Do you still hear voices in your head, like your mom’s voice warning you not to do something or there would be consequences?  I’m in my sixties and I still hear my mom’s warnings and declarations of what I must do in order to follow the family rules.  More important than my mother’s rules are God’s.  I want my actions to reflect the fact that I am a child of God and the only way I can do that is tomknow what His commands are for my life.  Those decrees are found in His Word.  Since I don’t know when I might have to call upon one of God’s wise commands, it is smart for me to hide His Word in my heart so that when I need it, it is there.  I remember well the story of Corrie Ten Boom and how much she suffered under the merciless hands of her Nazi captors.  But mostly, I remember that she knew God’s Word and recited it for her own benefit and for the sake of those who were suffering with her.  She is a role model for me of someone who knew just what to say and when to say it because she had spent years putting God’s Word into her mind so that when she needed it, it came out of her heart and mouth.  That’s what I want to be, a walking encouragement to others.  God’s Word frees us to serve Him and to know Him in ways that we did not know were possible without Jesus and the Holy Spirit guiding us.  My prayer for each of my readers is that you, too, will know the importance of reading God’s Word, studying God’s Word and putting it into your mind and heart so that it is there when you need it.  None of us knows the future, but regardless of what it holds, it will be better with God’s Word hidden inside us!

How should we live in this age of technology and constant change, in a world where there is conflict among friends and families? The Bible has the answer for all of us. We are to live wisely. What does that mean? I think it means that we are to live, knowing that non-believers are constantly watching us, waiting for us to fall. So are we then to live a false life, or one in fear? No! Of course not! If we are living a life dedicated to our faith in the Lord Jesus, then what we do is also already a part of our faith. Our choices should be Godly ones. Our steps should take us where He would go. If we find ourselves in a bar, for example, it should be because we are there to share the Lord Jesus, not to drink ourselves into oblivion. We are also called to make the most of every opportunity. I have been thinking about that a lot lately because the Lord keeps telling me that so many are lost without Him and it is my responsibility, yes, even my great calling, to tell others about Him so that they can share in His joy and freedom from sin. Yesterday after I went to my arthritis doctor, my husband and I stopped at the fitness center in the mall that is in town. It was my first time in that center and I was intimidated by its size and strangeness. Anyone who knows me knows that I like things that are familiar to me, including people. But God is calling me out of my comfort zone more and more these days. I even got lost in the locker room and almost panicked until a nice lady showed me the way to the showers and the pool exit. Anyway, once I got into the pool, there was only one other lady exercising in the free swim area. I started doing my pool walking and we passed each other a couple of times. Each time, we said something, like, “It’s really cold in here today.” Or she told me how deep the water got. After about twenty minutes of passing and saying short sentences to each other as we continued to pursue our exercise goal, I asked for her name. She told me and that she is a teacher and has been for almost forty years. I told her that I retired in 2017. We exchanged information about what we teach and I was amazed that my new friend Deborah also teaches Spanish. She shared with me about her health problems and her need to retire and that she is going to a meeting today to find out if she will be able to retire or not. I encouraged her with the amount of money I get each month and told her that I can make it with that, so I am sure that she can. Then, I told her that I would pray for her to be able to retire and for her health problems that are quite significant. She appreciated my concern and continued to chat with me as now we were both on one area of the pool and exercising together. So, I made a new acquaintance yesterday who needs prayer. More importantly, I sowed a seed. I think I made the most of that opportunity. I may never see Deborah again, but I will pray that she remembers that there is a Christian that she met “by chance” at the pool who will be praying for her. Do you make the most of every opportunity? I just have to tell you that speaking to strangers is way out of my comfort zone, but God keeps telling me to step out, so I have been trying to follow His encouragement. Only God could send another Spanish teacher for me to talk to because He knows that is a good first step for me since we already have so much in common. I love the Lord and I want to share His love and goodness with others who are without hope or who are seeking hope. I implore you to follow this Scripture. I am doing my best to live wisely and to use opportunities that God gives me to share His love and salvation. If all of us would live out this Scripture, I think that we could change the world, one person at a time. Want to join me in trying?

I loved this heart-warming story of a young woman seeking solace in a small village by the sea, where she and her family used to enjoy memorable vacations.  Now she has returned to heal from a tragedy that is beyond belief and in so doing she encounters Keaton, a young man who met her and was strongly affected by her when she was a girl.  She also meets Melly, a recluse with secrets, and Preston, a man with a big heart for animals and people.  There are other minor characters, but the main character is Annie and she influences all of their lives.  Her tragedy becomes hope for others in the town, little by little.  This was an excellent story of hope and redemption and will be thoroughly enjoyed by fans of Debbie Macomber and those who enjoy a light romance with a really good story.

Disclaimer

I checked out this book on the Libby library app.  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.”

If you were to appear in court today faced with the charges of your sins, what would you be charged with?  Would you have to admit “Guilty” to charges of lying, gossiping, or any other sin?  In the grand scheme of things, we think of these sins as small ones.  But, as I told my Sunday school students yesterday, God cannot look at sin, any sin, no matter how small or how egregious.  If you want to spend eternity in the presence of God, you cannot be filled with sin.  One sin is not worse than another.  The person who murders has the same standing with God as the person who lies or gossips.  That’s a hard truth to understand, isn’t it?  But God is just and must punish sin.  That’s where the answer comes in, and if you haven’t accepted the answer, you will die in your sins and never be allowed in the presence of the Almighty.  That’s harsh, right?  So is sin!

God provided for us sinners by sending Jesus to die for us.  He took ALL of our sins on the cross and died for us there.  He died so that we can live with the Father forever.  His death was horrendous, the worst punishment that the Roman government could imagine and bring to reality.  But Jesus went to the cross willingly so that we could live free of our sin, no matter how big or small.  Now, I am one of those who had a hard time understanding and believing that my “small” sins were just as important to God as the big sins that I read about in the newspaper—the killing and the stealing and the cheating.  But, in preparing and teaching my lesson yesterday, I came at last to the understanding that there is no reasonable sin with God, no sin that you can stand before Him and say, “But that was just a little sin, and just one time.”  God cannot look on sin, period.  Have you read in the Bible that Jesus was on the cross and cried out, “Why have you forsaken me?”  God had to turn away from His own Son when Jesus took our sin on Himself and died for us.  The Good News is that Jesus did not stay in the grave.  He was resurrected, and so shall we be because of His great sacrifice.  So, when you stand before God, you can say, “Not Guilty because of the blood of Jesus.”  You can’t say “no sins” because you know that is not the truth, but you can say that the charges against you have been cancelled, crossed out, erased, moved from God’s memory deliberately because He knows who has accepted His Son as their Savior.  I hope you are one who can stand flawless before the King.

This is the best feel-good about Christmas book that I have ever read.  The story of Callie, the octogenarian who is determined to create a happy holiday for her overworked granddaughter Sydney, is both heart-warming and realistic.  The unexpected character in the story is Finn, the cab driver who is tasked with driving Callie around town so that she can “catch Christmas.”  Callie is well aware that she is old and not able to take care of holiday errands, so she is delighted to find a helper in Finn.  He’s like a reluctant Christmas elf, driving Callie all around town and seldom getting paid for his troubles because the elderly lady keeps forgetting to pay him.  The humor in the book was light but was always present, as was the feeling that time was short for Callie.  The theme of valuing time with those you love was well expressed, as I was quickly drawn into the story of Sydney rushing from work to caring for her grandmother, back to work, etc.  Finn was my favorite character because he gave his time reluctantly at first, blaming Sydney for her lack of care for her ailing grandmother.  When Finn and Sydney finally get together, Callie finds her happy Christmas.  It’s their getting together that is the heart of the story and Callie’s ability to see the good and love in both young people is touching and heart-wrenching.  I loved this timely Christmas story from one of my favorite Christian authors!  It will definitely prepare your heart for the holidays, with the desire to spend Christmas with loved ones.  

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers 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.”

I have been watching the Kavanaugh hearing for the Supreme Court since the sexual allegations were made.  If true, they rightly should have upended his nomination.  My consistent prayer was that the truth would be revealed. And slowly and painfully, it was.  Senator Feinstein held on to the letter for over six weeks, releasing it when it could do the most harm.  The hearing was held and there was no corroborataion to Dr. Ford’s testimony.  None.  I heard Dr. Ford’s testimony and I feel very sorry for her, that she was a tool of the Democratic party and really lost a lot of her life, her privacy, by going public, something that she never wanted to do.  So, now the Republicans are doing a happy dance, rejoicing in their victory and the fact that for the first time in decades, there will be a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.  In the interest of honesty, I am a registered Republican, but I have to also state that I vote for the person, not the party.  And I seek out the person who is pro-life.  That being said, I am appalled at the events that have taken place since this allegation surfaced.  I do believe that something happened to Dr. Ford, but I do not believe that Brett Kavanaugh was the one who assaulted her.  Now his name and family will forever be tainted by an untruth perpetrated by the Democrats just to win power.  In my reading yesterday, I found a Scripture that is perfect for me today.

There are no winners in this debacle that was supposed to be a dignified hearing in the U.S. Senate.  But those who want to boast should read and heed this Scripture.  The only thing that we can be proud of is that we know and understand who the Lord is.  God delights in love and righteousness and justice, period!  That is what we can boast about—God, only God.  He is worthy and man’s petty victories are not.  So, I say to the Republicans:  “Get over yourselves.  Repent and get to know the Lord.”  I say to the Democrats who have also won a victory of sorts over decency and dignity: “Repent.  Get to know the Lord.”  Only in knowing Him and His love and righteousness can we truly have a reason to boast.   Everything that we do should be for God, knowing that all of our choices demonstrate who we really are.  The old saying is that “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”  That’s what Christians need to do now.  We need to toughen up because the fight is real.  There is not just a fight on the streets and in the Senate.  There is a daily fight in our lives to do what is right, to truly think about doing what we do in love, to think about our Righteous Lord who gave His life for us.  Whatever we do, if we say that we are a Christian, others in the world are watching.  They are waiting for us to fall.  Or, they see us gain a victory and then boast about what a good thing we did instead of giving the glory to God.  No, there are no winners in D.C. today.  But we can be winners when we remember that our only reason to boast is that we know God, period.  I appreciate the pro-athletes who give glory to God by pointing to the sky when they prevail.  I appreciate the public leaders and celebrities who give glory to God for their power and talents.  I am going to try from now on to remember that it is not I who has intelligence or humor or any of the abilities that I have.  It is God who is working in me.  I am His vessel and I know that I am only righteous through Him.  I boast in the Lord, not in a conservative Supreme Court or a President who has claimed another victory for himself.  I boast in the Lord—first, last and always.  Those of you who call yourselves Christians would be wise to do the same.  

The death of my best friend six months ago is still heavy on my heart.  Then, in my reading yesterday, I found this Scripture.  It really makes sense to me when I think about how much God loves us for our entire lives here on earth.  He cares when we die, and I think that is because He knows that we are leaving loved ones behind to grieve.  My husband is still meeting weekly with Bob, Heidi’s widower.  I always send Bob my love, but I haven’t gotten to the point where I can sit in a restaurant across from him without Heidi.  He is preparing their home to sell and planning to move to Alabama, so I know that I will have to cross that threshold soon.  I also know that God will be with me when it happens.  I certainly don’t want to sit and cry during the whole meal.  God meets me in my grief right where I am.  He is giving me new friends to talk to and relate with.  It’s hard not to compare them with Heidi, her big laughter and her smile that changed her whole face.  Nevertheless, I am comforted that one day I will see Heidi again and that God will rejoice at our reunion.  After all, He cares deeply for her and for me.  

In one of the last times that I saw Heidi, we talked about her flower garden.  She was sad that she didn’t get to go home and work in it and see the fruits of her labor.  I asked her what her favorite flower was and she told me a purple aster.  So, after she died, I asked my husband to please find some purple aster plants.  He found seeds for me and planted them in our front garden.  I didn’t know anything about the flower until I looked it up online.  It blooms in September, which was Heidi’s birth month.  Now, I am blessed with this sight out of all of my front windows and each time I get into my car to leave.  I know it is only an annual flower, so we will have to plant it again.  But this beautiful flower is a reminder to me of Heidi’s love for her life here on earth and how much she was loved by God.  He ended her suffering and took her to be with Him.  What a lovely thought to have to start my day!  If you have someone who passed away and you are remembering them, that is good.  It is helping you to heal from your grief and to come to terms with the fact that everyone will die one day.  And God cares!

Sometimes we feel like we are lost in a forest and don’t know the way out.  There is evil all around us, people making poor choices with awful consequences.  We see it and then we get caught up in it ourselves and can’t move on.  God has the answer in the Book of Jeremiah.  These words were spoken to the nation of Israel, but I think that they most certainly apply to whatever nation you and I live in today.  The evil is real; it’s part of the national headlines daily.  There are rapes and murders, small children being killed, Godly people being maligned, and lies everywhere.  I don’t know what to believe about what is presented on the media, but I do know that God’s Word is true.  The only way that we can find rest is to go on the path that God has for us, but many of us are stubborn and want to continue in our own way, doing whatever “makes us feel good” because that is the current way of the world. But that is NOT God’s way!  He wants us to choose the path of life, to pray before we step out and make poor decisions.  

If you are like me, you have a tendency to worry, or at least that was my go-to behavior in the past.  I am working on changing that because I am hiding God’s Word in my heart and He tells me not to worry, but to pray.  On Tuesay, I followed my usual routine of arising early, reading my Bible and praying.  I record my prayers in a prayer diary and encourage everyone to do likewise.  That way, you can look back in your prayer journal and see all of the times that God has answered your prayers.  But, I digress.  So, back to my journal entry on Tuesday.  I prayed for the safety of each of my children and grandchildren.  I never know what they will be facing each day, so I pray for God’s protection over them daily.  That particular day, unbeknownst to me, my daughter was faced with driving through hail and heavy rains, with tornado warnings blasting all along her route.  Why was she out in this storm?  Because her beloved eldest daughter was at a Cross Country meet and the school bus had not been able to turn around and return to the safety of the school.  So, Hope drove through the storms in time to get to Teya, make sure she was safe and pray with her. Shortly thereafter, the storms ceased and all was okay.  What a scary event to go through!  I didn’t find out about it until that evening, but I certainly give God the glory for protecting and watching over them.  Now, I could pray and then sit and wring my hands in worry all day since I never know what activities my family will be doing that day and what they may face.  Today, I do know that my baby brother (he’s in his fifties, so he’s certainly not a real baby), is having a nuclear test on his heart.  So, he is in my prayers.  I could sit here and be anxious about the results of the test, but I am choosing to rest in God and His grace and mercy.  He knew my brother before I did and He loves him much more than I ever could.

Once I have prayed, and I have and will continue to do so, I can experience the peace of God.  His peace will take care of my wandering mind and my heart that threatens to race away with me when I am feeling anxious.  God knows what my brother has need of; and He knows what I need.  He is strengthening me today, just as He does every day, preparing me to face the challenges of the day.  No matter what I face, I know that Christ lives in me and will enable me to do the task, to the best of my ability.  Long ago, I chose the path that I was going to follow.  But I also make that same choice daily, to follow the path that God wants me to be on, with Him in the lead and my following closely behind.  That is what God wants for you and for each of His beloved children.  Yes, the world is a mess, but you don’t have to be.  You choose…eternal life and peace or lost in a forest with no way out.  It’s not that hard a choice, is it?  Choose life!  Choose God!  He already chose you!  

People in today’s modern world are rushing around and many are hurting but they are hiding that hurt.  They are anxious or fear what the day or what tomorrow may bring.  Those of us who know Christ have the answer and many of us are keeping that message to ourselves.  We need to share a kind word with everyone we meet.  We are moving on in the race of life, but we  must not forget that our fellow man is running the same race without the hope that lives in us. W don’t have to fear death or stumble along without knowing where we are going.  We start each day with prayer and move through the day with the confidence that God will be there for us, no matter what the day holds.  Can you imagine not having that hope, that confidence that God is in your corner during the daily battles?  That is the hopelessness that many face, and yet we walk around without offering the answer they need.  Using the Lord’s leading, I urge you to share the hope that is in you with someone today:  the lady behind you in the long checkout line, the cashier who grimaces at the long line but continues to struggle to do her job, the man at the child care center picking up his child.  The list goes on and on.  We all meet different people every day with whom we can share our hope so that they can have hope, too. Yes, some will turn away in disgust at what you share, but sow those seeds because people need that hope, even those who don’t admit it or really know that they need God.  Just keep spreading the good news; that’s the race that we are running until Jesus comes.  In an age where all the news is bad all the time, we have the GOOD NEWS.  Share it!

We are all wayward children.  “But, wait!” You are confused because you are a Christian who has the Lord in your heart and you have been forgiven.  So, how are we all wayward children?  Because we need to get on our knees and pray for our nation, whatever nation that you are from.  God’s judgment is real and it is coming, but He does not desire to destroy us.  He wants a relationship with us, so He tarries and delays His righteous judgment of the evil in the world.  This is my prayer for the United States, that we will recognize God as our Lord and return to Him.  I was once a wayward child.  I have a lot of friends and relatives that are wayward children.  I want all of them to honor Jesus Christ as their Savior, so I pray that God will heal the wayward hearts, including mine because I am not perfect yet.  I want to be a witness to a great revival in which Americans cry out to God that they are coming to Him and recognizing Him as the Lord our God.  This is a very simple post, but I am writing to encourage you, no matter what your personal relationship is with God, please take some time to pray for your nation, for God’s wayward children.  He doesn’t say, “Rebellious sinners!”  He calls us and others His children; it’s just that we lost our way and must find our way back to Him.  God reaches out and we need to respond with the same love that He shows us.  This is my prayer for today, one of repentance and revival.  We so need it!