Myron Speaks

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”  Isaiah 43:1 ESV

A Pastor friend of mine recently sent me a short video where the speaker was illustrating how his daughter would call him and only say “hey” and he immediately knew it was her.  He explained that he had spent so much time with her that he instantly knew her voice through all background noise.  Beautiful and true for most any parent involved in their child’s life.  The speaker then went on to outline that when we spend time with God, we simply need to utter “hey” and our Father in Heaven instantly knows and responds to our voice.  He does.  What a beautiful promise.

I was late to the party of being a father.  I spent years hearing the ‘noise’ of kids and oftentimes being aggravated by these sounds.  Then, after giving up all hope of being a worthy husband and father, God did what he so loves to do and delivered the desires of my heart.  An honorable wife deserving of a husband who honored her.  Then almost as soon as we were married, three exceptional kids full of life and whose noise I cherish more than any other sound on Earth.  I know their voices above the background noise all around us and they know the various tones of my voice.  I am theirs and they are mine, all of us blessed with the sweet voice of their mother who guards and guides.

My hearing is failing from years of shooting too many guns without proper ear protection.  I am faced with the ongoing decline in my ability to hear or the option of hearing aided by technology that allows me to continue to hear Megan’s beautiful voice and the sounds of our children’s voices that fill me with joy and purpose.  I am choosing hearing aides and surrendering the vanity of self for Megan’s sanity to not have to repeat to me constantly, and to hear the melody of the beautiful voices of our children and harmony of life around me.  (For some of you, I may choose the ‘Off’ button at times.)

I chose the hearing aide of the Bible and the teacher, Jesus Christ now 18 years ago.  An imperfect life whose hearing and heeding of the Father’s voice has grown and continues to grow daily.  He knows my voice and I know his.  I spend time with him, too often sacrificing this life-giving time for outside noise, yet he waits patiently for me to call out to him and never once has he said, “you don’t have time for me so I don’t have time for you.”  He always says, “I love you.  I am yours and you are mine.”  He affirms me.  He confirms me.  He is the still, small voice of almighty power and omnipotence that knows my voice.  He desires to know yours more and more intimately.

So my encouragement to you today is press in and press on.  Press in to the never-ending love of God the Father, who loves you unconditionally and desires an intimate, one on one relationship with you.  Press on to the the purposes of your life in this season of your life.  By allowing yourself to be pressed, the resulting outflow of life, experience and preparation will be a blessing someone desperately needing blessed.  By allowing the surrounding pressure like that of a warm blanket tightly wrapped around you will emit the heat of hope to someone cold and hopeless.   

Know the Father’s voice.  He knows yours.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”  John 10:14-15

You’ve got this.

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Jimmy Buffet sang a song that became a battle cry for a generation of people that contained the lyrics “It’s those changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes; Nothing remains quite the same.” These words seemingly confirming that through the simple act of repositioning oneself to a different physical location, attitudes would change and life would gain.

After 30-plus years of being led by good and not so good people and leading people well and not so well, I have learned that change happens from the inside and the accelerant to change is almost always a heart of gratitude.

I have watched people celebrate a pay raise with momentary happiness and the purchase of ‘needed’ things in their life, only to fall back into the same pattern of frustration in their circumstances, missing the joy component only delivered through a heart transplant of gratitude.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

We have recently done a significant remodel of our house, approaching this overall project with a deep sense of joy and gratitude. There have been momentary lapses where the challenge of a variable in the remodel equation has momentarily robbed the gratitude for the ability and gift of this project.

When we moved from the beautiful neighborhood we were gifted to live to the country setting that was raw and daunting, we at times would recollect on our past home and it efficiencies. For several years after moving we were without a water dispenser and ice maker in our refrigerator. (Yes, I absolutely get what you’re thinking, “what kind of blessed life do you live that this was a joy robber?”). One day we found a refrigerator that fit our space, with water and ice maker. I vividly remember the first time the water dispensed and the beautiful sound of those ice cubes ringing against the glass as they effortlessly fell from the refrigerator’s dispenser. Joy. Gratitude. Thankfulness.

Fast forward several years to the remodel that included a new refrigerator, that again had ice and water dispensing. The new ice maker creates these clever, smaller ice cubes that come at the glass fast and furious. As I was learning how to position and use this new setup, the ice cubes would often miss my ill-positioned glass and land in the floor to which I vented one day, “this ice maker drives me crazy!”

What happened? My gratitude for the gift of ice and water convenience so coveted a few years before was replaced with a sense of entitlement, or at the very least gratitude-less expectation.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17

My point is this, the things we identity and seek, then find and receive often bring momentary gratitude and happiness. Without a heart change that causes shifts from want to contentment, from comparison to appreciation, from current situation to desired position, gratefulness will be fleeting and temporary.

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” Luke 16:10

Consider today that perhaps God is waiting on our heart to move from desire to gratitude. I encourage you to not wait for something in the future to determined your gratitude in this season. Take a gratitude inventory today, reflecting on every good thing that you have been blessed with and recognize that what is old to you, is a gift of exponential value to someone else. Position your heart to pray, praise and worship for what you do have and witness the changes in gratitude that did not require a change in latitude.

You’ve got this.

The skin is the most nutrient dense part of an apple, so don’t throw out the peel! According to Healthline, a raw apple with skin contains up to 332% more vitamin K, 142% more vitamin A, 115% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium, and up to 19% more potassium than a peeled apple does.

I remember watching my grandfather and then my father peel apples with fascination and curiosity as they slowly, methodically, precisely peeled the skin without taking much of the sweet apple meat with the peel. A celebration would occur when the peel was successfully removed and especially so if in one long, single piece. A real, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57 KJV) moment. Not really, but fits nicely with the point that I am doing my best to illustrate in this writing.

Imagine my utter shock and confusion that the tough, outer cover that God designed to protect and grow the apple to its sweetest and most delightful ripeness was actually the healthiest and best part for me to eat. I had spent countless hours watching with complete fascination and sold-out belief, that the peeling was the process to the greatest enjoyment and benefit of the apple. Wrong assumption and wrong conclusion.

We are at the same risk today of wrong assumption and conclusion as we are drawn to the popular scripture verses that are often more like sports metaphors rather than life guides. We are rightfully drawn to Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.“), with an expectation that the ATM God will immediately shower blessings us, too often not understanding that the plans that God had for his children were 70 years in the future. 70 years! When the Apostle Paul wrote (or Timothy who was with him) Philippians 4:13 (“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.“), he was in prison and these were some of his last exhortations. We excitedly quote the words of a man fatigued, weak physically, feeling abandoned by God and was crying out, “For I can do everything…“

I am certainly not suggesting we should not learn and teach certain scripture verses that we carry in our mind daily. My point is to become readers of the Word, who understands the context of these verses so that as maturing Christians, we can use, teach and lead those in our path well with understanding and proper guidance. Flood your kids minds with scripture so they can withstand the lies and arrows of this World.

“Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 NLT God gave each of specific and unique personalities and gifts that differentiate us and attract us to various people while others are attracted to others. A perfect model to appeal to the whole through a plethora of individuals. He gifted the wide variety that makes up his children with a single guidebook that when studied, accepted, adopted and used as the life-giving and leading tool that it is, creates a chorus of individuals singing that same tune with beautiful harmony from different personality types. The Bible is the singular message for everyone.

“I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready.” 1 Corinthians 3:2 NIV

Why is a deep understanding of all scripture important? A prepared mind. A readied heart. A mind trained for the battle that rages all around us for the souls of our children, our family, our friends, our fellow human beings. The reasons are just to many to write but the truth is this; “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 ESV

So my encouragement today is to that you gift yourself with a daily vitamin dose of hope, peace, love, guidance, understanding, purpose and preparation to be the sun in someone’s darkness. The knowledge source for a learner. The sister or brother with understanding that comes from the only source of truth, the Bible. God loves us so much that he provides us with the follow-on guide book after the death and resurrection of His Son. Take advantage of this gift and experience the reduction and removal of doubt and anxiety in your life and the brightened eyes of expectation in the faces of those you share this good Book with.

You’ve got this.

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature
O thou of God and man the Son
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy, and crown

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all

Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands
Robed in the blooming garb of spring
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer
Who makes the woeful heart to sing

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all

Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight
And all the twinkling starry host
Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels heaven can boast

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all

Beautiful Savior! Lord of all the nations
Son of God and Son of Man
Glory and honor, praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be thine

Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all
Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all

These beautiful words, written in the 16th century ring true today as much as 600 years ago. Jesus the Savior who was, is the Savior who is and the Savior who will be forever.

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

There is freedom in the simplicity of the gospel that teaches us that there is one way to Heaven. That is Jesus. There is one way to joy. That is Jesus. There is one way to contentment. That is Jesus. There is one way to real and meaningful purpose. That is Jesus. There is one way. That is Jesus.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 AMP

Jesus loves the work in progress that you are. He accepts you right where you are, right now. He invites you to believe in him. Trust in him. Give your life to him. Walk daily with him. Enjoy unfathomable joy through him. Spend eternity with him.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32

Good Morning. We live in ‘get even’ times. In days where we applaud vengeance. Where there is delight in someone’s failures more than celebration in one’s success.

I encourage you to be the person that takes the position of joy. Is an agent of hope to the hopeless. Forgives without needing justice. Loves because Christ loved you first.

“To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:20

Be the person whose kindness unsettles those desiring conflict and discord. Be genuine in a disingenuous World.

Today commit to stand out by standing in someone’s corner who desperately needs an advocate of love, hope, help, care, joy. Stand in the gap for someone holding on by their fingertips. Grab their desperate hands and show them the love that is so often professed and seldom expressed through a servant’s heart in action.

You are God’s beloved creation. He is deserving of our best and that is all he asks. Be Christ’s son or daughter in action. Commit your heart and He will do wonderful and marvelous things through you.

Be someone’s Hope Agent today. Walk out of the prison of anger and bitterness by forgiving as Jesus forgives us.

You’ve got this.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” 1 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV

Who do you associate with? These verses are a mirror into the times that we live. And the question becomes do we stand out and apart from these descriptions or blend in to what the Bible (aka Truth) says last days people and activities look like?

There is a popular saying about the narcissistic Roman Caesar Nero that says “as Rome burned, Nero fiddled.” While never proven as accurate or true, the context of the saying holds very true today. As the World is engulfed in war, famine, homelessness, drug addiction, hopelessness and death, en route to becoming the most God denying time in history, Americans focus on momentary things and the highs of dopamine release, requiring more and more self-indulgence while ignoring the needs of God’s children all around them. I am not a fan of broad generalizations but am compelled to write this as a sad and supportable fact.

I often think that a tragically accurate definition of America today would be the ‘narcissistic nation,’ where we teach self over others. Discounting proven truths for “my truth.” (What???) Willingly sending our children into the lions dens of colleges and universities, hell-bent on guiding our kids to Hell though enlightenment over Light. For this first time in our history, we are seeing less children being born than those dying. Congratulating the generations coming behind us for their individuality and personal awareness while applauding the rejection of God appointed roles of father and mother, encouraging the confusion of gender, identity, giftings and purpose. Confusion abounds as to why we are seeing spikes in depression, addiction, loneliness and suicide like never before, all while abdicating our roles born of experience and spiritual assignment to those without either. There is no foundation where foundational truths do not exist, And where foundational Truth is sidelined, evil and the lies of the enemy will abound. Rome burns.

So the question becomes, where does my heart lay? In the confines of comfort and self-indulgence or in the desire to be more Christ-like? Consider sacrificing self for selflessness; for righteousness; for true identity; for everlasting impact. Consider making yourself available and vulnerable to the least, most needy, most hungry for hope, most beautiful among us.

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” Philippians 3:7-11 NLT

The World needs your involvement as never before. Your light, your hope, your example, your faith…your leading. The Truth that is Jesus Christ will live and remain the only truth, regardless of what the World adopts. Your life example of truth is very likely the hope for eternity for someone in your path today. Don’t walk by them, walk into them with kindness and love that may for the first time define through action Truth for them.

You’ve got this!

James 1:2-6 NIV

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Good Morning,

When I read this scripture this morning it struck me how certain words and phrases are used less, while others gain momentum.

Perseverance seems to be one of those words used less and less. We live in an immediate gratification World that says you can have it now. No waiting. No work. No effort. No commitment. You get it.

As I consider perseverance, synonyms that popped up included steadfastness, tenacity, resolve, determination. Then I recognized that these synonyms are also used less and less.

I encourage you to stake your faith in the Word. God’s Word. His gift to us that provides a roadmap of hope, history of caution and context for living full lives of purpose. God’s words are perfect and never changing and his guidance for life without shortcut or off ramps are fully contained in his Word, the Bible.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105 NIV

So continue to allow yourself to be separated from the worldly mob by living a life that reflects steadfast hope. Inexhaustible perseverance. A tenacity for sewing the truth that is Jesus everywhere that God guides your steps. A determination to live a life fully committed to growing in knowledge and relationship with Jesus.

Satan’s power diminishes and ultimately is defeated as we grow closer to the Lord through his Word and lives perpetually being filled more and more with faith and knowledge in Jesus. Evil has no power or hold where shadows or secrets are replaced with light and truth. Commit to prohibiting junk from coming in to you heart and mind by flooding yourself with words and people of truth and light.

So live a life of transparency today. Don’t worry about anyone who may be driven away by your story and your faith and walk with Jesus. They’re simply not ready to hear the good news that is Jesus Christ. You’re now tasked with being a good steward of your time because the message of hope that your life represents is needed to be heard and witnessed by untold numbers of people.

Recognize the power that God has placed within you. Believe in the new creation that you are. Understand that you are now the deliverer of hope and healing that others so desperately need. Accept the anointing on your life. Reflect the perseverance message of hope and the steadfast love that is Jesus Christ in all things.

You are God’s daughter or son. Your identity is Your Name, ‘beloved son or daughter of God.’ And that my sister or brother is more than enough.

You’ve got this!

Failing at the feet of Jesus replaces any sense of failure and rising from his feet daily empowers me to live a life committed to the Fruits of the Spirit and a life of purpose and impact.

“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.  The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.  But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.  Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.” Galatians 5:16-26 NLT

Every Believer friend that I know loves Galatians 5:22-23, the verse that outlines the fruits of the Spirit. A beautiful, assuring and empowering verse of truth and hope. We need it! The battle rages for our minds after the war for our souls is lost and this verse provides a measurable outline for how we are doing. Do you love? Does joy emanate through you? Is patience a characteristic that guides your daily walk? Are you inherently kind? Are you good, even in the face of bad? Does your faith guide and guard your heart? Do others see a gentleness in and through you? Are you self-controlled in how we approach life on a daily basis? I pose these questions directly to you because the relationship with Jesus is deeply personal and singular. You and Him. There is no relationship through osmosis or association.

Paul also provides us measurement to examine where our heart and soul lies earlier in Galatians 5 when he outlines the mental state and life actions that occur when we follow our sinful nature, versus a Spirit-led life. I grew up in a religion that believed “once saved, always saved,” and I do believe this is absolutely true. Equally, I personally had to come to the recognition that within this truth of absolute salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, we are made new and our lives must reflect what Galatians 5:22-23 outlines as Spirit-filled lives.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

My encouragement to you today is to honestly and deeply examine your life. Am I living a Spirit filled and led life? Do my daily actions stand out from a World led by sinful nature? Am I fully surrendered to a life of purpose whose objective is to build God’s Kingdom one soul at a time by being a source of light and hope in a broken World?

I had to come to the correct recognition that I was not truly saved because my actions and my life did not reflect what scripture teaches is a Spirit led life. What I had been faithfully and correctly taught as a child gave me a sense of having a “Get Out of Sin Free” card, which does not exist. My freedom from sin came at the highest price measurable. The blood of the Son of the Most High God. My freedom from sin was freely given through the Grace and Mercy of a benevolent God who loved me despite who I was and because of who I became in him through the complete surrender of my life to Him. In Him! The old became new and new man, supernaturally born, emerged.

The realization that I was only who I was because I chose to live in him and through a Spirit-filled life, correctly positioned my thinking and my living. That I could no longer allow my life to be dictated or influenced by sinful nature because I had laid my sinful nature at the feet of Christ, upon which it was destroyed. My old self had died, my new life was not my own but a life fully surrendered to the only One who matters. My desire today is to no longer sin, which I fail at daily.

My friend, be sure. Be absolutely sure. Measure yourself and hold yourself accountable. Are you certain beyond certain and do your actions and approach to life reflect a Spirit-led life of imperfect pursuit of perfect purpose? There are no do-overs when this life is done. Heaven is real and Hell is real. The choice is forever and the consequences immeasurably beautiful or eternally tragic. The mirror never lies. What does yours reflect?

You’ve got this.

What consumes your mind controls your life.” Kate Hewitt

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

We live in a World of condition. What’s the condition of our family, our finances, our marriage, our job, our car, our clothes, our status and on and on and on? Our joy is often conditional based upon the condition of what we often allow the World to define as important.

The Lord tells us that the only condition of importance is the condition of our relationship with him. He teaches us throughout his gift to us of the Bible, that a life surrendered to him yields a harvest of riches that cannot be defined or fathomed without close and intimate relationship with him.

If God has blessed you with a simple life, thank him. If he has allowed you to live without the diluting confusion of too much stuff and complexity, praise him. If he has removed any and all things that cause you to take your eyes off of him, recognize that he loves you especially because he has gifted you with a direct line to him, sans all things that can potentially draw your eyes and desires away from him.

So many times in the scripture we are taught that worship occurred during times of tragedy and that joy and fullness of life was the result of obedient worship, faith and acknowledgment that God is good in all things. Worship in all things big and small, good and bad.

Choose unconditional joy because your are the daughter or son of and unconditional Father. He loves you so much that he allows you to choose or reject him. God’s only desire is a close, personal, intimate relationship with us. He wants a relation that was chosen, not assigned. He loves to deliver the desires of our heart as they are revealed through relationship with him. Choose him. Choose joy. Choose simplicity. Choose him because he chose to create you for the purposes he longs to fulfill through you. Choose a life fulfilled by the only source that fills. God the Father.

You’ve got this.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7 ESV

Good morning. It’s easy in this World of “do more, get more, be more” to seek and find validation and identity based upon the stuff we gather, where we live, what we drive, how dress, the size of our bank acccount(s). It’s easy to seek validation from and through the things that a World full of equally broken people say matter.

I continue to find really fascinating the proliferation of storage units that continue to pop up everywhere. We now have temperature controlled storage facilities that make sure our stuff that we don’t use (and if we don’t use it, we don’t need it) rests quietly and purposelessly in air conditioned and heated comfort. Be cautious and ensure that your ‘more stuff’ is not defining you. One person’s stuff is really just more hassle but can be a treasure to someone striving to survive when shared.

“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44. NIV

Jesus teaches us to be more. Be more loving. Be more kind. Be more caring. Be more generous. Be more authentic. Be more…like Christ.

I encourage you to focus on the things that do matter. To believe that God has you exactly where you are because you do matter to the only One that matters.

“Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.” Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!” Haggai 1:5-7

Consider, just consider that perhaps God is doing a bigger work within you than you can imagine. He is because He values you that much. His love for you validates you more than anything this World has to offer . You are his beloved child. That’s enough.

You’ve got this