Daily Echoes with God

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Forgiveness changes You.

I heard a profound statement while ‘surfing’ social media reels. I know, it sounds funny but stay with me for a minute.

Forgiveness does not mean you forget.

We don’t forgive and forget.

I have condemned myself many times over the years for thoughts that return about those who hurt me. “I forgave that person Lord! Why am I thinking about what happened to me again?” “What am I doing wrong?”

Well, here’s a news flash. We DON’T Forget. Unless we have a brain abnormality, we remember those who hurt us.

We aren’t God. He forgives and He never brings up my sins again. He forgives me when I repent from my sin and gives me another chance. There are no third chances with God. Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” No More. Only second chances. He turns His back and forgets our sin. How awesome is that?

However, we are human. We don’t forget. And the enemy knows this fact. The enemy also uses this against us and gets in our head as judge and jury condemning us saying we are terrible because: we remembered what happened - so we must not have forgiven them for what they did.

Don’t let the enemy get a foothold in your mind.

Forgiveness is not a one-time action. It is an ongoing daily action.

We have the opportunity to forgive every time we remember what happened. It is a daily opportunity to implement forgiveness so we can receive the blessings God has for us. We can break the chains that bind our mind. I am no longer held hostage by my unforgiveness. I forgive daily as I remember, or as the enemy brings it to my consciousness.

Remember - forgiveness does not change the person who hurt you. Forgiveness changes you. They may never change. You need to change to move on and to grow in your walk. You don’t want to stagnate in the swamp of unforgiveness.

I love this statement I heard many years ago, “Keeping unforgiveness in your heart is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” How sad but how true is this?

Keep forgiving… and then, forgive yourself. You need to forgive yourself too. We aren’t perfect. There is only One Perfect God. We are made in His image, but we will not be whole until we meet Him face to face. Let that thought release your perfectionism and forgive yourself.

Unchain your mind and let God renew your spirit today!

Let forgiveness Change You!

Psalm 103:12

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Hebrews 8:12

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Link to what inspired this blog:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1745317552553548

Friday, August 11, 2023

Answered Prayers

God answers prayers.

It is a simple statement - but very profound. Sometimes we just need that reminder.

His answers often come in one of three ways. Yes, No, or wait.

Some prayers are answered over a long period of time, and it feels like pushing a boulder uphill as we pray. Others are instantaneous and so fast they catch us off guard like those who were praying for Peter’s release from jail while he was knocking on their door. “What?? That can’t be Peter!? We are Still Praying!”

Many of my prayers have been that boulder pushing up hill asking again and again for God’s answer. But today is not about those prayers. Today is about the instant ones. Today is a day of hope and joy as I share a couple of instant answers that came so quick, I had to stop and say, “Thank you Lord!” in the middle of my prayer request.

The first one was when we lost an employee at our place of business. Replacing someone in the business is normally a grueling process of advertising and interviews that can take weeks and sometimes months to complete. The last time we went through this process it took 45 applicants to secure the position.

So, we buckled down and reached out to friends and asked for prayers as the process started.

The advertisements were placed, and the resumes started coming in. I scheduled a few interviews. The first interview went exceptionally well and the next thing we knew – we had a new employee!

“What Lord?? We are Still Praying!”

When friends asked us the following week how things were going, I was hesitant because we had received a yes from the potential employee and the onboarding process had started. I was in such shock I just said, “Yes we have someone but please keep praying she will actually start.”

Wow, what little faith I had.

God gave me the employee instantly, but I was still looking to see where the employee was. Good thing He is patient with me. I was so used to the struggles that having an instant answer was honestly outside of my realm of possibilities.

I needed this moment for God to show me, He is Bigger than my requests. I needed this moment for God to show me He HEARS Me. I guess I have been feeling a bit unheard with my prayers in late. Not that I gave up, but gave in to No and Wait… I had decided that hearing a quick Yes was not in the cards for me. He quietly corrected me. I am so grateful for this… I am so grateful that I only need faith the size of a mustard seed – because sometimes that is all I have.

The next quick answer from God was a small thing in the grand scheme of life, but important to me and He knew. We renewed our vows last month and the weather was not scheduled to cooperate. We do live in an area where planning outdoor events can be like playing the lottery with the weather. All week long it stormed and had no plans on letting up.

I prayed and asked God to shut the skies from the storms so we could have a beautiful day. We wanted to bless those who were coming with a few surprises that would be meaningful outside instead of huddled under a tent. After praying I just knew He heard me, and it would happen. I had a peace that was beyond understanding. Everyone mentioned the weather all week long and was worried the event would be rained out. I just kept His promise close to my heart and said if it does, we will be okay. Either way.

That day it poured buckets of rain all morning. Then suddenly it stopped, and the sun came out unexpectedly. The ground dried out and the temperature was perfect. It was like God blessed the moment and said, “Yes.” Another quick Yes from God.

It wasn’t the most important prayer request. But it was important to me, and He knew. A small mustard seed of faith…

Once again – God answers prayers in 3 ways – Yes, No, or not yet (wait)…

And Today I am sharing – He Hears You Too. Never stop praying. All it takes is the faith of the smallest seed.

He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

Luke 17:6 NIV

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Acts 12:5

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

Acts 12:6-11

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Acts 12:12-17

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Happy Thoughts!

Do you have a word or phrase you use often?

You may not realize it - but ask your friends. They will know your favorite phrase or words. I didn’t realize how often I say certain things until I heard others say it back to me. It makes me smile because I am sharing joy with others through positive words.

If you have known me longer than a day, you may have heard some of my ‘sayings’.

One of those sayings is – “Happy Thoughts!”

I repeat these two words daily.

Happy Thoughts!

I believe there are enough negative words and actions in this world. I like to take the challenge and instead spread positive thoughts wherever I go. I am a glass half full person who likes to look at the positive things and blessings around me. Your mind adjusts when you focus on what you are grateful for instead of what you don’t have.

Staying positive doesn’t mean I am Polly Anna who doesn’t see the bad or negative things around me. It also doesn’t mean I am attempting to ‘fake it’ till I am happy. Instead, it means that I am choosing to be grateful and see the beauty through the ashes in my life. Bad things happen and will continue to occur. We live in a fallen world. My positive words help my perspective when I deal with the negative actions around me.

What are your positive thoughts for today?

Take a moment and write a list of all the things you are grateful for today. Start basic and then see where God will lead you. We are honestly so blessed. If you start a blessings journal you might be surprised by your perspective after only a week, a month, a year. It is hard to be negative when you are telling yourself and thanking God for what you DO have.

Speak life into someone today!

Speak life into yourself today!

So - I leave you with HAPPY THOUGHTS! And many blessings on your August!

Matthew 12:34

For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Patience

How patient are you while standing in a line with a slow cashier? How about while driving behind a car who is going below the speed limit? 5 miles below? 10 miles below? What about waiting for an email someone said they just sent to you? Do you do what I do? Hit the F9 key over and over to see if the email came in yet? I ask because I wonder if I am alone in this thought process.

We live in an instant gratification society.

Instant coffee versus percolator coffee.

Fast food and microwaves versus cooking a meal that takes an hour or longer.

Email in seconds versus snail mail that used to take weeks.

Bullet trains.

The standing joke as a Christian is to not pray for patience because God will give us trials that teach us patience.

Why am I bringing all of this up today? Good question. Not because I found the secret to becoming a more patient person. Honestly, we do learn patience through the many trials we experience. Each trial gives us thicker skin and a lesson to take home we can learn from, or if we are stubborn, relearn again.

Trust me, I have relearned many lessons…lol.

These past six months have been a trial in patience and learning to say no. Often my lessons come in multiples.

Patience…

I have learned patience as we have had more difficult customers this past year than in previous years. It has been a grueling year as people’s tempers are at an all-time high with prices, politics, and other personal issues. I am practicing patience as I pray before answering the phone. Praying for discernment and the right words to reach the person on the other side of the phone. Sometimes I am able to reach them with empathy or a little humor. However, if I can’t win them over, I pray after the call that God will reach them for me using someone else. I take each day as a new challenge with God by my side when I open the doors and start our day.

Learning to say no…

This is a very hard lesson for me. I want to help everyone. My husband and I are often ‘doers’ and not much ‘sitters’ lol. Saying no is not part of my vocabulary. However, we all know – you cannot say yes to everything because something will suffer. Too many spinning plates in the air will absolutely ensure some will fall to the ground.

So, I have had to say no. God is working on me. It’s my personal struggle. I understand it and I am willing to listen to His still small voice. I know what it is like when I ignore the signs. I have before. It’s not pretty. Again, I wait patiently as God tells me to step back on a few things as He works on me and the things around me.

Well, I wait… kind of patiently…lol

Still a work in progress!

Praying in the waiting!

Love you guys!

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14 NIV

Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

Proverbs 14:29

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32

Saturday, June 17, 2023

Battling the storm…

Ever feel like you are in the storm of your life and wondered how you got there? Sometimes the storms are distractions from the enemy trying to stop you from moving forward where God has called you. Other times, they are just storms God allowed in your life to strengthen you.

My husband and I went away on our annual trip to the KLove Fan awards in Nashville just a little over 3 weeks ago. We love taking this trip yearly to remove all distractions to focus on each other and the Lord. Each year God shows up and fills our cups abundantly. We spent a few days on the mountain top and our cups were so filled we couldn’t wait to get back home and pour out of those cups to those around us. We walked away inspired and blessed.

Then we got home. Work came in like a flood. Actually, life came in like a flood. The first day back I received over 100 service calls. That same week our AC and hot water heater broke down. Kind of ironic since my husband does HVAC. We failed to see the humor at that moment. Then physical issues crept into the picture. What next?

This past week I was on the phone with my husband during the day and mentioned I felt exasperated like fighting a head wind walking down the street with a flimsy umbrella that suddenly flips in the opposite direction.

What did I do?

I reminded myself of our week away. I reminded myself of how the enemy loves to distract after a blessing. We were blessed. We were being distracted.

I would like to say my attitude became Polly-Anna immediately when I realized the storm was not my making but the enemy trying to distract me. But it didn’t. It took time. It took prayer. It took diving deep into His word and reminding myself what I learned 3 weeks ago. One song resonated with me that week. Brandon Lake’s Gratitude.

So come on, my soul
Oh, don't you get shy on me
Lift up your song
'Cause you've got a lion inside of those lungs
Get up and praise the Lord!

This song hit home after the Lord gave me a word while we were away – Your time of mourning is over. He wasn’t removing the situation from me, but removing the pain I had been experiencing the last year. My time of pain was taken by GOD. He then told me to praise Him in the waiting. He was working. I needed to only praise Him in the waiting.

That is what I did that week.

That is what we did together.

This picture was taken by a stranger behind us at the event. She wanted to share it with us. We worshiped with over a thousand of our ‘best friends’ that week. It was truly a mountain top experience.

I write to remind myself of these precious moments…

If you are in a storm, remember no matter the reason, GOD is with you! Rise up and praise Him in the storm. Read all the verses you can on praise. You will be surprised how many there are…

He will get you through.

Isaiah 25:1

Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.

Psalms 150:6

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Psalms 103:1-2

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

Here is Brandon Lake’s song Gratitude:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1em6MJp0zUc

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Patience In the waiting…

Remember when you were waiting for Christmas morning when you were a child?

It seemed to take forever!

I remember when I was young and wanted Christmas morning to arrive. I had so many expectations and hopes for that glorious morning! I would sit up as long as I could and try to listen for any activity downstairs that would signal presents arriving. But no matter how hard I tried, my eyes would betray me, and I would drift off into the night until the light from my window woke me the next morning.

I would then rush from my bed and race downstairs to see what had happened the night before while I slept. Excitedly I would race back and forth from the tree to the overfilled stockings trying to decide which was more important to unpack. In my excitement I never doubted Christmas would come. It always did, thanks to my parents. I never questioned the event. I only tested my patience as I waited each year for that day to finally arrive.

God has given us many promises in His word. We may not have the exact dates, but we are assured they are coming. God is true to His word. Always.

He also answers our prayer requests. Sometimes those answers are not immediate, but that doesn’t mean He is not working on them, or us. Just because we haven’t heard from Him, doesn’t mean He isn’t there. The Israelites had not heard from God for centuries. That didn’t mean He stopped working. That didn’t mean He stopped caring. That didn’t even mean He walked away.

He was being patient. He was asking them to be patient.

He is asking us to be patient.

Just like He was in the Old Testament with His people.

Just like He was with His people during Noah’s time.

Just like He was during Moses’ time in the desert.

Just like He was with Nebuchadnezzar, Saul, David, and even Job. He was patient with each of them.

He is asking us to be patient.

He is working.

His plans are in place.

He is coming again.

Take refuge in the King today.

Philippians 1:6

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Revelation 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

YET - I will Rejoice!

Mom and I attended several bible studies and retreats over the years together.

One afternoon retreat we attended stuck with me more than the others. I would like to say I remembered the name of the speaker, but I can’t. I do remember her hair and her message. I know that sounds funny but stay with me for a minute.

She was an a very charismatic person with multicolored hair. She burst into the room and filled it with her energy and positivity. She immediately addressed the elephant in the room – her hair. It was professionally styled and cut short above her shoulders. But what caught everyone’s attention was the colors, yes the colors. There were three – brown, red, and blonde in three bands.

These colors were not highlights like we would normally see, but instead three horizontal bands across her head. Each color was separated from the next. She said if we didn’t like a color, we could choose the one we liked and stick with it. What an empowering statement. She liked it and let everyone else know they could choose to like it or not. Either way, she wasn’t going to be upset with their decision. It cut the tension, and everyone laughed.

Then she began to share her message. It was a powerful testimony about how God was with her during a very difficult time. This message was not the most dramatic one, but it stuck with me. She had struggled with not hearing from God. He had her in a waiting period of her life. She was furious. She walked out of her house and up a hill and yelled out to God until He gave her the peace she needed. She was able to then praise Him in the quiet. In the silence. In the ‘wait’. That was the lesson of Habakkuk. Praising Him even when we don’t see the results.

I can still see her walking back and forth sharing how she cried out to the Lord in her pain and yelling loudly – “YET!” and then; “I WILL REJOICE!”

It wasn’t the most eloquent message. But it stuck.

I carried that scripture and that message with me every time things became difficult in my life.

I would shout out; “YET!” “I WILL REJOICE”

It helped me keep perspective. It helped me remember there were others before me that struggled and made it through to the other side. No matter how dark my circumstances are, God is the light at the end of the tunnel. His words confirm that statement.

One small message. But so profound.

God’s Word NEVER comes back void. Never.

I want to be remembered by my message. You can forget my name. You can even forget my hair. How beautiful would it be to be remembered by His words, not ours?

'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

Thursday, April 20, 2023

Benny in the morning...

I always said God knew we needed Benny, but I don’t think Carl, or I realized how much we would appreciate his unique character traits. He is the most interesting Shih tzu we have ever owned and has a fascinating personality that keeps us on our toes every day. Today I wanted to share one of what we are now calling “Bennyisms”

I am not a morning person, but our Benny certainly is! If we all could share the excitement of a Benny in the morning it would be an interesting world! When the alarm goes off, Benny comes running and he excitedly jumps onto our bed to wake everyone up.

If Benny could speak, he would shout –

‘IT’S MORNING TIME!’ ‘IT’S MORNING TIME!’ ‘EVERYONE GET UP!!’

He is so excited that he immediately rushes to Dad first and licks his face over and over to wake him up. He knows Dad needs to be up first because Dad takes Benny out to do his business. Once Dad rolls over and turns the alarm off Benny then then scoots over and quietly looks at me.

He sits about two inches from my face and waits for me to open my eyes. I am awake but I keep my eyes closed. I can feel his breath on my face as he waits patiently for me to open my eyes. Every once in a while, he gently licks my forehead to get my attention and attempts to wake me. He knows that the ‘Dad approach’ doesn’t work with the Mom. When I finally open my eyes, he excitedly works his way across the bed to our other puppy Rocco who is sleeping under the covers. Rocco is also not as excited as Benny about waking up in the morning and returns Benny’s nudges with a growl each time. Benny doesn’t care and keeps nudging him until he comes out from the covers. The routine is not complete until Rocco is up too.

Once everyone is awake and Dad has taken the pups outside, Benny comes rushing back to bed so he can bring a toy to play with as he waits for his morning treat. After the puppies receive their morning treats, Benny settles down into the blankets and takes a small nap until the next event. His job for the morning is done. Everyone in the house is awake and up.

What a routine!

To be Benny. To have that level of excitement.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am grateful to wake up each morning. However, I don’t share the enthusiasm that Benny does. It comes from his toes. He is so excited to be up that if he could, I believe he would wake up the entire neighborhood!

He LOVES morning time. I honestly think it is his one of his top favorite times of the day next to dinner time and when the bark box arrives. Morning time for Benny is a new day to discover new adventures, play with his toys, eat, bug Rocco, then nap, and run around some more, and then repeat.

Benny’s day isn’t any different than the day before. He doesn’t have something new to look forward to. However, he is always excited each morning to see ‘his people’ and be awake!

We could learn a lot from my Benny.

What if we looked at our day like Benny does?

Excitement and anticipation instead of dreading getting up.

We are given a specific number of days. We should look at each of them with awe. I get caught up in the daily grind so easily and forget the awe of life. I needed Benny in my life to remind me that each day is filled with awe and can be an adventure, even if it is the same thing each day.

It can be an amazing day.

Make it an amazing day today 😊

Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalms 30:5

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Philippians 4:4 NIV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Thursday, April 6, 2023

What would you do?

I saw a meme today that joked about -

What would we do if we had one day left to live?

Eat junk food?

Go on a shopping spree?

Spend all the money?

We can joke here but if we get serious for a moment, what would we really do?

Would we do nothing in fear?

Would we spend our last hours with family or friends?

Would we reconcile with those we haven’t talked to in days, weeks,

months, years…?

Would we get angry and simmer over all the things we could have done?

What did Jesus do...?

He washed feet...

That was it. Jesus could have done so much more. He could have taught so much more. Instead he taught the most valuable lesson knowing it was going to be His last day left to make an impact on earth before his crucifixion.

He washed feet...

This showed everyone around Jesus what was most important.

Love God and love your neighbors. (Luke 10:27)

That was the lesson.

Everything else falls into place when you just simply - wash feet.

When you are looking outside of yourself it takes care of multiple issues.

First you are not thinking about your problems.

Next you are helping others with their problems.

Finally you are doing what God called you to do.

Isn’t that the most important point?

Again, He washed feet...

Now think about all the opportunities you have in front of you. Go wash feet this week. Discover the blessing in helping others.

Pick up the phone and reconcile with that friend or family member. You don’t know how many days they have left. Regrets are the worst bedfellows late at night.

Reach out to your neighbor and bless them without telling anyone. Do random acts of kindness!

Let God bless you as you bless others. You can’t outgive God! Remember you aren’t guaranteed a number of days or years on this earth. Don’t waste time thinking about what to do. Just go wash feet while you are able.

John 13:14

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.

Luke 10:27

He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”