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It’s my birthday!
Imagine a lemon cake with lots (and lots) of birthday candles on it. It’s my fav, and if you were here I’d give you a big ole’ slice.
Though today is a happy day (cancer survivors love birthdays), it’s been a hard week. As I watched the coverage of the historic flood this week, I held my breath as people perched on roofs, or clambered into cages to be whisked to safety by a helicopter.
There was something else I saw. Something that gave me great hope. I watched as people loved each other.
Jesus said that, “There is no greater way to love than to give your life for your friends” (John 15:13).
I watched as people linked arms to rescue a stranger trapped in high waters. I watched as business owners opened their doors to people who had nothing. I wept as barriers disappeared as people carried one another through waist-high waters to safety.
This is what people long to see in the church — not allowing anything to get in the way of loving and rescuing people, just as Christ did for us.
Drama is a distractor.
It has no purpose other than tripping us up, dividing us apart, and drawing others away from the beauty and truth of God’s love.
[bctt tweet=”How long will I allow drama to distract me from my destiny? 3 things to help you ditch drama. https://wp.me/p4jbdw-4dX #ComeWithMe ” username=”suzanneeller”]
We don’t have time for that, and as I celebrate another birthday (good grief, they come around fast), I’m realizing more and more that our time is limited.
In today’s short video blog, I share three things Jesus taught us to do in the midst of drama. He lived them, and it’s playing out before our eyes in this tragedy.
Three things to remember when drama attempts to distract
- Keep your focus on Jesus
- People are more important than your opinion (or the opinion of others)
- There’s work to do
So, let’s look past the drama and follow Jesus’ example. There’s a harvest, my friend. That’s more than a pithy saying. It’s real and when we choose destiny over drama, we step into his plans for our lives.
Suzie
Resource
Come With Me Devotional: A Yearlong Adventure in Following Jesus is a gorgeous, hardbound, textured devotional. It’s a look at Jesus with fresh eyes, and discovering the daily invitations we have as we walk with him.
It’s a beautiful gift for that friend who wants to scrape away complex faith to rediscover Jesus, and it’s a beautiful gift for you as you walk with Jesus daily.
Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday Suzie !!! Thank you for this reminder as drama can consume a person in many ways. I enjoyed your video. I needed this as I have been facing some family drama for quiet awhile. I admit I want to be Miss Fix It. A couple of years ago I gave a certain family member over to the Lord and said “God, she is yours, I can’t change her and please take the desires out of her heart that should not be there” as she is leading a bad lifestyle and getting involved with friends that are bad influences. I am not judging her and I will continue to pray for her. ~Lisa~
Lisa, Joining you in prayer that God will meet this family member where he needs to to get her attention and draw her to himself. Lifting you up too as you continue to make the choice to not be a part of family drame. May God strengthen you each day and bless you!
Happy Birthday Suzie!
You have been a HUGE blessing to me! God has used SO many things that you have said to speak to my heart.
THIS is so well timed!
Continued prayers for you & your family!
Happy Birthday Beautiful!!
Thank you for your inspirational words! You are awesome!!!!!
Happy, Happy Birthday to you! 🍰 🎉 What a thoughtful way to celebrate. You are always inspiring. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you for His honor and glory.
My book has been pre-ordered since August 8th and I am looking forward to it.
Happy birthday! God bless you!
Happy Birthday!!!
Happy birthday Suzie. From my heart in South Africa. Love you lots
Happy Birthday Suzie. Thank you for today’s devotional. Be blessed, may you celebrate many more birthdays.
Happy Birthday, Suzie 🎂 May you be blessed as you have blessed me ( and many others, I am sure) with such a wonderful reminder that people are more important than opinions…timely message in this present hotbed of political controversy. Sometimes my heart aches as I read on social media opinions birthed so clearly out of deception. The work is to pray that the eyes of wonderful people (often close to us) would be opened to Truth, love and compassion that is Jesus Christ.
Happy Birthday Enjoy celebrating – make it very special. The Lord’s blessings to you and your family. Thank you for this devotion. Yes, drama is a distraction.I wrote the 3 things down to counter attack drama. The term drama is used a lot. Thanks for dealing with it in the way you did. I have dealt with it a lot. Thanks for helping us to get a better handle on drama.
Fit word for today’s world. May your birthday be blessed beyond measure with Love, Joy and blessings from the Father above!
Happy Birthday Suzie!! Thank you for being a woman of God and sharing what He puts on your heart. You have been an inspiration to me and I can’t wait to hug your neck! Love you sweet lady.
Happy birthday!!!! You are a treasure and I love your heart for women desperate to know the love of God!!!
Happy Birthday Suzie. I hope it’s the best ever.
Happy Birthday Suzie! 🎂🎁🎈🎉🌹 May you be blessed as you have blessed others!
Happy birthday! What a gift of words you give. What a gift you are to all of us! Thank you!
Happy birthday, Suzie! As a Houstonian, I can certainly say it’s been an awful week. It has been a beautiful week on the other hand — seeing folks not giving a flip about political party, race, religion, or anything other than seeing that other human beings, created by God, needed help. Help will be needed for many for months and months to come. So, please keep praying for my fellow Gulf-coasters.
Beth, Praising God with you for those that have come together this past week in such a difficult time and praying for you as you start the difficult journey to recover and rebuild after this storm!!
Happy Birthday Suzie! Thank you for your encouraging words. Enjoy your day 🙂
What a beautiful way to celebrate your birthday! Giving is more blessed than receiving!
Happy Birthday!! It’s been a crazy week here in Houston,Tx.
This is exactly what I needed to hear today! Keep doing what you’re doing and letting God use your life to speak into and bless others ♥️
Happy Birthday Suzie! What an incredible way to celebrate your special day! May God continue to bless you and your ministry! ❤🎂
As usual, God used the Proverbs 31 devo in a remarkable way. I am rejoicing as we met with another core couple in our home group, to talk about some misunderstandings that were threatening our future. The talk went well by God’s grace and I think my husband and I have gained more insight and hopefully, more wisdom. The devo confirmed that priority of keeping our eyes on our destiny, and guarding against drama, whether that drama is intentional or not.
Thank you and bless you a thousand times on your birthday. I loved “Come With Me” and decided that the companion devo is where God is leading me in the upcoming year.
Thank you again.
Happy Birthday! I pray today is your most amazing birthday ever! As a mom of 6 adult kids and 14 grandbabies spread all over the USA,I have been dealing with some drama and have been praying as to how to handle it and what to do and not do. I truly think God led me to open my mail that ended up leading me to your blog. Thank you so much for blessing my life today and encouraging me in my steps forward.
Happy Birthday Suzie! Drama can be so distracting. Our drama, other’s drama. Thank you for helping us stay focused on what really matters.
Happy Birthday Suzie!! Love you sweet friend. I have someone in my life that, without even knowing it, causes a lot of drama. My answer, when she was speaking to me, was “I refuse to feed into this drama.” I love her, forgive her and the door is open if she choses to reconnect but I will not be pulled into relationship dividing drama-life is too short and we should be loving and supporting each other.
I just received a copy of your book, Come With Me, and I am excited to read it! I would love to get the devotional too! Thanks for writing about the things I struggle with. Happy Birthday!!
Happy Happy Birthday Susie! What a sweet way to celebrate you! Looking forward to walking ever closer with my Lord :0)
Happy birthday, Suzie! I pray that the Lord blesses you with many more years to share Jesus with others. I soooo needed to hear your message today! There is currently a hot mess of drama between my husband and his 15 year old daughter. I have been praying for several weeks that God would get a hold of her heart and rescue her from Satan’s stronghold. My husband is not a Christian, and I have been praying for a long time that I would reflect Jesus to him in a way that would make him desire to have his own relationship with God. My husband is devastated by the choices his daughter is making. Her mother is a non-believer, and she is supporting her in her worldly choices. They are trying to force my husband to accept and support her choices as well. Even though my husband is not a Christian, he recognizes that these choices are evil. He can’t accept or support these choices, and his daughter and her mother are basically saying that if he doesn’t then he doesn’t love her. They are trying to manipulate and force him to accept what he believes to be wrong or else forfeit his relationship with his daughter. Honestly, I am bone-weary and ready to just sever ties with her, but she is still my husband’s daughter and I do love her. I just don’t know what to do other than pray for her….
I don’t know why it posted as anonymous?
Happy Birthday! Thank you so much for your blog post and your devotional today! I was almost to tears with joy and encouragment. I am so truly amazed at how much He loves even me that He would lead His children’s hearts to prepare words of wisdom in advance that speak life and encouragement to my heart in such a needed time. It can be easy to get sidetracked by all the little things and forget that Im walking in plans He already prepared for me- that I can actuallu accept that He will do this, not make any more of my own excuses why Im headed for more trials. I consider it pure joy! And Im so in love with Him because of how much He loves me! Thank you for following and listenting to Him!
Happy Birthday to a woman after God’s Heart! I was so touched by what you shared about how God can use any situation for His good. While Hurricane Harvey is terrible, people are not allowing differences to prevent them from reaching out and lifting others up.
Happy Birthday! Please prayer for the officers I work with that have been sent to Beaumont to assist a Police Department there.
I Pray that the Lord will Bless you this Birthday and give you many more! I really enjoy your Posts and look forward to reading them.
Love and Prayers
Happy Birthday! It looks like a great devotional and I would to win it!
Blessings.
Julie
First, Happy Birthday. Second, know you are using your gifts to be a blessing to so many. I needed this today. My baby turned 18 yesterday. My husband is volunteering in the floods in the Houston area. My oldest son along with his family – which includes my 2 granddaughters – are leaving to go into full time mission in Honduras. And yet, there is so much drama going on around me. Not with me = just around me. I was frustrated with several people until I read and listened to your post. I have a new attitude now to pass on to those who have lost sight of what is really important. I know it is is not STUFF. It is God. It is people. So much brain overload this week, I know i have to keep my focus on the One who already knows how it will work out. Again, thanks for what you do.
Happy Birthday! Would love to win a copy of this devotional. Thanks for giving one away.
I hope you have a blessed and very happy birthday! You book order matching concept is going to be such a blessing to so many woman. I pray that God uses this to help & encourage all women that receive a copy & that it leads them closer to Him.
Happy birthday. Yours is close to mine.. I would love to win your devotional. Thanks for the words of encouragement
Happy Birthday!! I received this devotion on drama in my email. I have been thinking about entering into drama in my condo association. I’m thinking I could “fix” this. Ya right. I got slapped by the Lord this morning after reading and listening to your blog. Thank you. And thank you Lord for your protection today so that I can be a light in this place instead of a stumbling block. Amen.
Another year for you to celebrate a birthday showing how you are maturing and growing in Christ. I do like your comments on how to prevent drama from distracting us from our focus on the Lord. I find that many negative situations abound in this land, but when we are at peace with the Lord and see others as people loved by Jesus, it makes a total change in attitude. Compassion and caring are exhibited and the love of God can be physically expressed. I’d love to have a copy of your devotional to help me meet each challenge in my daily life. May God continue to give you new insights and wisdom to pass on to believers and non-believers alike.
Happy birthday. Thanks for blessing our lives with God’s love and grace. Does your devotional have journal space?
Happy Birthday! Normally I don’t like hardbacks (I much prefer soft covers), but this devotional looks so good I think I’ll be happy with a hardcover.
Happy birthday Suzie! I would love to win a copy of your book “Come with Me” devotional. It looks very good and after reading it I would share it with my neighbor/friend. I am sure she would be blessed by it.
Happy Birthday, Suzie! I loved your book Come With Me and would love to win a copy of the devotional.
Happy Birthday Suzie❣️ Thank you for the encouraging devo on Proverbs 31 and your blog. Drama abounds and it’s so refreshing to hear your words and His life & words on how to deal with it.
Your new book looks like it is going to be a wonderful tool God will use to help us follow after Jesus more closely. I’m unable to purchase right now but will be saving up to get it. And by the way, I LOVE that you are offering a by one give on. That is so wonderful!! May you have a wonderfully blessed day!
Happy Birthday and God Bless you for the time you take to bless others!
Happy Birthday! Great advice, thank you!
Thank you, this devotional is truly a gift. Such a great reminder that all things are possible through Christ. When people see me they will see Christ, and I want to represent him well. We have been given power to supernaturally love his children and encourage them. Signing up to be drama free and full of love and grace! Birthday blessings to you!!
Happy Birthday! There is too much to be done for Christ. So many life eternal things that are more important. Never the less drama is out there. Let’s keep our eyes on Him. That is the goal. Sometimes I think some need blinders on so all they can do is look forward. Thanks for all your God inspired advice.
September 1st is my birthday too! I hope you had a wonderful day!
many Blessings as you grow in His love and grace! Excited to read more of your blogs and look at your devotional! You go, Mighty Woman of God!!
Happy birthday! Thank you for your wonderful devotional.
Thank you this is very helpful! I want to tat away from drama!!
Happy Birthday!!! Beautiful message today.
Thanks for this. I feel so overwhelmed, and even though I know that I create 90% of the drama in my life by worrying and fretting needlessly, it is still a hard habit to break. I work full-time, my house is a disaster, and there never seems to be any time to spend with my husband and three children. I actually have to write myself notes to remind myself to wash my hair or buy groceries–Can you imagine ?? But I am so tired that if I don’t write myself notes, I forget the simplest things. I pray every day, several times, but I am embarrassed to admit that I have nodded off mid-prayer while lying in bed at night. Then I have to apologize to GOD and beg forgiveness in my morning prayers for falling asleep in my evening prayers! I can’t go on like this forever, because I am losing the ability to discern between what is important, and what is a complete waste of time. Anyway–a lot of drama around here 🙂
Happy Birthday Suzie. It is an honor to learn under your leadership. Yes, drama sucks us to consume us. I have been there. Your words are a wonderful tool to help me and focus on my Lord. God bless you.
It’s so nice to meet you, Kathee. I believe we have a friend in common, and she’s wonderful.