I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
I keep hearing people say that if we want change, we have to be the change that we want. I interpret that to mean that we need to be more like Jesus so that people can see Him in us. There is no greater need in the world today than the character of Jesus demonstrated in each of us. How do we react when the Supreme Court makes a ruling that makes abortions more likely? How do we react when someone tells us that they are gay or transgender? The topic of Dr. Denison’s main article today is just this, the idea that our reaction shows people Jesus, or it doesn’t.
As we approach the Fourth of July, a holiday to celebrate the independence of our great nation, I just want to take the time to remind my readers that we are “ONE NATION UNDER GOD.” The Lord God helped our Founding Fathers in establishing this nation, and I pray that those who are working hard to destroy it will stop and consider the blessings that they have by being born here, in the United States, and not in another nation that might not be so free. I appreciate each morning when I awaken in a country in which I am free to sing worship songs, read my Bible and pray. It is not so everywhere, and we need to appreciate that freedom. It should not be taken lightly. Our nation is also “INDIVISIBLE” which means that we cannot and should not be divided. There are many who are marching around and destroying things, in the name of what they are calling justice. My thought is that their aim is the destruction of America as we know it. This pledge was formally adopted by Congress in 1942. We had suffered through the Civil war as a divided nation, but we united against a common enemy in WWI and WWII. Now, more than ever, we need to unite against a common enemy.
Now for my prayer for our nation:
May we, the people who are called by the name of our precious Savior, seek peace and remember daily to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for our own nation. God bless you all.
I think that what has been happening in the streets of the U.S. lately are “power encounters.” We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against spiritual darkness. Let us all pray that God’s light shines through and that we all make it safely to the other side. In the meantime, remember to forgive and to look up!
I have a confession to make. I have been angry because of all of the rioting and looting and destruction of the historical monuments. I have railed to my husband about how stupid it all is, that the BLM movement is doing irreparable harm to itself by the path of destruction that it is creating. Then, today, I got hold of my anger. Actually, God got hold of me with two Scripture verses.
At first, when my devotional and the Lord directed me to these verses, I said to myself, “Yes, that’s what’s missing. These people marching around haven’t yet forgiven…for the death of Floyd, for the injustices they feel that they have suffered, for slavery. They are lost and just need to forgive.” Then, the Lord spoke to my heart and told me that I need to forgive them for their destruction of what I have considered sacred. You see, I took for granted that there would be peace in the USA and that people could be reasoned with. When that didn’t happen (for three weeks now), I let anger come in. I wasn’t angry at the injustice that they were feeling. I was angry because they have been working at destroying a country I love, a country my husband and I served in the military, a country my husband was willing to die for. Then, God spoke and told me that I have to forgive them. They may destroy every statue and monument. Forgive. They may riot and loot and harm innocent people for months. Forgive. They may even get away with all of their destruction and never be brought to justice. Forgive. They are pawns in the hands of a power that wants nothing more than to destroy the United States and all it stands for. But one of the things that will stand forever is God’s Word. And so, I forgive. I don’t understand, but I forgive. I don’t like what they are doing or condone it in any way, but I forgive.
I hope that each of you has reached a place in your life where you can forgive just as easily as you breathe. God is working on me in this area of my life. I thought I had this one quality down pat…someone sins against you, forgive. Then, the riots started and the destruction began and the anger arose. And God had to speak to me to remind me that these are His children and I need to forgive them. He is the Great Judge and I don’t have to worry about anyone getting away with anything. My responsibility is to forgive and to pray for the rioters, the looters and all of the people out there creating chaos. And, my friends, that is your responsibility, too.
Forgive, pray, forgive, pray, forgive, pray. As many times as it takes. I want my heart right before God. Blessings, my friends, for a day of prayer and love for one another and for those you are having difficulty loving.
I loved, loved, loved this book! What’s not to love? Jake Silver is a former Navy Seal who has not forgiven himself for his actions during war. Now he is part of the global rescue mission team and has already saved Dr. Aria Sinclair from her mountainside adventure in Alaska. In this romantic saga, Aria has rebuffed his attempts to woo her and fled to Florida for a medical retreat. The retreat turns out to be dangerous when a Cat 5 hurricane is headed directly for the Florida Keys where she is staying. Aria is her own kind of hero, determined to help others at her own peril. Jake flies to Florida to once again rescue Aria and there he meets all kinds of bad guys and obstacles. The hurricane was described so vividly that I swore I could hear the rushing wind and the hard rain hitting against the windows! Susan May Warren did a masterful job of creating realistic characters with believable flaws in a vividly described scene. I enjoyed the sub-plot about Ham and his discovery of having a daughter. I did not read the first book in this series and I was able to follow the story just fine. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will look for more books by this author. With themes of second chances, forgiving yourself and others and trust, this is a book not to be missed by fans of Christian suspense. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. 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 is a completely clean Christian romantic suspense, suitable for all who enjoy this genre.Available NOW at your local bookseller and online. Purchase Links:
What are we teaching the next generation? Are we teaching them love, acceptance of all and that God loves everyone equally? Are we telling them the testimony of how we came to know the Lord? That is our goal in life and it is a worthy one. Let’s all work on passing the baton, for one day, we shall not be here on earth. What legacy do you want to leave behind? Think about it and have a blessed day!
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