Category: Devotion

There is nothing like the quiet in the beginning of a new day.  It is that sense of calm before the storm.  It is silence, except if you listen carefully, you can hear the birds sing.  They usher in a new day with songs of glory.  Some voices are louder than others, but when we just simply listen, they all come together.  We know the quiet doesn’t last long.  Children will get up.  There are showers to take, breakfast to eat, preparation for a work day, and the hustle of any morning.  But for just a moment, all is calm and peaceful.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to carry that sense of calm with us as we went through our day?  It would be a gift to have that peace of a beautiful sunrise filling the sky with an array of colors.  There is wonder and hope as the birds belt their latest tune.  Why must it get crazy and chaotic?  Why do we live in such tension and anxiety?  Why do the smallest things cause the greatest challenge?

Maybe there is a way to carry this sense of calm in us.  Maybe there is a way to overcome the craziness that we encounter on any given day.  What if God has given us all we need to go through our day with love and kindness, peace and hope?  What if the resource we need is really inside of us?  What if we have an imbedded peace that we just have to reach?  

Jesus tells us that he will give us peace that goes beyond our understanding.  It is his peace.  The interesting thing is that Jesus’ surroundings were rarely peaceful.  There were crowds following him all the time.  There were people trying to trap him, capture him, lock him up, and kill him most everywhere he went.  There were people that were just curious and some that so desperately wanted to just meet him.  He had to get up early in the morning to pray and people still came to find him then.  But he had an inward peace that carried him through it all.  

That is the same peace he promises us.  It is a peace that transcends the chaos of this life.  It is not dependent on our circumstances or other people.  It is peace that fills our lives without regard to the other things we encounter.  This is the peace we receive.  This is the peace living in us.  That quiet moment in the morning can fill us throughout the day.  It comes from God and it is simply amazing.  Peace Be With You.

Focus Scripture:

John 14:27

²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 

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It only takes a few to change things.  Just a few is all you need.  A few moments at the start of your day can really make a difference.  How do we start our day?  What are we thinking about as we begin?  Do we dread what is ahead?  Are we thinking about the stack of work or the doctor appointments that await us?  Are we focused on the chores or the school work that we must deal with?  Are we consumed with worry, fret, anxiety and despair?  

What if we take the first few moments in gratitude instead of anxiety?  What if we look at the joys that are ahead?  It may take more effort to see the good.  It may take some stretching to find the positive.  But it is there, awaiting us.  There is always good somewhere in our day.  It could completely change our mindset if we began our day focused on the good rather than the tasks or concerns.  I am not saying ignore what is coming.  I am just looking for a shift.  The smallest shift in our mindset can make the greatest difference.

Consider this – how much does it change our day when someone is rude?  How do we react when someone treats us unkindly?  What do we feel when one person cuts us off in traffic or yells at us for something done wrong?  One action…one moment can change everything.  It changes how we feel, how we act, and how we respond.  So why not allow that to work in the opposite direction?  Why not start our day looking for the good and focused on the positive?  Why not begin with the joy?  It just might make all the difference as we move forward.  We just might find we are more loving, kind and peaceful ourselves.  And those appointments may go better than expected.  That work may not be as bad as it seemed.  The day just may turn out great.  It is certainly worth a shot.

Focus Scripture:

Matthew 6:25-26

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

I try to be attentive to the everyday gifts in my life.  I focus on being grateful for the moments I experience.  But when a moment is part of normal routine, it can pass me by.  It is often in hindsight that I realize how special that time really was.  

Last night was one of those moments for me.  It was a simple, uneventful evening.  After work, I came home and started dinner.  That is different because Wendy almost always has dinner ready when I get home.  But she had plans so I came home and got started.  I knew what we had in the house, so that helped me to consider what I could make.  I don’t mind throwing things together and hoping they turn out okay.  Kelli is home for a couple of days, so she came in the kitchen to help.  She was going to make part of the meal she wanted and we would share the rest.  Maia walked in as we were cooking, wanting to know what I was making for dinner.  Luckily Maia is flexible and willing to eat most anything I prepare.  I don’t make the “normal” southern dishes, so my meals tend to be out of the box for Eastern North Carolina.  I told her what I was making and although she had not tried most of it before, she was willing (she was hungry so that helped).  

The three of us sat down and enjoyed our meal together.  It was normal and nothing out of the ordinary.  But it was a joyful time for me.  I didn’t really realize it in the moment, though.  I was thinking about cooking and everyone eating.  But in hindsight, it was one of the moments I will treasure.  It reminded me of when Wendy was in school.  She earned her BS degree in a one night a week program.  That one night, the girls and I would go out to the local Chinese restaurant.  They knew who we were and what we wanted.  Now they are adults and here we are, gathered around our own table enjoying a meal once more.  These are the gifts that last a lifetime.

God has given us treasured moments we may be taking for granted.  Take some time today to consider the gifts that are around you – in the simple moments of the day.  Give thanks for the incredible treasures right before you.

Focus Scripture:

Ephesians 1:16

¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

We had to start Leo on a healthy eating plan.  According to the vet, he is carrying more weight than he should.  I think he looks just fine, of course.  But he is my buddy.  And he gets pretty much anything he wants.  He can talk any family member into giving him whatever just by looking so cute.  He hangs his sweet head over your arm and it is difficult to resist.  Leo doesn’t get that he needs to lose weight.  He doesn’t understand that we have to cut down on the amount of treats and snacks he gets.  So we had to make some adjustments for his good.  

Now we give Leo green beans and carrots where we would have normally given him bacon and french fries.  I know, it sounds almost cruel.  Don’t be fooled, he still gets some of these things – just not as much.  But for his health, we had to help him make better decisions.  We had to help guide him in the right direction – in a way that would keep him with us for as long as possible.  He brings so much joy to our home and we just want the best for him. 

As much as we love Leo, I am amazed at how much more God loves us.  I am not near as cute as Leo.  I am much fussier and a bit mouthy.  I am not always easy to deal with.  And yet, God still does more than tolerate me.  He loves me with a love that goes beyond my human comprehension.  And God wants the best for me, too.  Sometimes that means I don’t always get what I want.  Many times that means the things I think I want are actually harming me.  I need God to help me to make good decisions so that I can serve him as long as he would have me to serve.  I need him to help me take care of his creation and not just do what I want.  Sometimes he has to replace my french fries with green beans.  I may not see that as a good thing.  But God understands what is best for me and my job is to trust him and love him.  I know God has plans for me and they are good.  I know because he loves me.  And he loves you too.

So today may be filled with green beans – but that may be exactly what we need.  Enjoy the goodness God has given you.  Smile at the joy in the simple things.  And know God is trying to help steer us to what is best.  

Focus Scripture:

Matthew 7:11

¹¹ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

It’s not easy to begin again.  You know the progress you had made and here you are, trying again from the beginning.  You are back at the starting line when you were so far already into the race.  It can be frustrating, even a bit disheartening.  It can also be a chance to regroup and become stronger.  But there isn’t anything easy about it.

I find myself in that place now.  Once again, I am starting over.  This is not the first time.  And I can only guess it won’t be my last.  But I press on anyway.  Why?  Because I love it.  I can’t explain it.  I don’t understand it.  All I know is that it is a part of who I am.  So here I go, one more time.

I am a runner.  It took me a long time to take that in and be able to write it.  As someone that never got off the couch to do any exercise or sports as a kid, to define myself as a runner seemed ridiculous.  Did I run?  Sure I did.  I didn’t run fast.  I didn’t run well, at least not in my mind.  I wasn’t a runner as a young person.  I started later in life.  I wouldn’t ever be all that good at it.  So I discounted what I could do.  But ultimately I am a runner.  And I love it.  It is just who I am.  

Right now, I am a runner recovering from an injury.  No, I don’t know what happened.  No, I don’t know what I did wrong.  But it happened.  And it stopped me.  So it has been over a month since I have really run.  It is time to try again.  In order to try again, I have to start over.  That’s right – I have to begin as if I have never run before.  

Today, I begin with walking and maybe a little jogging.  It will be mostly walking, though.  For someone that could run distance just a month or so ago, to walk is defeating.  I only think about what I should be able to do. I tend to beat myself up for what I cannot do.  But on my walk this morning, I realized a few things.  I realized in my walk, I was able to really notice the moon and the stars.  They were so bright and vivid – swept across the vast expanse of the sky.  I could really embrace all that was before me.  What a gift to be able to notice God’s beautiful creation.  I also noticed that the short time that I did jog, I had a sense of gratefulness.  I was grateful I could get out and exercise.  I was grateful to breathe and enjoy what was before me.  I was grateful for the few steps I could take.  This sense of gratefulness carries me further than the miles ever could.

I see the joy in starting over.  I understand there are experiences to trying again.  It gives me the motivation to just get up and keep trying.  What do you need to start over?  What is it that you are putting off that could help you?  What steps can you take to achieve your goal?  There is great joy and gratefulness in the journey.  May you take the first step today.

Focus Scripture:

Philippians 3:12-14

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Can we ever become too practical?  Could it be we become so driven by accomplishments and outcomes that we forget the joy of the process?  Is it possible to forget so many lessons are learned on the journey?  If we are only thinking about the goal and getting it right, are we missing the point?  

I love to be creative.  I enjoy writing and drawing, cooking and recreating.  It sparks something inside of me.  It allows me to explore a different part of myself.  In my work life, it is about numbers and processes.  I am fairly good at these things.  I appreciate knowing that something went well or that a process helped to get to the end goal.  I don’t mind reviewing numbers to make sure everything matches up.  But it doesn’t allow for a considerable amount of creativity.  I only get the opportunity to become creative on a few small areas of an overall project.  So I find I lose the initiative to create.  I seem to let that part of me fall to the side in an effort to accomplish. 

I think that when we do this, we lose a part of ourselves.  We lose the joyful, playful, fun part of life.  When we allow ourselves to create, we experience something deep inside which brings back the child in us.  We don’t have to get it right.  It doesn’t need to be pretty or perfect.  It is simply about creating, no matter the outcome.  It could be drawing a funny picture or cooking and decorating a cake.  It could be building an end table or planting a new flower garden.  Creativity opens up a world within us which shows us possibilities are endless and fun.  We are often able to let go of the stress and anxiety of it all just to create.  And, if we are having fun, even if the end result is not our best, it just doesn’t matter.  

God gives us a creative side.  He instills in us the joy of shaping, molding, trying and laughing.  He shows us through his own creation how important it is to continue to explore.  If we are, indeed, made in his image, we are also given this need to create.  This may be the key to letting go just a little.  It may be the key to relaxing.  It might even cause us to smile a little more.

What can you create today to bring a smile?  How can you have fun today without having to worry about the outcome?  What joy is waiting for you that is currently undiscovered? 

Focus Scripture:

Job 8:21

²¹ He will yet fill your mouth with laughter,
    and your lips with shouts of joy.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

There is no telling how many dreams and visions go unfulfilled because we humans have decided it is too late.  We feel like we are past our prime.  We have obligations that prevent us from pursuing our dreams.  We are too old or too far gone or too tired or too… well, you get the point.  We feel like it is too late to do what we have always envisioned.  We want to BUT…and the excuses pour faster than water down the falls.  What really keep us from pursuing our goals is us.  

We could easily spend our lives surviving, and that is it.  Just getting up in the morning to face the day and getting it done is the only goal.  With a few joys here and there, we decide that is all life is about.  Yet, we miss the point.  We miss that God has created us for so much more.  God has given us dreams and visions, talents and gifts to live abundantly.  We are the only thing standing in our way.  We are the missing piece of the puzzle.  We are the limiting factor.  

I can’t help but think about Moses.  He had settled down in his life.  He had run, hidden, and found a new normal.  But God had created him for more.  He was to be the leader of a great exodus.  All he saw was a hillside but God saw beyond.  He wasn’t a young man when he began this part of his life.  It wasn’t easy or smooth.  But it was his goal, his mission.  

I also think of Abraham and Sarah.  They had given up on their dream.  They had worked around the dream for as much as they possibly could.  They had tried to figure it out for themselves.  They settled for where they were.  But God had something more.  They were the only things holding them back.  God was working in and through them.

The focus scripture today is the calling of Samuel, heard through a dream.  God was and still is at work.  I wonder about all of the dreams and visions that go unfulfilled because we have decided it is too late.  Instead of limiting ourselves, maybe we instead begin to dream again.  Maybe we seek God and all he has for us.  I don’t think God is done with us yet.  And I think there are some pretty powerful dreams waiting to come to life.  Dream on, children of God.  It is not too late.

Focus Scripture:

1 Samuel 3:9-10

⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

Wendy and I enjoy watching cooking and baking shows.  We actually learn a lot more than we expected.  For instance, vegetables have different names depending on where you are from.  There are really cool techniques I have never seen used before.  Certain ingredients complement each other that I would not have thought.  Tradition plays such a huge part in how one cooks.  These have all been great lessons for me.  It helps me consider how limited my knowledge really is.  

My most recent favorite has been the British Home Cook Competition.  This is our second British cooking show we have watched in the last few months.  I have noticed a couple of things about these two shows, in particular.  The first is that everyone in the competition has been so cordial.  Sure, they are in a competition and want to win.  But they encourage and motivate each other.  It is not cutthroat.  It is not manipulative.  They just do their best and encourage each other to do the same.  When someone loses, they all rally around.  It has been so refreshing to watch.  The second thing I have noticed is that there is no prize money.  Apparently it is customary to not win money or gifts for these types of competitions.  One did win a golden apple – and that is it.  In the other show, the winner received nothing.  They just got the recognition of having won.  It was all about the experience.  They were in it simply to enjoy the experience and have fun.  The winnings did not matter.

Now, that is a concept we don’t hear very often.  It seems we are always out for something.  All too often, people will manipulate and take anyone down just to win.  But not in these competitions.  It is just about the experience.

I wonder if this doesn’t give us a glimpse into the Christian life.  It isn’t about the competition.  It isn’t about who is the best singer or preacher or cook or servant.  What if it is simply about the experience of following Christ?  What if it isn’t about a tally of who was the best or who was the most faithful but rather simply helping each other along in the journey?  What if it really is about supporting one another and doing our best to lift each other up?  What if the journey is about the everyday experiences of love, kindness, peace and joy?  What if it really is about following Christ with our whole heart and helping others do the same?  It just might change the world.  Or at least, it may change us.

Focus Scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:11a

¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build up each other

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

The time the sun is up is getting shorter.  We are feeling the cooler weather in the mornings.  The trees will begin to change.  It is the transition of seasons.  I find it a little more difficult to get up and going in the mornings when it is dark for so long after I get up.  It feels like the beginning of the day is delayed.  But there is an advantage I had forgotten over the summer.

Early in the morning, at just the right time, the light of the moon shows the way.  We don’t often think about how much light the moon does give.  We associate it with dark and nighttime.  But if we leave the creature comforts of our yard lights, the moon takes on a new vibrance.  It seems to go unnoticed for most of us because we have the house lights on.  The first thing we often do when we get up is turn on a light.  When we go outside and it is dark, we turn on a light.  We don’t give the moon a chance to shine so brightly. 

We really notice the beauty of the moonlight when we allow our eyes to adjust.  When we are outside without manmade light, there is a brilliance.  No manufactured light should be on, just us and the moon.  The moon can be so bright that it casts your reflection.  It can light up the entire area around you.  Your eyes begin to see by the light of the moon in all its glory.  But we never notice this if we simply live by the lights we have created.  When we block what God has given us with things we have made, we miss the creation.  

It doesn’t just happen with lights.  We have made things for our comfort so much that we forget or ignore God’s creation waiting to be seen, experienced, and enjoyed.  We don’t notice the fresh air because we have manufactured air.  We don’t walk through the woods because we have roads.  We don’t walk in the dark because we always have light.  Our mindset is to ignore the creation for convenience.  And oh the things we miss.

Today, maybe we turn off the light and just look.  Maybe we leave our home to hear the birds sing.  Maybe we sit outside with no electronics to experience the goodness.  It may seem odd for a while, even boring.  But there are so many joys waiting to be discovered if we just stay with it.  God has created the beauty.  Don’t miss it…don’t let it go unnoticed.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 74:16-17

¹⁶ The day is yours, and yours also the night;
    you established the sun and moon.
¹⁷ It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
    you made both summer and winter.

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery

As much as I talk about looking for God at work, I am still blown away by his presence.  It really is the small, often unnoticeable events that speak the loudest.  It is as if God paints a picture that could not be replicated, even if we tried.  As creative as we are, we receive our creativity from the Creator – and he is simply amazing.  We still have so much to learn.

Yesterday, it was another rainy day.  I was driving to work, focusing on the road ahead.  I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw something that was unexpected.  I saw a vivid, beautiful rainbow.  Looking ahead, all I saw was rain and maybe a slight break in the clouds.  But looking in the mirror, I saw a painting that fascinated me.  I could make out all the colors, so bright and vibrant.  I could see the magnificence as the rainbow arched high into the clouds, seemingly endless.  I tried my best to focus on the drive, but this sight continued to capture my attention.  Knowing that it was something that can only be experienced for a moment, I did my best to take it in.  This welled up thoughts of gratefulness in my heart.  

There are a few things I noticed about this moment.  I could have easily missed it if I was focused only on the rain.  If I only saw the dreariness of the day, I would have missed the brilliance that was just around the corner.  If I was stuck in the despair, I could have missed the joy.  It was right there for me, but I had to actually see it.  I had to take a moment and see what was right beside me.  What I focus on really does make a difference.  There can be rain but there can also be a rainbow.

I also noticed that occurrences which happen often can still take our breath away.  This isn’t the first rainbow, nor will it be the last.  But this one appeared just when I needed it.  This one spoke to me at a moment when a sign of hope was the needed message.  It was the right painting at the right time.  But I had to see past the regularity and see the extraordinary.  Rainbows happen, but they can still surprise.

Where is God working today that might surprise you if you just look?  What might God be speaking in the ordinary?  How might he change your day from rain to promise?  His presence is all around us if we just take a moment to notice.  May he shock and surprise you with his goodness today.

Focus Scripture:

Genesis 9:12-16

¹² And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: ¹³ I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴ Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵ I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. ¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

Photos included in Devotions are captured by David Cain – The Cain Gallery.  Photos are available for sale by contacting The Cain Gallery