DAILY LIVING

Reading Time 4 mins 39 secs – You know, every January, people talk about starting fresh—setting New Year’s resolutions and trying to reset their lives physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. And that’s great. But how many times have we found ourselves setting the same resolutions year after year, only to abandon them a few days, weeks, or a month later? This year, I want to challenge you to think differently. Instead of focusing only on what you want to achieve in 2025, let’s also take a hard look at what you need to leave behind in 2024. Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs come not from what we gain but from what we let go of. Here are three things to leave behind as you step into God’s best for your life in 2025: 1. Insecurities Let’s talk about insecurity for a second. It’s a sneaky thief. It keeps you stuck, paralyzed, and doubting whether you’re capable of doing what God called you to do. Insecurity is not from God. It's the enemy’s tactic to rob you of your destiny. God made you on purpose, for a purpose, and He doesn’t make mistakes. Genesis 1:27 says you were created in His image. That means you have His DNA—His creativity, power, and potential—inside of you. Stop comparing yourself to someone else’s highlight reel. Stop trying to fix yourself with things that don’t matter—more stuff, more status, or other people’s opinions. God has already given you everything you need to walk confidently into your calling. Here’s what to do: Spend time reminding yourself what God says about you. When insecurity tries to creep in, stand firm on the Word of God. Write down affirmations based on Scripture, and speak them out loud! Your words carry power. Be confident in this truth: God chose you for this moment, this season, and this purpose. Let 2025 be the year you leave insecurity in the rearview mirror. You have too much ahead to let fear hold you back. 2. Complaining I’m going to be real with you: complaining is one of the fastest ways to keep yourself stuck. It focuses all your energy on what’s wrong instead of what God’s doing. And the Bible makes it clear: “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Proverbs 18:21a, NIV). What are you speaking over your life? Complaining doesn’t just create negativity; it’s a mindset. When you constantly dwell on the problems, you miss the solutions God is already providing. So, what’s the alternative? Gratitude. Gratitude is a weapon. It shifts your focus and aligns your thinking with God’s promises. Here’s how to flip the script: Start a gratitude list. Write down three things you’re thankful for every day. Train your mind to focus on what God is doing, not what isn’t going right. Catch yourself. When you start to complain, pause and say, “What can I be grateful for in this moment?” Get perspective. Ask yourself, “Is this going to matter a year from now?” Most of the time, the things we complain about aren’t worth the energy. When you retrain your mind to focus on the good, you’ll find that joy and strength naturally follow. The Bible says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b, NIV). Let’s lean into that joy in 2025. 3. Toxic Relationships We’ve all been there. Relationships can be a blessing, but some relationships weigh you down, pull you away from God’s plan, and drain your energy. Toxic relationships aren’t just in romantic settings. They can show up in friendships, family, or work environments too. If someone is constantly pulling you away from your purpose, making you question your worth, or keeping you from stepping into God’s best, it’s time to set some boundaries. And listen: this doesn’t mean cutting off people entirely. Boundaries don’t mean you stop loving people. They mean you stop letting their dysfunction control your life. Ask yourself: Is this relationship pushing me closer to God or pulling me away? Does this person consistently build me up, or do they tear me down? When you let go of relationships that aren’t aligned with where God is taking you, you make space for the right people—people who will encourage you, challenge you, and grow with you. I’m Sure You Can Think of More Things to Leave Behind… This list is just a starting point. Maybe for you, it’s leaving behind procrastination, negative thoughts, or the fear of failure. Maybe it’s doubt, pride, or the need to control everything. Whatever it is, take some time to reflect. Ask yourself: What’s holding me back from stepping into the life God has for me? We all have things we’ve been carrying for far too long—things that don’t belong in the next chapter of our lives. This year, don’t just focus on what you’re reaching for; get intentional about what you’re letting go of. There’s power in leaving behind what no longer (or never did) serve God’s purpose for you. Stepping Into 2025 Here’s the good news: You don’t have to navigate this alone. God didn’t design you to do life by yourself. Surround yourself with people who will speak life into you, remind you of God’s promises, and stand with you in faith. You won’t always get it right—and that’s okay. Nobody succeeds at everything all the time. But when you fall, God’s grace is there to pick you back up. He’s cheering you on, and so are Drenda and I. As we move forward into 2025, let’s leave behind insecurity, complaining, and toxic relationships. Instead, let’s embrace God’s truth, walk in gratitude, and surround ourselves with the right people.  This is your year to step boldly into what God has called you to do. Let’s make it count.

Reading Time 7 mins 0 secs – Should you marry him? Should you quit your job? Should you move? As Christians, we want to follow God and serve Him with our lives. But how do we know what God’s plan is for us? We may not be sure which decision to make, what God is calling us to do, or whether we’re doing the right thing or not. So, how do we discern what God wants for us without letting our thoughts or feelings get in the way? Here are three tips on how to hear from God and discover your purpose. 1. Spend time with Him. In order to know God’s voice, you have to spend time with Him. You can’t expect to discern His voice if you are unfamiliar with what it sounds like. “How do I hear God’s voice?” I get asked this all of the time. So many people have told me they feel like they can’t hear God. They’re expecting the loud, booming voice they’ve heard in old Christian movies that says, “Thus saith the Lord,” but it never comes. The reality is that God is trying to speak to them every day, so where is the mix-up? Most of the time, God does not speak in an audible voice. My husband describes God’s voice as sounding like a thought but with a different twang or conviction behind it. It’s often hard to shake, let go of, or you feel it in your gut. The more you take the time to listen to God’s voice, the more you’ll learn to recognize it! And on the flip side, when we never take the time to listen for God, our spirits become quiet and His voice gets softer. A great place to start is by reading God’s Word! God will speak to people in different ways, but if you want to learn His voice, spend time in the Bible. So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. —Romans 10:17 (NLT) When we are consistently spending time in God’s Word, we will be able to recognize His voice when He speaks. 2. Be still and listen. We live in a culture that is constantly giving us ideas on how to live, dress, talk, and everything in between. We are constantly being bombarded with ads on TV, online, and on social media. Let’s face it: our culture is afraid to be bored. We put on music in the car, look at our phones 24/7, and sometimes even juggle multiple forms of entertainment at one time. Nowadays, we hardly go to the restroom without our phones! When we constantly surround ourselves with noise, it can be hard to hear the still, small voice of God. It’s easy to miss the voice of God in the midst of all of our entertainment. With all the noise coming at us, it’s more important than ever that we take TIME to listen for God’s voice. Set aside a certain amount of time each day to spend with Him. If you miss it some days, that’s okay. Don’t be too hard on yourself. But it’s important to make God your priority if you expect to hear from Him. David describes God’s Word as his guide in Psalm 119:105, and that is what the Bible is meant to be. It will guide us through life and help us learn about God and His character. Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. —Psalm 119:105 (NLT) Relationships are a two-way street. That goes for our relationship with the Lord as well. God is perfect, and He is always there for us. If we want to turn to Him at any point in the day, no matter what we have or have not done, He will be there to love and support us. Still, relationships require effort on both ends. If we are not spending time in prayer, worship, reading the Bible, and learning more about God, then we won’t be able to recognize His voice. The more time we spend with God, the more clearly we will hear Him and recognize His voice—just like in any relationship. “For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” —Jeremiah 29:11–13 (CSB) God tells us in His Word that we WILL find Him when we seek Him. He is not hiding from us. He wants us to seek Him, and He wants to lead us. He has a plan for our lives, and He wants to support and guide us on it. 3. Let go of whatever is holding you back. Not spending enough time with God isn’t always what is holding us back from hearing Him. Sometimes, we have to cleanse our lives of things that are not of God. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But sometimes, living in sin or unforgiveness can keep us from hearing God. If we are pursuing worldly things that are not of God, we may have a hard time hearing God and being able to fully commit to following His plan for us. We may say we want His plan in prayer or in a small group, but if how we spend our time, money, and resources is toward a worldly lifestyle, then our lives will be headed in that direction. Everyone faces different temptations in life. No matter what temptation you may be facing, the Bible tells us to get rid of everything that is slowing us down in pursuing God’s plan for our lives. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. —Hebrews 12:1–2a (NLT) The Bible commands us to throw off everything that causes us to stumble. It also tells us in Romans 14:13 (NLT) to “ live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall .” Ask the Holy Spirit what you need to get rid of in your life. It may be a habit, the TV shows you are watching, what you spend your time thinking about, or even a group of people with whom you may need to limit your time. All people are created in the image of God, and He loves them all, but if they are hindering you from following the Lord, then it may be time to limit their access into your life. Why is it important for you to know God’s plan for your life? If you don’t know where God is leading you, then how will you be able to follow? You may be confused as to what your purpose in life is. I want to assure you that God has a plan for your life. He has had a plan specifically for you since before you were born, and He wants to see you walk it out. He won’t abandon you either (Deuteronomy 31:6). Stepping out in faith and following God’s plan can seem daunting. But if God is leading you to something, you WILL have peace about it. If you are unsure, continue to seek God about it, along with consulting with other believers. Ask them to pray for you as well. That’s why Christian friends are so important! If you aren’t a part of a small group, join one today and get connected with some like-minded people! It’s never too late to step out and follow God. He will meet you wherever you are in life. You may have missed out on previous opportunities, but it’s never too late to follow Jesus. If you ask Him to lead you, He will. That’s why God sent us the Holy Spirit—to be our guide in life. God wants to guide you and to see you fulfill the plan He has for your life.

Reading Time 2 mins 39 secs –  Are you wasting your time? I know. I’m not making friends by asking that question. But really, have you ever thought about how much time you’re wasting? There’s an Inc. article about how we all have enough time to read 200 books a year. Yep, that says 200. See, we say we’re busy, or we just don’t have enough time, or we wish we had more time. But there’s research to prove that’s not really the truth. Because, according to statistics, most of us are wasting a lot of time. In fact, stats show the average American spends more than two hours per day on social media and that on average , Americans watch three hours of television every single day. Of course, the point of writing this isn’t just to help you find time to read more books. I want to help you live your God-designed purpose. And you’ll never live your God-designed purpose, or enjoy the good life He has for you, until you understand the value of time and stop wasting it. Look at 2 Kings 4:1-7 with me. The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the Lord. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.” Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.” But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” Now, what would you say is the most valuable thing in that story? I’ll give you a hint: It wasn’t the oil. It was time. Because if you could talk to that widow now and ask her what she would change if she could go back, I guarantee she would say she would have taken more time to gather more jars. More time. Looking at it now, knowing the opportunity, she would probably say, “I’ll tell you what. I’ll be back in a few days.” She would’ve taken more time to gather more jars. She would’ve loaded semi-trucks with jars. And she would’ve been recorded as being the wealthiest woman on the face of the earth. So many of us are like the widow—only understanding the value of time when we look back, when we’re confronted with our ticking clock, or when time runs out. Years ago, just before my grandpa died, I had a conversation with him. He said, “Where did my life go?” He was in his 90s. I didn’t get it then, but I do now. What he was saying was, “Pass me another jar!” But there were no jars left. Friend, time is valuable, and it can never be recovered. How are you spending yours? This is your time. This is your life. Ask God to show you how you should be spending your time right now. And if you haven’t already, ask Him to show you your purpose. Because when you know your purpose, you’ll have clarity and a sense of urgency. You won’t want to waste time. Today, take a hard look at how you’ve been spending your time. Clear the clutter and the distractions from your schedule and from your life. Make the uncomfortable decision to stop wasting your precious time. Change it now. The clock is ticking.