When Fear Engulfs

**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for as long as is available to you.**

    Our imaginations are amazing. How quickly our mind turns to fear is record-breaking. And then fear leads us. It leads us down unhealthy paths of destructive thinking, down the road of no returns and into pits of despair. Fear leads us chaos and hopelessness, then it makes a home there. We cannot imagine a way out and we desperately need one.
 
    We need light. We need light that is not from us but from another. We need truth, hope and light. God is with us, he sees us, will not abandon us and can overcome our greatest fears.

    We need friends to remind us that God's goodness is greater than our fears. When fear engulfs ask for light. Ask God, ask others. Allow light to pierce through the darkness and overwhelm the fear in your mind, heart and soul.

**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**

Enjoy Today!

    Enjoy something today! Maybe it is a great piece of chocolate, a special coffee drink, time with a friend, creative time with a child, etc. Make the choice to enjoy the day and delight in God's goodness to you!

Good Will Overcome

**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**

    Some days it is hard to believe that good will win, that good will overcome evil. So many days it seems like evil is taking over, that we should expect more evil than good and that goodness will not make it.

    Some days our faith dwindles and we cannot see how good will come through, how God will come through. Some days we are grasping for any evidence of goodness and we hold on by a thread.

    Today, may God give you the grace to hope and the faith to believe. May your hope increase and your faith grow even in the seeming absence of goodness.

    Good will overcome.

**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**

Reminders of Goodness

**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**

    “Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.” Psalm 103:18-22

    I need reminders of God’s goodness. Just for my lifetime I need reminders because there are so many stories in the word where it seems like God isn’t doing anything. I need reminders in my life and the future church needs these reminders as well. These reminders serve as opportunities to praise God, opportunities to worship Him and recall His sovereignty and goodness.

    How do you remind yourself of the things God has done? How can these stories be passed down?

**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**

Recalling Goodness

**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**

    Spend time in prayer today recalling goodness. Goodness expressed to you by God through friends, through family, through a neighbor or even a stranger.

    How has God been good to you? Reflect on these moments and memories.

**Sit again in silence for as long as is available to you.**

Posturing for Goodness

**Sit quietly, eyes closed, for one minute before reading.**

    How has God shown you His goodness? How has He shown His goodness through you lately?

    Last week, I woke up with this prayer on my heart: “God, show your goodness through me today.” The theme of goodness stuck in my heart and mind for the next couple days. This prayer allowed me to posture myself for God’s use. No, I was not perfect each day, just reminded that God wanted to show His goodness through me.
    Will you posture yourself for goodness today? Will you pray this prayer?

“God, show your goodness through me today, amen.”

**Sit again in quiet for as long as is available to you.**

Under the Radar

**Before you begin reading, sit down, breathe normally and be quiet for 1 minute.**

Under the radar. God loves to work under the our radars. He is often working, redeeming and resurrecting when we have no clue. We think because we cannot see God working this means He is not. We think He does not care or is ignoring us. Our sight and our understanding often are skewed and so we doubt. At least I do. My prayer for us today is that we would trust. Even if we cannot see or feel God that we would trust that He sees, He is working good things and that He has not forgotten.

**Sit quietly again for as much time as is available to you.**