earthly treasures.”

For His Glory

Claudia Dempsey
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Living, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 29, 2011

Beyond Our Dreams

 “I (Jesus) came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of,”  John 10:10b (MSG)

One day my father announced we were going to have a yard sale.  I couldn’t believe his treasure trove, the garage, was going to be cleaned out.    And the neighbors did not disappoint us.  One man was so proud of a gadget he found and declared, “I have been looking for this all of my life.”  He asked, “How much is this?”  My dad answered, “Four dollars.”  The man humphed and then walked on.  We still talk about how that man’s dreams could have been met for four dollars, but he turned and walked away.

How many times do we long for a dream such as a husband, a child, a job, or a home?  Then one day it is there for our taking and after the, “I do’s, “ changing of the diapers, on our feet for 8 hours, or the pipes burst, we grumble and say, “Humph.”  We think we want something but when we get it, we decide we really don’t want it after all.

For years, the Pharisees waited for the coming of the promised Messiah.  They preached about it.  Prepared for it.  Then when Jesus showed up, they turned their backs and probably a “Humph” was heard.  God held out His Holy hand with the most magnificent Gift of all time.  Love, joy, peace personified in His Son, Jesus Christ. And He is still all we need to make our dreams come true!

“Heavenly Father,   You have given me all that I need through Jesus Christ.  Please forgive me for turning my back on Your amazing gifts and trying to fill my longings myself.  I know that nothing will ever satisfy my desire for peace, love, and joy except Jesus.”

 

For His Glory

Melissa Tucker
TRBC Coffee Break

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 28, 2011

His Presence – His Peace

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, I found myself elated one minute and unsure of the future the next.   Initially, following the delivery of our little granddaughter something went terribly wrong and huge decisions regarding our daughter’s health were necessary.  In the midst of the intensity, we joyously discovered we were going to be grandparents for the third time!!!  Then sadly, our precious daughter-in-law’s daddy passed away very unexpectedly.  Emotions I never anticipated.

Ever felt like this – emotions all over the place – simultaneously fearful, joyful, & sad  – is that possible?  Yes!  Survival for me meant evidence of God’s presence – His peace, power, and protection.  Was He mindful I was experiencing an emotional rollercoaster?  Of course.  Did He hear and answer many prayers?  Yes.  Did He care?  Most definitely.  Did He intervene?  Remarkably.

Where are you today?  Huge obstacles you didn’t envision?   God’s awareness is complimented by His understanding.  Life’s unexpected interruptions are golden opportunities to look to Jehovah Shalom – the Lord our Peace where wounded hearts are mended in the presence of the King!

“Lord, whatever I face today may I feel your peace through Your presence in a new, fresh way.”

For His Glory

Patsy Sanders
TRBC Coffee Break

Leave a Comment

Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 23, 2011

Giving Thanks

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)

In my life, I have learned to find gratitude for the way I was created and to use my differences for God’s glory. However, this verse challenged me as I memorized and meditated upon it. Thoughts such as “Why should I give thanks for every thing?” or “It’s not fair that I have to deal with such difficulties” was another.

Have you ever questioned “why” or had a hard time giving thanks in a circumstance?  Have you thought, when such and such happens, then I’ll be thankful or when I get this, then I’ll be thankful?

I have, and I believe many of us might still. The beautiful news is contained in the last part of this verse, “in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  We must trust in God’s will believing that he knows us and has the very hairs on our head numbered.  So despite our difficult circumstances, we still need to give thanks and trust Him. Yes, IN EVERY THING not only in good times, but every thing. Exercise your thankfulness to bring Him glory!   And just when you think you cannot, remember our pilgrims and the sufferings they entailed yet still found gratitude in their hearts that first Thanksgiving Day.

“Dear Lord Jesus, I love You and trust You. Please help me to be thankful right now, in my current situation and to bring You glory.”

For His Glory

Julia Forystek
TRBC Coffee Break

Wishing each of you an awesome Thanksgiving Holiday with family and friends.

Coffee Break Devotionals will resume on Monday, November 28.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Gratitude, Spiritual Growth | Tags:

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories