Casandra Martin

It was windy today. It was a leaf-swirling, hair-blowing, pull-your-hood-up kind of wind. It whistled through the air, blunting the warmth of the sun climbing in the sky.

Walking in the wind brought the words of Jesus to my mind. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” – John 3:8.

Jesus uses the wind to give us a picture of the work of the Spirit in our hearts. You can’t see the wind, but you can feel its effects. It moves around you, through you, and in you. It can change your course and raise your awareness. Your steps are helped or hindered depending on whether you are walking with the wind or against it. Walking with the wind propels you forward. It gives you a push in the right direction. It almost makes you feel like you are flying. Walking against the wind is daunting. It pushes you back, trying to turn your steps around. It takes extra effort and an increasing resolve to continue to walk against the wind. With every step, you have to think about putting the other foot on the ground. The wind tries to slow you down enough to think about where your next footprint falls.

I love this picture of the wind and the Spirit. We take the wind for granted. We sometimes view it as annoyance. Living in hurricane country, I respect the power of the wind. It can be unstoppable. Today a stiff breeze reminded me to pay attention to the movement of the Spirit in my life.

My Jesus Resolution today is to deliberately move with the wind. God gives us His Spirit so that He can fill our sails and draw us closer to His heart. I can choose whether to move with the Spirit or against Him. Either way, His purpose is to move me in the direction that most looks like Jesus. He wants to propel me forward, but will push against me if that is what is required. Pay attention when you walk outside today. Whether it is a stiff wind or a gentle breeze, let it remind you of God’s presence and His desire for you to notice Him.

His dad came to pick him up. We had spent the afternoon playing with our little friend and smiles covered everyone’s faces. Basketballs bounced, footballs were thrown, and spaghetti sauce graced the tablecloth, floor, and a couple of sleeves. Trains made their way across the tracks and the aroma of chocolate chip cookies filled the air.

The cookies were there by special request. A couple of days before, I mentioned that I was headed to the grocery store and my little friend told me that I needed to buy chocolate chips. “We need to make chocolate chip cookies.” Having previously been at my house when I didn’t have all the necessary ingredients, he wanted to make sure I was prepared. Chocolate chips went on the list.

We made the cookies and enjoyed them (after the proper amount of vegetables, of course). We were putting his jacket on and zipping up his backpack when he looked at me and said, “Can I take some cookies home with me? Two? No, I need five.”

Embarrassed, his dad tried to redirect his request. My boys laughed. I headed to the kitchen. Five cookies in a bag for a little boy I love.

I gave him cookies, but he gave me so much more. Another mirror into the heart of God. He wanted something and he asked. No worries, no “how will this look?” no “should I or shouldn’t I?” no “is this too much?” He knows my heart. He trusted. He asked and he received.

God wants me to ask with all the innocence, trust, faith, wisdom, and sincerity of a child asking for cookies. My little friend didn’t worry about asking for too much. He trusted that my answer would be the very best for him. God wants me to stand in his shoes. Trust His heart and ask with boldness.

My Jesus Resolution today is to set my worry down and ask. God delights in me even more than we delight in the children who bless our lives. Joy flows from bringing my requests to God, looking up, and asking Him to move. Courage comes from knowing that He will only give me His very best. Today I am going to be bold. Today I am going to remember that God is prepared to fill me with Himself. All I have to do is ask.

They cover the ground. Their shells make a crunching noise under my shoes. Some of the acorns are broken open, spilling their orange flesh onto the street. Some are intact and whole, waiting for soft soil. There are hundreds of them, thousands of them on the ground. You don’t have to look up at the tree to know you are standing under an oak. Just look at the seeds everywhere.

The oak isn’t choosy about where its acorns fall. It sends the acorns flying to the ground, trusting that the processes God put in place will help a few of them find the right conditions for growth. The tree’s job is to release the seeds. God created the oak so that it would cover its path with acorns. A few of them will find a way to sprout.

As I crunched through the carpet of acorns left by the oak tree, their sheer number provided me with a mirror and a question. How many seeds am I leaving behind? Do I leave evidence of Jesus wherever I go? Can people tell by the fruit that remains that a Christian has stood here?

God calls us to be like the oak tree and leave seeds everywhere we go. The seeds are the evidence of Jesus that invites someone to seek His face, stand surrendered beneath the cross, and dance with joy before the empty tomb. Many of the seeds will get broken. Some will get carried off and hidden away. A few might find hearts hungry for Him and God will work in the miracle we sometimes call faith.

My Jesus Resolution today is to spread my seeds. I am going to leave Jesus behind wherever I go today. I want each person I meet to walk away with a little touch of His grace, a whiff of His aroma, and a taste of His love. It means being deliberate about my example, being intentional about my words, and being purposeful about my choices. I am going to pick up an acorn and carry it in my pocket. It will be a reminder for me of how God wants to use me to plant a seed in someone’s life today.

He prayed and he prayed. The situation seemed unbearable. The circumstances pressed against his heart causing an ache that wouldn’t go away. The burden crushing his soul, draining his body, and sapping his strength was too much to bear. Surely God would hear, listen, respond, and move.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9.

God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Instead, He gave him a greater gift – sufficient grace. It is the same promise He gives us when we feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we pray and pray for a situation to be removed from our lives, for pain to be relieved, or for a relationship to be restored. Instead, God gives us the grace sufficient to walk through the circumstance and come out more like Jesus on the other side.

Sufficient grace is a powerful promise. In it, God sets our hearts on the foundation of His sufficiency. He will be enough. He will never run out, dry up, wear down, or fall apart. Whatever we need, He will be sufficient to meet the moment. There won’t be a hole too deep, a hurt too big, a path too dark, or a load too heavy for God. No matter how much you need today, God will be sufficient. He will fill the moment with Himself and carry you through.

With His sufficiency comes His grace. His undeserved, unmerited, unimaginable, unfathomable grace. Every minute of today is infused with His goodness. No matter how dark the night, Light walks with you. No matter how deep the pain, Love surrounds you. No matter how overwhelming the odds, Peace stands by your side. Sufficient grace means that you will have what you need today to stand in whatever circumstance you are in and look like Jesus.

My Jesus Resolution today is to rest in His sufficient grace. I am not strong enough, smart enough, resourceful enough, or creative enough to handle today on my own. Thank God, I don’t have to be. His grace is sufficient to heal the hurts, answer the questions, handle the doubts, and cover the sins. My weaknesses can be a showcase for His power. I don’t know what I am going to face today, but I know that He will give me grace sufficient enough to meet the moment.

Every week he gets to pick a song. Every week he chooses the same one. His dad rolls his eyes. The people around him try to get him to pick something else. Some giggle. Some groan. I whisper a prayer of thanks. Every week he chooses Our God is an Awesome God.

He is just a little guy, but it is a big song with an enormous message. Our God is an awesome God. Our God is a possessive term. He is my God. We are connected. We share relationship. We live together and walk side by side. God tells us that we can claim Him in this personal, intimate, tied-together way. “As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”        – 2 Corinthians 6:16b.

Our God is an awesome God. He is awesome – inspiring, impressive, excellent, and outstanding. Those are neat pictures of God’s heart and His actions on our behalf. He inspires awe. He draws our hearts to worship and adoration. He inspires us to move beyond ourselves and embrace all the goodness He has for us. He is impressive and longs to impress the image of His Son deep on our hearts. He is excellent, perfect, praiseworthy, and true. His very heart becomes our standard for life and godliness. He is outstanding. There is no one like Him. He stands alone, and yet opens the door for us to live with Him.

My Jesus Resolution today is to sing Our God is an Awesome God out loud. I am going to let the words penetrate my soul, lift my eyes, encourage my heart, and inspire my steps. I am going to sing it until my troubles take on their proper perspective. I am going to sing it as a framework for joy. I am going to sing it for the world to hear. I can’t think of a better message to let resonate in our minds than the truth that our God is an awesome God. Keep singing, little one. I will sing and smile with you.

There are not many things you can count on in this world. As a society, we expect, even demand, change. Constants are rare in our culture. Increasingly, we are a people who spin from the temporary to the momentary to the fleeting and then wonder why it is so hard to find our footing in a slippery world.

The good news we serve an always God. God is unchanging. His nature and His character remain constant even in the midst of our transitory world. Here are ten “always” about God’s heart that you can count on today.

1. God is always faithful.

2. God is always good.

3. God is always on time.

4. God is always pursuing you.

5. God is always merciful.

6. God is always holy.

7. God is always present.

8. God is always loving you.

9. God is always just.

10. God is…always.

My Jesus Resolution today is to plant myself in God’s always. I am going to send down deep roots into His unchanging ways, His eternal will, and His constant love. No more investing my heart in the shifting sands of this temporary world. The wind may howl, the rains may fall, but I will be able to stand through it all because my God is an always God.

Are you stuffed? Thanksgiving is a time when we fill ourselves with all of the tastes, smells, memories, and goodness of home. The warmth of cinnamon, the tanginess of cranberries, and the special crispiness of pie fill more than our stomachs. It fills our hearts, as gratitude stretches our souls. We loosen our belts, pat our tummies, and sigh contentedly while proclaiming, “I’m stuffed!”

God longs for us to be stuffed as well. He wants the aroma of Christ to exude from every pore. His desire centers on filling us completely with the image of His Son. He longs for our words to be shaped by filling our hearts with His Word. He tells us that His presence and His power will overflow from lives surrendered to His grace.

Consider His promises –

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10b

“From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” – John 1:16

“You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.”  – Acts 2:28

“And to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:19

“Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” – Ephesians 4:13

“And you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” – Colossians 2:10

God wants us to be filled with Him. His plan is for us to live stuffed, overflowing, abundant, brimming, absolutely full lives in Him. He wants for us to be so full of Jesus that others can see Him spilling out of our actions and words.

My Jesus Resolution today is to be stuffed full of Jesus. I am going to let God fill me to the measure of the fullness of God Himself. I am going to let the richness of Christ overflow in my life. My prayer for you is the same – that you will be so stuffed full of Jesus that everyone who sees you can’t help but see Him.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

The beginning of the giving season usually comes on the heels of Thanksgiving. We mark the onset of a season devoted to giving with Black Friday sales, leftover turkey sandwiches, and putting up decorations.

In our focus on the “thanks” part of Thanksgiving, we often overlook “giving.” Thanksgiving is a time set apart to give. Instead of filling ourselves up, we are given the opportunity to pour ourselves out. On this day, we are called to open our eyes, step outside of ourselves, and celebrate the opportunity to give something which should define our hearts – gratitude.

When we dedicate our hearts to giving thanks, it changes our perspective, posture, and priorities. Giving thanks encourages us to look around and trace the movement of God in our lives. It moves our hearts away from “I” to the face of Jesus. We recognize anew that life is not centered around me, my feelings, my struggles, my joy, or my pain, but the avenues He creates for me to give Him praise and bring Him glory. When I give of myself this way, it shoves out the junk that tends to pull my eyes off Him all the other days of the year.

By its nature, giving involves a change in my posture. My hands open wider. My arms extend outward. I stop grasping and clinging to my rights, my demands, and my way of doing things. In choosing to give thanks, I open myself up and stretch. In the stretching, my heart becomes a little bigger, my eyes open a little wider, and my faith grows a little deeper.

Giving reshuffles our priorities. When we give thanks, it clears our vision to what is truly important. Traditions become avenues that help us give with greater joy. Time with family reemphasizes the truly valuable pieces of our lives and realigns where we invest ourselves in the day to day.

My Jesus Resolution today is to give – give thanks, give joy, give grace, and give myself. I am going to open my heart to the ways in which giving opens my eyes, stretches my soul, and reorders my priorities. I am going to look for the movement of God and give myself over to His plans for me. It is appropriate that Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the giving season. When we give thanks first, the rest of the season takes on the right tone.

Do you like people watching? I love to go to someplace with a crowd, find a spot, and observe the people that pass by. There are people who bring smiles to your face. Some because they are so goofy, you can’t help but suppress a giggle. Others because of a sweetness in their faces and interactions with others. Some people cause you to raise your eyebrows and count your blessings. Some touch your heart or bring tears to your eyes.

One of the most fascinating things is the variety of beauty that plays across the faces you see. Everybody is different. People come in such a variety of colors and sizes. No two people are alike. Each carries with them their own uniqueness. It is humbling to think about how God fashioned each one with a specific eye to creating a personal exquisiteness in each one.

Why would He do that? Why make all of us different? It would be easier to mass produce humanity rather than individually shape us. Why would He go to so much trouble?

Billions of people, each individually unique, speaks to the infinite beauty of the heart of God. Each one of us has an exquisiteness that proclaims His glory and reveals His love. The color of your skin, the hue of your eyes, your height, and the shape of your ears all point to a God who invests Himself in the individual. He is a personal God who cares about the details of you. He made you this way for His pleasure and His glory. He longs for you to see His hand on your hair and His light in your eyes. He wants us to look at each other and understand the investment of love He has made in each soul.

My Jesus Resolution today is to catch my breath at the beauty I see in the faces around me. I am going to take time to really look at smiles, noses, eyes, and chins, sitting in wonder at the fingerprints of God I can trace in the people around me. I am going to look in the mirror and not complain about what I see. I am going to delight in the beauty He has planted in me and in you.

The Pharisees are my friends. Sometimes they are my friends because I find myself standing in their shoes. I have a tendency to harden my heart and pass judgment on things I don’t understand, but think I do. They are my friends because in so many ways they do me a service. I can listen to their conversations, look at their motives, and use their actions as a mirror for my own.

I read the stories of the Pharisees and often shake my head. How could they be so stubborn, so blind, so full of themselves even as they stand in the very presence of God? If I take a step back, I realize that it isn’t so hard at all. I do it all the time.

Jesus’ words to the Pharisees provide the remedy for their short-sightedness. In John 8:37, Jesus says, “I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word.” No room for His word. That statement hit me hard. Making room for His word is the key. Creating space for God to fill my heart is what makes the difference.

When I have no room for His word, I am full of myself. My agenda, my priorities, my perspective, and my desires rule the day. I don’t even think it is deliberate stubbornness that gets me in that place. I get busy, tired, distracted, overwhelmed, and discouraged and let those things take hold of my heart. Fear, worry, and anxiety take up room that should belong to God. They push Jesus to the margins and allow me to stand on center stage where my inner Pharisee loves to be in the spotlight.

Making room for God in our lives is a deliberate act of surrender. It means dedicating time – time to be with Him, time to be quiet before Him, time to praise Him, time to let Him work out His purpose in me. It demands sacrifice – sacrificing my desires, my will, my control, and my tendency to fill myself up with things other than Jesus. It requires reorienting my focus – asking Him to help me see what I have allowed in that is crowding Him out of my heart.

My Jesus Resolution today is to make more room for His word. I am going to get rid of the junk I allow to stack up in my life, and create more space for God. I want Him to inhabit my praise. I long for Him to dwell fully in my words, thoughts, and actions. I want Him to be completely at home in my heart. I am going to thank the Pharisees and move in the opposite direction. I am going to make room for His word.