Rooted

Often we hide or run from important responsibilities because we are afraid of failure, afraid of what others may think, or perhaps unsure about how to proceed. Preparation is key to success. When we prepare now we can step up to our future responsibilities with confidence. At times we can get all wrapped up in our feelings of inadequacy – I am guilty of this sometimes! Feelings will hold you back from doing what needs to be done and allowing growth in your life – in any area! You may be uncomfortable when you step out and grow, if so… this is normal! If you are comfortable, you are not…

Don’t you just love these cool mornings? It’s a sign that fall is right around the corner and sweaters are starting to come out of the closet. As well as all things pumpkin spice. Our mornings are typically set in a routine that most likely includes a snooze button, coffee, and getting dressed (hopefully ). In the same way we dress and prepare for our day Paul writes in Colossians 3:12-14 the virtues we need to clothe ourselves in each and every day. “Since God chose you to be holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” The world needs Christians leaders…

Earlier this week I was listening to a business related podcast emphasizing the importance of staying in the know as it relates to your field: market trends, new technology, customer demands, etc. The speaker was encouraging his listeners to keep educating themselves to support their personal and professional growth. Well, that got me thinking. Lisa Zagers Williams and I recently led a small group discussion on “Who do you work for?” – which just happens to be the first chapter of Allison Pelphrey’s book, “God in the Workplace.” And while I certainly won’t argue that part of our responsibility in the working world is growing our knowledge and staying on…

This word is said by so many of us each and every day. We want this or we want that, we want to be liked and we want to be accepted. We want, we want, we want! The Israelites wanted a King and they demanded that Samuel get them one. Be careful what you want and ask for, God showed us in the book of Samuel He will give it to you! The Israelites were tired of having Judges, Samuel was old, and they did not like his sons. They wanted something new and better! They told Samuel, “give us a King to judge us like all the other nations.”…

Idols… Studying through the Old Testament (OT) there are several country’s close to Israel that worshiped other gods, they would bow to these gods through idols made out of wood, stone, and gold. When reading this it is hard to imagine worshiping a calf carved out of wood or a bird made of gold. Shockingly, many Israelites would get caught up in the “ways of the world” and would gather these images and worship to them. They would elevate these images and make them more important than our God. For us today, our idols are much more subtle than in the OT but just as dangerous. An idol for us…

Happy Monday! It is a new week and we often look at Monday’s as a new and fresh start – Yay!! As you move into your day, please do not forget to keep your relationship with Jesus new and fresh also! Just putting on your cross necklace and saying a quick prayer as you run out the door is not how we build a deep meaningful relationship with our Lord! Think about it this way, if you wanted to build a relationship with a new friend, you would have to do more than carry a picture around of them and communicate shortly whenever you remember to. You would have to…

Romans 10:12-13 “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of ALL and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are ALL one in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:11 “In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free, Christ is ALL that matters, and he lives in ALL of us. When we accept Jesus Christ as…

Do you ever pray and barter with God? To put it another way…When you pray and ask for something, do you promise God something in return? We are not in position to barter with God, but even if we do, He may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise to it. Hannah did barter with God. She prayed for a son and promised God…”if you give me a son, I will give him back to you Lord to serve you for his entire life.” She promised to give her Son over to the high priest and he be raised at the Tabernacle. Samuel was three years…

Today in my quiet time reading I started a new book in the Bible – 1 Samuel. This book is full of many teachings and also the first King of Israel is chosen. The first chapter explains how Samuel came to be! Samuel was born to Elkanah and Hannah. But this pregnancy did not just happen, Hannah was unable to have children for many years and in this culture that was considered a failure. She was depressed and upset. So Hannah, in her discouragement and failure, took her problem to God. She prayed and prayed and prayed for a son. We often look at our outside circumstances and try to…

As you enter the parking lot at work today, take a minute in your car to ask God for help with your mind and heart. Work has been overwhelming for so many of us right now – Covid, shortages of all types, the jab, politics – to name just a few distractions. Join me in pushing these distractions out of our minds! As you walk through the parking lot, ask God to change your mindset and embrace your heart for a day of action reflecting the Lord. Then…everyone you see, smile at them (even if wearing a mask, a smile can be seen in your eyes!), say good morning and…