Sunny&80The Winter Beach Day (#jammed daily devo, day 38)
Posted on February 7, 2018
February #jammed: Dunked in Grace
Day 38: Grace Breaks from Normal.
60 degrees felt like a hot summer day compared to the -2 degree forecast at home. My
girls chased seagulls and dipped their toes in the cold ocean, happy to play outside for the first time in weeks. I actually began to sweat, until the wind picked up and blew the North air onto our beach blanket.
I’m grateful the North Wind that blows me out of my comfort zone …it reminds me Who I need.
The batch of verses we’re looking at today push us to grow in faith. The Greek word for faith in context to this passage is pistis, which means “belief, trust, confidence.” Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary
“Grow up in Christ.” Hebrews 6:1-3 (MSG)
God initially grabs us at the beginning of our journey. If we put our walk with Jesus down to pick up and run with our solutions, we end up lost.
“No, we will move on toward perfection, if God wills it.” Hebrews 6:3 (VOICE)
Our faith in God grows when we believe a little more than we thought possible …when we trust the Lord’s good plan for our lives over our agenda …when our confidence is not in our own ability, but in His blessing.
It’s good to be on a beach in January, but it’s nice to be blown back home.
Father, Praise You for the warmth of Your love that surpasses anything we seek to replace it with. All else is fleeting in this world but the provision and strength of Your love for us. We confess that we don’t sit still in Your presence long enough, and pray that you bless our lives with the constant ebb and flow of obedient action and rest as You will it in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Where has God called you home? Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Growing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Change List (#jammed daily devo day 20)
Posted on January 20, 2018
January #jammed : Grace in Life’s Face
Day 20: Growth is Good.
God’s people had to obey a multitude of rules, guidelines, instructions, and procedures.
What may seem nonsensical and unnecessary to us had deep meaning to God, and His people. Not privy to the death of Christ on the cross, their presence with the Father depended upon their obedience.
“…all these elements remind God’s people of His loving grace.” Exodus 15:1 commentary (VOICE)
Effective resolve to change reflects an obedient heart.
I was surprised that my daughter had not only noticed, but remembered what I’d resolved to change over the last few years: I gave up diet-pop one year; stopped watching reality tv another; trained for a marathon the next…
My mimi-me shuffled up to my desk with a blank piece of paper, and came up with her own resolutions.
- Releve every day. (ballerina dreams…)
- Finish the Harry Potter Book Series.
- Play my uke chords without looking.
- Keep trying different foods.
- Know what time it is.
Pray, God, on the last one. Though big changes and giant dreams fuel life accomplishments, small growth prepares us for a grand life.
Today’s verse talks about a lamp stand decorated with buds and blossoms. They were patterned after the almond tree, the tree that bloomed first and lived the longest. (Dictionary of Bible Themes/NIV Notes)
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows God’s grace to trace every change we make and growth we endure. Embrace the slow growth of long-winded dreams.
Father, Praise Your power to wield meaning in the mundane. Your creation is intricate and Your patience to assure our appreciation of it all is unfathomable. Thank you for teaching us in perfect time. We confess our impatience to get to our dreams, and pray for Your Spirit to calm and guide our souls. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Share a simple resolution for 2017. Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Small-changing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Long Leash (#jammed daily devo, day 290)
Posted on October 17, 2017
October #jammed: Free Grace.
Day 290: Room to run.
“WHOA!!!! CHERRY!!!!” 
For some reason, though we pass triple the amount of geese every morning when we walk the pier, that afternoon my dog had decided it was the perfect time to teach them all a lesson with her vicious doodle-self barreling after them …my arm yanked along in tow.
“Crazy doodle!!!” I hollered as I shortened her leash. She looked up at me with her really sad and “I’m sorry” eyes.
“Sorry, girl,” I told her, “back to the short leash …you can’t be trusted!”
Today’s verse keeps us on a short leash, because we can’t be trusted. We’re all human, and though we all have good intentions, they fail us. Intentionality is fleeting unless it has been marinated in God’s wisdom.
Not giving up meeting together: The Greek word translated “giving up” speaks of desertion and abandonment. -NIV Study Bible Notes.
The community in this verse was under siege. Christians were not always allowed to meet, and small groups were suspicious to the government that wanted to eradicate them. The world hasn’t changed as much as we’d like to hope it has. Radical hate and genocide still run rampant in this world. It’s not fair. But what will we do in the face of persecution and threats?
When we stop meeting together …when we stop meeting with God in His Word …when we forgo daily prayer to rush into the day’s routine …we begin to forget. That’s why these meetings are so important. Because not long after we forget, we run the other way. We run the other way, and then we abandon what we once knew. It’s not that far-fetched. Peter denied Jesus, and we do, too.
But when we meet together, we are promised that God is with us. When we stand in worship to praise Him, He is there. When we gather together to seek Him in His Word, He is there. The Spirit moves us, and we remember. We are reminded. Of God’s love for us. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save us. And the Spirit’s constant presence in translation.
When we meet together, we keep ourselves on a short leash, so we don’t sprint off to chase things that don’t even hit our plane of sight when we’re close to Him.
Father, Praise You for church communities and those that gather in Your name. Thank You for the magic that happens when the Spirit moves through those rooms and our hearts. Forgive us for neglecting to take the time to spend with the One who created time. Help us to trust Your hand on the minutes of our days. 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 Gathering,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Winter Beach Day (#jammed daily devo, day 38)
Posted on February 7, 2017
February #jammed: Dunked in Grace
Day 38: Grace Breaks from Normal.
60 degrees felt like a hot summer day compared to the -2 degree forecast at home. My
girls chased seagulls and dipped their toes in the cold ocean, happy to play outside for the first time in weeks. I actually began to sweat, until the wind picked up and blew the North air onto our beach blanket.
I’m grateful the North Wind that blows me out of my comfort zone …it reminds me Who I need.
The batch of verses we’re looking at today push us to grow in faith. The Greek word for faith in context to this passage is pistis, which means “belief, trust, confidence.” Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary
“Grow up in Christ.” Hebrews 6:1-3 (MSG)
God initially grabs us at the beginning of our journey. If we put our walk with Jesus down to pick up and run with our solutions, we end up lost.
“No, we will move on toward perfection, if God wills it.” Hebrews 6:3 (VOICE)
Our faith in God grows when we believe a little more than we thought possible …when we trust the Lord’s good plan for our lives over our agenda …when our confidence is not in our own ability, but in His blessing.
It’s good to be on a beach in January, but it’s nice to be blown back home.
Father, Praise You for the warmth of Your love that surpasses anything we seek to replace it with. All else is fleeting in this world but the provision and strength of Your love for us. We confess that we don’t sit still in Your presence long enough, and pray that you bless our lives with the constant ebb and flow of obedient action and rest as You will it in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Where has God called you home? Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Growing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Change List (#jammed daily devo day 20)
Posted on January 20, 2017
January #jammed : Grace in Life’s Face
Day 20: Growth is Good.
God’s people had to obey a multitude of rules, guidelines, instructions, and procedures.
What may seem nonsensical and unnecessary to us had deep meaning to God, and His people. Not privy to the death of Christ on the cross, their presence with the Father depended upon their obedience.
“…all these elements remind God’s people of His loving grace.” Exodus 15:1 commentary (VOICE)
Effective resolve to change reflects an obedient heart.
I was surprised that my daughter had not only noticed, but remembered what I’d resolved to change over the last few years: I gave up diet-pop one year; stopped watching reality tv another; trained for a marathon the next…
My mimi-me shuffled up to my desk with a blank piece of paper, and came up with her own resolutions.
- Releve every day. (ballerina dreams…)
- Finish the Harry Potter Book Series.
- Play my uke chords without looking.
- Keep trying different foods.
- Know what time it is.
Pray, God, on the last one. Though big changes and giant dreams fuel life accomplishments, small growth prepares us for a grand life.
Today’s verse talks about a lamp stand decorated with buds and blossoms. They were patterned after the almond tree, the tree that bloomed first and lived the longest. (Dictionary of Bible Themes/NIV Notes)
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows God’s grace to trace every change we make and growth we endure. Embrace the slow growth of long-winded dreams.
Father, Praise Your power to wield meaning in the mundane. Your creation is intricate and Your patience to assure our appreciation of it all is unfathomable. Thank you for teaching us in perfect time. We confess our impatience to get to our dreams, and pray for Your Spirit to calm and guide our souls. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Share a simple resolution for 2017. Get the conversation started by commenting below, and let’s encourage one another as we face life in 2017 armed with grace!
#greatgrace17
Happy Small-changing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
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