Author: Aleese Gooden

Buying groceries is challenging. Some days I seem to buy too many groceries, and other days I buy too few. I can’t predict with much accuracy my family’s rate of food consumption.

I can’t get groceries right, but God can. After rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He provided manna, a type of bread, for more than a million people every day for forty years. God told the Israelites to gather as much bread as each family needed. Scripture says, “The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed” (Exodus 16:17-18).

Jesus also managed to feed five thousand people bread and fish so that each person “had enough to eat” (John 6:12).

As I looked at these two crowd stories, I thought about how unique each person would be. There would be large and small appetites. Rich people who could afford bread and poor people who could not afford bread. Regardless of each person’s circumstance, God in Christ provided enough bread for all.

We sometimes think God cannot provide us with enough of His grace, love and peace to handle our lives. Yet in these two stories, we see God providing exactly what each person needs. These stories show us that we can depend on God in Christ to provide exactly what each of us needs to grow stronger in faith.

Photo By freestocks.org

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

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Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This weekend, a friend and I walked along the Sinnissippi Gardens path and through Anderson Japanese Gardens. Even though I was familiar with these gardens, they looked different from my last visit. Both gardens were full of mature plants and flowers covered with blooms and color. Each time I visit the gardens, I notice something I haven’t seen before.

These walks reminded me that Scripture is like these gardens. No matter how familiar we may think we are with a verse or passage, the Spirit can always show us something new. The Spirit will prod us to explore a word differently, point us to another definition or show us a new layer of meaning within the verse. Scripture is never static. When the Spirit teaches us through the Scriptures, He will give us a new understanding and fuller knowledge of God in Christ.

The teachings of the Holy Spirit keep God’s word alive and fresh and new in our lives. He illuminates our hearts and minds with His divine perspective on Scripture. He makes certain we see in God’s Word all that is necessary to grow us deeper and stronger in faith in Christ.

The Spirit is in the world to teach us the truths of Scripture: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).

Photo By Matt Noble

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

This morning at 5:30 as I started my bike ride the heat and humidity were already making their presence known. The steamy, thick air stuck to my clothing and skin. And the heaviness of the air made breathing a bit difficult as I pedaled along my route. This drippy weather causes my body to move more slowly and unresponsively as it pushes through the wet air.

As I rode along I realized how much sin is like hot, humid air. Sin clings to the soul and makes the heart heavy. There are days when my sin weighs down my soul. On these days, my soul is unresponsive to Christ’s call on my life. I push through the day slowly, my soul bogged down by the reality of my transgressions.

But then the sweet refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit blows into my soul, and revealing my Savior. Suddenly, through the power of the Spirit, I am able by faith to take to the cross of Christ the sin that clings to my soul. At the cross, I repent of my iniquities, and Christ takes my sin to Himself and offers me redemption, forgiveness and new life. As I receive Christ’s gifts of salvation the burdens of my soul are lifted, and my heart rejoices in God my Savior.

Let the Spirit freshen your soul with the saving grace of Jesus Christ. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

Photo By Shashank Shekhar

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

The crickets are in full voice tonight. The sky is clear and bright, and a slight breeze is stirring the air. The cooler temperatures carry with them a reminder that summer is passing and fall is coming.

Seasons come and go, but each season brings a unique kind of hope. In summer we look forward to long, lazy sunlit days filled with friends and family. The vivid, vibrant colors of fall give us a hope that there is always beauty in the world. Winter may be harsh, but it’s pure-white snow, which cause disruptions, reminds us that some of our most amazing moments in life come from an interruption to our schedule or plans. And spring gives us the hope of new birth.

Our lives also have seasons. Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

The seasons of our lives remind us of God’s presence in our days. Our life from birth to death is filled with seasons. But these seasons carry hope from God. When we enter a season of mourning, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). When we weep, Jesus meets us in our sorrow. In a season of silence, God can be heard. During the season of love we learn, “God is love” (1 John 4:16).

When the time is right for searching, God can be found.

God in Christ is in all the seasons of our lives.

Photo By Isaac Wendland

A friend made a slight alteration to a typical chocolate-chip cookie recipe. She substituted coconut oil for ordinary butter. The oil infused the dough with a light flavor of coconut, which made the cookie special. The swap between butter and coconut oil did not change the appearance of the cookie; anyone looking at the cookie would think it was chocolate chip. Only a sampling of the cookie revealed the change in flavor.

When I became a Christian the Holy Spirit infused my sinful nature with the Holy nature of Christ. I was still a sinner, but I was a sinner saved by grace. My outward appearance did not change; friends were still able to recognize me. However, inwardly, my heart was changing. At first, I found it difficult to detect the changes the Holy Spirit was making to my life. Then, slowly, I began to realize my old behaviors were not acceptable to God. When I became angry, the Spirit awakened a remorse in me over my anger. I was still impatient with others, but the Spirit made me aware of the damaging affects impatience had on my relationships with people and God. And the Spirit was teaching me to use my tongue to encourage others and honor God.

I have a long way to go, but the Spirit will continue to change my heart, and one day I will “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).

Photo by Wendy Rueter

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

As a child I dealt with unpleasant happenings in my schedule, whether it was a big test at school or a dentist appointment, by looking forward to something enjoyable. I thought this was my own coping technique.

Then I read through the last conversation Jesus had with His disciples just a few hours before His arrest and crucifixion. His words were not only about His coming suffering and death but also about the resurrection life. Jesus is teaching His disciples about the eternal life that awaits Him after the unpleasantness of death has passed. He looks forward to His glorious resurrection.We all cope with death. Whether we are facing our own mortality or the loss of loved ones, death is agonizing.

But Christ helps us cope with death by offering us the same hope He offered His disciples when He said, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). When we focus on Christ’s risen life and His eternal life in the kingdom of God, we no longer need to dread the unpleasantness of death; instead, we can focus on the wondrous, glorious eternal kingdom of God offered to us through faith in Jesus Christ.

Christ came into the world so He could die on the cross to save us from sin and death. Then through the power of the Holy Spirit He was raised to life, so that in Him we might also have life. Death has been overcome by life. Now that is worth thinking about.

Photo by Greg Ortega

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2

There are days I get Chronic Ego Flare-up (CEF), a condition in which my ego starts screaming for attention. My whacked-out ego seizes my thoughts and badgers my mind with rantings, grumblings and complaining. Suddenly, I am debating myself about my pay scale at work and whether I am being paid what I am worth. Or I am eager for credit for my smallest accomplishment. During this time I even wonder if I was put on earth to do much greater things than coach. The issues that come to my mind are not usually things I think about except when I am having a CEF attack.

My inflated ego means I have decided to govern my own thoughts, words and deeds and to ignore the claim Christ has on my life. In other words, when my ego goes postal I am staging a coup against God for control of my life. I have yet to discover what triggers these flare-ups; I do know the remedy is Christ’s cross.

As my sinfulness escalates, God in Christ shows me His cross. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, I am made aware of Christ’s sacrifice on my behalf. The Spirit awakens me to Jesus’ absolute submission to God and the glory the Son brought to the Father through His death on the cross. After Judas left the Passover meal to betray Jesus, Jesus said to the disciples, “Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him” (John 13:31).

When the Spirit leads me to Christ’s cross, my ego is abased; then I submit to God’s authority over my life.
Photo by Laurenz Kleinheider

Denise Larson Cooper has a passion for Christ and sharing His Word. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise currently works as a gymnastic coach.

Subscribe to Ordinary Days on iTunes!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ordinary-days/id1339262108

Check Out Denise’s Books!

Godnesia: Keeping God in Mind Each Day http://amzn.to/2GSquOD

Ordinary Days With an Extraordinary Savior – http://amzn.to/2mFGASB

Life Is a Metaphor: Recognizing God in the Everyday – http://amzn.to/2De1rU2