jeannie waters - Page 7 of 28 - Jeannie Waters, Writer & Speaker

How to Delight in God’s Daily Walk Invitation with a Powerful RSVP

June 14, 2022Jeannie Waters30 Comments

How does your morning begin? After I’ve hit the snooze button once or twice, I glance out a bedroom window. If the sun is up, I admire its light filtering through one of our tree’s big green leaves.

The sight reminds me the Light of the World wants to shine through my life, and He invites me to walk with Him through a new day of adventures.

The thoughts prompt memories of the times my family rounded the last curve in the long country driveway to spend the day with my parents. Daddy, who’d been standing on the porch to wait for us, would wear a broad smile when he hurried to the car to welcome his children and grandchildren.

Imagine our heavenly Father standing on the porch of heaven before He illuminates the sky with warm light and paints splashes of color in the eastern sky. I imagine God stretching out His arms in anticipation of sharing the day He has made with His beloved child.

He doesn’t reach out to us from obligation or duty. His invitation is born of love, unconditional love. Love that sent His only Son to die for you and me.

Whether we bounce up with gusto in the morning, or roll out slowly, we can proclaim,

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24 NKJV

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him.

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him. Share on X

My favorite morning prayer often serves as my RSVP to God’s invitation.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.
Psalm 143:8 NKJV

Let’s consider the powerful RSVP strategies below to help us react with joy.

How to RSVP to God’s Daily Walk Invitation

R Respond to His invitation. We can respond to God

with love because He first loved us.

with awe because He is Almighty God.

with our questions which He welcomes.

with thanksgiving for generous blessings.

in repentance when His Spirit convicts us of sin.

with obedience which demonstrates love for Him.

with the delight of a beloved child placing her hand in her Father’s.

S Spend time with Him at His invitation

in service to others as He leads us.

in worship and praise as we ponder His attributes.

in laughter when the joy of Jesus bubbles up in our hearts.

in prayer, an engaged conversation throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

in His Word filled with wise counsel and fresh revelation to apply to our lives.

V Value what He values

by trusting Him.

by using our spiritual gifts to serve others.

by helping a person in need (Hebrews 13:6).

by living for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

by giving our money, possessions, time, and talents.

by telling someone about our daily walk with Jesus and His grace and mercy.

by remembering to “Do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

P Proclaim truths from His Word.

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT).

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NKJV).

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 NKJV).

“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill. For the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9 NKJV).

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV).

Like the way my dad delighted in our family spending time with him, God delights in our acceptance of His invitation to walk with Him each day. Our powerful RSVP of “Yes, Lord,” fills our hearts with His peace and joy, helps us enjoy His presence, and honors our Father in heaven.

How does God invite you to join Him and remind you of His presence? Please share the ways you walk with Him through your day.

Two Role Models Who Loved God as Their Heavenly Father and Thanked Him for Blessings

May 30, 2022Jeannie Waters23 Comments

This month’s calendar includes a day to honor fathers, but I want to tell you a true story about two mothers, my role models, and the way they thanked their heavenly Father for blessings.

My ninety-eight-year-old mother-in-law, Carolyn, went to her heavenly home earlier this year. When the family prepared to sell her home, I removed the plaque you see in the title photo. It hung on the wall over her table where we had eaten delicious fried chicken and biscuits for decades.

Carolyn had written my mother’s name and the year 2014 on the back of the plaque. Mama gave it to Carolyn as a birthday gift in August of that year. Mama died the following December.

Life was hard for these two beloved ladies, who each lost their fathers to tragic events during childhood. As girls and young women, they lived in near poverty and struggled through trials and disappointments.

Yet both surrendered their lives to Christ and lived lives of joy-filled faith in their heavenly Father. Rather than complain, each of them exhibited a cheerful outlook and gratitude for His blessings.

Today when I prayed about what I’d share with you, I looked above my desk and read the words on the front of Carolyn’s plaque. “God our Father, we thank You for our many blessings.”

Although we’ll honor fathers we know this month, let’s pause to focus on our heavenly Father. In a passage where Paul calls Christians to live a holy life and separate themselves from sinful living, he includes God’s promise,

‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV

Imagine the privilege—sons and daughters of Almighty God.

Imagine the privilege—sons and daughters of Almighty God. Share on X

My mother and mother-in-law understood although their earthly father was absent, their heavenly Father adopted them into His family (Romans 8:14-16) because they’d previously surrendered their lives to Christ. They knew the truth of John 1:12,

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 1:12 NKJV

The words “receive” and “believe” in this passage define God’s children as those who acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son, the Messiah, and surrender their lives to Him. Jesus clearly says, He is God’s only provision for salvation and eternal life with Him (John 14:6).

As God’s children, we can look in the Bible and list His numerous attributes which describe Him as the perfect Father. Today, let’s focus on those David recorded in Psalm 103:8-14. As we read the passage, let’s pause to thank Him for each quality.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 NKJV

Take the truth with you

As we read Scripture this month, let’s list on paper or in an electronic journal the attributes of God we notice and how they make a difference in our relationship with Him. Let’s ask Him to show us the kind of Father He is and why we can trust Him. This practice will surely deepen our love for Him and remind us to pray the words on my mother-in-law’s plaque: “God our Father, we thank You for our many blessings,” including the privilege of being Your child.

Let’s hear from you

I hope you’ll share in the comment section your favorite attribute of our heavenly Father or an encouraging verse about Him. How does knowing about God help you trust Him?

Here’s a link to a post with memories of my dad. Memories of My Dad

Eight Strategies for Remembering Prayer Requests

May 17, 2022Jeannie Waters32 Comments

My Indy 500 day blew past like Dale Earnhardt. I looked at the clock. “Oh no! It’s 3:00. I completely missed my daughter’s exam time.”

I’d always promised to pray for her study time and success on final exams. This time, however, I neglected to fulfill this important responsibility.

Have you ever promised to pray for someone’s broken heart or surgery or job interview and then realized later you’d forgotten? We mean well, but our memories sometimes fail.

In my teen years, I often voiced prayer needs to Pam, a mentor. She would respond, “Let’s pray now. I don’t want to forget.” Her statement emphasized the responsibility of receiving a request and the importance of lifting it to our heavenly Father.

The Bible teaches,

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 ESV

Paul commended fervent prayer,

Epaphras … greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 ESV

Do you use memory aides or organizational techniques for important responsibilities like prayer? Methods for remembering the needs we notice can help us honor the privilege of communicating with God on behalf of others.

Methods for remembering the needs we notice can help us honor the privilege of communicating with God on behalf of others. Share on X

I hope you can use or adapt one of the strategies below.

Eight Strategies for Remembering Prayer Requests

1. Listen attentively to requests.

Establish eye contact and listen carefully when someone requests prayer. Ask an appropriate question or repeat the need to enhance your memory. When the ladies in my email prayer group read a request, they often ask a clarifying question and inquire later about results. This practice encourages believers and reflects the love of Christ to those who have not yet met Him

2. Seek God’s help.

Ask the Father to remind you of requests and lead you to an applicable Bible verse to use as a prayer springboard. On busy days, we sometimes hear His whisper in our minds and hearts reminding us of the need to pray.

3. Organize an index card file.

A simple file box with index cards and tabs can categorize requests and provide space for recording answers. Some requests are long-term and may require multiple cards. When I used this method of memory prompts, I enjoyed reviewing the cards in the “Answered Prayer” section which demonstrated God’s faithfulness.

4. Create a prayer journal or notebook.

A small loose-leaf binder can house dividers labeled with days of the week or categories like family, neighbors, church, missionaries, urgent, and government leaders. I currently use this system with a tab for each day of the week. Before the first divider, I added sheets labeled “Week of ___” to which I add Monday’s date and requests specific to that week.

5. Use sticky notes.

For urgent situations or daily reminders, affix colorful sticky notes to the refrigerator, a mirror, computer, key chain, or steering wheel. A friend once wrote a reminder note about praying for our family’s concern and placed it on his office shelves. Each time he sat down at his desk, he saw the note and prayed. Assurance that our need was being lifted to the Lord calmed our hearts.

6. Set a timer or a phone alarm.

When requests are time-specific, use of a timer or phone alarm may help. Today, while concentrating on writing, I’m praying for a friend’s health as she travels with airline delays and for family members on a lengthy road trip. My phone alarms cue me to continue prayer support throughout the day.

7. Design a bookmark.

Record a long-term request on a bookmark. Add an appropriate verse and insert it into a book you’re currently reading. You could write the same verse on an additional bookmark and mail it to the person you’re praying for with an encouraging note.

8. Construct a small table tent.

Write prayer reminders on stiff paper, fold tent-style, and place on the coffee table or beside your spot at the dinner table. Change the location from time to time to ensure the tent catches your eye.

When the minutes in your day fly by with race car speed, perhaps one of these strategies will bring prayer requests to mind. Although communication with God requires no system, reminders can keep us on track. Paul said, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Colossians 1:3 ESV). What a worthy goal for us!

Your comments encourage me and other readers. How do you remember to pray for the needs of others?

Graduates: Practical Gifts of Influence, Inspiration, and Legacy-a guest post by Marilyn Nutter

May 2, 2022Jeannie Waters27 Comments

Marilyn Nutter, Author MarilynNutter.com

Welcome to Marilyn Nutter, my friend and today’s guest blogger. I know you’ll gain valuable ideas for blessing the graduate and others in your life with her ideas for practical gifts of influence, inspiration, and legacy.

Marilyn co-authored Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart with April White. This book offers hope in the life alterations and detours we all face. It’s a book I’ll read again and again.

Marilyn’s complete bio and a book link are below the post. You’ll love her website.

Graduates: Practical Gifts of Influence, Inspiration, and Legacy

I’ve witnessed graduations from kindergarten to college, and participated in hundreds of ceremonies as a faculty member. While waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin, I reflect on my association with my students, flip through the program, and see names, now with a degree, remembering where they sat in my class. I look for those who received awards and check the program for speakers and singers. The sound of the entrance music, “Pomp and Circumstance,” always gave me a chill and sometimes, a tear. After the ceremony, students invited me to take pictures with them and we needed no prompt to smile.

My husband and I taught in a Christian university and college for over twenty-five years and were privileged to share in our students’ academic, social, and spiritual lives. One of the joys of social media is connecting with many students years later, and having a front row seat to their lives now—careers, family, ministry. I am often overwhelmed at how they reflect God’s purposes for them and their faithfulness to Him.

Today’s students face different struggles than twenty years ago. Headline news and personal experience speak for themselves. How can we bless today’s graduates as they face new challenges and changes? We may live miles from them and perhaps not able to stay connected in next weeks and months as they venture out into new and unfamiliar places–career, school, and new relationships.

Whether your graduate heads off to work, college, or graduate school, or you want to implement these ideas for your student now, may I suggest ways to invest?

Prayer

Pray Scripture specifically. Find verses that are individually meaningful—trusting God, peer pressure, decisions, spiritual walk. Fill their name in Bible verses.

“I pray ‘God is able to make all grace abound to ________, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, _____ may have an abundance for every good deed.'” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

Source: 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

Journal

If you have a child or grandchild heading off to college, begin a journal and include your thoughts and prayers for them. I began a journal for each of my grands when they were born. I share Scripture, experiences I had with them, and prayers. I plan to give it to them on their 21^st birthday.

Text

Without being a nuisance (and not expecting a reply), send a text, forward an inspiring quote, Bible verse, or share a humorous meme. Laughter is good medicine and may be exactly what they need today. Copy and paste social media memes to send. You can subscribe to daily Bible verses, receive them on your phone, and forward them to your child and grandchild.

Source: Proverbs 17:22 ESV

Bible

Buy a new Bible and write notes in the margins, circle phrases, and star passages with Scriptures that are important to you. Give the Bible to them when they start their new adventure. Who knows what they will find for any day when they flip through it?

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4 NIV

Source: Psalm 145:4 NIV

Devotional book

Today’s generation reads online, but a good devotional book is priceless and may be valued in years to come. Is there one that uniquely fits your graduate in style, depth, and topics?

Though we’d love to hang on tightly and hold hands as we did that first day of kindergarten, we need to let go. From a distance—whatever separates us from our child, grandchild, or a student in our church–we reach heaven when our prayers and Scripture touch them. We can influence and inspire, and at the same time leave a legacy of what, in our hearts, has eternal value.

Which of Marilyn’s ideas would you select for blessing a graduate? Marilyn and I will be honored to pray for graduates you list in comments.

From a distance—whatever separates us from our child, grandchild, or a student in our church--we reach heaven when our prayers and Scripture touch them. Share on X

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png — Marilyn Nutter, Author

Marilyn Nutter is a contributor to compilations, online sites, and print publications. Her book Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart, written with April White, offers hope in life alterations and detours. She is a facilitator for grief groups, a speaker, and a Bible study leader. Her family of eight grandchildren fills her cup to overflowing. In her life’s seasons, she clings to Lam. 3:22-23. Visit her website at MarilynNutter.com where you’ll find words to give you hope and purpose and an opportunity to download prayers for graduates.

Destination Hope by Marilyn Nutter and April White

I highly recommend this book: Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart

Marilyn’s inspirational website: Marilyn Nutter’s website

God Used a Silent Mockingbird to Teach Me Six Biblical Speech Lessons

April 19, 2022Jeannie Waters36 Comments

God used a mockingbird who didn’t sing to teach me a gentle lesson about wise speech. The bird flew from a neighbor’s yard and perched on our holly bush. Wrens, cardinals, and sparrows serenaded the day, but the mockingbird turned her head from side to side as if listening intently then flew away.

A few moments later she returned, perched on a hydrangea bush, and trilled her song as if she had an important message to convey.

How like this wise bird I want to be—not chirping and squawking constantly as soon as I arrive on a scene. I want to listen thoughtfully and wait for the right moment to share as God leads.

Confession: I’m a talker. I talk to family and friends. I talk to strangers in stores and elevators. And I talk to myself.

Sometimes I say too much. My intentions are good, but I realize the listeners don’t need to know all that I know—or think I know—about life and how to solve their problems. The gift of a listening ear speaks volumes.

The gift of a listening ear speaks volumes. Share on X

How often do we offer advice or interject our experience before a friend or co-worker finishes sharing her plight? I for one, need to listen and pray for wisdom before responding. What about you? God expects believers to share the gospel and encourage each other with words, but when we listen to Him before we speak, our words are more effective.

The psalmist penned a prayer to help us.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14 ESV

As always, the Bible provides wisdom for all aspects of our walk with Christ, including our words. Let’s consider the following verses God used to help me evaluate my speech.

Six Biblical Speech Lessons

1. Avoid the “clanging cymbal” speech and speak with love.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV

2. Listen and wait before you talk.

Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
James 1:19 ESV

3. Consider the timing.

. . . a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.
Ecclesiastes 3:7 ESV

4. Choose edifying words.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29 ESV

5. Season your speech with grace.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Colossians 4:6 ESV

6. Select words carefully.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Proverbs 25:11 ESV

I’m thankful God used the silent mockingbird to teach me about biblical speech. I want my words to be like “apples of gold in a setting of silver.”

Here’s an encouraging word about our words:

Our speech can offer praise to God, share the gospel of Christ, console a hurting friend with the comfort God gives us (2 Corinthians 1:3-5), share wise counsel, express gratitude, and assure a friend of our prayers. What a blessing to use the gift of words for God’s glory and the good of others.

What a blessing to use the gift of words for God’s glory and the good of others. Share on X

Now it’s your turn to “talk.” Please share your thoughts about how we can honor God and encourage others with our speech. How has someone encouraged you with their words?