http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/index.php/ The Devotionals and Blog of Gail Rodgers http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/what_to_focus_on_/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/what_to_focus_on_/#When:2012 01 29 The pathway to blessing and fruitfulness in this life is to delight in God’s word and meditate on it and focus on it daily. This will bring a relevance and a cutting edge to your mind and heart that will keep you fresh and productive and bring wisdom. Simple? Yes!  Easy? No!  I want to guard my time so I am not distracted by the cares of this world from the very life source of God’s word. A wonderful plan of promise and productivity for those who care to be fruitful in THIS season of their lives. Psalm 1:1-3 “1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,   Nor stands in the path of sinners,   Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,   And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree   Planted by the rivers of water,   That brings forth its fruit in its season,   Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.” Let’s keep our focus! Warmly, Gail   http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/finding_the_joy_in_today/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/finding_the_joy_in_today/#When:2012 01 17 “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 This week the temperature has dipped down to -27C in our area and with the wind chill it is -37C. Nearly everyone I talked to is discouraged with the weather. Plugging in vehicles. Bundling up. Shovelling snow. Higher heating bills. These words of Scripture can be a challenge as we look for ways to rejoice and be glad in days that can be cold and bleak for many reasons. January can be a difficult month to get through. The Christmas excitement is past, the Christmas bills are coming due, the daylight hours can be short in some parts, such as ours. It’s good to be intentional about finding ways to be glad and rejoice in this day that the Lord has given us to enjoy. At http://www.heartsgarden.ca I came across this great list of things to do in the snowy winter areas. Yet wherever you live, take some time today to intentionally put some joy into your day. Plan an activity from an idea in the above list. Choose a thankful heart toward someone in your day today. Choose to have a good attitude toward a challenging circumstance. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is not yet ours… but today is! Choose to “rejoice and be glad”! As you do your own heart will find greater joy and you will be contagious to others! God bless your day!! Warmly, Gail http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/a_though_provoking_question_/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/a_though_provoking_question_/#When:2012 01 13 How do you think people feel after an encounter with you? “People will seldom remember what you said or did but they will always remember how you made them feel.” It’s so true. We can all recall quickly those who have left us feeling encouraged and uplifted with courage to move forward and those who have left us discouraged and even bleeding by the roadside. Be aware today of your words and how they will leave people feeling. Read more: http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/part_13_-_how_did_you_feel/ May God bless your day with His peace in your hearts and His love and wisdom on your lips. Warmly, Gail http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/embracing_today/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/embracing_today/#When:2012 01 05 Welcome to 2012!! Here we are in the second week already!!! How is it going so far with the changes you hoped to begin? Are you embracing the New Year? Are you embracing today? Don’t let the mundane rob you of possessing each day victoriously! In the previous post I quoted a Bible verse as a prayer for the new year. Today I am taking one treasure from God’s ways that will help us embrace today and move us one step closer to the peace and joy we all want to experience more of in 2012. Embrace a new way of responding to tension. Relationship tension is one of the most common thieves of peace in hearts and lives and homes. Which relationship do you intentionally want to build into right now? Name that person to yourself. If you recognize tension in your interactions with this person today, pause for a moment and choose your response rather than simply reacting to their tones and words. Tension can tear things apart or it can move things together to new ground. Reacting in anger generally brings a rift. Responding thoughtfully will often soften the moment and often even the hearts involved. Put God’s wisdom into action today. “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.” Proverbs 15:1 Choose today to pause and respond gently to tension rather than harshly. This can leave the door open to move the dialogue along later to mutual solutions. During times of stress tempers can flare unexpectedly. Deflecting the anxiety/anger of others with a soft answer will also help keep your own heart calm. A prayer to action this in your life today: Lord God, Thank you for the power of Your timeless truth. Help me to embrace today with gentle responses on my lips. Please keep my heart soft and work Your peace into my heart and into my relationships. Thank you for Your power in my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. Here are a couple of my other articles on resolving conflict: Working Through Conflict Emotional Energy http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/a_new_year_prayer/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/a_new_year_prayer/#When:2012 01 03 From the Bible comes this beautiful and powerful prayer of David. A perfect prayer to write out and keep as a daily prayer throughout 2012. Psalm 25:4 & 5 “Show me your ways, oh LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.” God CAN be trusted to reveal truth to our hearts, guide our steps and show us the way to go. All day, every day He can be relied upon to be your God and your Saviour in whom you can place your confident expectation. Happy New Year! http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/its_almost_christmas/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/its_almost_christmas/#When:2011 12 23 In this final week of Advent, as we lead up to Christmas Day, how is your heart doing? Are you feeling at peace ... or is pressure mounting in your home? Take a moment to ponder the peace that the angels announced that first Christmas. “Peace on Earth, good will toward men”. This morning I read a verse in Ephesians 2:14 that says “He Himself is our peace”. That first Christmas God sent His Son, Jesus, in human baby form, to reach out in love to connect humans to HImself ... and we celebrate His birth. The journey comes full circle when we come to Easter and observe the death of Jesus as He took the punishment upon Himself for mankind’s willful independence apart from God. We celebrate His resurrection as He rose again from that death and took His place with the Father ... leaving those who believe in His birth and death and resurrection with the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit as the Divine comfort and power within to live as a testimony to His love and power. “He Himself is our peace”. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you afresh today with the Peace that is His presence in our lives filling us with purpose, peace and a passion for life! Is His peace the piece you are missing this Christmas? Advent week 4: The Candle of Peace http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/353/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/preparing_your_heart_for_christmas_week_3/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/preparing_your_heart_for_christmas_week_3/#When:2011 12 12 Love marked the birth of Jesus. Love for us. This week, in the Advent Celebration of preparing our hearts for Christmas, take a bit of extra time to focus on how love can be displayed in your circle of influence in a special way. Read Week 3 article here: http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/352/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/greetings_on_this_second_sunday_of_advent/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/greetings_on_this_second_sunday_of_advent/#When:2011 12 04 This week we focus on the Candle of Joy and why we can have joy because of Jesus birth. He’s so much more than the baby in the manger that we focus on this time of year. He is all you need as He brings to you counsel, power, Fatherly love and great peace, all when you need it. Read here: http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/devotionalItem/351/ Have a wonderful Advent week!! http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/simplifying_in_the_kitchen_this_christmas/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/simplifying_in_the_kitchen_this_christmas/#When:2011 12 01 Part of preparing your heart for Christmas is making room in your life for quiet. That may mean trimming back a bit and simplifying ... especially in the kitchen. http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/preparing_your_heart_for_christmas/ http://www.gailrodgers.ca/index.php/site/blogItem/preparing_your_heart_for_christmas/#When:2011 11 27 How are you feeling about the Christmas season today? Does the prospect of the baking, the buying and business of entertaining family and friends excite you? Does it weary you wondering how you will get it all done, or pay for it all? The Christmas season can feel hollow and empty if we only prepare our homes for the season. The preparation of our hearts for Christmas is the most important part of it all. That’s why I love the Advent Season and the symbolism of the candles that are lit each week.  They are a wonderful help and focus as we remember what is most important in this great celebration of Christmas. Advent simply means, “the coming”. The coming of Jesus. Pause today and join me in taking some time to focus your own heart on what this celebration is all about. Don’t settle for hollow and busy. Look instead at the HOPE the birth of Jesus brought to us. Ask God to birth that hope afresh in your heart today. Ask Him to help you look outward with compassion to those whose hearts are lonely and hurting right where you are. Read about the first candle of advent.