Renee Andrews's Blog - Posts Tagged "inspirational"
Labor Day Devotional by Renee Andrews
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NIV)
My family has a Labor Day tradition. The entire gang gathers at my parents’ home on the river for jet skiing, swimming, good food…and homemade ice cream. My mother makes the BEST homemade ice cream. This Labor Day we were waiting for the ice cream, but the ice cream maker just kept spinning. It went on for what seemed like forever, while we all waited, bowls and spoons in hand, to have our favorite treat. Then my dad remembered that the last time he’d cleaned and rinsed the ice cream container, he accidentally tossed the tiny part in the bottom out (and into the river, no less). That one little part ended up being important and without it, the ice cream took much longer to get firm.
Like that tiny part in the ice cream maker, each part of Christ’s body is important to the livelihood of Christ’s church. We may not feel like our tiny part matters, but in the entire scheme of things, we could be the reason the church doesn’t stand firm. He needs our part.
For me, I sometimes feel I don’t offer anything overly impressive to the growth of the Kingdom. I can speak, but I’m sure not great at it. I can sing, but it’s nothing to write home about. And it took me YEARS before I gathered the courage to pray aloud. But I do have a few things I can do and enjoy doing. I can write and share God’s message with my readers. I can be willing to attribute my good mood to my Good Lord whenever asked why I seem particularly happy. I can also let others know that God will see me through when I’m having hard times.
No, the things I bring to the table do not seem like a whole lot when you look at what Christ has given for me. But that tiny part of the ice cream maker was important to the final product, and my tiny part is important to Christ’s final product too.
Faith Step: Eat a bowl of ice cream today and think about all of the parts that were necessary for that delicious taste, and then thank God that you can be a tiny part in His Kingdom.
~Renee Andrews
Pre-order autographed copies of Mondays with Jesus 2015 for $9.99 (same price the book will sell in stores) with free U.S. shipping and free personalization at http://www.mondayswithjesus.com/
My family has a Labor Day tradition. The entire gang gathers at my parents’ home on the river for jet skiing, swimming, good food…and homemade ice cream. My mother makes the BEST homemade ice cream. This Labor Day we were waiting for the ice cream, but the ice cream maker just kept spinning. It went on for what seemed like forever, while we all waited, bowls and spoons in hand, to have our favorite treat. Then my dad remembered that the last time he’d cleaned and rinsed the ice cream container, he accidentally tossed the tiny part in the bottom out (and into the river, no less). That one little part ended up being important and without it, the ice cream took much longer to get firm.
Like that tiny part in the ice cream maker, each part of Christ’s body is important to the livelihood of Christ’s church. We may not feel like our tiny part matters, but in the entire scheme of things, we could be the reason the church doesn’t stand firm. He needs our part.
For me, I sometimes feel I don’t offer anything overly impressive to the growth of the Kingdom. I can speak, but I’m sure not great at it. I can sing, but it’s nothing to write home about. And it took me YEARS before I gathered the courage to pray aloud. But I do have a few things I can do and enjoy doing. I can write and share God’s message with my readers. I can be willing to attribute my good mood to my Good Lord whenever asked why I seem particularly happy. I can also let others know that God will see me through when I’m having hard times.
No, the things I bring to the table do not seem like a whole lot when you look at what Christ has given for me. But that tiny part of the ice cream maker was important to the final product, and my tiny part is important to Christ’s final product too.
Faith Step: Eat a bowl of ice cream today and think about all of the parts that were necessary for that delicious taste, and then thank God that you can be a tiny part in His Kingdom.
~Renee Andrews
Pre-order autographed copies of Mondays with Jesus 2015 for $9.99 (same price the book will sell in stores) with free U.S. shipping and free personalization at http://www.mondayswithjesus.com/
Temptation
Mondays with Jesus 2017: Devotions to Begin Each Week of the Year“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:13-15
As everyone in the room snickered, I watched our oldest son, Rene, ask our oldest grandson, Alanus, the same question.
“You didn’t eat a doughnut?”
Alanus, eyes wide, shook his head again. “No, sir.”
What Alanus didn’t know, and what had the whole room struggling to contain the laughter, was that his right cheek was covered in white sugar from the doughnuts on the platter. The same doughnuts he’d been told he couldn’t eat.
As Rene looked to all of the adults in the room in disbelief, one of the kids who had been watching Alanus explained, “He didn’t eat one. He just moved them on the plate and then licked his fingers.”
Temptation. It’s so tough to resist, and often, we get close enough to the forbidden fruit…that we look guilty, merely because we’ve gotten too close, like my grandson and that tray of doughnuts.
I have no doubt that, if left alone with that plate, eventually moving the doughnuts around and licking his fingers wouldn’t have been enough. The temptation would’ve been too strong, and he’d have given in. Likewise, when I know I struggle with something tempting, I’m only hurting myself by getting closer to the situation, or to the thing I want so badly, or to the individual who isn’t good for my spiritual life.
Now, I’m not saying that I stay away from those that I might have the opportunity to bring to God; however, I also need to remind myself that, if a person—or thing—is keeping me from Him, then I need to get away from the plate…before I’m standing, ashamed, with sugar on my cheek.
This Week: Take inventory of your biggest temptations. I’m assuming everyone has more than one; I know I do. If you’ve placed yourself in a situation that is setting you up to fail, back away. Ask for help from a family member or friend—even better if you know someone who struggles with the same problem—and keep yourself from standing in front of your Father with sugar on your cheek.
Renee Andrews
We love because He first loved us...
“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
(Written by our youngest son, Kaleb Zeringue.)
Thursdays are my weekly marathon. I wake up, drive to Birmingham, spend a few hours there, drive straight back to Gadsden (an hour one way) to eat lunch and then head to the gym and coach until it's dark outside. Then I head home and rest.
The past two weeks I have had new motivation and anticipation for arriving back home. It's this little guy, Konrad Asher Zeringue, born June 8th.
What has he done to warrant such affection? To capture my thoughts and imagination all day on my busiest of days?
He has pooped on himself, every day since I met him, peed on me countless times, grunted so loudly in his sleep that he wakes me and his mom up. He really likes to grunt. He also throws both of his arms up when he sleeps, cries for me and his mom when we are right next to him, stares at me blankly as I desperately try to be the first one to make him laugh, makes hilarious faces when he sees sunlight and, most importantly, he's MY SON.
Such is the way with God, I think. We try so hard to impress God and earn his love and affection, but all the while, we are pooping everywhere, grunting in our sleep, crying when we don't feel Him or hear His voice (even when He is right next to us), and looking at Him blankly when we don't understand Him.
Konrad has not earned my affection, yet he has all of my affection and favor and love because he is my son. In the same way, you and I have not earned God’s love, but we have ALL of His affection and ALL of His Favor and ALL of His love…because we are His Sons and Daughters through the holy adoption that took place when Christ went to the cross and died for us.
This Week: If you have a baby in your home, pay attention to how many times he or she needs you on a daily basis. If you don’t, offer to babysit for a friend, so you can be reminded of how needy that little person is. Then imagine yourself as God sees you…as a child needing our heavenly Father. Praise God that He loves us even when we’re as needy and as messy as that precious (and sometimes needy and messy) bundle of joy!
Renee Andrews
(Written by our youngest son, Kaleb Zeringue.)
Thursdays are my weekly marathon. I wake up, drive to Birmingham, spend a few hours there, drive straight back to Gadsden (an hour one way) to eat lunch and then head to the gym and coach until it's dark outside. Then I head home and rest.
The past two weeks I have had new motivation and anticipation for arriving back home. It's this little guy, Konrad Asher Zeringue, born June 8th.
What has he done to warrant such affection? To capture my thoughts and imagination all day on my busiest of days?
He has pooped on himself, every day since I met him, peed on me countless times, grunted so loudly in his sleep that he wakes me and his mom up. He really likes to grunt. He also throws both of his arms up when he sleeps, cries for me and his mom when we are right next to him, stares at me blankly as I desperately try to be the first one to make him laugh, makes hilarious faces when he sees sunlight and, most importantly, he's MY SON.
Such is the way with God, I think. We try so hard to impress God and earn his love and affection, but all the while, we are pooping everywhere, grunting in our sleep, crying when we don't feel Him or hear His voice (even when He is right next to us), and looking at Him blankly when we don't understand Him.
Konrad has not earned my affection, yet he has all of my affection and favor and love because he is my son. In the same way, you and I have not earned God’s love, but we have ALL of His affection and ALL of His Favor and ALL of His love…because we are His Sons and Daughters through the holy adoption that took place when Christ went to the cross and died for us.
This Week: If you have a baby in your home, pay attention to how many times he or she needs you on a daily basis. If you don’t, offer to babysit for a friend, so you can be reminded of how needy that little person is. Then imagine yourself as God sees you…as a child needing our heavenly Father. Praise God that He loves us even when we’re as needy and as messy as that precious (and sometimes needy and messy) bundle of joy!
Renee Andrews
