Hava-Cuppa-Joe

03/28/2025

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

03/27/2025

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

02/09/2024

01/22/2024

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”
Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:26

This story we’ve heard and read so many times…The Disciples caught in a storm see Jesus strolling toward them on the water. Peter asks if he can join Jesus on His stroll. Peter jumps out of the boat, looks at the storm, gets frightened, Jesus pulls him back and asks Peter why he was afraid, Jesus tells the storm to “sit down and be quiet”.

I can relate with Peter. Even though I know Jesus is with me always, I still have sleepless nights from anxiety, worry, and, yes, fear. The enemy likes to come whisper into our hearts, spreading his lies that Abba doesn’t REALLY have everything under control. And in my weakness, I begin to wonder and THAT is all the enemy wants…for us to be even a little afraid, anxious, stressed, depressed.

“How am I going to make it through the month?”

“What if my I get sick?”

“Why can’t I seem to do ANYTHING right?”

“What if I lose everything?”

Jesus is right here with us gently asking: “Why are you so afraid?” He’s not rebuking us, He’s pointing out that, as Abba’s children, He WILL take care of us.

Consider this:

Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.
It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.
1 John 4:18

What would happen if, every time we realize we are experiencing Stress, Anxiety, Fear and/or Depression, we stop…drop…and give it to Abba?

“Holy Abba…he’s at it again trying to tell me YOU don’t have everything in Your plan. Please SHUT HIM UP! Thank You for Your loving plans for me. Thank You for protecting me. Wrap me in YOUR armor of love! Grant me YOUR peace and protection! In Jesus’ Name and in His Blood!”

01/19/2024

Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23

I remember learning about an impregnable castle that had stood undefeated for a hundred years. No matter how many armies tried, it never fell. Until… someone figured it out. The invading army was relatively small. They set up camp just out of arrow shot of the walls. During the day, the army would simply practice their fighting skills. At night, they would engage in normal soldier raucousness.

The soldiers manning the castle walls would spend day after day guarding their posts with staunch discipline.

Finally, the day came when the commander of the invading army approached the castle walls demanding the castle surrender or be destroyed. The castle guards laughed. The commander said, “Can’t say I didn’t warn you.” And went back to his camp.

That very night, at the moment of the changing of the guards, there was a muffled “WHUMP” near the castles walls. Within seconds the walls began to crumble and break apart. The invading army had conquered the undefeatable. How? All this time, they had been digging tunnels toward the walls. They had placed large barrels of gunpowder right against the base of the walls. The changing of the guard was their cue to fire the barrels. When they exploded, the walls came crumbling down. Subtle…yet effective.

This is the same tactic our enemy uses on our thoughts. We become complacent thinking our thoughts are incorruptible. We read our Bibles, memorize Scripture, pray, until it becomes just another habit. Perhaps we decide to take a day off to watch games all day. Perhaps we see pictures we shouldn’t but we don’t look away. Perhaps we hear some piece of gossip. We let our defenses down until our castle is ready to crumble.

How do I know this? I just described myself. When I became complacent, my mind lost focus on what is important and started to worry about things I should have turned over to Abba (and left them with Him). GUARD your hearts and minds. In this we must become relentless. We must encourage each other. Abba didn’t bring us into His family so we could go it alone! It’s time to snap to and rebuild the walls!

01/17/2024

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

Over the course of my existence thus far, I have had the privilege to meet all kind of people. There are some who are very easy to love and then there are the “porcupine people” who, for whatever reason, just make my head and heart hurt. Permit me to explain, some people have been taught that in order to survive in this world, you must have “attitude” or you’ll never make it. “Attitude” are the porcupine quills always in defensive mode. Always challenging everything and everyone. But look what the Apostle Paul is telling the people of Philippi: “You must take on the attitude of Christ.”

Abba didn’t have to send Him. Jesus already knew how His earthly life would go, yet He came anyway. Not as a warrior or a king. He came as a servant. That did not make Him weak…it made Him relatable. As a servant, He taught the Intellectual Giants in the Synagogue at age 12. As a servant, people were drawn to Him. As a servant, He touched lives no one else wanted to. As a servant, people actually listened to Him. As a servant, He washed the feet of the Disciples. He was invited into the homes of the rich, powerful, and sinful. And as a servant, He was obedient to Abba to accept the death He did not deserve. And now, as a servant, He invites us to be servants with Him.

01/16/2024

I have mentioned before that 2003 has had a number of challenges: health, disappointment, discouragement being among them. Yet regardless of this, Abba constantly reminded me to turn everything over to Him. He reminds me continually that He cares for and loves and provides…BUT He will not force it on me. Abba never forces His gifts on us, because they are FREE!

Think about what is written in James 5:13-16:

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray.

Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

My point is this: Talk with Abba! And more importantly…LISTEN to Him.

01/15/2024

To all who need to hear this today:

01/14/2024

THIS note from Captain Joey Pellicci has been a source of encouragement.