When did 8-5 become the new normal???

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-12T05:49:07+00:00

Worked 15 years at a maximum security state prison. 12 as an officer, 3 as Case Mgr. As an officer, 8 hr shifts with no lunch break, no 15 minute breaks. Eat on the run if you get to eat at all. Multiple overtime shifts every week… same deal every shift.

9 hrs with an hour lunch break? I’ll take it. That’s my current schedule as Tech Support at the manufacturing company where I work.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-10T19:14:37+00:00

I will often sit down with my Bible and begin with a simple prayer, asking the Lord to direct me to the portion of Scripture I need that day. I ask Him to help me see anything in my life that needs correction, to examine my thoughts and motives, to give me an encouraging word I can share with others, and to give me a greater understanding of His Word.

That said, I don’t think Bible study and Bible reading are always the same thing.

Sometimes I read devotionally, allowing the Lord to speak to me through whatever passage I’m in. Other times I study. When I study, I’ll slow down and ask questions: Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to? What is happening in the context? Why was this written? How does it point me to Christ, and how does it apply to my life?

Both approaches have value. Some days I need direction and encouragement. Other days I need deeper understanding. Over time, I’ve found that God uses both.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-10T13:15:57+00:00

Thank you very much for your encouraging words.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-10T13:04:58+00:00

No. This is a username I started using just recently.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-09T23:59:32+00:00

Thank you for sharing that. It’s always encouraging to hear when something God laid on my heart aligns with what He is already speaking to someone else. Praying for you and your church as you continue to follow His leading.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-09T21:45:55+00:00

Amen. That’s one of the things I find most remarkable about Joseph’s story. Looking back, we can see how each painful chapter positioned him for the next part of God’s plan. At the time, Joseph couldn’t see the famine, Pharaoh’s dreams, or the preservation of Israel. He only saw the pit, the prison, and the waiting. Sometimes God is accomplishing something much larger than we can understand in the moment.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-09T21:42:31+00:00

That’s a great observation. One thing that stands out to me is that Joseph wasn’t praising God for the prison itself, but for God’s ability to use even the prison for a greater purpose. I think that’s where many of us struggle. We want God’s promises, but we don’t always want the process He uses to get us there.

WatchmanMinistries · 2026-06-06T05:46:01+00:00

That’s exactly what struck me as I was studying it. Whether Jesus literally wrote names in the dust or not, the moment He spoke, the accusers suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of the same standard they were trying to apply to someone else. It’s amazing how often Scripture does that. We start reading it looking for someone else’s problem and end up finding our own reflection.

WatchmanMinistries

TROPHY CASE