R: Revived and rejuvenated, we will no longer feel dormant

E: Energized and encouraged, excited to experience growth

S: Saved and sustained, God doesn’t let us stay in our withered state

T: Taken under God’s wings, touched with tender, loving care

O: Order and organization will replace the chaos and confusion

R: Risen spirits, resuming what was halted and recovering what was stolen

A: Amen, alleluia, our All-powerful God–with God all things are possible

T: Thriving, thankful for all we’ve been given, our hopes for today and tomorrow

I: Inspired—innovations and ideas instilled into us to propel us forward

O: Only One can restore us, only One fills the hole in our hearts to make us whole

N: Never hopeless, not broken, not dead, now we are made new by God

Let us be ready to allow God to bring about a restoration within us.  God has a grand design for our lives.  When God plans our extreme makeover, the result will be amazing. With God we will not just be returned to where we were in the past.  We will be made better.  God, moves us higher—bringing about a renewal, a rebirth, a resurrection that brings us closer to Him and to our best-self ever.

With Love,

Kerri LeVanseler

Dear God,

Why does life have to be so cruel sometimes?  We love you.  We trust you.  We pray.  We have faith.  Then our circumstances change.  We are thrown into the pit.  Despair.  Anger.  Fear.  Sadness.  These emotions take over our thoughts.  How could this happen?  God, you promised to be my protector.  Where are you now?

Our hearts cry out…

• I didn’t want my loved one to die.
• I didn’t want to have this illness.
• I didn’t want to lose my job.
• I didn’t want that person to walk out on me, to let me down.
• I didn’t want to be hurt and broken.

But here I am.  The worst has come to be.  What do I do now?  To whom do I turn?

God, is it possible for us to thank you for all the good and light in our lives and not hold you to blame for the darkness and the bad?  God, let our hearts know that you are not the dealer of this cruel hand.  The world is made up of individuals who are free to make choices.  We are physical beings with fallible physiologies.  We live in a natural environment with consequences and where bad things happen to good people.  There are a host of causes, some within our control, some not, that bring us to the place we find ourselves.

God, please let us remember that you are light, goodness and love, always, everlasting, unconditional, freely given, love.

Darkness comes, evil exists, people hurt one another and bad hands are dealt.  The hand is lost.  But, God, I will remember, you are not the dealer, you are the inventor and creator of the game.  You see beyond this round.  You see the big picture, how everything fits together.  You see this cruel hand and reach out to me with compassion.  You carry me through.  You mold me and shape me for a big win in the game of everlasting life.  I can know this hand is not the end.  God, you will keep me in the game. Next rounds will be played.  And, God, I know you will be at my side.  With you God, there will always be a victory!

Amen

A sprinkle of salt or the taste of sweetness gives flavor to what we eat.  As humans, we often crave foods that are salty or sweet, sometimes going overboard on how much of these snacks we eat since these flavors please our senses.  One taste is not always enough. These terms, salt and sweet, don’t just describe food, they are also used to describe a person’s character.

“You are so sweet, the salt of the earth.” 

Being the “salt of the earth” means you are a very good and honest person, respected for your pure heart.

Being a “sweet” person means you are kind, gracious, thoughtful, forgiving and loving.

These characteristics add flavor to life, creating more joy and peace in relationships.  It is God’s will for us to be the salt.  He blesses the peacemakers and the pure of heart.  If salt loses its taste, it is worth nothing (see Matthew 5:8,9,13), just like us without love, we are nothing (see I Corinthians 13:2).  

When the devil steps in to spoil our thoughts, making them distasteful, focus on the good of Jesus.  We can keep letting Jesus flavor our thoughts.  Even when things go sour or get bitter, the addition of love will make it better.  Each day we are judged by the flavor and content of our character.  We “must not be guilty of wrongful deeds.  Let us not seek to satisfy our desires by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”¹  Strive to be the salt; strive to be sweet.  When we open our hearts, we can accept the help of Jesus to love our enemies.

Let us sprinkle salt and sweetness into the lives of others.  With loving actions applied generously, unconditionally and with a pure heart, more people will experience the sweet life.  O, taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” (Psalm 34:8)  Accepting God’s love and blessing others by passing love along—there is no other flavor that can ever top that.

__________________________

[1]From Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, August 28, 1963.

Dear God— I am very grateful that You made Your Presence known to me. From that day I have known in my heart and mind that You are REAL and that has changed my life, my thoughts and my priorities. Thank You for all that You do everyday and the love You give whether I am at my best or at my worst. You are by my side. You can be trusted. You prepare a place in Heaven for me when life on Earth is over. Nothing can ever harm me because You are my protector. You give me strength and carry my burdens when I need a rest. I praise and thank you Lord.

Now I am asking for help. How do I do my part to lead people to see that You are real? There are so many people hurting, Lord. They think that this broken, messed up world is all there is. They think it is foolish to put their trust in anything they cannot see and prove. I pray that they can know You. Pushing words about Your Peace falls on deaf ears. Doors may close that I am trying to open with words of Your Love for them. Lord God, teach me, guide me to say the right things when I am given the window of opportunity. Please, Lord, reach them, touch them, show the nonbelievers that You are there. Make it personal in ways only You, Our God, can do. Whether they are seeking You or not, open the doors and windows and let Your Light flow into their lives.

Once they feel Your presence and see that You are REAL, their lives can be filled, their hurts can be healed, You can comfort them in their troubles. They can receive Your Love and have hope for their future. Don’t wait God, they need You now. We all need You now and always. Sending praise and thanksgiving for open doors and windows for You to enter into the lives of those who don’t yet know You.  Bring about the changes for good that come from a personal relationship with You, our amazing God. 

Amen 🙏

Does life on earth seem to be getting more and more complex?

The pace of information coming at us doesn’t let up.  Everyday we hear more about the issues and problems our world is facing.  Listening to a constant flow of bad news often leads to anxiety and sleepless nights.  Protests, politics, power plays, and a pandemic…we’re dealing with stressors both old and new.  People are on opposite sides of the fence.  Each side takes its stand at a far distance away from the other, leaving a great divide in the middle. Often the fighting between the individualized extremes blurs the reasons behind the passion for the cause, creating a blindness for seeing possible solutions for the good of us all.  God stands ready to give us solutions to the challenges, peace in the storms, comfort when the world’s gone crazy. Are enough of us listening?

I get in my car, turning on my radio to SmileFM.  The lyrics of the songs remind me of what is important and of what God wants me to do.  Danny Gokey says it like this…

“Gotta keep it real simple”…

…

“We’re living in a world that keeps breakin’

But if we want to find a way to change it

It all comes down to this

Love God and love people”

Next, Jonny Diaz sings…

“When the stress is on the rise in my heart

I feel you say just

Breathe, just breathe

Come and rest, at my feet

And be, just be

Chaos calls but all you really need is to just breathe.”

These are words I need to hear.  These are words to live by.  Keep it simple.  From the beginning to the end of each day, love God and never forget how much He loves you.  With people, you can’t go wrong in living by following the Golden Rule:  treat others how you’d like to be treated.  Then rest at God’s feet and just keep breathing.  God will carry us through.  Seek God’s word for the counsel and comfort you need.  Isaiah 26:3 promises that God will keep in perfect peace those who trust in Him, whose thoughts are fixed on Him.

My prayers are that we all listen to God’s voice each day, whether it is heard through the words of a song, from a friend or something you’ve read.  God uses many ways to be our guide.  He wants us to experience peace in our crazy lives.

God Bless

Let’s get right to it…on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your father?

Was he there for you, teaching you right from wrong?  Was he hardworking, taking care of his family?  Was he a good example of what a man could be?  Or did he have problems, struggling in life and hurting others along the way?  Or did you have a father who wasn’t around at all?  Maybe your biological father did or didn’t meet the criteria used to call him a great dad.  It could be that someone else stepped up to be a father figure for you.  That’s good.  It’s important, especially for children, to have the right role models.  It shapes who we become or the partners we choose as we grow older.  What we see growing up can have a big impact on our lives as adults. 

There’s a country song by Rodney Adkins from 2006 called “Watching You”.  Part of the lyrics say…

Well, then my four year old said a four letter word That started with “s” and I was concerned. So I said, “Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?” He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad, ain’t that cool?”

Later in the song it says…

He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend. So I said, “Son, now where did you learn to talk like that?” He said, “I’ve been watching you, dad, ain’t that cool?”

The song is a good reminder that children are apt to follow in their parents footsteps.  Genetics and behaviors are passed down to the next generation.  What is inherited could make the child strong, healthy, loving and whole.  This positions them well so that later they can pass on what they received.  Others have lineages with factors leading children to be broken, weak, confused, angry, addicted, abused or abusive.  Things can get ugly.  Many of us have been blessed with wonderful fathers (like I have).  But if you were not blessed in this way, don’t get stuck because of the negative influences of your earthly father.  That father was only human; you needed more than what he was able to give.  Each child, young or old, has a choice on who they follow and who they let define them.  Each child has a supreme role model, the best of the best, Our Heavenly Father. 

God as our creator, provider, protector, teacher, fulfills essential fatherly roles, doing everything in love, with mercy and compassion.  God sets the ultimate standard for how to be a great father.  His words, captured in Holy texts, guide us in the way to live.  Listening to His voice, heard from deep within, He instructs us or comforts us, meeting our needs and leading us in the paths of righteousness.  Seek God’s wisdom.  Ask for His Fatherly advice.  Through your relationship with God, you can set a pattern for living for yourself and those that follow you.  God can fill you with enough good so that you are able to give away what you have received.  You can halt harmful cycles.  By learning lessons from God, you will become who you were made to be—an image of your Heavenly Father.