My son gave me an electric kettle. I have discovered that the adage is false – a watched pot does boil. I became fascinated as I peered into the glass pot. Then a truth came to me. I tend to have a bubbly personality – and it’s not a good thing.
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At first, little tiny bubbles surfaced to the edge of the glass at the waterline, just for a second or two. Then they returned to the center. More tiny bubbles appeared, took the same route. All of a sudden, the bubbles enlarged and the water began to boil. They roiled like a stormy ocean as the internal temperature rose rapidly.
“That’s me, isn’t it Lord?” I whispered.
I have a tendency to slough the little irritating things off, or so I think. But more acutely, like those tiny bubbles, they surface for a second then return to my gut. I swallow them down. Eventually, they accumulate, and every once in a while, I can’t stomach any more. The volcano erupts, usually followed by a spew of tears.
I just thought I was handling the small stuff and only needed to hand the big issued things over to God, but instead I’d shoved these tiny irritants into the center of my being. There they festered and grew into the boiling point.
Is this your tendency as well? Do you try to be easy-going, merciful, and patient to the world as a good Christian is supposed to be, only to realize that eventually the little things build up as the mole hill looms into a jagged mountain?
If so, there is hope. God showed me that today. I need to bring everything to Him in prayer. Jesus said, ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Let’s take Him at His word, then perhaps the more we do that, our personalities will become bubbly…in the best way. The way that bring smiles to the face of others and provides a calming inner peace inside of us.
Today I took a shower to get ready for church. It was Thanksgiving Day, so I wanted to start off by thanking God for His many blessings. That is what the day is for, after all.
But as I twisted around in the shower to grab my shampoo, the water stopped flowing. I could hear the water gurgle, but I could not see or feel it.
After a moment of confusion, I looked down and saw a kink in the shower wand hose. Ah. I turned around, and it unkinked. Soon, soothing hot water poured over me once again.
That caused me to wonder… how often have I kinked the flow of God’s blessings He wanted to shower upon me this past year? Did doubt creep in to twist my faith? Did worry clamp my hope? Perhaps my own stubborn streak of wanting to do things my way blocked the flow of grace.
In church, you may sing, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” When you do, think about my shower dilemma and ask yourself these same questions. Perhaps, like me, you simply need to turn around… and discover the kink. Confess your lack of belief or lapse of faith. Reaffirm that God is in control and the source of all good things.
Once again, I bet God’s love will cascade over you like a refreshing shower, cleansing your heart and mind and then washing away the stress down the drain.
I had to quit my day job. After three surgeries on my left eye and a major surgery for torn tendons and a shredded ligament in my left wrist, all within a year, working while recovering from all of it became extremely taxing on my mental and physical health. That, along with a toxic workplace atmosphere, took its toll. Indigestion, lack of sleep, and a growing inability to cope overshadowed my attempts to stay positive and thankful.
When I learned I was facing yet another eye surgery and even worse, another reconstructive surgery on the same wrist (with no guarantee there would be full use, plus the possibility that nerve damage may occur), I prayed long and hard. Always believing in Philippians 4:13– that I could do anything with the help of Christ, I had to confess that this time, I just couldn’t. “Lord,” I sobbed. “I’m sorry. I just can’t do it all one more time. I’m not that strong.”
A peace fell over my shoulders as I heard a whisper, not from inside my head but through my soul. “There is another saying you love, remember? Let go, let God? Then let Me handle it. “
Right. But the reality was I couldn’t make ends meet with just my part-time, second, virtual job. I spoke with my son, who told me how much he could help out for the next three months, so I could take a health hiatus. Bless him! But I was still several hundred dollars short. Again, I went to my knees. “Okay, then, Lord. You have always provided. I trust in You. I am letting go.” I typed up my resignation letter, giving a month’s notice, and scheduled my surgeries. Still, my stomach practiced sailors’ knots.
Then, two days later, after Bible study, I stopped at the mail center in my apartment complex for the weekly check of my mailbox, fully expecting it to be stuffed with junk advertising. But, edged amongst all the ads was an envelope the size of a greeting card. I recognized the city of origin but not the address. Curious, I opened it to find a note from a person I had not heard from in many years. And a check… for the exact amount of what I would be short for two months. The note stated that God had put it on this person’s heart to send me this exact amount. They did not know why, but acted in obedience. Any thanks should be directed to God, not them. The check was dated two days before I had put a pencil to my finances. Before I realized my need, God was busy providing.
The next week, I discovered I was to be paid for the vacation time I never took–almost to the penny of the amount I’d be short the third month I needed for my hiatus.
Now, by being frugal in my spending, I can take this needed time off. I have no idea what doors will open after this, but 2026 looks to be a year of unexpected blessings and surprises. One thing I do know, each one will have God’s nail-pierced handprints all over them.
How about you? If God has blessed you in unexpected ways, I would love to hear about it.
I felt the slight pull. The tug that makes me grip the steering wheel a bit tighter and apply more pressure to keep the car headed down the road the correct way. For a split second, I lifted both of my hands. Yes, the vehicle began to veer toward the right curb… not much, but enough to make me realize my tires needed to be realigned soon.
Our lives can be like that, right? You feel as if you’re following the straight and narrow, then there is that tug of doubt. Perhaps, instead, it is that stubborn “I need to do this myself, thank you” streak. That thought, “I don’t have the time. I’ll pray later.” Or perhaps, the whisper that tells you, “It’s okay if you miss church. You can worship on your own.” A few more bumps in the road and your faith can veer off to the left or the right.
You can ignore it, or apply more pressure and try to correct things yourself. Like your car, however, if you don’t have a professional make the proper adjustments, it can wreck your day, if not your life. For your car, that professional is a mechanic. For your soul, it is the Holy Spirit who can realign your path to steer back into God’s will. Sometimes, if you run off into a ditch, it requires Him working through a spiritual counselor, just as your car may need a tow truck to get it to the mechanic.
In the case of your car’s steering being off, you take it to a shop you trust to do the job right. For you, take it to the Lord in prayer, whom you can always trust to make it righteous.
So please, next time things seem to not quite be going as they should, don’t tell yourself you will adjust. Instead…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6
Let the Holy Spirit guide you to the right form of help. Don’t put it off.
One thing my walk with the Lord has taught me is that I have free will – a choice. There are times I’d prefer to have Him gather me up into His arms and carry me safely through the minefields in my life while I bury my face into His chest. But more often than not, He guides me step by step, teaching me new lessons along the way.
My thought process for the past several difficult years has been to “choose joy.” It is not an emotion but a conscious decision to alter my thought patterns toward the positive side. To replace fear with faith and trepidation with trust.
But I am human. I am flawed, and my emotions can trip me up. That is when the door to my heart can open, just a crack, which can allow the Liar to whisper into it.
In Psalm 22, which is often considered a prophetic account of Jesus’ suffering on the cross when he said, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), it starts out by revealing the suffering and pain. Then, the mood shifts…
“But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me” (verse 19).
When I read this recently, it was as if cold water splashed my chest. I realized that when I cannot alter my feelings on my own, I need to ALTAR them. Take them to God. Lay them at His feet. If I give them to Him, the devil cannot interfere. And what’s more, God will use them to His glory to change my perspective, teach me a lesson, or slowly heal the wound. Maybe all three.
Choosing to ALTAR instead of alter, places the A before the E – the Almighty before emotions.
Another psalm, part of what is recited in the Morning Prayer, is from Psalm 51… “Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Give me the joy of Your saving help again and sustain me” (verses 10,12). I am now praying this daily at the start of my morning devotions.
I have slowly come to realize that I cannot obtain uncircumstantial peace alone. I am in need of a Savior…daily, hourly, moment by moment, who will teach me His ways, and mold my heart, mind, and spirit to His.
Jesus told His disciples not only that He was leaving them peace, but His peace. Not the fleeting emotional peace the world offers. His eternal one that rises above situations and emotions (See John 14:27).
I do not yet exist in that constant, unwavering peace, but I am getting better at achieving it, with God’s help. I cannot rely on my own strength or understanding, and definitely not on my emotions.
WHATEVER YOU FACE TODAY, ALTAR IT. It just may begin to alter you.
The word ever means ongoing, doesn’t it? But what word you put in front of it can make a difference. That word sheds light upon the ongoing question.
Whatever can imply disbelief or nonacceptance. “Whatever you say…” “Whatever happens…”
However can suggest either a change in thought – “However, I see it differently.” – or an inability to see a change. “However are you going to do that?”
Whenever often has an exasperated sigh hidden in it. I may be done, but who knows when? “Whenever you decide to take out the trash…” “Whenever you go to the store…” “Whenever will things change around here?”
But whoever indicates a belief that someone can do something. “Whoever wants this job can have it.” “Whoever makes an A will be exempt from next week’s test.”
Jesus used this word. He told the religious officials about to stone a woman to death for a grievous sin, “Whoever is without sin, pick up the first stone.” (But He chose not to, instead He forgave the woman and commanded her to go and sin no more.) He told his followers and curious onlookers, “Whoever believes in me shall inherit eternal life.” Not everyone would that day, but one day…
If I say whatever, whenever, or however, then doubt creeps in. But even if I do not know what, when, or how, if I know who, then my question changes from “maybe” to “someone can.” As a Christian, I believe in my soul of souls in the Who. He is all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing, and all-loving. He is the one who died for the sin of the world and rose again, so those who believe can have life everlasting in His eternal kingdom, where there is no hurt, anger, or pain.
And there is one other “ever” I know. No matter what, or how, or even when, I know His love for me is forever. It is for you as well.
Without question, Jesus is the whoever you are looking for in your life, and will be forever more.
I put a wooden welcome plaque on my front door. It hangs by a jute string. But occasionally the wind whisks through the corridor of my apartment complex and twists it around. Sometimes I come home to find it hanging backward. The words are not discernable. The message is unclear. Not all the time. It depends on whether the wind has been calm or not.
Proverbs 8:8 states: All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
Can I honestly say that? Well, honestly… No. Can any of us?
Each morning, as part of my prayer time, I pray part of Psalm 51- create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Start over with a clean slate, sins confessed, forgiveness received. Let the Light of Christ’s love, mercy, and grace shine through me like a sparkling clean glass. Then out the door I go, into the world once again. And that is when the winds begin to pound my soul.
Though I want to always be a welcome sign to others I must admit that my attitude and the words on my lips do not always convey that. During the day situations and stress twist my thoughts around to the negative. My witness becomes unclear.
Living in this world is hard for those who wish to walk with Christ, especially not succumbing to the winds of gossip, bad-mouthing, or grumbling. It is so prevalent and invasive these days. It whips around us in all directions, and some days it seems so forceful our umbrella of protection against the ways of the world flips inside out.
The only cure is to keep trying. Keep confessing, keep praying. Slowly the Christ in us will grow and the armor of the Spirit will shield us from the winds of negativity, selfishness, deceit, and grumbling that seems so strong at times… almost hurricane strength! But our God is stronger.
Jesus calmed the winds of the Sea of Galilee when He and his disciples were in the boat. (Matthew 8:23-27) He can still do the same for us. All we need to do is call out to Him. Then we can continue on the journey He has set for us… being a welcome sign that draws people to open the doors of their hearts to His ways.
An author friend of mine, Penelope Marzec, sent me this devotional about where she found God in her life one day:
As the daughter of a journalist, I grew up with current events as part of every dinner table discussion. I am still addicted to the news. With today’s constant bombardment of awful reports, it seems impossible not to worry.
As a Christian, I’m not supposed to be anxious, but with the steady stream of dreadful headlines, despair weighs on my heart. One morning, I didn’t have time to read the latest headlines since I needed to hurry and get hubby to his physical therapy appointment, which was scheduled earlier than usual. But once hubby was going through his workout, I sat in the waiting room and pulled up a news site on my phone. I soon began to scan through the latest disasters worldwide.
Then a text message popped up from my daughter. She had borrowed my old Jeep, a 1998 Cherokee, since her car needed expensive repairs. I had just gotten the brake lines on the old Jeep repaired and it had a full tank of gas, plus it’s built like a tank. My daughter said one of her coworkers called that old Jeep a national treasure. That made me smile. But I went right back to glancing at the headlines on my phone. Then another physical therapy patient came in and sat beside me. “Any good news?” “Not in the headlines.” I shrugged. “How about your own good news?” he gazed at me waiting for my answer. I had to think for a moment before I told him about my daughter and the old Jeep. He responded by telling me about his first car. I shared my memory of my 1971 Nova. Somehow, we were soon chatting about his grandfather who fought Pancho Villa at the Mexican border, which surprised me because my grandfather had also served at the Mexican border and kept an eye out for Pancho Villa back in the day. “Maybe they knew each other,” he said.
Maybe our grandfathers did know each other. Even if they didn’t, they both survived tough times and lived long lives. Even so, that shared knowledge made me feel connected to him.
But then he was called by his therapist as my hubby wandered over, finished with his session. Thinking over my conversation with this pleasant stranger, I drove home with a lighter heart as peace settled on me. Had it been a coincidence that he had come to sit beside me? Or had I just been given a life lesson Afterward, I thought of Proverbs 12:25, “Worry weighs down the heart, but a kind word gives it joy.”
We are all God’s children, members of the same family. The world will always be in turmoil, but that man was a light to me that day. It didn’t take much, only a few happy memories and shared experiences to turn my mood around.
I’ve decided to be more like that man. To engage others in conversation while waiting in doctor’s offices, grocery lines, or wherever instead of staring at my phone. Perhaps I can help lighten their day. So, I encourage you to do the same. Hand over some joy to someone else today.
Penelope Marzec Bio: Penelope Marzec grew up along the shore of Raritan Bay in New Jersey. Now a retired teacher, she writes inspirational romances. Two of her inspirational works have won the EPPIE award and one finaled in that contest. One paranormal, Irons In The Fire, was a nominee for Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her historical novel, Patriot’s Courage, won first place in the Central Region Oklahoma Writers, National Excellence in Story Telling for an Inspirational. She paints seascapes in oils when she isn’t writing. You can find her online at http://www.penelopemarzec.com, read her blog at http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com, or become a fan at https://www.facebook.com/penelopemarzecbooks
Check out her new, Christmas novella, now available on Amazon!
Celeste Greenfield’s life is a mess. As the whistleblower who uncovered her boss’s embezzlement, Celeste now has no job and a difficult future. Then her mother dies, and Celeste is shocked to discover a strange bequest in her mother’s will: The man renting the basement is given two years to find another venue for his online antique business. Entangled in the fear of testifying, dealing with the man in the basement and his son who was born with Down Syndrome, coupled with old memories of her younger sister’s death, Celeste must navigate where God wants her…or if she can maintain her faith. Sawyer is devastated by Mrs. Greenfield’s death. She gave him a lifeline when his wife died and he was left as a clueless single father of a son with Down Syndrome. With his mentor’s grandmotherly help and resources, Sawyer has managed to build a life and is finally comfortable with his ability to provide for his son. When Celeste returns home, Sawyer’s world is turned upside down. Attracted to the woman who has charmed his son, he feels compelled to keep her at a distance. Most women shy away from single fathers, especially when they have a child with an extra chromosome. Still, Sawyer prays that she will become a part if their lives. Snowstorms, threats from Celeste’s boss, the wake and funeral of her mother, and an impromptu Nativity play shows Celeste and Sawyer that even if life throws a curve ball, the restorative power of God’s love can make Christmas spectacular.
A Christian author of romantic suspense and mystery, Gail Pallotta, gave me this devotional about where she unexpectedly found God in her day. I think it is a good reminder of how we can be a positive influence on others…
A few Sundays ago, I heard a minister say we need Christian disciples today more than ever. He added that he even thanked people for doing their jobs right. I related to that…
I recently shopped for a certain kind of shirt for my daughter. After getting welcomed into stores time and time again, I was left in each place to thumb through the sea of clothes on my own. But I couldn’t find what I needed. I grew weary of searching and almost gave up on finding my daughter’s birthday gift but something told me to try one more place.
Moments after I entered the boutique, a sales lady walked over and asked, “Are you looking for something in particular?”
After I explained I needed a certain kind and color of top for my daughter, she showed me shirts in my daughter’s size. As the two of us checked out the merchandise, we chatted. In no time it seemed as though I looked for something special with a friend. My mood lifted. She asked where I was from. Then she told me about her recent move away from home. She was so happy to be back where she grew up. She picked up a long-sleeved T-shirt buried under other clothing, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s perfect.”
But when she showed the tag to me my heart sank. It was too expensive. She didn’t press me. Instead, she smiled. “There are lots of these types of blouses around. It won’t be difficult to find one somewhere else for cheaper. Have you tried….?” And she told me of several other stores I had not heard about. She cared more about me, a person she’d just met, than she did making another sale.
I walked out feeling positive I’d find what I searched for and eventually I did. But I will not forget what happened in that store. That last thing I expected when I entered the store weary and discouraged was — I’d see God in a sales lady’s kindness.
Three NIV Bible verses about kindness came to mind: Matthew 22: 39, “…Love your neighbor as yourself.” Colossians 3: 12, “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Galatians 5: 22, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Dear Lord, our creator and giver of all things good, please let your light shine through us in kindness as a witness of your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Gail has a new novel that is FREE in an e-book format on Amazon today through November 1rst. Hidden Danger. I just finished reading it- I think you will enjoy it! In audible and paperback, too. https://amzn.to/4ep3YMw Website – gailpallotta.com – to check out all her novels.
A routine eye check revealed something I had not envisioned…literally. I had felt something was wrong…eye strain maybe? A new prescription needed? Little did I know I could barely see out of my non-dominant, left eye. All was cloudy, skewed, and fuzzy. I had a hole in the macular at the back of my retina.
So I had surgery. The eye specialist inserted a gas bubble into my eye and I had to keep my head down for days while it positioned correctly to allow the hole at the back of my retina to knit back together. After the surgery was deemed a success, I had to endure the gas bubble clouding my vision for several weeks while it slowly diminished. The eye surgeon had said he couldn’t exactly predict when the bubble would evaporate. It depended on each individual. But it would happen. I had to be patient and follow his instructions.
At first, it was hard to see around this cloudy black thing. I had to really concentrate. But slowly it began to become less of a distraction and more of just an annoyance. Black floaters began to lift off, and I had the urge to swat them like gnats. By the second week, it reduced to a navy blue opaque dot with a blue veil in the center and it lowered in my vision field to somewhere around my lower eyelid, then my cheek, then mouth, then chin. It became the size of a quarter, then nickel, then dime, and then a bead. At last, this morning when I awoke, it was gone.
Where did I see God in all this, other than Him leading me to an excellent eye surgeon?
This bubble represented a sin in my life that I had not yet dealt with because I wasn’t quite sure I had to. Or maybe it was easier to just ignore it. My dominant faith covered it up and compensated…for a while. But deep down I knew something was not quite right. Once revealed by the Great Physician that I had a hole that distorted my perception of Kingdom living, I was in total dismay, and a tad frightened.
God inserted a “bubble” around that sin. At first, it was all I could see. It became so magnified in my life that it clouded everything else. But little by little, God’s mercy worked in my life. I had to be patient and follow His instructions. My attitude and actions began to slowly change. The hole healed, and the sin’s influence and tendency began to diminish. My thought pattern slowly altered and one day I realized it was no longer part of how I saw the world.
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 5:19-21).
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8----
I believe God reveals Himself in many ways-
through Scripture, the wisdom of a friend, a soul-stirring
hymn, an ant dragging ten times his weight,
a squirrel romping in the autumn mist, a parent in a
giggly embrace with their child, a sunset after a storm,
or in a whispered comfort as you cry into your pillow.
He promised if we seek, we will find.
Where Did You Find God Today? 