As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was reflecting on TIMING. Sometimes it seems that everything in life is about TIMING. A good comedian knows how to use timing when telling a story or joke. A good cook must rely on timing to create a wonderful meal.

A good preacher knows when to stop! Even our streetlights are timed to keep us from having accidents. We have calendars, schedules, clocks, and alarms, all to help with TIMING. I wonder how many TIMES we turn to God and ask that we live in HIS TIMING. We need to trust that when we are called to WAIT there is reason.

The Scriptures tell us, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”, Psalm 27:14. We read in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Today, I am going to pay special attention to GOD’S TIMING in my life. Have a great day and make TIME for the Lord!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking of the word “WAITING”. We might be waiting for a relationship or waiting for good news from a doctor’s report. We might be waiting for a loved one to return home. When God brings a time of WAITING, sometimes it seems like HE is non-responsive.

We get anxious and we try to fill that time of waiting, which might really be God’s way of SANCTIFICATION. We need to wait for God’s timing because it is perfect; it will not disappoint us. We need to wait for God to MOVE! So, today I’m going to PATIENTLY wait. I am going to trust that God has a reason for everything under the sun.

And while I wait, I will continue to know, love, and serve HIM! Psalm 27:14 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”! Have a blessed day!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about GIFTS. My gifts for my family are all wrapped and under the tree, but I am thinking about the GREATER gifts.  What gifts have I received this year?  I received the gift of PATIENCE.  Waiting and waiting for direction has shown me patience.  I received the gift of PERSEVERANCE, even when I felt like giving up.  I received the gift of FRIENDSHIP from many around me.  I received the gift of TEARS through personal losses.  I received the gift of HEALING as Jesus works deeper in my life.  I received the gift of FORGIVENESS as I strive to forgive those in my life I need to forgive.

Even though I received a lot of gifts, what gift am I giving Jesus for HIS birthday, since this is all about HIM?  What could I possibly give HIM?  The only thing I can give HIM completely Is MYSELF.  I can give HIM my loneliness, my BROKENNESS, my fears.  These are the only true gifts I can give HIM.  It doesn’t seem much to give the KING OF KINGS, but it’s all I need to GIVE!  What are you going to give Jesus this Christmas?

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I am thinking about something that St. Teresa of Avila once said, “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. Though all things pass, God does not change. Patience wins all things! But he lacks nothing who possesses God; for God alone suffices!”

As we approach ADVENT, we are preparing for the LIGHT of CHRIST to come into our world. What perfect timing. When it seems that the world is so dark, with JOY and ANTICIPATION we can welcome the light.

The darkness, too, will pass, as it has generation after generation, but we must search for the LIGHT. Today is a great day to think ahead, to think of this ADVENT season in which we can spiritually prepare for the LIGHT, welcoming Jesus into our world, our nation, our families, and our hearts!

Let’s not stay in the darkness, let’s embrace the LIGHT!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking of Saint Teresa of Avila. Today is her Feast Day. She said, “Let NOTHING disturb you, let NOTHING frighten you, though all things pass. God does NOT change. PATIENCE wins all things. But he lacks nothing who possesses God; for God ALONE suffices.”

What a wonderful reminder at the beginning of a day! We cannot let things disturb us or frighten us, because our GOD is with us. Whenever you feel under attack, overwhelmed, or anxious, the Saints always remind us that there is power in Jesus.

Today we surrender our worries, our fears, the pressures, the attacks, with the powerful words, “Oh Jesus, I Surrender myself to you. You take care of everything.”

Have a very wonderful, blessed day! And Saint Theresa, pray for us!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was reflecting on the gift of WAITING.

Time is such an important and valuable part of our lives. We spend a lot of our time WAITING, waiting in traffic, waiting in line, waiting to hear from a friend, waiting to finish an exam; the list goes on and on. We cannot deny that WAITING is a part of that valuable time.

But WAITING is an art. We must learn to WAIT PATIENTLY, knowing that God’s plan is unfolding in perfect time. The Scriptures are full of people who waited patiently for God to reveal His plan. Abraham and Sarah waited to have a child they so longed for. Noah waited for the waters to recede. Paul waited in the prison cells. And we, too, are invited to wait for God’s perfect timing.

We may get restless or uncomfortable, but we need to deal with our frustrations by learning to practice the ART OF WAITING.

Today, I am going to practice the art of WAITING joyfully. I’m going to trust that God is working in each and every area of my life for HIS glory. Waiting doesn’t mean I can’t continue to live in HIS presence. It just means HE has a greater plan, and HE wants me to trust HIM!

Have a blessed day!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking of the word “WAITING”. We might be waiting for a relationship to change, or waiting for good news, or waiting for a doctor’s report. We might be waiting for a loved one to return home, or waiting for a package to come.

When God brings us a time of WAITING, it sometimes seems like HE is non-responsive. We get anxious, and we try to fill that time of waiting with other things without realizing the waiting might really be God‘s way of sanctification. We need to wait for God‘s timing because it is perfect; it will not disappoint us. We need to wait for God to MOVE in His own time.

So today, I’m going to PATIENTLY wait. I am going to trust that God has a reason for everything under the sun. And, while I wait, I will continue to know, love, and serve HIM! Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord!” Have a blessed day!

As I sit and have my cup of coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about the word PATIENCE. The definition of PATIENCE is the capacity to accept trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.

It’s not easy to be PATIENT with one another. I often pray that God gives me PATIENCE when things don’t go exactly as I planned, when I get “sacred interruptions.” These are interruptions that I don’t plan but that God puts in front of me just to see how I will do.

In Romans 12:12 it says, “Rejoice in HOPE, be PATIENT in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” And Ephesians 4:2 says, “With all humility and gentleness, with PATIENCE, bearing with one another in love.”

As Christians, to practice the art of PATIENCE is a great goal for us. Whether we are in line waiting for something, or frustrated that things are not running smoothly, or are unable to find understanding from others, in PRAYER, we can practice the art of PATIENCE.

Today, I am going to not only be patient with others but with myself. Try it, and 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 and have my coffee with Jesus, I was thinking about the word patience. Yesterday, I was driving, and a car would not let me over into the next lane to exit the offramp. Needless to say, I got frustrated. I was waving and had many uncharitable thoughts.  

Thirty minutes later, I got back on the freeway going home, and a large truck was trying to move into my lane. I flashed my lights and let him in. He tapped his brakes as if to say, “Thank you.” I felt that we created a friendship in that simple action. When I passed him, we waved at each other. I thought this was the way it was supposed to be.  

So today, be patient and kind, whether you encounter someone in person or on the road.  

Have a blessed day. And drive carefully!