Encouraging and empowering people to live victorious lives in Christ

Is peace possible?

February 7, 2025

As we observe what’s happening in our world right now, the question in the subject of this message is a compelling one!  Is peace possible?  I’m not an expert on world history and current events, so I can’t answer that question (I will say that I am watching what is going on around us, and I suggest you do as well).  I don’t believe anyone can predict whether peace is possible, but there is something regarding peace that we can control.  We can have peace within ourselves!

How do we maintain inner peace when there’s chaos around us?  Isaiah 26:3-4 says:

You will keep in perfect peace

    all who trust in you,

    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Trust in the Lord always,

    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

(NLT)

So, where is your focus?  Is it on the One who is the eternal Rock?   When something is eternal, it lasts forever!  And a rock is “a firm foundation or support.” (Dictionary.com) The prophet Isaiah also says we are to “trust in the Lord always,” not just some of the time, but in all things and at all times (my interpretation)!

The things happening around and even to us can be disconcerting and unnerving.  But instead of being consumed with worry, I choose to do what this scripture says: keep my thoughts fixed on God and trust in Him.  This is an intentional choice we must make daily.  And as we trust, we can experience perfect peace, the peace that passes all understanding!

Which choice will you make today?

Before I sign off, I wanted to share that I have a special announcement coming on Monday February 10.  Be sure to tune in to social media (@ANewSeasonDay or @SpeakerBrenna on Facebook and @ANewSeasonDay on Instagram) that day.

Take care!

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Making Deposits That Matter

January 27, 2025

Do you realize that you have a spiritual bank account?  No, you can’t go into a bank branch to open one of these, but our spiritual accounts do exist!  When we use banks or other financial instruments, we make deposits into them so we can draw out of them later.  If you ever tried to withdraw from an empty bank account, you are disappointed when there’s nothing for you to receive, right?

The key is to put something in your financial account before you need it.  The same applies for our spiritual bank account!  We should be adding to our account daily via spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, fasting, studying the Word etc.) so that we will have someone to withdraw when there is a need.  While we can do these things (and should) in the middle of difficult times, let’s not wait until we’re struggling to try to shore up our accounts.  When we make deposits little by little, our deposits compound (just like when our financial deposits compound with interest), and before we know it, we will have more than we anticipated!  

So let’s start somewhere!  How are you planning to make a deposit into your spiritual account today?  While financial deposits are important, spiritual deposits are the ones that really matter!  

Be blessed!

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What is Success and a Special Announcement!

January 9, 2025

When a new year comes in, many people start thinking about what goals they want to achieve for the year.  I agree with setting goals (in fact, I believe that we shouldn’t wait until a new year approaches to do this), but a part of setting goals is understanding what success is.

According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of success is a “favorable or desired outcome.”  This description is a very general one; I believe if you want to experience success, you must be more specific.

Here are a few questions to consider as you define success for yourself:

What is a favorable or desired outcome for me?

How do these outcomes line up with my beliefs and values?

Why do I want to be successful?

Notice I said “define success for yourself.”  Everyone’s definition of success is different; it depends on what’s important to them.  Someone may define success as financial prosperity so they can buy houses and cars, while another person may see it as financial prosperity so they can be generous to others. If you are a disciple of Jesus, our definition of success should line up with our Christian values and beliefs, including (I believe) a desire to grow spiritually and to become more and more like Jesus.  

The beginning of the new year is a great time to get clear on what success means to you. Once you understand it, you can ensure that the goals you set are in line with your beliefs. I encourage you to take some time to define success. Don’t compare yourself to others and their definitions; this is about you!  Once you’ve done this, I would love to hear from you!

Before I sign off, I’m excited to share that I am participating again in the upcoming Women’s Ministry for Small Churches Conference on January 25!  Specifically designed for smaller churches, the mission of the conference is to help women’s ministries go from filling a calendar to fulfilling a purpose! Help me spread the word! I’ll be speaking on “Growing in Grace: Practical Ways to Embrace Spiritual Disciplines.” Get all the details and grab your free ticket here

Have a good one!

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Only Believe!

January 3, 2025

Welcome to 2025!  2024 may have been hard for you (it was a challenging year for me for sure, a year of change and stretching).  As you are reading this, you may be thinking that, although we are in a new year, not much is different from the old one.  There may be health issues, the loss of a loved one or financial challenges that still exist as you flipped your calendar from 2024 or 2025.  What can we do?

No matter what is going on, even if nothing has changed, the last thing we should do is to stop believing.  Believing that all things are possible with God (according to Matthew 19:26), that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (according to Philippians 4:13), and that the promises of God are yes and amen (according to 2 Corinthians 1:20).  2025 has the potential to be a great year for us, but nothing can guarantee that it won’t have its challenges.  When hard times come (or as they continue), our mindset and our beliefs are key!  

As we enter this new year, I encourage you to search the scriptures for the promises that God has made to us and make them a part of your daily declarations.  The more you declare, the more you will believe!  And what you believe will carry you through the good and the not-so-good times. 

Jesus told Jairus, when his daughter died, to “only believe” (Mark 5). And miraculously, his daughter was brought back to life. Even if things look hopeless, let’s make sure our beliefs are in the One who is a miracle worker, way maker and a promise keeper!  In 2025, let’s “only believe!”

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Get ready for breakthrough!

December 9, 2024

So…you have been planning, praying and working toward a particular dream or goal. It hasn’t manifested yet but you’re believing God for it, walking by faith and expecting it to happen. Whether it’s financial increase, a growth in the number of clients your business serves or a new vehicle, the question I want to ask you today is, “are you prepared for the thing you’re believing for?”

If you are making strides to grow your business, what happens when it does grow? Are you prepared to go from a small number of clients to a greater number? How will you manage them? When you purchase that dream car, are you ready to handle the maintenance on it, making sure you keep up with it and have the funds to pay for it? Or when you receive that financial increase, are you planning to use it wisely?

While you’re waiting for your goals and dreams to come to fruition, make sure you’re preparing yourself to handle them! That means making the necessary adjustments in YOU for the future. For example, I should probably learn how to budget the money I have now so that when I receive more, I know how to handle it and it’s not wasted (just think about those lottery winners who end up broke in a few short years). Or, I should be intentional about cleaning the home I’m living in now, so that when I purchase my dream home, I’m already in the habit of maintaining it. You get the picture!  The time to get ready for your “more” is now, not when it arrives!

And as you prepare, I believe something will happen: you will become even more grateful for what you already have! Even if we’re lacking in a particular area, being mindful of what we have will help us to appreciate it more! 

How are you getting ready for your breakthrough? I encourage you to ask yourself this question and see where you need to improve in this area (because we all do). Let’s be good stewards of the things God has blessed us with now so we are ready for what is coming in the future!

Let’s get ready for our breakthrough!

I would love to hear your comments, please share them below!

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Have you prayed about it?

December 2, 2024

Are you starting to make plans for the upcoming new year? Goals you want to accomplish, vacations you want to take or money you want to save don’t just happen automatically; they need a plan, right? But before you decide on what your focus will be and start formulating a plan (I’m an advocate for those things, by the way), have you prayed about them? That’s the question I want to ask you today!

This is what happens with me when I get an idea about something: I marinate on it and bathe it in prayer. What do I mean by that? I get quiet so I can hear what God has to say about my potential plans. And I spend some extra time in the Word (outside of my normal devotion time) so I can be sure I’m hearing Him clearly (and not myself). Invariably, God will clarify the goals for me and give me specific instructions to move in that direction. Or, if it’s something that’s not in His plans (for right now or maybe not at all), He’ll let me know that too! 

So before we jump out there making big plans to do big things, don’t forget to consult the One who has the wisdom we need to make the best decisions! One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 16:9 (NLT):

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

I want God to direct my steps! I want to be in His will and operate in His wisdom. Especially if I’m moving into new territory with my new plans that have me outside of my comfort zone! What about you?

As you make your plans, be sure to pray about them. Alignment with God is key!

I would love to hear from you! Please share your comments below, and please tell a friend!

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Are you resilient?

November 14, 2023

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to be the worship leader at a church’s 127th anniversary (it was a great celebration!).  As I read the church’s history, I thought about the fact that over 127 years, the members of the church had to be resilient to continue the church’s work for all those years.  What does resiliency mean?  

One of the definitions of resiliency from Dictionary.com is “the ability of a person to adjust to or readily recover from illness, adversity, major life changes, etc.” I would imagine that over 127 years, the church faced many challenging times, and yet, they are still in existence today and fulfilling their mission!

What about you?  Each of us will face (or has faced) challenges and adversity. How do we handle them? Do we allow them to derail our goals and purpose, or are we resilient and “adjust to or readily recover” from them?  We have a choice in how we use what’s happened to us; we can choose to be stuck in the negative or we choose to use difficulties to make us better. I encourage you to choose the latter!

Use the past to learn lessons that can serve you in the future.  Use the past to remind you that if you survive one difficult experience that you can survive another one.  Use your memory of the past to remind you of how far you’ve come.  Then move forward with resiliency! 

Life happens to all of us, but we don’t have to allow it to stop us!  When I experienced challenges, I needed to pause for a little while to recover emotionally and mentally, but then I kept going.  It’s ok to pause…just don’t stop!

I hope this message helps you in whatever you may be facing. Resiliency is key to ensuring your success, even in the face of hard things.

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Are you leading with love?

November 9, 2023

There seems to be a lot of doctrinal debate going on in the Christian world lately. I won’t take the time to list what’s being discussed, but if you follow some Christian influencers, you know what some of the topics are.  While Christians will probably never agree on everything regarding doctrine, what saddens me is that some of the debaters are callous, mean and downright disrespectful as they attempt to make their cases.  They don’t seem to be leading with love.

We may feel strongly about what we believe is correct, and there is nothing wrong with that.  The fact is…none of us has all doctrine 100% correct!  None of us has a biblical text that is an exact copy of the original (because the original manuscripts were lost many centuries ago).  So, we may be missing it in some areas.  Just because we may not agree on some issues, does that mean we treat each other with contempt?  I think not!

Meanwhile, the world is watching us Christians debate among ourselves, displaying disunity.  What Jesus said in John 13:35 is appropriate here: 

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

How will the world know that we are true followers of Jesus?  By our love for one another!  Where we disagree, we can show love, extend grace and be patient with one another.  Since our goal is to win souls for the Kingdom of God, can we put our differences aside and work together to bring as many people to Heaven with us as we can?

I would love to hear your comments; feel free to share them below.

Let’s lead with love today!

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What are you grateful today?

October 30, 2023

If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you know that there is a lot going on around the world as well as in our local communities. And we have such busy lives that sometimes we can’t keep up with ourselves!  It can be overwhelming to take it all in.  When I write to you, I often challenge you to make plans and work on your goals so you can achieve what you are called to do. Today, I want to encourage you to do something simple:  be grateful.

No matter what’s happening around us, no matter what’s going on in our lives, there is SOMETHING that we can be thankful for!  It could be our children, our families, our health, good weather, food in the refrigerator or a job.  Whatever it is, and no matter how or big or small, we can be grateful!  Our lives may not be all we want them to be, but we can be grateful for the desire to be better today than we were yesterday!

One of the things I’m thankful for today is cooler weather!  After I write this message, I plan to go for a walk and enjoy the fall temperatures.  

What are you grateful for today? 

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Compassion and Kindness: A Beacon of Light

October 24, 2023

In one of the online devotionals I read during the week, the scripture came from the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  It’s a familiar passage, but as I read it a few days ago, it really resonated with me in a different way.  

You probably know the story: while a man was traveling, he was assaulted by robbers and left for dead. Two religious leaders passed by without helping him, but a Samaritan man (considered to be an outcast in Jewish society) was the one who had compassion for the injured person.  The Samaritan helped the injured man, brought him to a place of safety and instructed an innkeeper to care for him (and provided money for his care).  He went out of his way to help this man and showed compassion and kindness to him.

It’s not enough to read these stories and agree how good they are. 🙂  They should cause us to evaluate our own lives.  How compassionate am I? How kind am I? Am I more concerned about myself and how I may be inconvenienced when presented with the opportunity to help someone?  When we are compassionate and kind, we are demonstrating God’s love for others. 

Our kindness doesn’t have to be something as extravagant as what the Samaritan did for the injured man. Earlier today, I called into my benefits center to ask a question. When I explained my situation (my question was regarding something I was expecting to receive as a result of my separation from my former company), before the representative answered my question, she expressed her sympathy regarding my separation from the company.  It was kind of her to be concerned about how I was feeling after this life changing event.  And it didn’t take much effort for her to share that with me.  While I am doing well in this new season, she didn’t know that and wanted me to know that she cared!

What can you do today to show kindness and compassion to someone?  I encourage you to be intentional about this; you never know what the person on the other end of your kindness needs in that moment.  Our compassion can be a beacon of hope in a dark moment in time. Our kindness can be just the thing that person needs to change a negative outlook into a positive one!    Be the light of kindness and compassion today!

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