“And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15)
 
Gratitude is an individual choice. We can walk through life complaining that there is nothing to be grateful for because of our life circumstance. Where we want to be may seem completely out of reach, because of our financial or relationship situations we forget that there are parts of our lives that we can be grateful for.

There are several things in life that we do not think about being grateful for: gravity, if there was not gravity we would just float into the atmosphere. The earth for continuing rotating without us even having to worry about it. If God did not keep the earth from rotating, there would be catastrophic consequences our days could become longer, and the weather would drastically change. We can thank God that we do not need to worry about floating off the planet because there is gravity that keeps us grounded. We can thank God that we are not in charge of making sure that earth keeps rotating. Someone might forget unless it’s on their daily checklist.

Everyday there are small things that we can think to be thankful for. We can be thankful that we are alive and get to live this day, since we will never live this day again. We can be grateful for the people who influence us each day and continue to encourage us to do better. We can be thankful that we have savior that died for our sins on the cross so that we can have a right relationship with God. When we learn to be grateful and thankful we find ways to enjoy life even when we do not have much.
 
Heavenly Father, sometimes it is hard to be grateful when I am blinded with situation that is right in front me. Help me to take time each day to become grateful for everything that surrounds me.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
 
This past week brought about a lot of tension between friends, family, and even coworkers. Each of our friends have burdens that many of us do not know about. To know our friends better we must create space for them to vulnerable. Create space to let them discuss their lived experience and what is currently burdening them right now. We must humble ourselves and be willing to listen regardless of our feelings.

When we love our friends and neighbors, we walk with them through their struggles, their struggle becomes our own struggle. One burden is the temptation to do things that is not good for our health or even for relationships. It might be difficult but, we are to share with those who we trust what temptations we are facing. Those within our circle can hold us accountable.

Some burdens feel a little harder to talk about like being lonely during the holidays or learning to make new friends in a different state. It may feel strange to ask someone if they can sit with you because you do not want to be alone but, they will be glad to be there for you. Christ carried all our burdens when he died on the cross for all of us. There is nothing we must face alone since he is always with us and will never forsake us.
 
Heavenly Father, thank you for carrying our burdens to the cross. Everything that we are facing we do not face alone because you are with us each step of the way. May we continue to lean on you.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. “(Romans 14:19)
 
The past few months have been filled with whose policy is right or wrong. There have been people getting into fights because they want a particular candidate to win. Some friends no longer talk to each because of viewpoints of government policies. However, it is not about right or wrong but what builds another person up and promotes peace.

To build something there must be a firm foundation for many of us it involves who we are this is formed by our world view. Our world view encompasses how the world works based on our background from growing up and our lived experiences. During our lifetime we might face injustices: racial, poverty, healthcare, immigration it matters how we respond. There are ways we can contribute to aid to fight against these injustices we do not need to wait four years for an election year. The focus should be towards peace and bringing people together.

Often, many individuals think they have nothing to contribute but, we all have gifts and talents. Our talents may be different from someone else but, that is the beauty of community we can all contribute by bringing something different to the table.  What promotes peace is working together for a common good. Jesus is known as the Prince of Peace he is the ultimate promoter of providing peace so that we might come into a right relationship with God.  

Not only are we to promote peace build another person up. This can be done by small and large gestures such as having a conversation, smiling, and even saying an encouraging word.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus who is the ultimate idea of peace, during the next few days may we seek to promote peace and build one another up even when times are hard.
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Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Colossians 3:18)
 
The word submit makes me want to cringe. Often it is used as a reason for women to obey their spouse regardless of what they say or how they treat them. This is not the case.

Submission can be seen in two ways in a military context we submit to the leaders who are over the unit. However, your spouse is not in a military regimen with just you and them. It would be difficult to conquer a nation with just the two of you. Submit here is used meaning a voluntary attitude of cooperating, assuming responsibility, and obedience. It is voluntary not mandated. Your spouse has a choice in cooperating in what you are requesting of them, they get to decide if they want to obey or assume responsibility. The decision rests with them. The spouse is a cooperative partner. A partner in your relationship.

“As is fitting in the Lord.” The type of love that is fitting in the Lord is one of sacrificial love that Christ calls for husbands to led by. They are the example as the head of the household of how to protect those under their care, support them, and sacrifice for them. Just as Jesus submitted to the Father. The aim of submission is unity. Jesus submits to the Father to bring mankind into a right relationship with the Father. Spouses submit to each other to create a stronger family unit.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1

Today it is hard to believe when something happens. We rarely take anything on just someone’s word. If my friend says they can deadlift 300 lbs, we want them to prove it. If our kids learned their first word we try and make sure they say it again so there is proof they know the word. Your aunt’s banana pudding is the best. The proof is in the pudding. There is a lack of trust since we must prove everything.

The definition of faith is what is hoped for but, a proof that is unseen. It is a reality of what you have hoped for there is a conviction, of what is not real but is true. It is not wishful thinking “I hope this is going to happen” but a firm conviction that what you have hoped for will happen.

In Indiana Jones the Last Crusade Indiana is told he needs to take a leap of faith. There is a point where he is looking into a chasm and is terrified since he cannot see the bottom. It looks like if he takes the step he will fall to his death. He instead takes a step of faith and steppingstones appear beneath his feet. It gives a great picture of faith. To take a step when we think it will lead to our death but, have faith that there are stones underneath our feet even when we cannot see them.

God calls us to have this kind of faith. Although, we cannot see Jesus we believe in him. We believe in Jesus, not like a blind leap of faith in the dark but, because we have a reason too. He died on the cross so that we can have a relationship with God. Restore our relationships with each other. To set us free from any sin that we are facing. Faith in Christ is a firm foundation. For he is the true definition of faith.
                 
Heavenly Farther, God it is hard to live by faith. Help me to live by faith today, to live with an assurance and conviction, confidence in you and your word.

Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“The Lord examines the righteous, but he hates the wicked and those who love violence.”
- Psalms 11:5
 
Video games can be helpful, they can help promote learning. There are some computer games that help people learn typing skills, creativity, and even problem solving. However, there have been some controversial video games such as Mortal Kombat, Death Race, Grand Theft Auto. When these games came out many parents fought against these games since they promoted violence. Some parents believed that these games would influence their children to become violent. This was not always the case however, there are some people who love violent games and are not violent towards others.

When we love violence and hurting others, we are not thinking of others in the image that they are created. Everyone is made with inherent worth no matter how different they are from us. We may believe stealing is not against a person’s worth, but we are taking away from their livelihood. We are to think of others and what good we can do towards others. The Lord examines our hearts and can change us If we have a violent behavior tendency, we can learn to use healthy ways to express our anger such as take deep breaths and calmly talk about the situation. We can budget to save money for the items we desire instead of stealing.

If you have been violent in the past God hates that you have been violent and turned away from him. God loves you and wants to see that you do God in your life and work towards building a better community.
 
Heavenly Father, I have lived a path of violence and stealing for some time. God help me to change my ways and see everyone as you see them as children who are loved by their father.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

“…So, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
 (Malachi 2:16)
 
This can also be read as if you do not guard yourself in your spirit, we will grow faithless. Being faithful does not come naturally to people. It is even harder to be faithful to people. Often, our feelings can get hurt when we are overlooked for promotions, let down from something, and even being told no because someone thinks we are limited because of our capabilities. During, these times we can look for an easy way out this may be finding a different vocation, stop attending functions, and even avoiding people. This is the easy way out.

The hard way is being faithful even when it is hard. Many of us have heard the saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going” it is a choice to lean into your difficult situation and keep going. We can take the time to focus on what we need to do. We can ask our supervisors during our evaluations how we can improve at our vocations; we can discuss with our friends what is bothering us and how they may have hurt us. Instead of avoiding people we can make a further effort to get to know them. It will be difficult and uncomfortable at first.
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Guard your spirit for the adversary loves to use difficult days to rob us of our faith, destroy our faith, and strip us of our faith. Don’t let him instead, pray to God to give you even more faith during your hard seasons. Sing praises to God to build up your faith. Gather with friends that can speak encouragement and speak into your life. Build up your faith through reading and listening to scripture. Do not take the easy way out and become unfaithful but seek to be faithful by guarding your heart.
 
Heavenly Father, help me to be faithful in this situation. I know I would rather take the easy way out but, God, you called us to be faithful even in hard times. May, my spirit be guarded and continually renewed with your love during this time.
 
Struggling with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are my people, and they will say: The Lord is our God.” (Zechariah 13:9)
 
Here we are called to be refined as silver and tested as gold. These are both precious metals. Not many of us go and seek to be tested or refined since many of us do not want to face our own insecurities or even trials. Facing our own insecurities and trials puts us into a vulnerable position the parts of us that we do not want people to see are exposed. There are no possible ways to hide our flaws.

When we come to difficulties such as financial difficulties, losing a job, and relationship struggles often we complain against God about our situation and even lose our faith. It can be challenging to understand why a God who is proclaimed to be good to allow suffering and even put people through the fire. However, going through the fire often can bring about something good and beautiful. Rings are often put through fire to be refined and made beautiful. When we go through financial struggles and learn to budget money, we learn how to spend our money wisely. When we lose a job, we can get angry and choose not to work again. God has given you skills and abilities that you can use at different jobs. That one place is not the only place there may be something even better for you.

Refining by fire may not feel the greatest since you are going through a lot and sometimes there does not feel like a way out. Through the righteousness of Christ God has purged away our sins and made everyone who believes in Him pure.
 
Heavenly Father, Lord I do not see any way out of my current situation, but I know you have already given me the skills and abilities to be able to further my situation. God I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you can. May I continue to allow you to guide me each step of the way
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins

Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans. (Psalm 37:7)
 
The one thing that I do not like about ordering items online is the delivery. Yes, it might be faster than going to the store. However, have you ever got fixated on the delivery timeframe for something that you needed. Checking Amazon constantly for has it shipped, is it on its way, what time is it going to arrive. We wait expectantly for the passage to arrive especially when it gives us a time frame of when it will arrive.

I can expect for it to arrive it might not be the time that I want it to arrive. We are to wait on God and not worry about those who are doing evil. It can be difficult if we pick up the newspaper or any media we hear about war, violence, murder just chaos running around. Yet, God calls us to wait patiently this does not mean to sit idly and just watch the world unfold before our eyes. It means to bring all the concerns of your heart everything that you see taking place before him. Pray about it, seek him, wait on Him. He has seen all that takes place in the world and has assured us the destruction of evil.

It may be hard to wait on Him. There are times when we might want to take revenge and even matters into our own hands. This will only make it worse. God sees everything that is happening just wait on Him. Continue to wait expectantly on Him for everything takes places in his timing.
 
Lord, there is so much evil that prospers in the world sometimes it feels like evil keeps prospering over good. Though I may want to act I will seek you first and wait on you.
                 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“I will make you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant- this is the Lord’s declaration- and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you. This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.” (Haggai 2:23)
 
Pick-up games for basketball make me nervous there is always the anticipation of which team is going to choose you. Are you going to be picked first or are you the person that the team gets stuck with because you are the last one standing there? I dislike having to stand in the lineup and just wait for someone to say I pick them. Maybe your super tall and never have to worry about getting picked for a basketball game. No one likes being picked last it is the worst feeling.

God says that he has chosen you not only are you chosen but like his signet ring. A signet ring was used by kings to mark their seal on documents. The seal stated that the document was genuine. It is comparable to a notarized document today. It carried the authority of the kings’ commands. God gives Zerubbabel honor and authority that will not be removed by making him like his signet ring. Today that same signet ring of authority is in each one of us the Holy Spirit that lives in us is a sign of authority and honor that was placed on us through God. Zerubbabel’s honor and authority continued through the Davidic line giving hope and encouragement.

Through this promise not only do we have continued hope and encouragement because of Jesus but God sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal that we are chosen by God and have honor and authority from him. It continues to lead us and guide us in all that we do.
 
Lord, I thank you that not only do you see us and have chosen us. Lord, you did not choose us because we are strong, clever, or great but because of who you are and because you love each of us.
 
Praying for you,
Stacy Watkins