Isn't It Just Like God!

Yesterday I received our itinerary for India. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to be doing, but I knew it may involve working some with the pastor's wives there.  I know some of what is "scheduled" may change, as those who have gone on mission trips know, but what I saw sent a wave of "panic" to my heart.  I am not a public speaker -- it is way out of my comfort zone -- and I was really hoping that maybe I could get away with a single sharing time, and then be an encourager the rest of the time -- a help in general. What I found out was that I will be speaking/teaching at two or three different pastor's wives events (probably a few sessions at each event), teaching at a "widows prayer meeting", and teaching children!!

 

I enjoy writing (where I can write, edit, rewrite, and then not see the possible "confusion" on the reader's face while "hearing" what I have to say!), but speak in front of a group?  I fumble around, and then sit down and realize I forgot to say the main point I intended to get across! 

The Lord and I had a discussion this morning.  It went something like this:  "Lord, I feel like Moses.  You called him to a task and to speak for you and he questioned his ability to speak.  I feel the same way!  I know you were angry with him and I don't want Your anger directed toward me, so give me the encouragement I need today. Give me the faith to trust you to do something I KNOW I cannot do." (Well, there was also some wrestling and tears thrown in too!) I went on with my morning time with the Lord.

I decided to be a part of Beth Moore's Living Proof 2013 Siesta Scripture Memory Team this year. (Go to http://blog.lproof.org/2013/01/2013-siesta-scripture-memory-team-verse-1.html if you'd like more information on how you can participate too!)  One of the Scriptures on the cover of the memory verse spiral was Joshua 1:9.  I knew that verse had something to do with being "strong and courageous" so I decided to turn to it and read it.  For some reason, instead of turning to Joshua, I thought it said Jeremiah 1:9 (That's what a menopausal mind can do!) and turned there. This is what I read:

"Then the Lord reached out His hand, touched my mouth and told me:

Look, I have filled your mouth with My words."

 

 

Isn't that just like God?  He pointed me to another one of His servants who said, "...Oh no, Lord God! Look, I don't know how to speak....." (Jeremiah 1:6)  I know God uses those who feel inadequate because then HE certainly gets the glory. 

 

 

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.   So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures.
For when I am weak, then I am strong."

 

 

So today I start seeking out what I need to share with these ladies and children.  I may indeed write it all out, so I can write, edit, and rewrite over the next 3 days!  Then I'll close my eyes as I speak to them so I won't see the confusion on their faces!!  Ok, maybe I won't close my eyes -- if I do, how will I be able to "read" what I have written!

 

Do pray for this weak, insecure pastor's wife over the next couple of weeks!  Looking forward to sharing what great things the Lord has done!

A Fresh Beginning

A New Year!  A Clean Slate!  A Fresh Beginning!  No matter what you call it, January 1st is here and with it comes a chance to start over.  So, once again, I am attempting to do a better job with this blog. I will still post the book reviews, but I want it to be more.  Thus, the name change.  

 

I call it "A Splash of Grace" because I have come to appreciate that I need God's grace EVERY day to survive!  Some days I need a cupful poured over me, but most days I need showers of it!  Oh yeah, and there are those days I need to DIVE into it!  I pray that what I write in this blog may be a "splash" of His grace from me to you.

 

The past year had it's joyful moments, but the Lord also allowed me to travel down some difficult paths personally. It was a hard year, a disappointing one in many ways. There were times when I felt the Lord was very near, and other times when I couldn't find Him at all.  
 

If I could turn back the pages of last year and write a few different chapters in my life's book I probably would, but at the same time, I have learned so much about myself. I have learned who IS God. (and it's not me!)  I have learned that I have an enemy that delights in tormenting me. And I have also learned anew, that God loves me and is FOR me. He has purpose in all things He allows.

 

I don't know all that you have gone through this past year, and I don't know what lies ahead for either of us, but one thing I do know -- God will be here with us and for us! The scripture I begin my new year with is this:

 

"[Because of] the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end

They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!

 I say: The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him."

   

Lamentations 3:22-25

Will you join me on this journey? 

Let us daily walk "in the Light",

seeking the Lord and waiting for Him.

 He will be good to us!

Dreams and Visions by Tom Doyle

Living in America, I don't believe we can fully comprehend the difficulty people encounter when trying to share the gospel in countries where the gospel is not welcomed. Persecution of Christians around the world is a very real thing.  Sharing the good news about Jesus in these countries can cost you your life. It can be dangerous and at times, seemingly impossible, to get the gospel to people who are living in spiritual darkness. But what seems impossible to do by human standards, God can make possible.

Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World, is a captivating book by Tom Doyle with Greg Webster, which recounts what Muslims in the Middle East are experiencing through dreams and visions they have been having.  Jesus, Himself, has been appearing to them in dreams, sometimes in multiple dreams over days or weeks. Jesus reaches out to them in love and it's something they cannot ignore.  Doyle emphasizes that as he has gathered information from missionaries there, "no one says a dream recipient goes to sleep a Muslim and wakes up a Christian."  They still have to understand "that Jesus died for their sins and that this requires they repent and follow Christ for life."  How is this possible when people cannot freely share about their faith. It was fascinating to read how after a person would have a dream, God had already prepared someone to share the truth about Jesus with him or her. At great risk, these believers share the truth about Jesus to these "seekers".

Dreams and visions are found in both the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, so I do not hesitate to believe that God can still work in and through them today. If a person cannot go into these places easily, He is going Himself -- bringing Light into extremely dark places. The word "Muslim" can conger up fear in some people's minds, but Muslims are people God loves, and He is doing a mighty work in the Middle East, bringing them to faith in Jesus Christ through this unusual means.

I was humbled and in awe of the great commitment and risk these believers take in an effort to share their faith with people they come in contact with. They have been so impacted by Jesus, they are willing to die for Him, and as the people who are having dreams come to understand who Jesus is, they too are willing to face being disowned, beaten, jailed, or even killed for becoming a Christian.

I would highly recommend this book. May it open our eyes and give us courage to share about Jesus where we live.

I received a complementary copy of this book from the BookSneeze blogger program in exchange for my honest review.

Simple Secrets to a Happy Life

Luci Swindoll’s book, Simple Secrets to a Happy Life, is truly a delightful read. In the hectic and complicated day in which we live, it is refreshing to be reminded that true happiness can be found by doing simple things and enjoying everyday moments. This book transports the reader, in a sense, back to a simpler time. Luci Swindoll looks back and reflects on things her parents taught her, and things she learned through the years, and encourages her readers to put those things into practice.

The book is divided into five parts each containing ten, 2-3 page chapters:

                                   Part One: Beginning with the Basics

                                   Part Two: Developing Your Style

                                   Part Three: Achieving Balance

                                   Part Four: Living a Good Life

                                   Part Five: Staying Connected

The author's love of life, adventure, laughter, and people are evident in her writing. Though much of the book seems like common sense to me, a 51 year old woman, I wonder how much of our present generation knows and understands these things. We have been so indoctrinated with the concepts of “me first,” “accumulate much,” “instant gratification,” and “impersonal or surface connections with people,” that I fear we often miss out on those “simple things” that truly can bring a deep sense of joy and happiness. So if you need to be reminded to learn to organize your stuff, treat other people with kindness, value the things you have, allow yourself to be sad, engage people in fun conversation, thank others for their efforts, fight resentment before it festers, listen with your whole heart, or invite someone into your home, then you’ve only begun to discover some of the Simple Secrets to a Happy Life!

I received a complementary copy of this book through Booksneeze blogger program in exchange for an honest review.

Delight yourself in the Lord

How often do you use the word "delight"?  It's kind of a fun word to me.  The word itself sounds free, light, and enjoyable when you say it!  It actually means to have or take great pleasure in something.  What delights you?  What do you delight in?

A couple of years ago I found myself going through an unexpected and difficult time. "Delight" was far from what I was experiencing, and yet the theme of "delight" kept popping up in the Scriptures I read, sermons I heard, and even in a Christmas gift I received from my sister-in-law.  She gave me a wooden plaque with the simple word "Delight" on it along with a verse from Zephaniah.  Tears welled up in my eyes when I opened it, and I had to explain to her that I really DID love her gift!  She had no idea what I had been dealing with God about that year, but God did.  Her gift to me was just one more confirmation from God that HE delights in me and wants me to delight in Him, even in the hard times.

When I had the opportunity to receive a beautiful tote from DaySpring, the "Delight Yourself in the Lord" tote jumped out to me.  Once again, it was a reminder of God's desire for me to delight in Him -- to take great pleasure in Him.  The Scripture on the tote, Psam 37:4 says:  "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."  At first that may seem like a "blank" check!  But what I have come to understand is that when we truly take great pleasure in the Lord, the desires of our heart change.  It is then that the Lord is free to give us the desires of our heart, because our desires line up with His.

The tote is a beautiful white oil-cloth (leather-like) bag with a floral print and the verse, Psalm 37:4, printed on both sides.  The sides and bottom are an elegant black and white checkered design that just adds another dimension to the bag.  I like the long black handles too.  It makes carrying the tote on your shoulder very comfortable. 

Inside is a bright and "happy" pink lining.  There is a zippered pocket on one side, and a couple other organization pockets on the other side for your cell phone and other smaller things you may need quicker access to.  The tote is held closed by a magnetic closure which seems to hold securely. I think would be a wonderful travel bag for any trip or outing. It would also be great if you have children and need to have a handy tote for their books, extra set of clothes, and toys. The uses are limitless!  It's not only attractive and useful, but can serve as a way to share God's Word!

I also received a second tote to share with someone.  It is made out of jute (similar to burlap), and it has Phillippians 4:8 as it's theme. It lists those things that we should think about -- things that are true, noble, right pure lovely admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  I'm thinking about giving this one to my daughter who is a school teacher.  It would be a wonderful way for her to carry her lesson plans, and supplies, and school things, back and forth from the classroom.  It could also serve as a reminder to her, that in times when she feels stressed or overwhelmed, the Lord desires for her "think and dwell" on these things instead.

 

  If you are in need of a tote for yourself or for a gift, now would be a great time to get one.  DaySpring is having a great Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale.  This includes both regular price and clearance totes.  You can find them by clicking here.  While at DaySpring.com, why not check out the other wonderful things they have to offer!


Disclosure:  I received these totes from DaySpring in exchange for my honest review.

The Christian Writer's Market Guide 2012 -- by Jerry B. Jenkins

Have you every dreamed about having your Chrisitan writings published, but didn't know how to go about doing that?  The Christian Writer's Market Guide is a resource that will help you do just that. The book is divided into four parts which list book publishers, periodical publishers, specialty markets (poetry, greeting cards, photography, music, short stories and more), and helps for writers.  As you search the lists of publishers you can find exactly which types of work they usually publish, thus narrowing down potential companies to send your book, article, etc. to give you better chances in having your work published.

Information about the publishers vary, but generally, most publishers list their physical address, email address, website if they have one, how many submissions they usually accept annually, the percentage of first time authors they publish, the subjects/types of books or articles they publish, the amount of royalites or advances they provide, how to submit your work, and much more.

The last part, "Helps for Writers," includes Christian Writers' Conferences and Workshops and Editorial Services both listed by state.  It also includes information about Christian Literary Agents that you can get in touch with if a publisher you desire to use requires an agent.  There are also a list of writing contests that you may want to enter!

Overall this book seems like a wonderful and comprehensive resource to get you well on your way to being published.

I received a complementary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my personal review.

Nearing Home by Billy Graham

When you hear the name, Billy Graham, it’s hard not to envision the evangelist, in a huge stadium, calling others to give their lives to Jesus, but in his newest book, Nearing Home, I caught a glimpse of the personal side of him. At the writing of this book, he was about to turn 93 years old and in each page, I could sense the wisdom of the aged and a gentle spirit of a godly man.

Nearing Home is an honest look at aging. Dr. Graham shares the difficulties that are a part of growing older like the loss of strength and the inability to do what you used to be able to do, illness, death of loved ones, ect., but he also encourages his readers to live these remaining years to their fullest. He points out what is truly important in life, and how, even as we get older, we can still influence those around us. He gives practical advice on preparing for this stage in life, including how we should prepare financially, personally, and spiritually, so it won’t take us by surprise.

In the introduction he begins by saying, “Whoever first said it was right: old age is not for sissies”. And as I read his book, I can honestly say, Billy Graham is no sissie! He has lived his life well, and as he nears the time that he will go “home,” God continues to use him to be an encouragement to others through the words of this inspirational book.

I would highly recommend this book to men and women of any age. The older person can identify with much of what he shares, and the younger person can prepare himself for this stage of life by gleening wisdom from this man of faith. Though conversations about aging and death are often avoided, Nearing Home is a book that addresses these issues with courage, grace, and hope.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review.