I sip the cup of English Breakfast tea. The stronger, the better. A dainty, china cup helps to improve the experience. All electronics remain off as I sit alone, ready to spend some quiet time in prayer. I sit down with God for a conversation over tea like I would with a beloved friend. My day feels incomplete without this daily ritual.

Luke 22:46 (ESV) and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Daily time talking with Jesus remains essential for our Christian walk. Unfortunately, the noises of everyday life compete for our attention. Several years ago, I decided to get intentional about my prayer time. But how? I examined my friendships to see what worked best to keep those active. Sharing a hot beverage with someone jumped to mind. I decided to give it a try with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) “Never stop praying.”

Each day, I prepare my cup of tea and sit down with God. I pray, I listen, and I read His holy word. The time passes quickly and refreshes my soul. Renewed, I can now face whatever challenges come my way. A day without time spent with God feels wasted.

Revelation 8:4 (NIV) “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”

As we enter Holy Week, now is a perfect time to begin anew. As we remember all Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary, we need to find new ways to spend more time with Him in daily prayer. Let us all commit to finding time to talk with our Lord.

Blessings,

Yvonne – blogger, speaker and author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

 

 

 

Cleansing and detoxing through diets are all the rage right now. When I did a Google search of “Cleansing” and “Detox,” million of results showed up. The amount of data overwhelmed me as I tried to sort out the information.

We cleanse or detox to rid our bodies of harmful toxins, at least according to the ads I read. “Do you consume too much sugar in your diet?” ask one internet source. “For a small fee of $19.99, we will provide you the perfect diet to rid your body of that excess sugar.” Sometimes, it seems, we want a quick fix to the problem, so we don’t have to change our way of eating. Doing a cleanse appears easier than giving up eating the sugar in the first place.

Jeremiah 4:14 (NLT) O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?

What about the toxins in our souls? Jeremiah, the Old Testament prophet, warned the people of Jerusalem of their need to do a cleanse. In Jeremiah 4:14 we read, “O Jerusalem, cleanse your heart that you may be saved. How long will you harbor your evil thoughts?” Our thoughts, instead of our diet, are how toxins enter our hearts and pollute our bodies. We need a cleanse for our souls.

Psalm 51:2 (NIV) Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

What are some ways we can detox our Christian hearts?

• Prayer – asking God to show us areas that need cleansing
• Read the Bible – search the scriptures for examples of ways others improved the condition of their hearts
• Surround ourselves with Christians who encourage us and help us
• Journal the ways God is moving in our detox

These are just a few examples to start us on a path to rehabbing our lives. I pray we find time this Easter season to make some changes.

Blessings,

Yvonne – blogger, speaker and author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

 

Doing the laundry is not one of my favorite chores. As soon as you get everything washed, someone throws in another article of clothing and it is time to begin again. It is a never-ending job.

A few years ago, I stopped complaining so much about this task. What changed my attitude? Watching women in other countries do their laundry changed my opinion. My process is simple compared to their ways. I throw things into a washing machine and press a few buttons, and then I sit and wait. In many developing countries, the laundry takes several days to complete. It starts with collecting the water from the river. Sometimes the water is so muddy that all the white items turn a dingy brown. All things get washed by hand, rinsed, wrung out and then hung somewhere to dry. The task is backbreaking.

John 13:12 (NIV) “After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing?”

Jesus also experienced some washing during His ministry. In John 13:12, we see the account of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. He labored over this chore. A basin of water filled from a nearby river. Our Lord bent over to wash each foot and then rubbed them dry. The account provides a beautiful picture of a chore done in love. Jesus’ example offers me another reason to use the laundry to demonstrate love for my family as I wash our clothes.

Titus 3:5 (NIV) “he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.”

After His death and resurrection, Jesus offered us another washing. As shown in Titus 3:5 above, Jesus washed away our sins. His death on the cross provided us the ultimate cleaning. This cleansing requires minimal effort on our part; we just have to ask the Lord to forgive our sins and enter our hearts to wash away our sin. We do not need to do any backbreaking work to receive this gift of His great mercy. We just need to repent of our sins and allow Him to wash us clean. Today is a good day to begin again. Once God does the laundry, it never needs to be rewashed.

Blessings,

Yvonne – blogger, speaker and author

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”