A Cup of SonShine for Your Day

Jesus is the Light in this Dark world. He is the Son of God, and He is shining for all to see. Won't you bring your cup today to be filled up by Him? This blog is about redirecting our focus to Jesus ~ the Author and Perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2). As you read, you will find prayers and encouragement, poems and thoughts inspired by the Word of God and a daily walk with Jesus. So bring your favorite mug and fill it up with a Cup of SonShine for Your Day!

Monday, June 27, 2016

Day 7: Broken Seashells

Marshmallows covered in chocolate.

Seashells scattered on the beach.

Bright white lilies still wearing the morning’s dew.

Good old down-home country cooking.

Family memories.

All of these mean something to me today, but I want to zero in on the seashells.

Most scattered seashells on the beach are broken pieces of a once-whole living thing.

Now they are merely a remnant.

But think how beautiful those shells are.

So many colors—

So many different shapes.

To a child, each one is a treasure.

It is not until we become adults that only the whole shells capture our interest.

What is my point?

There is beauty in brokenness, and God uses it to tell a merciful story of His grace and love.

When we are weak, He is strong. He is always there—and He is waiting for us to come to Him for the help we so desperately need.

In truth, we can do nothing apart from Jesus and His love. We need His life, and we need His strength—otherwise we will wilt.

What does that look like for me today?

A cup of SonShine full of prayer, reading the Bible, and walking in step with the Holy Spirit.

That needs to be my powerhouse every day.

“Lord, I need You. Help me remember that I can do nothing apart from You.

Help me as I seek to be humble, and show me right away when I do wrong so that I can come to You, tell you that I sinned, and trust You to cleanse me as only You can.

I need You, Lord.

I need You every day.

You are the Source of my Joy, and a life lived connected to You in Prayer and Your Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is a joyful life.

I love You, Lord.

Thank You.

Help me.

Help me today to see the beauty in the broken through eyes of faith.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Day 6a: A Chrome Butterfly...

A Hawaiian flower made all of chrome—

A delicate butterfly too.

The way it brightens your day and brings a smile to your face,

You would think they were put on that car just for you. : )

Isn’t it wonderful how the simplest things we see can just brighten our day and make us smile?

“Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the blessing of butterflies and new life.

Thank You for flowers and for the gift of blooming in adversity.

"You are so beautiful, Lord.

Color stands out in a drab place.

May we as Your children stand out in a dark world today.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

What is my cup of SonShine for today?

To be the splash of color to brighten someone’s day and to remind them that God loves them and He sent Jesus to live, die, and be raised from the dead so that they may have life and forgiveness.

Don’t we serve such an amazing God?

There is so much reason to rejoice!

Praise God! For from Him alone comes every good and perfect gift!

And Jesus is definitely the perfect gift!

“Make us bright lights for You today, Lord, in a dark and dying world.

In Jesus’ powerful and wonderful Name, I pray. Amen!”

Day 6: To Forgive—To Let Go

What is my cup of SonShine today?

To forgive and let go.

Oh how much lighter I will be

When I release this burden holding me.

Oh the glorious day

When I let it all go that I may

Be lighter than air

Because I choose to care

Instead of cast a stone.

I will no longer stand alone.

Today.

I choose today.

Today I will let go.

Today I will move on.

The hurt may still remain.

But the bitterness will be gone.

I give it all to Christ.

For none else can ever save.

He will lead me in this path.

For He is the One who knows the Way--

To forgive.

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life—

The only Way to our Father God.

He knows all about forgiveness—

For He gives it to all who come to Him that they may know His Father in Heaven—the God of Love.

God loves the whole world,

And He offers forgiveness to us.

Once we become His own,

He calls us to live a life to Him—

Holding nothing back—

And holding no thing against anyone.

We are to let it all go—

To trust our wise Father in heaven—

Who is in control

And who knows what He is doing.

“So today, Lord,

I choose to trust You.

I choose to let go of bitterness and gall and anger and deceit.

Today, I choose to forgive so that I may receive Your cup of Joy—

Your cup of SonShine for me today.

"I love You, dear Lord.

You are beautiful!

It is amazing how peaceful I feel inside and how washed clean I feel.

You are truly amazing.

Thank You for taking a broken vessel like me and choosing to make something beautiful.”

Today, I let go so I can let God take over and do a new work in me—

A work of Love.

“Oh, Dear Lord,

Show me every area that I must let go of—

Every person that I must forgive.

Even if it is painful—

Even if it is hard.

If You sweat drops of blood for me,

And endured the pain of Calvary—

You can help me through anything.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I praise You, Lord!

Your name is above every other!

You are magnificent.

You are merciful.

You are so loving and kind.

You are compassionate.

I love You, dear Lord.

Make me more like You today.

Bring me closer to Your heart today.

I want to see You everywhere.

I want to know You more deeply.

Oh, Lord, be my everything!

I give You this day!

I thank You that You are the SonShine in it—and You are ALWAYS enough for me.

I love You, dear Lord!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Day 5: To Love, To Listen, To Treasure

A cup of coffee,

And a nice long chat.

A friendly tea party

And a flowery hat…

Today, my cup of SonShine is to love others as I love myself, and to honor others before myself (Matthew 7:12; Romans 12:10).

May my words be kind.

May my thoughts be pure.

May my love be sincere.

May my actions be thoughtful.

May my words build up and encourage—and NOT tear down or discourage.

May I take time to listen and treasure every moment.

“Lord, I give this day to You.

I give this time to You.

Help me to experience every moment, and to be aware of Your presence with me.

Help me remember that I do not face today alone—that today is a gift and a treasure to be used wisely.

May I stay near to You. Hold my hand, Lord. Incline my heart to You—that I may follow You today and live by Your grace.

I love You, Lord.

Use me today to Love and Listen and spend each moment wisely.

Produce Your fruit in my life today, Lord, as I keep in step with Your Holy Spirit within me by Your grace.

I love You, Heavenly Father.

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.”

Sunday Rest

Psalm 118:1 (NKJV)

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118:22-24 (NKJV)

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

I Peter 2:7-10 (NKJV)

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,

and

A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

May today be a day of rest and rejoicing as you spend time in the presence of Jesus, your Savior, the Chief Cornerstone.

Enjoy your cup of SonShine for today:

Rest and Rejoicing in the presence of our Lord.

May His praise be on our lips as we give thanks for His mercies that are new every morning and as we seek to make known to those around us His mercies that He has shown to us.

God bless you with a Sunday filled to overflowing with His grace and peace, love and joy.

Lord, may this day be all about You.

May we take time today to just BE in Your presence

and BE still, knowing that You are God.

I love You, Lord.

Help me to dwell on Your mercies today

and make them known

in grace and love.

I love You, Lord!

I give You this day.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Day 4: The Bubbles in a Bubbly Day

Who put the small pink wildflower on the path just so I would notice it today?

Who put the radiant color in the sunrise just so I would have a reason to get up?

Who put the clouds in the sky so I could see through the eyes of my imagination a whole zoo of animals?

Who put the ring in a bell, the shine in the sun, and the brilliant stars in the sky?

Who put the bubbles in a bubbly day—

And the Love in a Lovely night?

It is my God—the One God—the Only God. The God who is Love.

The God who is three—yet One—

The Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus the Son.

God makes a good day good.

God makes a good night Great.

My night was going downhill fast, so I cried out to God for Help.

He heard me and turned things around.

He gave me grace to believe in His promises.

He enabled me to laugh and rejoice and smile.

My God is so good—and I am so blessed.

“Dear Heavenly Father,

You are the One Creator. You are God!

I never need to fear man—for You are in control—and nothing can get to me without being approved by You first.

Your Word says You are for me, for I am Your child (Psalm 118:6; Romans 8:14-15).

You have loved me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

I have nothing to fear—for I am Yours and You are God and who is man or any other creature compared to You?

In dangerous times, I need not fear—for NOTHING can happen that will be beyond Your control—You are always God—You are always good—and I can always trust You.

"So today, I choose to believe. That is my cup of SonShine today. To BELIEVE in You—to Trust in You and to believe Your Word.

I love You, Lord.

Thank You for loving me and for loving the world (John 3:16).

Love the world through me today, I pray.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Day 3: Raining Coconut

What is a cup of SonShine for me today?

A cup of SonShine that leads to joy is to obey.

My cup of SonShine is a delicious, cool mug of refreshing milk.

To do the laundry with thanksgiving in my heart.

To clean the apartment, full of rejoicing for God’s goodness to us.

To do what is set before me—whatever that may be—with praise in my heart and on my lips for the Lord of all things.

And if it rains?

Well—then I will use my imagination that God gave me and pretend it is raining flakes of coconut.

And then I will thank God that it is not raining coconut (what a mess THAT would be to clean up!), and thank Him instead for His glorious creation of rain and water—and for His promise that He will never again use that water to destroy the earth.

I will anticipate the rainbow in the sky that He created to remind us of His promise, and I will choose to thank Him for all of the promises that are ours in Jesus.

“Thank You, Lord, for rain.

Thank You, Lord, for the sun.

Thank You that we need both of them.

Lord, I trust You with this day, and I thank You that You made me in such a way that I need You every moment of every day—whether it is raining or the sun is shining.

Help me stay close to You today, Lord, and if I stray off track, remind me of who You are and where I belong.

Hold my hand, and keep me from being hurled headlong into sin and disaster away from You.

Father, You are so good.

I love You, Lord!

Thank You for loving me!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”