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Is anything worth more than your soul? Mark 8:37 NLT

Our walk with God is up-close and personal. It is an individual journey based on our decision to love God with all of our heart. Not making the sacrifice to give up what pleases our desires–our will and our way–always results in conflict with the perfect plan of salvation.

Have you asked yourself, “What must I give up to be saved?”

Is it selfishness, pride, stubbornness, a bad temper, unproductive habits, dislike of people, the pursuit of success, the love of money, or an unequally yoked relationship?

Yes it will be difficult to evaluate your way of thinking and how you live in comparison to God’s standards. When you are able to identify and acknowledge through confession, the self-gratifying sins that you love, it is then that you have opened the door of your heart for Christ to change your life.

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

Eternal life means living forever and ever, in God’s presence, and in a perfect and beautiful world. Do not convince yourself that the limited pleasures of this life compare to a glorious and wonderful life with God.

Challenge for life: Submit and align your will with God’s will!

Prayer for today: Dear God, I am ready to give up everything that prevents obedience to your will and your way for my life. I ask you to give me the strength to make the changes that are required to do your will. Thank you for the gift of your precious son that I even have the opportunity for redemption. I love you God because you first loved me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Matthew 6:21 NLT

Mismanagement of Financial Resources has escalated to phenomenal proportions: The average American household has debt exceeding $132,000.

Many years ago, prior to the Debit Card era, we used cash, checks, or money orders to pay for our expenses. We lived and spent money according to our simple budgets, and we stayed within the boundaries of our take-home paychecks. Then the era of Credit and Debit cards with Overdraft protection surfaced and our monthly budgets faded away. We became excited with our first extension of credit and the convenience of using Debit cards.

From the moment, I received my Debit card, I felt relieved that I only had to pay my monthly rent with a check. For years, I lived with an empty wallet; after all, who needs paper money when you have the card. I was convinced that my spending habits were good and the bank statements provided tracking, so there was no need for a separate monthly budget. As long as my bank balance remained on the positive side, I was satisfied with my financial status.

Last year, I was looking at the cable guide (basic cable only) and happened to see the title of a financial management program by Suze Orman. When I heard the real-life testimonials and her responses to “Can I afford this” and “How to get out of Debt” questions, I was surprised that she supported developing monthly budgets, tracking all expenses, and restricting use of Credit/Debit cards.

I went a step further and enrolled in an online Financial Management course and discovered that I had the wrong mindset and had been grossly mismanaging my financial resources.

Strike 1: First and foremost, as a Believer the monies that I possess are gifted by God, and I conveniently pushed those thoughts away.

Strike 2: As long as I had money left over, I patted myself on the back for doing the job of budgeting quite well.

Strike 3: I never reviewed the bank statement for tracking purposes because I justified all of my expenditures.

My life has changed drastically since I learned to manage my finances. Believe me, it took much prayer to break the chains of unnecessarily spending money. My wallet still contains a Debit card; however, it also contains a budgeted amount of cash money that reinforces stringent boundaries.

It feels great to finally have peace concerning my financial status. Now I can focus on stengthening my relationship with God, by studying the Bible, praying, and using the extra resources to help those who are in need.

Challenge for today: Invest $25 and take an online Financial Management course.

Prayer for today: Dear God, It is you who are the only giver of good gifts. I ask forgiveness for mismanaging the resources that you have blessed me with. I ask you to give me the strength to change the bad habits of wasting money, and time spent on meaningless activities. Thank you for hearing and answering this prayer. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV

There are many changes that have occurred in the six decades that I have been alive, some good and many not so good; however, one thing that has virtually disappeared is the giving and exchange of compliments among adults, especially women. In fact, the typical reaction of most recipients of a compliment is silence. Is the giving and cordial receiving of compliments part of a lost era or rules of etiquette that were never learned? Have we forgotten how to extend ourselves to make others feel good?

There are various possibilities as to why we have ceased to give positive and thoughtful praise to others; even so, the most logical explanation is that we possess a negative outlook.

Have you thought about the type of thoughts that dominate your mind and how those thoughts impact your way of life? Our thoughts dictate our behaviors and actions. If negative thoughts permeate your mind, then it is not possible to feel good about yourself or others.

How does negativity impact your relationship with God? It is not possible to really trust in God or to be thankful and possess joy when our thoughts and moods fluctuate according to our circumstances.

We are reminded to think on and possess thoughts which are excellent and praiseworthy. So, if the circumstances of life have shaped your character and you are a negative person then God has provided the answer for change. The transition of thinking altogether-lovely thoughts has many positive benefits with the most important is that your character is molded to prepare you for Eternal life.

God is in the business of changing our characters!

Start your journey by giving God positive complements everyday: Prayers of Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship with Songs and Uplifting Music and studying His Word to find out who He really is.

Identify your qualities and embrace positive thoughts about yourself. Begin to give yourself compliments on the small accomplishments that you make on a daily basis. This is a process that builds a positive self-image and self-esteem. God desires that we embrace the fact that He created us in his image, and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

It is wonderful to live with a spirit of thanksgiving–a positive way of life emerges–your connection with God remains consistent, you begin to love yourself as God loves you, and you are able to readily extend gracious compliments to others.

It is a beautiful life and it wouldn’t be complete without you in it.

Prayer for today: Dear God, Thank you for all of the wonderful blessings in my life. Help me to appreciate your love, your grace, and your mercy. I ask for your guidance as I make the transition from negativity to a positive and thankful outlook on life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

But Moses replied, “Please Lord, send someone else.” Exodus 4:13 BSB

Promises of Deliverance

When God approached Moses and commanded him to go to Pharoah for the deliverance of the enslaved Israelites. Moses made several excuses to which God responded by giving His exact instructions that required obedience and action on the part of Moses. (Read Exodus 3:9-4:16)

When the man at the Pool of Bethesda was asked by Jesus if he wanted to be healed. He did not say yes, the man complained about not being able to get into the pool. (Read John 5:1-7)

Have you promised to serve God by actively visiting the sick, feeding the homeless, attending weekly church services, including prayer or bible studies or keeping the seventh-day Sabbath? What about giving up worldly habits and keeping company with individuals who are not striving for eternal life?

Have you identified your talents and spiritual gifts to witness and spread the great news of God’s love and the plan of Salvation?

The life of a believer involves action; our lives are not our own, we must:

Stop making excuses!

Jesus is telling us to: “Rise, pick up your bed and walk!”

It is by faith and true obedience to God that we accept and put into action, God’s perfect plan for our lives.

Challenge for today: Make a plan to incorporate service to God in your daily life. You are the someone that others need to show them that God is love, and that He has promised Eternal life to all who are faithful and obedient to His commandments.

Prayer for today: Dear God, Please send me. I am ready to live by faith and obey your will for my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Jesus asked them, Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill? But they remain silent. Mark 3:4

The 7th Day Sabbath is a 24-hour period from Friday Sunset to Saturday Sunset in which the focus is exclusively on our Spiritual Relationship with God.

All of our activities honor God who is our Creator: Attending Church, Praying, Studying the Bible and reading inspirational books, Nature Outings, Visiting the Sick in their homes, hospitals and Long Term Care facilities, and yes, there is still plenty of time to enjoy extra physical rest.

We utilize Thursdays and Fridays to prepare for Saturday-Sabbath. For 24 hours, we abstain from all secular activities such as watching regular television programs, cooking, shopping, financial matters, going out to restaurants, and all other activities that we have six days of the week to take care of.

The Sabbath is a time that I eagerly look forward to. I am refreshed by the closer connection to God since the distractions of daily life are not present. It’s not that my problems magically disappear or that I pretend that they are non-existent; it’s that I make a conscious effort to obey God by keeping His command: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”

The Sabbath eases the burdens of everyday life. Our mind and body respond well to Sabbath rest; decreased level of stress and an increased level of peace and contentment from a mental and emotional perspective. Our physical body strengthens because we do not have to expend energy for the daily rigors of working on a job.

Personally, I am reminded that I was created in the image of God and through my obedience to keeping the fourth commandment, I enjoy the benefit of honoring God and knowing that my life is in His hands.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

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. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

There are many challenges that we suffer in our lives; even so, God has promised to see us through. It is up to us to seek God in prayer, and believe that He will bring victory.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Isaiah 55:8 NLT

We must trust in God to resolve our struggles in His perfect way. Warning! Do not attempt to help God! Remain faithful, prayerful and always trust in Him.

Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your Heart take courage; wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14 ESV

As we prepare for the oncoming Sabbath, leave your burdens in God’s hands. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Challenge for today: Pray, believe, trust, and wait.

Prayer for today: Dear God, I admit that I am feeling overwhelmed by my current problems. I release all of my anxieties and worries; and I will trust in you to give me victory, in your way and in your time. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

(7) Dear children, do not let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.

(8) But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.

(10) So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. first part

(10) Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. last part 1 John 3: 7-8, 10 NLT

I love watching Sherlock Holmes and any shows that fall into that category because the twists and turns challenge the attention span, concentration, logical deduction and improve the memory; even so, it is exciting when I am able to identify the culprit.

Have you ever read or heard some information that was vague, or confusing, or it appeared to only be part of the story? It happens quite frequently in real life situations where the story is manipulated based on the perception of the individual.

There is only one book that contains 100% truth and that is the Holy Bible which was written under the inspiration of God. From Genesis to Revelation, we are able to read the events from Creation to the Fall of Man; a beautiful description of the New Heaven and New Earth; the history of God’s miraculous deliverance for His people from the enemy; the compassionate life of Christ and His disciples; the defeats and victories of those who struggled with temptations; and instructions for the manner in which we are to live; however, the theme of the Bible is about God’s love, grace, and mercy for all mankind even in our rebellion against Him.

Yes, it was human beings who wrote exactly what God instructed them to write. Have you ever attempted to write, and your thoughts lacked structure or continuity, or you do not even know where to start? If you answer in the affirmative, then it helps you to realize the Bible had to be written under Divine Inspiration.

Considering all that we see, hear, and are exposed to in life, reading the Word of God is like sitting back in a comfortable chair in a beautiful, serene environment and taking in a breath of fresh air.

God is awesome in the fact that He did not leave us alone in our spiritual journey to guess our way through life. We have written instructions (and the guidance of the Holy Spirit) that defines truth and error to lead us and guide us, in our travels down the Path of Righteousness.

As believers, it is imperative that we make a vow to live by “Nothing but the Truth.” We may have to make serious changes in our lives by changing who is in our social circle, by eliminating what we watch or the type books we read. We cannot allow people, places, or things to interfere with our relationship with God who requires a life of holiness.

The People

1 John 3 tells us how to recognize fellow believers.

The Places and The Things

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT

Challenge for today: Make the commitment to give up all things and people that prevent you from living by nothing but the truth.

Verse for today: All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. Revelation 21:7 BSB

Prayer for today: Dear God, I am ready to live by a standard of nothing but the truth. Please help me to recognize all that I must give up in order to live righteously. I love you, I worship you, and I praise your Holy name. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart. Psalm 40:8 NLT

When I was in nursing school, the theoretical part of the program had a grading system with parameters from 80-100: 90-100=A; 80-89=B; 79 or below=Failure. The Clinical aspect which equates to the student nurse performing basic hands-on nursing procedures was based on a Pass or Fail grading standard.

Throughout the program, the pressure was intense, and as a result our class dwindled from 27 enrollees to 7 graduates. On the day of final exams, we anxiously waited for our grades to be posted on the student bulletin board. Each of us were given a numerical identifier to ensure confidentiality. As the Instructor posted the final grades of the program, we were surprised to see that only 4 of the 7 students had passed.

It was the next event that had us in disbelief. We were told that the test contained experimental questions that were included to evaluate our nursing judgment and critical thinking skills based on unfamiliar theory that we had not learned during the program. The disallowed questions had been included in the grading of the exam, and we were instructed to take a 60 minute break while the final exams were regraded. When the grades were reposted, all seven of us had successfully passed.

However, there is a crucial aspect to graduating from nursing school and that is the successful passing of the State Licensure exam–NCLEX that determines if you possess the knowledge to legally practice nursing. Although the second grading of the final exams indicated that 7 student nurses had successfully passed the RN program; it was only the original 4 students who passed the school’s Final Exam that passed the NCLEX exam and we were granted licenses to practice nursing.

In the believers pursuit of righteousness, there are no grading curves, either we possess genuine faith and obedience to the Word of God or we fail. Righteousness is doing what is right. Our characters are revealed by how we live, what we think and speak, and the deeds that we perform on a daily basis.

It is not enough to believe in the theory of truth.

“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.” 1 John 3:7

It is the secrets and the cherished sins in our hearts that God is aware of. We only have this life to put on the robe of Christ’s righteouness. This is our opportunity to form the characters that are necessary for us to reside in the heavenly home that Christ is preparing for us.

By letting go of our selfish desires, and by possessing the willingness to obediently submit to God, we are preparing for our final destination-Eternal life.

Thought for today: It is God’s standards for our characters that determine whether we are passing or failing.

Verse for today: Galatians 5: 22,23

Prayer for today: Dear God, I realize that I must let go of many selfish desires in order for my character to be pleasing to you. I ask you to give me the strength to call on your name to make the significant changes that are required to live righteously. I desire eternal life and I thank you for your grace and mercy upon my life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz

Then Peter begins to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism.” Acts 10:34 BSB

I can recall a movie entitled, “The Scarlet Letter” which was adapted from the 1850 novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne which explored the guilt, ostracism, and sin from a married woman conceiving a child from an extramarital affair. Although she repented and attempted to move forward, the Puritanical Mindset that certain sins carried a “forever punishment” prevailed in her community.

The puritanical mindset has had a stronghold on many Believers in God throughout the history of Christianity, and it still exists. Often we are unable to forgive and forget the sins of others, and we carry the “forever guilt” of our own sins, especially the sins that have ongoing reminders of the consequences.

However, Christianity is built upon the principles of forgiveness, and repentance, not punishment, and the shaming of the guilty. The Bible emphasizes that God is just in all of His ways. We can be reassured of God’s acceptance of our repentance by His complete forgiveness of our sins.

He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquity. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 CSB

God accepts a humble, contrite, and repentant heart. He sacrificed His only Son–Jesus that we may have an opportunity for Eternal life.

There is therefore now, no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Romans 8:1

Regardless of the sin, it is an injustice to give ourselves or others a “Scarlet Letter”. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus which abolishes all the guilt and remembrance of our sins.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Challenge for today: Forgive yourself and forgive others.

Prayer for today: Dear God, Please help me to stop punishing myself and others for past sins. I ask you to forgive me of my sins, past and present, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness and fill me with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Sonya Johnson Ruiz