A friend of mine wears a necklace with a small bottle of sand. It was the sand from his baptism that ended up in his swim trunks. Every time he sees or feels that bottle he’s reminded of his commitment to walk with Jesus each and every day. For him, it’s a great reminder.
The Bible is full of such reminders – rocks, tassels, scriptural door holders – for the people of Israel to remember what God had done for them in past to give them the faith to walk with Him in the present. These reminders come in handy when life gets tough.
What physical reminders do you have to stay close to your God?
S“E”t Free Nowww

Shame. Embarrassment. Guilt. Feeling stupid. Kicking yourself. All of these can be extreme time wasters. They keep you away from being with Jesus and doing the “stuff” He created you to do, which makes you feel just the opposite.
Once you feel any of these, ask, “Spirit, is there any sin I need to confess?” If so, don’t waste time. Get forgiveness now! When asked, Jesus will forgive you, end of story. (1 John 1:9) He will not hesitate. Therefore, why waste time on these emotions, which only keep you down? Get forgiveness and your mind again focused on Jesus to experience His grace, mercy, peace and love.
We were given the right to do this the moment we became secure children of God through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross. Sure we don’t deserve it, but that’s why it’s called grace! Stop wasting time feeling like garbage and start feeling His peace and love again, which is what you really want, right?
“S”et Free Nowww

You’re going to laugh at this one. Our 3 year-old car battery warranty was surpassed by two years when it finally died today. I knew I was going to exchange it at the store, but I got distracted and forgot to bring the few simple tools I’d need to make the exchange.
Well, we get to the store without the tools to discover that it was going to be a hour-and-a-half wait for a 5 minute job. What did I do? Wait was not in my vocabulary! So we could be on our way sooner, I purchased the battery and an inexpensive set of tools to do the job that didn’t work for this particular job! Here’s the funny part,though. By the time we purchased the wrong tools and the right battery, the service bay became available to do it for us! Ugh!
I hate life lessons, don’t you? Distractions keep us from getting the right tools for each decision we have to make throughout our day. Impatience then makes us use the wrong tools to make those decisions.
Quoting just any Scriptural verse will not solve your challenges. You need the right biblical truth/tool for each job/decision. As you spend time with and in the Word, you’ll get the biblical tools you need, the wisdom to know which ones to use, and the power to implement them. As you do, you’ll experience the freedom Jesus came to bring, which in this case was spending more money for tools I didn’t need!
S“E”t Free Nowww

It’s not about how far, fast or what you do, but who you travel with. This truism came to mind when I read the following.
“This January, ESPN anchor Stuart Scott died of appendiceal cancer. Scott faced death with enough winsomeness to persuade anyone to keep fighting for life: ‘You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Live. Fight like (crazy), and when you get too tired to fight, [lie] down and rest and let someone else fight for you.”
Pain – emotional, spiritual and physical – can make quitters out of the best of us. Yet, it doesn’t have to. This is why God lives inside every believer and why the Spirit had King Solomon write, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecc. 4:9-10) This is not only about marriage either!
Life is not about how long you live on this planet, but how you lived it while you were here. Did you listen to the Spirit and become a secure child through faith in Jesus and then followed Jesus in the Spirit’s power with every decision you made?
This is impossible to do alone. Who is walking this journey with you to pick you up when you get tired of the fight and want to quit? This takes vulnerability and transparency. I know that’s scary, but are you really tired of quitting?
Set Free Noww“W”

The following popped up on my computer’s start-up screen: 110 million PC users can’t be wrong. Yes they can! I purposefully bought a computer that allowed me to use an older operating system. It fit my needs and purposes much better than the newer versions.
110 million people can be wrong! My mom used to tell my brothers and me, “Just because your friends are jumping off the cliff doesn’t mean you have to follow them!” (As know-it-all smart alec kids we’d respond, “Of course we would!” Kids reading this: don’t follow this advice. It got us into further trouble then as it will you now.)
Playing the follow-the-leader game is a dangerous if the leader isn’t thinking about what’s best for each person. Playing the comparison game can be a joy stealer, discouragement bringer and depression starter because you’re comparing yourself with the wrong person!
The only person we are to compare ourselves with is Jesus. The only person’s opinion we should care about is Jesus’. The only leader we should follow is Jesus Himself. He is the only source for all we’re looking for in life today, tomorrow and into eternity.
Watch yourself today. Who are you listening to? Following? Comparing yourself with? Use your FREEdom tools to filter out everyone so you can stay focused on the only One who brings true freedom – Jesus.
Set FREE Nowww