Being Content vs. Complaining

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • As youngsters, we often “counted down” to important milestones in our lives like birthdays or summer vacation.
  • Once we got to the anticipates date, we started counting the next one—– and complained about the in-between time.
  • As adults, that same “hurry-up and complain” mindset often resurfaces with our tasks and responsibilities.
  • While we can look forward to the next “good” thing, complaining about our assignments displeases God, and wastes the precious time He gives us.
  • God can help us to be more intentional about using all the time He gives us wisely.

Scripture references

Psalms 118:24

This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Colossians 3:23-24

23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Psalm 133:1

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

James 5:16 (b)

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Ecclesiastes 5:18

18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

BCU Fam, I really have to be intentional about not rushing through my days and wishing my time away. Otherwise, we can miss how we can be a blessing to others and God blessing us, because we are ready to get to the next good thing. With the help of the Lord, let’s enjoy all the moments God gives us, rather than complaining.

Also, there are times when we are in extreme pain, grief, sadness, distress—and it’s a challenge to rejoice in the day the Lord has made. This is when we lean more into Jesus who will carry us through moment by moment. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for this day and with Your help we will rejoice and be glad in it. As we commit this day to You, please bless us to be aware and intentional in our thoughts, actions and interactions that we are serving and representing You, Jesus. Thank You for helping us through the assignments and tasks that we struggle with to complete them to Your glory, honor and praise. Thank You, Jesus for the job, the family, the ministry, the chores, the bills, the mountains, the valleys, the lessons, correction and the blessings You’ve graciously bestowed on us—and with Your help, we will learn to be content until our change comes.

Please remember those of us are that are enduring hardness and experiencing heart-breaking situations, where it is a challenge to function as the Word tells us to. Speak, Jesus to hearts and minds today, letting someone who is in the struggle of pain, grief, sadness–whatever it is—to hear Your voice, feel Your presence and to be strengthened by You, Jesus. Thank you for Your comfort, Your guidance, and for blessing someone today to know that You love them and are a present help. Thank you for lifting someone’s head and their hands in praise, even now, Jesus! It is in Your Name, we thank you for the victory! Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––-we are LIVE on Facebook, at 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Summer in the Kairos Time Zone

Hey there BCU Fam!

Because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • We are BACK after being on holiday for the month of July!
  • Some of you all have heard me talk about chronos and karios time.
  • In short, we need chronos (clock) time to function on Earth, and God operates in the kairos (His perfect) time zone.
  • The Lord used His timing to bless and refresh me, as I blessed and refreshed others.

KJV Scripture references

Ecclesiastes 3:1

 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

John 13:34-35

34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Mark 6:31

And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while….

Romans 15:32

That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

Proverbs 16:3

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

BCUFam, July is LONG gone, but the refreshing feels like it happened yesterday! Spending quality time with my friends and family over breakfast, lunches, dinners, in fellowship and in prayer and moving slow is necessary!

I know we have our schedules and to-do lists—–and some of our tasks are non-negotiable. If we take our task list to Jesus first, and do what He tells us to do, when and in the order He tells us to do it, everything needful will get done. And what is done will be perfect, because what He tells us us perfect. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray about it!

Father, in the name of Jesus, as always, we thank YOU for Your Word that has been spoken to our hearts. We also thank You for the work You give us to do, AND for every opportunity You give us to rest in our bodies and minds. We ask, Jesus, that You help us to hear Your voice, so we know when to stop, go, and wait, and that we follow Your directions explicitly, according to Your will and way. With Your help, we do not want to be tied to our schedules and doing all of the “extras”, rather doing what You have instructed us to do, and moving in the kairos time zone.

Jesus, we ask that You please bless each and every person listening today in all abundance, and we thank and praise You Lord for answering our prayers according to Your perfect timing. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, YouTube podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and many others podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

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The Karios Time Zone

Here there BCU Family!

I typically record our content in an informal “podcast on the go” format. Many times, the Lord gives me subject matter as I am driving or waiting, so I record on the spot! You can access the podcast here, or click on the avatar below, as you refer to the show notes below for the highlights. We pray the content blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the podcast!

Podcast highlights:

  • Last year, I wanted to podcast about a particular subject, but was having a challenge pulling the content together.
  • The Lord brought my attention to different content, and He prompted me to podcast God sees us.
  • By following His directions on what to post, one person “happened” to tune in and really needed that Word from God.
  • While we run on chronological or chronos time (by the clock and what we think is best timing-wise), it is important to live in karios time (listening for and operating in God’s opportune and divine moments that are just for that time).

KJV Scripture References

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Psalm 37:23

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way.

BCUFam, it never ceases to amaze me when God shows up in the lives of His people! He knows just what we need and when we need it, and He will use us to accomplish His will and way, if we listen and obey. We may not always see result of our obedience, but God sees it and will reward us accordingly. So, with His help, let’s acknowledge the Lord in all our ways so we are operating in the karios time zone, which is God’s perfect will for our lives. Amen? Amen! Let’s pray!

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for this word of encouragement today! Thank You for reminding us to take time to hear Your voice and to operate in the karios time zone. Help us to be mindful of the people around us, those may need encouragement, their hearts lifted, to be witnessed to, or prayed for—–whatever You would have us to do, Jesus, help us to hear and be obedient to what that is.

With Your grace, please help us to be willing vessels to do whatever it is You have called us to do—-not for recognition, acknowledgement or just tangible rewards, rather, we want to hear “well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord.” Thank You for helping us to be sensitive to Your directions for us, and carrying out Your will and way, in Jesus name we pray and thank You, Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Pandora, and Spotify!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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Taking a dog by the ears

Hey there BCU Fam!

For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording (click here or on the BCU avatar below) and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post!

Podcast highlights:

  • After a productive day, we stopped to get ice cream at one of the local parlors.
  • This evening, the long was pretty long and moving super slowly.
  • One of the staff members was free to assist the line, but was distracted, talkative and disrespectful.
  • The staff member’s comments led to a very loud and embarrassing verbal altercation with a patron.
  • The Lord used this experience to remind and teach me a couple of lessons.

James 1:19-20

19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Proverbs 26:17

 17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

I Peter 4:15

 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Psalm 19:14

14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

BCU Fam, as I thought about what happened, the manager was correct in waiting until she was unctioned to ask “Robin” to take a break. Manager quietly apologized for the wait and as we talked, we agreed Robin needed formal training on how to conduct themselves professionally with guests, and refraining for jumping into unrelated conversations.

I thank the Lord for helping me (unconsciously) to walk out Proverbs 26:17——I was not led to interfere and should not have anyway——-because it was NOT my strife. Unless the Lord tells us otherwise, when strife comes up, we should stay out of it and maintain a posture of prayer for the Lord to intervene. Now that’s where the Lord reminded me that I could have done better. I was so busy (now that I think about it, distracted is more like it) watching the events unfold, I did not have the presence of mind to pray. The distraction is likely a topic for another podcast, but, I will say this is why we need to have a consistent prayer life, so that God intervenes for us, even when we don’t think to pray in the moment. So, I received that correction and with His grace, will apply what He taught me. What a merciful God we serve! Let’s pray.

Father, in the name of Jesus, as many of us are peacemakers, as we should be, thank you for reminding us that our responsibility is to pursue peace and resolution with the strife and conflict in our own lives. We ask you to help us successfully manage the strife that belongs to us, and unless otherwise prompted, help is to stay out of “other men’s matters”, and to remain prayerful for the parties involved. Thank you for hearing our plea and blessing us to follow Your directions accordingly. In Jesus name, we pray and thank you! Amen!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Also, if you so inclined, join us for our Thursday Night Bible Study––we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on whatever platform BCU is available on. Some of those platforms are Amazon Music, AnchorFm, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify,  Stitcher Radio , and many more of your favorite podcast platforms!

Thank you SO much for stopping by! May God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

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