May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
John 14:5-7
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can
we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If
you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you
do know him and have seen him.”
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You
believe in God; believe also in me.”-Jesus
My dad worked with his hands. As a welder, he could fix anything made of metal. He repaired cars, faucets, bicycles, and about anything we broke. When I was an adult, I still called on him to fix things.
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We saw him for the work of his hands, but as I’ve aged and
gained some wisdom, I’ve realized how much dad worked with his brain. His hands
didn’t just magically fix things; no, he reasoned out what needed to be done.
He had the intelligence and thought process of an engineer and even more—he cared. He loved Jesus
and adored his family, especially his grandkids. If you knew my dad, you most
likely knew his family.
When Jesus talked to the disciples about his future on earth,
he reminded them that he needed to go about his Father’s business. Thomas didn’t
understand where Jesus was going, and Jesus assured him if he knew God, he also
knew him.
The only way to be reconciled with God is through his son, Jesus. They are one with each other and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He connects me to God and fills me with
hope every single day. I thank Jesus for his sacrifice and taking on the sins
of people like me. He didn’t have to obey his Father, and die on the cross, but
he did.
My prayer is for everyone to choose to have their
relationship restored with God through Jesus.
John 7:16-18
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent
me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether
my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on
their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of
the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
The rhythm of the game of baseball relaxes me. The runners round the bases in order—first, second, third, and home—and the rules make sense, most of the time.
This summer a grandson is playing the great American game, Tim
is ushering at the Reds, and a granddaughter is playing softball. My family has
a long friendship with the game. Grandpa Griffith hosted baseball games at his
farm in the 1920s and 30s. Mom shared stories of watching the men lift their
bats and run the bases.
As I’ve watch baseball and softball, I see the players
making a lot of decisions. How far to run to field the ball, when to run and
when to stay on base, when to hit and when to wait.
Much like baseball, life is full of choices. Every day I’m
faced with decisions. What to do, how to react, what to say, but I have an
advantage when it comes to the choices I make. I talk to God and seek his wisdom
for what I should do. Like the baseball player looks to the coach, I seek God’s
wisdom. You see, I love God, and I want to glorify him and follow his will.
In my decisions, I seek God’s wisdom and when I forget, I
struggle. God gives free will, and he wants me to choose. So I choose him. I
Praise God for his wisdom and the freedom of being a believer.
Bend God’s ear when you have choices to make.
Kit and the Missing Notebook is a story about calming anxiety. Kit and her family move to a new town, and Kit can't find her precious notebook where she writes all the things she wants to remember. With the help of her new neighbors, she learns some techniques that help calm her anxiety.
This is a sweet story that's perfect to read aloud to children. The way the authors present the various coping techniques is unique and spot on. The authors also include notes in the back that talk about why they wrote the story and how to use the methods in the book to help a child. Mrs. G's soup recipe is included as well. The illustrations are perfect for the story.
Race to Kindness is about a race where everyone wins by spreading kindness throughout the community. The story, written by Time's 2021 Kid of the Year, is inspired by his desire to collect toys, food, and books for kids in need. It's an inspiration for all readers and a book that needs to be added to all classrooms and libraries.
The illustrations are colorful and fun and include the author as a boy leading the way to kindness.
Proverbs 14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
As I walked along the vegetable aisle at the local grocery store, I searched for a red pepper. The one I found shone with a healthy red color and felt firm to the touch. I held it up, and the skin appeared perfect, not one blemish, and the stem still held its green color.
I’d found the perfect red pepper. After I arrived home, I
set out the vegetables I wanted in my salad. I chopped the broccoli into small
sections, cut up some carrots and celery, and sliced a few olives in half. Then
I prepared to cut into that beautiful pepper.
The knife slid through the skin and pulp and the pepper fell
open. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Rot. The entire inside of the perfect red
pepper was covered in mold. I’m sure you’ve guessed—I threw it in the garbage.
I couldn’t eat a rotten red pepper. Disappointment filled me. I had looked
forward to the flavor it would add to my salad.
The pepper reminded me of social media. We tend to put our
best foot forward, share pictures of what appears to be a somewhat perfect
life, yet in reality, no one has a perfect life. There’s not a thing wrong with
sharing the positive and uplifting days. It’s encouraging, but I have to remember
that everyone else goes through trials and difficulties. I guard against the
envy I might feel for what others have or do by inviting God’s peace and
contentment into my heart.
Instead of projecting a perfect appearance, I try to be
myself. Whether on social media or in person, if you meet me, you’ll likely see
warts and all. I don’t want to be the person who looks perfect on the outside
but is rotting inside. I’d rather be my imperfect self and have the love of
Jesus in my heart and the Holy Spirit in my soul so I might have a peace filled
life.
Have a heart at peace by loving Jesus.
