Christians Read

For Love of Country by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 4, 2023 by jrcoggins

The other night, my wife and I were praying for our country. (Our country is Canada, but similar issues are present in other countries.) We prayed for a restoration of truth, justice, wisdom, morality, and faith in God. And then we prayed for a restoration of love.

That last word grabbed my attention.

It occurred to me that what is profoundly lacking in our country (and in other countries) right now is love.

Our political rhetoric, on all sides of the spectrum, is filled with discussions of rights and tolerance and policies and social justice and reform. But love is rarely mentioned. Indeed, as I listen to the rhetoric, it seems to be increasingly motivated by hatred of the other side rather than by love for other people.

When love is mentioned, it is reduced to “love of country” (too often a code for support for guns and the military) or freedom to choose who to love (often a code for sexual promiscuity).

But real love? Never mentioned. Never considered.

I’m talking about agape love. Biblical love. Self-sacrificing love. Love that leads to support for policies that benefit not just me and my family and people like me but that benefit the people in our country as a whole. Love of enemies, including political enemies, no matter how misguided they may be.

US President John Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” I will not get into a debate about how well he put that sentiment into practice. What disturbs me is that no one would even think to make such a statement today. We are so immersed in our political debates and culture wars that hardly anyone ever thinks to consider Jesus’ command to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” Our rhetoric is full of hate and anger and bitterness and a sense of grievance.

We desperately need a restoration of truth, justice, wisdom, morality, and faith in God. But what we need even more right now is a restoration of love. As 1 Corinthians 13 reminds us, now matter what good we try to achieve, if it is not motivated by love, our words come across as “a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (just noise), and we “gain nothing.” True love is patient and kind. It does not envy or boast and is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. It does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. When all else fails, faith, hope, and love remain. But the greatest of these is love.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged faith in Gog, John F. Kennedy, justice, morality, political rhetoric, truth | Leave a comment

Have You Had Your Vitamin G Today?

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

As I get older, I find myself taking more daily vitamins as well as trying to eat healthier. Almost as if I think I can undo the damage I did when I was younger and didn’t really watch what I ate (lol). But I do try to eat better, drink more water, exercise, and get enough sleep.

Still there are times when I feel ill-equipped for the tasks of the day.

When I look at what might be lacking in my hectic life to cause this feeling, I realize it isn’t lack of the proper diet, I’m low on the most important vitamin of all. Vitamin G. . .God!

John 4:14: But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.—What an amazing promise!

We can do everything possible to take care of our physical and mental health, but without spending time with God, we soon find ourselves struggling. I know I do. Thankfully, there’s an easy cure for this condition.

Matthew 11:28-29: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

So, if you’re like me and at times you find yourself feeling overburdened by the world, the answer is simple. You need your Vitamin G.

Reach out to Jehovah Rapha—the God who heals. Get some alone time with Him and then dive into His word. Soon, you will find yourself recharged and ready for what lies ahead.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. –I want that!

Until next time, dear friends, many blessings!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net 

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Do You Apologize for Writing Inspirational Fiction?

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Patricia Bradley

As a Christian author is my primary job to tell a good story, or to spread the word of God to a non-believing audience? Or can you do both? And maybe encourage other Christians as well?

My first book, Shadows of the Past, released in February of 2014 and I was a presenter at our first MidSouth Christian Writers Conference in March. A lady bought a copy and a few weeks later emailed me, telling me how much she enjoyed it. Then she told me I’d made a mistake on such and such page. I’d called a respiratory therapist a respiratory nurse.

No way! I knew there was no such thing as a respiratory nurse. I flipped to the page and there it was. Respiratory nurse. I thanked her and went on to learn she’d been a nurse for thirty years.

Lightbulb moment! My next book was about a doctor…and I asked if she’d mind reading through the manuscript and advise me on any terms I’d misused. She agreed and she really helped me—caught several errors I’d made. After I turned the book in, I wanted to get her something since she wouldn’t accept money for helping me. I asked if she’d like a writing craft book, figuring since I met her at a writers conference, she wanted to write.

Her response:

“No thank you. After what I saw you you go through to write a book, I don’t want to be a writer. But, I know I was supposed to meet you and read this second book because the problem your heroine had is one I’ve had all my life.”

My heroine didn’t believe her mother loved her because she’d overheard her tell the heroine’s father that she’d been right about not having that second child. My heroine was that second child.

My nurse went on to say, “Seeing the way your heroine resolved that problem gave me hope that I could do the same thing. And I did. Your book changed my life. It changed my children’s’ lives. I’m a different person and no longer bitter and angry.”

I sat at my computer reading her email with tears streaming down my face. Even now, as I think about her story, I tear up. And it’s why I write Christian fiction. To show the world as well as Christians that even though we have problems, we have a Problem Solver. A Way Maker. A Promise Keeper.

So, if you write inspirational fiction keep on spreading the Word.

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Faith in Action by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 27, 2023 by jrcoggins

Hebrews 11 is often called the great faith chapter. It lists the deeds of many Old Testament believers. It defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (verse 1). We think of faith as something that happens in our minds and hearts. We believe in the Bible. We believe in Jesus. But the biblical definition of faith is to be so confident in our beliefs that we act on them, we risk everything for them. To be real, faith has to be acted on.

There is a tendency to focus on the positive results of faith. In the modern world, we have faith healers and promise peddlers. They tell us that if we have enough faith, we can be healed from cancer, get a new job, become rich, and have a happy family life. Hebrews 11:6 says that anyone who comes to God “must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” There are examples in Hebrews 11 of faith being rewarded in this way. Because of his faith, Enoch did not experience death but was taken directly to heaven (verse 5). By faith, Abraham and Sarah were miraculously given a son in their old age (verses 11-12). By faith, the people of Israel passed through the Red Sea unharmed (verse 29). By faith, others conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of flames, escaped the edge of the sword; became powerful, routed foreign armies, and saw their dead raised to life again (verses 33-35).

But those were the exceptions. By faith, Abel brought a more pleasing sacrifice to God and was martyred for it (verse 4). By faith, Noah spent years building an ark, barely escaped death, and had to start over from scratch afterward (verse 7). By faith, Abraham became a homeless nomad living in tents (verses 8-9), at times living in fear of powerful, violent men. We know that he finally had a son but forget that his family endured years of infertility, marital strife, and sibling rivalry. By faith, Moses “chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (verse 25). Others were tortured, faced jeers and flogging, endured chains and imprisonment, were stoned to death, were sawed in two, were killed by the sword, wore rough sheepskins and goatskins for clothes, were destitute, persecuted, and mistreated, and wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground (verses 35-38). Even those who experienced miraculous victories (verses 32-35) didn’t have easy lives. You don’t conquer kingdoms, become powerful in battle, and rout foreign armies without fighting a war. You don’t need to administer justice unless injustice exists. You don’t shut the mouths of lions without first being thrown into a lions’ den. You don’t quench the fury of the flames without first being thrown into the fire, escape the edge of the sword without first facing the sword, or experience resurrection without first experiencing death.

Verse 13 says that “All these people were still living by faith when they died.” To the end of their lives, they still had not received “the things promised” but only saw them from a distance. The conclusion of the chapter repeats, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (verse 39). Our modern idea that the Christian life is one filled with blessing and reward is not biblical. The Bible portrays the Christian life as one marked by challenges, struggles, opposition, and suffering, but also one filled with purpose, hope, love, meaning, and the presence of God. There are indeed unfathomable rewards and blessings, but many of those do not come until the next life.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Faith, faith healers, promises | Leave a comment

God’s Unfailing Love by Peggy Webb

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

“Courage, dear heart.” –C.S. Lewis

“Though feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” –C.S. Lewis

When I am at my weakest and most vulnerable, that’s when I learn that I am God’s child, that he will never fail me, that we are all equal in his eyes. That’s when I am most grateful to be a Christian who has unlimited access to God’s grace and his mercy, his forgiveness and his loving care, his sacrifice and his promise.

I had to learn that lesson again the hard way this week. The blow to my head during the fall at poolside in early May continues to manifest in various ways. My ear crystals were unseated, and the result was extreme vertigo. The ENT got them back in place, but periodically the crystals come unseated again. When that happens there is no standing, sitting, bending, raising up in bed, or movement from one position to another that does not cause you to topple. No warning. No holding on. No slight dizziness or lightheadedness that can be controlled. Just complete loss of balance. Period.

With my world spinning in a society where its citizens are worried about survival and crazed by changes we never thought we’d live to see in America, I learned that God’s love is never failing.

Peggy Webb

Posted in Peggy Webb, Uncategorized | Tagged God's grace, God's mercy, hard lessons | Leave a comment

Out of Focus

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

I confess, there are many things about getting older I do enjoy, not in the least, is the wisdom that comes with age. I look back on the mistakes in my life and I see how God was directing my steps even when I went off course. Having that knowledge to pass along to others is important. I no longer sweat the small things in life that just aren’t that important as I used to when I was younger. I can handle life’s stresses better (with God’s help).

But one thing that I don’t particularly like about getting older is how it gets harder to see things like I used to when I was younger. My reading glasses are stronger all the time, and it’s harder to drive at night. And looking at that eye chart each time—well, it’s definitely out of focus.

Have you ever thought about your spiritual life being out of focus?

That happens when our focus isn’t on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our salvation.

Like your eyes getting older, being spiritually out of focus happens over time. Our lives are busy—there’s no way around that. Between work and home and family, it’s easy to skip over reading the Bible regularly, or spending time with God in prayer before we start the day.

Soon, we find ourselves spiritually out of focus. In other words, we feel distant from our source of joy.

When those moments inevitably come, (and they do to each of us), cry out to God.

Psalm 145:18 says, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

The psalmist knew from experience that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1.

Remember, God hasn’t left us, we’ve just drifted away. And it’s time to get back into focus!

Until next time, dear friends, many blessings!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net 

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Saturday Night Adventure by Tara Randel

Posted on September 18, 2023 by tararandel

This weekend my husband invited me to come along on a night trail ride with his Jeep club. As long as he drives, I’m a happy passenger. Plus, the ride was in a state forest about an hour from our house, a place I love to get away to, especially when we go camping.

But the night was about the Jeeps. I’ve done these rides before and always enjoy being outdoors. It was light when we started out, so I was able to get some really nice pictures. There had been rain before we arrived, which made the trails less dusty than usual, but also muddy.

And then came the mud holes. That’s when the drivers turn into big kids!

Needless to say, I did not escape being splashed by the mud. I will admit, that was my least favorite part of the night, as I reminded my husband.

And while it looks fun and easy, plenty of our fellow Jeepers were stuck in the mud. One Jeep in particular went in and could not make it out. It took all the guys about 30 minutes to finally get him loose. Talk about a mess!

It was a wonderful time to go on an adventure with friends and spend time with my husband. As the sun sank and the shadows crowded in, the ride became very hypnotic. Darkness all around us except for the bright lights from the Jeep to guide the way. My husband has taken his time to work on the Jeep, getting it just where he wants it to be, with all the bells and whistles of his choice. Good thing too, since he always helps pull stranded Jeeps out of the mud or assists if someone breaks down. My favorite time is when he puts on Christian music and as we drive through the beauty of God’s creation, we sing praises to him.

I saved my favorite picture for last. Dusk was falling fast as we came upon this scene.

I’m thankful to live in a world that our Father has created. He is awesome and worthy to be praised!

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9

Have a great week.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter.

Posted in Tara Randel | Tagged #JeepLife, contemporary romance, forest adventures, outdoors, Tara Randel | Leave a comment

The Apple Tree Encouragement by Julie Arduini

Posted on September 15, 2023 by juliearduini

When I’m looking for God confirmation, my radar is activated when I see something more than once in a short span of time. Lately I have been seeing a graphic circulating social media about the fruit tree. That when frustrated about the lack of fruit in your life, keep in mind fruit is the last thing to appear on a fruit tree.

That really is encouraging.

God took it one step forward when He reminded me about last year. We have an apple tree and last year it yielded nothing. Zip. Nada.

Not only was there zero fruit, the tree looked dead. After so many NE Ohio storms that took out a few of our trees, I assumed this tree must have given up after so much adversity.

We talked about cutting it down, but decided against it. It’s a gorgeous tree and we didn’t want to get rid of it in case we were wrong.

I’m so glad we left it.

The picture you see is this year. We have SO many apples that our driveway and back yard is a land mine. If we aren’t stepping on apples, we are watching the bees who are all over the place. This week I gathered up the apples from the driveway and took them to our woods for the deer. That wagon is just from the driveway. There are so many from the yard, too. We left those for the rabbits and what other wildlife might show up. The deer probably smell the dogs, so we thought they deserved their apples in a place the dogs can’t get to.

This has been such an encouragement to my battle-weary soul

-The last thing to bear fruit on a fruit tree is fruit.

-We were ready to take out a tree that appeared dead after a season of adversity.

-The same tree this year has yielded the biggest crop of apples since we’ve lived here.

You don’t need me to tell you the last three years have been the toughest years we have known in quite some time. I raise my hand admitting I’ve felt dead after so many storms. Yet, things are shifting and I can see fruit bearing in my life and loved ones.

I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

Don’t you give up, either!

The best is yet to come.

***

My next book in the Surrendering Hearts series, REPAIRING HEARTS, is coming soon. A small-town romance series about the Hart sextuplets, each book carries a Christian theme of surrender.

If you haven’t read ANCHORED HEARTS, Jordyn’s story, this book introduces you to the Hart family and shares a theme about surrendering control and anxiety. It’s free for Kindle Unlimited.

Visit me on Link Tree to follow me across book sites, social media, and to find my books.

Posted in Julie Arduini | Tagged Anchored Hearts, Christian living, encouragement, God's faithfulness, Julie Arduini, Repairing Hearts, seasons of adversity, storms of life, Surrendering Hearts series, The Apple Tree Encouragement by Julie Arduini | Leave a comment

Israel, A World of Firsts – Delores Topliff

Posted on September 14, 2023 by dtopliff

For me, my first trip to Israel was an amazing assortment of first-time discoveries. I kept finding myself in settings that were 3-D living reenactments of Bible scenes, from shepherds striding in front of their flocks of sheep, to camel herds galloping across deserts, to robed men trotting fast riding donkeys about half their size. We don’t need to visit Israel to have our faith refreshed and be made more real, but those scenes blessed me.

My favorite true sheep story is from W. Phillip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. He shares that if a young lead ram won’t follow the shepherd and consistently goes astray, the shepherd eventually breaks one of the young ram’s legs and then carries it across his own chest in a sling for six weeks until the leg heals. The ram senses the shepherd’s daily care and his every breath and heartbeat. When the leg heals, the shepherd puts the young ram down, and from that point on, wherever the shepherd goes, the youngster follows right at his heels and never strays again. That makes the animal a valuable and trustworthy lead ram.

Even if we endure painful discipline or drastic measures in our life training, every relationship outcome is worth it to keep us on track to best follow Him and win the prize. (See photo below of this summer’s Isanti, Minnesota County Fair.)

23:^{1 “}The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

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Fear of Death by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 13, 2023 by jrcoggins

Quite a number of years ago, I talked with my mother, who was then a senior citizen, about the reality of death. “Oh,” she said. “I’m not worried about that. I came to terms with death in 1948” (that is, about 40 years earlier). She did not elaborate, but that was about the time her mother died and the time her first child was born.

It is true that many people are “all their lives…held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). People often seek ways to “stay young.” They might avoid talking or thinking about certain subjects, avoid doing certain things, avoid living life to the full. In seeking to be free from the inescapable, inevitable reality of death, they live their whole lives in the bondage of the fear of death. Their fear saps their energy and immobilizes them. They spend their whole lives struggling under a heavy burden of fear. What a joy it would be for them to be free of that fear!

Fortunately, while death is inevitable, fear of death is not. My mother was living proof of that. We are all going to die. There is no question about that. Yet fear of death need not enslave us. Hebrews 2 says what my mother experienced—that Jesus can free us from the fear of death. How? First, He suffered death in solidarity with humanity and will be with us through death, whenever it comes. In the dark valley of death, we will not be alone. Second, because Jesus died and was resurrected (overcoming the evil one, who has the power of death: Hebrews 2:14), we can be assured that He will also resurrect those who put their trust in Him. Third, because He has been to heaven and knows what awaits us there, He can assure us that our ultimate future there will be very good, far better than here. Those who put their trust in Jesus can indeed be free, no longer enslaved by the fear of death.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged death, fear, Heaven, mother, Resurrection | Leave a comment

Seeing God’s Design by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier

Photo by Matthijs van Heerikhuize on Unsplash

I have been fascinated lately with looking for God and the evidence of Him in my everyday life. It’s hard to imagine His handiwork in the millipede I saw on my walk but it is there. (Similar to the one pictured above.) I don’t want to be a person who misses God by taking everything for granted. I want Him to be at the forefront of my mind all the time. I want to have a heart pure enough to see God.

One of the things I’ve noticed lately is the symmetry in the world around us, something I’ve often missed or overlooked.

For instance, a butterfly’s wings, or the veins on a leaf, a snowflake, a starfish, or even the halves of the human body. These all indicate God has a purpose in His design. The artistry of His creation is beyond anything man can make or even dream up—and we have some amazing artists.

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways,

And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)

There are so many examples of God’s handiwork all around us, but we are often too distracted or busy to take the time to look. It’s not just in the spectacular such as sunrises and sunsets, but in the formation of rocks, the majesty of trees, the expanse of the heavens, and the grains of sand on a beach.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 (NKJV)

Being aware of nature and our world can show us God’s power and majesty. The heat of the sun, the intensity of a thunderstorm, or the force of a strong wind, can remind us of who God is, especially when we consider Him as creator of this world we live in.

“It is [God] who made the earth by his power,

who established the world by his wisdom,

and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,

and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth.

He makes lightning for the rain,

and he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” Jeremiah 10:12-13 (ESV)

Sometimes we have to look hard or in a different way to see the true beauty of God’s creation. Take the millipede I pictured above. It was about 6 to 7 inches long and about as big around as my pinky. Not a thing of beauty. Not much symmetry to be seen in that picture.

But when that millipede was touched, it curled up and this amazing symmetry came through. I had to stop and marvel at how God would take even a creature of such seeming insignificance and bestow beauty on it. (picture below)

I’d like to challenge each of us to consider the world around us this week. Take time to really look at God’s creation, especially the small things we normally overlook. Can you see Him? Can you see His artistry?

If you’re really brave, you can even look in a mirror and see God’s handiwork displayed in the person looking back at you.

Strive to be pure in heart. Look for God everywhere.

“Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged God's design, nature, Symmetry | 1 Comment

And Even More Famous Coggins Quotations by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 6, 2023 by jrcoggins

After a writer is dead, some anonymous scholar often collects the best quotes from all of his written works, reducing his laboriously written tomes to a few sound bites. A while back, I decided to save this anonymous scholar some work and compile quotations from my writings myself. I soon realized that I had many very important things to say. Here is the third compilation of nuggets of my enduring wisdom.

“It is a cold and cheerless place with stone walls, iron bars, and steel doors, the beds are hard and uncomfortable, the meals are often cold and unpalatable, consumed in a tense atmosphere, and the place is full of the noise of metal grating on metal, clanging keys, inmates groaning, cussing, and shouting, guards shouting and ordering, and the PA system squawking announcements, but it is not all hopeless as there are health services, counseling programs, libraries, educational opportunities, chapels, chaplains, and worship services, as well as visits, not only by friends, family members, and lawyers, but also by well-meaning volunteers, many of them Christians there to befriend the prisoners, and so it is true that some inmates do see the light and eventually turn their lives around, while others only become hardened, more knowledgeable about crime, and more connected to the criminal underworld during their incarceration, all of which is a clear demonstration that some prison sentences are too long.”

“If there were no disasters in the world, we would have no use for adjectives such as ‘unmitigated.’”

“The free time you have after retirement is the time that people expect you to give them for free.”

“Jesus embraced lepers, but He did not reassure them that they were fine as they were and did not need to be healed of their leprosy.”

“It was a dark and stormy knight, a swarthy man from southern Italy with unruly jet black hair and piercing black eyes that revealed a fierce and unpredictable temper.”

“I don’t go to car races. If I want to watch cars driving too fast on a crowded road and smashing into each other, I can go to the nearest commuter highway. There I can watch it for free. I can even join in if I want.”

“Morning had broken, and shards of light were scattered across the floor.”

“A sports fan is a guy who skips work to watch a big game and then complains that the players on his favorite team are a bunch of lazy bums who never ‘give a hundred and ten percent.’”

“I never suspected that my desire for change could create a problem for someone else.”

“I have aged like a fine whine.”

“I have a face for radio and a voice for print.”

“The Christian church is not a massive beast of an organization, although some misguided Christians have attempted to make it so. It is not an elephant lumbering over the landscape. Such a beast would be too easy to stop by putting a single bullet through its brain. Rather, the Christian church is an army of ants, scurrying in different directions and connecting and reconnecting in numerous ways.”

“I was having trouble finding pajamas, so I bought a track suit to wear at night. I call it my ‘night sweats.’”

“When you are not in a hurry, all of the lights are green.”

“Do you remember when there were fast food restaurants which would serve food quickly at an affordable price?”

“The busy older man planted less parsley, sage, and rosemary in his garden because what he really needed was more thyme.”

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Bartlett's, Christian church, Disasters, fast food, leprosy, prison, retirement, sports fans | Leave a comment

Do you have a secret place?

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

Several years back, the movie, War Room came out. The movie featured drug salesman Tony and his wife Elizabeth who is a real estate agent. Outwardly, they appeared successful, with a beautiful daughter. But behind the scenes, their marriage was troubled. Tony was obsessed with work, verbally abusive at home, and considering cheating on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth helps an elderly woman, Miss Clara, to sell her house. Miss Clara sees Elizabeth is troubled and suggests that Elizabeth fight for their marriage by praying for Tony. Miss Clara shows Elizabeth a special closet she has dedicated to praying, which she calls her “War Room”; as she puts it, “in order to stand up and fight the enemy, you need to get on your knees and pray.”

As Elizabeth begins to pray for Tony, slowly, over time, her relationship with him changes and they find their way back to each other. It was a great movie that I was reminded of again recently when I read a page in my devotional, Walking with God, by David Jeremiah.

The question asked in the devotional was do you have a secret place where you go and pray for those you love for the things that are troubling you, or simply give praise to God?

Having a secret place to go and pray comes from Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”

A secret place or room is where we go to meet with God and strengthen our relationship.

There is absolutely nothing more important than our relationship with God. He wants to have a close relationship with us no matter what is going on in our lives.

Staying close to God protects us from Satan’s attacks. It keeps us from being vulnerable from outside influences that can take our focus off God.

It’s where we pour out our heart to God.

A place where we can tell God everything that’s troubling us and wait for Him to answer.

It’s where we put on the whole armor of God.

We exchange our weak fleshly weapons for the whole armor of God that will prepare us for the battles that are ahead of us.

Do you have a prayer room?

A secret place where you go and close out the world’s distractions, draw closer to God, and listen for His answers?

I confess I don’t have a secret place yet, but in reading Dr. Jeremiah’s devotional, I see the value in creating one and I plan on setting up one in my closet. It won’t be anything fancy, just a place to go and talk to God and know that He is there with me. Always.

Many blessings dear friends!

Mary

http://www.maryalford.net 

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One Wrong Turn by Julie Arduini

Posted on September 1, 2023 by juliearduini

Earlier this week I had a day full of local driving. The area is under construction and this part of town isn’t one I drive often.

Our daughter was at a campus apartment for a ministry meeting and when she finished, I was wrapping up my church event. I told my husband it would be no trouble for me to pick her up.

Well, I thought it would be no trouble!

Due to construction, the lot I use to meet her was closed. She texted several streets to take and I’d be at an alternate lot entrance. Sounds easy but I need a street address/number to plug in my GPS or I’m lost. Add night driving and I rely on my CarPlay map to read the street signs better than the actual ones.

My daughter could not come up with an actual address.

I took a wrong turn and suddenly the vibrant campus part of the city turned into a road with a great history, but also, one in a part of town where violence is known and strangers are not welcome with open arms. To get out of it, I chose a turn that ended up being a dead end where I had to back down. There were people watching me, and I could tell they weren’t sure what I was up to any more than I knew what they were doing.

It took finding a central location with a street address I could plug in to make getting my daughter a success. Once home I got thinking about the extra excursion I didn’t plan on. One wrong turn and things changed, quickly. Although I wasn’t in danger, it’s an area that can be trouble, especially at night.

Isn’t that like life and our choices? How many obituaries have you read where the class valedictorian overdosed? How about the solid married couple where isolation creeps in, an affair starts, and the couple is divorcing?
—Julie Arduini

My husband is very kind when he tells me he doesn’t worry about me because “you’re such a strong woman of faith.” Thing is, I never want to ride on that label. I’m tempted like anyone else. I could veer off the straight path and find trouble fast. I’ve watched it, and those wrong turns affect everyone. And that sweet whisper that says how amazing that choice would be never shares the dire consequences.

Just like finding my daughter, I want to stay plugged in (the Bible) and stay in that central location (the will of God) for success. Even in the construction mess and night I was able to locate her with ease.

If you’ve made choices that have you in a bad place, you can get out of there. Go to God. I promise His arms are open and He’s ready and willing to forgive and make your path straight. You need to make the turn.

I hope you do!