Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Don’t Give Up
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though He may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
My husband and I have two favorite college baseball teams. One is my alma mater. The other is located in the town where my husband was born, and they are close to where we live now. Currently we are in the midst of the College World Series. The eight best teams in the country go to the World Series. My alma mater didn’t make it, but our other team did.
We were watching our team play in the opening round on television last weekend. (The event is always held in Omaha, Nebraska. Not close enough for us to attend. But it is on our bucket list.)
As you can imagine, every game in the World Series is important. Two losses and you go home. This goes on until only two teams remain. And then those two teams play for the championship.
In this particular game our team was the first to score, but they only got one run at the time. The score remained 1-0 for several innings. Then in the top of the seventh the opponent scored four runs. It doesn’t take long for the tide to turn. Suddenly we were losing 4-1.
In the bottom of the same inning, we got one run. We were still losing. 4-2.
In the bottom of the eighth, we got another run. But again still losing. 4-3.
One more inning to go. The opponent got another run in the top of the ninth. Score 5-3.
We only had the bottom of the ninth to make something happen. Some people we know had turned the television off at this point. They had given up hope. It seemed improbable that our team would be able to win.
My husband and I weren’t some of those that turned the television off. We continued watching. You might guess what happened. Our team scored three runs and won the game 6-5. (And a bonus – the team we beat is the same team that put my alma mater out of the running two weeks prior.)
This game reminded me how important it is to not give up. For the people that turned the television off early, they had lost hope. They had given up. They went to bed defeated.
But for those of us who stuck it out, we were rewarded with a spectacular victory.
There are many situations in life that can leave us feeling discouraged and defeated. When our plans don’t go the way we wanted or when we are hit with an unexpected trial, it knocks the wind out of us. And as Christians, we have an enemy who is eager to bring us down.
Sometimes it will appear as though we are losing the game, and we will be tempted to give up. But there is always hope. And when we stay close to the Lord, we can take comfort knowing He is molding us through this difficulty. We will walk away stronger in our Christian walk.
God teaches you humility, keeps you dependent upon Him, shows you how to follow Him and protects you from pride through trials. The good news is that dark moments of your life will last only so long as is necessary for the Lord to accomplish His purpose. If you’re obediently committed to Him, your relationship with Him will grow more than you ever believed possible. Therefore, whenever you experience a trial, thank God for what He is doing and commit yourself to honoring Him in all things.
Dr. Charles Stanley
Everything in our lives should be approached with prayer and listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. So there will be times when God asks us to lay something aside. But there are also times when the enemy tries to defeat us and get us off track, especially if we are working for the Kingdom of God. That is why it is important to stay close the Shepherd and listen for His voice. We want to make sure we are on the path He wants us on.
And if we know we are in the right place, we keep pressing forward. I know we might feel tired at times. We don’t think we have the strength to make it any further. But remember that God hasn’t abandoned you. God is with you. He has the strength that you lack. He will see you through.
The Lord does not want to destroy you – He wants to make you stronger. But He can only do that by showing you the frailty of your strength and earthly comforts so you will depend on His.
Dr. Charles Stanley
This baseball game also reminded me of how God never gives up on us. Do you remember the parables found in Luke 15 – the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son? These stories remind us that our Lord loves us so much, and He will do whatever is necessary to rescue us and bring us back to safety.
If any of His children is far from home, He wants nothing more than to bring that child back home. If we have strayed, His goal is to lead us back on the right path.
It doesn’t matter how far we’ve gone or what we have done. He welcomes us back with open arms.
And even if we are walking close to God, we each make mistakes. We stumble at times, we might say the wrong thing, we might react poorly to circumstances, or we might struggle to let go of an undesirable habit. Whatever the case may be – God doesn’t give up on us.
God never gives up on us. Our sins may drive us farther and farther away from Him—but even then, He still loves us and yearns for us to repent and turn to Him for the forgiveness and help we need. The Bible says, “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15).
Billy Graham
Let’s praise God for His unfailing love and faithfulness in our lives!
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
Both photos above were taken on Monday, June 19, 2023, just 10 minutes apart. I stood on the back porch watching the sky change, moment by moment. Nothing compares to God’s artwork. 🙌🤍🙏
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Putting Jesus First
I’m a librarian at heart. I worked at the public library when I was in high school and I worked at the university library when I was in college.
When I went to college, I picked a school that had Library Science as an offered major. However, when I began my college courses, I was told that my university wasn’t accredited in Library Science, so I shouldn’t bother choosing that major. I don’t know if it mattered, but I took the person’s word for it. And I can’t even remember who told me that now.
It took me a while to pick a new major, but I did. I was able to go through some general education courses first. All majors required general education classes, so I wasn’t wasting time. One of the classes I took taught me computer skills. I enjoyed it so much and found a new major. I majored in Business with a concentration in Management Information Systems.
But I remember the struggle to find a new major. Should I major in math and become a teacher? Should I major in English and become a writer?
Back then I hated making decisions. I thought if I made the wrong decision it would be the end of the world. A couple of decades later, I have improved in that area. I’m thankful for that.
Perhaps part of it is that I am closer to God than I was back then. From what I can remember, I didn’t pray or read my Bible much at that time. I regret not finding a church to go to when I was in college. I do remember going to one Catholic mass with a friend who was Catholic. But that was it. In four years I can only recall that one service. Although when I went home for break, I probably went to church then. And I do recall going to my roommate’s church when I went home with her on occasional weekends.
(If anyone of college age or their parents are reading this, my number one tip is to find a church in your college town right away. And make going to church a priority.)
There are things I would do differently, if I could go back in time. And I am sure many of us would say the same about different seasons of our lives. In hindsight we see things differently. But reflecting on all of this has taught me the power found in putting the Lord first.
When we make decisions, such as which college to go to, or which major to pick – they seem like a big deal. We think it will be detrimental if we choose the wrong path. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not the end of the world. Yes, it is important to stay close to God and seek His guidance. However, God is with us through it all. And no matter which road we go down, He will be beside us and guide us. We can find contentment in many paths. If we decide we made the wrong decision, we can always turn around. As I mentioned last week, each phase of our lives is like a stepping stone towards our future. And God will pull everything together and make something beautiful out of the pieces of our lives.
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 NLT
And sometimes we think we know what’s best, but we don’t. God can see the full picture. He sees the beginning and the end. He always knows what’s best. (I’m reminded of the old TV show called “Father Knows Best.” 😁)
So we trust God with each step. Place it all in His hands. Too often we tend to take on the weight of things that we weren’t meant to carry.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
Ultimately, Jesus needs to be in the center of our lives. When we keep Jesus first place in our hearts, it transforms every aspect of our lives. We don’t have to worry because following Jesus is always the right path.
We can make major decisions without fretting because we bring them to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance. We will have better relationships because we approach them with the love of the Lord. We will work harder at our jobs because regardless of who our paycheck comes from, we are working for the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24).
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV
Each day we makes the decision to put Jesus first. And that changes everything.
No matter where we are now, we can always choose to seek the Lord with all of our hearts. Whether we are near or far, we can turn towards Him. We can put Him in the center of our lives. When we do, we will be amazed at the peace we have. We know we are with our Shepherd and He is guiding us, protecting us, and providing for us.
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Stepping Stones
Last a Saturday, David at davidsdailydose.org wrote about Anxiety + Resiliency = Anxiliency! Yes, David’s new word will grab your attention. And I told David that I had to say it slowly at first. But with practice, it falls off the tongue smoothly. 😅
In his post, David talked about Romans 5:3-4:
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
About six weeks ago I had to give a five minute speech for my department. I was asked to talk about something interesting pertaining to my job. I titled my speech “Stepping Stones.” I talked about the last 20 years of my career and how each phase of my job was like stepping stones.
Sometimes my job can be overwhelming. I enjoy my job and my work. But I get many things on my plate that I don’t feel adequate to handle. I create reports and dashboards for my customers, in order to provide them with needed data. But sometimes theses things can be really complex. When I am stuck on something, it’s frustrating. And I have had to pray for God’s help and wisdom often.
(My parents think I’m smart. Well the secret is out. I rely on heavenly help. 😅)
In the moment, the things on my plate can be painful. But standing here and looking back, I can see how each painful task had helped me get to where I am today. Task by task, I learned more and more. I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do now if they had been thrown at me in the beginning. But with experience under my belt, I can take on these complex projects.
In my job I can look back and see how suffering led to perseverance. How perseverance led to character. And how character led to hope.
But life is like that too. We face many things that make us uncomfortable or frustrated. Yet each time we press through, we learn and grow. Down the road, when something bigger comes our way, it is easier to tackle. And then we can look back at our past difficulties and see how God used them to strengthen us and mold us.
Take some time today to look back on your own life. Can you see difficulties from the past that you can be thankful for now? Did they help strengthen you or help bring you to a better place?
Praise God for His amazing ways. We would never choose to go through something difficult. But God’s ways are not our ways. We can thank Him and trust Him, no matter what we face.
Thank you for reading! Have a fabulous weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Greater Is He
Several weeks ago I wrote about The Best Thing I Did All Year. In this post I included a prayer based off of a couple of verses found in the Psalms. When I was typing up that blog post, the enemy tried to stop me from sharing it. The words I typed randomly disappeared from the screen. It was absurd. Yet I persevered and was able to get the post written. I wrote the blog post a few days ahead of time, and scheduled it to be published on that Friday.
There was more to the story that I didn’t mention in my post. After I scheduled it, I began to have doubts. Was this post really a good idea? I was tempted to alter it or scrap it. The truth is that when the enemy didn’t win via the route of meddling with my typing, he tried to get in my head. He couldn’t erase the words, but maybe he could get me to erase my own words. Even though I had doubts, I decided to stick with it.
But God…
After this debate in my mind occurred, I was reading in the book of Acts and felt a couple of nudges from God. There is a scene in Acts 5:17-21 where the apostles were in jail, but an angel of the Lord freed them, and told them to go to the temple courts to tell everyone about the new life of faith in Jesus. In my Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, Dr. Stanley wrote the following about this verse: “God wants His words of life to go forth!”
Later in Acts 5:40-41, the apostles were flogged and they rejoiced in suffering for Jesus. About this Dr. Stanley wrote, “The enemy does not attack backslidden believers who do not honor God, because they’re just as he wants them – complacent, apathetic, and fruitless. Rather, the devil focuses his worst onslaughts on believers who are making a difference for the kingdom.”
(Ironically the day that I read these words, and recorded them in my journal, was also the day Charles Stanley passed away.)
Now we have come full circle. Once again I feel awkward sharing this. I don’t want it to sound like I think I am a high and mighty Christian. I am not. But these words did help me to understand that the enemy was attacking, and he didn’t want me to spread praises and prayers to the Lord.
Not all Christians talk about the devil, but he is real. And he does attack. He knows we are secure in Jesus, so he can’t have our souls. But he will still try to trip us up and keep us from spreading the Good News. He might try to pull our desires to worldly things in order to tear down our testimony. Or he might try to bring division in our relationships, so we won’t be a powerful witness. These are just some examples.
I have heard of many Christian writers who have experienced hardships when working on a book. The Kendrick brothers, who have created several Christian films, have also talked about attacks with every film. Often the attacks are related to the theme of the film.
We will all face problems. But often times they are not a coincidence. There is a real enemy out there who wants to hold us back. As Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”
It’s important to remember that Jesus has already defeated him. Jesus already won.
Colossians 2:15 NIV says, “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
We can declare victory, thanks to Jesus. The Messiah has overcome. And thanks to Him, we too are victorious. We can stand strong and confident, knowing the Lord is beside us. Our Almighty God is more powerful than anything the enemy throws at us. As it says in 1 John 4:4 (KJV), “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Remember your true identity in Jesus:
- You are a new person. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- You are a child of God. (John 1:12)
- The Holy Spirit lives inside of you. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
- You are forgiven. (Colossians 1:14)
- You are as clean as snow. (Isaiah 1:18)
- You have been adopted into God’s family. (Ephesians 1:5)
- You are a joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17)
- You are the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14-16)
- You are the salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13)
- You are chosen and appointed. (John 15:16)
- You cannot be separated from God’s love. (Romans 8:38)
- God rejoices over you. (Zephaniah 3:17)
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Thankful for Prayer
Yesterday Matt over at Jesusluvsall posted about how he was Thankful Prayer Is Not Like Internet Connection.
The title of Matt’s post immediately grabbed my attention because I just happened to have connectivity issues while on an important meeting yesterday. It was frustrating and embarrassing. Thankfully the other participants on the call were understanding.
So the brilliant title of Matt’s post really struck me. And I appreciated the excellent points about prayer within the post as well.
(Before I continue on the topic of prayer, I want to mention that Matt just published a book called Jesus Understands Trauma. You can find it on Amazon here.)
Matt’s post yesterday got me thinking about prayer. I wonder if we take it for granted sometimes that God is always available to us. But if we stop and ponder we will see what a gift we have in prayer. God is always there, ready to listen. How incredible that the Creator of the universe actually wants to hear from us!
In the past I used to wish I could become a prayer warrior, but I thought this was only for certain people. It took me time, but I realized we all can become prayer warriors. It just means we have to put in the effort. Daily we have to show up.
(Side note: If you have never seen the movie War Room, I highly recommend it! It’s about prayer and very inspiring.)
Once we make prayer a priority, we will be amazed at how much prayer can impact us, how much God truly hears us, how much He changes us through our prayer life, and how much He works things out for the best.
In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus reminds us to “always pray and not give up.” I have to wonder if there are situations in our lives that would have gone differently merely if we kept praying. We may never know the answer.
And is it possible that not praying is actually a sin? I heard a sermon by Pastor Jentezen Franklin a few months ago in which he mentioned a Bible verse that really struck me: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” – 1 Samuel 12:23
Please note I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty. Trust me, I am the last person to point fingers. In the past I used to avoid prayer, because I didn’t want to think about the things that were worrying me.
Over time, though, I have made changes to pursue a better prayer life. And I have to say that I have seen how prayer has drawn me closer to the Lord. And I can see how He has used prayer to mold me.
If you feel your prayer life is stale, get creative. Prayer isn’t just asking God for things. It’s a conversation with the One who loves you like no other. So try talking to Him about your day and the things you are walking through, good and not-so-good.
You could also try writing out your prayer on paper. This helps me to focus. The devil will try to distract you, and steer your mind in different directions.
You might consider getting outdoors to pray. There’s something special about that. I always feel closer to God when I have only the sky above.
You could also write out a poem to God.
Or you could even write your own Psalm, as Rainer over at The Devotional Guy™ has been doing. Check out this post where he talks about this and shares one of his Psalms as well – Kicking Off 2023 Writing My Own Psalms [Modern Psalm 7].
You could also read from the book of Psalms in the Bible and use them as prayers.
There are also many outstanding books out there that help us with our prayer lives. I’m currently reading On Our Knees by Phil Wickham and I highly recommend it. (And in case that name sounds familiar, Phil is actually a musician, singer, and songwriter. You may have heard his powerful song about prayer – Battle Belongs.)
When we make a commitment to pray daily, our hearts are changed. But don’t take my word for it. Find out for yourself! ☺️
With all this talk about prayer, I also want to say that I will be forming my June prayer list soon. So if you have any special prayer requests, please let me know. Or if you want me to continue praying for something that you already shared with me, let me know that as well.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Trusting God With the Unexpected
We recently invested in storm doors for our home. But it was a bit of an ordeal. We ordered them from one of the big chain home improvement stores, and we also paid to have them installed. We were given a date of when the doors should arrive at the store. And we were told we would be contacted by someone to set up a time for the install.
The day arrived when the doors should have been in the store, but we never heard anything. My husband went down to the store and talked to them; however, they couldn’t find our order in their system. I went down later that same day, with proof of payment in hand. I talked to the same guy who placed our order several weeks prior. (We will call him Alex.) Alex did some digging and was able to locate our purchase. However, he explained that it didn’t seem to be in the computer the way it should have been. I was in there for a good length of time, but we thought everything was straightened out. Alex even believed that the doors were on the premises. But he said they could still be in a truck, waiting to be unloaded.
I was contacted several days later by an independent contractor to set up the install. (We will call him Jed.) We agreed upon the day. All seemed to be well. When the day arrived, Jed called me back and asked me if I had the doors at my house. I didn’t because Jed was supposed to pick them up and bring them to the house on the day of the install. However, Jed was at the store and apparently the doors were no where to be found. He got some employees to help him. They searched all over and couldn’t find them.
Again my husband went down there and spoke to someone. They weren’t sure what happened. But at this point we had some options. We could either place a new order for the same doors. Or they had very similar doors in stock that we could purchase instead. We opted for the doors that were in stock, and we even got a little money back because they were cheaper than the original doors we ordered.
However, we still didn’t get the doors that day. When the doors seemed to be lost, Jed had moved on to a different project that day. Several days later I heard from him, and we scheduled a new install date.
Finally that day arrived and Jed did the install of the two doors. The storm doors were just what we needed. There was one more hiccup, though. I got a call approximately a week later from the store saying that my doors had arrived. I quickly realized the lady on the phone must have meant the original doors. So I explained to her what happened and let her know we already had doors installed. She thanked me and we ended the call. I guess they either put those doors out for sale or sent them back. I thought it was humorous that the saga continued. But that is not the point of my story.
Let’s back up a few weeks. When I was in the store over a month ago talking to Alex about the mixed up order, he kept apologizing. He sincerely felt bad about the whole debacle, even though it wasn’t his fault. He was the same guy who took our order, but he was a seasoned employee. So I believe there must have been some sort of glitch.
When he apologized again, I said, “It’s not the end of the world.”
His reply to me was, “I’m glad it’s not to you. But to a lot of other people, it would be.”
I knew Alex was right. For some people, an inconvenience like this could seem like a catastrophe.
My husband and I have been through a lot of stress recently. So this additional item on our list could have easily caused us some angst as well. When problems pile up, it can be difficult to take one more thing.
And I don’t know about you, but for me personally, it is usually the unexpected bumps in my day that cause me grief. Seemingly small things that disrupt my plans. But I am learning (sometimes more slowly than I should!) to hand those inconveniences over to the Lord.
While this story is a minor example, we all have had bigger issues that blindsided us. Our initial reaction might be to panic or to get angry. When we are taken by surprise, especially if we are already stressed, we feel vulnerable and shocked.
However, one important thing to remember is that whatever comes our way is not a surprise to God. He knew it was coming. And He already knows the outcome. He often allows obstacles in our lives for a purpose. We won’t always know the reasons why different things happen. But we know the One who is in control. And He can see us through whatever we are facing.
But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4 NLT
This takes trust. Trusting God can be difficult for different reasons. Sometimes we are used to being in control and handling everything ourselves. Or it could be that the obstacle in front of us is so big that we just can’t fathom how God will work it out. The good news is that we don’t have to worry about that part. When we put it in God’s hands, He will work it out.
Keep in mind this doesn’t necessarily mean we do nothing. There might be action on our part. But if we lean on the Shepherd, He will show us what path to take
Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
Dr. Charles Stanley
If you are facing something unexpected, God can help you through it. He is always there. And the best part is that He actually wants to help you with whatever obstacle you might be up against. What a loving Heavenly Father we have!
Dear God, thank You for walking beside us, in front of us, and behind us. No matter what unexpected circumstances come our way, it is comforting to know that You are there. Help us to remember to lean on our Shepherd, who will guide us and show us the way to go. We are so thankful for You, Lord! And we love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Surrounded by God’s Love
One of my dogs, Tucker, has separation anxiety. He thinks he should always be with his Mom and Dad. When we leave him home, he might bark, whine, howl, sulk, or all of the above. He seems to have a fear that we are abandoning him. Perhaps he wonders if we will ever come back home.
I talk to my dogs like they are people, meaning I try to explain things to them. They don’t always understand. But they do feel my tone of voice. And they are smart enough to remember what certain words mean.
Sometimes I will try to explain to Tucker that we love him, we will never abandon him, and we will always come back. I was thinking recently that if Tucker just understood how much his parents loved him, then he wouldn’t be so quick to freak out.
I’m sure you can figure out where I am going with this. Yes, this made me think about us and God. If only we knew how much He loved us, we wouldn’t freak out when we are hit with a situation that brings us fear, grief, or worry.
God loves us so much. He is trustworthy. He has our backs. Even when something takes us by surprise, it is no surprise to Him. He allowed the situation to come our way. And He will use it for a purpose.
I know just saying these things is easy. But what’s difficult is getting that into our hearts. So how do we get to the point of knowing deep down that our Shepherd loves us beyond measure and that He is watching out for us?
Spending time with Him is a good start. Making a choice each day to pray helps us to draw closer to Him. Reading the Bible also helps because not only do we learn about God’s character, but we are also bombarded with truth. Reading in the Psalms has helped me to get a better awareness of God’s love. And several verses that I read recently struck a chord. I want to share a few with you. One of them is not from the Psalms. But it might be familiar to you.
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39 KJV
“He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.” – Psalm 33:5 ESV
“Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.” – Psalm 32:10 NIV
Aren’t the words in these verses comforting? Nothing can separate us from God’s love. The earth is full of the love of the Lord. And the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him. Reading the last verse, in my mind I can see God’s love surrounding me like a blanket. A few days ago I was worried about something, and I kept repeating the words from the latter part of that verse. This reminder brought peace and comfort.
I hope these verses bring you peace and comfort as well. And I hope they remind you how much God loves you. May we remember that if God sent His One and Only Son for us, then surely He loves us enough to go to the ends of the earth for us, to provide for us, to protect us, and to see us through whatever we are facing.
Thank you for reading! I hope you have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Hold On
I have two dogs whose personalities are very different. Even when we are in the car, their personalities show. Buddy doesn’t move a muscle and sits as stiff as a statue. He is quiet; and you might even forget he is in the back seat. But Tucker paces from window to window, squealing and panting. He makes his presence known. (And make sure you wear a hat.)
When Tucker is in the car, since he is always on the move, I try to prevent him from taking a spill. When I need to stop or slow down, I apply the brake slowly and ahead of time. But something else that helps is to tell Tucker in a loud voice to, “Hold on!”
If we are approaching a traffic light or a stop sign – “Hold on!”
If we need to make a turn – “Hold on!”
If the traffic in front of us is slowing down – “Hold on!”
The other day I was playing some praise music, singing along, and shouting “Hold on!” every so often. Then I started to giggle at how funny this would seem to an onlooker. But then something else occurred to me as well. I thought about how “Hold on” is good advice for us as well.
The right reaction is always to focus upon the Lord and to trust Him.
Dr. Charles F. Stanley
We need to hold on to Jesus, no matter what lies ahead on the road. If life takes a turn, we need to hold on. If a “stop sign” appears, don’t forget to hold on. If the “traffic” gets congested, it’s best to hold on.
In the Message translation of Psalm 63:8, it says, “I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post.” I love the idea of holding on to God “for dear life.” Whether we are on top of a hill or down in a valley, our Good Shepherd is there. We need only to hold on.
According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of “hold on” is “to maintain a grasp on something.” And that is exactly what we need to do with the Lord, no matter what we are facing.
I don’t know what you are going through right now. But I do know that God is there. And if you hold on to Him, He will not let you down.
Dear Heavenly Father, the road of life has many twists and turns. But You are always there, through it all. Help us to remember to hold on to You, no matter what. We thank You for Your faithfulness and trustworthiness. How amazing it is to know that the One and Only Almighty God will never let us down. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Finding the Blessings
Hi, Friends! I hope you are all well.
I want to start off by sharing a wonderful poem written by Daryl Madden. Last week, you might recall that I shared a personal prayer with you. But when typing it out, it seemed the enemy was attacking. So I mentioned how real the spiritual world is. Daryl has such a way with words, and crafted an amazing poem from that thought. Check out Daryl’s poem here!
I also want to share a video about the late Dr. Charles Stanley and his life. It is very inspiring. But make sure you have time on your hands first, as the video is an hour long. You can access the video here.
Now onto my post for today. A couple of weeks ago I talked a bit about what I learned during Lent. Something I didn’t mention was that while I was offline during Lent, we had a death in the family. My Uncle Alan left this world. And since his birthday was this week, I wanted to share a little something about him today.
When we first hear about someone passing, there is shock, grief, heartbreak, and devastation. This was a heavy time for us.
Also, when we hear about a death, this might make us wonder about the afterlife. Was the person ready? Will we be ready when our time comes? So I don’t want to miss an opportunity to say, if you or someone you know isn’t ready, perhaps these links will help: Accepting Jesus and An Eternal Mindset. If we are Christians, we can look forward to seeing our saved loved ones again. What a joy that will be!
In addition to that, I could say a lot about my uncle. I could talk about his sense of humor. I could mention that he drove out of his way to pick me up from college on Friday nights so that I could spend the weekend with family. I could talk about his life and how much he loved his family. But today I want to touch on something I learned as my family and I traveled for the service.
When I look back at the time surrounding the service for my uncle, I can see many things to be thankful for. Even in the midst of sorrow, we can find blessings. Perhaps that is why 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV) says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Many of us had to travel in order to attend the funeral. For my friends who do not live in the US, see the map below. I have New York circled in red, North Carolina circled in purple, and Florida circled in blue. Please excuse my sloppy lines 🙂
The funeral was in North Carolina. My parents live in New York and I live in Florida. However, it just so happened that my parents were in Florida at the time, so we were able to travel together. That was a blessing.
Shared meals, lots of conversation along the way, good laughs. All blessings in the midst of the sorrow.
My sister and brother-in-law live in Pennsylvania (circled in green on the map), and they traveled for the service as well. I had not seen them in nearly three years. And my parents hadn’t seen them for many months either. It was a blessing to spend a little time together.
My cousin and his family didn’t have to travel, but we rarely get to see them. So visiting with them was a blessing as well.
On the drive there, we were in terrible traffic thanks to two bad accidents. It took longer than we would have liked. But the important part is that we got there safely. A blessing.
When we arrived in town late at night, in the rain, it was stressful finding our way. Thankfully we were able to figure out where we needed to go … after a u-turn or two. But still a blessing.
We all went out to dinner one night. And afterwards we gathered to talk for a bit. Blessings.
Sharing memories and stories about my uncle. Blessings.
Texting family and friends along the way. Knowing you have people praying for you and your family. Blessings.
Extra hours to read good books, a cup of coffee when it’s needed, cool weather. All blessings.
Traffic on the way home was better than the traffic on the way there. A blessing.
I am not making light of this sad event. But I did want to point out that no matter what we are going through, we can still look around for blessings. Yes there were things we could have complained about during this trip as well. But we have a choice. Will we look for the good? Or will we look for the not-so-good?
There are silver linings around those dark clouds. There is still goodness in this world.
I’m reminded of one of my favorite songs – Alive and Breathing by Matt Maher. As long as we are on this earth, we can find something to praise God for. We have the Good News of Jesus to share with others. And there is joy to be found in the world around us.
Our hearts can find beauty, even in the difficult times. And perhaps when we are facing something hard, that is the most important time for us to look around for beauty and for the goodness of God.
Thank you for stopping by and reading my musings. I hope you found a bit of encouragement.
One more thing. I want to start a new routine of making a fresh prayer list at the beginning of each month. I know many people already do something similar with their prayer journals. This will ensure I am praying for current concerns and it will lead to leaning on the Good Shepherd for all of our needs. So please let me know how I can pray for you in the coming weeks.
Thank you and have a blessed weekend.
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
The Best Thing I Did All Year
Perhaps the title of my post caught your attention. You might be thinking, “We’re only 111 days into 2023. How can Bridget know the best thing she did this year?”
Today I want to tell you about something that I have been doing daily since January 1, as part of my quiet time with God. On January first I started reading Psalm 1:1. I continued reading until I reached a verse that really spoke to me. Then I wrote down that verse in my journal. And following the verse, I wrote a prayer of praise and thanksgiving, based on that verse.
Each day I have followed the same pattern, except that I pick up in the Psalms where I left off the day prior. Some days my prayer might be longer than other days. And some days I might focus on several verses, instead of just one, if the verses are tied together.
Here is an example:
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” – Psalm 8:3-4
Dear Heavenly Father, I am in awe of You! You made the heavens and the earth, the moon and the stars. You made the universe, the oceans, and the mountains. All with a Word, You set everything in place. My mind cannot fathom how magnificent You are. Yet You see each human being and You care for them. You see me and You care for me. You don’t miss one detail of my life. You love me so. How can I ever feel down or defeated when Your goodness continually follows me? Thank You, Lord! I can never thank You, praise You, worship You, love You enough. Yet I have all of eternity to try!
(Side note – You cannot tell me the spiritual world isn’t real. You cannot tell me God isn’t real. And you cannot tell me there isn’t a real enemy who wants to stop us from spreading the light and love of Jesus. I had to type the prayer above several times before it stuck. Somehow, the words kept vanishing. It seems absurd that the words would just disappear, yet they did.)
Why do I love this new part of my daily routine so much?
For one thing, I love the Psalms. The book of Psalms is the most uplifting book in the Bible, in my opinion. When I am feeling down or worried, the Psalms lift me up. They help me to remember God’s goodness.
My second reason is that I have learned the power of praise. I have seen how praising God turns things around. I can be anxious about a certain situation. But then when I stop and praise God, it takes my mind off of my worries, and it turns my focus to the Most High God.
I also love that this incorporates prayer. Prayer is so powerful and something we can never get too much of. Many people might think of prayer as asking God for things. But it is more than that. Talking to God on a daily basis not only draws us closer to Him, but it changes us as well.
I also love this routine because it gives me a gratitude boost. I have learned that gratitude plays an important role in our lives. Gratitude helps us to see the blessings around us, even in the midst of difficulties.
And, finally, I love the idea of writing it all out. There is something about putting pen to paper that makes the words more concrete. It deepens the meaning and helps us to embed truth into our hearts.
Perhaps you have done something similar already. Bible journaling is very popular these days. I have done this as well with different books of the Bible. We take verses that speak to us, meditate on them, and write out our thoughts or a prayer based on them. This helps bring new application and light to something we have read before.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
I believe we can be transformed by the renewal of our minds when we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, meditate on the meaning, and apply it to our lives. And that is what this new routine has done for me. I can see how the Lord is using this to mold me each day.
If this is new to you, give it a try and let me know how it goes. Or if you already do something similar in your quiet time with the Lord, please share your insights in the comments.
Many of you have likely heard about the passing of Dr. Charles F. Stanley earlier this week. I am sure many would agree with me when I say that Dr. Stanley and his ministry made a significant impact on my Christian walk. His sermons and books were always packed with insight and wisdom. When I commuted to work an hour each way, I would listen to his sermons in the morning on my drive. And I am honored that I had a chance to meet him once when visiting his church in Atlanta. He will be dearly missed by many. But think of the glorious homecoming he had!
I would like to end by sharing a few quotes by Dr. Stanley that are applicable to this post. About the importance of reading the Bible, Dr. Stanley said, “Over the years, I have come to realize that God’s Word offers the wisdom and insight I need at every turn. I cannot and never will encounter anything that is beyond Him and the principles He has written in Scripture.”
About our habits when reading the Bible, Charles Stanley said, “As you read God’s holy Word, I encourage you to keep a notebook and pen nearby so you can record the dates and times of your interactions with the Lord. As He shows you fresh truths, write them down. If He convicts you of a certain sin or attitude, make a note of it and write your prayer confessing that particular sin. If He gives you a moment of joy, praise Him in writing. If you have questions, write those down as well, and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you God’s truth for every situation.”
And since I touched on Romans 12:2, here are Dr. Charles Stanley’s thoughts on that verse: “Transformation begins with our thinking and with consciences that are committed to listening to and obeying God. Our minds are renewed as we study His Word, and our hearts are changed as we submit to Him. We do not merely try hard to sin less. We learn to depend upon Him, observe His commands and trust Him to mold us into people who please Him. It is then we discover how awesome it is to live in the center of His will because it is life at its very best – and there is nothing in this world that compares to it.”
Thank you for stopping by and reading. I know there are a million other things you can be doing with your time. Your presence means a lot to me. Have a blessed weekend!
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas
Bridget A. Thomas 