Author: debo

Is your love for God alive? How are you at loving the body of Christ? How about the people in your church? If you are on your way to church, or have already been to church today, what do you feel for the people who sit around you? Have you introduced yourself? Have you opened up your life to them? Have you asked how things are in their world? As much as we want to have people care for us, people all around you need care too. My sail gets filled by praying for others. Not just going through the motions prayer, but sincere heartfelt prayer, taking their need before the Father, and believing that things can change in their world. Circumstances can change, physical bodies can be healed, relationships can be restored, provision can be made, all because someone listened and took time to express the need to God. So make church and your small group, your fresh air time. God can do something amazing because we ask him to. Fill someones sail today!

What makes you special? I love the thought that everyone has the fingerprint of God on their lives. He has a special plan and purpose just for you. In the big picture of life, we can look around and think there are definielty people in my world who are way better at many things, but God still chose you He chose me. We do the best with what He gave us and then give it back to him. If we really want to experience greatness in the kingdom of God, there is nothing more vital than being empowered by the Holy Spirit. On our own we can do ok, but empowered by the Spirit of God, we have that X factor, we have the power source, we have the ability to go beyond our ability and do something great for God. So be filled, stay filled and get refilled like it says in Eph 5:18. The actual original text says be being filled with the Spirit. That means continuously continue being filled with the Spirit of God! That’s the x factor you are looking for!

What are some ways that you feel refreshed and revitalized? I’m an outdoor girl, who loves the sunshine, so being outside with the sun on my shoulders doing anything, walking, hiking, skiing, biking, on the water, whatever it is, that is how I get fresh wind in my sails. I also know my drains. Computer issues, feeling overwhelmed with housework, yardwork, or just work in general, or just having more things to do than time to do them in, not only drains me, but makes me feel stressed. So when I do have to do the stressful, draining things, I amake time for the things that refresh me. So if it is just a few minutes outside in the sunshine between working on the computer for a few hours, or making a plan to actually go on a hike in the mountains during a stressful week. One thing we have to do is fill our sail. Get some fresh wind blowing in your life. Do something refreshing today! Fill your sail and start sailing free.

We all have done this…we’ve done something thoughtless, or said something insensitive, or worse forgot an important date, and then we kick ourselves over and over and over. Sometimes we can be so hard on ourselves. One way to quit the self abuse, is to begin finding humor and laughing at our mistakes. It is way easier said than done, because we don’t want to appear that we didn’t take seriously our mistakes, but really, we all do dumb things. Give yourself a break. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Pick yourself up, and start laughing. We are human! Can you imagine how Peter felt after denying Jesus three times? I’m sure there was serious kicking of self going on. This Jesus who Peter and followed and loved, even warned Peter that this would happen, and it did. What do you do when the worst happens? You pick yourself up, in Peter’s case, he got filled with the Holy Spirit, and a whole new man emerged. God still used Peter mightily, and He wants to use you too. Get ready!

Do you live with purpose and focus everyday? I would love to answer yes to that, but all of us have our off days. No fresh air days. How can we keep our sense of purpose and stay focused on what God’s plan is for our lives? One of the things that has helped me is to write it down, make it plain, and give myself reminders. In the book of Habbukkuk, it says, write the vision down, so that those who read it can run with it. Running with it, means make it come to pass. If we want to make things happen in our world, we have to have a bullseye to shoot at. With out a target, your arrows will never hit the bullseye. So take the time to write things out. Keep a notebook by your bed. If you get an idea in the middle of the night, write it down. I love the notes icon on my Iphone. I use it all the time. If I think of a sermon title, or a illustration, or even a hook for a song, I am writing it down right away, because the one you don’t, go away. Even if you think you will remember, you probably will not. So write it down, make it plain, so you can run with it!

If we want to move away from just the duty we feel to walk this Christian walk, and really enjoy our life in Christ, it takes some adjustments. If we just make a list of things we need to do and then keep on checking them off dutifully, we might miss the joy of a real living, vibrant relationship. We didn’t become Christians to join a religion. We aren’t religious people, we have a life giving relationship with Jesus. It’s a friendship, and friendships bring joy to our life. So make some adjustments:
Instead of just reading your Bible everyday, dutifully, think of it as God’s love letter to you. He wrote you words to encourage and bless your life. Get excited everyday to read and learn and grow in God. Instead of just rattling off your prayers each day, let the Spirit of God direct your prayers. What needs to be prayed at the moment? Instead of just attending church or your small group because you have to, why not come prayed up and ready to give out to those who gather together with you. You are blessed to be a blessing! You have the opportunity to look at things either way, as a drag or a blessing. Look for blessings! Not a duty but a delight!

Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. This week in our Fresh Air study, we will talk about deciding to immerse ourselves in a culture that is life giving. We don’t want to just go through the motions in our walk with God. We want to live in a way that there is evidence that we have an intimate, loving relationship with God, that is fresh and vibrant. Here’s a breath of fresh air for you this week. Here is your dailyeword.

I think we have all been at the place where we are just going through the motions in life. Perhaps you might have heard this chorus from a song by Matthew West.
I don’t want to go through the motions
I don’t want to go one more day
Without your all consuming passion in side of me
I don’t want to spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions.

How easy is it to just routinely do what we thing we must, without passion or heart behind it. What can you do today to make your walk with God more fresh and vibrant? Could you set aside time to spend with God, just worshipping Him, or reading His Word, or maybe even just being quiet in His presence? So often we busy ourselves with things that don’t matter and miss taking time for what really is important. Do some self assessments today, and then make some adjustments. Live a life with no regrets!

How well do you sleep? I read something today that really intelligent people have a harder time sleeping! That makes my husband a genius, and I must not be so smart! I really can sleep anywhere, in fact, if I sit down my body thinks its time to sleep. I am a goer! My husband on the other hand, can toss and turn for hours, all the while listening to me sleep, and getting irritated that I can sleep anywhere, anytime! When you hit the doldrums, even if you get a good nights sleep, you can still wake up feeling tired. Burdens feel heavier with lack of sleep. Circumstances seem worse, and emotionally we can snap at the ones we love the most because of not enough sleep. God wants to give you perfect rest. He says that His yoke is easy, His burden is light. He wants you to experience THE Rest of God as t says in Matt 11:30. This isn’t a fake rest, it is real and refreshing, and rejuvenating. Don’t be worn out and weary. God gives his beloved (that’s you) rest that revitalizes you spirit, soul and body. Even if you don’t sleep for 8 hours, the time you do sleep will be restful. Get some good rest and experience lighter burdens, and yoke up with Jesus. He’ll breathe fresh air into your life.

Do you workout on a treadmill? I love working out, but have never liked the treadmill. I would rather be outside in the fresh air, walking, biking or swimming. I know a treadmill is convenient and you can have them at home, but to me, it is a visual of having lots to do and it never finishing. That sensation can make you feel overwhelmed and discouraged, and can lead eventually to feeling burned out. If you are in that place today, feeling like you are on a treadmill and can’t get off, be encouraged today that life doesn’t have to continue like that. God has a plan to breathe fresh air into your life. Very often the first step to getting out the doldrums is to tell someone that is where you are. That is where small groups can be a lifesaver. You can, in a small group setting, share your heart and have people come along side to pray for you, encourage you, and help you get back on course. James 5 tells us to pray for one another, confess our missteps to each other, so that we can be healed. If you need healing (which could be getting better, physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc) prayer is the perfect place to start. Be the one who is praying, and the one who receives prayer. Both can be healed.

It’s easy to feel exhausted after a hard days work. Your muscles are tired, you might even be dirty, and you are just worn out. I’ve been there this week! It happened doing yard work, as we worked on building our new home, and even while keeping our current house prepped for an open house, keeping it show ready. We know that true physical labor can make you tired, but life circumstances can be exhausting and can lead to the feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted. Whatever kind of doldrums you might be facing, you can recover! God wants to put wind back in your sail. If the land you are in feels dry and thirsty, you can be well hydrated once again. I love how Ps 63:1-5 reminds us that we don’t have to stay in a dry place.
You, God, are my God
Earnestly I seek you
I thirst for you,
My whole being longs for you
In a dry and parched land
Where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary
And beheld your power and your glory
Because Your love is better than life
My lips will glorify you
I will praise you as long as I live
In your name I will lift up my hands
Praise has a beautiful way of reenergizing our spirit. Get some fresh air praise started in your life.