Verse of the Day

Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." For there was constant coming and going. They didn't even have time to eat. (Mark 6:31 MSG)

True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. (Psalm 23:3 MSG)

This past year has been one of the most difficult years we've experienced, individually and as a couple. We celebrated 36 years of marriage last month, so we're talking about a long time. The difficulties seemed to come from all directions and on several levels of intensity, many times burying us under the vast weight of them coming all at once. However, this past year has also brought us many huge blessings—a much nicer house to rent; a beautiful granddaughter, Peyton; the release of the book of my heart—assuring us that the Lord has everything under control. 

The last three months have been particularly intense, with two conferences, my annual writers' retreat, vacation to meet our new granddaughter, and a family reunion—all of which required travel. After this last trip, coming on the heels of 15 days in Pennsylvania, I literally am at my breaking point physically, emotionally, and mentally. But I keep hearing the Lord speak the words to me that He spoke so long ago to His disciples after a particularly intense time of ministry: "Come off by yourselves; let's take a break and get a little rest." 

Notice that He included Himself in this invitation. He doesn't intend for me—for any of His followers—to take a rest break without Him. Nor is He saying it will take a long time—though I do think if I don't take Him up on this short break, I may end up taking a much longer time and not so pleasant physically or emotionally. As I said to my wonderfully patient and loving hubby the other night, I feel as though I'm going to break. I'm as fragile as glass. 

The timing is a little ironic in that my book, Calming the Storm Within: God's Peace for Depression and Anxiety, released two weeks ago. As I was working through the final proof copy, I kept thinking I needed to take my own advice! No, I'm not clinically depressed, but the defeated enemy would like me to think I am. However, for my own physical and emotional mental health I need to rest a while. My body, plagued with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis (both chronic conditions with lots of pain and fatigue), is telling me I'm nearing a major collapse. My mind is fuzzy with fibro-fog and fatigue, and emotionally even I don't know what to expect. 

So after much prayer and counseling and advice, I'm taking a short break in order to rest in my Lord, to regain some physical strength and emotional stability. It's not a total break from my responsibilities, but it is a granting myself permission to take life much slower, spend much time with my Lord and less time with all the work piling up on all sides. I'll still do some of that, but only as I have the mental acuity I need for writing, editing, and yes, even marketing Calming the Storm Within. I'm taking the next two weeks, through Labor Day, and then we'll assess where I am. If I need more time, I'll take it, but I'm hoping that by then I'll be restored and ready to take on again the many responsibilities of my calling in the Lord's strength. 

Pray for me, too, as I look at everything I'm doing and seek the Lord's direction to prioritize or drop the many responsibilities I seem to collect. I sense I am at the threshold of new ministry opportunities, but I want to be sure these are truly of His leading and not of my own devising. The Lord is truly my Shepherd, and I believe He will do as He promised in The Message paraphrase of Psalm 23: He will "let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction."  

Verse of the Day

We moved to another rental in the same town where we've been the last two years. Less than a month ago our landlord texted us saying he was "thinking" of selling the house. Within 36 hours of that text, a realtor's sign went up in the yard. Two weeks later he had a good offer, and the house and acreage are now under contract. I'm so thankful this didn't catch God by surprise. He had a place ready and waiting for us, though it meant a step of faith to take it as it is $300 more a month for rent. He also had our son and daughter-in-love already scheduled for a visit last week. And He provided lots of help from our church family to make the final portion of the move. It took all day Saturday to accomplish it, but it is done, and we are now busily settling into the new house. Just this afternoon we got connected into our Internet/TV/phone provider. God is very good, all the time. And He has proved His faithfulness once again.

These verses were in my devotional time this morning, and I am reminded once again of God's perfect provision: "And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever. My people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting-places."  (Isaiah 32:17–18 AMP)

Taming Your Worry Habit

Top Ten Ways to Tame Your Worry Habit

10. Separate toxic worry from genuine concern. Determine if you can do anything about your situation. If so sketch a plan to handle it. (Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3)

9. Don’t worry alone. Share your concerns with a friend or a counselor. Talking about your fears often reveals solutions. (The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 nlt)

8. Take care of your physical body. Regular exercise and adequate rest can define a lot of worry. Healthy bodies handle stress better and react more appropriately. (Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 nlt)

7. Do what is right. A guilty conscience causes great anxiety. Do your best to live above reproach. Confess quickly and seek forgiveness. (In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. Acts 24:16)

6. Look on the bright side. Consciously focus on what is good around you. Don’t speak negatively, even about yourself. (Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29 nlt)

5. Control your imagination. Be realistic about problems, but try to live in the “here and now” not in the “what might be.” (“Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees. Tell fearful souls, “Courage! Take heart! God is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!” Isaiah 35:3–4 msg)

4. Prepare for the unexpected. Put aside a cash reserve and take sensible measures so you’ll be ready if difficulties arise. (There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up. Proverbs 21:20)

3. Trust God. Keep reminding yourself to put God in your equation. When fear knocks send faith to answer the door. (They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. Psalm 112:7 nlt)

2. Meditate on God’s promises. Scripture has the power to transform our minds. Look for scriptures that will help you answer life’s difficulties with God’s Word. (For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 2 Peter 1:4)

1. Pray! Joseph M. Scriven’s hymn says it all: “O what peace we often forfeit . . . all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” (Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2) 

Joanna Weaver, At the Feet of Jesus (June 21) from Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

Verse of the Day

When we're drowning in our circumstances and hurting in any way, it's difficult to remember to thank and praise the Lord in spite of them. In the face of the mighty army coming against them, Jehoshaphat and the leader of Judah received God's promise I posted yesterday and went out to take their positions for the battle they didn't have to fight, and they did one more thing:

After consulting the leaders of the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" (2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT)

Persevering Focus

The word the Lord had impressed on me last year was focus. The verse was Hebrews 12:2: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” But all year the secondary word seemed to be contentment, choosing to be content with where the Lord has put us for this season in our lives. So many things have changed over the last two years, and sometimes it's hard to keep my focus on Jesus rather than on our circumstances. 

Toward the end of the year, the primary word that kept coming up in my Bible and devotional reading and in prayer was perseverance or endurance. But focus was still prominent because the verse for this year is Hebrews 12:1. Plus verses 1 and 2 are all part of one sentence: “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1–2 nasb).

The Lord seems to be saying, “Stick with it. This is the race you’ve been given to run. Do it. Don’t give up because it’s not what you envisioned. Keep your eyes on Me, for only in Me will you find true satisfaction and contentment.”

The last two months of last year and the first two weeks of this year, I was very focused on what needed to be done with two book contracts so I could complete them. But once I turned in the work-for-hire project, I took a few days to relax a little before doing the final push on Calming the Storm Within. Those few days turned into a few weeks. As a result, I’ve struggled with disappointment (those unfulfilled expectations again), discouragement, and even depression. Distractions and interruptions are common, but I allowed them to control the way I spent each day.

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been working at losing the weight that had accumulated everywhere on my body during the last few years of stress eating. I joined a FB group called Transformation 2013, and we’ve been reading/studying Lysa TerKeurst’s 70-day devotional based on her book with the same title, Made to Crave. The readings the last two days have especially hit home, specifically in how I’ve been making choices based on my fleshly pleasures and desires.

Yesterday I read, “If you want to be a sold-out somebody for God, you have to break away from the everybody crowd.”

Ouch! The Lord reminded me of my deepest heart’s desire: to daily become the woman God created, reflecting Christ to others around me. Instead, these last few weeks I’ve focused on me—needing more time to “think through the topics” before I can write them, and trying to find a solution to our continued financial issues. In reality I’ve known what goes in those last two chapters for several weeks now. And my trying to find a solution to our problems is a lot of what got us into this mess in the first place. So . . . yeah. Very convicting.

Then Lysa quoted these verses from The Message paraphrase: “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention” (Matthew 7:13–14). My choices weren't shortcuts to getting those chapters written, nor did they bring solutions to paying the bills.

So I approached the day and week with purpose and a plan to finish the book. Which was fine until I took time after lunch to play “just one game.” Just to relax a little, get my mind into gear for writing. Only I know better. It takes my mind out of gear so I don’t have to think about the tough things like self-discipline and hard work. I went to bed last night frustrated with myself once again.

This morning when I opened Made to Crave on my Kindle, I read: “We often desire the long term solution, but shy away from the actions necessary to reach our goal.” 

Ouch again! She’s not talking about just food here. Anything that keeps us from being all God desires for us is sin. It involves a conscious choice which direction I pursue. When I allow the “easy” choice—the one that gives me temporary pleasure and postpones the real work—I’m playing into Satan’s desires to keep me from being effective and fulfilling God’s plan for me.

It’s obvious I can’t accomplish the work the Lord has given me to do in my own strength. Nor can I truly be content when I’m pursuing my own way. Frustrations continue to build when I choose to focus on my circumstances rather than on what God wants me to learn because of them. True contentment all boils down to my choices—to pursue God and holiness or to follow after the temporary pleasures of my flesh and the world; to persevere in the face of extreme trials or to drift along or give up the struggle; to prepare for eternity to come or to live in the moment. 

Today I choose to pursue God’s plan one decision at a time. Step by step walking the path He has chosen for me. Perseverance, focus, contentment. “Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15).   

           

New Year Thoughts

Where did 2012 go? I have often wondered at how fast the years fly by as I get older. But this past year has seriously gone by in warp speed, leaving me struggling for breath and energy as the new year begins. I heard someone say that they were having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit because it seemed like we had just celebrated Christmas a couple of months ago.

I can relate.

The past year was jammed crammed full of new things: new state; new house; new community; new jobs; new church; new friends at work, church, and writing group; new clients for editing; new contracts for books. Exciting and scary at the same time. And some of the things I’d done for several years were more difficult to keep up with.

Like blogging. J

Early in September I had an offer to do a work-for-hire devotional project for Barbour Publishing, and I accepted, thinking I had plenty of time to work on it and on Calming the Storm Within. Especially as I didn’t have a specific deadline for the latter. Well, I didn’t think I did. But when the contract came for Calming a month later, my agent and I had misunderstood the editor in a conversation that took place in August. She was hoping the manuscript was ready to turn in, so it could be released as soon as possible.

Of course my people-pleasing gene stepped to the forefront and I promised a print-ready manuscript in a week. Then that pesky perfectionism raised its ugly head and proclaimed the manuscript totally unusable in its present form. My agent and the editor, among others, said to ignore those and take what time I needed to complete the manuscript well. But I still raced to finish the book—before Thanksgiving, then before the middle of December, then before Christmas, and . . . well you get the picture.

Because of the content—the subtitle is tentatively God’s Peace in Depression and Anxiety—I expected spiritual warfare. And got it. I asked for prayer on Facebook and at church. And got it. The ones who are reading it for content and grammar, punctuation, etc., have given me great feedback including how powerful it is. Which  ramped up the people-pleasing/perfectionism to new levels. Sigh.

The week before Christmas I started to fall apart—emotionally and physically. Through the weeks of writing, I prayed daily for the Lord’s direction and strength. And He gave it. But not as fast as I expected/wanted. Each day was a struggle between me, my flesh, the enemy . . . and the Lord.

Finally, the Lord got my attention during one of my morning quiet times. He reminded me once gain that His thoughts are not my thoughts; His ways don’t follow my expectations; and His timing is perfect. Nothing I was doing could change those facts. Once again I realized that many of my struggles weren’t because of the enemy—they resulted from my own attempts to speed up His timing. And that had me fearing failure to please my editor and to produce a publishable book.

But the truth is I wasn’t ready to write the last two chapters in the book. Nor was I ready to relax and enjoy the reason for Christmas as I was seeing it as more a bump in the road, a distraction.

Don’t get me wrong. I desperately wanted to see my kids again, as I hadn’t seen them in person since May. And I desperately wanted it all to be perfect, without having to rush back for Roger to be at work (no vacation days) or having the book still to complete. The warring desires left me frustrated and confused.

However, the Lord had a different lesson for me to learn. He reminded me that He was still in control; He was still working all things together for my good and His glory; and He didn’t see the task of finishing two books in the next three weeks as impossible. My part was to relax, to still my spirit, and allow Him to be God.

He kept bringing to mind Mary, the mother of Jesus. When the angel told her she’d been chosen to give birth to the Son of God, the promised Messiah, she didn’t hesitate before saying, “May it be to me as you have said.” In spite of the obvious struggles she would have, she chose to submit herself to God’s control, and she trusted Him to go before her to smooth her way. Was it easy for her? No. But she remained submissive to His will and to His timing.

God reminded me that my only responsibility was to trust Him. No matter what obstacles appeared in my path; no matter what opposition I faced; no matter what. Period. Trust and obey.  And for Christmas week, I was supposed to put the book aside and concentrate on worshiping Him and having a great time with my family.

One more lesson in learning to be content with what He has given me. Especially when it wasn’t what I expected or thought I desired.

We had a wonderful Christmas, celebrating with my sister’s family in Nebraska. Kathy flew in from London, Randy and Nikki drove over from Colorado, and we drove up from Missouri. This year my brother and sister-in-law were unable to make it as they are full-time caregivers for her parents. But we were able to Skype with them—so thankful for the technology that allows for us to share moments like this.

When we returned to Missouri, I expected the Lord to tell me it was time to get back to work on Calming. (I really need to get those “expectations” under control!) But He didn’t. Instead He had me work on the book-for-hire project and bringing my prayer journals up-to-date on my electronic copies.

My birthday is New Year’s Eve, and I like to take that day or several days to reflect on the past year’s events and my personal spiritual progress. That leads into the upcoming year and what goals I believe the Lord would have me pursue. I don’t really make resolutions, but a brand-new year presents a blank slate that is waiting to be filled. Some of the events are already in place—like the releases of my first nonfiction book, Calming the Storm Within; my first fiction in April, A Shelter from the Storm in Sundays in Fredericksburg (TX); and the book-for-hire project, Encouraging Words for Women: Hope. Along with that comes a lot of marketing and promotion in various venues. Some is already in place.

At the end of November, my new author website went live. It combines my writing and editing services, and it will soon include a new blog and resource page for Calming the Storm Within. You can see it at www.marjorievawter.com. Many, many thanks to my friends Bonnie Calhoun, and Jon and Bruce at SKWD Ministries who made it happen!

I will soon have an author page on Facebook to go along with my personal page. And I hope to learn how to use Twitter more effectively in the next few months. So I have plenty to keep me busy in the months ahead. So many new things, new experiences. More opportunities to trust the Lord to provide and work in His timing and in His way.

The old year is past . . . the new is before me.   

And God is still the God of the impossible. Working His will and His plans and purposes for me, in me, and through me.

“Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.” (Philippians 3:13–14 msg)

Giving Thanks

November. Again? Seems like we just celebrated Thanksgiving.

            Last year at this time, I was on automatic pilot. Roger had interviewed for a job—in Missouri. If he took it, it meant trading my beloved mountains for the Ozark “hills.” But after nearly a year of unemployment, this was the only job offer he had. After nearly a month of praying about it, we made the decision to move. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we packed, put the house on the market for a short sale, and celebrated the holidays with our kids.

            I thanked the Lord for His faithfulness, His provision, His never-ending love and guidance through all the chaos of the next few weeks and months. In fact, through that entire year of Roger’s unemployment I realized that a thankful spirit sustained me in the darkest times. But it wasn’t always that way.

            My mind went back to the time when the Lord first began teaching me about having a thankful spirit. Since my father had been manic-depressive during my childhood and teen years, I remembered much about his struggle, but only saw him defeated by it. I had determined as a teen that if I ever found myself in a severe depression, I would handle it differently. Dealing with my father’s suicide later only strengthened my resolve.

A few years passed, then I was diagnosed with a severe clinical depression. When I shared with my Christian doctor my desire to fight against depression more successfully than my father had, he directed me to specific portions of Scripture to find my answers.

            At the same time I was studying Philippians for a Bible class I led. I was impressed with Paul when he told the Philippians that he had learned to be content no matter what his circumstances were (4:11–12). He faced a difficult life with joy, confident that Christ was sufficient for every need. Through my study, I discovered Paul’s secret.

            A thankful heart.

            Earlier, Paul had exhorted his readers “not to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (4:6, emphasis mine).

            Give thanks.

            As I continued to study about having a thankful spirit, I wondered why Paul emphasized thanksgiving, not just at set times, but always. I realized Paul was not giving an option, but a command, when he said, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). For the grammar buffs out there (and I’m one of them), this verb is in the present imperative tense, active voice. This means that we are commanded to give thanks, not just once but continuously and repeatedly.

            We give thanks because this is God’s will for each of us, no matter what our circumstances may be. To the Colossians Paul wrote: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:17). Paul encouraged the Ephesians to live “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (5:20).

            Thanksgiving is an act of faith. Faith is choosing to obey God even when it’s difficult or doesn’t make sense. It’s learning to trust a heavenly Father who deserves our total and complete confidence in His ability to answer prayer, to give us His best, to keep His promises. With a thankful heart we accept that God is able to do what He wills.

            David was another man in Scripture who learned to have a thankful spirit. Through all his difficult times in battle, hiding from Saul, and heartbreaking circumstances in his family life, David continuously gave thanks to God. He saw God’s hand in everything and was able to say, “I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord, and I will sing praises to Your name” (Psalm 18:49).

            Thanksgiving helps us focus on God rather than on our circumstances or ourselves. We know that God can change the circumstances if He chooses, but more often a thankful heart changes our attitude toward our circumstances. It enables us to look at those circumstances from God’s point-of-view instead of our own, and it releases us from the anxiety that we so often experience because of our distorted view.

            A grateful heart allows God to be sovereign. By giving thanks I give Him the freedom to do as He pleases, in His time, in His way. Recognizing who God is gives me the ability to thank Him no matter what. David exhorts us to “sing praises to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name” (Psalm 30:4 nasb).

            Another reason to give thanks is that it gives us strength to face both the difficulties and the dull routines of life. Corrie ten Boom once said, “Anxiety never releases tomorrow of its problems. It only empties today of its strengths.” When we accept that God knows the end, the outcome, of every problem, we can thank Him for it, and we receive strength to see that situation through to the end. Even when we are looking at defeat, we know that Christ has won the victory, and we don’t have to live in defeat.

            Thankfulness is not a way to manipulate God into giving us what we want. Instead, a thankful spirit rests in God’s promises, knowing He cannot fail. Since God has promised to provide my every need (Philippians 4:19), then I can thank Him for that provision even before it happens. Doing so releases me from the anxiety and pressure to meet my own needs. While it is tempting for me to bargain with God over my circumstances, I choose to thank Him for the opportunity to see Him provide. By doing so, I didn’t experience as many anxious moments as I could have.

            Being thankful does not change or speed up God’s timing, but it does enable me to wait patiently and readjust my time to His. Waiting isn’t anxiously expecting God to do something now. It means that I expect God to work, while I go about living with a quiet spirit (Psalm 46:10). When I release control, then God is able to work.

            Thanksgiving doesn’t eliminate or delay the inevitable. God knows the end from the beginning; our anxiety doesn’t change that. Neither does thanksgiving. But being thankful does enable us to face the most difficult circumstances with graciousness and peace. Paul tells us that the result of prayer with thanksgiving is peace (Philippians 4:7).

            Paul used the word peace to denote a state of untroubled, undisturbed well being. It is the tranquil state of a person who has been relieved of all the distresses of life. Nothing can explain it. It is beyond human comprehension. But we all have experienced it. And it is ours to experience all the time, when we simply obey the command to be thankful in everything.

            Finally, when we are thankful, what used to disturb us can no longer do so. The end of Philippians 4:7 states that this peace will guard our hearts and minds by putting up a protective barrier that will not allow the disturbing influences to penetrate. It only slips when we cease to be thankful.

This month I want to focus each day on something I am thankful for. Each day I will post a short devotional thought. I hope you will join me in saying with the psalmist, “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good” (118:1).[i]

---

[i] Adapted from “Freed by Thankfulness,” Marjorie Vawter, Discipleship Journal (Nov/Dec 2004), Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress. The author retains the reprint rights. (http://www.navpress.com/magazines/archives/article.aspx?id=10201)

Being Content

Over the last few months, several people have asked if we are happy with our decision to move to southwest Missouri for a job for Roger. Others, hearing that we recently moved and are new to the area, ask where we came from. Then most of them ask, “Why?” LOL Followed by a form of do we like it here?

My initial reaction to those questions has been, “Hmmm . . . Let me see. The Colorado Rocky Mountains to the Missouri Ozarks.” Sorry, folks. It’s hard to compare the two. Marshfield, at just under 1500 feet above sea level, is the highest point on I-44 through Missouri. I apologize to my friends here, but the Ozarks are not mountains—they are hills. J Nice ones, where the roads are full of “whee bumps” and curves and lead to wonderful “hollers” and vistas. But they are not mountains.

Now that we’ve established that . . . let’s go back to the original question: Are you happy with your decision to move to Missouri?

Our answer has been “We’re choosing to be content where the Lord has put us.”

Sounds like a good, spiritual answer. Right? But in the last few weeks, the Lord has been calling me on it.

Last Wednesday I drove into Springfield to meet with a new writing friend and go through some edits on her latest manuscript. We’d paid our delayed taxes Monday, leaving us absolutely nothing in our bank account, so I had been struggling for a couple of days over the injustice of having to pay more taxes than we’ve ever paid for a year where the primary wage earner was unemployed.

On the way, I drove by a house that I’ve been sort of interested in—not seriously since it overlooks the interstate. But it had been up for auction, and I was curious to see if someone had bought it and wondering what they’d paid for it. We’ve heard of a couple other real estate auctions where the buyers walked into incredible deals. It would be really cool if we could benefit from something like that. And that led to the thought that we wouldn’t be approved for a mortgage right now anyway because of having to short sale our house in Denver. And my thoughts went downhill from there.

Until the Lord pulled me up short with, “I thought you were choosing to be content where I put you.” Ouch!

My reply? “I am, Lord, but . . .”

Two verses popped into my head about that time. Familiar ones. I’m sure you’ve read them often. Here they are from the Amplified version:

Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. (Philippians 4:11)

Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and 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)

Ahem! Ever get that sinking feeling when you know the Lord has “nailed” you?

I know that I know that I know that being content with where the Lord has put me, no matter what the circumstances (bleak or plenty), is a choice. My choice.

Reading the blog posts of a couple of my writer friends later also helped to confirm this truth. And then these verses that keep popping up in random places . . . LOL

Instead of focusing on what I don’t have and what I’ve had to “give up” in the process of being obedient to the Lord’s calling and purposes in my life, I am choosing to focus on what I do have. On the important things. Like salvation, a relationship with the God of the universe, peace, a family who loves the Lord . . . the things that are eternal not temporal.

Sure it’s nice to have “things” that make life easier. But as a friend posted on my Facebook page this morning: “Gratitude for what we have and confidence that God loves us is the key to a contented life. Accumulation of possessions leads to strife and disappointment. We can never have enough.” (Gigi Falstrom)

Do I miss Colorado, my church family there, and my many writing friends? Sure. Is it wrong? No, as long as I don’t get stuck on “what used to be.” But the Lord is so faithful. He keeps pointing out all the benefits of being in the center of His will, including a new church family, several new writing friends, and the beauty of the Missouri Ozarks.

Best of all? He assures me, “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)

From My Prayer Journal

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Agree with God and be at peace.” Job 22:21

I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Romans 12:1

“. . . Become a living sacrifice in response to all Jesus has done for us. Living sacrifices have died to their own interests and agendas. Their focus is on what God wants to do through them. To be a living sacrifice is to be set apart to God for His service. . . .

            “The presentation of our bodies and the transformation of our minds require a continuous process of yielding to the Holy Spirit through obedience to His Word. It is a daily lifestyle of surrender and thanksgiving for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf.” (One Year Alone with God, Ava Pennington)

My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways. Proverbs 23:26 (another focus verse)

“sine cera. The word from which we get our term sincere. Without was; unmixed; unalloyed.

            “It is the same sincerity that Paul advocates in Philippians 1:10: ‘. . . that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ’ (kjv). But such flawlessness cannot be accomplished on our own. That’s why I’ve come to welcome the spotlight of heaven and the heat of trials.

            “God only reveals so He can heal. He doesn’t fill my flaws with wax or hide my sin. He removes my transgressions, and as I allow Him, He makes me new. Faultless. Blameless. Waxless.

            “Sine cere—through and through. A piece of marble He can sculpt into the images of His Son. Which means my part is fairly simple, and yet incredibly difficult. To lie still, be quiet, submitting to the hammer and the chisel—as well as to the sometimes accompanying pain of letting God have His way.” (Joanna Weaver, At the Feet of Jesus: Daily Devotions to Nurture a Mary Heart, WaterBrook 2012)

O Father, I want this kind of faith—to be like Christ, without wax, sincere in my entire life. It’s what being a living sacrifice means. Placing myself on the altar—and staying there, even when life is so difficult I want to crawl off the altar and hide. The fire of the altar reveals my flaws, and then You go to work re-forming, reshaping me so the flaws are removed and the hole is repaired, made holy. But none of this could happen without Christ’s ultimate sacrifice—for me—on the cross. By His resurrection, I now have the power to stay on the altar, to endure, to patiently wait on Your purifying work in me. What more can I render to You who has done so much for me? It is my reasonable service when I weigh that matchless cost to redeem me from Satan’s marketplace of sin, never to be sold again.

“The soul that on Jesus doth lean for repose,
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”

Father, You have my heart, help my eyes “keep to Your ways,” for Your path is the best one for me. I love You. I praise You.

Baseball and the Bible

I’ve been a baseball fan, specifically a Cardinals fan, for over 30 years. I learned the game from Jack Buck and Mike Shannon calling Cardinals games during that first (for me) World Series winning year. I’ve also enjoyed following the Colorado Rockies since their beginning season, but I will have to say that I’m glad we’re back in Cardinal territory and once again listening to Mike Shannon call the games.

However, last Friday, in the wild card decider game between the Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals, there was a controversial infield fly rule call in the bottom of the eighth inning. Fans, upset with the call, threw bottles and other debris onto the playing field, delaying the game for nearly 20 minutes.

Later, I read several comments from many who are “experts” in the MLA rules. Even among those there was disagreement as to the interpretation of the infield fly rule and other related issues. But the majority seemed to indicate that the call could be correct, though not usually called. It seemed to depend on how well grounded in the rulebook the commenters and umpires were.

There were references to incompetent replacement umpires due to the recent problems in the NFL. But the baseball umpires who call post-season games in baseball are the best of the best. One would hope that they are the best because they have studied and know the rulebook well . . . even the more obscure calls. Much better than the average fan in the stands.

When I remember that baseball is just a game, a momentary entertainment in light of eternity, I wonder how much more important is it for us to know God’s “rulebook,” the Bible, because it is eternal.

For a lack of knowledge of His Word, we cry foul when it seems God has made a “bad” call. We think Him unfair, unjust, unloving  . . . and the list goes on. We lash out at God both privately and publicly. Our words and actions delay, or may even prevent, others and ourselves to progress spiritually.

Long ago, Hosea declared what the Lord had spoken to him: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Sobering words, applicable not only in Hosea’s time but also today.

So why should we be surprised and rebel when God allows the consequences of sin to catch up to us? Or why should we be surprised and rebel when He allows the fiery trials designed to purify us and make us more like Christ?

As much as it saddened me to watch the fans “protest” (I don’t care whose fans they are, unsportsmanlike conduct always saddens me), I am even more burdened when those who call themselves Christian behave just as badly or worse spiritually. All for a lack of knowledge of God’s written and living Word.

The next time we are tempted to rail at God for allowing the “bad” to touch our lives, let us instead dig deep into His Word to find the truth of the matter and respond accordingly.

Choosing to Trust God

I know I haven't updated everyone on the status of Roger's unemployment and its continued effects. But that doesn't mean nothing is going on. In fact, there is a lot going on. Just not a permanent job opportunity . . . yet. Next week marks 7 months of unemployment for him. 

This summer has been an interesting one on many fronts. We are continuing to grow closer together as a couple as well as spiritually, both individually and as a couple. More and more we have the opportunity to depend on God alone for strength and wisdom to handle each situation as it comes up.  

After six months of nonstop editing/proofreading jobs, July dried up. Several known factors play into that, not the least being the International Christian Retailers Show earlier in July. Every publisher focuses on what to bring out in time for the show, and then publishing comes to a near halt in order for everyone to catch their breath before heading into the final push for the Christmas season. 

In my "freer" time I've been working on a couple of story ideas, fleshing them out into proposal form. One of those ideas I was getting ready to pitch to Heartsong Presents, a mass market Christian romance bookclub imprint under Barbour Publishing. Yesterday, Barbour announced that at the end of the year they will be discontinuing this line. Sort of a double blow for me, as I have done most of my copy editing for them over the last two or three years. I've enjoyed working for the various editors over the past eleven years, and I'm very sorry to see them close down this line. 

Economically it makes sense. And the publishing world is changing across the board, with many people going the e-reader route as it is cheaper to produce. Even I have jumped on the e-book bandwagon with the Kindle my family gave me for my last birthday. Oh, don't worry. I still have stacks and stacks of print books waiting for me to review them. And we have overflowing bookshelves in nearly every room in the house. But I do love the convenience of carrying my Kindle loaded with books of nearly every genre when I travel or know I'll be waiting for an appointment. 

All summer, I've sensed the Lord preparing me to do more writing and the possibility of cutting back on the amount of editing and proofreading I do. And just within this past week, He's given me many verses and devotional readings that confirm and encourage me in this junction in the path He is guiding me on.

Our faith has been stretched, and it is continuing to get stretched even further, with our sporadic income. Right now, we're waiting on a large check for work I did last month so we can pay July's house payment . . . hopefully before August. With Randy's wedding coming up next week, we have some extra expenses related to that, which we had planned on. What we didn't plan on was the car problems we've had (both Randy's and ours), which thankfully Roger was able to fix at a fraction of the cost. Nor did we plan on our air-conditioning going out during the hottest and most humid weather Denver has experienced in a few years. And of course in the middle of this, our sewer line backed up . . . once again. But none of these things came as a surprise to the Lord.

So I'm ending this post with a few of the verses and devotional thoughts the Lord has blessed us with in the last week. We are still choosing to trust God with everything. It hasn't been easy, but we can still praise Him for His goodness and His faithfulness. Truly all we have needed He has provided.

July 21, 2011

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness [mercy] of God forever and ever. I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, and I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones. Psalm 52:8–9

The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously. James 4:5

“J. B. Mayer’s translation of this phrase . . . ‘jealously yearns for the entire devotion of the heart.’ How grand to be so loved; how unworthy to squander any part of our love elsewhere than on Him. Away, then, with worldliness.” (Guy King, James: A Belief that Behaves)

In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” Hosea 5:15

“Lean hard upon Me, for I bring you through to new victories, and restoration shall follow what seems now to be a wind of destruction. Draw upon the resources of My grace. Heaven rejoices when you go through trials with a singing spirit.” (Francis J. Roberts, Come Away My Beloved)

 

July 25, 2011

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. Psalm 56:3–4

You make known to me the path of life. Psalm 16:11

“I will instruct you in the good and right way.” 1 Samuel 12:23

July 26, 2011

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. . . . My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises! . . . I will thank you, Lord, in front of all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Psalm 57:1–2, 7, 9–11 nlt

Give thanks to His holy name! Psalm 97:12

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you in the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17

Jesus said unto him, “Follow Me.” Matthew 8:22

“The time is now. Run after Me as I move, because I am moving rapidly and am doing a quick work. Pay no attention to any voice except the voice of the Spirit. Let no one use you except the Father. Believe no one except the Son. Live in expectancy and move in absolute obedience.

            “Break out of old patterns and make no provision for your own personal wishes. Purify your desires so that you do not stand in Your own way.” (Frances J. Roberts, Progress of Another Pilgrim)

Job Update

Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. . . . That's right. Because I, your GOD, have a firm grip on you and I'm not letting go. I'm telling you, "Don't panic. I'm right here to help you.' (Isaiah 41:11, 13 MSG)

It's been almost eleven weeks since Roger was laid off, the last ten or which he's been diligently searching for a job. And yet, there's nothing. 

Yes, it's been hard, waiting for the Lord to open doors when all we see are closed ones. And yes, I admit to having times of panic. But we are still choosing to trust God in this trial. 

He is proving Himself faithful and good. He has provided in a variety of ways to meet our needs. I have plenty of work, both for the publishers I work for and from individual clients. Roger has had several opportunities to volunteer his construction expertise to ministries in need of it, so in between spending time on the Internet looking for jobs, he's keeping busy doing what he loves to do. 

As I face yet another incredibly packed week, I received these verses this morning in my quiet time. I'm exhausted from trying to keep up with the deadlines. And I've caught myself saying to the Lord, "I can't do this. I can't keep up." I'm thanking Him that He has a hold of me, that He won't let go, that HE gives me the strength to continue on. I don't need to panic, and thankfully those times are much fewer and farther apart than they would have been had this happened a year ago. 

Roger does much better in the trust department than I am—always has. But of course, he's had some moments as well. He would love to be able to be the primary breadwinner again. But most of all, he wants God's will in whatever he does, whether he's working or waiting. We are both learning more of God in this time. And we are thankful for all the prayers going up on our behalf. God is answering, just not necessarily in ways we expected. 

So we continue to wait. One day the doors will start to open and we'll see even better what wonders the Lord has prepared for us. We can wait, confident that God is working all things for our good and for His glory.