Day 21


Point to ponder: It is my responsibility to protect the unity of my church.

Verse to remember: " Let us concentrateon th things which make for harmony and the growth of our fellowship together." Rom 14:19(Ph)

Question to consider: What am I personally doing to protect unity in my church family right now?

Day 20
Point to ponder: Relationships are always worth restoring.

Verse to remember: " Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody." Rom. 12:18(TEV)

Question to consider: Who do I need to restore a broken relationship with today?

Day 19
Point to ponder: Community requires commitment.

Verse to remember: " We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers." 1 John 3:16j(GWT)

Question to consider: How can I help cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and my church?

Day 18
Point to ponder: I need others in My life.

Verse to remember: " Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Gal. 6:2(NLT)

Question to consider: What one step can I take today to connect with another believer at a more genuine, heart-to-heart level?

Day 17
Point to ponder: I am called to belong, not just believe.

Verse to remember: " In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."

Question to consider: Does my level of involvement in my local church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God's family?

Day 16
Point to ponder: Life is all about Love.

Verse to remember: " The entire law is summed up in a single command: ' Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Gal 5: 14(NIV)

Question to consider: Honestly, are relationships my first priority? How can I ensure that they are?

Day 15

Point to ponder: I was formed for God's family.

Verse to remember: His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:5a(NLT)

Question to consider: How can I start treating other believers like members of my own family.

Day 14

Point to ponder: God is real, no matter how I feel.

Verse to remember: " For God has said, 'I will never leave you; I will never abandon you." Heb. 13:5(TEV)

Question to consider: How can I stay focused on God's presence, especially when he feels distant?

Day 13

Point to ponder: God wants all of me.

Verse to consider: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strenght.: Mark 12:30(NIV)

Question to consider: Which is more pleasing to God right now- my public worship or my private worship? What will I do about this?

Day 12
Point to ponder: I'm as close to God as I choose to be.


Verse to consider: " Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you." James 4:8a(NLT) Here are some quotes I really liked from this chapter. " If you want a deeper, More intimate connection with God you must learn to honestly share your feelings with him, trust him when he asks you to do something, learn to care about what he cares about, and desire his friendship more than anything else." I think I've mentioned previously that trusting others is a tough thing for me. I catch myself treating God the way I would another sinful being. Why? I don't know. In my head I know God wants what's best for me and that He is the most trustworthy of all, but still I have a difficult time letting go and not taking back again. It gets me stuck in this rut of starting over again and again with him. I grow deeply in my relationship with him and then I seem to get disconnected and distant. Then I seek Harder and get connected again. And each time it's as if I have to start over relearning the same truths but each time I go a little further. Maybe this is some kind of learning style that works best for me or my personality type. Or maybe It's my own doing. I get bogged down with the cares of this world and don't make the time for Him that I should. I will seek Him for answers to this. I know He never leaves me.
" God doesn't expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty..Tobe Gods friend, you must be honest to God, sharing your true feelings not what you think you ought to feel or say."
" Every time you trust God's wisdom and do whatever he says, even when you don't understand it, you deepen your friendship with God." " We are friends with God, but we are not his equals. He is our loving leader, and we follow him." Well I don't want to quote the whole book but These two stood out for me. I liked this one on p. 97 too. " God isn't offended when we 'wrestle' with him, because wrestling requires personal contact and brings us close to him! It is also a passionate activity, and God loves it when we are passionate with him." I just like to think of God this way. It makes him so tangible. I can identify with a God who likes passion and having personal contact with others.
Question to consider: What practical choices will I make today in order to grow closer to God?

Day 11
Point to ponder: God wants to be my best friend.

Verse to consider: " Friendship with God is reserved for those who reverence him." Ps 25: 14a(LB) "Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved is God's greatest pleasure. God says, ' If any want to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me... these are the things that please me.' Jer.9:24" (p.87) It's pretty awesome that God wants to be included in every aspect of our lives, no matter what we're doing. Most of my human friends aren't that involved with me. I mean I can call them when I feel like it ( with in reason, No in the middle of the night kind of stuff ya know). But they don't want to spend every waking moment with me and vise versa. We would probably go batty and get on each others nerves after a few days maybe even hours. (LOL) But you now if I wake up at three o'clock in the morning I can call on God and he's there to listen and be with me. He's the one friend I can count on to do what's best for me in every situation no matter how low I sink. Through thick and thin. No death to part us. I can always with out a shadow of doubt count on Him. He's the best friend in the universe to have.Although I'm not the fest friend in the world to Him. How often I've let Him down is Innumerable. And He still loves me. He never leaves me. Not to mean any disrespect But it reminds me a dog,what we call man's best friend. ( Wow even the relationship between man and dog can be a reflection of one aspect of Gods love for us. How cool s that.)
Did you find the Little warning on p.89? " Pray as often as possible so it is rooted deep in your heart. Just be sure that your motive is to honor God, not control him" How often have I tried to control God? It's like I let him drive but I'm in the back seat telling Him how to do it. We don't tolerate back seat drivers when we're driving a car, Why become one when God driving our lives? It's back to the trust issue isn't it. Do I really trust God to do what's best for me? Or not?

Question to consider: What can I do to remind myself to think about God and talk to Him more often throughout the day?

Day 10
Point to ponder: The heart of worship is surrender.


Verse to remember: Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes." Rom. 6:13b(TEV)Rick says(p77)" But surrendering to God is the heart of worship. I t is the natural response to Gods amazing love and mercy. We give of ourselves to Him, not out of fear, or duty, but in love,'because he first loved us.'... (p78) True worship - bringing God pleasure - happens when you give yourself completely to God." So true unless I surrender , God's hands are tied so to speak. He will not / can not impose His will upon us. It goes against his very nature of "others centered love". The very moment love is forced it ceases to be love.Rick goes on to say that there are " three behaviors that block our total surrender to God: Fear, Pride, and confusion. I don't know about you but I've struggled with all three of these during the coarse of my life. I'm so glad though for the blessings of Surrender. The peace, the freedom, and God's power in my life. These are the things we desire in the deepest crevices of our being.( God built us that way you know). I can not tell you how much I cherish the peace that God sends my way. The peace and contentment of knowing that it doesn't matter what happens to me , or who accepts / rejects me, God will never leave me nor forsake me. It's so awesome. He will always love me, care for me, provide for my needs( and quite often my wants).It's just so soothing and comforting, like a big warm fuzzy hug.I can't help but be filled with joy and gratitude because I'm so unworthy of it. I never will be either. Thank God I don't have to be I just have to accept Jesus gift and let His blood cover me.


Question to consider: What area of my life am I holding back from God?I think this quote from Rick will help focus on this question. " If God is going to do his deepest work in you , it will begin with this. So give it all to God: your past regrets, your present problems, your future ambitions, your fears, dreams, weaknesses, habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Put Jesus Christ in the driver's seat of your life and take your hands off the steering wheel. Don't be afraid; nothing under His control can ever be out of control. Mastered by Christ you can handle anything."(This reminds me of a song "Jesus Take The Wheel". It's the music lover in me. I wonder if the writer of the song read this book? Or vice versa. I think the book was written first but I could be wrong.)

Day 9
Point to ponder: God smiles when I trust Him.
" The smile of God is the goal of your life."
Verse to remember: The Lord is pleased with those who worship him and trust His love." Ps. 147: 11(CEV) I believe we were created to love and be loved by God and now on p.70 Rick says" He longs for you to know him and spend time with him. This is why learning to love God and be loved by him should be the greatest objective of your life. Nothing else comes close in importance." Amen Rick. I am so there with you Bro. You know so often , myself included, people find it amazing that THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE cares about us and wants to spend time with us. Why shouldn't he? He created us. How many of us have children and don't want to ever get to know them or spend time with them. It's to bad we believe this lie that Satan has planted in our midst. He's our father.
And so he smiles when we love him Supremely( who wouldn't, I mean a simple hug brings a smile to our faces,) And why shouldn't we love him supremely? Look at all he's done for us. He proved His supreme love for us on the cross when he loved us more than life itself.And how can you love someone supremely and not trust them? Love and trust come hand in hand don't they? And then when love and trust are in place shouldn't obedience fall into place. Then there's praise. When someone does something for you ,you thank them and often tell someone else what they have done for you. Why not do the same for God. He Gives you a beautiful sunrise in the morning He takes care of your every need and He finishes the day off with a gorgeous sunset.We are so blessed. We all appreciate a good heartfelt thank you now and then. What makes us think God would not?
When I observe one of my boys doing something they're good at ( even not so good at) especially when they enjoy what they are doing I can't hold bake the smiles. God is no different. Remember we are made in his image. Why wouldn't we get those traits from him. ( the only traits we don't get from him are sinful ones). Now I know it's not as easy as it sounds. Why not? These things should come naturally with love shouldn't they. So why don't they? Maybe I need to examine my relationship with God a little better. Maybe I have some untruth in my thinking about God. Or maybe Oh I don't know . I need to pray for God to reveal what walls I have in the way. I just have to praise God and thank him for his great love and patience with me.
Question to consider: Since God knows what is best, in what areas of my life do I need to trust Him most?

Day 8
Point to ponder: I was planned for God's pleasure.

Verse to remember: " The Lord takes pleasure in His people" Ps 149: 4a(TEV)
It's nice to hear that it's OK to feel pleasure and have our emotions. And that God has them too. And hey it's OK if thy are involved in our worship to God. I can't tel you how tired I am of hearing that " We can't rely on our emotions, and that worship should be mental and not emotional" My question to these statements has always been ' then why did God give me the ability to feel these emotions if I'm not supposed to use them and I'm supposed to control them by containing them.' OK here comes the can of worms. The bible says to may a joyful noise unto the Lord, so why do we sing in church as if we are conducting a funeral?( I know not all churches are like this, But mine for the most part is). Now I know singing isn't the only way to worship but it's one of my gifts and to me it is a very big part of my worship to God. And frankly I glad to hear someone say(or write) that, "God loves all kind of music because he invented it all - fast and slow, loud and soft, old and new. If its offered to God in spirit and truth, it is an act of worship." OK I've said my piece on that. moving along now.
What really got me thinking in this chapter and has stuck with me for the last few years( I first read this book in 2005) is that is that Worship is not for my benefit. I used to be in that mind set that I should worship God for me that if I wasn't getting something out of it it was a bad service or whatever( now I'm not perfect I often slip back into my old ways of thinking, why do you think I'm reading this book again) But the times when I do remember, I am blessed the most. I like what Rick writes on p. 67 about how to do everything to the glory of God" By doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus and by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it. ... Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of his presence."
Question to consider: What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus? I 'm just going to try to focus on worshipping God an a continual basis in every thing, every task I do. This will be difficult for me as I loose focus somewhat easily at times.

Day 7
Point to Ponder: It's all for him.

Verse to remember: " For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. Romans 11:36(LB) "All sin ,at its root, is failing to give God glory. It is loving anything else more than God." (p54,55) my question - Is giving God glory the same as loving Him? I never really looked at it this way before. I know that sin is the transgression of the law. That God is love and keeping or obeying the law is expression of love( or selflessness). So sin ( breaking the law) is self-centeredness ( opposite of selflessness). And Giving God glory is definitely a selfless act. And then there's this verse where Jesus is saying " I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do"John 17:4 so Jesus fulfilled His purpose( to give glory to God) by doing what god told him to do. Am I correct in reasoning that in order to fulfill my purpose I must first know what God wants me to do.
I really connect to this Quote by C.S.Louis, " In commanding us to glorify him, God is inviting us to enjoy him." When I read that I picture a very content couple enveloped in each others presence. The whole world is blocked out and they are only conscious of each other and are so absorbed in only each other and in pleasing or expressing their love for each other, that nothing else matters.(OK I'm a romantic- so sue me. Most of us women are you know).It makes me just want to reach out and Give God the most awesome hug ever and never let go.( You've got to admit hugging God would be pretty awesome). I love what Rick writes next" God wants our worship to be motivated by love, thanksgiving, and delight, not duty." He doesn't want our worship to be motivated by guilt, fear,or by what we others may think of us etc... whew! What a relief. I just have to concentrate on loving him and everything will come joyfully from the heart just because I love Him. I think this will be the same in not just our worship but in the other ways listed to bring God glory[loving other believers,(I think this should be all people not just other believers), becoming like Christ, serving others with our gifts, and telling others about God].Rick goes on to say" God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." This statement rises the question , " just how satisfied am I in God?" That's the Question to ponder.
Question to consider: Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's Glory? " Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God" 2Peter 1:3(MSG)

Day 6

Day 6
Point to ponder: This world is not my home.

Verse to remember: " So we fix our eyes not one what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18(NIV)I don't know about you but I don't want God to be ashamed to be called my God. I want to be a good representative for Him. But How I am far from perfect. Thank God that Jesus' perfect blood covers my sin.
I'm glad my time on earth is not the complete story of my life. It's refreshing to know that in heaven I will not be labeled " Divorced woman" that I am. All the earthly labels that I've acquired throughout my life will not stick to me there. I'll be a princess of God the Creator, King of the universe. Oh wait a minute. I am already a princess of God the Creator, King of the universe. And although my earthly labels stick to me like Glue I'm forgiven so they don't have to bother me anymore. My Bad.

Question to consider: How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now? I want to remember that all the things I do throughout the day that consume so much of my time are useless unless I let God be involved. I want his love and joy to be evident in everything I do,and say etc. I just don't necessarily know how to do that in certain situations, Like when I'm frustrated with my feeble attempts to teach my children something and they just don't grasp it. or when everything around me is going wrong and I'm overwhelmed with this and that. I need a way to remind myself that it's all just earthly things that don't really matter as much as I feel they do. It's OK if my house is not spotless , or that I didn't get all my paper work done today, or that I didn't get as far as I thought I should have with the kids in school today. What really matters is did I spend good quality time with God today, and did my children and others in my life know that I love them. Did they want to know God better as a result of spending time with me or interacting with me. Did we laugh together today and hug and say I love you. I wish I could say differently but most of these things just do not come natural for me. Let's pray for each other that God will help us stay focused on today's point to ponder. This world is not my home