Now Is Not the Time To Quit

Watching my childhood friends and me playing, it was always possible that right in the middle of a game someone would walk away, go home, and quit.  I’ve seen my own children want to quit when they were kids.  We always tried to encourage them to stay the course.  The grandchildren are no different. If the game is especially hard it’s easy to just quit.

There are times as an adult that I’ve felt like quitting. I imagine you have too. Whether it’s a relationship, a job, a heart issue, or something else, that feeling of wanting to throw in the towel seems like a great solution, at least temporarily.  Frustration mounts when things don’t go just right. Perfectionism tries to rear its ugly head and make us feel that we’re not good enough, haven’t done enough or have no natural talent. You’ve heard the lies in your head I am sure. Each of us has our own set of quit buttons – those things that make us want to run. To be sure, there are times when God directs us to make a change and that change is necessary; but that should never be decided because we want to quit. There are also those times when another may tell you that you’re done and God knows. He will revive your spirit and take you to another level when you let Him do the leading.

I love dictionaries and definitions so I like to look up synonyms and antonyms for words. I find that to quit means resign, abandon or vacate. When I see those words I hear God speak. These words denote that you are involved in something. To quit you will have to vacate your place of My blessing. To abandon what you are doing speaks that you are willing to entertain thoughts of ditching your place in the Kingdom of God. When you think about vacating a place or a position, you are literally leaving an empty place, often the very place I want you to be. This is not the same as moving with God’s Spirit into another place of service. Quitting means to desert and often pessimism and defeat come right along with it.

God’s Word gives us the sure antidotes for feelings of defeat and resignation that might come our way. While we cannot control what others do to us and with us, we can control our own feelings. The only way to live a life that is thriving even in the midst of pain is to rely fully on God’s Word.  God tells us in His Word that our success does not lie in our natural talents. Yes, we have natural abilities, but God says He takes those things that seem foolish to the world confound the wise.

Oh beloved, your call from God is supernatural! The way you see yourself needs to come into focus the way God sees you. His words to you are successful, achieving, thriving and overcoming. He speaks love songs into your heart that say keep on keeping on, abide in Me, rest in My promises, I AM your strength. As you rehearse the truth that you are called of God, not of man, to do the work of God, not man, then you can continue even when the going gets tough. Every word of God to you will speak love, consideration, comfort and care. You may hear other things from other areas, but God only speaks love, even when He is correcting you it’s in love. He never speaks rejection to His own. He never puts down His own or makes them feel humiliated. Yes, there are times when you will be humbled by the situation you are in, but God will comfort you and wrap His arms around you and speak strength to your mind and heart.

Keep on keeping on Beloved. The end to the troubled time may be just around the corner. The answer to your prayers is on the way. The strength for your weakness is always available. You have been selected by God to do what is intended for your best life now and He will enable you to stay the course. He loves you and He’s for you and that will keep you going all the way to heaven.

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Psalm 71:16  I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.

Zechariah 4:6 Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Each time He said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Haggai 1:13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”

I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

It's Christmas! Be a Kid! The Most High God is your Father!

Our grandson Blake spent Friday night with us. It was his plan to help decorate our Christmas tree and the house. He was a great help! I told him we’d have to be careful with the ornaments because some of them were very old and fragile.  He’d gingerly remove one from the box and ask me if it was one of those special ornaments. Those go up high so that little sister and brother fingers can’t reach them! By the time Popaw had returned from the store with more Christmas lights, 500 to be exact, Blake was beside himself with excitement. We keep our ornaments and other decorations in plastic tubs and he could not rest until the tubs were empty. He even wanted to put the forlorn dozen antique Santas on the tree! I finally convinced him to put those back in the tub.

When Blake’s mom came over to look at everything, she was holding Stella, who immediately started saying “ooooh” and “wow”!  She was ecstatic! Caleb was excited too because he loves the musical bears and snowmen we have around the house. He’d push the button, hear the song start up and exclaim, “It’s working!”  Nothing is more wonderful than sharing Christmas memories and traditions with grandchildren!

There's no pretense with grandchildren. They just love tell you their innermost feelings, they believe you completely and they abandon themselves for the joy of your presence! It’s so sad that when kids grow up they take on the grown up world of suspicion and cynicism.  Children don’t look for hidden motives or intentions. They just love you and believe you and have a blast with you!

Maybe you’re a cynic. You scoff at heartfelt sentiments. You laugh at tender-hearted conversations. You’ve looked under Santa’s beard and you know the truth. Tender memories are for kids. A cynic’s outlook is scornful and habitually negative. Maybe you’ve become a realist. You know things were great as a kid, with all the mystery and wonder of the holidays, but really, there’s no need for that anymore. You’re very practical and stoic. Perhaps you’ve let yourself become suspicious. You’ve become one who doubts others’ motivation and thinking. You think something fishy is going on and everything around you, everyone around you, has become questionable, unreliable and shady. After all you just can’t trust people anymore.

Oh beloved, it’s Christmas! Time to be a child again! It’s time to leave behind fleshly thinking! It’s time to take pleasure again in the delicate, fragile and heartfelt moments of the Season! Be a kid! Have a blast! Enjoy the past, relish today and let yourself have bright hopes for tomorrow! It will be okay because the Lord Himself is with you! Tell Him your innermost feelings for He is waiting to hear and always listens! Believe Him completely for He is Faithful and True!  Abandon yourself to Him for He is Ever Present and Always Reliable!

He’s speaking to your heart this morning. He says to you “I love you! I was born to give you life and give it to you lavishly, abundantly, without reservation and with no hidden motives. You are Mine and I am yours. I AM the gift of your wildest dreams, I AM the answer to your deepest problems, I AM your Abba Father, so you can relax and be My child! It’s Christmas! Won’t you let Me take you into my heart and arms and show you what Christmas is all about? I AM the Reason for the Season and I AM able to make you feel with your heart, trust with your mind and let yourself go for the joy of the moment! Trust Me for I AM Faithful and True! Enjoy the Season for I AM able to make all things work out for you. Together you and I can have the Best Christmas Ever! Why? Because I love you and I’m for you and you can see that all the way from the Manger to the Resurrection. What else could you possibly need?

Galatians 4:6  And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

Psalm 138:8  The LORD will work out His plans for my life— for Your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for You made me.

I Timothy 6:17b “…trust in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy (KJV)

Ephesians 3:6  And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.

Psalm 31:19  How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

Matthew 18:3 And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all]. (AMP)

Practicing Your Life in Christ

When I first began taking piano lessons, all I wanted to do was practice. I had played by ear as a little girl on the family’s pump organ, but learning to read music and having a piano to practice on was opening a whole new world to me. My piano teacher had taught in Tyler for many, many years. She knew her stuff. She didn’t just let me play music though. I had to learn theory, the nuts and bolts...of music. When I practiced well and came to class prepared she’d put stars on my pages. I also found that playing the piano was a great place of release for me. I could get lost in the songs and find my spirit soaring after playing for a while. I still love to play piano, but I’m not as fond of reading the music as I once was. I find myself reverting back to playing by ear, especially when someone visiting requests a certain song. Nothing is sweeter than time alone at the piano, losing myself in the music. When I completely abandon myself to the keyboard letting the music flow from my heart, I find that God speaks through His gift and worship comes easier. Instead of working to make it flow, as during those early years of practice, it just flows for after years of staying close to the keys and practicing the music it has become second nature.


Life in Christ is meant to be lived in utter abandon. Practicing the faith is not mundane but magnificent when we give ourselves totally to Him. He is our Teacher, He is the Conductor and the music of our live is meant to be played for His audience alone.

Oh beloved, life can get oh so busy. We can find ourselves out of practice and unable to make the music flow. Troubles take over and the keyboard of life can become out of tune. We may find ourselves trying to keep playing and wondering why it’s off key. Run to the Master Musician this morning. Give Him your talents, your time, your desires. Let Him speak words of confidence and comfort into your life so that the music of faith can once again flow into your life. For nothing is more beautiful than a symphony of faith reaching into the heavens as you spend time with the Lord and practice His Word and your faith. He’s waiting for your presence right now. He loves you and He has all the time in the world and together you and He will work out the notes for your good and His glory!


Psalm 98:6 Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!

Psalm 119:147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

Psalm 27:8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Psalm 40:8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”