My Tea Time With Jesus

Why are bad habits so hard to break up with?! Why are good habits so easy to let go of?! Proverbs 22:24-25 "Do not make friends with a hot tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared." I am sure you have heard the saying, "you become like those you hang around with", right? I learned an interesting fact not to long ago. We ALL dream, hope, and believe that WE can be the ones that remain strong, determined, assured in our position on things - right?! Well, it truly doesn't take much to knock off us our pedestal! It is WAY easier to get knocked off of a high place, then it is to stand firm up there. That is, if you are alone. Bad morals corrupt good standards - for sure!! The lesson I learned with an experiment with some friends, was on a rock. Not that high of one (just in case lol) - but a high enough place that it was a hard thing to climb up and or jump down. We learned that strength a...

Ever play the "see who can be the quietest the longest" game? I remember thinking that the person who held out the longest was SO smart! Like, how did they do it?!?! Proverbs 21:23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. Wow! How many times has my "not speak before you think" filter failed me?!?! And yes, MANY times, by my quick talking and not hearing out the whole situation - my hasty words have been wrong! (shaking head in sad remorse) Prejudged thoughts seem to always lead to wrong outcomes on my part. I'm learning to "stop" my thinking, even my actions, and LISTEN to the full situation and THEN speak. It is not easy to back pedal, rewind, or delete our words! Much easier to "think before we speak" = guarding our mouth and tongue, and then have the choice/option to speak up or not. That is right, we have a choice to hold our tongue and guard the words that come out. Another verse says, when w...

What is the difference between "having intention" and "living with intent"? Proverbs 19:2 & 21 Verse 2 - Desire without knowledge is not good - how much more will hasty feet miss the way! Verse 21 - Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. Like the difference between having intention and being or living with intent. One is a dream, wish or a want. The other is an action, plan, working with purpose. God wants us to live intentionally - with a purpose and a goal. The goal? His glory, His kingdom, His salvation - sharing the gospel/truth with others. Just "wanting" to behave like God's child, is not enough. We need the knowledge to step out in faith by or with His truth, so we don't jump quickly into a mess! Yes, we can and should make plans, but until we take action with God's purpose in mind, we may just end up running in circles! Don't just be intentional - with only "try, ...

What makes you feel safe? Is it a place? Perhaps a person? Where do you turn in times of needing safety? Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe. Have you ever driven through a section of the city where you feel uneasy or unsafe? Have you ever encountered a person in a situation where you are uneasy or unsafe? No matter the place or the situation, we can always RUN to God, by just speaking His name!! When I drive in certain areas, I just start singing “Jesus Loves Me”, over and over. Or the one where we say, “Jesus, Jesus, there’s something about that name…” I don’t know the words, but just repeating His name over and over – and He IS my safety! I do the same in my head and heart with people who cause me to want to run. I pray, asking God for direction and or words. Sometimes I’m directed to “step away” – and other times to listen and hear deep. Other times, just speak up and move on. He always protects me and ...

Plan are good. Plan are necessary. Plans can move us forward. Plans can also go wonky on us. Proverbs 16:1, 3, 9 Verse 1 – We may make our own plans, but God has the last word. Verse 3 – Ask the Lord to bless your plans, and you will be successful in carrying them out. Verse 9 – You may make your plans, but God directs your actions. I’ve learned when God repeats the same thing in the same chapter, He wants us to know it is important. It is totally normal, good and right to make “plans”. We actually have permission (it says so right in these verses) to ask for His blessing on our plans. However, if and when we do NOT include Him in our plans – then they normally do not turn out the way we “planned”. Even in the things we DO include Him in on, sometimes His path, direction, or outcome is different than ours. That’s OK!! Why?! Because then we KNOW we are in His hands, doing His will, for our best interest!! Praise God, that He doesn’t always give us over to our des...

How we react or respond to discipline and or correction, reflects deeper than just that moment in time. Proverbs 15:5 NIV: A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. NLT: Only a fool despises a parents discipline, whoever learns from correction is wise. GNB: It is foolish to ignore what your father taught you; it is wise to accept his correction. If our “parents” are still alive, this fits – but for some of us, God is our only Parent now. Either by death or by desertion – we are children of God almighty! The Father of all fathers! So, a) we need to remember, He will not leave us nor ignore us! b) He teaches us something every day. c) His corrections/disciplines to us, are the RIGHT thing for us! d) we need to learn to ‘respond’ to situations and not judge today by yesterday’s mistakes. God doesn’t, so why should we?!?! Why do we need discipline or correction? Why do we discipline or correct our children?! Because we see around ...

Sometimes we just don’t realize the “new us” and what we have been truly given. 2 Peter 1:5-9 MSG 5-9  So don’t lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can’t see what’s right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. NLT 5  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,   6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and p...

What if our eyes “saw” the truth around us?! What if we were not blinded by the darkness of fear, sin and doubt?! Psalm 139:11-12   “I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to be night – but even in darkness I cannot hide from You. To You the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to You.” Wow! At first I was thinking of x-ray vision, but this is WAY better than that! This is like color-blindness. God isn’t ‘in the dark’ about us and our life. He cares SO much for us and loves us SO much, that He sees EVERYTHING! No matter the time of day – it is all “light” to Him. Jesus walked in the Light of the Holy Spirit while He was here. He gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, so we too can do the same. Yeah, we are not always very good at it – but hey! – we are not ever gonna be perfect. However, we CAN always make progress towards living as Jesus did. The thing about darkness, it is the time and place when the enemy lies to us....