Just breathe. Just take two or three good deep breaths. Just feel the breath come in and the air fill your lungs. Feel how alive you are in this moment, and just let go. Let go of all those things you were supposed to get done today and all you didn’t get done. All the calls you were supposed to make, the things on your To-Do List - none of them matter. The only thing that matters is you and your relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s all. So put those other thoughts aside and let them flow away like leaves in a stream. Let them flow away… and just breathe. Abba! The first thing I want to remind you of is how much the Father loves you. Perhaps the word “father” causes you...more

I met Betty Wiseman almost 20 years ago when I became pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church. Over these years, Betty has become a trusted friend, counselor and prayer warrior. She has a deep commitment to Christ that has led her to at least 6 continents on mission journeys. I love her enthusiasm for Christ, His kingdom and for life. She has become and still is one of my heroes. The Stack by Betty Wiseman The stack keeps getting higher and a little more ragged and worn from travel and use. The scripture verses on these 3 x 5 cards are smudged with fingerprints, underlined and highlighted, edges torn, and most are personalized...more

We often see trust as a passive state. So, when we read the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6 about how we are not to worry or waste our lives pursuing things like pagans do, we mistakenly think this means we are to simply sit and wait, while God brings to us all that we need in our lives. This is one of those moments where listening to Jesus through the prism of His own life would expand greatly our understanding of this passage. For Jesus, His trust in the Father was His life’s work. • Because Jesus trusted the Father completely, He relentlessly submitted Himself to His identity in God and refused to let anyone else name Him. For instance, whenever the crowds tried to anoint Him king, He would...more