“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in so doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:16, NKJV
People are watching us every day. Sometimes, in good ways or not so good, our greatest impact on the people in our path may get missed in the “tyranny of the urgent.” Most of us will never stand on a stage before hundreds of people, or run for political office, however, all of us touch the lives of others in the simple going and coming of each day. A kind word to someone in the grocery line, or a smile of acknowledging a stranger on an elevator are only small examples of ways you and I might make a difference in our world—no money spent and with little effort.
The apostle Paul draws down deep into his life experiences to impart the wisdom he has gained to his young student, Timothy. Before encountering Jesus, Paul, known then as Saul was a renowned zealot who hated Christians. He persecuted and killed many who professed to be followers of Jesus Christ. Not until he met Jesus in person on the road to Damascus did Paul’s life turn upside down, or should I say, right side up, that his eyes were opened spiritually to the truth of God. Without his encounter with Jesus, Paul, or Saul would be little remembered or not remembered at all; instead, through his many writings in the New Testament of the Bible, Paul’s influence and impact on the world continues to stretch across the centuries.
As a Christian, I find “everyday living” to be a challenge, when in my humanity failures overshadow the “good” I want to do. Perhaps you can relate? God did not choose Paul as His ambassador because of Paul’s good character; God chose Paul because of his imperfections and how meeting Jesus can change even the worst of us into a useful vessel.
The human condition may be frail but with Jesus working in us and through us, we have been infused with the strength and courage to “continue” (some translations say “persevere”) in the work to win others to Christ. If we do not give up, one day we will hear these words, “Well done good and faithful servant…Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21).
“As Iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17, NASB
At seventy-seven years old, you might imagine by now many people have come and gone in my life. For most of us, some people are mere acquaintances, while others we call friends leave an indelible mark on our lives. Almost forty years ago, one such friend entered my world, and my life was changed for the better.
You may know Kim Newlen because of Sweet Monday Ministry but I would like to introduce to you my friend, Kim Newlen of many years, who I saw as the funniest, most down-to-earth woman God created, at least to me. Everyone who knew Kim loved her unique vocabulary, no doubt the result of growing up in Gaffney South Carolina: “Oh, my roodies!” “What’s down in the well comes up in the bucket.” And the squeal outbursts when she was caught by delighted surprise will ring forever in my head and heart. Kim was a girly girl through and through!
Although her life was cut far too short, the imprint of Kim’s earthly presence will have an effect that only eternity will reveal in its’ entirety. Thirty years ago, sitting on the steps in the church where Kim and I attended bible study together, she showed me her idea of how God was leading her in bringing women together for fellowship. “Simple, Sweet, and Salty,” adjectives she used to describe the centerpiece of what she called, Sweet Monday, with an emphasis on the One who defines true love and caring, Jesus Christ. In 2025, Sweet Monday Ministry is practiced around the world “Reaching one woman at a time for Christ.”
I wish I had enough time and space on this paper to express all my feelings of love and respect for Kim, but her legacy speaks for itself through the countless women whose lives she has touched. On the day I pass through the gates of heaven, I have no doubt one of the first sounds I will hear is Kim’s squealing outburst of delight at our sweet reunion; then together, along with all the saints we will “delight ourselves in the LORD” forever.
“Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” Psalm 27:14, NKJV
Some days, no matter what I do, even when the sun is shining outside, inside my head a dark cloud follows me. Recently, I had one of “those days.” Usually, it is nothing more than little nagging incidences, like exploding eggs in the microwave, finding a splinter in my foot, or needing to chase after a run-away hat being lifted off my head by the wind. Other days, the dark cloud is a broken water pipe (in the attic!) that damages sheetrock and carpet on the other three floors below. All these occurrences, whether serious in nature or simply annoyances can and often do challenge my sense of wellbeing. Maybe you can relate?
An old remedy we were taught growing up is when unexpected things happen and threaten your peace of mind, STOP and count to ten. Of course, the premise of this exercise is easier to understand than it is to put into action. Who remains silent when you stub your toe? Well, you get the picture.
Most often, whether we stop and count to ten or close our eyes in prayer to God, waiting is an act of the will. Doing nothing in our circumstances is different than waiting. “Waiting” suggests an expectation that something will happen at the end of the waiting period. The psalmist understood that for those who “Wait on the LORD,” something good will follow. You may argue that input + outcome does not always = good results. For example, my broken water pipe caused extreme damage, and your “stubbed toe” may be broken too, so what is the point in waiting on the LORD with good expectations? I am so glad you asked…
Waiting, or abiding in the LORD may not change our circumstances but it does determine how we navigate through them. God “will strengthen your heart” to endure. And Paul reinforces this truth when he writes in the Book of Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication (pleading), with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Thank You, God, that You meet us right where we are. Give us the courage to trust that You are faithful and that Your word is always good and true. Amen.
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2, NKJV
Two friends visited me this summer from Texas and one of them is traveling another road no one wishes to experience. For privacy, I am calling her “Sue.” Our paths crossed in person through our other mutual friend eleven years ago right after my husband died from a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease. Sue loved on me and showered me with prayer throughout our time together. She ministered to my broken heart, and I will always love her for her much-needed compassion.
Today, Sue is navigating through the shrouded and often unrecognizable world she lives in called dementia. The same mysterious look I saw in the eyes of my husband when confusion in his surroundings frightened him, I now see in my precious friends’ eyes. However, to focus on only the obvious devastating effects of dementia would be to miss how God uses the darkness of this world to shine His light.
As I mentioned earlier in this writing, Sue is and always has been a prayer warrior. Nothing, not even dementia can rob her of what God intends to use for His glory. While waiting for a connecting flight on their way to visit me, Sue spotted a middle-aged man in overalls sitting by himself. Uninhibited, she walked over to the man and asked, “Can I pray for you?”
Surprised, he looked up and after a brief hesitation, replied, “Sure. I guess.”
Sue began praying for this stranger, for his family, and for any need he may have. She ended her prayer in the name of Jesus.
After Sue walked away, the stranger, with emotion, asked our mutual friend and companion on the trip, “Why did she pick me of everyone here?”
“Sue listens to God as He leads her and today, it looks like He led her to you,” our friend said.
Walking up to strangers and asking to pray for them is not a strength I possess; actually, I am ashamed to admit this makes me uncomfortable, although not to receive prayer, only to pray for others in a public setting. Sue shared that only once she had the sad experience of being turned down by someone for whom she wanted to pray. The rest of her benefactors always thank her and are noticeably touched, like the gentleman in the airport.
When I look back over my life, I am convinced sometimes to have experienced “angels unwittingly” through interactions with complete strangers. If you are ever approached by someone asking to pray for you, remember Sue. You never know…he or she just may be an angel in disguise.
“But He answered and said to them, ‘I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.’” Luke 19:40, NKJV
Being at the shore or in the mountains is always inspiring for me. The vast ocean and the majestic snow-covered mountaintops jutting into the clouds make me feel small in comparison both in physical stature and material importance. When I am faced with acknowledging the whole of creation and where I fit into it, my relative smallness and overall significance seem of little importance. Yet God says in His Word, “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). And from the Book of Isaiah, God tells us, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands…” (Isaiah 49:16).
When Jesus walked the countryside with His disciples, He expressed through word and action God’s deep love and intimate knowledge of every person. To the religious leaders of the day, Jesus clarified God’s love for His creation as the foundation upon which the Law (Ten Commandments) was given, not man’s obedience to the Law as the foundation upon which God’s love is earned. In the 21st century, however, the proverbial pendulum has swung the other way from religious legalism to humanistic “worship.” We do this by adding up how many followers we have on our social media account; this supposedly determines one’s value and importance.
If we need a reset in perspective for understanding our value here on earth, worshipping God is a great place to start. Once we recognize who God is should not humility naturally follow, knowing that our Creator loves us and died for us? C. S. Lewis wrote, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” Hoping Mr. Lewis would not mind, I would like to add a postscript: And thinking of God more!
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16, NIV
At 2:30 am, our family was awakened by the screaming sound of smoke alarms throughout the house. Ten people, five barking dogs, and two cats all reacting accordingly to the warning jumped out of bed (or in the case of the cats, under the bed) to address the situation. We were on vacation at our summer home in Delaware when all of this went down. With heads scratching after a careful and thorough examination of our surroundings, we determined the culprit to be nothing more than a faulty alarm, probably in need of a new battery. However, when one alarm sounds, they all sound! Therefore, we had no idea how to solve the problem. Oh, and did I forget to mention, that every smoke alarm is located high up in a vaulted ceiling?
The unsettling, unsolved cacophony of eardrum-piercing noise throughout the house sent us to call the non-emergency fire department number, where we were instructed to call 911. Within minutes, the local volunteer fire department arrived at our front door, fire truck, emergency vehicle, and fully-dressed-for-a-fire-emergency crew, all to help us remedy our conundrum. After checking to make certain there was not a real fire, the firemen climbed the ladder and removed what was presumed the malfunctioning unit. Along with our sleepy-eyed family members, the fire department crew laughed at the craziness of it all. We thanked them for coming out and off they went, leaving us to return to our beds in the quiet as God intended humanity to sleep.
Lesson takeaway: I was grateful the situation was not life-threatening. Then, I was thankful for the emergency crew who came to our rescue not knowing if what they faced was a fire, or another type of potentially dangerous environment. In our current world atmosphere, a spirit of hostility seems to be the first line of defense. The emergency crew could have been understandably annoyed and acted ugly, leaving us to feel ashamed of having called them for nothing more than a non-cooperative smoke alarm; but we went back to sleep feeling well cared for and valued.
I do not know if our “rescuers” are God-loving believers, however, they did not “grumble or argue” with their “audience in distress;” instead, they “shine[ed] like stars in the sky…” giving glory to God knowingly, or unknowingly. Should I not, therefore, as a child of God act accordingly when the opportunity presents itself as I go about my daily routine? The answer is a resounding, yes!
Lord, today, and everyday impress upon my heart and mind the joy of knowing You. Let Your presence flow out of my mouth with words that are edifying to those around me and pleasing to You, the Author of everything that is right and good. Amen.
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10, NKJV
When I was in the eleventh grade, a friend met me in the hallway one September day right after the school year began, and said, “My friend, Richard Sharp wants me to ask if you will go to the ‘Back to School’ dance with him next weekend?” My response… “Why doesn’t he ask me himself?” Well, after receiving a personal invitation to the school dance from the somewhat shy young man resulted in the most exciting fifty years of my earthly life. Although Richard went to heaven eleven years ago, I have two beautiful daughters and four precious grandchildren to prove I made the right decision by saying, “yes.”
What if Richard had not taken the time to ask me out, would our paths have crossed at a future date? Maybe, maybe not, but I do know this—without some type of personal interaction at some point in time, Richard and I would not have had any relationship at all. How do I know this to be true? The obvious answer is that humans require interaction to build any type of relationship, meaningful or otherwise; I believe most logical and reasonable people agree with this provable and pivotal fact.
God created human beings with a need for personal relationships not only to give us the opportunity to experience a deep emotional connection with each other but also the opportunity to experience a deep emotional connection with our Creator. Therefore, two thousand years ago Jesus Christ, Immanuel [God with us] entered the world in the flesh, into the human experience to give us an opportunity to get to know Him by having a relationship with Him. Like Richard personally inviting me to the school dance, Jesus invites you and me to get to know Him by spending time with Him, while building a meaningful relationship that promises a present hope and an eternal deliverance. Sixty years ago, I said, yes, to Richard’s invitation; forty years ago, I said, yes, to the invitation of Jesus. I have never regretted accepting either invitation!
At this very moment, Jesus is inviting you into a personal relationship so you can get to know Him. Friend, will you say, yes?
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen” (Ephesians 3:20, NKJV).
The words of the Book of Ephesians “exceedingly abundantly…” echo in the recesses of my mind whenever I think of how much God loves me. No matter what is happening in my life or the world, holding onto the truth of God’s Word is paramount to the peace and contentment I feel. So often, we in our humanity make the mistake of facing our circumstances first on how and what we feel in the moment, rather than what we know to be true according to the Bible; when we allow this to happen, we risk facing challenges with unnecessary confusion about not only the present and future, but also about the faithfulness of our Lord.
How much does God love you and me? Our Creator Father has never and will never hold back on His affection for us. In the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, he prays that “He [God] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width, and length, and depth, and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:16-19, emphasis mine).
Sweet friend, please re-read the previous paragraph, keeping in mind that God’s promises are as relevant and powerful today, in your life and mine, as they were when the Apostle Paul penned them well over 2000 years ago. No matter what you are going through; no matter how impossible your circumstances may feel, trust and believe in the Word of God, who raised His Son, Jesus from death to life. The empty tomb is our Father’s guarantee, that He is still on the throne. This is the Truth! Do you believe it?
Father, help us to remember in times of what feels like complete hopelessness in this world, that nothing, absolutely nothing is out of Your reach and control. Give us the strength and the faith to have a heavenly perspective, no matter what. Amen.
