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.

Resting

On October 31, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture1 Comment

My husband and I both got sick this week. We have some kind of flu, with coughing and sneezing and a low fever. In short, we have been pretty miserable. Harry got sick first, starting with symptoms on Wednesday night. My heart clutched once I heard him coughing because I just about always catch any germs that float around me since my immune system is compromised. Well, I lasted until Friday and then came the drainage down my throat and the plethora of asthma meds that I take so that I can breathe without struggling.

As I prepared for bed last night, I was concerned that I would not be able to sleep since breathing is more difficult once I lie down. I left my husband in the den watching his game and taking his med, used my nebulizer and headed to bed. It was amazing! After praying for all the Lord brought to my mind, I said a simple prayer asking God to give me the rest I needed to get stronger. I was amazed (I guess I should have not been so surprised) when I awakened this morning after having more sleep than I normally get when I am well. Rest is a gift from the Lord, just as each breath we take.

I awoke coughing, but I also awoke feeling rested. Praise God for His answer to prayer!

God gave us the example of resting and knows that our bodies need it. As I have aged, I have found that by late afternoon just about daily, I need a nap. It’s not just that I want to take a nap. I get a little fuzzy brained and I know that I really need to lie down and refresh my body. Yesterday, I tried to take a nap but I coughed too much and couldn’t really rest. So, I was somewhat surprised that I was able to rest all night without choking and grabbing my rescue inhaler. God is so good! He answers prayers for the weak, the weary and even those who don’t have high expectations for the answer.

My testimony is that of Jeremiah the prophet. God satisfied me with a pleasant sleep and I feel better today. I am still taking all of my meds, using my nebulizer and inhalers and nasal spray, but I am feeling stronger. I am so thankful that the Lord who created me knows what I need and provides it for me. Peaceful rest, away from the feelings of gasping for air and gagging on mucus. God loves me, even when I am too weary to exercise my faith properly.

May the Lord bless you with His rest and His peace today and throughout the week.

Real Hope

On October 29, 2022 By vickleaIn ScriptureLeave a comment

As humans, we have a tendency to wake up each day and hope for a good day with good things to happen in our lives. God wants that for us, too, but more importantly, He wants us to realize and to tell others that the only hope we have is in Jesus.

God spoke the world into existence and Jesus was right there with Him. Then, when God sent His Son to earth, He did not come to save us because of our own worthiness. Rather, we are saved only because of God’s great mercy. He sent and He saved.

We cannot overcome the sin in our own lives by just hoping that it will go away. We have to believe that Jesus delivered us from that sin on the cross and that we don’t have to bow to sin any longer. We are children of the Most High God, not slaves to sin as we once were. There is where our real hope lies, for today and for eternity.

If we awaken and have hope in things or events coming to pass, then our hope is misplaced. We need to fix our hope on the grace that Jesus gives us each day and the grace that will be ultimately revealed when He returns and takes us to be with Him. That is our real hope.

When I awakened this morning, I was thankful for a new day and hopeful for what it would bring. With my devotional completed and my meditation on the word “hope”, God has shown me that He is my hope and things that happen are just circumstances that change from moment to moment. But His love, grace and mercy in my life stand forever. Real hope!

May each of you know the real hope that is only found in the person of Christ Jesus. God bless you!

Focusing on God

On October 29, 2022 By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

I know that you are aware that the more problems you have in life, the more your focus is turned towards the problems. I am a walking, talking testimony that focusing on the issues does no good, but focusing on God gives new insight into the problems, whatever they may be.

This Scripture seems to promise deliverance from all trouble. But it doesn’t say that the troubles won’t come, just that God will deliver us from them. Nor does the verse explain exactly how that deliverance will come. I think that is because the Lord has already provided an answer to all of our troubles (problems) through His Son that He sent to save us from our sins. At the root of most, if not all of our troubles, lies sin. We live in a fallen world. Lots of sickness? Lots of financial troubles? Lots of…you fill in the blank. The bottom line is sin and God has already provided the answer. However, Jesus is not a magic genie that you rub the bottle and get an immediate response that solves all of your problems. The troubles we face or ones that we have to deal with just like the rest of humanity, because the world is one that has turned its back on God. But unlike the unsaved, we still have hope, the assurance that no matter what is going on in our lives, God is in control and will ultimately take care of us. He will either take us out of the situation (rare, in my experience) or will lead us through it in a way that will give glory to Him if we will only be patient and follow the path He establishes for us.

As I stated in a previous post, God has not moved. It is up to us to acknowledge His sovereignty and to wait for Him to act. We need to be mature enough to wait quietly before Him, constant in our faith and in our total assurance that He is already acting on our behalf.

No crops, no food, no animals to provide skins for clothing and meat to eat? Is the answer to throw a pity party and rail against God? Of course not! The answer comes after the word “yet.” It means “despite anything to the contrary” according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. A synonym is “nevertheless.” I think of it as “in spite of all that has come before.” So, the verse is “In spite of no buds on the fig tree, no grapes on the vines, no olives, no food and no livestock, I will, nevertheless, rejoice in the Lord.” We don’t rejoice because we have troubles. We keep our focus on God and rejoice in spite of them. When we keep our focus on God and not the problems, then we can focus on how He is is acting on our behalf, not on how everything is wrong and seems against us. God is always for us, but sometimes we focus on the problems and cannot see that God is working out a solution that makes more sense for us than anything we could come up with using our finite minds and resources.

The conclusion is that troubles will come because we live in a fallen world. But that is not the end of the story. The “rest of the story” (as a great radio personality named Paul Harvey used to say) is the most important part. God is on His throne and acting for us; our part is to wait and to rejoice. The waiting is hard and the rejoicing may be even more difficult sometimes, but the alternative is hopelessness as we focus on problems instead of on God. May we ever remember that as long as we have breath to pray and praise, we have hope! But God…

Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner