Start Each Day Right

I love the way the Father gives me examples of Christian life. This morning He showed me something about my routine that reflects on Him.

“Then Jesus said, “I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty.” John 6:35 ERV

My morning begins with starting the coffee, coming to my office, telling the Lord I love Him, talking about the morning blog with Him and then having my Bible reading and prayer time. I have done this for over twenty years. There are a few variations when I go visit family or am traveling on the road, the location is changed but the routine is the same.

Before that, I was a working wife and Mom. I needed to be at work by 6:30 and had a husband to send off and a daughter to get up for school. My routine was different in those days. I like this one better. But if you have a busy morning routine already let me encourage you to get up just a little earlier and spend some time with the Father before you spend time with anyone else.

My time with the Father is my most important part of the day. It’s a time of refreshing. A time of friendship. A time of counsel. A time of joy. It’s a time I come to Him to get nourishment, eat from His word and then stay to visit and experience His love.

He doesn’t want our Bible reading to be “drudgery”. We should be excited to come, eat and then stay to be loved on. God’s word is a wonderful love letter but it’s also a banquet, a meal that will strengthen us and provide all we need for each day. We shouldn’t eat and run.

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the things you need to live—what you will eat, drink, or wear. Life is more important than food, and the body is more important than what you put on it. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or save food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you know you are worth much more than they are? 27 You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? Look at the wildflowers in the field. See how they grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. 29 But I tell you that even Solomon, the great and rich king, was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 30 If God makes what grows in the field so beautiful, what do you think he will do for you? It’s just grass—one day it’s alive, and the next day someone throws it into a fire. But God cares enough to make it beautiful. Surely he will do much more for you. Your faith is so small!

31 “Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” Matthew 6:25-33 ERV

They say Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Getting spiritual nourishment at the beginning of our day is like starting the day with a big country breakfast. It will stay with us all day long!

Enjoy the Harvest

How’s it going for you this morning? I have to admit, the last few days have been challenging. Physically challenging. Not sure of the what or how but something I did aggravated my back and slowed me down a bit.

I am pleased to report that when I got up this morning most of the pain and stiffness is gone and I am praising God for that. I love to sit in the quiet of the day and praise God! It’s as natural as breathing – inhaling I think “Thank you Father, Praise you Father” and with each exhale I convey my words of love. I love you Lord!

It’s not “Prayer Time” because I’m not asking the Lord for anything. It’s a time of awareness, knowing that my Father and I are sharing this time, enjoying one another’s presence.

“I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear…11 You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” Psalm 16:8,9,11 NLV

I heard two words this morning – peace and joy! Both are internal conditions. There has always been and always will be conflict; peace is the sense of well being in our souls regardless of that conflict. The peace that God gives bypasses our understanding, it goes beyond the natural way of thinking to a place of trust and rest in God and His goodness. Peace is found when we spend time with the Father and joy comes along with it.

“The rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there without giving water to the earth. This makes plants grow on the earth, and gives seeds to the planter and bread to the eater. 11 So My Word which goes from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well. 12 You will go out with joy, and be led out in peace. The mountains and the hills will break out into sounds of joy before you. And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:10-12 NLV

For a number of years Dave and I spent our summers in eastern Iowa. They say that you can watch the corn grow – literally. One day the stocks are knee high and the next they are waist high. Give it a few days and they will tower over your head. All the conditions are right – fertile soil, rain, sunshine and humidity.

Just like rain causes the seeds to sprout and the corn to grow, God’s word causes peace and joy to grow in our lives. God’s word, like a seed, planted in our hearts will bring a harvest. I guess that’s what I do each morning as I sit here in my quiet place – I’m planting seeds of joy and peace. And then when the challenges come, I can pick an ear of joy and an ear of peace and enjoy the harvest of God’s word.

Enjoy the planting process today. Before you know it, you will also be enjoying the harvest!

Motives Matter

Good morning all.

I am going to pose a question to you that I have had to ask myself. When you are doing something nice for someone, do you ever hear “they probably won’t appreciate this anyway” going off in your head? If so, you’re not alone. That’s exactly what I dealt with. I had to come face to face with my answer.

Definitely a motive check-up. I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, tells us that if we are martyred and it isn’t motivated by love – then it profits us nothing. Thoughts like “I’m giving all my time to do this or that and no one will really appreciate it anyway – no one is going to know how hard I worked, how I gave up sleep, how much it cost me to do this nice thing” – are all wrong motives!

Years ago I would do things for people just to get them to like or accept me. I tried to buy friendship – wow, what a destructive force that was! I was so insecure in who I was that I needed constant affirmation from others that I was lovable. Then I heard a wonderful, godly woman, Dale Evans Rogers, speak in our college chapel service about God’s love, His unconditional love, and the message got through.

Knowing that God loves me – really loves me – is more than enough acceptance to last a life time. I went from doing things for people to get them to like and accept me to doing the same things because I really loved those people and I wanted them to know they were loved and appreciated. A complete 180 in motivation.

When thoughts spring up “they probably won’t even appreciate this”, and my response back is but I appreciate them and I want them to know that they are special the question of motive was answered.

It seems when we are tired and under stress that our motives come into question. Satan knows when we are weak and tries to kick us when we’re down. He’s such a creep – he did the same to Jesus. After a forty day fast he tempted Jesus with food – he said “IF you are the son of God, turn these stones to bread”. His tactics with us are the same, when we recognize them we can walk in the same strength and victory that Jesus did.

Let’s face the daily challenges and make our motivation one of love without expecting anything in return.

“I may give away everything I have to help others, and I may even give my body as an offering to be burned. But I gain nothing by doing all this if I don’t have love. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 8 Love will never end.” I Corinthians 13:3-8 ERV

We have the opportunity to be an example of Jesus love today. Our motives matter.

Timeless

There are some who think the Bible is antiquated, archaic or just plain out of touch with our modern day society. This sentiment seems to be expressed quite frequently during the last generation. With this sentiment is a failure to show that God’s word is ever living, ever powerful and always life changing. God’s word is more contemporary then the latest best seller on the New York Times list – it is certainly more accurate.

God’s word is infallible. My life verse comes from the book of Numbers in the Old Testament. This is a book I skipped through many times when I was younger because I felt it really had nothing pertinent for me. After all, it was mostly just a list of names and numbers. It is the census that Moses recorded after the Israelites fled from Egypt. How life changing could that be?

But then I found this verse securely anchored in the middle of the book.

“God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” Numbers 23:19 NLT

Once I began to really take this verse a part, phrase by phrase, I realized that if this one verse isn’t true then the whole Bible can be discarded. If God can lie or change His mind then we have to eliminate other teachings that are foundational to our Christian faith. Things like the unconditional love of God becomes conditional, if God can change His mind. Eternal life becomes relative and not available to everyone, if God can lie. Grace is no longer grace and our Christian walk becomes merit based if we can’t trust what God says.

But God isn’t human; He doesn’t lie and His word isn’t subject to change. It is truth and it stands forever.

“The sky and the earth will not last forever, but my words will.” Mark 13:31 CEV

God’s word never fails. The failure is a human issue and not caused by God. The Word of God will make a difference in our lives if we allow it too. We aren’t suppose to be living stressed out like the rest of the world; we aren’t supposed to be living under the circumstances. The Word of God tells us that we are world overcomers, more than conquerors and it causes us to triumph. When we are standing on the Word of God the storms of life won’t flatten us. We will be steadfast and sure.

“Let the peace of Christ have power over your hearts. You were chosen as a part of His body. Always be thankful. 16 Let the teaching of Christ and His words keep on living in you. These make your lives rich and full of wisdom. Keep on teaching and helping each other. Sing the Songs of David and the church songs and the songs of heaven with hearts full of thanks to God. 17 Whatever you say or do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 3:15-17 NLV

These verses from God’s Word should become our standard. We can look at our life now and say, “Lord I don’t quite measure up to this yet…but I am growing and I am who Your word says I am and I am growing and I will be a beacon of what Your Word will do in the life of someone who is willing to be believe it – not in theory, but by faith.” AMEN

God’s Word is timeless! It doesn’t need to change, we do.

The Problems We Face

When I was a kid we would occasionally have the television screen would fill with a test pattern and a voice would come on and say “Do not adjust your set. This is a test of the emergency broadcast system.” There would be a prolonged beep and once that was over programming would resume.

Oh for the days of a blank screen – television, computer, ipad, phone. To have it quiet and drama free. (Except on the days when there’s a NASCAR race on. ;)) But wait…there is a way to do that – we can turn it off!

Turn it off and open God’s Word instead. It is such a great way to counter what’s on the tv or in the paper.

“After we came to Macedonia, we didn’t have any chance to rest. We were faced with all kinds of problems. We were troubled by enemies and troubled by fears. 6 But God cheers up people in need, and that is what he did when he sent Titus to us. 7 Of course, we were glad to see Titus, but what really made us glad is the way you cheered him up. He told how sorry you were and how concerned you were about me. And this made me even happier.”
II Corinthians 7:5-7 CEV

There is so much around us that keeps us from resting – problems, enemies and fear…but God! God cheers up his people in need. We see in these verses that it was comfort in the form of a person, Titus, who encouraged Paul as he was going through some pretty tough stuff.

That comfort can come in the form of a card or letter, a phone call, FaceTime or Skype, a text or an in-person visit. When the Lord brings someone to mind stop and pray for them. Then, if they continue to stay in your thoughts reach out, in some tangible way, and let them know you are thinking of them and that you love them.

It means so much to me when someone calls and says I was just thinking about you and wanted to say hello. The same is true of those text messages and calls that come “just thinking about you”. I don’t know how many times I’ve been talking to someone, just general conversation, and they begin to tell me about something that’s on their heart. It’s an opportunity to empathize, provide a listening ear and an encouraging word. I don’t have to preach a sermon but I can take what’s been shared to the Lord and ask His guidance in their situation.

I will close this blog this morning the same way the Apostle Paul ended his letter to the Christians who were a part of the church at Corinth.

“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.” II Corinthians 13:11 NLT

Let God use you today to encourage those who are going through life’s difficulties. He depends on us to share His love.

Just One Sip

Just imagine…We and some of our friends go to a wedding. Good music, good food, lots of people and a few dignitaries. We are enjoying the reception when we overhear our friend’s mother talking to him.

She tells him that the caterer has run out of wine. He can’t allow the bridegroom to be embarrassed at his own wedding by having people find out the wine is gone. “What do you want me to do Mom?”

His mother does what any mother would do – she basically ignores his statement and turns to the waiters and tells them to do whatever he says. Who is this guy and what will he do? Will he give them money to go buy some more wine or send them to his own home to get a supply of wine he has there? What?

We really haven’t known this man very long but we heard from a trusted friend that he is someone special. We’ve been told that this man is going to change the world. We’ve spent some time with him but this relationship is so new that we wonder what he’s going to do.
Our new friend turns to the wait staff and tells them to take the six large water pots and fill them with water. Simple enough – ok. Then he tells them to fill a dipper from one of the pots and give it to the wedding planner.

WHAT?

We see the apprehension from the wait staff – “I’m not taking that to the planner. I’m not either. Here you take it – you’re the newest and we have seniority.” Fast forward – as the attendant takes the dipper to the wedding host, knees knocking, the planner takes a drink and is amazed at the quality of the wine.

There’s a surprising look on the waiter’s face – ours too for that matter. Gasp! When did the water become wine? Was it when they filled the water pots or was it when they dipped it out or maybe it didn’t change until the governor took a sip? We have no answers.

Scripture tells us this was Jesus’ first miracle. I really think it must have happened something like that. If we had already seen Jesus heal some people, cast out a few demons and even multiply the loaves and fish then I’m sure it would have been easier to just blindly do what he said. But this was the first miracle. How would the governor of the reception react if all the attendant took him was a cup of water? We often over spiritualize the events of the Bible but these were real people at a real wedding!

“Jesus and His followers were asked to come to the wedding. When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no more wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what is that to you and to Me. It is not time for Me to work yet.” His mother said to the helpers, “Do whatever He says.”…Six stone water jars were there. Each one held about one-half barrel of water… Jesus said to the helpers, “Fill the jars with water.” They filled them to the top. Then He said, “Take some out and give it to the head man who is caring for the people.” They took some to him. The head man tasted the water that had become wine. He did not know where it came from but the helpers who took it to him knew…11 This was the first powerful work Jesus did. It was done in Cana of Galilee where He showed His power. His followers put their trust in Him.” John 2:1-11 NLV

Image we were there. Jesus’ instruction to the wait staff was simple. What simple thing has Jesus told us to do. Are we struggling with it? Let’s walk in the shoes of the waiters. Our obedience could be life changing.

Do whatever He says. Our miracle is waiting!

Happy Annivers-Day!

I’m not sure if I should say Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary, so let’s make it Happy AnniversDay.

Three years ago today my first blog appeared on www.arizonakristi.com – WOW! A very dear friend of mine had been reading my morning posts on Facebook for quite and while and he said to me, “Kristi, you should have a blog so that your writings can be shared with more people than just your friends on Facebook”. It was taken back by his statement. I had been sharing, almost daily, on Facebook for the past eight years at that time. And had never thought about it being anything more. So I think my comment to him was “I wouldn’t know where to start”.

Jump ahead a couple months and I received an email asking me what I thought about a few different names. I asked “for what”? To which he replied “for your blog”. I told him I really didn’t think I had the time to devote to learning how to create a blog and he said “not to worry”.

A few weeks later he sent me the website link and said if I liked it he would make it live. And as they said, the rest is history. Thanks Tom! On July 15, 2017 I posted the first teaching to arizonakristi.com

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” Zechariah 4:10 NLT

I am humbled to say that I know God has given me an ability to present His word in a practical, easy-to-understand way. It is a labor of love to share with you each day, it’s my calling and I am blessed to be able to share my heart.

In the past three years the blog has been read almost 32,000 times. Each morning a good number of you receive it directly to your email. Others have chosen to follow Kristi’s Morning Devotional page on Facebook and we also have a presence on Twitter and Linked-In. THANK YOU!

In November of 2018 my first book, The Best Gifts of Christmas, was published through Amazon and many of you purchased copies. THANK YOU! It’s a thirty-one day Advent devotional for the month of December. It’s a reminder of the wonderful gifts the Lord blesses us with each day.

By September of this year my second book, Like A Diamond, will be released. It’s in the final stages of editing now before it goes to publishing. Our life in Christ has many facets, Like A Diamond. This book gives us some insight to those as we develop in our walk with the Lord. I will be sharing more information on availability later this summer.

Over the next few months I will be working on creating a Spanish translation page. Please pray with me as the blog continues to develop. The goal is reach as many people as possible with the Good News of who we are in Christ. The Lord is also opening doors for me to speak to churches and other groups.

I have something to ask of you. If you have enjoyed reading the morning blogs and if they have helped you or encouraged you would you please consider sharing the site with your friends? They can follow the page on social media or receive it directly to their email each day by subscribing on the home page of the site.

My goal is to reach as many Christians as I can with the message that we have been called to be good will ambassadors for Christ while we’re here on this planet. We have been equipped by the transforming power of God. The world needs the message that God wants to be at peace with them and Christians need to know that we have ability to share that message.

“I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the one who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of his sheep. He raised him because Jesus sacrificed his blood to begin the new agreement that never ends. I pray that God will work through Jesus Christ to do the things in us that please him. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21 ERV

No Need to Hide

Are you crazy or delusional? You can’t be happy all the time! Really?

You’ve got your head stuck in the sand – you just need a good dose of reality!

Ever heard those kind of comments – I have! But what people are really saying is “what gives you the right to be so happy when I am so upset?”.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4 ERV

There’s a difference between happiness and joy, or at least there is to me. Happiness is our positive reaction to external circumstances. Joy is a character trait that comes from within. Happiness is an emotion that fluctuates; joy is a stabilizing confidence.

I choose to be joyful. I choose to see that God has more in store for me that I can fathom; I see God’s love sustaining me no matter what the circumstances are in my life and so I chose to be filled with joy!

I like me better when I’m joyful. I don’t like being grumpy or aggravated. I just don’t. Those conditions tell me that I’m looking at me. I’d rather look at God the Father and be reminded of His amazing love.

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 AMP

We need to practice being JOY FILLED! I went to bed last night humming a praise song that we sang Sunday morning and the words are still in my heart this morning. It is the reason I choose to be joyful regardless of the circumstances.

You're my champion 
Giants fall when You stand 
Undefeated Every battle You've won 
I am who You say I am 
You've crowned me with confidence 
I'm seated in the heavenly places 
Undefeated with the one who has conquered it all.
Source: "You are My Champion" Lyrics: Dante Bowe

Fill up your joy reservoir and as you go throughout the day. Share it with others. When asked why you are smiling so much or why you’re so happy, let people know that “God loves me” and that’s more than enough reason to be glad. Joy comes from knowing Jesus is always with us and He has faced any struggle, any trial, any circumstance that would try to destroy us. He is greater than Covid, He is greater than social distancing. He has conquered it all and because of that I am filled with confidence. Confidence of who I am in Christ!

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

Good Old Days

In today’s world we have better living conditions, better advancements in health care, better education than the generations before us. But we also have more stress, more acts of violence, more fear and less family stability.

In the “good old days” people prayed for rain and the success of their crops, families worked and played together, communities gathered together to help a neighbor in need and children were educated by teachers who prayed and used the Bible as the core curriculum in reading.

Truth was the foundation for society, government and the family.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. ” John 14:6 ERV

The word “the” is a defining force. Truth isn’t subjective, it’s an absolute. You are either telling the truth or it’s a lie. If you leave facts out to skew the story or sway the outcome, it isn’t truth. Remember the days when people in court had to place their hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? People swore or affirmed their statement by the Bible because it was and is the only standard of truth that has never changed since it was written.

“The way”. Our life’s is a journey and we can chose the path but when we follow paths of our own making we become distracted, confused and even lost.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live. 20 You must love the Lord your God and obey him. Never leave him, because he is your life. And he will give you a long life in the land that he, the Lord, promised to give to your ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ERV

I love that verse. When we choose “the way” and “the truth” we gain life. And when we don’t, we face an enemy who seeks to destroy us and we are without defense.

“Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. 9 I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:8-10 CEV

When Kaci, our youngest, was very little she woke up crying. I got up and took her to the living room to rock her back to sleep. She didn’t want to be there – she strained and leaned in my arms, wanting me to take her to another room. I did and her actions were the same. Wanting to go from the living room to the family room to the kitchen and then the dining room and finally back to the living room.

No matter which room we were in, she wasn’t content. When we arrived back in the living room (only about 10 minutes had past), she snuggled into my chest and fell asleep. I remember saying to her, “This is where we started. I knew this was the best place for you. Why couldn’t you trust me and see that?” And then I heard God speak in my heart and ask me the same question.

“Why don’t you trust Me to know what’s best for you and to have you in the right place?” WOW!

I wish I could say that I never had to learn that lesson again but that wouldn’t be the truth. However, the longer I walk with Him the easier it is for me to see when I am on a path of my own making and not where He wants me.

I encourage you to join me in making “The Way” your choice, committed to “The Truth” and finding “The Life” that is abundant and everlasting!

No Missing Pieces

Did you look at the image I used today? Was your eye immediately drawn to the missing piece?

I’m an avid jigsaw puzzler and let me tell you it’s extremely frustrating to work diligently on a puzzle and then find you have a missing piece.

I vaguely remember my parents living room when I was just 2 or 3 years old. It had several card tables set up with puzzles on each table. My Mom and Dad would invite couples over for an evening. Mom would always bake something and they would spend the evening talking, snacking and doing puzzles. When company left, the tables with unfinished puzzles would be set aside until the next visit. I wasn’t allowed to touch the tables because I was told “we don’t want any missing pieces”.

I always have a puzzle waiting in the cabinet. When our daughters come we make it a weekend project. The goal is to visit while we assemble the puzzle and have it done before they leave on Sunday afternoon. It’s what we do.

No missing pieces.

The events of our life seem to fit together like the pieces of those puzzles. We work toward a particular goal and those pieces seem to fall in place. Other life events seem disjointed or unattached but if we wait and not get upset by a random moment we will see that it has a place and adds to the overall picture.

Our life, as a follower of Christ, is the same. Little pieces coming together to reveal the plan and purpose the Father has for us. There’s a picture in the Father’s heart of what we will look like when the pieces come together. There will be no missing pieces.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

Do you see that? We are complete in Christ. All that we need for our life here and for our eternal life has been provided. God, the Father, placed all of who He is in Christ for His life on earth and Christ has placed all He is in us for our life on earth.

“He gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life. Through His shining-greatness and perfect life, He has given us promises. These promises are of great worth and no amount of money can buy them. Through these promises you can have God’s own life in you now that you have gotten away from the sinful things of the world which came from wrong desires of the flesh.” II Peter 1:3-4 NLV

The picture on the box lid of our lives is glorious! It was designed and created by our loving heavenly Father. Day-by-day, circumstance-by-circumstance we are seeing all the pieces coming together for His glory and our benefit.

Our lives will have no missing pieces – we are complete in Him!