Anxiety is something many of us wrestle with. It comes in the quiet hours of the night when thoughts won’t stop racing, or in the middle of the day when life feels overwhelming. Anxiety whispers, “What if everything goes wrong?” But today, let’s remind ourselves of a greater truth: we are not meant to live trapped by fear.
The Bible tells us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). Notice that—in everything. God doesn’t say, “Only bring me the big stuff.” He says, “Bring it all.” Your smallest worry matters to Him as much as the greatest challenge.
Anxiety tries to hold our minds hostage, but peace is possible when we shift our focus. Think of it like a camera lens. If all we see is the problem, everything else blurs out. But when we turn the lens toward God’s promises, the picture changes. His peace comes into focus, and our problems shrink in comparison to His power.
If you’re battling anxiety today, here are a few reminders:
Pause and breathe. Anxiety feeds on hurry, but peace grows in stillness. Pray instead of panic. Replace every “what if” with “God can.” Practice gratitude. Anxiety focuses on what’s missing; gratitude focuses on what’s present.
Remember this: anxiety is loud, but God’s peace is louder—if we choose to listen. Step into September with courage, knowing that whatever you face, you are not facing it alone.
Today, trade your worries for worship, your panic for prayer, and your fear for faith.
The first day of September is like turning a crisp, new page in a book. It reminds us that no matter what happened yesterday, last week, or even last month—we are given the chance to begin again today.
New Beginnings Bring New Opportunities
Every month comes with its own set of challenges and blessings. September invites us to refocus, to let go of what held us back, and to set our eyes on what lies ahead. Don’t carry old failures into this new month. Instead, carry the lessons.
Yesterday Does Not Define You
It’s easy to feel weighed down by mistakes, regrets, or missed opportunities. But today is proof that your story isn’t finished. September 1 is not just another date—it’s a reminder that life gives us grace-filled do-overs. What will you do with yours?
A Call to Action
Take time today to pause and set one intention for the month ahead. Maybe it’s to show more kindness, to finish something you started, or to take better care of yourself. Small commitments can lead to big transformations when we stay faithful.
The Power of Hope
Hope is the fuel of new beginnings. Let September be the month where you don’t just dream but also take steps forward. Remember, progress is progress, no matter how small.
✨ Today’s Takeaway:
September is a gift—a brand-new month filled with possibility. Don’t waste it looking back. Step forward with courage, faith, and expectation. A fresh start is waiting for you—take it.
Life is full of people—some easy to love and some… not so easy. Yet the call to “bear with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2) reminds us that relationships thrive not because everyone is perfect, but because we are willing to show patience, grace, and understanding.
Bearing With Others Means More Than Tolerating
To “bear with” someone doesn’t just mean putting up with them until they change. It means choosing to show kindness even when you’re misunderstood. It means offering patience when someone is still learning. It means extending grace in the same way God has extended grace to us.
Why It Matters
Every person you meet is carrying battles you may never see—silent struggles, unspoken fears, unseen wounds. Bearing with others is about recognizing that truth and deciding not to add weight to their load but to lighten it with compassion.
It Strengthens Us Too
When we learn to bear with others, it doesn’t just make life easier for them—it grows our character. It stretches our patience, deepens our humility, and teaches us to love in ways that go beyond convenience. True love is proven not in easy moments, but in the moments where it costs us something.
A Simple Practice for Today
The next time someone frustrates or disappoints you, pause and ask yourself:
👉 “How has God borne with me?”
If He has shown us such endless mercy, surely we can extend a little more patience and kindness to those around us.
✨ Today’s Takeaway:
Bearing with others isn’t weakness—it’s strength under control. It’s choosing love over irritation, patience over pride, and grace over judgment. The world needs more people who are willing to bear with others. Be one of them.
If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare one or two?
8/30– Can You Spare A Minute?
9/14–8/30–Moan and groan—how many of you know people that all they do is moan and groan? People say I’m not happy with my job. They say 87% of the people go to job that they hate. We have the dubious distinction in this country that on Monday morning between 6 an 9AM the heart attack rate increases over 35%!! People going to jobs that they hate. Their hearts tell them didn’t I tell you I didn’t want to go and they attack them?I can imagine that some of y’all don’t want to go to work next Monday.
People all they do is moan and groan. I’m not making enough money, I’m unhappy with my job! So, the thing about it is this…. all some people do is moan and groan.
I heard a story about some men on a porch. A man was walking by and heard the dog howling and whining. He asked the men why the dog was whining. They said he was laying on a nail. The man asked them why the dog didn’t get off the nail. He said because it wasn’t hurting enough.
I heard someone say that God gave us Ten Commandments but if He has given an eleventh it would have been “Thou Shall Not Bellyache”
We all want to be known as helpful people. Deep down, it feels good to step in, lend a hand, and make a difference. But there’s a fine line between being a helper and becoming a hindrance. Sometimes, what we call “helping” is actually slowing someone down, discouraging them, or even keeping them from growing.
Helpers Empower, Hindrances Control
A true helper empowers others. They don’t take over or demand credit—they make the burden lighter, the road smoother, and the path clearer. A hindrance, on the other hand, often means well but ends up adding weight to someone’s load instead of lifting it. The difference is in the spirit behind the action. Are you giving life, or are you draining it?
The Wrong Kind of Help
Imagine a child learning to tie their shoes. If you always step in and do it for them, you may think you’re helping, but really you’re hindering their growth. The same happens in life. Sometimes our “help” comes from impatience, pride, or the desire to control outcomes. That’s not help—that’s holding someone back.
The Right Kind of Help
The best kind of help comes with humility and wisdom. It asks: “Does this make things better for them, or easier for me?” True help might look like encouragement, a word of advice, or simply standing nearby in case they stumble. Sometimes helping means stepping back and allowing someone the space to grow stronger on their own.
A Question to Ask Yourself
Before you step in, pause and ask:
👉 “Will this action help them rise, or will it hold them down?”
Helpers lift. Hindrances weigh down. Choose to be the kind of person who builds up, not tears down—who empowers, not controls—who helps, not hinders.
✨ Today’s Takeaway:
The world doesn’t need more people who get in the way. It needs people who make the way easier. Be the one who lifts, encourages, and empowers.
Those who are comfortable with themselves don’t criticize
Story:
My Dad taught me two valuables lessons before he died.
One, don’t ever brag on yourself. Proverbs 27: 2 tells us “Let another lips praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger and not thine own lips.
Lesson two was not to ever make fun of anyone. To me, making fun of another is kin to criticizing. We were at a basketball game when I was about 8 or 9 years old. A player on the court had some of the biggest ears I had ever seen on a person. I blurted out, “Look at old Dumbo out there, the one with the big ears. It looks like he might fly away. My Dad was furious and I believe if there had not been so many witnesses there, I may have really been punished.
I learned not to make fun or criticize right then, that day! I learned to root for the Underdog. It takes a big man not to cheapen himself by criticizing another. I might not know how to explain class but, I know it when I see it!
My oldest Grandson was five years old when his Sister was born. He had got used to being the only child and the “center of attention.” We were looking at her through the hospital window and everyone was talking about how pretty she was. They remarked at her size and how big she was at 9 pounds and 15 ounces. My Grandson must have got tired of been overlooked, because he said loudly, “Look at me, look at me, I’m big.”
I still carry my Dad’s two lessons in my tool box. I would not want to be without them for even one day.
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Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
If you can’t find five minutes, can you spare one or two?
8/29– Can You Spare A Minute?
8/29–The moso is a bamboo plant that grows in China and the Far East. After the moso is planted, no visible growth occurs for up to five years – event under ideal conditions!
Then, unbelievably, it suddenly begins growing at the rate of nearly two and one half feet per day, reaching a full height of ninety feet within six weeks. The moso’s rapid growth is due to the miles of roots it develops during those first five years, five years of getting ready.
May it be that as we, and our students mature, Eph. 2:17 becomes true in our case, that we “may be rooted and established on the foundation.”
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Check Out Books By J D Canter in Amazon And Kindle:
J D Canter E Books 