Thankful for the Harvest

On November 6, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

Thanksgiving is part of the harvest season. My understanding is that the pilgrims celebrated the bountiful harvest with the Native Americans who had planted it. Both were thankful for the food that was the result of the hard work that they had put into the soil. But the harvest that I am thankful for is the harvest of all of the souls that God is reaping. We have the benefit and the great pleasure of participating in that harvest by sowing the seeds into the hearts of the unbelievers and then waiting for the seed to ripen and bear fruit.

Sometimes it is hard to wait for the harvest to come. Sitting out in the field watching the corn will not make it grow any faster. But watering it, weeding it and caring for it diligently will assist in the growth that is going to come at the “proper time.”

God knows the time when the harvest is ripe and if you and I are not there with the person whose seed of faith we sowed, it will be okay, because God will provide someone else to reap. We should be thankful to be included in God’s miraculous plan of salvation.

We cannot sit around and moan because others get to do the reaping. Like the pilgrims once did, we just joyously celebrate the bountiful harvest and be glad that many souls are added to God’s kingdom for eternity. We are not in competition with one another to see how many we can bring to Heaven with us. We are all working together for the same goal, the glory of God and the eternal salvation of friends, family and even strangers.

The fall crops are mostly harvested now. The winter crops are in the ground, waiting for their harvest time. And the bumper crop of spring is right around the corner. God knows when the best time for harvesting is for each soul, and I am thankful that I am part of His harvest and even more thankful that I can tell others about Him and the truth of His Word. Yes, I am thankful for the harvest and for each of you who is part of it. What are you thankful for today?

May God bless you today with eyes that see the fields ripe and ready to harvest and the other fields that need seeds to be sown. We are blessed to be a blessing!

Thankful for God Who Hears

On November 5, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

We are constantly assailed by noise in our modern world of gadgets and technology. If I go into the city, which I try not to do very often, there are horns, sirens and booming bass coming from cars with the volume turned too high. I cannot help but wonder how people carry on conversations in such an atmosphere. Then, I realized that they really don’t. Each person is isolated in his or her own world, many of them with ear pods in their ears and listening to music, a podcast or even a phone conversation. But what they are not listening to is the person walking beside them. It’s amazing to be that one can be right next to another person and totally unaware when they ask a question or make a comment.

I am very thankful today that God hears me when I cry out. He never puts in ear buds and thinks that today will be the day He will cut Himself off from the demanding and stubborn people that He created. Rather, He is always attentively “on call” and ready to hear us when we cry out to Him, ready to answer. I am in awe that with all of the noise going on in the world, at least in my small corner of it that I can perceive, God can still hear my cry to Him. I am one voice and yet my Father in Heaven is tuned in to me and my needs, willing and able to come to my aid. There are no ear pods that God uses to block us out and I am very thankful for the fact that God would never use ear pods because He desires to hear my cries to Him. Whether I am crying out a desperate prayer for help or a song of worship, God hears. He doesn’t block me as some do on social media, nor does He turn His back on me and pretend that I don’t exist. He acknowledges that I am His and listens.

I am filled with wonder that God can hear each of us simultaneously, as if there were only one of us to listen to. I remember when I was at home alone with our three children and inevitably the day would end, all three would come in excited to tell me the day’s events, but they would all speak at once. I had to calm them down and have them take turns, trying to remember who went first the previous day so that I was not playing favorites. Isn’t it awe-inspiring that God can listen to each of us all at the same time and hear everything that we are saying? He cares, He loves and He desires to hear about our days, our troubles and our needs that we lay before Him. He doesn’t have to choose one to go first, but He hears all of us. My mind cannot conceive of such a Creator, but I know that it is true because the Bible says He hears us. And I’m fairly certain that when I pray, I am not the only one praying at that moment in time. I don’t have to wait for my turn to talk to God because it is always my turn…and yours.

God answers my call because He hears me. He is always listening, and for that I am very thankful. Today, I want to tune out the world and plug into listening to God just as He is always attuned to my cry.

May you be blessed today with the absolute assurance that God is listening to you, fully attentive and with a heart filled with love for you.

Thankful for the Hard Times

On November 4, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture, Song, testimony4 Comments

When things get hard, I get closer to the Lord. I push in and almost try to become a part of Him as I pray, sing, whatever I have to do to get as close as possible to the only one that I know can help me.

This morning, I read the testimony of a young woman who went to be with the Lord in February. Her dream was to sing for a wide audience and sing she did, with all of her heart, on an American show on which she was a favorite. She never got to win the final prize or record in a big studio or become famous because she died. But it is her testimony of how she faced the hard times of cancer, and a husband who left her in the midst of her illness, that has stayed with people and crossed the internet repeatedly. I share that with you today just to ponder if you, too, think that you should be thankful in the hard times.

God Is On the Bathroom Floor

The testimony is not perfectly written, but it is heart-wrenching and a true testament of turning to God when things get hard. I cannot imagine what this lovely soul went through, but I know that she went through it with God.

It has always been easier to be thankful when things are going well, when the sky is blue, the weather is perfect, the kids are all healthy and other relationships are in the right place. But that is when I have found that sometimes I forget to be thankful, just because everything is so good. Then, along comes something difficult: a lost job, a staggering economy with high prices, illness, or any number of other things. At those times, I don’t hesitate to go before the Lord and thank Him for His guidance, provision and love. So, why am I (and probably you) so accustomed to going to God readily in the hard times? Because we know that He is our shelter, the only real refuge we have from the onslaught that is life.

I have never suffered as Nightbirde did, but I have faced hard times. And I know that the only answer is finding and holding on to faith in God, no matter whether you find Him in the bathroom, your bedroom or out walking around in the woods. In a world that is spinning out of control, I am thankful that God is stable and holds out His hand to each of us to keep us stable, too. God holds us up if we just call on Him. Our call starts with thanksgiving for His loving presence, in the good times, in the hard times, at all times.

“Hold On To Me “ by Lauren Daigle

Hope for Now and for Eternity

On November 3, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

I am thankful for the hope that I have living in me that helps me to get through each challenge of each day. This morning when I awakened before six, I thought to myself that I would get up, go to the bathroom, take care of the cat’s needs and go back to bed. After all, I did not fall asleep until after midnight and knew that I needed more rest. All good intentions aside, that is not how things happened for me. I did get up and to all of the aforementioned tasks, but I could not fall back to sleep. My mind, restless thing that it is sometimes, decided to remind me that I had to post my book review that would not load yesterday. And it reminded me that today is my laundry day. And it reminded me that I have a library book out that I have not seen since my husband carried it into the house from the library two weeks ago. And…and…and. The end result was that I got up, put the laundry in the wash, made my morning beverage of flavored water and got my book review posted. The satellite decided to work today, so that was a blessing in itself. Now, I am pondering what I am particularly thankful for today and I am thankful for hope. As long as I have breath, there is always hope. (I may even find that library book once my husband awakens and we think of where he may have put it.)

My mind may be galloping away with me at times, but my soul remains at rest. I know that I can totally count on God because He has never failed me yet. Sometimes my hope is stalwart, standing like a child on Christmas morning, absolutely sure that good things are coming. But most days, my hope is just a calm assurance from deep within me that everything will be okay, that God is working on me to rest in Him and put my hope in Him.

Over five decades ago, I was walking around without the hope that lives in me today. I had no idea that Jesus loves me or that God has a plan for my life. Now, I know for absolute certainty that God’s plan is one that I can count on working out because He is in the center of it and His great love for me means that I can fully trust Him. The hope that I have is not something that I can easily explain. After all, I am older and have a lot of aches and pains (some days, more than others), and I have retired so some friends tell me that I have finished my days of being useful so I should just enjoy the rest of my life quietly waiting to pass on to eternity. Well, that “friendly” advice is not for me! I don’t mind dying when God calls me home, but I am occupying this space and time until He does and all of my hope is in Him, that He will continue to mold me and use me, just as He has been doing for the last fifty years. I will ACTIVELY hope for as long as I am alive and my desire is to spread the reason for my hope to others.

Today, I am thankful for hope. I am grateful for God who is with me today and every day and who gives me hope for today, tomorrow and all of the tomorrows that are to come.

May you have a day blessed with hope that springs from within and that waters your soul with peace and the assurance of God’s great love for you.

Review of HONOR’S REFUGE by Hallee Bridgeman

On November 3, 2022November 3, 2022 By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

I have honestly never read a book that kept me as engaged as this one did. Melissa Braxton, the heroine of the story, has turned her life around after her abusive father killed her mother. Now, she works with a friend to house those who are fleeing from abuse. Phil Osbourne, an intrepid and skilled member of the Alpha team is trying to discover where he fits in since his leg was amputated during a field operation. Melissa falls in love with Phil, but he keeps rebuffing her feelings because he doesn’t feel that he can take care of her since he is not a whole man. The plot is so fast-paced that it kept me reading and mesmerized by the sub-plots of Melissa looking for her sister who went to a different foster home and Phil’s relationship with his brother Winston, a D.A. in Miami. The closeness and support of family is an important theme in this clean read, as is the sense of finding your own identity and self-worth. I enjoyed how Melissa and Phil supported each other and the way their relationship developed in spite of Phil’s best efforts to distance himself. There were several real gut-wrenching tragedies in the plot that had me crying, but they just made the entire story more realistic and compelling. The drug lords who are the enemies are like Satan himself on steroids, destroying everything in their path and not caring about the lives of women or children. I especially enjoyed the almost cameo-like visit from “Pot Pie,” a member of Phil’s former army team and the humor he lent to a very serious storyline. I could have kept reading this book for hundred of more pages and never gotten bored because I was totally invested in the stories of the credible characters and the challenges that they faced. In fact, I was sad to see the story end but happy that there is another book in the series coming. This book is part of a series, but it can definitely be read as a standalone although I would recommend savoring each book and the characters that are presented. There are possible triggers in the novel, most importantly the abuse and violent drug kingpins. But the topics are treated sensitively and there are no graphic details. This is my favorite of the series because Phil is one of the characters from the series who planted himself firmly in my heart and his being the focus of this book was a bonus for me. This is a must read book for those who enjoy romantic suspense with a military flair and realistic details!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books via Netgalley. I also received a complimentary copy recently from the author and cherish having a hard copy to treasure. Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a clean Christian read with some intense moments, so a definite PG. Also includes triggers: abuse, violence, murder. No graphic descriptions but these are part of the story.

With nearly a million book sales, *USA TODAY* bestselling and award-winning **author Hallee Bridgeman** writes action-packed romantic suspense focusing on realistic characters who face real-world problems. Her work has been described as everything from refreshing to heart-stopping exciting and edgy.
An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled with their three children in central Kentucky so they could enjoy the beautiful changing of the seasons. When she’s not penning novels, you will find her in the kitchen, which she considers the ‘heart of the home’. Her passion for cooking spurred her to launch a whole food, real food “Parody” cookbook series. In addition to nutritious, Biblically grounded recipes, readers will find that each cookbook also confronts some controversial aspect of secular pop culture.
Hallee has served as the Director of the Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, President of the Faith-Hope-Love chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Secretary and Assistant Programming Chair of Novelists, Inc. (NINC), is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and the American Christian Writers (ACW). An accomplished speaker, Hallee has taught and inspired writers around the globe, from Sydney, Australia, to Dallas, Texas, to Portland, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., and all places in between.
Hallee loves coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. Above all else, she loves God with all of her heart, soul, mind, and strength; has been redeemed by the blood of Christ; and relies on the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide her. She prays her work here on earth is a blessing to you and would love to hear from you. You can reach Hallee at hallee@halleebridgeman.com

Available now! Purchase Links:

Thankful to Be Blessed

On November 2, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture4 Comments

We have a part to play in receiving blessings from God. We have to choose to walk in the counsel of the godly, not the ungodly. We have to choose to walk away from sin and sinners instead of standing there with them. Even standing silently is seen as agreement by some. Our total joy should come from reading and meditating on God’s Word. It is this Word and the attitude of delighting in the Lord that helps us to grow strong in Him, just as a tree planted by the water doesn’t have to do a lot to grow…it just has to stay planted. Don’t you just love the part that says “whatever he doeth shall prosper.” I would add a caution to that. This is not a claim it and it’s yours promise. It’s a “get to doing what God says to do” and His blessings will follow statement. God loves us enough to continually bless us, but He also expects obedience. I am thankful for all of God’s promises, especially one that encourages me to be an active participant in receiving His blessings.

Have a blessed day filled with delighting in the Lord and in His Word.

Thanksgiving Month

On November 1, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture9 Comments

Hurray! My favorite month of the year has arrived! It’s the month with beautiful colors outside, a little nip in the air but not too cold and the month when we are reminded to be thankful. My personal opinion is that thankfulness should be an every month, every day thing, but I am grateful that here in the United States, we at least still have a holiday to be thankful. I just wish more people were mindful of the fact that the One we should always be thankful to is God, not our bosses or our own selves. Anyway, my plan is to post things daily to make us think of thankfulness to God. Today, I am focusing on attributes of God from my devotional this morning.

God’s love is absolutely unfathomable to our finite minds. Just when I think that I have a small grasp on what it’s like, I find out that there is so much still there for me to discover.

Since all of creation was made by God, He has compassion on each of us and on each of the creatures and other living things He has made. Some in my family have the belief that God is just up in Heaven somewhere waiting to crush us. Not so! He is there but He is waiting to pour out compassion and love on us, since He knows our weaknesses and how hard we have to work to stay on the right path. He understands because Jesus lived the earthly life and went through trials and temptations just like we do. God didn’t say life wouldn’t present challenges, but He did say He would be with us through it all.

Nothing, not one thing on earth or anywhere else can separate us from God’s love. His love surrounds us daily if we just recognize it. Sometimes I have to pray especially to see the evidence of God’s love for me. It’s not a selfish prayer, just a realistic one for me that I need to pray sometimes. And the answer is practical and immediate. I see His love all around me in His creation: in the smile of the baby in the stroller, in the report from a friend that she is out of the hospital and doing well, in the sun shining through the branches of the colorful trees outside and in the blue sky laced with clouds. God loves me and you so much that He gave us the world to enjoy while we occupy the earth. Look around you and see God’s love, for yourself and for all of His creation.

May you enjoy this thankfulness journey with me and may each day bring new insight into all that each of us has to be thankful for. God bless you!

Tests

On November 1, 2022November 1, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture5 Comments

How many of you love to take tests? When I was in school, I used to almost have a panic attack each time I had to take a test. It wasn’t because I didn’t study or wasn’t prepared. I just always had test anxiety. That lasted all the way through college. After college, I accepted Jesus as my Savior and continued my studies with a Master’s Degree from Oral Roberts University. When I took those tests, I was calmer and was able to focus more because I always prayed before my tests. I recall our young son in kindergarten and his attitude towards testing. As I drove him to school one day, I asked him if he had studied his spelling words for the test that day since he had not asked me to call them out as usual. He calmly told me that he had not studied, but it would be okay because he planned to pray before the test, and Jesus knows his “abc’s and 1-2-3’s”. That’s a good thing to remember, isn’t it? I chided him, though and told him that God wants us to put effort into the work that he has given us to do and to always do our best. I’m not sure my lesson to him really had any effect on him since he got a perfect grade on the spelling test that he admitted he didn’t study for.

Sometimes as I ride next to my husband down the road, I get frustrated with the other drivers and will say things like, “That foolish person is going to kill someone if he isn’t more careful!” My husband reminds me to pray for his safety. And God reminds me that I need to do a self-test and check out my attitude.

No matter what circumstance I find myself in, I am carrying Jesus around in me and like a battery that needs to be checked occasionally to see if it’s fully charged, I need to check and make sure that I’m “in the faith” and not “of the world.” When I respond the same as others would with churlishness or selfishness, I know exactly where I am and that I am not passing the self-test. Time to reign myself in and get myself under the control of God again!

The good news is that once we have examined ourselves, we have the opportunity to take the test again and pass the second time around. Same test, same questions, same everything. But passing is possible the second time because my heart has changed and I have plugged back into the Lord and His view of the situation instead of my own.

Jesus is not ever going to leave me hanging, without hope and without knowing for sure that He is still working in me. That’s why the Word tells us to examine ourselves, to test ourselves and see whether what we are doing or how we are acting lines up with God’s Word. I don’t get nervous when God reminds me to do a self-check because I know He is reminding me of how much He loves me and how He wants me to become more and more like His Son by making the choices that are best for me and others. When Jesus returns, all of the testing will be over, but in the meantime, I have to examine myself daily, sometimes more than once a day and sometimes over and over again, to make sure that what I am doing and saying passes the test of representing Jesus to a world that needs to see Him and His love, not His judgment.

May all of your tests today be ones that show God’s mercy in your life, extended to others, knowing that as you pass each test, you are getting closer to God.

Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner

Month: November 2022