By Paula Williamson, guest writer The greatest thing we will ever do begins at home. Living a public life that does not reflect the life we lead at home is hypocrisy. The battle for integrity begins within the four walls of our homes. What kind of steward are we of the things God has entrusted to us? How do we treat the members of our household? Do we handle conflict at home as respectfully as we do at work? Do we have more patience with other people’s children than with our own? That should not be! It Is Written EPHESIANS 5:8 -10 For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of Light [live as those who are native-born to the Light] 9 ( for the fruit [the effect, the result] of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth ), 10 trying to learn [by experience] what is pleasing to the Lord [and letting your lifestyles be examples of what is most acceptable to Him— your behavior expressing gratitude to God for your salvation] Walk In the Light Children of the light, walk in the light, which produces goodness, righteousness, and truth, doing what is pleasing to the Lord. What we do at home is part of the inheritance we pass to our children and grandchildren. Most of what we learn is caught, not taught. We learnby watching our parents and siblings as they interact with one another. If we live honorably at home, it will ripple out into real life. Our behavior in the privacy of our home should match what happens outside. Prayer Lord, help us to live before You with integrity and honor within the walls of our homes. Help us be a good steward of what You have entrusted to us in our personal life, so that when we step outside our doors, we carry integrity and honor with us. Takeaway Integrity begins at home.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer As a child, I heard song lyrics: Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear. Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear. There’s a Father up above, looking down in tender love. Oh, be careful, little ears, what you hear. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. There’s a Father up above, looking down in tender love. Oh, be careful, little tongue, what you say. That’s a lot of wisdom for today. It Is Written EPHESIANS 5:4 Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; but instead speak of your thankfulness [to God]. Truth Our words should reflect our faith, and our ears should be careful about what they hear. When people used to come to me with whispers about someone else, I would quickly say, “We’re related.” That usually ended the conversation. We all come from Adam and Eve, and there are far better things to talk about than ourselves or others. Prayer Lord, fill our mouths with worthwhile stuff and shut them when we’ve said enough. Takeaway Let our words give glory to God.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer I wish parents would teach their children from a young age how important sexual purity is and how it affects future generations. Hollywood’s lust-filled images reduce the beautiful relationship between two people to sex. Sexual intimacy unites two people in ways that affect family lines for generations. Unless we forgive and break those bonds, they pass on things from other people's families that we never imagined. It Is Written EPHESIANS 5:3 But sexual immorality and all [moral] impurity [indecent, offensive behavior] or greed must not even be hinted at among you, as is proper among saints [for as believers our way of life, whether in public or in private, reflects the validity of our faith]. Restoration Restoration from sexual ties outside of marriage is available. Delmin.org offers many tools to reclaim our identity. It is never too late, and no one has gone so far that God cannot restore. Prayer Jesus, I forgive (person’s name) for all that has happened and all that has gone on. I forgive myself for the parts I may have played, and I ask You, Lord, to forgive me. I take ____ and any negative or tormenting feelings and unforgiveness I carry toward them, including any hurt, bitterness, resentment, anger, offense, abandonment, betrayal, neglect, rejection, deception, manipulation, control, or judgments. So here they are, Lord; ______ and my negative feelings and judgments; I give them to You and let go. (Lift your hands up to Jesus and give them to Him; then let them go. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.) I break any generational curses that could come upon me or my family line through this ungodly sexual tie in Jesus’ name. I call back all fragmented parts of my soul from sexual partners to rejoin my soul, and I send back all soul parts of those sexual partners to them so they also can be whole. Wash us clean. Takeaway Purity is a prayer away.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Rare is the family without some form of dysfunction. I once heard Charles Stanley say, “We get our view of God from the authority figures in our lives.” That stopped me in my tracks because I thought that if it is true, we all have a skewed view of God. Angel Studios produced a series called “The Chosen.” While it is a movie, it certainly provokes one to think about who Jesus was and is, a perfect role model. It Is Written EPHESIANS 5:1 -2 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well -beloved children [imitate their father]; 2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another— practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance. Easily Accessible We can open our Bibles and read about what God did, what Jesus did, and what the disciples did. It is full of examples and wisdom on how to walk, talk, and behave. Yesterday, I was grocery shopping when I smelled the sweetest fragrance. No doubt it was someone’s perfume. It was interesting to me because whoever it was left it lingering behind. We all leave a mark in this world and will one day answer for our behavior. What kind of fragrance will we leave in the places we go today? Prayer Lord, without You, we stink. Help me linger in Your presence this morning until yesterday is washed away and today is fresh and new. Bathe me in the shower of Your presence and grace until Your fragrance flows freely from me to others. Takeaway We are the fragrance of Christ.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Bitterness should be on the list of fatal toxins. When we hold on to the offense others have done to us, it is like drinking poison and expecting them to die. Bitterness eats away at us, the person we were created to be. It robs us of our God-given destiny and sours every part of our lives and relationships. It is like toxic gas that everyone around us can smell. The beginning of freedom is forgiving others, ourselves, and God. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4: 31 -32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. 32 Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you. Forgiveness The Antidote Forgiveness is confusing to many. It has nothing to do with whether the offender deserves it or with our feelings. It is simply a choice that frees us from the harm an offender has caused. Unforgiveness does not keep the offender in jail; it keeps us there. Once we choose to forgive, the prison door opens for us, and we are free. The offender no longer has a hold on us. None of us deserve forgiveness, yet we are to forgive just as Christ forgave us. Prayer Lord, You set us free for freedom. Help us let go of bitterness, anger, clamor, resentment, strife, fault-finding, slander, malice, spite, and all the ugliness that steals the abundant life You died to give us. Grant us the grace to let it go and release it to You. Takeaway The antidote to bitterness and the path to freedom is simply the words, “I forgive them.”

By Paula Williamson, guest writer The book of James says our mouths are like a ship's rudder. The direction of our lips controls our ships. That’s a shocker! In a fear-driven society where bad news travels around the world in a blink, it would do us well to recognize the power of our words. If we had a GPS on our mouths that rerouted us every time we slid into the abyss of speaking words that do not bless us or others, how many times a day would we hear, "Proceed to the route"? It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:29 Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]. Speak Life Our mouth is our greatest power tool. With the Lord's help and self-control, we can control our speech and speak only what builds others up and blesses them. Words filled with negativity, self-pity, pessimism, criticism, fear, and gossip sour the atmosphere and drag everyone who hears them into a dark, stinky place. On the other hand, speaking love, encouragement, kindness, and faith-filled words changes lives. Prayer Lord, You spoke the world into existence with Your words. Your word says our mouths hold the power to bless and to curse. One day we will have to give an account for every idle word we speak. We will eat the fruit of our own lips and reap what we sow. Please convict us and stop us when we use our mouths to speak words that do no good. Help us guard our mouths and speak words of blessing today and every day. Takeaway Our words hold the power to change the course of a day and a life.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer I hear so many people blame how they feel on others. He makes me so #*$! … She makes me so #*$! The truth is, we are in charge of our emotions. My nannie used to say, “You can get mad or glad in the same britches!” She meant we are not victims of others’ behaviors or circumstances. We control how we respond to life. What a powerless life it is to be a victim, and what a powerful day it is when we grasp that we are NOT! It Is Written ROMANS 8:37-39 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Victim or Victor How we respond to people and situations is within our control—not theirs. We choose our response and need not live as victims. As believers, we can ask the Lord to help us manage our impulses and respond to life in a godly way, even if it means stepping away to calm down and think. We are not victims of our emotions or of anything else in life. In this moment and on this day, we have the power of choice. Prayer Lord, when we feel powerless, help us remember we have a choice. We can call upon You for help when we feel inadequate. You never leave us, fail us, or forsake us, yet You hear those who call out to You. You are good, and You are for us. In and through You, we are more than conquerors. Takeaway We choose how we respond to life and people.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer I have lived long enough to examine the fruit of my life spent doing my own thing. It’s pretty fruitless in the grand scheme of things. When I am brave enough to step out of myself and act on a prompting of the Holy Spirit, life becomes an adventure filled with eternal fruitfulness for which I can take no credit. Life becomes full of wow moments, to whom only God gets credit. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:1 -24 If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], 22 that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, 23 and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], 24 and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation]. God Moments I’ve come to live for and look for God moments. They are rarely planned. They often interrupt my agenda. They often lead me to rely on God and step outside my comfort zone. Once I step beyond those two hurdles, I get to bask where heaven meets earth. It is a place where love abounds, faces brighten, and sometimes tears flow. The person I speak to leaves encouraged, knowing that God sees and cares. If I am His and have surrendered my life to Him, I won’t want to do my own thing. Prayer, Lord, I give You permission to stop me, reroute me, and cause me to pause and brake for You, Your leading, and Your agenda. Help me never be too busy with my own agenda that I miss the moments when You want to bring heaven to earth. Takeaway Life with God is an adventure!

By Paula Williamson, guest writer Have you ever been convicted of something that exposed your nakedness and cut you to the core? I have. When the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you, it may pierce your inmost being, yet it is done with such love that it produces repentance and humility. We humans sometimes have different motives for speaking the truth. Without love, truth can cut like a sword or feel like a rock hurled, leaving wounds. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:15 But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head —Christ. Truth Wrapped in Love A person might be fat, old, or ugly, but should we say so? Motive and attitude are central to speaking the truth. The Bible tells us to speak the truth in love and to follow His example in all things. When the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus for stoning, she was clearly guilty, but He responded, “Let Him who has no sin cast the first stone.” All her accusers walked away. Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you.” Before we point out what we believe is the truth, we need to ensure it is wrapped in love. Prayer Lord, when we feel the need to point out the truth in another person’s life, help us ensure that our motive is love. Takeaway Things done without love profit no one.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer World events, the news, social media, and personal experience can leave us wondering what truth is. What we hear can divide families and political parties and create conflict in our personal beliefs. Many of the things I thought were true as a child I later found were not. One place we can turn has remained for over 3,000 years and has not been proven false. The Bible contains God's promise that it will never pass away. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:14 So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit]. No Greedy Gain The world, the media, and the news are full of slanted opinions. If we examine what they stand to gain and follow the funders of our news sources, we might be very surprised. The Bible is truth. It has never been disproved. We are the ones who gain from it. When our lives are over, what matters is what God thinks of us. Do the things we invest our lives in make a difference to Him? Prayer Lord, help us not to waste our time on what divides us, focusing on differences and on what we agree or disagree about, but on what matters to You. In John 17, Jesus prayed that we would all be one, just as He and the Father were one. Help us invest our time in what matters to You. Takeaway The Bible provides certainty. 1 John 5:11-13

By Paula Williamson, guest writer What’s inside you? God put a little of Himself into each of us. Scripture says we were made in His image. No one is like us. We are completely unique and created for a purpose. We are not good at everything, but we all have strengths. The world benefits when everyone does what they do best. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:11-13 And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], 12 [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; 13 until we all reach oneness i n the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]. Spiritual Gifts Research shows that only half of professing Christians know their God-given spiritual gifts. All we have to do is Google a spiritual gifts test to discover what they are. We are given gifts to make a difference in the world and to build and equip the church. If you don't know your spiritual gifts, I encourage you to find out and start using them. Takeaway We all have something to offer.

By Paula Williamson, guest writer On my way to the car this week, my friend and I saw a couple, and something in their faces stirred my compassion. I asked if they were okay. They had just gotten out of detox and were homeless. They had walked with their belongings in a garbage bag to the nearest church, only to arrive after it had closed. We asked if we could pray for them, and they burst into tears. We shared a small meal at McDonald's, and they told their heartbreaking story. Seldom do we pause long enough to give the gift of time just to listen to a hurting soul. It makes a difference. It Is Written EPHESIANS 4:1 -2 So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation], 2 with all humility [forsaking self -righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self -control], with patience, bearing with one another in [unselfish] love. A Challenge The next day, my husband and I invited the man who repaired our car to share a meal. He was deeply touched by the invitation to enter our home, share a meal, and listen to his story. We don’t need a degree or the right words to offer an act of kindness. We have our time and two ears. We have been called to a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior–expressing gratitude for our salvation. Living humbly, gently, with patience and unselfish love. That makes a big difference. Prayer Lord, help us make time in our lives to hear Your still, small voice and to obey those promptings. Help us never be too busy to offer kindness and compassion. Help us remember that You gave us one mouth and two ears so we can stop and listen to the stories of other people’s lives. Help us to see that taking our eyes off of ourselves makes life more interesting. Help us do what matters to You. Takeaway Kindness matters.