Confident in His Control

My heart is confident in You, O God; my heart is confident.  No wonder I can sing your praises! Wake Up, my heart! – Psalm 57:7-8 (NLT)

OK, so you survived Black Friday… How’d you do with Cyber Monday? How many stores did you visit without ever having to leave the house?  Last year on Cyber Monday, Americans spent over three billion dollars online in 24 hours.  This was an increase from the year before, and it’s predicted that this year will be even bigger.  

I didn’t think Cyber Monday was a big deal until several years ago when I purchased our family’s Spring Break trip at a 60% discount.  Cyber Monday made an otherwise unaffordable trip into one of our favorite family memories.  The kids were old enough to be safe on their own, yet still liked spending time with us.  That wonderful week gave me confidence that we could maneuver the rapidly approaching teen years without much of a problem. 

Boy was I wrong.  As soon as we started hitting the bumps in the road, I lost all my confidence as a mother.  I spent endless hours awake at night worrying that they wouldn’t make it home safely.  I tracked our teens on their phones every time they left the house. 

It had been my job for so many years to keep my kids safe, and now they were driving and making challenging decisions on their own.  Had I taught them well enough?  Would they choose the right path in the face of temptation and peer pressure?  As I paced and worried, fear and anxiety rose to levels I’d never experienced before as a mother.  The enemy had a field day with me, filling my mind with thoughts of destruction and death.  There was one point that I fully expected our son to die.  It wasn’t a matter of “if,” I thought, but “when” would we get that call.  I was trapped in darkness and despair.

Thankfully, my 3 o’clock alarm saved me from fear’s trap.  Every day when my alarm sounded, I started sending God S.O.S (Save Our Son) prayers.  God heard my cries for help and came close.  

His presence gradually displaced the fear with faith.  His powerful Holy Spirit began teaching me to give Him my troubled heart and He’d lead me to trust Him more and more.  God entered our high school story and gave me a renewed confidence.  A little in myself and my parenting, but a lot more in Him.  After all, God loves my teens even more than I do.  He has great plans for them.  My job is to place them in His loving hands so that, day by day, He can guide all of us through the tumultuous times.  

I have learned to give God thanks and praise even when I can’t locate my kids, when it’s past their curfew, or bad news comes our way.  Thanking God for who He is, instead of the circumstance I’m in, eventually developed a comforting level of trust in my heart.  I can now stand confidently in the storms because I know who controls the weather. 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Let Peace Arise

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone. – Hebrews 12:14

When God says “everyone,” He doesn’t mean the complaining kids, angry neighbors, and rude co-workers, does He? 

He does. In fact, He’s not just encouraging us to live in peace with everyone we encounter every day, He’s commanding us to. 

Some people thrive in conflict. Not me. When emotions heat up, I want to flee from the flames. When I suspect an upcoming conflict, I steer clear of mean moms, dodge difficult meetings, and stay as quiet as possible. 

That is not the way God wants us to live in peace, however. As God’s children, instead of fleeing in fear, we’re to walk in peace (Ephesians 6:15). Instead of hiding, we’re to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9). And instead of running away from conflict, we’re to stand firm in our faith (1 Corinthians 16:13). 

We can’t control who or what gets thrown at us each day, but we can control how we respond to grumbling, complaining, anger, or rudeness. The key is to follow the Prince of Peace. 

What if thanking God in the middle of our messy days, could remind us where and who our peace comes from?

Instead of focusing on the conflict, let’s thank the One who’s truly in control. Thanksgiving ushers us right into the presence of God, where we can hand over today’s challenges. 

There, He reminds us that His power through the Holy Spirit is alive and active in us. 

Peace is a “Fruit of the Spirit.” As God gives us greater amounts of it, we are able to face conflicts and challenges more like His son Jesus, the Prince of Peace, would. 

Wow! Facing our fears, standing firm in the fire, produces a peace that surpasses understanding. Let God and others see peace flourishing in your life.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you. – 2 Thessalonians 3:16

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Black Friday Fighting

Do not have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels… instead be kind to everyone. – 2 Timothy 2:23-24

Ok, be honest, what time did you get up to go shopping today on “Black Friday”?

My daughters have big plans to hit the sales; first Target, then Barnes & Noble, then the Mall… all day long.  Maybe you think this is a great plan of action.  Or maybe, like me, you’d rather stay home and avoid the chaos.

I’m still a little traumatized by my recent visit to Whole Foods, two days before Thanksgiving.  When I pulled into the parking lot, it was filled with police officers, on foot and sitting in their cars.  They were also walking back and forth in front of the store. My first thought was “world’s biggest tofu heist.”  

I didn’t want to disturb the busy officers so once inside the grocery, I asked an employee what was happening.  He shook his head and said, “Nothing yet. The police are here because they don’t want people fighting over parking spots.”

No joke!  I burst out laughing.  You have got to be kidding me.  The Whole Foods had employed a fleet of police officers to manage Thanksgiving anger.  What has this world come to?

At first, I thought it was a bit of overkill, until I went to the back of the store to pick out a turkey.  There, I discovered a long line of unhappy people waiting to get their individualized Thanksgiving orders.  

One woman was arguing with a sales clerk.  She claimed her order was WRONG! Another man, arms crossed over his puffed out chest, was losing his patience by the second. The police probably should have been inside as well because he looked like a ticking time bomb.  I escaped the crowd as quickly as I could.  It wasn’t until I got to the parking lot that I realized I’d fled without my turkey.  

God’s word is timeless.  Thousands of years ago, Paul shared with Timothy a warning about foolish arguing.  Paul is still right today, quarreling and fighting over such things as parking spots and catering orders is stupid.  (Don’t you love that the Bible uses the word stupid, how appropriate?)

Let’s heed Paul’s warning.  When holiday tensions soar, let’s stay grounded in kindness and humility.  In any heated situation, we can take a deep breath and give thanks to God for our simple blessings: breath in our lungs, a family to feed, friends to shop with, and money to purchase presents.  All these are gifts given to you from God. (James 1:17) 

Let thanksgiving reduce tension and faith replace fighting.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Happy Thanksgiving

I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. – Psalm 7:17

Are you ready for Thanksgiving? What favorite dishes will arrive at your table this year? Couldn’t some of these dishes tell a special family story?

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to remember our family history and keep it alive by sharing stories with the next generation. This is also a great time of year to thank God for people in our lives who have loved us deeply and left wonderful, lasting marks upon our lives.

My three kids would be appalled if my Mama’s strawberry pretzel Jell-O salad was not on the Thanksgiving table. Why it’s called a salad is beyond me. It must be a Midwest dish because Mama grew up in Indiana like all my extended family. I’ve been making Mama’s recipe for over twenty-five years now. It’s a tradition that will definitely be passed down through generations.

Without a doubt, eating Pretzel Jell-O has opened the door for me to share so many of my childhood stories with my kids. Road trips to the cabin in North Carolina, swimming pool stunts with Mama, card game tournaments on the card table, and visits to the farm to see Papa’s horse and make homemade ice cream. These fond stories have far outlived my grandparents. 

Sharing these fun stories led me also to share how Papa was the one who introduced me to Jesus. Holding my little hand in his big hand, Papa walked me into a country church where I attended Sunday School. It was in this church that I learned that Jesus loved me and church friends can feel like family. 

I remember it like yesterday, we’d gather all together in the church basement for lunch. I can still see all the casseroles lined up. My favorite was chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes. It was in this fellowship hall, that I fell in love with comfort food and God’s children.

What Thanksgiving recipes on your table this year could tell a family story? Who can be honored and remembered this year by telling their story? How have these people helped shape your faith in Jesus? Be brave and share these precious stories this Thanksgiving. 

Let’s thank God today for family members who have enriched our lives with generous love and great memories. Let’s give God praise for Thanksgiving traditions that keep family love truly alive. Let’s be apart of passing down faith in Jesus to the next generation.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Strategy for the Week

You are my God and I will give you thanks; you are my God and I will exalt you. – Psalm 118:28

This Thanksgiving Week, what if we prioritize thankful thoughts? 

I realize your “To Do” list is packed with finishing work, planning, shopping, cleaning and cooking, plus a whole lot more. But what would happen if you did them all while thanking God? 

What if we thanked God all day and night?

Before your feet hit the ground this busy week, thank God right when your eyes pop open. Thank Him for your life, the breath in your lungs. Every day is His gift. He is worthy of our first thoughts. Let them be praises!

Once you’re up, spend your first moments thanking God for His good gifts; warm coffee, delicious food in your refrigerator, family to share breakfast with, work to do. Tell Him in prayer how grateful you are for all the blessings He’s given you. Every good and perfect gift is from your Father in heaven (James 1:17). God is your good Father, worthy of your thanksgiving. 

Next take out a piece of paper and begin a Happy Giving Thanks List. Write down 3-5 reasons why you’re thankful to God today. Keep this list going all week and see how as you read it, happiness grows as your list lengthens. God is pleased with your thankful heart. 

When you receive your 3pm Wake Up Call, let it be a reminder to stop, look up to God, and thank Him for loving you enough to send Jesus to die for your sins. God will never tire from hearing how thankful you are for your salvation. If you’re with other people at 3pm, ask them what they’re thankful for and you can celebrate together.

When your head hits the pillow at night, thank God for walking with you all day. Thank Him for going before you, guiding you, protecting you, and loving you every step of the way. Then rest knowing God’s love surrounds you. You are His precious child whom He delights to sing over (Zeph. 3:18).

Even if you wake up in the middle of the night, return your thoughts to thanking God. Start with the letter A and thank God for someone whose name begins with A, or thank Him for one of His amazing attributes: Advocate, Advisor, All Powerful… Move through the whole alphabet. Before long, you’ll be sleeping again with gratitude growing in your heart. 

From morning to morning, let us give God thanks and praise this Thanksgiving Week. When it’s over, you might just find that every day can be Thanksgiving.

“Your praise will ever be on my lips.” – Bethel Music

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Dream Big

Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to dream enormous dreams for your life?  

Sometimes dreams pop into our minds without permission.  Recently, I caught myself dreaming such a huge dream that I had to laugh out loud. Here I am, a middle-aged mother of three, still dreaming like an invincible teenager with my whole life ahead of me.

All too quickly, though, practicality took over.  I don’t have enough of the ingredients necessary to make the dream a reality; not enough knowledge, experience, connections, etc.

But dreaming is still fun!  So, I brushed away these negative thoughts and gave myself permission to dream big.  As soon as I did, I remembered the book Chicken Soup for the Soul.  

The authors, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, were turned down by every single large publishing house in the U.S.  Finally, a small health and wellness publisher in Florida took a chance on them.  Today, the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series has over 250 titles and has sold more than 110 million copies in the U.S. and Canada. Chicken Soup for the Soul books have been translated into 43 languages, have been published in over 100 countries, and have sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.

Dream with me today.  What’s an outrageous dream of yours?  Do you dream of singing on Broadway, dancing with the stars, creating a You Tube video that goes viral, curing cancer, traveling the globe on an important mission, inventing something every household needs…?  The sky’s the limit, what’s your huge dream?

Remember that Jesus teaches us that “With man what is impossible, is possible with God.”  Share your dreams with God.  He won’t laugh at you.  He’ll hear from heaven and start moving in ways you can’t even imagine.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Keep on Knocking

Keep on asking and it will be given to you, keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7-8 (AMP)

I’m so thankful God doesn’t answer all of my prayers. Looking back, I’m glad that the cute guy in high school never asked me out, that I didn’t get into my “dream” college, and that several jobs I applied for were given to someone else. We’ve all knocked on doors that were slammed shut. That’s just one God reveals the plans for our lives.

Why some doors open and others stay closed will probably always be a mystery, but I discovered something recently that helps me better understand how God wants us to pray for what we want. In Matthew 7:7-8, He tells us to keep asking, keep seeking and keep knocking. 

The definition of “keep” is to continue, remain, stay, carry on and persist. That’s how we are to pray about the deep desires of our hearts. Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, and to us, making it clear that we’re never to give up in our pursuit of God in prayer. 

To keep on asking, seeking and knocking looks like:

• Continuing to pray for huge, miraculous things only God can do.
• Remaining in your faith by praying continuously for a breakthrough.
• Staying focused on God’s ability to answer prayers.
• Carrying on day by day, inviting God into all the details of your life.

God desires for us to pray about everything, from life changing decisions to small hurts and bumps in the road. No prayer is too big or too small for Him. If you think about it, isn’t everything tiny in the eyes of the Creator of the world? The purpose of prayer is not necessarily to always get what we ask for, it’s to build a strong, enduring, life-long relationship with God.

Who else is available every moment of every day to listen to your heart? Who else loves you unconditionally on your worst days? Who else has incredible plans for your life with no strings attached? God alone.

What prayers are you thankful God never answered? Which desires of your heart do you need to keep on praying about? 

A - Ask and you will receive the gifts God has for you. 

S - Seek and you will find God while you pray. 

K - Knock and the doors God has chosen for you will open. 

Postscript:  My husband Dan and I went to high school together. He tells me that as a “cute guy from high school” he did in fact ask me out… but that I said no.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Life-long Learning

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:12-13

You don’t have to be sitting in class or studying for a test to learn. We are all life-long learners. Every single day of our lives we are exposed to new things, or prompted to relearn old things we’ve forgotten.

Maybe it’s the teacher in me, but I absolutely love learning. Every week I listen to a plethora of podcasts while cleaning my house, driving the car, or making dinner. I especially enjoy studying things I’ve never encountered before. Right now, for example, I’m studying neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to re-wire itself in response to new information and experiences. I’m especially interested in how we can physically change our brains in response to gratitude. Let me know if you want to talk about these ideas because I’m pretty sure my husband is sick and tired of me trying to talk like a neurologist. 

One of Paul’s most famous verses ends with “I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”  You’ve probably seen it stenciled on a coffee mug or tattooed on a professional athlete. Taken as a whole, though, the verse is less about Paul’s strength than it is about his learning contentment.

Paul knew that whether he was hungry or well fed, God was his faithful provider. Whether he was sleeping in a palace or on a prison floor, God’s love for him never changed. And regardless of whether he was cold or comfortable, God still had good plans for him. Why? Because he knew God personally.

Like Paul, you and I will find strength through contentment when we:

·         See our circumstances from God’s perspective.

·         Set our priorities to align with God’s priorities.

·         Seek God for our source of power.

When we see God as our faithful provider, our loving Father, and follow Him into the good plans He has for us, we will also discover contentment and tap into a power source that will sustain us in all situations. Every day God is giving us experiences to help us become life-long learners of His teaching.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Price Tags

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God. 

– Psalm 36:7

While shopping for basketball shorts with my daughter, I looked first at the price tags before  presenting the different color and style options to her.  After we had checked out with our sale items, she turned to me and said, “I hope one day I’m rich enough that I don’t have to look at price tags.  Then I can just buy anything I want.”

I was speechless (an infrequent event for my family). Since that day at the mall, I’ve been thinking a lot about price tags.

Today, I was reminded of a Bible Study I taught many years ago on JOY.  During the opening session, I asked the women to fill in the blank of this sentence with the first word that popped into their minds.  You try it!

I am _________________.

What was the first word you thought of?  Interestingly enough, when I asked the participants to anonymously write down their answer on a slip of paper and toss it in a basket, almost 90% of them wrote the same word.  Any guess what it was?

It was “Fat.”  I understood, but was shocked.  We weren’t at Weight Watchers, we were at church.  Why weren’t their words Christian words like beloved, saved, comforted, helped, or joyful?

One reason could be that all of us spend most of our waking hours being bombarded with messages to be someone or something we are not.  Magazines airbrush skinny models.  The fashion industry continues to shrink bathing suits and tank tops.  And cosmetic surgery is on the rise, with Americans spending more than 13.5 billion dollars last year to reshape their bodies.

Wow, that’s a huge price tag!  I wonder what God thinks of all this?  

I’ll tell you what I finally told my daughter at lunch that day at the mall.  While looking into her young eyes I said, “You are priceless to God”.  

How often do we see ourselves from God’s perspective?  Like John, one of Jesus’ disciples and closest friends, we too should call ourselves beloved by Jesus. 

In the King James Version of the Bible, God’s refers to His children as “beloved” one hundred and six times.  Over and over again, God calls you “His beloved.”  You were bought at a price (1 Cor. 6:20).  If God placed a price tag on you it would read: PRICELESS.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Living Backwards

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving. – Colossians 2:6-7

Every once in a while, I think it’s a good thing to pause and reflect upon our lives, to take a moment and ask ourselves questions like: How am I growing in my faith? Can other people see my growth? What are my spiritual goals? Tough questions I know. Ones we usually don’t ask a friend over coffee, but worth thinking about today.

I had to answer those questions of myself last summer, as I wrote the final chapter of a church-wide Bible study. My chapter was designed to spur people on to continue growing in their faith now that the study had ended. As I pondered how to encourage folks of all ages and backgrounds, I landed on a sentiment we all have in common: This life is short and we all only have one life to live. 

I decided to share something precious I’d learned from my Women’s Bible Study group. For three years now we’ve gathered together every week in order to know God more intimately and each other more intentionally. We’ve laughed and cried more than I would have ever imagined.  We’ve celebrated marriages, babies, and hearts being reunited with Jesus.  But we’ve also walked four dear women through the final days of their lives.  Cancer stole them from our circles. 

But God, in His divine ability to give hope in the midst of tragedy, used their memorial services to teach me precious truths. Truths I believe can spur you on in your spiritual journey.  

At Alice’s Memorial Service, everyone who spoke was awed by her powerful, all-consuming love.  Her family and friends shared stories of her putting her “fierce” love into action every day.  Alice sewed bibs for unborn babies, sent care packages to loved ones, and even bought a house in California across the street from her grandchildren, so she wouldn’t miss their milestones.  Love compelled Alice to pray for family, friends, and neighbors every day, and often many times at night.  

Alice was easy to love because she loved first.  When her faith was tested through fighting cancer, she never turned her back on her first love, Jesus.  She expressed her love to God by giving Him thanks… no matter what.  Even through pain and suffering, Alice thanked loved ones for their help, her doctors for trying their best, and even complete strangers who encouraged her in the hospital halls.  Alice’s love and gratitude have surely outlived her life here on earth. 

All who attended Jane’s Memorial Service will tell you that she lifted God’s Word high and spoke it loud. Her life emulated the Bible.  She clothed herself with kindness, humbled herself under God’s mighty hand, and loved the Lord with all her heart, mind and soul.  She forgave because she was forgiven, trusted God for His understanding, and counted on prayer to miraculously heal. In her first three bouts with cancer, Jane’s life had been saved by God’s healing hand.  She trusted that nothing was impossible for Jesus.  

But the fourth time, things were different.  After fighting a good fight, Jane knew she’d lost.  Surprisingly, she wasn’t angry with God.  She was thankful, praising God for the new body she’d soon have in heaven, one that would allow her to once again play Pickle Ball and collect shells on the beach.  With bold confidence in Christ, Jane prayed for one final miracle.  She didn’t want to burden her family during the final three months she’d been given to live by her doctors.  She wanted to sprint home to heaven.  

God came through again for Jane.  He welcomed her into His loving arms only seventeen days later. To the very end, Jane’s life shouted that God’s Word can be trusted and He still performs miracles today. I can imagine her in heaven right now singing, playing, praising, and encouraging all of us to love God’s Word.  

Reflecting on these women’s lives, God has challenged me to live with the end in mind.

What if YOU were to live your life backwards?  

Start with your own memorial service. Close your eyes and imagine it unfolding. 

• Who would share stories of your strong faith?  
• What key words would be used over and over again to describe you?  
• Would your love light up the room?  
• Would others know God because of you?  
• Would laughter erupt because your joy abounded in all the circumstances? 
• Would compassion and kindness be passed down to the next generation because of your powerful example?  
• Would your family and friends marvel at how you loved God and others with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength? 

How would your today look different if your eyes were fixed on your final tomorrow?  

God’s Word challenges us to live every day rooted in Jesus, built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as we were taught, and live lives overflowing with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7). When we meet the challenge, we will be accumulating faith stories others will share even after we’ve left this earth.  

When asked what the greatest commandment from God was, Jesus told His disciples to love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And love others as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). When we love, we’re building a legacy that long outlives us.

And when we’re searching for God’s will for our lives, we find it in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  Be joyful always; pray continually; and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  

Will you live your life backwards?  

Go after a life of love as if your life depends on it – because it does (1 Corinthians 14:1 (MSG)).

Ready, set, go!  

Here’s a 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call Experiment to Live Your Life Backwards.

        1. LOVE GOD

Choose one way to love God more profoundly.  

Put it into practice.

Tell Him, show Him, and spend time with Him. 

Yes, faith growth takes effort.  

Fill in the blank.

I will grow my love for God by ____________________________.

2.  LOVE OTHERS

Choose to love others more powerfully.

Pick one person to love on purpose this week.  

Plan ways to show your love in action.  

Tell them, show them, listen to them, spend time with them….be creative.

Fill in the blanks.

I will show my love for __________ by ______________________.

3.  LOVE YOUR LIFE

Choose to live your life backwards purposefully.

Write down the words you hope will characterize your life.

How will your mind, heart, body and soul emulate your hopes?

In what ways can you reach your circle of influence to write your own faith stories that will outlive your life?

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. – Colossians 3:17

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Entrusted to You

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. – 2 Timothy 1:14

Who or what has God entrusted to you?

• If you’re a painter, God has entrusted you with a creative, artistic gift. 

• If you’re a mother of young children, God has entrusted you to keep them safe and raise them well.  

• If you’re wise in business and have accumulated great wealth, God has entrusted you with an important inheritance.  

• If you have the gift of teaching, God has entrusted you to pass your knowledge on to the next generation.  

Whoever you take care of or whatever you steward, handle it with loving hands and a sincere heart.  As my grandfather taught me at a young age, “To much is given, much is expected.”  Hopefully those timeless words encourage you.

Every good gift we have is from God above. (James 1:17) When we recognize what precious gifts God has given us, our first response can be, “Thank you God!”  

Gratitude grows faith and good fruits.  Who doesn’t want a life full of long lasting fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?  I’d take love over hate, joy over pain, and peace over strife any day.  Wouldn’t you?

When you accepted Jesus’ saving grace, you not only received eternal life (John 3:16) in heaven but you also received Jesus’ Spirit while living here on earth.  God has entrusted your heart, soul and mind with the largest deposit ever in history of gift giving.  Isn’t that incredible? 

How could we ever repay God for our salvation?  

It’s easy to forget… but remember… Jesus breathed has last breath on the cross and died for all the sins of the world at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  Our daily Wake Up Call is a constant reminder of God’s greatest gift.  

We will never we able to repay Jesus fully for His sacrifice on the cross. But when we thank Him every day, acknowledge Him to others often, and use His good gifts to the best of our abilities, we are honoring and glorifying Him.  

Whatever you do in word or deed, do it as if you are serving the Lord himself. (Col. 3:23)

What great gifts had God entrusted you with?  Give Him thanks, then give your time and talents to the tasks He has prepared in advance for you to do.  Then you will be a good and faithful steward to the Lord.

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

Thank You for Being a part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Mean Girls

The LORD is near to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 

– Psalm 34:18

Last weekend, I saw the meanest, most hurtful thing I’ve ever seen on a soccer field. Between growing up playing soccer and having three kids on travel teams, I’ve seen my fair share of matches and episodes of bad behavior, but Sunday’s game was a new low. 

Both teams were made up of seniors in high school, seventeen and eighteen year old girls still struggling with their identities and fast approaching futures.

My daughter’s team was supposed to be an easy win for the other team, who was in first place. Playing the number one team in the league is always a huge challenge, so they showed up excited to play. For many of these girls, this would be one of the last games they’d ever play on a competitive team. Parents videotaped and snapped pictures trying to capture precious senior moments with teammates who have become dear friends.

After our team unexpectedly scored first, and held the lead, the play started getting rougher. Increasingly desperate to score, the other team ramped up their intensity. Shoulders clashed, cleats collided, and the referee’s whistle blew often, calling fouls and giving free kicks every time someone was pushed, tripped, or slammed to the ground. 

We watched as two girls in particular continued to go head to head. I’ll call them Mean Girl and Allie. Mean Girl fought hard for every ball. Being scrappy and tenacious, Allie refused to give up. When Mean Girl lost the ball again to Allie, she fought back with her mouth, shouting directly at Allie, “You’re SO FAT!”

Allie turned around with a look of disbelief and embarrassment. To drive her point home, Mean Girl then let fly with a second, more R–rated version, of the insult 

Like watching a helium balloon sink, deflate and then finally flatten, I watched Allie suck in her tears until she was breathless. She soon sank to her knees, lifting one arm in the air, as if waving a white flag of surrender, signaling her coach to send in a substitute for her. Without a physical injury the referee let the game continue. How could he not see her heart breaking? 

Finally, Allie walked off the field, past her coach and her teammates sitting on the bench. She continued down the sideline, walked behind the goal, and collapsed in her mother’s loving arms. As the mother embraced her daughter, racked with sobs, I was reminded of how beautiful it is when we’re hurting and fall into our Heavenly Father’s arms for comfort and encouragement. God is our father in Heaven who adores us and is close to us when our hearts are breaking. 

In that moment, I felt a special connection to Allie. I know what it’s like to be called fat. When I was her age, I was constantly battling my weight. I believed my thighs were bigger and my hips wider than the other girls on my team. I constantly compared the size of my uniform with others and fought to lose a few pounds during every soccer season.

For so many of us, the teenage years begin our battle with body image. When we go through puberty and start dating, the number on the scale or the size of our jeans all of a sudden becomes significant, and it can be life changing. 

I saw up close in high school how damaging it can be when we become fixated on our body image. When a close teammate of mine passed out in the locker room before a game, I later learned she was dehydrated from starving herself. When another teammate I admired attempted suicide, I visited her in the hospital. I simply asked her how she was feeling. She blurted out that she wanted to die because she was fat and ugly. The girl I saw sitting in the hospital bed was athletic and beautiful. I told her so, but she didn’t believe me.

The enemy is having a field day with our teenage girls growing up in an Instagram culture. The feedback they receive today about their body image is frequent, and often brutal.

Here’s a 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call Challenge for this week. Let’s fight back with love and encouragement!

• Think of one teenage girl you know in your family, neighborhood, church or friend group.
• Send her an encouraging text message. 
• Remind her of God’s love.
• Let her know how beautiful she is on the inside.
• Invite her to spend some time with you.
• Ask her about her heart, not her plans for the future.
• Listen a lot and love well.

Man looks at the outward appearances but God looks at the heart. – 1Samuel 16:7

Let’s have the eyes of God to encourage those around us with uplifting words.

Comfort is abundant through Christ. – 2Corinthians 1:5

Let’s be Jesus’ comforting arms and loving heart in a world that’s broken and hurting. 

When we do, we’ll be taking back territory the enemy stole from our youth. We’ll be spurring the next generation of young women to have a confidence in Christ that’s contagious.  

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World

Thank You for Being a Part of the 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement