My Top Ten by Tara Randel

Posted on January 9, 2023 by tararandel

This is the time of year when folks decide whether or not to come up with new year’s resolutions. They come with good intentions, but honestly, we can start eating healthy, exercising, reading more, or getting into a Bible study any time of the year. Instead, I came up with a list of some of my favorite scriptures.

I’m sure you have a list of your own. And this is certainly not an exhaustive list. The Bible is so rich and full, I could go on for pages. No, these are some of the scriptures I turn to for comfort, guidance, praise or to give glory. This is a sort of starting point today, encouraging all of us to seek the Lord as we journey into 2023.

Here goes!

  1. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
        I will be exalted among the nations,
        I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
  • I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Joshua 1:5b
  •  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
  • The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
         my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
        my shield and the horn of my salvation.
    He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
        from violent people you save me. 2 Samuel 2-3
  •  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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
  • Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6
  • 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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
  • No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
  • Show me your ways, Lord,
        teach me your paths.
    Guide me in your truth and teach me,
        for you are God my Savior,
        and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4-5
  • Come near to God and he will come near to you.  James 4:8a

I hope you have a blessed 2023!

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 next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, HER SURPRISE HOMETOWN MATCH, available FEBRUARY 2023. 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.

Coming in 2023

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Shift by Julie Arduini

Posted on January 6, 2023 by juliearduini

I have a prayer partner and dear friend who was living a comfortable life with her family in October. A week or so later her husband received a job opportunity that was obvious it was something they needed to pursue. They prayed, we prayed, and by Christmas the husband was established in the new job in another state, their house closed in the original state, they moved into their rental and last I heard, found the dream house and the offer accepted.

It was a literal shift from one state to another, one career to another, and much more in six weeks flat.

We laughed when she asked what God gave me for the word of the year and I announced, “Shift.”

A year or so ago I read a prayer article that mentioned the word and it really resonated with me. Readers were encouraged to be ready for God to shift people in a whirlwind to a new location, like my friends, for Kingdom purpose. That the Body of Christ will shift not because God changes, but it’s time to get back to basics. Families will shift. For me, we now have a son that is married and living with his wife. We have a daughter that is living a new life post high school full of opportunities and growth.

And—Vicki asked me to move from my Wednesday slot to Friday.

Shift.

I sense the word will be much more than my life, but something I’ll observe on a global scale. Notice world leaders stepping down or passing away? Remember pre-pandemic how most everyone worked in offices? Now I’m hearing that many are working remote, not because of sickness but they found it worked better. My husband is one of those. It’s a definite shift from how things used to be done.

So here I am. It’s a Friday, and my first post in this slot. An easy shift to make.

Because I think more is to come, I asked God what verse should I pay extra attention to in conjunction with shift.

John 13:7, ESV: Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”

What a precious verse. For me, I’m always asking questions. I want to know everything, and God doesn’t owe me that. I sense with all the ways shift will most likely take place, this verse will keep me focused on Him and not my questions.

How about you? Does this word speak to you? Verse? What’s your word for the year? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

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Happy New Year by Vicki Hinze

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Welcome 2023!

A new year affords us opportunities. Ones to shake off the remnants of a hard year. Ones to seek solutions rather than focus on problems or challenges. Ones to seek those windows now open that once had been closed doors.

I’ve long since believed that there are just a few little things we can do that can bring huge results. I’d like to share a few of them with you this morning:

  1. Pray first and not as a last resort. Prayer brings calm, peace, insights and understanding. If we teach ourselves to pray first, we can diminish a lot of chaos that our indecision brings. Prayer also brings clarity, which is quite often a huge obstacle that traps us in doubt, uncertainty, and fear of making the wrong decision. When you pray first, you begin weighing a matter in a different place, a better place.

2. Prepare and expect the best. In the past 34 years of writing and mentoring other writers, one of the biggest challenges I’ve seen over and over again is a formidable challenge, but one that we can resolve. It is fear and doubt that we deserve a good outcome to what we’re seeking. As the old saying goes, “I wish I had a nickel for every time someone has said to me that they don’t deserve this or that they’re seeking.” The truth is we deserve our portion and only God knows exactly what that is. That’s not in dispute. But if we apply His principles to what we are doing, we should then expect the best. After all, He assigned, He determined the portions, and we’re assured there is more than enough. So if we do our part, we can rest in knowing He will do His.

3. Sometimes we get mired down because we overwhelm ourselves in the enormity of a project or a dream or something we’re attempting. A tip is to breakdown the whole into bite-sized bits. What I mean is, set interim goals and markers to measure your progress. Way too often we don’t celebrate the successful completion of the parts. Rather than an enormous mountain, think of your journey on this endeavor as steps. Celebrate the steps. Before you know it, you’ll be encouraged by the climb and move up!

Let’s take on these three as we start our new year.

It helps to remember, you are where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be doing–until you’re not. To be confident of your current position, see number 1 above. Ask and you shall receive (answers). Seek (truth) and you shall find (truth).

We have the master planner to guide us. If only we ask…

Blessings and may 2023 be a joyous year for all of you and yours!

Vicki Hinze

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The Name of God by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 4, 2023 by jrcoggins

When we think of praising the name of God, we often think of doing this verbally, as in the psalms, which were the Old Testament worship songs: “I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22 NIV); “I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands” (Psalm 63:4); “I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever” (Psalm 86:12). We do something similar in church services today. Sometimes we do something similar by posting Bible verses on Facebook or other social media.

We need to think of the issue in larger terms. The name of God refers to “Yahweh,” the name by which God chose to reveal Himself. But the name of God is also the reputation of God. Consider these verses from Ezekiel, written about the Jews after they had been sent into exile in Babylon:

• “And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the Lord’s people, and yet they had to leave his land’” (Ezekiel 36:20).

• “I had concern for my holy name, which the people of Israel profaned among the nations where they had gone” (Ezekiel 36:21).

• “Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone’” (Ezekiel 36:22)

• “I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes” (Ezekiel 36:23).

• “I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel” (Ezekiel 39:7).

• “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The people of Israel will never again defile my holy name—neither they nor their kings—by their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings at their death” (Ezekiel 43:7)

• “When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger” (Ezekiel 43:8).

Consider this similar comment from the prophet Amos: “They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed. Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name” (Amos 2:7).

Consider also these words from the prophet Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s contemporary, who was prophesying in Judah in the last days before Jerusalem fell: “’For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 29:23); “But now you have turned around and profaned my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again” (Jeremiah 34:16).

Regardless of what the people of Israel said they were doing in the temple of Jerusalem, they were not glorifying God’s name. They were not enhancing God’s reputation. Instead, they were profaning God’s name among the other nations. By their actions, they were declaring to the world that God was not all-seeing or all-powerful or holy. They were declaring that God overlooked and tolerated sin, murder, lies, theft, and oppression of the poor.

Similarly, the reputation of the Christian God does not rest on the songs we sing in church or the Bible verses we post on social media. It rests on our actions seen by the people among whom we live. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Later, when the Jewish religious leaders were astonished by the courage and wisdom of the apostles, “they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).  But when church leaders engage in sexual abuse, when they make ridiculous claims in the religious and political realms, when Christians are racist, when Christians neglect or oppress the poor, when televangelists defraud the poor to enrich themselves, we damage the reputation of Jesus Christ. We profane rather than glorify the name of God, and God will not let that continue. That is why judgement begins “with God’s household” (1 Peter 4:17).

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Fresh Starts by Peggy Webb

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

A New Dawn climber on the rose arbor in my front yard.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.” –Ephesians 5:15

Change has always been hard for me. Some of my friends constantly rearrange their furniture and their art objects, but I like to wake up every day to the same stuff in the same place in the same house. Those adventurous souls can’t wait to leave home and see new places, try new things. Usually when I travel, I can’t wait to get home. Except when I’m visiting family. Okay, sometimes even then I long for the comfort of my own chair and tea in my own cup. 

Sometimes, though, circumstances force change. The last two years have created an upheaval that is unprecedented in my lifetime. No one has been left untouched. Has it been hard? Yes. Has it often been heartbreaking? Again, yes. 

But in the midst of all this upheaval, there have been opportunities. I was devasted two years ago when my church closed its doors. I thought, “I’ll be back in church in two weeks, singing in the choir, visiting with friends, praising God with song.” But, no. It was a big city church where the leaders decided keeping the congregation safe was paramount. While taking precautions in the face of danger is always wise, it can be taken to extremes. Even after stores were open for business and people were back at work, my church’s doors were still closed. I felt as if my freedom to worship had been taken away.

        “I tell you, if my disciples keep silence the stones will shout aloud.” Luke 19:40

Bereft of a place to worship and the camaraderie of Christians, I went back to the little country church were I grew up. It was built by my grandfather on family land. Through the years, most of my relatives worshipped there and many still do.

This small body of believers surrounded me with love. I was home again. I was worshipping with fellow Christians. A sense of joy returned. And then—opportunities galore. 

The church had left the Methodist conference and gone independent. It was growing like wildfire. The second Sunday I was there, the choir director asked me to join the four or five people who made up the choir. (It was barely a quartet! We now have fourteen.) New families began to pour in, young mothers and fathers with young children. I volunteered to teach the two-to-six-year-olds. Little cherubs. All of them. Boone, who says God is in his heart and Sam, who prays for peanut butter. Mia, who loves making the star that led the Wise Men to Jesus and two-year-old Hank who grabs the plastic ukulele and marches around the ABC rug to sing, “Dee an Wi” every Sunday (That’s the children’s song, “Deep and Wide.”) Every Sunday morning is sheer delight for me!

Soon our growing church saw the need to add a Sunday evening service. Since the Sunday morning pianist and organist were both long distances away from the church, I volunteered to play piano at night. God gave me musical talents and I have used them for His praise in churches since I was eight years old. I could play only two songs then, and not very well. I now play concert versions of the magnificent old hymns like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” I post many of my practice sessions on my Facebook page. You can also join us for worship via the FB page for the Church at Andrews Chapel.

https://www.facebook.com/ChurchatAndrewsChapel/videos/510243937790285

Look for opportunities. They are everywhere. 

God is good!

Peggy

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The Beginning by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on January 2, 2023 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

On dark nights, walking outside can be a challenge without any light. Even though you’ve crossed your yard hundreds of times and know where every divot or bush or plant is, the darkness makes it seem like a new landscape, one we aren’t sure about crossing. Going out into the unknown can often be as disconcerting as stepping into that darkened yard.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Genesis 1:1,2 (ESV)

Imagine being there in the beginning of everything. There is complete and utter darkness. Nothing. No direction. No way to tell where to go. Silence that presses in on one. An utterly terrifying prospect. 

And yet, there was hope too.

“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1: 3,4

When there was utter darkness and no direction, God had a plan. He provided the light so we would be able to see, to understand which way to go. We were not left in despair in the beginning and we aren’t now either.

The start of a new year can be uncertain. What will be ahead for us? Will 2023 be a year of joy or a year filled with heartbreak? Will there be sickness? New life? Bounty? Scarcity? 

As we take the first steps into the unknown landscape of 2023, remember to allow God to light the way. Allow Him to shine on the path he has for each of us. 

We may be unfamiliar with the layout in front of us but God knows every divot, every turn, every tiny pebble that might be in the way and become a tripping hazard. He wants to guide us. His desire is to lead us in the path He has chosen for us.

I pray we all walk into the New Year hand-in-hand with God, unconcerned about our future. Totally trust in Him.

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4, 5 (ESV)

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Poems for a Busy Time by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 28, 2022 by jrcoggins

No one has time to read blogs in the busy time around Christmas. It is appropriate, then, that today I post some poems since no one reads poetry either.

Seasonally Affected Disorder

Our Christmas cactuses

have glorious practices

in November,

but are bereft,

have no blooms left

come December.

A serious dereliction,

a complete contradiction,

like a Christmas tree

without ornamentation,

it’s a misrepresentation

of botany.

Echoes

Christmas colors mark the sign:

“Discount book sale, $9.09.”

Unforeseen ironic twist:

Wal-Mart’s profits swell from this—

A Christmas Carol, Dickens’ tale,

And Bob the clerk rings up the sale,

Who must increase his meager pay

By taking shifts on Christmas Day.

The next in line is pushing near.

Bob turns away and doesn’t hear

Charles’s echoes in the mall:

“It’s just business after all.”

To Seek a Better King

A couple of thousand kilometers

these pagans travelled,

several million footsteps,

taking months.

But the priests of the household,

who had studied their whole lives to be ready for this,

couldn’t be bothered to spend an afternoon checking out what they had heard.

God does not send stars and signs

to those who aren’t willing

to follow.

After All Expectation

(Genesis 35:16-20)

The birth came late

but far too early,

falling a few miles and many years short

of the destined nation.

She cried out that the birth brought only sorrow.

The father spoke of a prince coming,

but she could not see it.

They buried her beside the road to Bethlehem.

For those not Home for Christmas

In the season of joy,

pain and grief return for those no longer here.

The loss does not grow less with each passing year,

but is seasoned with peace

as the separation recedes in the past

and the distant time of reunion draws near.

On a journey going Somewhere

Christians

zipping down the high way,

carelessly

tossing prayers out the window

and starting fires.

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The significance of the wise men’s gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh!

Posted on December 27, 2022 by Author Mary Alford

By now, Christmas 2022 is over, and the presents are unwrapped. I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas!

From scriptures we know that the wise men visited Jesus after his birth though we don’t know how long it was.

Today, I thought I’d share with you the significance of the wise men’s gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

The wise men were astrologers and the star they spotted was an astronomical sign that signified the prophecy of the Jewish king’s birth. They came bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Unusual gifts for a baby but very significant gifts for Jesus.

Gold was indeed a gift fit for a king. Frankincense was a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of his future priesthood, setting him apart from a typical king. And Myrrh was used as a perfume, anointing oil, medicinal tonic, and as a key ingredient in the mixture of spices used to prepare bodies for burial.

Each gift from the wise men not only proclaimed Jesus’ kingly status, but also his future priesthood, and spoke of Jesus’ humanity and the way he would save his people—by dying for them.

So, even though Christmas is over, I hope you’ll remember the gifts brought by the wise men to honor the King, the High Priest, and the One Who Died For you.

Wishing you each a Happy New Year!

All the best. . .

Mary Alford

http://www.MaryAlford.net



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Christmas Blessings

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Vicki Hinze

A special prayer today seeks blessings for all of you and yours:

If you are joyful, may it fill you to overflowing.

If you are mourning, may it fill you with comfort and peace.

If you are ill, may your health be restored.

If you are content, may you be grateful.

If you are facing challenges, may your focus be on solutions and they become apparent to you.

Whatever you most need, that is our prayer for you today…

Blessings,

Vicki (for all of us at Christians-read.com)

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Celebrating Christmas by Peggy Webb

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Vicki Hinze

“Do not be afraid; I have good news for you.” Luke 2:10

Many years ago, I decided to simplify Christmas. I made the holidays about understanding the deeper meaning of the season and celebrating the love of family and friends instead of the trappings. 

When my children were small, I started the tradition in my family of always gathering around the breakfast table on Christmas morning for the reading of the birth of Jesus in Luke, Chapter 2. I made sure we chose Angels from the Salvation Army Christmas tree and carried food and gifts to the needy in my community so my children could experience the joy of giving to those less fortunate. And we were always in church where I played piano, celebrating His coming with pageants and songs of praise. 

“All at once there was with the angel a great company of the heavenly host, singing the praises of God: ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and on earth his peace for men on whom his favour rests.’” Luke 2:14

In spite of my efforts to keep the focus directed toward Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the greatest gift of all, the holiday season always became stressful. Why? Because I let the pressure from others in the family push me toward the commercial falderol and the idea that every Christmas activity had to revolve around a particular date.

For too many years, I let myself be swamped by an avalanche of decorating, special baking, parties, shopping, and gift wrapping. As my children grew up and moved with their families to far-flung places – Florida and New Hampshire – and I obviously couldn’t be in both places at one time, Christmas also meant many treks to the post office to mail gifts that might not fit, couldn’t be swapped and might not suit in the first place.

The “good news” and “the splendour of the Lord” (Luke) had become lost in frantic activity. It was “high time,” as Mama used to say, for me to do some soul searching and make changes.

And so, many years ago when my grandchildren were small, I chose the second week in November to celebrate Christmas in New Hampshire and somewhere in the ballpark of December 25 to celebrate with my family in Florida. Not only did I change the date, but I ditched the whole commercial idea of Christmas, and transformed it to leisurely time to enjoy family and to celebrate with them the true meaning of the season.

Armed with sweat pants and sleep socks to ward off the chill (I consider any state north of the Mason-Dixon line to be bitterly cold in winter), I would board the plane alone in Memphis and walk into the arms of my daughter, my son-in-law, and three of my beautiful grandchildren in NH. “Christmas with Gigi” (my grandchildren’s name for me) meant special time spent together making sausage balls and Mayan hot chocolate from scratch (recipe below), trekking the mall arm in arm until we found exactly what my NH grandchildren wanted, then racing home with my grandson to “drive” the Mario Kart on his new Wii, taking my teenaged granddaughters out to dinner and hearing their hopes and dreams, walking with them to piano and voice lessons, gathering around the piano and singing with them, worshipping with them at church, and going to their church’s wonderful Giving Fair, where money for gifts purchased goes to charity.

Christmas with my son, my daughter-in-law, and my grandson in Florida typically meant—and still does–a leisurely drive to the Panhandle for a very laid-back holiday filled with love, laughter, worship, treks to the beach, and lots of good eating. Both my children are wonderful cooks, so I get to sit back with a cup of coffee and wait to see what delicious treats they’ll put on the table. My daughter-in-law and I will have “girl time” getting our toenails done. My son and I will read the Bible and pray together, sing together while he plays guitar, and laugh uproariously over a Pink Panther re-run. This year, the grandson who took me out into the backyard when he was four to show me the rocket ship he’d built that would take us to the moon will show me his new house in Florida. He grew up to be an engineer. No surprise there! 

For me, Christmas is love. 

As promised, here’s the Mayan chocolate recipe: For one cup, melt three squares of Lindt Chili Dark Chocolate in one teaspoon of water over low heat. Stirring constantly, add a sprinkle of cinnamon, an extra dash of red pepper (optional) and either sugar or Splenda to taste. When the chocolate is melted, slowly add approximately six ounces of two per cent milk. Stir constantly until the milk has heated through. Do not let it boil. 

Pour the Mayan hot chocolate into your favorite mug, top with miniature marshmallows, put on your favorite Christmas CD and let the joy and comfort of the Good News overflow your heart. 

I will be singing the Christmas cantata in the little country church my grandfather built, teaching the Littles to love Jesus at Sunday School, and then playing the piano for evening services.  Then, of course, I will write.

God is good!

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Rachel Weeping for Her Children by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 20, 2022 by jrcoggins

In his Gospel, Matthew stated that Herod’s slaughter of the young children in Bethlehem following the birth of Jesus was a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy: “Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more’” (Matthew 2:17-18 NIV). The history behind this reference is complex.

When the patriarch Jacob returned to Palestine, he was living at Bethel in the central part of Palestine and decided to move south to Ephrathah (Bethlehem). He and his wives and children and servants had only traveled a little way when his wife Rachel went into labor. She produced a son, whom she called Ben-Oni (Son of My Trouble) but whom Jacob called Benjamin (Son of My Right Hand). Rachel was in great pain as a result of the difficult birth (she was an older woman by then) and was not comforted by the fact that she had given birth to a son after many disappointments. She died, and Jacob buried her at a place called Ramah, a little north of Jerusalem (Genesis 35:16-20).

Several centuries later, when the Israelites moved into the Promised Land, the tribe of Benjamin was given the land around Ramah, perhaps because Rachel was buried there. (Ephraim and Manasseh, the tribes descended from Joseph, Rachel’s other son, were given land just north of Benjamin.)

The passage that Matthew quoted was from Jeremiah 35:15. Jeremiah had prophesied that Judah would be taken into exile by the Babylonians. He pictured Rachel crying as the exiles passed by her tomb on their way to Babylon. This is perhaps an extension from the idea that Rachel was crying in pain and bitterness as she died. However, in the next two verses, Jeremiah counseled Rachel and the Jews to cease crying because God would restore the Jews to the Holy Land (“Your children will return to their own land”). Later in the chapter, God promised that He would establish “a new covenant” with those who returned (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The prophecy of Jeremiah 31:15 was fulfilled when the Babylonian army assembled the survivors from Jerusalem at Ramah, just north of the shattered city; from there they would begin their long journey into exile (Jeremiah 40:1). But the rest of Jeremiah’s prophecy was also fulfilled. The Jews did return from exile in Babylon. And, with the coming of Jesus, God was now in the process of establishing the “new covenant” which He had promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Bethlehem is in the territory of Judah, so the children killed there by Herod were not Rachel’s direct descendants. However, it is significant Rachel died while on the way to Bethlehem. Her tomb and the prophecies around it are like a signpost pointing the way to the destination that she never reached, a prophecy that another baby would be born in Bethlehem who would bring an end to her tears and bring salvation to her and all of her children. Echoing the names given to Benjamin, He would be a “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3 KJV) who would later sit down at the “right hand” of God (Matthew 22:44, 26:64, Acts 2:22-36, 7:55-56, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3,13, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22).

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The Christmas Spirit by Tara Randel

Posted on December 19, 2022 by tararandel

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

The week leading up to Christmas is always hectic. Last minute things to do before the big day, maybe hustling to the store for a present or food to bring to a party. Then Christmas arrives and we visit with friends and family. All of this is common, but do we take a few minutes to thank the Father for the gift of Jesus? Or are we too busy?

If we get a bit forgetful, it’s not on purpose, I’m sure. As in all things, the pressures of life can overwhelm us. But when you look around, there are so many reminders of the season! Festive decorations as we drive here and there, even the twinkling tree in our own homes. Strangers greeting one another. Being generous because we can. There are so many times the spirit of the season is front and center.

I don’t have little ones at home any longer, so the month of December isn’t hectic for me. This year, I’ve taken to spending more time in God’s presence. To be thankful. To look ahead. To ask God, what can I do for you and your kingdom? For me, these quiet moments spent in prayer have been the best gift I could receive.

I hope you are gifted time of reflection and hope this year. In this crazy world we live in, we certainly need it!

Have a blessed holiday!

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Proverbs 1

Posted on December 17, 2022 by kathc2

The Beginning of Knowledge

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

For some time I’ve been wanting to write about the various Proverbs. I remember reading them when I was a young woman, and while I thought the concepts seemed wise, I didn’t always understand them. It’s my intent to explore Proverbs and give a modern account of what I believe is their meaning, in a way that I hope can be interpreted in today’s world.

When I think of this first Proverb, I think of my journey as a writer. I knew I wanted to write. The will was there. Or at least I wanted to have written. I learned what a big difference there is between the two. I realized that I would have to practice discipline, follow instruction and work harder than I ever had before in order to become an experienced and knowledgeable author.

To learn the ins and outs of good writing, I had to make sacrifices to get there. I gave up magazine grazing. I stopped watching TV. I devoted my spare time to the study of excellent writing and how to improve. There were also things I would never give up, such as my wonderful husband and family, reading, and time spent in prayer. 

We all have weaknesses, and I wish I could say I conquered mine, but I can’t. However, through study, discipline and perseverance, I learned how to overcome many of my story weak areas. I studied plotting. I studied dialogue. I studied narrative. I studied structure. I studied comedy. I studied grammar. Other authors and I traded tips and ideas on good writing. I devoted more hours than I can count to improving. The payoff was when I sold my first stories to a magazine, and shortly after, my first novel to an established book publisher. But the learning didn’t stop there over twenty years ago, and it hasn’t stopped now.

Alternatively, back in the day I knew a young man who, like me, wanted to have written. But he didn’t want to practice or study or work hard at it. He had a natural talent for writing, but he never polished it, because it mostly came easily to him. And, because he hated the idea of working to improve, he didn’t. He never sold a book or an article. I think this was foolish of him, because I suspect his raw talent was far better than my own, and he could have easily become a highly respected author with the least amount study. He wouldn’t have needed to work as hard as me in order to further develop his base talent.

This Proverb addresses exactly the same issues, but it’s the path of knowledge and wisdom in relation to the Lord. In Hebrew, the word “instruction” means discipline. So, the hundreds of hours of lectures I attended, the endless hours of writing and rewriting, the countless hours of private study I devoted to writing produced in me, I believe, both knowledge and wisdom when it came to forming stories and articles—to the point where I’m able to share what I’ve gleaned with other writers, which is a huge joy.

Similarly, prayer, attending church, going to seminars and workshops on the Word, reading the Bible and supplemental materials, discussions with other Christians, all contribute to gaining both knowledge and wisdom. The fool, no matter how blessed by the Lord, won’t be willing to devote the hours and hard study required.

We all strive to be closer to the Lord, but not everyone is willing to make the sacrifices to get there. For some of us, the sacrifice is smaller than for others. Dedicating myself to learning what our Heavenly Father expects from us and desires for us brings me great personal happiness. Doing anything less would be foolish. The good Lord gives us all the tools we need to become wise in faith and strengthen our personal relationship with Him. By using these tools, we will find enormous, uplifting joy and the blessings are eternal.

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Kathy Carmichael is the USA Today bestselling author of romantic comedy, cozy mystery novels and Christian Non-fiction books. Her newest book, a Christian Romantic Suspense is a new release. The Patronis part of the Philanthropists Series, featuring stories by six award-winning and bestselling authors.

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A Love Story by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 14, 2022 by jrcoggins

Sixth and Last in a Series

The marriage of Ruth and Boaz described in the Old Testament book of Ruth was not the usual love story. They got married following a social convention of obligation and need, not romance. They had not known each other for long.

What did Boaz know about Ruth? He knew she had shown love and loyalty to Naomi, risking her own future happiness to care for her aging mother-in-law (Ruth 2:11). He knew she was respectful since she had asked permission to glean in his field (Ruth 2:7). He knew she was hardworking since she had arrived at the field first thing in the morning and worked hard all day (Ruth 2:7,17). He knew that, in seeking a husband, she was not looking for youthful good looks or money (Ruth 2:10). He knew that she had a good reputation as “a woman of noble character” (Ruth 2:11, 3:11)

What did Ruth know about Boaz? She knew that he had shown great kindness and compassion to her and Naomi. He let her glean in his field (Ruth 2:8,10,13), he gave her access to water (Ruth 2:9), he gave her lunch and let her keep the leftovers (Ruth 2:14-15), he told his men to leave extra for her to glean (Ruth 2:15-16), and he gave her more grain later on (Ruth 3:15). She knew he was a devout believer in God due to his repeated expressions of faith (Ruth 2:4,12, 3:10). Yet he was a realist who was well aware of the evil in the world and took steps to protect her (Ruth 2:8-9,15). She knew he was a man who could exercise self-control and act with integrity since he did not try to take advantage of her when she came to him in the night (Ruth 3:7-13). She knew he was careful to protect her reputation (Ruth 3:14). She knew he was a man who fulfilled his obligations and did not break rules, even if it meant losing her (Ruth 3:11-13). She also knew that her mother-in-law, who was older and more experienced, respected Boaz and encouraged the marriage.

Two people who were loving, kind, hardworking, and faithful—the prospects for this marriage were very good. Character is a much more important determinant of a happy and successful marriage than romance.

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2022 Christmas Blog Tour by Julie Arduini

Posted on December 14, 2022 by juliearduini

This year I had the pleasure of joining other authors on a Christmas Blog Tour. It’s been fun reading each of our posts because none are the same, yet all are about Christmas. It’s helped me get in the spirit of the season, something I’ve kind of been struggling with this year.

The authors are:

E.V, Sparrow

Jennifer Hallmark

Jane Baker

Karin Beery

Dianne Marie Andre

Laurie Wood

and me!

I wrote about traditions. As I age I realize they become more precious to me each year. This year is going to be different because our son is married and it’s his first Christmas with his new traditions. We’ll see them Christmas Eve and again Christmas afternoon, but they noted they might not be hungry for dinner. That has me wondering do I make a turkey or a ham? Maybe we start a new tradition!

-If you’d like to read the posts, we are featuring them until December 22. You can read them at juliearduini.com.

-Looking for a good Advent reading plan? I use the YouVersion Bible reading app and am thoroughly enjoying 21 Gifts of Advent. Check it out!

-Finally, I have an excerpt to my next release, Repairing Hearts. I’d love for you to read it. The password is “Christmas.”

Have a blessed Christmas season!

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