What God Will Use Despite Us by Julie Arduini

Posted on January 20, 2023 by juliearduini

I’ve been part of this blog since the beginning, so if you’ve read my posts for any length of time, you know I am originally from Upstate NY and I really, really want to see the Buffalo Bills be in and win the Super Bowl. I’m writing this before the playoffs, so I have no idea where things stand. Truth is, I’m not a huge football fan. I follow enough to carry on a decent chat.

But my allegiance to the Bills goes back to the Jim Kelly era. I graduated from SUNY Geneseo (Jen-uh-see-oh) and back in the day, they used our track here and there. There were rumors on their off-time some of the players came to town, although I didn’t witness it. But we were closer to Buffalo than any of the other teams, and that made me a fan. Add that some of the students were from downstate and they were die-hard Giants fans, and if you remember the Jim Kelly era, you can imagine the craziness when those teams met.

I write all that because decades have passed and still no Super Bowl win. I continue to follow the team on social media and catch the games as I can. I was half paying attention to the Bills/Bengals Monday Night game earlier this month when I realized they were going to commercial. A lot.

Although I missed the play, I knew from watching NASCAR (another Upstate NY thing given I lived near the Watkins Glen track) when there are continuing commercials, someone is hurt. Bad.

During the broadcast and for days after, I wasn’t just a fan, I was a mom thinking of Nina Hamlin. I know what it’s like to have a dying child in your arms. I still couldn’t process what she must have felt seeing her son on the field, motionless.

I shared on Facebook that even more than a mom, I stepped into intercessor mode. I stood in the gap praying for Damar Hamlin, his family, his teammates, and the Bengals. This was traumatic for all.

Here’s what I posted:

“I watched the entire nation pray. They still are, even as Damar FaceTimes and posts on social media. Don’t miss what is going on. He was dead and brought back to life.

Twice.

God uses man and medicine and of course that is at play. But what we are watching is miraculous. He was without oxygen for ten minutes. He is on FaceTime. Talking. Writing.

Flat out miraculous.

I’ve long prayed for a fire to ignite this country that is holy and life changing. Those men praying on the field spread to each NFL team. Other sports. Sponsors. Communities. People.

God doesn’t change but don’t dismiss His ways. They defy our limited thinking.“

Can I be honest? I honestly believe we watched a resurrection take place. That’s going to change you if you’re around such a miracle. The NFL up until that night was definitely not prayer supportive. Yet all week I watched players pray. They held prayer meetings. Their social media was filled with messages and images about praying for Damar. It wasn’t a hashtag.

It was an authentic action.

As I type, Damar continues to recover. He’s young, but I sense he understands there is purpose to his life that goes beyond football. I continue to pray for him.

Here’s what I want to make sure we understand. God was in that game. He doesn’t create sickness but He will use it for good. The prayers I have prayed for decades, almost as long as I’ve wanted to see the Bills win, has been for America to rise up, shake off the apathy, and start praying. Believe God. Not just believe in but believe.

The NFL has teams all across the country. Won’t He use those praying players/teams/coaches/fans/communities who started a spark by praying? Those are little revival fires in the making.

But that’s not how Brownsville or Toronto or whatever miracle/revival you remember happened.

Exactly.

Don’t get caught up in what God did last time or 20 years ago or decades ago. He’s going to use whatever way He chooses to advance His Kingdom. And your approval isn’t needed. Nor is mine.

So that’s where I’m at. I believe what was meant for tragedy God is using for good, and using professional football players to pray and praise God. I believe we witnessed a resurrection, and for those at the hospital that night, he was revived again. In the first game following Damar’s injury, the players noted the “three” in their game. That’s Hamlin’s number, but they also realized three is Biblical.

I “billieve” we’re seeing a shift and if I may, from woke to awake. Asleep to alert and on it.

I don’t want to miss out on what God is doing.

How about you?

Image: Tampa Bay Times

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Ask and You Shall Receive by Ann Malley

Posted on January 19, 2023 by Ann Malley

This gallery contains 5 photos.

Hello dear readers. Happy 2023! Ann Malley here, empty-nesting author of inspired romantic suspense, contemporary western romance, & clean romantic comedy. I hope the new year has already filled you with abundant blessings and hope for the coming months. I’m … Continue reading →

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The Valley of Dry Bones by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 18, 2023 by jrcoggins

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a valley full of dry bones. God told Ezekiel to “prophesy” to the bones, to tell the bones to join back together, take on flesh, and begin to breathe again.

The context of this passage is that during and especially after the siege of Jerusalem, the Babylonians slaughtered large numbers of Jews and left their bodies lying exposed in the nearby valleys. The rest of the people were taken into captivity in Babylon. There was no one left to mourn or bury the dead. Decades later, there would have been nothing left but mounds of dry bones. Could such bones ever be brought back to life? The idea is preposterous. Even Ezekiel could not conceive of such a miracle. But then God commanded Ezekiel to bring them back to life through prophecy.

God did not bring those literal dead bones back to life. This was a symbolic vision of the nation of Judah being brought back to life. This was as inconceivable to the Jews as the idea that dry bones could be brought back to life. Their nation was shattered and scattered. The Jews were spiritually dead, homeless, purposeless, and hopeless. Yet God did restore the nation a few decades later.

This chapter also picks up some of the imagery from the previous chapter, where God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (36:26). This image also involved bringing life to something as dead as a stone. The resurrection of the dead bones had two stages—the bones were covered in flesh, and then breath was breathed into them to make them alive. The same two stages were evident in Ezekiel 36:26—the people would be given a new heart and a new spirit. In the Old Testament, spirit and breath and wind are the same Hebrew word (ruah). The two stages recall the creation of humanity in Genesis 2:7: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The image of the dry bones prophesied the restoration of the nation of Judah, but it also prophesied something greater—the spiritual regeneration of human beings through the new birth that Jesus brought. In John 3, Jesus described this as being “born again.” The same two stages are mentioned there: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6). In that passage, Jesus also connected spirit with wind, the breath of God.

This image of dry bones coming back to life also prophesied the resurrection from the dead that Jesus would make possible through His own death and resurrection. Old Testament Jews had trouble believing in the afterlife. They wondered how God could resurrect those who were burned or were lost at sea. But God can do the impossible. Revelation 20:13 prophesies, “The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them.”

Ezekiel 37 is perhaps best known through the African-American spiritual song “Dem Bones.” The imagery in this chapter has specific applications, but throughout history it has been understood to apply to a whole host of impossible situations (including slavery) that God can redeem and restore. Jesus told His followers, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23, 10:27, Luke 18:27). The contexts involved questions of whether the rich and the demon-possessed could be saved.

The odd imagery of dry bones in Ezekiel 37 is full of hope for many situations. It reminds us that with God nothing is ever hopeless.

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Rest by Peggy Webb

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

My grandson David on the beach in winter when he was a child.

“Find rest in God; my hope comes from him.” Psalms 62:5

“The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14

“God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

Do you ever feel guilty if you sit down for a minute to rest? Do you think of all the chores you have to do, the errands you need to run, the phone calls you need to return, the committee meetings you need to attend? And, of course, for me and my fellow authors, the pages you need to write? 

Children know how to relax. Just as my grandson David sprawled on the sand with his face to the sun, totally at peace with himself and the world, we should all take the time to rest and simply be. To let peace seep back into our souls. To shut out the noise of television and the chatter on social media. To let the telephone ring unless it’s family who might be calling about an emergency. To listen to music instead of the racket inside our heads. To learn to say no when our schedule is jam-packed and one more thing will put us into a state of constant frantic activity.

“On my bed I remember you. I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wing.” Psalms 63:6-7

 The Psalmist even gives us guidelines for a peaceful sleep at night. Sometimes it takes discipline for us to shut off the endless to-do list in our heads and climb into bed for a good night’s rest instead of staying up late to do just one more chore or go on the outing we planned but wish we hadn’t because we just don’t have the energy. 

Resting is not selfish. The Bible tells us so. It’s not lazy. It’s necessary to replenish our energy and to give us quiet time where we can rest in the shadow of God’s wing and be grateful. 

God is good! 

Peggy

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Proverbs 2

Posted on January 16, 2023 by kathc2

The Benefits of Wisdom

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I want to highlight his ministry and mission, particularly as a way of making clear the meaning of Proverbs 2 in today’s world. As I mentioned in my last article on Proverbs 1, when I read Proverbs for the first time as a young woman, it wasn’t always clear to me what the proverbs meant and how I could apply them.

In this article, I hope to show that Dr. King manifestly demonstrates how to apply Proverbs 2 in our lives.

Proverbs 2: 6-8

6For the LORD gives wisdom; 

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; 

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

8to guard the paths of justice 

and protect the way of His saints.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice, and justice is really love in calculation.”

As a Baptist minister and civil rights activist, he played a major role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. He is best known for his part in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on Christian beliefs.

His life and teachings were highly influenced by Proverbs 2. This chapter in the book of Proverbs encourages the reader to seek wisdom and understanding, as they are more valuable than silver or gold.

Proverbs 2:6 was a guiding principle for Dr. King’s life and work: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Dr. King believed that wisdom and understanding were essential for achieving racial equality and justice. He often quoted Proverbs 2:11, which states, “Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” He believed that through the use of nonviolence and peaceful protest, the civil rights movement could gain the understanding and support of the broader American public.

He believed wisdom and understanding were necessary for overcoming hate and bigotry. In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech he declared, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” This message of love and brotherhood was rooted in the wisdom found in Proverbs 2:12, which states, “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.”

Dr. King was deeply influenced by the wisdom and guidance found in Proverbs 2. One of his tenets was that through the pursuit of wisdom and understanding, the civil rights movement could overcome hate and bigotry and achieve justice and equality for all. His legacy continues to inspire people around the world to seek wisdom, understanding and make the world a better place.

Today we can all benefit from Dr. King’s example. How can we apply God’s wisdom and understanding to our lives and to the lives of others? How does Proverbs 2 touch your life now? I’ve found it’s important for me to seek God’s wisdom whenever I have tough decisions to make or when I’m not sure of the right or correct action to take.

“Proverbs 2: 10-11

10For wisdom will enter your heart, 

and knowledge will delight your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you, 

and understanding will guard you”

We can’t ask for more. 

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Nora Review: The London House by Katherine Reay

Posted on January 13, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Nora St. Laurent’s review of THE LONDON HOUSE by Katherine Reay

The London House by Katherine Reay 

Published by HarperMuse 

BACK COVER: Uncovering a dark family secret sends one woman through the history of Britain’s World War II spy network and glamorous 1930s Paris to save her family’s reputation.

Caroline Payne thinks it’s just another day of work until she receives a call from Mat Hammond, an old college friend and historian. But pleasantries are cut short. Mat has uncovered a scandalous secret kept buried for decades: In World War II, Caroline’s British great-aunt betrayed family and country to marry her German lover.

Determined to find answers and save her family’s reputation, Caroline flies to her family’s ancestral home in London. She and Mat discover diaries and letters that reveal her grandmother and great-aunt were known as the “Waite sisters.” Popular and witty, they came of age during the interwar years, a time of peace and luxury filled with dances, jazz clubs, and romance. The buoyant tone of the correspondence soon yields to sadder revelations as the sisters grow apart, and one leaves home for the glittering fashion scene of Paris, despite rumblings of a coming world war.

Each letter brings more questions. Was Caroline’s great-aunt actually a traitor and Nazi collaborator, or is there a more complex truth buried in the past? Together, Caroline and Mat uncover stories of spies and secrets, love and heartbreak, and the events of one fateful evening in 1941 that changed everything.

In this rich historical novel from award-winning author Katherine Reay, a young woman is tasked with writing the next chapter of her family’s story. But Caroline must choose whether to embrace a love of her own and proceed with caution if her family’s decades-old wounds are to heal without tearing them even further apart.

NORA’S REVIEW: Readers get to see a more serious side of this author, as she pens an engaging WWII novel. Showing how hope can come out of tragedy, why secrets were kept, revealing a bigger picture neither of them could see. The author gives readers a front- row seat to the adventures these twin sisters (separated for the first time) go on to the London House and abroad, each fighting the good fight seeking to do their part for the war effort. Fast, forward to the future where we meet Caroline Waite, desperately digging to uncover secrets, that will bring healing and hope, to her family, setting them free from the shame and tragedy of the past. 

I enjoyed how this author used diary entries and personal letters between the twins, which helped Caroline and Mat get to the truth that would change everything. The author does an incredible job of whisking readers back in time. Showing one sister mixing with high society in the fashion industry and the other at the London House (family home).

Unlike the author’s other books that were fun, inspirational with flawed, relatable characters, this book has more of a serious tone. It takes readers to places the author hasn’t gone before. For example, we go to a few high society parties (with alcohol etc), where the sister hears designers briefly brag about scandalous designs, and intimate moments. Not graphic but gives readers a peek into that crazy world. This book almost reads as a non-fiction book about WWII very informative, and insightful, with no real spiritual thread like you find in her other books.

This was an enlightening, insightful story that shows a family torn apart and left fragmented by war. I enjoyed this mystery and how Caroline seeks to help her family heal. I also liked the splash of romance with Caroline and Mat as they discover some surprising secrets. Making this an engrossing story start to finish.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent

TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!

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5 Tips to Finding Books You’ll Love by Vicki Hinze

Posted on January 12, 2023 by Vicki Hinze

Tip 1.  You know your favorite kinds of books.  Look for authors who LOVE the same kinds.

One mistake authors make is to write to the market or to attempt to write what they determine the next “big thing” will be in books.  But after 34 years writing, I can tell you the only books authors should write are books they love.  Why?  Because their love for that book shines through in the story in incalculable ways.  It’s like anything else really.  When you love something or someone, you invest in ways you just don’t or can’t in those you don’t love.  So look for authors who love the same kind of story you love.

 Tip 2. Read the sample of the book before you buy.  

If you’re intrigued, feel a connection, and you want to read on, your odds of loving the book are better than if you find yourself skipping lines or paragraphs or (heaven forbid) pages.  Typically, you’ll have a good feel for a book within the first couple of pages.  Now that isn’t to say you won’t miss some lovely books that take a little longer to get into, but it’s a rule of thumb to gauge your interest and if you intuit the potential for a connection to the book. If so, read on! Odds are better you’ll love it.

Tip 3. Look for books recommended by authors whose work you’ve enjoyed in the past. 

 Generally speaking, authors are selective about works they endorse for other authors.  They agree to endorse books that are similar to their own, or books they’ve read, really enjoyed and deem have merit to their own readers.  An endorsement doesn’t mean the book is like their books, but it does mean it is one they believe is compatible with their readers and their readers will like it.

Tip 4. Consider the reviews on a book with an eagle eye.  

Some books click with some readers and others push one of their proverbial hot buttons.  Unless you share that hot-button, overlook the mention of it.  Seek the reviews that comment on story elements—a place, a personal trait, a situation a character is facing, a character you relate to—you enjoy.  Remember, reading is a personal experience.  An author brings the sum of all in them to a book, and readers read a book from the perspective sum of all in them.  But you can look at specific comments for ones that draw your interest, your attention, and are compatible with those books you love.

Tip 5. Keep an open mind.  

Because of that sum of all in the author, and that sum in all of the reader, it is easy to miss a book you would love.  If you find bits of things or elements that attract you to a book, give it a try.  You might gain some insight, open a new door, see something from a different point of view that proves beneficial to you and you find very enjoyable.

I hope these tips help and you find books you love.

Blessings,

Vicki Hinze

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Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 11, 2023 by jrcoggins

Speaking with Alexa by James R. Coggins

When our daughter told my wife and me that she was giving us Alexa for Christmas, I admit it was the cause of some confusion. Entirely our fault, of course. We’re old and out of touch. Once we had clarified that she was not gifting us with a new granddaughter or a puppy or an endearingly named car, we were still a little mystified.

We finally understood that Alexa is an electronic globe that can tell us anything we want to know and do innumerable other things for us. I was still a bit confused. Did I really need a woman’s voice telling me everything I needed to know? I thought that was covered when I got married.

I had had some experience with Alexa. I mean the electronic globe Alexa in case my wife is reading this and might misunderstand.

You see, our daughter has Alexa. The same Alexa, but not the same Alexa. Apparently, Alexa has been cloned.

I was at our daughter’s house and was quizzing my grandson on the times table. I asked, “What’s six times seven?”

Without hesitation, he answered, “Alexa, what’s six times seven?”

An electronic voice answered immediately. Since Alexa knows everything, the times table should be a piece of cake. She got it right. I think.

I read something about Alexa on the Internet. A man asked, Alexa, why don’t my romantic relationships ever work out?” There was a pause, and then an electric voice answered, “This is Siri.”

Since our daughter is acquainted with Alexa, I thought she might be interested in hearing this story. I went to her house to tell her. I said, “There was a story on the Internet about a man who asked, ‘Alexa, why don’t my romantic relationships ever work out?’”

Before I could finish telling the story, an electronic voice answered, “Maybe it’s because you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic or because you gambled away all your money.”

Alexa might not know everything, but she sure is a know-it-all.

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What are you hoping for?

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Author Mary Alford

A new year always has me stepping into it with a little apprehension. While its exciting to think about what lies ahead, it’s also a little scary. Though 2023 is now in day 10, and is no longer a blank page, there is still a lot more year to traverse.

At the start of a year, many people choose Bible verses. It’s kind of a way of keeping us centered in God and holding onto His words throughout the new year. A reminder of His promises to us.

I chose Jeremiah 29:11 as my verse. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

What a beautiful promise is found in these words. God has thoughts of peace for us if we trust in Him. He wants to give us a future filled with hope.

Isn’t that amazing to realize that the God who created the universe knows each of our thoughts and concerns and He has good plans for us?

Before the end of last year, two words kept popping into my head. I normally choose a word for the New Year, but this year God gave me two. Trust. I want to trust Him more with every decision of my life.

Isaiah 40:31, “Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

And the hardest and most challenging word for me to actually do. . .Wait on the Lord. Sometimes,

I think I know His answer and I charge off and do something on my own only to have it fall apart. So, Proverbs 3:5 is a hard one for me. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  

Whenever I lean on my own understanding, things work out badly, but when I wait and trust in God’s wisdom, the right answer will come, even if it’s one that I don’t always understand at the moment.

What about you? Did you choose a verse for the year, or a word. Or are you charging into 2023 trusting God to lead the way each day.

Happy New Year, everyone!

www.maryalford.net 

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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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