Heading Home

Runaway Wagon!

2012-01-25T20:25:00.005-05:00

I love old westerns, especially those filmed in black and white. (I think I’ve mentioned that before!) I grew up on them. I watched one the other day that was 75 years old. Yeah, I know, I’m old! But not that old, yet!

In a typical old western storyline, the female lead is headed for town, riding peacefully in her buckboard, when something spooks the horses and they bolt, giving her a wild, bumpy ride which she cannot control.

Not too far off in the distance sits the hero upon his mighty steed. Hearing her screams for help, he gives his mustang a swift kick with his spurs and bolts off to rescue her. As the horse gallops alongside the runaway wagon, he jumps in and grabs the reins, yanking them under control.

She is so relieved to relinquish the reins and have someone else bring the situation under restraint that she gushes with thanks.

Makes me think of us as Christians. How often do we ride along peacefully in life when, suddenly, we encounter a startling and overwhelming situation? Something happens to jolt our smooth-going wagon of life onto a bumpy, runaway course and we can’t control it.

In our cries for help, our Hero, the One called “Faithful and True” (Rev. 19:11), our Savior on His mighty, white steed, comes galloping alongside us. If we surrender the reins of the situation to the Lord and allow Him to take over, He will bring it under control in His own way and in His own time.

No matter how a circumstance looks to us, God is always in control, especially when we surrender to Him.

This is my prayer; is it yours? “I entrust my spirit into Your hand. Rescue me, Lord, for You are a faithful God.” (Ps. 31:5 NLT)

May all your wagon rides be under control!

Journey Chapter 1

2012-01-22T20:04:00.014-05:00

“God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself...because the Lord loves you.” (Deut. 7:6b, 8a Amp)
Today starts my monthly journey post. If you did not read my One Word for the year, which turned out to be four, and why I’m doing this, you can read it here.

The Lord is taking me back to the beginning of this writing adventure He has called me to undertake. After I became ill with fibromyalgia, the Lord whispered to me His desire that I take up my pen and write for Him. Dumbfounded, I obeyed.

God led me to write on the Hebrew/Jewish betrothal tradition and used it to show me how it is a representation of our relationship with our Beloved Bridegroom and how we are to live the Bride life.

This month’s journey: to remember I am chosen by God to be a part of His Bride. The Father chose each one of us to be a part of His Son’s Bride. If you and I embrace this relationship, then we need to understand the background.

Walk back with me through the years to those ancient times. Back to the day when the Hebrews practiced the betrothal process which consisted of twelve steps (actually, many Jews still celebrate it today).

(I wrote about some of this in another post entitled Your Maker is Your Husband, somewhat of an overview of the betrothal process.)

The first step of the betrothal is the selection of the Bride, called shiddukhin, or the match, which is a pre-arranged agreement. The bride is chosen.

Thousands of years ago, the family existed as the father’s own little kingdom, in which he ruled absolutely, constituting a patriarchal society. More than just a social order, the head of the household held a religious significance.

As God’s representative, the father acted as the priest of his household in order to carry out God’s purpose. Those within the family accepted the father’s actions on their behalf as though done for them by God Himself.

Therefore, the Hebrew fathers thought it their duty to provide a bride for their sons in imitation of God, as Father, Who provided a wife for Adam. The majority of the time, the father chose the bride for his son.

Just as a Hebrew father chose the perfect bride for his son, so this represents the precious picture of God’s love for His Son’s Bride, the perfect companion suited for the heavenly Bridegroom.

As the ancient, betrothed bride and groom were considered as one unit, the same truth exists when believers accept Christ’s proposal, for they become a part “of His body, of His flesh and of His bones,” (Eph. 5:30 NKJV) as a divine oneness.

As Paul explained it to the Ephesians, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:32 NKJV) The mystery, the secret? “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.” (Col. 1:27b NLT)

Paul said, “Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love,” (Eph. 1:4a Msg) and “[In His love] He chose us [actually picked us out for Himself as His own] in Christ,” (Eph. 1:4a Amp) “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:6 NKJV)

Accepted. That is, endued with special honor. Pursued with grace. Honored with blessings. Encompassed with favor. Beloved. Cherished.

To die for. “This is My body which is given for you,” (Luke 22:19 NKJV) Jesus said, relinquishing His life. And He says to us as He told the disciples, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” (John 15:16a NKJV)

This journey revisit reminds me not only to know that I am chosen but also to be cautious to live well as the Bride of my Beloved Bridegroom and to dwell much on this...

*I am chosen for my Beloved Bridegroom.
*I am accepted in my Beloved Bridegroom.
*I am endued with special honor.
*I am pursued with grace.
*I am honored with blessings.
*I am encompassed with favor.
*I am beloved, cherished, to die for.

And so are you! Hope today’s journey helped to remind you.

May you know how precious you are to the Lord and that you are chosen to be His!

The Essentials guest post

2012-01-19T20:30:00.008-05:00

Today, it’s my pleasure to bring you another post from my sweet cyber-friend Marja Meijers. Marja is one of my first online friends and subscribers. I know you'll enjoy her post. Please leave her some comment love! Here's Marja...

My husband walked in just as I sat on top of my suitcase, trying to cram one more shirt in there. A shirt I just had to bring on this trip. I tried to look as innocent as possible while I casually flipped the locks back and forth to show him it took no effort.

I could tell by the look on his face however that he had a different train of thoughts and was on the verge of teaching me a lesson. “Honey, we’re only going on a two weeks vacation. Don’t bring your whole wardrobe, just grab the essentials.”

The essentials. Bewildered I took a quick inventory of my room. Clothes everywhere, shoes, scarves, and bathing suits scattered around like wild flowers. What was I thinking?

I grabbed my checklist from the night stand and stared at it for the longest time. Books, goggles, insect repellant, sun block, sandals, clothes and more clothes. Why was it that every time I tried to get ready for a trip I ended up taking too much luggage with me?

I shamefully recalled the previous year; for two weeks I dragged stuff around that I never wore and never needed. I even managed to complain from time to time to my husband that we absolutely took too much luggage on our trip. Yes, with the emphasis on ‘we.’

At that time, he never said anything and I figured he didn’t care. Now, I know he simply made up his mind regarding future ventures: if she doesn’t downsize, I would rather stay home! And you know what, I think he was right.

We must learn to grab the essentials. My overflowing suitcase was a picture of the upcoming vacation and maybe even of the upcoming year. I had already planned too many activities for the next few weeks. I had already planned to read more books than I could and should possibly take with me.

Yes, my vacation had already been fully planned before it even began. Go see this, visit that, make a tour, go out for dinner. I had planned my recreation time like many people plan their regular agenda: too full, no emphasis on essentials and no time to really rest.

Re-packing my suitcase with the essentials turned out to be a great exercise in reflecting on the new year, too. After all, if I wasn’t able to reduce the luggage I took on a simple vacation, how was I going to downsize my luggage for a whole year?

I realized that, ever so often, we make the mistake of taking up too much to carry and then complain about the burden. We must learn to concentrate on the essentials! I believe that can be a great motto for 2012.

For starters, I made a checklist of some spiritual and natural essentials I want to grab a hold of in 2012. As you will see, faith and daily living are interwoven. I hope this checklist will help you to carefully pack your suitcase for this coming year.

*Resting

While taking a yearly rest from daily chores and rituals is a good thing, it is much more important to take our weekly rest which the Bible calls Sabbath (Exodus 20:8). A day of rest after every six days of work is the prescription to prevent stress and anxiety. It has been for thousands of years and it will always be.

In preparation for that weekly rest, however, we should take our daily rest seriously, too. Our daily rest is our time alone with God and His word. Jesus offers us the blueprint for a quiet time in Mark 1:35, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” (NIV)

We cannot expect to truly feel relaxed and refreshed once a year if we don’t know how to do it on a weekly and daily basis. We must learn to break down our resting periods in little segments which are more manageable and will inevitably turn out to be an essential part of our day.

*Recreation

While recreation is different for everyone, it should never end up on our ‘things to do list,’ whether it is hiking, bicycling, reading, or gardening. If we cannot do the things we love without seeing them as just another appointment on our calendar, we are missing the point.

Recreation is re-living the creation. Seeing that everything is good (Genesis 1:31), enjoying everything that is beautiful (Genesis 2:9), and being inspired to take on new projects (Genesis 2:15).

*Reflection

Regular reflection is necessary to make sure we are still on the set course of our life. It is very easy to get sidetracked and do things our way. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (NIV)

It sometimes means letting go of tasks and delegating them to other capable people. It might involve reorganizing our work schedule and household chores in order to be more efficient. Reflection certainly includes looking back at accomplishments and blessings and the cultivation of an attitude of gratitude.

Thankful reflection recharges our batteries more than anything else!

*Preparation

Preparation for a new year, a new week, or a new day means purposely leaving room to move, purposely leaving empty spaces on the calendar. Being prepared does not mean being fully booked.

Preparation is a mindset. It means to be ready for something different and unforeseen, to be open for surprises, and to be willing to take on new assignments. First Peter 1:13 says, “Prepare your minds for action.” (NIV) We must be alert! A prepared woman, or man, has a teachable spirit, an ear to listen and a heart for the unexpected things of God!

~I hope you’ll take time to visit Marja’s sites, Fresh Insights on Ancient Truths and Life of Sorek, A Journey into Origin & Purpose of Spirit, Soul, and Body

...and be sure to check out her two books:

Grace of Giving

Breath of Life

What is the M.O.M. Initiative?

2012-01-15T20:14:00.005-05:00

Today, I have a very special post for you. There is a new website I'd like to tell you about. This is mainly for the ladies. However, men, I know there are ladies in your lives. Please let them know about this site.

While many women dream of being the perfect mom who has all the right answers, never raises her voice, and never has to count to three, we all know it’s not always easy being a mom. Those sweet, little bundles of joy don’t come packaged with instruction manuals or warning labels and moms are often left to figure it out on their own.

The M.O.M. Initiative is an acrostic for Mothers On a Mission to Mentor Other Mothers. It exists as a group of moms and a package of resources to equip, enable, and support women as they experience Titus 2 in real life. We want to help moms become the best moms they can possibly be.

The website:

The M.O.M. Initiative website offers virtual encouragement for real life moms. The website exists as safe place to grow as a mother, to gain a better understanding of what a mother is and what a mother does and to foster and support mentor/mentee relationships.

Along with practical tips, helpful tools, godly wisdom and informative insight on current issues, The M.O.M. Initiative website also offers a private chat room where a mom can connect with a virtual mentor and find help in times of need. The website offers help for the mentor as well as the mentee.

The articles on The M.O.M. Initiative website are provided by a wonderful group of moms who are passionate about ministering to the hearts of mothers. Some are writers, speakers, counselors, nurses, or experts in their fields, yet they all devote much time and effort to serving other mothers in whatever season of life they find themselves.

The workbook:

The M.O.M. Initiative workbook is being developed to serve as a tool in the hands of Christian moms to help foster mentoring relationships beyond the four walls of the church and take Titus 2 to the streets. It will be an eight week study containing five lessons per week.

Each day the mentee will be presented with biblical truths as well as mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, and developmental needs of a child. She will also gain insight through thought provoking questions encouraging her to implement proactive mothering techniques.

The workbook will also provide a M.O.M. mentor guide and a missional planning guide in the back of the book.

Summed up, The M.O.M. Initiative is a missional mentoring package of resources that will give Christian mothers an easy, hands-on approach to passionately pursue mentor relationships with younger mothers and mothers-to-be, and ultimately impact the next generation for Christ.

How Did The M.O.M. Initiative Get Started?

The M.O.M. Initiative was birthed from founder, Stephanie Shott’s own story. At the age of nineteen, she was a single mom. Without Christ and without a mentor, she made a series of serious choices that affected her precious young son. After becoming a Christian five years later, she learned being a mom is much more than a three letter word and a handful of sacrifices. She also realized the significance of Titus 2:4-5.

What’s the Vision for The M.O.M. Initiative?

We believe that if the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world, then the church that mentors those hands will win it.

The primary vision for The M.O.M. Initiative is that it not only be limited to those who enter the four walls of the church, but that it also be used to facilitate mentor relationships in homes for unwed mothers, in low income housing projects, apartment complexes, homeless shelters, prisons, juvenile shelters, schools, hospitals, the mission field and anywhere young mothers can be found. (Planning guides for each of these venues will be available in the back of the book.)

The M.O.M. Initiative is not just a book. It’s not just a website. IT’S A REVOLUTION!

We are mothers on a mission to mentor other mothers and we really want to change the world one mom at a time! Won’t you join us?

To learn more, you can visit our website at: The M.O.M. Initiative

To join the revolution and become a M.O.M. Mentor, please click here.

No matter what age you are, from very young mother to a grandmother, there is great take-away to use for yourself or to share with others. Hope you’ll hop over and take a look!

Can Routine Affect Our Purpose? guest post

2012-01-12T20:13:00.004-05:00

Today, I bring you a new cyber-friend, Naty Matos. Naty writes Christian fiction and non-fiction. Her first book, Growth Lessons, can be found on
Kindle and Nook.

I hope you’ll support Naty with a comment. Thanks!

Here’s Naty...

Routine is an element that could prevent us from embracing the new things that God wants to do in our lives. No matter how free-spirited our lives may be, the most disorganized of us has a routine. We get up, go to work or school, we have a hygiene routine, eating routine, a schedule.

After all the hours outside of our house, we then return and do mostly the same things: clean up, eat, and entertain ourselves (television, internet, games, Facebook). The day ends and we have not given God a minute of our time.

Some people have included God in their daily routine somewhat, but if something comes along that changes the things we usually do, we have the tendency to present resistance. I know that God has woken me up in the middle of the night with someone’s name. He usually wants me to go and pray for that person. I have to admit that I have not always been obedient to that call.

How many times have you ignored that voice when you know in your heart that you needed to do something for someone or in obedience to God?

This reminded me of the parable of the Good Samaritan, when people bypassed helping someone in need in order to make it to the temple on time. If you have not read it, I’ll share it with you.

It’s in Luke 10:32-34, “Jesus answered by telling a story. ‘There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

‘A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’” (The Message)

Stopping there would have affected their routine. I have found out that when I get out of myself and actually allow God to alter my routine, I get more blessed than any blessing I can be to anyone else.

Let’s decide today to give our daily schedules to God every day and let His will be done.

~~I hope you’ll visit Naty’s site The Rising Muse

You can also catch her on Facebook and on Twitter @NatyCMatos

Deliver Them from Evil

2012-01-10T20:14:00.009-05:00

Are children abducted near you or even in your town for sex trafficking? Don’t think it just happens somewhere over in Southeast Asia. It happens everywhere. Here’s a link to check a map reposted by Human Trafficking (read their post) with documented cases within the U.S. The map is created and maintained by the Not For Sale Campaign, founded by David Batstone (more following).

I know I have written on this topic before, but I wanted to make you aware of it. Again. Because it is a very serious, worldwide problem.

January 11 is National Human Trafficking Day and the whole month of January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

A large part of trafficking is sexual slavery. I can hardly bring myself to write this. My heart breaks with pain and my eyes flow with tears. I force myself to type this. These children are raped repeatedly, more than 30 times a day, just for profit. Just for someone’s twisted pleasure. Now, my stomach turns. One report says that the younger the children, the better for the trafficker. That means even under the age of six.

Human trafficking is the #2 fastest growing crime in the U.S. with 50% of the victims being children. The average age of those forced into sexual exploitation is 12-13 years old.

While statistics are hard to pin down, as no one really knows the exact numbers and each site lists different figures, it is estimated that trafficking amasses $7 billion dollars annually.

Two men found this ugly truth existing right in their hometown of Atlanta. Their search led them into the secret world of America’s modern slave trade and to a global undercover operation to rescue victims.

The two men, Dillon Burroughs and Charles Powell, wrote a book about it. Not in My Town: Exposing and Ending Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery tells the story and provides many resources for those who care to stop the injustice. Together, these two men have founded Mercy Movement.

New Hope Digital has a great article entitled Ideas and Resources to Join the Fight Against Modern Slavery. It lists ideas of how we, John Q. Public, can help. One I especially like: buy free-trade products, which are 100% free of slave labor.

Another who is fighting this atrocity is David Batstone, of the site Not for Sale, and lives in the San Francisco area. One day, he read an article about one of his favorite Indian restaurants, which had been “trafficking women from India to wash dishes, cook meals and other tasks.”

David says, “This was happening in my country at a restaurant I frequented. My shock turned into a consuming passion that took me around the world to learn more about how slavery flourishes in the shadows...And I knew I had to do something. The Not for Sale Campaign combines technology, intellectual capital, abolitionist groups and a growing network of individuals like yourself – joined together to end slavery in our lifetime.”

A cyber-friend who also fights doggedly for this cause is Diana Scimone of Born2Fly. She has written a wonderful wordless book, so no translations are necessary, for children called Born to Fly which I told you about last month, in the article A Child is Born. The book helps at-risk children, “to educate kids, parents, and teachers about the dangers of child trafficking—with the ultimate goal of ending it,” says Diana.

A sister site to Born2fly is The Butterfly Project, which markets jewelry made by women and girls rescued from trafficking. Why not stop by and *like*
The Butterfly Project on Facebook? Better yet, support them with a purchase. I know you’ll be glad you did. You can contact Jané at gautieronfire@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter as @SireneduMississ.

Another cyber friend, Kathi Macias, an award-winning author of over 30 books and several ghost-written ones, has also joined in this fight by writing what critics call a superb novel on the subject. Deliver Me from Evil shines the light on this horrific injustice to humankind. She has been interviewed on the radio and speaks on the topic.

Gary Haughen, the founder of International Justice Mission, has written the book Good News About Injustice.

He says on his site, “International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems - police, courts and laws - effectively protect the poor.”

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), a program of Polaris Project, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that has set up a national, toll-free hotline that answers calls in the U.S. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

So many wonderful people lending a hand in whatever way they can to combat this atrocious crime that I couldn’t possibly get it all in this post. I know I have left out many worthy people.

Oh, my sweet friends, what will you do? Please, please do something! Even if it is only to pray.

~Lord, bring rescuers into the lives of these unfortunate ones who are at the mercy of wretched traffickers. Both the victims and the miscreants...Deliver them from evil!

~~A big thank you to Tony Marino of Alive in Christ Radio LIVE program for mentioning the awareness day last night on his program.

Just One Word?

2012-01-06T20:44:00.005-05:00

I have never made New Year’s resolutions because I knew I would never keep them. This year, I kept encountering blog post after blog post by those who chose to do One Word for the year.

I googled it and found a site called My One Word. This is what they say...

“‘My One Word’ is an experiment designed to move you beyond the past and look ahead. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future. So, we invite you to join us and pick one word in 2012 (click here to learn how)!”

They call it the un-resolution. They also have a blog, if you’d like to subscribe.

The more I saw others choosing a word, or having the Lord choose one for them, the more I liked the idea of clinging to one word for the New Year. So, I thought I would try it this year. But only if the Lord gave me the word. I didn’t want a word that I choose for myself.

I waited. And as I waited, I decided that, if the Lord gave me no word, I would have a backup. I would use this Scripture, “For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans of welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.” (Jer. 29:11 Amplified) A great Scripture for the year, right?

Then, without warning, came the first word: cautious. I decided to look it up. Cautious partially means: to be cautious is often to show wisdom. Webster’s Unabridged, New Edition, 1881, defines it as “attentive to examine probable effects and consequences of measures, with a view to avoid danger or misfortune.” Synonyms are prudent, guarded, wary, circumspect, watchful, and vigilant. Ooo...sounds good to me!

Unexpectedly, another word came: journey. Part of journey’s definition means passage or progress from one stage to another.

Even more unexpectedly came two more: dwell much.

Therefore, I will dwell much in the Lord and be cautious in my journey from one stage to another throughout the coming year.

The Lord, then, plopped an idea into my noggin. Throughout this year’s journey, I’ll be posting once a month on journey. More about this in an upcoming post.

You’re invited to come along with me. Will you join me on this journey and see what exciting things we encounter?

Being a Magi guest post

2012-01-05T20:48:00.005-05:00

"The Journey of the Magi" (1894)by James Joseph Jacques Tissot
Today, it is my pleasure to bring you Staci Stallings, the author of Cowboy and ten other books currently available on Kindle and Nook. Staci enjoys writing books that touch readers deeply. Whether the story is about losing someone or fighting for what you believe in, you can bet it will hook you and not let go until you sigh as the ending slips in place in your heart.

Here’s Staci...

A long time ago, I read a book that said, “There is a reason you notice the things you notice. They come into your sight to tell you something.” (paraphrase)

I took that to heart and began actively noticing. That is, I notice when I notice something. Rather than going through life oblivious to the signs God is putting in my path, I either actively seek them or, at least, I get the message with only a couple of occurrences.

Much like the man in the flood who was standing on his porch as a boat went by. The people in the boat told him he could come with them. He shook his head. “God will save me if He wants to save me.”

Several hours passed, and now he was hanging onto an upstairs window. A second boat came by. The people in it said, “Come on with us!” But the man replied, “No, I love God, and if He wants to save me, He will.”

Hours past, and it grew dark. A Coast Guard boat with a search light found the man clinging to his chimney. “Come on! Get on!” they yelled. But the man refused. “I love God, and if He wants to save me, He will.” An hour later, the man appeared at the Pearly Gates.

St. Peter looked at him incredulously. “What are you doing here?” The man shrugged. “I guess it was my time. God didn’t save me.” To which St. Peter said, “That’s weird. We sent three boats!”

Several years after I heard this story, I heard Oprah Winfrey say something similar. She said (paraphrase), “To get your attention, God will send a breath. Then He will send a pebble, then a brick, then a boulder, then the whole house will come crashing down!”

Let me just say, for myself, I prefer to catch what God is telling me at the first boat, the breath, or at most the pebble. So, I have become very conscious of the messages God sends to me. And they are everywhere! In music, books, the Bible, conversations, on billboards, in magazines, sometimes even in dreams.

Recently, I’ve been preparing a project that is very close to my heart for which God has given many signs and messages since it was first conceived. For this one project, I have received messages ranging from videos depicting the story, songs, email messages, and even a tour bus following me down the road!

The ultimate (so far) message was that just before I mailed the project in, I was praying over it in the post office, and my oldest daughter said, “Look, Mom.” When I opened my eyes, she was holding a piece of paper about five inches from me in my direct line of sight. It said, “Your talents will be recognized and suitably rewarded.” I just started laughing because I get signs and messages, but most of the time they take at least a little bit of interpretation.

As I was recounting these events to my sister, she laughed, “You are such a Magi.” To which I said the only logical thing, “Huh?”

She went on to explain. “The Magi were astronomers. They spent their time looking for signs in the sky, signs of a new king, signs of a shift on the earth begun in the heavens. That’s what you do!”

I’d never thought of it quite like that, but I’ve got to say, it’s great fun to be a Magi. You should try it sometime.

© Staci Stallings 2006

You can find out more about Staci at her blog, Spirit Light Books, and more about her books at Staci Stallings.

The Quest

2012-01-01T20:12:00.007-05:00

“When you go, your way shall be openedup before you step by step.”(Prov. 4:12 free translation)
Henry Clay Trumbull once said, “The Lord never builds a bridge of faith except under the feet of the faith-filled traveler. If He builds the bridge a rod ahead, it would not be a bridge of faith. That which is of sight is not of faith.”

I seem to be reminded of movies lately. The above scripture and statement remind me of the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, as Indy (Harrison Ford) and his father (Sean Connery) are on a quest for the Holy Grail, the chalice of Christ, believed to contain healing power and everlasting life.

In Professor Henry Jones, Sr.’s journal, his notes to locate the chalice contain coded instructions and three challenges...

*Challenge one: the Breath of God: Only the penitent man will pass.
*Challenge two: the Word of God: Only in the footsteps of God will he proceed.
*Challenge three: the Path of God: Only in the leap from the lion’s head will he prove his worth.

In his quest, “Junior” makes it through challenges one and two and comes to challenge three. Indy stands on a ledge in a small opening in the rock, just big enough to squeeze through. Beyond that is a great abyss, a 100 foot drop to the rocks below and 100 feet across to the other side, a rough, stony cliff wall. He can see nowhere to cross.

Indy looks down into the grail diary and agonizes over what it is asking him to do. Standing on the ledge, he ponders how to span the great chasm, repeating the instructions, “Only in the leap from the lion’s head will he prove his worth.” Looking around, he notices inscribed into the rock above his head is the head of a lion.

Flashing back to Indy’s father, Henry calls out to his son, “You must believe, boy. You must...believe.”

Indy realizes, “It’s... a leap of faith. Oh, God.”

Even though he is petrified he will fall to his death, he slowly raises one foot and cautiously steps out into thin air…only to be surprised that a bridge is under his foot. Totally relieved, he safely passes to the other side.

I’ve always loved that part of the movie. It so reminds me that only when we step out in faith into the unknown does God place that solid Rock-bridge beneath our feet.

As we go on our quest through the New Year, we will...

*pass on when we are penitent to the breath of God
*proceed in the footsteps of God when we follow the Word of God
*prove our worth when we leap away from the lion’s head and continue on the path of God in faith.

Think about that. No, it isn’t always easy. We will all encounter frightening Indy-circumstances at one time or another during the year. Each situation we face will be bridged, for the ordained way has already been given to us. Christ is our bridge. Always.

How much faith will you have to step out onto the Bridge in the New Year? Stretch out that foot and put one in front of the other. Walk with faith on your quest through the year.

Just as Indy, we step out in faith for each day’s quest. As Paul said, “Our life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.” (2 Cor. 5:7 NLV) Therefore, as Jesus said, “According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matt. 9:29 NKJV)

May the Lord bless your New Year with faith, hope, joy, peace, and all that you need!

This post is part of the monthly blog chain at Christian Writers. This month’s topic is quest. Please visit the great posts of the month listed in the right sidebar.

New Year's Soup

2011-12-31T07:05:00.000-05:00

Last year, I read a post and the last sentence made me think, “And the empty pot awaits, ready for a fresh batch.”

It reminded me of the story of Stone Soup. If you’ve never heard of it, here’s a synopsis of this version of the story:

Many years ago in Eastern Europe, people hoarded their food in a time of famine. One day, a soldier wandered into a village and asked to stay for the night. The people told him to move on as there was no food.

“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.”

Pulling out all he needed from his wagon, he filled his cauldron with water and built a fire for it. Then, he took a velvet bag and drew out an ordinary stone and dropped it into the water.

The rumor of food spread and the villagers came to the square to find out.

As the soldier sniffed the broth, he said, “Ahh, I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage – now that’s hard to beat.”

Soon a villager brought him a cabbage he’d been hiding and added it to the pot. Then, the soldier said, “You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king.”

The village butcher brought out some salt beef and added it. Over and over, the soldier raved how good the soup is with added potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on.

Villager after villager brought out the necessary ingredients until there was indeed a delicious meal for all.

With all the added ingredients, the soup turned out to be delicious.

If your year was anything like mine, the cauldron of 2011 contained a variety of ingredients, some positive, some negative, and flavored with a dash of hope and a soupcon of joy or maybe even en grande quantité.

Now, the kettle for 2012 is empty and sits waiting to be filled, ready for all the ingredients of a new year.

What ingredients will fill your New Year? What will fill your heart?

I pray the Lord will fill your New Year with hope, peace, comfort, joy, and an abundance of blessings.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13 NKJV)

The Golden Ornament guest post

2011-12-29T21:44:00.003-05:00

I hope you enjoy today's guest post by a sweet cyber friend, Kristin Bridgman...

As I contemplate taking down the Christmas tree and all the decorations, packing and putting away, I wonder about the New Year and what it holds in store for me. What circumstances will I be a part of? What people will come into and or leave my life? How will the devil try to attack me this year? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not worrying, just pondering.

As I see the packaging boxes in my garage waiting to be filled with Christmas, it’s always a little sad. So, last year I kept one of the golden ornaments out and left it hanging in my entryway all year. It will stay there from now on. Even though the Christmas holiday is coming to an end, the Christmas spirit can go on forever and the glistening of that ornament is just a symbol of that.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I never need a reminder of my Lord. He is with me always, but when those hot, humid months roll around, the feeling of Christmas, good tidings, good cheer, the giving spirit that we feel in December, somehow gets lost by June.

I must not be the only one with these thoughts because of the quotes I found. Here are just a few. . .

“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” Charles Dickens

“Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.” Calvin Coolidge

“Keep your Christmas heart open all the year round.” Jessica Archmint

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Charles Dickens.

Christmas is not just a time on the calendar; it is the baby in the manger who came to save mankind. Peace and joy is not just for December but for always if we accept the one who came to offer it.

As I think about the coming New Year, I look at that golden ornament with the light flickering from it and know that the true light of Christmas is within me. So I look forward with anticipation and eagerness to start it, knowing that Christmas is with me always.

Let’s not say farewell to good tidings, Christmas cheer, a giving spirit, peace, and joy. That can be with us for 12 months, year after year.

I have seen people I know along with strangers come together in love and compassion to help the less fortunate this Christmas season. My heart leapt for joy every time I saw a new donation for the homeless and needy children. That is truly a gift; a compassion flowing forth to those who need help, need love spread all over them, need the touch of Christ from another fellow human being. May this keep going on month after month.

And if I ever start to forget, may the Lord use the sparkle of light from my golden ornament to remind me of Christmas, Christ in the every day, of giving, spreading good cheer, feeling joy that only comes from Him, and peace that passes all understanding, reaching out and loving the lovables and the unlovables.

May you all have a bright and shining New Year. And don’t be surprised if you hear me say “Merry Christmas” in June.

~Please visit Kristin's great site Ponderings.

When the Temples of Heaven and Earth Converged

2011-12-26T12:26:00.014-05:00

“Unto us a Son is given...and His name will be called Wonderful,Counselor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father,Prince of Peace.”(Isa. 9:6 NKJV)
Many prophecies given. Many generations came and left. Until, the prophecies came to pass.

When heaven’s Temple came down...

“But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5 NIV)

...a Son was given to Mary and Joseph. “...the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2 NKJV) The One Who was “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” (Col. 1:15 NKJV)

The begotten of Eternity. God come in Person. The Ancient of times.

...and the Temple entered a temple. The collision of Divinity and humanity!

This Temple, destined to be destroyed, torn down, ripped apart, by the hands of earth’s religionists, would one day speak these words, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” (John 2:19 NKJV)

Raise up. To arouse from sitting, reclining, sleep, or even death. But they didn’t get it, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (John 2:20 NKJV)

But this Temple was no ordinary earthly temple. This Temple was of divine origin. (John 2:21)

The heavenly Temple was presented in the earthly temple...

And “when the days of [Mary’s] purification according to the law of Moses were completed, [Mary and Joseph] they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.” (Luke 2:22 NKJV)

The Firstborn, not only of Mary but of all creation, was nestled in the arms of His earthly mother and dedicated to His heavenly Father.

“Oh my Lord...You sent Your Son to save usOh my Lord...Your very self You gave usOh my Lord...That sin may not enslave us and love may reign once moreOh my Lord...When in the crip You found Him
Oh my Lord...A golden halo crown’d HimOh my Lord...They gathered all around Him to see Him and adore”(Some versions of Mary’s Boy Child contain these ending words)
Heaven’s Temple entered earth to give those on earth an entrance into heaven’s Temple!

“Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King.”
May the Temple of heaven fill the earthly temple of your heart with Joy!

Christmas Gift of the Heart

2011-12-21T20:39:00.017-05:00

My all-time favorite Christmas movie, well, of all movies, is The Bishop’s Wife. (Not The Preacher’s Wife!) I watch it a couple of times throughout the year.

If you have never watched it, I highly recommend it. Hearing Cary Grant tell the story of David and the lion and then reciting Psalm 23 is wonderful.

If you’ve never watched it, here’s a synopsis of the movie...

Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) prays for divine guidance as he is troubled about the building of a large cathedral. The answer to his prayer comes in the form of an angel named Dudley (Cary Grant), initially known only to the bishop.

Everyone, except for Henry, is charmed by the angel, even the non-religious Professor Wutheridge.

Dudley’s mission is not to help with the funding of the cathedral but to guide Henry and the people around him. Henry becomes obsessed with the building to the detriment of his marriage to his neglected, unhappy wife, Julia (Loretta Young).

Dudley persuades the wealthy parishioner Mrs. Hamilton to contribute the needed funds but not to build the cathedral. He helps her decide to give her money to feed and clothe the needy, much to Henry’s displeasure.

As Dudley spends time cheering up Julia, he finds himself becoming strongly attracted to her. Sensing this, Henry becomes jealous and anxious for his unwelcome guest to finish his mission and depart.

After talking to his friend Professor Wutheridge, Henry stands up to Dudley, who realizes his mission of guidance is now complete and promises never to return. He tells Henry that all memory of him will be erased, and on Christmas Eve at midnight, Henry delivers the sermon that he believes he has written.

Since I’m part of Christianwriters.com’s blog chain this month, and the topic is Gift of the Heart, the sermon the bishop gives at the end of the movie instantly popped into my mind.

It goes like this...

“Tonight, I want to tell you the story of an empty stocking.

Once upon a midnight clear, there was a child’s cry, a blazing star hung over a stable, and wise men came with birthday gifts.

We haven’t forgotten that night down the centuries; we celebrate it with stars on the Christmas trees, with the sound of bells, and with gifts. But especially with gifts.

You give me a book; I give you a tie. Aunt Martha has always wanted an orange squeezer, and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe.

Oh, we forget nobody, adult or child. All the stockings are filled, all, that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up: the stocking for the child born in a manger. It’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Don’t let us ever forget that.

Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most and then, let each put in his share: lovingkindness, warm hearts, and a stretched-out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts make peace on earth.”
The Father shared of Himself and sent His Son into the world.

The Lord gave of His heart; what gift of your heart do you give Christ this year?

Do you bring sacrificial gifts to the Christ-child out of your heart’s treasury? Gifts like the purity of holiness? The costly fragrance of continual prayer? A cleansed soul, preserved from eternal death?

Do you offer Him your heart as His manger, as an empty vessel for His resting place? Or is it full of jealousy, envy, hatred, unforgiveness, self-pity, lust, anger, or prejudice?

Do you leave Him no room to “lay down His sweet head”? Have you said, “Sorry, there is no room for You in this inn”?

Give the Babe of the manger the lodging place He deserves. Give Him the gift of your heart.

May your Christmas be blessed with a special touch of the Lord’s presence.

***This is part of Christian Writers. Please visit the great sites in the blog chain listed in the right sidebar.

A Christmas Word from the Lord

2011-12-18T19:54:00.012-05:00

“My dearest one,

This is the season for giving thanks for the greatest Gift ever given, My One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. In Him is to be found all the gifts of the Spirit. All His gifts are truly yours, if you are truly Mine. You must present yourself as a gift given humbly to Me. This is the great Gift Exchange. Only when your heart is truly given to Me can this exchange be utterly completed.

The Holy Present was first given and made His home in a lowly manger in a barn. The Holy Present is now given to make His home in the hearts of men, but His home still needs to be a humble dwelling place. This Holy Present cannot live in a place where man wants to be the ruler. There can only be one Ruler of each heart.

The Gift was given in order to bring peace into the heart of the recipient, but only when one gives all of oneself back to the Giver can this Gift Exchange take place and peace be found.

Peace came that Holy Night and filled the world with wonder and joy. Its Light not only illuminated the entire sky but it also lit the way for the entire world to be saved, if they would only have eyes to see.

Remember this Christmas, when all the presents are under the tree, that the Greatest Gift of all drew His first breath of life in a manger made from a tree, and drew His last breath of life on a cross made from a tree. So, when you look at your Christmas tree this season, see it as a cradle of love and a display of agony; both held the true Gift, the Gift of Life.

He came into this world as the Gift of Life and gave back that Life as a Gift to all mankind.

Oh, My children, do not miss the true Spirit of Christmas, My Gift to you. Whether you have presents under the tree or not, the True Presence shall be alive in your heart, if you will just receive your True Gift.”

May each of you know the joy of unwrapping the True Gift of Christmas...Jesus!

Stirring Coffee guest post

2011-12-18T09:37:00.003-05:00

Today, I’m happy to bring you another sweet cyber-friend, Sylvia Stewart. Sylvia grew up in the (then) Belgian Congo. She spent 21 years as an Assemblies of God missionary in Malawi, East Africa, with her husband, Duane. While there, she taught some writing workshops, which are now bearing fruit. She started writing Kondi’s Quest hoping to weave a story for the children of Malawi.

Here’s Sylvia...

“Honey, stir your coffee silently -- like this,” Daddy admonished with a gentle, loving smile. He swirled his spoon in the very center of the cup two or three times, then placed the spoon in the saucer. No clattering nor clanking!

I grew up in Africa where sugar granules were very large and stirring one’s coffee or tea was either a vigorous or a prolonged business. I preferred to hurry things up. However, Daddy wanted me appear to be a lady instead of a girl who came from an end-of-the-road mission -- a from-the-jungle girl who didn’t understand the demands of “polite society.” He wanted me to conform to actions approved by those I presently lived among.

Although learning to stir my coffee without a clatter hasn’t helped me rise very far on the social scale, a certain amount of conformity is good. Jesus conformed to ceremonial washing before a meal. He also attended the synagogue even though He acknowledged that some of the Jewish religious leaders were like “whited sepulchers” (Matt 23:27), appealingly clean on the outside but full of decay and rot.

God asked a lot of people in the Bible to act in non-conforming ways:

Abraham – to go to an unknown destination. He could have replied, “A place You will show me, Lord? I have no idea where I’m going!”

Moses – to speak to a rock to find water in the desert. He could have said, “Speak to a rock, Lord? The people will think I’m crazy!”

Noah – to build an ark on dry land. He could have said, “Lord, there is no sea – not even close to here! And rain? I’ve never heard of it before!”

Jocabed – to put her baby in a basket in the river. “God, put my baby in the river? There are crocodiles in there!”

Ruth – to stay with her mother-in-law rather than return to her own home. “I don’t know anyone in Israel!”

Rahab – to hide spies when it would have been more politically correct to expose them. “Hide them? I could be killed for doing this!”

Hosea – to marry Gomer. “But Lord, she’s a harlot and I’m set apart to be your man of God.”

The penniless widow of a prophet – to gather many pots in which to pour her dram of oil. “Yeah, right! How far will this little bit of oil go? And then I’ll look ridiculous to all my neighbors when I have to return these pots – empty.”

Radical non-conformity, if God has required it of us, is right—providing, of course, that we’re sure it comes from God. Here’s an example: When we taught in Bible College in Ethiopia, a student came to our school with lumps and scabs on his head. He had constant headaches because he had been beaten and stoned by his village. Even members of his own family participated.

His offense? -- preaching the Gospel.

Toward the end of his first year, he stood in chapel and requested prayer for his vacation ministry. “God is telling me to go back to my village and preach. I know it could mean I will die.”

When we respond in faith, we will be blessed. It requires a leap of faith. I read recently, “Both fear and faith believe what the mind envisions will happen.” Will I cower or consent? Perhaps I do stir my coffee more silently these days. However, if God requires us to do something unusual for Him, something no one else has done, let’s respond with a leap of faith.

And a step of obedience.

~~About the book...

Kondi, a 12-year-old Malawian girl, is sure her father, Bambo, doesn’t love her. He seems to care more about the secret brown envelope he carries with him everywhere than his own daughter. She’s convinced things will improve, though, when her mother’s baby arrives.

Then one night Bambo beats Mai in a drunken rage, and neighbors rush her off to the hospital. Will Mai and the baby live? Will Kondi be sold off by her uncle Kakama to a rich man to be his third wife? And what could possibly be in Bambo’s brown envelope?

The secrets are about to be revealed.

~~I hope you’ll visit Sylvia’s site and her book Kondi's Quest.

Secret Santa

2011-12-13T20:55:00.004-05:00

Jesus is the Reason for the season. We know this to be true if we are Christians.

God gave Christ; Christ came to give His life for us. If He lives in our hearts, we possess this God-giving characteristic within us. To me, this season is about giving.

One of the Christmas movies that I watch, and I watch almost all of them every year, is called Secret Santa.

Each Christmas, the “big city” newspaper, the Indianapolis Sentinel, runs a fluff story. This year, the editor wants Rebecca to do the story on Secret Santa. The Secret Santa who resides in the humble hamlet of Hamden, Indiana. The one who anonymously gives a large monetary gift to a member of the community in need.

But Rebecca is tired of reporting fluff stories and doesn’t want the assignment, until she realizes that she can prove herself by making the story more than a fluff piece.

Setting out for Hamden, she’s eager to discover the man or woman behind the gift giving, but bad luck meets her along the way: her car breaks down, she can only get lodging in a home for the elderly without internet, and nobody wants to help her unmask the mysterious Christmas benefactor.

In her search, she meets the citizens of the town and those in the nursing home, gets to know them, and opens her heart to them.

Making wrong guesses about Secret Santa throws her boss into a panic, and Rebecca is resigned to the decision to return home defeated. However, just before leaving town, she discovers the true identity of Secret Santa, but she doesn’t guarantee him anonymity. Saddened, Secret Santa continues to work in his workshop.

Reading the article in the Sentinel, Secret Santa smiles as he reads aloud the last paragraph and is reassured that his secret is still a secret...

“He asks nothing in return, save one request that the secret he has kept so faithfully remains just that, a secret, for it is in his anonymity that Secret Santa sends a message to us all: giving in its purest form expects nothing in return.”

And there’s the gist of it all, the heart of the matter: giving in its purest form expects nothing in return.

Do you give and not wait around for any accolades? Any thanks? Any back-pats?

If you have a heart that is willing to give, then the next time you are in line at the grocery store, why not pay the bill for the woman with a baby on her hip and food stamps in her hand? When you are shopping at the mall, pay for the shoes of a teenager of a different race. Pay for the gas of one whose car is held together with bumper stickers. Pay for an elderly person’s medicine at the drugstore. Pay for the meal of those in the car behind you in a drive-through restaurant and maybe put a note with it. Buy gift certificates or pre-paid credit cards and give them to whomever the Spirit leads while you are out shopping.

Find someone to whom you can play Secret Santa. Make a mortgage or rent payment for a struggling single mother or father. Leave groceries on a widow’s doorstep. Buy Christmas presents for a battered wife and her children living in a shelter.

Use your imagination. Better still, listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; He will tell you who needs a gift.

Proverbs says...

“Blessed are those who are generous, because they feed the poor.” (Prov. 22:9 NLT)
“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done.” (Prov. 19:17 NIV)
“He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Prov. 28:27 NKJV)

Remember, we are never more like God than when we love others by giving to them...

...and expect nothing in return.

***A portion of the above is taken from my upcoming book, Ready or Not...Here I Come!

Reverse Polarity guest post

2011-12-12T20:30:00.001-05:00

Today, I bring you a guest post for the book blog tour of CJ Hitz, the co-author (along with his wife Shelley) of Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ...

I know, I know. Reverse polarity…what’s that? I wasn’t familiar with those words either, at least when they’re used together. I am now.

A few weeks ago Shelley & I came out of Panera Bread in Lancaster, PA, and prepared to leave when our Toyota RV wouldn’t start. Completely dead, not a peep when I turned the key. Fortunately, we also had our car with us which Shelley was driving.

“We’ll just use the car to jumpstart the RV battery,” I confidently told my wife.

I proceeded to put the cables on each of the batteries, looking to make sure the black cables were placed on the negative terminals and the red cables carefully placed on the positive terminals.

I should have gotten the hint when sparks flew upon attaching the cables to the RV battery but after a second or two, the sparks ceased. Seeing a black cover on one of the RV battery terminals, I assumed that was the negative. The other terminal didn’t have any cover. Did I mention it was 10:00 pm, rainy, and dark outside?

“Go ahead and start the car, Shelley.”

We let the car run for 30 minutes and prayed before attempting to start the RV again. Nothing. Zilch. Dead.

“Maybe we need new jumper cables,” I said, trying to sound like a man with a ‘sure fire’ back up plan.

Unfortunately, we just missed getting into the Wal-Mart next door before they closed. So we’d have to sleep in the Panera parking lot until they opened the next morning.

We awoke the next morning and grabbed some fresh Panera coffee and bagels before heading into Wal-Mart for those brand new cables which would surely do the trick. Again, I placed the cables on each battery as I had the night before…yes, some sparks flew. Hint not taken.

“Go ahead and start the car Shelley.”

We let the car run for 30 minutes and prayed before attempting to start the RV again. I slowly turned the key while pushing on the gas…

Crickets.

“That must be one dead battery,” I said. We decided upon a local towing company who also happened to have some excellent mechanical skills. They took the RV back to their shop and, upon inspection, we indeed realized the cables were backward on the RV battery. This is also referred to as…

Reverse Polarity.

Google these words and you’ll see anything from minor damage to your electrical system to frying the whole system and more. After looking everything over, the mechanics determined we were somewhere in the middle. We basically fried the alternator and needed it replaced along with some fuses.

The Worst Damage…

…occurred as I beat myself up over and over again in my mind for the next 24 hours. Isn’t the damage we inflict upon ourselves always some of the worst? Especially for those of us who have a tendency toward perfectionism.

Some of the thoughts I was chewing on included…

“You idiot, you can’t even jumpstart your own car correctly!”
“Because of my stupid mistake, we’re out $350 more than we should be.”
“We could be on the road to Florida by now, but you screwed that up, CJ!”
“Just another failure in a long line of them, huh?”
“Maybe this whole ‘living in an RV’ thing was a dumb idea.”

You can see how things could continue to spiral downward in a hurry. Thankfully, the Lord broke through and rescued me from that “stinkin’ thinkin’.” These thoughts aren’t the sum total of CJ Hitz but choosing to believe them put me into a temporary prison.

With the help of my wonderful wife, I was able to forgive myself for this costly blunder and move on. When you’re able to look back and get a good laugh, it’s a sign you’ve been able to let it go. In fact, I think Jesus got a chuckle out of the whole thing from the beginning. He was never mad at me for royally screwing up. It was simply a learning experience. A chance to let good triumph over evil within my mind.

And what else did you learn, CJ?

Confusing the positive with the negative can certainly create sparks.

“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.” (Philippians 4:8 NLT)

~~I hope you’ll visit their book website to check out the full virtual book tour schedule and special gifts with purchase at The Forgiveness Formula.

He Came!

2011-12-09T20:34:00.007-05:00

I grieve when I fail the Lord, when my obedience lacks its first response.

But then I remember it was for failures that Christ graced a waiting manger. It was for failures that He breathed His last earthly breath as He hung in disgrace on a wooden cross.

It was to a failure, one who penned the precious psalms that touch our hearts in time of need. And, yet, as a man after God’s own heart, sinned and ripped apart his fellowship with the Lord, then repented and repaired it.

It was to a failure, one who had denied Christ three times, that the command of “feed My sheep” was given.

It was to a failure that Jesus gave His first greeting in the Garden of Gethsemane on that initial Easter morn.

It was to a failure who had been the foremost despiser of believers yet became one of the greatest servants of the Gospel, the Lord blessing his ministry and his writings for all time.

I think, no, I know my greatest failure is in closing the inn-door of my heart, telling the Christ-child there is no room to live in my heart, in my circumstances, in every moment of my life.

But He came…

...amid a firmament full of celestial singers and the cries of an infant. And in the lowly stable, Mary lovingly swaddled the future Sacrifice of the world; her gentleness contrasted with the roughness of the hand-hewn trough in which she placed the tiny Child.

There, the miracle of the manger took place: the empty manger, the harbinger of a destined, wooden cross cradling the tiny body of mankind’s salvation, became full - full of love, full of expectation, full of holiness, and full of humanity.

He came, confined by the boundaries of time and limitations of a physical body.

For failures, He came. For me, He came. For you, He came.

But where does He go to be cradled today? In the manger-hearts of believers.

“How silently, how silently the wondrous Gift is given!So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven.No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.”(Third verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”)
Is the rough manger of your heart cradling the Babe of salvation?

God still seeks His mangers…hearts willing to hold Him. For this...

A Child is born...

2011-12-07T20:31:00.005-05:00

Today, it is my pleasure to bring you an important post, one from a special cyber-friend, Diana Scimone. She fights diligently for those children who are sold into sex trafficking. She has written a book just for...well...here are Diana’s words from her site...

“Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they don’t know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. Wherever awareness training takes place, the rate of trafficking plummets. There’s just not enough, nor is it available in the languages of most at-risk kids.

The Born to Fly Project is a strategic 4-stage plan to educate kids, parents, and teachers about the dangers of child trafficking—with the ultimate goal of ending it.

Stage 1: Write a children’s book called Born to Fly, an allegory about the world of child trafficking that teaches kids to make wise choices as they pursue their dreams.

Stage 2: Develop a wordless book based on the Born to Fly storyline and distribute it to kids worldwide. Why wordless? So we don’t have to translate it into hundreds of languages—saving thousands of hours and dollars.

Stage 3: Produce a companion curriculum to teach children the important concepts found in the wordless book, and distribute it to schools, community centers, and NGOs worldwide.

Stage 4: Create multimedia awareness materials including posters, fliers, DVDs, web-based games, etc. to supplement and expand on the B2F message.”

And here is her message...

Christmas is all about One special Child. I’d like to tell you about another child—actually 1 million of them. That’s the number of children who are sold into sex trafficking every year. Some of them are just 4 years old. They’re in your city and mine.

I know, this is not your warm, fuzzy 3-weeks-before-Christmas blog post, but it’s a story that must be told. Lynn has written about this subject before here, here, and here, and to help with my organization, The Born2Fly Project, to stop child trafficking.

Most anti-trafficking organizations rescue kids, which of course is needed, but B2F works to cut off the supply line of kids—by reaching kids before the traffickers do. They do it through an awareness and prevention program that they’re testing in 5 countries right now.

To raise funds for this, B2F has published a delightful e-book for children called Born to Fly: The tale of a dream that would not die. Here's a taste...

"Blossom is in big trouble. Her grandfather warned her not to go beyond the village gates. After all, no caterpillar in Twig Valley has ever ventured there and returned to tell.

For centuries the caterpillars of Twig Valley have lived with a Dark Cloud over the land. For as long as anyone can remember, no caterpillar has ever become a butterfly. In fact, no one thinks about being anything more than a bug that crawls in the dust of the ground.

Until Blossom."

Proceeds from ebook sales go to the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. A companion website, www.borntoflybook.com, has games and activities for kids and a free reading guide/curriculum for schools.

You can purchase Born to Fly for Kindle, iPad, Nook, etc. (links are here). (Or download it on the Kindle PC.)

It would be a great Christmas gift for some young child and you’ll be helping to stop child trafficking with every word.

***I pray you will visit and support Diana’s site Born2fly and her blog Diana Scimone.

The Checkout Lane

2011-12-04T20:18:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas stories. Hope you don't mind the traditional rerun...

With the parking lot full, finding a space was almost impossible. Shopper after shopper filed in the store’s front door, list in hand, and most lacking the Christmas spirit.

The lines at the checkout lanes stretched halfway through the store. As angers were on the verge of erupting, loneliness carved a swath through the throng of shoppers, fighting for a place in each line.

“Why don’t they have more checkout lanes open?” complained one shopper.

“I don’t know. This is so depressing,” grumbled another nearby.

Each lane had its share of Grinches and lonely hearts, each moaning over all the congestion. In one lane stood a mother with three small children in tow, all whining and wanting everything in sight.

In the next lane stood another mother with her three little ones, all in a joyous mood. Six year-old Olivia asked her mother, “Mommy, why is everyone so grumpy?”

Lowering her voice so others wouldn’t hear their conversation, Olivia’s mother whispered, “I’m not sure, dear. I think everyone is in a hurry and they don’t know the meaning of Christmas.”

“Don’t they know it’s Jesus’ birthday?”

Trying to shush Olivia, she lowered her voice again, “I guess not. Some people just don’t know.”

“Well, why don’t we tell them?”

“I don’t think this is a very good time, dear.”

“Why not, Mommy? Didn’t you say it’s always time for Jesus?”

“Well, yes, I did, but…”

“Well, let’s tell them.”

Overhearing their conversation, those standing near this family began shifting their weight from one foot to another, uncomfortable as to what they might hear next.

The mother began to silently pray, “Oh, Lord, if You desire others to know it is Your birthday that they’re supposed to be celebrating, then please resolve this situation.”

Olivia bowed her head and thought for a moment. Then, a very soft, little voice began to sweetly sing…

“Away in the manger, no crib for a bed,The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head;The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.”
Silence fell on the checkout lanes. All that could be heard was the whirring of the cash registers. No one said a word.

Then, that sweet little voice began to sing again…

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come;Let earth receive her King;Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room,And heav’n and nature sing,And heav’n and nature sing,And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.”
Just as a place was made for baby Jesus to be born so many years ago, a place was made for Him in the checkout lanes. Smiles erupted across the stone-cold faces of the Grinches. Peace swept across the store, carving a swath through the crowd of shoppers and banishing loneliness and the Grinch from the checkout lanes.

As you weave your way in and out of the stores this Christmas season, remember the Reason for the Season…it’s the celebration of Jesus’ birth!

May the blessings of the manger find a place in your heart.

Struggling for Words

2011-11-30T20:56:00.008-05:00

Yes...I...struggle...for...words!

They do not come easy for me.

Penning several monthly columns, devotionals for other sites, and my own blog posts is definitely very frustrating. With a couple of learning disabilities, I struggle to craft the right words, but I do it in obedience for, to this, the Lord has called me.

Besides writing, talking is made more difficult because the greedy fingers of fibromyalgia grab at my brain, snatching out words, even the simplest ones, and leaving behind gaps in my memory. Completing a sentence is sometimes impossible.

But do I wrestle to craft those words that will jump off the end of my tongue as much as I wrestle over my writing? Do I think before those words leap out? Usually...but sometimes, I don’t and I get into trouble.

Should I be concerned about finding the right words to say? Jesus says I should, “On the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak…Your words now reflect your fate then: either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned.” (Matt. 12:36 Amp, Matt. 12:37 TLB)

Wow! That is truly hard to comprehend, isn’t it? If we are required to answer for our speech, then we need to be cautious of what exits our mouths, for, as Jesus said, “Whatever is in the heart overflows into speech.” (Luke 6:45b TLB)

The English biblical commentator and Presbyterian minister Matthew Henry wrote, “The heart is the root, the language is the fruit.” We cannot have the sweet nectar of a fruitful, positive confession if the root system of our hearts maintains sour or rotten thoughts. A change in the root system will produce a change in the fruit of speech.

Consequently, “A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth…and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].” (Prov. 18:20a NKJV, Prov. 18:20b Amp)

Solomon warns us, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23 Masoretic Text) Another version says, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life.” (Prov. 4:23 NCV) And will jump off the end of your tongue!

Some say, “I don’t see that my words matter that much.” Well, our words do matter. If our tongues speak from the abundance of our hearts, and if Jesus and Scripture say our words are critical, then, our words really have extraordinary power and effect, embodying life and death, just as Solomon said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Prov. 18:21a NKJV)

The Message version puts it this way, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.” So, who in their right mind would choose death over life, poison over fruit? We do!

The words we speak can set our lives on fire for harm or for good. Our words can bring others to tears or lift their spirits. Our words can even change the atmosphere around us.

Therefore, Paul urges us, “Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.” (Phil. 1:27a KJV) This means we are to behave and speak as a citizen of the Kingdom and worthily reflect on the Gospel.

Knowing the consequences of his thoughts and words, David prayed, “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Ps. 141:3 NLT) Therefore, “we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:5b GNT)

My prayer is this: Lord, in my word struggle, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Ps. 19:14 NLT)

What about you? Do you struggle to carefully craft those words, taking captive those thoughts, before they roll off the end of your tongue?

***A portion of the above is taken from my upcoming book Ready or Not...Here I Come!

Today's post is part of...

Christmas Wrapping

2011-11-27T20:18:00.003-05:00

I am happy to bring you another cyber friend today, the author of the site called Blue Cotton Memory. Enjoy...

Unconditional Love = Gives up What One Cherishes Most With a Generosity of Spirit Shown Over 2,000 Years Ago

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

This Christmas season, are you willing to love your neighbor enough to give what you cherish most?

What I Cherish:

My Husband
My 5 sons
My motherhoodness
My individuality
My freedom
My Family
My books
My grandmother’s tea-cup
My Christmas Oysters
A card sent when one of my sons was born quoting Dickens, “It is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.”
My marble Chess Set given on my birthday from my sons

But maybe the most important possession I have, would be my Faith in My Father who gave me Salvation, which made me a Daughter of The King (the guy who created the universe), who healed my heart, who saved my son’s life, who has angels encamped about me protecting me, who showed me that He made me - and that I am to Him what the Mona Lisa was to Da Vinci (and that goes for every one of you, too), and that when I cannot find my life plan, He let’s me know He’s got the Plan so I don’t have to worry, and showed me that my heart’s love capacity is not limited to just my household, or those easy to love, and that it’s going to be o.k. when I do not love perfectly as long as I am trying to love unconditionally - all of which would never have been possible if He had not given the world His son!

Is there anyone you love so much, that you would send your children away from your protection so they could save another’s life?

Is Our Father Not Totally Amazing in His Love for Us?

God’s love humbles me when I really try to wrap my mind around it,
and since I cannot successfully wrap my mind around it,
He graciously wraps His love around me!

*I hope you’ll visit Maryleigh’s wonderful site Blue Cotton Memory. You’ll be glad you did!

Happy Thanks-living!

2011-11-23T12:30:00.005-05:00

"I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. And it will please the Lord." (Ps. 69:30-31a Amp)

I realize that not everyone will have a happy Thanksgiving, but I pray that each of you will experience the presence of the Lord in your life. May praise and thanksgiving fill and overflow your hearts! May you always experience Thanks-living!

The Blessing of the Thorns

2011-11-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've read this story before, maybe not. It is a wonderful reminder to be thankful. Enjoy!

Sandra felt as low as the heels on her shoes as she pushed against a November gust and opened the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.

During this Thanksgiving week, she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren’t enough, her husband’s company threatened a transfer. Then, her sister, whose annual holiday visit she coveted, called to say she could not come.

What was worse, Sandra’s friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.

She has no idea what I’m feeling. “Thanksgiving? Thankful for what?” she wondered aloud. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child?

“Good afternoon, can I help you?”

“I....I need an arrangement,” stammered Sandra, “for Thanksgiving.”

“Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving Special?” asked the shop clerk. “I’m convinced that flowers tell stories. Are you looking for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?”

“Not exactly!” Sandra blurted out. “In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.”

Sandra regretted her outburst and was surprised when the shop clerk said, “I have the perfect arrangement for you.”

The door’s small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, “Hi, Barbara...let me get your order.” She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses.

Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped...there were no flowers.

“Want this in a box?” asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer’s response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers? She waited for laughter but neither woman laughed.

“Yes, please,” Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. “You’d think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again,” she said, as she gently tapped her chest. She thanked the clerk and left.

“Uhh...” stammered Sandra, “that lady just left with, uhh...no flowers!”

“Right. I cut off the flowers. That’s the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet.”

“Oh, come on, you can’t tell me someone is willing to pay for that?” exclaimed Sandra.

“Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery.”

“That same year I had lost my husband,” continued the clerk, “and for the first time in my life, I had to spend the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel.”

“So, what did you do?” asked Sandra.

“I learned to be thankful for thorns,” answered the clerk quietly. “I’ve always thanked God for good things in life and never thought to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the “flowers” of life, but it took “thorns” to show me the beauty of God’s comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we’re afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others.”

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. “I guess the truth is I don’t want comfort. I’ve lost a baby and I’m angry with God.”

Just then someone else walked in the shop.

“Hey, Phil!” shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

“My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems!” laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

“Are those for your wife?” asked Sandra incredulously. “Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?”

“No...I’m glad you asked,” Phil replied. “Four years ago, my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord’s grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from “thorny” times and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific problem and give thanks to Him for what that problem taught us.”

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, “I highly recommend the special!”

“I don’t know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life.” Sandra said to the clerk. “It’s all too...fresh.”

“Well, my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God’s providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don’t resent the thorns.”

Tears rolled down Sandra’s cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment. “I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please,” she managed to choke out.

“I hoped you would,” said the clerk gently. “I'll have them ready in a minute.”

“Thank you. What do I owe you?” asked Sandra.

“Nothing.” said the clerk. “Nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year’s arrangement is always on me.” She smiled and handed a card to Sandra.

“I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you’d like to read it first.”

Sandra took the card and read, “Dear God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the cross I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to you along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of your rainbow look much more brilliant. ~George Matheson”

Jenny said, “Happy Thanksgiving, Sandra,” handing her the special. “I look forward to knowing each other better.”

Sandra smiled. She turned, opened the door, and walked toward hope.

Praise Him for the roses; thank Him for the thorns. God bless all of you. Be thankful for all that the Lord does for you.

*the author of this piece is unknown

Faith, Fun & Food Blog Party

Today only!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to see another blog in the Faith, Fun, & Food Blog Party!

Praying for Our Children -That They May Know Him

2011-11-17T20:53:00.008-05:00

Today, I bring you another sweet cyber-friend, Stephanie Shott. As Stephanie wrote to me, “Lately I’ve been talking to moms who need this more than ever! The enemy is working overtime to defeat God’s children by trying to take ground in our children’s lives and I just want to encourage the hearts of each mom who has a prodigal and the one who don’t to pray for their kids like crazy.”

Please leave her some comment love...

“I have no greater joy than to hear thatmy children are walking in the truth.”3 John 4 NIV
I remember when we were on the mission field and we were struggling with some issues in our family. I looked at my husband and said, “I will not win a nation and lose my own son!”

No matter how successful I am in life, if my children do not walk with God, I will feel like I failed in the most important role I’ve ever been given...the role of a mother.

I realize that our job is to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; that we are to live out loud for Jesus in front of them and that we are to equip them in the Word. I also realize they are responsible to God for the choices they make once they become adults.

But just because the clock of life ticks past the magic age of 18 and our children become adults, we never stop being their mothers...and so we never stop praying.

Whether your little bundle of joy still resides in your womb or lives in his or her own home, you are still a mom... and we all know - there ain’t no love like a momma’s love!

That means, no one will pray for your kids like you will! No one will love your kids like you will! No one will bombard heaven for your kids like you will!

And while we do a lot of things for our children, there is nothing greater work than the that of prayer; there is no greater way to spend your time as a mother than on your knees in intercession for your kids.

As Oswald Chambers once said, “Prayer is the greater work!”

But as you pray, be specific. Cover them well in prayer. Seek God’s face for their future. Pray protection over them. Ask God to guard their hearts. Ask God to rebuke the enemy and to shield your children from every fiery dart he tries to send their way.

There’s so much to pray for. So many needs our children have. But the greatest and most important prayer we can pray is for the salvation of their souls.

So, here are a few verses we can cling to in prayer...claim by faith...and trust to come to pass. Here are some verses that we can pray knowing we are praying according to God’s will:

“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:14

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” Acts 16:31

“And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him”; and he will answer from within and say, “Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you”? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.’” Luke 11:5-10

There are a host of other verses you can pray for your children...but hopefully, these will get you started.

Go back over those precious verses, sweet friend. Look at how many times it talks about the will of God. When we pray God’s Word back to Him in accordance to His will, we know He hears us - we know He is working behind the scenes of our children’s lives to bring about their salvation.

Hold on to heaven with all you’ve got and bombard the throne of God for the salvation of your children. Whether they’re a newborn babe or an adult, you’re still their mom and no one is going to pray for them like you are! Absolutely no one!

If your child is saved, you are surely blessed! You have the joy of watching your children walk in the truth. Pray for those who don’t have that same joy. Pray for their children. Join them in prayer as one mother praying on behalf of another!

Join hands and hearts for the salvation of the next generation and let’s see what God will do when we do our greatest work...on our knees!

Are you praying for your child? Are you praying for someone else’s child? Would you like to add some verses for mothers to cling to and claim as they pray for their children’s salvation?

If you’d like to list your child’s name in the comment section, I’d be honored to pray for them. No one will ever pray for your children like you. But no one will ever understand the prayer of a mother’s heart like another mother!

Let’s pray for our children – let’s keep knocking until the door opens – let’s keep trusting God to part the Red Sea of their lives and my He give us the privilege of seeing the salvation of the Lord in their lives!

~Please visit Stephanie’s wonderful site.

The Shoes

2011-11-13T21:26:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorites and has become a Thanksgiving tradition. I hope you enjoy it! ~~

The dark, gray skies overhead threatened an early snow. Rushing shoppers, all bundled up to ward off the cold, crowded the sidewalks, lost in their to-do list for Thanksgiving.

Oblivious to their surroundings, no one noticed a small, shivering boy standing in front of the shoe store, his nose pressed against the window, barely dressed and only flip-flops on his dirty feet.

However, one man did see him and stopped, dead still in his tracks, causing others to bump into him. He didn’t notice the bumps and grumblings, but he did notice the small boy because he had a son about the same age.

Thinking how he would feel if this were his son standing there, barely clothed, the man quietly slid next to the boy, the man stood there for a moment, and then said, “They have some nice shoes here, don’t they?”

“Yeah,” came the soft reply.

“Which ones do you like?”

“That pair over there…the cool running ones.”

“Oh, I’ll bet you could run fast in those.”

“Yes sir. I sure could. Like the wind!”

“You know, I have a little boy just about your age.”

“Oh, yeah? I’ll bet he has shoes like that.”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, he does. But I have an idea.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“How ‘bout I take you into the store and buy you that pair of shoes?”

The boy stood there motionless. After a few moments, with tears in his eyes, he looked up at the man. “You want to buy me shoes?”

“I sure do. Your feet must be freezing and I’d love to buy them for you.”

The boy couldn’t speak another word.

The man took the boy by the hand and walked into the store. Finding the manager, the man described the pair of shoes and asked the manager to please get a pair in the boy’s size, along with some socks. Then, he said he and the boy would be in the restroom and would he please bring the shoes and socks in there.

The manager gathered the shoes and socks and, upon entering the men’s restroom, found the man on his knees washing the young boy’s feet.

“Can’t stick dirty feet into clean, new socks and shoes, now can we?”

The young boy just stared at the man as he lovingly washed away all the accumulated street-dirt and gently dried his feet.

Feeling he was intruding on a very special moment, the manager quietly placed the shoes and socks on the floor without saying a word and backed out of the restroom.

After placing the socks and shoes on the boy’s feet, the man stood up, and with hands on his hips, said, “Okay. Let’s see how they look. Walk around.”

The little boy couldn’t move. He stared down at his feet that felt glued to the floor. He looked up, tears now streaming down his little face, and said, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

The boy’s words took the man’s breath away. So overcome with emotion, the man could barely speak. Finally, he muttered, “No, son, I’m not. But I know Him very well. And this is a gift from Him.”

“This is the greatest Thanksgiving ever. Would you tell Jesus thank you for me?”

“Well, let’s go for a walk and I’ll tell you how you can do that yourself.”

The Other Side of the Cloud

2011-11-09T21:06:00.007-05:00

The Pillar of Cloud.

Billowing majestically, it moved forward...and the Israelites advanced.

Pulsing with power, it hovered...and they pitched their tents and waited.

The Cloud...always in front of the people. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.” (Ex. 13:21-22 NIV)

The Angel of God. Giving divine guidance by day and fiery heat and light by night.

But the horses’ hoof beats pounded. The chariots rattled. And the marching soldiers’ footfall droned. The enemy closed in on them, in pursuit of their lives.

Israel shook in their sandals. They cried out to the Lord.

Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Ex. 14:12-14 NKJV)

“Raise your rod, Moses,” God said. “Stretch out your hand over the sea. Divide it that Israel may walk through it on dry ground.”

“Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them...coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.” (Ex. 14:19a, 20 NIV, emphasis mine)

The Living Bible says, “It gave darkness to the Egyptians but light to the people of Israel!” (Ex. 14:20b) Darkness to the enemy; light to the people.

The Lord stood between His children and their enemy. He had their backs! And this enemy at the rear was history. God had a plan for their future and a path all mapped out for them to move forward.

God does the same for us. Sometimes, He performs His handiwork behind us, in the background. So, what is behind us? Our past? Depleted circumstances? Old way of thinking? Attempts of the enemy?

The Lord stands between us and whatever attempts to come against us, protecting us. He has our backs! Our enemy is history. God has a plan for our future and a path all mapped out for us to move forward.

No matter what is behind you, God has drowned it in the dark depths of the sea of forgiveness, if you have given it to Him. Don’t let worry go to the shed and pull out the ol’ fishing pole!

Whatever is on the other side of the cloud, the Lord stands ready to fight for you. Stand still and see what He will accomplish for you.

Let God’s pillar of cloud be darkness to what is behind you and a glory light to what is in front of you.

This post is part of Internet Café's Wordfilled Wednesday...

When the Winds Blow, Which Way Do You Lean?

2011-11-06T19:23:00.004-05:00

Have you ever seen a Divi Divi tree? That’s one in the photo. It is almost a national symbol on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

As an evergreen, the Divi Divi trees have inconspicuous but fragrant blossoms. The trees’ pods, wood, and leaves have several uses. Though slow growing, they are capable of growing to 50 feet tall but will almost always be bent at a 45 degree angle due to the constant-blowing trade winds.

Because of this, the trees bend and point to the west, as the winds blow from the east. In Aruba, lost tourists are told to use the trees as a compass.

Some say the Divi Divis are bent over because of leaning into the wind; others say they are bent over because of leaning away from the wind. Either way, the trees have adapted to the winds and grow in spite of them. Their twisted Medusa-like trunks and roots will grow in rich clay soil as well as the sand.

I love these trees! I love how God speaks to us through nature. Maybe we should consider growing like the Divi Divis.

When the winds of adversity blow, do we bend because of the blasting currents, or do we lean along with the challenges? If we lean with the trials, we will never be blown over as long as we are rooted solidly in the Lord. We will still have our fragrant blossoms and always point the way to our Savior, being a compass for others to find their way.

Though we will have the winds of temptation, loss, distress, or others beating against us, we can adapt, persevere, and survive, no matter what the situation.

“Then they will be called Trees of Goodness, trees planted by the LORD to show His greatness.” (Isa. 61:3 New Century Version)

Shepherded with Love

2011-11-03T19:41:00.003-04:00

Today, I have another special cyber-friend for you...Lisa Buffaloe. I hope you’re enjoying these articles from my special online friends. I enjoy bringing them to you. Here’s Lisa...

In Scouting the Divine by Margaret Feinberg (www.margaretfeinberg.com/), the second session records a current-day shepherdess and the relationship with one of her ill sheep—summoning a vet, administering medicine, concern, and compassion. The love and devotion of the shepherdess brought tears to my eyes as I pictured God’s tender care as The Great Shepherd.

I think of friends who battled devastating diseases—the e-mails and quiet conversations discussing the horrors of illness, the agony at the thought of leaving their young children motherless, and yet the awestruck amazement that in their darkest moments they felt the presence of God.

We are all like sheep. Some walk close to the Shepherd and hang on His every word. Others roam the pasture not quite sure where they fit in the fold. Many stay outside God’s care, not truly believing He is trustworthy or He will somehow keep them from experiencing all they desire. And within all of them is a hunger to be known and loved.

Whether you choose to be in God’s fold, there are wolves in the world, storms will come, rivers are swift, and fires sweep over the open range. For those who follow God, The Great Shepherd will guide through any dark valley. No wolf can snatch you from His care.

God will gather you in His arms and hold you close to His heart. He will keep your head afloat when you pass through raging rivers. In the fires He will shield you from the flames. And when death comes, He’ll guide you home, where you will be forever safe in His presence.

(Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 40:11, John 10:27-29)

Please visit Lisa’s site LisaBuffaloe.com

Your Maker is Your Husband

2011-10-30T20:27:00.005-04:00

Thousands of years ago, the Hebrews observed a betrothal of marriage custom that consisted of twelve steps. Much of this custom is still observed today.

According to the custom, a Hebrew father almost always chose the woman to be betrothed to his son. Only rarely did the parents allow their children to make their own choices.

After all the betrothal steps had been completed, the Law legally bound the man and woman together and regarded them as husband and wife, as one entity. Though considered married, the covenant forbade them to live together physically.

Most betrothal periods lasted about one year, as the bridegroom would leave to build a home for his bride. Before he departed to begin his project, the bridegroom made a statement to his bride: “I go to prepare a place for you; if I go, I will return again unto you.”

Throughout their relationship, they were entirely devoted to one another, even though distance separated them. Their commitment to each other was based on covenant and was not to be broken.

When the bridegroom was finished building the home, he still could not leave to snatch away his bride. He never knew the day or hour for he had to wait until his father gave his approval and said it was time to go. Then, the bridegroom would gather his friends and go get his bride, arriving around midnight, unannounced. The bride never knew the day nor the hour of his arrival and had to be ready at all times.

Throughout the Bible, God relates to His people in a closeness of companionship so intimate that He compares it to a marriage relationship. In the book of Isaiah, He said, “For your Maker is your Husband.” (Is. 54:5 NKJV)

As the father, in the tradition, arranged the marriage for his son, God the Father arranged the marriage between His Son and the church as the Bride.

Just as the Hebrew couple was considered as one unit, the same truth exists when believers accept Christ’s proposal, receiving Him as their Savior, for they become a part “of His body, of His flesh and of His bones,” (Eph. 5:30b NKJV) as a divine oneness.

As Paul said, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:32 NKJV) The mystery, the secret? “For this is the secret: Christ lives in you.” (Col. 1:27b NLT)

Even though the Father has chosen her, the Bride comes of her own free will, accepting the Bridegroom’s proposal and choosing to be betrothed to Christ - or not. If she accepts and says, “I do,” she is, as Paul said, “‘married,’ so to speak, to the One Who rose from the dead.” (Rom. 7:4b TLB)

When Christ died, He departed as the heavenly Bridegroom to prepare a dwelling place for His precious Bride. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus essentially spoke the bridegroom’s statement to the disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2b-3 NKJV)

The Son knows not the day nor the hour of His return, as only the Father knows the time for the Son’s return for His precious Bride. As Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matt. 24:36 NKJV)

Neither does the Church Bride know the day nor the hour of her Beloved Bridegroom’s return for her, so she must be prepared at all times.

If Jesus died that His Bride might be without spot or wrinkle or any other defect, then, as part of the Bride, how will you be dressed when the heavenly Bridegroom arrives? Will you have a mopey face, hair covered in the ashes of doubt and worry, breath smelling of negative words, and wear a ratty old wedding gown of self-pity, ripped and stained, full of the filth of the world?

Or will you be “a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Rev. 21:2b NIV) adorned with a smile on your face, joy in your heart, songs of worship and praise on your lips, dressed in a pure, white garment of salvation and righteousness, and crowned with the gift of the Bridegroom?

The Bridegroom is coming soon for His Bride. Have you made sure that you are in a holy covenant of betrothal with Him? While He’s away, are you totally devoted to Him? If you knew tomorrow was your last day on earth, would it affect your behavior today?

Are you ready for His return? Are you, as they say, good to go?

Living Large

2011-10-27T20:06:00.008-04:00

Today, I have another great offering for you, another sweet cyber-friend, Carol Peterson. I hope you’ll support her with a comment. Thanks!

Is God cleaning out His heavenly library? I only wonder, because several books have recently fallen into my lap—seemingly from heaven. When I open them, they all assert the same thing: God means us to live a large life for Him.

Angela Thomas, in her book, Do You Know Who I Am? And Other Brave Questions Women Ask, asserts that our “calling” in Christ is to live a big life for God. He wants us, she says, “to live like He is worthy.”

Do I?

Marianne Williamson, author of books about miracles, asserts that God created us to shine for Him. The more we shine, she says, the more God is glorified and the more other people feel free to shine as well.

Do I shine?

Henry T. Blackaby, in Experiencing God, explains that when we have a relationship with God, He will show us ways to join in with His big plans.

Am I joining in?

So many of us trip over the idea of dreaming big dreams because of fear. We fear we are incapable. We fear we will fail. We fear other people will laugh at our dreams. Or will laugh if we fail.

It’s hard sometimes to remember that God gave us our one and only lives on this side of eternity in order to love and obey Him. And in so doing, to bring Him glory—great big glory!

We can have big dreams for our lives—not for pride or personal accomplishment—but because succeeding in those big dreams brings glory to God. And He is worthy of every dab of glory we can pluck out of our lives.

God has equipped us to succeed in our big dreams by the talents He has provided or the circumstances and people He has placed in our lives.

Or He will equip us if our dreams are aligned with His plan.

We may not be able to succeed on our own. But Christ can. Christ can succeed through us. And we can succeed through Him. Like Paul: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

If we’re doing all things through Christ, what excuse do we have that we can’t dream big dreams and strive to achieve them? Not a one.

It’s time to live large lives for Christ.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, you know we have dreams. Make Your dreams our dreams. Help us live a life that is large for You, praising You and thanking You for it. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have dreams you are afraid to dream? What are they? What first step might you take today toward living large for God?

~Be sure to visit Carol’s site, From Carol’s Quill

A Shared Heartbeat

2011-10-23T20:04:00.003-04:00

As I listened the other day to FoxNews, I heard the most precious story of a couple married for 72 years. By now, you’ve probably heard about them. But I just couldn’t help writing about them.

Gordon Yeager proposed to his sweetheart the day before Norma graduated from high school. They were married the next day, the day she graduated, May 26, 1939.

They were always by each other’s side. Each saying they had to “stick around” for the other. They truly enjoyed being together, even though they had their arguments.

On October 12, 2011, Norma and Gordon suffered extensive injuries in a car accident. They were rushed to the hospital and put in ICU. The hospital workers knew not to separate them and pushed their beds together. They held hands even after the morphine took affect and they became unresponsive.

The injuries were more than their bodies could withstand or recover from and at 3:38 p.m., Gordon died.

The son noticed that his father had stopped breathing but his heart had continued to register on the heart monitor. Confused, he asked the nurse about it.

She told him that because the two were holding hands, Gordon’s machine was picking up Norma’s heartbeat...her heart was beating through him.

Exactly one hour later, at 4:38 p.m., Norma died.

Hand in hand in life; hand in hand in death.

Sharing one casket, they held hands. After cremation, their ashes were mixed together.

Such a sweet love story. They had their ups and downs but always wanted to be with each other.

The one thing that blew me away was...her heartbeat beating through him. One heartbeat beating as two. One heartbeat of a living one beating through one dead to this world.

Isn’t that what the Lord wants for us? To be dead to this world yet have His heart beating within us? To be connected to Him throughout life, walking hand in hand. And in death, still holding His hand.

And Another Thing...

2011-10-19T19:12:00.005-04:00

Today, I present another sweet cyber-friend, Cecilia Marie Pulliam. I hope you’ll support Ceci and leave her a comment...

It wasn’t fair. How could they do this? (Fill in any situation – most would fit.) I was so angry I could barely wait to tell my bus mates and co-workers. I vented, I raved and I justified – until the next morning.

At 5:00 a.m., Jimmy Cricket extolled the virtues of When You Wish Upon A Star. I wasn't in the mood for a Pollyanna wake up call and wished I’d changed my alarm to something more like I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.

I rolled out of bed, shuffled out to the kitchen and made coffee. While it brewed, I stared out the window. Light was just showing in the eastern horizon. Clear sky, maybe we’d finally have a sunny, warm day.

The scene faded, receding behind a thin veil. I saw Jesus on the cross. As I watched, He transposed His face over my perceived enemy, for the second time, the first being right after my divorce. I was being reminded, once again, of God’s opinion of anger - even justified anger.

Justified. That was exactly what I had done - justified my action, my decisions, at the expense of another’s reputation. It didn’t matter that I had told the truth. It was wrong to broadcast the negative situation. My face reddened when I remembered a story I had recently told someone else.

A Christian missionary in China discovered a thief had stolen all of the mission’s blankets. The woman said nothing, demonstrated no outward anger, and went about her daily routine as if nothing had happened.

A Chinese solider staying with the missionaries questioned her behavior. “Why are you not angry with this thief?”

The woman replied, “First, God provided those blankets, and He will provide more when we need them. And secondly, the thief obviously needed them more than we did.”

Her words and behavior so impressed the solider he converted to Christianity, becoming a priest.

I sank to my knees, asking God to forgive my un-Christian-like behavior. I vowed to ask forgiveness from every person I had ranted to. Granted it would be hard to swallow my pride and admit I had been wrong, yet I had to somehow set the record straight.

My morning devotions confirmed my guilt. The Greatest Commandment was quoted in my first reading. “Love one another as I have loved you.” Remorse pounded my heart, crushing me into a black hole of shame.

The meditation continued with the gentle reminder that repentance, true repentance - coupled with the desire to change and not repeat the offense - wipes away our sin. There was no need to hang my head in shame or plot horrific punishments.

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103: 10-12 NKJV

Halleluiah. Amen.

~Be sure to visit Cecilia’s wonderful site, Out of the Closet into the Light.

Where I'm From

2011-10-16T19:46:00.010-04:00

A sweet cyber-friend Sandra Heska King (SandraHeskaKing.com) posted an article a few months ago as she linked up with Glynnis Whitwer (GlynnisWhitwer.com) entitled Where I'm From.

Then, I read a third one written by another sweet cyber-friend Erin Patrick (My Nuggets of Truth).

As I read them, the light bulb flashed! I remembered that I had worked on the same thing in a workshop some time ago. It was a fun assignment, so I decided to dig mine out. The students were to write where they were from, as their family heritage, using this template...

The WHERE I'M FROM Template

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.
I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).
From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.
I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).
From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).
I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

I didn’t exactly follow the template and I added to the original...

I am from the house historic, once nestled in vast acreage of farmland, where long-ago presidents came to visit and soldiers were stationed, where barn cats roamed and ducklings swam, where horses whinnied and peacocks unfurled their feathers, where fresh fruits and vegetables graced the family table alongside the farm delights of just-laid eggs and butter and milk from our dairy.

I’m from the precious grandmother, who allowed her granddaughter to decorate her hair and the grandfather that smoked those stinky cigars and snuck snacks for me that were a no-no. I am from the mother who loved to chew freshly ground coffee and eat raw potatoes with salt as she fixed dinner, and the dad who gave horsey rides until his back ached, who bought me a softball and bat, who played his trombone in duet as I attempted to play the piano.

I’m from drinking from the hose in the yard, jumping over the sprinkler, sun-blistered shoulders, and playing in the dirt, from the days of open windows and no air conditioning, and riding bicycles around the circle until the bugs of night hit our teeth, then lying in the grass to watch the wonders of the star-studded sky.

I’m from doctors who made house calls. I am from matching sibling pajamas on Christmas Eve. I am from the pear tree that skinned my elbow when I slid down its trunk. I’m from the club with my friends under the big pine tree.

I’m from antennae TV with two black and white stations, from Gumby and Pokey, Mighty Mouse, Howdy Doody, Hopalong Cassidy, Sky King, Ding Dong School, The Lone Ranger, Lassie, Pinky Lee, Roy Rogers, Cisco Kid, and Kukla, Fran, and Ollie.

I’m from American Bandstand in the mid ’50s with Dick Clark, vinyl LP and 45 records on the hi-fi, Wolfman Jack, and sock hops. I’m from itchy wool sweaters and dresses, knee socks and plaid, pleated skirts, because wearing pants to school was not allowed. I’m from come-home-when-you-hear-the-bell-ring-or-else to get cleaned up for Daddy and dinner at 5:30.

I am from the pages of long-forgotten albums of ancestry and heritage, with roots in England, Ireland, and Germany, from upstanding characters who believed in keeping their word, who sought the Lord and helped their neighbors.

I’m from salvation found at a Billy Graham crusade and standing in awe as I met him at my grandparents’ home. I am from Bibles, worn and frayed, marked and loved, from third-row, organ-side Baptist services on Sundays and Wednesdays, and choir practice, from kneebenders who sought the deep, abiding love of God and to serve in return.

~Thank You, Lord, for my wonderful heritage and these precious whiffs of memories!

~~I hope you’ll try it. It’s a great memory jogger.

Ecclesiastes...Ever Studied It?

2011-10-13T21:08:00.009-04:00

Stephanie Shott has! And she has written a book on it...

Ecclesiastes: Understanding What Matters Most

Stephanie is a gifted and passionate Bible teacher, speaker and author who inspires women to become who they were created to be in every area and season of their lives. Stephanie's transparent, practical, often funny and always biblical, messages present real life solutions to real life circumstances.

As the result of a rape, a decade of child abuse, and years of wandering in the wilderness of foolish choices, Stephanie loves to tell the story of God’s redeeming grace. Women’s ministry leaders trust Stephanie to inspire women to let God make beauty out of their own ashes, to call Christians to stand strong, live intentionally and believe God, and to challenge mothers to mentor other mothers.

Stephanie is the author of a new women’s Bible study entitled Ecclesiastes: Understanding What Matters Most. She also writes with a team of gifted women at Scripture Dig, an internet site dedicated to helping women know and grow in the Word of the Living God. She is also part of a ministry team called Speaker Chicks. Led by Kathi Lipp, Speaker Chicks is a team of qualified speakers who minister to hearts of women by ministering to those who lead them.

In case you're not familiar with what Stephanie’s study is about, here’s a brief summary:

Do you sense the need to live for eternity but find yourself living like this life is all there is? Do you long to make your life count for more than a vapor but can't seem to escape the dailies of each day?

This study will help you...

* sift through the gamut of life experiences
* learn to make everyday decisions and help you define your life on what truly matters most
* bring clarity to your circumstances
* learn to make your eternity intentional

Join Stephanie on a six week adventure through this often avoided and misunderstood book of the Bible. Learn why she calls it a “Heavenly Sieve” and how you find significance to these days you are given under the sun.

Join Stephanie on her site Stephanie Shott

You can get Stephanie's book through...

Amazon.com
Christianbook.com
Barnes and Noble
Booksamillion.com

What Are You Harvesting?

2011-10-10T20:44:00.009-04:00

Maple trees stand ready to burst forth with golden-bronze highlights.
Beechnuts tickle the leaves as they fall to the ground.
Red tinges the leaves of the burning bushes.
Pumpkin patches set ablaze with orange, plump fruit.
Cornfields ripe for gathering.

My favorite time of year. Fall. It always brings to mind the seasonal word harvest.

Nature goes through its seasons, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” (NKJV)

Just as nature, we, as Christians, have circumstances that bring rain, sunshine, heat, cold, storm, calm, dryness, fire, and flood. Our aim is to always work toward having a spiritual harvest, no matter what the circumstantial season.

But how do we produce the luscious harvest God desires for our lives?

God once whispered to my heart…

“If the ground is not turned, I cannot plant My seeds. A life as a lovely green meadow with its abundance of wild flowers is a fair picture of beauty. But there’s more to be had from the rich soil lying beneath the surface blanket of a lovely green pasture. Cultivating this meadow can produce a harvest of fruit, of nourishment, of good things for others.

“The Hand of the One tilling the soil is the One Who loves it the most and sees the greatest potential in it for a harvest. The roots of unwanted growth beneath the surface must be ripped out that the ground might be tilled and furrowed. This gives room to accept the seeds of new growth and eventually welcome a beautiful, golden field of harvest, waving its ripened grain in the breeze.

“A life in the Hands of the One guiding the plow will display a fruitful meadow. When it is uprooted and turned over, it welcomes the plantings of the Master Husbandman and gladdens the hearts of others with its lovely field of harvest.”

What is damaging the harvest in your life? Hmmm. Do you have any roots of unwanted growth? I know I do.

Any roots of bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, jealousy, judging, gossip, complaining, doubt, worry, or hypocrisy, among other things, will destroy the possibility of an abundant, spiritual growth and harvest. The roots of unwanted growth must be ripped out in order to have good soil.

Jesus explained the good soil in the Parable of the Sower, “But the good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a plentiful harvest for God - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as was planted in their hearts.” (Mark 4:20 TLB)

What are you harvesting? Is the soil of your heart producing what it should? Or maybe you have a mixed crop, having planted negative seeds in with the positive seeds?

God told Israel, “Do not plant two kinds of seed in your vineyard; if you do, not only the crops you plant but also the fruit of the vineyard will be defiled.” (Deut. 22:9 NIV)

Reproducing the character of God in our lives requires the planting of His Seed-Word in our hearts, not the seeds the world spits at us. There can only be one Seed in our hearts!

Don’t like the crop you’re growing? Maybe its time to check those seed bags! Paul tells us, “Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds!” (Gal. 6:7-8a MSG)

If we want our lives to have an abundant harvest spilling over with ripe fruit, we need to rip out the old roots, weed, and plant God’s seeds. Then, we will see a bumper crop at harvest time, for “the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.” (Gal. 6:8b MSG)

“A life in the Hands of the One guiding the plow will display a fruitful meadow.” May your life be cultivated by the Husbandman that it may “produce a harvest of fruit, of nourishment, of good things for others.” And may your harvest be plentiful!

Today's post is part of the ChristianWriters.com blog chain on the topic of harvest. For other great posts, check out the list in the right sidebar.

Please join me over at LivingBetterat50+ for my new place of monthly devotionals.

A Blog Award!

2011-10-08T20:26:00.004-04:00

A sweet cyber-friend has graciously given me The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you, Elizabeth Young at The Garden Gate.

There are rules for receiving the blog award, so here they are: thank the person who gave the award and link back to her/him, share seven things about myself, and forward the award to fifteen desiring people, which I will attempt to do.

My life has been rather dull. Funny or exciting things don’t usually happen in my life. So, here’s the boring stuff...

1) I once owned a motorcycle...and yes, I drove it myself!

2) I love old black and white movies, who-dun-its, Westerns, anything! Well, almost anything.

3) I was known as Choo-Choo (braces) and Bones.

4) A friend and groomsman at our wedding decided to play a joke on us and put tear gas in the air conditioning vents in our car. We got married in the middle of July! Ha-ha!

5) I grew up with the grandson of Mordecai Ham, the evangelist who led Billy Graham to Christ.

6) One of the first and largest apartment complexes was built by my father and grandfather in 1949 and was named after me...and so was the church!

7) I received an awesome endorsement for my upcoming book, Ready or Not...Here I Come! You’ll have to stay tuned to find out who it is! (he-he!)

Thanks again, Elizabeth!

A Prison Without Walls guest post

2011-10-06T20:17:00.004-04:00

Today, I am happy to bring you a post from another great cyber-friend, Nikole Hahn. I hope you will support her with a comment. Here’s Nikki...

“The Fall, the first human tragedy, became the mother of all subsequent ones. We should do nothing to minimize it or to pretend it mattered less than it did. Yet, the Fall did not end God's plan for humanity. God would ultimately use evil to accomplish a greater end of redemption in Christ: (Ephesians 1:9-11). God could hate evil and yet permit it in order to carry out an astounding, far-reaching redemptive plan in Christ, one that would forever overshadow the evil and sufferings of this present world.” - Randy Alcorn, If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil, Pg. 57

His long, black hair fell past his shoulders. “Why does God allow bad things to happen?”

Have you ever felt woefully inadequate and your mind stutters as it seeks to give an answer to every question? We were asking different people for prayer requests out in the square before our church service began a block away. It's a part of what our church's prayer team does, and yet this man and his sincere questions managed to make me mute. My words might offend him.

The man held tightly to his sin, unwilling to repent and willing to pile the blame on God. With careful questions, I asked about his walk with Christ and asked if perhaps his choices may have brought on natural consequences. We shared our testimonies with him and he asked still more questions.

I asked questions, too. Why did he walk away from God? Is there something in his life he needs to repent of in order to make things right with God? I also impressed upon him the height and depth of Christ's love.

“How can I get into a right relationship with Christ?” He sat on the stone stairs and looked me directly in the eye.

His friend continually interrupted us and acted antagonistically towards the very thought of prayer and God. This didn't deter the conversation.

I said, “Get a Bible, pray for Christ to come into your life and to help you understand the Bible.”

“But I've read the Old and New Testaments.”

“I did, too, but I didn't really begin to understand them until I became saved. Suddenly...” But I was cut off as the man turned his attention to my prayer partner and asked about her testimony.

I tried to look for him—almost like an after thought—before our service began in order to invite him to sit with me, but he quickly vacated the plaza. The sermon would have helped to answer his questions and neither of us thought to invite him. Then again, the man gave the impression that he was in a hurry. During service, I sat and pondered our long visit.

In a month, he'll spend substantial time in prison. He confessed a fear of it. He couldn't love a God who allowed his brother to die. I wished that I could have found the right words to cut through his unrepentance and show him that it wasn't God who killed his brother, but the consequences of sin; of making wrong choices and hanging out with the wrong friends.

My friend impressed upon him the mercy of God and how God can turn all evil into something good, frustrating those that perpetrate evil. I thought of the 'me' I was over four years ago and thanked God he gave me the love in my heart to approach a person that I would have previously thought beneath me.

I would have looked at him in passing and spent a few minutes with a friend putting him down. Instead, God broke me. Stripped away of my pride, anger, and false ideas, I saw me in the mirror. My sin is the same as that man's sin in God's eyes. God didn't cause the bad things in my life; sin caused them. Some of the consequences I suffered came from my choices; some of the consequences came from other people's sins.

I don't know why my mind blanked that day, but I am glad my friend and I were able to speak with this man. His genuine questions came from a hurting and unforgiving heart. How can we live in our Christian bubble, loving the Christian culture, and forget that Christianity is not some hot, new trend with cool music and even cooler stuff but a real and difficult way to live?

Perhaps that's why so many people tire of the sappy nonsense our culture feeds them, leaving them empty, when the truth of the Bible leaves them filled? We all seek truth but not many of us wish to face the truth. We seek it though because this world leaves us feeling like one of those hollow, chocolate bunnies—empty, purposeless, unloved, devoured.

Isn't it time that we embraced the change knowing Christ brings, facing who we really are and repent of our sins to a holy, merciful, and loving God? Some of us live in a prison without walls. The iron bars keep us from living, but God didn't put those bars there; we did. He can set us free. Just ask.

***I know you’ll want to visit Nikki’s great site, The Hahn Hunting Lodge.

Taken Aside for a Purpose

2011-10-02T20:37:00.006-04:00

(I hope you don't mind another rerun!)

“He took him aside, away from the crowd.” (Mark 7:33a NIV)
Taken aside…In 1666, John Bunyan was imprisoned for unlicensed preaching. What came out of that dark, damp Bedford jail in England? Out of his captivity came Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners and the most famous of all Christian allegories Pilgrim’s Progress.

Taken aside…Out of years of service in Japan and China, as a missionary in the early 1900s, and out of the imprisonment of her husband’s sickness and subsequent death, came Mrs. Charles E. Cowman’s beautiful, classic devotional Streams in the Desert.

Taken aside…Catherine Marshall, at the age of 33, suffered two years of physical imprisonment with a life-threatening bout of tuberculosis. When her husband Peter died, she took care of their nine-year-old son Peter, Jr. Out of her suffering, she authored over 20 books, among them the well-loved Christy.

Taken aside…Paul, imprisoned. The most fruitful period of his ministry. What did he do? He praised God as a prisoner, not of disease or circumstance, but as a prisoner of the Lord. Out of those times came his letters of encouragement to the churches, giving untold generations the books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, and possibly Hebrews.

Have you been taken aside by some life-shattering circumstance? Do you trust that God will be with you through it and use whatever imprisonment you might be suffering for the benefit of others?

Today, I'm hooking up with...

Pearls from Perils

2011-09-29T13:43:00.005-04:00

What is a natural pearl?

Most of us know how pearls are made.

When a foreign substance invades an oyster, the intruder slips into the mantle tissue of the mollusk, causing irritation. It is somewhat like the oyster getting a splinter. “The oyster’s natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself,” as one source states.

As a natural reaction to this, the oyster secretes a substance known as nacre to envelope the foreign invader as a part of its self-protection. The nacre is secreted over and over creating layers around the irritant to make it smoother.

Over time, the layers create a shiny pearl of various colors (white, pink, black, red, blue and green). Pearls reach their full size over an average span of three years. Thus, the reason for their worth.

What is a cultured pearl?

Cultured pearls develop much in the same way. However, while natural pearls develop without human intervention, cultured pearls are cultivated through human manipulation, depositing the irritant within the mollusk.

What is a peril?

The dictionary defines peril as something that causes an exposure to injury, loss, or destruction, grave risk, jeopardy, or danger.

Is there an irritant in your life, something that has attempted to destruct your life or invade your spirit? Has some circumstance, trial, or grief surrounded you, threatening injury or loss?

Some of our troubles emanate from our own human manipulation like the cultured pearl. We then try to cover them over by our own efforts. This usually results in the problem remaining as grit stuck in our craw rather than becoming a pearl.

However, some trials develop without our intervention. Like the irritant of the natural pearl, they just slip their way into our lives.

The Lord takes all our perils, all those irritants and trials, hurts and heartaches, losses and griefs, and covers them over with His balm. He pours out the oil of His Spirit, layer upon layer, upon our souls and spirits until we have “beauty for ashes” and “the oil of joy for mourning.” (Isa. 61:3)

I don’t think it is any coincidence that the gates into heaven are each made of one gigantic pearl. (Rev. 21:21) God has taken all the perils, trials, and tribulations from the beginning of time and molded them into the pearly gates.

We shall enter those portals of pearl, passing through and leaving behind all that has grieved us throughout our lives, leaving our tears outside the gate and entering into the fullness of joy.

Just as someone once said, “Nearly all God’s jewels are crystallized tears,” so all our perils are encapsulated pearls.

How long has it taken to make a pearl out of your irritant, your hurt, your peril? Are you still waiting for your pearls from perils? Hang on; it takes time. In God’s timing, all your troubles will be transformed into worthy pearls.

A pearl...a healed wound, born out of affliction. Are there any pearls in your life?

Today, I'm connecting with...

...hop over and read some of the other entries.

Go Another Mile?

2011-09-25T21:37:00.003-04:00

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. And if someone takes you to court to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. And if one of the occupation troops forces you to carry his pack one mile, carry it two miles.” (Matt. 5:38-41 GNT)

In the King James Version, the words “shall compel” are used in the above verse and are of Persian origin, which means to be a courier, to press into public service, dispatch a mounted messenger, denotes to compel one to go on a journey, to bear a burden, or to perform any other service.

Jesus spoke the above words in His Sermon on the Mount. We understand what He was saying about not to “take revenge,” but what did He mean to “carry it two miles”?

In Jesus’ day, the Romans continued a practice they learned from the Persians about 600 years earlier. Persian messengers or heralds had the royal authority to compel any person or his horse, boat, or any other thing he owned that the messenger might deem usable in order to deliver the king’s commandments.

This is the custom to which Jesus referred.

This practice was made Roman law. An individual from a conquered country was required to carry a load or pack up to one mile on foot if coerced by a Roman. If a Roman soldier saw a Jewish male, adult or boy, he could command the male to carry his backpack or burden for one mile.

The Jews hated this law and would not carry this burden one inch further than the law required. However, they had two options: carry the burden and walk a mile or receive a beating and spend time in jail for defiance.

Therefore, the Jews marked off a mile from wherever they were so they would know in advance exactly how far one mile was if a soldier came and demanded they carry a load. The burden or pack the soldier compelled a male to carry could be anything, even something heavy, dirty, or smelly.

Can you imagine the indignance of the Jews that day as they sat on the hillside, listening to Jesus preach to them, “Go the second mile.” Can’t you just hear the whispers rising up, gathering momentum like a burgeoning wave? Do more than the Law required? Surely not.

What about us today? Do we go the extra mile? Do we go out of our way to help others, to show our love and care for them? Oh, we do for those we love, don’t we? But do we go that extra mile for those we don’t love?

What did Jesus say? Just a couple of sentences later in Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44 NKJV)

Peter reiterated Jesus’ words, “Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.” (1 Peter 3:9 NLT)

You mean I have to be nice to those who are nasty to me, who stab me in the back, who cheat me, who persecute me? If I want to be obedient to the Lord’s words, I do! Ooo! That hurts, doesn’t it?

The first mile is the compelled, have-to mile, but the second mile is the compassionate, want-to mile.

The Lord may whisper to your heart to show some kindness to someone, to do some deed of sacrificial love for one who has been unkind to you. What will be your response?

May you not only walk the first mile but also walk many, compassionate, want-to miles.

Cocoon of Circumstance

2011-09-21T20:45:00.010-04:00

(Today, I'm doing a rerun.)

“My troubles turned out all for the best…” (Ps. 119:71 The Message Remix)

Where can the most beautiful vistas be viewed? From atop the summit of the tallest mountain, after the most strenuous climb.

Which valleys have the richest green velvet pastures and the fullest spikes of wildflower colors? Those that have withstood the greatest drenching rains.

What forests produce the most prolific new growth? Those that have suffered the hot, searing flames of destruction.

Which diamonds sparkle the most brilliantly? Those that have felt the cleaving of the jeweler’s sharp chisel and the friction of the polishing wheel.

An old Chinese proverb says, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

Just as all of nature suffers contrary conditions in order to be expanded, improved, or strengthened, so, too, do we. Difficulties and trials will always be a part of our lives. We cannot separate ourselves from them. And if we ponder it closely, we realize we will not grow as Christians if trials do not come to test and enlarge us.

If we try to wiggle out of these times, we force premature deliverance, frustrating God’s plan. It is like prying open a cocoon before the caterpillar has finished its metamorphosis into a butterfly. Forcing open the cocoon too soon will render the caterpillar deformed for the rest of its short lifespan.

When we manipulate the hands of the clock to align with our own agenda, we destroy the beauty that God desires to emerge from His timing. Through our own efforts to “help” God out with our deliverance, do we come out of our cocoon of circumstance too early and spiritually deformed in some way? Or do we wait for the revealed transformation by God’s hand?

Is our cocoon of circumstance not intended, as for the butterfly, to deepen our richest colors and give us wings of flight, beautifying our character, all which we may not have had before the trial? While in that cocoon of circumstance, we “are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory.” (2 Cor. 3:18 NIV)

God knows the worth, the power, and the beauty hidden deep within our hearts and only that which is contrary to our comfort releases the precious qualities within us. As Paul said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom 8:18 NKJV)

God will work out all our circumstances for our benefit when we fully commit them and ourselves to Him, His Word, and His timing.

After experiencing a cocoon of contrary circumstance, are you able to say, as David, that all your troubles turned out for the best?

“And 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.” (Rom. 8:28 NLT)

Today, I'm hooking up with these great blog hops...
Finding Heaven Today

Adventures in the Ordinary

Reflections of His Grace

When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary guest post

2011-09-18T20:55:00.011-04:00

Today, I bring you the retelling of how a precious soul met its Savior, written by my special cyber-friend, Cindee Snider Re. Please be sure to visit her beautiful site (link at the end of the post). Here’s Cindee...

Seventeen years ago, I walked into a McDonald’s with my young son. We ordered lunch, and I picked up the tray, took my son by the hand, choose a booth, and settled in.

Minutes later, chaos reigned. My son refused to sit, refused to be still, refused to eat. He fidgeted and whined and flung a French fry, tore up two napkins and scattered the pieces, and finally climbed across the table, grabbed my iced tea, ripped off the lid, and thrust his hand in deep reaching for the lemon slice. Iced tea erupted across the table and all over my lap.

Overwhelmed and exasperated, I wanted nothing more than to leave the restaurant immediately. I shoved my half-eaten burger in my purse, grabbed a stack of napkins and mopped up the booth, hoisted my squirming son onto my hip, took two steps, and stopped.

There in front of me sat another mom with a table full of well-behaved children, not one or even two, but four little kids, all laughing and talking and smiling and actually enjoying each other’s company.

“How is that possible?” I silently cried. “How can she handle four when I can’t even handle one?” And before I even thought about what I was doing, I crouched beside her table, my son still writhing on my hip, and poured out my heart.

Fast forward seventeen years to a warm June afternoon in a quiet church where I sat listening to my now 18 year old son sing and play guitar in the worship band for his high school graduation.

As the band finished practicing, the run-through of the slide show began and I gasped, “I know that name! Seventeen years ago that graduate’s mom led me to Christ and she doesn’t even know it,” I thought, though she soon would as a tear-filled, joy-filled, embrace-filled moment of recognition ensued.

One ordinary woman in an ordinary restaurant on an ordinary day investing one third of an ordinary hour in another, forever impacted the lives of more than a dozen members of one family across three generations. Why? Because that woman serves an extraordinary God!

That is the awesome, august, almighty power of the risen Christ, the sacred heart of the Great Commission, the amazing blessing of community, and the indescribable legacy of faith that changes the world.

One life touching one life touching one life in ever-expanding circles spreading higher, longer, wider, deeper, farther than we can ever begin to imagine, than we will likely ever understand this side of Heaven. That is the incredible, unbelievable legacy of lived-out faith.

So what does it take to change the world? One ordinary moment filled with One extraordinary God!

Father, may we never be too busy to share Your love, mercy, compassion, and grace with the world – one heart, one life, one family at a time. Amen.

*THANK YOU, Susie VanEerden, for listening with a selfless, compassionate heart as I poured out my own nearly two decades ago. Your eternal legacy is beautiful and profound and farther reaching than you may ever know!

**Hop over and be wowed by Cindee’s beautiful writing on her site Breathe Deeply. You will surely be blessed!

***Do you have a photo of the one that led you to Christ? Here’s mine (it's from 1957)...

The Human Heart Craves

2011-09-15T20:24:00.009-04:00

The human heart craves...

...to be loved, unconditionally
...to be accepted, without reservation
...to be understood, without condemnation
...security for the day
...comfort in times of stress, grief, and affliction
...peace
...strength to cope
...a leader to follow
...recognition of achievement
...joy in spite of turmoil
...forgiveness
...fulfillment for its emptiness
...tenderness when the world is unlovely
...encouragement for those days filled with woes
...safety from all that would harm
...confidence and calm when fear attacks
...soothing for the frustrations of life
...provision for all needs
...protection from evil
...power to fight the enemy
...shelter in the storm
...courage to step out when fainthearted
...a guidance counselor to find the designed path
...the right spouse, job, school, friendships
...refreshment in those parched times
...an intimate relationship and the revelation of that loved One’s heart
...a Savior
...to be welcomed Home into the Everlasting Arms

But yes, there are times when the human heart is contrary and desires the wrong things, but it seeks in confusion. A right heart craves to beat in perfect harmony with the Heartbeat of the Beloved.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.” (Ps. 37:4-5 Amp)

*Imperfect Prose on Thursdays on Canvas Child

Please Come Home

2011-09-12T20:17:00.007-04:00

After the birth of their daughter, a wealthy and powerful king and his wife found out they could have no more children. Always wanting a son as an heir to the kingdom, they adopted a baby boy.

As the son grew, he could not understand his father’s ways and, although his father loved him very much, he struggled to receive that love. He never felt a part of the family.

After many years, the son decided to leave his family. Before he left, the father handed him a note, sealed in an envelope, and told him, “If you ever need anything, open this envelope.”

Missing his son and longing for him to come home, the king sent his emissary to find him.

Living by himself in an old shack for years, the son lay destitute and dying. With no insurance or money, he could not afford a life-saving operation. Though others tried to help him, he always refused.

One day, someone knocked on his door. When he answered it, a deliveryman held out a large package and said, “Your father has finally located you and has sent you this gift.”

“I do not want anything from my father,” and he slammed the door.

The next day, the same thing happened. A knock at the door. The son opened it and the deliveryman said, “I have been sent by your father to give you a gift.”

“I...don’t...want...it!” Slam!

On the third day, when the knock came at his door, the son became furious, but when he flung open the door, he found only a note taped to it. It read, “Sir, I only wish to give you something for which you will be eternally grateful. It will be held for you at our storehouse. Take this receipt, and if you should change your mind, you may pick it up whenever you desire.”

Grabbing the receipt, he slammed the door shut.

A few months later, the son died. Those who knew him contacted his family. His sister came to collect his meager belongings. As she went through his things, she found a worn envelope, unopened, and the ticket for the package.

Having no idea what they were, she opened the note and read it, “My dear son, I waited for a son for many years. I prayed to have a son just like you, and then I found you. You were so special that I chose you above all the others to be my son and be the heir of my kingdom. If you should ever need help of any kind, do not ever hesitate to ask me. I will do anything for you. All you need to do is ask. Lovingly, your father.”

After wiping away the tears, the sister took the receipt for the package and went to the storehouse to collect it.

When she got back to his shack, she sat down on the dirty floor and began to open the big box. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she removed the packing. Millions of dollars filled the box.

Her thoughts came rushing out like a flood, “The son of a king lived like a beggar! If only he had opened the gift, he could have been rescued from his situation. He could have had his operation. His debts paid. Been reconciled with his family. Had a family of his own. He could have lived like the son of a king.”

Inside the box, the sister found another note, “My son, this is my gift to you. You never asked for anything, yet everything was prepared and waiting your request. Even though we are separated, I love you with an everlasting love. You have been my greatest care, but you did not want my love.

“I am sorry you did not understand my ways. If you had only recognized my hand at work, reaching out to you, you would have been spared. I wished only for your happiness and well being, no matter what happened. I love you, my son. Please come home. My kingdom is yours. Your loving father.”

As tears once again rolled down his sister’s cheeks, she whispered, “If only he had known the heart of the father, the kingdom would have been his.”

“It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32b NKJV)

Have you opened the gift of the Father and received the wealth of His kingdom?

If you’ve wandered far from Home, hear what the Father says...

“I love you, My child. Please come home. My kingdom is yours. Your loving Father.”

This is part of Christian Writers blog chain on the topic "coming home." Please check out the other great posts in the list in the right sidebar.

Also hooking up with...

A Pause on the Path

Finding Heaven

Imprisoned by Faith

2011-09-07T20:19:00.005-04:00

Today, I’m hooking up with Bonnie Gray of FaithBarista. The topic: What season of faith are you walking through? Fall (letting go) – Winter (loss/waiting) – Spring (new starts) – Summer (embrace and celebrate).

I’ve experienced many winters of faith. Sometimes feeling imprisoned by faith...waiting, longing, wondering what will happen next. But there is one thing I have learned in the midst of it all...praise changes things, even if it is only my attitude! My praises show my trust and faith that the Lord will work out His purpose. Just as Paul and his companions...

Paul. Asleep. At night. A man appeared to him in a vision. The man pleaded, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” (Acts 16:9b Amp)

Immediately, Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke, and possibly others set sail for Macedonia. Confident that God called them to go there and proclaim the gospel. Landing in Philippi, they stayed for several days.

And were they welcomed with open arms? Well, yes and no.

After preaching, the men baptized Lydia, a seller of purple, and her household. But then...

One day, on their way to the place of prayer, a demon-possessed slave girl, who earned money for her masters by fortune-telling, kept shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (Acts 16:17 NLT)

After several days of this, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to her and commanded the spirit to come out of her in Jesus’ name. And it left her.

Seeing their hope for profit suddenly disappear, the owners of the slave dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities in the marketplace, charging them with troubling the city and teaching unlawful things.

Their obedience got them flogged, imprisoned, and shackled.

And what did they do? Moped, whined, complained, questioning God and shaking their fists at Him? No?

In the dark hours of night, shackled behind bars for their faith and obedience, the men lifted up sweet prayers and hymns of praise which echoed throughout the prison walls.

And what did God do? Leave them there to suffer and die? No? What did He do?

“Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.” (Acts 16:26 Msg)

Hearing the men’s praises, God released His power. He delivered them, brought them out miraculously! And sent them on their way to finish carrying out His call.

And what do I do?

Though we step out in faith, God does not always release us. He has not released me. I am here, confined in my faith, in peace, obeying what the Lord has called me to do.

The Lord showed me a long time ago that praise is the devil’s death-knell, which defined means any warning sound of death, or to ring a bell slowly, solemnly, especially at a funeral.

When praise rings its death-bell toll for the enemy, the Lord goes to work. The shackles of confinement fall away; the bars of imprisonment break apart.

No matter how things appear, if we obediently follow God’s desires, He will work out all things, for “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28 NIV)

Confined but not shackled, I praise the Lord right where I am. Imprisonment is a condition of the heart, not circumstances. Why do caged birds sing? Because their hearts are free. Songs of freedom come from the heart, not circumstances.

And what do you do?

Have you ever stepped out in faith and obedience to a command of God and all chaos broke loose? Or had some trial or unsettling condition surround you with bars of confinement?

Maybe your peace and confidence deflated like a punctured balloon. Maybe you felt shackled and held hostage like Paul. You probably doubted hearing the voice of the Lord. However, encountering contrary circumstances does not mean you misunderstood the Still Small Voice.

No, my friend, you just encountered the headwind of the enemy. In fact, that opposition can confirm a right choice. That ol’ enemy desires to thwart your obedience to God’s call whenever he can.

Peace is in your heart, not in your circumstances. So, whether you are like Paul and released or like me and still confined, begin to praise the Lord in those dark hours and watch Him go to work.

Let your imprisoned faith sing above your circumstances.

I Didn't Order This Life guest post

2011-09-04T21:19:00.007-04:00

Today, I am pleased to bring you a special guest post by my friend Dionna Sanchez. Please welcome her and leave her some comment love...

“This isn’t the life I ordered.” I bet that’s what the diabetic says. Or the mom of a child with disabilities. I bet the spouse who sits in their home reading a note from the one they loved who has gone to love someone else wonders where their happy-ever-after has gone.

We are misled in a way. We are taught that if we are good, honest, moral, and right that life will often be safe and comfortable. It won’t hurt.

Yet, the person who answers the phone to hear their teenager was killed in a car crash knows they didn’t order that kind of a story. And the grandparent who is taking over guardianship of their grandkids because their child can’t be a parent in jail…they probably think – “this isn’t the life I ordered.”

I think it’s funny, in a way, how we think we can order our own lives. I mean – who gave us “boss-ship”? God orders our lives and He ordains our days. Satan does what he can in the meantime to trip us and mess up our every step. And he does a good job of it.

Life is life. The good, the bad, the uphill and downhill. It has valleys and deserts. It has exhilarating joys and deep, deep pain. We can’t escape. We live, we breathe. We love and we hurt.

We can feel robbed about the things we didn’t order in our lives. Whatever those “things” may be. We’ve all been given something that wasn’t on the agenda. But…we can make the most of our situations. We can look for the blessings, use the hurts to minister to others, or simply let the trial make us stronger and better.

I heard it said that if a tree doesn’t have wind, it won’t grow. The same is true for our lives. If we don’t have adversity and hardship, we won’t grow. Our roots can’t get deeper or stronger.

This may not be the life we ordered but it’s the one God ordered for us. Life IS a gift. It’s up to us to choose how to open that gift.

“For I surely know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 )

~Be sure to visit Dionna’s site: Beauty in the Storm and connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Alone Time with God

2011-09-01T08:26:00.005-04:00

Today, I am linking up with Bonnie Gray of FaithBarista on the topic of "Whitespace Jam: Share anything you’d like about your alone time with God."

The Lord once spoke this to my heart and I share it with you. May He speak it to your heart as well...

“My child, you are doing well. Keep aiming at the goal I have set for you. This has been a wearisome time, but keep your aim and your eye on the goal, that is, to do My will.

Obedience is of the utmost importance. All My trust is placed in one of My children who places all their trust in Me. I trust them to do My work, that work which is so important for the lost world.

There are those who desperately need your obedience, for without it, their pathway is hindered. There are many who depend on My obedient children even though they do not know it.

The future of some, the well-being of others is so dependent upon your obedience. Take care that you heed My words.

I will help you rule your time. Give all your time into My hands. I will see to it that there is time enough for everything you need, and I need you, to do.

I am building up the waste places in your life, brick by brick. You are placing them back together with the cement of obedience to repair the wall that was broken down. Rejoice now as you build upon that firm foundation.

I will bring about My will in your life. But you must be willing as a little child to follow Me and do so obediently.

All My blessings are being poured out on you. I will rectify everything. I love you.”

Fixin' Up the Ol' Shack!

2011-08-28T21:01:00.003-04:00

There once was a man who bought a lush piece of property with an old shack on it. He decided to renovate it and worked hard to fix it up, spending a lot of money in the process.

When he was almost finished, a windstorm came and blew most of it down. When the man thought he would rebuild it one more time, he sent for the inspector to check out the remains of the house.

The inspector said, “You should have called me to look at this before you wasted your time, effort, and money fixing up this old shack. I would have told you that it wasn’t worth the effort. You should have torn it down and started a new structure on a sure foundation. I wouldn’t try rebuilding this again.”

How well built is the dwelling place we give our Beloved Bridegroom? Is it built on Him, as our sure Rock-foundation? Does it come crashing down in a storm of affliction?

Paul said, “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (2 Cor. 5:17 TLB) So, if the old dwelling place of our hearts is cleansed and created anew, do we keep it that way, or do we allow the winds of worry or the storms of strife to revert it back to the same ol’ rickety shack?

Here’s what I asked the Lord...

~Lord, my heart is Your home. Let’s build it together and keep it clean together.

* Clean out the closet of my hidden thoughts and throw away the trash of wrong attitudes.
* Dust behind the doors where preconceived ideas accumulate like cobwebs.
* Sweep out the corners of my heart where the soil of unwillingness piles up.
* Dig into those deep crevices of my soul where stubbornness plants its roots.
* Take down from the shelves of my mind all the negative thoughts I cling to and replace them with all Your promises that they may be readily available whenever I need them.
* Scrub down the walls littered with the graffiti of my words that have blemished Your Spirit and Your Word.
* Repair the cracks in the walls so that the enemy cannot ooze in with his unwanted ideas.
* Fix the holes in the roof where the rains of difficulties leak in and threaten to dampen my soul-rest.
* Seal up the broken windows where the winds of discontent blow in so easily.
* Clean out the soot of wrong burning desires that have blackened my chimney and allow the vapors of praise to rise heavenward.
* Rekindle the embers of my heart’s passion that have grown cold.
* Use my tears to mop the floor of my soul where it has been trampled upon with the muddy feet of those who would rather walk over me than to see the hurt and pain within me.
* Shine Your light into the dark cellar of my emotions so nothing can remain hidden from Your forgiveness.
* Help me erect that exterior that holds all else in place, as I use my obedience to cement Your bricks of truth in place. May I not leave them lying useless on the ground.
* Help me build on the one sure Foundation that is unshakable and can withstand all storms and disasters.

Lord, may my heart always be a temple in which You may reside and always feel proud to bring others to visit. May it be a monument to Your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your love.~~

What kind of home are you building for your precious Lord? Do you schedule regular maintenance projects? Do you allow the Master Craftsman to construct according to His divine plan?

“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” (Ps. 127:1 NLT)

Taken Aside by Jesus

2011-08-25T13:35:00.013-04:00

“And taking him aside from the crowd [privately]...”(Mark 7:33a Amp)
Have you ever had a deep, dark struggle in your life? Most of us have. I have. And it sent me to my knees to seek the Lord. During that time of struggle, I wrote this...

Oh, from these bars of confinement shutting me in, I cry out to God. From this darkness surrounding me, all seems lost. Yet, I know all things are sifted through the loving fingers of my precious Lord. Wishing to commune with me, He allows this thing to touch my life.

Though others see not my streaming tears, the Lord sees my aching heart and gently wipes away those tears. “Nearly all God’s jewels are crystallized tears,” someone once said.

Too many voices clamor for my attention. Wearied from the noise of the world, my ears impatiently wait for the comforting sound of His voice. The Lord “takes me aside from the crowd privately” into absolute aloneness with Him, that I may listen only to Him. His words of love and comfort speak thunderously in this solitude.

When darkness and loneliness loom endlessly, they yet result in the richest and most rewarding of all spiritual experiences, for it is then that I see my darkness is but the overshadowing of the wings of the Lord, and I await the radiance of His glorious light to fall from heaven that I might behold my precious Savior.

The Lord’s purpose in taking me aside is never immediately discerned. However, getting my attention and bringing me into a deeper relationship with Him is always His will in my blackest hours.

The Holy Spirit comes as the dew of dawn to silently dispense His peace and comfort. In waves of coolness, He breathes upon me like a refreshing wind.

This parched mortal vessel yearns to be filled with those Living Waters provided only by the Lord. His peace pours forth as an endless river, rushing over me to cleanse all that would obstruct my view of Him. As I go to the Well, I drink in His Life and I am revitalized.

Then, I sing of His wonders and tell of His glories, and my walls of confinement fade into nothingness. The way opens before me. I see His brilliant, glistening footsteps on the path before me as if sprinkled with the glitter of heavenly dust, and only the light of praise brings them into focus.

Not all my questions are answered nor all my longings appeased, but His gracious mercy provides the path of recovery to soundness, to wholeness, to a larger place, to Himself.

It is for this that I praise Him...for “taking me aside.”

~~Lord, may rivers of blessings be poured out to other parched souls because of my desert. I pray that freedom may come to them out of my confinement, that light for blind eyes may come out of my darkness, and that comfort for the hurting may come out of my loneliness. Amen.~~

Today, I'm hooking up with...

Canvas Child's Imperfect Prose on Thursdays...

Reflections of His Grace...

Coming soon...

Swimming in the Deep End

2011-08-22T20:29:00.007-04:00

photo via niascissorhands @photobucket
Gasping for air.
Swallowing water with each breath.
Reaching for anything to grab.
Going under for the third time in water depths twice my little height.
Frightened beyond words.
Will anyone notice?

Suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up.
I clung to an inner tube from a truck tire that just happened to be in the deep end.
Rescued.

Around the age of eleven, I was with some friends at the pool. Some of the older kids played a game with other kids on their shoulders in the deep end of the pool. I don’t remember if they were playing “chicken” or not.

One of the older girls asked if I would get on her shoulders.

“Sure,” I said. “Just don’t dump me backwards in the deep end.”

Into the shallow end we went and up on her shoulders I went. And what does she do? Yup. She dumps me backwards off her shoulders into the deep end!

I couldn’t swim very well. I could play around in the water if my feet touched the bottom of the pool; I felt safe there. I always struggled to swim. I had no body fat to keep me afloat.

I tried swimming lessons but I told the instructor that I would sink. He didn’t believe me. On the first lesson, I made it across the width of the pool just fine. But halfway back...I sank!

I almost drowned in the deep end that day. The deep end still scares me. My lungs even close up when I see someone struggling underwater on television or in a movie.

I didn’t have a storm around me, though it felt like it, so I wonder how Peter felt, as he looked at the raging waves billowing against him, when “immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him.” (Matt. 14:31 NKJV)

He heard my cry, just as He heard David’s plea, “Reach down from heaven and rescue me; deliver me from deep waters” (Ps. 144:7a TLB), and He answered, as David said, “Though I am surrounded by troubles, You will protect me...You reach out Your hand, and the power of Your right hand saves me.” (Ps. 138:7 NLT)

Jesus calls us in the midst of the rushing, storm waters to come to Him. Ever so gently He calls...Come a little deeper. Come on. I’m right here. I’ll not only rescue you but I’ll teach you to swim in the deep end. I won’t let you drown.

There is no fear of sinking, for He reaches out, grabs us with a mighty grip, and will not let go. He is our Life Preserver.

Have you been swimming in the deep end lately?

~~Today’s post is part of Peter Pollock’s One Word at a Time Blog Carnival on the topic of childhood.

And...

Coming soon...

A Vision of Earth

2011-08-18T20:50:00.006-04:00

A few years ago, the Lord showed me a vision of man’s sin on earth. I now share it with you.

As a spectator looking down on the planet from outer space, I observed earth slowly shriveling like a prune, drying up for lack of sun and moisture. At the same time, humanity was withering in the same way, evaporating from the lack of the Son and dew of the Spirit.

Barely a division between those in the church and those outside the church existed. Man’s selfishness covered the earth.

Man’s sins - his inhumanity, pride, bloodshed, lust, perversion of what God intended to be pure, such as marriage and His relationship with His own children - rose up from the earth as thick, ebony smoke, constricting the planet, as if squeezing the life out of it. It ascended into the atmosphere as a dark veil, deflecting the light of God.

“Oh, God,” I cried. “How can this be reversed? What can man do to bring back Your light into the world?”

Without a verbal answer, He showed me men lying prostrate on the ground, all across the globe. Like little spikes sticking up out of a deflated ball, hands were thrust up in prayer. With a great breath, the Spirit exhaled a current that encircled the earth and broke through the veil.

The Spirit then began to move upon those with uplifted hands, sparking a revival of the church, and the influence spread to unbelievers who accepted God’s salvation. It brought to my mind creation in Genesis 1:2, as tohuw and bohuw, without form and void, as the Life of the Spirit hovered over the earth.

I said, “Lord, what will bring this about?”

He answered, “Prayer, prayer, and more prayer, and the hearts of My people longing to bring men into My Light and My salvation.”

Then, the earth and humanity’s darkness gradually became illuminated, growing brighter and brighter, as if released from the black of night to the brilliance of the noonday sun.

God said, “As men will cleanse themselves in the blood of My Son to rid themselves of the darkness within, My Light will shine, for I am Light and in Me there is no darkness, and if I, the Light of the World, live in you, there must be no darkness in you, for dark and Light cannot dwell together. Only when you shine as pure light will My Light be manifested to the world.”

“Look around you!” the disciple John said. “Vast fields of human souls are ripening all around us, and are ready now for reaping.” (John 4:35 TLB)

But what are we doing about it?

At His Feet

2011-08-15T20:24:00.009-04:00

With this post, I’m taking part in In Other Words of the site Writing Canvas, which is hosted today by Debbie on her blog Heart Choices. Here is the quote used for this post...

“I must make a conscious, deliberate,daily choice to sit at His feet,to listen to His Word, to receive His love,to let Him change me,and to pour out my heart’s devotion to Him.When I get into His presence,the whole world looks different."A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Oh, to be in the audience of the King of heaven and earth! To be in His presence to worship Him!

Do you cringe or smile when you think of sitting at the feet of the Creator of the universe?

Where do you go when your heart is aching, when the world comes crashing down on your shoulders, when storms hit and there isn’t much you can do? Do you immediately seek the advice of a friend, or do you seek the Best Friend of all?

If you seek the feet of Jesus, what will you find?

*at His feet...
...you are received, never rejected

*at His feet...
...you are renewed

*at His feet...
...you are respected

*at His feet...
...you are reassured

*at His feet...
...you are rejoiced over

*at His feet...
...you realize His forgiveness

*at His feet...
...you are rewarded with His presence

*at His feet...
...you reap more than you can imagine

*at His feet...
...you receive comfort in your pain and sorrow, peace in your unrest, provisions for your lack, and all the other answers to your prayers.

Are we willing to lay it all down at His feet? Will we be as the rich young ruler or as Abraham? Will we leave all our burdens with Him or pick them back up again?

When we sit at the feet of Jesus, do we...

*...praise Him for Who He is?
*...sit silently at His feet, just to be near Him?
*...tell Him of our unreserved confidence in Him that He will always fulfill His promises?
*...tell Him of our tender love for Him or continually question Him as to why things are happening?
*...follow after Him seeking something from Him as the multitudes did, or do we lean upon His breast as John the beloved did, just to be near Him?
*...sit at His feet to serve Him in worship by pouring out our thanks and our tears of joy as precious, fragrant oil upon His feet as the woman who came while Jesus reclined at the table?

Have we limped in our obedience to God? Staggered in our love? Halted in our service? Ceased our worship of Him in order to prostrate ourselves at the feet of something else?

Lots of questions to ponder, aren’t there?

The Still Small Voice has no destination if there is no listening ear! It only costs us our time to listen but it costs us our quality of life not to listen!

Those drawing near to the Redeemer’s feet will find His grace, acceptance, and sufficiency for their needs. Never turning us away, He will always accept us, just as we are.
“You will show me the way of life,granting me the joy of Your presenceand the pleasures of living with You forever.”(Ps. 16:11 NLT)

~~Lord, may I sit adoringly at Your precious feet just to be near You, to seek Your Presence rather than Your hand.~~

Writing Canvas

Tree Service

2011-08-11T21:24:00.006-04:00

“The tree you saw was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. It had fresh green leaves…Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches.” (Dan. 4:20-21 NLT)

That was Tree. Deep in the midst of nature’s sanctuary, he stood above all the rest. Grand and beautiful.

Tree’s branches stretched toward the sky as if to touch his Creator and reached out in a wide circle as if to encompass all those around him.

In spring, he blossomed with new growth, opening his limbs as a portal of welcome for the birds to come sing their sweet melodies to their Creator.

In the hot, summer sun, his leaves unfurled as a canopy of shade for the lovers who came to sit on the bench beneath his shadow and commune with the Master of the forest.

In the midst of fall, seedlings of hope fell from his limbs to the ground, spreading out his tiny descendants of the future. He dressed in a multicolored coat of beauty for all to enjoy before the grave of winter entombed him.

With all that, he still felt useless.

I provide comfort for all the Creator’s creatures, thought Tree. But oh, I wish I could be of greater service to Him. How can I be an entrance of praise to my Maker? How can I be a support to the Creator’s followers? How can I be a likeness of the Master’s message of love and forgiveness? Oh, to be of greater service!

But he puzzled just how to this.

One day, Tree heard his Creator say, “Because it is in your heart to serve Me, I shall grant your heart’s desires.”

On the outskirts of the forest, nestled in the lush, green valley laid a picturesque town. A small, white church sat in the midst of the town square.

One day, a fierce twister ripped through the area, cutting a devastating swath through the forest and the middle of town, destroying most of the old church.

When the parishioners came to assess the damage, they were overwhelmed with despair as they walked through the piles of rubble. But they gathered themselves together and began working to rebuild the church on their own as they could not afford to hire anyone for the work.

One day, one of the workers, a carpenter, had an idea. He went out to the forest to find a tree felled by the storm’s ravages. He walked deep within the forest and found a magnificent tree lying on the ground.

Oh, how can I ever be of service now that I am destroyed? thought Tree.

Taking out his axe, the carpenter chopped Tree into sections and hauled them back to his workshop.

On his way there, three ideas swirled around in his head. For the next several months, the carpenter sacrificed all his time to fashioning three special items out of the tree for the church.

The following spring, when the work was completed, the people came the first Sunday to worship. Arriving at the church, they all marveled how beautiful it looked and how it glorified God. The carpenter had used the remnants of the tree to fashion the front door, the pews, and the cross.

You could almost hear Tree sigh. Now, my heart’s desires to be of service are answered.

Because of the carpenter’s handiwork, I am now an entrance of praise, a welcoming portal, that worshippers may come to the sanctuary of God and sing their sweet melodies of praise.

Because of the carpenter’s artistry, I am now polished pews, supporting the Creator’s followers, as they come to commune with the Master.

Because of the carpenter’s sacrifice, I am the cross that proudly proclaims the Master’s message of love and forgiveness, that more may have eternal life.

We are God’s trees of righteousness (Is. 61:3). Though we serve the Lord, occasionally, we feel useless and desire to be of greater use. Just as the little, white church, we, too, must sometimes suffer a ravaging storm to blow through our midsection as it attempts to destroy our temple that we may be of higher service.

When we feel we have been felled by the world’s axe of affliction, the Carpenter can still make us useful. If that is our hearts’ desire.

*Because of God’s handiwork in our lives, we open our hearts to praise Him.
*Because of Christ’s artistry in our lives, we can be reshaped to support God’s people.
*Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we can share His love with others and point them to His cross of forgiveness and eternal life.

Just as the carpenter sacrificed all his time to fashion special items for the little church, Jesus the Carpenter sacrificed for us to be made into His implements for the church to glorify Him.

Trust the Carpenter to do His work well with you.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21 NKJV)

Fenced In or Fenced Out?

2011-08-08T20:26:00.016-04:00

In the beautiful story of Ruth, we find Boaz, as the lord of the harvest and the dispenser of bounty, saying to Ruth as she gathered grain for her needs, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields.” (Ruth 2:8a NLT)

Boaz recommended that she stay close to his other servants, those with experience, those who knew the boundaries, so that nothing would happen to her and she would know what to do.

He said to Ruth, “Stay right behind the women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them.” (Ruth 2:8b-9a NLT)

In ancient times, no fences marked the perimeters of fields. Owners sometimes used rocks to mark boundary lines, which were easily moved and the borders then transgressed. One who moved his neighbor’s landmarks was, by law, cursed.

Solomon said, “Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers.” (Prov. 22:28 NIV)

In some cases, no stones were used and the dividing lines became blurred.

Boaz warned Ruth to keep her eyes on the field of the lord of the harvest and do as his servants did, to walk after them and follow their example. As a newcomer, she was allowed to glean and partake of the harvest with the seasoned workers, within the limit of the boundaries.

After Ruth accepted Boaz’s invitation to join the other workers in a meal, she went back to work. Boaz then commanded his men to let her glean “right among the sheaves without stopping her, and to snap off some heads of barley and drop them on purpose for her to glean.” (Ruth 2:15-16a TLB)

The lord of the harvest prepared special provision for Ruth, and no set boundary within his field limited her search. Her redeemer gave her the right to appropriate the things of his field for her needs. Given access to and allowed to participate in the harvest, she searched the field at will.

As our personal application, fences keep in and fences keep out. God allows us free reign within the limited boundaries of His field of plenty. Without the clear line of demarcation, to keep us out of the world’s field of play, we will always get into trouble.

If we do not heed those seasoned and experienced workers around us and those who went before us in ages past, we will wander out of God’s field of provision and protection. We will be enticed to succumb to the enemy’s allures and temptations and jump over the fence to that “greener grass” on the other side.

And in jumping over, what do we find? The pasture of that so-called greener grass not only needs mowing, but it also has weeds and cows! In other words, we will always step into a pasture pile! It is never exactly what we expect!

As the Lord of the Harvest, God tells us, “Here are My borders. It’s easy to cross that line into unknown territory, so watch out. I am your Redeemer. I am the Father of the Field. Stay here with Me and follow My servants.”

Do we fully realize our Redeemer, our Lord of the Harvest, has made a place for us, “lifted us to take our place with Him,” (Eph. 2:6 Phillips) granting us access to His field of promise, to bring in the sheaves of all that is necessary to fulfill our needs and the needs of others?

Search His field over for the provision of all that you lack. When was the last time you gleaned from the Word, truly searching its pages for a message as a bundle of harvest from the Lord? “When did a needy gleaner ever turn to its pages and not find just the word for himself? How it declares the heart of God, that He has scattered from end to end of His book handfuls of blessing, messages of love and grace.” (Judges and Ruth by Samuel Ridout)

Do we keep our eyes on God’s field, watching where we glean? Do we follow His “old pickers” as our examples? Whether we are a new Christian or a seasoned one, we may gather nourishment from the Word for all our needs.

Has God not dropped tidbits along the way for you, handfuls pulled from His bundles of grace, those precious golden nuggets of the provision of His Word, as little surprises strewn along the path of your searching, for His “paths drip with abundance” (Ps. 65:11 NKJV)?

Has your boundary between God and the world become blurred? Or do you keep Jesus the Rock as your dividing line?

Oh, that our hearts would remain in the field of God’s grace and provision without jumping the fence and wandering from His borders of protection!

Which would you rather be...fenced in or fenced out?

~~This is part of Peter Pollock’s One Word at a Time Blog Carnival,

Soli deo gloria...

Shanda Oakley's On Your Heart Tuesdays...

Moving from Fear to Freedom blog tour

2011-08-07T20:28:00.008-04:00

Today, I bring you an interview with Grace Fox, the author of Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation.

Has fear kept you awake at night? Has it hindered you from saying yes to a new opportunity? Has it caused you to make impulsive choices you later regretted? If so, you’re not alone! Fear is a big deal for many women. If left unchecked, it can prevent us from fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. So, what’s the answer? How can we move beyond fear into freedom?

Author Grace Fox has partnered with Stonecroft Ministries to write a small group resource titled Moving from Fear to Freedom: A Woman-to-Woman Conversation. This resource addresses women’s common fears and gives biblical and practical strategies to move beyond them.

Fear seems to be an ever-present theme throughout the Bible. Describe the difference between healthy and unhealthy fear.

Healthy fear steers us toward wise decisions and actions. It promotes self-preservation. For example, we look both ways before crossing the street for fear of getting hit by a car. In contrast, unhealthy fear hinders our ability to fully embrace life because it consumes us with negative thinking and what-ifs. The effects can literally make us sick.

How does destructive fear stunt our emotional or spiritual growth?

Destructive fear—the fear of rejection, for instance—might keep us from admitting to someone that we’ve been physically or sexually abused. Without receiving the help we need to deal with those issues, we never experience freedom. Our struggles might seriously hamper our ability to truly love and receive love in a marital relationship. This is just one example among many of how our emotional growth is affected.

Spiritually, fear can cause us to say no to God-given dreams or assignments because we’re afraid of personal inadequacy or financial insecurity. If we never step out in faith, then we never experience God’s ability to equip and provide in amazing ways. Spiritual growth comes when we say yes to God and “do it afraid.”

You suggest we need to place our focus on God and not on fear. In practical terms, how do we do this?

Several strategies that I’ve found helpful…
• Memorize Scripture promises and meditate on them throughout the day and as we fall asleep at night. We are transformed as our mind is renewed.
• Fill our homes with praise and worship music.
• Spend time in God’s word on a regular basis, not just when we’re in a panic. The more we do so, the more familiar we become with His promises and the better prepared we are to face frightening circumstances when they come.
• Talk to the Lord throughout the day. Invite Him into the mundane. Practice His presence. The more we get to know Him, the more we’re able to trust Him in the face of fear.

Most of us feel inadequate at times. You suggest we cannot use our inadequacies as an excuse for not participating with God’s purposes. How do we get past this?

We get past our fear of inadequacy by admitting we have it. Then we need to retrain our thinking to focus on God’s adequacies rather than our inadequacies.
• Tell God how we feel. "Help! I don't think I can do such-and-such."
• Tell a trusted friend and ask her to pray for us.
• Move forward. Do it afraid and expect God to equip us.

Describe this resource and how participants can receive the greatest benefit as they use it.

It’s a seven-week study filled with biblical teaching and personal anecdotes that can be used easily by either a small group of friends in a private home setting or a large women’s ministry. Each session begins by viewing a 25-30 minute teaching video. When the video ends, participants follow suggested Table Talk questions for about 15 minutes. Then they do the Bible study questions together. Each participant uses her own guide book so she can take notes and write answers. Facilitator’s notes are included. The study covers these topics:
• an overview of fear
• fear for our loved ones' well-being
• fear of personal inadequacy
• fear of rejection
• fear of facing the ghosts of our past
• fear of the storms of life
• fear of the unknown future

Where can I buy this study?

It’s available through your local Christian book store, on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com, STL Distribution, WinePress Books, and of course, on Grace’s website, where group discounts apply. Visit Grace’s website for more information about her other books and speaking ministry.

For more opportunities for a FREE copy of this DVD & Study Guide set of MOVING FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM, please follow this CSS Virtual Book Tour on Twitter (@Christianspkrs) or Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/CSSVBT.GraceFox.MovingFromFeartoFreedom)

~~I was given a complimentary copy of this DVD & Study Guide set from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).

Does the Cock Still Crow?

2011-08-04T20:52:00.004-04:00

In the chill of the evening, they stroll to the Mount of Olives.

Along the way, Jesus talks to the disciples, preparing them for the coming ordeal, and says, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night.” (Matt. 26:31a NKJV)

Peter stops dead in his tracks, turns to Jesus and declares, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” (Matt. 26:33 NKJV)

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have you, to sift you like wheat, but I have pleaded in prayer for you that your faith should not completely fail. So when you have repented and turned to Me again, strengthen and build up the faith of your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32 TLB)

Laying His hand firmly on Peter’s shoulder, Jesus continues, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know Me.” (Matt. 26:34 NLT)

Peter, grasping Jesus’ hand and falling at His feet, cries out to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Matt. 26:35 NKJV)

As Peter follows so closely that Jesus can detect Peter’s breath, they all leave this scene and enter the garden of Gethsemane, where the events of the evening play out. The soldiers arrive and arrest Jesus. As they lead Him away, Peter follows.

On their way to appear before Caiaphas, the soldiers stop before the assembled chief priests and scribes in the high priest’s courtyard. Peter slips over to join the servants warming themselves by the fire in the courtyard.

Three accusations unfold, followed by three denials.

And then...

...cock-a-doodle-doo!

The words of his precious Lord echo through Peter’s mind and stab him in the heart: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”

The saddest moment of Peter’s life is then exacerbated as the Lord turns and looks at him.

Gasp!

Oh, what a look that must have been. And “Peter went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:62 NKJV)

How chilling that crow must have sounded; how grievously Peter’s heart must have pounded.

Was that the end of the crowing? Doesn’t a rooster crow each morning?

Wouldn’t that cock-a-doodle-doo pierce Peter’s ears and heart each dawn as the enemy’s condemnation, a reminder of his failure?

But wait! What was that noise three days later...on resurrection morn? Didn’t the cock crow that daybreak also? Did Peter’s heart change that day?

In the years that followed, did he continue to hear that daily crowing as the enemy’s memento of opposition to his heart’s desire to serve the Lord or as the Lord’s resurrection reveille to rise up out of despair and serve Him?

Does the enemy crow in your ear? What does he bellow at you? Condemnation of your past? How unworthy you are? What a stupid thing you did? You’re a failure? Why would anyone want to hear what you have to say? You’re a lost-cause at business? You’re a terrible spouse or parent?

Or do you hear that triumphant shout of resurrection morn? Telling you that you have victory over your past? That the Lord gives you strength for each task? That you are blessed beyond measure? That you are loved more than you can comprehend? That you are a delight to your heavenly Father’s heart? That you can do all things through Christ?

Does each dawn’s awakening cry encourage you, as “His mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lam. 3:23 NLT)?

Which crow are you listening to...the enemy’s attempts to crow in opposition to all that you do, or the Lord’s resurrection reveille to rise up out of despair and serve Him?

What is August to You?

2011-08-01T18:17:00.019-04:00

What is august to you? August...not the month but the word. Do you know what it means?

According to the dictionaries, it means inspiring reverence or admiration, of supreme dignity or grandeur, majestic, venerable, eminent, worthy of respect because of age and dignity, high position, having exalted birth, character, state, or authority.

Sounds pretty descriptive of God, wouldn’t you say?

God exhibited all these august attributes when He spoke creation into being. Each seed of God’s Word stood positioned at conception’s gate, primed and eager for the Starter’s pistol to sound its commencement, and when God spoke His Word of power, He released the seeds of life and reaped the harvest of creation.

Scripture says, “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth.” (Ps. 33:6 Amp)

All matter came alive at the sound of God’s voice. Within that matter is His voice imprint, His Word, still to this day, resonating in the entire universe, within every molecule, every atom, and every cell of every created thing – plants, animals, planets, sun, moon, stars, mankind, everything.

God’s Word never dies. How do I know? Because the Bible says so. Peter said, “The word of God which lives and abides forever…the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:23b, 25 Received Greek Text) Would that just be His written Word or would that include His spoken Word?

David said in Psalm 33:9, “For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” (NIV) Meaning it remained, endured, continued.

And the writer of Hebrews tells us, “The word of God is living, and powerfully working.” (Heb. 4:12a RGT) The Greek word for “powerfully working” used here is energes, which means active, operative, effectual, at work, or powerful. The living, breathing Word of God is active and operative, giving “life and breath and all things to all.” (Acts 17:25 RGT)

Not ordinary words, God’s words are unseen, living entities, actually working energy and living matter of the eternal kind. A part of Himself.

And that part of Himself He graciously shares with those who love Him. Just as God’s Word gave life to the universe, His Word gives life to body, soul, and spirit because Jesus is “the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1b NLT) Jesus said, “The words which I speak to you are spirit and are life.” (John 6:63b RGT) If we have invited Jesus to rule our hearts, we have that living Word within us.

But if creation is so inspiring and God is so august, so worthy of respect, reverence, and admiration, then why do some not recognize God’s majestic handiwork in creation and accept Him as Creator?

The Word says, “They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Rom. 1:19-20 NLT)

However, do we who know God appreciate His majesty and grandeur?

Step out into your backyard, or go to the outstretched ocean, or a gorgeous garden, or a flourishing forest, or the majestic mountains, whichever may be your favorite scene of nature, and just look around you. What greets you?

*Does the morning dew comfort you with the thought of drinking in God’s mercies or of His showering you with blessings?

*Does the mist of the ocean kiss your face with soothing relief, offering you God’s vast supply of living water to restore your tired body?

*Does the garden’s produce reward you with gratitude for the harvest of nourishment or fill your senses with its floral bouquet?

*Does the lush green of the forest refresh your soul as the trees unfurl emblazoned boughs as a canopy of shade and as a pavilion for the feathered set to convene their songfest?

*Does the purple mountain’s majesty fill you with awe for inspiration, stimulate your creativity, enliven your dreams?

All these are the entities of God’s voice imprint, surrounding you... pulsating in every living thing.

How can our hearts not feel gratitude to the One Who made this magnificent world and surrounds us every day with His august presence? Who pours out new mercies every morning? Whose Spirit is generously shared with all who love Him? Should we not bow in awe and pour out worship, thanksgiving, and unrestrained praise?

David said to the Lord, “All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, and Your saints shall bless You. They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power, to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.” (Ps. 145:10-13 NKJV)

Now, what is august to you?

~~This is part of...
*August blog chain at Christianwriters.com. Check out all the other great entries in the right sidebar.

*On, In, and Around Mondays

*Playdates at the Wellspring/Laura Boggess

*Soli deo gloria at Finding Heaven Today

Don't Give the Devil a Chance!

2011-07-28T20:41:00.017-04:00

“Don’t give the devil a chance...”
(Eph. 4:27 Common English Version)

“...for by faith you stand.” (2 Cor. 1:24 NKJV)

And the Dove Rested

2011-07-25T21:01:00.004-04:00

For forty days and forty nights...

The floor of the great abyss ruptured, spewing skyward enormous streams of steam from its belly. It roared in agony as it billowed into a surging mass of catastrophic power, pounding angrily against the ark, which cradled the nucleus of humanity in safety from the judgment upon the earth.

The once calm seas broke open their storerooms and heaved forth their reservoirs as frothing waves. Never having rained before, the windows of heaven now threw open their sluice gates, unleashing their inner resources as great torrents.

And the ark, listing from side to side, rose up with the waters.

“And the waters prevailed on the earth one hundred and fifty days.” (Gen. 7:24 NKJV)

God then restrained the waters and made a wind to pass over the surface, and, as the waters began to decrease, the ark rested on top of Mount Ararat.

The definition for Ararat is interesting. The Brown-Driver-Brigg’s Hebrew Lexicon says it means the curse reversed: precipitation of curse. Noah means “rest,” and its root word basically means to settle down, cause to rest, to deposit, and so on. As the curse reversed, the waters deposited the ark, causing it to rest on Ararat, and so, too, did Noah, probably heaving a big sigh of relief.

After months of the waters receding, Noah sent out a raven that went “to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth.” (Gen. 8:7 NKJV) Noah also “sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground.” (v.8 NKJV)

The dove went out into the world, searching upon the waters of “drifting waste of sin and judgment” (A. B. Simpson) for a resting place. But “the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot” (v.9a NKJV), so she returned to the ark. And Noah “put forth his hand and drew her to him into the ark.” (v.9a Amp)

“And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark.” (v.10a NKJV) This time the dove returned with an olive leaf, which is not only a symbol of peace and reconciliation but is also a symbol of prosperity, divine blessing, beauty, and strength. The sign that judgment had passed and peace was returning

Each time the dove returned, Noah welcomed her back, putting forth his hand, and drawing her to himself, to her resting place in the ark.

Isn’t that a comforting thought of our Lord? When we encounter chaotic circumstances, do we go out into the world searching for rest, peace, and satisfaction? We will not find them there.

The Lord’s graciousness to us is the same as Noah’s was to the dove. Christ is our Ark of safety, our resting place, and in our wanderings, He reaches out His nail-scarred hands and pulls us to Himself for comfort and protection. As scripture says, “The Lord will certainly deliver and draw me to Himself.” (2 Tim. 4:18 Amp) Interesting. “Draw” means to rush or draw (for oneself), rescue, deliver, or preserve from.

He lovingly says to us, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jer. 31:3 NKJV) “In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved.” (Isa. 30:15 Amp)

Christ clutches His Bride in His eternal arms of love, “And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” (Isa. 62:5 NKJV)

Do you roam the earth, flitting about from place to place in search of a place to light upon for rest, peace, or safety? Do you find it? In your unrest, let your weary wings take you back to the Lord, to seek that secure resting place in Him alone.

The Lord continually draws you to Himself by His Spirit. Return to the Ark and find rest unto your soul.

The Old Gold Miner

2011-07-21T20:39:00.004-04:00

***Hope you don't mind a rerun!***

One day, as I was bewailing a difficult circumstance, the Lord gave me this vision of His working in my life…

With shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows, an old gold miner knelt beside a sparkling stream of water, bubbling with life. His weather-beaten hands clutched a sizable sieve like those used years ago for panning gold. On it rested a massive amount of dirt and rocks of all sizes, shapes, and hardness.

Undaunted, he knelt there, concentrating on the debris. Shaking the sieve with vigor, then again with tenderness, he continued his apparent mission, as if on a treasure hunt for some mysterious element.

The dirt and smaller pebbles slipped through the holes in the screen, disappearing downstream into waters that appeared to have a life of their own. The remaining larger, coarse rocks on the screen grated against each other, altering their appearance.

Tears began to trickle down his furrowed cheeks and fall upon the transformed rocks, washing away the leftover traces of dirt. An all-knowing smile gradually spread across his aged face. His eyes twinkled, reflecting the anticipated precious treasure, the golden gems now resting on the sieve.

He glanced up and whispered, “My Word is the screen sifting out all the impurities of your life, while the Living Waters wash them away. In My love for you, I am ever at work in your circumstances. As they rub against you, they transform you and rid you of those things that would dirty your life and taint your work for Me. As I remove them, you are made into that precious, golden gem, reflected in My eyes.”

Through this vision, the Lord showed me that, no matter what circumstances occur in my life, no matter how relentlessly they rub against me, He allows them all to be sifted through His Word, His love, and His fingers, changing me into His image and that golden reflection in His eyes.

“This means tremendous joy to you, even though at present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident - it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold…” (1 Peter 1:6-7a Phillips)

He Still Walks the Lakeside

2011-07-18T21:02:00.007-04:00

He walked the edgeOf earth’s timeOf the seas’ shores
He called the menOne by one“Come fish with Me”
They left their netsNo regretsTo follow Him
He walks the edgeTime’s lake shoreStill...calling...

...you and me.
“Come along with me and I will show youhow to fish for the souls of men!”(Matt. 4:19 TLB)

I Called Him Dancer blog tour

2011-07-17T21:51:00.011-04:00

Today, I bring you the book blog tour interview for I Called Him Dancer by G. Edward Snipes. If you would like to enter the giveaway for the book, leave a comment.

What made you write I Called Him Dancer? Have you ever danced, taken lessons?

The only dance lesson I’ve received came when I was walking in the woods. A yellow cloud surrounded me and I began swatting yellow jackets like a break-dancer. Upon reflection, I don’t think I had the grace needed to make it big, so I quit after my first lesson. No more bees for me.

The inspiration for I Called Him Dancer came from a song performed by Tralena Walker and co-written by Tom Webster. I attended a meeting at the Atlanta Writers Club. Tralena and Tom were guest speakers. The topic was on how to write a story in lyrics for songs. Not my cup of Formosa Oolong, but at least it was entertaining. After performing the song, "Dancer," either Tom or Tralena said, “We’ve been looking for someone who will turn the song into a novel. We think it would make a great story.”

Until those words were spoken, I was a passive observer. I looked up and words were swarming around me like those yellow jackets. They attacked my head while I lay screaming on the floor. Okay, maybe I didn’t scream – but my mind did. In an instant, the story unfolded in my mind and I knew this was something I was to write.

I knew nothing about dancing (other than what the bees taught me). Tom and Tralena gave me the lyrics and I started researching and writing. I have to admit that I worried about the dancing scenes, but I knew things took shape when people began asking how I became so knowledgeable about dance. I thought back to the bees and said, “It’s just something that hit me while walking in the woods.”

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

When I was a child, I got my first book. I flipped through the pages, then tore it apart. I didn't know it at the time, but that's exactly what you do when editing a manuscript.

I hated writing when I was younger. I only did what I had to do, and sometimes not even that. Writers block was more like writers dementia. My mind didn't return to me until after ... hmm. What were we talking about?

In 1998, I became active in prison ministry. Many of the men I ministered to were eager to learn. Someone asked me if I had my studies or notes on paper. I agreed to write out the next study and then my writing career was born. The problem wasn't that I couldn't write. It was that I didn't have something to say. Or didn't realize I had something to say. Over time writing transformed from a task to a passion.

Is I Called Him Dancer your first fictional story?

My first fictional story was written in high school. It wasn’t supposed to be fiction, but hey, the best fiction looks like the real world, right? I’ll tell you the story.

In high school, I had a class that was dedicated to writing a 30 page research paper. I chose the topic, The Arms race between the US and Russia. It was the 1980s when the Cold War was still on everyone’s mind. We spent weeks in the library researching our topic. I say ‘we’ in the general sense. My research was sports and other useless browsing. At the halfway point, we had to turn in our research note cards. The teacher graded them and as she returned them, she said, “Some of you aren’t going to pass this class.” She paused in front of my desk as she said this, and then dropped my notecards on my desk. She continued, “You cannot write this paper with less than 70 research cards.”

I counted my cards. Seven. A very weak seven. This information must have shocked my brain, for I didn’t even think about this again until the teacher informed the class that the rough draft was due in the morning. “Holy cow! It’s due tomorrow?” I said.

After school, I visited a few friends, ate dinner, and watched TV. It was now nearly bedtime. No more goofing off. I sat down and began to write. The information flowed. I clearly needed more research sources, so I interviewed military experts born mere minutes ago. But hey, Colonial Imagination was still a source. I wrote thirty pages – somehow. And I got a good grade in the class. After all, no one had more expert sources than I did.

I should have known then that writing was in my future, but it would be more than two decades before I discovered a passion for writing.

Tell us a little about your book, I Called Him Dancer.

For a moment, Michael danced on top of the world, but one bad choice turned his life upside down. The once promising Broadway star now washes windows for tips and lives among the homeless. When his former dance partner recognizes him behind the fray of whiskers, shame drives him away from her. Angry at God and the world, the Dancer refuses to allow anyone into his life. When everything is stripped away, three things remain: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love.

I Called Him Dancer is a story about how one woman’s enduring faith and unconditional love drives her to reach out to a homeless friend, who has given up on life.

Who is your favorite character in I Called Him Dancer?

The character that inspired me the most is Kenyon. Many readers have stated the same. He’s human, struggling to do what is right, and lives by a genuine faith. At times he wrestles between what he knows God wants him to do, and what he wants. Kenyon is down to earth, not preachy, yet his life has an impact on others.

In the story I tried to present Christianity in an honest light. Many who claim to be Christians show hypocrisy and drive others (like the Dancer) away from the faith. This is a real problem in the Christian culture. Kenyon shows what sincere faith looks like. He’s far from perfect, but his simple faith impacts those around him. Kenyon’s sincerity is something the Dancer can’t understand and it piques his curiosity.

What would you like your readers to take away from this novel?

I want people to look at the reality of how faith impacts the world around us. Hypocrisy is being pretentious about faith, and there is a difference between failure and hypocritical behavior. Christians shouldn’t feel dejected when they fail. It’s part of this life of reaching upward.

Also, we all know someone who appears hopeless and hostile toward God, but we don’t know what the Lord is doing behind the scenes. Ultimately, hope is what everyone should take away. Hope that readers are not alone in their struggles. Hope that our lives can make an impact – even with our imperfections. Finally, hope that the people we care about are never out of God’s reach.

How can readers get in touch with you?

You can flash a light on the clouds that says, ‘Free chicken fingers,’ and I’ll play Batman music and come running. Some people prefer the simpler route of connecting with me on Twitter @eddiesnipes. My Facebook username is eddiesnipes. It might seem like a strange coincidence, but my LinkedIn name is also eddiesnipes. Even more crazy is my website: EddieSnipes.com On each of these, I just closed my eyes and typed out random keys. I might have peeked on a few letters. You can get the book through online bookstores or your local Christian bookstores.

~~I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by ChristianSpeakerServices.com