Verse of the Day

Be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] (Hebrews 13:5 AMP)

Verse of the Day

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD; the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. (Psalm 34:1–3)

Verse of the Day

Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT)

Procrastination

It has been a long time since I posted a “Monday Meditation.” Not because God isn’t working in my life, but because He has. At least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

“I’ll post about this, Lord, when I’ve had a chance to process this.” Uh-huh. And we can all see how consistent I’ve been with this.

Okay, so yesterday during my quiet time with the Lord, I asked the Lord to speak to me through the preaching of His Word. And oh my, did He ever answer that request! Even through my own teaching in Sunday school. Isn’t He good?

We’ve been studying Kay Arthur’s book, Lord, I Need Grace to Make It Today. And we are now on the last chapter. It wraps up everything we’ve learned over the past few months and brings the concept of God’s grace for every day into focus—what it looks like. Yesterday we discussed the concept of grace and those who are mentioned in Hebrews 11. We then went on to tie it in to the exhortations in Hebrews 12. It is by remembering those great men and women of faith who have gone on before us and keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, that we are able to appropriate God’s grace, sufficient for each day.

In the morning service, our pastor is finishing up a series in Acts that has been ongoing over the past couple of years. In yesterday’s passage, Felix puts off making a decision for Christ. While Pastor Jim made the obvious connection and exhortation not to put off the decision to follow Christ in salvation, he also pointed out that we all have something in our lives we’re procrastinating on. Nothing popped into my mind immediately. Well, nothing that I couldn’t “explain” away.

However, the question Pastor asked at the end of the message has run over and over in my mind. And this morning I realized that, in His goodness, God put His finger on several things I’ve been procrastinating about. Posting to my blog in one, especially on those things where God is working.

Writing is another area. It goes in “fits and starts,” as my Grandma Paton used to say. Saturday, I attended a Storycrafter’s Seminar that Susan May Warren taught. She gave us tons of tools to help us write the novels we all had in mind when we came. Seventy-five people, young teen to older adults, drank in what Susie said. I know, for me, she gave so many good techniques that appeal to my “give-me-a-pattern” mentality. I’m one who works best with an outline, a detailed plan. Not too much that it stifles my creativity as I write, but enough to keep me from staring endlessly at a blank page.

And there are a couple more things in my life that I’m procrastinating on. Still, I held back from committing these things to the Lord. Until I caught a sentence in a devotional I’ve been pondering over the past few days. It wasn’t until this morning that I caught this sentence:

“Procrastination precludes deliverance, because it seeks My blessings today while refusing to accept them until tomorrow.” (Make Haste My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.)

Because I put off doing what I clearly know is God’s will for me, I’m missing out on God’s blessings. Especially the ones I want today but won’t appropriate until whenever I decide to obey. Ouch! And it’s all related to who/what I’m putting my trust in, who I’m allowing to be in control. Double ouch!

I’m a little slow to learn, it seems, but I’m seeing more and more how everything in life is related to faith and trust—my actions, fears, and doubts all point to what I value most. And it’s sobering how many my struggles are a result of my wanting to be in control, putting off what God asks me to do until I’m “ready,” yet wanting God’s immediate deliverance.

Yes, He still hears my prayers, and He does provide my every need. But how much am I missing out on because I want to have the best of both worlds? Sobering thoughts, and yes, I’m spending a lot of time repenting and getting my mind back on the thing that is most important—my faith-walk with Jesus Christ, trusting Him in every area of life.

Verse of the Day

Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. (Hebrews 10:23 MSG)

---

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Amy Inspired  Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)  by  Bethany Pierce   

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   

After completing a master's in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a  member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2007.



ABOUT THE BOOK   

With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration...

Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up—both from publishers and her boyfriend.

But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated.

When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Amy Inspired, go HERE.


Review to come later.

Verse of the Day

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, "Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn't, it wouldn't make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn't serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up." (Daniel 3:16–18 MSG)

Hatteras Girl by Alice Wisler

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Hatteras Girl  Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)  by  Alice Wisler   



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice J. Wisler is an author, public speaker, advocate, and fundraiser. She has been a guest on several radio and TV programs to promote her self-published cookbooks, Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle. She graduated  from Eastern Mennonite University and has traveled the country in jobs that minister to people. Alice was raised in Japan and currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Facts about Alice

* Born in Osaka, Japan and lived in Japan for 18 years

* Went to Kyoto International School and Canadian Academy

* Majored in Social Work and graduated in 1983 from Eastern Mennonite University

* Worked at a group home for disadvantaged kids outside of Philadelphia

* Taught English and Culture Orientation at a refugee camp in the Philippines

* Taught English as a Second Language in Japan

* Speaks and teaches on Writing the Heartache

* Has three kids on earth, and one in Heaven

* Recently got married to Carl on 2/7/09   


ABOUT THE BOOK   

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives.

There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag.

When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hatteras Girl, go HERE.

Review to come later.

Verse of the Day

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? . . . Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:1, 14)

Verse of the Day

When people make promises, they guarantee them by appeal to some authority above them so that if there is any question that they'll make good on the promise, the authority will back them up. When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee—God can't break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. (Hebrews 6:16–18 MSG)