We are in the month of love!  Valentine’s day is two weeks away, and candy shape hearts and chocolates surround us as we shop. Many of us are thinking of special ways to shower our love on those around us. And for others, Valentine’s day is a reminder of loss, resentment, and the opposite of love. So, what is the opposite of love? Immediately we think, “well, hatred” – this is a great answer, but hatred is only a fruit […]

Have you put in the work for your relationships and priorities? Are you seeing how that foundation connects to your potential? Today is the last day on my soap box. I’m sure you know that so much of life is built on who you know more than what you know. This system can be unfair here on earth, but in the spiritual realm, every one of us has an advantage! This revelation of knowing your Father brings tremendous access to […]

2023 is the year the Holy Spirit will unlock the power of God to come against any challenge in front of you!  God wants to accomplish great things through you for Him this year and will give you the strength to do so. I have focused heavily on principles and priorities lately because we have a role to play. We must have the relationships/recourses in our lives and priorities to set an order to help us accomplish what God has […]

Last week I mentioned the phrase, “Principles are the foundation of relationships.”  Did you evaluate the principles that serve as the foundation for your life and relationships? Your principles determine the strength of your foundation, which is why I concluded last week’s Monday Motivator with the reminder that they must be based on the truths of God’s word. Today, I want to take this one step further. I want you to discover the step to help you launch into a […]

There is a phrase that has been a part of my life for a long time: “Principles are the foundation of relationships.” Principles are enduring! They are fundamental truths or propositions that serve as the foundation for a system of belief, behavior, or a chain of reasoning.  Unsurprisingly, our principles are reflected in our choices and relationships. We are only operating with principles if we can see the fruit and consistency. Principles appear in our child-rearing, marriage, friendships, work, and […]

We have made it to another year, and I am so thankful! While everyone is thinking about goal setting, I encourage you to enter January with gratitude. Consider the following:  1. The past/testimony – Giving God thanks for what He’s already done  2. Thanks for the future– Giving God thanks for what you don’t see yet.  Thanksgiving requires faith.  In the present, I thank God for what He has already done, which we should do continuously. It keeps me focused […]

December 26th, 2022 Monday Motivator I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!  Christmas is a time of magic and newness for our little ones, but it can be a season of reflection, loss, and even loneliness for the rest of us. While we are encouraged to remember the miracle of Jesus, our flesh can leave us feeling like we couldn’t afford enough presents or maybe even BE enough for our family. So, I want to ask you a personal question.  […]

December 19th, 2022 Monday Motivator Christmas is just six days away, and I think it’s important we talk about Mary. As we age, every generation has something to say about the generation that comes after. I’m sure you can think of the many positive or negative assumptions about Millenials or Gen Z… but have you considered that God trusted the world’s salvation to a teenager! Mary was only around sixteen years old. This thought explodes in my mind!  Mary’s name comes from the […]

December 12th, 2022 Monday Motivator A lost principle in today’s world is the ability to wait. We don’t like to wait. Anxiety and desire to have what we want or need immediately have pulled us away from the reward and benefits of patience. Many verses in the bible encourage us to wait patiently and faithfully for God. Lamentations 3:25 says, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (ESV) Through the waiting […]

Have you ever been told “I love you” after doing something for somebody? I realized that it was not necessarily me that they loved but what I could do for them. That love they had for me at that moment was transactional.  I’m not saying that person didn’t have a genuine love for me. But, at that moment, the motive behind their “I love you” was based on my actions for them. God’s love is the opposite. It is never […]

Thanksgiving is now only three days away; can you believe it? I want to start by asking you a question. What is the root of your thankfulness – is it your family, financial security, a good job, or the small good things that happen in a day?  I love the journey from Thanksgiving to Christmas; it’s a great time to evaluate what’s on my heart – and why. Although that journey seems to be going quickly this year, it’s already […]

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.” -Psalm 13 Over the next few weeks, we will look at different attributes of the Father’s love.  Today, I want to remind you of His steadfast love. Steadfast means to be “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.” You can say devoted, committed, dependable, loyal, or faithful.  When scripture uses “steadfast” in front of love, it declares that God’s love for you is unwavering. His love won’t […]

A pessimist believes that only bad things happen. A good indicator that you might fall into a pessimistic mindset is that you find yourself repeating, “Why does this always happen to me.” or “Man, I just cannot catch a break.”  Don’t worry; you are not the only one who feels this way… I’m guilty of it too!  But the reality is we are not victims. On the contrary, God has made us victors!  I love Psalms 23:6, “Surely goodness and […]

In Oklahoma, we know stormy weather. Our storms go way beyond reading by the fire weather. We see trees fall, power outages, flooding, and loss. And many of us are facing a storm right now – it might be literal, spiritual, or both. But, unfortunately, facing storms over and over can dim out light. In storm season, it is tough to see or be the light. As a result, our hope can slowly slip away. And when that happens, we […]

October 24th Monday Motivator James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” I want to focus on resisting. I don’t know about you, but when I read this verse, I read it like this. “Flee from the devil, and he will flee from you.” Yes, I know, the “fleeing” is not “resisting!” My brain skipped right over the most important word! To resist is a military word that means “take a […]

October 17th Monday Motivator I’m sure you’re familiar with the verse, “Go and make disciples of every nation and tongue.” But what exactly is a disciple?  The meaning of disciple is a student or learner.  Disciples commit to learning The Way and teachings of Jesus to become more like the Teacher, Jesus.  I love the meaning of disciple because it’s much deeper than just someone who follows after Christ! As disciples, we must never stop learning from Him. Discipleship is […]

October 10th Monday Motivator When reading the book of Daniel, I found a common subject – pride. A king named Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar both had an issue with pride. Nebuchadnezzar was a successful and powerful king with Belshazzar following in his footsteps. His kingdom is described as a strong tree with a height that reached the heavens, lovely leaves, and fruit for all. What a compliment, right? But that beautiful solid tree would be cut down in a blink of […]

Many times, the word gentle can become confused with weak. To look at what gentleness is, you can look at the word meekness. Which often is labeled as being weak. When studying the word meekness it is described as gentle strength. So actually, being gentle is a strength. It’s quite easy to be the complete opposite, harsh, or evening condemning. When trying not to be harsh you can find out quickly, it is a little harder to do so. Gentleness […]

September 19th Monday Motivator / Recorded in Kazakhstan Are you longing for more, but life keeps getting in the way? I’ve learned that it’s often not a what in my way but a WHO that stops me from reaching my full potential.  I read once, “Potential is what you can do but have not yet accomplished. Potential is how far you can go but with God.” Some of us let the fact that it hasn’t been done or accomplished stop us from trying.  We make excuses to keep […]

Our worlds look different, but every Christian has the same daily opportunity. In every circumstance, we can be ambassadors for Christ.  I once heard a man say, “We are just paid ambassadors.” He was so in love with his job that he would have evangelized about the product for free! In the same way, we are “just paid ambassadors” as we show Christ’s love to others; he enriches our lives, keeps his promises, and paid for our sins. This mindset […]

The school year is in full swing, and while we should be excited about all the new things our children will learn, many families live in fear. School shootings, tighter wallets, illness, and other challenges have parents worried every time they drop off their babies. Today and every day of this school year, I encourage you to lean into God’s promises!   1. God Has Answers: Don’t try to parent alone. God is the perfect Father, which means He has all the wisdom […]

Last week I heard something that has stuck with me until now. A man said, “Motivation is a feeling; discipline is a choice.” Those words hit hard! Motivation is not a bad thing; it just does not last. You might be motivated to do something for a week, but what happens when you do not feel like doing it anymore?  What happens after you read today’s “Monday Motivator?”  That’s where discipline kicks in.  You move into discipline when you decide to […]

One of my favorite verses from Jeremiah 29 is not verse 11, “For I know the plans I have for you…” but verse 13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart.”  Verse thirteen has been my pursuit recently, knowing more of God. It’s easy to get caught in the motions and cycles of life. Work, family, and all sorts of stuff can keep us unfocused. We forget that God is calling us […]

We all unintentionally label others.  Our brains make quick judgments based on a limited amount of information that isn’t always correct – despite our best intentions. We assume we know WHO they are without thinking twice. David was labeled. When they saw him, they thought, “No way this could be the son of Jacob that’s a king.” But God saw David’s heart.  God saw the heart of a shepherd, one who would protect his sheep at all costs. So, he was the […]

My motto is “Create light by being a light.”  Two weeks ago we talked about being an influencer. Today, I want to take this one step further and encourage you to be a light!   We all know that we live in a dark world, but to create light in the darkness, we have to be the light! Creating light requires action. We must look for ways in our everyday life to be a light somewhere or somehow. We do not have to […]

We all know we are supposed to love our neighbors, but what about the ones that hate us? Do we love them too?  The Bible is clear; only love can defeat hate.  However, that doesn’t mean you allow yourself to be mistreated; it is about what’s in your heart. You see, hate spreads, and the resentment or anger we receive from another might grow in your heart over time. As a result, we begin to feel the same hate we […]

Inflation is up, prices have sky-rocked, and many of us are thinking, “How will we survive this?”  Yet, no matter what’s happening around us, we can take comfort in knowing God is the provider and source of all our needs.  1 Timothy 6:17 says, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” This verse shows us two places we can place trust. […]