Christian Life

The Antidote To Fear

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oak

A couple weeks ago I unknowingly stepped into a patch of Poison Oak.  It tricked me with its leaves that had turned from green to red. I looked at it, reached for it and took it home with me! I can’t even describe to you the discomfort I had on my arms and legs for days afterward.  It sent me to Urgent Care to get an antidote for its poison.  What soothing relief the medication brought!

There is another poison that is spreading that’s worse than what I experienced.  It’s called FEAR.  America grieves once again for the loss of innocent lives. We weep with the families and the church who lost dear ones in the shooting during the Sunday church service.  While these tragedies sadden us, they also cause fear to spread in our hearts like the poison oak.  We ask ourselves and maybe also say it to others,

Are we safe anywhere these days?

Folks are asking, If you can’t even attend church without the fear of being gunned down, where can you feel safe?

On Facebook I saw these comments:

I carry to church. Someone should always be armed and ready these days.

We put some new security policies in place tonight, and we will be adding to it.

How sad. There are no safe places anymore

Whether we agree with these responses or not, we’d all probably admit to the feeling of pure vulnerability and FEAR. How do we respond?  What should we do today, tomorrow or next Sunday when we head to church?

The answer came so clearly from one of our visiting missionaries on Sunday.  He said:

Fearing the Lord is the antidote for fear.  If I fear man, it will affect my behavior.  The fear of God should be greater than any other fear.

To fear God is to have a conscious awareness of Him and His presence.

Therefore, if I fear Him, I’ll be aware that He is with me when I am at church, the park, the auditorium or in any other place.  Knowing God is there and thinking about that truth will alleviate any fear of man, because God is greater.  It also reminds me of other important truths:

  • He can protect me.
  • He loves me.
  • He knows the future.
  • He will give grace.
  • He will give strength.

The fear of God comes from the knowledge of His Word.  It is there that we learn His attributes that give us confidence and true peace – even in these turbulent days.

No one wants to face a terrifying time like the dear folks in Texas, but if we live in fear, and under the shadow of these kind of acts, we will miss out on each day God gives us to love and fear Him with a holy fear.  He is greater.

Don’t fear men.  Fear God.  It’s the only medicine for the poison of fear of men.

Is fear ruling your heart?  Ask God to give you a holy fear of Him instead.

Lovingly,

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Books

A New Adventure and Give-Away

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From the time I knew how to put sentences together on paper, I loved writing.  I wrote poems, short stories and journal posts with as much gusto as a November wind under an oak tree.  I’m always looking for good words, phrases and illustrations to describe what is in my heart.

The dream of my life has been to write a book, and I’ve been putting much prayer and a little bit of ink into a project that has been burning in my heart for years.  I’ve been stumped, however about an editor, a proofreader, and all the in’s and out’s of it all!  But I have continued to write.

While in the middle of taking time to work on my book this summer, I was asked to join a collaboration of other writers who were adding to a book entitled, The Extraordinary Woman. Debbie Vaughan was the one responsible for putting the book together, and she asked if I would help by writing two or three chapters from verses in Proverbs 31 – the chapter about The Excellent Woman.  Would I help?  Of course!!!  So, pausing on my own book, I was assigned three topics, and I began to put my prayers and thoughts into this joined effort.

Anyone who is familiar with Proverbs 31 can sigh and wonder how in the world we could ever attain all that she is praised for.  But this new little book, The Extraordinary Woman, can serve as a tool to know how to take those virtuous attributes and flesh them out in a practical way. Each chapter is short and easy to read, ending with points to ponder and apply.

Extraordinary Woman

I’m excited to say that that book is now published!  I only had a small part in it, but I count it an honor to join with many godly, wise women who added their chapters to make it a book that can serve as a mentoring guide for a women. This isn’t about me – it’s about this book.  I’m thankful to have a tiny part in it, and I think it will be a blessing to all the women who will read and apply its truths.  I’m thankful to Christ Life Ministries for asking me to participate in this project!

If you’re interested, you can go here to order a copy of the book.  I hope you will. I get no kick-back or remuneration for the sale of the books, only the joy of knowing that it’s being used to point women to Christ! Perhaps you could go through it with another woman and encourage one another to obey the principles from this special chapter of Scripture.

Extraordinary Woman 2

Aaaand, I’d like to give away a copy of this book to one reader.  Here’s all you need to do – just leave me a comment stating that you’d like a copy of the book!  That’s it!  If you share this give away on Facebook, let me know in your comment, and you’ll get an extra entry!  I’ll leave this open until next Wednesday, November 8 at midnight The winner will be chosen, announced and contacted next Friday, the 10th.

“My” book is still sitting unfinished, dangling like a broken arm waiting for surgery.  I pray I will get it written and find a publisher for it – just like this adventure was opened up to me…a Divine act of God!

Have a refreshing weekend,

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Fall · Family life · Husband · Marriage · Thanksgiving

Being Intentionally Thankful in November

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grateful

Happy November Eve!  There’s a reason I’m posting a second post on this October 31!  Read on!

As we stare into the beginning of this month in which we celebrate

Thanksgiving,

I thought it might be a good idea to think about how we can maximize being thankful for these thirty days!  It’s too easy to jump into Christmas mode and only give a nod to being grateful for all God has given us in His grace.   So, let me share a few practical ways you can focus on being thankful starting today!

  1. I’ve signed up to join Revive Our Heart for the 30-Day Gratitude Challenge.  You have to sign up before November 1!  So I’m posting my blog a day early so you won’t miss out!!  This will help me to really be intentional in being thankful!
  2. Show your family gratitude.  I’m re-doing something I’ve done in the past to show my husband know how grateful I am for him.  I drew this simple tree on the bathroom mirror.  Each day I’ll add a leaf stating one reason I thank God for him.  The first year I did this my husband said he was going to Lowe’s to buy a bigger mirror!  It made me smile, because I knew it had hit a chord in his heart.  I love him too much not to let him know exactly why!thankful tree
  3. Chalkboards are great ways to express daily thanks.  Set one on the counter of your kitchen and each day have your family write another thing for which they can give thanks.
  4. Or you could draw a tree on a chalkboard, like my bathroom tree and add leaves of thanks, like below.
    chalkboard thankful tree | NoBiggie.net - love this!
  5. Keep a thankfulness journal in which you only write your thanks – no requests.

Let’s be intentional every single day this month to be thankful to the Lord…He is the Giver of everything and He deserves our praise!

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Christian Life

The Lens of Truth

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waterfall 1.jpg

Last weekend my husband and I took a drive into the mountains where we spent two nights away.  It was a sunny day, and I rode along with my sunglasses on, “Ooo-ing” and “Ahhh-ing” over the colors of the trees as we climbed the higher altitude.

At some point during our drive, I took my glasses off, only to discover that my colored lenses had really enhanced the autumn hues.  The  trees were pretty, but not peaked yet, as I had thought.   My colored lenses had changed the scenery to look even better than real life! Taking it a step further –  I liked the difference those glasses made so much that I took the picture above from behind its lenses!

Hmmm, don’t I prefer to look through those kind of colored lenses at myself when there is a possibility that I have not responded correctly to a situation?!  I much rather believe that I am justified in my anger, have a right to refuse to forgive, to enjoy my laziness, neglect to share the Gospel, or to tell a friend about what someone did to me. Colored lenses in place.  Everything’s beautiful!  I’m just fine, thank you!

Pulling off the colored lenses and seeing things as they really are means seeing the truth as revealed in God’s Word – the truth about the condition of my heart.

Every word of God is pure:

he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Proverbs 30:5

I open God’s Word and the clear, beautiful Truth shines in, bringing conviction.  I see my sin as it really is.  Why?  Because God’s Word is pure, true, right.  Shining up against my sin, I see the result of my ugly choices and how they distort and change the real condition of my life before my Savior Who loves me enough to point out my sin and protect me from further consequences.

Now it’s decision time – will I obey or continue to fool myself with the colored lenses of self-adulation?

I will confess.  I will turn from the error and see what needs to be forsaken.  And you know what?  God allows confession and getting things right to be the most beautiful part of my day.  I can then see His grace shining through, allowing me to walk in victory, and for His glory, to point to the cross!

From now on, when I view the beauty of the scenery, I’ll enjoy the additional intensity my colored lenses give, but will remember how much better it is to view myself through the clear lens of Truth found in God’s Word!

Is there a sin in your life that you are justifying?  How does it line up with God’s Word?  I pray you’ll see the need to look at it clearly  and honestly and get things right between you and the Lord, if necessary.  It’s a beautiful sight to see a believer in fellowship with God!

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