So much can be packed in to so few words. Psalm 32:3-4 reminds us of great truth, but I want to shift our focus to one word that gets overlooked, no matter how many times it’s scattered throughout the psalms.  Selah. What’s the significance? Selah is a Hebrew word that means “pause and praise” or “pause and reflect.” When we see it used in the book of Psalms, it is often after speaking of the Lord’s goodness to His people, such as here in Psalm 32, where the psalmist celebrates God being his strength and refuge. Selah is used to make us stop and consider the words that were just spoken.

Pushing pause is almost a foreign concept in our busy world today when it applies to anything but our iPods. Pausing to rest and reflect is not something that is too common. But we see so many times in Scripture that we are encouraged to do so.

Re-read these words and have your own Selah moment.

In our lives, there must come rest. There must be pause and reflection. We like to use noise and activity to disguise the fact that we don’t know how to rest and delight in the Lord. We let ourselves get so busy doing things, good things even, that we forget our connection with God.

Anytime I’m traveling back to Tuscaloosa, whether I’ve been visiting family in North Carolina or just 60 miles up the road in Birmingham, there is one landmark that excites me more than any other. It’s nothing too special or significant; in fact, it is a rest stop. This rest area is about 10 miles from my apartment’s exit and has become its own mile marker for me because it shows me that I’m finally home. I’m sure we all have different landmarks like that during our road trips.

Create your own rest stops with God. Bible verses, places of prayer and time with the Father, times in your life when He has answered prayer and shown his faithfulness. Let those “rest stops” remind you of how far you have traveled and that God still has a road of adventure ahead of you. Push pause this week. Have Selah moments as you consider your story with God!

Loving and Learning,

Chelsey

You know those relationships where you’re constantly doing something to make sure a person is comfortable, happy or satisfied? Relationships where you have to earn love and respect day by day? I think it’s safe to say that we’re all familiar with them.  Those relationships are stressful and, if we’re being totally honest, far from enjoyable.

Thing is, I’m a people pleaser. And I apply that in my mentality to God, thinking that I need to tip-toe around, as not to provoke Him. I want to please Him because I want Him to think I’m worthy. I want to earn His love. How easily I forget that there is no need for me to earn His favor – Christ has already done that!

I have done nothing, but God loves me. I may try to earn His love, but I can’t do it. So I’m brought to a place to remember that we can do nothing. I can only do what brings me joy – being with Him. And the only reason that brings us joy is because of the joy that it brings Him, to have His green-eyed, curly haired daughter sitting in His lap.

My heart and mind easily become distracted and numb to this truth, but as He sings it over me, I can do nothing but lay my head on His chest, breathe deep and just sit with Him.

Rejoice in the truth that you don’t have to earn God’s love. Rejoice that for once, you don’t have to do anything. Crawl up in His lap and rejoice that it has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with His grace!

Loving and Learning,

Chelsey

There are two concepts that seem almost foreign not only to me as a college student, but to the rest of our world: rest and patience. In a world when we’re told to keep moving and keep doing things, there’s not much time to stop and rest in our Father’s embrace. Now that the year has started in full force, we’re going to take some time this week to look at the importance of resting in Christ, in our identity in Him, and in His faithfulness to us.

No Worries, Just Trust.

These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When you send for your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.

Take some time today to read the entirety of Psalm 104. In this beautiful reflection, the psalmist notes how God takes care of the earth and how His greatness is displayed in nature. As I processed this beautiful psalm, I got hit with a huge reality check.

God takes care of His creation. And creation, with the exception of humanity, never worries that God isn’t going to take care of it. Nature just waits and trusts. Leaves change color, fall to the ground and die so that he can, as verse 30 says, “renew the face of the ground.” No worries. Just trust.

Wait on the Lord and trust His timing. He will take care of you, just like he takes care of the rest of His creation! If you need more assurance of this truth, check out Matthew 6:

Find rest today in the promise that God is taking care of you even more than He is His beautiful creation!

Loving and Learning,

Chelsey

The staff of Zookeepers Ministries is excited and blessed to announce the association of Chelsey Murphree to the Daily Dose of Encouragement writing staff!  I am especially excited, as Chelsey, now a junior at The University of Alabama, was once a precious girl in my fifth grade Sunday School class. It is such a blessing to have watched Chelsey’s grow and mature into a beautiful young woman, inside and out! Chelsey has a heart to reach youth and young women of her generation with the Word and message of unconditional love found in Jesus Christ. She writes from the heart and our readers are sure to be inspired and amazed at the spiritual insight and wisdom of one so young.

Don’t miss a single day, and be sure to pass along the Daily Dose to all your family and friends and everyone you know on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s work together to see the Daily Dose of Encouragement go viral to the  youth of this generation who are desperate for hope amid the challenges of the twenty-first century!

Blessings,

Brenda Lancaster

Founder/Zookeepers Ministries

Getting to know Chelsey Murphree.

Chelsey is the daughter of Mike and Kelly Murphree. Her family moved to Jamestown, North Carolina in the summer of 2000 and that is where they currently reside. Chelsey grew up in the church. After years of being the “good kid,” she realized that wasn’t enough. Chelsey accepted Christ at 12 years old at a youth camp. Since then, God has rocked her world in many different ways, but she is thankful to continue seeing His incredible providence in her life.

Chelsey is currently a student at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She is majoring in Human Development with a minor in Journalism, with hopes to be a counselor…one day! She attends Calvary Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, where she serves as a staff intern for the youth ministry. Working with middle and high school girls has slowly become one of her passions, so it is such a blessing to have a job where she is able to do just that! Tuscaloosa has become like home to Chelsey and while she is here, she is simply trying to live out the story of God and be a vessel of His love to those in this community.

On June 18, 2005, thirty-four year-old Jiang Zongxiu was beaten to death in a local police station for distributing Bibles in her local Chinese market. Sisters, sometimes we have the incomparable honor of suffering merely because we love God. None of us fully understands this kind of “fiery trial” (I Peter 4:12 KJV), because until the resurrection we will continue to interpret life through the veil of earthly experience; but we can take confidence in the Word of God, which informs us that we can consider tribulation a joy and an honor (I Peter 4:13-14).

To be clear, the “walk” is mandatory. Jesus told His disciples that, as He was persecuted, so would His followers be. While we can avoid many problems by living biblically and using discernment, some trials will not be avoided or budged. However, not all persecution involves martyrdom. Most modern persecution involves moderate to severe discomfort or inconvenience, and in these situations we have the opportunity and obligation to persevere and to overcome.

Paul referred to life as a race, one whose course he had run, and as a war that he had fought nobly (II Timothy 4:7). Without a doubt, it is the runner who crosses the finish line who is victorious; it is the warrior who fights to the last battle who comes home to the support and respect of those for whom he fought. Furthermore, the seasoned athlete and the battle-scarred warrior are the ones who can teach the new runners the course and share with the new troops the wisdom of hard-fought battles. Hebrews 5:12-14 (KJV) reminds us that it is the mature and strong who teach and equip others, and that these become strong “by reason of use” (experience).

Also, Philippians 2:14-15 encourages us to respond to life’s issues without grumbling and complaining. In maintaining a cheerful spirit in adversity, we shine like stars in a world of darkness. Do you remember Dose Three? We exist to put our Father on display. When we persevere and use our experience and strength to equip others, we overcome, for we cooperate with God in His Plan to redeem His creation! Indeed, it is an honor to suffer for the sake of our Redeemer.

Be encouraged, my sisters! Take the walk with your trials and redeem them for the glory of God. ~~Yep. That’s joy.

Smiles~

Gwendolyn

Not all trials are tribulation or persecution. Some are actually redirection from the lover of our souls, Who has good “plans” for us (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). Yesterday’s dose encouraged us to live out our purpose of loving God and one another, and today we will find encouragement in God’s loving plan to redeem us and re-shape us to His image.

We are part of an elite sisterhood, and the price for membership is very high. It cost God the Son His life. You see, the fundamental consequence of sin is death, which means “separation from God,” not just the demise of our bodies. Since the day He made animal skin clothing for Adam and Eve in the Garden, God has been working out His amazing plan to redeem His creation. Leviticus 4:17 teaches that the essence of a life is in its blood. Romans 3:23 explains that the wage for sin is death. And we learn in Hebrews 9:24 that the only thing that can wash away sin is blood. What this means is that only life can buy life. Since human sin caused death, human blood had to buy back life. However, all human blood is corrupted by sin, so, in His great love God became one of us, and He paid life so that we can have life! This truth is awesome!  We are being made whole!  God is fixing everything!

God wants us to live in a way that is worthy of His great gift; however, sometimes we make choices that are not congruent with His plan to make us whole, so He lovingly redirects us by thwarting our plans or providing us with discomfort. Proverbs 3:11-12 admonishes us not to resent God’s correction because His motivation is love. We can be certain that if our choices contradict God’s Word, He is not going to bless our efforts; and when facing correction, we must stop and submit our hearts to God as He works for our good. We are comforted in knowing that He is willing to forgive (I John 1:9), that He is near us when we are “brokenhearted” (Proverbs 34:18 NIV), and that when we commit our works to the Lord, He will give us “success” (Proverbs 16:3 NIV). In tomorrow’s dose we will consider what an honor it is to suffer for the sake of our Redeemer!

Smiles~

Gwendolyn

Finding encouragement in times of trial can be tough, and sometimes the perpetrator is the smoke screen of diversion from our enemy. We get so caught up in living life that we forget our purpose. Frankly, our best approach is simply to remember why we exist, which helps us to recognize our enemy’s tactics. Our purpose is to reveal and reflect our Father, to bear His image.

God brought Abraham out of pagan Ur to reveal Himself as the true God (see Genesis 14:22b). He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and established them in Canaan to reveal Himself as the only God “to all the peoples of the earth” (I Kings 8:60 NIV). He established the Church to implement and reveal to all creation His plan for redemption (Ephesians 3:10-12). The “whole duty of man,” Solomon wrote, is to “fear God and keep His commands,” and Jesus consolidated the “commands” with: Love the Lord your God with all of your being, and love your neighbor as yourself (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV; Mark 12:30).

Knowing these things, our enemy attacks our love relationship with God and its overflow into the lives of others. Sisters, our best response is to counteract, which means: to make ineffective, restrain, or neutralize ill effects by using opposite force, action, or influence.

1) In Job 1, satan accused Job of loving God only because of God’s blessings. Likewise, many of our trials are meant to challenge our love for God, and we can combat them by staying in the Word, praying, and trusting God’s wisdom and love. Remember, “God is light; in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5NIV).

2) When tested by people, we must recognize the devil’s aim to pervert our relationships. If my friend hurts me, I can love her, pray for her, and treat her kindly rather than lashing out against her. If my children frustrate me, I can pray for them, be patient with them, and encourage righteousness rather than being harsh. If my husband fails to be Christ-like, I can pray for him, speak kindly and respectfully to and about him, and take opportunities to bless him.

I Peter 4 again (NIV). Verse 8 instructs, “above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins,” and it is that covering of sins that will encourage us in tomorrow’s dose. ‘See you then!

Smiles~

Gwendolyn

We are encouraged this week in considering some truths in dealing with trials. To begin, we must understand trials and be ready for them. We all face trials, sometimes of our own making. Often, though, our problems simply aren’t our fault, and assuming that life will be kind to us can set us up for disappointment. Although God created us for joyful communion, we are broken as a result of the Fall and our own sin. The truth is that sometimes people behave hatefully and bad things happen.

Now, if we are redeemed (saved), we are becoming like Jesus, as Paul told us in Romans 8: 29. As believers it is our joy and duty to grow together lovingly, obeying the Scriptures, and we find a wealth of guidance on this matter in passages like Romans 12, I Peter 4, and the book of Philippians. (Read them, sisters! ) However, those who do not know the Lord do not have the guidance and comfort of the Spirit and may often live contrarily to our values. We should not be surprised when lost people act like lost people.

Furthermore, we have a ruthless, committed enemy. As Paul wrote in I Peter 5:8, our enemy roams around actively seeking opportunities to destroy us. Even though he ultimately loses the war, the devil delights in harming us.

We can avoid great anguish when we absorb the truth of I Peter 4:12-14.

1) Trials occur. If we expect them, they don’t startle us and we don’t think of them as strange or “wrong.”

2) We must also protect ourselves from faulty assumptions that trials always indicate chastisement or a lack of blessing. Our trials are not, ultimately, aimed at us in the first place, but at our Father. Well! We are the crown jewel of God’s creation! Of course satan wants to destroy us. Some of our trials come to us simply because we are so very blessed!

II Timothy 1:7 assures us that we do not have a spirit of fear, of defeat or anxiety, but of power and a strong mind! We can see trials for what they are, the consequences of living in a fallen creation and the missiles of our enemy, and be ready for them!

In tomorrow’s dose we will find encouragement in understanding the nature of our trials.

Smiles~

Gwendolyn

The staff of Zookeepers Ministries is very excited and blessed to announce the association of Gwendolyn Amador to the Daily Dose of Encouragement writing staff! She is an experienced and talented writer who loves to encourage women in the zoo of everyday life! Women of every generation are sure to fall in love with Gwendolyn’s colorful stories of lessons learned in her extensive travels, and during the heartbreaks and triumphs of everyday life. Her wit and style are guaranteed you will not be bored! Gwendolyn makes her home in Maryland with her Chaplain husband and two children.

Don’t miss a single day, and be sure to pass along the Daily Dose to all your family and friends and everyone you know on Facebook and Twitter! Let’s work together to see the Daily Dose of Encouragement go viral to all those who are desperate for hope amid the challenges of the twenty-first century!

Blessings,

Brenda Lancaster

Getting to know Gwendolyn Amador.

God extended His grace to me and began His work of redemption in my life when I was saved on March 17, 1976, at age 13.  At that time I was living in my hometown, Farmington, New Mexico, with my mom and step-dad, who were deeply scarred victims of dysfunctional homes, as were my brother and I.  God’s sweet grace carried me through the deep waters that rage in homes where poverty, alcoholism, fear, and pain victimize parents and children whom God loves and longs to save.

I was born in 1962, graduated from high school in 1980, and was blessed to attend Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Church Education/Youth and later my master’s degree in English at Missouri State University.  While in Bible College, I met the man I later married, and we have served the Lord together, now, through three years of dating and 26 years of marriage.  We are blessed beyond measure with two terrific children who are both adopted and are the sunshine of our lives.

We have been blessed to serve the Lord on the pastoral staff of three churches over the years, to delight in the ministry of working on the administrative staff and later teaching various classes at our beloved alma mater, and now to serve in the United States Navy, with which my husband is a Chaplain.  In our ten years of active duty we have served in six billets: California, Italy, Sicily, North Carolina, and now Maryland.  God has carried us through six deployments, three of which involved my husband’s serving in combat zones; and we have been blessed to enjoy incomparable adventures in our various places of ministry, specifically in Italy and Sicily.

In the recent years we have walked the deep valleys of saying uncertain good-byes to my parents, as they passed from life here on earth.  My mother passed while my husband was deployed, the most painful and challenging experience of my life.

Today the work of redemption continues  in our lives and in the lives of our children, as my husband serves as the Command Chaplain for NAS Patuxent River.  I have been blessed to teach the great Truths of the Word of God over the years, and have particularly enjoyed writing Bible studies for various groups.  It is my current joy to share with the ladies of our chapel, as we are growing in our study, “Making the Connection,” which I am writing as we proceed.

Our son is 14 and an active Boy Scout and a hoot to raise.  Our sweet daughter, and avid reader and horseback rider, is 10.  We are blessed to have two children who love the Lord and have zeal for life.  As changes are in view for us, we look forward with awe, waiting to see what God will do next in our not-so-typical journey of life as He continues His merciful plan of making us look like Jesus.

Since we all go through trials, we say things like, “Life is no walk in the park!” Actually, though, life is a “walk,” but the park offers both grassy fields and prickly stickers. This week we will consider the encouragement we find in God’s Word to be wise, relevant, and joyful while we walk in our park, stickers and all.

Monday Listen Here, Cow!

Sometimes we just have to take a walk with our problems.

Hands on my hips, feet planted, and eyebrows raised, I “eye-balled” that cow and informed her that she would do as I said. Then, remembering that she was a Sicilian cow, I gave her the whole speech again in Italian: “I remember you!  Last week, I was driving our car around that corner (I pointed) when you and your friends (couldn’t remember how to say herd) came plodding by and you walked on our car!  You knocked our mirror off and we had to have it repaired. You are not going to do that again!”  She stepped forward. I stepped forward. Sideways. Sideways. She glared. I glared.

Then she stepped aside! I had won the stare-down! To the delight of her owner, who was right there and had enjoyed both of my speeches, I then walked that cow all the way down the road and past our little Civic, over which she had lumbered the week before.

You see, the cow episode was actually our third “adventure” at that tunnel, the other two being equally interesting, and I was ready to grab this thing by the horns and get back in the driver’s seat (really, no puns intended). I knew the farmer would be no help. Those mournful Sicilian cows walk down the roads as they wish, without the slightest regard for automobiles or humans; and the herders are busy singing, yelling at one another, or talking on their cell phones, anyway. Honking the horn would be useless, too, since horns blare in Italy as frequently as Americans say “Uhm.” Nope, nothing was going to make that cow go away. I was just going to have to confront her and walk along beside her until we had safely passed the critical corner.

Isn’t that just typical of the trials we face in life? They are always inconvenient, sometimes debilitating, and sometimes even devastating. Some trials are the consequences of our actions; others are the fiery darts of our enemy, the devil; and some are gifts. Regardless of the nature or magnitude of our problems, though, we find in God’s Word encouragement and practical guidance for dealing with them. In this week’s doses we will observe that our best response to troubles is to understand their nature and not be shocked by them, and then to navigate them with grace and to use them for God’s glory in our lives.

Smiles~

Gwendolyn