Category: Uncategorized

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 7:1-50, Acts 7:30-50, Psalm 128:1-6, Proverbs 16:31-33

Daily Verse: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Prov. 16:31

Crown of glory.

In a world full of people trying to hide their gray hair, Solomon describes it as a crown of glory. Living a righteous life gets rewarded with longevity, which comes with gray locks.

Today’s verse makes me think of my mom, who didn’t have time to color her hair, raising three kids, and taking care of a disabled husband—a righteous woman who enjoyed a long life.

Now, I’m “going gray.”  Letting my natural hair color shine also helps me transition into the later part of life, letting go of the mistakes of my youth, forgiving myself of my transgressions, and trusting God more than ever. Realizing I have fewer years ahead of me than behind helps me appreciate each moment more.

Life moves quickly as you begin to talk about decades instead of years. Gray hair signifies the victories and defeats that come with a long life, each day a gift from above.

Wear the crown of glory, gray hair, signifying a long walk with God and anticipation of what will come someday.

Lord, thank You for a long life lived with You.  Forgive us for trying to hide the crown of glory. As we transition into the second part of life, help us accept what comes with aging. Let us see ourselves as You see us. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 5:1-6:38, Acts 7:1-29, Psalm 127:1-5, Proverbs 16:28-30

Daily Verse: “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.” Prov. 16:28

Divisive speech.

Lies cause problems. When trust doesn’t exist, having a relationship proves troublesome. I still haven’t solved the mystery of how to interact with a person who constantly tells false tales. Knowing they won’t tell the truth makes it difficult and feels like a waste of time.

What I have learned about liars, they lie to themselves more than anyone else. Because of their inability to honestly assess their own lives, they can’t tell the truth to others. Understanding this fact helps me keep a soft heart and tells me how to pray for them.

“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD has made them both.” Prov. 20:12

When dealing with dishonest people, pray for God to open their eyes and ears. Often, they see their need for Jesus first and foremost. Truth comes through the Savior; giving our lives to Him allows the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the truth.

Pray for those who spread lies, and ask the Lord to give them the gifts of eyes to see and ears to hear.

Lord, forgive us for telling false tells. Please helps us see and hear the truth always. As we deal with untrustworthy people, soften our hearts and guide us on how to pray for them. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 3:3-4:34, Acts 6:1-15, Psalm 126:1-6, Proverbs 16:26-27

Daily Verse: “A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.” Prov” 6:26

Hunger motivates work.

Paying bills requires money, and to make income, we must work.  In high school, clothes motivated me to get a job.  Mom wouldn’t buy me the frilly luxuries I wanted, but she drove me to my job so I could make the money to buy them.

Appetite for things, whether food or possessions, causes us to find ways to make the money to buy them.  Few of us have the luxury of wealthy families, as seen on shows like Dynasty.  Most of us must work for the things we want to have.

Ron and I have clear financial goals set for today, five years from now, and further.  Each day, the money we earn goes into its designated place in our budget, providing food, clothing, bills, savings, etc.

Desiring things motivates us to work to get them.  Satisfaction comes when we can buy the things we want because of the money we earn.  Biblical financial strategies lead to prosperity as you practice what God teaches.

Lord, forgive our laziness.  Thank You for providing jobs we can work and make income to buy the things we need.  Please help us make wise decisions with our money; let us work smarter, not harder. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 2:1-3:2, Acts 5:1-42, Psalm 125:1-5, Proverbs 16:25

Daily Verse: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Prov. 16:25

Consequences of conduct.

Everyone made a decision at some time in their life that did not end well. Because we don’t have all the facts or rush to a conclusion, we can head down a path we shouldn’t.

As a golfer, I make poor club choices, the number one mistake amateur players make. As a result, errant balls land in the wrong places, making the game even harder.

In the same way, when we make poor choices in life, it makes our journey harder. What seems right leads us to wrong places we never intended to go.

Consulting God before deciding helps us make wiser choices that lead us on the right path. Often, the way seems more challenging at first, but in the long run, it brings life. Praying for our enemies challenges us but has a more beneficial outcome than trying to get revenge and will lead to a soft heart and a better result.

Before rushing to a conclusion, take time to pray and ask God for direction. Let Him guide you on the right path.

Lord, forgive us for making rash decisions that make life more complicated. Please help us take the time to consult You before deciding which path to take. Assist us in living life to the fullest as we follow You closely, staying on the narrow road. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 1 Kings 1:1-53, Acts 4:1-37, Psalm 124:1-8, Proverbs 16:24

Daily Verse: “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Prov. 16:14

Pleasant words.

Using positive language brings life to the receiver. Watching someone’s face light up like a Christmas tree from hearing gracious words encourages them and us.

“I want to be like you when I grow up,” I told a friend. Playing a charity golf tournament together, her shots amazed me. The look on her face when she turned around surprised me.

“She’s such an encourager,” she told the other ladies in our group.

At the time, I didn’t think of it as encouragement but instead stated the facts. I do hope to hit the ball as well as her and admire her ability. For my friend, the words brought sweetness to her soul and health to her body.

Speak kind, true, and necessary words only. If your thoughts don’t meet all three of those guidelines, don’t say them. Life’s hard enough without saying mean and hurtful things to make it more difficult.

Bring life to people with the words you use.

Lord, forgive us for the times we’ve said hurtful things. Please help us develop a reputation for saying gracious things that bring life to the receiver. Guard our mouths and keep us from saying harmful things. Let us give life with our words. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 23:24-24:25, Acts 3:1-26, Psalm 123:1-4, Proverbs 16:21-23

Daily Verse: “Good sense is a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.” Prov. 16:22

Common sense required.

“Use some common sense!” Mom said. When I came to her with a problem, those four words would come from her mouth. Since she passed in 2014, I still hear them run through my mind when I follow a rabbit trail with my thoughts.

In today’s world, people’s ideas of common sense vary. The type of wisdom my mother referred to came from the Bible. Scripture’s good sense leads to a fountain of life as we apply it to everyday situations.

Overthinking often leads to false narratives that lead us on destructive paths. But keeping things simple, applying common sense, and not complicating issues will keep you from folly. My mother didn’t want me to make up stories in my mind; she wanted me to focus on the facts, staying grounded in truth.

Stay grounded by applying Biblical wisdom to your life. Don’t let false narratives lead you astray. Allow common sense to prevail and enjoy the fountain of life that comes with it.

Lord, forgive us for letting our thoughts get away from us. Please help us to apply common sense to our lives, grounded in scripture. Bless our efforts at staying grounded in truth. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 22:1-23:23, Acts 2:1-47, Psalm 122:1-9, Proverbs 16:19-20

Daily Verse: “Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.” Prov. 16:20

Blessing of faithfulness.

Putting into practice God’s instructions leads to blessings.  Heavenly bliss comes from maintaining a right relationship with the Lord.  Each morning, I confess my sins to my Maker, act to right any wrongs, and then try again to represent Christ well in my life.  Inevitably, in my humanness, I fail, but failure doesn’t stop me from trying again.

Following Jesus stretches people.  Currently, I’m working on forgiveness issues.  My screen saver on my phone helps me:

“Forgiveness is the conscious choice to give up your right to make the other person pay because you trust God to make things right.”

Working on forgiveness helps me maintain a soft heart toward others, keep my mind centered on God, and release me from the bondage of offense. As a result, heavenly bliss replaces a bitter heart, a blessing from above.

Apply God’s principles to your current circumstances.  Experience blessings from above as you give thought to the Lord’s word and discover His goodness.

Lord, thank You for giving us Your word to live by.  Help us find direction as we seek You.  Let us experience heavenly bliss as we pursue right living through Your word.  Praise Jesus for allowing us to live life to the fullest.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 20:14-21:22, Acts 1:1-26, Psalm 121:1-8, Proverbs 16:18

Daily Verse: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Prov. 16:18

Pride destroys.

“Don’t write a book on pride because no one will buy it.” Joyce Meyer said at the last conference I attended. No one wants to admit pride issues, yet we all have them. And if we don’t want to confess our prideful ways, we can’t deal with them.

Pride leads to destruction because of wrong assumptions and skewed perspectives. I constantly battle pride and have suffered for my arrogant ways, especially relationally. Nothing hurts a relationship more than the inability to say, “I’m sorry.”

When Ron and I argued in the first years of our marriage, it physically pained me to say, “I’m sorry.”  Marriage requires forgiveness, humility, and grace from both parties. After ten years of marriage, I’ve become better at debating instead of demanding.

Leading with humility will strengthen any relationship. Identifying prideful ways helps eliminate them and allows us to become more like Jesus.

With humility, our Savior led the way to salvation via the cross.

Lord, forgive us our prideful ways. Please help us see areas of pride we need to address in our lives. Please give us the humility and grace we need to overcome destructive ways. Let us become more like Jesus as we lead with humility instead of pride. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 19:11-20:13, John 21:1-25, Psalm 120:1-7, Proverbs 16:16-17

Daily Verse: “The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.” Prov. 16:17

Guardrails preserve.

Driving across the many bridges and tunnels in the Hampton Roads area reminds me of the importance of guardrails. Looking over the edge of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel always amazes me. The 23-mile drive over the Chesapeake Bay connects southern Virginia with its eastern shore. Concrete barriers stop cars from going over the edge into the blue waves below.

In the same way, setting guardrails, and boundaries in life, helps us stay on the straight and narrow. Ron and I don’t eat meals or travel alone in cars with people of the opposite sex. We use a budget to control our finances. As a coach, I teach private lessons in public venues with many eyes watching.

“Alcoholics wouldn’t take the first drink if they knew it would ruin their life.”  Words I often use when talking about temptation. Innocent beginnings can lead to terrible endings. The first conversation didn’t begin the affair, but it started the journey.

Accepting our fallibility helps us set proper guardrails to protect us from the world’s temptations. Staying on the straight and narrow requires boundaries.

Lord, forgive us from straying from the righteous path. Please help us stay on the straight and narrow by placing guardrails where we need them. Let us remain far from evil by using healthy boundaries to keep us on the right road. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Samuel 18:1-19:10, John 20:1-31, Psalm 119:153-176, Proverbs 16:14-15

Daily Verse: “In the light of a king’s face, there is life, and his favor is like the clouds that bring the spring rain.” Prov. 16:15

Leader encouragement.

As a coach, leading my students who listen well, accept direction and apply themselves gain much praise and attention. However, the rebellious students who do the opposite of whatever I say stretch my patience and cause me to grow in ways I never imagined. In a perfect world, well-behaved students would fill my classes, but we don’t live in that kind of world.

Whether leading students, children, or employees, those who make our life easier receive favor. Becoming better leaders means learning to handle difficult people and the well-behaved, giving each person our best, regardless of performance.

Looking at life from Jesus’ perspective, we all misbehave, yet He loves us equally. Christ didn’t die for perfect people; He died for the imperfect.

One of my best students threw her racquet in frustration. Shocked, I had to address her behavior for the first time.   She reminded me that we all sin and fall short of the mark. Yet God loves us and sent Jesus to save us.

Performing well brings favor, but God saved us with undeserved grace, even in our sins.

Lord, forgive us for favoring those easy to lead. Help us learn to love everyone equally, despite their performance, understanding that we each have a unique purpose. Guide and direct us as we lead others, helping to represent Christ well in all we do. IJNIP. Amen