by Rebecca Vickery
​
      There's a part of me that always wanted to skip to the end of a stressful book. Things aren't
looking good, so I want to get to the end where there's hopefully resolution. Better that than
feeling the tension. Take me to the end where the wrongs have been righted, and
reconciliation has occurred. There are times when life gets hard that I want to do the same.
Can we skip to the redemption arc?
​
      I know God can make a way even when there seems to be no way, but walking in the midst of
it, that's how I become conformed to the likeness of His Son. If I am walking in my own
strength, then when I come against someone who is making life hard, then I might be inclined
like the disciples to ask, shall we call down fire on them? God, can you smite my enemies?
The living, breathing ones that surround me. Not the unseen enemy that makes those people
seem like the enemy. But if I'm walking in the Spirit, and being conformed to the likeness of His
Son, then I am interceding for those who, by their words and their lifestyle do actual harm to
the ones I love. I am asking God to bless my enemies, to bless and not to curse them, to forgive
them, for they don't know what they're doing. I'm following the examples of Jesus. If I skip to
the end, I would bypass my own redemption arc and miss the Lord using my circumstances to
draw me closer to himself.

      None of us desires suffering. But if we are suffering, it is not for nothing. Our suffering is not in vain. Jesus Himself pleaded with the father that if it was possible for Him to not have to face
the suffering on the cross, that God would do it another way. If there was another way, Jesus
would not have had to endure the cross. Likewise, if there was another way for this story to
happen apart from my suffering, I would not be suffering. In 2 Corinthians, the Bible offers us
encouragement with regards to suffering.

      Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an
eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is
unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
I don’t need to skip the end. I know that in the end, God will make all things right. I will never
share another uncomfortable conversation with a loved one that ends in confusion, heartache
and frustration. I will never feel the brokenness of my body and the weight of this world on my
heart. I will hunger no more, I will thirst no more, and He will wipe away every tear from my
eyes. But in the meantime, my “light and momentary troubles” (that neither feel light nor
momentary) are accomplishing for myself (and my family members) an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all.

      What comfort and peace I find in those words. Not only are my troubles momentary, but they
are achieving something eternal for me. I cannot fully understand from this side of glory what 
it means, but I know from Romans 8:18 that I can consider that our present sufferings are not
worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. That which is yet to come will be far
more glorious than anything I have had to endure on this side of things.
​
      Someday, we will witness the restoration of all things. In the meantime, we are called to be
ministers of reconciliation making peace wherever peace is possible. What a charge we have
been given. BUT, He who called us is faithful. We do not have to rest in our own strength to
get us to the end of the story. We can fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith,
knowing that HE is the one who will get us to the end. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says, “He will also keep
you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Jude
it says that He will keep us from stumbling and present us without wrinkle or blemish to the
Lord in the end. So as challenging as it seems to be a minister of reconciliation in a broken
world, Jesus has my back and is interceding for me that my faith may not fail me. I don’t have
to skip to the end of the story, I can trust in the savior who will give me the strength to endure.
Hallelujah. To Him be the glory, both now and forevermore.

by Kadeen Edwards

       Rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the One who has it all figured out for your good and His glory.


     “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬


     Rest is one of the best parts of being a child of God. It is a gift that God has given us. Yet it sometimes seems out of reach. Rest is what God did on the seventh day and what he wants us to do.

     The reality of me not taking rest is saying to God I know what you said but I don’t trust that you have all things in your hand so I am going to do it my way. Which every time I do it my way it leads to exhaustion and anxiety and not much accomplished. When I trust God and rest in him, it seems that even more than I could think or imagine gets done in my rest and I have peace.

     So after reading this and processing what I have written, I think to myself why am I not resting in the times he’s called me to rest? I know that he gets it done…

​     Our God never sleeps nor slumbers. So now I have a choice to rest and receive his peace or be exhausted and accomplish little. I know that he does more than I can think or imagine when I rest in him. This year, I am going to learn to receive this rest.
Sent from my iPhone

by William Brannon
​Being a parent is truly a gift from God, one in which I believe glorifies and parallels how the Lord sees, cares and feels about us.      

I don’t know about you, but I would die so that my children could live. Does this sound familiar?

Ever wonder why we are to look at God as the father? Besides the obvious reason of God being the creator of us all and Jesus being the son, I believe in part, it’s God's example of our relationship with him and the way he loves us displayed in our relationship with our children. 

God watches over our lives, guides us, while at the same time allowing us to make our own choices, our own mistakes; correcting us as we go, out of love, even when it seems to us as punishment.

Ever try telling your child to clean their room? You would think you sent them to go through some great torment, when in reality you are trying to get them to understand that living in filth is no life at all. Our kids look at their room full of trash, laundry, toys, and they don't know how to even start. So we have to explain that you don't just go in and try to clean it all at once, but instead work on one problem at a time. First, start by picking up just the laundry; then, when that's done, you start on all the toys and so on. In the same way, God has us clean up our life, one problem at a time. If you look at your life as a dirty room that needs cleaning, you see how you can easily get overwhelmed and not know where to start in that same way.  
 
It's funny how we, just as our kids, try to pull away from our father as he guides us, saying aloud, “I can do it myself!” Even though there are none who can. We can’t see the bigger picture, the dangers hurdling at us from further down the roads we have stepped into the middle of.

As for the opposite end, when we do take his hand, we are happy to follow without even knowing where we are going. We are at peace without a care in the world, because we know that when we are held in our fathers hand, nothing can remove us from it. We have faith that he can and will guide us everywhere safley.  

I believe we all had a healthy fear/respect for our parents, well I know I did. I believe that's the kind of fear the Bible talks about having of the Lord. Just like we did for our parents, not fear, but reverence, of their love, authority and leadership over our lives.

It’s a comforting thought that has carried me through my walk with the Lord, that the Lord's love is free and never changing, even through the times when I have, in my eyes, failed him. When you look at your children, is there anything that they can really do to fail you? To make you love them any less? Any time I come to him after, in my eyes having failed him, I find God waiting patiently for me with a smile, as he hugs me and tells me it's going to be ok. He asks, “what did we learn? Are we going to do that again? why not?" and follows with, "It's ok, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, I love you.”

Our kids count on us for everything. If we didn't provide for them, feed them, nourish them, they wouldn’t survive. In the same manner if God didn't feed us with the living water of the Holy Spirit, as well as feeding us with his word, and forming a new path through faith to life, we would have died the true death. Jesus took on the sins of us all, was crucified, died, and was resurrected; he finished it. The most Holy of santifactions, by defeating death once and for all for those who put their faith in the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Holy of Holies, the Lamb that was slain, Jesus Christ saved us all.  

I think I speak for all of your children when I say, “Thank you for everything Father, We love you, Amen.”

  By Peggie Potter
​
Today (12/12/24) at work while in the ladies room I heard the usual
"Last boarding call for Flight # ! Once the door closes , you will
not be able to board !"

We who belong to Jesus Christ are also traveling. We travel in our life's 
journey with Him. when we accept Him as our Lord & Savior, we receive 
our boarding pass: His Precious Blood as redemption from our sins & His
seal upon us as His children ! When He washes us clean, we pass through
His security checkpoint ! When we read His Word, The Bible, as on the plane
as the flight attendants go through the safety & security procedures, His 
Word is there to teach, disciple, give us Holy Spirit's Wisdom, & ensure
we safely reach our final destination : our eternal home in Our Father's
House with Him !

 We have only one lifetime to seek after Him & allow Him to make us all
we need to be for Him to bring glory to His Name in our persons. But
unlike the airlines, we do not know our time of departure ! That is why
His Word says "today is the day of salvation , Romans 13:11 " So don't
wait ! You don't want to miss your flight !

 2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says, "In the time of my favor I heard you & 
in the day of salvation I helped you " I tell you, now is the time of 
salvation.

by Rebecca Vickery
       Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. For I will yet
praise Him. My savior and my God. Psalm 42:5 isn’t exactly a verse we think of when we’re reflecting
on the season of Advent. Yet, it is more appropriate than I want it to be right now. 2024 has been a
challenging year in so many ways that as we approach Christmas, less than two weeks away, I am not
sure I have ever felt less merry. Instead, I feel weary. Exhausted. Worn out. “Bah Humbug, and that’s
too strong, for it is my favorite holiday. But all this year’s been a busy blur, don’t think I have the
energy.” Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses
        I love Christmas music, and yet I have struggled to even want to hear it. A physical assessment tells me
my chest is all tight around my heart, as if desperately to keep it all together. I take some breaths, with
deep exhales. I thank the Lord for physical therapy and the ability to check in with my body. Physical
anxiousness has been a residual effect of long term symptomatic chronic health issues. And so I return
to the Lord.
       “Lord, I am anxious. Why am I so anxious? Why is my chest so tight and my muscles perpetually
activated? Why is my heart troubled? I mean, yes, there is a lot going on, but Lord, I do so trust you.
Help me put my troubles in your hands so that I can let go and not fixate on the outcomes and the
details. Thank you for the way that you are working in the hidden places. Thank you for tolerating my
frenetic returns. Thank you that you allow me to approach you boldly. That I can enter into your
presence at a moments notice and know that you are the God who hears me.”
         Christmas has felt so remote. So not right now. Yet it approaches. And I want to make it a merry time
for the children, but I am not merry. Even still, after I go to God, sometimes every hour, sometimes
every few minutes, sometimes just on a moment-by-moment basis, I am revived. I am renewed. Even if
only for a few minutes or moments. I am restored. It reminds me of why I have every reason to be
thankful, if not merry.
         Emmanuel. God with us. Because God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that
whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. That life doesn’t start after we die, it’s starts when we
believe. Jesus was the first Christmas gift. It was a gift to a world that did not recognize him. BUT to all
who recognized Him, to all who received Him, He gave the right to be called children of God. Coheirs
with Christ. My inheritance. That inheritance again, starts once we believe. We inherit the right to
approach His throne. Again. And again. And again.
        The world was made through him, and they still don’t recognize him. We might be praying for people
who are super close to us to have eyes to recognize. Behold, the evidence. But for many of us who do
believe, we believe because we have experienced God with us. We believe because we STILL experience
God with us. The gift of the Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts. The goodness of God meets us in dark
places. The mercy of God meets us in impossible spaces. The grace of God meets us in desperation.
We are not undone even when we are hard pressed on all sides.
        O God, you are indescribable, but I know your works. I know the places that you have met me where no
one else could follow but you alone. I cannot use academic proofs to reveal you to those who, it seems,
would rather not believe. I cannot use archaeological findings to share of your great deeds. There is a
counter to every piece of evidence that I might mete out. For every reason to believe, there stands 
many more not to. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who
are being saved, it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18
        I will be counted a fool by any who contend that my belief is foolish. I believe that Jesus came. That He
was born of a virgin. That He was God with us. That he lived a righteous life and died a sinner’s death.
He died for the sins of all who would believe in him. And I believe that God raised Him from the dead
again, conquering death and making a way for us to live with him eternally from the moment we first
believe. I have pondered and pondered this. I have searched, and researched. But more than that, I
have known Him. I have experienced his love. I have experienced his faithfulness. Time and time again,
he has proved himself, even when I did not need such proof. He is that which you surrender all else to
follow. I would rather be a fool for Him than be counted the wisest of the wise by wordly men who
believe that we came into existence by nothing, and will eventually go back into nothing.
        The gift of faith is free, but it is not cheap. It costs. Sometimes it costs everything. But it is truly worth
everything. There is nothing that will ever be worth more. So regardless of how my mood aligns with
the holiday, Christmas is worth putting on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. “Rejoice,
rejoice, our God is here with us. Emmanuel, our God is still with us.” Joyful Joyful, Rend Collective.
Even if I have to mix in my “hard fought, heartfelt, it is well, Hallelujah,” (Brandon Lake) I will praise the
Lord. I will rejoice that even in the strife, I have a God who is here with me. I am deeply loved by a
Savior who will never leave me nor forsake me, who will be with me always, even until the very end of
the age. And that is worth celebrating. Merry Christmas, Daybreak Church.

By Joyce Pelletier
 
     Philippians 4:8-9 ‘Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put into practice and the God of peace will be with you.’
 
     I love these words. So many times when things get a little sticky or challenging or relationships go sour, I strive to find something I know to be special and lovely. When I read these words, God helps me turn around my fears and concerns. 
 
     Philippians 4:4-7 reminds me to – ‘Rejoice in the Lord Always, again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The lord is near! Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ.’
For those times when in the middle of a difficult situation where God seems to have moved away, we start to worry or fret thinking he doesn’t care. Nothing can be further from the truth.
 
     In the middle of our fears we get caught up in believing wrongly.  Lets look at the words in the first reading.
Whatever is…
True – No ifs, ands, or buts about it. The truth of the cross has been the most powerful promise freely offered to us.  Jesus, didn’t fake it. He experienced all things that we experience. His pain goes beyond our own. Yet, He bears our pain as well.

Noble – God is the highest priest, right had of the Father one. You can’t get higher than that. His royalty is that of mercy and grace.

Right – trusting in him is the only way to hang onto when you start shaking in your boots and things look hopeless. When the temptation is nagging at your discouraged thoughts, to not trust or believe, this is a lie from the evil one.

Pure – purity is who God is. Whatever He does or allows is perfection. Sometimes it’s hard to hang on to because those whom we love and desire to join us on our faith journey, are running from that truth. We long for them to be with us. God knows our hearts.
Looking out of my window as I write this and seeing the pure blue sky, shows me that God sees and knows all things clearly. Keep praying for your loved ones. God hears us. He loves them more than we ever could. Why wouldn’t He want us to be joined together in our Faith in Him. Don’t give up. He knows the waiting is quite difficult for us. He waited in the Garden all night until they came to arrest Him.

Lovely – There is something so amazing while looking at a deep blue sky after a week of clouds, rain and snow showers. It’s like going through the Holland Tunnel in NYC, you drive for a long spell and wonder if we will ever get on the other side and suddenly the light at the end is there before us and it’s crystal clear and you start to breathe again. I really don’t like tunnels. They are a big challenge for me. I went through the Holland on a bus with a friend. She knew how fearful I was and kept the conversation between us so attention grabbing, that the time flew by. I got through that tunnel with the help of a friend.

Admirable – there is nothing more admirable than God. Trusting in His plan and will lifting up praise for the best answers possible. Our all-knowing God is smiling as He knows when the hour comes and when our loved one steps across the bridge to accepting Him as Lord. It’s a day we long for. It is something pretty amazing to experience a loved one become a ‘Child of God!’ In our concerns, He longs more for that moment when they take that first step. I remember when it happened to me.

Excellent or praiseworthy – In the middle of challenge, difficulty and confusion, God is always with us. If it doesn’t come out the way we think, He definitely has a better plan and that is excellent and praiseworthy!

     Thinking in this manner is our way to move forward instead of being stuck in the quicksand you are in and just can’t seem to take that leap of faith for your loved ones to walk with you. My go to verse for this is from Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”   
​
     I have many loved ones that I pray for and am concerned about for their eternity.  God always reminds me to ‘Trust’ Him for the outcome and continue to lift them up. He has good reason to allow them to stay behind. The right moment will come. I was reminded at my Physical Therapy this morning, "Find your focus and keep your heart where it belongs, then you can stay tuned into the action of your exercise and it will do the work that it's supposed to do. If Jesus is my focus, I can do anything through Him who strengthens me."
 
Lord Jesus, I pray for those who need to experience your grace and love. I’m grateful that you point their needs out to us.  Show us how we are to be there for each other. Father, you have given us life. Help us to see the beauty and loveliness in all people. Holy Spirit guide our hearts with your holy wisdom and to stay focused on how we can serve one another. In Your Name, Amen! 

By Will Brannon

You might be the only Bible someone ever reads, the only church someone ever goes to, the only good someone ever sees.
I believe it’s by showing through our actions, good deeds, and kindness on a daily basis and especially in the face of trials and tribulations, that we show the world that we represent Jesus Christ. I believe it's truly letting God’s light shine through us and onto others. Remember it’s not us who does good, but God through us. By being open to the situations we find ourselves in, that God places us in, we receive the opportunity to serve as a conduit for God's light and glory.

Sometimes just a little conversation can make all the difference in someone's life. If you see a change in someone's face, a spark of interest, take some extra time to invite them to church or to talk again sometime over coffee. Some people have to be introduced slowly to the conversation about God and that's ok. 

It's not always about talking directly of God, but more guiding from a biblical perspective. Also showing the gifts of God, kindness, love, and caring. Sometimes the smallest things make all the difference.

Honestly, sometimes it's as simple as holding the door open for someone. You won't believe some of the reactions I have received from holding the door open for someone. Where I come from, that's just how doors work, they are held by nice people. Other times, it's my cross necklace that has been really effective. Anyone who has probably ever met me knows I wear a large shiney cross. It’s allowed me to not have to say I am a believer to everyone I meet, everyone knows what the cross stands for, even if they don't fully understand. That has allowed me to focus on being a good person, and when I have, it has allowed people to connect the dots. Also, people have approached me often to compliment me on it, which I love because It's an opportunity to talk about God with them. For instance, a woman saw me as I walked by and said I like your necklace and then asked me if I was a Christian, I said “yes ma'am I am.” Through that encounter, I was able to invite her to our church. 

The same is true with my bible. I like to read my bible in Panera Bread. The amount of people that have approached me about has been incredible. A little girl walked past me and started saying “Mommy, Mommy, look he’s reading his bible.” That warmed my heart, there are so many people that want to talk about God and they are just looking for an opportunity to do so, they may not even know that’s what they want until the opportunity is presented to them. 


Look, I know it sounds like very little, but the truth is, I think that's where the best work is done. We need to be able to connect with everyday people that don't come to church.

There are alot of different ways to show God's light, I have noticed that it's through the life changes I have undergone, through the faith I found in the pain and darkest moments in my life, that I have shined the brightest light onto others. By choosing God in the pain, God in the darkness, His hope instead of my hopelessness. In the darkness of my life, through me, without me doing a thing but keeping my eyes focused on him, I have shone the brightest light into other people's lives.

With this in mind, I recall a time when, as I sat talking with my wife about if I had done any good at all, if i had served in any meaningful way in people's lives, in that very moment, I received a phone call from my brother, who said, “I just want you to know that your faith and closeness to God in all you have been going through recently has renewed my faith, our dad’s and our family’s faith.” My wife and I both looked at each other as he spoke and I began to break down into tears. 

God has been so good to me. God spoke through him to me, so I would understand how God's real work is done, not by me, but through me.

By Peggy Potter

1st Peter 5:6-7 TLV
  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty Hand of God so that He may
lift you up at the appropriate time. Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you.

After several years of off again-on again dating, my beloved Gary became my boyfriend at the funeral of the very man who was determined to fix us up, Bob Racicot. I dearly love Gary & thanks to both he & Jesus I have my blog for this month.

   Through the years I have learned (the HARD WAY as I usually do ! ) that along with the Love
of Jesus, COMMUNICATION is the life-blood of any & all relationships !

  This past Sunday, Gary , a veteran of the US Air Force, attended a special time hosted by St
Michael's College for veterans of all the military branches. He was deeply touched by the storieshe heard . Since the college is almost next door to where I live, he dropped off a container onthe hood of my car that he had used to bring home some left over food from a dinner we had at my home a week or two ago. He later explained he wanted to drop in, but felt emotionally exhausted & just wanted to go home.

 We human beings can be so negative at times, myself included. I began questioning & blaming myself, thinking I had done something wrong. Was I a pest ? Did I send him too many texts ? Etc, etc, etc ...

 Finally on Wednesday afternoon, after much prayer, I simply sat in God's Presence & asked Him what He wanted to tell me & it didn't necessarily concern Gary, just whatever ! Immediately, Holy Spirit spoke to my heart with these words: Text Gary, ask him if you did anything to offend him & ask his forgiveness. That was it !  

Although reluctant at first, an hour later, I did just that. Gary's sweet& gentle answer so touched my heart that I fell in love with him all over again !  He explained that whatever it was had nothing to do with me & that there was nothing to forgive & that he loves me.

Afterward, I was so relieved & happy, I could not stop praising Jesus & thanking Him ! My next prayers were that the next time I find myself struggling with these sorts of thoughts, just pray, give it all to Jesus & discuss it with whomever it may concern. Some of the worst battles we fight are the internal ones that trouble our own hearts & minds & there is no need of that, praise Jesus !!!

  Proverbs 16:24 TLV  Pleasant words are honeycomb-sweet to the soul & healing to the bones .