Thanksgiving Amid Uncertainty and a Global Pandemic

Thanksgiving Amid Uncertainty and a Global Pandemic. 2020 will go in the history books as “the year to pause and reflect” among other descriptors. Many of us who are used to run on the treadmill of life with no rest were forced to abruptly stop. Some of us were literally thrown off the treadmill and we were not ready for the impact. Others found themselves slowing down to a complete stop. Yet others experienced the treadmill speeding up to the point of unsustainable speeds.

Who are you in this picture? How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected your personal and professional life? Most importantly, how has the Pandemic affected your spiritual life? Depending on your circumstances described above, if you found yourself suddenly on the floor, hurt, and disoriented because you either lost your job or someone you love died from the virus, did you ask others for help? Did you go to God for help and comfort?

If you found yourself “slowly slowing down,” your business deals consistently going away and not booking new business while, at the same time, your kids’ school closed and now you have to play teacher. Did you pivot your business? Have you found new ways to bring income to your home? How are you coping mentally? How are your children doing with the “distance learning” or “in-person learning” during this time?

Lastly, if you are in the third category and your treadmill of life sped up to an unsustainable pace (like doctors and nurses treating COVID-19 patients or bankers doing Paycheck Protection Program loans), were you able to slow down eventually? Or did your body give in, you let go of the handles and flew off the treadmill? Were you able to establish boundaries to say, “No more, I cannot handle any more.”?

My personal experience was a mixture of slowing down to zero traveling and, on the other hand, increased work to stay on top of the community banking industry. All my in-person speaking engagements were rescheduled from the spring and summer to now the fall. But God provided more consulting work when speaking was non-existent back in May. Overall, I have had some balanced days and some completely crazy days. But the best blessing throughout these past months is that my husband and I spend quality time at least once a week with our grandson. This is priceless and I thank God for this privilege daily.

Your responses to the questions above will vary based on your unique circumstances and your personal relationship with God. However, regardless of your situation, the entire world experienced the effects of the 2020 Pandemic in more than one way. Another way this year will go into history is as “the year that everything happened” and will never be forgotten. But you can prevail and continue life with God’s help.

The big question I ask myself and I ask you is: In the midst of uncertainty and during this Pandemic, have you used the additional time you’ve had to reflect on your relationship with God? Have you stopped to thank God despite the circumstances?

Thanking God during tribulation seems absolutely absurd and goes against our human nature. However, that’s exactly what we must do to obtain the grace, equipping, wisdom, and strength to get through adversity. When we thank God regardless of the circumstances we’re living through, He listens to us and He provides everything we need to get us through.

I encourage you to push through, believe in God, ask Him to help you through this tribulation and He will. Ask Him for wisdom and discernment as to what to do next, how to handle your children’s education, and to give you strength for each day. My hope is that this Pandemic has brought you closer to God and that your spiritual life will flourish because of this tribulation… I will leave you with these promises from the Scriptures:

John 16:33 (KJV)

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 116:1 (NLT)

I love the Lord, because He has heard My voice and my supplications.

Psalm 116:17 (NLT)

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.

Philippians 4:11 (NLT)

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Freedom and the Bridge to Eternity

Freedom and the Bridge to Eternity. Freedom is one of the core values we hold dear to our heart as humans, regardless of where we’re from. In America, the Founding Fathers made sure the right to freedom was in the Constitution as the First Amendment. Freedom has been one of the cornerstones of the foundation of the United States.

There are many types of freedoms and several ways you can look at freedom.

Freedom from Debt. Being debt free is one of my biggest goals in life as it is for many. But there is one debt we all have that will never be paid off which is the debt to love others. The Bible says in Romans 13:8 (NLT) to “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law.”

Freedom to Assemble. In America, we value the freedom to gather peacefully to celebrate or demonstrate in support of others. Unfortunately, lately we have witnessed the riots and looting that started with peaceful protests and the rioters infiltrated the protests ending with cities and businesses burnt down The behavior of few always affects the majority and impacts the level of freedom we can enjoy.

Freedom of Speech. Once again, Americans value the freedom of speech. But lately, that freedom has taken a turn into insulting others in public and imposing some people’s beliefs unto others. These behaviors and situations take us back to the Scripture above. The Bible tells us to not be in debt of any kind except for your obligation to love one another—that’s the key. The only thing we owe to others is to love them which is exactly the opposite of what’s going on in America right now.

Freedom of Religion. One main reason the original people who fled to America came for was precisely to obtain freedom of religion… But that religion was Christianity. Therefore, this country was founded in Christian principles based on the Bible. These days other religions are being imposed upon Christians and we are losing the freedom to practice Christianity, which is the founding religion of America. When foreigners come to a new country, they should not impose their own religion in the hosting country. The same way, when immigrants go to another country, they must learn the language of that country and not impose their language on the people who were born in that country.

But there is the most important freedom to have—Freedom of Spirit. The only way to obtain true freedom is through Jesus Christ. He gives us the gift of freedom from sin and ultimately, freedom from death. Jesus came to earth in human form so He could experience death just like us. But He rose from the dead and that’s how He beat death once and for all. When we know the truth of salvation, we obtain the gift of true freedom.

You can be the wealthiest individual on earth, have zero debt, have freedom of speech, be free to gather, and possess all the other freedoms. But you are not truly free because you are a slave to sin and you have not accepted the gift of salvation which gives you the ticket to freedom in eternity.

On the other hand, you can be in a physical jail, chained to the ground, like Paul was, and be completely free. Why? Because you know that if the worst thing that could happen to you—which is death—happens, you know where you’re going. You know you’re going to be free and spend eternity with God in heaven. How do you know that? Because when you accept Jesus in your heart as your Lord and Savior, you receive Him.

Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8-10 tell us to:

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

The Bridge to Eternity

The Bible tells us that Jesus is the only way to the Father and that no one goes to the Father if it not through Him. In John 14:6, Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” It cannot be clearer!

If you want to be truly free in your life, say “yes” to Jesus. The invitation is open for you but it won’t be forever as there will be a time of reconciliation with the things of God. The time is now short. Don’t miss your cue and accept Jesus’ invitation to be free of sin forever, to be truly free!

The gateway to heaven for each person is Jesus and those of us who have accepted his gif of salvation have the responsibility to tell everyone. It’s our primary job as Christians and we are commanded to do so! Building bridges means building relationships with others so we can show them “The Bridge.” So we can show them the way to eternity by personally introducing them to Jesus.

I leave you with Matthew 28:18-20: Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Pray Fervently - Ask God First

Pray Fervently - Ask God First. The end of year and beginning of a new one can be sometimes overwhelming at work. If we add to that the holidays and anything else that is going on in our lives we end up over loaded and burnt out. Today I want to encourage you to pray fervently and ask God for help first, before you get to the point of feeling overwhelmed. Ask Him to give you the grace to get through the mountain of things you have in front of you and He will help you. Today’s devotional encourages us to seek Him first and pray fervently. Enjoy!

Go to God First and Pray Fervently
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James 5:16
The earnest prayer of a righteous person has a great power and wonderful results (NLT).

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (KJV).

When we become born again we are made righteous by the grace of God. He listens to our prayers and responds.

Whenever you have a need of any kind, pray first. Ask God for wisdom, grace, strength, favor, peace—whatever you need—and He will help you. Always examine your heart to make sure your motives are right. Then pray with fervency from your heart, not casually, but with passion. The Bible tells us it is that kind of prayer that has power and brings wonderful results.

In your job, when your workload is overwhelming, pray for God to help you by multiplying your time and giving you ideas to become more efficient. When you are out of balance and work has taken over your life, ask God to help you prioritize your priorities and bring you back to balance. Don’t leave prayer as your last option because nothing else worked. Go to God first and apply this principle to every area of your life.

Plan and Do It!

Plan and Do It! Do you ever find yourself planning for something you want to do in your life but it never seems to be the perfect time to do it? If God put some desires in your heart (for example, make a trip to visit special friends that live far away, finish your college, or volunteer at an elderly facility), don’t wait until it’s too late. Plan and just do it. We should plan and then let God help us get it done but we must start the process by making the first step. Today I want to share with you a devotional that talks about planning and having faith in God to get it done. Enjoy!

We Plan. God Makes the Conditions Perfect.
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Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT)
If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.

How many times we want to make a move, a change in our lives, and we don’t because the perfect conditions are not there? We wait just a little more, one more day, one more thing to put in order, and many times we miss opportunities because we waited too long. In real life, we will never have the perfect conditions to make a step, to obey God by faith, or to make a change in our lives. We have to learn to take risks in faith and in wisdom.

Many people confuse being in faith with lack of planning. They have a “God will take care of me” attitude and don’t want to do their part. That is foolish. For example: if you want to get a new job, don’t quit the one you have in faith and then start looking, unless you can afford it financially. In my opinion, that is not faith. It is being irresponsible. I want to clarify that there may be circumstances where you may have to quit your job cold due to extreme circumstances like sexual harassment. But in most cases, you need to plan your exit.

Examine yourself. Take inventory of your skills, keep your network of contacts alive at all times. Research, plan, plan, plan. Planning is not lack of faith. It is wisdom. However, there comes a time when you are done planning and revising your plan. You turn your plan over to God and take the step. You plan with His guidance and do your best. Then let Him take care of the rest, and He will make all the conditions become perfect to allow you to make the move.

Just a Little More Faith

Just a Little More Faith. There are circumstances in our lives were we feel we do not have enough faith to get through them. Things do not look good and solutions seem impossible. But God has solutions to our problems that we have not thought about. In those moments, let’s just trust God that in His wisdom, He will resolve our situation. Today I want to share with you a devotional that will inspire you to believe – just a little more – to get your situation resolved. Enjoy!

All Things Are Possible If You Believe
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Mark 9:23 (NKJV)
Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

A man brought his child possessed with an evil spirit to the disciples and they were not able to cast it out. At that point, the child’s father, disappointed, told Jesus, “Do something if you can.” Then Jesus replied, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” After that, the child’s father said something that moved Jesus. He said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” The New Living Translation says it this way, “I do believe, but help me not to doubt!” (v. 24).

So often our spirit is willing and wants to believe, we really want to have faith, but our mind is going the other way, trying to rationalize everything and letting in doubt. The human mind is not capable of understanding the things of God. We need to put those thoughts down, believe with all our hearts, and ask God to help us believe. He is so merciful He even helps us believe when He knows we are trying our best and sincerely want to. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT) say, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.”

Don’t stop believing for what is in your heart. Seek God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and He will help you. Remember, all things are possible to those who believe.

Faith and Patience

Faith and Patience. Today I just want to encourage you to have faith in God that He will help you with whatever situation you are going through at the time. I also want to encourage you to be patient while you wait for God to respond to your prayers. The devotional for today helps us to do this. Enjoy!

Faith and Patience Are Key to Your Success

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James 1:2-4 (KJV)

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Part of living in this world is to experience trials and temptations. James encourages us to use those trials as an opportunity for joy because it is by going through those experiences that we grow and learn to be patient. When we become “perfect” (or mature in patience), we arrive at a spiritual place where we are entire and want nothing.

God allows us to go through those trials so we can grow in Him—in faith and patience. Remember, the test is on what we believe. When we pass those tests, our faith is stronger and we move on to the next level of maturity in the Lord.

Faith and patience are two crucial ingredients to your success in life. If you are experiencing trials at work or at home, ask God, in faith, for wisdom to know what to do and for patience to help you get through it. The first key is to have faith and believe God will answer you and help you out of that situation. The second key is to have patience while you wait for His answer. If you do this, you will come out in the end more mature and patient—wanting nothing.

Avoid Complaining

Avoid Complaining. Sometimes when we have a lot going on we may have the tendency to complain and feel sorry for ourselves. Even though we may be overwhelmed we must avoid complaining because that behavior drives people away. One of the ways we can avoid complaining is by not getting ourselves in situations where we are overcommitted. We need to keep balance in our lives and say no when we know we cannot commit to new activities. Today I would like to share with you a devotional that talks about avoiding this kind of behavior. Enjoy!

Avoid Complaining and Arguing
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Philippians 2:14-15 (NLT)

In everything you do, stay away from complaining and arguing, so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.

In our lives, both at work and at home, there are always reasons for us to complain and reasons to argue with other people. The Word tells us to do the opposite—to live our lives clean and innocent, to be an example to other people, to walk in love, and shine our light before them. When we do this, no one can speak anything against us. We accomplish this by following the example of Jesus. He did it by spending time with the Father. That is the only way we will ever become more like Him. Little by little we will learn to not be bugged by worldly things, to really walk in love, and see things from a different perspective—His.

Schedule time with the Lord and spend time with Him so you are able to avoid complaining and arguing.

All We Need Is A Little Faith

All We Need Is A Little Faith. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed with so much to do we lose track of who is in control of our lives. We then need to refocus and remember that God is in control. He knows us very well and He’s always there to help us and comfort us. Besides our work and family obligations, sometimes we also have other issues going on like an illness in the family, a friend going through an ugly divorce, or a bad situation at work we don’t know how to handle. That’s when we need to exercise our faith for God to help us.

Today I will share with you one of the Devotionals that talks about faith and how God only asks us to have just a little faith—that would be sufficient to get us through whatever situation we may be going through at the time. Enjoy!

All We Need Is a Little Faith
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Matthew 17:20 (NLT)
“I assure you, even if you had faith as small as a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”

From the day we become Christian until the day we die, we are to walk by faith. That is the life of a Christian. Jesus tells us that if we had as little as a mustard-seed-size faith, we could do anything. That is because we are not the ones doing the miracles, God is. All He wants us to have is faith in Him that He can and will perform what we ask Him to do for us.
We have to believe! But how do we increase our faith? By hearing the Word of God repeatedly until it sinks into our hearts. In addition to believing, we have to trust Him that He will perform His promises in our personal lives, and we should expect them to come to pass. His promises, among many, include peace, joy, rest, love, protection, and, of course, the ultimate promise of salvation. They are all free gifts to us.
Once we have a little faith, we must put it to work and exercise it with the authority that God has given us. We start with small things and, as we pass the small faith tests, we will become more confident and our faith will continue to grow.
If you are having issues at work, if you are praying for a promotion, for a special client, project, a new boss or employee, or whatever it is, have faith that God will give you what you’re asking for. Exercise your faith today.