Category: Blessings

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Optimism – Half Full

Yesterday we were “on the road again”. Seems this has been the theme song of our lives for the past twenty plus years. When Dave and I lived in north Idaho we traveled a couple times a month to farm and ranch auctions, searching for treasures. Then fifteen years ago we began producing western memorabilia antique and collectible tradeshows. Once again, we were on the road, traveling hundreds of miles.

Now that we have settled in Arizona our truck takes us up and down the interstate as we search for a different kind of treasure – it’s the treasure we find in visiting with our grown children, grandchildren and my ninety-seven year old mother. These are the treasures we hold most dear.

With all the travels, I am still amazed that we find something new in the scenery on the roads that we have driven dozens of times before. It would seem to some that these excursions would become boring and mundane but there is always something, something new, that catches our attention.

That’s how it is for me when I read the Bible. No matter how many times I read a chapter or one of the parables that Jesus tells or read about Moses, Abraham, David, Daniel, Peter and Paul there always seems to be something new. God’s word is living and although it never changes, its application to my life’s situations is constantly evolving and bringing me new strength.

Our heavenly Father’s ability to see “new things” is amazing. Before mankind was created and the world was infected by sin He saw what would happen and made a way for redemption and reconciliation. His plan would restore the relationship that man dissolved.

God, the Father, and Jesus were/are the ultimate optimists!

They see us as new creatures in Christ – we are forgiven, sins blotted out and created in their image. Look at these verses and see the fullness that God has blessed us with.

“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

” I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love and to have the full confidence that comes from understanding. I want them to know completely the secret truth that God has made known. That truth is Christ himself.” Colossians 2:2 ERV

“And we have a great priest who rules the house of God. 22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ. 23 We must hold on to the hope we have, never hesitating to tell people about it. We can trust God to do what he promised.” Hebrews 10:21-23 ERV

Abraham was fully persuaded that God was able to keep His promises and we need to be too.

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” Romans 4:20-21 ERV

The feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem and lack of confidence come because someone has told us that we are lacking. We adopt a mindset of being half empty. But when we come to Christ He fills our lives with everything new. Not half empty and not half full. It’s important that we see we are new. We are filled completely with His presence.

Fully persuaded, full of confidence, full of faith, full of hope – God lives fully in us!

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Making Good Choices

Yesterday I spent a lot of time talking about making good choices. It’s a lesson we all deal with on a daily basis.

We can’t force people to make good choices. It has to be a decision of the heart.

Our day is filled with choices. Do we rise early or over sleep? Do we eat a good breakfast or skip it entirely? Do we speed down the highway or stay within the limits of the law? Are we intolerant and lose our temper or patient and self-controlled? All are choices we make and we can blame no one for the consequences – we are responsible.

Moses had led over a million people through the desert for forty years and at the end of his life he gave them this instruction:

“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy…19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:15-19 NLT

I know it seems elementary, almost remedial, but making right choices is a real sign of maturity. Life – death, blessing – curses, (here’a clue, right answer, choose life) Choosing to forgive, letting kindness be our guide, saying no to indulgences that bring pleasure for a moment but devastating consequences for weeks and years to come takes maturity.

One of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us is free will, the ability to make our own choices. We aren’t puppets or robots, we have the ability to think wisely and make proper decisions.

Have you ever been outside on a very dark night, in unfamiliar territory? We experience that alot when we go camping. The right choice in situations like that is to grab a flashlight. It has kept me from tripping over logs or getting off the path and stepping into a hole on numerous occasions. I could just stumble along, that would be my choice, however it wouldn’t be a good one.

When we need guidance and wisdom, which we all do, we have this promise from the Lord.

“Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps,  a light that shows the path I should take.
106 Your laws are good and fair. I have promised to obey them, and I will keep my promise.” Psalm 119:105-106 ERV

Before you make a choice today, consider the consequences and then ask God for wisdom. He’ll be glad to give it.

“If you do not have wisdom, ask God for it. He is always ready to give it to you and will never say you are wrong for asking.” James 1:5 NLV

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Good Work

I’ll be the first to admit that I will never be a hand model. My fingers are fat, my nails are weak and short and my skin is scarred and wrinkled. When I was much younger I had a friend tell me that I had earthy hands. I took that as a compliment.

Just yesterday I was planting flowers, sweeping the porch, scrubbing sinks, searching the net and scraping paint from window trim. And with every action I knew I was blessed.

I remember my father’s hands. He was a heavy equipment operator and mechanic, a master mechanic. His hands were always stained from grease and oil and his knuckles were frequently scabbed over and occasionally his fingers were broken from one thing or another that happened at work.

By contrast l saw the hands of my hair stylist yesterday. Her hands were smooth and well manicured. Her nails were polished with a most attractive shade. I commented on how pretty they were.

When I focus my attention on my hands or the hands of others I am reminded of an instruction that Moses gave to the children of Israel.

“All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God. 3 Good will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country. 4 Good will come to your children, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals. Your cattle and flock will have many young ones. 5 Good will come to your basket and your bread pan. 6 Good will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.

7 “The Lord will cause you to win the battles against those who fight against you. They will come against you one way, and run away from you seven ways. 8 The Lord will send good upon you in your store-houses and in all your work. He will bring good to you in the land the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 28:2-6 NLV

If we obey the Lord we will be blessed whether we live in the city or the country. Since they were an agrarian society Moses told them that their activities in the field and in raising their animals would be blessed. If he were writing this today I know he would include the same blessing for those who work behind a desk or at a computer terminal, in hospitals, at schools, restaurants, etc.

In one translation these verses say “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand”.

Take a look at your hands. Study them. Now, put them to work and thank the Lord that they are blessed.

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Never Forget!

I can relive that day and I’m sure most of you can too. We were living in North Idaho. Dave had just left for work when I turned on the television. The first tower had just been hit. As I was watching and getting ready to call Dave, a call came from our oldest daughter. Our son-in-law, a career Navy man, was being deployed to the waters off America’s west coast.

Our son, who is a fire fighter in California, had many friends who served the NYFD. Some lost their lives that day and others were injured.

Our family was tangibly involved in the events of that day, as were so many others.

The days that followed our nation displayed a unity that had been lacking. Most of us had only read of the attack at Pearl Harbor but this day, September 11, 2001, was our day that will live in infamy!

Our citizens were kinder, prayers were being said publicly and privately and we had a heightened sense of patriotism. We were one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all!

There was a fire in our hearts and prayers on our lips. Flags were “sold out”. Much different than the trivial toilet paper shortage we experienced only months ago. Flags were flying everywhere – people were spontaneously singing “God Bless America” on the streets and in places of business.

Parents were explaining to their children the events of that day! Patriotism reigned. We weren’t Democrat or Republican, we weren’t racially divided, not liberal or conservative; we were Americans!

Our nation was called to prayer and no one was offended! We needed God’s guidance and comfort, we still do.

“I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave[a] wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.” Psalm 18:1-6 NLT

May we never forget the events of that day. May we never forget that we found hope in God!

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A Godly Heritage

My mother celebrated her ninety-seventh birthday yesterday! Yes, that is correct – 97. We had the joy of being with her, my sister, brother-in-law, niece, daughter and son-in-law as we celebrated her life. A few close friends dropped by to say hello and to wish her well. For the past few weeks her mailbox was filled with cards from friends, family and acquaintances. As of yesterday the total birthday cards received came to 110. She was overwhelmed by the expressions of love.

Mom talks a lot about leaving this earth and going home to heaven. It’s something she is looking forward too with much joy. She feels she’s been here long enough and is awaiting her departure with great anticipation. But while she’s here she continues to pray for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren on a daily basis.

She tells her friends and the few people she is still able to interact with about her love for Jesus and how good God is. She always tries to have some sort of devotional book on hand to give to someone who needs to know about Jesus.

I know how blessed I am to have such a godly heritage. She and my dad both loved the Lord and brought my brother, sister and I up to love Him too.

“Remember these commands I give you. Keep them in your hearts. Write them down and tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads as a way to remember my laws. 19 Teach these laws to your children. Talk about these things when you sit in your houses, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. 20 Write these commands on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. 21 Then both you and your children will live a long time in the land that the Lord promised to give to your ancestors. You will live there as long as the skies are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 ERV

At this point, each time we say good-bye and leave we understand that it may be the last time we see Mom alive on this earth. It is a bitter-sweet experience. Mom says we are to have a party and not be sad because she will finally be home. My daughter text me yesterday after she left and said “the good-byes are so hard”. To which I replied “Then just tell her ‘see you later’ because you know she’ll be waiting to see you when you get to heaven”.

Mom never had great monetary riches, she never had a plaque or monument placed in her honor, she never traveled world-wide or excelled to great heights – not by the world’s standards. However, her life has been filled to overflowing. Her home was always open, her table fed whoever was hungry, she shared love and friendship and loved the Lord.

A life well lived! I am very blessed to have such a godly heritage. As Mom said yesterday “I never knew so many people were watching what I did and that it effected them the way it did”.

That’s true. We don’t know whose watching so let’s live each day in a way that can change lives and point people to Jesus.

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Chosen Special

Over the past months I have learned a lot about diamonds. The process of taking a stone from “diamond rough” to brilliant cut requires pain-staking precision and is only done by a Master. Diamonds value is determined by color, carat, clarity and facets. Choosing the right one requires a well trained eye.

God, the Father, has chosen us. He sees value and beauty in us, we are precious in His sight.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves.”  Ephesians 1:3-6 ERV

From before the world was made, God saw through time and picked us out to be His own. A few days back we covered the verses that show that God doesn’t have favorites. He chose us all. He’s not willing for anyone to miss out on life with Him.

“The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change their ways and stop sinning.” II Peter 3:9 ERV

He has seen everyone of us and is patiently waiting for us to turn to Him and find the wonderful relationship that He has for each of us. God, the Father, sees us as His inheritance. One thing I’ve learned about a will is that only things that the person making the will sees as valuable are listed.

I’m going to close our teaching on in Christ and in Him with these verses written by the Apostle Paul. I read these verses every morning, for years, and each day I grew to understand them more and more.

I encourage you to make them part of your daily Bible reading. Let each phrase sink in, go back and reread each segment. I pray that forty years from now, if Jesus hasn’t come back, you will still be gaining insight into how valuable you are to God.

“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:16-23 NLT

When we are in Christ, He fills us with Himself! We are complete in Him! We are His chosen!

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Everything I Need

If you started making a list of everything you need how long would it be? Not talking about your wants or your wish list but the things you really need. Did you know there is an “In Christ” verse to cover that?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NLT

As I was sitting here and thinking about what my day has in store I found that in Christ He has already supplied all that I need. Just like Noah was kept safe in the Ark, I am kept safe in Christ. 

    He became my sin so that I could become his righteousness

    He took stripes on his back so that I could be healed

    He told me to come boldly to his throne to find help (Him) in time of need

    He became my strength when I am weak

   He became my peace when things around me are in chaos.

    He gave me a cup that runs over when the enemy is trying to steal, kill and destroy

   He gave me wisdom when I asked for it

What more could I ask for? Then these verses came to mind, this is the right kind of thinking.

“ You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. 2 Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. 3 You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. 4 Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 CEV

Not only do we have God’s promise to be all we need here on earth but we have His promise that our life is hidden in Christ and we will be with Him in heaven.

He is ALL I need!

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The Treasure Hunt

This morning I decided to go on a treasure hunt and I wanted to take you along. I know that God’s word is more valuable to me than any amount of silver or gold. If I was asked to give up my Bible or access to Scripture for a million dollars, without hesitation I would turn it down.

I read an article about the treatment of Christians in China. The government is going in to impoverished areas, searching homes, removing crosses and pictures of Jesus from the walls and replacing them with pictures of Chairman Mao or President Xi. These are the homes of people who receive government welfare. If they refuse to comply they are being removed from the list of names that receive assistance. It’s the government or God. Many are standing strong and refusing to deny their faith. They need our prayers.

They have found a treasure and they refuse to let go.

So here are some of the verses that came to mind after reading that article. Verses that promise treasure, better than silver or gold, to those who are willing to search for it.

“If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding; 4 if you look for her as silver, and look for her as hidden riches; 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find what is known of God.” Proverbs 2:3-5 NLV

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are sinful and have done bad things. There is no one who does good. 2 God has looked down from heaven at the children of men to see if there is anyone who understands and looks (searches) for God.” Psalm 53:1-2 NLV

God is always watching for those who will search for Him and there is a promised blessing for those who do. God is not a narcissist; He’s not an ego-centric dictator. He’s a loving Father who wants to protect and provide for His children.

“But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.” Hebrews 11:6 CEV

This verse is in the chapter that many refer to as the Hall of Fame of Faith. It recounts the stories of men and women who abandoned all and sought God. Maybe you’ve heard of a few of them – Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Rahab (a prostitute), Samson, Gideon, David. These all sought the treasure of knowing God and their lives were enriched and serve as a testimony to all of us.

“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks…But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.” Matthew 7:7-11 CEV

This is just part of the teaching Jesus gave on searching for the things of God. The promise is that everyone who searches will find. There are stories upon stories of men who have led expeditions on land and sea searching for treasure. They search for years and never find what they are looking for but always hoping that someday they will make a great discovery.

As Christians we don’t have to wait for the “someday” of discovery. Each day, as we seek to know more about our heavenly Father, we will find Him. He’s not hiding!

“I say this because I know the plans that I have for you.” This message is from the Lord. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. 12 Then you will call my name. You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will search for me, and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-13 ERV

There is no greater treasure than finding a personal relationship with God, our Father!

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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. 3 When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no more wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what is that to you and to Me. It is not time for Me to work yet.” 5 His mother said to the helpers, “Do whatever He says.”…6 Six stone water jars were there. Each one held about one-half barrel of water… 7 Jesus said to the helpers, “Fill the jars with water.” They filled them to the top. 8 Then He said, “Take some out and give it to the head man who is caring for the people.” They took some to him. 9 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!

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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

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