Tell Me Something Good Monday – The Danger of Secrets

January 27, 2020 Kay Dennis Leave a comment

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
‭‭John‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Happy Monday! It’s a great time to share something good to brighten the day of those around you. My good news is I’ve almost completed another class. I should have it submitted by the end of the week. My other good news is my husband and I bought tickets to see the Newsboys and Mandisa at a nearby concert at the end of February. We are usually too busy to go out much. So, I’m excited. I look forward to hearing your good stories.

Have you ever felt you were facing too many obstacles, opponents or suffering in your life? Have you been entrusted with secrets that weigh you down? Well, you are not alone. Some secrets are not too big a deal and are short lived. Others are burdensome.

A few years ago a family member shared a secret with me that was very dramatic. I told my husband, but no one else for about three years. I needed someone to talk to, as did my husband. While it was a secret, it was also something obvious that we were being questioned about frequently. We were afraid to speak with anyone, even a counselor or minister, because if the news was leaked, suicide was a possibility. Another time I was entrusted with a family secret that put great stress and demands on me. While it is good to know what’s going on, secrets can destroy people. Ultimately, my heart was weighted down with the secret to the point that I unloaded without realizing what I was doing. I felt so guilty. It is for these reasons that I have decided to walk away from secrets. I also have decided to never burden others with secrets.

The good news, if you are experiencing this type of situation, is Jesus has already conquered all your opponents and worry. While He never said you wouldn’t have to suffer, He is bigger and more powerful than your suffering.

Trust in Him today and have a great Monday. May God bless you!

Blessings, Challenge, Christian Living, Faith, Stress

Forgiveness Thursday – Rely on God

January 23, 2020 Kay Dennis Leave a comment

“But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s Forgiveness Thursday and a great time to forgive yourself and others.

This week has been truly hectic. I worked the weekend and the holiday, and still couldn’t catch up. However, I felt a little relief on Tuesday morning, knowing I had delegated out a large portion of the assignments in my office. That didn’t last long though. Every day, more and more assignments piled up. Yesterday, I locked myself in my office trying to meet deadlines only to find out that I had even more to do at the end of the day. I worked until the very last minute before I sped to Church to teach the youth. Last night I was thinking, “I don’t want to work this weekend, plus I have school work.” I felt like I needed a break, so I could live outside my job, enjoy my family, clean my house and complete my school assignments.

This morning I came to work early, but it wasn’t long before my heart was racing. I suddenly remembered that I had not made time for my devotional. I stopped for a moment, to read my Bible. The priest in Hebrews 10 trusted God rather than relying solely on himself and others. That’s when I realized what was happening. The only one who will never let us down is God. I was putting the burden on myself. While it is good to do the very best you can at everything, stress is not healthy. God doesn’t want us to feel like we are alone and everything depends on us. He wants us to do the best we can and depend on Him.

Put your trust in God every day. I hope you have a wonderful day. May God bless you.

Blessings, Christ's light, Christian Living, happiness, Journey

Two for Tuesday – Adversity and Truthful Witness

January 7, 2020 Kay Dennis Leave a comment

“The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭32:16-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It’s Try Something New Tuesday. Yesterday, my saved post disappeared. So, today, I’m trying a two-for-one special.

Have you ever thought “can things get any worse?” If you have, you are not alone. Unfortunately, the answer is YES! Take a look around. The more I listen to others, the more I realize things can be much worse. Yet, you may wonder why God’s people go through adversity. Jesus, himself, lived through horrible circumstances, including torture, before dying and being resurrected. Being a Christian doesn’t exempt us from adversity. However, adversity can further us in our spiritual journeys. We could never really understand the darkness others go through, if everything was always wonderful. Once we have lived through what we think is bad, we need to remember how it felt. Why? So we can be a blessing to others while they are going through the same.

Have you ever wanted someone to notice or recognize an accomplishment? Well, if your answer is yes, you are not alone. This is something I work on daily. When I have worked hard on a project, sometimes, I wish just one person would notice. The truth is they do. It is not necessary for them to validate my need for praise. Last week a coworker compared me to another person. She said we both needed attention, but I do good things to get attention. The other person, in contrast, does bad things to get attention. YIKES! I never thought of it that way. Although I said I was doing things to glorify God, I wasn’t bearing truthful witness.

What does it mean to be a truthful witness? It means you are someone who glows in the glory of doing God’s work. There is no need for praise or blame. Pure satisfaction is found solely in doing God’s work, whatever we are called to do. To bear truthful witness is to live in the peace of the LORD. Doesn’t that sound awesome! Although I’m not sure if anyone, other than Jesus, has been a perfect truthful witness, my husband is very good at this. Even if we are not always perfect, we can work to improve ourselves. This is one of the best ways to witness God’s love to others.

Today, imagine the Glory of God shining down upon you as you do his work. May God bless you.

Christian Living

Spread the Love Friday – Rest Peacefully

January 3, 2020 Kay Dennis 2 Comments

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Happy Friday! It’s going to be a great year! How can you spread God’s love today?

When we think of the Great Commission, we know we are to spread the gospel. However, what happens when others don’t listen or argue? I might add this is most often the case, because some things can’t be reasoned. It takes faith in the spiritual realm, which is beyond the minds of all of us. So, do we argue? No. We are only to share the gospel. Then, we sit back and let God work. Psalms 37:7 says “[b]e still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” Isn’t that one of the toughest callings we have. Whenever you are trying to help someone and they want to argue, it is so hard to be still, especially when it’s someone you love. Regardless, it is our job to let God handle the rest. At the end of the day, everyone has a choice.