Hello Spring

By Lori Boruff

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

Psalm 94:19 NLT

           Have doubts filled your mind leaving you frozen in your faith? Renee Swope, author of  A Confident Heart—How to Stop Doubting Yourself & Live in the Security of God's Promises, writes “Doubt keeps us from believing things can get better.  Doubt convinces us that it's not worth the effort.”

Well, I have good news. Winter is over. Spring is here. It's a new season!

            Like daffodils and dandelions popping through thawed ground, the comfort found in God's word pushes through dead thoughts of doubts and despair .

            Hope blossom in the light of God's word. Cheer grows in the garden by His fertile favor.

       Good-bye Winter Blues                            Hello Spring                           Look in God's Garden

You say: “It's impossible”	God says: All things are possible	Luke 18:27
You say: “Nobody loves me”	God says:  I love you	John 3:16
You say: “I can't figure things out”	God says: I will direct your steps	Proverbs 3:5-6
You say: “I can't do it”	God says: You can do all things	Philippians 4:13
You say: “I'm afraid”	God says: I have not given you fear	II Timothy 1:7
You say: “I'm not smart enough”	God says: I give you wisdom	I Corinthians 1:30
You say: “I'm always worried”	God says: Cast all your cares on Me	I Peter 5:7

Thank you, God of Hope, for new seasons.

 I declare this is the first day of spring in my mind and heart.

Whenever doubt and despair creep in, I say Hello Spring!

I trust You, Lord, to give me comfort through Your word.

I'm excited to watch my garden of faith grow into something beautiful for Your glory!

In Jesus' Name – Amen.

GOING RAW

By Sharon Wilhite

I'm going on an all raw diet. No cooked to mush veggies, no fruit cocktail and cobblers, no gravy smothered meat, and no calorie laden snacks and drinks with zero nutritional value. Yes, I'm going raw - to reacquaint my taste buds with the flavor of real, unadorned fruits, vegetables, and water.

 

Actually, although that sounds very healthy, my self-imposed diet isn't food based at all but literary based. No mushy romance novels, no fruity fad books, no Christian truths smothered under suspense and no books with zero spiritual or practical value.

 

My mind is fat and lazy; I find myself jittery, unable to concentrate, craving instant gratification of the flesh -withdrawal symptoms for sure! I'm going raw, and the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is so weak.

 

  ("For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6)

Make Anything Happen NOW

By Kathryn Lang

"If you want something to happen in your life then you can't sit around and wait for it to come to you." The words were for my husband, but they smacked me pretty hard as well. There are things that I dream about and hope for, but what am I really doing to make them a reality in my life?

The answer is nothing.

Stepping out into my dreams can be like walking in Alabama mud. It saps the energy and fills the mind with dread that at any moment I can fall. My own thoughts about pursuing the dream are soon crowed out by questions and fears. It seems easier to stay where I am than risk not getting to where I want to be.

Fear of failure cannot be an option. After all, the only guaranteed way to fail is to not even try. It may be scary to jump out with nothing but faith holding me up. The road ahead may be dark, intimidating and even overwhelming. The mountain may look impossible from this vantage point. One step small step out, just one little piece of the puzzle at a time, and a long, deep breath will get me going in the right direction.

Martina McBride has a song called "Anyway." In it the lyrics talk about dreams so out of reach that they might not ever work out but that you should dream anyway. It's one of those songs that sticks in my head and encourages me to dare to believe.

Believing and dreaming are only part of the equation. Like I was telling my husband, I have to do. So today I will do more than dream. Today is the day that I leap.

What are you letting anchor you to the ground so that you are unable to fly towards your dreams?

Dare to Dream

By Michael Elmore 

Back in 1989 a movie which was later to become a cult classic was released in theaters nation-wide. It was called “The Field of Dreams.” You can watch the movie trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKL-j0vXzqI&feature=related  .  In the film, a disembodied voice speaks to Kevin Costner through a dream. He hears a voice that tells him, “If you build it, he will come.” Of course the dream was about meeting his father whom he only slightly knew and experiencing a relationship with his dad that he had missed as a child. Kevin Costner’s character, “Ray”, had a significant dream that changed his life and impacted the lives of countless people around the globe making them realize the importance of having a dream.

Psychologists agree that the ability to dream is vital to the well-being of the human psyche. Dreams are at times full of meaningless drivel that doesn’t really matter in the scheme of all things and at other times they are have significant value. The pages of the Bible are filled with accounts of important biblical characters that God spoke to them through relevant, meaningful and significant dreams. Genesis records the life of Joseph whose dreams affected not only his destiny to become second-in-command of all Egypt, but saved the lives of his family as well as the future nation of Israel. In fact, we often refer to him as “the dreamer.” Joseph’s dreams and the dreams of scores of others throughout the Bible impacted countless lives. They continue to do so to this very day.

Dreams can be significant and can be pathways through which God speaks to us. He continues to speak to us today through the dreams he places in our hearts. Joel 2:28 tells us this very things, “In the last days,” the Lord says, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.” The Bible says that God still puts dreams in the human hearts!

I believe that God speaks to us many times by putting dreams within our hearts. I ask you today, “What dream has God placed in your heart?” God has a vision, yes even a dream for your life. If you only have faith, I believe that God will fulfill the dream that He has given you. The secret is that God’s dreams do not just remain dreams but with the empowerment of His Spirit, our dreams will become reality. Even broken, crushed or unfulfilled dreams can become reality if we simply put our trust in God.

The Will To Believe In Yourself

By Marvin Ferguson

"The Will To Believe In Yourself "is an idea that I have often taken for granted. With all the human effort I can muster up along with being constantly bombarded with information (television, internet, and more), in this age, what else do I need?

When I first heard Frank Sinatra's rendition of "I Believe For Every Drop Of Rain That Falls," it brought a new awareness to my mind. Listen to the words: I believe for every drop of rain that falls; A flower grows; I believe that somewhere in the darkest night; A candle glows; I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come, to show the way; I believe, I believe. Needless to say the emphasis is on the word "Believe." And the song goes on.

The Denver Broncos made it into the 2011 NFL playoffs through blood, sweat, and tears along with a lot of hard work. However, their efforts wouldn't have been complete without Tim Teebow, quarterback, encouraging all the guys to believe in themselves.

Throughout my childhood and early adult life, I'd occasionally meet with discouragement at my front door. And to learn to cope with it, my mother, bless her heart, would say to me, "Just say you'll do it, and it will get done." Now, years later, reflecting over those words of wisdom, I think she was trying to say to me in her broken English, European background, to have confidence in whatever I do and wonderful things will happen.

The moral of this story is that people must have "The Will To Believe In Themselves." And if they carry this idea in their mindset, all things are possible.

Please don't construe "The Will To Believe In Yourself" with Spiritual Security. That's a topic to discuss on another day.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER?

By Narola Grady

Several  years ago, I had a camping experience that changed my life.  It was sponsored by a group called CFO, which stands for Camps Farthest Out.  It is a nondenominational organization where people go deeper in their walk with the Lord…literally, farther out than they have been before.  This blog gives you a taste of what it’s all about.

The other day I thought about my first CFO camp experience.  Friends invited me for three years, but I always said no.  It was 1999 and money was tight in Davenport.  I was trying to hang onto my ‘togetherness’ when it was falling apart.  A vacation sounded wonderful, even if it meant visiting Cedar Falls, Iowa.  That’s how I said yes to CFO.  Thank God for scholarships!

All hell broke loose the week before.  The transmission went on the car.  A friend tried to commit suicide, so I spent time in the hospital with her.  Someone loaned me a car so my son, Sean, and I could go.  Forget the Martha Stewart approach.  I threw clothes in a suitcase, grabbed the sleeping bags, and we hit the road!

My picture of Christianity focused on Bible knowledge and faithfulness in duty.  It was important to know the right answers for any situation.  Doing instead of being.

CFO didn’t fit that mold.  My mind worked overtime trying to figure this place out.  In the midst of that struggle, people were accepting not only me, but each other.  My spirit was soaking in the love, but my brain wanted to nail down every jot and tittle.  Intrigued, I kept coming back.

Every time I found the same mix of ingredients:  All kinds of people, an emphasis on prayer and kingdom living, and unconditional love from Spirit led folks.  And every time I went, I found myself changing.

For several years, I struggled to explain this experience.  Finally God gave me the right words in a letter to my brother.  “People from all different backgrounds come to CFO, but that’s not really important.  What is important is being the Body of Christ together.  I had to drop my title as Bible expert and realize it’s not my job to change everyone.  Instead, we all focus on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit be our teacher.  For me, it’s like stepping into Jesus’ world instead of trying to squeeze Him into a small corner of my existence.  I learn to actively practice His presence all day long.

As we focus on the Holy Spirit, the place comes alive!  In prayer groups, we adore the Lord in His beauty.  We are the Body that washes His feet with our praise and admiration for who He is.  When needs come up, we find the basis of our unity is a love He has poured into us.  We in turn pour that over the person in need.”

Are we perfect?  No, not by any means.  Sometimes the needs are great, but as we humble ourselves before God, He fills us with healing love.  We learn with others through a practical show-and-tell way what it’s like to be children in the Kingdom.  You get simple.  You drop pretenses.  You laugh a lot.  We share intensely what God is doing in our lives.  There is no TV or radio to break the rhythm, so we can focus on ‘Emmanuel’ – God with us – and practice what is to be the daily tenor of our lives.

CFO is a recipe for healthy Body Life in God’s Kingdom.  At a Winter Retreat, I wrote: “I feel at home in Your Body, Lord.  I haven’t always felt at ease in my physical body, but that’s changing.  Now I marvel as I watch each person ‘be’ who You made them to be in Your presence.  It’s so rich.  Thank You that in CFO, there really is no place like home.

(For more information about Iowa CFO, contact me and I’ll send you a brochure.  My phone number is 563-381-3980.  You can also go to www.acfona.org  for a list of 2012  camps and retreats in the U.S.

Leapin' Leap Year!

By Gail P. Smith

“Time is the currency of the new millennium,” or so I read back in 1999.  (Wow, that seems so long ago, now.)  If that is true, then I have a gift beyond measure for you this week, something not even Warren Buffet can buy.  It’s the gift of time.

This Wednesday only, ladies and gents,   I’ve been authorized by Pope Gregory XIII to offer you the extremely rare and incredibly precious gift of 24 extra hours to your week! I’ve heard all you moaners and groaners out there carrying on about how you NEVER have enough time, and so this week I’m presenting you with entire day, free of charge, to get those procrastinated tasks done.  But . . . maybe that’s not what you’d do with an extra day.

So I want to know—what will YOU do with this “extra” day that’s been added to your life?

Now I know that most of us have obligations that don’t recognize that of all days, Leap Year Day should be a holiday and we should be left to our own devices.  I’m afraid that in order for  most of us to enjoy this day to the fullest we will have to take a trip to another nation—the imagine-nation.  It’s a great place where we can just take that day and use it any way we want.  How will you use your extra day in imagination land?  Go skiing, fly to Paris or the moon, or visit Disneyland or Hogwarts?  The only limit to your journey is your own creativity.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to actually be able to choose what you want to do this February 29.  What’s your plan?  I sincerely hope you don’t intend to let this valuable and one time (every four years) gift go unwrapped.  Grab this Wednesday, tear the paper off that puppy and DO something out of the ordinary.  A day like this doesn’t come around every week, month or year, you know.   Create your own memory by doing something, (anything) special or silly or sweet or even daring, (like swimsuit shopping, --no, that’s TOO daring!)

I am posting this on Monday to give you plenty of time to plan what you’ll be doing with your “plus one” day.  Read a book, bake a pie, call a friend, take a nap (that's for the mommies reading this,) go skinny-dipping or sky-diving. Or just take a walk in the park.  Leap day is your gift.  It’s up to you what you’ll do with it. 

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to take a moment to thank the Creator of Time for this precious present not only of today, but of every day of your life.  When you think about it, isn’t every day a gift of love to each of us to use as we choose? 

 Thank you, Lord for the gift of an “extra” day this week.  May we use it in a way that makes you smile.  Amen

 

Thanks to refininglife.blogspot.com for the perfect picture!

Winter

By Jeannetter Doran

Winter comes with a deep sleep of the land when all possibility of life seems bleak and barren. Darkness and cold settle over all. Bare branches give no hope of future growth. Yet soon we see how lovingly the gentle snow blankets the fields, giving needed protection. Later we watch melting snow providing the wanted water. As the necessary winter of the land prepares for the future abundance our soul’s fruition depends on its own winters.
In our soul’s winter it’s a time of solitude and waiting, a time of prayer. Yes, God is hidden in the darkness but the stars do shine more the darker the sky. Our winters can be long and intense. Just as the land’s bleakness and sleep seem long and severe so, too in our soul this is felt. In our heart we seem to find no joy or meaning. It appears to be a time of emptiness, and absence. This is also a precious time for secret soul growth when one nurtures the seeds of hope and faith. Holding on in the darkness and nothingness we believe God is with us and will carry us through our winter to the joys of a heavenly spring. We grasp with all our hearts our God, who is near in the dark. We trust and believe we will never be abandoned but someday will hear our Beloved call our name with great tenderness. Our winters are times when we learn to live in the light of faith while feeling surrounded by darkness. How necessary it is to wait in our spiritual journey, to wait in silence, to try to turn off all external stimuli and search with all one’s being for interior silence. To penetrate into the silence as the seed enters the womb of the soil. As we come to listen to and to taste the silence we find rest in the silence and becoming more enfolded in the silence a light will shine from our innermost being. This light will eventually radiate out to all about us as the spring blossoms diffuse their delicate fragrance. May we all know the vast beauty of this radiant fragrance.

Book Brain—Writers’ Plight

By Kristi Paxton

Book Brain. I heard an NPR discussion of a so-called syndrome that reportedly plagues writers everywhere. (Perhaps it happens when a brain becomes so occupied writing a book, that it’s simply too exhausted for everyday use) As I recall, writers often stop, mid-conversation, and can’t bring the proper common word to their tongues. Then they panic, and the word loss gets worse. Some smart person named the malady “Book Brain.”

Before I knew about “Book Brain,” I had already named it “Oversimplifying.”  When at a word loss, every container I tried to name became a “bucket.”  When I couldn’t bring “hopper” or “Crockpot” or “reservoir” or “shot glass” to my lips, I just sheepishly used the word “bucket,” and then made a lame joke about it. “Oh, and dinner is in the bucket next to the sink.”

The day I reported my “Book Brain” discovery to our writers’ group, they emitted a collective sigh of relief, all of them having kept a secret from their family and friends, of their sudden onset of Alzheimer’s or senility or oversimplification. We shared hilarious stories of words that got away at inopportune moments—what name to call a sister-in-law, a mailbox or a pair of capris.

Apparently, “Book Brain” disappears when a writer sits down at a computer or a notebook. Somehow a writer’s brain magically bypasses the verbal part of the brain and translates into black-on-white the perfect word. Brain to paper, easy-peasy. Brain to tongue, not so much.

Frankly, I’m thankful for my, uh, er—what do you call it—Book Brain.

Uh-oh.

Have you heard?

By Helen Knueven

There is a house that has church services in Glen Ellyn, IL.  It wasn't a one-time event; either.  It has been going on for over a decade.   The picture of the house was on the front page of the Glen Ellyn News.  Can you believe it?  People were assembling in their house with others who were of like mind.  They were not just talking or having a nice dinner, either.  Somehow they had the nerve to pray!  If you don't believe me, it was in the paper as if some covert operation was taking place.   People in a house - praying. 

After a government worker caught wind of it, they were told they needed a permit.  They complied with the government and sought a permit but still seems to be a topic of debate.  It is clearly a violation of the constitution to me, for the government to get involved with ‘the right to assemble’.  It is also an ironic twist on the interpretation of separation of church and state.

I often read of government intervention to prayer meetings in China and how this agitates the government.  You can read for yourself about in the Voice of the Martyrs magazine.

But in the last few years you can read articles cropping up in America that tries to can prayer meetings through zoning ordinances and religious harrasment laws. 

But I think there is a lot of good news here anyway.

I have a feeling they were not just praying for their houses to sell, their bosses to get off their backs, or that they woud have a more fulfilling job. No, I don't think that self centered prayers get too much attention.  I suspect they were praying for the salvation of souls and because of the power coming from those kind of prayers, it was felt within the community.

 Have you ever wondered if your little prayer made a difference?

There is a government higher than any one on this earth - and we can reach the One in charge!  He, who died for us, in front of a multitude, now sits on a throne.  Our prayers are welcome; especially when we want to see His kingdom come here on earth.  There is a promise attached with praying in secret - an open reward.

 However we may need to stretch our idea of that word.  Some have been counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus.

 Matthew 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

The Ministry of Accepting Myself

By Brenda Lysak

I did everyone a favor by hating myself. This attitude gave voice to apologetic self depreciating remarks, a cover up. The reality of me scared me.  I thought I was looking after the problem so I wouldn’t be a bother to anyone. I thought rejecting me was a motivating exfoliating punishment. Strangely I was trying to protect myself. I thought if I rejected me, no one else would.

Unfortunately, or happily, not accepting myself turned out to be evil.  The hatred spilled out all around me.  Imagine, the decisions I made during that time!  If I could rewrite my story, what different caring thoughtful exciting decisions might I have made on my behalf?

About 16 years ago awhile reading and rereading Romans chapters 1-6 every day for 30 or more days not only was I radically born again but also experienced a revelation about the evil of hating myself. I did an emotional U-turn.  I had to use my mustard size faith to avoid the plunging emotions of self hatred that had become my default mechanism. But because my belief system had changed my behavior changed.

A perfect holy God accepts me awhile fully knowing the depths of my depravity. If God loves me who do I think I am to hate myself?! I recognized the evil of prejudice yet I was prejudiced against myself. Of all the people I am responsible for how irresponsible to dislike myself.

I have been on a journey of growing awareness of just how good the Good News is.  How deep, how wide, how high, is God’s love.  I will never forget the day the revelation of God being bigger than my stuff hit me. I could see all of me and smile because I had become aware of who my Savior was.

I sang this song over and over before it hit me. My past, present or future is not the issue, who Jesus is, is all that matters. Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what you are; I am finding out the greatness of your loving heart. You have bid me gaze upon you, and your beauty fills my soul. For by your transforming power you have made me whole. (Jean Pigott, 1845-1882)

Find YOUR Ways to Get Beyond

By Kathryn Lang

Writing for a living can be difficult on many days and worse than pulling a tooth on others. The content may not be something you love or even enjoy, but it is always important to someone. It would be nice if someone could invent a liquid form of "you go girl" for those days when my motivation has burrowed into a hole and refuses to come out.

Take one more step - that is what I keep telling myself. The only way I can arrive at my destination is if I continue to move towards that destination. It is just when the energy wanes and the inspiration dissipates, all I want to do is stay in bed (except to get out and soak in a hot bath). The last thing I want to do is push at something that seems more likely to never happen.

Yes, even a woman that lives in a world of rainbows and lollipops can have her down days.

The difference between a life of success and one of failure lies in a desire that will find some way to get those moments and days of "nothing is going right" and get back into the track of "everything is possible."

Develop YOUR Ways

1. Get some motivation music. It does not have to motivate anyone but you - so whatever makes you want to dance, sing or go sliding through your house in your underwear and white tee shirt is the right choice for you.

2. Build a cheerleading squad. There will be days when you will not be able to find the energy on your own. It may be that the car has stalled in the intersection and it just refuses to budge. It is important to have someone that will get out with you and push - or that will do all the pushing while you try and steer.

3. Accomplish something. A small task, checked off and moved past, can lead to another small task being overcome. Sometimes these small accomplishments can drive the desire to see the mountain as a mole hill and begin climbing again.

4. Create a fall back plan. It is not about retreating, but about taking the time to regroup, reorganize and redesign. Set up a system that gives you the opportunity to recharge when you are stumbling around for hope.

There will be days! Develop some keys to help you push beyond the struggles and begin moving forward to the success that you desire in your writing career.


Kathryn Lang wants to share words of encouragement and inspriation with you. Visit her website to find her blog posts and book links or just to connect.  http://www.kathrynlang.com/

Wait Land

By Lisa Lickel

February is the thinnest month, ebbs
Love and moon-tide, waves of floods of
Observances for presidents no longer in
Office, of silent human trains,
Whispering souls still long
For dignity across the line.
Candied hearts and cherry pie.
Reach upward, sleepy bulb,
Breach loam for ice blue light.
Six weeks more of steamy glasses and lacy breath.
Winter wanes at month's end, waxing March feeds streams
Breaking ice cover, swirling snails like pebbles along bottoms.
The squill shoot blue spikes through the snow.
Popple buds swell, pregnant, red on whispy branches,
While the oak will not give up its dead.

 

 

A special surprise comes from Lisa this month--she is offering a

copy of The Gold Standard, a print version of my cozy mystery,

to the first person who can correctly identify all the allusions in the poem.     If you think you have the answer, leave a comment below, along and information on how we can reach you. Have fun!

Please note, this is NOT the give-away book, but Lisa's latest, due out in April.

She’s only two. This is the tip of the iceberg.

By Charis Seeley

My husband and I have a two year old daughter. Being a Mommy has been a real learning experience. Here are 10 things I’ve learned since becoming a mother—

All of the songs in ‘Dora: The Explorer’.

However much time it took go somewhere or do something without a child, double it.

Four hours of sleep is more than adequate if I have enough coffee.

How to do everything one handed.

And how to do most things with an elbow because my hands are occupied.

How to get in and out of a grocery store, with enough food for a week, in less than 20 minutes.

If we have to do an outfit change twice in one day, I call it a good day.

If I put brand new clothes on her, on way or another, she’ll stain them. Every. Single. Time.

In an average day, I play the roles of wife, writer, mother, T-Rex, pony, monster, Queen, and swordfighter.

When I’ve prayed for patience, God didn’t drop some on me and suddenly make me a better mom. I’ve asked, and He continues to provide opportunities for me to grow and learn how to love like He loves us.

Focusing in an ADHD World:

By Shelly Akins

There’s a half-finished puzzle on my dining room table. Some of my Christmas decorations are still up on the high shelf. I’ve got a first draft of a novel in the drawer waiting for revisions. I’ve got countless sewing and craft projects in various states of completion stuffed in totes and boxes.

I used to pride myself on being the jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. But now, I just find it frustrating. I look at all those unfinished things as minor failures. I jump from one thing to the next to the next just because it’s new and shiny. Then I get bored and move on without finishing it and seeing it through to the end.

I told my husband the other day that I felt like the Little Dutch Boy with all my fingers stuck in the holes in the dam. The problem is, I’m running out of fingers. There’s always one more thing, one more demand on my time, one more five minute thing that someone needs me to do.

Enough.

I’ve spent the last year of my life doing some soul searching and figuring out what it is I want to do and be. I’ve lost focus and drive. I’ve lost my purpose and goals. I’ve quit too many things. What really makes me happy? I didn’t have an answer for that question. I still don’t. But I know that too many projects stresses me out. I don’t have time to really concentrate on the things that make me happy. Heck, I don’t even have time to do the laundry.

So I’m focusing, narrowing my lens to a few things. This means making some sacrifices: I’m dropping out of the cast of a play, I’m cutting back on my writing obligations, I’m not taking as many sub jobs. But it also means looking at the important things: walking my son to and from school, quilting on Tuesdays, going to lunch with friends, focusing on my consulting business. These are things that make me happy. The other stuff (as much as I love those things) are just getting in the way.

What makes you happy? What distractions are getting in your way? How can you move those things out of the way and continue on your journey toward happiness?

Still Life

By Rolie Grady

Here is something for those who see the world at a slightly different angle.  Since I houseclean for a living, I have to be aware of my surroundings….to notice the way a room is laid out, and plan my work strategy without disturbing it’s essence.

  Every family is unique.  Some ladies are very particular about their knick knacks and pictures.  Others live in casual disarray and they welcome me with open arms each week.  As I dust and vacuum,  I think about the personal expressions being made. 

 For example, one house’s décor is early colonial American. There are times when everyone is gone on my cleaning day.  It’s nice to take a final walk through the house after the work is done.   If I sit quietly,  each room begins to talk,  sharing stories with me.    Homespun wisdom is deeply embedded in roughly hewn tables and chairs.  Authentic New England-built fireplaces are flanked by  kindling and axe cut logs.   Wooden plank floors join a modern kitchen to its older counterpart in the open dining area.

 What can I learn even when people are not present?  Plenty.  Even though the outward forms change, the essential expressions of life – eating, sleeping, working, playing – go on for generations.  And each family leaves it’s mark for others to observe, whether in this time and place or somewhere down the road.

 What do I want to say to others who visit my home?  What do I need to hear from my surroundings?  Probably the same wisdom that has been passed on to me:  Saturate your life with love of God and family.  Cling tightly to laughter, peace, and joy.  Let the rest pass through your fingers. 

 At the end of the day, busyness fades and our spirits need nourishment.  Thankfully it can be found where it’s always been.   In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.  Be still and know that I am God.

A Good Increase

By Robin Steinweg

Here is a list of Things that Expand, Grow or Multiply:

§         Interest on an unpaid loan (a bad increase)
§         Yeast in warm conditions (good or bad, depends on where the yeast is growing)
§         Bunnies in all conditions (bad unless it’s a 4H project or you are a bunny)

 §         Harmful bacteria in a body (a bad increase)

§         Dirty dishes on the counter (a sad increase)
§         Baking soda and vinegar (a volatile increase)

§         One’s waistline as one ages (a battle-worthy increase)
§         Rumors (a bad increase)
§         The influence of our words (a sure thing, for better or for     worse)

 The last is not the least! Here are a few quotes about words:

Words are the most powerful thing in the universe… Words are containers. They contain faith, or fear, and they produce after their kind.” –Charles Capps

 “To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!” –Proverbs 15:23 (ESV)

“A word is dead

When it is said,

Some say.

I say it just

Begins to live

That day.” –Emily Dickinson

If my words have such power and impact, I want them to be good words, encouraging words. Let the following good words be my prayer:

“Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips” (Psalm 141:3 NLT).

Precious Life-Giving Words

By Lori Boruff

29 year old Christen Ringle went home to be with Jesus on Jan.9, 2012. Her husband and two babies have been left with her precious life-giving words written on her November 1, 2011 blog. What message will you leave behind for your loved ones, families and strangers? What is your legacy? What do you believe?

Do you have the hope of Jesus? Stop. Reflect. Cherish these precious life-giving words written in the midst of the valley. You never know when your road will lead you there.
Christen Ringle Blog post on November 1, 2011.

In the Valley

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup runneth over.

I need You more that ever before. Lord knows, as we begin November, I rely so heavily upon His mercy and His grace. For since as long as I can remember, I've suffered headaches. Migraines usually at least once a month. This past month it was 5 or 6. I saw a doctor who would like to put me on a daily med that I am not comfortable with. I've been asking for discernment and as far as I can come up with, I should not take the prescribed medication. Now, I've stood for healing in the past. Many people have fought this battle on their knees on my behalf. But no. I'm not discouraged. God is a good God. He is faithful. He's all that I want. I do desire healing. I believe I will be completely delivered from this illness, but even if I'm not. God is good. You know, I get really weary of saints proclaiming the goodness of the Lord only when circumstances turn out as they would like. You know that even if nothing went "right" and if I am never delivered from migraines, He is good. He is faithful and He is worthy of all praise.

I know His ways are higher than mine. His thoughts are far beyond my own. I trust in Him and allow His purposes to be fulfilled in my life. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Posted 1st November 2011 by Christen Ringle

Cure for Cabin Fever?

By Sharon Wilhite

With each passsing year, January becomes a harder month to endure. I don't do well anymore with long, dark days, freezing temperatures, winter driving, and cooped up children. (Please, someone, bequeath me a beach front home in Florida!!!) To take my mind off January's chill, here are some of my favorite pictures from glorious summer to share.

Avoiding the Squirrels

By Kathryn Lang

 

The more I try to focus on what I know to do the more distractions pop up and demand my attention. I try to ignore them, but they run around me in circles making my head spin. The harder I focus the more determined those stupid squirrels become. I can hear them barking at my heels right now.

 

Chasing squirrels became my expression for choosing the distractions over the things I knew to do. The image came from the movie, "Up" (which I highly recommend if you have not seen it). Squirrels are those things in life that distract me from taking the steps that I know I am supposed to take. These are those things that lead me off track or in so many circles that I end up wondering which way is up.

 

I have gotten so good at chasing squirrels that I thought I would share the best ways to make squirrel chasing part of your normal routine.

 

Tips for Squirrel Chasing

 

1. Never look before you leap - just jump right after the noise or movement. Stop everything that you know to do to investigate that mysterious crinkle in the corner. Change your direction to look into that illusion of activity.

 

2. Never talk to someone who has been there and done that - because I know what is best for MY life so why bother talking to someone else? I just need to follow my gut, my heart or my instinct and let it lead me to the prize.

 

3. Never use logic when emotions can handle the situation - it sounds like a squirrel and there is movement so it must be a squirrel (even if I am in an airplane 30,000 feet in the air).

 

4. Never stick to the plan - no matter how detailed or specific the design, it can always be improved by diverting time, energy and effort into chasing that furry tailed rascal.

 

5. Never learn from your own mistakes - so what if it was just a figment of my imagination last time. This time it HAS to be a squirrel.

 

6. Never let the desire to chase the squirrel be hindered by the need to do what is right - work can wait. Family can wait. The purpose and passion can wait. The only important thing is the squirrel.

 

Getting things done requires doing what needs to be done. I have to learn to refuse to let the squirrels hinder my purpose

TIME TO RENOVATE

By Marie Tschopp
(welcome back, Marie)

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17 NIV).  

The wood siding needs to be scraped and repainted.  Many shingles on the roof are gone, and the front porch sags.  Still, I wish the turn-of-the-century house I see every day on my way to work was mine.  More than its imperfections, I notice its character.  Bric-a-brac trim, leaded-glass windows, alcoves, and a large gabled roof adorn the old place.  I long to restore the property to its original glory. 

When God looks at people, I think he feels the way I feel about this house.  He knows our imperfections, but, in the midst of our brokenness, he sees a child made in his image. 

God never places a “This Property is Condemned” sign on anyone.  Instead, he offers restoration and renovation.  He’s already purchased us by paying the ultimate price of his son.  He simply waits to be given the key.  

Thank you, Father, for not seeing me as the world sees me, but for seeing me as the showplace you created me to be.  May I never lose sight of your great love and sacrifice for me. 

Author’s Note:  When God begins a restoration project, he does not use a wrecking ball.

What's New???

By Marvin Ferguson

There is something to be said about the human psyche that turns people on when they think about something new. Suddenly, it arouses their attention with raised eyebrows.

When family and friends gather around the Christmas tree, curious eyes scan the many decorated boxes. And surely, minds are racing attempting to guess their content.

New cars dazzled the show room beneath the bright lights. Immediately, dad raised the hood to examine the engine while mom scanned the dashboard. And where are the kids? Already, little Tommy, Jimmy, and Alice are bouncing around on the back seat.

When Maggie stepped into the church for the Christmas Eve service, immediately, everybody saw her new hairdo. Whispers echoed off the walls competing with the congregation singing old familiar Christmas carols.

And so the lists of new things goes on that livens up the atmosphere.

A twelve-year-old boy grew up in a Christian home. One summer day he lined up with all the other kids to board a Greyhound Bus behind the church. Then it was off to church camp for some fun and excitement.

Following cabin devotions on the first night he was restless. An experience of fear permeated his entire body and soul. Then, on a cold concrete floor in the men's restroom, while on his knees, he asked Jesus to come into his life.

"I've heard the story many times before in Sunday School," the boy thought. "The story about Nicodemus and his desire for a new life rang out loud and clear. John 3:1-18."

When I got up off my knees I felt like a hundred pound weight had just been lifted up off my shoulders. I had a new perspective about life that was much different than before.

It was an experience that yours truly will never forget. And you asked, "What's New???" The answer: A new life in Jesus that will dazzle anybody's imagination. 

A Time for Second Chances

By Michael Elmore

Author, Max Lucado shares a great piece of insight in his monthly newsletter that all of us need to take to heart. In case you haven’t read it on Crosswalk.com let me share it with you:

"It was small enough to overlook. Only two words. I know I’d read that passage a hundred times. But I’d never seen it.

But I won’t miss it again. It’s highlighted in yellow and underlined in red. You might want to do the same. Look in Mark, chapter 16. Get your pencil ready and enjoy this jewel in the seventh verse (here it comes). The verse reads like this: 'But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.'

Did you see it? Read it again. (This time I italicized the words.)

'But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee.'

Now tell me if that’s not a hidden treasure.

If I might paraphrase the words, 'Don’t stay here, go tell the disciples,' a pause, then a smile, 'and especially tell Peter, that he is going before you to Galilee.'

What a line. It’s as if all of heaven had watched Peter fall—and it’s as if all of heaven wanted to help him back up again. 'Be sure and tell Peter that he’s not left out. Tell him that one failure doesn’t make a flop.'

Whew!

No wonder they call it the gospel of the second chance.

Those who know these types of things say that the Gospel of Mark is really the transcribed notes and dictated thoughts of Peter. If this is true, then it was Peter himself who included these two words! And if these really are his words, I can’t help but imagine that the old fisherman had to brush away a tear and swallow a lump when he got to this point in the story.

It’s not every day that you get a second chance. Peter must have known that. The next time he saw Jesus, he got so excited that he barely got his britches on before he jumped into the cold water of the Sea of Galilee. It was also enough, so they say, to cause this backwoods Galilean to carry the gospel of the second chance all the way to Rome where they killed him. If you’ve ever wondered what would cause a man to be willing to be crucified upside down, maybe now you know.

It’s not every day that you find someone who will give you a second chance—much less someone who will give you a second chance every day.

But in Jesus, Peter found both."

I love Max Lucado’s explanation of Mark 16 its excellent. “The God of the second chance”. God knows that we all need one. Peter is a prime example. So are others. I think of John Mark in Acts. After he left Paul as they travelled together, Paul refused to travel with him so violently that he and Barnabas split up. Later, Paul gives John Mark a second chance to join with him in his travels and ministry Its interesting to note that John Mark, a "second chance guy,"  was the one who Peter dictated the Gospel of Mark to. I think John Mark understood Peter’s experience.  

“Second chances” are something God does in our lives all the time. The Bible is full of “second chance stories and we need them. Perhaps this New Year’s time you have found your relationship with Jesus to be a little out of sync . . . maybe more out of sync then you’d like to admit. Remember Peter wasn’t unique. If you find yourself needing a second chance this New Year’s season, open up your heart and receive the Christ afresh. Jesus tells us that “he stands at the door of our hearts knocking” (Rev. 3:20). Open the door let him in and the joy of second chances can be yours.

True Confessions of a Pastor's Wife

By Gail P. Smith

I have a confession to make.  It's kind of embarrassing to admit because I've been a Christian since I was 9, have been in church all my life, SS teacher, choir, the whole nine yards.  But here it is:  It's tough for me to set aside time to read the Bible and pray.  It’s hard enough to make that commitment once a week or even once a month, never mind trying to do it every day. And man, can we come up with excuses.

I should know.  For years I figured since I was so busy doing things for God, teaching Sunday School, working in the nursery, singing in the choir being a pastor’s wife, for Pete’s sake, that I assumed didn’t really need to spend a lot of time with God actually asking His opinion about what I was up to.  After all, it was good stuff done for my church, family  & friends.  Just a quick "God bless....today," should do it, right?

It’s not that I never read the Bible or studied it.  I was in BSF for over 15 years and I wrote my own curriculum for my middle school SS students.  But to take time each day, just me and Him,  hearing God’s voice by reading His word and talking to Him in prayer.  Well, obviously I didn’t have time to do that. If I did, how would I ever get all my good works for Him done.

I’m not proud of that attitude.  I’d been taught better, but it took a crisis in our lives for me to realize that though I thought I was helping God out, my works for Him, were really nothing.  Just busy work. Only by God’s grace and mercy did He choose to overlook my self-centered failings and use it to His glory anyway. (That's how much He loves His children.)

I have a sneaking suspicion I’m not the only one who's had problems putting the busyness of doing ahead of the quietness of seeking. 

So now here we stand on the eve of the New Year, when life feels like it’s giving us a chance to begin again, I want to share things changed when I began to figure out how to daily/faithfully seek His presence.  I love to help you begin a conversation with God that will never end.

My home church preacher once said, “Never fall asleep without having read God’s word that day.”  I heard this back in the 1970s.  Then one day, I heard it with my heart heard it.  "Okay, let's give it a try," I thought.  I sat my Bible by my bed and at bed time, if I hadn’t read it before then, I grabbed it and at least read something right then.  A tiny baby step, but guess what—God allows baby steps and even holds your hand as you take them!

Another bigger, step occurred much later.  This time I was studying an Old Testament story of King David.  Seems he needed some land on which to make sacrifices to God and made a offer to the land’s owner, Ornan (story & scripture after post.)  Ornan wanted to give the land to David.  David’s answer is what God used to really pierce my heart:

“I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing.” (1 Chronicles 21:22-24)

Did you ever feel you could almost hear God saying "Ahem?"
I realized that for all those years of struggling to seek God in a personal quiet time, I thought it should cost me nothing.  I somehow thought the time I spent with God would be “spare time” leftover from when I had done everything I wanted/needed to do.  I was offering to God only “that which cost me nothing.”  No sleep loss, no newspaper not read, no TV show missed—I had to ask myself was I really unwilling to give up ANYTHING to better know and love the One who died for me?   Suddenly I “got it,” and I saw the need to make a change.

The next time I woke up early and didn’t want to leave my nice, warm bed (I live in Iowa and that can be a BIG deal,) I said to myself, “I will not offer to the Lord that which costs me nothing,” got up, put on a robe and opened my Bible.  And guess what—God was there waiting for me and He wasn’t even mad about all the times I’d missed.  In fact, He was just dying to bless me, to know me, to love me and be my friend.  When I gave up trying to keep all my time, my life for me, and give Him nothing, I found in His presence more than enough to make up for any “loss.”

So I write you today, at this incredible time of year, with a new beginning just around the corner, to share the offer God makes to us all.  "If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."(Jer. 29:13)  And believe me, there is no better way to start than by treating yourself to time with your best Friend, your Savior and Lord, Jesus. Let this be the year you stop doing so many things for God and start becoming who God designed you to be  It will be the beginning of the best years of your life. 
God promises to meet you where you are today.  He's waiting for you.

Because there are lots of other things that have helped me in my quest to spend time with God each day that I’d like to share and this post is too long already, I invite you to visit my personal blog.  In the coming days I will be sharing more things I do to make connecting with God each day exciting, fun and a true meeting with my dearest Friend.  The link is:
http://grammygail.blogspot.com/

 One Bible story that changed me:

1 Chronicles 21:22-24

 22 Then David said to Ornan, “Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may build an altar on it to the LORD. You shall grant it to me at the full price, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

 23 But Ornan said to David, “Take it to yourself, and let my lord the king do what is good in his eyes. Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all.”

 24 Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”

December 27

By Lisa Lickel

Did you know that, according to many traditions, this is the third day of Christmas? The real meaning behind the carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas” follows: From 1558 until 1829 Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly. During that era, this carol was written as a catechism. Each element in the carol has a religious point which the children could remember. The third day of Christmas is a gift of Three French Hens. The Three French Hens represented Faith, Hope and Love, from First Corinthians 13.

Sing with me!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a Partridge in a Pear Tree (JESUS).

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Two Turtle Doves (OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS), and a Partridge in a pear tree.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

…And so forth, through day Twelve.

Pretty nifty, eh? A secret code and repetition, the true mother of learning.

If you’d like to know more about the meaning of the rest of the song, check my blog (to be published 12/25/11): http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/2011/12/twelve-days-of-christmas.html

From Lisa Lickel, author of A Summer in Oakville, with Shellie Neumeier