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 am not writing to debate about the reality of the spiritual gifts. They are in the Bible, so I do believe that they exist. Not only that, the Holy Spirit distributes them and decides which gift (s) each person receives. We cannot go to God and demand one gift instead of another; God always has a reason for what He does.
My focus today is not on the gifts themselves but on what we are supposed to do with them. There is a story in Acts 8 about a man named Simon who wanted the same power that the apostles had, to lay hands on people so that they could receive the Holy Spirit. Simon tried to pay for the power of God. His gifts cannot be purchased but are given freely so that we can use them correctly to further His kingdom. What is the instruction given to us about how to use the gifts?
We are told to use the gifts God has given us in order to serve one another. We are not to bring attention to ourselves and expect praise. We are not to use God’s gifts to enrich ourselves or those around us. We are just to serve. No matter the gift, it is to be used to serve others. Isn’t that why Jesus came? He came to serve and showed us the supreme example of sacrifice and service. It only makes sense that if God is giving us gifts to use in the Body of Christ, the purpose of those gifts would be to serve others.
Have a blessed day, my friends. May you use whatever spiritual gifts God has given you to do the work God has planned for you to do in His Body.
I love my husband, my children, my grandchildren, and my friends. But I don’t even begin to touch the depths of what love is until I ponder God’s love. His love is all-encompassing, forgiving, sacrificial and always there. His love has sustained me through difficult times in the valleys and highs on mountaintops. God’s love is consistent, insistent and exists whether I feel it or not. His love is faithful and never wavers even when I stumble or fall. His love is forever!
Whenever I am walking on uneven ground, I instinctively reach out for the arm of my husband. I know that he will help me not to fall and to reach the place where the ground is even again so he can let me go. I have been on uneven ground a lot lately, with all kinds of medical tests going on and with them the unknown answer to the question of what is going on with my body. But I am holding on tightly to God, knowing that He is faithful to take me back to a place where I can be more sure-footed. I did not arrive at this assurance of His faithfulness overnight; rather, this assurance has come through many trials and much dependence on Him.
God promises that He will take care of me, so I believe it. That is a promise that is settled in my heart. Thus, I can hold tightly and not waver, not allowing the seeds of doubt to be sown in the soil of my mind and heart.
God is always the same, never changing and not breaking His word. He said it. I believe it. That settles it. Yes, the doctors are assailing me with one test after another and offering little in the way of answers to my queries. But God is there with me, faithfully calming me and comforting me and speaking to me words of wisdom from His Holy Word.
God continues to accomplish wonderful things in my life and He is not finished with me yet. How do I know? Well, I’m still here, so that tells me that God still has things for me to get done. I’m excited to see the outcome of all of these tests, knowing that no matter what, God will get the glory!
May you be blessed as you hold tightly to the One who created you for a purpose and will fulfill that purpose in you.
When I woke up this morning, I had a prayer on my lips and a bad attitude in my heart. Once again, I had slept badly and was tired, but I knew that I had to get up to begin my morning routine so that we can go to church. I know I grumbled to myself and sighed deeply more than a few times, but I made it through the preparations to start the day. Then, I sat down with my devotional and all I could think is how grateful I am to be alive, to be able to go to church and to worship the King, my Savior and my Creator. Once my focus changed from me to Him, so did my attitude.
Proclaiming God’s love to others is what we are called to do, but this morning, I just needed to speak about God’s love into my own heart. Sometimes we have to be ready to receive before we can give out to others and this morning was a time when I needed to receive. If you are having a tough time with circumstances in your life, just sit back, focus on God and His love for you. It puts things into a new perspective, one that is manageable and not so overwhelming. God is there, all the time, ready to hear and answer, but He really loves it when we come without a list of requests, just ready to worship.
As part of the Body of Christ, we are brought together for one common purpose: to spread the Gospel and to support each other during trials and tribulations. God did not create or ordain denominations and divisions in the body. He wants us to all get ourselves where we are supposed to be and to fulfill His purpose where He has placed us. Like a puzzle, once it fits together, it is beautiful and totally worth the time to assemble it.
Just follow the link and put the puzzle together. You will find this picture once you have finished it.
We are all part of this Body of Christ and need to work together, to get along with each other and to find what we have in common (Jesus) instead of focusing on differences.
I hope that you enjoyed the puzzle and will think about what your role is and should be in the Body where God has placed you. You matter to God and to others and we all need each other!
Have a blessed day. May it be filled with treasures from Heaven and a sense of fulfillment as you seek His purpose and walk it out.
Have you ever watched a new infant and how intently he/she watches you? The eyes are fixed on you, following the sound of your voice as you move around them. As the child grows older, their attention may be momentarily called away to another object, something shinier or more interesting to them. But if you say the child’s name, like magic, their focus returns to you. At least that is the way I have noticed things happening until the child is about six or so and then all bets are off about whether you can get and hold their attention or not.
What is our focus when we are talking about our spiritual walk? As a new Christian, I was eager to learn all I could about God and His love for me. I didn’t want to miss a single minute of His guidance or plan for my life, so my eyes were fixed on him. Then, as a child maturing, my focus was captured by other “shiny” things, this pastor or that evangelist and a new message that they were giving. Or sometimes, my focus was captured by friends, family, trials and sicknesses. In other words, as I aged, I took my eyes off the One who created me and started paying more attention to the creation. God has reprimanded me and let me know that is the wrong path to take and I am working on forming new habits.
Another reason to come to the Lord as a child is the total trust we have in Him and the way we don’t let Him out of our sight. No matter what room I moved to when my children were young, they were right there beside me. I called them my shadows because they kept their eyes on me and when I moved, they did, too. That is the way I think we should keep our eyes on God. A steady looking at Him for our guidance and for direction for what our next steps should be. When we keep our eyes on Him, all of the problems we have seem to fade into insignificance because we know that they are temporary but He is eternal.
Book Details: ISBN-13: 9781662508820 ISBN-10: 1662508824 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Publish Date: March 2023 Dimensions: 8.19 x 5.35 x 1.02 inches Shipping Weight: 0.79 pounds
About the Book:
From USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb comes a thrilling installment in the Finley O’Sullivan series about a well-connected woman who stands accused of her husband’s murder. She’s innocent—unless Finley proves otherwise.
Legal investigator Finley O’Sullivan has had a difficult year in the wake of her husband’s murder. But in her line of work, there’s no time to grieve. Her job is to protect the firm’s clients and defend their innocence through grueling investigative work.
Ellen Winthrop is a force to be reckoned with in the financial world. In a male-dominated industry, she shattered the glass ceiling by empowering and promoting women. But now her husband is dead, killed in the Winthrop family home—and she stands accused of his murder.
Finley, as the investigator at the firm Ellen Winthrop hired to defend her, has a clear objective: prove that Ellen didn’t do it. But the deeper Finley digs into the Winthrops’ marriage, the more she starts to doubt Ellen’s story. The uncomfortable truth is that Ellen Winthrop may in fact have killed her husband.
And he might not have been the first.
My Review:
The second book in the Finley O’Sullivan series explained a lot of loose ends and was a totally satisfying read. Finley and Jack are hired by wealthy Ellen Winthrop to represent her when she is suspected of murdering her philandering husband. On the path to investigating Ellen’s case, Finley makes astonishing discoveries about the murder of her own husband Derrick as well as uncovering secrets about Jack and her mother, the Judge who barely speaks to her. The characters were credible and fascinating, with backstories that were riveting and complex. The plot was fast-paced and equally complicated, with brilliantly woven twists and clever details thrown in as clues. I really enjoyed this book, especially finding out more about the characters and how determined Finley is to get at the truth about Derrick’s death. There were sub-plots and secondary characters in the mix, too, all insightfully included into the main plot and giving the plot an edgy feel, with the accompanying misdirection that is appreciated by mystery fans like me. This is a story rich in detail and even has some romance peeking it. Those who enjoy a good whodunit with some breath-stopping suspense will enjoy this book. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and 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, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Rated PG-13 due to content and subject matter. DEBRA WEBB is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency and the Shades of Death series. She is the recipient of the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers Choice Awards. In 2012 Debra was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for her courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Recently Debra was awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for having achieved publication of her 100th novel. With this award Debra joined the ranks of a handful of authors like Nora Roberts and Carole Mortimer. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm and spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go. Visit Debra at www.debrawebb.com.
THE NATURE OF SECRETS is the second book in the series and may be read as a standalone. I recommend, however, that you start with the first book in the series so you get to know Finley O’Sullivan and what makes her search for the truth in THE NATURE OF SECRETS. Here is a link to the series: Amazon
For a last shot at redemption, a young man must finally face the past in the third novel from the No More trilogy by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.
After serving six months in a juvenile detention center, Lucas Carson returns home irrevocably changed by what happened there. Traumatized, Lucas shuts himself out from everyone he loves, even his younger sister, Lily, who ran away from home when she was pregnant at sixteen. When Lily resurfaces years later, Lucas can’t cope with his guilt about not being there for her. He takes off, only to cross paths with Shiloh Bloom—fifteen, homeless, and, like Lucas, escaping the past.
All Lucas sees in her is the little sister he neglected. Believing this is his chance to absolve past mistakes, he takes Shiloh in. He gives her food and shelter. She gives him a purpose. Together they invent a background for her and form a bond. But the risk of discovery grows. Lucas’s sisters aren’t the only ones looking for him. So are Shiloh’s mother and the police. If Lucas wants to heal and have a future, he must stop running and face everything he’s left behind.
My Review:
This book is the perfect ending for the trilogy about the Carson siblings. Lucas, the brother who ran away, is featured in this heart-wrenching story about finding truth and moving on towards a more hopeful future. Luc ran away from a past that still haunts him and has to deal with the discovery about what really happened before he can move on and grasp a bright future. I especially enjoyed how much emotion this book included, especially with the friendships that Luc makes and what a kindhearted person he really is. He is such a vulnerable soul that he just puts himself right out there and ends up getting hurt. All of the action is very realistic and thought-provoking. I enjoyed that this book brought all three siblings together in some very surprising and unexpected scenarios. Mostly, I’m delighted to have a conclusion to Luc’s story because his is the most compelling and the most dynamic, with plenty of action and drama. The entire book was well paced and introduced some secondary characters that I really enjoyed meeting, especially the teen survivor Shiloh. The mystery of the Carsons and all that happened to them is resolved, making this an extremely satisfying book to read with no loose ends and lots of tears. Although this book can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the “No More” trilogy so that the entire story of the Carsons is enjoyed and all of the puzzle pieces fit together so well. A masterpiece of a family saga that is not to be missed! 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. All opinions expressed are my own. 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.”
Easily a 5-star book, rated PG-13 due to content.
About the Author:
Kerry Lonsdale is the Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Kindle bestselling author of the Everything series, No More trilogy, and multiple standalone domestic drama novels. Her books have sold more than two million copies and have been translated into twenty-seven languages. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two adult children (when they’re home from college), and three cats. Photo by Chantelle Hartshorne. Photo and Bio from the author’s website at http://www.kerrylonsdale.com
A note to my readers: Although this book can be read as a standalone, I feel that reading the trilogy will really be better, so below are the links to purchase the other two books, in order:
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 