Christians Read

God Wins by Vicki Hinze

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Vicki Hinze

GOD WINS

Recently, I was asked how to remain calm and at peace in times of chaos. The answer isn’t complex, though the journey to that answer most definitely is. The answer is to be at peace. Believe it or not, that is the easy part. The more difficult part is the journey to get there.

It begins, as most journeys do, with a single step. A choice you must make. That choice stems from a single question: Do you trust God?

Often we say we do. Our automatic response is a resounding, “Of course.” Yet we dissolve into worry, into doubt and mostly into fear. We allow that worry, doubt and fear to spawn questions in our minds that plague us. What ifs and buts torture us, claim our thoughts and impact our actions and we discover that rather than walking in “Of course” faith, we crumble under the weight of uncertainty.

The things we worry most about often do not happen. But do we cease worrying? Not always. Oh, on some matters—those that mean little to us mostly—we stand strong against worry, fear and doubt, but on those matters we deem significant, those with serious consequences, we tend to shake and wobble and sometimes fall.

Rather than seeing the value in falling, we focus on having fallen and succumb into being on our knees or flat out on our backs. That is, unless we choose to grasp that the fall is a blessing to us. You see, it isn’t the falling, but the rising after a fall that takes us to the next step on our journey. Does the Bible not tell us that when we are weak, He is strong?

When we fall in weakness, we struggle but stand up. That’s the important part. To struggle and stand. That is our expression of faith. When our knees are knocking and our stomachs are full of knots and we feel as if we’ve done all we can and we just have nothing left and can’t get up one more time, it is then that we look to Him and then that He infuses us with His strength, the strength to rise once again.

We see this truth repeat in our lives over and over, until it dawns on us that if we do our part and we seek help, He will step in. At some point on this journey, we come to understand that this isn’t the only truth being revealed to us. Another extremely important one is also there, and that is this: He is always with us. Always aware of our struggles. Always standing at the ready to guide and direct and help us. In short, we are never in a situation, or experiencing an event in our lives, where He isn’t there, waiting with a plan.

And that is the key to being at peace in spite of chaos. We might not know how things will work out. We might not know when. But we do know we face nothing alone, and that God is aware. He’s always aware.

There’s something else we know. His timing is perfect. His awareness signals that He has already worked out the perfect solution that seemingly has escaped us. We are given a heads up in the Bible:

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us,

who can be against us? — Romans 8:31

Now, we might not like that solution. We might have hoped for a different solution. But if we trust God, we know that His timing and solution is best. We don’t just think it, we know it. And we know that in the end, God wins.

And that is how you remain calm and claim peace when chaos reigns. You lean in, listen to Him, and do as He says. And you do it certain, fearlessly certain, that no matter what happens, no matter what twists and turns the journey takes, how many times you stumble and fall and struggle to rise again, in the end God wins.

Posted in Uncategorized, Vicki Hinze | Tagged Christians Read, God Wins, Peace in Chaos, Vicki Hinze | Leave a comment

God’s Love Letter by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Nancy J. Farrier

Ah, February, the month of love, when we are reminded to reach out to one another with love and kindness. I wrote a blog post this week about historical love letters. You can find that post here. Those letters got me thinking about true love – not the love portrayed by movies or in books, but love that lasts and is unchanging.

While there are great love stories between people, the greatest love story of all time is the love story between God and mankind. In our marriage vows we pledge to be true to one another. To be there in hard times of sickness or poverty. To be there until parted by death.

But, God promises us much more. His love goes beyond anything we can even imagine.

God brings us salvation. He rejoices over us and sings over us. His love quiets our fears and worries. He is there for us when we need Him.

“The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

God’s love never changes. He is dependable and always the same. We can always count on Him to have our best interests in mind, even if that differs from what we want. His love is steadfast, filled with kindness, not done out of duty, but out of genuine caring about us.

“…Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love…” Joel 2:13 (ESV)

God’s love is deep. Deeper than we can even fathom. Nothing at all can take us from His love. Not even death. His love doesn’t depend on our actions, but on His character. Once we are settled in His love, we are inseparable.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ro 8:38–39 (NKJV)

There is no doubt about God’s love. We don’t have to wait for flowers, candy, a touch, or a look to ensure His love. He has given us the greatest gift possible, not because we deserve that gift, rather even when we don’t deserve it. His love is boundless, immeasurable, beyond what we can conceive. And, His love is ever directed toward us.

^“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” I John 4:9-10 (NKJV)

Take time today to revel in the love of God directed to you, His precious child.

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged God's love, Jesus, salvation | 3 Comments

Walking With God by Bridget A. Thomas

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Bridget

Today is the second day of Lent. If you know me, then you know I love Lent, Advent, a new year, and basically any opportunity to change and cling to Jesus. Each of these seasons can be a precious time to pursue God and see spiritual growth.

But the truth is that we don’t have to wait for a special holiday or season to seek God. We can experience a meaningful connection with Him every day of the year. God is always there, waiting for us to meet with Him. Sadly, too often, we are too busy or too distracted to stop what we are doing and focus on Him.

We simply have to show up. Day by day, moment by moment, we have to choose God. We choose to get up early to read our Bible before heading to work. We choose to pray instead of checking social media. We choose to listen to praise music in the car instead of worldly music. All of these small, yet significant, choices add up and result in a beautiful relationship between you and your Heavenly Father.

The key is consistency. Are we devoted to pursuing God daily? Do we make time for Him every day, even in the midst of a hectic schedule? Are prayer, the Bible, and worship among our top priorities? Do we make a habit of talking to the Lord in our spare moments?

I was recently reading in the book of Genesis and I love the way the Bible says that Enoch “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:22,24). And the Bible also tells us that Noah “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9). Walking faithfully with God is something we all can do every day of our lives. And the rewards will be immeasurable.

As Christians, we have a natural desire for God. But we have to make an effort to chase after Him. If we don’t, then our hunger will find other pleasures in life, in an attempt to satisfy that deep longing within. But we will never find ourselves satisfied, because the Lord is truly the only one who can satiate our hunger. Saint Augustine put it this way, “Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.”

The older I get, the more of God I want in my life. I want to rest at Jesus’ feet and absorb as much of Him as I can into my heart and life. I want to be more aware of His presence in my life. I want to see His footprints in every circumstance. He is always there. But do I miss out on so much because I am not looking?

Do you want more of God in your life? Do you want to be more aware of His presence? Do you want to soak up His love every day? Make a habit of walking with Him and following hard after Him. He is always there, waiting on us. So we have to make an effort to spend our days with Him. Over time, our spiritual lives will grow immensely. Our hearts will change, little by little. We will be filled with peace and joy. He will strengthen us, guide us, and teach us along the journey. We will be refined to be more like Jesus. And we will find that meaningful connection we have been longing for.

Photo by Enric Cruz Lu00f3pez on Pexels.com

Posted in Bridget A. Thomas | Tagged Lent, pursue, walking with God | 6 Comments

The Brilliance of WandaVision by Julie Arduini

Posted on February 17, 2021 by juliearduini

I never thought I’d turn into a Marvel nerd, but here I am. I grew up on the DC movies and cartoons, so I didn’t even realize another comic book movie world existed.

Until my son grew up.

Thanks to his enthusiasm, my husband and I have enjoyed the Marvel movies to the point of watching them via Marvel timeline, including the TV shows Agents of Shield and Agent Carter.

Then came Disney+. Part of the reason I emotionally stayed stable during our quarantine was learning the ambitious plans to bring several Marvel characters to the small screen with their own shows.

One of those is WandaVision. I was skeptical when I first heard the premise. A sitcom. Featuring Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and her true love, Vision. Without giving too much away, how could Disney/Marvel take SciFi characters who had a pretty staightforward story in Avengers Endgame and make it a sitcom?

It took creative brilliance and patience on the part of the viewer. Giving a tip of the hat to classics like the Mary Tyler Moore show, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Family Ties and Growing Pains, the writers wove together the best of sitcom and the Marvel universe. More than that, the throwback commercials seem to be clues, big clues, to the story.

I’m hooked.

I love when writers take a risk, and to me, this paid off. Again, without sharing too much, I can relate to where it appears Wanda’s head is at.

When the going gets tough, let’s check out.

After a bumpy 2020 and a harsh start to 2021, I have lamented that I just want to eat cookies and watch Dallas. Yes, that larger than life show from the 70’s and 80’s. I grew up with JR and Bobby, and with both parents gone, the show has been a comfort to a simpler time. I’ve checked out mentally more than once when the grief and reality were too much and I turned on that familiar Dallas theme song and settled in.

Wanda, I get you.

For trivia fans, the show is also enjoyable for me because it showcases the amazing acting chops of Elizabeth Olson. As in the Olson twins from Full House. She is the little sister, and if you follow Mary Kate and Ashley’s fashion lines, they have a brand named after their siblings. Watching Elizabeth in the sitcom format has been enjoyable simply because she looks like her sisters, and I watched them for years in the same kind of show WandaVision is depicting.

More than that, the acting syncs beautifully with the writing. Together it puts me in Marvel nerd giddiness.

If the Marvel universe is new to you, chances are Wandavision would be a tough place to start your journey. I almost think you’d have to start at the beginning with Captain America, or at least Avengers: Age of Ultron. For those of you nerding out like me, what do you think of WandaVision? What advice do you have for those curious but new to the MCU?

Image: Disney+/Marvel

Posted in Julie Arduini | Tagged Elizabeth Olson, grief, Julie Arduini, Marvel, Marvel Universe, Scarlet Witch, sitcom, vision, Wanda Maximoff, writing | 2 Comments

The Cure is Worse than the Disease

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Kristin

Back in the 80’s, I had an album by “The Cure.” I had the CD in my car and I was driving my grandfather somewhere. He looked at the CD and said, “The Cure? Looks more like the disease!”

That is how I’m starting to feel about these lockdowns. We have been at some level of lockdown since March of 2020 and it’s too much. Children don’t have school and even as adults, our social skills are starting to go by the wayside. It’s so hard to talk to people through a mask, it really keeps you from starting up conversations.

I’ve been in Arizona for much of the lockdown. Things are pretty normal there. Restaurants are open with certain tables shut down. People wear masks, but not outside. People aren’t afraid to have conversations, etc. Now I’m back in California and it’s like I’ve gone back in time. Restaurants are only open in tents outside. (I still don’t understand how a tent is safer than indoors, but whatever.) Salons and barbers are finally open with masks. Curiously, box stores have never closed.

My main concern about these lockdowns is the depression, suicides and general malaise that comes from existing verses living. God did not give us a spirit of fear. I’m not saying go outside and throw caution to the wind. I’m saying, let’s not forget Who is in charge. Who was not caught off-guard by this virus and Who came so that we could have life more abundant.

This morning, I saw a young man on TikTok lamenting how San Francisco is an absolute ghost town and taken over by homelessness and scourge. (My parents were both born in San Francisco and I spent much of my youth there — we lived about 30 miles from the City.) The homeless/addicts have taken over and normal businesses are struggling to make ends meet. This man’s next TikTok was showing him live in the Dubai airport having a lovely meal. He said everything was open there and life was normal so if you wanted to escape America for awhile, to come to Dubai. How sad that we’d need to “escape” America.

I don’t know what Dubai and India are doing differently, but they are not living in constant fear. My parents and brother are older and immune-compromised so they don’t go out. They are very careful. But we cannot forsake our youth and their education and what it means to be alive. We cannot allow another child to kill themselves because they are home consistently and missing out on what it means to thrive.

There is so much strife and anger in the world. We need to bring back the best parts. To eat, drink and be merry. We need to not make the cure worse than the disease.

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Black Ice by Kathy Carmichael

Posted on February 11, 2021 by kathc2

This morning I saw a video about a young woman slipping and sliding on black ice. Because of the familiarity (haven’t most of us been there and done that?), it struck me as particularly hilarious.

Here is Wikipedia’s definition of black ice. And even the definition brings a smile to my face!

Black ice, sometimes called clear ice, is a thin coating of glaze ice on a surface, especially on roads. The ice itself is not black, but visually transparent, allowing the often black road below to be seen through it. The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow, or sleet surrounding black ice means that areas of the ice are often practically invisible to drivers or people stepping on it. There is, thus, a risk of slippage and subsequent accident due to the unexpected loss of traction.

Here is a video that’s hilarious, too! It’s very cute! Click here.

But then I got to thinking about black ice and how it hides in clear sight for us to miss seeing, to our misfortune.

Black ice leads to thoughts of thin ice. Do you remember hearing the phrase, “You’re skating on thin ice?” Here’s the history of the idiom, according to the English Language & Usage Stack Exchange:

This idiom, which alludes to the danger that treading on thin ice will cause it to break, was first used figuratively by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay Prudence (1841): “In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed.“

Thank you, Mr. Emerson.

How often have there been pitfalls in my path that I failed to see? How often have I missed warning signs that were there to give me a heads up? I think about how I missed signs that I was going down the wrong path in life, choosing the wrong direction, and how the quiet voice of Holy Spirit told me to slow down and think. Sometimes I didn’t listen, to my regret. But when I did pay heed, I was blessed with avoiding danger or catastrophe. It’s happened recently and I’m so grateful I have Holy Spirit looking over me. If you’re a believer, you do, too.

13However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you. 15Everything that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take from what is Mine and disclose it to you. ~ John 14:13-15

Watch out for black and thin ice, but know that you will receive a warning of what is to come from Holy Spirit. And, learn what you can from your spills and falls, then try to laugh at yourself.

Posted in Kathy Carmichael, Uncategorized | Tagged black ice, falling, Holy Spirit, ICE, pratfalls, skating, thin ice, warning signs | 2 Comments

To a Young Couple Contemplating Marriage by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 10, 2021 by jrcoggins

This blog is adapted from a talk I gave at a wedding some years ago.

Dennis the Menace famously said, “You can’t tell how deep a puddle is from the top.”

When my wife and I married, we decided that: I was going to become a university professor; we would never move away from the province we were then living in; we would have four children, two boys and two girls; and we would own a ranch with horses.

It didn’t work out that way. We moved to another province so I could complete my doctorate. I earned the degree but never became a professor. Instead, I had a very fulfilling career as a writer and editor. We lost a couple of children to miscarriage and ended up with two daughters, one of them chosen. And six grandchildren. And we never came close to having a horse ranch. Or a horse. But we saw one once.

When a couple enter into a lifelong commitment, as you are doing, they usually have a lot of hopes and dreams and plans and expectations. But life has a way of not turning out the way you think it will. Things will come into your life that are harder than anything you have ever imagined. One of you may come home one day and announce, “Honey, I lost my job,” Honey, I crashed the car,” “Honey, I have cancer,” or “Honey, I shrank the kids.”

You may think you know each other and love each other, but you’ve only begun to scratch the surface. You will find out things about each other that you never expected. You may discover that those cute little quirks that attracted you to each other can become pretty annoying after you’ve experienced them twenty or thirty or fifty or a hundred or a thousand times.

You may think you are compatible, but you will discover that you have completely different ideas about things as insignificant as how to mount the toilet paper roll and more important issues such as where you want to live.

You may find yourselves at some point flat on your face crying, “This is too hard. I can’t handle this.” And you will be right. You can’t. That is when you are going to need help from your family, your friends, your church, and God. It is impossible to love someone completely without first receiving love from God.

But just as there are terrible things that will come into your life that you never expected, there can come into your life wonderful things that you may have hoped for but which are far more wonderful than you could ever have comprehended ahead of time.

I remember when our first daughter was born, after a very tense night and morning when I was afraid both mother and daughter would die. They wheeled our daughter out of the delivery room, I reached down my hand, and she clenched my finger in her tiny hand. It was an incredible feeling. I had a similar feeling when we adopted our second daughter when she was less than two years old. We went for a walk, and she reached up and held my hand with absolute trust.

You cannot comprehend the terrible things that might happen. But if you hang in and keep your commitment, you cannot comprehend the incredible joy and fulfillment that come from going through those difficult times with someone who shares them with you, loves you, and supports you. You think you’re in love now, but you have no idea how wonderful married life can be twenty or thirty or forty or fifty years from now.

This one thing I know. If you think you can do all of this in your own strength, you will find to your sorrow that you are sadly mistaken. On the other hand, if you build your life together on a shared faith in Jesus, incredible blessings are possible, and everything will turn out well in the end.

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Dennis the Menace, impossible, marriage | 2 Comments

The Paths of God by Mary Alford

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Author Mary Alford

Well, hello, everyone. My name is Mary Alford, and I’m happy to be back here with you again. Some of you may not remember me, but I was a blogger here at Christians Read a few years back.

Don’t you just love the paths that God leads us down? You just never know where He will take you along the way, but you do know, you won’t have to go down it alone.

The 23^rd Psalm is one of my favorites because it defines this walk of life so beautifully. Sometimes our paths lead us beside still waters, others through the valley of the shadow of death. But through each step we can rest assured God is with us and His goodness is there for us to receive.

I can certainly say that’s what I’ve experienced through my walk of life, and particularly my writing journey.

In the past, there were many times when I questioned whether of not this was what God called me to do. I thought about quitting, but it seemed God kept prodding me to keep going—even through those valleys when my dream of being a published author felt impossible.

And so, I kept going and I’m so glad that I did. God has blessed me so much. I’ve had the honor of writing for Love Inspired Books. My 10th LIS is coming out in April of this year. God has put some amazing authors in my path who have helped my writing career.

In June of 2020, I sold my first book to Revell and I’m excited about this new path God has set me on.

And the road ahead? Well, that’s in God’s hands, but I know wherever He leads me I won’t walk that path alone. He is there. What an amazing promise.

All the best…

Mary Alford

www.maryalford.net

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Christian suspense | 3 Comments

What Strikes Your Fancy? by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Nancy J. Farrier

What do you fancy? What is something you long for and dream of having?

A new car? A bigger home? A huge screen television? Or, maybe something simpler like a favorite food. A getaway to a favorite spot.

We all have those longings of the heart, and that is okay, but sometimes the longing can turn into an obsession. Maybe we think about that favorite bakery we used to go to and the delicious pastries they make that can only be found in that one spot. At first, it’s an occasional thought, a memory that pops up and makes us smile. But, then it turns into more than a thought and we plan to drive out of our way to get to that bakery because we just have to have one of those pastries. Or a dozen.

The desire to have that pastry becomes so strong we make excuses for buying them. I’ll get some to take to the office. Or, I’ll buy some for my women’s Bible study. But, deep down, we are feeding our longing for something we don’t really need, but something that has become an obsession to the point that’s all we think about.

Psalm 78 talks about the Israelites in the wilderness. There is a reminder of all God did for them: parting the sea, giving them water from a rock, providing food in the desert, going before and after them to provide protection. But, what did the people do?

“And they tested God in their heart, by asking for the food of their fancy.” Ps. 78:18

After all God did for them, after all He promised, they still looked back at Egypt and longed for the food they had there. They did not see that God was enough. That He was all they needed and that He would provide for them. They had no real trust in Him.

Are we so much different today? Don’t we all find ourselves seeking something to make our lives more comfortable, which isn’t a horrible thing—until we do it to excess. Until we are consumed with pleasing ourselves. Until we forget to seek out the Provider while seeking the provisions we want.

The challenge of having such excess has been weighing on me lately. Not that I have an abundance compared to some. I’m not wealthy, but I do have more than I need.

Maybe it’s time to consider cutting back on whatever strikes our fancy. Cut back on buying something just to please ourselves.

Instead of allowing that longing to grow to obsession, consider praying first. Is this a need? Is it something you should have or just something you want? When we trim our lives and consider what God wants for us, the obsessions will fade, and our joy in God will become the most important part of our lives.

Posted in Nancy J. Farrier | Tagged Excess, Fancy | 3 Comments

Nora’s Review of: On a Coastal Breeze by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Vicki Hinze

On a Coastal Breeze (Three Sisters Island Book 2)

By Suzanne Woods Fisher

Published by Revell

320 Pages

NORA’S REVIEW: This story is focused on Madison Grayson who is a therapist. She has just set up her office and is ready for business. All is well until it is not. Rick O’Shea literally drops in on three Sisters Island to be their pastor. Great for the Island bad for Maddie she remembers the guy she went to school with. He wasn’t the pastor type. Sparks fly and not in a good way. What was she going to do? It wasn’t like she could attend another church. Each person deals with their own situations, learning what it means to be family, boundaries and all.

The characters are honest and grow in their faith, and their maturity, as each discover who they are individually and are as a family. I liked the natural faith message woven throughout the story. I loved the honesty, and realism, of what these sisters go through. The author sprinkles encouraging nuggets in the mix of things like this one, “Once you know a truth, you can’t unknow it.”

I liked how the author had readers experience the highs, lows and the unexpected with this fun-loving family and its quirky residents that create a well-rounded cast. This is a sweet, heart-felt, enjoyable story filled with tender, fun and suspenseful moments I couldn’t put down. I look forward to reading more about this family and finding out where Blaine ends up.

This book would work well for your next book club pick as there are discussion questions and a great recipe you can serve at your meeting. It’s called, “You’ll Never Buy Store Bought Granola again” that includes a few variations on the theme. It’s a win win for everyone.

FROM THE BACK COVER: For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she can’t wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the island–they’re all too young, too old, or too weird–Maddie feels like she’s finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. Not one.

And then Ricky O’Shea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the pure blue sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see again–the one who’d been her arch nemesis from kindergarten through her senior dance–parachutes into town, landing on Boon Dock, canopy draping behind him like a superhero. Ricky O’Shea. Now Pastor Rick, the new minister on Three Sisters Island.

With wit and a bit of whimsy, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Three Sisters Island where family, forgiveness, and a second chance at love await.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. 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!

The Book Club Network blog http://www.bookfun.org

Posted in Nora St. Laurent, Uncategorized | Tagged Christians Read Book Reviews, Nora's Review, On a Coastal Breeze, Suzanne Fisher | Leave a comment

Lord, Open Our Eyes by Bridget A. Thomas

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Bridget

There is a story in the Old Testament that I love, found in 2 Kings 6. First a little backstory. The king of Aram did not like the prophet Elisha because Elisha was always one step ahead of him. When the king of Aram would plan to attack Israel, Elisha knew what he was up to and would warn the king of Israel. One day the king of Aram was fed up with Elisha and decided to go after him. But in 2 Kings 6: 14-17, it says:

Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

I like this story because it reminds us that God has angels surrounding us and protecting us. And indeed Psalm 91:11 also confirms this by saying, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

But there is something else that I have been focusing on in this story lately. The simple prayer of, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Lately I have been asking God to open my eyes in new ways. I want to see His goodness around me. I want to see His presence in my life. I want to see His love and care. I want to see His footprints all around me.

I fear we may miss out on so much that God wants to reveal to us, merely because we are not looking. Our eyes are closed, in a sense. Or we are focusing on the wrong things. Our lives keep us busy and distracted. Slowing down and turning our attention to the things of God will help open our eyes in a new way. Let us pray that the Lord will open our eyes.

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray that you will open our eyes in a new way. Help us to see Your goodness around us. Help us to be more aware of Your presence in our lives. Help us to fully embrace Your love. Help us to realize that Your footprints are on every detail of our lives. Help us to slow down so we can eliminate the things that are distracting us from You. Help us to focus on only the things You want us to focus on. And help us to fix our eyes on You. Thank You, Lord. It is in Jesus’ holy name that we pray, Amen.

Posted in Bridget A. Thomas | Tagged eyes, focus, seek | 2 Comments

Truth Hurts…and Heals by Vicki Hinze

Posted on February 1, 2021 by Vicki Hinze

Sometimes we are hurt, played or used by others. It can be painful, and the effects can be long-lasting. It’s wrong to treat others poorly, we know, but being on the receiving end of that ill treatment isn’t without value. We know the impact because we’ve experienced it firsthand, which serves to warn us not to treat others that way. It makes us aware of the true nature of those who do this to us, and it makes it harder for that person or others to do this (or worse) to us again. We learn to protect, to guard, to be aware in all our interactions.

In that way, while not fun or comfortable or painless, we discover that disappointment, betrayal and even anger can be constructive and useful for future protection.

Often, we’re mired. In trying to be fair, to not judge or falsely attribute actions to someone innocent of them, we elect to wait and figure it out based on their actions and words and deeds. This can carry risks, but we’re intensely aware now, and that enables us to engage in self-protection in ways we couldn’t and hadn’t done when we were unaware. As we observe during the wait, we gain insights that give us a clearer picture, and we arrive at a point where we know exactly what to think about what is happening. Truth, you see, presents itself in many forms, and paying attention, we notice them. Being aware, we are open to them. Being attuned, we assess them.

John 8:32 tells us: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

It does. Truth removes doubt, the fear and anxiety of being unfair and wrongly accusing another. When the truth manifests, we recognize it at soul level.

At times, on certain issues, we discover that what we thought had been significant, isn’t. We permitted worry and frustration, upset to dictate and feed our fears. But in exercising restraint, the truth revealed that the matter was not significant or intentional or purposeful.

It’s important to mention that we are not required to have opinions or strong feelings about everything. Nor are we required to share our opinions on many things. We are not obligated to invest deeply in everything. In fact, I daresay we’re not supposed to do that.

As homes to unique individual gifts and created by the Divine for specific purpose, we must also exercise our discernment and choose in what we invest and opine upon. Some things are not part of our purpose, or our mission. We notice those things often, but we focus on things that are part of our purpose and mission.

If we don’t exercise that discernment, we find ourselves splintered into a thousand directions. While it’s good to know bits of this and that, distraction carries the risk of replaying the old adage, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Distraction can be interesting, intriguing, spark your imagination. Shiny objects snag our attention. But if given too much weight, they can also put you on a path that isn’t yours to travel and steal the steam from your purpose and mission journey. Who does that benefit?

It isn’t you. It isn’t He you serve. It isn’t those whose lives you are intended to touch. To see clearly the real benefactor, answer this: If you don’t reach your purpose, complete your mission, we know who loses, but who wins? Who fills that void in your life and in the lives of those it was your mission to touch?

This, too, is a reason that truth is so important. Knowing the truth. So that you know what you need to know when you need to know it, and so that you travel your path, focusing on your mission and fulfilling your purpose.

That reveals knowing the truth isn’t merely important but is critical. It resides within you. Guides you. Protects and provides you with what you need to make wise decisions for yourself and those you serve.

In 2 Chronicles 19: 8-11, we’re told, “And he charged them, saying, “Thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.”

That’s an alarm to us on the importance of our intentions. A signpost of why we don’t deliberately inflict injury, use or betray or harm others. Why we use reason and logic but also our hearts (our compassion and empathy and understanding) so our heart is aligned with God.

Reacting God’s way to wrongdoing is a process. We learn as we go, as we do in many things. We figure it out, we determine who we can trust, who we can’t; where we are safe and accepted and treasured, and where we are not. We work our way from wherever we are to an understanding that we’re all okay, that everything is okay, and everything will be okay. No matter what.

We conclude that when we grasp the inevitable truth: Life is short. Eternity lasts much, much longer.

If we remember that, and we do our best to do right by ourselves and others for the right reasons (our intentions), His way (through our hearts), we’ll be just fine. Perfect? No. But far better with far less chaos and upset. This side of Heaven, that’s pretty good, and it carries the added benefit of our focus moving us along on the journey on purpose and mission. We’ll get farther, accomplish more and be more content for those gains.

The truth can hurt. But it can also heal. And when it does, it often heals far more than we thought or knew needed healing…

Posted in Uncategorized, Vicki Hinze | Tagged conflict resolutions, heal, hurt, truth | 2 Comments

Updating Tech by Kathy Carmichael

Posted on January 28, 2021 by kathc2

Sometimes, even when you want to do anything but, you’re forced to update your password. At least for me, that’s a big “ugg.”

I went through this recently. Very recently. The aggravation still clings to me like a static-soaked sock stuck to a shirt as it emerges from the clothes dryer.

My iPhone needed to be updated, because, for my financial records with Apple, I needed 2-factor authentication. And, since I hadn’t updated my password since 2012 (when I bought this computer), even though it was an excellent and very secure password, I was forced to change it — by the tech overlords.

Changing it on my laptop meant changing it on my desktop computer, and on my iPhones and iPads and other Apple technology (of which I have too much I suspect) in my household.

I haven’t yet changed it on my hubby’s iPhone because his is really old and I’m not sure it will take the software changes required, which probably means I’m going to be forced to upgrade his phone first before I can update the password on it.

After making all of these changes, I realized I needed to update my wifi access on my iPhone in order to use my internet provider rather than the data-chugging cellular service offered by my cell provider when I was away from home.

By this time, I admit my head began to spin. That trebled when I learned I had to install a Provider (!?!) on my iPhone. Don’t get me started about how many hoops I jumped through to accomplish this.

Next I emailed my son who is on our account with extremely detailed instructions on how he can accomplish this, too.

All of this happened after a sleepless night spent trying to understand a complex (at least to me) religious question when ultimately, around 5:00 am, Holy Spirit said, “Kathy, it’s simple, not complex, and here’s why.” Once He explained it, I saw what He meant.

Just like updating my password, sometimes I have to do things the long way and overthink things. More often that not, it seems.

I’m so grateful Holy Spirit has hung in there with me. I’ve got to be incredibly frustrating to deal with at times, and maybe even most of the time.

I feel exceptionally fortunate that Jesus blessed Christians with God’s Spirit. Holy Spirit has frequently helped me out of tight squeezes and advised me in a manner that led (I hope) to pleasing our Heavenly Father. This is something I strive to do all the time.

I pray the task is much easier for you should you need to update your password in the near future!

Posted in Kathy Carmichael, Uncategorized | Tagged God, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, password, tech | Leave a comment

A Moving Experience by James R. Coggins

Posted on January 27, 2021 by jrcoggins

A couple of months ago, three men wearing masks backed a truck up to our house and took away all of our furniture, completely emptying the house.

Before you ask, yes, we paid them to do this. So they emptied our bank account as well as our house. They didn’t get much. There was more in the house than in the bank account. (I’m a writer.)

It was time to downsize from the 1600-square-foot house we had lived in for three decades to a 2200-square-foot townhouse. (As we have grown older, we have begun to see the value of having a place with four bathrooms.)

A complicating factor was that there was a gap of a few days between moving out of our house and moving into our new townhouse. It felt as if we were living back in the stone age. We had no permanent dwelling place, only a temporary shelter. Every morning we would go out to forage for food. Fortunately, Tim Hortons has been around since what seems like the beginning of time. We had no way to predict the weather or to find out what was happening in the rest of the world beyond our narrow circle. We had no books, magazines, or newspapers, no phone, internet, computer, or television. In the evening, my wife and I had to mindlessly stare at each other for four hours. We didn’t even have an address where we could receive mail, not even air mail (known to most of you as “flyers”).

But we were together and worked together to support each other. We had good friends and family members to help us. And God was with us, and He really has been around since the beginning of time—and even before that.

The interlude ended, we moved into our townhouse, and all of our possessions reappeared. Well, most of them anyway. It took only two hours after our phone was connected for the telemarketers to find us again. I had over 500 accumulated emails to plow through, most of them spam. And the nightly news on television was bad. It almost made us long for a return to the stone age.

For a while, it was like Christmas. We kept opening boxes not knowing what is inside. We found a lot of interesting stuff, just not necessarily the stuff we needed. On a Tuesday, we went to the store and bought coffee. On Wednesday, we found the coffee pot. On Thursday, we found the coffee maker and cups. On Friday, we found a spoon and could finally have coffee.

Now we are back in hunter-gatherer mode. Every day, we go on a quest to try to find the stuff we unpacked and put away but can’t remember where.

The great problem with moving is that it necessarily puts the emphasis on things, not just on the house, but on all of the things that go into it, what to move and what not to move, what to add and what to throw away, instead of putting the focus on God and people, who, unlike things, are eternal.

It still feels as if we are living in someone else’s house or a very good hotel, nice but not necessarily home, certainly not our home.

My wife thinks it is because we have no memories of events, interactions, and happenings that we have experienced in this place.

I think it might have something to do with the fact that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we can’t have any visitors. A house warming party is out of the question. We have a much larger dining room, but we can’t invite anyone to dinner. We have a beautifully furnished guest room, but no one will sleep there for the foreseeable future. It feels as if we need someone else to come in and validate that this really is our home.

It all feels so temporary, so unrooted. Perhaps it is a reminder that this world is not our home and we are just passing through, as these verses point out: “These men of faith…agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven” (Hebrews 11:13-14 New Living Translation).

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged eternity, house warming, moving, stone age, Tim Hortons | 3 Comments

Looking Ahead by Tara Randel

Posted on January 25, 2021 by tararandel

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25

After the kind of year we just went through, keeping our eyes on the path before us might seem a little strange. Let’s face it, things went haywire last year. Our world was turned upside down. So many things we took for granted suddenly became things we couldn’t be part of. Voices coming from many different directions easily distracted us from what we considered…normal.

I’d wager to say I’m not the only one who had a year of questions. Perhaps doubt. In that category, I believe we could all find each other at one point or another. Thankfully, trusting in the Lord does not change. God does not change, pandemic or not.

My husband and I own a service based business. When the country first went on lock down, we lost seventy-five percent of our business overnight. But the most miraculous thing happened. We didn’t panic. We prayed, asked the Lord to take care of us, and we were able to live on the twenty-five percent and survive. Eventually, businesses opened again and we were back where we started, with at least five new accounts added. I got two different book contracts during this time. We’d had many years serving God under our belts and knew that He would be gracious and supply our needs if we asked. He did. Not well meaning-leaders or political bureaucrats. It was God, pure and simple, and I will say that until the day I die.

So what will 2021 look like? Will there be more distractions if we allow it?

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Psalm 37:3-6

This year:

Commit to the Lord.

Keep walking, no matter the circumstance thrown in your path.

Remain faithful to the God who is faithful to us, the God who gives us peace even in the midst of a storm and times of turmoil.

Remember, God loves us, always. Always.

We are all praying that this year will be more upbeat, more promising. With God in control, things have a way of working out. Be encouraged. Seek God. And thank Him.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Let’s make 2021 a year when we turn to the Lord in all things, for all things.

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, available July 2021 . 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 and receive a link to download a free digital book.