Sunny&80The Squares (#jammed daily devo, day 209)
Posted on July 28, 2018
July #jammed: Grace serves.
Day 209: Peace isn’t boring.
Romans 1:11Keeping up with pop culture seems much harder now than it did back when I sat on pins and needles before NKOTB released another album. This mom feels very “square-ish” at times.
square- It is often used to speak of a person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends. Wikipedia
Today’s modern Christians and mega churches do a fantastic job at remaining relevant in order to reach people. But when we step outside the walls of the church, our lives are starkly different from the lifestyle pop culture advertises.
Today’s verse begins Paul’s letter the church in Rome. Upholding Christian faith in a sea of critical eyes wasn’t easy then, either. They were looked upon with hesitation, and religious persecution was their reality. I wonder if the Romans had a term for “squares…”
Paul talks about sharing or granting a gift of the Spirit in this verse, but no human being can give a gift of the Spirit. Maybe Paul wanted so badly for them to experience Spiritual gifts, that he rushed to the product of what great faith yields along the way.
square- In referring to a person, the word originally meant someone who was honest, traditional and loyal.-Wikipedia
Until the age of jazz, it was actually a compliment to be called a square. From then on, each generation has coined a new version. Songs have been written about it, and everyone’s had a great laugh at the expense of those who don’t fit in.
But let’s remember that we’re supposed to be squares. Be aware and remain relevant, but we were always meant to be set a apart.“In the world but not of it.” Pastor Bill, The Chapel.
Father, Praise You for setting us a part. Thank You for guarding our hearts and defending us. Forgive us for going too far when reaching to be relevant, and uphold our hearts to be strong and committed to You. To follow Your Son, Jesus. 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 Friend-ing
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The “Idea-Book” (#jammed daily devo, day 207)
Posted on July 26, 2018
July #jammed: Grace serves.
Day 207: Write it down.
circumstances.Christ is the only constant I’ve noted throughout my life. Piles of journals full and stacked, so my natural reaction to the student with all the ideas was to advise her to write them down. She caught up with me a few weeks later and told me excitedly about the notebook she dedicated to her brainstorming. Something happens when we write our ideas down, and something more when we go back and read them out loud.
Paul knew the secret to life was peace in Christ. Not a full stomach or comfortable circumstance …but knowing Who he knew. I wonder how many times Paul had read God’s Word, or how many times he recalled His conversations with Jesus. I’d be willing to be that as he wrote them down so as not to forget, fresh memories came flooding back through emotions.
Writing helps us remember. We write down dates on our calendars and speak reminders into our phones …just the act of doing that helps us remember more than we realize.
The very fact that the Bible was written down highlights the importance of writing things down. When we glance back and what we’ve written down, His growth and answer prayer is evidential. Reading His Word frequently helps us remember and recall. This blog is a testimony of my hand gripped in His. I hope that through the words He’s inspired, all that read are inspired to know Him. As Paul teaches in today’s Scripture, He is all we need.
Father, Praise You for the lesson Paul’s live teaches us. Thank You for giving us words to express ourselves and talk to You …and Your Word to instruct, guide and mold us. Forgive us for taking it for granted, and bless us to be encouraged by the milestone marked by Your faithful love in our lives. 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 Friend-ing
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Eye Fur (#jammed daily devo, day 172)
Posted on June 21, 2018
June #jammed: Under the Blanket of Grace.
Day 172: Make sure you can see.
“ Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me.” Acts 27:23
“Cherry.” Despondent…
“Cherry, look at me.” Slight head tilt in my direction..
“I know you can hear me …look at me.”
These conversations with my dog happen a lot when her hair conveniently grows over her eyes and blocks her vision of my scowling face when she’s told to do anything she doesn’t feel like doing. Much like a chid, I know she hears me …but she doesn’t always listen without seeing the whites of my eyes.
Today’s verse is part of a shipwreck. Paul is out on a boat with the prisoners, and amidst a terrible storm, he hears from God. Instead of turning their heads and on their heals to listen to what God said to Paul, the men went about their ways …and the ship wrecked.
We often don’t believe second-hand information. Gossip is much too big of an epidemic to trust a voice we can’t see. We can blindly trust God’s voice. Paul tried to explain that to the men on the ship, as we might attempt to explain our faith to those that surround us. They may look at us like we’re delivering second hand gossip …misinterpreted information, or glorified stories.
“an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve…”
Paul tried to explain to them, but telling them wasn’t going to be enough. In fact, even after they all survived a shipwreck, they still handed Paul over as a prisoner. Even the most epic stories of survival aren’t enough to prove faith to those who can’t ‘see.’
Paul knew who he was. “…the God to whom I belong…”
Paul was called. “…and whom I serve.”
When we know Whose we are, and answer His call to serve, we are never alone. From the moment we accept Christ as our Savior, He stands beside us. So close, we can feel Him , we can hear Him …we can almost see Him.
There are many things in life that can block our sight like my dog’s eye fur. Ambition, goals, pain, poverty, heartache, pride … cut them out of your line of sight, and focus on the One who doesn’t need to be seen to change the course of our stars forever. Many witnessed Jesus when He walked the earth. They saw Him. They hugged Him. They heard Him speak and witnessed miracles like we imagine they looked in movies.
But we were created to have faith in what we cannot see. “Blessed are those who have not seen …and yet believe …
…for theirs is the Kingdom of God.” – John 20:29
Father, Praise You for Jesus! Thank You for Paul’s faith and Luke’s faithfulness to write this story down. We confess our lack of faith in what we cannot see, when everything do see attempts to drown out the Focus of our faith. Please bless our hearts to believe more every day in what we cannot see, and to hear Your voice with certainty as we follow Jesus. 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 Seeing,
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The Squares (#jammed daily devo, day 209)
Posted on July 28, 2017
July #jammed: Grace serves.
Day 209: Peace isn’t boring.
Keeping up with pop culture seems much harder now than it did back when I sat on pins and needles before NKOTB released another album. This mom feels very “square-ish” at times.
square- It is often used to speak of a person who is regarded as dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends. Wikipedia
Today’s modern Christians and mega churches do a fantastic job at remaining relevant in order to reach people. But when we step outside the walls of the church, our lives are starkly different from the lifestyle pop culture advertises.
Today’s verse begins Paul’s letter the church in Rome. Upholding Christian faith in a sea of critical eyes wasn’t easy then, either. They were looked upon with hesitation, and religious persecution was their reality. I wonder if the Romans had a term for “squares…”
Paul talks about sharing or granting a gift of the Spirit in this verse, but no human being can give a gift of the Spirit. Maybe Paul wanted so badly for them to experience Spiritual gifts, that he rushed to the product of what great faith yields along the way.
square- In referring to a person, the word originally meant someone who was honest, traditional and loyal.-Wikipedia
Until the age of jazz, it was actually a compliment to be called a square. From then on, each generation has coined a new version. Songs have been written about it, and everyone’s had a great laugh at the expense of those who don’t fit in.
But let’s remember that we’re supposed to be squares. Be aware and remain relevant, but we were always meant to be set a apart.“In the world but not of it.” Pastor Bill, The Chapel.
Father, Praise You for setting us a part. Thank You for guarding our hearts and defending us. Forgive us for going too far when reaching to be relevant, and uphold our hearts to be strong and committed to You. To follow Your Son, Jesus. 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 Friend-ing
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
The “Idea-Book” (#jammed daily devo, day 207)
Posted on July 26, 2017
July #jammed: Grace serves.
Day 207: Write it down.
Christ is the only constant I’ve noted throughout my life. Piles of journals full and stacked, so my natural reaction to the student with all the ideas was to advise her to write them down. She caught up with me a few weeks later and told me excitedly about the notebook she dedicated to her brainstorming. Something happens when we write our ideas down, and something more when we go back and read them out loud.
Paul knew the secret to life was peace in Christ. Not a full stomach or comfortable circumstance …but knowing Who he knew. I wonder how many times Paul had read God’s Word, or how many times he recalled His conversations with Jesus. I’d be willing to be that as he wrote them down so as not to forget, fresh memories came flooding back through emotions.
Writing helps us remember. We write down dates on our calendars and speak reminders into our phones …just the act of doing that helps us remember more than we realize.
The very fact that the Bible was written down highlights the importance of writing things down. When we glance back and what we’ve written down, His growth and answer prayer is evidential. Reading His Word frequently helps us remember and recall. This blog is a testimony of my hand gripped in His. I hope that through the words He’s inspired, all that read are inspired to know Him. As Paul teaches in today’s Scripture, He is all we need.
Father, Praise You for the lesson Paul’s live teaches us. Thank You for giving us words to express ourselves and talk to You …and Your Word to instruct, guide and mold us. Forgive us for taking it for granted, and bless us to be encouraged by the milestone marked by Your faithful love in our lives. 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 Friend-ing
Megs
Get the #jammed Daily Devo sent straight to your inbox each morning, by subscribing to Sunny&80.
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