Daily Nuggets

Serve For God’s Sake Even When It’s Hard HiS PRINT Ministries · (1780) Acts 17:5-9 Acts 17:5-9 5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.  a   6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here,  7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”  8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.  9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Call Out To His Spirit To Rise, Reign And Fill You: That Takes A Conscious Decision To Set Self Aside. You Have a Choice! HiS PRINT Ministries · (744) Zechariah 12:10 - 11 Zechariah 12:10 - 11 10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit  a  of grace and supplication. They will look on  b  me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.  11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

Discernment Over Clarity Is What We Need To Pray For. It Requires More Effort. Are You Willing To Dig Deeper? HiS PRINT Ministries · (732) Proverbs 8:8 - 9 Proverbs 8:8-9 8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse. 9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

This morning's walk was full of expectation and a feeling of my being presumptuous. We are looking for specific direction in a particular decision, and I was asked to give a response by today.  I came to God this morning asking for an immediate answer, but felt that it was not my role to demand a response.  I decided to just open my heart & mind to hear whatever was placed there as we walked.  As usual, God did not disappoint! The first and most direct 'thought' was that we cannot pull back (or not move forward) based on what may or may not happen.  Our job is to be open to accept the calling, and then get out of the way and follow where He leads.  In this situation, there may (or may not) be an additional level of responsibility in the future, but for now it is just a request to support a team.  How can we not agree to support the team based on a question that has not been asked?  "Follow your own advice" comes to mind... My other nuggets were...

I really enjoy my morning walks with our four legged daughters.  It's a great time to talk to God, to think and just 'be.'  We usually leave the house around 6:15 a.m., so until this last Sunday we were walking in the dark.  The clocks changed on Sunday for Daylight Savings Time, so we are now enjoying our walks in daylight. As we were heading back home this morning the sun was just peeking over the horizon.  It was so beautiful that I exclaimed out loud, and God put three very specific thoughts on my heart.  I want to jot them down now so I can go back later to remember and re-live! The sheer beauty and power of God is breath taking.  If we would just slow down and look at the world around us, God is everywhere.  It's even better when we start our day absorbing His glory.  There is nothing better to put the activities of our day into perspective. Although the actual sun was just peeking over the horizon, the light had already spread to eve...

Well, I just got off my first trip to the gym in a very long while.  (It's not like it's a long trip - just upstairs in my house!  How is it that I haven't been able to make time to run upstairs for 45 minutes a day??)  Today is the day to get back on track - all the way around!  My old habits snuck back in - it's been a few days since I took the time to jot down some thoughts.  I've been catching a Daily Reading or couple of chapters while I dry my hair, but not sat down and devoted time to my spiritual health.  Getting both back today - even knowing it will be a crazy one! Today I'm in Exodus Chapter 15 - 16.  I picked up some new nuggets today to keep close! 1. By nature, we will grumble when we perceive that things are not going our way.  If we will just learn to "trust and obey, there is no better way!" As my dear friend Coach Carter used to day, "GOD'S GOT IT."  I added two new words to my analogy vocabulary today:  Marah ...

Sisters, I pray that you're having a fantastic week!  I've really been thinking about the messages that I have heard from Jesus over these last couple of weeks, particularly "What Next, not Why Me?" and "Release and let God direct." Several times over the course of daily life these messages have either come up in conversation or they applied (in my head) to a situation.  Then, in God's perfect timing, I resurrected my iDisciple app and the perfect lesson from Proverbs 31 Ministries was waiting for me: God I'm Worn Out .  What a great message for me to hear, especially right now!  I wanted to keep this link for future reference and to share it with you! If you haven't noticed, there is a section on the left side of my blog with links to various pages and apps.  I'm adding iDisciple and would love to know about other resources that you like & value! Today I'm heading to Exodus Chapter 12 beginning at v31:  The Exodus from Eg...

Good morning, sisters - As I laid in bed this morning having my morning cuddle with my sweet Golden Retriever "Berkley," I asked God what lesson he had in store for me today.  What an incredible change I see in myself. Rather than doing Bible Study because I know I should, I read because I can't wait to see what is waiting for me today!  (I know that there are peaks & valleys in our walk, and I can remember times in my past that I have been on the top of the hill.  But.... those are distant memories.  Recently I've been down in the valley.  It's great to be climbing higher and higher up the mountain again!) Today God showed me leadership skills to learn from Moses through the story of the Plagues: 1.  If God chooses you for a special job, He will provide what you need to succeed! 2.  Just like Moses in Exodus 6:1-13, there will be times that I feel ineffective or unable to complete the task.  Often, those are just times where ...

I missed a day in journal blogging, but did not miss a day in the word!  Yesterday I finished the book of Genesis, Some of the take-aways from the last few chapters: 1.  Remember that God is faithful, even when we can't see the end picture.  Jacob thought that his son Joseph had been killed, only to find out many years later that God had turned the evil intentions into a great result.  Stay faithful in God's perfect timing, and keep looking for his answers. 2.  Always look for the ways we can serve and use our gifts - regardless of the situation.  Joseph was in some terrible conditions, but he looked for ways to serve ("what next" rather than "why me?")  This fundamental way of approaching life opens us to receiving God's grace and blessings, and becoming a beacon of light for those around us. Today I began the book of Exodus (a bit scared of this one - I expected that it would not make much day-to-day living kind of sense, but anticipating that...

Joe & I attended my first "Reunion Group" last night - what a wonderful time with Christian brothers and sisters!  This was a couples group - very much like our old Home Groups that we miss so much.  I look forward to going back next month! This morning I am studying the story of Joseph, looking for lessons that I may have missed or forgotten over the years.  Of course there are many! 1.  Rather than thoughtfully ponder the meaning of his dreams, Joseph bragged about them to his brothers and father.  God gives us gifts to use for his purposes, but not to brag about and bring glory to ourselves.  Be careful not to try accepting the credit for God's work in me! 2.  Suffering builds character and wisdom.  Approach each situation with the question, "What next?" instead of "Why me?"  Remember that God's got it, and you are just to keep obeying and trusting. Off to church - looking forward to a morning of praise and worship!

Well... the exhaustion that most of the Tres Dias family must have felt on Monday finally hit me!  I explained to a friend that I am wonderfully exhausted - he could not quite figure that out! This morning I had to get some help from my Study Bible to catch the nuggets that I missed in reading on my own.  I'm not sure if I should jump to an 'easier' section of the book, or stick it out and use the resources at hand.  My history has been to jump to the New Testament because it's much easier, but then again this is not the old me!  I'll stick it out and use this as an opportunity to find good resources to help. This morning I am reading Genesis 32-36 (the chapters where Jacob & Esau make peace with each other, and then through until the story of Joseph begins.) With help, I found three big take-aways: 1.  When all hell breaks loose and you're really scared, go to God!  This has been the familiar theme all week - go to him in all circumstances...

Good morning! I am struggling this morning.  I came to my bible thinking about what I had learned earlier in the week but also thinking about what lays ahead on my to-do list today (more than it is physically possible to complete - as always.)  For some reason I seem more distracted this morning, and had a hard time finding that special message as I read.  I’m not sure exactly how to feel, so I’m just going to think as I type.  Somehow the words always seem to flow - and often they surprise me! The big message I took away this morning is that living our lives publicly in accordance with God’s will may be painful for a time, but God will reward us.  And, others who are watching will see God’s grace in us, giving them an example to follow.  Whether those rewards are financial or an inner unexplainable joy (or both), they are witnesses to those around us.  Even the people who may appear to be against us are watching, and our consistent choice to ...

Good morning, Sisters! I’m running a bit late this morning.  I was so full of energy for the first three days of this week, but this morning I feel like lead is pulling down my eyelids!  I suppose the exhaustion of the weekend is finally catching up.   Never one to disappoint, God had some good stuff waiting for me this morning!  In case I missed the point yesterday, READ and RE-READ!  I accidentally started with the same chapter that I read yesterday, but this time I saw something that I missed yesterday.  Isn’t that why this is referred to as a living book?  We see something differently as we come to it on different occasions - even if those different occasions are very close to one another!  The priest in our old church (I am a cradle Episcopalian) liked to use the African Bible Study method in classes.  It basically involved reading the same passage three times in a row.  I never really “got” it - probably because I was not ...

Good morning, sisters! Please - let me know if you’re tired of these messages cluttering your inbox.  I won’t be offended if you want me to remove you from this distribution!  I am finding that as I write to you, I learn even more about what I sat down to write.  Does that make any sense??  I think that processing the lessons in writing (as a substitute for talking) helps the message become even more clear.  And as a control-freak female, I want to share with my new friends!  I will not be the least bit offended if you would rather not be on the list. I’m so excited again this morning!  Three days in and I’m still waking up (before the alarm) wondering what God is going to show me today.  I continued reading where I left off yesterday in Genesis, and I am again amazed at how much “knowledge” I have read over the years and either internalized or just forgotten.  Some of the items were even highlighted from prior readings, yet I don’t ...

OK - I’ve got to find a daily study group.  I’m on fire and just have to share what I’m learning! I hope you’ll forgive me! Yesterday God taught me (through the example of Rebekah) to be specific in my prayers and petitions.  I woke up today wondering what he was going to teach me!  Trust me, that is NOT my normal routine!  Praise God for a changed heart. :)  I put off a few meetings for 30 minutes so I could read and learn.  No surprise - He came through by showing me a new truth in a story I’ve skimmed over hundreds of times. Today, He reminded me in Gen 25:22-23 that we should go to God first with our questions, and wait for him to answer.  He WILL answer - he is faithful!  I tend to wait until I’ve exhausted all of my brain cells on an issue (and usually think I have the solution), but Rebekah shows me that when I have a question my FIRST response should be to ask God.  It wasn’t a life altering issue - just a simple on about why...

Good morning, sisters! I woke this morning thinking of you all and hearing the song in my head, “Rise and Shine, and Give God the Glory!  Glory!” I pray you all feel rested and full of fire this morning!  Although I was was not running late (I still haven’t made it to the shower!) I did smile as I remembered John talking about rushing this morning to get to Chapel. I decided to start my Day 4 first morning by reminding myself about Rebekah’s story.  I came across something that speaks directly to a conversation we had in our bunk on Saturday night, and I immediately thought of you all wanted to share!  Our late night bunk talk was about whether or not it is right for us to pray for specifics - doesn’t that seem to put our will in front of God’s?  Maybe a more general request is better and more humble and honoring of God?  Well, take a look at Genesis chapter 24 - it is the perfect demonstration of specific prayer.  Abraham sends his servan...