Sunny&80The Strengthening Sun (#jammed daily devo, day 297)
Posted on October 24, 2018
October #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 297: Love is blinding.
“May all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Judges 5:31
A pink slit in the sky announces the giant ball of fire about to pierce through the clouds. 
The show of colors that come before the morning sun is sometimes more beautiful that the actual site of it rising. Once it comes up, it’s too bright to look at, but the anticipation of it’s rising is beautiful to behold. The smallest fractions of light bounce into an array of colors that is never the same way twice.
Today’s verse is a prayer at the end of a song written by Deborah to commemorate a national victory. It celebrates before the nations the righteous acts of the Lord and of his warriors. -NIV Study Bible Notes
Deborah declared our love for the Lord to be as powerful and unique as the mark each sunrise leaves on our hearts. She speaks as someone who had witnessed a lot of amazing sunrises in her lifetime. As someone who rushes out to meet the sky each day, I recognize the same marvel of power that so quietly comes up over the horizon.
Our faith doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. When we walk with Christ, the light is visible. In fact, sometimes it’s little too much for some people. It’s strong and radiant and it reaches into the cracks of darkness all around and lights it up.
The people that we were meant to shine on in this life, and those meant to shine on us, are all unique. Like the sunrise each morning, each one of us comes alive on this earth in our own way …in our own time …with our own purpose. We follow the Son’s steps home to heaven, and in the time in between, love shines bright.
Father, Praise You for the sunrise! Thank You for each day being different than the last, from beginning to end. We confess our passing by of days without effort to notice and be blessed by the brushstrokes of Your love. Bless us to shine, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Shining,
Megs
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The Bare Feet (#jammed daily devo, day 222)
Posted on August 10, 2018
August #jammed: Reflecting on Grace.
Day 222: No shoes … no problem.
you need.” Matthew 6:33 (NLT)There are so many pairs of shoes in my house …yet every morning it’s the same routine.
“Where are your shoes?!”
My daughters never have their shoes on when it’s time to leave the house. They look at me like I am some sort of alien creature from another planet to have expected them to put something on their feet before they walk out the door.
How can they forget to put their shoes on? It boggles my mind. Whether it’s cold, wet, or summer out …to go anywhere requires shoes.
Today’s verse is telling us to put our shoes on before we go out the door and into the world. But not literal shoes …well, those are good too, but our faith. When we walk out into the world it helps to have our faith on.
Though Christ never leaves us, we tend to forget about Him when we starting walking out into the world. Soon we look down and wonder why our feet are all cut up. When we neglect to remember Him all day long, we walk without Him … hurting our ‘feet.’
“…live righteously, and He will give You everything You need.”
Spending time with God in the Word each day is like putting on a brand new pair of cushy running shoes before leaving the house. He’s protecting the ground that we walk on, and less likely to let whatever we run into that day cut us to bits …emotionally, mentally, maybe even physically.
Light your path with the Word before going out into the day.
Father, Praise You for protecting us in this life. There are things that we come up against each day that we don’t even realize, and we thank You for watching out for us. Forgive us for running out into the world with bare feet, and bless us to remember to carve out time to spend with You each day. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Trodding!
Megs
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The Summer Gloves (#jammed daily devo, day 218)
Posted on August 6, 2018
August #jammed: Reflecting on Grace.
Day 218: Purposed differently.
everyone in hopes that I would gather more believers.” 1Corinthians 9:19 (VOICE)In the North, we associate gloves with the cold weather …which may sometimes last from fall to summer …go away for a few weeks …and then return all over again. But as a dance mom, we quickly learn, that gloves are always everywhere.
Some things have a broader purpose that we don’t catch, because we aren’t used to applying them in that way.
Paul is talking about his purpose in this verse above today. People can have a purpose that we don’t recognize if we don’t understand what’s happening in their hearts. No one is making Paul spread the gospel around. He’s doing it out of the Love living in his heart.
It’s a concept as foreign as wearing gloves when it’s ninety degrees outside. If we don’t relate to why, we can’t understand how.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, it makes sense. Maybe not the glove part, but absolutely the telling people about Jesus part.
“I have a become a slave by my own free will…”
That’s a tough statement to understand outside the confines of a Christ-led life. There’s nothing else we’d rather do than share the Love we witness when He resides in our heart. We start to understand compassion, as we learn of His compassion for us.
The Living Word comes alive for us …and the gloves come off.
Father, Praise You for loving us perfectly. Thank You for calling us to follow Jesus in Your perfect time. Forgive us for taking our faith for granted, and help us to be courageous in spreading the Love of Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Living,
Megs
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The Snuggly Strips (#jammed daily devo, day 352)
Posted on December 18, 2017
December #jammed: Grace, gifted.
Day 352: Blankies.
“She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth, and laid Him in a manger…” Luke 2:7
“Reach,” I encouraged as my two-year old stretched up onto her toes and reached her 
arms up to the hospital basinet where her new baby sister slept, “you’re almost there!”
Through tears in my eyes, I watched my daughters bond for the very first time as she reached over and placed the blankie that she had picked out for her sissy in that basinet. From that day on, those two were blankie buddies. Fuzzy Wuzzy and Blankie Bear. The sweet softness of those new babies wrapped up in those fresh new blankies is forever etched in my memory.
They have drug their blankets through life with them. Leaned on them for comfort and security. Depended on them to chase midnight scaries away and mend sick bellies. Those blankets have dried a lot of tears and had a lot of nose crusties stuck to them. As they get older, we see them a little less, and I hope their hearts are learning to transfer those blankie securities into Jesus’ loving arms.
Today’s verse is so touching because it’s so leveling. Snuggled in a blanket, just like every other human being that has ever been born. Nothing special about it, except for who He was. The word-age is repeated when Luke quotes the angels:
“And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:12
Anytime the Bible repeats anything, it’s important. Those strips of cloth communicated so much to the Shepherds. “Just like it was told to us,” they said upon arrival. It says so much to us. Christ came down to our level. He was never of the world, but He existed on our level. Why? God could have freed us from sin without Jesus living out over three decades of life on earth and dying a horrendous death …but it would not have been enough.
The weight of our sin had to be carried by someone worthy enough to sacrifice enough so that we could stand in the presence of our holy God …who requires “enough” for that to happen. He can’t be in the presence of sin.
That baby, cuddled by His momma and loved by His family. I remember those first moments in the hospital with my babies. Everytime they wander around with their blankies I remember those first sweet cuddles. The fullness of Mary’s heart is the model for every mother to come after her. Hold onto those baby cuddles while they can be held. Blankets don’t last forever, and babies grow up. Our kiddos eventually let go of their blankies, and we let go of them as they grow …but we never have to let go of Jesus. The longer we know Him, the closer He feels.
Father, Praise you for Jesus’ birth. Thank You for allowing Him to come down to earth and take on our sin so that we can feel His closeness and stand in Your presence for all time. Like the comfort of a blanket worn in with memories, You have trod every second with us lovingly and patiently. Forgive us for failing to remember how much You love us back. Bless us to dedicate our lives to sharing Your love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Snuggling,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Strengthening Sun (#jammed daily devo, day 297)
Posted on October 24, 2017
October #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 297: Love is blinding.
“May all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Judges 5:31
A pink slit in the sky announces the giant ball of fire about to pierce through the clouds. The show of colors that come before the morning sun is sometimes more beautiful that the actual site of it rising. Once it comes up, it’s too bright to look at, but the anticipation of it’s rising is beautiful to behold. The smallest fractions of light bounce into an array of colors that is never the same way twice.
Today’s verse is a prayer at the end of a song written by Deborah to commemorate a national victory. It celebrates before the nations the righteous acts of the Lord and of his warriors. -NIV Study Bible Notes
Deborah declared our love for the Lord to be as powerful and unique as the mark each sunrise leaves on our hearts. She speaks as someone who had witnessed a lot of amazing sunrises in her lifetime. As someone who rushes out to meet the sky each day, I recognize the same marvel of power that so quietly comes up over the horizon.
Our faith doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. When we walk with Christ, the light is visible. In fact, sometimes it’s little too much for some people. It’s strong and radiant and it reaches into the cracks of darkness all around and lights it up.
The people that we were meant to shine on in this life, and those meant to shine on us, are all unique. Like the sunrise each morning, each one of us comes alive on this earth in our own way …in our own time …with our own purpose. We follow the Son’s steps home to heaven, and in the time in between, love shines bright.
Father, Praise You for the sunrise! Thank You for each day being different than the last, from beginning to end. We confess our passing by of days without effort to notice and be blessed by the brushstrokes of Your love. Bless us to shine, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Shining,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
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