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.
When I started this blogging journey over two years ago, I had no idea that I would make friends from all over the world just by blogging. This morning, as I prepared for my day, I was thinking about giving up the blog. It’s not that it takes so much time, but I don’t have that many readers. Then, I got this notification and it encouraged me. It’s like a milestone for a race that I didn’t know I was in. So, I’m still here for now, until it’s time to renew my account. At that time, I will be in prayer about what direction the Lord is leading me. But for now, I am thankful for each of you who reads my posts and especially for those who take the time to comment and encourage or correct me. God bless you all!
I read Dr. Denison’s post yesterday and it put me into a quandary. You see, one of my favorite channels to watch (when I actually watch TV, which is infrequently) is Hallmark. The news about them and their loss of a moral compass is disturbing. They have acquiesced to the LGBTQ crowd and plan to develop movies featuring gay couples. So, now I have to decide if I’m going to continue to pay for the channel. Candice Cameron Bure is a Christian who works for the Hallmark channel. I really want to hear her take on the whole thing. Yes, there are still good shows there. But do they seriously think that this will “normalize” gay relationships? After all, that seems to be the goal of the movement. God is the One who set the norm and he said: One man and One woman. The relationship was supposed to be for life, and then divorce became the norm when “no fault divorce” came along. So, is being gay going to be the new norm? But, I digress. I don’t think divorce is a sin; I do, however, think that choosing to be gay is a sin and there are all kinds of Scriptures to back me up. To me, Hallmark’s choice is just another indication of how far the U.S. has fallen into accepting sin.
I have come to believe that there is no fairness, no real equality in this world. No matter what you measuring rod, there will always be someone who gets “the short stick” so that fairness is not possible. Do you remember as as child being told something you didn’t like and replying to your parent.”That’s not fair.” I know that I did, but my mom and dad didn’t ever change their mind due to my opinion. I came to understand as I faced the challenges of parenting myself that you cannot always be fair, but you can make the best decision for the time and the circumstances. In my devotional this morning, I faced this whole fairness conundrum again. Is God fair?
God is sovereign. Period.We were formed in the womb by God, so it is not right that we should question God’s creation. Again, God is sovereign.God is sovereign.Trust God that He knows what He is doing. The end result is good.This verse is for the Israelites, but I’m claiming it for me and for our fallen world.Consider this carefully: God is sovereign! Hallelujah! We don’t make the final decisions. God can be trusted. He knows what He is doing. He is still on His throne! Hallelujah!
The answer to my question is that God is sovereign and yes, He is fair. Maybe not in the way we want Him to be fair, but God is not our puppet on a string waiting to do what we consider fair. He looks at the whole world, and He is fair because He can be trusted to always have our best interests at heart.
Have a blessed day, my friends. Go out and have a wonderful day, remembering that the sovereign God is watching over you and has freely forgiven you. Blessings!
Good afternoon, friends. I was planning on posting this morning, but life got in the way. By life, I mean that I was feeling really weak, so I went back to bed for about an hour or so. Then, when I got up, my husband and I had to get ready to do our pickup grocery order. Now I’m home again and feeling better. I’m not sure what happened this morning. I took my blood pressure and it was a bit high, so I took the Lasix that my doctor told me to take when it was a little high. The next thing I knew, I was dizzy and unfocused and having trouble thinking and speaking. My lips were numb, too, so I took a Tums to add a quick calcium solution. Then, I went to sleep and woke up feeling better. Of course, I prayed myself to sleep, so that helped me to have peaceful rest.
Now, onto my devotional for today. I got some really good Scripture verses today from the devotionals that I read. And I’m sharing them with you in the hope that you will find a blessing in them.
God is faithful, even when we aren’t.God loves us, period. And when we seek Him early during the crises in our lives, then He shows Himself to us. I need this verse every day during all of this turmoil in our land. I’m not sure that constant turmoil and listening to the news is good for me. So, I quit listening to the news all day and I’m much more focused on God. So, this has become another go-to verse for me during the pandemic and the riots in the States. Nothing. Not. One. Thing. Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Not diseases, not pestilence, not radical beliefs and not people who constantly tell me bad news. Nothing that has happened, is happening or will happen. This is a verse that is in my mind, but I need to get it into my heart.
Well, friends, that’s it for today. Just Bible verses and my commentary. I hope that you have had a blessed day and that your evening will be filled with the knowledge of His presence and His love.
What a delightful book to lose myself in during these days of the coronavirus! Absolutely delightful! This is book #5 set in Sweetwater Springs, North Carolina, but since the main characters change in each book each can be read as a standalone. The principal characters in my latest visit to this charming town were Emma St. James, the cafe owner, and Jack Hershey, the park ranger. These two have a past based on childhood friendship and the fact that Jack stood Emma up for her senior prom. So, yes, they have a friendship, but Emma is a little leery of taking the relationship further since she remembers prom night like it was yesterday. Reading this book was like stepping away from reality and into the pages of a funny and heart-warming romance. The characters were so realistic that as I read it was like I could actually hear them talking to each other in my living room. If you enjoy happily ever after books with some rugged territory before the finale, then this book is for you. It was a fun and fast read, and I loved it! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary hard copy of this book from the publisher. 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.”
A clean read with romance, humor and characters that will step right into your heart.Information and photo from the author’s website at Annie RainsAlso includes a bonus novella by Hope Ramsey
The story of Julie Weathers is one of a slow burn to an “ah-ha” reveal. Julie has left behind her grief over losing her infant daughter and her betrayal by her husband who then asks for a divorce. In her attempt to start over again, Julie answers an ad for a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island in Maine. At the island, Julie befriends Ellie who tells her a lot of island secrets as she drinks wine excessively. Julie attempts to befriend the dowager “queen” of the island, grandmother Hempstead, but seems to make an enemy of her from the beginning. Therein lies part of the mystery. Why is this leader on the island so unfriendly, in fact actually menacing at times? Julie also tries to help teen-ager Peter, a young man who is precociously intelligent but who keeps showing up unexpectedly wherever Julie is, scaring her and creeping out me. Then there is Callum, a man who handily does repairs at Julie’s new house and who also seems to be using the island for escape. His backstory is a big part of the draw to reading and finishing the book. The plot is so-so, but the characterization is excellent, with characters who are deep and realistically portrayed. I enjoyed reading the book, especially the fact that it made me think back on it after I read it and realize how deep it really was. 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.”
Ryker Tillman was willing to give his life for his country in Afghanistan. Now, with his own security country, he is willing to lay down his life for the lives of pregnant Olivia Habush and her toddler son Aaron. Olivia knew that her husband was working for some really bad guys, but she had no idea that after Tim died, his legacy would be danger for her and Aaron. Pursued by the relentless killers from Blake-Moore, Olivia has nowhere to turn until Ryker shows up and rescues her. All of the action was like a movie rolling in my head, with one heart-stopping scene after another. Ryker called in his buddies from the war, the Callahans and Duncan. They offer a little comic relief and a lot of help to Ryker and Olivia. Throughout the book, no sooner do she and Aaron get out of danger than a fresh group of mercenaries shows up to force her to give them something that supposedly Tim left with her. The ride through this book was wild and fast-paced, but best of all, it was all a totally clean ride, with no expletives or graphically described violence. My only criticism is that the book was such a fast read that I was surprised when it ended. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the conclusion; I just didn’t want it to end! Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin 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.”
Author bio: Laura Scott is honored to write for the Love Inspired Suspense line, where a reader can find a heartwarming journey of faith amid the thrilling danger. She lives with her husband of twenty-five years and has two children, a daughter and a son, who are both in college. She works as a critical-care nurse during the day at a large level-one trauma center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and spends her spare time writing romance. Visit Laura at http://www.laurascottbooks.com.
A thud woke Olivia from a sound sleep. Had someone fallen? She pried open her eyes and peered at the cheap alarm clock on the nightstand.
Two in the morning. She glanced down at Aaron who was curled next to her. The noise hadn’t woken him.
Another thud and a muffled shout sent fear spiking through her body. What in the world was going on?
She slid out of bed, steadying herself with a hand on the wall. Her bladder urged her toward the bathroom, but before she could take a step, she heard a sharp report.
A gunshot?
No! Please, Lord, help us! She bent over and scooped Aaron into her arms, although she wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. Where was Ryker? Duncan? Mike?
She had no weapon of any sort. Not that she’d know what to do with one anyway. There was a bathroom within the suite, so she went inside, locked the door and glanced around, her thoughts whirling.
The Blake-Moore Group must have found her. Again. She wanted to cry, to rant and scream in frustration, but forced herself to swallow the cries burning the back of her throat.
Think. Think! Her gaze landed on the toilet. The motel hadn’t been updated in years, and the toilet tank was similar to the one she had at home, with a heavy ceramic cover on it.
“Mommy?” Aaron raised his head, rubbing at his eyes. “Shh. We have to be quiet.” Olivia set him down in the bathtub, the safest place she could think of. “Stay here, okay?”
“I don’t wanna.” His lower lip trembled and she was very much afraid that he’d begin wailing at any moment.
She lifted her heart in prayer. God, please protect us! “Mommy?” Her son lifted his arms toward her, his gaze begging.
“Shh. Please, Aaron. I need you to be quiet. We don’t want the bad guys to find us.” She hated scaring him but was more worried about what would happen if he cried loud enough to draw attention. She quickly lifted the heavy porcelain cover off the tank and held it over her head, positioning herself behind the door.
If anyone came inside, she’d whack him over the head, hopefully with enough force to knock him unconscious.
Time passed in slow motion. The noises coming from the main suite area concerned her. What if something happened to Mike and Duncan?
To Ryker?
Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and her arm muscles quivered beneath the weight of the toilet tank lid. She blinked back tears, trying to convince herself that Ryker would survive.
That they would all survive.
“Olivia? Are you in there?” Ryker’s familiar voice made her knees go weak.
Thank You, God!
“Yes, we’re in the bathroom.” She lowered the lid of the toilet tank and moved out from behind the door. After getting the tank cover back in place, she opened the door, grateful beyond belief to see Ryker standing there. “What happened? Is everyone all right?”
“Yeah, but we need to hit the road.” His face was drawn into tight lines, his gaze grim. “Now.”
“They found us?” Silly question, since she knew they must have. “How?”
Ryker slowly shook his head. “They must have followed us. I didn’t see them, but they must have had a line on our vehicle. Get your things together.”
“Okay.” She didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly used the bathroom, then carried Aaron back into the bed-room. Her zebra bag was in the main living space, and she only had the one set of clothes, so there wasn’t any-thing to grab other than Aaron’s plastic lion and toy plane.
When she stepped into the suite, she stopped abruptly, her gaze landing on the two men dressed in black lying on the floor. One of them was bleeding badly; the other didn’t show any signs of blood.
This information is from Dr. Denison’s article today.
A five-fold strategy for changing culture
Evangelical Christians are not the only losers here.
If we delegate cultural authority to an “enlightened few” who reject biblical morality, the culture is the loser. People deserve to know what God says about the issues we face. In fact, the more they ignore or reject biblical truth, the more they need to hear it.
As a result, rather than accepting the “new consensus,” we need to redouble our efforts to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). To this end, let’s adopt the five-fold strategy employed by the Apostle Paul, the most effective cultural missionary in history:
He wrote letters that were read across much of the Roman Empire (cf. 2 Peter 3:15–16). How can you use email, social media, media platforms, and websites to write biblical truth?
He spoke in synagogues (cf. Acts 13:5) and the lecture hall of Tyrannus in Ephesus (Acts 19:9). He addressed the Areopagus in Athens (Acts 17:19–34), kings in Caesarea (Acts 26), and Christian elders in Miletus (Acts 20:17–35). How can you use YouTube and other means to speak biblical truth?
He engaged personally with Athenians (Acts 17:16–18) and Pharisees (Acts 23:6), Gentiles (Acts 28:28–31) and Jews (Acts 18:1–5). How can you use your personal relationships to share biblical truth?
He prayed fervently for those to whom he ministered (cf. Acts 20:36; Colossians 1:9–12). How can you intercede for people to follow biblical truth?
He modeled his message by living out his faith in ways others could emulate (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1). How can you live for Jesus so fully that others will see the relevance of biblical truth for their lives?
Good lessons for those of us who believe in the truth of the Bible and want to continue to stand for it. God bless you with wisdom and influence that is God-centered!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 