Blessing Pharaoh

S ~ Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave. Exodus 12:32

O ~ Pharaoh is finally letting Moses and Company leave, but only after the death of the firstborn. What sorrow for all of Egypt - and yet how many sons had been killed and thrown in the Nile? Great sorrow - but in the midst of it, Pharaoh asked for the blessing of Moses. 

A ~ We are all touchable - none of us is untouchable. Pharaoh broke. 

I wonder if Moses did bless him. If so, I wonder what he said.  

Jesus would instruct us to do so - bless your enemies. 

But Pharaoh? 

Sometimes it's hard enough to bless your friends or family. 

P ~ Lord, not only do I pray that You would help me follow You, but help me bless my enemies - recognizing that they are not my enemy, they are only being used by my real enemy, the devil.

Hostage Negotiations

S ~ Pharaoh’s officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. “How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the Lord their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?” Exodus 10:7

O ~ How the tables had turned. Moses became a very great man in the sight of all the Egyptians and Pharaoh's officials. The people have seen him become more powerful than Pharaoh, and all the gods of Egypt. The slaves were holding the masters hostage - like a prison riot.

A ~ I would hope that the enemy of my soul would have the same experience with me - that his dominion would lie in ruins because I am following the Lord to see His people set free - that I am not worth the bother and cost - and that God's power would be on display for all to see.

P ~ Lord, I want to follow You and instead of being a victim of slavery to sin, help me to walk in obedience to You, and decimate the enemy's dominion in the process, seeing Your others set free.

Missing the Point

S ~ I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”Matthew 19:20

O ~ Obeying the commandments isn't enough. Of course, the young man would not have actually fulfilled all the commandments perfectly - he just could not see his guilt. There is another step beyond obedience ~ it's following Jesus (the person), not just His commands (precepts). Religion vs Relationship. 

A ~ This reminds me of 'the why' - "If you love Me, you will keep My commands." Obedience is important, but obedience is not the point -  it needs to be motivated out of love. Parents can have obedient children who hate them.

P ~ Lord, I want to follow You by obeying what You say - but the point is - following You.

Forgive Much

S ~ That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart. Matthew 18:35

O ~ There is a cost to forgiveness  The king forgave the servant millions - but that would have cost him. The servant did not forgive his debtor, as it would have cost him. However, not forgiving him cost him more.

A ~ There is always a higher price to unforgiveness  It costs to forgive - we have to give up our right to be right, our right to be hurt, our right to punish. However, unforgiveness is never right, and costs eventually us more.

P ~ Lord, You have forgiven me so much. Please help me to be like You, and not just forgive others, but forgive others much.

Available

S ~ Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord?  Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.” Exodus 4:11-12

O ~ Moses was in the process of informing the Lord that he could not speak - or essentially, that he would not speak because of his speech difficulties. Not only did the Lord address the issues of speech, he addressed the issuee of 'Who's in charge here?" - Is it not I, the Lord?

A ~ When I look at my life, or my abilities, and say that I am not enough - I must realize that the Lord is the one who made me, as so the Lord is quite content to work with and through what He has made. My limitations do not limit the Lord from using me. They only limit me in offering them to the Lord.

P ~ Lord, I shouldn't be surprised that You know my limitations - for You made me. And I shouldn't be surprised that You can still use me. It's never about my ability, but rather my availability - so Lord, I'm available.

The Character of Moses

S ~ But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks. Exodus 2:17

O ~ We are introduced to Moses as a man who will step in and defend others - he protected a Hebrew slave from an Egyptian who was beating him. That every act cost him his place of power in Egypt. As an outcast and renegade, he flees to the desert. Instead of being bitter and refusing to 'get involved again', he immediately intervenes to protect a group of women from some nasty shepherds. His caring character was revealed ~ standing up for those who can't stand up for themselves. God sure picked the right guy to lead his children out of Egypt.

A ~ Looking the other way, and not getting involved, is not what God has called any of us to. We need wisdom and timing and understanding, but may we be like Moses ~ alleviating the oppression of others.

P ~ Lord, thank You for this clear example of the character of a christian leader. May I follow his example.

Memorializing Men

S ~ Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Matthew 17:4

O ~ Moses and Elijah were pretty important figures in the history of Israel. Moses represented the law and Elijah represented the prophets. Both men were so close to God, and so highly esteemed by men. Yet God would not let either receive a memorial.

A ~ There are people today who have been pretty significant in the world of Christianity. Billy Graham, Katheryn Kuhlman, Rick Warren, Pastor Jack, Reinhardt Bonke, and so many more that people still flock to.  Yet, none are to be memorialized. We can learn from their manner of life and the marvellous things they did for God and God did through them - but at the end of the day, Jesus only.

P ~ Lord, thank You for the many great examples of people of faith, people right from the beginning of time, through Hebrews 11, until now. We truly are surrounded by a great gathering of witnesses. Yet, may I keep my eyes on You, and what You have done. 

Buried Together

S ~ There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried. There Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, are buried. And there I buried Leah. Genesis 49:31

O ~ Jacob is giving instructions to Joseph about where he wants to be buried - not in Egypt, but in the family grave cave. It's interesting to note who is buried there, and who is not. Jacob didn't want to be taken to the road outside Bethlehem where he buried Rachel, but to this place, where he buried Leah.
Oh how I wish Leah could have known this. The unloved rival who gave Jacob four sons, plus 2. The 'ugly sister' who was the consolation prize. She was the one who was buried with her grandma and Jacob's parents. She was the one who Jacob chose to be buried with.

A ~ Probably too little, too late - only to be recognized posthumously. And yet, it shows me that she wasn't the outsider that we can be led to believe. She may have felt unloved by Jacob, especially compared to 'hot stuff', but she was never unloved by God - and He orchestrated that her body could 'Rest In Peace'. Sometimes, it is not the devil, but rather the Lord who is in the details.

P ~ Lord, thank You that you watch over us - from beginning to the very end. I pray that you would encourage and strength all the 'Leahs' in the world - and the ones in my world - that they would know they are never less than anyone else - especially the Rachels.

There and Back Again - kind of.

S ~ I will go with you down to Egypt, and I will bring you back again. You will die in Egypt, but Joseph will be with you to close your eyes. Genesis 46:4

O ~ God said that He would go with Jacob, and bring him back again. This was certainly the Lord speaking, however it would have been easy to misunderstand the meaning. God will bring clarity to this - saying that Jacob would die in Egypt. Sure enough, Joseph brought his bones back, and then his descendants 400 years later - but at first look, Jacob would have understood things differently. A short trip to see Joseph and then back home to die. 

A ~ It's so important to remember that we see with foggy vision. I have to take God at His Word, but I need to remember that what I think it means, may not be what it means. Many times people misunderstood what Jesus was meaning - including, or especially, the disciples. 

P ~ Lord, thank You for speaking to me, and speaking through Your Word. As you do, please help me to press in, that I might not only hear there words, but know the meaning. Your words are life - help me to understand those words better.

No Doubt

S ~ "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Matthew 14:29-30

O ~ As Peter was walking on the water, Matthew tells us that he began to sink. The steps were as follows: 1 - confirm it is Jesus. 2 - ask and receive an invitation. 3 - hop over the side and walk on water.  4 - notice the strong wind and waves. 5 - be terrified.  6 - sink.  7 - cry out.

A ~ So where was the problem? The problem was not that this was an apparition -  clearly it was Jesus, and clearly He invited Peter to join Him.  There was no instruction given about focus (keep your eyes on me) or regarding faith (just don't doubt). Was the problem not keeping his physical eyes on Jesus? That sounds dumb. Surely this miracle was not like an infrared remote where you need 'line of sight' or the signal is broken.  Was it the terror produced by his circumstances? "He was terrified and began to sink". Jesus neither rebukes Him for glancing elsewhere, or for being afraid. Jesus corrects him with the statement "Why did you doubt Me?".  He does not say "Why did you doubt?", he says "Why did you doubt Me?" (NLT).  Ah - there in lies the rub. It's not a matter of eye contact, or fearlessness, or even faith in the ability to waltz on waves - but the issue is doubting Jesus. It's not doubting what He can do, it's doubting who He is. When I doubt Who He is - his very nature and character - I'm sunk.

P ~ Lord, I do pray You would invite me to come to You, and I do pray You would give me the courage to get out of the boat, and I do pray that You would help me keep my eyes on You, and I do pray that I would not be afraid. 

But most of all, I pray You would help me to never doubt You.

All I Have Left

S ~ But Jacob replied, “My son will not go down with you. His brother Joseph is dead, and he is all I have left. If anything should happen to him on your journey, you would send this grieving, white-haired man to his grave.” Genesis 42:38

O ~ He is all I have left. Harsh. Looking at 10 of his sons square in the face, he tells them that their brother is all he has left. It just wasn't true. Jacob as so focussed on Benjamin, tainted by his grief over Joseph, that he could not see God's abundant blessing on his life.

A ~ Grief and bitterness skews our vision, and gives us an unhealthy perspective on reality. What an amazingly dysfunctional family - and yet they became the 12 tribes of Israel - not the 2 tribes. God had a plan for each son.

P ~ Lord, help me see what I do have left. Even though I can count 30% of our church leaving for various reasons, help me see the 70% with eyes of love and faith and hope.  These who remain are more than enough to change the world.

Wisdom

S ~  Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Proverbs 4:6

O ~ Turning your back on wisdom is hearing her voice, and not heeding it. If you don't heed wisdom's voice, she will stop talking.

A ~ To find wisdom, I need to go to the source of all wisdom, The Lord. God has wisdom hidden in His Word - and I need to pay attention so I can understand and apply wisdom to my life. It's not enough to know wisdom, or to hear her, but to make sure I am not turning my back on her.

P ~ Lord, please help me to be wise - not that I might be proud - but that I might live how You want me to. 

Measuring Success

S ~ The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. Genesis 39:23

O ~ Joseph could have been bitter, refusing to help the warden, and eventually refusing to interpret dreams. Instead, he used his talents and the favour God had on his life, to serve where-ever he found himself.

A ~ It was so unfair what happened to Joseph, and he acknowledged he had done nothing wrong - nothing to deserve this. However, he chose to bloom where he was planted. May I do the same - bloom where I am planted. I am planted at Cornerstone, and no matter how many people come on a Sunday, may my eyes be on serving the best I can - so that Steve will have no worries about Cornerstone because I am taking care of everything.

P ~ Lord, please help me serve the best I can, and may You give me success.

Every Sin (but one)

S ~ So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Matthew 12:31

O ~ Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven. Every sin. Every blasphemy. Can be forgiven. Except one.

A ~ So often this verse is missed, because we focus on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Yet the amazing grace of Jesus, the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit brings this amazing truth - every sin can be forgiven... but this. The message needs to not be on the 'but this', instead pointing to the marvellous truth that sin can be forgiven. This is amazing news.  This makes me think of every tree of the garden can be eaten, but this one. Let's not focus on the one.

P ~ Lord, please help me to focus on all that can be forgiven - the good news of the gospel. 

Great Value

S ~ And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:12

O ~ The man with a withered hand in the synagogue. Jesus does not only restore his hand, but He restores his value and dignity. He didn't just speak healing, He spoke value. The man needed both.

A ~ Jesus pointed out that you would do good on the Sabbath, especially if the object of your goodness has value. You would help out a sheep, or a donkey. So much more, help out a person who is made in the image of God, who has priceless value. 

P ~ Lord, please help me to remember what is important, and how valuable people are. May I speak value into people's lives, and may that very act bring healing to them.

Rest Stop Ahead

S ~ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. Matthew 11:28-30

O ~ What a great invitation - come to Jesus when you are weary and have such heavy weights upon you, and He gives  - not sells or trades or makes you work for - but gives rest, and rest for the soul.

A ~ This is the verse that came over and over and over to me during the sabbatical, and even Emily Dawn reminding me of this as the sabbatical came to an end. She reminded me that I need to live in this upon my return to work - coming to Jesus and finding rest. I think I am doing this, although sporadically and imperfectly. I would like to grow in this.

P ~ Lord, thank You for the reminder of the reminder today. Please help me to come to You. Fill me with rest, and rest deep in my soul - and help me to learn from You.

Cousin John

S ~ And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” Matthew 11:6

O ~ John the Baptist is in prison, but Jesus is working miracles elsewhere. His Kingdom being at hand looks very different through prison bars. Jesus is doing for others what He is not doing for John. Ouch.

A ~ Jesus speaks so highly of His cousin, but when His cousin is in trouble, He lets him rot in prison - or so it seems. Although 'rotting in prison' isn't actual, as John doesn't spend a long time in prison - he is beheaded with some haste. Sometimes it is hard when Jesus helps others in the way we would like to be helped. It is hard when our need seems to be overlooked. It is hard when we know Jesus sees our need, but is busy elsewhere. It's one thing to continue to be His disciple when the world is attacking us for our decision, it's another thing to continue to be His disciple when the One we are following seems indifferent to our need - especially when it is life threatening.  John the Baptist. Doug Roth.  Catarina Ricks.  Rob Nickerson. 

P ~ Lord, my song remains... "I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back."

Blessed

S ~ The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you. Genesis 31:12

O ~ Laban had changed Jacob's wages 10 times - each time the deal got worse. However, God had promised to bless Jacob, and no matter what Laban tried to do, Jacob remained blessed by God.

A ~ I'm so thankful for how the Lord has blessed me, and my household. When the Lord blesses you, you are blessed - and I am blessed. No matter what 'unfair' things have happened to us financially, the Lord continues to bless, in ways that we can't imagine. So very grateful.

P ~ Lord, thank You for Your Faithfulness, and Your kindness, and Your blessing. May Your blessing continue in my life and in my family, and may we remember we are blessed to be a blessing.

Pass It On

S ~ May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham. Genesis 28:4

O ~  Isaac was blessing Jacob, praying that God would pass on the blessings of his father to his son, and his children. 'Father' was praying 'grandpa's' blessings upon his 'son'.

A ~ God made promises to my dad, who followed Him and served him and I am blessed because of it. 

P ~ Father, I am asking and declaring that all the promised blessing You gave to my dad, would be passed on to Dougie (Abby), Robyn and Emily Dawn... and their children. Amen.

Guest List

S ~ Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. Matthew 9:10

O ~ It's very interesting that Matthew assumed Jesus would want to be with tax collectors and people who have terrible reputations of being sinners. Matthew threw a party and thought they all would get along, and would want to be together.

A ~ How welcoming was Jesus that Matthew thought he and sinners were a good mix? May I live in such a way that sinners, even ones with reputations, would want to be with me... and Jesus!

P ~ Lord, help me be to in this world but not of it, help me to come out from among them but to reach them, and help me to not be religious, but relational.

Great Sin

S ~ “How could you do this to us?” Abimelech exclaimed. “One of my people might easily have taken your wife and slept with her, and you would have made us guilty of great sin.” Genesis 26:10

O ~ Issac lied just like Abraham.  Like father like son - same lie - even same name - different time, different place. It's amazing that in a foreign place they recognized that adultery was a great sin that would affect the whole nation.

A ~ Not only have we lost the concept of sin, we have lost the understanding of great sin. Some sins are greater than others, and even the New Testament teaches that sexual sin is worse than others. In a world where we have forgotten this truth, we also have forgotten the connection of sin and consequences. This guilt has come upon our land.

P ~ Lord, may we see again that adultery is great sin, and in doing so, may You keep us from it.

Jesus is Willing

S ~ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. Matthew 8:3

O ~ Jesus is willing to heal.

A ~ Not only was just willing to heal this man with leprosy, Jesus is willing to heal. Period. The next verses talk about Him healing a Roman solider's servant, and then Peter's mother in law, and then everyone that came to Peter's house for healing. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Jesus is willing to heal.

P ~ Lord, please heal my family. Audrey, Dougie, Robyn & Emily, for You are willing.

God in a Godless Place

S ~ Abraham replied, “I thought, ‘This is a godless place. They will want my wife and will kill me to get her.’ Genesis 20:11

O ~ This is the place where Abraham lied to Abimelech about Sarah being his sister. This is also the place where God spoke to King Abimelech in the night saying "You are a dead man."   Even though Abraham said it was a godless place, God was in that place.

A ~ It can be easy to look at a situation, or a people, or a place - and say that it is so far from God, with no evidence of His presence. Yet God is able to penetrate the deepest darkness, and show up in unexpected ways. Much like Jacob fleeing from Esau - 'God was in this place and I did not know it'. 

P ~ Lord, help me see that You are present, even when it looks like You are not, and that even in very godless places, You can speak.

No Worries Mate

S ~ “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:34

O ~ We are never instructed to worry. There is not one scripture that says "You should worry about this."  Worry is never the right choice. Even the sparrows, with tiny little brains, are smart enough to not worry.

A ~ There is a difference between worry and planning. Do plan for tomorrow, but don't count on tomorrow. We don't know what tomorrow will hold, but I can do my best to plan for it, as much as depends on me. And yet, even when I have not planned enough - the answer isn't to worry. Ebenezer - the stone they set up at Mizpah, and the stone the church gave to me - says "Thus far the Lord has helped us".  No reason to think He won't help me today... and no reason to think He won't help me tomorrow.

P ~ Lord, so much to think about regarding tomorrow - especially since I am now 52. Thank You that today is in Your hands, and so is tomorrow. Instead of worry, I choose to trust You.

Bullfrogs and Butterflies

S ~ What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! Genesis 17:5-6

O ~ Abram was now 99 years old when his name is changed. He had lived for a century as Abram - a veritable lifetime (although he does live until 175). 99 years as Abram, and now he is as Sarai called him, an old man.

A ~ It doesn't matter how old I get, God can still appear to me and change me. It's not too late for a transforming encounter with the Lord. God appears to Abram as El Shaddai ~ God Almighty. He is still God Almighty, able to change my life today.

P ~ Lord, I have been unchanged in so many areas in my life...seemingly all my life. I turn to You, God Almighty, and ask You to change me. May this week of prayer and fasting be a transforming encounter with you.

I Won't Share a Strand

S ~ Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth,  that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ Genesis 14:22-23

O ~ It was quite important to Abram to make sure that God got the credit for his accumulation of wealth. He would not share God's glory with the king of Sodom - not even one strand of glory.

A ~ And that's why I don't need to buy a lottery ticket!  I surely would not want my life to point to is the lottery as my source.  "Just look to the lottery and your needs will be met". I want my life to point to my heavenly Father. He is my source of provision. Every good gift comes from Him.

P ~ Lord, when I get distracted about how to increase income, may You help me recalibrate the scales in my life, bringing me back to simply having my eyes on you - just like the sparrows who neither sow nor reap, but You provide for. Thank You for Your continued provision.

It's About Time

S ~ This is the account of Shem’s family. Two years after the great flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad. After the birth of Arphaxad, Shem lived another 500 years and had other sons and daughters. Genesis 11:10-11

O ~ Sometimes we think of Noah's sons as young men, with their young wives.  Shem was 100 2 years after the flood, making him 98 years old at the time of the flood. Even if he was 98 at the end of the flood, the would make him 97 at the beginning of the flood. Noah's boys were not little boys or young men.

A ~ I'm reminded again to pay attention to the time gaps in scripture. The bible often reads like one continuing story, moving from verse to verse, but quite often there are huge gaps of time in between verses. God told Noah to build an ark. Noah and his sons and the animals enter the ark and the flood begins. It could be nearly a whole century between the building and the entering of the ark.

P ~ Lord, help me be faithful in the day to day time lapse between Your spoken word to me, and the fulfillment of Your promises. You make everything beautiful in YOUR time.

Who's Steering the Ship?

S ~ Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Psalm 4:4

O ~ This appears to be the same verse that Paul writes in Ephesians 4:26, but with a different insight. He writes  "And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry." Initially, these two seem to contradict each other, but they do not.

A ~ In Genesis sin is crouching at the door - in the form of anger, wanting to control Cain. Anger wants control. It is powerful, and it's desire is to rule. Settle the control issue before the sun goes down - don't go to bed while anger is in control. Once that it settled, don't act quickly. Take time, even overnight, to think about how to proceed. And above all, keep thy mouth shuteth.

P ~ Lord, when I am angry and open my mouth, bad things happen. Please help me to win the control battle with anger. Help me to not let anger control my mouth or my heart or my thoughts. I give them all to You. Jesus, take the wheel :)

All Aboard!

S ~ A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them. Genesis 7:16

O ~ Noah didn't need to close the door - God did. What marvellous grace upon Noah, to not have to live with the decision to close the door. How horrible it would have been to know that you were the one to close the door to the ark, shutting everyone and every creature out. This may have been the heaviest door in the world, and God was the only one strong enough to close it.

A ~ It is not my responsibility to close the door to salvation - but rather to invite and call people into the ark. I need to make sure I have entered, and that I have brought my family with me, but I will leave the door open for others to come, not shutting it because I think it is too late. While there is breath in the body there is hope for the soul.

P ~ Lord, please ensure my family is in the ark - that not one will be missing. No Marsten missing, no Santin missing, no Goodhew or Numrich missing, no Reierson or Cummings or Rosler missing, no Vidotto or Depatie or Tobin missing. None missing when you close the door.

Make Things Right

S ~ “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master."  Genesis 4:6-7

O ~ The rejection of Cain's offering was not primarily personal - it had to do with his gift. He did it the wrong way (lots of speculation on this), but if he did it the right way, he and his offering would be accepted. Even in the context of worship and offerings, sin is ready to pounce. The enemy wants to keep us from worshipping God in the ways He has prescribed.

A ~ Don't take things so personal. There is a way to be accepted. Pouting, dejection, and anger are all options, but they are not good ones. It's better to stay in control and do the right thing the right way, rather than let sin control my actions and attitudes. It's better to have a fresh start and do it all over again the right way.

P ~ Lord, may I be quick to realize when I am wrong, and instead of being angry or dejected, may I be quick to make things right, by doing the right thing.

In His Image

S ~ So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

O ~ God gives us free will in so many areas of life - so many choices He leaves up to us. However, He does not give us the choice of how we are created. We are male or female - and both are in the image of God.

A ~ In a world where 'image management' is so important, and disregarding how we were created, may we find our centre, our true north, by looking at the opening pages of the Bible. In a world full of confusion and struggle, God loved us so much that He made us as we are, to best fulfill His plan for our lives, and to experience the fullest joy in life.

P ~ Lord, may I reflect Your image, by being the best Barry I can be.

Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves ~ Psalm 100:3