“If then I did anything wrong and deserving death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” (Acts 25:11)

James Bond always seems to exude confidence he usually just says his name all suave “Bond, James Bond.” His name being an entire statement and not just a name. There is always something we can learn from people who are confident they are able to boldly proclaim things and have a self- awareness about their selves. When we are confident, we are standing firm in the truth about ourselves. We know we can have confidence because we are rooted in Jesus.

Confidence involves having courage and humility when we face situations that involve being misunderstood, false accusations, or even mistreatment we can stay honest, humble, and anchored in God’s purpose. Though it can be difficult to be honest and humble when facing tough situations especially when we know we have done nothing wrong and might have to face consequences that are unjust. We too can refuse to be condemned by false accusations and stand firm in truth. We can have faith that true justice will prevail.

True justice only comes from Jesus he sits on the rightful judgment seat. We are held accountable for our actions whether we believe that we are innocent or not, but we can trust God that God’s justice will prevail even when human systems fail us.
 
Heavenly Father, help us to stand firm in your truth even when the outcome does not look good. Help us to believe in the purpose that you have set before each one of us.
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Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins
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"'I said, What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.'" (Acts 22:10)

School assigned projects sometimes are not fun since often teachers assign partners who might not be our friends. Some assigned tasks we might get at work might include administrative taking messages, answering phones, or even operational involving ensuring the work environment is clean and orderly or even supervisory assignments including hiring, training, and supervising tasks. There are tasks that we all must complete. Some are more strenuous than others and some take more energy but no matter how difficult, we must complete the work that is before us.

Often, we do not know what the next step is that we must take. We can ask the question “What shall I do, Lord?”, it marks the beginning of transformation. We stop telling God what we want and ask Him what He wants us to do moving ourselves from control to surrender. We learn to seek out the assigned tasks that he has for us and not just the desires of our hearts. Not all the tasks will be laid out exactly before us and may come one step at a time. It is okay to not know exactly what to do, and you may feel stuck however, continue to ask and seek God for guidance.

You are never alone when you feel stuck and are unsure what to do next. God promises He will never leave us nor forsake us. He also goes before us in all situations. He is always there right beside us. When you are stuck and unsure what to do, pray to God and He will give you direction in what to do next.

Heavenly Father, thank you that we are never alone that you walk beside us. When we are uncertain or plans fall apart, help us to ask what we should do, Lord?

Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

Today there are books, podcasts, and YouTube clips on anything you could possibly think about learning more about. Want to learn to make the perfect coffee art there are thousands of videos, want to develop your leadership skills there are hundreds of podcasts that you can delve into to get a deeper understanding. Want to learn on personal finances and go from broke to millionaire there are books that claim to help you. It is important to search and research the material to get a better understanding.

We must come with the right attitude with learning we must be eager to learn and willing to accept the new information. Often, when learning new skills there will be trial and error. We might not get it the first time but, with practice and patient we become even better with the skills.

When we search through material and stay open to what God is saying we protect ourselves from being misled. Far too often half-truth might seem like the truth but, there is only one truth, and it comes from God.
 
Heavenly Father, may we be eager to hear your word and be diligent to test everything by it.
 
Walking with you,        
Stacy Watkins

“Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:3)
 
Pick-up basketball games are always fun. When you start playing with the same people for a while you get to know them and what they are known for. One person might have a reputation for dunking, while another might have a reputation for fast footwork always stealing the ball away from the other team. We are known by the works that we do some people might not have a great reputation if they miss a lot of their shots, they might get a reputation for shooting airballs. Our reputation can even proceed us even before we meet someone new for the first time because of the people we know and even hang around.

A person with a good reputation is often sought after because they are known for their work and are trustworthy. One way we know how to do good work is by using wisdom. Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit but, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. Through time and experience we gain wisdom we also can gain wisdom from asking the one person who knows all things God. We can ask God for wisdom in tough situations and when we are making difficult decisions. We can also seek out friends, pastors, and people we know who might be a little wiser than us to speak guidance into the situation.
 
Heavenly Father, grant us wisdom to see the best course of action and the courage to follow your direction. Guide us in making decisions and help us to follow your will in all things.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

““So in the present case, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is God, you will not overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him.” (Acts 5:38-39)
 
Some people have a five or a ten-year road map for their lives planning everything out where they are going to go to college, at what age they are going to get married, and even where they are going to be in their career. While others might not do a road map to figure out where they will be in the future, they might wait for doors of opportunities to happen to help them get to where they want to be in life. While others just wait on luck to get them where they want to be in life.

Still, many create plans even at work we might make plans who to talk too, what appointments to schedule throughout the day, and even what tasks are necessary that must get done that day. When we try and force things to happen often it can backfire on us and what we were expecting to happen becomes a disappointment and we fail at it. Even our energy, mental and physical well-being may suffer the consequences of trying to do something out of our own efforts.

However, there is hope for if we use wisdom and discernment and realize our own efforts versus God working within the plan then it will not be stopped God’s work will manifest and succeed on its own terms. We must have patience and trust in God’s plan even when we do not know the details, or it feels like we are taking steps one at a time in the dark. Sometimes we can resist God’s plan because it is not something we would want for ourselves a certain job, resources, and even getting assistance in areas that we are struggling. No matter how fast we want something to happen or even try and get somewhere else in life we must have patience and trust in God’s plan for our life.
 
Heavenly Father, may we trust in your plan for our lives, may we not resist you leading us through doors of opportunities.
 
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.”
(John 14:27)
                 
Swings on playgrounds are fun; you can feel high in the air when you are swinging forward or backward. Once you get going on a swing it takes a moment to stop. We can apply Newtons law of motion on figuring out how to stop, keep going faster, and getting the initial push off the ground. When there is no force upon the swing it sits at rest. Our lives can feel like the swing that it is going in one direction and progressing, or we are swinging backwards and going even further away from the direction of where we want to be. In the middle is where the swing rests. There is no force moving it forward or backwards it is just there at peace.

There is a lot that is always happening in the world which propels us forward into changing for the good or going backwards and making wrong choices that can harm us. There are few things in this world that can give us peace. We may say a quiet afternoon strolling the beach or hikes near our favorite lake, gives us peace but this peace is only temporary. Complete peace is found within Jesus. Jesus brings peace that unites friends, family, and even strangers, and even contentment in all the areas of our lives. There is a restoration of an imbalance and Jesus brings us into a new harmony.

Jesus Christ came as the Prince of Peace this does not mean that there is an automatic peace in our lives, and everything will be made exactly how we envision it. Our hearts will know a new type of peace that brings us harmony even in our troubles. We must believe in Jesus and surrender our lives to Christ actively choosing to follow God living under his wisdom and direction.
 
Jesus, thank you that no matter our circumstances are at the time and the difficulties I see before me that you bring peace.
 
Walking with you,
Stacy Watkins

“And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.”
            Hebrews 10:24-25

The last few weeks have been spent gathering with different friends, and family members celebrating the various holidays. We can remember the days of laughter expressed with joy. Some of the encounters might not be completely fun while others were filled with debates that left you feeling annoyed and even with worry but, the holidays remind us that we are made for companionship that with the right people we are better together.

When we have been hurt by so many people in our past, often we come to believe that we do not need people in our life we can do everything on our own, but we were not created for isolation. We are created to live life with people and for a purpose. The hardest part is finding the right people to become a part of your community. As we age, we might become skeptical of having anyone become a part of our community when we see a new face often, we do not want to trust them since we do not know them, or we do not want to be hurt like we have been in a previous friendship. It is hard to trust after being hurt, but we cannot go through life alone.
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Trusting a new person can be hard since we must be vulnerable. We must let them know who we are it can be scary; however, at the same time we must be brave and willing to be loved by another person. We need people in our communities that will encourage us to become our better selves, learn to grow, and develop to thrive. When we find the right people to become a part of our community we do not just grow, but flourish. We become even more than what we expected we can become.
 
Heavenly Father, may you place the right people in my path that will continue to challenge, encourage, and even help me flourish. May your Spirit help me discern who I need to let in and who I need to stay away from.
 
Walking with 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

“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

“For I am doing something in your days that you will not believe when you hear about it.” (Habukkuk 1:5)
 

If you turn on the news today it always seems very negative majority of the media coverage includes possibility of war. Hurricanes take out power in cities. Companies are laying off hundreds of workers. Children are killed by their parents. There is a lot of injustice in the world that can make us question if there is a God? Or even why is God not intervening? Why is He allowing for all this to happen? We can get drained from negative circumstances and just want everything to be right in the world.  When devastating circumstances rock our lives, we can doubt God and what He is even doing.

God is not scared of our questions or our doubt. Instead, he gives us hope in hard times. Sometimes the plan that God is doing is completely unbelievable that we would not even believe it even if we tried. We can only see a part of the story and not the entire picture. God sees the entire picture and can work things together for good. God is working in our lives and in the world in ways what we could not imagine.

​It can feel like God is absent or not listening during these times, but he hears our cries and wants the best for us. God is bigger than any of our circumstances and can make a way when we see there is no way.  The situation may seem bleak but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Your situation does not define who you are. You are worth more than your situation.
 
Heavenly Father, there is so much violence and negative circumstances in the world that I do not understand. It is hard to find hope when there is so much wrongdoing. But God, may I continue to trust in you for I know you are doing something completely unbelievable that I could not even imagine happening.
 
Praying,
Stacy Watkins