Subscription Lists
Relationships of The Heart w/ Nancy
by Nancy Watta
Originally published on July 31,2017.
There is times in life when we grow weary of "trying" to be a "good" christian. The words spoken to us by others, turns into a long list in our mind and becomes impossible to incorporate into our life.
Instead of experiencing joy and love, our christian life begins to resemble shattered glass and we do not realize the change. In May I began to study the words mercy and grace, and this is where God began to turn my life, and heart upside down, for me to look at life God's way. His way is right side up filled with mercy ( Click for more )
Last week I began to experience a little anxiousness. When this happens I become restless and no matter how much I accomplish in a day I am not at peace. This is what I experience when I am waiting to move on into the new. At the moment I feel as if I am living with part of my mind and heart in my current city and at the same time living with my mind and heart in my future city. This morning I went on a search for the word peace in the bible. I sat at my desk and began to look at scripture that contained the word peace. Many are common verses that we use regularly without ( Click for more )
There are three relationships in the life of a Christian that are important. We are to allow God to transform us as we live out these three relationships. They are not to be lived out in a linear fashion. Instead they are to be lived out in a wholistic manner. In a similiar fashion like breathing in and out, yet in an intentional manner.
1- Our Relationship with Jesus Christ.
2- Our Relationship with other believers in Jesus Christ. (In Community)
3- Our Relationship with those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.
As we read through the bible we find a book that is ( Click for more )
Today as I began my Monday the topic of leadership style was running through my thoughts. I began to examine my leadership style and realized my style is not, "you must submit to me and honor me I am the leader!" Instead my style is, when there is a problem, "Hey lets sit down and have a chat and work through this issue." My hearts desire as a leader is for people to submit from the heart, not because I am pointing a finger and saying, "You must submit to me because I AM the leader and THEN God will honor and bless you!" As leaders we are to equip ( Click for more )
Although many do not like to admit it there are times that when we watch a movie we cry. A few months ago I was watching a movie and I began to cry and my cries as I watched turned into sobbing. The name of the movie is, “Love Letter to God," and it is a true story. It is a movie that caught me off guard in the heart department. A young boy who went home to be with Jesus, but before he did he touched the lives of many. It is not a story of a young boy, who was in movies, videos or on the big stage of life, or tweeted around the world. Yet, he touched everyone that God ( Click for more )
A few years ago I sat in a church on a Sunday morning with the words invading my thoughts, "I don't want to be here. There must be more!" It was difficult for me to understand why I felt this way. For years from the time I received Jesus Christ and began to live out my life as a Christ follower, I was joyous when Sunday morning came. In conversations, people I met in the business world, acknowledged they were Christians, but they did not want to go to Church. This was something I could not understand at the time, but as I sit here today years later I too have said, ( Click for more )
Today’s society in the US is a hurry, hurry, rush, and push as hard as you can type of society. We are completely destination oriented because of all the commercials we see on TV and the internet, hear on radio, and read in newspapers and magazines. Every advertisement tells us that we will have arrived at our destination as soon as we have purchased the item advertised and that life will be bliss thereafter. Our society, sadly, has come to believe this. The result of all the hurry and seeking our “destination” is that we, as a society, have come to view the ( Click for more )
When we are in need of wisdom, it is very easy to go to others first instead of going to God. The bible tells us to seek wise counsel. My question for today is, how will we know that we are connecting with those who will give us wise counsel unless we first go to God in prayer and dig into his word. Opposites are great in assisting us to understand a word. The opposite of a person of wisdom is one who is a fool. The word fool is not one we use very often in today's' language, but it is used, in the bible. In fact it is found in 62 verses.
In Proverbs 14:7 ( Click for more )
This morning I opened my eyes at 6:30 a.m. The problem, there was no reason for me to be awake this early. Since I was awake I clicked into a message and what did I hear, "It is time to grow up Christian and live the mature christian life. It is time to get off the milk." At the moment as I write this I am listening to a message with descriptions of Nero, Caesar and the church of Smyrna. ( Click for more )
This morning as I began to listen to a couple of chapters in the bible on audio, thoughts of my nephew arrived. I did not try to stuff them down, or think about something else. Instead I remembered the times I held him when I would visit, the endless assistance he needed, because he was a special needs child. It is appropriate to recall such memories of those we love. My nephew Christopher went home to be with Jesus in 2004, but in our hearts he is still part of our family and one we loved and still love.
The deep pain is gone, but there is still a sense of loss that seems ( Click for more )
It is hard to believe tomorrow is Friday. I am ending my Thursday evening writing and watching a movie. As usual I am not ashamed to say, I am crying, more like sobbing as I watch this movie. The name of the movie is, “Love Letter to God," and it is a true story. It is a movie that caught me off guard in the heart department. A young boy who went home to be with Jesus, but before he did he touched the lives of many. It is not a story of a young boy, who was in movies, videos or on the big stage of life, or tweeted around the world. Yet, he touched everyone that God ( Click for more )
There are times when we step out into the battle of life, and it is not the enemy that is causing the problems in our relationships. Instead it is the words that we speak. God states very matter of fact in his word that;
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
When we begin to make excuses for the words coming out of our mouths and place the blame for our words on another we are literally ( Click for more )
It amazes me that when I recorded a CD called, The Journey To Quietness of Heart in 2005 that this recording would speak to me personally over and over again and continue to speak to others. As you read my story to Journey to Quietness of Heart, my prayer for you is that this will encourage you to turn toward Jesus in the midst of the struggles of life. Why am I sharing my story? I share my story allowing others to look into the inside of my life as a leader. Some say that to be a strong leader we must not share in such a transparent way. I disagree. I share what I am sharing ( Click for more )
In the world around us we are experiencing conversation after conversation of negativity. The topics cover our governments, families, neighbors and daily situations. If we are not careful we can begin our day with thoughts that are uplifting and within a few hours we join the ranks of complainers in the world.
When we step back into the battle, or we've been in the battle for years it is important that we protect our mind. Paul speaks of this throughout his writings. Paul speaks to the Philippians in a letter to remind them of what they are to think about.
Finally ( Click for more )
There are many real life battles that oppose each other as we live out our life in this world. There are many battles of disagreement in our information saturated world. One side may believe that abortion is ok and the other side opposes abortion. One side may believe it is not a problem for men and women to live together before marriage, and the other side disagrees with men and women living together outside of marriage. One side may believe that pornography does not harm our society, and the opposing side believes pornography does not harm our society. The list of disagreements ( Click for more )
This morning I read Acts 3. A man who could not walk was sitting near the temple gate. According to this account he was doing what he did in his daily life. He was simply sitting and begging. Along comes Peter and John and the man assumes he is going to receive money. But instead Peter looks at him and says, "Look at us! I have no money, but I will give you what I have." Peter does not touch the man, but he says, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" The man was healed! What a day for this man. He was in the middle of a day that was ( Click for more )
Today during a short time of quiet I began to think about the many organizations in our world that require specific skills, degrees, backgrounds, physical abilities, physical health, skin color or a specified language. In interviewing for a job many, may at sometime in their life be rejected as a viable candidate for a job and may hear the following words; “I’m sorry you do not have the correct skills for this job. I’m sorry we are looking for someone that is bi-lingual. I’m sorry your health will hinder your ability to carry out the task we require ( Click for more )
It is Saturday morning in the land where I live. The sun is shining brightly and glistens off the new fallen snow. Although the snow is on the ground, I am thinking of the sun shining on a lake. I sit at my desk with a blank page of my journal before me. My bible is open next to it. I begin to turn the pages of my bible, glancing and reading a section on the page as I skim the pages.
My eyes fall on these words in Isaiah 41:10; 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 ( Click for more )
Today I as I read Acts 19 I focused on the riot in Ephesus that was started by one instigator named Demetrius. He was concerned about the loss of his income. Behind the scenes he insinuated future problems.
All it takes is one person behind the scenes to stir up the people around him to cause problems. People such as Demetrius never operate in the public eye they usually operate behind the scenes.
Most of us at one time in our life, may experience the problems that someone like Demetrius causes. Although this may not be an all out riot, their words seriously affect ( Click for more )
A few minutes ago I began to chuckle, then I began to laugh. Not a loud laugh, but one that is more to myself. Once again I am on a journey of moving and packing. Only this time the packing is different than in the past. I set a goal for myself, not the usual goal of quickly placing everything in boxes. Instead the goal is to go through everything I own. This means every receipt box, every file, every drawer, all my clothes, everything that is in the one room I live in! Sounds simple doesn't it, but it is not as simple as it sounds.
A few days ago I went through everything ( Click for more )
In approaching a stoplight we trust that when our light is green the cars approaching from the opposite direction will stop. We trust when we turn left across traffic at a green arrow light that the oncoming traffic will stop. We trust when we turn on the light switch in our home that the lights will turn on and burn brightly. In all of these instances we are trusting in something that we cannot see until an action is taken. For the majority of us these are everyday occurences and the truth factor is not difficult. The word trust can also be exchanged for the word, faith.
According ( Click for more )
Not long ago as I sat at my desk a dear friend named Monica came to my mind. I recall sitting by her bed in her hospital room years ago. We were only friends for a very short time, but she impacted my life in a way that no one else has done since. She died from cancer, but in the midst of her pain, what I remember most about her was her concern for me and other women. I recall during one of the times that I visited her in the hospital and everyone else left the room. When they left she spoke to me about the importance of teaching women and what was lacking. I was going through ( Click for more )
Lately God is doing a new thing in my life. As in all new things that arrive there are changes that happen along the way. Today, when I opened my eyes, my first thoughts were the word thankfulness. This thankfulness was for the wonderful Leaders God placed in my life in the past and that are in my life today. A few hours later the thankfulness turned into repentance.
The repentance for me was for not being thankful for all people, but specifically for the leaders God places in my life. The area God specifically placed his finger on in my life is the time that leaders ( Click for more )
Two years ago, I returned from a trip to Africa. I realized as I boarded my first flight, that when I returned to my city, life would never be the same. As I sat and wrote this, I can say, that yes, life was not the same as it was prior to my trip to Africa. It is in a land like Africa, that we see who we are as christians. I spent my time with a group of people who had a commonality and focus of keeping the building of the kingdom of God in the forefront of their lives. Yes, they desired some of the comforts that we have in my country, but their first desire was ( Click for more )
Receive the newest devotional each week in your inbox by joining the "Relationships of The Heart w/ Nancy" subscription list. Enter your email address below, click "Go!" and we will send you a confirmation email. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your addition to this list.