Category: Devotions

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Summer Days By The Sea

Summer Days By The Sea

Many years ago during a very difficult season in my life, some kind friends offered their condo at the beach to my sons and me for a mini vacation. It was a generous gift that I’ve never forgotten, a few days that allowed us to forget our troubles for a time. What I thought would only be a change of scene, and a brief escape from the stress that had come our way, became so much more. Twice, under very different circumstances, I was reminded of the Lord’s presence, provision, and love for us.

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

  

~   Part One

We arrived on a warm summer afternoon and immediately made our way to walk on the beach boardwalk. On one side were the typical, some might say tacky, beach shops and the fast food establishments selling funnel cakes, salt water taffy and other equally unhealthy, but delicious fare. The beach side was an entirely different scene, God’s glorious creation of blue sky and sea, with the rhythmic and seemingly eternal waves washing up on the shore.

As we walked back to the condo we came across a sculptor working on the beach with the simplest of tools, a plastic knife and a spray bottle of water and sand, huge mounds of sand. We stood entranced by the artist, a pastor, silently demonstrating his God-given skill for a long time. His designs were the most incredible biblical scenes on several sand hills with etched Sand sculpturesScripture verses beneath. These scenes were dramatic and rather incongruous across the boardwalk from shops with racks of bikinis and boogie boards for sale. It was a stunning reminder for me that even when we are wandering through a difficult period, with all its worldly distractions, God’s plans won’t be thwarted. One can experience the powerful provision and presence of the Lord in the most unexpected places.

Come back on Thursday and learn of the second gift the Lord provided.

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Welcome to my new website

July 26, 2013

Welcome to my new website.

In the days and months to come I hope to use this platform to:

~ showcase fiction and non-fiction authors and their books

~ offer commentary on subjects near to my heart

~ relay stories and thoughts on the Christian life

~ address some of my own writing journey

~ share media that inspires, and hopefully pleases

 

Book Review

Each morning, my husband and I read a daily lesson from the 365 day devotional, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

This treasure was first published in 2004 and it has done very well for the world’s largest Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson, Inc,.  By June of 2012 more than five million Jesus Calling® products had been sold worldwide.

This 365-day devotional, available in a variety of formats, is written from the perspective of Jesus speaking directly to the reader with several Scripture verses noted. The author has recorded what she believed Jesus was saying to her through the Scriptures.

Millions of people have found that these daily devotions speak directly to them, and to whatever circumstances they are experiencing at the time. I no sooner had bought this little book, when I had the occasion to give it to a friend who was in need of encouragement. So, then I purchased two more copies, one for me and one to give away the next time I thought someone would be blessed by it. I should have bought them in bulk since to date I’ve given away nearly a dozen.

jesus-callingJesus Calling comes in a variety of formats. Our current copy is leather bound and includes the actual Scripture verses that are referenced. It’s a time-saver since it doesn’t require a Bible to look up the verses. There is also an adaptation of the book that allows space for journaling each day, and there’s even a version for kids.Jesus Calling Leather

So this morning, while it was still dark, I pondered, what should I write in my first blogpost for my new website? I needed guidance. An hour or so later, when we opened our devotional to July 26th  ―  there it was.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

 I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”  — Psalm 32:8

“Direct me in the path of your commands,

for there I find delight.” — Psalm 119:35

 

Have you read Jesus Calling? If not, I recommend it highly.

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What Devotionals Are You Reading?

Do you have a favorite on-line or hard copy devotional?

I have quite a few favorites, but one devotion writer that has lasted the test of time is Roy Lessin. Over the years, he has written a wealth of books, but he may be even more widely known for his association with DaySpring Cards. His cards cover a variety of topics and can be found in most stores that carry a selection of Christian cards.

At Christmastime in particular, I like to peruse the card aisle looking for just the right cards to send friends and family. His messages inevitably bring me to tears. Whether on his cards or in his books, his devotions are thought provoking, insightful, heartfelt and always tied to the Scriptures.

I receive his online devotionals which I often print so I can enjoy them repeatedly. http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/

A recent post of Roy’s provides an excellent roadmap for traveling through life when your destination is heaven.

Traveling The Highway to Heaven

One of the ways you can think about your journey from earth to heaven is to imagine it as a road trip you are taking in a car. Here are a few things to remember as you travel along the highway…

1.      Obey the signs.   

“With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments.” Psalm 119:10

2.      Keep the tank full. 

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18

3.      Clean the windows. 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

4.      It’s okay to give someone a lift. 

“and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25

5.      Take advantage of all the rest stops.

“And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.” (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)” Mark 6:31

6.      Check the cell phone for updated messages.

“Your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 30:21

7.      Know how to get a hold of roadside assistance.

“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.”  Psalm 91:15

8.      Welcome the miles you spend with a passenger.                                                                                            “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;” Romans 12:10

9.      Don’t be surprised if the road makes an unexpected turn.  Acts 10:13-20

10.    Always remember the purpose of the trip and your final destination.

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Used with Roy Lessin’s permission  http://www.meetmeinthemeadow.com/2013/07/traveling-the-highway-to-heaven/

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My Journey

“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person,

and it can never be filled by any created thing.

It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

Blaise Pascal

Pensees 1670

 

I was brought up by very good, moral parents. We went to church at Christmas and Easter, but didn’t discuss the Christian faith, the Bible, or what we believed.

When I was young I would tag along with any neighbors or friends who would let me go to church with them. Thus began a rather solitary search for God through many different denominations. When I was old enough to drive I began attending a church regularly and I believed in, prayed to, and worshiped Jesus, but knew nothing of having a personal relationship with Him.

I set high expectations for myself, and when I failed to live up to them in my youth and early twenties they drove me into depression. While I knew that God brought me through those periods, my theology was faulty and my faith was still in my head.

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God”

John 1:12

When I was in my early thirties, a neighbor who had a heart for women to study the Word together, asked me to host a Bible study that she would lead in my home each week. Still struggling with unresolved issues and searching for answers I was delighted with the opportunity. As I studied, and she discipled me, I began to finally understand I was not just someone who failed or sinned occasionally, I was a sinner in need of a Savior. I had spent my life trying to be good enough, but Jesus accepted and loved me just as I was ― enough to die for me. It was all about what He had done and not about my efforts. I didn’t have to wait until heaven to experience Him. He could be Lord of my life right then. Believing in Jesus had been my religion, now receiving Him in my heart brought relationship and a life forever changed.

 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!”

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

 

It has been said that everyone has a God-shaped hole in their heart and they will fill it. With what is the question? People may fill it with any number of things other than God; financial pursuits, alcohol, promiscuity, addictions, vanity, fame, power, education, jobs, etc. Many will also fill it with false spiritual doctrines. When we are not familiar with what the Word says, it is easy to fall for deceptive teachings.

Christians are not immune from the trials, diseases, or the challenging events of life that everyone faces. But we have a friend who loves us and walks through them with us. Those 18 inches between our head and our heart can be the longest journey we will ever travel but it is the most crucial one. The goal of every believer should be a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not just in our heads, but in our hearts.