Wildflower Thinking

Prayers for Our People

2012-02-08T16:57:00.001-05:00

I don’t know if this is true of all dogs or not, but our dog has people.

What I mean is that there’s a distinct difference in the way he greets his people and other people who come to our door.

When one of his people comes to the door, even if that person has been away for a long, long time—like on a deployment or because they’ve gotten married and settled on the far side of the ~~universe~~ country—Windsor greets that person by bouncing all over the room, offering slobbery dog kisses, and doing the ever-entertaining, elderly puppy dance of joy.

And once Windsor has identified someone as one of his people, Windsor never forgets.

If someone who is not one of Windsor’s people comes to the door, however, he sniffs around suspiciously, ducks all attempts at friendly pats on the head, and sometimes even hides under the bed. (When he goes to this extreme, I have to wonder if maybe I should pay attention to his strange judgment call.)

Windsor’s people include the obvious: immediate family, parents, brothers, sister, and, of course, our cross-country kids. And because she brings so many for review books to my door (which always puts a smile on my face), Windsor has adopted the mail carrier lady as one of his people, too, greeting her joyfully and even attempting to follow her home. (I should probably learn her name.) I’m pretty sure that all small children are Windsor’s people, too. If he sees them out the window, he wags his tail and begs to go play!

That said, I think it’s safe to say we people have people, too—precious people whose lives will always be intertwined with ours in a deep and mysterious way. Today’s Parachute Prayer is for them. Whenever your pet greets someone happily, whether your pet is a dog or a cat or a hamster or hermit crab, whisper a prayer for one of your precious people. (And if your cat, hamster, or hermit crab actually does greet someone enthusiastically without the bribe of a can of tuna or a HoneyNut Cheerio, I would sure love to hear about it because I’m pretty for sure and for certain that only dogs admit to having people—but I may be wrong.)

If you don’t have a pet, let glimpses of other people’s pets prompt your Parachute Prayer or set a sweet, stuffed animal somewhere obvious to remind you.

Father, whether we see our people daily or not, please remind us to pray for them often. We are gifts to each other from You! Bless each of the people You have placed in our lives. Thy will be done in theirs. Amen.

Book Review: Sweeter Than Birdsong

2012-02-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

Sweeter Than Birdsong by Rosslyn Elliott is the sequel to her Fairer Than Morning. Both books, part of The Saddler's Legacy series, are based on the lives of real people who worked on the underground railroad, attempting to smuggle slaves to freedom through Ohio to Canada. In Fairer Than Morning, we learned about Ann Miller and Will Hanby. The sequel tells the story of their oldest son, Ben, writer of songs that include “Darling Nellie Gray” and “Up on the Housetop.”

We also meet Kate Winter in Sweeter Than Birdsong. Kate is the painfully shy daughter of a socially ambitious mother and alcoholic father. Her dreams of being part of the first female graduating class of Otterbein College are threatened by the public speech requirement and her desire to escape from her difficult home life. When Kate is inadvertently drawn into work on the underground railroad, she learns there are worse situations than hers from which to escape. Her compassion for slaves draws her to find courage within to do that which she never dreamed she could.

I enjoyed both the historical part of the novel and the fictional story line. Elliott is gifted in both aspects of this genre. I also appreciated the afterword which made the distinction more clear. Thank you, Thomas Nelson Publishers, for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my review.

A Prayer for Those Who Feel Forgotten

2012-01-23T08:22:00.000-05:00

I know some people don’t believe in the power of blanket prayers, but, under the right circumstances, I do. Sometimes we don’t know the specifics, but God always knows. When we know the specifics, we should pray for those. Yet if God calls us to pray, even for something that seems generic, we should pray the blanket prayer.

Here’s one penned by St. Francis of Assisi that I encourage you to pray often:

“Accept my prayers, dear Father, for those who have no one to love them enough to pray for them. Wherever and whoever they are, give them a share of my blessings, and in thy love let them know that they are not forgotten.”

In the spirit of the Parachute Prayer, let’s attach this prayer to something that will bring it to mind often. Whenever you see something lost or out of place—like a missing button or a single sock—whisper a prayer for those who have no one else to pray for them.

And don’t forget to pray for those who appear homeless whenever you see them. They make this blanket prayer a little more specific. No matter what painful circumstance led them to that situation, the homeless anywhere need our prayers.

Discipline and Diligence

2012-01-16T08:13:00.000-05:00

“Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.” –Matthew 7:13-14, The Message

I have another Kraft recipe for you today. This one is good stuff! Here it is with my subtle modifications:

Beef & Peanut Stir-Fry

1 lb. beef sirloin steak
2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ c Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing (A must! No substitutions here! This is yummy stuff. Kraft didn’t give me anything to say that or to tell about this recipe—I’m just freely sharing something I enjoy.)
1 16 oz. pkg. frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed and drained (Don’t miss that step—I almost did!)
¼ c unsalted dry roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 c hot cooked white rice

Slice the steak into strips. (Kraft suggests partially freezing the meat before slicing to make this step easier.) Place meat strips, garlic salt, and cornstarch in a zipper-type plastic bag. Shake to coat meat.

Heat dressing in a large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables. Cook and stir for 4 minutes.

Add meat. Cook and stir for 4-6 minutes until meat is cooked through. Add peanuts. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve over rice.

Though I did love the way this recipe turned out and will definitely serve it again, it clashed dramatically with my personal cooking preferences. When I cook, I like to get something started, then go do something else—like read a book—while the stove or oven or electric skillet or crock pot does the work for me.

I couldn’t do that with this recipe. It demanded my full attention all the time. Add, stir, add, stir, stir, stir. I guess that’s why they call it stir fry. Once I started going, I had to watch attentively, stirring and flipping the vegetables and meat until I was certain that all was cooked through. If I’d gone to read a book, something would have burnt on one side while the other side remained uncooked.

Stir fry requires discipline and diligence.

So do a lot of other worthwhile things in life.

If I don’t run every day, or nearly every day, my muscles turn to mush.

If I don’t sweep my floors often, dust bunnies gather and threaten to take over the house. (And you thought I’d never met a bunny I didn’t like.)

And if I don’t talk with God often throughout every day, I don’t hear His Voice as clearly as I need to, wrong attitudes slip in, and I struggle more and with less confidence to live fully for Him. A growing relationship with God requires discipline and diligence, time in His Presence where He has our full attention. Add a Bible verse, stir it through your mind, add a prayer or two, stir, stir some more. Sit and focus on God's character and His Word. Stir, stir, stir all day. Then stir some more.

The effort is worth our while every time!

Father, thank You for things in life that teach us the importance of discipline and diligence. May they remind us to turn to You often throughout each and every day. Our relationship with You is priceless, the most worthwhile treasure we will ever know. Amen.

Living Life in Layers

2012-01-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering, I haven’t given up on my Kraft Recipe project. I’ve actually tried 3 or 4 since my last recipe post. I just haven’t had time to type them up for you!

I’m making time today, though. I really liked this one! It’s called the Layered Summer Salad. It was my contribution to Thanksgiving Dinner at my aunt and uncle’s home. But we were celebrating in Southern California where it’s always Summer, so it was totally appropriate. Of course, if we’d been celebrating in Upstate New York, I still would have served my Summer salad for Thanksgiving. I’ve been known to wear white shoes after Labor Day, too.

Here is the recipe, slightly modified:

Layered Summer Salad

4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 ½ cups shredded mild Cheddar cheese, divided
1 can sliced olives
1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 chopped tomatoes
1 thawed, 10oz. package of frozen peas
½ cup Miracle Whip
½ cup sour cream
4 tsp dried basil
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Layer lettuce, 1 cup of cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes and peas in a 3 quart bowl.

Mix Miracle Whip, sour cream, and basil; spread over salad, completely covering the top.

Top with remaining cheese and bacon. Refrigerate for 5 hours. Serve.

This layered salad made me think of military life. My thoughts would also apply to ministry life or to the life of anyone else who moves often. In some ways, these thoughts apply to everyone, though, as we all face changes in our circumstances from time to time. But I’ll share my thoughts from the perspective of a military wife, and you can apply them to your life as you’d like.

For me, each new location is like a layer of the salad. I’m tempted to leave some layers out. Sometimes when a husband gives his wife the news about their next assignment, the conversation goes a bit like this:

“Guess where we’re going, Honey? You’re going to love it!”
“You’re going where?”
“I said, ‘We,’ Honey.”
“Sounds like a deployment to me. Have fun, Darling! The kids and I will be here when you get back.”

Take a lesson from Jonah, friends. Save yourself some grief. Just get on the right boat.

When I made the Layered Salad, I was tempted to leave the onions out. (And I did leave the mushrooms from the original recipe out, but only because my mom and son wouldn’t have let me participate in Thanksgiving if I’d included them. I didn’t fly all the way to California to miss out on my turkey dinner because of a few mushrooms!)

But back to the onions and the layers of our lives—

Some layers we’d like to skip, but these are essential to the overall mix. We have to keep the big picture in mind.

Other layers (and locations) are more like the olives and the cheese. We’re tempted to add double of these! But then they’d overpower all the other ingredients. Each layer is perfectly balanced to create a salad with a flavor all its own. The layers of our lives work the same way. We may want to rush through or skip a season, but God leads us through in the perfect time. We may long to linger somewhere, yet be called to move on quickly. Again, we trust we’re moving in God’s perfect time. It’s the overall work that matters. God is mixing it just right.

Father, thank You for Your faithful work in our lives. Whether we’re moving or changing jobs, adding children to our families or sending them off on their own—whatever the circumstances of the defined layers of our lives, help us to trust You, our Sovereign, loving God. Amen.

For more thoughts on moving often or adapting to changing circumstances, please visit my other blog: Home Is Where God Sends You. (Just click on the words to go there.)

Book Review: First Date

2012-01-05T08:39:00.000-05:00

First Date is a sweet story that I would recommend for junior high or early high school age girls. Though you can see elements of the book of Esther with references to Daniel in the Lion’s Den, the story is not a retelling of either. It is its own story.

Addy’s private Christian school has been chosen to send a representative to compete on a reality show. To stay open, they need the money and publicity that come with participation. The principal chooses Addy to be the school’s representative. Addy is very opposed to this. She longs to live a quiet life, get good grades, and get into an Ivy League school. She doesn’t want the attention or distraction that comes with being on a reality show.

But Addy must go.

She finds herself competing with 99 other girls for a date with the president’s son. Not interested, she tries to get herself eliminated in the first round. Yet everything she does backfires to her and to the show’s producer’s dismay. The media just loves this reluctant contestant. The president’s son is captivated, too.

Over the course of the story, Addy learns to make peace with her past, to obey God in her present, and to trust Him with her future. She also makes some really good friends who influence her in positive ways as she learns to live in a way that influences them for Christ.

It took a few chapters to draw me into this story, but as things progressed, I wanted to know what would become of Addy, how her story would end. I thank Thomas Nelson Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Conquering the Land in 2012 and For All Time

2012-01-03T07:13:00.000-05:00

I hadn’t really planned to develop a theme for this year on this blog. But God’s been impressing an idea on my heart and in my mind that I’d like to share with you.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking about the Israelites and one of their greatest mistakes. When God led them into the Promised Land, after 40 years of letting them wander in the wilderness, He told them to completely conquer the land. He didn’t say, “Settle among the current inhabitants and try to get along.” He said, “Take the land.”

At first, under Joshua’s leadership and with God’s might, the Israelites did this well. They made a few mistakes, but God corrected them, led them to repentance, and reminded them He was their Lord.

Over time, however, the Israelites became comfortable. They got tired of fighting, decided they had enough land and were willing to share and to live peacefully among the remaining inhabitants of the land.

God was not okay with this.

But He allowed it.

Eventually, the Israelites began to intermarry with and adopt the customs of these other people. They even started worshiping their gods.

God had warned them not to do this.

But they did anyway.

The result: the people the Israelites didn’t conquer, conquered the Israelites.

The lesson is relevant to Christians today.

When we are saved, we enter the Promised Land. We become citizens of God’s Kingdom. But we still have to conquer the land! Wrong attitudes, bad habits, and other enemies of our hearts must be eradicated. We can’t conquer them alone—we rely on God’s Spirit to help us with this. But we must ask Him for help. We must ask Him to help us identify the enemy within and then to destroy it—daily, hourly, sometimes moment by moment!

And we can’t become complacent, deciding we can be comfortable living with our more stubborn enemies—a little anger, a little greed, a touch of bitterness, envy, or apathy. What we choose not to conquer will turn around and conquer us. We must fight with diligence.

A few verses have come to mind as I’ve been thinking about this. If we focus on these when enemies arise, God’s Spirit can use them to help us in this fight:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” –Galatians 5:22-23

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” –Philippians 4:8-9

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” –1 Peter 1:13-16

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” –2 Peter 1:5-9

Looking back over last year’s What Really Matters resolutions, I know that those weren’t only for 2011, but for always. They will stay on my refrigerator even though it’s now 2012. Likewise, this year’s theme must become in increasing measure a lifetime habit to develop now. Whenever an ugly attitude or enemy of the heart attacks, we all must prayerfully turn these over to God that His Spirit can replace them with His fruitful qualities.

Father, we don’t know what 2012 holds for us, but we do know what you want for us—always! You want to make us more like You: holy, effective, productive, clean. Please keep our minds alert and fully sober, filled with excellent and praiseworthy thoughts, that our hope, faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love will grow and that our hearts will be full of Christ’s peace. Thank You for Your cleansing work. Help us to conquer "this land"—our minds and hearts—in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pre-New Year's Reflection

2011-12-28T07:06:00.000-05:00

"Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, 'If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.'" --1 Samuel 7:3, NKJV

I came across this verse today and decided it's a perfect preparing-for-the-New-Year verse. I may not be one for making a bunch of self-defeating resolutions, but I am one to reflect, analyze, evaluate, and goal set. I like the fresh start concept that comes with entering a New Year!

And that's kind of where the Israelites were when Samuel made the above statement. The Philistines were threatening them, and they were scared. They wanted God's help, but they had been unfaithful to Him. Samuel called them on it. "Either you're serving God wholeheartedly or you're not. If you are, prove it. Then He will help you." The Israelites chose to follow God, and He miraculously delivered them from their fearsome enemies.

What's this have to do with New Year's? As we enter 2012, let's take the time to reflect, analyze, evaluate, and set goals as Samuel encouraged followers of God to do. Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I dwelling in God's Presence with all my heart?
Are there any other gods in my life? If so, how can I put them away once and for all?
How can I best prepare my heart for the LORD? --on a moment-by-moment, daily basis? --for His second coming which could happen at any time and someday, most certainly, will?
In everything I do, am I serving only God?

If we follow Samuel's advice and give our loyalty to God alone, He'll lead us into and through 2012 according to His perfect Will. With God in charge, we can face whatever comes.

Lord, I give You all my heart. If there are any other gods in my life, if anything is competing for my loyalty, please point them out that I may immediately put them away. You are God; there is no other! Help me to consciously prepare my heart for You--moment-by-moment, every day. I live to serve You only. Please deliver me from anyone or anything that seeks to enslave me, and lead me into and through 2012 according to Your Will. This New Year (and every one after for always) belongs to You. Amen.

Celebrating Hope

2011-12-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

“For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” –Psalm 71:5

Christmas assaulted me this year.

It was the first Sunday of Advent. I walked into my home church where suddenly, unexpectedly, I found myself surrounded by all the wonder of beautiful Christmas décor—lights, wreaths, banners, music.

I recoiled from it—not unlike the Grinch—which disturbed me because a) the Grinch scares me and b) I love Christmas!

But I’m experiencing a time of grief this year, and it’s hard to join a joyful celebration when your heart is broken into little bitty bits.

Thankfully, miraculously, God showed me how to do so on that very morning.

Already I was pondering an early morning devotional on hope. The message was simmering in my brain. Then the church pianist began to play my favorite-of-all-time Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know?” The pastor sealed God’s personal message to me with an incidental statement about hope that wasn't even related to his sermon. But suddenly, I understood. And it’s made all the difference this year!

I’ve often wondered what Mary knew. On this particular Sunday—the first of Advent when we celebrate the coming of Christ—God led me to the cross. When Jesus died, did Mary know that He would rise again?

I don’t think so. For two reasons.

1. Mary was grieving at the foot of the cross. And Jesus put her into John’s care (an action which Mary could easily have interpreted to mean that He would not be back. See John 19:26-27.) It’s possible, I suppose, that even had she known He would rise again, she still might have grieved because it certainly would have been painful for a mother to watch her son suffer so horribly. But I doubt that was the case because . . .

2. Mary went to the tomb on Sunday morning with a group of friends. If Mary, the mother of Jesus, had known that He would rise again on the third day, she’d have been camping out in front of that tomb on Saturday night, Sabbath or not, in order to be there—to be certain to be the first to greet Him and joyfully welcome Him back to life. Mothers are just that way! She’d have been serving cocoa and cookies to those guards and warning them with confidence that they’d better stay out of her Son’s way because He Is the Son of God with Whom nothing is impossible—even life after death.

So what’s this have to do with celebrating joyfully even in times of grief?

Just this: Mary learned what the disciples learned what the whole world learned that day. The story wasn’t over—even when Jesus died. Our God is that powerful. Our God is that faithful. When He says, “Trust me,” we can—with absolutely certainty—even when it seems hope has died, even when circumstances seem to have reached a dead end, and especially when all seems to have spiraled out of everyone's control.

My reading led me to Psalm 71 this week. David is seeking rescue, salvation—from mortal enemies. In verse 5, He declares that God has been his hope all his life. In verse 15, He goes on to say:

“My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure.”

Did you catch that? It’s hope!

Though I know not salvation's measure. Though I haven't yet seen it. Though I have no idea where it will come from. Though all hope seems to be lost! David had found God faithful all his life. He knew He would find God faithful in this, too. He proclaimed that righteous salvation, though he knew not its measure!

Perhaps no one knew what was going to happen after Jesus died, but He was born to bring us hope—and He fulfilled that hope when He rose again!

So now, no matter what is going on in our lives, we can celebrate with joy and hope . . .

. . . because the story isn’t finished . . .

until God says so.

Thank You, heavenly Father, for sending Jesus to bring joy and hope and love and peace and everything else that we could ever possibly need. He is why we celebrate joyfully regardless of what our story looks like right now. We praise You with thanksgiving throughout this Christmas season and for eternity. With love and joy, amen.

Santa's Mistake

2011-12-14T06:51:00.000-05:00

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” –Ephesians 2:8-9

Santa’s got it all wrong!

"He’s making a list and checking it twice. Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice."

And if you’re naughty, you get a lump of coal in your stocking.

Or, if you live in the Netherlands, you get kidnapped by Sinterklaas’s assistant, Black Piet, and forced to work as a slave on his pirate ship off the coast of Spain for a year.

Santa’s harsh in Holland!

But gifts, by definition, are neither earned nor deserved. They are given!

I’m thankful that God didn’t make a list and check it twice before sending Jesus to us. Instead, God looked down at all his naughty children—through all of history: past, present, and future—and God chose to send them the gift of His physical Presence among them, and this Physical Presence showed us what God is like and how He wants us to live, then He made it possible for us to receive the gift of salvation, the gift of eternity in God’s Presence—an eternity of enjoying the incomprehensible glory of God!

Our behavior had nothing to do with it. God gave the best Gift ever out of His great love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” –John 3:16

I’m thankful that God sent Jesus instead of a lump of coal, and that Jesus sets us free from sin instead of leaving us as slaves because of it.

Thank You, Father, for the gifts of Your love, Your Son, life with You now, and eternity to come. May my life express my gratitude as my small gift of love to You. Jesus makes it possible. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Standing Together in Unity

2011-12-05T18:32:00.001-05:00

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” –Psalm 133:1

It was like a Beatrix Potter story come true in our own back yard!

Two squirrels were fighting high up in our tree. My son turned to look just as one threw the other to the ground. The victim landed on his back and stayed there, stunned. As Seth was thinking about going to check on the squirrel, the neighborhood cat, who likes to hang out in our yard, beat him to it. The squirrel came to his senses just in time, jumped up, let out a screech of horror, and raced back up the tree.

I’m sure the brother squirrel apologized. The mother squirrel scolded. And everyone drank some chamomile tea.

Because the little squirrels couldn’t get along with each other, they left one of their number vulnerable to another threat. Thankfully, the drama in our backyard had a happy ending—for everyone except the cat.

Sometimes Christians struggle to get along, too. We’re still human after all. There are just so many different ways to not see eye to eye!

Yes. It’s challenging. But when we don’t make the effort to live in unity, we leave each other vulnerable to an even bigger threat:

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” –1 Peter 5:8

Not to mention the damage our disagreements do to our testimony.

It’s good and pleasant when God’s people live together in unity. It’s dangerous to all, though, when they don’t. Let’s learn a lesson from the squirrels: be thankful for our shared refuge (for us, in Christ, rather than in a tree)—and stock up on calming, chamomile tea!

Father, thank You for all our brothers and sisters in Christ, for adopting us all into Your family. Though it’s sometimes hard to get along, help each of us with this. Please give us patience with each other and the ability (and desire) to forgive quickly. Show us the bigger picture: we’re vulnerable to Satan’s trickery whenever we fight. Give us a Spirit of unity to stand together in You, come what may, for the glory of Your Kingdom and the good of all humankind. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Wisdom Work

2011-11-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

“Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.” –Proverbs 4:6

The Internet amazes me. True--it has its problems and dangers, so I approach it with caution and care. But anytime I want to know a fact (the meaning of a word, a historical detail, specifics about a current event), all I have to do is turn my computer on, find my favorite search engine, type a few words, and suddenly all the answers are there! I no longer have to wonder until I find the time to go to the library or purchase a newspaper, if I find the time at all. No effort needed aside from a few quick keystrokes. Knowledge is available like never before!

Wisdom, however, is different. Wisdom is knowledge gained from experience. I may be able to find an advice columnist on-line who is willing to share her wisdom concerning a particular situation, but her wisdom may not be right for my situation. She doesn’t live in my shoes; she hasn’t experienced my life. Different circumstances call for different solutions; finding them requires personal wisdom, wisdom from within.

How does one gain the kind of wisdom that protects, loves, and watches over a person? This wisdom comes from God. So easy to say! But how do we access it? By filling our hearts and minds with His Word--reading, studying, memorizing, devouring! God invites us to take it all in--His wisdom! He wants us to internalize it, make it a part of ourselves.

If we do this, then, when difficult circumstances arise, God’s Spirit will act as a search engine, pulling the verses we need onto the screen of our awareness, so we’ll know how best to respond. With practice and experience, this wisdom comes more easily, giving us confidence in our ability to handle new situations wisely with God’s help.

And we can’t forget to pray. Asking for wisdom pleases God. He’s ready to give us all we need at any time. (Again, that's easy to say, but remembering to do this, training ourselves to make prayer our first response and to trust that God will answer takes practice, determination, and time.)

Google for knowledge. For wisdom, go to God.

Father, open my heart and mind to Wisdom. I choose to honor her. Let her protect and watch over me, helping me make right choices to successfully live Your way. Thank You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Defending Obadiah

2011-11-20T06:18:00.001-05:00

I read the book of Obadiah this morning. Obadiah was one of the Minor Prophets. His book is only one chapter long. When I finished reading it, I prayed, “Lord, why is this book in the Bible?” You see, following Isaiah and Jeremiah and Daniel and Hosea, Obadiah seemed like just more of the same. But it’s only one little chapter.

I didn’t expect an immediate answer to my prayer, but no sooner had I wondered the words than this thought popped into my head, “It’s My Word.”

That changed my whole perspective—quickly!

The almighty amazing God of the Whole Universe took the time to appear to a man in a vision to tell this man what was going to happen among his people and why. That man recorded the very words of God, and God has used His people to preserve those words through the ages for us to read. When I look at it that way, that one little chapter is something special indeed! (And that’s something of an understatement.)

As I continued to think about this, I remembered words I’d read in Amos’s book yesterday:

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.’” –Amos 8:11-12

When we read our Bibles, we move from Malachi into Matthew without skipping a beat. It seems as if no time has passed.

But time did pass—400 years, in fact! God’s people, who had grown used to hearing His Voice through judges and prophets from the time of Moses, did indeed experience a famine of His Word.

And they missed His Voice! Can you imagine they felt?

Of course, we know now that when that Voice returned it was in Jesus, God’s own Son, incarnated that God’s people could not only hear, but also see, touch, smell. Through Jesus people experienced the Word of God!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” –John 1:1

I’m getting ahead of myself, though. We were talking about Obadiah, for whose book I’ve gained a whole new appreciation.

During long deployments, Army spouses “hunger and thirst” for word from each other. Thanks to Skype and e-mail, they don’t experience famine very often. Sometimes, however, a spouse will be unable to communicate for a time. When this happens, the other spouse will check e-mail hopefully, stare at the phone willing it to ring, sort through mail eagerly for that familiar return address. One little word from their beloved is all they want, all they need. If it doesn’t come, they turn to saved messages for reassurance: “I love you! I long to see you! I will be in touch again soon!” Those messages between spouses are treasured, whether they are big or small.

Obadiah was one of those saved messages—to Israel from God! And its message, though brief, is timeless. In his book, 66 Love Letters, Larry Crabb sums it up this way:

“I can and I will tear down every obstacle to building My kingdom, where My people will live in line with My plan and with My character. I will bring to a dismal end everything Edom-like in you as surely as I brought Edom to its dismal end” (p. 155).

God will bring an end to evil and injustice. He will establish His eternal Kingdom. And, thanks to Jesus, we can choose to be part of it!

In summary:

We value the Book of Obadiah because it is God's Word.
God's people treasured the Book of Obadiah because it was God's Word to savor during a famine of His Word.
We recognize the worth of the Book of Obadiah because God's Word within it carries a relevant message for us today.

Father, thank You for reminding me that every Word that comes from Your mouth is precious, no matter how small it may seem. Thank You for answering prayers and bringing understanding. Let me not take Your Word for granted. Instead, help me seek Your Truth for my life throughout the Bible. I know I'll always find Truth there—give me eyes to see and a mind that is able to increasingly understand. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Will the Real Motivation Show Itself?

2011-11-19T09:28:00.001-05:00

I have a new Kraft recipe for you today. This one was a big hit! I made some changes, so I’ll give you my version. If you want to see the original on the Kraft Foods site, click here.

Cheddar Gorge

I say I make changes because my boys insist one can never try a new recipe without personalizing it. In this case, however, personalizing it mostly meant figuring out how to make the recipe without having to chop onions or peppers. It also meant leaving out the yucky mushrooms and using the much more flavorful, in our family’s opinion, Cheddar cheese.

Did you know Cheddar is a real place? It lives in England. Quite a lovely place. Even has its own gorge.

Here is today’s new recipe:

All-in-One-Pot Saucy Pasta

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 c PictSweet Seasoning Blend (frozen onions, peppers, celery, etc.)
3 c rotini pasta
3 ½ c water
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 c Cheddar cheese

Brown meat and PictSweet veggies in deep, large skillet; drain. Stir in pasta, water and sauce. Bring to a boil. Cover. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. Top with Cheddar cheese.

Like I did with my given versus true reason for personalizing this recipe, do you ever find yourself giving the noble reason for why you do or don’t do something instead of telling yourself the truth? If there’s a sanctified excuse with a touch of truth available, I think we’re all more comfortable with latching on to that. But God wants us to be honest—not only with other people, but also with ourselves. My reasons for changing a recipe—convenience and taste preference—may not be that big a deal. But where else might we justify our actions with a prettier motivation than what is true?

In order to truly become the people God wants us to be, it’s important we always seek truth. Like David, we should often pray:

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” --Psalm 139: 23-24

May you know the Truth, and may it set you free! (See John 8:32.)

Note: Though I mention products in this post, no one is asking me to do so or compensating me in any way. I'm just trying to be helpful here--telling my readers about things I like to use.

Loving God with All

2011-11-18T13:26:00.000-05:00

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” –Deuteronomy 6:5

Let's take a break today (as we should every day) and spend some time reflecting on what it means to truly love the Lord. We'll start by loving Him with all our heart. When I think of heart-love, I think of friendship and romance. Have you ever thought of being "in love" with God? Worship Him. Adore Him. Praise Him. Imagine gazing deeply into His eyes, content just to be in His awesome presence! What a privilege! Slow down for a moment and savor the joy.

Next we'll love Him with all our soul. This part of us should be full of gratitude for eternal salvation. God is our maker, our redeemer, and our perfecter. As we love our Lord with all our soul, we offer respect and a willingness to sit at His feet, to drink in His wisdom, to accept His discipline, to grow and change as He wants us to do.

Finally we'll love Him with all our strength. To do this, we simply dedicate every task to His glory, from washing the dishes to teaching Sunday school to changing a baby's diaper to taking a friend to lunch. We can also talk to God as we do these things, thanking Him for the opportunity to serve Him by serving others and making this world, His creation, a slightly better place.

I don't know about you, but now that I've looked at loving God that way, my to-do list doesn't look quite so dreary. Somehow, loving God makes all of life more meaningful, perhaps even sacred. I'm glad we took this break today.

Lord, I love You--with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength. Amen.

For more devotional thoughts today, visit the Spiritual Sunday meme.

Let Your Story Shine!

2011-11-13T14:18:00.001-05:00

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain." —Philippians 2:14-16

Oh, dear. Chapel was mildly traumatic this morning.

The sermon was excellent. That wasn’t the problem.

No.

It was one of the sermon illustrations.

You see, I like the Newsboys’ music, and Shine is one my favorite of their songs. As soon as the chaplain mentioned he was going to use a Newsboys song to help us understand Philippians 2:14-16, I knew which song he was going to use.

I’m so proud of me!

But, though I enjoy the song and can sing along with the chorus, I’ve never really caught all the words to the first verse.

They talk about barbequing hamsters!

Did you know this?

I did not.

To be fair, they are singing illustrations of how dramatically lives are changed when Jesus enters into them. In this particular line, they say it’s like a vegetarian barbequing hamsters.

Blech!

And while I agree that this would indeed be a dramatic change, I have to argue that Jesus brings positive dramatic change. To be accurate, the vegetarian would have to barbeque a double bacon cheeseburger with a heaping serving of salty French fries on the side—not a hamster. (And any actual vegetarians reading this post may disagree with the cheeseburger statement, too. If you choose not to eat cow, I respect you. If you choose not to eat hamster, I thank you.)

I still like the song. I’ll still listen to the Newsboys. I’ll just make a face whenever they sing that line.

What were they thinking? (I’m guessing one of them had a traumatic hamster experience as a child. This was a subconscious form of revenge. Whoever he is needs therapy now.)

But that’s not why I’m posting today.

You see, also during this service, the chaplain invited a young teenager from our congregation up to share her family’s testimony. It was so inspiring! I’m thankful she chose to share; I know it took great courage. I was proud of her!

But I couldn’t help but think, here I’ve known this family for three plus years, and I never knew this wonderful story about them.

This is the third time in recent days that this has happened. Someone I know has gotten up to share her story, and it’s blown me away/blessed my socks off!

Not all of you may relate to this. Growing up, I attended one church for twenty years where everyone knew everyone else’s story. There were few surprises there. That may be your experience, too.

But since we’ve been in the military, I’ve been surrounded by people whose stories I don’t really know. When I get to know people, I get to know who they are now and what they are like now—and I know, all too well, that I often only know just a portion of that. I only know what they choose to reveal, so I could be sitting right next to a cancer survivor, a former homecoming queen, an orphan who was raised in foster care, or a vegetarian who’s developing a taste for barbequed hamster—and I might never learn these things.

Not that it’s always any of my business.

My point: everybody has a story. More accurately: everybody is a story in progress. When we meet, our stories intersect—for a time. If we’re saved, our stories need to show the love of Jesus for the world that others will see and want what we’ve got. And if those others already have what we’ve got, we need to learn that about them because their stories will blow us away and bless our socks right off. In other words, they'll encourage us.

Jesus shines when we invite Him into our life stories. He shines when we share our lives and His love. He shines through our actions, and He shines through our words, when, in His power, we care for the people who live all around us.

Jesus, help us to live as children of God without fault that we may shine like stars in the sky as we hold firmly to Your Word of Life. Help us to bless each other with our stories, whether shown by the way we live or told with words. May Your glory shine through us to the whole world! Use us to blow them away and bless their socks off because we love You! Amen.

Book Review: One Month to Live

2011-11-11T10:54:00.001-05:00

One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook is a book chock full of great advice on living an abundant Christian life. It’s divided into four sections of seven or eight short chapters each: Live Passionately, Love Completely, Learn Humbly, and Leave Boldly. Each chapter contains an analogy or two from life experiences such as mountain climbing, scuba diving, and roller coaster riding. Readers are encouraged to enjoy one chapter a day for thirty days while considering how they would live their lives if they knew they only had thirty days left.

The title, One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life, almost kept me from even considering the book. I chose to read it because I'd heard good things about the authors. But the concept itself sounded guilt-inducing, pressure filled, and perfectionistic. “Don’t waste a moment. Take advantage of every opportunity, or suffer the consequences and live with regret for the rest of your life!” This book is not that. The theme is simply the package that neatly wraps up all of the Shook’s ideas and leads readers to the corresponding website for more: www.onemonthtolive.com.

What the reader will find in this book is basic and sound, practical and biblical advice on Christian living. The Shooks encourage readers to love God, to love each other, to do whatever God leads them to do, and to encourage others to do the same. If you are looking for an upbeat and uplifting 30-day-devotional on how to live the Christian life, I recommend this book.

Thank you, Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers, for sending a complimentary copy for my honest review.

Clean It Up!

2011-11-05T08:29:00.000-04:00

Good Morning! I’m so excited! I have two new recipes to tell you about today. TWO! I had so much fun with the first, that I just couldn’t wait to go on to the second. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m working my way through a collection of recipes from KraftFoods.com.

The first recipe involved salmon and cucumbers. I got to use my still-fairly-new-because-I-think-I’ve-used-it -all-of-four-times-this-year food processor. My son and daughter-in-law got it for me last Christmas, so I could make my cabbage/pasta recipe. But my old food processor was such a pain to clean that the thought of using a food processor discouraged me from food processing almost anything. Thankfully, I’m finally catching on that this new food processor is easy to clean! No more letting the thought of a big mess intimidate me!

Click here for the 20-Minute Skillet Salmon recipe. It was yummy good!

The second recipe didn’t require use of a food processor, but it did involve many dishes and most every inch of counter cooking space—not to mention the need of both the stove and the oven! Wow! For about an hour, I actually felt like a real chef! I modified this recipe significantly, so I’m going to give you my version of this one. (You can find the original here.)

Velveeta Potato Bites

1 2-lb. bag frozen diced potatoes
2 Tbsp chopped chives
1 beaten egg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
4 oz. Velveeta, cut into 24 cubes
1 pouch seasoned coating mix for chicken
Ketchup

Boil potatoes in water in large saucepan until tender. Drain. Cool. (I was in a hurry and didn’t do this. I don’t recommend that choice. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Let the potatoes cool!)

Mash potatoes, slightly. Add chives, egg, salt, and pepper. Blend well.

Heat oven to 400. Flatten about 2 Tbsp of potato mixture in the palm of your hand. Place one cheese cube in the center. Mold potato mixture around the cheese into a ball. (Be sure to completely enclose the cheese cube, or it will seep out while baking.)

Pour seasoned coating mix into a small bowl. Roll potato balls in mix to coat. Place them on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes to heat through.

Serve with ketchup like French fries.

I think I’ve learned something from these two recipes and the last. The reason I’m not a big fan of this sport is because of the mess it involves. I look at the recipe and, instead of seeing a delicious meal to serve, I see a messy kitchen to clean up. But, in motivating myself to give these recipes a try anyway, I’m starting to see the results—and they’re worth it! (And the messes take much less time to clean up than they look like they will when I first finish making them.)

There was a popular vacuum cleaner commercial a few years back. I’m not sure for which vacuum cleaner, but the saying has stuck with me: Life’s messy. Clean it up!

We can’t go through life avoiding its messes. If we did, we wouldn’t have marriages or kids or pets or homes or gardens or friends or adventures or much of anything that’s worth anything to us. All life has to offer us must be created, explored, maintained, celebrated, and sometimes rearranged.

So let’s not let the messes intimidate us. Instead, let’s choose to see what can be—the finished product that results. Messes can be cleaned up, and they are usually worth the effort.

Father, give us a vision of what can be—in our families, among our friends, and in every aspect of life. Set our minds on the goals You will help us achieve. Don’t let the prospect of a mess hold us back from any worthwhile endeavor. Help us to honor You in all we do. Thank You, Lord! Amen.

On Lingering

2011-11-04T09:02:00.000-04:00

For the past few weeks, I’ve been leading a weekly Bible study for women called Knowing the Names of God by Mary Kassian. The study is designed to take 7 weeks, but I had to condense it into 6. Then one week of the study had to be cancelled to due circumstances beyond anyone’s control. So now I’m condensing 7 weeks into 5; we’re studying 7 names a week instead of 5.

Needless to say, we’re all feeling a bit rushed. I told the women in my group this week that I feel like an art gallery tour guide. I lead the group to each name in turn, point out and help them discuss the highlights, then grab their hands and yell, “We’re moving on now. Stay together. Hurry! There’s so much to see, and we have a schedule to keep!”

But on some names, they long to linger.

I do, too.

So this week, I encouraged everyone to go back and do just that. They own the art gallery! (The book and The Book.) Therefore, they can go back when the whirlwind tour is over and savor each Work more fully with what they now know. I know I plan to do this, and I hope they will, too. The names of God reveal so much about His character.

As I was contemplating this on behalf of my class, I realized that this rushing through has, lately, become a part of my morning devotions, too. It’s not that I’m hurrying through devotions in order to get on with my day, but that I’m trying to cram too much material into my established quiet time. At the beginning of the year, I chose one daily devotional to read in conjunction with my Bible reading, then someone gave me another that just couldn’t wait until 2012, then I found a book . . . well, you get the idea. I’m running through the museum, eagerly trying to see everything.

There’s a time for that.

But there’s also a time to linger. (Didn’t Solomon say something like that in the book of Ecclesiastes? Do you think, "There is a time for everything," includes a time for hurrying and a time for lingering? See Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.)

Sometimes we need to linger—to completely take in the scene. We need to hear Noah pounding nails, smell the gopher wood, see each animal and, perhaps, touch its fur, feathers, or scales. We need to taste the bread and fish as Jesus serves breakfast to his disciples on the shore. We need to hear His words to Peter and see the compassion in His eyes. We need to hear the voices, feel the threshold shake, smell the smoke, and realize we are ruined as Isaiah did before the Lord that, as he did, we can receive forgiveness and find courage to serve. Each story is a picture for us to absorb until its relevant meaning comes alive inside our lives.

Absorption takes time.

So today I invite you to linger as I challenge myself to slow down and do so, too. Let’s take the concepts that are introduced to us at church or Bible study or in personal quiet time and take the time to fully contemplate the choicest few.

Father, teach us to linger. Help us to realize that, if we really want to understand Your Word, we must contemplate each passage rather than hurry on through. It's not about finishing; it's about taking the time to know You. And You are big! Thank You for giving us a lifetime to learn all You want us to. Please help us use that time faithfully and wisely to honor You. Amen.

For more devotional thoughts this weekend, visit the Spiritual Sunday blog.

Book Review: Wait No More

2011-11-03T19:43:00.001-04:00

I loved the true story in the book, Wait No More. This is the story of how Team Rosati came to be. When John and Kelly Rosati were ready to start a family, they followed God’s leading and chose to adopt through the foster care system. They adopted once, then felt led to adopt again. They thought that was all, but God eventually brought two more children into their family. How it happened is amazing. I was blessed by the story.

Kelly tells the story in her voice, event by event. She tells of the great blessing, painful heartaches, daunting challenges, and driving love. She tells how God prepared and worked in their hearts and why they chose to obey each time. She tells a bit about how the system works and its pros and cons. Mostly, it’s a story of praise and thanksgiving as God creates a new family.

In the end, Kelly tells about the ministry they’ve become involved in through Focus on the Family, Wait No More. Through this ministry, Focus on the Family is encouraging families all over America to consider adopting foster kids and helping them to do so. To learn more, read the book, Wait No More.

I thank Tyndale House Publishers for sending a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Observing One of God's Creatures

2011-10-31T14:12:00.001-04:00

“How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” –Psalm 104:24

I was out the yard earlier today when I almost stepped on the creature pictured here. I stopped to look more closely, figuring it was a dead butterfly because it didn’t move. But since it didn’t look dead—it actually looks kinda pretty, don’t ya think?—I ran inside to get my camera and took a few pictures. Then I called my son out to see the pretty, dead butterfly. (Pretty and dead, not pretty dead. Dead is dead. It is not measured in degrees.)

Seth leaned down to take a closer look, too. “That’s not a butterfly, Mom,” he said. “And it’s not dead either. Watch.” He gently nudged it, and its wings fluttered, but it didn’t fly away.

“Well, if it’s not dead, it’s dying,” I said. Seth didn’t think so. In his opinion, it was either stuck or we’d just woken it from a nap.

Curious, I decided to find out what it was. Seth and I had debated the butterfly/moth issue. I told Seth that moths are scary creatures that sneak up on you to either annoy you or make you scream. Butterflies are friendly. Moths come in different shades of brown. Butterflies are colorful and pretty. This creature was both friendly and colorful, therefore it was a butterfly. Seth said it was a moth because it had a big body.

Since Seth was actually stating a scientific fact, I Googled moth identification. Voila! My pretty, undead butterfly turned out to be a Tiger Moth, possibly a Ranchman’s Tiger Moth, though I don’t know of any ranches in our area.

After identifying my new friend, I Googled the difference between butterflies and moths. Seth was totally right about the big body thing. (Technically, moths have fuzzy, big bodies--which our Tiger Moth does.) But it turns out that some of my observations were scientific, too, just not enough to make my moth a butterfly.

Moths usually do come in various shades of dull while butterflies are usually the colorful creatures. My little Tiger Moth was an exception to that rule. And butterflies are usually active in the daytime, while moths prefer the night. So our friend really was just taking a nap. And, since moths are creatures of the night, that supports my scary creature who likes to sneak up on people to make them scream theory. Again, my new friend is just an exception to the rule—until tonight when he wakes up and scares all of our neighborhood's Trick-or-Treaters away.

My son is out mowing the lawn right now. I asked him to, please, first move the moth.

This Morning's Prayer

2011-10-31T06:24:00.000-04:00

"Lord, help me today to realize that thou wilt be speaking to me through the events of the day, through people, through things, and through all creation. Give me ears, eyes and heart to perceive thee, however veiled thy presence may be. Give me insight to see through the exterior of things to the interior truth. Give me thy Spirit of discernment. O Lord, thou knowest how busy I must be this day. If I forget thee, do not thou forget me. Amen."

--Sir Jacob Astley

Book Review: 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son

2011-10-29T13:21:00.000-04:00

I’m so happy! I’ve been terribly jealous of moms with daughters since Vicki Courtney wrote 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter. Now she’s written 5 Conversations You Must Have with Your Son. If you are a mother of sons ages newborn to 18, you need to read this book!

Conversations include:

Don’t define manhood by the culture’s wimpy standards. It’s OK to be a man!
What you don’t learn to conquer may become your master.
Not everyone’s doing it!
Boyhood is only for a season. P.S. It’s time to grow up!
Godly men are in short supply. Dare to become one!

Each conversation is covered in three to four chapters and is intended for mothers to have with sons. Yet, Courtney includes ideas for dad’s too—and recognizes that some topics are more comfortable between fathers and sons. Each conversation ends with a section called Dad:2:Dad which directs the reader to Courtney’s website for a list of activities, tools and resources her husband used with their sons. Readers are also invited to add their own suggestions to the list there.

Throughout the book, Courtney offers practical advice, personal experience stories, and wisdom from other sources. She helps mothers understand what lies their sons are hearing in today’s culture and tells why it’s essential and how to give sons truth at an early age (and also at any age in case your sons are already approaching adulthood).

In case you haven’t already figured it out, I highly recommend this book! I was thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of my own in exchange for this honest review.

Something to Chew On

2011-10-28T09:56:00.000-04:00

Recently, God presented me with two new, yet related, concepts, and since they came from more than one source, I figure they are something I should either think about or share—or both. So while I’m thinking, I’ll throw the ideas out for you to consider, too. If you have thoughts on my thoughts, please feel free to comment!

Concept #1: Everyone exercises faith.

On a simple scale, I exercised faith this morning when my running machine told me I’d reached my goal. I didn’t take the machine apart and run a diagnostic to make sure that it was working properly. I took its word for it, believing that if the machine said I’d run far enough, it was so. I believe that the people who assembled the machine ran the diagnostics and made all the necessary adjustments, so I don’t have to worry about the accuracy of my treadmill’s pedometer. That’s faith. Everyone does this every day.

This is true on a theological level, too. Let’s go straight to the extreme: Even the atheist exercises faith. Just as the atheist says the non-atheist can’t prove there is a god, the atheist can’t prove there isn’t a god. The atheist is exercising faith in that belief.

But only one belief is true—and that makes all the difference. God—the one, true God Who created the universe and sent His Son to save the planet—created each person to exercise faith and longs for each to place theirs in what’s truly true.

On a side note, just a thought while I’m thinking, one person may have a lifetime’s growth of faith that God doesn’t exist while another has just begun to exercise his or her new baby faith in Christ for salvation. If both die at the same time, only one is going to Heaven—and it’s not the person with the most faith.

Every person believes in something; it’s what you believe in that counts—or not.

Concept #2: Everyone worships something.

Something or someone is on the throne of each person’s life. Hopefully, Christ is on yours; He’s the only One Who truly deserves to be there. (I’ll explain why in a moment.) Yet some people, knowingly or not, worship spouses, children, jobs, money, country, status, celebrities, or even themselves! Whatever you adore above all others, focus the bulk of your attention on, are passionate about, trust to protect and guide your life and save the world is what you worship.

But just as exercising faith in something doesn’t make it Truth, worshipping something doesn’t enable it to do all you expect it to do. All, but Christ, will let us down. Only Christ can protect and guide our lives and save the world. That’s why only Christ is worthy to be King, to receive our highest praise.

God created people to exercise faith. God created people to worship. All people will do both—and do both every day. Yet, unless we believe what’s truly true and worship that which deserves it and can act on our behalf, it’s all a waste of time and energy. Therefore, it’s worth our time to seek until we know we’ve found the Truth—and God will help us find it every time.

Verses loosely referred to in this post or happily discovered as I searched for the specific references to the loosely referred to verses: Amos 5:4, Hebrews 11:1, Jeremiah 29:13, John 14:6, John 14:16-17, Luke 16:13, Proverbs 11:28, Revelation 4:11, Revelation 5:9

For more devotional thoughts today, visit the Spiritual Sunday meme!

Book Review: Refuge on Crescent Hill

2011-10-24T09:24:00.000-04:00

“The Bristow Mansion has guarded its secrets for generations. Until now . . .”

This statement from the cover of Refuge on Crescent Hill defines the novel perfectly! As a minor character attempts to solve an old family mystery, others stumble upon a mystery of their own. Perhaps deep secrets from the past can save Camden Bristow’s future.

As the story opens, Camden is without a job or a home. In desperation, she returns to the only home she’s ever known—her grandmother’s house, Bristow Mansion. Sadly, she just misses her grandmother’s memorial service by only a few days. Yet she quickly learns that her grandmother, in spite of Camden’s neglect, has left everything to her.

The town wants the property, though, and is determined to get it through unethical means. With new acquaintance Alex Yates’s help, Camden must find a way to save her childhood home and carry on her grandmother’s legacy.

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson is a contemporary novel with an historical mystery. The main characters don’t even realize they are solving a mystery; they are just trying to solve a problem. Yet they uncover secrets as they go and stumble upon something bigger than they ever expected. I loved the way this story unfolded! I’m happy to recommend this book, and thank Kregel Publications for sending a complimentary copy for my review.

Special Note from Kregel Publications: Refuge on Crescent Hill will be available on Amazon Kindle FREE for one week starting October 31! (And if you don't own your own Kindle, Amazon will let you download a free reader, so you can enjoy Kindle books on your PC.)