Friday, March 30

When The Spotlight is Off

Please read James 4



While I was volunteering in my son’s preschool class, I began observing all of the other children and their ability to write out numbers. Then I looked at my son’s paper and couldn’t help but notice that his looked a tad underdeveloped.




The other kids in his class were writing better than he was. That’s a hard pill to swallow for a Mom. Our children are always the cutest smartest kids ever.



When we got home, and after discussing it with my husband, we told Philip that if he practiced writing his numbers we would get him that video game he had been dreaming about. Yes, we bribe. It works wonders.



The task of helping Philip was delegated to my husband. He is the patient perfectionist and I love him dearly for it. My husband wrote out the numbers 1 through 10 and gave Philip a blank sheet of paper. Philip grabbed his marker and then clear as day wrote out the numbers 1 through 10.



It became obvious that Philip was waiting for an audience and a reward. My husband and I couldn’t help but laugh. Philip is a child who performed when the spotlight was shining brightly on him. However, this isn’t a behavior that is reserved for children. We grown ups do the same thing.



In Mark, Jesus talks about the woman who gave two coins. Rich people threw in large offerings and did it while all eyes were on them. Then a poor widow threw in all she had.



Jesus said:



“ ‘They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in 

everything--all she had to live on.’ ” 

 (Mark 12:44) 



No one was paying any attention to the little old lady throwing in two copper coins. No one except for Jesus.



How do you act when the spotlight is taken off of you? When you are at home alone without an audience, are you the same person that stops to chat with the other Mom’s when you drop your kids off? Are you the same person that sits in the pew every Sunday? Why do you do some of the nice things you do for others? Is it for public acknowledgement? Is it for acceptance or for a reward?



What motivates you? 



Do your eternal rewards in heaven influence your decisions or are you possessed by the benefits of the flesh?



“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working 

for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive 

an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” 

 (Colossians 3:23) 



If this is something that you struggle with, then I urge you to consider your motivation. Bless others with the sole purpose of bringing glory to God, not yourself. Be the same person in private as you are in public.



Dear God, 


Please help me to focus on you as my reward. I pray that you align my heart and mind with yours. Erase any ill motivated thoughts that enter my mind and help me act out of love and allegiance to you. I pray that I bring glory to you by my deeds and that I continue to grow into the person you created me to be. Thank you for specifically designing every facet of my personality. Help me shine not only in the presence of others but also in times when I’m alone. Amen.






Written By Ashley K.

Tuesday, March 27

Anythng Helps...

Read  Luke 6:27-38


Do you ever wonder about those guys on the side of the road with the cardboard signs that claim they will work for food?


We’ve got quite a few of them around here. A few weeks ago, every single one I passed had the same sign. “God bless” and a circle smiley face. It was eerie. Had they done some market research to determine that evoking a deity and giving the impression of good cheer despite desperate circumstances brought in more revenue? Does Oriental Trading sell those kinds of things now?


 I saw one guy on the side of the road “Stranded: need gas money to get to my kids.” The next day I saw him WITH his kids in Walmart, buying video games. I guess they could have been someone elses’ kids. I didn’t ask. But he was still buying.


I saw another guy sitting in the grass with his sign propped up against his forehead while he sat behind it texting.


There’s a group of homeless or near homeless that refuse to go to the mission downtown because they don’t like the sermon that comes with dinner or they have been kicked out for selling their state issued medication on site.


It’s hard not to be jaded.


It’s hard to give when you know the recipient feels entitled to your generosity.


 It’s hard to be kind when you can’t be sure you aren’t being conned.


“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16


A million times I’ve read/heard and memorized that verse, and in at least half of those cases, I have personalized or been told to personalize that verse. And we should. “For God so loved ME that he sent his only son…”


If little old me were the only soul on the planet, he still would have come, he still would have died to save me. It’s good to know how much we personally are valued by God.


And against that backdrop, here is what my seven year old hit me with the other night: “Dear God, thank you that you loved the world so much you sent your son to die. Not just for one person, or two people, but for every single person in the whole entire world.”


Every single person in the whole entire world. 


Each one who abuses the system.


Each one who rejects practical help.


Each one addicted.


Each one victimized.


Each one victimizing.


Each one that avoids eye contact.


Each one that is jaded.


Each one that gives, and each one that doesn’t.


The thing is, once a gift leaves our hands, it’s out of our hands. Giving is what we are asked to do. Loving is what is required of us.


“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 


Second Corinthians says, the Lord loves someone who gives cheerfully to those the giver deems worthy of the gift.


Wait. No. That’s not what it says. “The Lord loves a cheerful giver.” End of sentence.


I’ve got to be honest. My son’s prayer the other night did not prompt me to give more, but it has prompted me to look more. To smile more. To make eye contact more. To consider that the guy under the bridge has a name and a story and very likely an empty place in his heart.

Monday, March 26

My Pin-It-Later God

Read Psalm 119:33-40




Photo credit:
Salted Carmel Six-Layer Chocolate Cake
I can almost taste it.



If I stare at it hard enough, the over-sized bite poised on the fork's tongs will be on its way to my salivating mouth. And that frosting will be on my tongue. Rich and gooey. It is almost there.



How I'm hungry for that cake. Just a bite won't do. I'll take the piece pictured, plus probably chow down the rest of the cake before dinner.



Unfortunately I don't have time to make that cake. I saw the picture, drooled, and then put it off till later. I'll have to get the ingredients and make that cake. It would only take a few hours out of my day, but it would be worth it.



SO. Worth it. Put it on my "to-do" list.



My "to-do" list is a long one. Sites like Pinterest have added a few more lines. But I don't have the time....



A deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God can be like that picture of beautiful deliciousness too. I've been a Christian my whole life and I know the attributes of God. Like the layers in a salted carmel chocolate cake, I don't have to actually experience it to know that it is good; I don't have to partakte in God to know that He is good. My knowledge trumps my experience from day to day.



I put so much off till later:


  • Reading the Bible (a novel demands hours of my time, the Bible, not so much).



  • A better prayer life (I get distracted).



  • A quieter quiet time (I don't make the sacrifices to make it happen).



  • More writing and reflection on His wonders (Facebook, blogging, and Pinterest take too much of my time).



  • Being decidedly grateful (whatever is most demanding gets my attention and I slip easily into discontent).



Reading and absorbing his Word, prayers that reach heaven, quiet reflection and study, and living a purposefully thankful life -- these are the delicate crumbs, the gooey frosting, and the rich textured cake of a relationship with God. These are the things that need to be tasted and enjoyed. 



"Taste and see that the Lord is good." 

Psalms 34:8



My relationship with God should be far more appealing than making a recipe that will be pleasurable only for a few moments... moments of bliss, I'll give you that. But tasting of God's goodness lasts and lasts.



Our God is so relational. He invites us in to enjoy the attributes of His awesomeness. Why would we put this off until later? Why delay the gratification of things we know are ultimately fulfilling? (I'm not taking about chocolate anymore).




"Hear I am, I stand at the door and knock. 

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 

I will come in to him and dine with him

and he with Me." 

Revelation 3:20




No more excuses, let today be the day you delve into a relationship with God that surpasses the momentary satisfaction of any earthly recipe. Let us taste and see that He is good.





Written by Alysun P.

Thursday, March 22

Accepting the Unconventional White Picket Fence

Read Ephesians 1:3-10 




My five year old, Philip, was adopted by my husband almost two years ago.



On the surface I was very excited and happy that Philip would grow up knowing my husband as his Dad. But underneath, I was scared. I was worried that my son would have a lot of questions and perhaps feel left out. I was scared that the world would tell him that being adopted wasn’t good enough.



As Mom’s, we over analyze everything. We play out worst case scenarios until we are blue in the face. Or is it just me?



Eventually, after wasting countless hours worrying, God revealed to me that I’m adopted too. It is by the blood of Christ that I have been adopted as a daughter of the King. I’m loved no less than my brothers and sisters. God’s affection is just as much on me as it is on you. We are all equally loved no matter what we have done.



God doesn’t love Susie Homemaker more because she is involved in three different bible studies, speaks fluent Hebrew, and runs a homeless shelter. The love that God showers on us is not contingent on the deeds we perform.




“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and 

this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of

God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

(Ephesians 2:8-9) 



It’s so easy to compare ourselves to other women around us. The world is constantly telling us to be dissatisfied with our circumstances. The media is saturated with messages promoting discontentment. Everywhere we turn someone is smarter, or skinnier, or has a nicer car, or has better behaved children.



Fortunately, God isn’t a man of this world. He is a man who sees our hearts and is with us in the moments that we think we are alone. He spreads his love equally across this confused world.



My son is a major part of this family. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be the woman that my husband fell in love with. Everything about this family is exactly how God intended it to be. He took what looked like a gloomy situation and turned it into a testimony of his grace and mercy.



Put away any apprehensive feelings you may have acquired over the years and come to rest on the truth that you are a chosen member of God’s family. You may not act like or look like your fellow sisters, but I assure you, you are evenly favored by God.




Written by Ashley K.

Tuesday, March 20

On Friendship: 3 proverbial thoughts

 Read Proverbs 18


Borrowed from Robin Dance at (in)courage.me


Sometimes friendship is plain hard.


What should come easily, eludes…


What everyone else seems to have in bountiful supply, you lack…


Never do you feel more alone than when you’re in a crowd of women whom you like or admire or want to know, but they appear not even to notice you…


Because we’re created in the image of God, it only makes sense that we’d crave friendship…relationship. Triune God ~ Father, Son and Holy Spirit ~ His very nature is relational. Everything was good in Eden except for man’s aloneness–God never intended mankind to live a solitary life.


Friendship has been a struggle for me in recent years. The hurtful actions by a few people I valued somehow caused me to lose confidence in myself; which, in turn, had bearing in how I related to others. Sometimes I constructed walls around my heart in an attempt at self preservation, but too often I flat out consented to feeling inferior.


I believed a lot of lies.


But I’ve learned to see a beautiful aspect to my void and pain, important not to overlook: It serves a purpose. Conflict is crucial to a good story, and aren’t all our lives telling good stories? Isn’t it through the most difficult seasons that we grow and mature and change the most? If God is only good (and I believe He is) then isn’t He using all the circumstances, choices and consequences of my choices, for my good to accomplish His purposes? So when life gets hard ~ yes, through relational conflict, but also in personal crisis (health, financial, marital, etc.) ~ I have a choice to make: to follow the path of least resistance (what a worldly response dictates) or to allow my mind to be renewed and my heart to be transformed.


At midlife, I am still learning the art of friendship. Three powerful friendship lessons are found in Proverbs–


A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24, NKJV) 


To have friends you must first BE a friend. This is one of the few times I prefer the King James or New King James translations of Scripture; all the other ones seem to say something else. Are you waiting on others to make the first move or are you willing to reach out? Of course everyone wants to be on the receiving end, to have someone else interested enough to initiate, but why not be the one to BE the one? Sure, you’re risking rejection, but I think the likely benefit outweighs that occasional cost.


A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones. 
(Proverbs 14:30, NLT) 


New Living translation packs a powerful punch; “…jealousy is like cancer….” Painful and potentially deadly. Ouch. I don’t think I’m typified by jealousy but I have a destructive inclination of comparing myself to others, particularly when it comes to writing and Accomplishing Big Things. I don’t disparage the success of my friends – I celebrate with them! – but I sometimes allow their success to make me feel “less than.” Jealousy will hold you back, keep you down, and create chasm in your relationships; left unchecked it will destroy friendship and cultivate bitterness. Jealousy cannot co-exist with the fruit of the spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.


As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (Proverbs 27:17 NLT) 


Recently, a friend cared enough about me to point out a blind spot; though difficult to accept, I know she had my best interest at heart. I prayed over her words and asked the Lord to reveal what He wanted me to hear. It is dulling to limit yourself only to the friends who will always agree with you or tell you what you want to hear. Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to invite your friends to tell you what they really think, and then prayprayPRAY for discernment.


 Borrowed from Robin Dance at (in)courage.me

Monday, March 19

Becoming Unweary

Read Psalm 138




"For the mother is and must be, 

whether she knows it or not, 

the greatest, strongest and 

most lasting teacher her children have." 

~Hannah Smith




Mothers are important. Essential, crucial, imperative, relevant, vital, critical, meaningful, the list goes on. I probably don't have to tell you how important a mother is since you've felt it since you opened your eyes this morning. Like I did, waking to "Mom, Little Man peed down the stairs!" yelled at full volume from my son's helpful sibling.



A friend's husband was at home because of illness for a few days and laying in bed he heard one thing over and over shouted throughout the house, "Mom!" "Mom" this and "Mom" that. He remarked to his wife, "I didn't realize how much the kids need you during the day."



Being needed. Needed to get endless meals and snacks ready each day for a hungry family. Needed to run the dishwasher... and unload it too. Needed to remember schedules. Needed to clean up pee on the stairs. Needed to kiss this boo-boo or break up that fight. Needed in the middle of the night. Needed in the middle of the day during an important phone call. Needed for answering theology questions. Needed to wash clothes and more clothes. Needed to settle precious little people into restful sleep. Needed to drive here, there, and everywhere.



I was tired of being needed. Sitting at the kitchen table, beginning the same routine again for another day, I was done. You could call it a funk and that was part of it, but mostly, I was just weary of handling life and being so very, very necessary to my family. Yes, I knew I was doing good. Yes, I knew I how important I was.



But..... do I have to?



"Let us not grow weary in doing good." That verse is from Galations (6:9) and it popped into my head in the middle of my "Do I have to?" whine. Paul the Apostle is writing a letter to encourage believers. He calls out some who are not following the example of Christ and then he talks to the ones who are "living by the Spirit." He is saying that they are doing a good job, if they work hard, they will see results in the harvest.




"Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for at the proper time we will reap 

a harvest if we do not give up.

Galations 6:9




What I found immensely encouraging about this verse was that I was not the only one in the history of time who had become weary in doing good. Whether it is the all-important job of mothering, or pastoring a church, or working with tough, secular co-workers, or enjoying retirement: do not become weary.



Because why? At the proper time (God's timing always), we will reap the harvest if we do not give up.



The raising of my family is my calling right now. And all the dirty and/or rewarding jobs that go along with it. It is "good work" and Scripture encourages me not to become weary because of this purpose, the harvest!



Also in Scripture, there are many verses about what to do when we get weary. Again, I'm not alone in my tendency to want/need to give up.



Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength... Isaiah 40:31.


God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.... Isaiah 46:1.


When I called, you answered me; you greatly emboldened me. Psalm 138:3.


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.... Matthew 11: 2.




The feeling of weariness is a common one for us moms. Our good work is tiresome and bothersome, along with rewarding, necessary, and important. We are to be encouraged to keep going, God is our refuge, God is our strength, we can be renewed and rested when we find hope in our calling.






Written by Alysun P.




Thursday, March 15

If you can do anything...

Read Mark 9:19-29




It was a dark and stormy night, and I was driving my kids to Awana. By night, I mean 6:30pm, but this took place before daylight savings time struck again, so it was quite dark. The journey from our driveway to the church parking lot takes about 10 minutes. But it was dark and stormy, and my four year old was nervous about the weather. Of course, being all male, he couldn’t possibly admit that, so he began questioning me.


“How much longer until we get there?”


“Are we going to be in a flood?”


“Do you know how to get there?”


“Are we lost?”


“I don’t think you know where we are going.”


“Should we call Daddy?”


“Can we use the GPS?”


If these questions hadn’t been asked in the frightened, trembly voice of a little boy trying to make sense of his fear in the moment, I would have been irate. Of course I know where we are going! I could get us there blindfolded. Why on earth would you assume I, the parent who has been driving this route every week for three years, would not know how to get you there?


But I knew what was up.


“I promise you I know where we are going. I can get you there and we will not get lost. I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”


“Yes…….. But-”


“No buts. Just trust me.”


Then they started laughing because I said “buts” and I nearly forgot about the incident.


And then I read this from a man asking Jesus for a miracle:


“If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). 


If you can do anything. Beth Moore says, “Few of us would be so bold as to ask Christ to his face ‘if’ He was able to do something. But how often do we say the same thing to him with our actions and attitudes?”


My son knows in his head that I will take care of him. And on an average day, he has no worries on that front. But fear twisted his perspective. Fear made him question my competence.


And we do that with God. On bright sunshiny days, we love him. We fling ourselves at him in thanksgiving for grace. But on those dark and stormy nights when things don’t look quite the same, we start to ask very silly (to him) questions.


Questions he answers with Jeremiah 29:11. “I know the plans I have for you…” Trust me, he says. I will get you there. We will not get lost because I know the way.





Written by Andrea L.

Sunday, March 11

The Silver Lining

1 Chronicles 16:25-27






A lot of us are guilty of dulling the silver lining to match the rest of the cloud. We get lost in the valley and forget to fix our gaze high upon the mountain of God.



The truth is, blessings aren’t always going to slap us across the face and yield a physical reward. We must pursue blessings every day.




My husband travels for work about six months out of the year. This is hard for me because I’m crazy about this man, and being away from him feels like torture. On one hand, I get sad and sometimes angry that he’s gone so much, on the other hand, it’s his busiest season and the paychecks make us more comfortable. It is up to me which hand I focus on.



The blessings in this life are a choice. God constantly pours His blessings on us, it’s up to us whether or not we acknowledge them.



Sometimes the blessings are easy to spot. A raise at work, the birth of a child, the healing of a sick loved one. Then other times we have to look for them in the form of a beautiful sunset, finding a good parking spot, or simply being able to live another day.



“He is the one you praise; 

He is your God, 

who performed for you those great and awesome 

wonders you saw with your own eyes.” 

(Deuteronomy 10:21) 



Circumstances can easily muddle your perspective. We all have unfavorable situations that come up in life and it’s acceptable to take some time to feel less than cheery. Those may be the times that God is confirming your faith. But you must then choose to highlight and dwell on the silver lining. In every situation there is always something worthy of a tribute.



Not only will God appreciate a sincere shout out from you, you may start to notice a change in your attitude. Concentrating on the benevolence bestowed upon you from your Heavenly Father will do good things for your spirit.



Take a time out from the bellyaching and receive the blessings. They are right there in front of you waiting to be recognized.




“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” 

 -Abraham Lincoln





Written by Ashley K.

Wednesday, March 7

Know When to Hold 'Em





I do not understand what I do. 


For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.


Romans 7:15





This verse kicks off one of those passages where the apostle Paul proves he has a dizzying intellect. Once you figure out the complex sentence structure, the whole thing is alarmingly on target with my life.



I spotted a problem area in my life recently where I was doing what I didn't want to do and that I knew was wrong. And I knew what to do. Take every thought captive, like James says. So I did. I took that errant thought captive and held onto it for dear life. When the next thought came along, I put into practice my juggling skills and captured that one too, still holding on.




Then one day, when my right eye started twitching--seriously--it occurred to me that I might have missed something in my efforts to do the right thing. 



Why, when I was trying so hard, and succeeding, to the casual observer, was my jaw clenched too tight? Why did I feel like I could barely breath? Why was my eye twitching?! I knew one way to relieve my tension: let those captive thoughts go. Put them into words and spread them all over the place. But that wasn't the right thing to do. It's not what Jesus would do.



He would forgive and forget.



I was trying, but it wasn't working. This system seemed very flawed.



Turns out I was missing something. I didn't read through all the directions.



Granted, Paul makes about as much sense as the how-to-assemble of an Ikea Lerberg shelf unit, but once you figure them out...



For I have the desire to do what is good, 


but I cannot carry it out. 


Romans 7:18



Oh. Paul couldn't. I can't either. No wonder I'm twitching. So how does this work? Pardon me while I hop out of context for a moment.



Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

1 Peter 5:7



Here I was trying to do the right thing, holding on so, so, so tightly to those errant thoughts that I was getting overwhelmed. When what I needed to be doing was to be handing them off to God immediately.




Once I started doing that--easier said than done, I might add--it all seemed to come together. I felt myself relax in the knowledge that He was taking care of it, and my eye isn't twitching so bad.



Thanks be to God who delivers me 


through Christ Jesus our Lord! 


Romans 7:25



Written by Andrea Lunde

Sunday, March 4

A Message Just For Me

Read Ephesians 5:1-20





Have you ever heard a message clearly meant for someone else? The topic is so applicable to what someone you know struggles with (gossip, complaining, slothfulness, lack of humility, lying, modesty, anger, the list goes on) and you wonder why you were hearing it instead of them.




This happens to me all the time. I hear or read a convicting message and immediately think of someone who really needs to know this information so they can go on without sin in her life. How could I possibly deliver this to said person so she can know the truth? I wonder. Maybe put a link on her facebook page, "I saw this and thought of you." No, too obvious.





It is interesting that God, in his infinite knowledge and power to ordain providence in our lives, would allow us to continue to be subjected to good messages meant for other people.




Or perhaps assigning blame to other people's sin is far easier than confronting our own.




Thinking of another person's sin and wishing she (and she alone) would be convicted and have a life-changing experience, is just another way to meddle instead of dealing with the sin in our own lives.




Oh women, we love to meddle. We love to find faults in others. We love to stir a pot with conflict instead of making peace. Our sin nature has never been so ugly as when we give in to these tendencies.




"Women [should be] worthy of respect, 

not malicious talkers but temperate 

and trustworthy in everything." 

(I Timothy 3:11)



I would suggest that God never puts a message in our path that cannot somehow be applied to our own lives. Whether it is in the form of a God-centered magazine article, a book, a Drops devotional in our email inbox, a pastor's sermon, a particular Bible passage, or an inspiring talk on the radio. God has a message for you to hear. For me to hear. Not to wish upon someone else, hoping for a life-change in them. God desires a life change in each one of us.




I recently dealt with an incredibly difficult person. The conflict had me mentally assigning sins to her that I hoped God would convict her of. The thought, "how can she call herself a Christian?" crossed my mind.



After I calmed down and allowed the Holy Spirit to lend me the peace I craved, this verse came to mind:



He [Jesus] said to them, 

"If any one of you is without sin, 

let him be the first to throw a stone at her."




Have I not struggled with the same sins as my "incredibly difficult person"? Maybe not to the severity in this particular instance. And my sins may be different, but not less disgusting to God. Sin entangles us all. 



"... let us throw off everything that 

hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. 

And let us run with perseverance 

the race marked out for us."



Hebrews 12:1



All my wishing and hoping to convict someone else with a powerful blast of truth will not change them. I have no control over another person. I can pray for that person and God can convict and enact change, but ultimately, the only person I have control over is me. Myself. I.



I have the power to listen, be teachable, learn, grow, and change. I do not have to throw the a stone against someone else's sin. I can take each challenge to heart and ask God, "What change do you desire in me?"

Thursday, March 1

Obeying Instead of Exhausting

Read Proverbs 16:1-9 





I can’t begin to count the number of times I have heard, “I’m so busy. I have too much going on and I’m exhausted.”



I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve said it myself.




The definition of exhaust is to drain of strength or energy, wear out, or fatigue greatly. I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like something God had in mind for my life.




If we find ourselves running on empty, it is important to remember that God didn’t stack up an insurmountable heap of responsibilities. We do that to ourselves. Sure, God stretches us and requires us to exert energy, but he has not called us to stretch ourselves so thin that we feel weak at the end of every day.



We may think we are bringing him glory by volunteering for everything that is available. However, chances are, we won’t able to give 100% in every area we commit to.



You don’t have to do it all. God doesn’t want you to exhaust yourself.



“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, 


because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” 

 (Genesis 2:3) 



See, God takes it easy too. Go figure.



If you find yourself discontented with all of the running around you are doing, then it is time to practice saying “no.” It’s ok not to commit yourself to every opportunity that presents itself. If someone is asking you to travel to Mexico to build schools for underprivileged children you don’t have to say “yes.” Just because it may be God’s work that is being asked of you, doesn’t mean that it is the work you are specifically being called to do.



“In their hearts humans plan their course,


 but the Lord establishes their steps.” 

 (Proverbs 16:9) 



Take a break from your schedule and refresh yourself. God delights in our efforts, but he doesn’t require us to overwork ourselves.



The Lord will speak to you and tell you exactly what he wants you to be doing. Make sure you aren’t too busy to listen.