​Be still and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Good Morning, Sweet One,
        I understand that ahead of you lies a busy week, I get it.  While we each have different lifestyles and responsibilities, we all keep quite a hectic pace.  And then, there are the extras: texts, e-mails, phone to calls to make, TV in the background.  And these are the very things that make me crazy.  Off balance.  Out-of-sorts.  I crave stillness and quiet.  Jim can attest to the fact that if I get grumpy, which, of course, I never do, ha ha, it is because I am on overload and have not taken time to refresh. If you look to the lifestyle of Jesus, yes, He was with disciples 24/7 and crowds of people needing healing and teaching.  Yet, in his infinite wisdom, He modeled the need for solitude.   After He was baptized, He went into the wilderness for forty days of reflection. Many times, we read in scripture that Jesus retreated into the mountains for prayer.  Even on the night before his crucifixion, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane for a talk with his Father.  You and I would do well to follow this example.  Yes, ministry is important, but only from a full and refreshed heart. This week, my friend, make quiet time a priority.  Your mental and physical health depends on it.  Be still, dear one.  Enjoy your life.
                                                  Linda

​The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. Psalm 118:6
Good morning fearless warrior,
            I am declaring over you this morning that you are a warrior.  You can face whatever challenges may come your way this week.   I know you can because God’s Word says so!   Maybe the fears won’t be Goliath size, but they loom large in your mind.  The Bible tells us to “set our mind and keep it set” (Colossians 3:2).  You absolutely must not allow your mind to dwell on your fear!  I know your first instinct might be to run away or to not acknowledge the threat.  John 10:10 says that “the devil wants to kill, steal, and destroy your peace.”  Are you going to let him?  Focus your thoughts on the things above.  Did you know that the phrase “do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible?  One reminder for each day.  I believe God knows that fear can be a deadly force—ruining your joy and your day, but He says, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20).     David was not alone when he slew Goliath.  He called upon the name of the Lord.  You have that power available to you as well.    Set your mind on the affirmation, “I will not fear,” and go be a hero.  Slay that giant.  Win your battle over fear.
                                      Urging you to be fearless,                                                                                                                                            Linda

​See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God.        1 John 3:1
 
Good morning, dear one,
            This week I want you to lavishly love on yourself.  It is my guess that you have neglected to put your needs first for a long, long time. And you are worn out.  Burned out.  As Christians, we put a high priority on service.  On loving our neighbor. On nurturing our family and friends.  And while loving and serving is so important, the truth is that once in a while you and I need to take a time-out.  A time to refresh.  A time to re-start.  A time to set goals that will bring joy to our heart and put a skip in our step.  Take time this week to examine your life.  Is it well with your soul?
            We are God’s beloved children.  Jesus said,” I came to bring you joy, to the full and overflowing, enough to share.”  That is how I want you to serve—from a full heart.  Those of us who are parents would not want our children to live lives of dullness, drudgery, and toil. God wants us, his children, to live up to our full potential.  To explore our own talents.  Your soul will jump for joy when you put time into something that is important to you.  You are amazing and capable and so very loved.  Value your time.  Spend it wisely.  And remember, you deserve tender, loving care.  Treat yourself to a relaxing bubble bath.  Bake your favorite cookies.  Try meditation and allow yourself to relax.  You are so loved by our Father.  Treat yourself kindly this week.
                                                         Encouraging you to be your best,
                                                                                          Linda

​Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven:        Ecclesiastes 3:11
Good morning sweet one,
                Yesterday was the first day of fall, my favorite season of all.  Love, love the crisp air, yes, even in Palm Harbor it was a little cooler. Love the changing of the leaves and hope to convince Jim to take me north to see them again.  Change is inevitable, in nature, in all of life.  For most of us, change in our personal lives might seem scary, or maybe, you are one of those adventurous people who thrive on the edge.   Usually, I like to view change, consider it, run for cover, peak out again, and take a first baby step toward something new.  But to embrace the new, we must let go.  This week, I ask you to ponder:      “What in your life is done? What is over?                                                                                                            What relationship is over?                                                                                                                                             What outdated belief do you need to let go of?                                                                                                     What are you clenching in your hand?                                                                                                                What do you need to let go of to truly embrace the new that God has already prepared for you?”  Be brave.  Life is exciting.  Let go of the old.  It may hurt for a while, but just beyond the pain is where miracles happen.   Hold hands with hope and take a leap of faith,                                                                                  Linda                                           

God is faithful: He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Hello Dear One,
          This week, my message is not light.  The subject is temptation.  A few weeks ago, someone I love very much was faced with temptation. And rather than turn away, ran forward into the pitfall of hell with difficult consequences. So, just a word to those facing their own demons.  Remember:  The time to deal with temptation is immediately when it rears its ugly head.  Nip it instantly!! Let’s look at King David’s story:
          In the spring, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army… But David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around the roof of the palace where he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. David slept with her. She became pregnant.  David was nervous that his sin of adultery would now be found out. The King called for Uriah to come home so that he could spend a night with his wife Bathsheba and cover up the sin. However, Uriah refused to sleep with his wife while his fellow men were off fighting. David was filled with anger that his plan did not work. When Uriah went back to war, King David sent a note to the army commander with instructions to have Uriah put at the frontline and to withdraw so that he would die. 2 Samuel 11
          Wow, how insidiously temptation escalates into sin. Using David’s story, the time for him to turn away from temptation was when he first saw a naked woman from a distance.   Don’t think about a second step.
Temptation              Escalation               Escalation              Painful Result
A taste of cake       a piece of cake        more cake           weight gain                                                                              One drink               a second            a third                 DUI                                                                                           A quick retort         hurt feelings                                       broken relationships      

                                                                                                                                                                                             If you succumb to temptation, remember, there is always redemption.  You are not broken forever. God will not leave you nor forsake you.  Praying for you always, Linda

​I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6
 
Good Morning dear one,
 
          I love each and every one of you.  With my weekly little message, I pray that I plant seeds of hope and encouragement.  However, helping people climb the mountains in their lives is always a group effort. Each of us can be an encourager: “Come on, you can do it.”  “I’m here for you.”  We can do our part as God leads.  Sometimes our planting of seeds can seem to fall on rocky ground.  Maybe the person is in a hard place where the seeds are not received. Maybe the person we are attempting to help is not open to new growth just now.   We may not see the outcome we had hoped and prayed for. But, oh my friend, don’t give up.  An Apollos will take over and water and nurture the seeds you planted.  And God is waiting for just the right moment to intervene and help the plant grow.  The truth of this gardening metaphor is that the seed must struggle and desire earnestly to grow.  The person you are trying to encourage must hunger and thirst for new life.  And you and I are just a part of the process.  So, don’t ever stop planting seeds.  Stop looking for desired outcomes and trust the process is working.  Maybe it is time to release your hold on another seed and fertilize and refresh your own growth. Maybe it is your time to be fallow ground to prepare for the next planting season.  God is the Lord of all.  Trust the process.
                                                 Your farmer friend,                                                                                                            Linda

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power. . .
                                                                2 Timothy 1:7

Hello, my powerful friend,

       The word this week is, you guessed it:  POWER!    I know some of you this very moment are not feeling it.  And that is okay for this moment. But in the next breath, you can inhale power.  And make changes in your life that will bring you joy. 
        Last week, I wrote about burdens and loads. And some of us are helping others with their burdens.  Bless you, you are a wonderful, true example of the love of Christ.  But some of us are bent double much like the woman from scripture.  We are stooped-shouldered from carrying the loads of so many others. Trust me, this is not God’s will for you! Jesus said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11).  Jesus wants to take the joy that He has and place it in you. Wouldn’t you like to regain your power?  Another scripture, “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless” (Isaiah 40:29).  If you ask, Jesus will help you sort out our life, your true burdens from the loads of others.  He will heal you and help you stand erect. Own your power to make necessary changes.  It won’t be pain free.  It won’t be easy. Others will guilt trip you.  Play on your wonderful heart.  But Jesus stands beside you urging you on a wonderful journey to find your true inner joy.  This week, take that first powerful step.  I’m with you, my friend.                                                                                                                                                                                                        Linda

                                            

​v Bear one another’s burdens.  Galatians 6: 2 
        I was taught that burdens (extra heavy situations) were not means to be carried alone, and as a Christian, we are to assist. Burden-bearing emulates the love that Jesus has shown to us when He said, “Come to me all ye who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” Matt 11:28


 
Each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6:5
        Self-explanatory to most people.   I guess, not to me.  Throughout my life, I seem to meet more than my share of people who implore me to help them and I rush in full force, often at the expense of my own already depleted time and energy.  And later, I realize, it was only a load—a backpack of issues that were theirs and theirs alone to work out.  OMG!  How old to I have to be to remember to tune into the wisdom God gave me and think before I act?  To reflect and prioritize.  I earnestly pray for God to give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, i.e., other’s peoples lives and issues; the courage to change the things I can, i.e., when true assistance with burdens is needed, and the Wisdom to know the difference.  

        Anyone else out there struggling with this issue?  Am I the only enabler or co-dependent?  Please dear one, study the above pictures and contemplate your Christian outreach. You deserve self-care.  “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Matt. 22:39).    Yes, it is okay to say “no” at times.  I give you permission.                                                                                                                 
​                                                                                                                                                                                               Linda

​The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.  Proverbs 11:3
Hello Dear Friend,
          I have some questions for you to contemplate this week:

1. How would you define integrity?
2. Would your friends and family say that you are a person of integrity?
3. What happens to your relationship with God when you refuse to act with integrity?
4. Does integrity need an audience?
5. In what situation this week did you fail to have integrity when you

should have?
          I believe that as a Christian, we know the right way to act.  We are to love our neighbors: red and yellow, black and white, all are precious in God’s sight.  Gay or straight.  Democratic or republican.    Integrity is taking action.  Working together for the good of all.   Let us not give lip service to our love.   Let us get to know our neighbors, their names, their values, their needs and hurts.  And take action to help, behind the scenes, in secret, and your Heavenly Father will reward you.   Our nation will change one person at a time, one neighborhood at a time.  You can make a difference.  Be that person of integrity!
                                                   Love ya,  Linda