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Good morning. Every day we will face trials and tribulations. Have you ever had your life threatened? Have you ever been bullied? How do we respond when we are confronted? Your answer can either compound a problem or squash it. If you’re an angry person, you may be tempted to react. If your heart is full of frustrations, you may cause more problems than you solve. Proverbs tells us that “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.” (Proverbs 29:22) We need to make sure we defuse our temper before it explodes in our face. Our answers come from our heart, so we have to make sure our hearts are healed. Over the years we have found that the only way to have a gentle answer is to ensure that we live healed. This is possible when we forgive. Today as we face all life brings our way remember that “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

The psalmist calls followers of Christ all over the world to worship God together when he says: "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord ; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song." (Psalm 95:1‭-‬2) We have so much for which to be thankful. We can give thanks to go for waking us up to a new day. "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24 NKJV) As we join with fellow followers of Christ today, "let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." (Psalms 95:6‭-‬7) Enjoy a super Sunday. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

The words of the song "Overcome" by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound reflect how many folk are feeling right now. "You say, “Hold every thought captive” But my thoughts have chains on me You say, “Faith can move the mountains” God, help my unbelief Every doubt keeps pulling me under Every fear keeps dragging me down How long, oh Lord, till You pull me out?" "I can hear a million voices that are filling up my mind All the lies I keep believing are the fears I try to hide Every doubt keeps pulling me under Every fear keeps dragging me down How long (how long) Oh Lord (oh Lord) till You pull me out?" "Then I see You reach for me In valleys dark and oceans deep I’m overwhelmed I’m overrun But it’s not over If the night should carry on Remind me where my strength is from I’m overwhelmed I’m overrun But I’m holding on ‘Cause soon I’ll overcome" "You are the rock of my salvation You are the hope on which I stand And when the waters rise around me I lift my hands (I lift my hands)" Reach out to the Lord today. He's our hope in every situation. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Sarah and Abraham displayed their faith in God in different ways. Abraham displayed his faith through obedience. Sarah had to trust God and patiently wait on Him to fulfill His promise of a child. Even when we face pain, there is always hope for the future with God. He promises in His word "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) He promises a good future for us. "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." (Psalms 27:13) While we wait for something that we really want, we learn to surrender to God. We also acknowledge that He is Sovereign and that His timing is always perfect. We can be encouraged by the fact that God kept his promises to Sarah. "Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him." (Genesis 21:1‭-‬2) As we go about your day today, "Be still and know that He is God!" (Psalm 46:10) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. "I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:26) This could well be the summary of the culture we live in today. Notwithstanding this, society tells us, work longer hours; sleep less; spend more money and stretch to a better lifestyle. God didn’t design us to live with sustained extremes. God designed us to have margin. Margin is the amount of time, money, etc. we hold back. “Calendar margin” means reserving time for rest, for solitude, for other people. “Financial margin” means living within our means, even changing our lifestyles, if necessary. “Work margin” means focusing on what we’re made to do, and excluding the things we aren’t. Margin is a gift. We may try to convince ourselves that there is value in extremes (more status, more comfort) but there is much more value in margin (relationships, restoration, joy, peace) which is essential for us to live healthy, productive lives, and which is necessary for us to let God's love flow through us to those around us. Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33) Today, let each of us reevaluate our own lives and make the necessary changes to build margin into our lives. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. In this pressurized and stressful world many folk have developed coping mechanisms for different situations. Feeling sad? There’s an app for that. Feeling bored? There’s a show for that. Feeling lonely? There’s a dessert for that. We turn to many things to help us feel better and solve our stress. They give us a big blast of dopamine in our brains, which helps us feel happy, if only for a moment. Psychologists call these dopamine-producing things “pleasures.” Research has found that if we continually solve our stress with pleasures, we won’t know how to deal with our stress. 2 accounts in the Bible are examples of this. • The prodigal son in Luke 15. The son pursued all the pleasure he could, until he was left with nothing in an extreme famine. • Or consider Esau who, for the pleasure of food, sold his birthright to Jacob (Gen. 25:32). God wants us to be happy, but not at the expense of knowing Him and all He has for us. God wants us to grow through difficult things and experience the happiness of lasting joy in Him. Let us take heart from what the psalmist says. "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord ; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalms 27:13‭-‬14) Take time today to wait on the Lord. He has a plan for us to deal with the pressures of life and the related stress. He loves us. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We have just witnessed the 22nd Commonwealth Games - 28 July to 8 August. Sports men and women competed multiple sporting codes, each with one aim in mind - to perform at his/her best. It was particularly gratifying to watch the medium and long distance runners. It was a test of their endurance. Varying tacticts were applied throughout each race. Each athlete wanting to finish strong. The writer of Hebrews could have been writing to these athletes when he said: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1) For us followers of Christ we too run the race marked out for each of us. We, like the athletes, need to practice and train ourselves with the discipline required to be effective. Paul puts it this way when he says, "Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly ... " (1 Corinthians 9:26) May our attitude be the same as that of Paul: "I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain." (Galatians 2:2) Blessings. Mike and Daphne

God pays attention to detail. One merely has to think of the detailed instructions given concerning the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant. The task that God detailed was extremely complex, demanding a very specific talent and skillset. God directed Moses to give the task to a person He already had in mind. “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts." (Exodus 31:2‭-‬5) Similarly, God has given us each unique knowledge and experience. He calls us each to use those gifts, whatever they may be, in service of His Kingdom. Today, let’s reflect on the ways God has gifted us, individually, and ask Holy Spirit how He wants us to use them. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Today we have the choice to worship God with fellow followers of Christ. Don Moen in one of His songs says: "I will rejoice I'm gonna lift my voice And worship you. And glorify your name Among the nations I will rejoice In everything I will give thanks To you, for you have been My help and my salvation" The psalmist reminds us that "this is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm118:24 NKJV) and in verse 29, "Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He is good! For His love endures forever." Have a wonderful time being strengthened by the Lord as you worship Him today. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. We have found that many people are running on empty. So many are dealing with stress as a result of unprecedented pressure in facing daily life. What does one say? For followers of Christ the truth contained in the hymn "The Church's One Foundation" takes on a deep reassurance when we personalize it. "The church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is his new creation By water and the Word. From heaven he came and sought her To be his holy bride; With his own blood he bought her, And for her life he died." When we take to heart these words, we can see how significant we are to our Father. He loves us to the extent that He sent His only son to seek and save us. He wants us to cast a our cares on Him. That may well mean that we put aside our own man-made plans and trust Him implicitly. Not only has he promised to be with us in our darkest hour, He will prepare a table for us in the face of our adversaries. (Psalm 23:4-5) If you are amongst those who feel overwhelmed by your circumstances, refocus on your heavenly Father who has you in the palm of His hand. Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. Do you remember the parable of the talents recorded in Matthew 25? The 1st 2 servants doubled what was entrusted to them. Often we are like the third servant. Instead of investing his talent and creating more value, he only gave back what was given to him and was called “worthless.” However, we praise the Lord our worth is found not in the amount or type of “talents” given to us, but instead in how we respond to that which God has entrusted us. Not only that, but when we demonstrate faithful obedience through his grace, he promises us much more. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9) Find strength and empowerment today knowing that our Father finds worth in us to entrust us with the gifts we have. Let's respond with the attitude of a faithful servant so that when the day comes we may hear the Master beckon us saying, “Enter into my joy.” Blessings. Mike and Daphne

Good morning. There is a fire within all of us that is waiting to be ignited. A fire that grows and can spread to those around us if we continue to feed it’s flames. This fire is stronger than the uncertainty that we may be feeling. It has the power to overcome the negativity that may be surrounding us right now. That fire, that passion, that inner strength was instilled in us by God himself. A passion to do what we were made to do. An inner strength to persevere and come out on top regardless of opposition. God has provided us with the tools necessary to see our dreams come to fruition. He has watched over us since our creation and His will will prevail. So whatever we are going through it's no match for the Lord. Whatever pain, fear, frustration, stress, anxiety, or uncertainty we are facing He is with us. Has God not said; "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10) Blessings. Mike and Daphne