Say Goodbye to Yesterday With Jesus

At the end of every YouTube video, my husband and I say, Until next time, we’re Friday’s…Forever. Then we wave and say goodbye, and even put up Winston the pug’s front paw so he can bid everyone bye, too. 

Because our viewers really enjoy Winston waving his paw to the camera to say goodbye.

But some goodbyes make us sad. Like when a loved one or beloved pet passes away. Or a friend or family member moves across the country or to another country. 

Yet, when we say hello to Jesus, meet Him as Lord and Savior, we get to say goodbye to yesterday.

And yesterday’s goodbyes are good and indeed necessary for our spiritual journey. You see, looking forward and walking with Jesus each day grows our faith. Still further, it makes us more and more like Christ. 

Now let’s look at how we bid goodbye to yesterday.

Say Goodbye to Our Old Self

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 

How Real Love Looks: 20 Amazing Quotes

Ah, love is in the air. Yes, it’s love month. And a time we celebrate love. But it’s important to learn how real love looks.

Because God never intended love to fall flat or feel thin. 

Maybe we desire to boost our love for a spouse. 

Perhaps, love seems rushed or less-than in some of our closest relationships. 

The One who calls us Beloved loves us in truth and wants us to do the same in our relationships.

Love supercharged. And love supersized.

Therefore, I complied this list of memorable and amazing love-quotes.

Words reminding our heart: how real love looks, what true love does, and why authentic love matters. 

Words to Remind us How Real Love Looks

God’s Not Finished With Me

God’s not finished with me.

First, God knit me together—I’m fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13-14) And He even knew me before I was born. (Psalm 139:16)

God drew me to Himself through the Holy Spirit at 16. 

The Lord called me to use my gifts for His glory and kingdom. Because the callings and gifts of God are irrevocable, they cannot be undone. (Romans 11:29)

While all these facts bring me peace, security, and direction, I’m grateful God’s not finished with me yet. 

God’s Word promises He’s still working on me, and you. 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

So let’s look at an acrostic for F.I.N.I.S.H. to remind our hearts of this powerful truth.

F – Fights for me: not finished with me.

6 Ways We Stand in God’s Love

“I love you.” My father’s voice reassured as he tenderly kissed my forehead.

Hopeful imagination in a little girl’s heart—my heart.

As a young girl, my father was absent from my life for a few years.

And his absence caused me to wonder, Am I lovable? 

To further confuse my young heart, my dad came back into my life as a self-proclaimed atheist. 

Then I questioned, Is there a God? And, does God love me?

At 16, I heard the gospel.

Jesus Christ, sent by His Father, died on a cross for me and loved me completely. The love I craved. I became a daughter of the Most High God.

 “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1a (ESV) 

Stay tuned until the end of this article for the rest of my father-daughter love story. So let’s talk about the love of our Heavenly Father and how we stand in God’s love.

Stand in God’s Love

(1.) God IS love. 

Love is not only something God does, but also who He is. In fact, God cannot not love. God loved us so much, He gave His only Son to give us eternal life.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (ESV) 

May we never get over how much God loved the world—you and me—and the great sacrifice He made to show His love.

Love is an action and a WHO—God. We stand in God’s love when we stand in Him.

(2.) God’s love gives all. 

His Name May Not Go Viral: But He’s Jesus

His name may not go viral. He may never receive the most likes or the popular vote.

But He is high and lifted up. Jesus.

His names…

His Name: Redeemer

Light of the world. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (ESV)

We recognized Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr day this week. One of his well-known quotes: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Isn’t it amazing how that quote points to Jesus himself.

The Resurrection and the Life. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25 (ESV)

Redeemer. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” Job 19:25 (ESV)

Even in the midst of the enemy attacking Job in all areas of his life and his very life and breath, Job still recognizes the Lord as “my Redeemer” who lives. He’s a living God.

His Name: Cornerstone

Cornerstone. Jesus as the cornerstone is seen in Psalm 118, Isaiah 28, several of the gospels and Ephesians 2.

“For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:18-22 (ESV)

Are You Ready to Live and Move with God?

Are you ready to live and move with God?

Because when God’s people trust in God during good and hard seasons, it means we live and move with Him.

So whatever comes our way, I pray we remember:

In him we live and move and have our being. Acts 17:28b (ESV)

(1)  Live in God.

In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul visits Athens.

Teaching in the synagogue, he describes the city as full of idol worship. He “found an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god’” (Verse 23 ESV).

Next, Paul proclaims the known God in verses 24-25.

• God made the world, heavens, and everything in it.
• He does not dwell in temples made by man.
• The Lord is not served by human hands as needing what we have to offer Him.
• God gives life, breath, and everything.

Live means to reside in, have one’s home in, set up residence, be settled in; be housed in, lodge in; inhabit, occupy.

Reflections on Living: 

1. Are we letting those in the community where we live see our faith in a known God? And do other see how our life resides in the living God who gives us everything?
2. Do we show others how we inhabit a spiritual life in the promise of heaven? Do we live in such a way others see the known God in us and see us as His temple and God’s altar?

(2)  Move with God.

25 Focus Areas for Believers in 2025

Embarking on a brand new year often brings mixed thoughts and emotions. Because “brand-new” conjures up all kinds of hopes and dreams. 

But how do God’s people steer our focus? What focus areas would please the Lord?

So here are 25 focus areas I want to share with you.

Brand-new Focus Areas

(1.) Beginnings. “The point in time or space at which something starts.”(Google) The world, life, time and space all started with God. Give Him the new year and your new beginnings.

(2.) Forge new paths. Whether careers, direction, vision, mission, or ministry, remember who makes new paths. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

(3.) Dreams. Dream big ole’ ginormous things only God can pull off. He’s the biggest dreamer of all. Dream with God, you and Him dream best together. 

(4.) Do-overs. Sometimes we get to do something over, other times it’s impossible. But every new year, month, week, and day presents opportunities to change our actions, reactions, perspective, words, and outlook.

(5.) Second chances. Everyone hopes for a second chance after forgetting something, messing up, or hurting someone. Not only expecting them from others, but also giving them to others. Because we serve a God of second chances and countless chances. 

(6.) Wholeness. We were made for wholeness, but we learned brokenness. Jesus makes us whole. “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (ESV)

Living Life Focused

Personalize and Pray Scriptures for the New Year

Many of you know how I love to personalize and pray scriptures over myself, and over my family and friends. And I encourage other believers to do the same.

Because it’s so powerful when we pray specifc Bible verses back to God. In fact, I firmly believe this led to my atheist Father accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. I faithfully prayed salvation scriptures with his name for 16 years.

Also, this practice acquaints us with the Scripture and aids in its memorization.

So let’s look at Bible verses I chose to use for the new year. Remember your name or other names go in the blanks.

(1.) Personalize and Pray for God’s Love and Fullness

Lord, “May ________ have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that ________ may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 5:18-19 ESV)

(2.) Remind Our Hearts How We are New

Father, remind ________ “that in Christ, ________ is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (Or, “Remind me that in Christ, I am a new creation.”) (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

(3.) Personalize and Pray for Hope in the New Year

“May the God of hope fill _______ with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit _______ may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13 ESV) Thank you, God. Real hope is only found in You.

(4.) Pray to Trust the Lord With all Our Heart

Lord, I pray that ________ will “Trust in the Lord with all _______ (her, his) heart and lean not on ______ (her/His) own understanding; (but) in all _______ ways submit to (You), and (You) will make _______ paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

Jesus Christ Exists: Never Explained Away

Jesus Christ exists, never explained away.

When we celebrate Christmas, the reason for the season, it reminds me of my faith in Christ.

Even when others deny who Jesus is and why He came to earth, I stand firm in knowing Him as Savior and Lord.

And even when culture continues to commercialize Christmas and only say, “Happy Holidays!”, I know my Jesus is the light of the world.

So let’s look at what the Bible says.

Alpha and Omega

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8 (ESV)

Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end. Part of the triune God, Jesus participated in the creation of the world as seen in the book of Genesis. And Jesus one day returns for the new heaven and earth.

Because Jesus Christ exists.

Jesus Christ Exists: Lord and Savior

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (ESV)

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” 1 John 4:14 (ESV)

The birth of Jesus unveiled the Savior to the world. The One promised to rescue us from sin, other gods, the enemy, and even ourselves.

Lamb of God

Joy to the World: Paint the Town Red for Christmas

Do you know how to paint the town red?

Born the first day of December, I enjoy celebrating my birthday (along with my twin sister) in the same month as Christmas.

And every year my special day proves fun-filled and momentous.

Joy marks the occasion. So we paint the town red.

My family usually takes me out to eat, then we head home to blow out candles, enjoy cake, and open gifts.

But where did the expression “Let’s paint the town red!” originate?

And how exactly does one go about it?

Paint the Town Red

I found a plethora of answers for painting the town red. Here are a few:

• From Google, “go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly.” Synonyms: “celebrate, have a party, live it up, have a ball.”
• “Go on a drinking bout; get drunk. Some believe it refers to setting something on fire” (The Free Dictionary).
• Violence. Dating back to the 1800’s, an article in The Phrase Finder, “The allusion is to the kind of unruly behavior that results in much blood being spilt.”

How sad the association to drunkenness and violence.

Still, there’s no unruly behavior going on when my family celebrates. For my birthday, keep in mind the glitter and sparkle of painting the town red.

The Red Blood of the Lamb

Yet, a powerful Bible story describes “much blood spilt” to paint the town red. In Exodus 12, the Israelites put blood from a lamb without blemish on two doorposts and the panel above the door of each house. The Lord’s Passover.