by Marie | Oct 25, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
‘I don’t remember the date I met Marty. Like a lot of people…the line I was in wasn’t moving as quickly as I wanted, and I glanced towards the cashier…an affable-looking man in his seventies. I thought, “Well, he’s an old guy and it probably takes him longer.” For the next few minutes, I watched him. He greeted every customer with the usual “How’s it going?” Then he did something different—he actually listened. You don’t give much thought to the question. I could say, “I just found out I’ve six months to live,” and someone would reply, “Have a great day!” The old cashier walked around to the customers, extended his hand, looked them in the eye and said, “I want to thank you for shopping here today. Have a great day.” The looks on their faces were priceless. There were smiles and sheepish grins. All had been touched by this simple gesture…Some walked away, paused…and looked back…they couldn’t quite comprehend what had just happened…I wanted to take him home and feed him cookies!… I’d been in that store a hundred times and never walked away feeling like that.’ A marriage counsellor asked a couple to list each other’s good qualities. The husband listed twelve. His wife couldn’t think of any! The Bible says, ‘Look for the best in each
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by Marie | Oct 24, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
The bible is full of people who used their talents to bless others: musicians, masons, seamstresses, ship-builders, teachers, farmers, fishermen, authors, architects, artists, administrators, etc. God gives ‘…each of us the ability to do certain things well…’ (Romans 12:6 TLB). Yet much of what He gives us goes unrecognised and unused. Mac Anderson says, ‘Making a living isn’t the same as making a life. You can’t fake passion; it’s the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive…The first step is to know what you love. We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life’s greatest challenges is to match them with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. Sometimes we only find it through trial and error—but it’s worth the effort. James Audubon (1785-1851) changed locations, partners and businesses, yet failed and became bankrupt. Not until he understood he must change did he have any shot at success. He loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter and artist. He travelled the country observing and drawing birds, and earned a place as one of the greatest wildlife artists ever. More importantly, the work made him happy and provided the peace of mind he’d sought all his life.’ The Psalmist says, ‘I cry out to God…who will fulfil his purpose for me.’
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by Marie | Oct 23, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
God uses people like you, regular folk with work and family responsibilities, mortgages and busy lives. The Bible says, ‘we are…created…to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ Note the word ‘prepared.’ It’s the same word that’s used for making sure a team has the training and equipment it needs to win. The truth is, we are ‘…God’s instruments to do his work…’ (1 Peter 2:9 TM). When do you know the true value of an instrument? When it’s in the hands of a master! So put your life into the Master’s hands and watch what He does with it. He ‘saved us…not because of anything we did… but because of God’s purpose…before time began’ (2 Timothy 1:9 NCV). And He ‘…has given each of [us] a gift from his great variety…to serve one another’ (1 Peter 4:10 NLT); ‘…gifts…to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church…’ (Ephesians 4:11-12 NLT). Do you still think your life doesn’t count for much? Jesus said, ‘Go and make followers of all people in the world…Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you, and I will be with you always…’ (Matthew 28:19-20 NCV). You’re not just another face in the crowd; your life has value and purpose, even on those days when
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by Marie | Oct 22, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
A lady whose only Bible reading was a promise box. Remember those? First, she reached in and pulled out a Scripture that read, ‘Judas went out and hanged himself.’ So she reached for a second one, and it said, ‘Go thou and do likewise.’ Quickly, she reached for a third one, and it said, ‘And what thou doest, do quickly.’ Seriously, don’t just read the promises of God, study the conditions that go with them! Through personal revelation. Hannah Whitehall Smith said: ‘I lay it down as a foundation principle…that God’s voice will always be in harmony with itself, no matter in how many different ways He may speak. The voices may be many, the message can be but one. If God tells me in one voice to do or to leave undone anything, He cannot possibly tell me the opposite in another voice…therefore my rule for distinguishing the voice of God would be to bring it to the test of harmony.’ So, make sure you are asking in harmony with God’s will. Meditation: ‘If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us…we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.’ – 1 John 5:14-15 Also Read: The Influence of Jesus Christ Understanding God: God of
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by Marie | Oct 21, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
If a president or prime minister decided to visit you and spend the night at your house. You wouldn’t leave dirty dishes piled up in the sink, clothes strewn across the floor, and a ring around the bathtub. No, you’d give the place a radical makeover! And you wouldn’t make them sleep in the garage, the box room or the attic; you’d vacate the master bedroom and give it to them. Your goal would be to honour them in every way because their presence had honoured you. Now read this: ‘You have declared today that the Lord is your God. And you have promised to walk in his ways, and…do everything he tells you. The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Meditation: ‘He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God.’ – Deuteronomy 26:19 Also Read: The Influence of Jesus Christ Understanding God: God of Delegation After A Flash of Inspiration, What’s Next? (2) Reaching Rahab (1) I Found
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by Marie | Oct 20, 2025 | Archives, Inspiration
A football team that was losing badly. Pointing to the captain, their coach on the sidelines kept shouting, ‘Give the ball to Calhoun! Give the ball to Calhoun!’ Fed up and frustrated, the captain finally shouted back, ‘Coach, Calhoun doesn’t want the ball!’ Yesterday we talked about those who would rather be a spectator than a player. Today, let’s talk about those who are on the team but don’t want to put their heart into it. While rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah wrote, ‘The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work.’ These guys suffered from two common diseases known as ‘convenient commitment’ and ‘limited involvement.’ For every person who fulfils their dream, you will find a hundred others who only talk about it. You say, ‘Let somebody else do the giving for a change.’ If somebody else sows, somebody else will reap the harvest you were meant to reap. Is that okay with you? The Bible says, ‘God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others’ (2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT). When God’s blessing stops flowing through you, it stops flowing to you. Think long term. Treasure in heaven is laid up, only
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