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Stress is a reality of life. We all will encounter stress from time to time. Unfortunately we often allow stress to get the best of us. But we don’t have to. We can replace stress with peace by using five specific Bible verses which will remind us that God is by our side. And the first letter of each of the Bible verses spell out PEACE, making them easy to remember!
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
Jesus gave us a gift of peace. But this is something we quickly and easily forget when we are faced with trouble. The mountains in front of us will seem so immense, that they overshadow our peace. Remembering that Jesus gave us this gift, and choosing to accept it when we are facing obstacles, will help us have peace in the midst of stress.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4
No matter what we are facing, we can remember that the Lord is our Shepherd. This means He is there for us at all times, He guides us down the right path, He protects us from danger, and He makes sure we have everything we need.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
We will all face difficulties when we are on this earth. But we don’t have to handle them on our own. We can hand them over to God. When we allow God to handle our worries for us, we can have a peace that transcends all understanding. This makes me picture a person standing in the midst of chaos. Yet while there is pandemonium all around them, they have peace, as they stay anchored to God. How amazing!
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7
This is a reminder that we can cast all, not some, all of our anxieties on Jesus. And what a beautiful promise that He cares for us. I love thinking about the fact the King of kings cares for us. This shows how loving He is. And this means that He will want to help us in stressful times.
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:30-31
When we place our hope in the Lord, we can face anything. Our troubles might tire us. But God will renew our strength. He will hold us up and help us overcome. But we have to remember to face life in His strength, not our own strength.
I hope these five Bible verses help you to replace stress with peace. God is a faithful and loving Father. He is always there. We can turn to Him and seek His help with whatever we are facing. No matter what lies on the road ahead, remember that God is with you.
Recently I listened to a live worship experience where the drummer was on one page and the rest of the band was on another. When I explained it to my son, a drummer, I said it was like the one was playing Billy Joel’s “Pressure” and the rest were playing a praise song.
And I felt a little nudge from God.
That image was much like my past few years. I adopted the pace much like the Billy Joel song, pushing through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. If I stopped, it was more like a pause. Emotions? I stuffed them down and kept moving.
The Lord’s pace wasn’t the same beat. Where I was insisting on living at something akin to walking through a hurricane, He was a gentle breeze, in the meadow, on a beautiful summer day.
Julie Arduini
Meshing the two together was exactly like the song I heard.
The fact is, pain has to go somewhere, and all my stuffing and running might have looked brave, but I fell and fell hard. I spent most of last year in adrenal fatigue and that was a learning experience. Where I once could tackle events and issues back-to-back-to-back, I had to say no to the easiest of tasks and rest.
Today, I feel much better. Although I’m not at the pace I once was, I’m in rhythm with Christ, and that feels like a beautiful symphony. When I have emotions, I’m expressing them through lamentations. Not the book in the Bible as much as the physical act of pouring it all at the feet of Jesus and leaving it there. No more stuffing. No more avoiding. No more running.
I sense I’m not the only one who was in need of a recalibration. The world doesn’t stop to ask if we need help or if we’re okay. @JulieArduini #WednesdayMotivation
There’s always more work, more fires to put out, more, more, more. If you feel red flags popping up because you know you’re out of sync, I pray this post encourages you.
I know my schedule is one where I can move things around with more flexibility than those with a 9-5 job. Beyond the literal rest my body demanded, I went to the doctor for lab work and added supplements to my life. I became disciplined with bedtime and found with my hormones in a better range, I’m actually tired at that time anyway. I practice yoga, and that has helped more than I ever thought. I find myself breathing better when stressed. I also used the rest to really dive into His word and different studies.
One book that really helped me was Rhythm of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons. Studygateway is offering this study now with limited time free video sessions, and they are a great way to stay in harmony. Although the study started, it’s not too late to join.
From Amazon:
Daily struggles with anxiety and stress make it difficult to receive God’s peace. Rhythms of Renewal will help you trade your anxiety for the vibrant life you were meant to live through four profound rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. With encouraging stories and practical steps, Rebekah Lyons will help you begin an intentional, lifelong journey toward sustained emotional, relational, and spiritual health.
Rhythms of Renewalis your guide to daily rescue and a way forward into the peace your soul longs for.
As a society, we are in the throes of a collective panic attack. Anxiety and loneliness are on the rise, with 77% of our population experiencing physical symptoms of stress on a regular basis. We feel pressure chasing careers, security, and keeping up. We worry about health, politics, and many other complexities we can’t control. Eventually we find our minds spinning, trying to cope or manage a low hum of anxiety, unlike ever before.
But it doesn’t have to stay this way.
Rebekah draws from her own battle with depression and anxiety and shares a pathway to establish four life-giving rhythms that quiet inner chaos and make room for a flourishing life. By taking time to rest, restore, connect, and create, you will discover how to:
Take charge of your emotional health and inspire your loved ones to do the same
Overcome anxiety by establishing daily habits that keep you mentally and physically strong
Find joy through restored relationships in your family and community
Walk in confidence with the unique gifts you have to offer the world
If you feel like you’re living at the pace of Pressure, and the Lord’s calling you to slow and heal, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Stay healthy!
Right now I’m in-between books. During a break like this, I enjoy a day off to regroup and be inspired by the world around me before diving into a new project. Last week, my daughter and I went to Epcot’s Festival of the Arts. It was wonderful day to be outside, crowd-watching and eating some of the culinary delights. And walking. Lots of walking. Which was needed after a dessert like this.
Mostly, I love getting away from the every-day routine for a few hours. Having a annual pass to the Disney parks is a splurge my daughter and I invest in every year. It’s an outing we look forward to together. There are so many creative and inventive things to see in the parks, so it appeals to the writer in me. Everyone has their favorite place to get inspiration. Besides the parks, it is the mountains or camping for me. It’s important to have a free day here and there to spend time with loved ones and just catch your breath from the busyness of life.
So imagine my surprise when a sky writer left this message in the blue space above the park.
When we first saw love being spelled out, I figured it would have something to do with an attraction or advertisement. But when God came next, my daughter and I were shocked. And pleased. Lots of people were taking pictures and commenting on the message. Imagine, God being a part of a day at the park! I was thrilled that someone wanted to make a statement above a very secular industry and people gazing up at the sky were touched by the words.
Our time spent getting away turned out to be a very special day indeed. Don’t you love it when God shows up!
New Book Release
I’m so excited to announce that my February book, Always The One, is available today!
She’s the love of his life…
…but is he still hers?
FBI agent Derrick Matthews has finally found his childhood sweetheart and the love of his life—but she isn’t exactly happy about it! Years ago, Hannah Rawlings disappeared overnight when her family went on the run, and she blames Derrick. She tells him she’s moved on and he should, too, but Derrick fears Hannah’s still in danger. He vows to protect her—even if that means betraying her trust…again.
Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her Harlequin Heartwarming romance, ALWAYS THE ONE. 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.
… consists of 57 stories, written by 43 authors, of those special feelings, romantic relationships and true love.
The literary genre, Romance (which about 30 of my 59 novels are labeled), is often referred to as being Happily-Ever-After and some scorn the idea, implying that the stories are unrealistic. However, these novels do not claim lifelong happiness any more than we can assure anyone that theirs will be a lasting marriage.
True, there’s a fairy tale world in which a mythical Knight in Shining Armor rescues the Damsel in Distress, they marry, and he supports her while she raises the children. (Frankly, that sounds ideal to me!)
And that describes one of the main aspects of my 40+ years of marriage. In a sense, my husband rescued me from the unattached life into an attached life, which I preferred. Being 17 years older than I was is perhaps what made him my ideal knight in shining armor. He was my friend, mentor, lover, provider, counselor, and teacher.
Seem rather unequal? Not at all. He recognized potential gifts and talents within me and supported my attempts at reaching my life’s goals. He was a good, moral, intelligent man with a strong belief in God Jehovah, but was not a Christian. As we journeyed in our life together, attended church, and discussed faith, he eventually realized his need for a personal relationship with Christ and gave Jesus his heart. Our good marriage resulted in the blessing of four wonderful children.
This is me, when in Paris, with my current Knight in Shining Armor!
Regardless of how romantic or in love a couple may be, in fiction or in real life, they encounter difficulties that may weaken or strengthen their relationship or marriage. A romance novel ends with a commitment of love, and sometimes a wedding, which is among one’s happiest days with a hope and intent of maintaining marriage vows. In Romantic Moments, some authors tell of personal experiences, others talk about their novels and the romance/relationships included.
One might expect a book about romance would be written primarily by women. However, many men contributed to this book. They have intriguing outlooks about romance, love, and marriage. These stories vary, from humorous to serious, sad to happy, hope to disappointment, idealism to realism, and the myriad of emotions one experiences, human and divine.
This is the 15th book in the Moments Series, written by hundreds of men, women, and children who have a story to tell, a poem to share, a thought to ponder. Some are written by experienced authors. Others have never been published, but have a story to tell. And none get any monetary payment since all royalties go to Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that provides spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.
You’re invited to share your story. We’re now accepting for Christmas 2020 Moments (Santa, Jesus, experiences), Grandma’s Cookie Jar Moments (warm, cozy articles), Can, Sir! Moments (anything about cancer), Broken Moments (serious or humorous), and Lost Moments (serious or humorous).
These stories sometimes change lives…forever. Others bring a thought to ponder. Some present a lesson learned. Many are experiences to share. While others give us a moment of entertainment, bring laughter or a smile.
I’d love to hear from you. Contact me for details or send your story attached to an email: yvonnelehman3@gmail.com.
Something I feel the Lord has been laying on my heart lately is the word “Surrender.” Full surrender to Him. As Christians we might think we have given God full control of our lives. But often this is not the case. Surrender and obedience go hand in hand. When we fully surrender to God, we will be obedient to Him, no matter what He asks of us. And this works the opposite way as well. We will not do things that the Lord doesn’t want us to do. As Christians, it is vital to follow the will of God, no matter what. But many of us make big decisions without seeking God’s will first. Or we might have certain things in our lives or heart that we just don’t want to let go of.
Throughout the pages of the Bible we see so many stories that illustrate how important full surrender and obedience to God is.
Sometimes fully surrendering to God can be difficult. In Genesis 22, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, the son he had waited a hundred years for. Any of us would have been devastated. And I imagine there are not many of us who would have obeyed. Abraham did obey, though. But of course this was just a test. God stopped Abraham from following through. We too can fully surrender to God even when it is difficult. When we learn to trust Him, we will see that He always has our best interest in mind.
There will be times when fully surrendering to God might not make sense. We might even be asked not to do something that appears to be a good thing. In 2 Samuel 7, David wanted to build a temple for the Lord. This was a great and honorable wish. But God said no because David’s son Solomon would be the one to build the temple. We too have to seek God’s will with big decisions. Even if it seems like a good thing, it might not be God’s will for our lives.
When we don’t surrender to God, we will suffer the consequences. But on the other hand, when we do surrender to God, we will reap the rewards. In Numbers 13-14, when the Israelites were wandering in the desert, they reached the Promised Land. It was God’s will that they would inhabit this area. They sent twelve spies in to check out the land and to assess the people who were living there. When they returned to the camp, ten out of twelve men came back with a sense of fear. They felt that the people who lived there were too strong and powerful for the Israelites to defeat. Yet there were two men, Joshua and Caleb, who had faith that they could take possession of the land. Unfortunately, the ten men spread fear among the rest of the Israelites. Now the whole camp believed the lie that they could not defeat the people living there. In the end, the only two adults out of all the Israelites that entered the Promised Land were Joshua and Caleb.
Just like these men, we have a choice every day. Will we fight the will of God and suffer the consequences? Or will we fully surrender to God and reap the rewards? I hope we can choose the latter.
“You don’t go into the darkness without the darkness going into you,” Michael Connelly says in his novel, A Darkness More Than Night. It is one of the very interesting and highly successful murder mysteries Connelly has written. In this book and several other books, Connelly’s characters also talk about “lost light,” an unexpected and unexplained light that allows them to see and find their way in the dark.
The darkness that Connelly is writing about is more moral than physical. He is writing about evil.
Connelly certainly shows no evidence of Christian faith in his books (although he apparently went to a Catholic high school), but in A Darkness More Than Night his characters talk about looking for “the hand of God” and the possibility of divine retribution coming to evildoers even if they escape human justice. The hero of many of his books is Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch, named after an enigmatic 16th-century Christian artist who often depicted the judgment of God on sinful humanity.
Other semi-religious images also occur in Connelly’s books. For instance, in City of Bones, Bosch is disturbed by seeing a pile of bones, all that is left of an abused boy. Connelly writes, “He bent down and used his hands to cup cold water against his face and eyes. He thought about baptisms and second chances. Of renewal. He raised his face until he was looking at himself again. I’m going to get this guy.”
Bosch also talks about “blue religion” (the moral code and sense of purpose of police officers). He has a sense that he has been “called” to his profession, that his purpose in life is to catch murderers, although who it is who has done the calling is never made clear.
In City of Bones, a medical examiner named Golliher tries to convince Bosch that it is necessary to believe in God and that the badly abused and murdered boy is now in “a better place than this.” Golliher continues, “This is why you must believe…If this boy did not go from this world to a higher plane, to something better, then…then I think we’re all lost.”
Golliher later says that he has come to believe that there is an invisible framework to life that “holds us together.” He says, “When I meet someone who carries a void in the place where I carry my faith, I get scared for him.” I doubt if any Christian could have said it better.
Bosch does not become a believer in God. But he does say, “You’re wrong about me. I have faith and I have a mission. Call it blue religion, call it whatever you like. It’s the belief that…those bones came out of the ground for a reason. That they came out of the ground for me to find, and for me to do something about. And that’s what holds me together and keeps me going.”
At the end of City of Bones, Bosch resigns from the police force, fearing that he will be “lost without his job and his badge and his mission.”
However, in the next book, Lost Light, Bosch realizes, “My mission remained intact. My job in this world, badge or no badge, was to stand for the dead.” And Bosch eventually returns to the police force.
One of the reasons that I write and read murder mysteries is that they are one form of writing that takes the existence of evil and the reality of right and wrong seriously. As Agatha Christie’s hero, Hercule Poirot, used to say, “Murder is wrong.” In our age of moral confusion, that is refreshing. It is itself perhaps “lost light.”
Michael Connelly does not profess faith in God any more than Bosch does. But, like Bosch, he has a sense of having a mission and a calling, in his case to writing. The writing process, he said in an interview, “comes out of the mystical element…In many ways I’m not really sure how it happens, how that mystical element of creating works. It’s sacred and, therefore, I work at it and safeguard it.”
Incidentally, A Darkness More Than Night was published in 2001, City of Bones in 2002, and Lost Light in 2003, but I only read them recently. Most books written today make almost all of their sales in the first six months. After a couple of years, you can’t even find them in bookstores. But they continue to hang on in libraries and used bookstores. It is a reminder that while fads quickly come and go, good books—especially those that deal with eternal and cosmic themes—are timeless. They are worth reading even if they are old.
You know how you feel when the winter weather has let up for a few days and there are signs of warmth? I know, I know it depends on where you live. For instance, if you live in the far South in the US, this is your good season. The farther north you come, summer starts looking so much better.
You tend to get your hopes up that the snow will end and the air will warm–for us, that the wind will stop for just a few hours–and there is hope in the midst of winter.
Not that I expect flowers to bloom, but it would be nice to get out of town and do a snow hike, or go snowshoeing. Sledding? Skiing? I don’t know, throw a snowball.
It’s this time of year when I wish to become a snowbird and have the freedom to travel south–far south–for the remainder of the winter.
However, I have found that if I bury myself in a book–actually, Mel and I are rewriting three titles to be released by Valentine’s Day–I can actually be there in that setting. I’m in the middle of Under Suspicion right now, in a Missouri spring in that state’s capitol of Jefferson City. Delving into a good book–or one that I hope to make good with rewrites–truly helps me forget about the weather outside and focus on the world I have created in my imagination. Right now, I can’t seem to tear myself away. I guess winter is one way to keep me working.
May you find warmth this winter in your book of choice, and may you be blessed as you read.
“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” So He [God] said, “I will certainly be with you…” Exodus 3:11-12
How many of us have been in that place where Moses is? Not in the desert in front of a burning bush, but being called on to do something small or great and feeling inadequate? I’ve never been asked to do something on the scale of confronting Pharaoh, or leading a whole people to a new land, but sometimes even the small things have me quaking and doubting myself. (Perhaps that means doubting God.)
For instance: talking to someone I don’t know about what Jesus has done for me, speaking in front of a group, teaching women’s Bible study, leading a worship team. Those are all things I’ve done where I wondered if God understood who He’s asking to step up and do the work. Does He realize how unqualified I am to do any of those tasks? Yes, He does. But, He’s got this.
What does God say to Moses? “No worries, Moses, you have what it takes,” or “You’ve got this Moses. You can do it,” or “If you can herd sheep, you can herd my people.” Nope. God isn’t the personal cheering section for Moses to encourage him to do the job he’s been asked to do. Instead, God says, “…I will certainly be with you…”
Say what? God, don’t You want to give Moses at least a tad of encouragement? Don’t You want to say how qualified he is? That he’s the perfect one for the job? Because that is what we do to one another. We encourage and puff up one another to build teamwork. But, what are we really building?
Perhaps, instead of pointing one another to a dependence on God and what He can do, we are giving a false sense of security in self. Instead of saying, “Trust God, He’s got this,” we say something like, “You can do this. I believe in you.”
For me, with my low self-esteem, I find myself asking that question, “Who am I…” But, what am I really asking? I am asking that someone affirms MY abilities, when I should be checking to make sure God is asking me to do that task and then trusting He will work through me to get the job done.
The more I think about this, the more I realize that I am called, not qualified. When I became a worship leader, I wasn’t chosen for my stellar music abilities, because I don’t have those. I was where God needed me to be and answered His call in a shaking voice. He was the one who blessed that ministry—not by my talents, but by Him walking alongside me.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul talks about the thorn in his flesh that God didn’t take away. God says to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Isn’t that also true for Moses when he faced a confrontation with Pharaoh? Isn’t it true when Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness? Isn’t it true for each of us when we are faced with a task or calling that makes our insides quiver and our knees wobble?
Who am I?
I am called of God.
Let me get out of the way and see what He chooses to do through me.
I apologize for missing my Wednesday rotation, I missed most of the week with a yucky stomach virus. I didn’t want to miss telling you about a free Kindle promotion I have going on for not just one but TWO of my books.
You’re Amazing is the second of three books that my daughter and I wrote together. Each can be read stand-alone but all follow the members of Linked, a mentoring ministry for girls. What I love about the Surrendering Stinkin’ Thinkin’ series is it is for girls and women of all ages. One chapter is from the mentor’s POV, and the next, the mentee. Both are struggling with the same lie, but neither know the other is. In You’re Amazing, Jazmin was a natural at dance until she’s criticized. Lena remembers how much purpose she had when she was single. Now that she’s married and has young children, she feels like all she’s good for is changing diapers. Can these two surrender the lies they are believing and realize how amazing they are?
Holly Christmas left Geneseo Valley and her family’s holiday tourist attraction, The Christmas Mansion, as soon as she graduated. Now both her parents have passed, and Holly returns when her uncle needs her help running the mansion. On Holly’s first day back, a blunt middle-schooler proclaims Holly hates Christmas. His comment forces her to reconcile the past while planning for the mansion’s future.
Kevin Holt is invested in offering hope to students with challenges. His best friend’s son is in Kevin’s class, and Nathan needs guidance. Their community project placement at The Christmas Mansion is an opportunity to make a positive difference. When Nathan blurts out his thoughts to the beautiful co-owner, Kevin wonders if he has what it takes to help restore the mansion to its former glory, mentor Noah, and convince Holly Christmas she’s exactly where she needs to be.
This story first appeared in the A Christmas to Remember Boxed Set released October 2018.
This free eBook offer for both You’re Amazing and Restoring Christmas is available January 25-29. If you enjoy them, please leave a review. The more reviews, the more Amazon promotes it. Thank you!
Last week I wrote about the importance of being real and genuine. (You can read the entire post here.) In a nutshell, I said that I feel many people today, including myself, walk around with a virtual mask on. We don’t allow others to see our true selves. This has gotten worse with social media. We want our lives to look perfect and we want everyone to think that we don’t ever struggle.
But I want to make something clear. In that post, I did not mean to imply that we should not grow or change. Quite the contrary. I have dealt with many people, and I’m sure you have too, who have said something like, “This is just how I am. I can’t help it.” They dismiss their weaknesses and never seek to change. We all have room for growth in different areas of our lives.
I have often heard Dr. Charles Stanley say that as long as we are on this earth, God will be molding us to be more like Jesus. And I am so glad for that! I do not want to live my entire life with the same hang-ups and issues. I want to become the best version of myself, the person I was meant to be, the person God created me to be.
The first step is to spend time with the Lord. It says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” How are we transformed? How do we renew our minds? The number one thing we can do is to read our Bibles every day. When we fill ourselves up with the Word of God, our thoughts are aligned with His. This helps push out the things the world feeds us and the patterns of the enemy. Spending time with God each day is essential.
But we are not an island unto ourselves. We all have loved ones who are a big part of our lives. If we want to grow in our Christian walk, we have to be real with one another. God created us for community. He created us to have relationships and to fellowship with one another. But we can never have a solid foundation in our relationships if we attempt to hide behind a mask, bend the truth, or pretend that we are perfect.
Part of being open with other people means we allow them to see our weaknesses and our brokenness. But we also make it clear that we are working on it and we might even ask for prayer. For example, if someone has an anger issue, I don’t agree with pridefully stating you don’t have a problem and just dismissing it. Rather, when we are real with one another, we would admit our fault and ask our fellow Christians to pray for us.
When we meet one another at a place like this, we build bridges. We can better help those who are hurting. And we can help each other flourish.
One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” To me this means we help each other become stronger, we encourage one another, we assist each other in growth, and we shine the light of Jesus to those around us.
Note that if you need prayer or guidance about a deep issue, I do believe it’s best to seek this from a Christian who you trust. Your spouse, sibling, parent, a close friend, your pastor, etc. I don’t believe anyone and everyone should spew advice at us and we should listen. Some people will only make matters worse. Pray about this and ask the Lord whose advice is coming from a place of love.
And this doesn’t mean we should change in order to fit in. We should change for the Lord and for ourselves, as we seek to become the best versions of who God created us to be.
My whole point here is to say that none of us are perfect. Yes, God made us all unique. But we all have flaws. We all have areas in which we can learn, grow, and improve. Building a solid foundation with the Lord is vital. But I also believe when we are open and genuine with those close to us, we can help each other grow substantially on the path the Lord has set before us. We can all become our best selves.
The best thing about writing is connecting with other writers. Other book nerds who get what it’s like to live in your head much of the time. I’ve just recently moved states and I’ve been having trouble finishing a book. I have quite a few of them started, but I didn’t know which one I wanted to finish. Too many options!
This is why the writing community is so important. When you get stuck, there is someone there to help you. Writing is a solitary job, but I’m so grateful for my “people” who keep me at the computer with their daily correspondence and encouragement.
This week, one of my oldest writing friends asked for all the books I have “well-started” — ie., at least 10,000 words. So I opened Scrivener, collected them all up and compiled them for her to read. The next day, the verdict was in — finish “The Wentworth Heiress” book.
I’m really excited about this book, which I plan to publish myself because it doesn’t fit neatly into a genre and that makes it difficult for publishers. So I would describe it as a family saga/chick lit/mystery. I think it works because it comes from my own passion about how complicated family dynamics can be. But I wouldn’t have known it was working without the feedback.
That’s why community is so important. It lets us know we’re not alone. So I’m grateful for the outside influence. Because every once in a while, it’s important to get out of your own head! It’s one thing to like your own story, it’s another to let it go out in the world and collect feedback.
For me, the best days are those that begin with coffee and Bible reading. Every year, I read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. And, every time something new jumps out at me. Or, perhaps it isn’t new, maybe I’ve forgotten the impact since the previous year. J
Today, I was reading in Genesis, chapter forty-three, and was moved to tears when Joseph had to leave the room to weep. He is facing all of his brothers, after years apart. He’s seeing his younger brother Benjamin for the first time in many years. Joseph is so overcome with emotion that he goes to his chamber to weep because he doesn’t want to become emotional in front of the very brothers who have no idea who he is.
The lead up to this point in Joseph’s story is that his older brothers planned to kill him, but instead sold him into slavery in Egypt. They told their father a wild animal must have killed Joseph and took his coat, covered in goat’s blood, as proof.
When famine comes to the land, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy grain. He doesn’t realize Joseph is now second-in-command in Egypt. The brothers face Joseph in chapter forty-two, but they don’t recognize him. He knows them though, and I can only imagine how he feels face-to-face with the very ones who plotted to destroy him.
I found it interesting that in Genesis 42:11, the brothers still are hiding what they did to Joseph. When they tell Joseph who they are, they mention they are (1) one man’s sons (truth), (2) honest men (lie), and (3) not spies (truth). They couched the lie between two pieces of truth, never realizing they were in front of the one person who would comprehend their falsehood.
Joseph treats them a little harshly as he sends them home and demands to see their younger brother, keeping one of them in prison to guarantee their return. Then, when they must come to Egypt for more grain, they are still unaware who Joseph is—but he is so very aware of them.
When Joseph leaves the room to go to his chambers and weep, I too began to cry. My heart ached for this man and all he’d endured. I also ached for his brothers. Why would I do that? Why would I weep at all?
Like Joseph, I have been poorly treated by others. No, I haven’t been sold into slavery, or had anyone plan to murder me. (Not that I know of anyway.) But, I have been hurt deeply by someone who never admitted to the pain they caused me. Just as Joseph’s brothers did, this person hid the fact of what they’d done, even to the point of deceiving themselves. This left me to learn forgiveness in a way I would never have faced otherwise.
I am sure some of you also have faced this level of hurt. Many times, I’ve been in bed at night, and God has brought to mind Ephesians 4:26, “Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”I may have been suffering hurt, but hurt leads to anger and many other negative emotions. I needed to let go and forgive, not for the other person as much as for my own peace of mind and physical health.
The other reason I wept had to do with Joseph’s brothers. Why? Because I have been in their shoes too. No, I haven’t murdered anyone or sold anyone, but I have done some things I am not proud of, and that are sinful in nature. Sin is sin. And, I’ve tried to cover up those embarrassing things, even hiding them from God. As if.
I’ve had to realize that I am a sinner saved by God. (Romans 3:23) And, I do know that God sees me wherever I am. (Psalms 139:1-12) I must be as honest with God as possible. I must be open in all that I think and do. Others may not see my sin, but He does. He is waiting for forgive, but I have to admit that sin and ask for the forgiveness.
If you know the story of Joseph, you know the beautiful ending. He reveals himself to his brothers. They return to bring their father, Jacob, or Israel, to Egypt. After Jacob dies, the brothers are fearful of what Joseph will do to them. In Genesis chapter fifty, we see the brothers still haven’t changed. They send a servant to Joseph and lie to him once again, saying their father asked that he forgive them for what they had done to him.
God’s grace and mercy shine through as Joseph tells them, “…You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” Those words resonate for me.
Has God allowed me to face the hurts and wounds from others because He meant them for good? Yes, I believe so. I may not be in charge of saving thousands of people as Joseph did, but I am grateful that God would allow me to grow through these experiences, no matter how difficult they are.
This is why I wept along with Joseph. For him. For his brothers. For me. For us today. Consider letting scripture speak to you and weep.
Several of us went out to lunch on one particular afternoon. We all had a nice visit with one another, and enjoyed good food as well. It was a treat and a blessing all the way around. I wanted a picture of all of us to keep as a memory of the occasion. I mentioned that perhaps the waitress could take our picture. Or maybe someone with a long arm could manage to get a selfie of us all. However, two members of our party didn’t want their pictures taken because they didn’t like the way they looked. I jokingly said that we wouldn’t have a memory of the occasion and five years later we might forget all about it. I probably sounded harsher than I meant to. And I do regret that. I really did mean to joke. But the truth is that it did bother me that we didn’t get the picture. I was thinking about this and wondering why it bothered me so much. I discovered several reasons.
1 – First, sad to say, life is short. I had no idea when I might see some of the people in our party again. There have been some seasons where we went years without seeing one another, due to living in different states. Pictures are important to me, because they capture the joy of the moment. Also, several years ago I lost all of my pictures and many memories were lost as well. I now take a lot of pictures because some days it seems a picture is all I have to hang onto of special moments.
2 – I am naturally a quiet person. But what adds to that is I often get the impression that I am not heard. This is one reason why I write. I can get my words, thoughts, and feelings out. So when I have encounters like this, I feel shot down, and it reinforces the thought that I should not speak up. This is something I hope to work on, with the Lord’s help.
3 – The final reason why this bothered me, I will unpack a little more. To me it relayed the message that we all have to be perfect all the time. And it poked at an underlying issue that I have been struggling with for a long time. I would love it if I (and people in general, especially Christians) could be more open. I want us all to be more real. Many of us have a mask on, myself included. We never allow people to see our true hearts. When we remove the walls that we have built, we bridge gaps. This allows us to meet in the middle. It allows us to know we are not alone. It allows us to really hear each other out and have deep conversations.
(Disclaimer: Please note I am not saying these two people who didn’t want their pictures taken are never real. I am just saying this is how I read the situation, especially since this topic was already something stirring inside of me.)
I recently heard David Crowder being interviewed on my favorite radio station. David is a funny guy. However, due to being a Christian singer and songwriter, he also has to be creative and spread an important message. Jayar, the afternoon DJ on weekdays, asked David, “How difficult is it for you to slide between the creative and the funny … write a song or to say something on the stage that could be life-giving? How difficult is that transition for you as a naturally funny person?”
David replied, “… When we laugh our guard comes down… It’s an aid to turn a corner… To be able to then speak the truth of what I know of God.” David went on to say that it’s received more easily “to hear it from somebody that you had just shared a laugh with… That’s what I try to do all the time is to tear down the perception that we are separated in some sense.” If you want to listen to the interview, here is the link. It’s broken out into clips. The “Funny and Spiritual” clip is the one I am referencing here.
I told a friend once that I treasured how genuine she was. She told me that was the best compliment someone could give. And I think she is right. As for me, I would like to be more genuine as well. I don’t want to be perfect and I don’t want to confuse perfection with being authentic. I pray that this is something I can change, with the Lord’s help.
When my daughters were teenagers and began to bring home young men, I would attempt to engage them in conversation.
One day, the conversation gravitated toward music.
“Are you a musician?” I asked one prospect.
Yeah,” he replied. “I’m a drummer.”
The problem wasn’t that he thought drummers were actually musicians. The problem was that he was a drummer.
Oh, I admit that drummers may be useful in some ways, but they are hardly husband material. You see, drummers travel to a different beat.
Way back, when I was in the school band at my high school, the band was playing in rehearsal one day when they conductor suddenly stopped us by banging on a music stand with his baton.
When silence was achieved, he glared at the drummers and demanded, “Is that what is in your music?”
The drummers looked stupefied. They looked at the conductor, looked at each other, and then looked back at the conductor. Finally, one of them reached forward to his music stand and opened his music book.
The drummers didn’t care what the rest of us were playing. They didn’t care what the composer had written. They were just doing their own thing.
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