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Milestones Part 5

We live in a world where things are changing all the time. Not only do seasons change, people do, visions change, and desires change, the economy changes too. If you listen to the news, or read the newspaper, you’ve heard the latest. We’re in an economic crisis. There seems to be little positive change in the economy and many people remain frightened and discouraged. My husband always jokes that CNN stands for constant negative news. We are hearing a lot of it! But guess what? In the midst of constant negative news, we still have Good News. It is the gospel. When everyone else is saying the worst is yet to come, I’m going to be saying the opposite. I believe God’s Word. He has a plan for us that has a future and a hope written into it. I believe that hope is not just an emotion, it is a discipline and to live in hope, we have to discipline ourselves to receive the truth of the Word of God as superior to the truth of the news on TV or the internet that comes from the world. The Good News of the Word, trumps the bad news of the world! We can be smart, use our money wisely, make good decisions and we can come out on top. The best is still yet to come! I have never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed out begging for bread as it says in Psalms. God is still our provider. He is Jehovah Jireh. He is the God that is more than enough. He has given us all that we need that pertains to life and godliness, so we can rejoice. Let’s confidently know that God will always meet our needs, according to His riches in Christ Jesus. We can live in the beautiful circle of blessing, God blesses us, we bless others, and we get blessed again….what an encouraging way to live.

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Milesstones Part 4

The wonder of life does not depend on the location of the man, but on the posture of the man’s heart. Have you heard that quote before? Let me quote it again. The wonder of life does not depend on the location of the man, but on the posture of the man’s heart. It is hard to think of a heart having posture, and the word attitude may be a better fit. What is your heart attitude? Are you half full person? Or is your glass always half empty? Are you always expecting the best to come your way? Or do you hate to breathe too deeply, because if things have been good for a certain length of time, surely soon everything will fall apart. The difference is not in the circumstances, it is in the attitude. Do we really believe that God can turn difficult situations around? Do we really believe that we serve a God who is more than able to make all grace abound toward us? Do we really believe that God can take something ugly and make something beautiful out of it? YES! It boils down to the attitude of the heart. Jesus attitude was expressed in Phil 2:5-7. He was humble, and even though He was God himself, he became a servant, and became obedient to death on a cross. Because of His obedience, He was exalted by God himself. Verse 12 and 13 of Phil 2 goes on to give us an admonition to live the same way. Because God is in us effectually at work, energizing and creating in you the power and desire both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight, we can live a deeply satisfying life. Not only are we content, but we are bringing glory to God in the process. That’s living the best, blessed life now!

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Milestones Part 3

Have you ever wondered why Romans 8 says that we are not only conquerors, but we are more than conquerors? I heard the very best explanation to that one time that I have never forgotten. The conqueror is the aspiring boxer who has been in strict training for years. He eats only what is beneficial for his body, he works out for hours each day, and has sacrificed much to be able to challenge the world champion in a match that is beyond compare. The day of the fight arrives, and confidently he steps in the ring. Is he really a match for the champ? He will soon find out. He fights his heart out. Round one. Round two. Then round three. He goes for the knock out, and thud, the former champ falls to the mat, knocked out by the new champion who has proved his value in the ring. His arm is held high in victory by the referee and he goes home with the champions robe and belt. The strict training paid off. He was bruised up, from the battle, but he becomes the new Champion. He not only gets the title, he gets the big payoff. The amount of the check is bigger than he has ever seen before. He goes home, kisses his wife at the door, and graciously hands her the check. He is the conqueror, and she is more than a conqueror. He did all the work, and she gets all the benefit! I’m sure you see the analogy. Jesus fought the biggest boxing match of all time against the worst enemy of all time, and not only did He win, He knocked the devil out. Jesus then said, what I have done, I did for you, my bride, the church. You are my prize, and I give you the check. We are more than conquerors in this life……Praise the Lord.

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Milestones Part 2

I have strength for all things in Christ, who empowers me, I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency. I just quoted Phil 4:13 from the amplified version, and I feel empowered and encouraged just saying those words out loud!! Isn’t it amazing to think that the Spirit of God lives on the inside of us? We are in Christ, and He infuses inner strength into our spirits. I know there have been lots of times when I felt weak and powerless. Whether situations were overwhelming, or there seemed to be no end to the storm I was facing, it would have been easy to just go where my emotions wanted to take me. We have to manage our emotions, or they will take over! We can choose how we want to feel! As we begin to meditate on those wonderful words in Phil 4:13, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, any “I can’t” that I was feeling, became “I can” because of the cross. No thing can to take us out. No evil force, no circumstance, no unmet expectation, no lack in any area, no sickness or pain would have the ability to keep me from being the conqueror that Jesus made me through the cross. I believe that for you too! When I let Christ empower me, I really am ready for anything and equal to anything that might come my way. God really is way bigger than any problem, or adversity, and the strength we receive from Christ makes us more than conquerors not only in this life, but also in our heavenly home. We win both ways! Now that’s encouraging.

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Milestones Intro

: Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. I believe that this poem is for you, so be reminded every day this week that: The Best is Yet to Come!
No matter what it looks like, no matter how you feel
The circumstances that you’re in are not what’s really real
The future up ahead is bright, the days ahead will bring
A freshness in your spirit, and a song of joy to sing
You are full and you are rich with what is worth the most
It’s not a product of the world, it’s from the Holy Ghost
Rejoice and be extremely glad, this work God has begun
So sing and shout, and dance with joy, the best is yet to come.
Here is your encouraging word for today.

Monday
Have you found it easy to live a contented life, in a world that is full of yearning for more and trying to find satisfaction in things? It really is easy to get caught up in wanting more stuff and thinking that stuff will fill any emptiness inside of us. Before we met Christ, there was a God shaped vacuum in our life, that could only be filled by God. Jesus came to fill us to overflowing, and for us to be totally satisfied in Him. An “unearthly” longing we as Christians have is for our home in heaven. As wonderful as earth can be, and as much as we can experience of heaven on earth in our Christian walk, nothing compares to the complete bliss and joy of heaven. We have a longing within for our heavenly home, and for the joy of seeing our Savior face to face. That longing is a blessed hope that will be met when we pass from this life to the next. This earth life is very short, and heaven is long! In the mean time, we can be like Paul who said that he has learned the secret of contentment. In Philippians chapter 4, verses 12 and 13 he stresses the fact that he has faced both abundance and lack, that he has been well fed, and been hungry. I’m sure he liked a full tummy and abundance better than hunger and lack! In spite of these circumstances he learned what we quote so often in Phil 4:13, that I can do all things through Christ. I love the Amplified version which says, “I have strength for all things in Christ, who empowers me, I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me. I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.” Now those are some encouraging words, and better days really are in your future!

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Mother’s Day Part 7

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is in the book of Genesis, chapter 50 and verse 20. It is at the very end of the book of Genesis, after Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. If you remember the story, Joseph remains faithful and is promoted even while in captivity. In the end, he helps his brothers survive a famine and offers them forgiveness. How powerful that is! Joseph was kind and comforting to ones who had been cruel to him. He remembered their treatment, and he forgave them anyway…. Amazing! Then the Bible says that Joseph told them, what you meant for evil, God has turned around for good. On that day, many people were alive and safe, because of Joseph’s ability to give them food and comfort. One of the most extraordinary things in the Bible is how God can bring good out of terrible situations. Joseph could have gotten stuck in the past, and treated his brothers just like they treated him. But he chose a higher path! He chose forgiveness. Joseph is such a great example of a pure heart, in the midst of unbelievable adversity. He looked beyond the present, and God used his gift of influence to save his family. The lesson learned is…. learn from the past, but don’t let it hold you there. God will use you when you remember God’s faithfulness and walk on…..demonstrating love and forgiveness even for people or situations that make trouble for you.

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Mother’s Day For Kids Part 6

Hi this is Dorette with an encouraging word for kids today. We are talking about overcoming challenges, and looking at the life of David, who as a young boy faced a lion and a bear, and then a giant. I know you are bold and courageous, and whatever God has put in your heart you will be able to accomplish. Be encouraged today!

Eword for Kidz
Do you know that remembering yesterday’s victories gives you courage for tomorrow’s challenges? I don’t know how often you think about it, but confidence comes when you remember success. I want you to think about something that you are really good at. Ok, I know you are probably really good at teasing your sister, or making excuses, but that’s not what I am talking about. Are you good at math, or video games, or singing, or sports? When you make it to first base in a soft ball game, the next time you are up to bat, you will remember that you got to the base once before, so you can do it again. When you face a math test that is challenging, do you know that when you remember the good grade you got before, it gives you courage to do well this time? When you remember the past success, it can make you more successful. David was a guy in the Bible who did just that. He was facing a real giant, and instead of being fearful, running away, and being defeated, he faced the giant head on, and then took his head off! He said, I come to you in the name of the Lord, and I’ve faced a lion and a bear and they were no big deal, and neither are you. I’m sure there was some fear that tried to creep into David’s mind, but he faced the giant with confidence, and won battle. How can that help you? You can do the same thing. Remember when God has helped you before, and believe that you will do well again!

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Mother’s Day Part 5

How often do you take a moment and just thank God for being faithful to you? We should make it a daily habit. I was having a “can’t figure out what is going on with my laptop” moment this morning, and was disgruntled, frustrated, and a little bit snippy because I couldn’t get it to do what I needed it to do. In a moment like now, I’m not thinking of God’s faithfulness, or how much joy God has brought to my life. My mind is way far from that. But thanking God for His faithfulness is where it ought to be. I have a great computer, thank God, I have a mind that is sharp (computers and most things technical are a bit of a mystery to me!), and a house that is comfortable, kids that love me even when I snip at them, and a very blessed life. This little blip on my computer screen is a very minor difficulty. A habit is something that we do over and over again, in fact, we do it so much that it becomes a natural response. Can we make our natural response in those frustrating moments, a time for gratitude instead? We can when we mix our natural with God’s super….We can live supernaturally, our response doesn’t have to be like the world’s response. So next time, I’ll do better. I’m speaking words of blessing over my blessed, wonderful, helpful, useful, efficient computer! I hope you’ll speak words of blessing over difficulties in your life too.

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Mother’s Day Part 4

Can you imagine what it would be like to be Samson from the Bible? His choices had led to his captivity and his final days were filled with regret. He did some foolish things that he was paying for. If you know the story well, after being tempted and teased by Delilah, Samson had given the secret of his strength away. He was led away by his capturers, was blinded and put in prison to rot. The secret he was hiding was that never since his birth had his hair ever been cut. While the prison guards thought he was rotting away, His hair was growing back day by day. Although he certainly had a past, he had known and had served God before in his life. His last great act of heroism came with his own demise. While the party went on, he was brought out for entertainment. During his imprisonment, his strength had returned and he toppled the structure where the party was happening, and many evil lives were destroyed. Even if we feel we have wasted our lives up to this point, today, things can turn around for you. Bad choices don’t have to determine our tomorrow. We can make good choices today. Broken dreams can become dreams coming true when we determine to do what is right despite our present circumstances. Our choices today will affect tomorrow. Let’s do the right thing now! Obedience to God’s Word always puts us on the pathway to God’s protection and provision.

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Mother’s Day Part 3

Have you noticed in your car how much smaller the rear view mirror is than your front window? It would be really hard to drive looking in the rear view mirror. In fact, our pace would be much slower, and if you went for any great distance, you would get a pain in the neck! God didn’t create us to live in the past! What the rear view mirror is designed to do is to see who is coming up from behind you! Sometimes while driving, we need to be aware that someone behind us is not slowing down, or that they are trying to pass us. Rear view mirrors can give us needed insight and information. They can also be a glimpse of the past…..the good, the bad and the ugly! Being a positive kind of person, most of my past memories are good. I forget anything bad. Lots of people dwell in, live in, and dwell on the past, so much that they miss the present. And many people only remember the worst instead of remembering how God brought them out and blessed them in the process. We shouldn’t live in yesterday by looking in the rear view mirror. We remember past victories, but we live in the present, fully aware, fully conscious, awake and alive to what God wants to do in and through us TODAY. So be encouraged, your past does not determine your future! While little glimpses every once in a while in your rear view mirror can keep you headed the right direction, your future is much bigger and brighter than your past ever was!

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