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Selena Day: Don’t waste your suffering

Selena Day

I don’t know about those of you who are reading this, but for me, I have been banging my head against the proverbial wall in my brain.It is so easy to get lost in the vortex of opinions, debates, and agendas swirling in the world today. The past few months have put pressure on all of us.

Now, more than ever, we need to come together in unity and pray.  Pray for our country and our leaders, pray for our world, pray for our families, pray for our ministries and ministers.

Turn off the television, the internet, and spend time lifting each other up.

This morning, I awoke a little before 5:00 a.m., and once again, I felt God gently calling me downstairs to spend time with him. I don’t say this in pride, but in humility, because I have been battling with Papa God about these early morning moments. I would rather be sleeping, or I haven’t seen the desired results from our time together. Don’t get me wrong, I love and am grateful for every moment we spend together, but I am also very transparent and real with God.

I give you this glimpse into my soul, so you will know what I am writing here isn’t just for you the reader, it is also me preaching to myself.  

We entered this year with grand declarations. 2020: a year of double portion; 2020: a year of great vision. Then 2020 decided to hit us head-on, and we began crumbling.  

The best thing about this year is that it has shaken us deeply.  Scripture tells us in Hebrews 12 that what can be shaken will be shaken, and only that which is of God will remain. 

This year has agitated and rubbed us raw. This morning as I read my devotion, I loved what the writer wrote: “A pearl is the only gem that has the ability to absorb and reflect. That is why the scripture sometimes refers to the kingdom of heaven being like a merchant.  Jesus goes out and sells everything He has to purchase the pearl of great price. It is imperative to understand that, if you are going to be looking for pearls, you have to go into the sea of humanity, and there you find pearls in oysters.  Unfortunately, every oyster does not produce a pearl. Only those that have spent their existence being irritated will become pearls. Their suffering has formed a substance inside of them that makes them precious. Do not waste your suffering and your sorrow…”

All oysters reside in the sea, and they all bump along the sand, but just a few will open enough to allow a piece of sand to enter and not regurgitate it back out. Only a few press into the uncomfortable and pain that the sand causes to produce pearls.

‘Do not waste your suffering!’ That phrase jumped from the pages of my devotions. Where has your heart been during this season of chaos and confusion? Have you wasted your suffering? 

My heart has been leaning into God, but I have so many questions. I have squirmed and tried so very hard to displace the sand agitating me.

This morning as I write this, I am making a decision to change my focus back to the beginning of the year. I will proclaim that 2020 is the year of double portion and that all circumstances work for my good, because I know to whom I belong.  

Our words have power, so when believers speak gloom and doom when the world seems to be going in a negative direction, it can be devastating.

Proverbs 18:21 (GNV) “What you say can preserve life or destroy it, so you must accept the consequences of your words.” 

As the bride of Christ, we need to be as the woman from Proverbs 31:  “Even in the night (dark) season she arises and set food on the table for the hungry ones in her house and for others.” 

In this dark season, let us begin to set the table for those hungry to find meaning by speaking positive words of life. Christ has given us the keys to the kingdom, now let us rise up and use them.  

We need to filter our circumstances by the purification of scripture: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report. Let us meditate on anything that is of virtue and anything praiseworthy. 

When we begin to practice the aforementioned, we will discover love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness reigning in our lives.  

Today, let us focus on the best parts of 2020, and begin to pronounce that this year will be a year of great opportunity for the message of Christ. That will be my message for those around me. 

It may mean that when others around you are in fear of illness, you proclaim that, “No weapon formed against me will prosper.” It may mean that when you see someone die from illness, you declare that, “Everything works for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” It may mean that you just sit with those who are hurting in this world and not give any advice, but only show your love and friendship to others in action and not with Christianize words.  

Remember to whom we belong and remember the message that has been spoken to you in your life. Great opportunity comes from adversity. I believe that greatness is coming out of 2020 and that our best days are ahead.  

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Selena Day: Showing the love of God post pandemic

Selena Day: Showing the love of God post pandemic

I have been pondering on history as we walk into the future of post coronavirus shut down. I see so many differing views concerning the way we should do life in the future. 

I have heard many people sharing how, from now on, they will not be shaking hands with others, or will be keeping their distance, or not hugging. People with germ phobias have found the confidence to come out of the closet.  

I have made a choice not to judge anyone for their beliefs, whether they wear a mask or not, or whether they distance themselves or not. We cannot know the health concern of every individual.

Saying that, as we move forward, I am reminded of the vivid images from the 1980s, of Princess Diana walking into the AIDS wards of hospitals and sitting with the sick,  holding hands with those whom so many were afraid to be around because of the transmittance of the disease. At the time, the AIDS community was being likened to leprosy colonies. 

Those images of Princess Diana, this beautiful pristine woman, were impactful and made the world stop and re-evaluate the way it looked at those infected with this disease.  

I recently had a conversation with my parents, where they shared their memories of childhood when polio was a threat. They told us how those with the sickness were quarantined, but not those who were healthy. They couldn’t remember a time when our nation shut down due to illness. They had questions, but also, had trust. 

I don’t want to follow the dangerous path of conspiracy, for as I am writing this, I understand that many of you will filter the message of my words through your own comprehension of what truth is at this moment. 

As differing information is dispersed, I hope we will all question the motives within our hearts as to our own belief or disbelief of that information. To ask ourselves why, what, and how, while we ponder information we receive.

What are the motives and thoughts I have in my mind and heart? Do I want to be right, or do I want to walk in love? 

How am I responding to the information given to me? Am I taking it before my creator and asking him to direct my motives, steps, and actions? Am I filtering all the news that has been swirling through my life via television, social media, or word of mouth, through the water of God’s word? 

Why am I reacting the way I am to this information? Are my reactions based on fear, knowledge, or wisdom?  

As for me, I have put my trust in God. I have used this time to really ask questions concerning where we seem to be going as a nation and where God is leading us as the church. I have spent time praying for our elected officials and praying for my family.  

I have pressed into what God was saying and not assuming I know all the answers.  

Asking questions like: Is it wise or foolish to follow the majority and just take what has been told to us as fact? Or is it wise or unwise to question those leading us during this time? 

These are conversations I have been having recently with some in my life. The one thing I am most disturbed about during this time is the censorship of opposing thoughts, even the very wacky ones. Censorship tends to keep things in the dark. 

When voices, or ideas, are allowed to come into the light, the motives are usually revealed, and the darkness is exposed, and repentance happens. Repentance means to turn and go in the opposite direction.

So when a person has believed their whole life that something is true, but that truth has not been allowed to be filtered with true light, it will not be seen as false or distorted. Once it comes into the light and exposed to different questions of reality, truth is uncovered and understood more clearly. 

Let me give you an example through a story. As a child, I spent every summer going to the beaches of the Atlantic coast in Florida; my whole extended family would go, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins. It has always been some of the happiest memories I carry. For a long time, I could not imagine any place more beautiful than the gray, hard-packed sand beaches along the Atlantic. 

As a teen, a friend of mine invited me to go to the Gulf Coast of Florida, sharing with me that it had the most beautiful beaches. The first time I went, we didn’t stay on the beach but had to drive a few minutes to get to the shore. My experience had always been to step out the door of our little motel and see the waves. 

My first experience with those beautiful white beaches was not a pleasant one. We stayed on the beach all day, and because it was my first time not being with my mother, I didn’t realize I needed to put on suntan lotion or sunscreen, and because of this, I got very burned. It was the worst sunburn of my life. 

Even though I had a wonderful time, I left that trip not feeling very impressed that this beach was better than my beloved Atlantic coast beach and not really caring that I should ever return. Thankfully, because so many others loved those beautiful beaches of the Gulf, I did go back, and as the light of the bright white sand enveloped my heart, I came to see the truth about those beautiful beaches of the gulf. 

The Atlantic side has a rugged beauty, and the memories there will always bring me joy. But as I have traveled around the world, for pristine beaches, and clear water, miles, and miles of it, the Gulf Coast has proven its beauty. In fact, the panhandle beaches of Florida are always listed on any documentary as most beautiful beaches in the world. My truth of beach beauty had to be exposed to the light, not just once, but several times, before my heart accepted what the world saw.

Wherever you are in your opinion of going forth, just remember that God is with each of us. If we go forward with love and compassion for one another, we will find that light will expose any darkness, and over time we will come out higher, more durable, and closer to our creator in all things.  

Selena Day

So, please forgive me in advance if I hug you. Please have grace with me if I lay my hands on you to pray for you. I believe in contact. But, if you do not, I will respect your choice and stand by your side in hope for the future.  

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Selena Day: The Storm

The Storm by Selena Day

James 3: 4 & 5 

 4, And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. 5, So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

I

Selena Day

have been hearing a lot about storms, ships, or boats during this season of uncertainty. This post recently came across my social media feed:

“We are not in the same boat…..It is being said that we are all in the same boat, but it’s not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat.”

A very insightful quote from an anonymous source got me to pay more attention to the narrative flowing in the world right now. We have gone from the fear of sickness to the worry of economic catastrophe. Our political leaders are making decisions, whether good or bad, and because we have a platform on social media, we feel the need to voice our opinion concerning those decisions. 

I want to caution us to remember James’ advice concerning our tongues. We are in this storm together, but are you commanding your ship with the help of your creator? Where have you placed the authority of your ship? You should be the one in command of your vessel, hopefully leaning into the wisdom and revelation of Jesus Christ and what it means to have a personal relationship with God.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Another translation reads this way; “What you say can preserve life or destroy it, so you must accept the consequences of your words.” 

What we say collectively during this season is so powerful, because, for the first time in history, we have the ability to speak as one. The world is so connected, not just by observation through television, but by communication via our many social media platforms. We can see and hear what a friend halfway around the world is encountering due to the corona pandemic. 

Strong’s gives this definition for the word tongue: i. e. the language used by a particular people in distinction from that of other nations. 

Let us remember what kingdom we belong to, a heavenly realm where our language and speech come from a place of victory. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom, and as such, we need to speak with the tongue of that kingdom.  That kingdom is rich in everything we will ever need. Healing, provision, strength of character, peace, joy, and so much more.  

I believe our words and our thoughts are so powerful. What we think in our mind usually comes out of our mouths. So, let us place our thoughts on what is above, that which is eternal, and not what is temporal.

In this storm we are experiencing, may we find comfort and solace in our unified experiences of each ship’s navigation through the storm. Let us learn from one another and uplift each other. Let us not use this time to destroy with words, but to encourage and uplift those around us. Let us press into our heavenly identity and speak the language of God.

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them, so do not let fear be your driving force. Let love be the strength from which you operate. Love from our heavenly Father and love from him towards those around us. 

Let victory be our battle-cry! This pandemic will not be the end of us, but let it be the launching pad that will bring revival to our lands.  Let it be the launching pad that will usher in creative and new ventures in our world.  

Chuck and Selena Day

Here in Atlanta, where I am from, we have a top-rated popsicle company. This company was birthed by two guys who were laid-off during the 2008 economic crash. When that happened, they could have very quickly given up hope, and to be honest, may have had that moment. Still, they decided to get creative and started mixing flavors you would not usually think of, like Pineapple, Jalapeno flavor popsicle, and Maple, Bacon flavor popsicle, to name a few. This company is very successful and has even splintered off into other endeavors in our community.  

Let this be a testimony for you, that whatever comes your way, victory is your end-game. God’s DNA lies within us as humans, and if you believe that God cannot fail and that no darkness lies within him, then you must believe that you are designed for success. Failure is a learning experience, not an ultimate end.  

Do not let your rudder drive yourself or others away from the creator, but use your words to bring healing, hope, and peace to a time in which the world is searching for answers. Let us all remember that Jesus Christ is the answer. He is the author and perfector of our faith.

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Selena Day: Faith in Uncertainty

Selena Day

I sit on my back porch, listening to the birds, chatting and going about their daily lives. I can hear my neighbors working in their yards, taking advantage of this beautiful day. On the surface, nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. I can hear cars driving by and lawnmowers running. If you didn’t know that we were suffering from a pandemic at this moment, you couldn’t tell that the world was confined to their homes.  

I almost feel like a bear that has been in hibernation. The last time we were out and things felt somewhat normal, it was cold, and today I step outside, and the warmth of spring is enveloping me, giving me hope as I sit and converse with my savior about what my future holds.  

I am reminded of the scripture in Philippians 4, one of my favs, vs. 8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (NLT)

I learned many years ago while going through a challenging time to put this scripture into action. 

I have been accused of not being practical in certain circumstances and that there is a fine line between faith and foolishness. When I married my husband over 30+ years ago, I was a new Christian and was utterly and totally committed to living my life for Jesus. I had no idea what it meant to be in the ministry. I had no idea what it meant to be musical, but because of my covenant relationship with Chuck, we began a journey of living by faith.

It has been a crazy roller-coaster of a ride, but it has taken us places that I never dreamed I would go. I have served and met people that were so different than me, and I have learned that God’s love is more significant than the four walls of my church. 

So many memories flood my mind, even writing this, too many to share. But, I have learned how critical listening to God is, when the world is so full of loud voices telling a particular narrative. Your safety resides in Him and not in this world. Your provision comes from Him and not in your job. Your joy lies in Him and not in your circumstances. 

Honestly, so far, through this crazy time in our history, I have had more peace than I have known in a long time. I’m not saying that I haven’t gotten stir crazy or felt depressed. I told a friend just the other day that I had felt as if I had been in training for this for a long time.  

I believe that verse 6 in Philippians 4 gives us a great key. “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life.” (TPT)

Tell him every detail of your life! If you are afraid, tell him; if you hate someone, tell him; if you are angry with him for letting you down, tell him. And then allow yourself to listen. It may not be immediate, but He will give you answers or strategies to make it through.  

God cares about you and your life. He designed each one of us in a specific unique way, and we are designed to operate in that unique way. When we follow him and learn to become the person he has created us to be, we will see great victories and miracles in our lives. 

I can only share the stories of my journey to help others understand this, but I would challenge you to sit alone with God and think about your own journey. Where has He shown up? When has he broke through the dark clouds of your storms and shined His light of love?

Let me give you some practical tips on how to do this. First, find a quiet place, and still your mind. Secondly, see God smiling at you. Whatever your image of God, that image is smiling at you. Then just sit as he smiles and know that He loves you so much. Now just listen….

During this time of uncertainty, remember to fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  There have been so many of them. People coming together like never before. Prayers being lifted for not only our county but our world. Revival is breaking out! 

Seeing these things happen, I am reminded of the prayers we as the church prayed many years ago. We are seeing them unfold right before our eyes.  

Chuck and Selena Day

Your focus can be on the sickness, and the fear that comes with it or your focus can be on our great big God and how He is moving during these crazy chaotic days.

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Selena Day: Christmas Love

Selena Day talks about Christmas Love

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I pretty much begin decorating right after Halloween. Because of our traveling schedule, Christmas is usually the only holiday I decorate for. During this time, it looks like Christmas regurgitated all over my house. I have the 1960’s Christmas cartoon philosophy to decorating.  

Romans 12:2 NLT “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

With the Christmas season upon us, the same old discussions of what is excess versus what is not enough, tend to begin to war in our minds as well as in the Christian community. Asking ourselves, are we missing the ‘real’ reason for the season by our rushing around in a fury of activity? Like Paul, I say, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, not the media nor your church peers.  

Chuck and Selena Day say Merry Christmas

I really hate how we tend to judge others, by what is either going on in our own lives or what is going on culturally in our society. The other night Chuck and I, after a very long day of work, went out to eat at a restaurant. Both of us had our cell phones out, checking our social media, e-mails, and just basically decompressing from our day. We were chatting about what we had seen on our Facebook pages, and I thought of how many times we judge others doing this very same thing. We are seeing them as not connecting, instead of what it was for us, our time to relax and reconnect with what was going on in our family’s lives.  

Gal. 5:1 MSG. “Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.” 

Gal. 5:14 NLT. “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

I love what verse 14 says; for the ‘whole law’ can be summed up in this one command, love. Isn’t this what the season of Christmas is all about; God so loved us that he sent his son. And that son was sent not to condemn us but to save us. Isn’t this the very foundation for Christmas? We celebrate the birth of God’s Son into this world and how it changed the very fabric of time.

I have been meditating on Romans 12:2 lately. In that scripture, it tells us not to copy the behavior and customs of this world. What are the behavior and customs of this world? Jesus said to us that the world would know we are different because of our love for one another. What does that look like, practically, in your life? He also tells us that even the tax collectors, the dregs of society, love those who love them. 

Our country is the most divided than I can ever remember it being. Now is our time as believers to stand up and love. Chuck and I have been married for 31 years. During that time, we both had had to choose to love the other, even when we were unlovable. Any parent will tell you that sometimes it is hard to love the child that may resent you or blame you for the pain and hurt they have experienced. You may love them, but being “in love” with them is a whole different experience.

Go on a search for love this Christmas season. Learn to love yourself again and allow God to help you to love others. So many people are in pain. Longing for someone to come along and make a difference in their lives. That difference just might be you. 

Someone, somewhere just might be asking God to reach out to them, and God may be asking you to be his hand extended. Think of the one person right now that brings up the most difficult emotions…do you have their face in your mind? Now maybe you need to reach out to them? Or perhaps they need your prayers right now? This is how we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. By changing the way you think about a person or a circumstance changes the brain cells in your brain, it releases healing to you.

This is how our world will change. I love the scene in the movie Elf. They are trying to get Santa’s sleigh to fly, and they remember what Buddy the Elf said about singing Christmas carols and spreading cheer for all to hear. Christians have the power to spread Christmas cheer all year long because our Christmas cheer is about Christ and how he came to save us, and our world. 

Merry Christmas from Selena Day

This Christmas season, you can change the very atmosphere around you by bringing the love of God to those around you. Not the judgment you believe God has for the world, but his love. Scripture tells us that love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Let us become different, showing love for others, and being the change you want to see around you.

The world is waiting for you.

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

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Selena Day: Are you living in the trenches?

Selena Day. Photo by Elizabeth Day.

A Woman’s Journey By Selena Day

I just returned from Ireland, where I led a group of women in an encounter with our Savior. There is something majestic about being in God’s creation that moves us to experience him in ways that we usually do not in our regular routines.

During this trip, I recalled our time in Ireland during 2001. Just one month after the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, we traveled to Northern Ireland for Chuck to sing.  While there, our troops invaded Afghanistan, and I remember how homesick I was for my country. I will also never forget the love and compassion the Irish people had for us, coming up to us with tears in their eyes, telling us that they were praying for our country.  It was during that trip I first realized the power that kindness has on humanity. 

Selena’s husband, Chuck Day

Even though that kindness made a mark on my heart forever, we were hearing stories of the crowds at sporting events chanting, “USA! USA!”  We saw pictures of our flag flying high, and the words “unity” and “patriotism” were used when describing the feelings coming from America.  There were moments during that tour when all I wanted was to just be in my home country standing under Old Glory while it flew overhead, giving me comfort that victory would be ours. 

Christian Flag

I love our national anthem, but there is one phrase that always brings tears to my eyes; “and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” These few lines paint such a vivid picture. I often think about our faith as well and am reminded of the verse that says, “his banner over me is love.”

When your life seems filled with storms and war, you feel hunkered down in the trenches just trying to survive. Just remember that sometimes you need to look up and see his flag is still flying over you. His love is still waving as a beacon of hope for your life. 

As we enter into another election year, we can already see some of the vitriol that was spewed out during our last election, beginning to erupt out on social media. Let us look up at his flag flying over us and remember that his banner is LOVE. 

Love covers a multitude of sins. In the greek, the word “sin” is translated from the word, hamartia, which means to miss the mark. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, continuously echo God’s intense love for one another, for love will be a canopy over a multitude of sins.” (missing the mark).

Let us raise God’s flag over our nation, over those that are different than us in views and lifestyles. Let his canopy of love fly over us, keeping the enemy from destroying us from within. John 13:34-35, ”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

I want to hear from saints like Smith Wigglesworth; “I start out in the flesh, but end up in the spirit.” 

When I find myself hunkered down in the trench that God has for me, and I hear the bombs going off; when it is dark all around me, and I don’t know if I really am in the right place of his perfect will, I can look up, and through the smoke and haze, I see his flag waving, and I know that I am not alone.  

It may not look like much right now, but his flag is still waving, and that is all I need to bring me through.   I may be stumbling around in my flesh, but I trust his word “Christ in ME the hope of glory,” and victory will prevail.

My prayer is that the love of the Father will be so strong in you that it will overflow to those around you.  I pray that if life seems to be a warzone for you right now, that you will remember to look up and know that our flag is not down, it is flying high, and God’s love will break down the walls, God’s love will move mountains, and God’s love will make a way where there seems to be no way.  

Let us be that love, let us show his love and let us rise above the rhetoric and become a beacon for others to follow to bring healing and restoration.

By Selena Day

www.journey4women.com

www.queenliving.org

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

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Selena Day: Finding Life Within

I married Chuck when I was 22 years old and thus began my journey traveling. I have spent most of my adult life living out of a suitcase. We have raised two daughters from diapers to homeschooling and into young adulthood, while still maintaining a home and staying on the road three to four days out of the week. We had a bus when the girls were very young; they actually learned to walk on a tour bus.

Selena Day and Chuck Day

I have been to 34 states, and I think 40 (give or take one or two) countries. I tell you all this only to make a point.

Over the past 10 years, the words, ‘Adventure, Explore, and Journey’ have all been percolating through our society. A study recently showed that millennials would rather use their money to travel than to purchase large investment items such as homes, land, stocks. They believe that experience will bring greater happiness to them than material things.

The Day Family

This article is not meant to dispute this logic because I have had so many amazing experiences while traveling, but I also love coming home. My home, not my parent’s house, but mine. If I come back off the road and feel really tired and don’t want to unpack and wash my clothes for a day or two, I can. No one can tell me that I can’t, because it is my house. There have been weeks in our life that I never unpacked. I came in, took the dirty clothes, washed them and repacked them in our suitcases, and loaded back up. There were clothes strewn all over the house, and the house actually looked cleaner after we left than when we were there.

I say all this because one thing I have discovered from all this traveling, is that happiness is not found in anything but that which resides within. I honestly believe that it is Christ within me that brings hope, happiness, and joy; absolutely anything we will ever need in this life. It is through him, in him and with him only that we can live and thrive in this life.  

I have learned that happiness is not found just beyond the horizon and happiness is not found in what you own or what you do. Happiness is living the life you were created to live, and our journey is about discovering what this life is meant to be.  

I am not trying to imply that travel is not suitable for your soul, because I absolutely believe this to be true; but I also think that living a fulfilling life is about so many different things. It is about the people you surround yourself with, it is about the purpose you have in your life.

Don’t judge someone because they choose the life they are living.

Scripture says that love covers a multitude of sins. And the simple definition for sin is; missing the mark. We get the word sin from the Greek word hamartia.  This word was used during the first century church times in Greek literature when telling a Greek tragedy. It was commonly understood to refer to an error or tragic flaw that lead to a chain of plot actions culminating in a reversal from bliss to disaster. It qualified as the failure or deficiency resulting from ignorance, a mistake of judgment, a flaw in character or wrongdoing.

I think this is important to understand when loving others and living our life. Realizing that, Peter believed significantly in the sacrificial love of Christ to change our lives so drastically from every negative influence that we obtain in life, from lousy parenting to the negative effect of friends or colleagues. When we love, we literally change the course of a person’s life for the better.

Selena Day

Living a wholehearted, full, and happy life can only come with knowing who you are inside. It’s in finding absolute truth as your foundation for all that you do, whether it be in finding the adventure in life when traveling, or being the strong influence of stability by staying in one place, or in my case, doing a little of both.

For me, my truth comes from God. I believe that man cannot save himself. I have a redeemer and he not only saved me once for eternity, but he continually rescues me from adversity. Either by showing me that I am strong and smarter than I once believed, and I can work through my battle, or by miraculously delivering me.

I know that I am loved. No matter what I do or what I say, I am loved by a greater force than I could ever begin to comprehend. And that love gives me the courage to pursue my dreams, to fail and to get up and try again. I am grateful that I have a Savior that loves me and has made way for me to live my best life.  

I pray that if you do not know him, you will stop right now and just talk to him. Just begin to ask questions in your own words and allow him to answer them. He will.

Life is worth living. But real life is in Jesus Christ. Scripture says to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  Zoe, Zao living means to live abundantly, vigorously, fully. So today I pray that if you are struggling wherever you may be; traveling on the road or sitting at home on the couch, you will know that there is a God that loves you and he has a plan for your life.  

Selena Day

Your best days are yet to come.  

By Selena Day

Selena Day is a regular writer for SGNScoops Magazine. She and her husband, Chuck Day, are tireless ministers of God. Chuck is a Christian Country artist.

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Read the May SGNScoops Magazine Online HERE

Selena Day: It’s Fashion Week!

Chuck Day and Selena Day

It is fashion week here in the south, and my social media feed has been awash with all the latest fashion trends coming out for the next season.

I love fashion, especially shoes! I must confess I have a bit of a shoe addiction which I am happy to NOT overcome.

I love art…I love clothes, shoes, and purses…I hate coffee…I am totally and passionately devoted to Jesus…I could eat chocolate with every meal…I drink hot tea like most people drink coffee and I love my family.

I am so grateful for my husband. I think he is the most charming and funniest man I have ever met. I am forever thankful that God has allowed me to live this crazy life that I have been given. Even though some days are harder to walk through than others, I believe that when I look through the filter of Christ in me the hope of glory, I can see a beautiful tapestry God has woven for my life.

I believe what the scriptures say, “We fearfully and wonderfully made.” God created us for a purpose. Our job is to discover who we are in Him so that our destiny can come forth in vibrant reflections of His nature, allowing our most authentic self to be seen.

Last summer while Chuck was singing at a venue in Louisiana, I saw a plaque on the wall in the back of the theater with the quote: “Art is something you do for yourself. A craft is something you do for everyone else.”

This resonated with me, and I wrote it down in my journal to ponder on.

Chuck Day

Over 30 years ago at the age of 22, I married into a family full of talent. Everyone could sing and play an instrument. I was the oddball, and during that season God took me on a journey of self-discovery to uncover the artist heart within myself.

I have always been an observer of people. Chuck will fuss at me when we travel because he says that I stare too much at people. I guess I do, but I love watching people interact. I love watching how people in different cultures express their unique creativity. In Texas, Wrangler jeans and cowboy hats are the fashion, while in Thailand, people wear specific colors during the week to honor the King.

I am amazed at the artistry in the temples of Asia. The precision of the arrangement for the flowers and the sculpting of the fruit that is daily made to pay homage to their golden and marble gods.

I listen in awe as beautiful African ladies stand up to begin singing their praise songs to our God. The vocal ability of these women would put most of the entertainers on our radio to shame. In South and Central America, the embroidery the women sew into the everyday clothing would rival anything found walking the runways and fashion houses around the world. There are so many talented people all across this world that we live in.

We are in the ministry, but we are also in the entertainment arena. We have decided to use the arts for our Savior and to share the talent and abilities he has given us with those around us. We have chosen to use our craft to bring the kingdom of God to the places He opens for us.

When you decide to make your art into a craft, it is like Peter stepping out of the boat. Fear can paralyze you, but you must focus on the one who calls you. Who is beckoning you out of the familiar boat into the unknown open seas?

As I have discovered, your craft becomes more than just an artistic expression, it is about becoming vulnerable and inviting humanity to be a part of your process.

People say that artists are temperamental with much vanity; heck, I have even made the statement that artists can be narcissistic. And without any wisdom, this could be the condition of an artist soul. Most people do not daily open themselves up to allow the masses to critically dissect the divine within them. So, without looking at wisdom to guide them, it is easy to become self-absorbed with your reflection.

Proverbs says “Trust in the Lord completely and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make.”

You may not think you are talented, but I believe that everyone has creativity and talent within them. You just have to choose to practice what you are being called to and be willing to step out of the boat of security to do the impossible.

Remember that Peter did not walk on water, because we know that it is scientifically impossible to walk on liquid. Peter stepped out and walked on the very word of God. He did the unthinkable because his focus was not on his ability to perform, his focus was on the person he had a relationship with: The Water-Walker, the Multiplier of Provision, the Man who talked to the storms. Peter took the focus off of himself and his ability to do something that only one other person could do and placed it in command of the Savior.

What is God calling you to do? Is it time for you to take your first step out of the boat?

Let me encourage you today to look upward at the one who is the Master artisan of all and let him guide you into the realm of the impossible. He trusts you with all that he has placed inside of you.

By Selena Day

Selena Day is a regular writer for SGNScoops Magazine. She and her husband, Chuck Day, are tireless ministers of God. Chuck is a Christian Country artist.

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Read the May SGNScoops Magazine Online HERE

Mother’s Day thoughts by Selena Day

Selena Day and her family, as she salutes motherhood and Mother’s Day

Selena Brantley Day celebrates motherhood and Mother’s Day

Being a mother has been the most enormous privilege I have had in my life. It has been a rewarding job but also a tough one; I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

I made a decision when my daughters were young that I would choose them over a career. I chose motherhood as my career. Motherhood comes in many forms. Some women work a full-time job and then come home and work another full-time job being a mother. I have always admired those women. Those are some tough cookies.

My generation had choices to make, and I decided to stay at home, but honestly, I wasn’t that “Suzie homemaker” mom. Looking back I see how many times I failed. When our girls were still in diapers, I always felt lacking. I was the mom that forgot to put wet wipes in the diaper bag or didn’t bring a toy for my baby to play with. I was that mom that when my baby was being loud, I didn’t leave the room. I know. I hate that mom now.

I just loved being with my girls and playing with them. They have always been a great joy in my life. No one on this earth can cause me the greatest happiness or the most significant pain than them. Any mother will understand that statement. Your children can be perfect, but when they hurt, you hurt.

Chuck Day and Selena Day

I am so grateful for all the women that have touched my life and been a mother to me when I needed it. I pray that my girls will have those influences in their life as well. I am a flawed human, and I know that I cannot fill every need my girls will have, so I pray that God will send great women into my girls’ lives to share wisdom for them to use.

I had never felt the need to have a mother figure in my life because my own mom was present and there for me when I needed her. When describing my parents, I always say, “My sweet daddy, and my sassy mama.” Not meaning my mother isn’t sweet, but she is the type of woman that if you were to get caught in a catfight, you would want her by your side. She is the strongest woman I know.

When I stand on a stage to speak or when working with women, all the women who have poured themselves into my life come out of me. All the sage wisdom that has been grafted into my soul comes out.

Selena Day

Take a moment and think of all the women that have touched your life….forgive those who have hurt you, bless them and let them go. Cherish those who have nurtured you. Call them up on Mother’s Day and let them know what impact they have had on your life.

Women really are such incredible beings. In our fight to be heard let us not lose our ability to hear; in our struggle to show our strength, let us not forget our gentleness.

Today I celebrate all the women that have taught me through word and action that I can be anything I want to be, that I am more than enough, and that with Christ I CAN DO ALL THINGS!

By Selena Day

Selena Day is a regular writer for SGNScoops Magazine. She and her husband, Chuck Day, are tireless ministers of God. Chuck is a Christian Country artist.

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

Selena Day: Are you battle weary and worn out

Chuck and Selena Day

Have you ever just been tired and overwhelmed with life? When it felt as if one wave of adversity after another had been washing into your life making you just want to give up and let the waves take you under?

Around you the saints that had been through far worse than you seem to be standing firm with joy in their hearts while you’re wondering if you’re going to make it through.

As I write this, I have a loved one battling for their life in intensive care, and I find my prayers feeling inadequate and pale.

We are in Florida this week and found ourselves blessed to have a day off to enjoy the beach.  This morning I woke up and decided to take a long walk on the beach needing to have a heart to heart conversation with God.  I had music playing on my phone and the song “Way-maker” came on my list.

The words of this song were what I needed to hear.  God is our Way-maker, He’s our Miracle worker, our Promise keeper, our light in the darkness.

As I fumbled around this morning with my faith, I needed His light to come and shine into my heart once again guiding me to who He is and to whom I belong.

Life can be so shaky and uncertain, but our God is faithful and kind. It is not our job to fix those around us, but it is our job to pray and to trust that God has every situation in His hand and He will work ALL things out for our good.

While walking on the beach, I came back to our hotel and noticed a mural that was painted on the seawall beside the steps going up to the hotel. It was worn and faded from all the wind and salt water blown across it over the years. As I get older, I  have learned to appreciate the beauty that comes from a few dings and dents, and scratches and scrapes. It had some stains where water had run down the side from a drainage pipe. The stairs were cracked, and the wood had turned a deep brown.  The paint was chipping in some places.

Selena Day

But instead of seeing disrepair I saw a story about this hotel being there for a long time. Daytona Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world this sea wall had over time protected the inhabitants from the harsh surf during turbulent times.  How many people have walked up and down those stairs without paying attention to how to how well the stairs were made and how they made the beachgoers life more comfortable to get from point A to point B?

I felt a little like that run down, faded wall. There were much prettier, newer structures all along the beach, but that wall was well maintained, and you could tell it had a history. My battles may have dimmed my luster, but the patina left behind; God has turned into a beautiful work of art. I have learned to turn towards him and allow his light to shine through my heart and soul like the fragmented pieces of a stained glass window.

I write this believing for victory for my loved one that they will fully recover and will be supernaturally healed, but to be honest, I am battle weary and worn out. Though  I have learned my strength isn’t in me fighting the fight, my power is in trusting God.

Ex. 14:13-14 (MSG) “Moses spoke to the people: ‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again. God will fight the battle for you.  And you? You keep your mouths shut!'”

All our battles were fought and won over two thousand years ago on Calvary. My battle cry is my shout of praise and joy as I enter into resting in Him. He has me and my circumstances in his hand. I know in whom I belong and it makes me that more dangerous to the enemies in my life. Because I tend to not step into the fray anymore with my own agenda. I stand up with God’s plan declaring: “Papa God not my will; but your will be done.”

I know that I know that God has me and I have learned that he is a tender Savior that loves me and knows how to pursue me in my life and in my battles. I am grateful.

So no matter what tomorrow holds, I know that he will be there too, in celebration for the victory or to wipes my tears in sorrow.  And, through it all, my life will be a message to the goodness and faithfulness of a loving savior.

Battle weary and worn out isn’t a place of defeat, but a celestial moment where the divine inhabits humanity and miracles begin to manifest.

By Selena Day

Selena Day is a regular writer for SGNScoops Magazine. She and her husband, Chuck Day, are tireless ministers of God. Chuck is a Christian Country artist.

Selena Day is a motivational speaker and is available to speak at your conference or event.  You may contact her at selenaday@me.com http://www.queenliving.org  http://facebook.com/queenismsbyselenaday. Photographs courtesy of Selena Day.

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