"Make Mondays Matter" Monthly Blog

Act Like You Know!

1/4/2021

“For you yourselves know perfectly…”
~1 Thessalonians 5:2(a)

Here’s the thing about us humans...we know better, but it’s just so stinkin’ hard to choose better. For Believers, in relation to the coming of The Lord...this will be tragic. Not because we will miss out on the trip Home with Christ, or lose our ticket; but because we will have wasted so much time not preparing for Christ's return that we will miss out on many of the rewards He is bringing with Him. Sadly, as Believers we sometimes live our lives as unbelievers…as if we have all the time in the world to enjoy this earthly body.

We don’t.
What Believer is preparing and/or looking forward to living as if this life is as good as it gets? YUCK!

I'm not trying to say that this life can’t be grand and enjoyed (I have a grand named Aiden, and there are a handful of things in this life that I have enjoyed more!). And I'm certainly not trying to say that we should be obsessively trying to live perfect (YUCK again!). But what I do believe is that we should be, as the old folks used to say, “wearing this world loosely.” In other words, living like we are having a human experience on a spiritual journey, focusing on our ultimate destination, making a difference along every path God leads us, and trying to bring as many folks with us as possible. When you meet people who live like that, it's because they know better and are acting like it.

In 2021, let’s become those people.

Tips for acting like you know:

Get to know your God
Love people...ALL people
Read the Bible
Follow God's commands
Receive His promises

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 4

12/28/2020

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"… nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done."
~Luke 22:42 (NKJV)

Say Yes

Welcome to the final week of 2020! I hope and pray you all had a wonderful week celebrating and reflecting on the birth of our Lord. Whatever the date of His actual earthly birth, we have reason to rejoice daily that we can sing of Christ our Lord, "Immanuel, our God is with us" forevermore!

This final week of 2020 and our 2021 New Year Prayer Project is the true catalyst for all we hope for and are made for in Christ. For Jesus, and an innumerable host of others before and after Him, the road to the promise(s) began with a simple, “Yes Lord.”

Will you seek and receive the grace to say yes to what God is speaking about the things you asked for on your prayer sheets? Will you lay them at His feet and this time leave them there? Will you walk out His instructions concerning each one? Even the difficult ones?

You may not have heard clearly everything God wants to speak to you, but if you will commit to being specific in your prayers going forward, He will answer in kind, in due season. It may not be easy, but be willing to accept His will WHEN He does reveal His will.

What has God spoken concerning YOUR prayers this month? This week I am coming to Him with a willing heart seeking to simply say, “Yes Lord. Not my will but Yours be done.” Will you commit with me?

I'm praying for us all!

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 3

12/14/2020

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Complete Surrender

"Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
~Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV)

There is a cost to living a surrendered life, but the promises and blessings are many and abundant. I wish I could talk about getting everything we want from God without talking about the cost. I can’t. Every promise in the Bible comes with a condition, including the promise of Salvation: we must believe in our heart and confess with our mouth, THEN we will be saved.

Finding the abundant life God has predestined for us won’t be easy, and it isn’t a one-time thing. It’s a lifestyle of identifying with the life Christ lived. That doesn’t sound to inviting does it? It seems like a contradiction to all we’ve been talking about for the last two weeks. But is it? Is it really? Nah. Because after you take a step back and summarize the life of Christ, in the face of all His suffering, persecution, and shame, at the end of the day, He made a complete mockery of every scheme and plan of Satan. And that is exactly what I want for my life, my children, my business, my finances, my ministering. No matter what happens, I want every area of my life to turn out victorious. I have the boldness to know that every scheme of hell and man will ultimately fail…simply because I gave my life completely to the will and plan of God, and He cannot fail.

This week lay your petitions loosely before God; petitioning God with bold assurance yet humble surrender. Boldly expect Him to answer but be completely open to hear whatever He may speak over your petitions. Surrender. And as you approach God in prayer this week, consider worshipping to this week’s song. It is a beautiful expression of what a surrendered heart cries out to a loving and all-powerful God who desires to have a relationship with His creation. Get to know Him more this week.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 2

12/7/2020

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Fast and Pray

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks-giving, let your requests be made known to God;"
~Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

There was a mother in the Bible who had a great need.* Her daughter needed healing. This mother was anxious to the point of desperation. The Bible says this mom came to Jesus with the boldness that transcended any humiliation, protocol, or nuisance she would make of herself. She pressed forward in the face of certain and open rejection. She resisted the urge to give up. She rejected discouragement! From her “crumb” of faith, she received all she asked for. In one short interaction, she did everything this week’s verse compels US to do:

She made her request with supplication. Supplication is defined as, “the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.”
She worshipped by calling Jesus “Lord.”
She received the promise that the second part of Philippians 4:7 gives: Her daughter received peace that passes all understanding, complete healing!

It's time for US to lay OUR requests before God in worship! Will WE be relentless? Undaunted?? This week, let’s spread our written petitions out and call on Him with relentless boldness! Let's also consider fasting one day, or just a few hours, this week if you are healthy enough to do so.** Fasting is one of the most effective ways of making ourselves humble before God, such as the word supplication implies. With boldness and humility let us worship.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

*Matthew 15:21-28
**If you are under a doctor's care or on daily medication, please consult your doctor before adjusting your eating habits.

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2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 1

11/30/2020

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Write It Down

"Then the Lord said to me, “Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others."
~Habakkuk 2:2 (NLT)

Habakkuk 2:2 has always been one of my favorite verses because I am a writer. Things just come together and make more sense to me when I write them down. Especially the things I sense God is saying.

We open our time of prayer with this verse in order to remind ourselves to put in writing not only what we want to present to God, but His answers. We want to make a statement that we are expecting Him to send us revelation and answers.

My favorite king in the Bible is probably Hezekiah. He was an almost perfect king, and received everything he asked for from God. One of the things which immediately got God’s attention was his manner of responding when faced with the world’s greatest power of his time, as an enemy. The very first thing he did was take his enemy’s threat and arrogant bragging (a multi-page letter), and spread it out before God in prayer. God’s response was almost immediate, it was in Hezekiah’s favor, and it started with these words, “Because you have prayed to Me…”

Let us pray…

As you approach God in prayer this week, you may want to consider worshipping to this week’s song to position yourself spiritually in that same humble and needy position represented by our written petitions. Let us lay our written petitions before the foot of God's throne, as we write out the questions and challenges we face. As we do so, may we say, "Here's my heart Lord!" with our every initial breath.

I am praying for us all!

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

p.s. Below, I have attached the ministry form that I use each year to help me keep track of each concern on my heart, and what my focus is for each week. You are welcomed to make copies for yourself to use. Or use your prayer journal, or a Google doc, or a note app...whatever works best for you and Jesus. Keep it simple, but write it down.

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Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.3)

11/9/2020

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"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5-6

This month we engage with Faith Story #3 from 2 Kings chapter four and found in verses 38-41. In these four verses comes great Biblical and spiritual principles for living a life of faith and trusting God in the middle of death and despair.

Faith Story #3 – 2 Kings 4:38-41
Below are the five points that I gleaned from my study, and believe will be a blessing to readers.

“…there was a famine in that region.” ~Verse 38. Famines in the Bible usually literally represent financial lack. Symbolically, famine can also represent a state of spiritual lack in the nation. Are you experiencing a financial and/or spiritual lack? Aren’t many of us these days?
“…the company of the prophets was meeting with him.” ~Verse 38. In those days, “the company of prophets” represented the presence and voice of God. In our lack we have to be able to tap into God’s presence so we can hear His instruction for provision and protection. **As we learned from our previous faith point, our nation and world is in a spiral of spiritual and financial lack. Now, even more than six months ago, as we approach a new year, we need to be in God's presence, listening for His voice! Join us here and on The Christian Woman Chronicles page during the month of December as we strategically and Biblically seek God for what's next, so we can be on the same page as HIM, no matter what 2021 brings.**
“…picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold” ~Verse 39. The servant of the prophets was not only obedient, he was zealous. He went above and beyond what was asked of him. How does God reward those who serve Him in this manner? We will see God’s faithfulness to perform miracles and “work everything out for our good.”
“…there is death in the pot!” ~Verse 40. What happens when our good intentions and effort to be obedient to The Lord turns out to be a tragic misunderstanding? Do we give up or draw closer to God for help? Sometimes we can misunderstand God’s will. Sometimes we may not have heard His voice clearly. Sometimes He is silent, and we walk in mustard seed faith. Does that nullify His power? Does that nullify our faith in Him?
“Serve it to the people to eat. And there was nothing harmful in the pot.” ~Verse 41. The people knew that the vegetables were poisonous, but God’s instructions were to eat in faith. When things don’t look like or sound like or turn out like we think they should, Jesus still requires us to walk and act in faith, not fear. Even our mistakes can become miracles, when we live by faith. Those who ate would never have experienced their miracle had they not turned a blind eye to what happened and focused on what God had spoken. The key point here is “what God had spoken.” Unfortunately, we often try to equate our desires with God’s will. Expect nothing in those cases. Nothing but complete surrender to His will and words will glean us a miracle. “Walking in faith” is not the same as “I want it, so God is going to give it to me.” Walking in faith means being obedient to what God says no matter how it looks, feels, sounds, or what the consequences.

May your faith increase, and your doubt and fear decrease.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.2)

10/5/2020

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"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5-6

For the month of October we are continuing our Faith Stories’ four-month series with one of the most beloved stories of faith and God’s faithfulness in the entire Bible. If you have never witnessed God’s power to turn back death in the life of a loved one, here is one of the first instances in the Bible of God raising the dead. Note the compassion with which the prophet deals with this brokenhearted mother in her distress. That compassion comes directly from the heart of God. He is truly compassionate to the brokenhearted. Let this simple truth fuel your faith to trust in Him, lean on Him, acknowledge Him, follow His path!

Faith Story #2 – 2 Kings 4:8-37
Below are the five points that I gleaned from my study, and believe will be a blessing to readers.

“I know that this man…is a holy man of God.”~Verse 9. Do we recognize where, when, with and through whom, and how God is working? How many answers to prayers do we miss because we are not in tuned with His ways and will?
“She has no son, and her husband is old.”~Verse 14. God’s greatest works can be seen when we have no options and the odds are against us AND we THINK things can’t get any worse/He can’t do greater. And then…He does MORE!
“Why go to him today?”~Verse 23. When we need God to do something beyond the realm of reality, we have to be willing to leave our comfort zone and move past the confines of our customs. Sometimes the supernatural requires radical boldness! See also Matthew 15: 25-28.
“Run to meet her…”~Verse 26; “Leave her alone, she is in bitter distress.”~Verse 27; “…take my staff in your hand and run. Do not greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer…”~Verse 29; “So he got up and followed her.”~Verse 30. The empathy and compassion Elisha displayed only touches the surface of that which our Lord has toward us. Take the knowledge and understanding that HE IS FOR YOU with you to the foot of His throne, and as you follow His path.
“He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayed to The Lord.” ~Verse 33. Sometimes you have to keep your prayers secret. Even speaking about your prayers for the supernatural to some can kill your faith. As someone used to tell me, say it to God and let everybody else read about it in the news!

May your faith increase and your doubt and fear decrease.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.1)

9/14/2020

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"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5-6

The basic foundation of trusting God is faith. Faith determines whether or not we step onto the next path God has assigned. In order to create and build upon our faith reserves, and to further encourage us to “trust in The Lord with all our heart,” our blogs for the remainder of the year will explore the faith stories found in 2 Kings 4. I hope you will be as blessed as I was while I studied these stories of people full of faith, and their interactions with the man who represented God’s love, compassion, instruction, and power in their lives.

Faith Story #1 – 2 Kings 4:1-7
Below are the five points that I gleaned from my study, and believe will be a blessing to readers.

“The woman cried out…” ~Verse 1. Whether we find ourselves in sin, sickness, sorrow, or suffering, God desires for us to cry out to Him. He will hear our cry.
“…what do you have in your house?” ~Verse 2. Be prepared for God to use whatever you have…but you have to have something. What do you have that God can use?
“Your servant has…a small jar of olive oil.” ~Verse 2. “Small” can represent childlike. New, undeveloped, and inexperienced faith is enough. When properly cultivated it will yield a great harvest.
“Don’t ask for just a few.” ~Verse 3. James 2:18 says, “…I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Dr. Tony Evans said recently, “Faith is acting like God is telling the truth.” When God gives us direction for our path, do we hesitate, question, or refuse? Or do we act like God’s plan is for you and true?
“Go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons.” ~Verse 5. Just like faith requires action, sometimes it requires isolation. This is especially the case with new or undeveloped faith. Too many eyes and opinions of doubt can stop what God is planning to do, by planting seeds of doubt in our hearts. Sometimes you have to keep what God told you, showed you, and promised you to yourself!

May your faith increase and your doubt and fear decrease.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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Applying Faith To What's "Next"

7/5/2020

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"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways
acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5-6

This Spring, we all have had to face a lot of new changes. COVID-19 has consumed the world. And many new things are still on the horizon, looming, either like a dark cloud or a rising sun, depending on how we approach them. Death and pandemic are nothing to take lightly, but here’s a quote from The Re-Purposed Life I’d like to share in regard to choosing whether to choose faith or fear in the midst of any change: “I would never be so insensitive or insensible as to think that tragedy can be simple. However, I do believe that tragedy can be approached as a challenge. And challenges can have a simple approach: We overcome. As with any physical challenge we face, the point is to routinely take small steps that turn into small victories which eventually leads to a pattern of victorious living.”

Wrestling with the concept of trusting God to know the best path for us, to direct our destiny -- especially in the midst of uncertain and fearful times -- can cause us to take one of two approaches. We can either take the fear approach and work feverishly to control our own destiny, or we can take the faith approach and courageously surrender. Fear doesn’t always look like worry and doubt. Sometimes it looks like anger and bitterness. Faith doesn’t always look like peace and success. Sometimes it looks like exhaustion and conflict and defeat. And sometimes the only way to tell whether we have taken the path of fear or faith is by how well we handle the next test. By enduring what’s past with faith, we learn to apply faith to what’s next. Every small faith step leads to a bigger step of faith.

Whatever is next, whatever life, school, work, finances, love, looks like after this past Spring, after this Summer, after 2020…grab hold of God’s Hand in faith and trust His path. With His help, and because of His great love, we overcome.

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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G(r/l)owing Into What's "Next"

5/3/2020

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"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
and lean not on your
own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct
your paths."
~Proverbs 3:5-6

“Caterpillars must "shed" (or molt) their skin in order to grow. Unlike us, insects have an exoskeleton, which means that they are pretty much "encased" inside their skin. The skin does not grow with the animal, so they have to molt.” ~Quora.com

Thankfully, as humans, we don’t shed our skin the same way insects do. But at times, we can be just as “encased” psychologically and spiritually. We can learn -traditionally from others- one way to think, work, interact, and worship and serve God, and never grow past that point. This is way of living is called "tradition," and is just the opposite of what we are encouraged to do in Proverbs 3:5-6. This way of living is also one of the primary targets Jesus took aim at during His ministry on earth. It's why God sent His Holy Spirit to live within us, so that we could all personally seek Him and follow the path He uniquely created for each of us individually. Tradition keeps people from God and all the good He has planned for them personally.

Acknowledging God daily, and reevaluating regularly – at least once a year (January 1st is as good a time as any) – keeps us in step with the next step God has decided for His glory and our good. Trusting Him in taking the next step even when the path is new and uncomfortable shows others how to trust God. And the path He takes us on grows us in ways that we never would have experienced being stuck in our traditional ways. Our hopes and dreams and desires and perspectives change as we continuously shed the old and look forward to moving into what's next. And the light of what it means to be a living, breathing, vibrantly growing (or glowing) example of intimacy with God will be our banner.

Trust Him today!

With Great Expectation,
Dawn~

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<<Previous

Act Like You Know!

2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 4

Say Yes

2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 3

Complete Surrender

2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 2

Fast and Pray

2021 New Year Prayer Project - Wk. 1

Write It Down

Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.3)

Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.2)

Faith, The Foundation of What's "Next" (pt.1)

Applying Faith To What's "Next"

G(r/l)owing Into What's "Next"