Monday May 18, 2026 – Keeping the ‘weeds’ out of our lives

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Don Schmidt

1 Corinthians 15:33  Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

When we look out the kitchen window we see the garden I wrote of yesterday.  The roses and iris are in full bloom and they are so beautiful.  The pink, red and yellow colors are vibrant and abundant.  One thing that really helps is that these plants are a lot taller than the weeds – at least now they are.

The smaller plants around them though are another matter.  That is where the war with the weeds is really taking place.  But this week I am going to enter the fray and get rid of the weeds.  In my love of the dramatic I think of the battle of Helm’s Deep in the Lord of the Rings.  The good guys (the flowers) are on the verge of being overwhelmed by the bad guys (the weeds) and at the crack of dawn Gandalf and reinforcements (me) arrive and the bad guys are defeated.

We wrote yesterday of our spiritual gardens that the flowers and weeds represent referencing the Parable of the Sower.  Jesus taught how the weeds could choke out the life of the good seed (flowers).  Today’s verse raises another serious threat that presents itself.  Using our illustration, it warns that the association with the ‘weeds’ will corrupt good ‘flowers’.

Who we are in Christ Jesus can become corrupted by those we associate with.  This speaks to those we enjoy being with or hang out with.  Unfortunately, we can be blind to this corruption taking place.  Consider today’s verse as it appears in the Amplified Bible:

Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.

We must understand that a culture war is raging and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the “bull’s eye” for the enemy’s attacks.  The war is to eliminate or corrupt all those who claim to be Christians.  Sadly the evidence of the success of these attacks surrounds us.

When our love for God is what it should be, we resist accommodating the ways of the world – we embrace His ways.  We recognize right and wrong.  We reject the ‘weeds’ and keep them out of our lives. Our lives are not judgmental, but filled with love, grace and mercy.  We become those who come to the aid of others to help them rid their ‘gardens’ of ‘weeds’.

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Sunday May 17, 2026 – Weeding the garden of my life

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Mark 4:7  Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it.

It’s amazing how many weeds have flowers.  I’m not talking about the ones that you see along roads or out in fields.  I’m talking about the ones that come up in your gardens along with the flowers that have been planted.  How often do we see that our gardens are loaded with both?  My problem is telling which is which.

Some flowers are easy to identify: roses, iris, tulips and daffodils.  Likewise dandelions are weeds.  Even though a field of blooming dandelions might be pretty, that beauty ceases to exist when they are in our yards and gardens.  The problem is all the other stuff that is coming up in the garden.

I have never been a gardener so when I look at the garden my thoughts are to get someone who knows this stuff and have them identify the flowers and the weeds.  When I look closely though, it’s apparent that some of the flower-bearing ‘growth’ is rapidly filling the garden and choking other plants out.  It’s almost like this ‘growth’ wants me to be distracted by its pretty little flowers while it takes over and chokes out the ‘opposition’ – the true flowers that are intended to grow.

Welcome to the spiritual garden of our lives where we have growing ‘cultural’ weeds and kingdom flowers – and each of us is responsible for what is found there.  The problem is that far too many who call themselves Christian have their spiritual gardens (read lives) filled with pretty little ‘flowers’ that are all weeds; and these weeds are choking out and obliterating the kingdom life that belongs there.

Jesus warned us about this in the Parable of the Sower from which today’s verse comes.  We must not underestimate the power of these ‘weeds’ in our lives when we allow them to become established instead of pulling them out.  Here is Jesus’ warning as given in The Message:

“The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.”                   (Mark 4:17-18)

Pray that the Lord will help us identify the ‘weeds’ in our lives; and that He will enable us to see where we have allowed ourselves to become deceived into thinking they are genuine flowers that belong there.  The Holy Spirit will then enable us to effectively “weed” the garden of our life.

NOTE: Continue to pray for our Christian brother and what he is going through: Harrison Butker, 29, the placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League, delivered the commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, on Saturday, May 11, 2024

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Saturday May 16, 2026 – A Special Prayer for young adults and the young at heart

Posted on May 16, 2026 by Don Schmidt

A Special Prayer:  The Scriptures are filled with such wonderful men and women of faith.  The Lord helped me write this prayer several years ago for a conference.  It is particularly fitting this time of year with graduations, commencements, weddings and new beginnings.  I trust that it will stir within you an increased desire to become everything you can be.  Regardless of our age, our focus can be sharpened enabling us to become more of what He wants us to be.  God bless you!

Oh Lord Jesus,

I pray that each of us will become

  • like Joseph – that we will stay faithful to You – even when the dreams You give us, seem like they will never come true.
  • like Moses – that we will turn aside when You place a burning bush in our path.
  • like Joshua and Caleb – that we will be brave and courageous in the face of giants in the land..

I pray that we will be

  • like Ruth – that we will live godly lives leading to incredible destinies
  • like Isaiah – that in response to hearing Your call, each of us will say, “Here am I.  Send me.”
  • like Esther – that we will recognize the times for which we have been created and face them with faith and courage.
  • like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – our commitment to You is not based on whether you will save us from a fiery trial or not.

I pray that we will be

  • like Peter and Andrew – that we will follow You when you call us to be fishers of men.
  • like the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus – that our hearts will burn within – whenever You speak to us.
  • and like Paul – that the day will come, when each of us can say, “I have fought the good fight.   I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith!”
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Friday May 15, 2026 – David’s Prayer

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Don Schmidt

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 New International Version

David’s Prayer

10 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,

“Praise be to you, Lord,
    the God of our father Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting.
11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power
    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
    you are exalted as head over all.
12 Wealth and honor come from you;
    you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
    to exalt and give strength to all.
13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,
    and praise your glorious name.

Let us remember the glorious wonder of our God. Rejoice in the love He has for us. We get to live for Him!

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Thursday May 14, 2026 – The joy of overlooking offenses

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 17:9  He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

You’re driving down the road in wintery weather.  A truck goes by and suddenly your windshield is covered with slush and dirt.  Visibility has just decreased about 99% and you can’t see anything.  Even with your wipers on high it just becomes a brown blur.  At that moment isn’t it nice to push the button and have your windshield sprayed with washer fluid? In seconds you can see again.

One of the nice things about this illustration is that in real life the consequences of not having a functional windshield washing system are immediately apparent when the need arises.  For most of us, the one item that most likely could go wrong is to be out of fluid.  Driving and not being able to see just don’t go together.

We might not realize it but failing to overlook offenses in relationships is like driving in traffic without being able to see; accidents happen and damage occurs.  Such ‘mud’ on the windshield of life is normal. Jesus followers have the ‘spiritual fluid’ and the practical ability to clear it away.  We don’t take offense. We cover over the offense.  We overlook it.  We forgive.

We do not allow offenses to become wedges in relationships.  That is exactly what the enemy of our souls wants to have happen.  The Message puts today’s verse this way:

 Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a slight and—good-bye, friend!

The Amplified Bible spells out a bit more the actions involved in this:

 He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.

May we have the spiritual eyes to see the ‘mud’ on our ‘windshield’ when offenses occur so that we will respond in a way that reflects the love we share.

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Wednesday May 13, 2026 – Do we view God through a ‘referee/fairness model?

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Don Schmidt

2 Corinthians 5:7  We live by faith, not by sight.

Have you ever noticed how common mistakes are?  Fortunately we don’t have video replay in our daily lives where family and friends can relive our blunders.  It’s bad enough listening to our kids hilariously remembering them.  But the sporting world provides some wrenching examples of errors by referees / umpires, and usually there is video replay that everyone has to live with – for better or worse.  While no one expects perfection, you just hope mistakes are inconsequential.  Unfortunately, some errors that come to mind were anything but.

Some years ago a Detroit Tiger pitcher was deprived of a perfect game by an umpire’s mistake.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the umpire mistakenly called a runner safe at first when replays clearly showed he was out – the last out! Afterward, the umpire was devastated to see the video replay of his mistake that deprived the pitcher of a rare perfect game.  Yes, umpires make mistakes, but this one involved the final out of a perfect game.

Most sports use technology or video replay to some degree to ensure against significant refereeing mistakes.  Soccer does not.  In the World Cup, on the same day, Germany and Argentina advanced in games marred by refereeing errors.  The whole world saw that England scored against Germany to tie the game up before the half at 2-2.  Unfortunately the referee and his linesman missed it! Germany went on to win 4-1.  That evening Argentina beat Mexico3-1, but Argentina’s first goal should have been disallowed because it was scored by a player clearly offside.  Note: The 2018 World Cup was the first time video review (VAR) was used.

Such mistakes really offend our sense of fairness – particularly when video replay confirms the error!  If only the mistakes could have been corrected, the results might have been different.  If only the baseball Commissioner had overturned the umpire’s call… If only video replay had been used in World Cup games…  If only God had….

Our response in difficult situations reveals what we really believe about God – who we think He is.  Is He our rock, our refuge, our comforter, our sustainer, our enabler, our inspiration, etc….  Or is He a referee who occasionally gets it wrong – who allows things that aren’t fair?  Do we get upset because something happens that is ‘against our understanding of the rules’ and we complain and question and argue: “He should have caught that!”

We need to understand that walking by ‘sight’ leads us on the path to the ‘referee / fairness’ model that results in victims and blown calls.  Walking by ‘faith’ leads us to the reality of who God is and how incredibly secure we are in Him – no matter what our circumstances look like.  Remember, God never has an “Oops!”

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Tuesday May 12, 2026 – Remembering the special people God has used in our lives

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Philippians 1:3  I thank my God every time I remember you.

Let’s take some time to remember the very special people that God has used to bless and help us over the years.  They may be life long friends or they may be individuals that God brought into our lives for one moment in time.  As I write this I think of a lady who was sitting next to us in a meeting about 50 years ago.

Donna and I were as poor as church mice, and living on faith.  An offering was being taken and we had only $5.  We prayed and knew the Lord wanted us to put it in the offering, so we did.  Then this lady next to Donna turned and gave her a $10 bill.  We don’t know her name, but we thank God for her.

Think of people who have helped us when we needed it.  When Donna and I were going through a difficult time in our marriage in 1992, the Lord provided Ric & Val.  What priceless friends they became.  He was (and is to this day) a marvelous counselor but they were so much more than that.  Their love and friendship provided a safe-harbor for us to address the issues confronting us.

At work back around 1990 the Lord provided Mindy, a systems specialist who helped me navigate implementing major accounts on a new claims system.  She became a priceless resource for me and helped me innumerable times through the years.  I remember being in one meeting where I was representing marketing and the technical discussion was over my head.  Then someone made a statement and Mindy spoke up.  She said, “Don you need to ask about what he just said because it will negatively affect marketing and your accounts.”  Thanks to her, something I would have missed was caught and changed.  She also was a Christian who has prayed for my family and me for years.

There are so many people that God has used in all our lives.  Ask Him to help you to remember them and the situations that someone blessed you in.  Sit with your spouse or a family member and help each other remember and focus on the positives.  It is such a blessing to have our hearts filled with gratitude when we remember those God has put in our lives.  Then take one more step and write, email or call and share today’s scripture with them and how they have made a difference in your life.

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Monday May 11, 2026 – Right process produces right results – learned at Wheaton Grad School

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Romans 14:8  If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Upon entering Wheaton Grad School I was aware that I had the potential to do really well.  Mediocrity was no longer acceptable but I was also aware that I had never been a great student – my study habits had to change.  It’s one thing to think about becoming a good student.  It’s another to actually become one.  The Lord didn’t leave me to my own devices – He gave me a life changing idea and the motivation to implement it.

I needed to hold myself accountable for how much time I actually studied outside of class.  This resulted in the creation of my ‘Accountability Book’.  I tracked down to five minute blocks of time how much I actually studied, and I was ruthless with myself.  I remember going to the library to study for the morning.  My thoughts were I would study for four hours from 8:00 until 12:00.  The reality was a bit different.  After taking time out for getting coffee in the union, talking with friends, checking my mail, going to chapel, etc… instead of four hours of study, it was 1 hour and 40 minutes!

The lesson of the Accountability Book was if I put in the time to genuinely study, I got ‘A’s.  This led to the realization that my focus wasn’t to be on getting ‘A’s but upon the ‘process’ of studying – mastery of what I needed to learn.  This led to the liberating realization that right process produces right results.

Inherent in this is recognizing that we have a lot to learn and the importance of always being teachable.  Whether it’s learning a job, learning to be a spouse or a parent – or learning to do these roles better – we have invaluable resources to help us achieve quality.  First and foremost is our Lord who is intimately involved in our lives.  He will show us where we need to improve.  In addition, we have Scriptures, books, mentor/coaches, pastoral teams, Christian friends, bosses, co-workers, etc… as valuable resources.

We must recognize that being a good parent, a good spouse, good worker, etc… is consistent with (and required by) our faith.  He enables us to recognize our shortcomings and become better at these things than we currently are.  Never be too proud to ask for help.  Our Lord wants quality in all of the roles we find ourselves in.  He doesn’t separate the sacred and the secular.

Our life in Christ transforms us so that we are able to glorify Him and must glorify Him with ever-improving quality in everything we do.  This is what living to the Lord is all about.  Beginning today, wherever we find ourselves, Jesus has a redemptive path that will enable us to do just that.

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Sunday May 10, 2026 – Mother’s Day!

Posted on May 10, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Ephesians 6:2-3  “Honor (esteem and value as precious) your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

I was thinking of the great value of mothers – and in that moment of sincere appreciation, with sort of a sigh I thought, “Where would we be without our mothers?”  Then in that warm, fuzzy moment, my grasp of the obvious kicked in and reality struck.  Duh! – We wouldn’t be here!!

There are all kinds of mothers: birth mothers, step-mothers, adoptive mothers, mothers in the faith.  Did you realize that a woman could be a mother without having children of her own?  I think of the women who have been like mothers to Donna and me through the years.  They encouraged us and loved us and treated us like their own.

If you find yourself today as one of those who has no physical children, think of those whom you’ve been able to bless or those you love as though they were your own.  Donna and I have joked about the “adopted” children we have.  We’re like a 2nd set of parents – except when it comes to college or wedding bills!

As we each honor our mother today, also think of those other women who have blessed us as though we were family to them as well. If there are women who come to mind, communicate your gratitude to them for the special role they have played in your life.

One of the most special memories that I have relates to Fabi who is married to our son John.  When she first came from Brazil for a 6 month visit, Donna was part of a liturgical dance team here at church.  When Donna worships through dance she absolutely radiates joy and love for Jesus.

Fabi later described what a blessing it was for her to watch Donna dance at church.  You see Donna bears a striking resemblance to Fabi’s mother who was killed in an accident years earlier – just hours after becoming a Christian.  Fabi had never seen her mother worship the Lord and seeing Donna dance, was like watching her mom worship the Lord.

Let us always honor all the special women that the Lord has given us and particularly remember them today.  Happy Mother’s Day!

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Saturday May 9, 2026 – This happened to me!

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Don Schmidt

Philemon 22 – And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

This verse reminds me of dear friends and a memorable answer to prayer.  Shortly after we were married, we were living in Lansing, Michigan.  We were going through the normal struggles that many new ministries go through.  God blessed us with an older couple, John and Sue, who were wonderful friends to us and were an inspiration to many.  They opened their home and lives to so many young men and women to help them grow in the Lord.

Fasting and prayer were vital to John and Sue and a part of their daily lives.  They viewed them as essential elements in seeking the Lord and being empowered to be the man and woman God wanted them to be.  We were often amazed at how God spoke to them and used them to bless others.  They were loving, kind and selfless.

The Lord spoke to them about establishing a foundation and pouring everything they owned into it where they could minister to people in need of help or encouragement.  They purchased a big old house and 50 acres and it became the center of their work and a place of prayer.  It was a home where they could have people stay with them for various periods of time to minister and help them.

There came a time when I was struggling with the work we were attempting to do.  While praying the Lord put on my heart to call John and Sue and ask if I could come and spend a few days there with them to seek the Lord.  When I did they encouraged me to come.  It was a blessing to be there – spending time in the word and prayer and gleaning wisdom from John and Sue.

While there I was reading Philemon and the Lord really quickened this verse to me – so much so that I mentioned it to John and Sue at breakfast.  They grinned and informed me that the Lord had spoken to them a couple of weeks earlier that I was to come and spend some time with them there.  They had the guest room prepared for me and were confident that through their prayers I would come.  I am still blessed by memories of this simple yet profound example of God answering prayer and His using Christians to express His love.

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