As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about the word ANTICIPATION.

Think about all the times you really get excited about something and the anticipation that builds up.

I get really excited when I hear my grandkids are coming to visit.

I try to get some fun things planned and try to cancel other things so that I can be truly present.

And the anticipation grows and grows until they get here.

With all of the changes that have taken place in my life, I am working hard to be excited about all of these simple moments, because building relationships and sharing love is more important than all the work you can do.

I am working very hard at trying to be present in the moment and present to the people I’m with.

I’m working hard on being grateful for all the blessings that God has given me and the way he continues to show me His presence in my journey.

Today, get excited! Anticipate surprises and know that God loves you. And have a blessed day.

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about WORKING OUT.

I seem to be very disciplined in my prayer life, and I like routine, but working out takes a lot of effort for me.

I know I should do it, I feel better once I’ve done it, and I know it’s good for my body, so why do I struggle?

I know all this, and yet, as I sit here having my cup of coffee with Jesus, all I can think about are all the ways I can get out of my WORKOUT this morning.

Pancakes and scones sound so much better! Today, however, I am going to listen to my inner voice that tells me I need this in more ways than one.

I know it will help me in the ministry GOD calls me to today, and it will help me to think more clearly and to feel good.

I am going to make it part of my prayer today to exercise. So today, join me.

Get out and take care of your body. Take a walk, go on a hike, go to the gym, do something to continue to celebrate health and God‘s call to take care of the temple of the Holy Spirit.

I’m heading into the gym right now, but maybe I’ll go for pancakes after my workout! Have a blessed day!

Radical Acceptance: Overcoming Family Alienation

Welcome back to Conversations with Craig. Today, we are diving into Session 4 of our series on radical acceptance, where we are talking about family alienation, the pain of ghosting, and those heartbreaking situations where siblings or parents stop speaking to one another.

While there are unique and understandable exceptions—such as cases involving severe abuse—it is incredibly sad when families simply cannot find a way to be a family. Often, rifts happen because siblings take things from parents or because addictions tear the structure apart. We try to build boundaries, but we are also called first and foremost to navigate these trials as Christians.

Steps Toward Healing:

• Moving Forward, Not Going Back: Learning forgiveness and putting things behind us doesn’t mean a relationship will ever return to exactly how it used to be. It simply means we are answering the call of Christ.
• Praying for Guidance: If there is a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a close friend whom you have pushed out or aren’t speaking to, I encourage you to keep praying for healing and for God to give you an opportunity to connect.
• Embracing Humility: We have to look inward and ask ourselves the hardest question of all: “Am I a part of any of this? Is there something I did?”

A Path to Peace

Restoration takes time, but shifting our hearts toward humility is where the journey starts. I am also preparing a full upcoming series dedicated entirely to the specific steps of healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation to help guide us through this process.

Is there someone in your life you need to start praying for healing or guidance over today?

Watch Episode 4 now, and let’s keep seeking his path together.

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I am thinking about the word STRENGTH .

A friend of mine sent me a reflection by Danielle Koepke.

She says, “Being strong means refusing to tolerate people and things that wound your soul.”

It is not always or easy to be STRONG. A good question to ask ourselves is what are we afraid of?.

Where can I get strength from? Scriptures reminds us of where our strength comes from. Strength comes from within.

Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

And Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will STRENGTHEN you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Remember the story of David and Goliath? God gave David the strength to face a giant!

Strength comes when we are centered in Christ, when we are not afraid of anything, because we know HE leads us.

We gain strength so that each day we can set out to do GOD’S WILL!

When we allow the GOD that lives within us to guide our feet, we are strong!

When we are afraid, we lack trust in the promises of Christ.

So today, greet the day with the strength of the God that lives within you.

Put a smile on your face, make a difference in the world, and shine.

There’s nothing to be afraid of when our strength comes from God. Have a blessed day!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about the word PATIENCE.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Some days I find myself impatient with many things. I might be impatient with my children, or my grandchildren, or with people who come to see me, or with the dog, or with my calendar, and the list goes on and on.

I’m trying to practice the art of pausing before I act or respond.

During this pause, I take a breath and try to be conscious of what is actually going on.

So today, I am going to practice the art of being PATIENT, not only with others but with myself.

I’m going to try to be mindful of taking that pause, mindful that I need to stay present in the moment so that I can respond with love and care.

Today, let us practice the art of being PATIENT and celebrate our Lord, who is very PATIENT with us.

Have a blessed day!

As I sit outside having my coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about a phrase that I came across yesterday, “Stand firm.”

I found it in 1 Corinthians 16:13; “Be watchful, stand firm in faith, be strong. And Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

And in 1 Peter:5, “Resist him, stand firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by others throughout the world.”

Sometimes it’s easy to want to throw in the towel or to give up the fight.

Sometimes we begin to lose our patience or become negative and critical.

It is certainly easy in times when the norm is not the norm.

But we can gain strength from the words of Christ to stand firm.

Stand firm that this too shall pass.

Stand firm that we can make a difference.

Stand firm that we can grow and become better people.

Stand firm in the word and presence of Jesus, even in the storm.

Today, let us stand firm in our belief that all is in the hands of Jesus.

HE can lead us through any trial to a deeper relationship with HIM.

What a wonderful day for us to stand firm and know that, with Christ, we will conquer.

Have a blessed day!

As I am having my cup of coffee this morning with Jesus, a father on his bike was being followed by his five-year-old son on his bike with training wheels.

I thought about how the FATHER leads us. HE gives us training “wills”!

HE teaches us gradually how to surrender our will to HIS!

We spend so much of our time working for titles, a bigger house, more money, and our egos can grow strong.

We lose our focus and purpose, and then God steps in and teaches us to surrender.

We do not have to be afraid because HE is always WITH US, training us, reminding us, picking us up, and loving us.

We all need training! Today let’s ask ourselves what is HE training me for?

Am I listening, am I following, am I surrendering? Am I following HIM to lead me like that little kid on his bike with training wheels, following his father?

Another day for us to grow in HIS awareness and follow HIM. Here they come, back again.

How ironic that this time the little boy is leading.

Radical Acceptance: The Psychological Toll of Dissension

Welcome back to Conversations with Craig. Today, we are continuing our 10-part series on radical acceptance, focusing on the heavy emotional and psychological impacts that happen when space, distance, and separation creep into our family units, friendships, or marriages.

When there is ongoing conflict or a total cutoff within a family, it affects us far deeper than we might realize.

The Hidden Cost of Family Rifts:

• A Loss of Identity: Family dissension can cause us to struggle with a deep loss of identity and leave us feeling completely ungrounded.
• Anxiety and Depression: The constant weight of broken relationships frequently fuels anxiety and depression. I know many people who carry the constant worry of, “What happens if I accidentally run into them?”
• The Heartache Left Behind: I think of a wonderful mother I knew who raised her children beautifully, yet due to an issue between their families, those kids didn’t speak to each other for years. How heartbreaking it is for a parent to leave this world knowing their children are still fighting.

Looking Upward

Scripture reminds us in Matthew 6:14, “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Sometimes we simply have to look at the situation, summarize it, and accept the reality—even when dealing with truly toxic people.

We cannot always control how others act, but we can protect our own hearts and choose path of forgiveness.

Have you ever felt that deep anxiety or loss of identity from a family conflict?

Watch Episode 3 now, and let’s keep navigating these hard truths together.

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking of the word CHANGE.

As much as we don’t always like it, everything is CHANGING. Even time changes every day.

When we try to hold onto things too tightly, we struggle with CHANGE.

Jesus teaches us to live in the moment, and to allow change to happen because HE has a plan.

The Scriptures tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!”

And Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Today, embrace change, give praise to God for the changes that are happening in your life, and in your family, and in your community, and in our world.

Don’t be afraid of change. Know that it all is a gift From God! And have a blessed day.

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking of a quote by Samuel Rutherford.

He says,” The secret formula of the saints is: When I am in the cellar of AFFLICTION, I look for the Lord’s choicest wines.”

This quote caught my eye on many levels. First, I like wine.

And secondly, not only have I had the personal experience of being in the cellar of affliction, I have also been blessed over the years with people sharing stories of their own afflictions with me.

Whether it be the loss of a loved one, a struggle with an addiction, or the fear of living in anxiety or depression, at one time or another we have all known what it is like to enter into the cellar of AFFLICTION.

The key is to taste the choicest wines. In our pain, hold onto the only thing that leads us through our affliction, the BLOOD OF CHRIST!

Today, look at how Jesus has carried you through afflictions in your own life.

He has never abandoned you or left you alone. Rather, He invites you to drink from the cup!

So hold it with two hands and taste the choicest wine! Have a blessed day!