Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Luke 12:27
Photographer: Karen Ruhl
I want to let you know something about Craig (passed on 3/14/24). He was the perfect person for me and my love of photography. We took many road trips and he heard me say things like, “Gosh, I wish I could have stopped there to get that photo. He would find a place to turn around and go back, sometimes dropping me off so I could get the shot when there was no place to park. I called him my Personal Assistant (My PA), because he would have my lenses ready for me to change out on every photo stop. I wish I knew how many miles we traveled together. We went across country on several occasions, up and down the California Coast often, explored the states we lived in together including my home state of Ohio, and North Carolina where he and I settled. So enjoy a few of our road trip photos as I go down memory lane for a few minutes. Blessings to you all.
Note From Karen Ruhl, Editor
Welcome August
How is your summer going?? Can you believe some schools start back soon? I am glad I grew up going back to school after Labor Day. Of course, the schools are all air-conditioned now, that makes a difference.
We have had very hot weather and not a lot of rain until the last week. We are all happy to have the rain so the grass can stay green. It has not been a good month for road tripping, but I took a road trip in June with our church and I think you will enjoy the photos.
I would truly love to hear from you and see what you are doing this summer. Some of our writers have and are taking wonderful trips. I love seeing the photos. I probably won’t be doing any overseas traveling so it is exciting to see some of the countries through their eyes.
Have you read any good books over the summer? I am going to be reviewing two books in this issue. I am currently working on editing, formatting, creating and covers for 8 new books we will publish in the next couple of months. I am very excited for all of the authors, many you will know through their articles in the magazine.
I have to tell you that God has blessed me in so many ways since Craig passed. He has put friends in my life, has brought me new businesses, and has given me a peace that comes from knowing Him. I thank each of you who have dropped me a note, sent me a card, and so much more.
Continue to enjoy your summer. May God bless you all, Karen Team@faithoneverycorner.com
COVER ART AND INSIDE COVER PHOTOS By Karen Ruhl
(Copyright 2024 - all rights reserved)
Quiet Time Rhymes ... by John Alexander ... Pages 6-7
Thank You For Rain And Sunshine ... by Melissa Henderson ... Pages 8-9
What Are God’s Given Gifts ... by Yvonne M. Morgan ... Pages 10-11
Give Us Our Daily Bread Today ... by Joseph Akinrinola ... Pages 12-13
Morning Coffee ... by Michael E. Wells ... Pages 14-15
Light Of The World ... by Irene Surya ... Page 16
Divine Sunshine In My Soul ... by Laurie Glass ... Page 17
Waiting On The Lord / Learning To Wait Poem ... by Peter Caligiuri ... Pages 18-19
Roses ... by Karen Ruhl ... Pages 20-21
Do You Need A Place Of Safety? ... by Brianna Barrett ... Pages 22-23
Servants Heart ... by Steve Carter ... Pages 24-25
War Room ... by Rolanda T. Pyle ... Page 26
Not Just Part Of The Herd ... Shara Bueler Repka ... Pages 28-29
Praying For Those In Authority ... by Gratia Lynn.... Pages 30-31
In The Midst Of The Storm ... by Steve Wilson ... Pages 32-33
The Head Bone Connected To The Foot Bone ... by Mike Buchanan ... Pages 34-35
Poems by Michael Shoemaker ... Pages 36-37
What Else Happened? ... by Donna J. Miller ... Page 38-39
External Life ... by Dr. Kathleen Oden ... Pages 40-41
Book Reviews ... by Karen Ruhl ... Pages 42-43
Dad’s Workbench - There’s A Tool For That ... by Craig Lounsbrough ... Pages 44-45
God’s Promises ... by Linda Castro ... Pages 46-47
Stop Trying To Experience God ... by Jerry A. Davidson ... Pages 48-49
Jesus I Believe ... by Pam McCormick ... Pages 50-51
Road Trippin’ ... by KarenRuhl ... Pages 52-53
Photo Art ... by Karen Ruhl ... Pages 54-55
To the writers and contributors of the August edition of this magazine, I am so grateful for each of you and for our readersyou keep me moving forward each month.
God Loves You - and so do I!
Karen
Quiet Time Rhymes Seasons of Change
Some changes come quickly, others slowly over years and decades. We don’t embrace change easily or quickly. During those periods of adjustment we cherish memories, value our friends, and rely upon our relationship with the Lord to stay strong, slowly growing and adapting to change. This month I’ll share a few poems from a collection of poems titled Seasons of Change. I pray they are meaningful as you read and ponder the words.
Blessings, John Alexander QuietTimeRhymes.com
Ordinary Days
Sometimes I long for days of old When life fit nicely in a mold.
Will ordinary days return?
Can I adapt and change and learn?
At times my restless soul needs still, Needs quiet time to know your will.
In this time before it’s day, Before the sun has had its way,
I speak to you, my Lord, in prayer. You listen Lord. You’re always there.
You know my needs. You understand. Sometimes I sit, just hold your hand.
These times seem strange, not lived before, I cannot see what lies in store.
When I’m disturbed by what’s ahead, I rest in you, find peace instead.
You know the future and the past. I trust you Lord. Your love will last.
I thank you Lord for peace you bring, Refreshing water from your spring.
Stirring Memories
Some lyrical poems stay with you, Form a bond with the soul deep inside, Catch a glimpse of the past you once knew. Be still, let those mem’ries abide.
The melody formed by the rhythm Reverberates deep in the heart. Its images change like a phantom, A glimpse, then they fade and depart.
They stir something deep in the spirit That longs to spread wings and to soar. A rhyme strikes a chord when you hear it, A feeling you’ve heard it before.
Each melody stirred will be different, The music inside’s heaven sent.
Changes
The world is still a bit askew. It’s not the same as we once knew. When life once more gets settled down, We have a chance to look around, We’ll see the changes that have come. We’ve all been changed, adapted some. We’ll make the best of what we see, But in us all’s the tendency To want things back just like before, Rebuild the things we can restore. Be careful in the things we choose, Which ones we keep and which we lose. Some changes that we had to make Are habits now we need to break. It may be harder than we thought. What have we learned from what life taught?
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
Thankful For Rain And Sunshine
By Melissa Henderson
The complaints start when warm weather turns to extreme heat and humidity. The air conditioner runs day and night. The air is so muggy that families stay inside their homes. Relief shelters are open for folks who don’t have ways to keep cool. Emergency rooms report more heatrelated illnesses and diagnoses. When will this dreadful weather leave? Then, a change occurs. Temperatures are cooler, yet still warm. I’m thankful for the rain and the sunshine.
Every season brings good and bad weather—ice and snow in some regions. Heat and humidity plague other areas. Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more, can cause everyday activities to pause and wait. Yet, in the waiting period, we can be thankful.
After many days of no rain and breathtaking heat, I woke to the gentle sound of rain tapping on the window and roof. Not sure if I heard rain, I rubbed my eyes, stepped to the bedroom window, and smiled. God was sending nourishment to His people and all of His creations. I thanked God for His provisions.
As I thanked the Father, I thought of the people in the path of a hurricane. Torrential rains threatened communities. Winds tore apart buildings such as homes and churches. Shelters were opened for those who needed a place to stay. Sad reports of deaths and injuries were highlighted on the local and national news.
With mixed emotions, I asked God, “How can I be thankful for rain and sunshine when other people wish the water and heat would leave?” Then, God reminded me that He never leaves us. Through weather storms and life challenges, God is ever-present. He calls us to give thanks and rejoice.
Therefore, I will pray for those in harm’s way. I will pray and give thanks for the many ways God covers us with His protection. I will look for the blessings that come in the good and the bad times. Asking God to bring peace to His people, I will pray.
Today, the rain eased for a few moments and I stepped outside to check for rainbows. Tiny frogs hopped across the sidewalk. Bluebirds and cardinals perched on branches of the crepe myrtle trees shook the water off their feathers. The tap-tap-tap sound of a woodpecker boring a hole in a tree resumed.
Children came outside to splash in puddles. Parents and grandparents walked through their yards checking on flowers and bird feeders. The air was cooler. Life activities had paused for a while. A rest and renewal time was given for us to enjoy.
As I continue to pray for those in the path of storms, I also continue to pray and thank God for the rain and the sunshine here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.
What’s the weather like in your area? Have you seen any rainbows? Have you given thanks to God for His blessings?
“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13 NIV)
Blessings, Melissa Henderson
Click on the book covers to purchase Melissa’s books.
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)
WHAT ARE GOD’S GIVEN GIFTS
By Yvonne M. Morgan
What talents do you possess? For example, can you play the piano or sing or maybe something sports-related? Some people are born with these kinds of skills, while others develop them through years of practice. For some of you, perhaps you doubt if you have any such God-given gifts. But, rest assured, we all have abilities that God provided to us, and He wants us to use them for His purposes.
One-Body with Many Parts
As we examine people’s gifting, sometimes it can be easy to become envious of other people’s talent. Yet, we all play a part in the body of Christ. Therefore, no one is more or less important than another. Our gifting is for His purposes. So we must work together to use our gifts to further the Kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 12:12; “The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.”
Biblical References
But, what are some of the Biblical gifts that God provides to us? We find several places within the New Testament that look at these God-given gifts.
• Romans 12:6-8; “6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
1 Corinthians 12:8-10; “8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” Biblical Gifts
Many Biblical scholars summarize the above verses in the following list of sixteen spiritual gifts. I also include a brief description to help us better understand.
1. Administration - organize, direct, and implement plans to lead others in the various ministries.
2. Apostleship - lead and plant new ministries or churches.
3. Discernment - recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world.
4. Encouraging - uphold and strengthen those who are wavering in their faith.
5. Evangelism - clearly and effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others.
6. Faith - encourage and build up the church in her confidence in God.
7. Giving - meet the various needs of the church and its ministries, missionaries, or people.
8. Healing - compassionate toward the sick and pray over them regularly.
9. Knowledge - bring about understanding and inform the church or individual believers.
10. Leadership - care for God’s people and lead them into deeper relationships with Christ and each other.
10. Leadership - care for God’s people and lead them into deeper relationships with Christ and each other.
11. Pastor / Shepherding - humbly teach them, guide them, protect them, and lead them in the mission that God has for His church, namely the Great Commission.
12. Prophecy / Perceiving - make God’s heart known and edify the church.
13. Teaching - help the church fulfill her ministry as “a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
14. Serving / Ministry - committed to the spread of the Gospel.
15. Showing Mercy - love and assist those suffering and walk with them until The Lord allows their burden to be lifted.
16. Wisdom - deep understanding of the holiness of God.
As you read over this list, do any of them stir your heart? God does not give us gifts that we will dread or despise. So, when we operate within the right area, we find joy and peace most of the time. But, life will never be without some difficulties, even when we work for God.
Some people may do many things better than the rest of us. But, God still has designed each of us with unique gifts. And, these gifts can change lives when we put them to use for God’s purposes. We may never be a Billy Graham to the world, but we might be the person who brings such a person to Christ. So, let me close out with this reminder from the Bible:
1 Peter 4:11 “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
Grace and Peace to you
Yvonne M Morgan
You can find Joseph on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/2228667160717043
GIVE US OUR DAILY BREAD TODAY
By Joseph Akinrinola
Matthew 6:9-13
What is commonly called the Lord’s prayer has become part of spiritual exercise in some homes or families.
Matthew 6:9-13. In such a family, it is the first memory verse for any child in that home. It grew with the children at such homes, beginning with the morning devotion, recited before every meal and bedtime.
In some churches, it is part of their service. They either recite during the service or when closing the church service and fellowship.
Whichever way, there is a portion of this prayer pattern taught by Jesus to his disciples that caught my attention as believers torn between several demands on our time with God, career, ministry, family, and the community. That is, give us our daily bread today.
Matthew 6:9-13. There are timeless lessons I discovered beyond the routine of that prayer. Let’s run through them together quickly.
1. It shows our reliance on God to provide. Like the manna in the wilderness, the Israelites did not produce it, but God gave it. God. Provision of any kind is not merely a product of our labor but God’s blessing, as this scripture affirms.
I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not for the swift. or the battle of the strong, Nor does food come to the wise. or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11.
2. It reveals the universality of human needs. When we ask God to give us daily bread, we are asking him to sustain us for the day. Firstly, we all need the physical bread that sustains us. We all need food and water for sustainability, and this was what God did for the Israelites in the wilderness. Jesus also assured us that God is aware of this. Matthew 6:8.
We also need spiritual food that will sustain us in our Christian journey. This is through our study of God’s word, prayer, and fellowship with the brethren. Since we face spiritual battles every day, we need the spiritual backing of the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus. John 14:16.
3. It moves us away from self-centeredness. A critical look at that prayer pattern revealed no personal pronoun of “I”; or “Me” was used. Instead, it uses “we and us.”; This shows our corporate needs. Believers should be concerned not only about their own needs but also those of their neighbors. This calls for care, social responsibility, and interceding for the brethren. A river that only receives but does not give stinks. Blessings increase as you give them out. Therefore, we share both hunger and surplus. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15.
4. It reminds us to live each day. This has three implications. One, we are not the owners of our lives, as God could call us home anytime. Therefore, we are expected to live like today is our last here. Two, it is an antidote to fear and anxiety that breed greed and covetousness, which are the reasons people hoard money and other resources they cannot finish in their lifetime at the expense of the poor and the needy. As Jesus put it, Sufficient is the trouble of the day. Third, now that we don’t burden ourselves with the care of tomorrow, we escape the health complications associated with fear and anxiety.
5. It is a proof of our obedience. In the case of manna in the wilderness, people are to obey God by gathering just enough for their eating capacity. They are not to go on the Sabbath. Being satisfied with God’s provision is proof of our obedience and faith in him. If he provided for us yesterday, he could do it again today and tomorrow. Sometimes we didn’t get what we wanted, but God gave us what we needed. Rejoicing in what he provided is a degree of obedience. Living the life of the Lord’s prayer is more beneficial than reading it. While reading could breed faith in us to ask him daily, having the confidence that he has us in his plan makes our lives simpler and more fulfilling. Surely God’s promises and plans are better and more secure than the policies of any human government.
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 Simple” and “Effective Sunday School Teacher.”
While with the Gospel Faith Mission International, 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 extended board of his Sunday school writing the weekly and daily devotionals read by over 2 million readers 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.
Morning Coffee
by Michael E. Wells
Michael E. Wells has a passion for writing letters of Christian encouragement. 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, his is an idyllic lifestyle in a pastoral setting. 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.
Click on book photo to purchase on Amazon.
(I highly recommend this book! - Karen)
THE PRECIOUS
Today, my wife and I were in a local grocery store and observed a grandmother with her 7 year old granddaughter. She was pushing a cart behind her GM who was also pushing one. She kept telling her GD when she asked for something that we don’t have money for that.
We felt sorry for the child. GM was being harsh at times. We passed by them a few times in the isles and the same conversation, we don’t have money for that. We both wanted to give the girl money but didn’t. The young girl also seemed a little unkempt.
We don’t know the circumstance of the GM but she was missing the joy of having a beautiful little girl who probably thought the world of her. Our hearts went out for her. My wife stood close to the child as she self checked out with the few dollars she had, to make sure she did not come up short.
She had just enough. Earlier my eyes had connected with her in the isles as we passed by. There was an innocence present, something rare today. The older I get the more I appreciate encountering it.
Jesus said, suffer the little children to come unto Me for such is the kingdom of heaven. May we all take time with children for often we will form their adulthood. Truly they are the precious among us.
YOU ACT LIKE A CHILD
Some of us grow up way too fast. Not that we wanted to but we were expected to. Adults would always tell us to act your age. So we turned our backs on something we would need later in life. Something that would carry us in dark times, times when no one was there.
There is something special about a child’s wide eyed innocence. The willingness to accept easily at face value a statement, a truth, a story. To hold onto something others might quickly dismiss. So is the faith of a child. We who outgrew this did a disservice to our soul.
Many times in the word we are told to approach God as a child would their loving father. It is discounting all distractions and focusing on the object of our affection with complete trust and devotion. It is there the complex becomes simple and the incredible believable. So today and everyday...you act like a child.
Life in this world a joy to behold
THE FATHER
When seen through the eyes of someone less old
The innocence of a child oh to be so free But what must I do to make that child me
Things I have seen have brought me to tears I must find a way to go back to those years
Know that it was the love of the Father’s heart That wrapped you in His innocence from the very start
He’s calling you back to wipe away those tears Give Him your heart and go back to those years
LIGHT OF THE WORLD
By Irene Surya
Dr. Irene Surya is an award-winning author of her book, In Solitude with God. Her poems have been published in various magazines and anthologies. She has a passion for writing for the Lord and glorifying His name through her writings. She loves and serves the Lord with her husband.
Lo, a picturesque hill, With rolling verdant grass
Resplendently blooming flowers Arraying its lush green sides.
Lo, a quaint city on its top Illuminated gorgeously by lamps Spreading its light far and wide Adorable to behold and marvel.
Let me be a city on the hill That illuminates the world from above.
The perfect picture of a believer Who loves the Lord wholeheartedly.
Jesus, the Light of the world Calls each one of His children
To be the light of the world And the salt of the earth.
Let the light of the Lord come in Let the King of glory come Let Him come to your heart Let new life spring up in you.
Let the glorious Light of the world
Shine in and through us each day
Let us be ablaze, brightest in the darkness As we truly follow Him.
The sun may sink beneath the horizon
The world might become dark
But the Lord, the light shines forth Spreading hope and joy in the world.
Click on book to purchase from Amazon.
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 illness and other health issues. In addition, she won the Open Medicine Foundation poetry contest in 2019.
Divine Sunshine in My Soul
By Laurie Glass
Dawn arrives, illuminates, alleviates darkness in the depths of my soul.
Sun rises, shines brighter, teeming with promise, bountiful with prospect of restoration.
Loving Glow, a fragrant balm drifts to my wounds and warms, soothes, restores.
Glimmering Hope envelopes my soul, expresses compassion, endows me with grace.
Healing Ray warms my heart, thaws bitterness, melts indifference, dissolves anguish.
Voluminous Light overwhelms my inner being, anger evaporates, anxiety vanishes, agony wastes away.
Abundant Sunshine revives my spirit, relieves misery, renews happiness.
Gleam nourishes, my hungry heart is fed. Partake of bountiful fare, soul flourishes, and I am whole again.
Resplendent Glory offers strength, perseverance, tenacity, and power to overcome, to be victorious.
Healing Blaze, forbearing, forgiving, blesses me with tender caress and I am comforted by sweet embrace.
Radiant Beam conveys hope, with fervor, regenerates once elusive peace, rejuvenates enduring joy.
Divine Beacon, beyond adequate, sparkles brighter than my eyes can see, bestows warmth, penetrates my deepest sorrow, and assures me of better days ahead.
I have loved writing since I was a teen and my short poems and devotionals have appeared in various periodicals such as The Secret Place, Breakthrough Intercessor, and The Upper Room. My wife Nancy and I live in Florida where we are members of Generations Christian Church. Together they have two awesome sons, six lively grandsons, and one very special granddaughter!
Peter Caligiuri
4234 Waltham Lane
New Port Richey, Florida 34653
Waiting On the Lord
by Peter Caligiuri
But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
In this age of high-speed internet, instant credit, and overnight delivery, we need to remember that God planned our life as love relationship, not a race! At the beginning of our faith walk we have the tendency to think we need to get started so we can get this done for God. But God stands in the intersection like a crossing guard, and He holds up His hands for us to stop. He knows that if we cross too soon we could be in danger. He wants us to keep our eyes on him and only move when he holds up the sign and waves us on.
Isaiah tells us about God’s promises to give us eagle’s wings. Those wide strong wings are able to effortlessly navigate the high altitudes from which he can see out to the horizon. His wings are also able to carry him over great distances unimpeded by any obstacle. While left to ourselves, we will exhaust ourselves climbing mountains, wading through rivers, or building bridges over deep valleys. But Isaiah tells us that, if we wait on the Lord, that we will be carried to a place where God will meet with us, give us hope and renew our strength!
Prayer: When I can’t see the answers to my problems, waiting feels exhausting, but thank you Father that at the end of the wait you have promised to renew my strength!
Learning To Wait
When my mind grows impatient, And I’m pushed to the wall And the problems I’m facing Aren’t changing at all Jesus teaches the waiting Through His hours on the cross Where He gave a thief mercy In His suffering and loss Then in the sealed tomb He lay still the day As He silently waited Till Death’s stone rolled away!
I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:1-2 KJV
Learning to Wait
By Peter Caligiuri
Copyright © 2024
All rights reserved
Karen has a background in broadcasting, television and radio, and as a writer for several newspapers. She started her own marketing agency and enjoys working with her husband, Craig.
She is an author, photographer, graphic artist, and writer.
ROSES
by Karen Ruhl
When I look at roses, I see how delicately and intricately they are designed. If God took such care to create such a beautiful flower, how much more do you think He took to create us?
God created us for His pleasure, to dwell upon the earth’s surface, and to rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.
He created man in His image and according to His likeness so that man would receive God as life and express Him in all His attributes.
God asks of His people: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with Him.
God has many purposes for us, here are 5:
By centering our lives around God (worship), learning to love God’s family (fellowship), cultivating spiritual maturity (discipleship), contributing something back (ministry), and telling others about God’s love (evangelism), we will build the foundation for a successful and satisfying life.
If God took so much time to create us, shouldn’t we take time to Praise Him and Worship Him?
Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for creating us. We love you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Forgive us our sins and transgressions. Oh how we praise You. Amen
Photo by Karen Ruhl (Copyright 2024)
Brianna is a Carolina girl that loves Jesus and her family. She enjoys watching the sunrise, photography, reading, writing, and paddleboarding. According to her teenage son, she’s a master chef in the kitchen, making gluten-free cuisine from around the world. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Faith On Every Corner, Magazine, The Christian Journal, Our Story Magazine, and Broken But Priceless Magazine, where she writes the “From A Homemaker’s Heart” column. Check out her latest works at www.briannagrams.com and connect with her on Instagram @briannagrams or Facebook at www.facebook.com/ briannagrams1.
DO YOU NEED A PLACE OF SAFETY?
By Brianna Barrett
Do you ever feel like you are walking on a balance beam? One slight misstep and you’ll fall off the beam that we know as life. Not sure where you’d land because it looks like darkness all around.
When we are walking with God, we don’t have to worry about the darkness all around us. He is our safety net. Chaos still happens because the evil one still exists, but God is a refuge and a fortress for those who believe in Him.
King David constantly faced difficult situations throughout His life—from committing adultery and losing his child, to having enemies chasing him and trying to kill him. David also defeated a giant with a slingshot and a rock. He became part of the lineage of Jesus. The words he penned in 2 Samuel 23 and throughout the Psalms bring me comfort during times of uncertainty. David could relate to the uncertain times. The things that I face daily seem to be quite different than those that David faced. My giant isn’t a physical giant, it’s an invisible disease, anxiety, and chronic illness.
How often when I face these giants do I praise the Lord first? Not as often as I should. Usually my heart knows what I should do, but convincing my head is sometimes harder. David’s words of praise to the Lord found in 2 Samuel 22 bring comfort to my soul as I read them. The entire chapter is worth reading (link here).
2 Samuel 22:2-4 - “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.” (NLT)
David’s description here is of the one in whom I find protection. God is solid. He doesn’t waver, He doesn’t break down over time. He is a fortress of peace for my anxiety. He is a place of safety - when I focus on my circumstances I can see the waves of the storm get ready to pummel over me.
2 Samuel 22:17, 20 “He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters…He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me.”
When I refocus and zoom in on the Lord, drawing near to Him, the waves don’t crash down on me. He rescues me by changing my focus to Him, and away from my circumstances. I’m able to keep moving forward because my focus is in the right place.
We draw our strength from the Lord, and can’t do things without that strength. “In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall…God is my strong fortress, and he makes my way perfect.” 2 Samuel 22:30, 33 NLT
When we experience God, and His strength, those goliaths and mountains that once seemed so big now seem manageable. “For nothing will be impossible for God.” Luke 1:37 NET. God isn’t just for us when things are easy, He’s with us through the hard stuff, the good stuff, and the messy stuff. Messy doesn’t scare God. It may make us feel vulnerable but it doesn’t phase God. That, my friend, is so comforting to me. Knowing that God has gone before me and nothing surprises Him. He knows what’s coming next.
David wrote of God’s security because he had been saved by God, more than once. God is constantly saving me from myself, from sin, from harm. He is the one from whom I should never turn, He is the one who is always with me. When I’m scared, feeling anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed, He should be where I turn—every single time. Today I am declaring that God is my refuge, my safety, and my fortress, and I’m going to start acting like it. He’s got everything under control. He doesn’t need my help in controlling things or worrying about them. He’s got it handled, I just have to trust Him.
Thank you, Lord, for your grace and forgiveness. Too often I try to take control and do life on my own, in my own strength to only be defeated, deflated, and overwhelmed. Lord forgive me. May I draw from your strength to do your will in my life. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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
Servants Heart
By Steve Carter
The singing talent in the small country church took me by surprise. With playing drums being my only skill, I naturally wanted to team up with their golden voices in an effort to promote the gospel of Jesus.
Unfortunately for me, I had just walked away from the music business and still thought like a professional. This mind set included the enthusiasm needed for all the inherent hard work involved in producing quality music.
Much to my surprise and dismay, I sensed no desire from this abundant talent toward any music ministry. The music itself and admiration from friends and family seemed to be their sole reason for singing. After realizing my efforts were mis-directed, I looked elsewhere for opportunities to fulfill my calling.
In those days of Church music, drums were often as welcome as the bubonic plague. Imagine what fun it was to work all day before diving into a car crowded with other group members and heading to parts unknown. Once, after a long drive, the first words we heard were, “I can tell this is going to be nothing but a bunch of junk.” And that’s while we were lugging our equipment in!
Fun, rewarding, convenient? Not even close! More on that shortly.
After getting my “calling” established, I still had to come up with a way to make a living. An education became obvious as the only way to stop my chronic job hopping. Being a poor student with low selfesteem, I believed college to be beyond my abilities. One day, during an eye check-up, I mentioned to the Doctor that I didn’t think myself smart enough to work in the medical field. The kind man quietly said, “sure you are.” His unsolicited remark perked me right up. I left his office a more relaxed and confident man, wearing glasses.
Drumming soon faded in the face of other ministries. As I matured in Christ, God opened other doors for me. Some of these had me ask if He called the right guy! God will instruct His servants to do things that don’t make much sense to anyone but Him. When that sort of thing came my way, which it has, I simply check with Him to make sure I understood my instructions. Usually I heard Him right, and after clarification, I got started.eye.
While bicycling through Arkansas a few years ago, I met another man who followed Gods’ instructions with no questions asked. This Godly prayer warrior passed me in his truck, just to turn around and stop ahead of me. With his kid’s noses pressed to the window glass, he said, “God asked me to stop and pray for you. Would you mind if I prayed?” Well, I was not expecting that! Of course, I gladly accepted the prayer, and this man didn’t play around! After a fervent prayer for my safety and general wellbeing, he hopped back in his truck and went on about his day.
During decades of serving God, I learned to accept what He asks me to do. He, in his omniscience, knows which way to point his followers. I’m not even sure how this article will turn out! He does, and that’s why I’m writing it!
Also, comfort and convenience have nothing to do with following the voice of Jesus. Any assignment from Him will probably cause discomfort and take up time. It might be nothing more than opening church doors in bad weather, while offering a welcome on Sunday morning. Or something so simple as giving encouraging words to a youngster that just might lead to a thirty-five-year career in medicine!
Early in my Christian walk, I simply could not understand why most church goers seemed to just show up for service and do nothing else. Somewhere along the way, I realized not every-one is called to do a specific job. Not only that, but it was and still is none of my business what others do!
Jesus had to remind The Apostle Peter of that fact when he wanted to know what the future held for The Apostle John. I learned from that example and personal “life lessons” that things work out much better if I do as I’m instructed and let Jesus manage everyone else!
It’s common knowledge that Jesus will not put more on us than we can deal with. Whatever he asks us to do pales compared to dragging a cross through the streets of Jerusalem. Enjoy the journey. I’ll see you along the way!
Rolanda T. Pyle is a licensed social worker and works in the field of aging with seniors, caregivers, and grandparents raising grandchildren. Rolanda is the author of the books: “Grandma’s Hands” - a children’s storybook, “Finally” - a collection of inspirational poems; and the compiler of and contributor to “Beneath His Everlasting Wings”, a collection of devotionals. Her work has been published in religious and community newspapers, anthologies, collections and journals. In April 2004, New York’s Daily News named her one of the “100 Women Who Shape Our City.” Her website is www.rorosrainbowcommunications.com
War Room
Everything is coming at me From the left and from the right. With no breaks in between, Often leaves me in a fright.
Can not sleep at night
Tired every day
Don’t know what else to do But I know to pray.
So I go to my “war room” And it’s like I have a broom I sweep away the old mess And pray for the new bless.
Yes, it’s there in that war room
Where I put away all the gloom And get rid of all the doom
Letting my prayers help me to bloom
It is there where I hassle and tussle It is there where I gain some muscle It is there where I get correction It is there where I seek direction
Yes, it’s in that war room that miracles start, It’s in that room, where I feel revival in my heart. It’s in that room that I release my every care. Its there that I get rid of every fear.
It’s in the WAR ROOM!
Rolanda Pyle (c) All Rights Reserved.
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 mailbase, 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.
NOT JUST PART OF THE HERD
By Shara Bueler-Repka
I hung out in the audience with some friends, watching the accomplished musicians play and sing together so effortlessly. I was intimidated. Actually, we were all part of the Praise and Worship team for this minister’s conference. My timidity seemed silly as I’d been singing with these guys in other venues. However, somehow this particular situation felt a bit different and overwhelming.So, there I sat, having a little chat with the Lord as the band played the first Two songs. “I know I’m supposed to use my gifts, Lord, but do I really fit in up there?” Funny how the enemy gets into your head and chips away at your confidence and messes with your focus. I don’t play an instrument, per se, and the only thing I have to offer, besides a solo vocal part, is harmonies…and plenty of people filled those spots.All of a sudden, in the middle of my self-indulgent pity party, I glanced over at the left-hand side of the stage. One lone microphone, nobody using it, stood out as though a light shown on it.. I heard the Lord in my spirit, “There is room for you.” Confidence restored! But as I prayed, the Lord also impressed on me that, first and foremost, I’m to glorify Him in whatever I’m called to do, forgetting about fitting in and performing. Now, of course, everyone else on the stage totally expected me to sing with them. I just had to deal with the private skirmish in my head. Repenting to the Lord for being whiney and selfabsorbed, I fairly flew to the stage and took my place. As we travel and sing/minister in a variety of venues, one of the Lord’s main messages is: “Rise up and fulfill the unique destiny I have commissioned each one of you to walk in. Your destiny is walked out through the gifts and talents I have given you. If we’re unsure of exactly what our gifts and talents are, we need only to ask the Giver of the gifts. James 1:5 encourages: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Not knowing causes us to trudge down life’s trail, traveling alongside others with no real purpose, lack of fulfillment, and depression.
The Lord longs for us to realize how special and unique we are, created for a specific purpose. God gave me an awesome mind picture as an illustration. I saw a big jigsaw puzzle with all kinds of pieces. If one piece was missing, the puzzle would not be complete. Even if several pieces made up an area that looked the same, each piece in that area was different shapes. Every piece was needed to complete the puzzle.
Jesus said He came to not only give us life (an existence), but life in abundance (John 10:10). Are we illing to give up the pity parties? Forget the self-consciousness? Lose the ‘tudes and just “go for it”? Are we willing to step out of our comfort zone, whatever that entails? As the Word says, we need to uplift and encourage others daily (Hebrews 10:24-25). When we “walk out” our destiny with the gifts and talents God has given us, it’s never just about us. Our destiny always intertwines with someone else’s. Our destiny is the key to someone else’s destiny. I love the historical examples of one person changing the world: Thomas Edison (invented the light bulb, etc.), Benjamin Franklin (discovered electricity, etc.), Alexander Graham Bell (invented the telephone, etc.), Moses (Deliverer of God’s People from slavery), Noah (Builder of the Ark who saved his family from the flood’s destruction). And, the all important One, Jesus (the one and only Savior of mankind).
We all need to be encouraged that the Lord equips who He calls (Hebrews 13:20-21), and He promises that our gifts will make room for us (Proverbs 18:16). If we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit (God’s Voice), He will show us the doors to walk through. I believe the doors the Holy Spirit opens are like an automatic door at a grocery store. As we step up to that door, the door opens…easily and without pushing. Side note, though, we should never try to force open a door. The timing may not be right, or the Lord has commissioned someone else to walk through that door (Isaiah 40:31). Bruce and I have ministered full time for almost 20 years, most of those years living on the road in our living quarters horse trailer, traveling with horses. God has never let us down and provided everything we needed, when we needed it. Any challenges we’ve faced have been well worth the reward of seeing God work through His promises! (Matthew 6:33; Hebrews 13:5; Jeremiah 29:11-13).The real challenge? Do you want to be just part of the herd, surviving this life, waiting for the “sweet by and by”? Or, do you want to fulfill your destiny in the place God chose, especially for you? The choice is yours.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.)
Gratia Lynn writes because she wants the chosen to fall more in love and life with Jesus. Messiah has been entirely faithful to her during lifelong health challenges, and she is free because He calls her healed wrapped up in His wings (Malachi 4:2; Psalm 91:4). Her blog is https://furnacefuelsfaithfulness.wordpress.com/ GL loves Tolkien, all art and creativity, dancing, and experimenting with herbal teas.
Praying for Those in Authority
By Gratia Lynn
“First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension” (1 Timothy 2:1-8 NASB).
These verses talk about praying for all those in authority. Not for any treachery to succeed, but still for those in high positions, regardless if we agree with them or not.
Let me give you some context behind these verses: Paul was writing this letter during the time of Nero’s reign. Nero was one of the most hateful rulers against Christians. He used Christians as a scapegoat for the great fire that swept through Rome, setting off great persecution throughout his empire. Christians were used as human torches to light the city at night and as sport in an arena of wild beasts.
Paul implored people who truly follow Jesus to pray in love for this great persecutor. How can I not intercede for our rulers in a land where the things Nero did are unthinkable. The Christians of the early church were truly perfected in love.
God’s standards haven’t fallen. There are no exceptions. There is no, “But one day it could be worse. We’re getting there and it’s not my fault,” or “They shouldn’t have… They should have…” Did Jesus dwell on who to blame for His crucifixion or did He continue to offer peace and forgiveness, even as He was dying? (Luke 23:34,43) (Mark 15:39) And we have the Spirit of this God in us!!
“Perfect love casts out fear” (1John 4:18), so it seems the more we take action to love, the more fearless we become. Sounds backwards? Just try it. Pray in sincere love for someone in authority that you do not see eye to eye with.
Reminds me of Richard Wurmbrand. In his book Tortured for Christ he tells about his experiences as a prisoner for fourteen years because of his faith in Jesus. He has such unshakeable joy in every circumstance and deep love for his captors and torturers. The way he writes, you can pick up on the joy and peace very clearly.
When I asked God to help me pray for those I don’t like in authority, the first thing that came to mind was Numbers 6:24-26.
“The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.”
I wrote this as I prayed it for people, and yes it was hard, but it makes me realize they are not beyond God’s aid as long as they’re alive; since, as Jesus-lovers we’re more alive in “death” than they are in life right now, we have no excuse for not being bold in Love, and love can begin with a prayer.
When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself.” -Corrie Ten Boom
A healthcare Business Analyst by trade, Steve Wilson retired husband, father, and grandfather who loves to see and write about finding God in the everyday. Originally from Ohio, Steve and his wife, Jenny now reside in Granite Falls North Carolina.
In The Midst Of The Storm
by Steve Wilson
It’s August once again, which for most of us, means another month of heat and humidity. It is also the birthday month for both my wife and daughter. But it is now a one year anniversary of two events which occurred on the same day; August 3rd. Charles Dickens started his novel, A Tale of Two Cities with “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times”; I can relate to old Charlie now more than ever.
The day began with great anticipation as we prepared to embark on an extended weekend with our daughter and her family, heading to Greenville SC to venture into everything the area had to offer. We had secured a cabin through Airbnb, a secluded retreat from which to escape the hustle and bustle of life, with the exception of our hit and run areas of interest to our family.
We finally arrived to find a modern cabin awaiting its newest occupants; the oversized front porch greeted us with the anticipation of quiet moments, rocking in rhythm to a slower paced life. Inside, a warm honey hued interior greeted us, polished oak covering the floors, stairs and ceiling. We quickly claimed our bedrooms and checked out all of the amenities that were offered; a large stone fireplace which would never be used by us due to the season. A large table and chairs nestled in a corner by the kitchen; this area would eventually be transformed into a grand arena, where the gladiators would match wits against the others with a variety of different board games that were packed. It seemed like the perfect home away from home.
A couple of hours after arriving, I was sitting on the front porch, listening to the steady cadence of rain falling on the many trees and branches that surrounded our little retreat. My phone gently vibrated, nudging me to attention and I slipped my inanimate intruder out of my front pocket and began to read a text that I had received from Craig and Karen Ruhl, regarding my long anticipated book which was about to launch through Amazon. Sure enough, Karen was very pleased to notify me that Life Simply Spoken was just released and available through Amazon! A myriad of emotions bubbled up to the surface as I eagerly responded to her text, thanking them and subsequently alerting family and friends through Facebook of the fabulous news; it was surely a huge answer to prayer and an impossible dream made possible through Craig and Karen!
My family and I were so excited with this news as we settled down to enjoy one another and our new accommodations. Like many of the rentals we had experienced in the past, this place seemed to have a lack of lighting, especially where my wife, Jenny needed to sit and work on her cross stitch. We repositioned a side table and lamp, and I had remembered seeing a surge protector upstairs that would stretch just far enough to ensure that we could plug the lamp in the new location. I climbed the stairs, located the needed surge protector and proceeded down the stairs; I made it to the next to the last step, and life once again took a turn as I placed my foot on that last polished oak step.
My foot slipped and the lower part of my leg turned under the rest of my body as I went down hard on the honey colored oak floor, my body crumpled like a discarded piece of aluminum foil. Jenny heard the loud crash and sudden silence, and immediately yelled for the rest of the family to come downstairs to help; they all gathered around my altered form at the bottom of the stairs. Meanwhile, I was pretty much in shock, slowly attempting to grasp what had just happened and struggling to assess what possible damage had just ensued with my body; I ached all over! I began moving my limbs and quickly discovered that I couldn’t move my right leg, which was at a strange angle and looked different; there was now an indention above my right knee that wasn’t there before. I had snapped my right quadricep tendon, which meant that I couldn’t walk or stand at all.
The local squad was called and I was hurriedly whisked away to the local emergency room, where the ED doctor quickly examined me and determined that I may have a chipped bone in my ankle; he subsequently wrapped my knee and ankle, prescribed a pair of crutches and sent us on our way, not before recommending that I contact an orthopedic specialist once we return home. Needless to say, it was a long night in that cabin, my body racked with pain, discomfort and guilt, with the realization that our excursion was cut short due to my mishap.
Fast forward a few days and our lives had been thrown completely upside down as I struggled to get around; since we live in a split level home, it made for an even riskier environment. Twelve days after the accident, I had surgery on my knee to reattach my tendon; it was a twelve month prognosis or as I considered it, sentence until I was fully restored. For months, my post-surgical life consisted of either a recliner or bed with an occasional trip to the bathroom, supported by my wife, walker and eventually the trusty cane. My wife was simply amazing through this entire ordeal, even though I knew that she was completely overwhelmed and exhausted with a full time job and now, an additional full time position as caregiver to her husband. Meanwhile it seemed at times, like a full time job for me to keep my guilt and frustration levels in check. After what seemed like eternity, I finally graduated rehab and released from the orthopedic doctor on February 8th of 2024, a full six months after my fall; I’m glad to report that I am now fully restored!
Looking back, it simply seems impossible what we had endured during this time, but it shouldn’t be surprising at all. In the midst of this terrible storm of turmoil that we were in, prayer from friends and family had completely encased us like a cocoon of protection. Offers of assistance again from friends and family were readily available and appreciated. My own prayer life hit another level as my dependence upon God and everyone else gave me a new sense of both humility and thankfulness. And that thankfulness AND humility has carried me through to this very day with every determined thankful step that I take.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
Mike Buchanan is an author andfreelance writer. His love for writing and poetry, along with his passionto be of help to cancer patients, inspired him to author the book “Mountains ofHope: Surrounding the Valley of Cancer.” This inspirational book provides dailydoses of encouragement for those challenged by the disease. He recentlypublished his most recent book, Feeling Down? Look Up!! Mike is also a featuredcontributing writer for several Christian magazines. Mike and his wife,Darlene, live in Buckeye, Arizona.
The Head Bone Connected To The Foot Bone
By Mike Buchanan
Way back when I was a kid, there was a simple ditty that talked about how each bone in the body was connected to each other to build the structure. The ankle bone is connected to the knee bone, the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone, etc. In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul gives us a reminder we shouldn’t place any one part above another. Today, I’m here to remind you of something else Paul said.
In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks of the church being joined together by what we each supply. This allows for the effective working of each person to do their part and causes the growth of the church for the edifying of itself in love. (4:16) It’s just my opinion, but Paul may have had Jesus’ words in mind when He said, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The point of this introduction is we need each other. And in this world of social media and mega churches, other people need us. It can be very easy to become isolated. We take a Sunday or a month of Sundays off and listen to a great sermon (our own pastor or someone else) on the internet. We miss out on fellowship. In these large churches you may feel unseen. I get it, I do. Yet, if you’re in a large or small church, and you’re there, God might use YOU to bless someone like no one else can. He may also do the same for you.
Please hear me. I am not advocating going to church so you can be blessed by someone. Go, first to worship God. Attend for unified praise and worship. Pray for and with your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you happen to give or receive a blessing along the way, praise the Lord! Who knows? You might make a new friend!
Allow me to circle back to the needing each other part. In Ecclesiastes 4 it talks about how if one person walks alone, no one can help him up. When one person is overcome, if he has someone with him, they can win the battle. Lastly it says a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken. There is strength in numbers.
There are also advantages to having groups with the same goal but different backgrounds or talents. Look at the original 12 Apostles. Now granted, they had the Greatest Leader the world has ever known, but they weren’t perfect. Among them you had unlearned fishermen, a tax collector (big time sinner!), an enemy of the state, and yes, you had one that would eventually betray Christ. Yet look at what the Shepherd trained them and unified them into being able to do? We’re still talking about it 2,000 years later!
What about you? What dreams do you think God has given that you cannot pull off on your own? Reach out to those in your church, or in other churches. They won’t bite. At least they shouldn’t. We’re all part of the Body of Christ. Use your Instaface and Grambook accounts to ask your friends. Maybe they share some of those dreams and ideas, but are afraid to do anything, because they may think they can’t do it either. Sometimes it only takes two, like Jonathan and his armor-bearer. Sometimes it takes 301, like Gideon and the 300 with him.
The thing is, if God is calling you, He will make the way known to you, if you are looking for it.
He can turn a failure into a future. He can turn a wrong step into a path for His Glory. He doesn’t always do it the same way for everyone. God usually catches us off guard when it happens. To use the cliché, He zigs, when we zag. Yet, above all, we must be prepared to sacrifice our will for His. We must have faith that what He has in store for us is above all we can think or imagine. Then we have to take the first step, and watch as He helps us, and those He brings alongside us, do the work.
Now maybe you’re reading this and thinking I don’t have any plans any more. I’m at the end of my rope. Friend, that might be the best place for you to be. Sometimes when we reach the end of the rope, is when we realize we need to let go of the rope, and reach out to Jesus. Don’t reach out to people who have let you down in a church.
I’m sorry if that’s happened before, but Jesus promises He will never leave you nor forsake you. He loved you from before the foundation of the world. He has been waiting for you to call on Him, to ask forgiveness for the things you’ve done wrong. He wants to become the Lord of your life. He went to the Cross to make that possible. He died so you could live with Him for eternity. All you have to do is ask Him for forgiveness, tell Him you believe God raised Him from the dead, and tell Him you want to live for Him for the rest of your life.
When you do that, pray to find a Bible-teaching church so they can help you grow in Christ. Get a good study Bible. Spend time with Christians who can encourage you and who you can encourage. Spend time in prayer. You can talk to God just like He’s your Father and Friend.
And He Did Cast Himself Into the Sea
(John 21:7 KJV)
Dear Brother Peter after denying Jesus thrice you could have felt all was lost except your Master is the one who rejoices in finding lost sheep, a piece of silver and the prodigal son, being the merciful Christ of all new beginnings calling you without hesitation to find His sheep and even His most vulnerable, His lambs.
Let me be with you, Brother Peter casting myself without pause into the sea and swimming my stroke by thy stoke to the shore.
Others must come in the little ship to bring in the catch of one hundred fifty-three but let me not hesitate to plunge, plunge without fear into the Sea of Galilee.
I am good to swim the three hundred feet. Let me share your burden straining all to bring in the miraculous catch. Dear Brother Peter and then leave you and your fellow disciples to dine with your Lord basking in His Light while I slip away not ready for this meeting with Jesus and go to the sick, imprisoned, the unwanted.
Be Jubilant My Feet
My feet lean into this incomplete puzzle path of life
to Wisconsin to visit my eldest daughter go to the store to pick up the gallon of milk I promised yesterday to get it but forgot again to trek the Ozark Mountains to photograph our avian friends and the hospital to hold a hand in commingled pain and relief My feet go anywhere, everywhere, for any reason led by Jesus Christ.
My feet guide me on Sunday to witness, behold Jesus’s precious bleeding feet from nails dripping purity and love these feet, these feet wet with my tears Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! Yea, Lord, I will go with Thee always! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Someday, Brother Peter, we will meet again and I promise I will be ready then. Please, wait for me.
A New Christian Creed?
I went to my neighbor’s to invite them to Easter services and found this new sign. NO SOLICITING
We are too broke to BUY anything ______________________________
We know who we are VOTING for _____________________________
We have found JESUS
So unless you have package from AMAZON _______________________
PLEASE GO AWAY
am glad somehow I missed the memo.
Michael Shoemaker is a poet, photographer and writer from Magna, Utah. He is the author of a poetry/photography collection Rocky Mountain Reflections (Poets’ Choice) and the forthcoming Grasshoppers in the Field. Michael is a winner of the California State Poetry Society Prize and is on the shortlist for The Letter Review Prize for Poetry and in the anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival. He has been awarded a 2024 grant by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums for his poetry. His writing has appeared in Blue Lake Review, Literary Revelations Journal, The High Window, Seashores Haiku Journal, Poetry Pacific and in anthologies at Pure Slush and Echoes of the Wild. He lives with his family where he enjoys looking out on the Great Salt Lake every day.
With faith, hope and charity that never faileth,
Donna is a preschool curriculum writer for Lifeway and loves teaching two year olds at her church, Hudson First Baptist. She is a retired elementary school media coordinator and K-1 teacher. She loves all childrenespecially her 4 grandchildren! She loves to read, scrapbook, and make cards. Donna lives in Hudson, NC with her husband, Lewis. They enjoy traveling together.
WHAT ELSE HAPPENED?
By Donna J. Miller
What do you like to read? I have been a bookworm since I was a small child and read many different genres, but my favorite is Historical Biblical fiction. In a world with so much to read, I look towards Philippians 4:8 as I choose books. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.
Why read Biblical fiction in addition to the Bible? My husband and I began to read the A.D. Chronicles series by Bodie and Brock Thoene as we prepared for a trip to Israel. The books helped us see Bible passages more clearly and let us visualize people who lived in the villages and cities we visited.
One of my favorite characters in the A. D. Chronicles is Zadok. Zadok, a shepherd in Bethlehem, saw the angels and hurried to see Jesus in the manger. Zadok’s face is scarred because he fought soldiers in a vain attempt to save his sons when Herod killed the male children under the age of two. As an older man, he sought the “baby”, now grown, who was teaching and preaching. Does that not make perfect sense? Those shepherds in Luke 2:8-18 would have walked away from that night with changed lives, never forgetting that amazing event. They were probably residents of Bethlehem and could have been fathers or uncles to those boys Herod killed in Matthew 2:16.
I love to read Biblical fiction because often the stories in the Bible leave questions in our minds about what else happened. As a curriculum writer and teacher of preschoolers, I have read the story of the boy giving Jesus his lunch to feed 5,000 people often. I wonder about that boy’s mother. If she had gone to see Jesus, she would have packed her own lunch and Jesus would have had two lunches to use in His miracle. Or she would have told her son to keep his lunch. She would have reminded him that it was a long walk home and he would need that food! If he went alone, what would she think if he came home with his fantastic story about Jesus feeding thousands of people with his lunch? Did she accuse him of lying? Did the neighbors come running to tell her what happened before he got home?
Then there is the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-40. Joseph’s brothers sold him to men who took him to Egypt. Joseph prospered in Potiphar’s house. Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph and accused him even though he resisted her. Potiphar furiously threw Joseph into prison. The king later threw his butler and baker into prison and Joseph interpreted their dreams. The butler was restored to his position but forgot about Joseph. Genesis 40:23 says “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” The next verse, Genesis 41:1a says: “At the end of two years Pharaoh had a dream.” We barely hesitate as we begin a new chapter. but Joseph was left in prison for two more years. TWO YEARS! Two years is a long time to be forgotten and innocent in prison. Those two years are reduced to the small space between chapters 40 and 41. Joseph hadn’t read the rest of the story and didn’t just slip through those two years knowing it would work out like we do. Joseph was about 17 when his brothers sold him and about 39 when he revealed himself to his brothers in Egypt. He spent 22 years of his life waiting until his teenage dreams came true.
The story is just a few chapters in our Bible. A novelist, Angela Elwell Hunt told this amazing story in Legacies of the Ancient River, a Biblical fiction series of three books about Joseph and his family. She recorded her ideas of what each person might have felt and done during each encounter.
Good authors thoroughly research before writing Biblical fiction. They want to be sure the context is correct. The customs, the language, the diet, the type of clothing, the government, and all the details that affect the story must be sound.
Biblical fiction should be true to the words already written in the Bible. Jesus’ words should be accurate. He could repeat a message spoken in Jerusalem to a crowd gathered in Nazareth, but His words should never be changed in an untrue way. The events should always support the Bible’s record of events.
Other Biblical fiction writers include Jill Eileen Smith, Francine Rivers, and Tim LaHaye with Jerry B. Jenkins. They breathe life into stories told in a few verses, but the truths these stories teach are life-changing.
I especially love Biblical fiction that imagines some of the other events in Jesus’ life. John 21:25 says And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. He healed, taught, and blessed people in many ways that are not written down. I hope the other things Jesus did are written in the books of heaven so I can spend eternity reading them!
Dr. Kathleen B. Oden is an author, missionary, and Bible teacher. 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 Minister 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
ETERNAL LIFE
By Dr. Kathleen Oden
In the lush garden of Eden, God laid down the very foundation of life as we know it. This was a place of unparalleled beauty and harmony, where the first humans, Adam and Eve, walked side by side with God. It was here, in this divine garden, that the blueprint for eternal life was first revealed.
“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.”
Genesis 3:22 (KJV)
At 27 eternal life was not on my mind. Like most young people I was living for the moment. However, now at 72 it comes to my mind almost daily. Mostly because of the many loved ones that have left the earth realm this year. I just can’t stop thinking about it. There have been times in my life that living forever was like wow, a dream.
But it is not a dream. I am going to live forever because of eternal life. The question is, how many of us that call ourselves Christian, actually believe that? And if we do, as much as we miss our loved ones and mourn their leaving, do we ever think about “hummmmmmmm, I wonder what my mom or sister or friend is doing today?
Heaven is a busy place just like here on earth. People have a life to live, things to do, places to go and people to see! I thank the Lord for giving me this new mindset about heaven and eternal life. It has really helped me to not stop mourning but to stop thinking about death. The only thing dead is the shell casing that the Lord gives us to live in, while we are here on earth.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 (KJV)
As believers, we are called to live in the light of this eternal promise. By nurturing our bodies with the nutrients and care they require, we honor the divine breath and Holy Spirit within us. As we strive to reclaim a semblance of the health and longevity once destined for us, it’s crucial to remember that through Christ, the promise of eternal life is restored. **John 3:16** reminds us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In Christ, we can find the path back to the garden, to a place where health, wellness, and eternal life intertwine.
As we navigate the challenges of this world, let us keep our eyes fixed on the promise of eternal life, nurturing our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, and looking forward to the day when we shall once again walk with God in perfect health and everlasting, eternal life!
Garden of Eden Fruit and Nut Salad
A reminder of the wholeness and wellness that comes from living in harmony with God’s eternal promise.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of mixed greens (spinach, kale, arugula)
- 1/2 apple, diced
- 1/2 cup of mixed berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
- 1/4 cup of almonds, sliced (optional)
- 1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions:
1. Combine and mix greens, diced apple, and mixed berries.
2. Whisk together the honey and lemon juice until well combined.
3. Drizzle the honey-lemon dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.
4. Sprinkle sliced almonds & chopped walnuts on top. (optional)
LEARN MORE… https://cahm.now.site/
Bookshelf Reviews
Taking It To Our Knees / 5 Star Ratings
by Craig D. Lounsbrouogh
Reviewed by Karen Ruhl
“This book is a book written to bring the power and potency of prayer into your life so that you can release it into a world that is in desperate need of what prayer cna do.” Craig D. Lounsbrough.
I love reading this prayer book, and I will use it in my day-to-day timie with God. There were so many chapters that touched my heart. With the recent loss of my husband, it helped me focus on prayer even more.
In Chapter 5, he helps us make prayer intentional.
-Have a Designated Place To Pray
-Have A Designated Time To Pray
-Remove Distractions
-Track Scriptures in Your Bible As God Gives Them To You (I love this one)
-Have Some Accompanying Material
-Your State Of Mid
-To End Your Day
This is a book that will stay with me during the day so when I take a break from work, I can pick it up and read a chapter.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. You can purchase it by clicking on the book cover that will take you to Amazon.com
I am also including a photo of a book he gifted to me to help me in the loss of my husbad Craig. I am still reading but can recommend it by what I have read. A great gift for soeone who has lost a loved one.
Bookshelf Reviews
My Ancensters Did What? / 5 Star Ratings
By Gena Barnhill
Reviewed by Karen Ruhl
I have to admit that I didn’t think I thought past generations influenced me, but after reading this book, I realize that all of us have generational beliefs and patterns in our life that shaped who we are.
From the first section of Forgiveness, I wanted to read more and learn how I can pray for healng. One person wrote a review on Amazon saying:
“I liked the way the chapters in this book each address a particular issue that could be tied to a person’s history. The questions and suggested prayers at the end of each chapter are quite thought-provoking. This book has the power to change a person’s life.”
I must admit, this is another book that I will keep close and really study what Gena has written. Sometimes, one read is just not enough to get the full benefit.
I highly recommend this 5-star book!
Click on the book photo and you will be taken to Amazon.com
Craig’s background includes over thirty years of experience as a counselor in a variety of treatment settings, 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 magazines. 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
Dad’s Workbench
There’s A Tool for That
By Craig D. Lounsbrough
“There’s a tool for that.” I can’t tell you how many times I heard my Dad say that. And in the oddity of life, no matter what task we had to do there was a tool for it; not just some tool but a specific tool. Someone, somewhere, at some time had faced whatever challenge we were facing and had designed a tool to get it done with a fair amount of ease and a significantly reduced amount of frustration and stress.
For a kid, I didn’t really want to take the time to look for a specific tool. It seemed much more expedient to simply grab something a whole lot more common, like a wrench or a hammer or a screwdriver or a saw and force it to work. I also found out that there’s nothing like power tools because they can rip and tear and screw and unscrew faster than you can imagine. You use that kind of power and you don’t really need that specific tool because that stuff will blow through the job one way or another. And we all know where that’s likely to end up. The fact that “there’s a tool for that” can be wonderful if you find it and use it, or it can be completely frustrating if you ignore it and blow through a job to the destruction of the job.
The Tools in the Toolbox:
The Tool of Recognizing There’s a Tool
First, we need to recognize that whatever we come up against, “there’s a tool for that.” Sometimes we don’t think there is any tool to deal with whatever’s facing us. We think that it’s really all about pulling together our assorted array of mismatched tools and figuring out how to apply them to something that none of them are really designed for. But, there is a tool for that.
The Tool of Creativity
At times, circumstances will leave us with monumental challenges and only a handful of the most primitive tools to deal with them. We all have events transpire that are immeasurably bigger than the pile of sordid and banged up tools we’ve got laying around. In these instances we take the tool of creativity and we use it to take the limitations of the tools that we have at our disposal, and we creatively expand those tools beyond their limitations.
The Tool of Determination
Harriett Beecher Stowe wrote, “When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” The tool of determination recognizes that persistence is the not exercise of futility, but an understanding that additional pressure rightly exerted can move what seems to be immovable.
The Tool of Faith
Patrick Overton wrote that when pushed to the brink, “faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.” Faith states that we can rest in the fact that our challenges are not bound by whatever limits them or whatever limits us. The tool of faith recognizes that the tools that we have can do far more than we ever realized.
The Tool of Wisdom
Wisdom is often defined as the application of knowledge. Many people have knowledge, but they’re not knowledgeable in the application of it. We can be book-smart and street-smart and just plain smart, yet we can be stupid in the application of our smartness. Wisdom is the manner in which we astutely discern the challenges before us and then wisely draw from our knowledge base to solve them.
So Many Tools
There are so many tools at our disposal. Somewhere inside of us “there’s a tool for that” or there’s a tool to create a tool. We come marvelously equipped with the ability to be equipped in a way that there will always “be a tool for that.” And so, you may want to take a tool inventory and see what’s inside of you. You’ll likely be quite surprised. As Dad always said, “there’s a tool for that.”
© Craig D. Lounsbrough, M.Div., LPC
Licensed
Professional Counselor
19029 East Plaza Drive, Suite 255
Parker, Colorado 80134
(303) 593-0575
As former owner and creative director of two advertising agencies, Linda has years of experience creating a public impression of a product through the media using television commercials, radio and print advertising, press releases, and marketing campaigns.
Linda has been a caregiver for her son; a volunteer who travelled to Egypt and helped Sudanese refugees; a volunteer for a local food ministry, and a Creative Writing teacher for the Arts and Humanities Council of Tulsa for their Artists in the Schools program.
GOD’S PROMISES
By Linda Castro
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” ((Isaiah 40:31 KJV)
There are an estimated 7,000 promises from God in the Bible. What He said then, He is still bound to keep those promises today. How many do we want done for us? Only believe and it will be done, perhaps not in the way we would anticipate them being done, but God cannot lie. He will keep His promises.
My son, my only child, developed a fatal neurological disorder in his 40’s. Extremely Rare, no cure, no treatments. Why does something like this happen? Where were God’s promises in this situation? What was the ultimate plan? But God kept His promise and God had a plan.
“Mom!” my son yelled, “Help!” My grown son who was sitting in his wheelchair trying to reach something had become unbalanced and was barely hanging onto the chair. “Thanks, Mom.” He said after I helped him back up and handed him the item he was trying to reach. His health had deteriorated to the point he was in the wheelchair and barely able to move his legs.
The medical specialists had told me privately there was no hope for my son’s condition and he had been in Hospice for a few months. Of course, I didn’t tell my son that information and while there were days he couldn’t really move there were also days when he could sit up in the wheelchair while I pushed him. Of course, I had to put a strap around his chest and through the back of the wheelchair to hold him upright, but every day was a blessing.
I had to keep taking him to another state to be studied at a well-known medical college due to the rarity of his disease and they could only identify various symptoms but no cause or complete diagnosis.
So, we settled into every day being a new experience for us. No two days were alike. He was my only child, had never married and had no children, and even though he was grown, his body had reverted back to wearing diapers and needing help eating and drinking. I would read scriptures to him about all of God’s promises and, even though he was diagnosed with brain atrophy and sometimes couldn’t speak, when I would read God’s promises he would correct me if I read it wrong. I usually did it on purpose and we would laugh about it. But then there was no more laughter. When the day came that he went home to Heaven, it was peaceful and quiet. That day ended five years of my 24/7 care for him. And it took some time for me to adjust to him not being there, waiting in the next room, and his little dog kept looking for him. But God promised us peace. He promised “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV). Castro/god’s promiseS / 3
During the five years I cared for my son, we used a couple of different agencies to send young ladies to help with his care and some housekeeping. So, we got to share Jesus with so many people we would never have met if my son had been healthy. God always has a plan.
After my son went to Heaven, I donated his hospital bed, shower chair, electric wheelchair, walkers, etc. to various people and organizations. More people were helped by receiving these items. Again, God had a plan. “Do not neglect to do good and to share what have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” (Hebrews 13:16 ESV).
God also promised that all things will work out for good for His children (Romans 8:28). This is the broader picture that keeps us from being dismayed by present circumstances. Circumstances change. God still has a plan.
Of all the estimated 7,000 promises God made, there is one that every human being has the opportunity to receive and benefit from. God promised salvation to all who believe in His Son (Romans 1:16-17). There is no greater blessing than the free gift of God’s salvation.
When my son was confined to a wheelchair, he claimed the promise that God made in Isaiah 40:31 that says “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”.
My son is no longer confined to a wheelchair. He is in Heaven, running and walking and mounting up as an eagle because God keeps His promises.
J Jerry A. Davidson was born in February of 1995. He lives in Alexander, AR with his wife, Amy. He is a hymn writer, singer, writer, and author. His desire is to write stories and songs that bring glory to God through a deep understanding of His Word and design for the world.
Stop Trying To Experience God
by Jerry A. Davidson
God is not an experience. He is the Almighty King who gave us life, truth, and an ordered creation. It is shameful that Christians have become so liberal that the only thing so many of them are focused on is how well they individually “experience God.”
Here is a hard truth for us all to take to heart: God determines how you experience Him. Hezekiah’s experience with God was his being stricken ill, leaving him pleading to God for his life, which God granted. Gideon’s experience with God was his being called to destroy the idols of the land and lead a rag-tag group of men to conquer their oppressors by very unconventional means. Jacob’s experience with God was an all-day wrestling match that left him with a dislocated limb. Abraham’s experience with God was a test of faith in God’s ability to raise his son, Isaac, from the dead after sacrificing him. Saul’s (later Paul’s) experience with God was being struck blind followed by a very hard life of full-time ministry. Moses’s and the Israelites’ experience with God was plagues, a multi-decade journey through the desert, a lot of battles, and A LOT of laws.
This is key. The one true God is a God of order. The Israelites strayed when they wanted to FEEL od and experience Him tangibly. This led them to have Aaron make them a golden calf, obscenely putting a cow as the representation of Yahweh. The only way that any Israelite could get close to God was by following the laws that He gave them. God is so holy that only He can set the rules on how to draw near to Him. In the Old Testament, God gave a rigorous set of rules about how to approach him. The closer a priest got to God in the Tabernacle or (later on) the temple, the stricter and more rigorous the laws were about how to approach Him.
Our life as Christians can’t be about experiencing God. It is about obeying God and His commands. If we try to feel God by our means, we’re deluding ourselves.
We worship God in spirit and truth. The spirit is only willing by God’s grace and gift of the Holy Spirit in us, received by faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the spirit part of the equation: our spirits that God has crafted in us. It’s not about a conjured spiritual feeling. The truth is the other half of the equation, and truth is made by God. The truth is found only in God’s Word, and everything we sing and worship Him with must adhere perfectly to it.
Some questions to ask yourself are: Is your worship of God reliant on mood lighting and prayers with music behind them? Is it reliant on drums, guitars, keys, and professional vocal runs? Is your worship reliant on choruses that make you feel good about God? Is your day-to-day faithfulness and appreciation for God contingent on how good the service was on Sunday? Is your daily offering to God dependent on reading only something uplifting from Scripture?
Here is ultimately the question you should be asking yourself and your church leaders: Are your songs and forms of worship about God or you with God?
God has done marvelous things for you, but HE DOESN’T NEED YOU. You are a wretched sinner, utterly helpless without His grace and mercy. You have no entitlement for God to make you feel any which way. What you do have is a duty to love Him, obey Him, and worship Him properly, and there is no better way to worship God than logically and orderly.
Our “worship experiences” look more like pagan dance parties than they do orderly worship exalting the true, living, immutable God who made all things, knows all things, and commands all things by His perfect will. Our churches are in a drunken stupor of liberalism, thinking that each person is due a spiritual experience by conjured means. The only thing you are entitled to is eternal death apart from God’s will for and grace to you. God is the only One who is due anything.
John Calvin had a worship leader named Louis. Louis served faithfully for a long time, and they faithfully sang the psalter as a church. Then, Louis decided he was going to just slightly alter some of the regular tunes the church sang acapella every Sunday. Understand that this would have made it difficult for the congregation to sing together, and they would not have been able to dwell on the lyrics of the psalms as they sang it. For this, the elders of Calvin’s church threw Louis in prison. Calvin got him out the next day, but needless to say, they stuck to the regular tunes after that.
This is the level of care we need to have for the lyrics and tunes we sing. How many times do today’s top Christian artists change the lyrics and melodies and add verses or choruses to timeless hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs? This should anger you because it removes the ability of the saints to come together in corporate worship and exalt our God and Savior in spirit and truth. If you can’t dwell upon what you’re singing, and if what you’re singing is not logical, reasonable worship that’s perfectly in keeping with the revealed Word of God, you’d be better off lowering your hands, finding a quiet room, and reading a Psalm with a group of your brothers and sisters in Christ.
One of the most popular Christian worship songs today is Cory Asbury’s “Reckless Love.” There are several other problems with the lyrics in this heinous song, but the worst offense Asbury makes is in the title and chorus: describing God’s love as reckless. How dare he describe the God who created time, who formed the cosmos by a simple Word, and whose love, will, and holiness are so beyond perfect that the man, Moses, who drew closest to God on this earth, came back from the mountain, having only seen God’s back, with his face glowing so brightly that no mortal man could look at him! God’s love is perfect and planned. He cannot be careless or reckless with His love because He controls all things!
Having the right view of God is the ONLY concern we should have in our worship. Having the right view of God corrects our wrong feelings, convicts us of our sins, and informs us how we should feel day to day. Singing an upbeat song about the reckless love of God feels good, but in singing such lyrics, we inform our souls that if God is reckless with His love, we can do likewise. God’s love is not reckless, and neither should ours be. God’s love is the greatest love that can ever exist because He is intentional with His love toward us and all of creation. Likewise, ensure your worship is intentional, true, logical, and reasonable. In this, you edify your heart, soul, and might, and worship God in spirit and truth.
Pam McCormick writes to share her wonderful Savior and all that He has done for her. She is a retired teacher and has two adult children, Adrienne and Joseph. Joseph and his wife, Sheila, have given Pam and her husband, George, four beautiful granddaughtersMerryn, Charlotte, Kathryn, and Abigail. She has published a children’s book called Holy Cow, Freddie and Lulu, and is currently working on a memoir of God’s faithfulness in her imperfect life called Celery Stalks and Coffee Grounds. She is a contributing author to Ancient Stones, Timeless Encouragement and Living Stones, Indwelling Encouragement.
JESUS, I BELIEVE
By Pam McCormick
The three musketeers, three good friends that have not been able to meet up lately, finally met at Pizza Hut at noon on an appointed day last week. Little did we know what God had planned, but after hugging each other and listening to our shared needs and praying silently for each need spoken, I spoke up boldly and took a leap of faith.
I told my friends that I believed God would heal someone I loved very much from a horrible incurable disease that had taken her strength, her stamina and her ability to continue. The heat where she lived had exacerbated her symptoms, and fatigue ensued. Although she knew Jesus, she was struggling to believe that her healing would come. I sent her a text message and told her I would pray for her daily, but even in that, I failed. I finally told God I surrender what I cannot fix to You. I knew God loved her. I knew God could heal her, but my prayer had been more like, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”
I had read a Bible verse that said, “If two or more agree on anything in My Name, I will do it.” I love my friends, but they also had been going through tough trials in their own faith, so the enemy saw an opportunity to make me doubt what I said, and I let the enemy’s lies speak louder than God’s Truth. It was okay, because God wanted me to depend on Him. He was training me to listen to Him and speak as He led me to speak by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well, I wasn’t feeling all so powerful. I got up from our table to fix my salad, and I was discouraged. Had I not listened to God well? Had I trusted in my own thinking more than God’s? It didn’t matter what I had done. God was getting ready to do something bigger and more wonderful than I could ask, think or imagine.
When I got up from our table, a woman who was 73 years of age called me over to her. She apologized to me for eavesdropping on our conversation, but she was a retired pastor and believed the Lord wanted her to share some words with me. I didn’t know her from Adam’s housecat, but I believe God put her there by divine appointment to minister to me. She said, “Keep the faith, child. Our God is a divine healer, and He will do this.”
I so wanted to hold onto my fears and my unbelief. I had needed a word from God, and God knew it, and God provided the exact person to be there at that time to encourage my hurting heart. I continued to listen to her.
I don’t remember her name. I will call her Angel, because she was a gift from God to me. She pointed out her beautiful granddaughter that was sitting across from her and said, “I want to introduce you to my granddaughter Shamira. When she was two years old, the doctors said, she would never walk or talk.”
Shamira was now 15 years old now and would be attending a local high school in the fall. The doctors told Angel that they weren’t going to make any money off her, because her faith in God was greater than her fear. Shamira was beautiful. God made Shamira, provided an encouraging praying Grandma to raise her up, and today she is a living example of our God’s ability to heal.
When I left there, I was not only well fed with pizza and breadsticks, but also encouraged that there was nothing impossible for our God. He just asks us to believe. Jesus, I believe.
Beyond fact, beyond reason, our God loves to show up and show off and reveal Himself to us when we listen. Today, I was just so still, standing in front of my kitchen window, and I heard God speak, “I will heal her. I am the Lord God Almighty. There is nothing too difficult for Me.”
I am dependent on the God Who created this earth with a single word and Who can raise up those with diseases and maladies so they will be a testimony to His greatness and His power to heal in all things.
The disciples asked Jesus who sinned, the blind man or his parents, that he would be born blind. And Jesus answered, “Neither this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind, so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.’’
God never allows anything to happen to us that does not occasion His glory.
Yes, Lord, be glorified in this situation that I can’t change, but that You can.
Thank You God for the faith to believe. Jesus, I believe!
“Now to Him Who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughput all generations forever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 Amp
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will you give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven, give good gifts to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11 NIV
ROAD TRIPPIN’ TO ARBORCREST GARDENS
In June, I had the opportunity to go on a trip with the seniors from our church. What a wonderul group of people.
We first went out to eat lunch and then on to Arborcrest Gardens in Boone, NC. It is such a beautiful garden built by a local Doctor who invested in his community to share the beauty God has created.
I hope you enjoy the photos. God bless you all.
PS: Shout out to Hudson First Seniors Group!
By Karen Ruhl
If you have a chance, this is a beautiful garden to visit. As you can see in the first photo, you are driven around in an open air bus and given a tour. I am going to leave room here for a couple more photos. Enjoy the Cabbage Patch Garden Photo - what a cute idea!
Faith On Every Corner Publishing
We have read over 160 books and offered our reviews in issues of Faith On Every Corner. On this journey, we have met many wonderful writers who have experienced the trials and pitfalls of becoming published authors. We first learned of a woman who wrote a beautiful book, only to be taken advantage of by an unscrupulous publisher. She and her husband lost thousands of dollars they could ill afford to lose. We helped her republish her book while she kept all rights to her work. Since then, we have found that there are many writers who shared her terrible experiences.
In response, the team at Faith On Every Corner developed a very affordable package of services for writers who would like to publish their book. Our knowledge and experience includes:
• Coaching and Mentoring
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• Editing (all levels)
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• Cover Design, Graphics, and Layout
• Formatting for Publishing
• Publishing (Amazon, Ingram Spark, Etc.)
• Marketing and Advertising
• Author Platform
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Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ® (ESV ®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version ® (NKJV ®). Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (CSB) taken from The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from The King James Bible, public domain.