The Daily | Cypress Meadows Community Church

The Daily

Daily devotions and thoughts from Cypress Meadows

The Daily is a devotional sent out via text each morning. The Daily devotions are written by folks at Cypress Meadows, including Tribe members, elders and our Lead Pastor. There is a different theme each week and each devotional includes a prayer, a scripture verse, a brief reading from well-known authors, and a daily reflection.

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We know love, because first, He loved us. We know forgiveness, because He forgave all of our transgressions. We know grace, because His grace is overflowing in our lives. We know mercy and compassion and empathy and hope because of the ways He has poured these things into our very souls. And now that we know, we can be. We know love and forgiveness and grace and mercy and hope, so now we can be these things in the world. We know better, so now, we’re called to do better, infusing these gifts into our actions and interactions and reactions. Let’s collectively spread the gifts of the Cross within this world.

There are moments where the hurt we feel in our souls or the confused thoughts in our head defy language and feel unjust. In these moments we reason if I can’t understand how can anyone else? These moments are lonely dark nights of the soul. And what about God? Does He know…does He care? In these moments I reflect on the garden and I look to the cross…and I find the answer. And thereby I find the grace and hope I need to begin my journey toward peace. -from: A Peak Into My Journal by Douglas Poole

To some, the image of a pale body glimmering on a dark night whispers of defeat. What good is a God who does not control his Son's suffering? But another sound can be heard: the shout of a God crying out to human beings, "I LOVE YOU." Love was compressed for all history in that lonely figure on the cross, who said that he could call down angels at any moment on a rescue mission, but chose not to - because of us. At Calvary, God accepted his own unbreakable terms of justice. Any discussion of how pain and suffering fit into God's scheme ultimately leads back to the cross. ― Philip Yancey

“Joy is the most vulnerable emotion we experience,” Brown says. “And if you cannot tolerate joy, what you do is you start dress rehearsing tragedy.”

Dress rehearsing tragedy, she explains, is imagining something bad is going to happen when in reality, nothing is wrong. “How many of you have ever stood over your child while they’re sleeping and thought, ‘Oh my God, I love you’ — and then pictured something horrific happening?” Brown asks. “Or woke up in the morning and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, job’s going great. Parents are good. This can’t last.”

During her research, Brown says she met people who had a profound capacity for joy. The difference, she says, is that when something really blissful happened to them, they felt grateful. “Instead of using it as a warning to start practicing disaster, they used it as a reminder to practice gratitude,” Brown says. - Brene Brown

“Twinkle lights are the perfect metaphor for joy. Joy is not a constant. It comes to us in moments-often ordinary moments. Sometimes we miss out on the bursts of joy because we’re too busy chasing down the extraordinary moments. Other times we’re so afraid of the dark we don’t dare let ourselves enjoy the light. A joyful life is not a floodlight of joy. That would eventually become unbearable. I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, and inspiration.” Brene’ Brown

“The warrior knows that peace does not come from control but from relinquishing control. Everything in life that you try to control that is outside your control will steal from you your peace. You must choose to take hold of what you can control and let go of what you cannot. You cannot control your circumstances, but you can control your character. You cannot control the actions of others, but you can control the choices you make. You cannot control the outcome, but you can control the process.” - Erwin McManus

My personality is one that has always thrived on certainty and knowing. My mind longs to know a problem, analyze possible outcomes, problem-solve solutions for every possible outcome, and then respond in a way that brings about the best hypothetical outcome. Yet in the wisdom and life experience gained through my relationship with our Creator, I’ve learned that this is just a fancy way to say that I have a tendency to want to control. I want to feel that I have a part in the outcome, and by doing the right things I can move toward a desired result. And while it’s all well and good to take responsibility and hold ourselves accountable, there can also be a slippery slope into an unhealthy need to control (people, situations, outcomes, relationships) if not kept in check. And isn’t that the beauty of this scripture and reading? As Christians, we know the outcome. And even more beautiful, God has told us the outcome so that we may live in peace. His desire for us isn’t to live in frantic chaos and frustration, trying to control the outside world, our situations, or our circumstances. Instead, we are responsible for how we handle ourselves and treat others; we can control our character, our choices, how we interact with others, how we show love; the processes by which we live.

I had a long talk with a man the other day about this bus situation. He discussed the peace being destroyed in the community, the destroying of good race relations. I agree that it is more tension now. But peace is not merely the absence of this tension, but the presence of justice. And even if we didn’t have this tension, we still wouldn’t have positive peace. Yes, it is true that if the Negro accepts his place, accepts exploitation and injustice, there will be peace. But it would be a peace boiled down to stagnant complacency, deadening passivity, and if peace means this, I don’t want peace. - Dr. Martin Luther King’s “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious,”

Notice in the passage from Galatians, it is not fruits but fruit. It may be bad grammar but Paul’s point is that all of these elements of Christianity go together. If you don’t have all these graces you don’t have any of them at least not the way God designed them. They are connected and interdependent. You can have the patience of the world but it’s built on cynicism, lack of care, or pride. Christian patience is built upon self control and self control comes from joy…Where does your patience arise from?

In reflection and retrospect, it can be so much easier to understand the “bigger picture”…to see why God took you down the specific path in your journey, especially if that path was riddled with challenges. But in the moment…in the thick of it…it can feel so difficult to understand and accept the barriers. Especially when you feel that the end goal is for the good of His kingdom. In those moments, when every step forward feels like you’re lifting your legs out of quicksand, when you start questioning the goal and if all the effort is worth it, think of an image of one moment where you thanked God for unanswered prayers. One moment where the journey He led you on was more magnificent and beautiful than any you could have imagined. And rest patiently knowing that in this current situation, He is also doing good works within you.

I have learned that my impatience does not serve me well in any aspect of my life. Especially as I strive to be the person God intends. Impatience reflects my selfishness, thoughtlessness and unkindness. It pretty much is all about me. I am a much better person when I invite God into each moment and focus on others. Patience comes to me when I practice gratitude and joy and let go of scarcity and fear. I see more, feel more and hear more. Go back and read The Daily on Joy (May 3-8) as a reminder to assist you in growing patience. Focus on love and God says you will be humble, gentle and patient. Ironically, you will get more out of life with patience.

My wife once expressed that she prayed for patience and got me; seems I was the tribulation she needed to learn patience. God allows difficult times to come into our lives so that we can learn to patiently wait upon Him. It is this ability to keep calm and trust through the storms that people notice and provides the greatest testimony. Patience also allows for me to respond to those who might have wronged me or been difficult with compassion rather than with anger or contempt as they might expect from the world. As our second scripture shows, learning patience is what leads to hope.

I am encouraged by this statement from A. W. Tozer. The money that I earn can make an eternal difference if I choose to use it wisely. At Cypress we are committed to helping children step out of poverty here in Pinellas County, in Nakura, Kenya and in St. Louis du Nord, Haiti. I want my money to make a difference...and it does. At Cypress, downtown, through Malik Day. And it does in Nakuru at Springs of Hope Kenya where Molly uses my money to lead the ministry to impact 100’s of lives and has been the hands and feet of Jesus on the ground in Nakuru. And it does in St. Louis du Nord, Haiti where Pastor Jean uses my money to ensure children get an education and are safe at home in their community from child traffickers. Money can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. I am grateful and filled with joy at the thought that God is using my temporal possession and turning it into eternal wealth. Let’s keep making a difference with the money God has given us. It feels good!

But what was the actual experience of the society? Riches brought power and power was addictive. Ezekiel expresses it like this: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Yes, of course, the citizens of Sodom were sexually immoral, but Ezekiel’s point is that immorality is but a symptom of something worse—indifference. They were rich but they showed no compassion for the poor. This is the nightmare of human history. It is still with us today. The rich take care of themselves. The poor are left to deal with life as best they can. Torah seeks social justice. Man seeks social isolation. Dr Skip Moen

John D. Rockefeller rightly quoted “How much money does it take to make a man happy? Just one more dollar.” Because the pursuit of money does not bring happiness; it only brings the never satisfied pursuit for more. And our scripture above reminds us this pursuit will not go unpunished. Real happiness comes from using the money we have for the right purposes. When is the last time you felt the joy of meeting someone else’s need with no expectation of it being returned. The recent response by the Cypress Tribe’s to the fire at our Kenya orphanage is a perfect example of how a community can come together and make an investment in the kingdom. There is joy in knowing you have made a difference in this world. And I believe you have brought happiness into the lives of those who will be blessed by your generosity. What a joy to share in this kind of community.

Having some amount of money is a necessity within today’s society. It enables us to provide for the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing; those things that Maslow would refer to as basic needs . Yet, when we’re exploring what’s really important…what really matters…the things that our Creator identifies as the most important factors that should drive our decisions, passions, and ideals; He calls us to focus on love, people, and relationships. Money may be a necessity, but accumulating it isn’t all that important. When we look back at our lives, on what brings us joy and satisfaction, meaning and a soul-filling existence, what I believe we will all find at the core is our relationships. What is one thing might you do today with the goal of focusing on, improving, or growing in your relationships with others?

All ages are welcome to join us for a fun night of skating and food.

875 Cypress St, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689875 Cypress St, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689