Faith On Every Corner - November 2022

Cover Photo by Jeffrey Barclay

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By Jeffrey Barclay

I grew up in a small rural town in Massachusetts surrounded by rolling hills and pastures. It was here, at a young age, that I learned about photography. My father had a love of photography and he shared that love with all of his children. He even built a darkroom in our basement so that we could learn how to develop film. My Brownie box camera was the first of many and when I developed my first roll of film I was hooked. Photography has been a part of my life ever since.

After a couple of years of college in Maine I enlisted in the Navy and became part of the crew on a P-3 patrol aircraft. As luck would have it, one of my duties was to photograph all the ships we encountered on our patrols in cluding the enemy boats off the coast of Vietnam.

My military service brought me to the Pacific Northwest, specifically the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, Washington. Upon my discharge in 1971 I got married, moved to a small rural town in Whatcom County, WA and grew to love and appreciate the beauty of this area. God has surrounded us all with the beauty of His creation and we need only to open our eyes to see it.

Now retired, I spend as much time as I can traveling around the Pacific Northwest looking for that next beautiful image. Although I photograph many things, old barns have been my focus for the past few years. In 2019 I published a pictorial book titled “Old Barnes of Whatcom County” which contains photographs of 111 old barns along with 10 of my original poems. The book can be found online at www.villagebooks.com. I display and sell my work locally.

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November is here, and all I can say is, “where did the time go this year?”

I love this time of year when people turn their fo cus on their families. Thanksgiving, parades, and Christmas. Time goes by so fast. Take extra time this year to be with your family, share stories, give a lot of hugs, and tell them all you love them.

I want to take a moment to say Thank You, Veter ans. Jeffrey Barclay is our cover photographer and served in the Navy during Viet Nam. Craig was in the Navy serving during that time, too. We pray for all veterans and their families. Take a minute to thank God for those who have served us.

We thank you for giving us your feedback. It is always good to hear your kind words, whether in email or when we post on social media. Please take time to share the magazine and let’s spread the Good News all over the world. We are read in over 105 countries and growing. It is all about Him!

I hope you have a wonderful November with a very Happy Thanksgiving. We would love to hear from you. Drop us a note and let us know what your plans are this month.

Much love - may God bless you all.

Karen Ruhl

Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com

Karen and Craig Ruhl

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Table of Contents

COVER AND INSIDE COVER BY PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeffrey Barclay

November Prayer by Craig and Karen Ruhl ... page 21

Quiet Time Rhymes ... by John Alexander ... page 6-7 Don’t Step On The Ant Hill ... by Melissa Henderson ... page 8-9

Incredible People ... by Andrea Marino ... page 10-11 Anchor Within The Veil ... by Ama Afriyie-Jenkins ... page 12-13

Morning Coffee ... by Michael E. Wells ... page 14-15

Spiritual Growth And Gifts ... by Nicole Byrum ... page 16-17 Sharing The Gospel ... by Yvonne M. Morgan ... page 18-19

Your Actions Speak Louder Than Your Words ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 20 November Prayer ... by Craig and Karen Ruhl ... page 21

Thanksgiving ... by Dave Evans ... page 22-23

Confess To the Almighty... Cindy Oriol ... page 24-25

The Attitude Of Gratitude ... by Craig Ruhl ... page 26-27

A Star ... Laurie Glass ... page 28 Anababy ... Stacy Hixon ... page 29

Before The Throne Of God Above ... by Sharon K. Connell ... pages 30-31

Renewed and Transformed ... Dr. Irene Surya ... page 32

Doing Big Things For God ... by Peter Caligiuri ... page 33 Road Trippin’ ... by Karen Ruhl ... page 34-37

Poems: Scars ... The Lesson That Autumn Brings ... Be Thankful ... by Rolanda Pyle ... page 38-39

The Old Ball Game ... by Steve Carter ... page 40-41 Bookshelf - Book Reviews ... page 42-45

Tools On The Tool Belt ... by Shara Bueler-Repka ... page 46-47

Finding Your Faith ... by Gina Sewell ... page 49

- Climbing Trees and Mending Shoes ... by Craig D. Lounsbrough ... page 50-51

Using Your God-Given Gifts and Talents ... by Brenda McDaniel ... page 52 My Gifts From God Poem ... by Brenda McDaniel ... Page 53

Gratitude For Life ... by Kathleen Oden ... page 54-55

Freedom Isn’t Free ... by Brianna Barrett ... page 56-57

The Realities About Doors of Opportunities You May Neglect ... Joseph Akinrinola ... page 58-59

A Legacy Of Faith ... by F. D. Adkins ... page 60

Remember The Rainbow ... by F. D. Adkins ... page 61

On Joy ... by Sandra Graham ... page 62-63

Don’t Miss The Point of Thanksgiving ... by Dave Foucar ... page 64-65

Are You Thankful For? ... by Esther M. Bandy ... page 66-67

God Given Talents

By John Alexander

It’s never too late to put our God-given talents to work. It’s also never too late to discover some unknown talent or abil ity. I discovered a love for writing fairly late in life and be gan writing prolifically after I retired from a 40+ year career developing software and managing and directing software development teams primarily focused on communication systems. After writing a series of chapter books, I made a discovery—I love to write in rhyme. I love the rhyme and the rhythm, the flow of the words, and the lyrical, melodious, harmony. I had no idea!

The year I turned seventy, I wrote my first poem. My wife was going through some tough times medically and was seeing many doctors to take care of numerous medical conditions. I envisioned her as a mouse living in a dumpster with stuff fall ing on her regularly and she had no control. In several wait ing rooms over the period of several days, I composed the story of that little mouse who remained cheerful despite her circumstances. For some reason, I decided I should write it in rhyme as I envisioned a children’s picture book. That began my journey, and I wrote more as fresh stories came to mind.

In early 2020, I began journaling during my morning quiet time, again in rhyme. I assumed it would just be occasional ly, and not something that would continue long-term. I was wrong. I’m still writing a poem most mornings during my quiet time. I don’t have an exact count, but I know there are around 550 to 600 now, and I’m still writing. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share some of them here each month, as well as make them available in book form, Daily Reflections: 365 Lyrical Poems, for others to enjoy. It’s a blessing. I pray they are a blessing to others, John Alexander — www.QuietTimeRhymes.com Blessings, John Alexander

Poems by John Alexander

Never Too Late

It’s never too late to begin a new dream, You might find it easier than it might seem. The year I turned seventy, wrote my first rhyme; I actually penned it while still sixty-nine. I’d written some mysteries, stories, and such, But the rhyme and the rhythm I liked very much. At first, I wrote mostly for children and youth, While weaving a principle, message, or truth. It took a few years for the rhymes from within To make a new pathway so they could begin. I sat back and listened and let the words flow. How many more mornings, I really don’t know. The reason I’m sharing my story with you, Is to help you find courage to try something new. Perhaps you’ll discover a talent inside, Then share it with others and not let it hide.

John Alexander lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife and his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Uniquely Designed

I’m unique and complex, as is all of mankind. Designed for a purpose to walk on this earth. There’s no other me that I ever will find, Lord, help me discover my talents and worth.

I search for the truth and I share what I find. Some may agree with the words that I write, What I hear with my heart and I pen with my mind. Others stay skeptical, not sure I’m right. I try to encourage with words that I pen, With lyrical poetry share from the heart, Reach deep inside me and share what’s within, Pray others relate to the words I impart. May the Lord bless and keep you each day of the year. May His light shine upon you, His Words may you hear.

Be You

There’s no one on earth who’s exactly like you. Not a copy, you’re someone created brand new. Your gifts and the talents with which you’re endowed Come as blessings from God, so be thankful, not proud.

May you fully discover that person inside May you reach out to others, engage, and not hide. May the joy brought to others, from your helping hand, Spread peace and contentment and sweep through our land. May the light that you bring as God shines through your life Help others find peace. May they turn from their strife.

May the ones that you touch each become a great friend. May you truly be blessed ‘til life draws to an end. Be all you can be and discover your worth. Do all you’re created to do on this earth.

by Karen Ruhl

Don’t Step On The Ant Hill

By Melissa Henderson Writer of inspirational messages. http://www.melissaghenderson.com

Our neighborhood has great areas for taking lei surely walks. A couple of times around the block and my fitness tracker shows numbers that encour age me. Those numbers on the screen show that my daily step goal is close to my target.

Part of walking in a friendly neighborhood is the opportunity to visit with friends and also, view wild life. From gators to turtles to herons, egrets, and eagles, there is always something to enjoy. Listen ing to the sounds of nature and viewing God’s cre ations makes me happy.

The best sound is when I hear the laughter of chil dren playing. Families gather in yards to visit and share the latest happenings. Games of tag, throw ing frisbees, riding bicycles, and decorating the sidewalk with chalk are just some of the fun activi ties that bring joyful sounds.

A few days ago, our son Mike came to visit. Rowan and Eden accompanied their Daddy while Mommy stayed home to take care of some things on her ‘to-do’ list. The day was sunny and perfect for a nice walk. After putting on our shoes and making sure almost two years old Eden had a babydoll to car ry, we started on the way. We decided to walk to the pond and look for the alligator and the turtles. Rowan is teaching Eden that we don’t get near the water. The rule is that we stand on the sidewalk and look. Of course, she truly doesn’t care about the gator. Eden likes to look for doggies.

As we approached the pond, we all held hands. I pointed to the gator sunning itself on the other side of the water. “I don’t see it, Mimi,” Rowan stated.

Dear son, Mike, suggested to Rowan, “Hey buddy. Do you want to get on my shoulders so you can see the gator?”

“Yes, Dad.” Rowan was ready to be lifted up in hopes of seeing that gator.

As Mike took a step to reach for Rowan, one foot stepped on the grass and onto a dreaded red ant hill. The sting of the red ants caused him to jump.

“Oh, no! I stepped on the ant mound.” Mike began hopping from one foot to the other while trying to kick off his shoes.

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After a bit of foot shaking and shoe kicking, the ants were gone. The pile had been disrupted and those pesky red ants were moving rapidly back to the cen ter of the nest.

Perched on Daddy’s shoulders, Rowan saw the gator and wanted to know why he wasn’t bright green. The mind of a five-year-old boy is amazing. A simple an swer of, “Gators are a darker green,” was all that was needed.

Mike, Rowan, Eden, and I continued our walk. We waved hello to neighbors, pointed to birds flying in the air, listened for animals, and giggled all the way home.

The ant hill made me think of how quickly we can step onto the wrong path. Instead of being thank ful to God, sometimes we forget to give thanks and complain about what might be missing from life.

In every moment of every day, I pray I will be inten tional about following the path God has for my life. I don’t want to get stung by any unwanted ant hills.

Have you shared a conversation with the Father to day? He is waiting. You are loved.

Blessings, Melissa Henderson

Award-winning author Melissa Henderson writes inspirational messages laced with a bit of humor. With stories in books, magazines, devotionals and more, Melissa hopes to encourage readers. Melissa is the author of “Licky the Lizard” and “Grumpy the Gator”. Her passions are helping in community and church. Melissa is an Elder, Deacon and Stephen Minister. Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and at https://www. facebook.com/melissa.henderson.9440

Read her blogs at: https://melissaghenderson.com/ It’s Always A Story With The Hendersons

Incredible People

By Andrea Marino

Imagine having a pursuit to destroy everything good in life, even life itself. Crazy and inconceivable, this is the mission of those under the influence of a great delusion (Romans 1, John 8:44). We all suffer at the hands of evil. Of course, no one suffered more than Jesus. His statement, uttered right before He died on the cross for the sins of the world, is incredible: “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NKJV)

Followers of Jesus are to do incredible things. To for give and love our enemies is part of these things. God’s ways are peculiar, nevertheless causing a per son to see the collision course with death they are on. (Mathew 5:44-46, 1 Peter 4:8) I believe God does ev erything possible to remove blinders from the eyes of those carrying out the work of the devil; because God is pure love, desiring no one to perish. That makes the eternal dwelling in heaven or hell one’s choos ing. God’s perfect love is balanced with perfect jus tice. When Jesus returns, He will divide ‘sheep to His right and goats to His left’, telling those on the left, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mathew 25:41 NKJV)

What you don’t know can’t hurt you is a lie. In the 1960s, I did not know believers were being taken advantage of—abused and manipulated is a more accurate description. Those against God protested loudly that they were offended by Him. Regrettably, Christians cowered, appeasing the protesters, which, over time, changed America from the way it had be gun. Nearly everyone bought the lie of separation of church and state, though no such clause is written in our Constitution. Instead of upholding God’s truths, which our nation was founded upon, what mattered most was not offending anyone. Every God-given blessing, everything good about our nation, was be ing tampered with, dismantled, and placed under the pretense of offense.

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the of fense comes!” (Mathew 18:7 NKJV)

The blooming of this spirit of offense is striking these days. It is literally striking at us who love the Lord. I’m not sure if Christians were lazy, careless about po litical issues, or simply did not want to make waves. Whatever the reason, the truths of God were compro mised, allowing works of darkness to slip in and take over. I hope all followers of Jesus can acknowledge that we, as a people, have ‘dropped the ball’, strayed, (continued on next page)

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and betrayed our first love. My faith is in our re turn to being light-bearers. (John 8:12b) Light-bear ers are incredible people and are humble enough to know they’ve made mistakes and made wrong choices. Hard as the consequences of our actions are, we can be thankful for God’s promise to expose the hidden works of darkness. (Luke 12.2)

The depth of evil is eye-popping. Perversion, swirling all around the globe in plain sight, as modern-day, pharaoh-type rulers, who hate God, seek to enslave us all. It is the time for His church to arise and do incredible things. Not by our might or power, but by His Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6) Incredible people live for God. Clothed in supernatural armor, they maintain peace, a peace no enemy can take away. Grounded in truth, they know the war is already won. Many have yet to see us in action, hopefully, to see their spiritual poverty.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the king dom of heaven.” (Mathew 5:3 NKJV)

Andrea is mom to four great kids and Grammy to four delightful grands. Passionate about Jesus, friends, and people, Andrea loves to share all He has taught her in life. When not writing, Andrea enjoys simple things, such as music, heartwarming movies, reinventing recipes to be healthier, and cycling along one wooded road or other with the Lord.

Please visit her Facebook blog: https:// www.facebook.com/In-The-Way-Everlast ing-1770074853062907 Andrea is always ready to hear thoughts from her readers. Or you can email her at: rapture927@aol.com Email: rapture927@aol.com Facebook Blog: In the Way Everlasting

Anchor Within the Veil

By Ama Afriyie-Jenkins

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

(1 Peter 5:7 KJV)

Here is a burning question: Do you have an anchor in your life? Anything that gives you a sense of security and sub jective confidence when your life hits rock bottom is your anchor. Does your boast lie in your wealth, accomplish ment, investment, education, network, or social status? These things cannot hold us down when life’s stormy gales arise and, like building castles in thin air, our frail anchors will surely drift when the strong tides lift.

The gospels of Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25 each give an account of how Jesus calmed a vio lent storm. Jesus said to His disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So the disciples got into the boat with Jesus and they set sail. Only the gospel of Mark notes that other boats also sailed with them. Out of nowhere, a ferocious storm arose, with waves so high that the boat was about to be swamped. These intricate details explain the intensity of the fierce wind. According to Mark, Jesus was calmly sleeping in the stern, resting on a cushion—He was physically present, yet He seemed distant from them. The disciples were terrified, there was no way they were going to survive this. Left with no choice, they woke their Master up. “Don’t you even care that we are all about to die?” they cried aloud.

When an unexpected storm suddenly hits us: the death of a loved one, a bitter divorce, a terminal illness, crashed investments, a failed business, ex amination, or relationship, our first instinct is to think, God doesn’t care! After all, if He truly loved us, He wouldn’t let bad stuff happen to us. Then we think there is no way we will survive this. Like the disciples, why are we so afraid of the violent winds in our lives? The storms are never meant to kill us. They only come to shake the founda tions of our faith, so where we run to when we are swamped is very crucial. Dare not trust in your sweetest frame: money, influence, network, posi tion, investments, or friends. But wholly lean on Jesus to calm every storm in your life. Our con fidence should be in Christ, our firm foundation, because every other ground is sinking sand.

When all their striving was in vain, the slumber ing Saviour arose, and with a word, rebuked the howling winds and surging waves, ”Be still!” Je sus is the Admiral of the sea and His commanding voice preserved the entire envoy, including the other boats that were present at sea with them. He didn’t neglect them. They were in grave dan ger too and were also saved by the Master of the sea. That’s our blueprint right there! As Christians, we should not focus on our problems alone. We need to help others going through any form of tribulation too by following Jesus’s example: “Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. (2 Corinthians 1:4 KJV)

With great authority, Jesus rebuked the raging tem pest. The disciples marveled, “Who is this man that when He gives a command, even the winds and waves obey Him?” Isn’t it astounding to know that storms are meant to obey us? Jesus has imparted to us authority over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). Command any sea of tribulation that is threatening to overwhelm you to be still and bow to the name of Jesus, the name that is above all oth er names (Philippians 2:9). Then Jesus reprimanded them, “Why are you so fearful? Have you lost your faith in me?” When unexpected storms hit us, we grapple with fear and our faith becomes shaky too. God is ever-present yet relatively. He seems so dis tant to us as sleeping Jesus was to the disciples. We also cry out in agony, “Lord! Don’t you even care that this tribulation will drown us?” But He cares! He cares so much that, “You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:6 NKJV)

Every raging storm is meant to halt an assignment, but we must prevail and finish our race strong. In the subsequent passage, the gospel of Matthew recounts how Jesus sets two demonized men free when their boat finally reached the region of Gadarenes/Gerasenes (used interchangeably). How ever, both Mark and Luke emphasized the one who begged to go with Jesus after he had been set free. The enemy knew the possessed men’s deliverances were near, so he sent crushing storms to dissuade them from the journey. Little did he know God gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not over step His command when He marked out the foun dations of the earth (Proverbs 8:29). Praise the Lord! Regardless of our anxieties, every rising storm in our lives cannot spread beyond God’s perimeters.

We grow the most when times are the hardest. Our faith stretches the most when times are dark est. Can we sing through days of sorrow… “when darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His un changing grace; In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” The winds and waves of life will never spare us, but we have to rise above every fear and stretch our faith to be lieve that Jesus, our anchor, still holds our lives within every dark veil. Cast every lingering anxiety aside and dare invite him into your stormy boat now. He will rebuke the overwhelming waves and steer it to His desired haven for you.

Ama Afriyie-Jenkins remembers loving to write from an early age, and she is a voracious read er. She and her husband live in Accra, Ghana with their children and they shepherd a non-denom inational Christian fellowship, Inspirational Hour Ministries. She is a lover of languages and has a heart for gender and development economics in Ghana.

You can connect with her via email: ammajenkins@gmail.com on Facebook and LinkedIn (@Ama Afriyie-Jenkins).

Michael E. Wells has a passion for writing letters of Christian encour agement. With poetic style and moving messages, the reader is often comforted and consoled, inspired, and refreshed. Since his retirement from Federal Service in 2006, most mornings are spent penning letters of the heart. Tucked away in the foothills of Pennsylvania, he leads an idyllic lifestyle in a pastoral set ting. This backdrop helps to set both mood and message for his many writings. You can find his book, “Morning Coffee with Words For The Day” at Amazon.com.

Morning Coffee With Michael E. Wells

One plants, another waters, but it is God who gives the in crease. We provide seeds, many of us water along the way, but God births it in the spirit of those who receive.

-Michael

Dust In The Wind

A popular song in the 70’s about the futility and temporary nature of our being. It is a worldview of our earthly life. Just a brief, meaningless existence followed by oblivion. Dust in the wind is a twisted reversal of the truth. The reality is we are made up of wind in the dust. God formed us out of the dust of the ground and blew the breath of life into us, His Spirit into our bodies. And so true life began.

We are not temporary but eternal, destined to be some where forever. This life gives us choices. Choose wisely. The Bible reminds us the body will return to dust but the spirit back to God, who gave it. It is essential to know Him here to find favor with Him there. So truth be told, though we all grow old and eventually surrender this life to its frailty, we were never just simply... dust in the wind.

All By Myself

It was a song written by Eric Carmen in 1975. It tells the story of a man who realizes he is no longer young and life has taken on a serious reality. The many years he had lived for himself and never gave his heart to love someone has brought him to a place where he is all alone and without anyone. He writes, “When I was young, never needed anyone, and making love was just for fun. Those days are gone. Livin’ alone, I think of all the friends I’ve known. When I dial the telephone, nobody’s home. All by myself, don’t want to be all by myself anymore.” Truth is, when we are born, we are all by ourselves.

We are spiritually separated from God and physically separated from each other by the bodies we live in. The heart is a lonely place until it is given away. In his last statement, he writes, “Hard to be sure sometimes I feel so insecure and love so distant and obscure re mains the cure.” He has never found a meaningful re lationship and yet he is still reluctant to love with a whole heart that he might be loved back. He ends by stating, “All by myself, don’t want to live. I never, never, never needed anyone.” It is the epitaph of a lonely life, one lived without God and without companionship, to only end as it had begun. Jesus said that He came so we could have an abundant life, one in which His Presence would actually live within us.

That life begins when we give something that is uniquely ours to give—our heart. It is not one to give for selfish pursuits but to be freely spent on the object of our affection. When that happens, the dynamic of our life changes. Where once was loneliness is now fulfillment, where fear resided, there is now security, and where there was loss, we now live in hope. Al though through the loss of friends and loved ones, our mind may taunt our aloneness, we know better. We can tell our hearts with confidence and tangible reality that, “Even though I may be alone, I am never all by myself.”

Editor Note: The above article, All By Myself, was previously published in Morning Coffee, Full Circle Publishing, © 2018 Michael E. Wells. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

D-Stress

Information overload is a great cause of anxiety and restlessness. But as a culture, we crave to be stimulated audibly and visually. They have the ability to release endorphins in the body that too much for too long can keep us on edge and irri table. The fact is, the more you know, the more you can become stressed out. Solomon, the wis est man in Scripture, gives us this observation, “Of making many books there is no end and much study is wearisome to the flesh.”

Isaiah writes, God will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him. This is not to be pollyannic of world view or family strife but to be at peace with life around you. Some issues are real and need our attention, but we allow much too much tragedy and sorrow into our lives from unrelated sources way beyond our reach and control. As Je sus said, let tomorrow worry about itself, sufficient are the troubles of today.

In our world of instant global information, we are deluged with stories that evoke emotions we have become accustomed to. The endorphins that are released in our brains upon seeing tragedy and struggle have become addictive. We can’t look away from our devices. It is like a drug that can kill your body. The apostle Paul tells us to think upon a list of things to be at peace. I encourage you to read them today in various translations.

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, what ever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praisewor thy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8,9 NKJV)

Michael

Spiritual Growth and Gifts

by Nicole Byrum

I’ve never thought of myself as a creative type. Serious ly, art is definitely not in my skill set! If I were ranking my favorite elementary school subjects, I would put art near the bottom, just barely eking out music class. I’m terrible at decorating. I’ve also never taken part in the ater or plays. Please don’t misunderstand, I greatly ad mire anyone who has the ability to draw, paint, create, or act. I’m just saying those are not my gifts! And while I may enjoy witnessing the above-mentioned arts, I can’t say they have been instrumental in my spiritual formation. Now, words, on the other hand… that’s a different story.

In my mind, there are two things I hold as the highest form of beauty. The first is the stride of an elegant run ner with perfect form and a magnificent turnover. This truly is an absolute glory to behold! The second is a beautifully constructed sentence. They melt me. I mar vel at a great work of literature, in the same manner, as I do an elite marathoner. Something about both of these moves me in a way I can’t explain.

Perhaps these things stir my soul because they are a display of the glory of God. As we are created in His image, any degree of talent or ability we possess is a gift from Him—and this is only a mere reflection of a fraction of His glory. I am amazed at the ability to run and to write because I know the source of these gifts is God Himself and knowing this makes me love and adore Him even more.

As you may have guessed, I am a runner myself. I began at age 12 and have never stopped. I’m far from elite, but to borrow the famous words of Eric Liddell, “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Indeed. I have not only felt this but have been formed by this for the past 28 years.

Although writing is newer to me, it is the only other activity that has ever come close to how I feel spir itually when I run. When I write about the things of God and His truth, I feel His Spirit move in an unpar alleled way. With both activities, it’s as though I feel most like me when I’m doing them; as if I am who God created me to be.

I know I will never be an Olympic runner or a New York Times Best Seller. Both of these truths are per fectly fine with me. I take great delight in the gifts God has given me in the measures He has chosen to give them; for it is through these gifts I have come to know more of Himself. And by that mea sure, the gifts He has given me are priceless.

Nicole is a licensed marriage and family thera pist with over 14 years of experience in commu nity mental health. She is the author of Remade: Living Free a book written for women in recovery from substance abuse and unhealthy relationships. Nicole also maintains a blog at nicolebyrum.com as well as a podcast, 5 Minute Word. Both focus on topics related to faith and relationships. She lives in Northwest Ohio with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, running, or cooking.

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Yvonne M Morgan, Christian author and speaker

https://yvonne-morgan.com

Blog at Turningmountainsintomolehills.org Twitter: @ymmauthor Website: Yvonne-Morgan.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YMMauthor/ Turning Mountains into Molehills (2017)

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (Psalm 105:1-2 ESV)

When we follow God, we never know where He will lead us. So, in the last ten years, He’s taken me on an adventure that led me to write and speak His words to the world. And then, God blessed me with an op portunity to speak at a Christian women’s confer ence in Kenya last month. And the venture gave me a mountaintop experience that I won’t soon forget. In fact, I hope to return to Kenya next year to speak again.

David, the Pastor, reached out to me through a Chris tian speaker’s website. And after much prayer, I ac cepted his invitation to come to his church in the suburbs of Nairobi, Kenya. Pastor David set the con ference’s theme as Isaiah 41:10 (NIV); “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” So I set out to prepare my talks for the three-day engagement.

Sharing The Gospel

by Yvonne M. Morgan

During the preparations, I often emailed David to get more information about his congregation. He explained the poverty in his area and how COVID in creased their hardships. And about how many of his church members struggled to put food on the table daily. Yet, they did not seek a handout, but instead, they sought God to help them stand firm during these difficult situations. Their faith encouraged me to become more faithful.

Once in Kenya, our conversations continued as we drove about an hour back and forth to the church each day. David described how some had lost all hope and even attempted suicide to escape the problems. And David’s prayer for this conference was to give them back their hope in Christ. David’s faith inspired me to trust God more.

As the conference began, we spent the first two hours of each session worshipping and praising God. Then the women sang and danced their praises to their King. And I felt the Holy Spirit fill the room. The two hours passed in the blink of an eye and showed me the true purpose of worship.

“Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:12 NIV)

Yvonne’s

God gave me the best words to share with them in many of the promises we find in the Bible. So I shared the following seven truths with them:

• God knows us by name (Isaiah 43:1 NIV), and He promises He is our strength.

• God goes before us (Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV), and He promises He will always be with us.

• God strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NIV), and He promises He has plans to prosper us.

• Our present suffering pales compared to eternity (Romans 8:18 NIV), and He promises us eternity with Him.

• No weapon formed against us will prosper (Isaiah 54:17 NIV), and He promises He will fight for us.

• I am a child of God (Romans 8:16 NIV), and He promises to give us peace.

• The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in me (Ephesians 1:19-20 NIV), and He promises He will always love us.

As our time together ended, David told me how he built this church on faith and trusted God to provide for him and his family because they don’t receive any salary. So, he struggles to care for his church family while also feeding his own family. His complete trust in God convicted me to trust God for everything I need.

These women I went there to teach taught me about standing firm in my faith, no matter the circumstanc es I face. As a result, I left Kenya with a stronger faith and a heart full of joy. I trusted God to go to Kenya and came home with more trust in God. We serve an awesome God. And as the Kenyans say, “Bwana Asifiwe” (praise God). Amen!

Yvonne

Your Actions Speak Louder Than Your Words

by Karen Ruhl

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18

When I was a young girl, I remember my mom telling me that my actions speak louder than my words. It was during a conversation when I knew I upset a friend with my words but didn’t mean to. It didn’t matter if I meant to or not, my friend went home crying and all I could do at the moment was run inside and talk to my mother.

It is still a memory that makes my heart hurt. Not to downplay my role in the pain I inflicted, but we were playing and singing a rhyme and when we got to the end, I sang a verse I had learned on the playground with other friends. I truly don’t think I knew any better at the time, but it was a racial slur. One that cut deep into my friend’s heart. She and I had been friends for a couple of years. We played together every day. If I wasn’t at her house, she was at mine. Her Uncle lived on the same street, and we would often visit her grand mother who lived with her uncle. I remember watching my friend comb her grandmother’s hair and braid it for her. I loved each member of this family.

Mom let me cry for a while and then said go wash your face. When I came back to sit with my mother, she said, “Karen, sometimes we say things we don’t really mean, but that does not make us right. We are sup posed to be careful with our words. We are to guard our mouth.” I looked at her and said, “How do I guard my mouth?” Mom smiled and said it takes practice and she assured me I was a good girl and that what I needed to do next was to decide how I was going to act on this mistake.

I went to my room and cried a little more. All I could think about was my sweet friend crying and running. I saw her mother put her arms around her and take her into her house. My heart was crushed. At that moment, I thought to myself that I was thinking only about myself. I may have been feeling bad, but what I said hurt my friend and I needed to do something. I washed my face again and told my mother I would be back.

It took a lot of courage, but I walked to her door and knocked. Her mother came to the door and invited me in. I asked if I could speak with my friend and she took me to her room where she was lying on the bed sob bing. I walked over and cried with her. I sputtered, “I am so sorry.” I sat on the edge of her bed and said I had never thought about the words to the rhyme and that I was so ashamed to think that they brought her pain. We were in the second grade, but I remember that we both had a very grown-up discussion that day. After a few minutes of talk, I asked if she could forgive me, and she threw her arms around me and we hugged for quite some time. It didn’t take long for both of us to go back outside and continue playing.

I remember seeing our mothers walking toward each other and they too hugged. Watching the adults hug and knowing that they shared a special moment let me know what it meant for actions to speak louder than words.

Do I have this perfected yet? No. Do I try? Yes, every day. I want my actions to be much louder than my voice. I pray that we all would take more time to think about this verse and for us to be as wise as my mother as she comforted me and yet let me know I needed to take action. God bless you all.

November Prayer

By Craig and Karen Ruhl

Heavenly Father, oh how we love you and praise your name! Lord God, we ask for you to bless all our veterans around the world. Bless their families and bring healing where it is needed. We are so grateful for the men and women who have served our country.

As we go through this month, our thoughts will be on Thanksgiving Day. Please bless the families that will celebrate together. Let them spend special time together, reminiscing, sharing a meal, and taking time to hug and love one another.

We thank you for all the new babies in the world. We pray for you to protect them in all phases of their lives. We pray for all children worldwide that this new young generation will grow up knowing you and change the lives of everyone around them in a positive and loving way. We pray that the little ones get to know you and follow you all the days of their lives.

Father God, we pray you end the wars, feed the hungry, heal those who are sick, and help each of us love one another and help those who are less fortunate.

We pray in the mighty name of Christ Jesus. Amen

Dave Evans recently retired from his career as an estimator for an electrical contractor, but still works part-time. He recently served as Body Care Pastor for a small church and previously taught at a local Bible College for several years. God led him to found and serve in several out reach ministries—a pet therapy ministry, visiting several skilled nursing facilities and retirement homes: a prayer booth on a local street corner to allow people in the community to stop by for prayer needs and an evangelism table, typically set up once a month at various malls or stores, which made Bibles, tracts, DVDs, and other Christian materials available free of charge to interested shoppers. Dave has a bachelor’s degree in business adminis tration/management. As a writer, he has had many poems and articles published in various periodicals and books. And he’s been privileged to do volunteer work for a local police department.

Thanksgiving by Dave Evans

America has a rich history of observing a day of thanks giving. It became a national holiday over one hundred fifty years ago, in 1863, when President Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November to celebrate it. Subse quently, the holiday was changed to the current fourth Thursday in November.

Giving thanks to God is good, as the Psalmist declared: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD…” (Psalm 92:1a NKJV). After all, when we do, we acknowledge He is the beneficent giver who confers good gifts to us—“Ev ery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights …” (James 1:17a NKJV). The praise ascribed to God in the first line of the Doxology stresses this truth: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

At Thanksgiving, our gratitude often focuses on the tem poral gifts God has provided, such as family and friends, health, food, shelter, and the freedoms afforded us in the United States. God has certainly been gracious to us in these matters and we do well in expressing our thanks to Him for them.

In addition to these and other material benefits, God should be thanked for all the spiritual gifts and bless ings which He has bestowed upon those of us who have trusted in Him. Let’s remember to thank Him for such endowments as:

The gift of Jesus—through whom we are reconciled to God and made heirs with Christ. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV).

Redemption and forgiveness of sins—Jesus ac complished this by dying in our place and pay ing the penalty for our sins in order to redeem us and forgive our sins. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, accord ing to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7 NKJV).

A right standing before God—“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB 95).

All spiritual blessings—“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3 NKJV).

All that we need for life and godly living—“as His divine power has given to us all things that per tain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” (2 Peter 1:3 NKJV).

The continual spiritual presence of Jesus—“and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20b NKJV).

A future home in heaven—“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.” (Psalm 23:6 NKJV).

For all His bountiful goodness to us, both tempo ral and spiritual, “Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” (Psalm 95:2 NKJV).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cindy Oriol is the author of “IF ONLY” and “ HAVING JOY IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM.” They were written by the Holy Spirit and me to encourage anyone that is going through a storm in their life. No matter how many storms we have to endure as long as we hold tight to Jesus we can make it through anything.

Confess To The Almighty

By Cindy Oriol

What does it mean to confess to the Lord Almighty?

It’s accepting His mercy and grace through Him for giving us for doing wrong. It is cleansing our heart, mind, and soul. We all have muck in our thoughts, so often we keep it locked inside. It just keeps festering and continues to grow. It can eat us alive if we do not go to Him and repent.

For our relationship with Him to grow, we should be truly open. It is a very important part of our jour ney and it strengthens our walk with Him. Once we come humbly to the throne of grace, we repent of our sins, ask for His forgiveness, and for Him to show us where we need to change our lives to be one with Him. We accept His mercy and forgiveness and walk away clothed in His love for us. Then and only then can we find peace.

He went to the cross on Calvary to die for our sins. We are forgiven and never have to walk in darkness again; instead, we can walk in the light of Jesus. We are washed in the lamb’s blood, Jesus Christ’s blood. There will never be a greater love than this.

In the book of Hebrews, which is found in the Bi ble, we read that without the shedding of the blood, there is no forgiveness. We also sing a song in our church that tells us nothing but the blood of Jesus can cleanse our sins.

Satan, the father of lies, tells us differently. He be gins by telling us accusations against Christ’s love for us. He makes us feel so guilty by saying that even a small white lie does not need to be confessed. But it does, because this kind of sin, even though it is small, is still a sin in Jesus’s eyes. We still feel guilty and sometimes it can haunt our thoughts even more than a big lie. Another thing Satan is guilty of is tor menting our minds so badly that the idea of suicide is brought to our thoughts and some have even tak en their lives.

One thing that can deepen our walk with Jesus is be ing humble. To realize that none of this is about us, it is all about Him. It takes a humble person to admit they can not do things on their own. For example, when we have done something wonderful in our life, like when I became an author. I did not accomplish that on my own. I had the help of the Holy Spirit and I could never have done it if it was not for Him. I always make sure to give Him all the glory, honor, and praise.

His grace and mercy are what save us. We can not live without Him. If we try, then we are hopeless. Trust that He is aware of the trials and storms we are going through and know that He is the one carrying you through them and will answer in His perfect timing.

We must live for Him, not against Him. I can not ex press enough words to convey how important it is to have Jesus in all of our lives. I have needed Him to be my strength, my rock to cling to, and to shelter me in my times of woe and pain.

It takes being humble to admit when you are wrong. It is difficult, but we need to remember that Jesus has forgiven us for our sins, so we must do the same. A humble person wants to serve the Lord first. Jesus also wants us to serve others in His name.

To humble yourself before the Lord is to admit that we are not perfect, only He is. It also means to trust that He has laid out a plan for our future, where we are only on this earth for a little while and then we will reign in Heaven with Him for the rest of our lives.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

(Micah 6:8 NIV)

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10 NIV)

In Christ’s love, Cindy

The Attitude of Gratitude

By Craig Ruhl

As we approach the day when most Americans com memorate a holiday referred to as Thanksgiving, let’s reflect on that term and how it relates to each of us. My Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary of fers three definitions for the word thanksgiving:

1. a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness

2. the act of giving thanks

3. a prayer expressing gratitude

Looking at these definitions, I believe that the act of giving thanks can be both public and private. We certainly have commercialized the holiday, especial ly in North America. A quick gaze around most retail stores or neighborhood lawns and porches reveals a diverse and extensive offering of decorations to help celebrate the day. Homey sayings and Bible verses adorn wall hangings and fill social media me mes. Couple that with fall and autumnal themes–hay bales, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and of course, all that seasonal food! It can be overwhelming, and it often distracts from the core concept of giving thanks.

The first time I see the concept of a thanksgiving event mentioned in the Bible is in Leviticus 7:1136. These passages refer to the peace or fellowship offering. What is interesting about this law and the thanksgiving meal of Israel is that, for the first time, it included direct fellowship between the people, the priest, and God. Deuteronomy 12:10-19 offers sim ilar instructions to the people of Israel on how they should celebrate and share food with each other and the Lord. This was a time when the people were joined with God and not separated from Him, as was the custom in most sacrifice rituals. I can see the similarity in the concept of those biblical fellowship feasts and our modern-day Thanksgiving meals. The act of giving thanks takes many forms. Meals, cele brations, and fellowship are just a few.

The third definition offered in my dictionary is a prayer expressing gratitude. This is where I would like to focus our attention. What are we grateful for and how do we best express it? To whom do we of fer our thanks and gratitude? Let’s start at the be ginning because that is a very good place to start (with thanks to Mary Poppins).

Jesus gave thanks to the Father before serving the multitudes and at the last supper. His prayers includ ed recognizing God as supreme and as the provider of everything. He even taught us how we should pray. Interestingly, The Lord’s Prayer doesn’t specifically in struct us in giving thanks. Jesus was instructing His disciples on how to pray to counteract the way the Pharisees and Gentiles were praying, and this prayer was a guideline. The attitude of prayer is thankfulness, and the more we pray, the more thankful we become. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (NKJV) The attitude of gratitude that I refer to in the heading of this article is not just a calendar day event or a once-in-a-while thought process. Rather, it is, or needs to be, ingrained in our very being. Our default response to life should be to give thanks for what we have and not lament what we may lack. Please allow me to share a personal example of how this happened to me this year.

I was hospitalized because of a gastric-intestinal bleed that resulted in a significant loss of blood over the course of 3 days. Testing showed where the bleeds were and an interventional vascular doctor was able to cauterize and stop the bleeding. I was very anemic and had lost quite a lot of weight in just a few days. This placed a severe strain on my heart, which already was impaired by chronic heart disease and a faulty aortic valve. Dire straits would be an appropriate term to de scribe my situation. Lying in the hospital bed, I sudden ly had immense pressure on my chest, accompanied by severe pain. I was being monitored and the bells and whistles from the machine sounded. As I struggled to push the nurse call button, my thoughts were that I was having a heart attack, and I was in trouble. The staff rushed to my bedside and then ran down the hall, pushing and pulling me and my bed to the ICU. The nurse holding my hand kept repeating, “calmly keep breathing. In through your nose and out through your mouth.” I fixed my mind on two things: breathing and God. I knew I was on a precipice and in His hands. God was directing the medical teams that surrounded me. (continued on next page)

My continual prayer was that His will be done in my life. I gave thanks for all I had been allowed to expe rience on this earth, and I especially gave thanks for my wife, Karen, who was on her way but not yet at the hospital. I asked that if it was His will, I would like to keep on living, but if it was not, then I was ready to go to my true home with Him. For several days, I was in in critical condition and my thoughts and prayers cen tered on being thankful. I had an attitude of gratitude, if you will.

Eight months later, I feel great. My heart valve has been replaced and what a miracle that was and remains. Over and over, I give thanks to God, always to Him first and foremost. Yes, there are many others I am grateful for and I pray for them as well. But, I pray only TO Him! For me, every day is a day of thanksgiving.

Lord, please hear my prayers and know my gratitude for you and all you provide. Thank you for your grace and mercy, which I have done nothing to deserve. As long as I live, may I sing your praises and share your love with all.

Laurie Glass has a heart for encouraging others through her writing. She has had many poems and articles published in both print and online publications. Laurie is a contributing writer for Chronic Joy, a ministry for those affected by chronic ill ness and other health issues. In addition, she won the Open Medicine Foundation poetry contest in 2019.

You’re A Star

By Laurie Glass

Has anyone told you you’re fearfully, wonderfully made?

Believe it!

You’re God’s creation, beautifully displayed.

He doesn’t compare you with others, and neither should you. You’re one of a kind, made to be you. Don’t be mistaken. Besides, everyone else is taken.

When you try to measure up, or try to be tough, remember, all you need to do is be you. You’re enough.

Don’t give in to degrading. Instead, embrace the better you that he’s molding, creating.

You’re a special person in this world with a special reason to exist. You have unique traits and talents and gifts. Be careful where your time and energy is spent. Save yourself looking back someday, wondering where it went. Stop focusing on measuring up. Embrace the fact that you’re enough. You have work to do to complete God’s work begun in you. Let him meet you where you are. In his eyes, you’re a star Let him help you shine brighter and take you higher.

Anababy’s Message

By Stacy Ann Hixon

Sign-up on the homepage to join me and my pals today... www.anababyandpals.com! Join our fam on Instagram @loveanababy!

Pals,

“In this world we’re just beginning, to understand the miracle of living” ~ Ellen Shipley

Hi there! This month, my message is just a wee bit lyrical! It’s only because I love, love, love miracles.

Did you know that miracles happen every single day? Often, we receive them in subtle, unexpected ways.

Miracles happen when you avoid an accident. They can be a sign from above that’s heaven sent.

And one of my favorite miracles is oh so sweet... How do flowers grow beneath the concrete?

A miracle may appear in a dream or on your phone. If you’ve not seen a miracle, you’re not alone.

Asking for a miracle is as simple as making a wish. All you must do is this...

PRAY and PAY ATTENTION! Oh wait, I forgot to mention...

YOU MUST BELIEVE Then, just be grateful for all the miracles you receive. Love, The Little Anababy that loves flowers

P. S. Miracles always happen when there is great love. Just ask, believe, and open your heart to receive these blessings from above!

Before the Throne of God Above

by Sharon K. Connell

How many of you have a favorite hymn that you love to listen to over and over? This hymn, Before the Throne of God Above, is definitely one of my alltime favorites. I remember the first time I heard it on the radio while I worked in the doctor’s office. It brought chills to my arms. My heart thudded at the truth in the words.

Let’s take a look at what the hymn writer is saying.

Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea; a great High Priest whose name is Love, who ever lives and pleads for me.

Imagine, our High Priest, Jesus Christ, stands before His Father’s Throne and pleads our case. Whatev er you’ve done in this life on earth, whatever sins you’ve committed, no matter how bad a life you’ve lived, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, He becomes your lawyer, so to speak. And He’s nev er lost a case.

Back when I was in Illinois, we had an evangelist preacher come to our church for meetings. I remem ber him telling us that the devil is the prosecuting attorney who stands before God and lays out all our sins for which we must pay. But when Jesus stands up as the defending attorney and shows the Judge, His Father, the Blood He spilled on Calvary to pay for those sins, the case is closed. Think about that for a while.

The next verse is overwhelming.

My name is graven on his hands, my name is written on his heart.

I know that while in heav’n he stands no tongue can bid me thence depart.

It was for my sins those graven marks were made on his hands on the cross. Those nails had my name all over them. Because He died for me, my name is now written on His Heart. And there is no one or anything that can remove me from his heart.

John 10: 27-29 (AKJV)—“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

Not only are we secure in our salvation, according to God’s Word, but we also have a place to go when the devil tries to make our lives miserable. And he will do that unless you have a close relationship with our Lord and Savior. Listen in your heart to the next two stanzas.

When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God the just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.

All we need to do is look to Jesus. Pray, read His Word, memorize Scripture, and yes, look upward and call upon Him. That’s where our Lord’s position as our de fending attorney comes in again.

Let me close with the rest of the words of this heartfelt hymn.

Behold him there, the risen Lamb, my perfect, spotless righteousness, the great unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace.

At one with him, I cannot die; my soul is purchased by his blood. My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ my Savior and my God,

For those of you who have never heard this wonderful hymn, here is a link to Before the Throne of God Above by Selah on YouTube. https://youtu.be/4MUNywhsZPU

Before the Throne of God Above, under the Title With in the Vail with Jesus, was written by Irish native Char itie Lees Smith (1841–1923) and first published in The Praise of Jesus, a collection compiled by William Reid of Edinburgh, in 1863. Words to this hymn are in the Public Domain.

Click on photo to order

Sharon’s books.

Dr. Irene Surya has published a book of poems, In Solitude with God. Her poems have been published in various magazines. She has a pas sion for writing for the Lord and glorifying the Lord through her writings. She loves and serves the Lord with her husband. Click on book to purchase on Amazon.

Renewed and Transformed

By Dr. Irene Surya

Dangling unsteadily with unbelief, I sat huddled with dismay Inside a dark cocoon, with fear, Fear of the unknown.

The horrendous wind Shook me thoroughly, Aggravating my fearful thoughts, And I crouched further with tears.

Suddenly, a divine Light Penetrated deep inside the cocoon, The Light of the world, The Life that was the light of men.

I heard a gentle whisper, Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, For I am your God.

The light overpowered the darkness, And became the lamp To my stumbling feet And light to my uncharted journey of life. Breaking out of the cocoon With praise and thanksgiving, I vibrantly glide around with hope With delicate wings of faith.

Renewing my mind Daily with the word of God, I am being transformed into His likeness With His unending grace and mercy.

Peter and his wife, Nancy, have been married for 48 years and have two sons, six lively grandsons, and one wonderful grand daughter. I love to serve in nursing home ministry and write devotionals, poetry, and songs. We live near Tampa, Florida, where we are members of Generations Christian Church.

Doing Big Things For God

By Peter Caligiuri

“Whoever humbles himself like this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

(Matthew 18:4 ESV)

The scene of today’s verse highlights a day when the disciples were arguing about who was the most important. Maybe it went like this:

Peter started by telling everyone how he had walked on water and Matthew responded by pointing out that he had given Jesus the biggest party. Then John blurted out, “But he loves me the most!” While their debate raged on, they didn’t notice a small child who was listening - but Jesus did. Then Jesus took him by the hand and put him right into the middle and said, “This one, who you didn’t even notice, is the most important to God.”

Haven’t we all sometimes lost perspective in the middle of an argument? As the holidays approach, do we sometimes get so worked up over the big things we are doing that we forget the little people all around us? When we become so busy doing big things, we forget that to God there are no big or little things—no big or little people. What is big to God is whether we are doing the small things that He asks. God will never help us do what we see as big things until we are willing to become like that child who simply wanted to be close to Jesus.

“And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, ‘Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.’”

(Luke 9:47-48 NKJV)

Road Trippin’ - Favorites

by Karen Ruhl

Craig and I try to plan a road trip every month, most months we can do it. This year has been a bit harder but we know we are blessed to have the health results we prayed so hard for. For this month, I am going to highlight some of the areas we have visited. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Photos: ©KarenRuhl

We have been so blessed to visit so many states. This peli can was taken in San Clemente, California. The bridge is on The Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, and the cactus in Joshua Tree National Park in California.

Craig and I have traveled across crountry from California to North Carolina. We have been from Mexico to Oregon on the West Coast. I have a small map here with a star on every state we have visited together on our road trips. .

Top: Hoover Dam, Nevada

Left: Donkey, Bull Head City, Arizona

Below: Took a Mexican Rivera cruise, such a colorful country.

Top and bottom left: Yosemite National Park An amazing park to visit, be sure to give yourself time to drive the entire park for amazing views.

Bottom photo, covered Bridge in Ohio.

Top: Greensboro, South

Bottom Right: Zion National Park, Utah

Bottom Left: New River Gorge National Park, W.

Poems

By Rolanda T. Pyle

Scars

When I look into the mirror, there are scars that only I can see. These battle scars serve as a constant reminder to me... of the wonders of God’s mercy and of His grace; They remind me that I can make it as I run this race.

There are physical scars from injuries, surgeries, and cuts And emotional scars of rejection, heartbreak, and such. Scars that remind me that I’ve made it through; Scars from those hard times when I didn’t know what to do.

Scars, yes scars, that indicate that healing has taken place. These scars are constant reminders as I continue to run this race.

The Lesson that Autumn Brings

By Rolanda T. Pyle

The heat, the beach, and the sunny days The fun, vacation, and the lazy ways All come to a halt with the summer end It’s time for the next season; let Autumn begin.

Whether Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall, the seasons will change Bringing a time to refocus and to rearrange It’s a life lesson that, like seasons, nothing stays the same Even when bad times come, Thank God they will not remain.

So while we view the leaves of beautiful colors–orange, rust, or brown Let’s be reminded not to let the difficult seasons of life keep us down Autumn is a time of seasonal shift When our focus changes and our goal sifts

Like Autumn, we can grow in this time of transition Remembering that in this life we all have a mission. Let’s concentrate on new beginnings and move toward the call As we keep Autumn in our view and we watch the leaves fall.

Be Thankful

By Rolanda T. Pyle

Sometimes life can bring tears to your eyes Yes, it can make you cry and have you sigh. Life can be so very rough Also, very, very tough!

It seems like bad news comes in bunches And all we can do is roll with the punches Because we know there’s often a reason But most of all, for everything, there is a season.

So we march on So we pray on So we trust and we praise Trusting and believing that God has control of all our days.

So this Thanksgiving, we give thanks and praise For the good, the bad, and the ugly days. We are alive and God has brought us through it all And for those still going through trials, you too will soon stand tall.

So give thanks, give praise and even sing Songs and hymns—rejoice and let the praises ring Out of your mouth and out of your heart. Thanksgiving is always a great time to start.

Steve Carter lives in Tupelo, Mississippi. He is a Bible college graduate, military and hospice chaplain, and musician.

Steve may be contacted by email at: Msroadkill@bellsouth.net

The Old Ball Game

By Steve Carter

The humidity fell on me like a wet blanket, adding to the glaring heat radiating off the pavement, com pliments of a Mississippi August. Having learned the hard way about heat exhaustion, my cooler filled with ice cold tea and water kept me company while I sought family, and the shade they waited in.

The smoking hot streak my grandson Grey had going earned him the ‘cleanup’ spot as fourth bat ter. This proved to be a smart move for the coach when ‘Grey man’ smacked the ball into left field for a stand-up double while knocking in two runs! Of course, before the next pitch hit the catcher’s mitt, guess who slid into third?

As we all know, good times come with a fair share of liability and the very real potential for mischief, this time in the form of a little brother. Hayes, a very loveable tyke, is a live wire! He adores his brother and baseball. From experience, Mark, my youngest son, knows not to let his little stick of dynamite miss a ball game.

With the heat bearing down harder as the day pro gressed, Jackie, Mark’s Father-in-Law, and I decided that every time Hayes comes tearing by us, we were going to make him sit down on my cooler and drink some water.

We sure couldn’t run him down, so we had to snatch him over by his shirt collar when he flew by! About mid-way through the first game, Haye’s face had turned as red as a fireplug with his hair plastered down from the batter’s helmet he wore! I’m not sure why he wore the helmet, but it seemed like a good idea.

Like most five-year-old boys, he saw no need for rest and plenty of need to be chasing down foul balls, and racing anyone willing to take him on. Of course, all that ‘loveable’ had plenty of ‘sneaky’ built in, so I watched him to make sure he drank the water rather than just put the bottle to his mouth. After cool ing off to some semblance of normalcy, he sprinted away to make up for lost time.

Meanwhile, on the playing field, the temperature edged into the upper 90’s, while Grey squatted be hind home plate catching. Aside from returning ev ery pitch, he turned two double plays while slowly started to wilt. During the second game, I noticed him peeling off the sweltering gear before stum bling off the field. Immediately, while coming out of my chair, I snatched up my ice chest, then set off in hot pursuit as Mark followed him to the men’s room.

After being cooled down with ice water and wet towel, he went back to the dugout in time to grab a bat and hit another double, this time into right field. After resting for a couple seconds, Grey continued to drive the opposing pitcher crazy by, once again, stealing third.

The entire day at the ball field turned out to be a source of joy and gratification for me. I had no op portunity to play sports as a kid and took pleasure in living vicariously through my grandchildren while they played ‘the old ball game’.

I habitually monitored the grands as they scurried around, oblivious to the inherent dangers of being a kid living in a fallen world. My son has his daddy’s eye and concern for dangerous situations, and be tween the two of us, most problems were averted. Those injuries, unavoidable because of the nature of contact sports (sprained ankles, hit batters with fat lips, and dehydration) are doubled QUICKLY by the Carter men.

There is a term called Situational Awareness, which means always being aware of what’s going on around us, that can bring hard times to those we are responsible for. This concept applies to daily living and as well as playing baseball.

Let’s draw a little parallel between playing baseball and simply living in this world. By anyone’s estimate, life on planet earth is not getting any better. As of this writing, we are just coming off the first pandem ic in over a hundred years. Follow that up with a worldwide drought and recession, and, well, you get my drift.

Grey is doing well because he worked hard and lis tened to people who know about baseball. While he enjoyed himself, his little tornado of a brother had the time of his life despite the broiling heat. All this came about because watching over them were people who understood the folly of carelessness. The same is with guidance offered to us by the Holy Spirit. If we don’t listen to Him, we are going down hard.

The reason my son, Mark, knows how to deal with extreme heat is his vast experience in coaching multiple sports. I learned my wisdom in these mat ters the hard way during many adventures where I pushed myself to near collapse. Jesus experienced hard core suffering on the cross. He knows what’s going on and how to best get His children through tough times.

I’m sure if we hadn’t collared Hayes, he would have soon landed face first on the ground from heat ex haustion. His older brother Grey knew who to see when things got too hot for him.

Make no mistake. God is aware of what His children face every second of every day. Much the same as when we cooled off the youngsters, He knows what we need. The only catch is, I can and will compel Hayes to hydrate. Gods’ children are free moral agents. And, as such, we decide to follow His coun cil or not.

Following God, at times, goes against fleshly desires. Like when Hayes didn’t want to drink water. God not only knows what He sees, but the very intent of our hearts is no mystery to Him. Chasing after foul balls is more fun than staying hydrated in His word. But we would do well to remember, baseball, along with other worldly activities, is nothing more than a di version. God is eternal life.

Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf

Click on book covers to learn more and purchase.

Christmas Is A Feeling

Written and Illustrated by Carli Valentine

Reviewed by: Karen Ruhl

This book’s illustrations are so cute, and Carli explains why Christmas is a feeling. When she writes about sitting around the table and sharing gifts, it will bring back pre cious family memories. She discusses helping others in need and talks about the higher meaning which comes from above. She includes a list of ways kids and parents can share the season.

A great book for a Christmas gift or get it early and read during December. You may just find an idea to get your family involved in giving a Christmas gift to others.

Call For Writers

For Faith On Every Corner Magazine

We are looking for testimonials, acts of service, devotions, and articles of how you have witnessed God working in your life or the life of family and friends. Email for submission guidelines. Team@FaithOnEveryCorner.com

Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf

Renewal Of The Mind— The Guide For The Struggling Christian

By Jacob Bowker

Reviewed by Craig Ruhl

A friend of ours recommended this book, and I am glad I read it. More than a daily devotional, this is a helpful 28-day guide to dealing with the many addictions, distractions, and negative influences we all experience in life. I like the format, which is unique and user-friendly. Each of the daily sections starts with a basic premise followed by several Bible verses for grounding oneself, followed by journaling prompts and thought-provoking questions designed to probe and uncover areas where we may struggle. Reflec tion, prayer, and thanksgiving all play a part in this guide. A unique aspect of Renewal of the Mind is the added area for each day which invites the reader to express themselves by considering a pastor’s message, song, and or art that affected their study.

I recommend this book to our readers and followers and we are pleased to place a copy on our Faith On Every Cor ner Bookshelf.

Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf

A Tree For Chris

By Karen Ruhl

Reviewed by Craig Ruhl

I am so excited to be offering this review of A Tree For Chris! Karen told me this story many years ago and I am so proud to see the book published in print. This is such an endearing story. That it is a true tale of the author’s son and his special Christmas tree makes it even more special. I know that 3-year-old, who is now almost 37 and has a young son of his own. I can picture him picking out the perfect tree and his expressions as he tells us why it is just so right for him. I invite you to join in the tradition Karen and Chris share with us in this book.

This is a perfect gift for this year and many more years to come. I recommend A Tree For Chris to our readers and we have placed a copy on the Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf.

Review from Pamela Jonas McCormickthank you Pam!

Congratulations to Karen Ruhl on her newest children’s book, A Tree for Chris. I bought this book last week for my granddaughters. They loved it and asked their mom to read it over and over again. When she couldn’t read it, they sat and looked at the pictures.

Faith On Every Corner Bookshelf

The Adventures of the Wildflower Bunch I’m a good neighbor like Jesus

By Charissa Bates and Abbey Feldkamp Illustrated by Nadja Bullis

Reviewed by Karen Ruhl

I love getting mail, and get even more excited when we receive new books to review like The Adventures of the Wildflower Bunch. This book teaches children how to interact with other children and be more like Jesus through the main character, Anya Bear. Anya Bear shows the other children how to be a good neighbor.

This book is illustrated in water color; the images are so sweet. Young children will love reading The Adventures of the Wildflower Bunch over and over. Be sure to get one for all of the little ones on your Christmas list!

We are so happy to have this on our bookshelf and will be reading it to our grandson.

Tools On The Toolbelt

by Shara Bueler-Repka

The old farmhouse took on new life. Built in 1919, the fam ily had remodeled it several times. Now, workers again buzzed around the place, getting it ready for permanent residency.

The piney smell of sawdust and the high-pitched whine of the table saw brought back fond memories of my own days in construction. When I was 16, I worked as a “grunt/ go-fer” on my dad’s construction crew. Not a really fun job (swimming in the lake by the job site sounded better), but it was needed, and built character!

I recalled some of the crew and the jobs they had: the car penters, drywallers, masons, electricians, plumbers, and of course, me, the grunt/go-fer. They all carried unique tools on their tool belt required for their specific task. They had some tools in common, but they used them for their par ticular purpose.

As I watched the crew on the old farmhouse, the Lord gave me a mental picture of His kind of tool belt with all His unique tools attached to it. Then He showed me the minis try tools on my husband Bruce’s and my ‘belt’.

As only the Lord can do, He gently answered the silent questions of my heart. And the questions? The tool we’re most known for is our music. So when God sends us to places where the focus isn’t the music, what’s up with that? Did we hear God wrong? Are we neglecting that gift?

His answer? “No.” Although music is a powerful tool in our belts, it’s not the only tool. Other tools on our belts are just as important. After all, every tool is His, and it’s His call when and where they’re used to build up His Body. (1 Corinthians 12)

Through the construction crew, He opened my eyes to the fact that not every job requires the same tool. The places and people we’re sent to (or kept at) may require focus in a particular area and the use of a specific tool. Sometimes we pull our horse tools (ministering on the trail, riding lessons for kids, working cows, etc.). Other times it’s the writing tool. And frequently, a very simple but often neglected tool, listening. Listening to someone pour their heart out and encouraging them, as God leads, is huge. If I use my ear in this situation, I probably won’t be singing at them.

Additionally, He’s sent us to places where we’ve dug ditches, fixed fences, waitressed, helped with medical needs, homeschooled kids, and whatever. These situations required other tools on our tool belts because God knew the other person’s needs. Sure, they might enjoy the music if we played for them, but as in the case of one gentleman, he needed help to dig a ditch because he couldn’t lift the spade because of a hernia operation.

Are the ‘jobs’ always fun? No way. Sometimes it’s hard… really hard. The people may not be the most amiable. Or, the situation in which a person needs assistance is not warm and fuzzy. And yep, the Lord in His Grace also teaches us to have a good attitude when we cop one.

My go-fer job on the construction crew may not have been one that garnered the most fame, and certainly didn’t pay a fortune, but it was vitally necessary. How were the guys able to do their jobs efficiently if they had to dodge scrap wood, plastic, and general junk? They could flow in their talents because another swallowed their pride and did the grunt work when asked to do so.

“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV)

Through His many diverse jobs, we’ve come to re alize that our tools are not our identity. First, our identity is children of God, through Jesus Christ, created in His image. Second, we are servants of God.

When we believe our identity is in what we do, we get into trouble. On one side, if God instructs us to use a tool other than the one we think is our identity, we can get cranky. This may spiral into envy and bitterness, especially if anyone is doing what we’re convinced we should be doing.

On the flip side, if we have that same attitude of entitlement and only use the tool of our identi ty choice, we become conceited. If the Lord di rects me to pull out another tool to help some one, but I respond with, “Oh, no. That is not my job. I am a singer. So, therefore, that assignment must belong to somebody else.” Hmmm, elitist at titude, anyone? We limit God in what He wants to do through us if we refuse to use the tool of His choice. (Mark 10:43-45)

On several occasions, I watched the crew study the plans again with the general contractor. They reexamined the blueprints if questions or confu sion arose. When we’re a little lost on life’s trail or have questions about a route to take, it’s always good to spend some time with the Originator of the Plan. And, sometimes, as with any project, we just need a lunch break. It’s important to regroup, refocus, and refresh.

What tools has God given you? Be encouraged. We’re all part of God’s construction crew and were born for such a time as this. And, no matter the tool, it has a significant purpose in the building up of the Body of Christ and His Kingdom so we can ‘occupy until He comes’. (Luke 19:13)

The farmhouse, by the way, turned out beautiful ly. And it has been a total blessing to the whole family.

Shara Bueler-Repka is enjoying life as a singer/songwriter/recording artist, freelance writer, and award-winning author. She and her husband, Bruce, live in their living quarters horse trailer and call “home” wherever their rig is parked. Their mail-base, however, is Hallettsville, Texas. She loves sharing God’s Word through music with her husband, riding their horses (aka The Boys) in the backcountry, and writing about God’s grace in their various adventures on the trail less traveled.

Gina Sewell is a mom and grandma who lives in the Dallas, Texas area, where she enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She loves to write about Jesus and encourage others. Gina shares her journey on her website: http://www.ginabartonsewell.wordpress.com

Finding Your Faith

By Gina Sewell

The man told me he was sent (By whom; he did not say, but I knew) to pray for two boys in the hospital who were not expected to make it through the night. My son was one of them.

Faith is a word that has been whispered throughout my spirit for many years. The first time I remember hearing it was back in 2003. My 14-year-old son had been ‘care flighted’ to a children’s hospital, not ex pected to live! That was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever been through in my entire life to this day.

It was 4 AM, and he had just been placed in a medi cally induced coma. I was sitting alone in the waiting area, as my husband and four-year-old son had gone to get some rest. The fear totally overwhelmed me.

I called out silently for God to please not take my baby! “Please Lord, he is my baby! Please don’t take him,” I pleaded. A few people had walked through the room and spoken, but I had said nothing. For some reason, I simply could not speak.

Two men entered the room, and one of them came and sat down beside me. I can still remember the peacefulness of their smiles. I began to completely open up to the man about what was happening with my son, and he prayed with me. In that moment, the word faith played over and over in my spirit as I felt this overwhelming peace that I had never before ex perienced. In that moment, I knew everything would be OK. But I needed to keep my faith. It was par amount that I believed with all my heart that God would give those boys a miracle. The doctors kept trying to prepare me. I wouldn’t hear of it, because I knew my God could do anything and that He would.

From that moment on, I knew Scotty would recover. One month later, he was released from the hospital. He was left with a disability, but he is healthy and happy and he and his wife just had a baby boy.

Since then, there have been numerous times I have been reminded to keep my faith. I have seen so many miracles in my lifetime and I’m so grateful to God for everything that he has done.

Listed below are a few of the many ways that God has given us to hold on to our faith:

1. Read your Bible, not only in the hard times, but read ing your Bible daily will help build your knowledge, wisdom, and faith.

2. Work on building a strong relationship with the Lord through daily prayer. Don’t allow yourself to be in the mindset that He already knows everything, “so why tell Him?” Or that your problems are too minor to bother Him with. He wants to hear our thoughts and feelings and dreams. He wants to have that trust-filled relation ship with us.

3. Call on the Holy Spirit too, not only to enable us to strengthen our faith, but to step into our calling as well.

4. Find the good. Believe it or not, there truly is good to be found in every situation. But sometimes it is hard for us to recognize our blessings because, as humans, we are inclined to focus on the negativity in our lives.

5.Trust his plan. Remember Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), which says, “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.”

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

(Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

Thankfulness—Climbing Trees and Mending Shoes

By Craig D. Lounsbrough

Snow had graced her headstone, embellishing a life of poverty with a garnish of royalty. In similar fash ion, winter’s kiss had adorned the muscular branches of the red oak that stood as a gentle sentry above her grave. She had always wanted to be buried under an oak tree for the simple reason that poverty never thwarted the invitation of any tree to climb into their canopies and rest in their embrace. And so, she had repeatedly scaled them as a child, perching in their lofty branches so that she might leave the world of poverty to run in the world of clouds and sky. And the very trees that had extended such a generous invita tion every day of her ninety-five years now stood as an attentive sentry over the place where she ceased climbing the trees of earth and began running the wilds of heaven.

I gently brushed back the snow from the headstone and ran tentative fingers over the lettering. 18901985. It was a life that had lived in a world of destitu tion and poverty all the while living above that very world, much like climbing the trees of childhood. It was an utterly amazing feat carried out by an amaz ing woman who discovered the amazing power of being relentlessly thankful.

Perspective and Contradiction

My grandmother was impoverished in possessions and yet rich in her person. She was listless and en duringly joyful, though neither her belongings, the wounds that detailed a litany of injustices, nor her scant successes would explain such a demeanor. She possessed little, meandering throughout her meager house with the scant appointments dressing out her modest domain. Yet, in possessing nothing, she pos sessed everything.

She had expended part of her life surviving the brutal ity of the Great Depression, left greater by the exit of an unfaithful husband. In those darkest years of soup lines, Hooverville’s, and scant hope, she would feel the scourge of impoverishment twice and then some. She would struggle to feed her four children as a single mother at a time when a nation was struggling to feed itself. Of her five children, one would die at birth; being robbed of everything that she could have been. Anoth er would die of tuberculosis at twenty-one, just barely beginning to become everything that he was going to be. And yet a third would precariously skirt the fringes of death, only to recover with the trauma of the experi ence haunting her for years.

My grandmother existed on the sum total of the pen nies, nickels, dimes, and the occasional dollar that she collected in her small, floral change purse. Clothes were mended… repeatedly. Shoes were fixed until they couldn’t be. The trolley was her transportation. Dayold bread was considered as good as fresh. She baked eighty pies a day at a small diner that served people a smile, a cup of hot coffee, and a bit of conversation. The job put a few dollars in her purse and a spirit of thank fulness in her heart. The furnace was kept low, and the lights were kept the same. And although I did not live these things, I am deeply thankful for the lessons that her life taught me.

The Lessons Granny Left Me

Lesson #1 - What She Wouldn’t Do

She would never evaluate her life based on the ru brics that men apply to lives such as hers. She would not appeal to the tenants of justice as they assumed that mankind possessed the right to avoid all that is wrong in a world that had long forgotten that a great wrong sets the stage to do a greater right. She would not play the victim, for that was to miss the fact that defeat holds the raw ingredients from which the greatest victories are crafted. She would not bemoan what she did not have, for that was to miss celebrat ing what she did. She would not complain, as that was to focus on what did not happen instead of fo cusing on what could.

Lesson #2 - What She Would Do

She believed that the course of the day did not rep resent the course of one’s life. That victory was not based on the nature of any outcome, but on the fact that one stood by their values even in the face of the most devastating outcomes. She believed that life was a privilege even when it didn’t feel that way, and to embrace it as such would always rekindle that sense of privilege, regardless of the darkness of the circum stances. She believed that fear was the absence of faith and that faith would leave us with the absence of nothing. And above it all, she believed God held every tear in the hallow of His hand, and that each one that she had cried was intermingled with a thousand of His own. And that someday He would welcome her home, draw her deep into His embrace and let the tears of both spill on the floor, never to be collected again.

What I Learned

I stood up, scanned her headstone, drawing its fea tures and forms into some place of the deep soul. I slowly realized that the key to it all was that she had lived a thankful life. But it was more than that. It was a ‘deeply’ thankful life. Not in the form of some cher ished ideal that she held, or a practice made habit, or some socially appropriate attitude that she became adept at. Rather, it was a thankfulness that was cul tivated to the point that it saturated her being and came to define who she was. A thankfulness that was blatantly revolutionary, even though few would ever have the privilege of beholding it. A thankfulness born of a hard life, of cherishing little things instead of seeking many things, of diligently working to see blessings where others saw nothing, and of under standing that God’s greatest gifts are not that of ma terial things but of inner things that will walk with us into the next life when everything else will fall away in the transition.

And Then… To Climb a Tree

Looking up at the sprawling oak, I thought maybe I need to go climb a tree… metaphorically, anyway. I thought, maybe I should do that the way my grand mother did it, by being thankful for the things that she was thankful for, the stuff of bread and shoes and trollies. Maybe I need to do so by finding something to be thankful about in everything. To seek out the good and be thankful for the fact that is it always there to seek out. To give optimism a hand up. To say, “thank you” at the very times when I’d prefer to say “no thank you.” For as I’ve pondered it all, I realize that these are the precious lessons of my grandmother.

Craig’s background includes over thirty years of experience as a counselor in a variety of treatment set tings, including psychiatric hospitals, schools for the blind, organizations for the physically handicapped, churches, and outpatient settings. He also possesses ten years of experience in pastoral ministry. Craig spent two years broadcasting on Christian radio and has published both nationally and internationally.

To date, he has published six books and has had many other works published in a wide variety of maga zines. Craig founded an outpatient practice that provides counseling, coaching, and consulting services to individuals, marriages, families, various businesses, and church and ministry organizations. Craig may be reached at: craiglpc4@gmail.com

Using Your God-Given Gifts and Talents

By Brenda McDaniel

Each of us is unique and special. No one is like us in the way we look (unless identical twins), talk, think, or act. The same goes for our behavior under stressful, happy, sad, or rewarding circumstances. As dif ferent as we may be, God gives each one of us Christians many gifts, often as unique as we are. Among these are love, faith, and hope. He has also filled us with charity and forgiveness. We can pray for others and have empathy for hurting people. In reaching out to others and sharing God’s words, we hopefully help reach this lost and hurting world. With the Lord’s help, Christians also have the perseverance and fortitude to overcome all things!

Certain God-given gifts can be used for the betterment of society as a whole. Among those are the gifts of writing, talking, mentorship, and helping others in need. By using our time, effort, and resources, we should help, encourage, and educate others, helping the hurting, poor, and needy people in any way possible. And by using your God-given gifts to entertain, educate, help heal, and guide them to a better life or way.

I hope to do this through my writing articles and poetry, and telling others about the many blessings, answered prayers, and loving people or family members who have guided me on my journey of life—a journey in which the Lord walks beside me and guides me every step of the way. I know that with my Lord helping/guiding me, I can do or accomplish anything that is the Lord’s will in my life. I can enjoy my life knowing His love for me that surpasses all human understanding.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this month, remember to thank the Lord for your blessings, especially all His gifts given to Christians to make our lives worth living!

My Gifts From God

By Brenda McDaniel

Brenda McDaniel is the author of My Angel My Hero with two more books soon to be pub lished. She is from Roanoke, VA. She holds a B.S in Psychology and M.A. in Counseling. She has enjoyed writing poetry and short stories, even as a small child. Brenda says she is now living her dream come true!

For more information or to purchase, click on the book cover.

A gift of Love, Sent from Above A gift of Faith, That’s never too Late. A gift of peace, That’s given me a new lease, On Life. Won by the Dove, From Heaven Above. Who gives us Grace! To win Life’s Race!!

Dr. Kathleen B. Oden is an author, missionary, and Bible teach er. She has been the Administrator of God’s House of Refuge Church & School of Evangelism, for 25 years. Dr. Oden attained a Doctorate degree in Christian Theology in 2000. After a bad fall in 2014, she realized that she had to start eating healthy, in order to fully recover. She became a Certified Health Min ister and a Certified Essential Oil Coach. She loves ministering to people and God gave her a health ministry called, Create AnewU Health Ministry. Her health ministry has opened the door for her to share what the WORD OF GOD has to say about eating healthy. Dr. Oden has published over 20 books through Amazon.com and several of them are about health and wellness. https://createanewuhealthministry.com

Gratitude For Life

By Dr. Kathleen B. Oden

Being 71 causes you to think about life all the time. And that includes thinking about your future and what you can do to make every year count, as well as how to leave a legacy. But for me, most of all, my main thoughts about life are regarding my spiritual relationship with the Lord.

Sometimes people forget or they might not know or understand that our relationship with the Lord needs to be cultivated and nurtured, just like any other relationship. We cannot just go to church every week and never read our Bible, never pray for others, and never spend personal time with the Lord. We might not miss God, but He misses us when we don’t show up.

What would Jesus do… should be our guide to Christianity. I just discovered that there are a lot of Christians who are really not enjoying their life. They have faced many trials, tests, drama, trage dies, or whatever, and now they have lost their joy for life.

They have forgotten that… “the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10 KJV)

When we have gratitude for life, it is because we are allowing the joy of the Lord to be our strength, even when we have no strength to press forward. None of us can escape the sorrows of life. We all go there from time to time, but we can all have gratitude for life. Nothing is stopping us. It is a choice.

Having gratitude for life prepares us to receive the joy of the Lord. The more we think about the things that we are grateful for, the joy of the Lord enters our hearts and gives us gratitude for life as well as the strength that we need to press forward. Ephesians 6:10 (KJV) expresses it like this: “Final ly, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

All power and strength come from the Lord. Be fore Jesus left the earth, He told us He would not leave us comfortless. John 14:18 (KJV) tells us, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:16 says, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

We all need the comfort of the Lord to keep us go ing. Living without gratitude for life is the same as living without the joy of the Lord. Ungrateful peo ple do not have the joy of the Lord. They murmur and complain just like the children of Israel did in the Old Testament.

brought them out of Egypt by the hand of God. They were happy to leave Egypt, but only for a short while. Then they became not only very un grateful but very unhappy. And they had no grati tude for life. They murmured and complained be cause they ran out of water. And when the Lord gave them water, they murmured and complained because they wanted meat to eat instead of manna.

bad attitude showed no signs of having grat itude for life and for all the miracles that the Lord

had already done for them. They could only see what they thought was going wrong instead of praising the Lord for the freedom they had from slavery.

you have people in your life to comfort you, then you are so blessed. Everyone does not have that. We all need a little encouragement at times, howev er, there may be no one around to do it. In that case, we have to do like David… “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, be cause the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (1 Sam uel 30:6 KJV)

was stressed out because he started think ing about the people wanting to stone him. But he came to himself and encouraged himself. We might have no one around us to encourage and comfort us, therefore, at some point, we must ask the Holy Spirit to comfort us. He is always there for us. And we can also have a little healthy, tasty comfort food while we think about having gratitude for life!

Health Maintenance Regime

com

is:

the oven to 350°F (180°C) and

a 9 x13 inch casserole dish with

oil.

a bowl, whisk the eggs & 1/2 cup

cheese with the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper. Place the green pepper, white onion and garlic into the casserole dish. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.

Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

are fully

and the

Kathleen B. Oden

Freedom Isn’t Free

By Brianna Barrett

“Everytime I think of you, I give thanks to my God.” (Philippians 1:3 NLT)

When I think of November, I immediately think of Thanksgiving! The month seems to be filled with all the things I should be thankful for and ways to show my gratitude. If you don’t believe me, take a moment to scroll through your social media feed to see all the many people in your circle and how thankful they are.

One day that seems to get less attention in Novem ber is Veterans Day. My friends, that day should be one when we show our utmost gratitude. Veterans Day is to be observed on the eleventh month, the eleventh day, and the eleventh hour. Originally, the day was known as Armistice Day to commemorate the signing of a treaty in 1918 to end World War I. We derive the word Armistice from the Latin words arma (arms) and sistere (stand still). I can only imag ine the completely tranquil moment on the battle field when arms were laid down after four years of intense combat. In June 1954, Congress changed Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor the service men and women that have served in all wars. Vet erans Day is a celebration of American patriotism, honoring those who have served and fought for our freedom and sacrificed for their fellow countrymen.

That same stillness that came on Armistice Day makes me reflect on the day that Jesus took my place and hung on the cross.

Our soldiers have provided us with freedom, but our Savior has provided us with freedom, justice, and peace that we can find only in Him. Our Savior gives us these freedoms and peace daily! “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law” (Galatians 5:1 NLT). Each day that we live in the freedom that Christ provides for us, we are honor ing Him. We move forward with the freedoms that we have been given, not taking them for granted. Our Savior grants us freedom from the bondage of sin, but are we guilty of taking this act of love for granted? At times, I know that I have. I’m striving to move forward in the freedom that my Savior has bought for me and for the peace that surpasses all understanding. We can take part in these freedoms by simply allowing Him into our hearts.

As we approach this Veterans Day, may we put the words from Romans 13:7 into action, “pay to all what is owed to them… respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (ESV). As we take this time to honor our veterans, may we also lay our burdens down at the foot of the cross. Our Savior purchased our freedom on that cross. As we lay down our burdens, may we take up the full armor of God and be battle ready. “Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:13 ESV). This Veterans Day honor a veteran and show gratitude for their sacri fices and rest in the freedoms that our soldiers and our Savior have provided. “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to God” (Philippians 1:3 NLT).

Join me this month as we reflect on our thankful ness, and as we honor our Veterans, don’t forget to thank our Savior for the freedoms, justice, and peace that He provides for us daily.

Brianna is a wife to her sweetheart, who stole her heart long ago. They have a car enthusiast teenage son who keeps them on their toes. When she’s not cooking or gardening, she’s capturing memories and God’s masterpieces with her camera. She re sides in North Carolina. Catch up with her on Instagram @sunriseoceanwave.

I am Joseph, an author, blogger, and content writer from Nigeria. In the field of writing, I deliver unique, grammatically correct, and plagia rism-free content. Currently, I work with three online firms specializing in motivation, human capacity development, lifestyle, relationship, and spiritual writings.

You can find Joseph on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2228667160717043

The Realities About Doors Of Opportunities You May Neglect

By Joseph Akinrinola

“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.” (Psalm 82:6-7)

Everything produces after its kind. A lion gives birth to lions called cubs. A cat produces a cat called a kit ten, while a dog produces a dog called a puppy. The scripture confirms this when it says; you are God’s. Something is wrong somewhere if a lion gives birth to a dog. Therefore, a child of God must resemble God in every standard.

Looking around, one can see Christians are losing their identity because we seem not to differ from the pack.

This statement of Jesus should be our guide to live as God’s template: “And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:47 NIV)

Where and how could we demonstrate we are God’s image?

• Your service to God. Those worshipping idols are committed to their deity, so believers should do bet ter. How do you measure who or what a person is committed to? Check how the person spends his time, energy, and money. If God takes only a fraction of your resources, then you are not proving to be His template. You know too well some people are spon soring terrorist groups with their resources. All they claim is devotion to their God and religion. You can do something better and positively as God’s image.

• Your service to the community. If you acknowledge God gave authority to leaders at all levels, then you will be law-abiding. It is ungodly to hide under reli gion to violate the community law.

After all, Jesus, the ultimate template of God, kept the law of the land. There was a time he paid taxes, but not because it is mandatory for Him. He did that to ensure peace with the authority. That is an exam ple for us.

Others in public service may do half-hearted work. It should not be you as a child of God. While others see tax evasion, lateness to work, and converting official time and resources for personal benefit as the norms, that should not be among God’s representatives.

It is not enough to condemn the politicians for their ungodly practices while doing a similar thing in our place of assignment. The political class will not have a formidable opposition if there is no difference be tween them and institutions managed by Christians. Therefore, represent God well.

God is still looking for technocrats like Joseph and Daniel. Both are true God’s templates on earth.

• Service to others. One mark of a true child of God is what Jesus gave—love. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35 NIV)

Severally, Jesus pointed out this beginning with His ex ample and God’s blessing on both the good and the wicked people. Also, in the Lord’s prayer, the parable of the unmerciful servant, and in his dialogue with Peter on forgiveness.

How do you treat people that come your way? I am privileged to have come across some Christians both in and outside the church who left an indelible posi tive mark on my life. Indeed, some of them have had a significant influence on how I handle something, situ ations, and people that come my way.

People have given this testimony about Jesus’ disci ples. When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. They were first called Chris tians. (Acts 4:13, 11:26)

Now it is our turn, yours and mine, to change the nar ratives of our community, as did the disciples, those who turned the world upside down. The good news is you don’t need to occupy any political or religious po sition. Your immediate family and community are good enough as your testing ground. Remember, Jesus told the disciples to begin their ministry in Jerusalem. The remaining days of this year are enough to make a meaningful change. Let us start now!

Joseph Akinrinola lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with his wife and four adorable children. He served with the Gospel Faith Mission International for over three decades. Besides, he is a Sunday school coach, an author, a blogger, and a freelance. He has served in Sunday school for over three decades. His friends and students call him “Mr. Sunday school”. Joseph has published five books with two classics titled “Effective Sunday School Management Made Sim ple” and “Effective Sunday School Teacher.”

While with the Gospel Faith Mission Internation al, he was a regional coordinator. He oversees the activities of the Sunday school in over a hundred and twenty churches. Then, he sat on the extend ed board of his Sunday school writing the weekly and daily devotionals read by over 2 million read ers globally. Currently, he is the pastor of a new church, the Levites Chapel International, Lagos, Nigeria.

His passion is to reach young people with the Bible truth about relationships, Christian lifestyle, and personal development. This informs the creation of his blog, www.thewisdombase.com. In addition, he writes for online and international magazines. He is a member of Amnesty International.

A Legacy of Faith

By F. D. Adkins

I have heard the saying, tears fall like rain, but as we step out of the car and walk toward the tent for the graveside service, the rain is falling like tears. Some one in the midst of mourners makes a comment that Heaven is crying, but I know that isn’t the case. If anything, it is the world crying because it has just lost one of the strongest women that has ever walked its surface. No, she wasn’t famous… she wasn’t a mil lionaire or a Hollywood star… but she had faith like no one I have ever known. Let me explain.

This woman’s life was the extreme opposite of a walk in the park. She was only a baby when her father left home, and at the early age of two, her mother passed away. An orphan by definition, she was raised by her great aunt. As a young woman, she fell in love and into an abusive relationship, but she pressed on in that relationship and had four children–two girls and two boys. Her youngest son took his own life at only nineteen years old, and then several years later, she lost her husband to suicide as well. And if she hadn’t already been through enough, her oldest son had to spend time incarcerated because of a bad decision that stemmed from an alcohol problem.

Now that I have detailed the struggles that befell this poor woman and shared the story that the world saw, let me tell you about the woman I knew. I have a lot of vivid memories of her, but in my earliest ones, I was about five years old. I would stay with her for a few hours at a time while my mom worked or ran errands. Her house was small and rather old. The bathroom had been built onto the side of the house where her bedroom was located after indoor plumb ing became a thing. So, to get to the bathroom, I had to walk through her bedroom. And as many times as I passed through that bedroom, I can’t recollect a time that I didn’t see her Bible laying open on her bed.

Later on, (I guess I was around twelve years old), my mother and I had to live with her for a bit. Since it was a tiny house, I pretty much witnessed everything this woman did on a daily basis. She was listening to Christian radio, watching a message on a Christian network on television, or talking about God and all the great things He had done for her. And, of course, her Bible was always open.

I fast forward to my teen years. The woman was older and not in good health. Finally, she had hit a point in her life where she needed constant care, so my mother rented a hospital bed for our guest room, and she came to live with us. She was a diabetic, had emphysema, had been hospitalized with congestive heart failure several times, and on top of that, she had fallen and broken her ankle. But despite all that, she would crawl out of the hospital bed, kneel on her knees beside it, and pray.

F. D. Adkins is a Christian fiction author and freelance writ er. She hopes to pass along the comfort that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus while offering her readers a brief escape from life’s struggles through an action-packed story full of suspense, twists, turns, love, and a few laughs. She has written two Christian Suspense Thriller novels, Truth In The Name and Truth In The Word. The third in her Truth series is underway. She has published articles in Focus on the Family magazine.

She lives in South Carolina with her husband of 24 years, Steve, their two teenage children, Landon and Layna, and their dog, Lucy. You may sign up for her newsletter and read her blog at fdadkins.com. For links to her Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and book trailers, visit her Linktree site at https://linktr.ee/fdadkins

I was twenty-one years old when my grandmother went to be with Jesus. Back then, I knew she had im pacted my life. After all, I had spent a lot of time with her. But now that I am in my forties, I am in awe of her faith. As a wife and mother, I can’t fathom facing any of the things that she had, and yet, she faced them all, one after another, like falling dominoes. Many times, I have thought of her and wondered how she could cope and keep running the race. And as those memories of her would flood my mind, I knew without a doubt the answer to that question. It was her shield of faith, “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV) My grandmother be lieved with her whole heart that Jesus died for her sins and that this life was temporary. She knew that one day, she wouldn’t have to go through any more valleys. She knew that one day, He would wipe away her tears, and there would be no more pain.

Now, as I write this, I am smiling because my grand mother has reached the ultimate mountaintop. And I know when she stood face to face with Jesus, He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant… enter thou into the joy of the Lord.” (Matthew 25:23 KJV)

Of all the things my grandmother could have left me, I am most thankful for her legacy of faith and the ex ample she set as a true woman of God. When life gets hard, I think of her faith and realize that nothing I am going through even comes close to what she endured. And if I keep that shield of faith, I, too, will one day be on that ultimate mountaintop face to face with Jesus beside my grandmother. SO… when times get hard, hang on to God, and picture that ultimate mountain top.

Remember the Rainbow

By F. D. Adkins

I stand with my shoulders slumped, My body crumpling beneath the pounding rain. My insides scream that I cannot Endure the pain.

It seems just yesterday that I stood with full lungs upon the mountaintop, the sun illuminated every space. Happiness consumed me in the depths of my soul

And I had a smile that I thought could never be erased.

Now, I have awakened in this valley of dark shadows, hovering and smothering, trying to steal every breath of air.

The enemy claws and rips at the wound, telling me to give up,

But a powerful voice says, “Just follow me, I will help you escape this dragon’s lair.”

I hold on as He pulls me along, and as the shadows fade, the sky gets a little lighter. The higher He pulls me, the higher we climb, The colors of the rainbow get a little brighter. With every step, His hand squeezes mine, And He whispers, “Take one more…

This is the only way to the mountain That is better than the one before.”

And then I remember as the rainbow comes into full view, The creator of this rainbow is also the creator of me.

With every valley that I endure, And every new rainbow that I see, If I keep my faith and trust in Him, Through the smiles and tears, through the agony and glee, My Father will lead me to the mountain With the golden plans He designed especially for me.

Be the Joy

By Sandra M. Graham

“Be bold in prayer!” Grace Veronica punctuates her encouragement with an expansive smile. Her enthu siasm energizes the church group she leads in prayer every month, now sitting around her in folding chairs. “We have a big God. Ask Him for big things!” Behind her, the communion table set with bread and wine for sharing after prayer time, emphasizes her point about a God who gives.

Afterward, Grace accepts my invitation for break fast to tell me her story. As we sit in a neighborhood brunch spot with our coffee refilled and warmed, she unfolds the details of her journey as an African trans plant to an American church. Smiles and easy laugh ter intersperse her narrative but seem discordant with the story she reveals. The tones of her Swahili accent sound melodic. Her beaded earrings jingle in rhythm with her cadence. Yet, in contrast to the pret ty picture, she paints a self-portrait of adversity. The assurance she displays today results from overcom ing challenges in the past.

Grace embodies unconventional boldness as she brings ministry from Africa to an American church. Scholars might label her a “reverse missionary” (a term used for evangelists from former mission fields). As of 2020, 85% of Africans identify as Chris tian, compared to 64% of Americans—revealing a faith in decline. Grace infuses her African fervor at Summit Church Orlando, where she leads in prayer and discipleship development. Summit’s pastor met Grace while partnering with a sister church in Africa, inviting her to inspire his congregation with a differ ent perspective and fuel church planting.

Grace arrived in Florida supported by a theology de gree from Northwestern Christian University in Ken ya and graduate training from Nairobi Chapel. Before coming to Orlando, her participation in a three-year leadership program, Kinara (the Swahili word for “beacon”). When asked to describe her passion, she pauses a moment in thought, placing a hand on her chest in an unconscious gesture. “I want to share the great love of Christ and my journey with Him. I want to train more leaders for Christ’s mission and plant more churches.” Her hand then pats gently for em phasis as she continues with another big smile, “And I always want to work myself out of a job!”

The strong faith Grace brings to her American minis try developed from troubles that began in early child hood. The first blow came from her father, who aban doned Grace and her twin brother during Christmas time. Her mother tried to explain, “He already has another family.” Financial struggles ensued, and the threesome depended upon the charity of others for survival. They wandered from home to home, often returning to her grandmother. Her mother strained to provide the necessities for her children to attend school.

Naturally smart, Grace found a haven in education and attended classes whenever she could. When preparing for critical placement exams, Grace pleaded to move closer to the high school to study. She felt swallowed up by the daily chores of her grandmother’s rural vil lage of Kimandiro. The essential tasks of a third-world country devoured her days with gathering firewood and fetching water. She had little energy left over at night to study and scarce paraffin for lamps. Her moth er relented and made arrangements for Grace to stay with a couple near the school, but troubles persisted. One day, when Grace took a break from her studies to eat lunch, intense pain and stomach distress seized her. Left alone, she crawled from the house to the out side toilet, collapsing on the dirt path—helpless until discovered by a neighbor. “Her mother dumped her on us,” Grace overheard her host whispering to a friend. “I tried to poison her, but she’s still here!”

The events of Grace’s life seem to echo a biblical theme. The handsome and talented Joseph, betrayed by his brothers into slavery, entered a door into ad versity lasting for decades. Pointing to God’s hand of faithfulness at work behind the scenes, he later tells his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…” (Genesis 50:20 NIV). God developed faith and strength in Grace through her difficult experiences, as he did for Joseph. God built her courage to trust his purposes at work through her hardships.

Abandonment by Grace’s father prepared her heart to receive the gospel. Grace explains, “My mother com forted me by telling me that God would never leave me.” At ten years old, when gathering firewood in the forest one afternoon, she met a group of evangelists who told her the story of Jesus. “I knew I could trust God as a father who would never leave me. I prayed and pledged my heart to him.” The need to depend on others, as her mother scraped for school fees and sup plies, taught Grace gratitude for essentials and the abil ity to live a transient lifestyle. When almost succumb ing to poison in pursuit of her education, she learned perseverance through the worst circumstances. God’s protection and provision developed boldness in Grace through every difficult circumstance, preparing her to enter a new country and trust a new host family.

In her ministry, Grace addresses the topic of find ing joy through affliction with a credibility earned from experience. Preaching online for Nairobi Chapel in 2020, she says, “Sometimes as Chris tians, we have a sense of entitlement, that we should avoid pain. We believe success and pros perity imply a godly life.” Grace learned to wait as God works through trials. She explained that dif ficulties provide tools for God to use in making us better. She encouraged her audience, “The Lord watches over you! Trust in Him. Trust the process.” She points to prayer as the fuel for perseverance.

Now, at 34 years old, she expects obstacles to occur in her pathway. She prepares her way with prayer. After receiving the invitation to leave her home country and join Summit’s staff, she prayed: “Work out my steps.” Her Orlando journey started off with a frightening detention by immigration at the airport, but she knew prayer went ahead of her. After release from questioning, she then braved the next anxiety of placing herself at the mercy of strangers—a new host family—trigger ing trauma from her past. Even as an adult, she still found herself wondering, “Will they like me?”

Her American family embrace her, as she em braces God’s unexpected pathway. Grace presses ahead, longing for people to experience the pow er of prayer and faith in the daily presence of God. When Grace tells her story, her joy in the good ness God intends through trials always carries the spotlight.

Sandra attends Dallas Theological Seminary pur suing her Master’s Degree. With two children in frigid-weather colleges, she and her husband en joy sunny skies in Central Florida. Trips to Disney, cruise travel, reading classics, and watching cook ing shows fill Sandra’s leisure time between class es. Taking advantage of the empty-nest season of life, Sandra hopes to encourage others through stories of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

Don’t Miss the Point Of Thanksgiving

By David Foucar

I heard the story of a farmer who, in his spare time, also liked to do a little duck hunting. Naturally, a duck hunter needs a good hunting dog. A dog that will re trieve the duck on command. Well, this farmer hap pened to find a unique hunting dog.

On his first day out hunting, he was fortunate to get a couple of ducks that fell into a pound. Of course, it was the dog’s job to retrieve the birds. So, the farm er gave the command for the dog to fetch the birds and sure enough, that is exactly what the dog did. The strange thing was that rather than jump into the water and swim to retrieve the birds, this particular dog stepped out and, get this, he ran across the water. Now, this farmer had seen a lot of things in his day, but nothing like this dog. He was amazed. And this wasn’t some sort of fluke. Each time the farmer shot a bird the dog would run across the water and retrieve it.

As you’d imagine, the farmer was anxious to show off his special dog. So, the farmer invited a friend to join him in hunting. After some time, they shot a few ducks, and they fell into the pond. The farmer gave the command and, sure enough, the dog ran across the water and retrieved the birds. Proudly, the farmer turned to his friend, expecting a reaction to this amaz ing feat. Nothing! His friend simply said nothing. A little while later, they shot another duck, and the dog did the same thing. Again, no reaction. His friend said nothing. In frustration, the farmer asked his friend if he noticed anything unusual about his dog. His friend replied, “Well, as a matter of fact, I did notice some thing a little strange about your dog. Your dog can’t swim!”

An unusual story, to say the least. And, of course, not true. But what’s the point? Well, in short, the point is not to miss the point. Circular I know. What we see is that the subject of this story, the hunting dog, can do something amazing in running across the water. But the farmer’s friend misses what the dog can do be cause he’s concentrating on what the dog doesn’t do. He missed the point. Doesn’t this sound a lot like us at times? This may be especially true when it comes to our faith. Where God is concerned, we concentrate on the things we think He doesn’t do and sometimes miss all that He does do.

We might also ask, “why tell this story now?” Because it is November and, while we should always try to be aware of God’s presence and blessing in our lives, we’ve set aside a special time on the fourth Thursday of this month to give thanks. Yes, Thanksgiving. So, isn’t it a good time to adjust and renew our attitudes toward our heavenly Father? After all, Jesus reminds us that “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the un righteous.” (Matthew 5:45 NIV) As many would say, “God is good all the time.”

We may regard Thanksgiving as patriotic and Amer ican, but it is more than that. From the beginning, since the time of the Pilgrims, the time has been set aside specifically to remember God’s goodness. Some may dispute the accuracy of some details, but we do know that just over 400 years ago the Pilgrims gave thanks. Their thanksgiving wasn’t really in the midst of prosperity either, despite what we might think. So, their example provides a good perspective for us about giving thanks.

What is closer to reality for the Pilgrims than pros perity was survival. And they still gave thanks. Af ter arriving in 1620 in the New World, they found hardship. And they still gave thanks. Over half of their number died in that first year. And they still gave thanks. Native Americans provided desper ately needed help. Otherwise, they may not have survived at all. And they still gave thanks. Their first harvest was not abundant, but rather meager. And they still gave thanks.

The Pilgrims knew God was the source of all things. They understood God was still God and deserved worship and thanksgiving in all circum stances. As Separatists, they had come to the New World to worship God without interference. They would serve and praise Him, no matter what. They certainly understood Paul’s instruction to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circum stances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

The old hymn “Count Your Blessings”, written in 1897 by Johnson Oatman Jr., encapsulates the idea of giving thanks:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

This year as we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, in the midst of the turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie, take a mo ment to think about the Pilgrims and their atti tude of thanksgiving. Regardless of circumstances, good or bad, we are to give God thanks. And take a moment to count your blessings, on Thanksgiv ing and every day, “and it will surprise you what God has done.”

Dave Foucar has spent his career as a financial professional, but his heart has always been in ministry. He has spent decades in lay leadership teaching Sunday School, Bible Studies, and Small Groups for all ages. He has been a lead speaker and seminar leader at Couples Retreats, Men’s Retreats, and Family and Youth Camps. Dave has been married for thirty-five years to the love of his life, Debbie. They have three beautiful daughters. Each of them brings immeasurable joy as they expand their families and ca reers.

Dave’s first book, “What Do I Say When Asked About Jesus?” is a conversational approach to helping people answer questions about Jesus. Christians want to share their faith, or at least they should, but it is not always an easy task.

What Are You Thankful For?

By Esther M. Bandy

As we turn our calendars to November, many peo ple make lists of things they’re thankful for. Do you have a list? I usually think of my faith, my family, and my friends, and I’m grateful for our home, food, run ning water, electricity, and a phone. I also thank God for Audrey Raffa. She was my neighbor when I was five, and she led me to the Lord in her Good News Club. She explained the gospel in a simple way I could understand. I realized Jesus died for my sins, and I received Him as my Savior. I’m eternally grateful to know Christ.

Charles Spurgeon said, “A child of five, if properly in structed, can as readily receive the gospel as an adult.”

The apostle Paul wrote, “And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make these wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15 KJV)

The Lord Jesus said, “Allow the children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16 NASB)

My understanding of the Bible has grown since I was five, but I’m thankful that even as a child, I under stood enough to receive God’s gift of salvation. I’m grateful that we don’t have to earn salvation.

The Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8 &9 KJV)

I’m also thankful that when we’re born again through faith in Christ, we become God’s children, and no body can take us out of God’s hands. “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12 KJV) We can’t be good enough to earn salvation, and if we’re truly born again, we can’t be bad enough to lose it. Consider what Jesus said. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29 KJV)

After we’re saved, God wants us to do good works. The Bible says, “For we are his workmanship, creat ed in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephe sians 2:10 KJV)

Sadly, some people think this means that we must do good works to be saved, but that’s not what it means. After salvation, God expects us to do good works, to be a blessing to others and to glorify God.

I’m thankful for the scriptures God gave us. God’s Word says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc tion, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2I Timothy 3:16-17 KJV)

The words “inspiration of God” mean that the Bible is God-breathed. God’s Word is powerful, and the verses in the Bible teach us what’s right, what’s wrong, how to get right, and how to stay right. I’m also thankful that not only are we saved from God’s eternal punishment for sin, but we’re also saved from the power of sin in our lives. One day, we’ll even be saved from the pres ence of sin. Being saved from the punishment for sin is justification. We’re justified when we’re born again by receiving Christ. We’re saved from the power of sin as we depend on the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to help us grow in our Christian walk. As we grow spiritu ally, we can make faith choices instead of fleshly choic es. When we make faith choices, we have victory over sin. This step of spiritual growth is sanctification. We’re saved from the presence of sin when we leave these earthly bodies and receive our new glorified bodies. Then we can go to live with God for eternity. This is glorification.

I’m also grateful for the Blessed Hope we have in Christ. As we study Bible prophecy, we know the Lord promised to return and take believers to be with Him before the Great Tribulation. This glorious appearance of Christ in the clouds to take those who have received Him as Savior to be with Him is the Rapture. We may have some tribulation and persecution before the Rap ture, but the Lord will remove those who accepted Christ before God pours out His judgments on those who rejected Christ.

We see the promise of the Rapture in the following verses. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heav en with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

We don’t know when the Rapture will occur, but it could be any day. Have you received Jesus as your Savior? If you have, be grateful for your salvation. If you haven’t, you can be saved today. Do you believe you’re a sinner? Do you believe Jesus died for your sins and came back to life? Are you willing to repent and receive Christ as your Savior?

The Bible says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righ teousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever be lieveth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:9-11 KJV)

When Esther Bandy was five, a neighbor taught a Good News Club. She head the gospel there, and she received the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior. That was the most important day in her life. She later worked as a nurse, a missionary, a director with Child Evangelism Fellowship, and a Spanish teacher at a Christian school. Now, she’s an author. She has been published in two anthologies; Treasures of a Woman’s Heart and Triumph from Tragedy. Her debut middle grade novel, Under the Tangerine Tree, was published in 2022.

“Don’t Ask Why, Ask What” was previously published in “Triumph from Tragedy”.

esthermbandy.com

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Publisher & Editor in Chief: Karen Ruhl

Editor Craig Ruhl

Karen Ruhl (unless otherwise credited)

Staff Writers: Craig Ruhl Karen Ruhl

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