My B.A. degree included a heavy focus on the great classics of English literature. Among them was a book by a barely literate Baptist preacher—John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. A massive volume I consulted on English literature said that Bunyan demonstrated that you don’t need great education or great literary technique to write a great book—you just need something important to say.
About a decade ago, I established a small publishing imprint (Mill Lake Books) to help people with something important to say, especially Christians, get their books published. The imprint has now published over 30 titles, and I have far more people requesting help with their books than I have time to work on. Some of the authors have advanced university degrees, even doctorates, and some have much less formal education. Some authors I have known for years, and some I had no acquaintance with at all until they contacted me by email.
One of the latter is Pamela A. James. Her qualifications are that she has a Bachelor of Religious Education degree and has been a Sunday school teacher for many years. Her more important qualification is that she understands children and is able to communicate on their level.
Pamela wrote a small book called Living in God’s World: A Book of Instruction for Children of All Ages. The book has 24 one-page “chapters” accompanied by hand-drawn illustrations. In each chapter, a child asks a basic question, and then Pamela answers with information from the Bible. The book covers key themes from the Bible—creation, God, sin, and forgiveness. The chapter titles include: “Where did our world come from?” “Why should I learn about God?” “What does God want me to do?” “Why do I have to obey my parents?” “Why do I have to go to church?” “Why is it so wrong to tell a lie?” “What am I supposed to do when people do mean things to me?” “Why do I have to give?” “What does it mean to trust God?” “Why did Jesus come to earth?” “How can I ask God to let me become part of His family?” “What if I do bad things?” and “Why did God create me?”
This is such a simple book that it could easily be dismissed as old-fashioned and not very important. And yet it presents the teaching of the Bible and the Good News about Jesus in a simple way that children can easily understand. It made a profound impact on some of my grandchildren when they read it. I recommend it. I am glad Pamela sent it to me. It was a privilege to help her get it published.
Living in God’s World is distributed by Ingram and is available through bookstores and through online retailers such as Amazon.
For authors, getting to write those two words is one of the best feelings ever! It means the book we’ve struggled through, shed tears for, lost sleep over, is finally finished.
Mostly, we authors know how the book will end when we begin the journey. Sometimes, the characters take over and move it in a different direction, but let’s face it, we write the characters, so we know the ending.
Have you ever wished you could know how things would end in real life? Like, will I get that job? Will I have two children or more? Will I live for a long time?
The future is something that can be exciting to contemplate as well as frightening.
Sometimes, I wish I could know those things while other times, I think it would be scary. As humans, we would want to try to intervene in God’s plan and fix things the way we want them to be.
So, for the most part, the future is hidden from us.
But did you know you can see parts of the future? It’s true. It’s right there in God’s word in the final chapter of the final book in the Bible.
Revelation 22 1-7 says,
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
What comforting words. I love the promises written in Revelation. While we can’t see into the future we’re facing right away, we can rest assured God has everything under control and there is a better future and a better world coming. . .one day.
I thought it might be a good idea to update you on my writing life since there might be new readers (hello!) and it’s honestly been awhile since I’ve been specific here.
My genre is Christian romance with small town settings. To narrow that more, I use Upstate NY settings because that’s where I spent 34 years and those little towns are gems rarely used in fiction. My passion is to encourage readers to find freedom in Christ through surrender. All my books contain a surrender issue with a chocolate mention.
My tagline?
Encouraging you to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and—one day—the chocolate.
Julie Arduini
For what seems like a decade but is more like five years I’ve been working on the Surrendering Hearts series. I lost a lot of writing time when my mom was sick and passed, but the first book, Anchored Hearts, is available, and the second, Repairing Hearts is well on the way.
I’d love for you to learn more.
The series premise is what happens when a family with an unique birth story stays in the spotlight due to tragedy? From there, each book features a Hart sextuplet who finds their own identity and tries to discover a love like their parents shared.
I am so in love with the Hart family.
The books go in birth order so Anchored Hearts tells Jordyn’s story. She’s used to taking care of everything and everyone but now that the sextuplets are grown, they don’t need her help. Their father is more independent with his life change, and even her work is different. Not being in control puts Jordyn in a spin, especially when she’s paired with no-nonsense reporter Spencer Collins.
The feedback has been positive and encouraging. Readers relate to Jordyn and love her family.
Repairing Hearts tells Ryan’s story. He’s the loner that went into the Navy instead of college. He’s back in the Finger Lakes area but purchased a home outside of Watkins Glen to start a life apart from the chaos his large family brings. The house is a dump and Ryan agrees to be part of a home improvement reality show brother Evan created to help him out of the financial sinkhole he’s in.
Thing is, the reality show is split in two. The first show is all about Ryan and his quest to find a project manager. Repairing Ryan’s Heart has little to do with hammers and nails and more to do with dating drama. The contestants are female and want Ryan as their soulmate. Everyone but BJ Wallace, a quiet Wisconsin hardware store employee with secret ties to the Finger Lakes. Will her secret help Ryan and his hurting heart or destroy him?
This book has been fun to write. I’m not a reality show watcher per se, but I have a friend who is and she helped me craft the ins and outs of the show. Every book needs a villain, and Raini Bly is a contestant with her own secret. She’s going to win or else. My critique partners seethe when they see Raini’s name, so I know I’m on the right track!
Evan will be next in Building Hearts. As the sextuplets celebrate their 25th birthday, it’s time to renovate Ryan’s house. The project manager from Repairing Hearts works with the crews and each Hart sibling has to re-do a room. Evan, known for his scheming and entrepreneurial ways isn’t enjoying the spotlight like he thought he would. Can he find his place with his family and experience a future where he isn’t alone?
James will be next, and I’m still working on his plot. He’s currently a student teacher, so his story will have an education background, and I have a few twists in mind…
Kelly is after that, and I don’t have too much started with her yet. I know her love interest, and he is going to create TONS of conflict.
Paige is last and I have a bit stashed away in my notes on her. The siblings are learning how deep their shared trauma has affected Paige, and they are grieving for her. When it’s time to explore her full story, she’s going to surprise her family and come in contact with someone from a previous book…
I hope you are as curious about the Hart sextuplets and the Surrendering Hearts series as I am. In the image you can see thatAnchored Hearts is available on Amazon, and my older books are also available there, but other places as well, including eBooks/online library apps. Search “Julie Arduini” and I believe you will find my books at either low cost or free. Enjoy!
“But You are a God of forgiveness,Gracious and compassionate,Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;” Nehemiah 9:17
What is lovingkindness? I like what Barbara Johnson, Award-winning Christian author and Women of Faith Speaker emeritus, said about loving-kindness.
How many times are we tempted to do less because we’re in a hurry or have a deadline, or are on overload? In my Bible reading, I noticed that in one day, Jesus healed a man of leprosy, healed the centurion’s servant, cross the Sea of Galilee and healed a demon-possessed man, crossed back over to his hometown of Capernaum, and healed a paralytic…never once complaining or becoming ill with the people. And often we aren’t even kind to our waitstaff when we’re a little bit hungry.
There are many Scripture verses on loving-kindness, but I came across this verse and a sermon Spurgeon preached on it:
We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness…Psalm 48:9
In his sermon A Worthy Theme for Thought, Charles Spurgeon thought of three different people in the church and how they should each think and speak more of the lovingkindness of the LORD.
Now, my dear sister, you have talked about that rheumatism of yours to at least fifty people who have been to see you; suppose you tell your next visitor about the lovingkindness of the Lord to you.”
· “Yes, my dear brother, we all know that trade is bad, for you have told us so, every day, for I do not know how many years. And you have always been losing money, though you had no capital when you started; yet, somehow or other, you have managed to have something left even now. Well, we know that old story; could you not change your note just a little, and talk about the lovingkindness of the Lord?”
· “Yes, my friend, I know that many professing Christian people are not all that they profess to be; I have heard you say soever so many times. You say also, ‘There is no love in the church.’ Well, so far as we can see, you are not overstocked with it. You say, ‘There is no zeal among the members,’ but have you any to give away to those who need it? Now, henceforward, instead of always harping on the faults and failing of God’s people – which, certainly, are numerous enough, but have not become any fewer since you talked so much about them – would it not be better to think and talk of the lovingkindness of the Lord?” A Worthy Theme for Thought, Charles Spurgeon
My question for me today is: How many times am I like any or all of these three? Instead of complaining about the heat or cold, how about I praise God for the very air I breathe?
The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes can be seen as a long lament about the impermanence and transience of life on earth. Nothing seems to last, not wealth or fame or health or strength or position or governments or achievements or people.
Against this is Jesus’ call and promise that we should bear “fruit that will last” (John 15:16). What is this fruit? We can understand this command in conjunction with Jesus’ call to Peter and Andrew to “fish for people” (Matthew 4:19) and Jesus’ great commission to His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The promise is that those who become followers of Jesus will live forever with Him—they will last.
There is another aspect to this promise. The call to bear fruit that will last comes in the context of Jesus’ plea to His followers to “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12). This is echoed in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He said that gifts and knowledge might pass away but that faith, hope, and especially love will remain (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). This is Jesus’ promise, that what we do as a result of loving people as Jesus loves will produce fruit that lasts, fruit that endures beyond the end of time.
The news and commentary spewing 24/7 from network television is so depressing to me that I have to limit the time I spend watching. I have to remind myself on a daily basis that the politicians, rioters, war-mongers, drug pushers, and money-hungry moguls are not in control. God is. Then. Now. And always. Because I’m a Christian, I know the end of this story.
Still, the heartbreak of watching my country in decline and at great risk of losing the freedoms I grew up with is always somewhere in my mind, just as the hope for the future is always in my prayers.
But once I’ve seen the awful images of unchecked looting and burning and worse, I cannot unsee it. Once the fear takes hold, it’s hard to shake it off, even when I can look out my window and see that my own community appears peaceful and safe, untouched by the madness sweeping the rest of the country. (That’s illusion. My friends on the police force tell me so.)
The broader chaos comes into play, exacerbating everything, when my personal life is suddenly turned upside down. Yesterday was one of those day.
I’m very close to writing The End on a new thriller, about thirty pages or so. When I turned on my computer, opened the manuscript and started writing, my entire computer screen went black. The backup power did not work. The tower went dark.
Panic took over. I’m a creative soul, at ease writing, singing, playing piano, dabbling in pottery. But my computer and I have an uneasy relationship. As long as it works, we are fine together. But when anything goes wrong, I feel as if I’ve been cast into a wilderness without a map. I’m not tech savvy. And that’s putting it mildly.
While I desperately tried to get in touch with my tech guru, my washing machine quit. Then the arborist, outside checking to see how he could remove a dead tree that was threatening to fall onto my roof with the next tornado that sweeps through Mississippi, rang the doorbell to tell me he couldn’t get his equipment in to cut the tree. It’s boxed into my small patio by the fence and other large trees.
Now, understand that I live alone, and my children and grandchildren live far away. In distant states, not cities.
I wanted to crawl into bed and have a good cry. But I have a commitment to my publisher to meet my writing deadline, and I have never missed one in my thirty-eight-year career. Plus, I have promised to be in a commercial for my bank in three days, and they probably don’t expect me to appear with blotchy red eyes and a puffy face.
So I soldiered on.
I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13
I’ve scheduled a big cry for four days, after the commercial. Chances are, I’ll skip the cry because I’ll be too busy living in the best, most joyful way I know how. Here’s what Ralph Waldo Emerson had to say about living.
He said, “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.”
It’s the end of April and here in Florida, flowers are blooming. Our azaleas are quite beautiful, but only last a few short weeks.
I always look forward to the myriad colors and lovely blossoms that decorate my yard, even though I don’t really have a green thumb. I have gone overboard on my back deck with pretty tropical flowers that are vibrant all spring and summer long.
I’ve been spending weekends in the yard, mostly working on areas where I have a cluster of trees or bushes that I haven’t tended to in a long time. One of the most frustrating parts of the job are the stubborn vines that grow like crazy. I’ve pulled them from the ground, but before I know it, they’re back again.
Yesterday, I struggled with a large grouping of the vines that have really sharp thorns. (I have the cuts on my arms to prove it!) I had to fight with the invasive plants to remove them in order to get to the beauty of the flowers hidden beneath. They were all mixed together, yet while the vines overtook the branches, the flowers were still there, waiting to be revealed.
Sometimes, in life, we can feel like the vines are suffocating us, but once they are removed, there is beauty all around us and in our hearts. The flowers I came across are reminders of how wonderful our God is. We may have to tangle with the weeds, but he gives us the tools to make our way in the light of His love.
Here’s a peek at some of my favorite flower pictures.
Today, if you have a chance, stop and admire any flowers you come across. Not only will it lift your spirits, but they will also be a reminder of the mighty God of creation, who makes a way for us to get out of the weeds.
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. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HER SURPRISE HOMETOWN MATCH, available now.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.
Earlier on Facebook, there was an ad on my vicki.hinze.author page. It read: FIND OUT YOUR WORTH and offered a free calculator as a gift for doing so.
It struck me as hilarious. Imagine. Measuring the worth of a human being in such a simplistic and silly manner. But the more I pondered on it, the sadder I became. And I soon found myself ashamed for finding humor in something so twisted. If this is an indicator of how we view and measure ourselves, well, is it any wonder so many are confused and depressed and stay torn up inside?
Oh, we all know that in our current culture “net worth” is often measured by dollars and success is defined by money, position and/or power. I admit that I’ve never understood that. I know too many wealthy people who are miserable, used by others and lost. Just hopelessly lost and struggling to find some meaning in their lives. I know too many in positions of power that spend all their time worrying about keeping it, getting more of it, and fearing every other person in the world is manipulating them trying to steal it. What kind of power is that… really? You don’t often see contentment or peace at the top of their lists as what they have, but you do hear a lot about them wanting both and fearing they’ll never know it.
There are exceptions of course. Those who think they’re above the rules and corruption doesn’t apply to them because of their special status. Imagine the sad day that they realize they are accountable and in that accounting, there is no spin, no excuse, no bloviating, no ducking or running. Comeuppance doesn’t discriminate. We reap what we sow and we are accountable for every thought, word, action or deed—and yes, inaction is an action.
Earlier, I’d see something like this and just chuckle and mumble, “Lord, give them a clue.”
That didn’t happen this morning. I looked at this through God’s eyes. After all, He created us each and every one and loves us all equally. And what flooded me was a deep and intense sadness. His child hurting, His child clueless. His child missing the point of a personalized life mission and purpose, of a personalized, handcrafted, molded mission that is evidence of each individual’s unique position and power and success. Those things are infused in each of us by the very hand of God. No two are exactly the same, and no other individual in the world can fulfill an indivudual’s specific purpose aside from the individual for whom it was crafted.
We are all special. We are all powerful. We are all incalculably worthy.
Worth can’t be measured in money or numbers any more than the measure of a man can be taken by his words. The true measure of a man is evident in his actions. That reveals what’s in his heart.
And that’s what I saw today in these deeper thoughts, viewing through my imagined perspective from God’s eyes. And through that prism, I saw the pain He feels at our missing the significance of our purpose and our worth. I saw the tragedy in the culture and the people who populate it in its kind of measures. The hollowness of it all.
And so I’m moved today to remind you that you have a specific mission and you were created precisely as you are to fulfill it. You have all the traits, all the abilities and skills required, or the ability to attain them, to fulfill this mission. You have the wisdom and strength needed to exercise the judgement necessary to do the right thing for the right reason at the right time for the right person.
You see, our culture tells us we don’t change the world. But it’s wrong. We do. When we impact one person in one small way, that person changes, and because s/he has, s/he will impact and change another who will change another and so on and so on. The ripple keeps going.
That’s powerful—and often these seemingly insignificant situations are missed. We diminish the value of them because we don’t recognize the value of them.
But if we pause just for a moment, we can position ourselves to see these things as God does—and to Him, I sincerely doubt any are insignificant.
What is the value of:
A kind word to someone lonely who hasn’t had human contact for a time?
A “well done” to a child who only hears what a rotten kid s/he is?
A smile to someone who has no one to smile at them?
A sincere “How are you today?” from someone who actually wants to know and listens to the response.
Mowing the neighbor’s yard because s/he has no mower or it’s in the shop?
Offering a worker a sealed bottle of water or something to drink?
Little kindnesses like these are said to cost us nothing. That isn’t true. They are treasures and cost us deeply. They cost us something money can’t buy, no position or power can give. They cost us a precious commodity we can’t bargain or extend. They cost us our time.
Each sliver or segment is of the greatest value to us. So when we share it, we’re giving our best. We should realize that. And so too should those with whom we share.
Measuring worth. It’s like measuring time in a way, isn’t it? Not in minutes or hours or years, but in moments. Some are tender, touching, compassionate. Some are sad, grief-stricken, shattering. Some are joyful, elating, swell your heart until it feels too big for your chest. But each is precious.
And the reason each moment is precious and it matters is because we know its worth. What a gift it would be if in our culture we’d discover our own.
The attitude of gratitude is a great slogan. Having an eye for the blessings one has received is a necessary element, not only in pleasing God, but surviving the hardships that this valley of tears delivers at the most inopportune moments.
Have you ever said the following? Why now? If only this happened last week. Why in heaven’s name is it always me?
Are those the words of gratitude? Not quite. But the reason I’ve been guilty as charged is most often due to lack of perspective. How can we be truly grateful when we’re clueless about what we should be grateful for?
Life itself, the ability to think and reason, the joys of family, the beauty of nature, the ability to laugh so hard that you cry. Those are a few gifts. Running water, hot water at that, indoor toilets, antibiotics, skilled surgeons, poets, warm houses, garbage men, and plumbers to keep those taps in working order are a few more treats. The list is endless if any of us attempts to grasp in total what we should be grateful for.
I’m particularly grateful for books. I’ve always been a history buff. A lazy one, but I do enjoy picking up the random history to learn about other times and places. These one-off ventures are often fruitful. It’s as if I’m getting a kick in the pants, to learn about something I’m otherwise lacking. And I’m not talking about the history itself. Attitudes is what I’m talking about. Gratitude and perspective in specific.
Most recently I’ve been combing through the NARRATIVE OF THE CAPTIVITY AND RESTORATION OF MRS. MARY ROWLANDSON. If you need a jolt in the gratitude department, this is it. (Project Gutenberg is a fantastic treasure if you haven’t visited there. Do check it out for classic reading at its finest.)
Click => REALITY CHECK to get a gander at what Mrs. Rowlandson endured back in the 1600’s. The seventeenth century was such a wonderful era with all those modern conveniences. Butter churns. Lye soap making parties. Candle dipping. And who can forget rug beating?? A woman had such leisure. Men too. A team of oxen or mules practically plowed the fields by themselves. Right? Not quite.
Life in the colonies or any frontier was seriously hard business, harder still with the prospect of unexpected company 24/7. Our Mrs. Rowlandson had just such a visit on the tenth of February, 1675. Life as she knew it shattered in a hellish reversal she’d probably prayed would never happen. The clash of cultures, European vs Native American was often brutal. Shocking beyond our comprehension. At least mine anyway. But there were many kindnesses to be seen as well when reading these stories.
The point is, this woman, through her immense soul wrenching trials clung to her faith. She thanked God and submitted to his will with an amazingly open heart that lacked nothing in the confidence department. That alone astounds me. Mary held fast to the belief that God would come to her aid. She was a grateful servant, cleaving to Him in and out of season:
But now, the next morning, I must turn my back upon the town, and travel with them into the vast and desolate wilderness, I knew not whither. It is not my tongue, or pen, can express the sorrows of my heart, and bitterness of my spirit that I had at this departure: but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail. One of the Indians carried my poor wounded babe upon a horse; it went moaning all along, “I shall die, I shall die.” I went on foot after it, with sorrow that cannot be expressed. At length I took it off the horse, and carried it in my arms till my strength failed, and I fell down with it. Then they set me upon a horse with my wounded child in my lap, and there being no furniture upon the horse’s back, as we were going down a steep hill we both fell over the horse’s head, at which they, like inhumane creatures, laughed, and rejoiced to see it, though I thought we should there have ended our days, as overcome with so many difficulties. But the Lord renewed my strength still, and carried me along, that I might see more of His power; yea, so much that I could never have thought of, had I not experienced it.
After this it quickly began to snow, and when night came on, they stopped, and now down I must sit in the snow, by a little fire, and a few boughs behind me, with my sick child in my lap; and calling much for water, being now (through the wound) fallen into a violent fever. My own wound also growing so stiff that I could scarce sit down or rise up; yet so it must be, that I must sit all this cold winter night upon the cold snowy ground, with my sick child in my arms, looking that every hour would be the last of its life; and having no Christian friend near me, either to comfort or help me. Oh, I may see the wonderful power of God, that my Spirit did not utterly sink under my affliction: still the Lord upheld me with His gracious and merciful spirit, and we were both alive to see the light of the next morning.
This is the attitude of gratitude that I hope one day to have. No, I’m not asking to be abducted and dragged through the wilderness. I’d have gotten killed for sure. Too much trouble. But I am very thankful that Mrs. Rowlandson, despite having a justifiable reason to close in on herself due to PTSD, was able to endure and write down her trials for the benefit of us all. Her example is a bona fide testament of faith in action!
Our household runs on routines. I get up in the morning, set the thermostat to 21.5 degrees Celsius, feed our pets a pre-determined amount, make the coffee, check the weather forecast, check the news headlines, record any TV shows I might want to watch later, take my prescribed medications, and check my email. We have set methods and schedules for making beds, washing clothes, housecleaning, servicing the car, taking walks, paying bills, praying, having devotional times, and so on and so on. We have figured out the most efficient way to load dishes into the dishwasher and follow the same general pattern each time.
We have a place for everything and put everything in its place—food, pots, pans, plates, glasses, cups, serving bowls, cleaning supplies, tools, paper and office supplies, books, summer clothes, winter clothes, towels and cleaning rags, and garbage and recycling bins. Every night before going to bed, we put everything away, turn down the thermostat to 18 degrees Celsius, close the drapes, and get some things ready for the morning. We have running grocery lists, lists of daily and weekly chores, and calendars with important dates.
These routines are very useful. They save time and effort and frustration. We don’t have to figure out how to carry out daily and weekly tasks or remember if we have done something that needs doing. We don’t need to look for things because we know they are in their proper place.
One of my routines is that I do not do any of my writing and editing work on Sunday. (Even though some of my Christian clients assume I will answer emails and phone calls on that day, I postpone answering the emails and tell callers to phone back the next day.) I need a day of rest and a day for undistracted worship. Another of our routines is that we go to church on Sunday. The church service is scheduled for the same time every week.
Matthew 12 tells the story of Jesus’ disciples casually plucking some heads of grain and eating them on the Sabbath. The rule-keepers said this violated the prohibition against working and harvesting grain on the Sabbath. Jesus responded that King David and his followers, when in a desperate situation, ate consecrated bread reserved for the priests. He also said that priests worked on the Sabbath by leading temple worship. Jesus’ conclusion was that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8 NIV). In other words, Jesus, as God’s true high priest and heir to David’s throne, could make exceptions to the rules—especially when it came to rules created by human beings. Jesus also made a point of healing people on the Sabbath. In the same story in Mark 2, Jesus added the comment: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
(I think it necessary to add a note here so that what I am saying will not be misunderstood. It is important to understand that Jesus did not discard the idea of keeping the Sabbath. He did not discard the moral law or the truth of the Bible. What He did was allow some flexibility in the manmade rules for keeping the law, so that the law would be obeyed in spirit as well as the letter.)
Jesus also said that “New wine must be poured into new wineskins” (Luke 5:38). Life, like wine, needs containers—routines, rules, procedures, traditions, and practices that control and guide it. And those routines, rules, procedures, traditions, and practices need to be changed when life takes different directions. The wineskins are there to protect the wine and keep it from being spilled and are therefore important, but it is the wine that is paramount, not the wineskins. Without the wine, wineskins have no purpose.
Like many things, rules and routines make good servants but terrible masters. Routines need to be re-evaluated and adjusted when circumstances and needs change. When something unusual pops up, if someone urgently needs help or if a great opportunity arises, the routines can and should be dispensed with.
In the Bible when you see words written in red letters you know that these are Jesus’ words.
It’s estimated that there are 31,426 red letter words, almost 48% of the entire Gospel, included in scripture.
God came in human form to live amongst us and teach us about Himself and let us see Him plan of salvation as it played out. God’s love flows from the red letters in the bible to His fallen creation showing us His immeasurable love.
When Jesus began His ministry here on earth, He chose twelve men who had no outstanding qualities to change the world and through Him, change it they did.
Most of the red letter verses in the Bible are in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but there are some red letter verses found in Acts and in Revelation.
In John 14:6 Jesus says, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
He told us the way to salvation was through Him.
John 11:43: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
Jesus spoke and Lazarus came alive and left the tomb.
Luke 23:34, Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
Jesus asked the Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him. That’s amazing love.
Matthew 27:46, And the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
A holy God could not look upon the sins of the word that Jesus took on when He took our place. Jesus felt the loss of God’s presence deeply, but He was faithful until death for us.
John 19:30,It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Jesus gave up His spirit—it wasn’t taken from Him.
And in Mark 16:15, Jesus gives Christians their call to action. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
In Acts 9:15-16, Jesus sent Ananias to speak with Saul; Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
And in Revelation 22:12, Jesus promises to return. Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.
The words of Jesus, printed in red, stand out, distinguishing His words from others. But for Christians red symbolizes the blood of Christ and the sacrifice He made when He poured out His blood on the cross. For you and me.
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,” 2 Timothy 4:3 (ESV)
In the past couple of months, the subject of itching ears has come up a few times at my Bible study. We’ve had some good discussion on this and how we want to listen to someone who agrees with us, even when we may not be in alignment with the word of God. But we recognize the need to only listen to God.
Years ago, I co-taught a women’s Bible study on marriage. We had one woman who came and often questioned the teachings. She loved her husband and loved listening and taking part in our studies. But sometimes she could be a little argumentative. Not in a mean way, but I struggled to understand her.
One day, she opened up and told us about her first marriage. I don’t remember the problems she encountered, but she decided she wanted a divorce and couldn’t stay married any longer. Being a Christian, she went to her pastor for advice. He believed it would be best for her to stay in her marriage and work things out. She did not appreciate his help. In fact, she was very vocal about how he didn’t know what he was saying.
She ended up going to ten more pastors, and each one agreed with the first. Her problems in the marriage were such that she and her husband should be able to work them out with counseling and some effort on their part.
But she was not to be deterred. She reached out to the twelfth pastor, and he agreed she should get the divorce. She did and remarried and was very happy with her new husband.
After hearing this story, I understood that the topics we discussed in Bible study probably brought up painful memories of how she could have fixed her first marriage and chose not to, rejecting so many who gave her godly advice. I was stunned that she rejected the advice of eleven pastors because the twelfth spoke what she wanted to hear.
I get this. I really do. Sometimes we are set on one course because we just can’t see, or don’t want to see, the alternative that God has for us. Sometimes we are afraid of failure, or we want a roadmap that is clear with landmarks that tell us what is ahead. Stepping out in faith can be unnerving.
But God asks us to have faith, to take His hand and let him lead us. Perhaps what we don’t realize or think about is that while the path ahead is obscured to us, it is very clear to God. He knows exactly where we are going and what steps we need to take. He will guide us around, or even through, the obstacles in our way if we simply trust him.
Instead of having itching ears that listen for what will suit them, we must have ears that seek the voice of God. We must listen to His guidance even when the voice is quiet or tells us to do that which is challenging or painful.
Our faithfulness to God and our trust in Him is worth everything. The joy that comes from listening only to Him will carry us through the hard times and shine a light for those around us.
I admit this post might seem random, not one of my best, but honestly, this topic is on my mind and there’s a lot I don’t understand. Usually that makes me hit the brakes when it comes to writing, but this time, I feel like I’m meant to share.
Maybe others are confused.
Maybe others are not, but something I write strikes a chord and it’s confirmation.
God knows.
I’m not a beer drinker, and when I was, I didn’t love the taste. So Bud Light hasn’t lost a dime off me because most likely they never got one off me, either. Yet there’s much about the Bud Light controversy featuring Dylan Mulvaney I don’t understand.
First of all, feminists, where are you? Your silence is deafening. I’m not a feminist but I’ve been known to speak up when I felt my gender was being maligned. Females still make less than men. It is only in the last five years, I believe, women in the Middle East were given permission to drive and remove their head covering. Sports for women doesn’t receive the accolades or respect that the men get.
Don’t you think one of your voices should be featured on a brand product? The executive spear heading the Bud Light marketing transition said before Dylan’s face appeared that she (the exec) wanted to get away from the fratty image Bud Light was apparently known for. Okay, so why not use a female influencer?
I know I might be upsetting some by not including Dylan as said influencer, but from my reading, even the trans community is taking issue with Mulvaney. I’m not going to pretend to understand everything but apparently if you are going to adopt a different gender, it needs to be an all-in process. So if you were born a male, the parts need to go and everything needs to change, voice, everything. The trans community submits this is something Mulvaney has failed to do and if I read correctly, doesn’t plan on doing more than done. So there’s even division among the very segment Bud is trying to highlight and recruit.
Bud isn’t the only product Dylan is currently endorsing. Right now I’m sure Mulvaney is enjoying an improvement in finances and perks. Yet, I also read that in the 365 digital journal of transition, Dylan lamented they have yet to be kissed in this new identity. When I look at ads, sure, there’s a smile, but it seems sad. Another question is anyone without an agenda looking out for Dylan when the money and attention go away? There are rising voices from de-transitioners who share the physical and mental toll the transition took that no one warned them about. Their bodies mutilated, their mental health hijacked. I hope these products truly care about the person behind the smile. Shame on them if they don’t.
I’m not a counselor or an executive, but I’m a praying person with a decent track record when it comes to God’s wisdom and discernment. When it comes to the identity crisis Gen Z is under, I’ve yet to meet one person who didn’t come to that life announcement without a wound. Either they were physically or emotionally abused, or worse. There was a significant trauma or loss. If those categories aren’t checked, and 95% of the time in my amateur dealings, that’s the case, then it’s college influence. Professors not teaching, but pushing their own lifestyle./preferences on vulnerable kids.
That’s what I wonder about as I hear about the controversy. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t hate anyone involved. I am concerned, for a few reasons, listed above.
I guess I’ll have a chocolate milk, my drink of choice when I try to figure out the world’s problems, and pray.
In John 15: 1-8, Jesus presented the encouraging metaphor of the vine: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…I am the vine; you are the branches.” Because we are connected to the vine, Jesus promised, “You will bear much fruit.” This teaching of Jesus is an attractive one. We relish the idea of being cared for and nourished by God, of having the life of Jesus flowing into us every day, of being enabled to flourish and be fruitful.
We might even admit that often we are secretly glad that in this passage Jesus said that God will cut off, discard, and burn the wicked, the branches that do not bear fruit. We might especially want this to happen to mass murderers and those who abuse children. As well, we might feel that God’s judgment on the wicked vindicates us, the righteous.
But there is one aspect of this teaching, this metaphor or parable, that we absolutely do not like. John 15:2 says that God prunes “every branch that does bear fruit…so that it will be even more fruitful.” We do not relish the idea of God pruning those who are fruitful. We are tempted to object, “God, why do you have to prune? I’m already being fruitful. I’m doing better than others (the wicked). Pruning hurts. Why does pruning have to happen? Why pick on those who are already doing well?” The answer is that without pruning we would naturally tend to produce more leaves and twigs, put on a show of being healthy, and the leaves would choke out the fruit. Even for the most righteous among us, there are many things in our lives that are sinful, and there are many more things that might not be sinful in themselves but that hinder and distract us from producing fruit. Giving up those things will hurt. We want them. We are deeply attached to them. We don’t want to give them up. But relinquishing them is necessary in order for us to remain fruitful and to become even more fruitful.
Christians Read 