I’ve worked in the computer industry over 30 years and there’s one word that has been used more often than anything else.  And most times, it usually helped the situation.  That word is REBOOT.  Rebooting a computer is restarting everything on the pc.  It’s restarting the hardware and the software.  It’s a do-over in the computer world. 

As is life.  Every morning when you awake, you can reboot your body and your mind.  You have a decision to make.  You can wake up thanking God for protecting you in the night.  Thank Him for giving you a chance of another day.  Or, the alternative is to lie in bed and worry and be depressed. 

I choose to reboot my mind with God.  To start each day with a clean slate, thanking God for His mercy and love.  Thanking God for my health and my opportunities that lay ahead.

If you’re in Christ, you’re not who you used to be.  Quit living with your old standards and restart life with renewing your mind.  The best way to do this is with God’s Word.  There’s nothing more renewing and refreshing for me each day than to wake up and read His Word and fill my mind with the good things that God has promised me.

Reboot yourself with God tomorrow!  You’ll be amazed at how well your day will go.

Psalm 86:15 – “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”

There’s a Christian song called, “Speak Life” by TobyMac that I love.  My interpretation of the song is that even when life doesn’t make sense, speak life, love and hope to those around you.

You’ll have good days when everything seems to be perfect, and you’ll have other days that it feels like nothing is going right.  I didn’t understand this concept until I re-dedicated my life back to Christ and realized that my life won’t be perfect.  I will have ups and downs.  Life does get hard.  But that doesn’t mean that I give up and feel sorry for myself.  That doesn’t mean that I can’t be happy regardless of my current circumstances.

It means that hope can live or die inside of us.  It’s a choice.  Every day.  I’ve found that when life gets tough and it feels like all hope is gone that this is the best time to give back to someone else that may be hurting.  It’s a time to show love to someone that needs love.

Fill your heart by soaking in your Bible.  The world will fill your mind with words of death.  So, instead of speaking death or harsh words to others, speak life!  Build someone up today. 

Be a person whose mouth is full of life!

Colossians 4:6 – “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

Nobody talks about how they'd like to change and better their character.  They talk about how they can be more comfortable.

A person of good character is often noted for their honesty, ethics and charity.  You’ve heard of ‘a woman of integrity?’  So, a lack of good character would mean someone that behaves dishonestly, unethically and uncharitably. 

Character is influenced by our choices.  If we make good choices, then can weather the storms of life.  It’s God’s purpose to develop character within us.  We must be willing to let the Holy Spirit work within us during this process. 

Just know this:  God sometimes uses trials to strengthen our character.  I’ve seen my most prosperous seasons of life grow my character during the biggest trials.  God is pleased with us when we grow in character.

If your character sets a good example for others to follow, your Godly reputation will be evident to all.

Your endurance is one of the greatest marks of your faith and confidence in God when troubles come.  The consistent theme in my life when trials come is my questions to God: “what are you trying to teach me; what are you wanting me to confess, etc.?”

When we’re on the other side of the trial, we have learned that God is faithful.  God saw us through.  This is the hope we have in Him.

Faith believes, but hope expects.  Be of good character and expect God to change you today.

Romans 5:1 – “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Don't you hate those annoying speed bumps?  Those bumps in the road that force you to slow down?

This scenario applies to our lives also.  There will be bumps in the road.  That is for certain.  Some bumps we will see ahead of time.  Some will appear out of nowhere.  If you're fearing something ahead, bring it to God's attention.  Seek His assurance that whatever is up ahead, God is in control.

No one enjoys a bumpy ride and there will be many twists and turns on the road of life.  I've learned that there will be trials in life, and some will move us to the mountaintop.  Eventually, we will encounter valleys again.  Trust God's plan!

So, sit back.  Enjoy the ride.  Be aware of the speed bumps and trust God to guide you on your journey.  Your final destination will be worth it.

Romans 8:28 – "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

Have you ever experienced something that was not expected, a miraculous healing, or a happy surprise?

I have been through a couple of these events and have even thought to myself, 'was this God's doing?' 

God's grace is full of miracles and unexpected surprises.  God's miracles demonstrate His love for us. This is God's way of showing His power and His desire to work in our lives.

The basis of all miracles is God's sovereignty.  When we're unsure of what's happening or how it's going to turn out, trust Him.  Trust His wisdom and His goodness.  After all, what's the alternative?  Worry, frustration, anger?

Expect miracles.  Look for opportunities for God to do something great in your life. 

Miracles are one of the ways God gives evidence of His power and authority.  Be careful, friends.  Don't treat God as a Jeannie in a bottle.  Get to know Him.  Establish a relationship with Him.  Nourish and kinder that relationship and watch God move in your life.

Wait for a miracle!

Acts 3:16 – "And His name-by faith in His name-has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all."

Did you know that the above phrase can be related to discipleship?  As a Christian, one of our roles is to disciple other believers.  What does this look like?  Basically, we evangelize to the new believer.  Next, we disciple and stabilize, or help them maintain their faith.  Then, we repeat all of this.

In simple terms, it's to lead others to Christ, help establish them spiritually and do it all over again and again.

I've said this before.  We could be the only Bible someone sees today. 

Being a disciple of Jesus gets to the very core of who we are and what we should be doing with our lives.

We can represent Jesus anywhere.  At home, at work, in the grocery store, at our kid's ballgame, etc.  Be intentional about being a disciple. Others are watching Christians to see if this is something they want to be.

Evangelize.  Disciple.  Stabilize.  Repeat.

Matthew 5:14 – “You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."

There is an author, Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote this, "When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade."

Do you sometimes find yourself in an impossible situation? Maybe it's a relationship that is not going anywhere, or stagnant at best. Maybe it's a prior diagnosis that has you worried and up at night wondering what's going to happen.

With God there is always hope, no matter how bad things get. What looks impossible to man is always possible with God.

It's not easy navigating through life. It's impossible to get through life here on earth without God in it. How do I know this? I've tried both ways.

I was rebellious in my early 20's and 30's. Although I was saved at an early age of 16, after a few years, I left God's ways and thought I could do things on my own. I found out very quickly how hard life was without God. You see, my vision of happiness was dependent on my current circumstances and how I could change things that were not working.

I could have been making lemonade with all those lemons that were handed to me, but I didn't.

God turned my life around in my mid 30's and I've never looked back. I'm not saying it was an easy life after that, but I am saying that nothing was impossible for my God. I didn't always understand why God took me down some roads, but I did trust that His ways were the best way.

Trust God to make your lemons into lemonade.

Mark 10:27 – "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God."

Unless you have your head in the sand, you know that these are uncertain times we're living.  When life feels uncertain, it's easy to doubt that God is really with us.  But Biblical history proves over and over again that the same God that is with us during the good times, is with us during the bad times also.

Uncertainty is a difficult thing to bear.  In this age we live in, we're always wanting to know the outcome of things.  When will I get the promotion?  When will my child get well?  How do I know the right time to switch careers? 

But Jesus commands all who are to be His disciples to be able to bear uncertainty.  This is where trust comes in.  If we can't trust God with the little things, like waking up, walking, talking, seeing, then how are we going to be able to trust Him with our future?

There are going to be times in our lives when we don't know where the provision is going to come from.  The detailed plans you made seem to be crumbling before you.  People will disappoint you or reject your help.  Don't let these circumstances paralyze you with fear.  Jesus wants these things to motivate us to prayer. 

I know in my own life when I'm in the middle of an uncertain season, this is when God moves in and demonstrates His power and guidance and love.

So, take heart and know that if you're experiencing one of those seasons of uncertainty, that God acts for those who wait for Him.

Psalm 46:1 – "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."