Have you ever really meditated on what it means to be a child of God? This truth was brought very close to my heart this morning. I just completed a weekend with all of my children and grandchildren together, a very rare occurrence, indeed, since they live in three different states. My heart has been full of the joy that I felt after spending time with all of them! And as I pondered how deeply I love my children and miss them when they are not near me, I realized that is how our Father in Heaven must feel.

Photo from athomewithkids.com

The Father loves us so much and calls us His children. As His children, we have his love and favor and blessings. He shows us mercy continually and always answers when we call. I know that I use my caller ID to determine if I am going to answer my phone or not. Think about it! As a child of God, you know that He is always waiting and ready to answer when we call on Him. He loves us and wants us to draw near to Him and to depend on Him. Most of all, He wants us to trust Him and to believe in our relationship with Him. God is the Creator of the Universe, but He is also our loving Heavenly Father who wants what is best for us. Sometimes, what is best for us is for Him to say “no” when we ask, but there is always a good reason. Do you remember saying “no” to your children because what they were asking was not what was best for them? I know that I did that a lot when my children were growing up. God also wants us to mature. Unlike my children who got older, got married and moved away to establish their own new family, as children of God, we don’t move away from Him as we mature and get older in our relationship with Him. Rather, as we mature in the Lord, we get closer to Him and can hear Him speak to us more, if we just listen. God wants us to move closer to His throne of grace and mercy and to know that we are His children, so we don’t need to fear talking to Him just as we do those around us whom we cherish. That’s what God does. He cherishes us and His relationship with us. Isn’t that an awesome thought? Blessings for a day filled with the love of God!

“Children of God” by Third Day

I have been mostly absent from my blog for about a week because I went to my sister’s home in Richmond and had a mini family reunion. My brother and his wife came from Colorado, my daughter and her family came from Pennsylvania, my youngest son and his family came from Maryland and my eldest son and his family came from another small town in Virginia. We were all together for two very hectic and busy days, after months of waiting and planning. We knew this day was coming, so we made plans for it. We knew the restaurant that we would go to in order to celebrate my sister’s birthday. We knew that we wanted to be together as much as possible and that my sister’ s small condo would not accommodate everyone. We planned and went to places that we could all see and talk to each other. But, my point is, we waited, but we planned while we were waiting.

God’s Word says that we need to wait for God continually. That means on an ongoing basis, we wait for God. But we also plan for Him to act on our behalf and for His glorious return.

Each day is a new day to hold on tightly to God’s mercy and justice. We know that there is little in our world today that we, as Christians, can approve of. There are murders of the unborn or in some states, the newly born; there are stories of an ever-growing drug epidemic; there is homelessness and hopelessness among some; and finally, there is the increasing hostility towards all things “religious.” What are we to do? We are to wait on God, every minute and every hour of every day. We should be waiting with expectation. Just as I knew that my brother’s flight was going to land and I was going to see him after three long years, so should we wait for the actions of God. He will not always be silent; He does act on our behalf if we just have our spiritual eyes open. I had to do a lot of praying while I was gone, sending up silent prayers to my Father in Heaven to work out details of this whole trip and to keep me from speaking my mind when I got frustrated over events that were beyond my control. Holding tightly to God, I made it through six days of staying in a place where God is not honored or worshipped. I got to testify some, but mostly, I prayed for peace and a good visit. God acted and brought peace to a situation that seemed to be out of control. Frequently, God intervenes for us. Many times, His intervention comes after we have waited, expectantly hoping and praying for Him to show Himself strong for us. God is for us…and so we continually, constantly wait for Him to free us from situations or to help us through them. I’m so grateful that I returned to the Lord over four decades ago and that I return to His altar daily, recognizing His mercy, justice and grace and His sovereignty. God is good and He wants good for us. We just have to wait…as long as it takes. His answer will always come just in time! Blessings to all of you who wait and especially to those who wait with expectation! Maranatha!

Knowing that Dani Pettrey was going to write a new series was like a real gift to me since I love all of her books. This one, like the other books in her other series, is a clean read with romance, suspense and not a few thrilling scenes. Finn Walker is a member of CGIS and is busily engaged investigating the death of another member of the Guard. Then he is tasked with keeping investigative reporter Gabby Rowley safe since she is being targeted by a drug kingpin. There is a lot of action in this tale and many new characters for the series are introduced. I enjoyed getting to know Gabby and about her trauma in Sudan and Finn and his feeling of hopelessness since he has not been able to save everyone in danger. The stories of Rissi, Noah, Mason and Emmalynne all promise to keep the series alive and burning in the readers’ hearts for several years to come. As the quintessential hero, Finn will long live in the hearts and dreams of those who read this book and see him for the Godly man that he is. I highly recommend this book to fans of Dani Pettrey and to anyone who loves a good romance without all of the bad language and graphic sexual scenes!

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This blockbuster book will be available on August 6, 2019. No warnings about reading it because it is Christian fiction and is a totally clean read! If you pre-order before the release date, you will receive several perks. Also, part of your purchase price goes to support the Coast Guard Foundation!

This book was a wild, weird and totally unexpected ride into the world science fiction, suspense and psychological thriller. Combining a warning against Artificial Intelligence and a husband’s determination to have a perfect wife, this book is not at all believable, but it was definitely entertaining and absorbing. Abbie awakens in a hospital without any memory of her life, but her husband informs her that she had a terrible accident and is a great mom to their autistic son, an surfer and a talented artist. Abbie knows that all is not as it seems, and her memory evolves as does the book. This is probably the most original story that I have read in a long time. It reminded me of “The Stepford Wives” but it has so much more depth to it. Abbie actually has a personality and wants to make choices. This is a domestic thriller with so many secrets to be revealed and so much deception to be uncovered. Fans of contemporary psychological thrillers will enjoy this book, especially the twists and the unexpected revelations.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This book will be available on August 6, 2019.

July 8, 2019

Many thanks to Stu for nominating me for this award! I think that this is my favorite award because of the word “encouragement.” Since that is what I try to do, this award encourages me to “keep on blogging.” Thank you, Stu, for your encouragement that you have given me!

Stu’s blog is amazing, folks, because of all of the topics that he unashamedly tackles. He is a man who loves deeply and you can see his love for God and His children in his posts. Check it out now! Something to Stu Over

You have been chosen for this award because of the encouragement and inspiration you bring to your readers.

How this works:

Thank the person who nominated you, and share their blog.

Think of five bloggers that encourage and inspire you and nominate them.

List five things about yourself.

Finally, ask your nominees five questions. Why five? Because it is the number that signifies grace.

5 things about me:

I am the middle child and seem to still want to prove myself sometimes.

I love my husband, children and grandchildren deeply. They are second only to God in my life.

I continue to try to exercise at least 2-3 times per week in spite of my physical limitations. I to cardio chair boxing and swim aerobics.

Reading is a passion of mine and has been since I was a child. I share book review because I am sharing my love for books.

My favorite thing to do other than read and be with family is to watch birds and butterflies. They are so beautiful and so free.

Here are Stu’s five questions:

1. Who in your life is your biggest encourager?

That would be my daughter, Hope. She drove nine hours alone to come encourage me through the dark days after my stroke, when I first got home and spent most of my days sleeping. I could barely speak and was learning to move around again. I also was discouraged about my new diet. Hope gave me a new outlook on life. Then, when my father died two years ago, she and her family started calling me on Sunday afternoons because they knew that was when I would miss him most because that was when I always talked to him. She encourages me through all of my trials and I am blessed to call her my daughter and my friend!

2. How do you see yourself as being an encouragement to others?

Any encouragement that I give to others is through the leading of God and His Holy Spirit. I am way too shy to encourage others by myself, but with God, I can use His Word to encourage the downtrodden and those who just need to know His love.

3. When was the last time someone gave you words of encouragement?

This last weekend was difficult for me because of some problems with my sister. My brother and my daughter encouraged me to persevere and not let her get to me.

4. When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on?

I listen to Christian music when I am down and God’s Word through the talented musicians like Chris Tomlin and Lauren Daigle encourage me to just keep pressing on.

5. Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ?

That was my neighbor, Verna Doyle, who gave me a Bible, told me about the Lord, invited me to church and befriended a lonely young woman on her own for the first time.

Here are my nominees:

Sim Chen Xing

Clyde Herrin

Sue Love

Big Sky Buckeye

Brenda

My questions:

1. What is your favorite thing to do in order to encourage others?

2. Where (what physical place) do you go when you are discouraged?

3. What are the best words of encouragement that you have ever been given?

4. Why do you encourage others?

5. What kind of activities do you enjoy that encourages you and others?

To my nominees: Please do not feel obligated to participate. I nominated you because of the encouragement that you have been to me and I wanted to acknowledge that. Blessings!

July 4, 2019

Thank you again, Stu, for the nomination. I am honored that you nominated me and will do my best to answer your questions. Those of you who have not yet discovered Stu’s blog need to give it a look and a follow. He writes from the heart and is a man of God, struggling just like the rest of us to overcome sin.

Here are the rules:

• Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to him/her.
• Answer the 11 questions provided by the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
• Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their blog posts.

List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post.

Here are the questions that Stu asked his nominees:

1. What brings joy to your life?

My relationship with Jesus Christ brings joy daily to my life. Also, my grandchildren give me great joy as I continue my journey in this life.

2. If money were not an issue, what would be your dream job?

I would be a missionary, I think. I went on a missions trip to Guatemala in 1999 and I will never forget how hungry those people were, both physically and spiritually, and how eagerly they shared what little they had with us. So, I would like to travel and interpret with a missions team.

3. What are two gifts the Lord has blessed you with, spiritually or physically?

At church, I sometimes have a prophecy for the congregation and that is a spiritual gift. The other gift the Lord has blessed me with is the presence of His Holy Spirit, always with me and quietly prodding me to “do the next right thing.”

4. What post or posts touched you deeply and you felt “everyone needs to read this“?

I just have to put out a general recommendation that everyone read and follow the posts of David Ettinger and of Kathy Wire. Truth and spiritually sound!

5. Which blogger would you do a blogger spotlight on and why?

I think that I would spotlight David Ettinger because he is a born-again Christian who came from the Jewish faith and he has so much wisdom!

6. What does love mean to you?

Love means sacrifice and putting the other person’s needs before your own. Jesus showed us the greatest love and the greatest sacrifice.

7. If you could choose one attribute of Jesus to follow closer than any other, which would it be?

His ability to forgive, completely and totally.

8. In your eyes, what is the hardest part of being a Christian?

The judgment of others who are not Christians and who somehow expect me to be perfect because I confess that Christ is my Savior. Those in the world do not understand that “I am being saved daily” and I have not arrived yet.

9. What do you want to be most remembered for?

My love for my family and friends.

10. Which Bible verse holds the most meaning for you and why?

John 3:16 because it was the first verse that I memorized and it is the reason for my being.

11. Since it’s July, how do you celebrate the 4th?

Usually, I just quietly sit at home, read and watch fireworks on TV. This year, however, I have traveled to town to stay with my sister because my brother and his wife are visiting us from Colorado.

Here are my nominees:

Laura Bon

Bruce

M.B. Henry

Puzzles of the Soul

Jen Galaxy

Becoming His Tapestry

Parkashpencia

Train Today to Reap Tomorrow

Equipping Blog

Musings & Roses

Clyde Herrin

My questions for my nominees:

1. What is one piece of advice that you would give to a younger person today?

2. What is the greatest treasure that you have?

3. Why do you blog?

4. What is the best blog post that you have read recently and why?

5. If you could talk to the leader of any great nation, whom would you choose and why?

6. What is one thing about your life that you would like to change instantly if you could?

7. What is your favorite flower or plant?

8. If you could travel to any country, where would you go and what would you do there?

9. Where is the best place that you have ever visited?

10. Do you have a favorite place to go just to be alone? If so, where is it?

11. If you knew that you only had one more day to live, what would you spend that time doing?

To my nominees: Please do not feel any obligation to participate. I know some of you may be an award-free blog. I just wanted to show how much I appreciate each of you! Blessings!

Sometimes, in the early morning hours as I have my devotions, my mind is not totally focused on God. It just runs away with me, like a train barreling down a track, as I think of all I have to accomplish that day and the people that I have to talk to. Hosea is an interesting book of the Bible because at the beginning of the book, God tells Hosea to take a wife who has prostituted herself. He wants Hosea to feel the betrayal that God Himself feels when we turn away from Him to other things, to other gods. Anything or anyone that is more important in our lives than God is becomes an idol, another god to us. So, God tells Hosea that He is in His place, just waiting for the people to repent and seek Him. Then, He says something that caught my full attention this morning: In their affliction they will earnestly seek me. Isn’t that true? When we are having problems, we turn to God and ask for His intervention. But when life is going along smoothly, we have a tendency not to even acknowledge God’s presence in our lives. God desires that we get to the point in our lives that He is a part of our everyday routine, no matter what is happening to us. I hate that the world has taken the Lord’s name and uses it in vain constantly. OMG is heard everywhere and seen online almost daily. That is NOT earnestly seeking God! In fact, it is using His name in a way that is disrespectful. We who hear this epithet daily have begun to just overlook it as what it is. I used to tell my students who said this, “Okay. You have His attention because you called on His name. Now, tell Him what you want or tell Him ‘Never mind’ because God is busy tending to His creation.” Some in my class would then snicker while the offending student would try to figure out just what I was saying. I was telling them in my own way that God desires that we earnestly, wholeheartedly seek Him. After all, the Word tells us that we will find Him when we seek Him with our whole hearts. God doesn’t want us just using His Name and then moving on with our life. He needs us to pause, to reflect on who He is and why He is great and to be praised. We have a tendency to ask God to bless the mess that we have made of our lives and to get us out of trouble. Then, when He does, we just keep on digging holes for ourselves to get stuck in. What would it be like if we truly sought the Lord about what He wants us to do that day, what He desires that we accomplish? Maybe sometimes, all He wants is for us to sit at His feet and worship, to learn more about His character. I am sure that God does not want His children to suffer, but I am equally sure that He allows us to get ourselves into trouble because He allows us to operate in the free will that He has given us. If you have ever been around small children, you know that they want to try new things. And in so doing, many times they get into trouble and call out to you to help them escape whatever mischief has captured them. That is us! We get into trouble and we call on God. However, in my devotional this morning, God has spoken clearly to me that it would be so much better if we would call on Him before the trouble begins, before we take that step that gets us into a situation that is untenable. God wants us to earnestly seek Him daily and then to live our lives, knowing that His Holy Spirit goes with us wherever we go and whatever we do. I’m trying to do what this verse says and I’m waiting with expectation for what my Heavenly Father will do. I hope that you have that same expectation and excitement as you wait for God to act! Blessings on you and your day.

One Thing by Hillsong Worship