When the Soviet Union launched its Sputnik satellite in 1957, it shocked the United States and sparked the onset of the race to see which of the two Cold War superpowers could achieve dominance in space exploration.

The end of the 1950s saw the U.S.S.R. leading the way with the launch of the first manned spacecraft to successfully orbit the earth. But the U.S. was also working hard through its new federal agency dedicated to space exploration—the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA.

In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the ambitious goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth by the end of the decade. That goal was achieved on July 20, 1969, when for the first time in history a man walked on the surface of the moon.

In 1962, President Kennedy visited NASA for the first time. During his tour he encountered a janitor named Joe Byerly walking down a hallway with a broom. The President asked him what he did for NASA. Byerly replied, “Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.”

This janitor clearly understood the purpose of his work: to keep the building clean so the scientists, engineers, and astronauts could focus on their mission of putting a man on the moon. Byerly held a deep and inspiring connection between his daily tasks and achieving an overall larger goal.

What is the greater purpose of your daily work?

Do you carry a clear vision of why you do what you do? While at times we all tire of routines or experience frustrating moments, having a goal bigger than ourselves helps us stay focused to keep going, especially during trying times.

As Christians, our great mission is to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Staying mindful of this helps us remember that our words and actions are to be seasoned with God’s love and bring Him glory. When we’re tempted to grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9) or spew unkind words, we can recall the healing power of God’s love that’s been freely given to us (Romans 5:5).

Whether we are constructing buildings, crunching numbers, serving food, or changing diapers, we can have the satisfaction at the end of the day that what we do matters.

Each action done with love holds eternal significance—as we keep our eyes fixed on serving Christ and making Him known to the world.

Copyright © 2025 Cheryl Elton

Photo Credit: Pixabay

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Several years ago I had the pleasure of meeting author Peter Lundell at a Christian writers’ conference. Since then I’ve been enjoying his monthly blog called Connections. With permission, I’m happy to share with you his latest post. I hope you find it as meaningful as I do.

Here’s a challenge: Don’t criticize anything or anyone for twenty-four hours.

If you think, What a dumb idea! You just lost it.

Start over.

When I first heard that and tried it years ago, I challenged myself to not criticize anyone for twenty-four hours. And I failed every day.

But I was making progress—-at least I was now aware. And I was surprised at how critical I was of others. Simply becoming aware of how critical I was made a huge impact on me.

I mentioned the challenge to others and was surprised at how many laughed at its impossibility. Then one day I got through twenty-four hours without criticizing anyone or anything. Wow!

A few days later I did it again.

I kept it up, and eventually it became normal to not criticize others and simply not make judgments. I’ll still call something what it is—but without criticism and simply as representing what Scripture says. It’s keeping myself out of the judgment seat that belongs only to God. The New Testament is full of verses that tell us to adhere to God’s righteousness and yet leave the judging to God.

This practice applies when you’re driving, reading the news, speaking about people who aren’t there with you—whatever. Let’s lose that critical attitude the way people want to lose weight.

I still have days when I catch myself criticizing, but at least I catch myself. And my wife says I’m a far more positive and less critical than I used to be. The choices we make will steer our lives.

It’s amazing how deciding to make a small, specific change—without excuses—can adjust your personal character. And it’s amazing how intentional and repeated practice can develop a new nature in that part of your character.

I find that when I choose not to criticize others, I don’t miss anything. Because there was never any value in it in the first place.

Would you take the challenge?

www.peterlundell.com

Photo credit:  geralt/Pixabay

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January 6, 2021 is a day we will never forget. Watching a massive mob of angry and violent protestors break into our nation’s Capitol, while Congressmen and women cowered on the chamber floor was horrifying and heartbreaking.

It left Americans shaken, scared, uncertain.

Later that day I went out for a walk to think, pray, and try to process what was happening. The beautiful sky and setting sun reminded me of God’s supremacy.

What came to mind were the words on a poster I had as a teenager:

 JESUS CHRIST

Certain in the midst of uncertainty

A firm rock in the sea of speculation

A safe anchorage in the ocean of doubt

Yes, the days we live in are troubling and uncertain. But in the midst of the world’s chaos, Jesus Christ is our certainty. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He gives us a peace the world cannot provide.

In the sea of swirling news and internet speculation, Jesus is the firm Rock on which we stand. All else is sinking sand.

When doubts arise and anxiety grips our hearts, Jesus remains our safe anchorage. His presence is our refuge. The Hope of His coming, our anchor.

Do not neglect your quiet time with God each day. Be salt and light to a troubled world.

That you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.  (Philippians 2:15-16 NKJV)

As the days grow darker, the light shines brighter.

Copyright © 2021 Cheryl Elton

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Normal days are no longer normal.

The world is caught up in a storm, the winds of change fiercely howling; while we’re swirling, swirling, unsure of when we might land.

Bravely venturing out, we find empty shelves in familiar stores, businesses and restaurants closed, church services cancelled. The economy is in a tailspin, with nothing guaranteed but an uncertain future.

Meanwhile, people remain sheltered in their homes, riding out the storm while gripping tightly onto all they thought they knew.

Jesus warns us such trouble is inevitable:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

In this world there will be tribulation. But Jesus Christ has overcome the world! He alone extends victory and hope in the midst of trials. When the volatility of the world around us brings  anxiety, in Him we find peace.

As we draw close to the Lord in the secret place of His presence, He covers us with His feathers. As the tempest swirls around us, He hides us under the shelter of His wing. While the winds howl, we remain securely with the Lord in the eye of the storm—and in this quiet oasis there is rest.

In Him alone, we find peace to guard our hearts through troubled times. In His presence we hear His quiet whispers, gaining the wisdom and strength we need in the moment.

“Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11 NKJV)

Do not forsake the One who requires no social distancing. Do not neglect the precious time you spend with Him. Living in the eye of the storm—in His presence—there is peace.

Copyright © 2020 Cheryl Elton

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The Bible is not a book full of clever maxims, helpful suggestions, or do’s and don’ts—it is the book of LIFE! As such, its many principles and paradoxes challenge our human thinking: when we give, we receive; when we lose ourselves, we find ourselves; to be rich, we must become poor; exalting ourselves, we’ll be humbled, but humbling ourselves, we’ll be exalted.

God longs to fill us and be part of all we do, all we are, and all we become, but His hands are tied if we’re hanging on to our human pride. When we think our ways are better than His and fail to lay down our preconceived ideas and rationalizations rather than accept His truth, He can’t go to work. Relying solely on intellect, talents, relationships, possessions, or wealth to make it through life fails to put us in a position to receive the fulness of grace, peace, and blessing He longs to give us.

The solution? Humility.

Humility is a characteristic God values highly, because He knows He can work with those of a humble heart. Only when we recognize the poverty of our own souls do we realize our desperate need for a Savior.

There’s a wonderful peace when we can honestly approach God, life, and one another with humility. Humility isn’t denying your strengths; it’s being honest about your weaknesses. Humble servants of God recognize that by themselves they can do nothing. Their strength and enablement come from Him alone.

In one of his writings, well-known South African pastor Andrew Murray (1828-1917) describes the Christian heart of humility and the wonderful peace it brings to the soul:

Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.

Are there areas in your life in which pride still has you holding on to the reins? Perhaps it’s time to release them into the Master’s hands.

“And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  (1 Peter 5:5 NLT)

With open arms He’s standing ready to shower your life with grace, to give you perfect quietness of heart, and to fill you with His peace “when all around and above is trouble.”

God values humility.

Copyright © 2020 Cheryl Elton

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At the college I attended, in addition to completing required courses in your major—mine being English—students also submitted a portfolio of their best work, which after the approval of an academic Board of professors qualified them for graduation.

Tucked inside my portfolio, I still have an orange 3 x 5 card on which one of my professors wrote: 

A beautiful body of work—I’m proud of you and feel lucky to be one of your readers. . . . I hope you continue writing and try to start publishing. You have talent, and heart, and wonderful wit; and equally important, you can produce graceful pages.

Me? Start publishing? Really??

At the time it sounded impossibly overwhelming, but his words gave me confidence and vision to press on and consider that “maybe I could be a published writer some day . . .”

His words gave me encouragement then, and still do today when I read them.

We all need encouragement from time to time. To encourage means “to inspire with courage.” It’s to spur on, to stimulate, or initiate hope.

The antonym is to discourage, or “deprive of courage or confidence; dishearten.”

Proverbs 25:11 tells us our words of discouragement or encouragement can make or break a person’s spirit—imparting death or life. 

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. 

Encouraging words are words of blessing. We all need to be reminded of our potential, our goodness, and most of all the beautiful qualities we carry as image-bearers of God.

A word of encouragement, fitly spoken, can be exactly what’s needed to spur us on and give us the courage to live out the high and holy calling God has bestowed upon each of our lives.

Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken at the proper moment.  (Proverbs 25:11 REV)

Here are a few thoughts about the value of encouragement:

Words of encouragement:

• are deeply connected to faith, hope, and love.
• can propel us into action.
• offer hope.
• help us feel loved.
• confirm our need for one another.
• cast a vision for the future.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.  (Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT)

It’s been said that encouraging words are oxygen to the soul.

An encouraging word is a word of blessing.

Lord, show me who I might encourage today, and give me the words to say. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Do you have a story of encouragement? Please share in the comments below.

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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When Jesus is central in our hearts; when He is our First Love; when He is leading us and we are following Him—then, and only then—we have unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

When I am so in love with Jesus Christ, as a bride loves her husband, I enjoy sweet fellowship with others in the Body of Christ who are similarly love-struck.

We may have differences in our understanding of Scripture, but when we look to Jesus, the Living Truth, we experience harmony with one another.

We may have different ways of worshipping, but it is the same God we worship, and the same Lord we serve.

We may have various manners of praying, but it is the same Heavenly Father we are praying to and the same Lord Jesus Christ in whose name and authority we pray.

We may look different, act dissimilar, and dress in diverse ways, but if we are in love with Him and serving Him wholeheartedly, those differences quickly fade away, like morning fog as the sun rises.

He, and He alone, is the head of a glorious body of which we all are distinct and necessary members. When Jesus is central, it becomes a vital, whole, and healthy body that lives, breathes, and moves throughout the earth, bringing light, love, and healing to all it touches.

Throughout history, a focus on doctrinal differences has wracked and divided the Church, causing countless divisions among its members. Sound doctrine is essential to our walk with God—but doctrinal understanding should never usurp lordship over Christ.

Woe to those who think they have the only right way of understanding the mysteries of God and Christ! Scripture reminds us that we know only in part and understand in part. But one day, when He returns, we will know even as we are known!

Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We receive our nourishment from Him, to the end that we grow and bear much fruit. His instruction to His followers was never that they all agree on the doctrine. It was that they love one another.

What a distinct and amazing privilege it is to be light-bearers to the world! And what joy it is to serve alongside brothers and sisters who are focused on loving Him and Him alone.

If we each do our part, keeping Jesus central in our hearts, the church can come together as one, celebrating God together, and bringing His love to a world desperate with need.

Jesus is the great unifier.

How will you love Him today?

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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With more national shooting tragedies making recent headlines, and discussions of gun control taking center stage yet again, we realize afresh the brokenness of the world around us.

If we take the time to look deeply into our own hearts and lives, we recognize that in different ways we are all broken people, desperately in need of rescue and wholeness.

As Christians, we have a message of hope to share—Jesus Christ has come to redeem us from this dark and broken world! He is very much alive today, working to heal our lives, while we look ahead with anticipation to a coming day when there will be no more sorrow, death, or tears.

But while we wait, perhaps it’s worth considering: does my life hurt or help those around me? Do my words and actions reflect the love of my Savior and lead others closer to Him?

The gospels present the familiar story of Christ’s feeding a multitude with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. It’s the only miracle of Jesus—aside from the resurrection—that’s recorded in all four gospels, each presenting distinct details which add to the story.

In John’s gospel, Andrew offers a solution to feeding the multitude: bring Jesus a boy with his lunch. When put into Jesus’ hands, the boy’s five loaves of bread and two fish (clearly inadequate to feed upwards of 5,000 people), end up feeding the entire crowd.

In Matthew 25, our Lord speaks of a coming day:

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (verses 37-40)

This passage speaks of relationship and service—to all who are in need, including the followers of Jesus who will at times suffer.

Those who are not suffering will be judged on their willingness to lovingly serve those who are. When they do, it is as if they serve Jesus Himself!

When we see the lost, the poor, the hurting, how will we respond?

Do I sometimes turn away from those with need, thinking it is too great for me to help?

Like the boy’s simple lunch: whatever I have to give, and however small—a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, a phone call, a prayer—when given to Jesus, allows Him to multiply the blessings and do the work that I cannot.

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

This beautiful expression of God’s love from the hymn “The Love of God” speaks of the measureless immensity of His love toward us. It’s a love that has no fear in it. A love that never fails. A love that endures forever.

God assures us that nothing can separate us from His love . . .

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 NIV)

There is no trouble or adversity we can experience in this life in which His love is not present. We could go through seasons of excruciating hardship, agonizing loss, severe famine, or acute danger, yet His love prevails.

Scripture reveals a faithful God, One whose ways are not our ways; a Heavenly Father who is working in all things for the good of those who love Him.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)

To evaluate God’s love based on our circumstances can cause us to lose heart. We may think, “How could a loving God allow this to happen to me?”

Remember—God doesn’t promise us a life free of trouble or pain. But He always promises us His love.

Rather than assessing God’s love based on your circumstances, look for how He is expressing His love to you in every situation. You will find that nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate you from His love.

The love that endures forever . . .

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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With warmer days and summer around the corner, one of my spring rituals is putting away the winter coats and sweaters for another year, and bringing out the short-sleeved shirts and shorts.

Many of us give much care to the upkeep and choosing of clothes. And surely we wouldn’t consider going out into the world without clothes on!

Yet as we begin each new day, how often do we venture out without putting on our spiritual clothes—the presence of Christ?

And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.  (Galatians 3:27 NLT) 

Each new morning, the sooner we “put on” Christ by communicating with Him, the better equipped we are for the day at hand.

Romans also exhorts us to “clothe” ourselves with Christ’s presence:

The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 

Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.  (Romans 13:12-14 NLT) 

For any Christ-follower, it is imperative that we set our heart’s focus on Him daily—spending time in God’s Word and prayer; being mindful of His presence throughout the day, as He brings His word to our minds.

Just as we wouldn’t think of wearing a bikini in a snowstorm or a winter parka on a 90-degree day, it’s worth considering the spiritual clothes we are habitually reaching for.

Are we quenching the longing for God in our hearts with busyness, food, TV, social media, shopping, or another person?

Are we “putting on “ the wrong clothes? 

In every detail of life, God promises us His presence. He tells us He will never leave us or forsake us.

In His presence, peace comes upon us and our ears open to hear His voice.

Today, He is inviting you to still your heart in His presence so He may prepare you for the day.

What spiritual clothes will you put on?

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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