Ada Brownell's Blog, page 56

You Can't Give Jesus Your Burdens Unless...

Casting Cares Requires Acknowledging We Have Them

Life has hurled enough stones my way that like you, I've had a few cares. Because of them, I better understand the unimaginable support one can get from a Spirit who cannot be touched, but can touch our
Thanks to God, here I sit, still married, and while a bit dinged, unbroken.
The beautiful thing in these struggles has not been what so many in the faith do. I didn't try to rationalize bad things into something spiritually pretty. The beautiful thing is enduring ugliness and pain, and clinging ever harder to God's promise throughout the process. And when a trial is past, the greatest gift on the sunny end of a struggle is: knowing when the going gets awful, we can't help but stick to God, even when we don't understand, even when it's not our will.
"Write something encouraging," Ada Brownell advised. I can't think of anything more encouraging than this for getting through the day by day of living on this earth.
So why do people of faith not only refuse to cast their cares, they don't even acknowledge them?
Look at Death. You can't break sod on a new grave without someone pulling out a "Death where is thy sting?" quote as a spiritual challenge to anyone openly mourning. Their message is clear: You should only be happy for dear Sister Beloved who is now with the Lord. If you aren't so full of joy like me about where they've gone, then something's wrong with your faith.
Oh yeah?
Then why is it written "to everything there is a season, a time to rejoice, a time to mourn?"

That's Old Testament, they might argue. We live under a Risen Lord.
We sure do. And, we're to follow Him, right?  So why did the Son of God, who knew He could conquer death, let his friend Lazarus die, and bring him back from the dead, after he wept over him before witnesses?
I mean, come on. Jesus knows He's going to heal his friend. He of all people knows about Eternal Life and what we have waiting for us on the Other Side of mortality. He should be happy for his dead friend, right? He can just walk up and declare Lazarus was only sleeping and have him join him for some water turned into wine.
If there's anyone in this town that doesn't need to mourn Lazarus, it's Jesus.

But He does.
Shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept.
Since He knows He's about to heal His friend, logically the only reason He did this is to offer a role model for us. It's OK to weep. (At least, it's OK to Jesus).
"Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you." This is not a spiritual Band-Aid for emotional boo-boos. It isn't a kiss-and-make-it-better promise. This is instruction from God the most High.
Talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind. Share with me. Having acknowledged it, let it go. Give it to me. Surrender control of the situation.
But we can't surrender if we won't admit it exists.
"Cast your cares," He says.
Acknowledge Christian life isn't all the sunshine and roses so many wish it to be. You don't have to deny it hurts. He knows. We don't have to spirit speak our way out of admitting that while a miscarriage may have prevented someone living a life with mental or physical deformities, it still hurts. Being judged and rejected unfairly may be God's method of getting you or a loved one out of harm's way, but it hurts. The death of a Godly person means they're finally where they've wanted to be for a long time, but they're not with you now, and that hurts.

Lazarus is going to be dead until I resurrect him a few seconds from now. I think I'll cry.

Why would He do that?
Cast your cares. All of them.
The most Godly people aren't the ones rejecting loss believing this somehow pleases God. It's not the ones refusing to admit while death doesn't have the sting of damnation any longer, it does still have a sting of loss. They're the ones who will weep, like Jesus did, and they love God despite their loss and pain, like He did. 
When we've been there and done that, it affirms our faith like no season of sunshine and rainbows ever will.
How's that for encouragement?

Yours and His,
K.D. Harp

hearts. While people complained about 'stolen' baby names, the luxury car they couldn't afford, or the sprain they got trying to make middle-aged bodies play young people's games, I endured personal betrayals ranging from simple defamation to outright abuse, over a decade of infertility, and three early miscarriages; all situations that break marriages and people. I've had cares.




K.D. Harp's new book:



Lt. Col. Boone Ballestra's finally found the courageous woman of his combat weary dreams.
(Too bad he’s gotta dump her to save her from his sister’s Mafia in-laws.)
Hugs & home-baked cookies sound good to a Marine back from OPS, but Boone’s got nothing but a note from his sister putting him on deck to fetch his 4 year old niece ...20 minutes ago. A lifetime of cleaning up family messes makes this no surprise, but lead-footing it into camp just in time to stop the child’s Mafia Grampa from abducting her IS. The toxic in-law plans to stop Boone’s sister from testifying against his murderous son by making a pawn of his innocent grandchild. Fortunately camp director Brianna Parrish confronts the mobster, or spunky Savannah would be lost to them forever.
...It's not exactly how Boone planned to impress the woman who helped him watch over his sister while he served his country. Back home and in control, he has no intentions of relying on outsiders again, but his sister goes missing and Boone discovers knowing 100 ways to subdue an adversary is useless when it comes to your basic preschool princess wrangling. Brianna's gifted insights however, console his traumatized niece, and decode parts of Boone he's kept camouflaged from the world (and himself.) She even teaches the man with a boatload of concerns to 'cast his cares' on God, which sounds just dandy, until Brianna foils the mob’s plans one time too many and puts herself in their cross-hairs.
Boone pushes away the love he’s lacked all his life in order to keep Brianna safe. It's the perfect plan, (if only she were the kind of gal to abandon the people she loves). When she doesn't, Brianna’s marked for death.
Boone will trade his freedom for Brianna’s in a heartbeat---
----which it just might cost them.
Available in Paperback, large print, Kindle, Nook and Kobo formats.

WISE AND NOT SO WISE MOTHERS

                                                      By Ada Brownell
Recently I heard a singing group from Evangel University and some members gave powerful testimonies. One young man barely escaped an abortionist’s scalpel when his 15-year-old unmarried mother discovered she was pregnant. But she met and was counseled by a wise Christian woman and this boy and his twin brother were saved from death.Another young man testified about his first visit to church at age 11, when his dad decided to get married. His father didn’t show until they were about to give up. A few days later, they found out why. Police came to the home and arrested his dad because had committed armed robbery just before the ceremony.Not wanting to live with a stepmother, the boy phoned his grandmother, a Christian, and grew up under her influence and eventually gave his heart and life to Christ.Both of these young men are preparing to become worship leaders.American children and young people today are at risk more than any time in history. Not only do many have parents who’ve never heard the gospel or rebelled against it, the youth are subject to wickedness and brainwashing unequaled in our nation since the Pilgrims landed in 1620.I was somewhat surprised several years ago when our youngest son, attending a Christian college, thanked me and my husband for staying married. “Most of my college friends are from broken homes,” he said.As a newspaper reporter and free lance writer, I’ve interviewed the angry unmarried teen moms, grieving women who’ve had abortions, kids in trouble with the law, parents of suicide victims, and juveniles in mental hospital wards. I’ve interviewed experts on many angles of the problems, including sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol and drug addiction. Of course, I’ve also written about the achieving, well-balanced, often Christian youth who turn away from such things.Yet, I can’t forget the heartaches that affect too many youth today. More important, I need to remember this generation of youth struggles for faith in God—partly because they don’t know enough about Him.
I’ve worked with youth much of my life and written for Christian youth publications. My book, Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, is a story about youth who struggle, but also some who believe they can do anything through Jesus Christ. Most of the problems happen to Joe, but he has a group of friends—actually the Gallant Guardians--dedicated to God and committed to preventing and solving crimes using ordinary, harmless weapons.Will they find his parents and stop the radicals, even though the dangerous group dedicated to erasing Christianity from America uses robot guards and real weapons?I also have a motivational Bible study, Imagine the Future you, that youth and mothers and fathers find strengthens their faith. Intertwined with ideas and knowledge about how to a success, is how your life can be satisfying and joyful through eternity if it is built on faith in God. The book takes on the secularistic, atheistic view taught in our schools and shows with evidence why it is in error and faith in God makes sense.Do you have a mountain of problems? See how Joe found the answer to his.Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult.     Would you like to know more about why faith in God is the only logical answer to who we are, why we are here, and where we’re going? Imagine the Future You.            Both are available in paperback or for Kindle at Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06 Imagine the Future You will be available as an audiobook later this month.
The books also are available at Barnes&Noble.com and listed on GoodReads.

Love: Boundaries of the Heart and book, Heaven's Prey

Heaven's Preyby Janet Sketchley:
A grieving woman is abducted by a serial killer—and it may be the answer to her prayers.
Despite her husband’s objections, 40-something Ruth Warner finds healing through prayer for Harry Silver, the serial killer who brutally raped and murdered her niece. When a kidnapping-gone-wrong pegs her as his next victim, Harry claims that by destroying the one person who’d pray for him, he proves God can’t—or won’t—look after His own. Can Ruth’s faith sustain her to the end—whatever the cost?


by Janet SketchleySome people warm our hearts every time they come to mind.I have an acquaintance who's a farmer, and her heart is as large as her land. Just thinking about her spreads a warm smile across my face. We're not close, and we don't know a lot of details of each other's lives although we've prayed for one another. We haven't bonded through adversity or spent a lot of time together, but my spirit recognizes something good in hers.At first I wondered, does the rural setting make a difference? Is that why we city folk seem wound tighter and pressed in?Of course not. The size of a person's physical property—or bank account—or daily planner—doesn't determine heart size.
But the question reminded me of Jabez in the Old Testament, praying that God would expand his territory. "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request." (1 Chronicles 4:10, NLT*)The prayer of Jabez is not for everyone. Some love it, some try to use it for gain. What if this is another facet of that expansion?What if we prayed like this?"Enlarge the boundaries of my heart territory, Lord. Stretch them to be where You want them to be. Throw open the borders of my heart and let me not cause others pain."When we recognize God as our boundary—our shield and strong tower—we don't need to erect our own barbed-wire walls tight around our hearts. We can trust that God has set our boundaries in pleasant, expansive places.What could this look like in our lives? *New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.Janet Sketchley bio
Janet Sketchley's debut novel, Heaven's Prey, is a story of suspense and redemption. You'll find her Christian living articles and book reviews at janetsketchley.ca, plus a true-life story in the award-winning anthology, A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. Janet lives and writes in east-coast Canada.
Website: http://janetsketchley.ca/Heaven's Preypage: http://janetsketchley.ca/books/heavens-prey/Sample Chapter: http://janetsketchley.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Heavens-Prey-Chapter-1.pdfFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JanetSketchleyTwitter: https://twitter.com/JanetSketchleyAmazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/author/janetsketchley

MOTHER'S DAY: Mama was a fiery redhead

         MAMA WAS A FIERY REDHEADBy Ada Brownell

      The year was 1919. Rita Shepherd hurried down the dirt Iowa road carrying her heavy suitcase.      Joe Nicholson dropped his shovel beside a post hole. “That must be the new schoolteacher! I’m going to offer to carry her load.”      His friend let out a low whistle. “That redhead is a looker. I’ll do it.”      The young men argued and then flipped a coin. Joe won.      He enthusiastically courted the teacher for several weeks and then discovered there was a beau back home.      “It’s either me or the other guy,” Joe demanded. “Will you marry me or are you going to choose that twerp back home?”      Years later, Joe told Rita, “God planned for us to be man and wife way back when I was in Kansas and you were in Iowa.”      Joe and Rita were my parents.      Daddy usually was a man of few words, but when he did speak, wisdom filled his conversation. Because he had a “can do” attitude, he could repair or build almost anything, and even during the devastation of the Great Depression and the Kansas Dust Bowl, he figured out how to care for his family.      He shot three geese with one bullet. He dammed up the creek in drought and irrigated his garden. One cold winter when they had nothing in the cellar, Daddy cut ice from the creek and stored it in the cellar. The next summer, grasshoppers swarmed in like clouds, devouring crops, even eating onions out of the ground. The family cow still had milk and they had chickens, so the chickens ate grasshoppers and the family ate chicken and ice cream.      Mama was resourceful, too, and she was the perfect mate for Daddy. Yet, she had fire and spunk in her that made her ideal for the mother of the eight of us—six of us redheads.      Mama had been to college—unusual in the early 1900s, and being educated added to her life and ours. Daddy might have had a hint of what it means to be married to a redhead before, but when as a newlywed he started partaking now and then from his boss’s illegal liquor still, I imagine that’s when he realized he married a spit-fire.      Following Joe on his way to the field, she located the still in a shack by the lake. She’d heard of temperance leader Carry Nation’s style, and picked up an ax. Grabbing liquor bottles and dropping them in gunny sacks, she cleaned out the shack. She stuck a few bottles up the chimney and dragged one sack full of bottles into the lake as evidence for the revenuers. The bundles she hit with the backside of the ax until every bottle was broken.      When the bootlegger discovered the devastation, he knocked on my parents’ door. Mama answered.      “I’ve been expecting you,” she said. “Sit right over there. You ought to be ashamed for produces something that takes food out of children’s mouths, clothes off their backs, money out of a father’s pockets and sense out of their heads.”      The man didn’t know what to say, but the next day Mom and Dad had to run or be killed. They ran, sleeping here and there, and encountered body lice and had to burn all their clothes.Years later, Mama met the former bootlegger unexpectedly in another town. It was too late to cross the street to avoid him.“Young lady,” he said when his eyes caught hers, “you ruined me financially, but it was the best thing that happened to me.”      Mom had a way of getting to the root of problems. She parented with gentleness and love, and she and Dad disciplined with firmness  and consistency. We knew what was expected.      Although Mama always believed, when I was a baby (the eighth child), Mom had an experience with God that added power to her life beyond temper. The Holy Spirit so anointed her words although she has been in heaven for 50 years, my siblings and I can still hear her quoting scriptures: “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.” “Love your neighbors as yourself.”  “Those who won’t work, should not eat.” “Honor your father and mother…that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”      You might expect Solomon’s writing from Proverbs, “Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise” and the motto on her wall, “Only one life; ‘Twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.”      A mother’s words written on our hearts by the chisel of the Holy Spirit remain for recall. I wonder what words I’ve said my children will remember.©Ada Brownell 2012
      

Fay Lamb: Finding the Spark to Bring a Novel to Life

THE SPARK THAT BRINGS A NOVEL TO LIFEBy Fay Lamb


Short summary for Fay's latest book, Libby:
Libby Overstreet can’t see herself as anything but shy and socially awkward. She’s nearing thirty, and she’s never even been on a date. Then she meets the man of her dreams, but Libby knows he would never be interested in a wallflower like her. All she wants to do is to buy that garden nursery on the outskirts of town and settle down with the life she has always dreamed about. Evan Carter has been watching the sweet woman in the coffee shop for weeks when his friend tells him that the object of his affection plans to buy a garden nursery and needs Evan’s expertise as an architect/contractor. When they meet, Libby is more enamored of Evan and even more convinced that he would never look at her as anything but a friend. However, that’s far from the truth. Evan would love to get to know the innocent beauty God has placed in this path. Trouble is, he fears that a lovely flower like Libby will wilt under the sins of his past, and he’ll do everything in his power to keep that from happening.


HOW CHARACTERS BEGIN MOVING AND BREATHING

By Fay Lamb 
When a writer gets serious about her career, she seeks advice. One of the first rules she will learn is rather vague and open to interpretation.“Write what you know,” the experts say.I believe that the true meaning is must more complex than this expression.Yes, we should write what we know firsthand or have been able to research extensively, but knowledge in fiction without passion produces dry words if they are not accompanied by passion. Firsthand knowledge about something isn’t always required to spark a passion for it.I live in a town that sits directly across from the Kennedy Space Center. This place is rich with space exploration history. If someone asked me to write an historical novel about this history, I could do it. I know quite a bit about the history, but I lack a passion for the subject. There are authors out there who are ardent about this area and its history. I’d rather leave the telling of that story in their capable hands.Yet, even writing what we know and/or have passion for still doesn’t plumb the depths of the meaning behind “write what you know.”When I decided to write contemporary novels set in this familiar area, I really didn’t have the desire to put any of my characters to work at the space center. Why? As noted, I lack the passion for that career. Instead, I took two gals and moved them out of my hometown and into Orlando, Florida. One works in in a profession that I know inside and out. The other? Well let’s just say it’s a good thing dreams come true at the end of the story and not the beginning. While the girls live in Orlando, their pasts are firmly set in my hometown. In my writer’s mind, I pictured Orlando as a representation of the present and the future while my hometown represented the past and what needed to be overcome.All of the heroines in The Ties That Bind series have issues that mirror my own experiences. In Charisse and Libby, the stories are very different, but we do discover that both girls were abandoned by their fathers. While Charisse’s story centers on forgiveness and moving on from the past, Libby Overstreet’s past has crippled her. She lacks self-esteem, and she has a disabling fear of rejection that keeps her from experiencing the awesome gifts that God wants to bestow upon her, including the love of the man she has asked God to allow to cherish her and the business she dreams of owning.Like both heroines, I experienced firsthand the abandonment by my father. His departure left me with several issues I needed to face, and you’ve guessed it, Charisse and Libby face those same problems. Overcoming the negative emotions and the impact that abandonment places upon a child, even when that child is an adult, is something I’m very passionate about. But it is the emotions and not necessarily the issues that will connect a reader to the story. Knowing and conveying the emotions that are born of issues in our lives can touch an individual reader in ways an author cannot begin to imagine. That touch might possibly lead them to the One who can heal the pain. Having felt those emotions deeply, I try to allow the reader to feel the trauma of a father’s abandonment. Those feelings sent me to the Lord to seek relief. There, I discovered that while my earthly father might not have been perfect, my heavenly Father is, and His arms are all that I need. Not only am I able to convey the bad emotions, but I am able to relay the good feelings that come with learning the truth of the situation. “Write what you know …” A better translation is “Write where your passions take you.” When our passions resonate with a reader, that is the spark that brings a novel to life and might possibly bring new life to the reader.
MEET FAY LAMBFay Lamb’s emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details. Fay has recently contracted with Write Integrity Press for three series. Stalking Willow and Better than
Revenge, the first two novels in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series is currently available forpurchase, as are Charisse and Libby, the first two releases in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series. Serenity is the third series contracted, and Storms in Serenity is slated for release summer 2014.
Fay is a past-secretary for American Christian Fiction Writers. She served for four years as the moderator for ACFW’s critique group, Scribes. For her volunteer efforts for ACFW, she received the Service Members Award in 2010. She was also a semi-finalist that year in the ACFW Genesis Contest. Fay was influential in the creation of the Central Florida ACFW Chapter known as Sonshine Scribes. She is a past-president and will serve as secretary in 2014.Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and six grandchildren.
Links for the book:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Libby-Ties-that-Series-Volume/dp/1938092627/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398305050&sr=8-1&keywords=Libby+by+Fay+Lamb
Links for Fay:http://www.faylamb.com(Fay’s website and blog: On the Ledge)http://www.facebook.com/fay.lamb(personal FB page)http://www.facebook.com/AuthorFay(Fay’s fan page)http://www.facebook.com/TacticalEd(Fay is the Tactical Editor, sharing self-editing tips)http://www.twitter.com/FayLamb(Fay’s Twitter address)https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1482814.Fay_Lamb

OPPORTUNITY: DOING WHAT MY HANDS FIND TO DO

By Ada Brownell
We arrived a week after I gave my resignation to a daily newspaper in a mountain village of 7,000. That evening was my first shift as a general assignments reporter in a city of 100,000.

I'd never had a journalism course. I had no college degree. Two large notebooks full of published free lance articles opened this large newsroom to me.
"We need you to cover the weather," the editor told me, handing me a telephone number for the Weather Service.


So, I interviewed the weatherman and wrote a short report. The editor brought it back. A major snowstorm swirled our way and he wanted it covered well.
"Tell us what's coming from the north, and what's happening south, east and west."
"O.K.," my mouth said, but my head felt as if a mound of snow landed on it. How could I do that? I got lost when I went home for the lunch break. I'm directionally challenged. I had no idea where nearby communities were located.
I phoned the weatherman again and grilled him about all the points on the compass and what the cold fronts had packed to dump in our area. I survived and lived to learn, report, and write a decent story.
Before the mountain town job, I worked as a stringer for the newspaper in a tiny community near my hometown. When I started, I was given a handbook about how to recognize a good story, how to interview, how to write news and features. I almost memorized the book which told in a nutshell almost everything taught about news writing in the college classroom later when I earned my mass communications degree. Yet, I'd had few opportunities to cover important events.
But I was determined to learn. Despite success free lancing for Christian publications, when I made my first a big sale, I invested in correspondence course. “Writing for Christian Publications.”  Later I took a class in fiction writing. I hadn't planned to be a writer. It all started with submitting ideas for youth services as a teen, and then articles.

As a child, I memorized the advice of Solomon, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).  Thus, when an idea came I felt might draw people to God, I put it on paper.  That's how a career grew from almost nothing but grace.
The task wasn't easy. As any writer, I received rejections. I had to quit the news business and take out 15 years to stay at home with our five children, and then find a way back into doing the only thing I knew how to do besides manual labor.  I wanted to help send our children to Christian colleges.
One discouraging day I opened the Bible and my eyes fell on this scripture, "Be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded" (2 Chronicles 15:7).
I've found those words to be true. I landed the needed job and worked until retirement. I'm still listening for the Lord's voice, working with my hands, and seeing results.
©Copyright Ada Brownell Jan. 1, 2014
  

WHEN MEMORY FADES BY RONDA kNUTH

NOTE FROM ADA BROWNELL: Today I feature another of my Sunday school students out of my class of teens in Lakewood, Colo. Most of those young people have served the Lord in the decades since then and some have gone into ministry. Today's guest is Ronda Hunter Knuth. Her healing testimony was one of those I featured in my book, Confessions of a Pentecostal. As a child her head was caught in a revolving door. She lost some of her physical abilities and the doctor believed she was slowly dying because of the head injury. But one day Ronda's mother knew God heard her prayers and her daughter would be OK, and in a short time Ronda was completely normal.
Years later, Ronda went through one of the most horrific emotional and spiritual challenges of  her life because of her first husband, but God was there.
Perhaps that's why she's able to reach Alzheimer's patients and others with dementia with her love. Old Age and losing the ability to think are stressful, too.
Ronda is a master storyteller. You'll enjoy the white-haired folks who walk, shuffle and dance on the pages of her book. Each has a history, had a loving family, successes, sorrows and triumphs. They smile, laugh, weep, and no matter what their age, have love left to give.



Summary: When Memory Fades 
Here are funny and moving accounts of the wonderful people whose lives have been affected by age and Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes at the close of day, when the lights have been dimmed, and the “good night, sleep tights” have all been said, I sit in the stillness and remember. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go; many I will never forget. Pinehurst Sunrise Senior Living is where I go to live out my love. This place, these people have changed my life. I have learned lessons by watching and listening. I’m surrounded by the best of the best, and a whole lot of memories are stored in my heart and mind. Oh, the wonderful stories I have to tell!
Bio 
When Ronda Knuth learned that she was to be the 2014 regional recipient of the "Joy in Service" award for the Assisted Living organization where she is employed she questioned, "How is it that I am being given an award for simply loving?" Ronda is passionate about seniors, and is especially drawn to those who contend daily with Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias.

Ronda is a regular contributor to Network211.com's Global Christian Center web site and to TheWay.co.uk, a subscription-service daily devotional published in the United Kingdom. Her personal life story has been told in, "The Unmasking: Married to a Rapist" by author Kevin Flynn and in "The Triumph Book: Stories of Tragedy Turned into Triumph" by author Melanie Davis.

Born in the rural community of Ft. Morgan, Colorado, Ronda grew up in a home where she was taught to honor senior citizens. That training has served her well in her profession as a Terrace Club Day Program Life Enrichment Manager at Sunrise Senior Living at Pinehurst in Denver, Colorado. She is married (soon to be 30 years), and is the mother of four, mother-in-love of three, and grandmother of four.

Ronda has spoken at numerous area retreats, luncheons, civic and church groups. She has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including, "The 700 Club," "Sally Jesse Raphael," "Phil Donahue," and "Inside Edition".

Personal web site: http://rondarestingplace.net
whenmemoryfades2014@gmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When Memory Fades" by Ronda Knuthhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00J2GE9EG

Broken PiecesBy Ronda Knuth
Broken Pieces
You must be more careful, I scold myself through the tears, you almost missed that one. Pieces of the whole will never do; if He’s to put it back together again, He will need it all.
Bending low, I wrap trembling fingers around the missing sliver and swath it in an old, worn rag, then I tuck the tattered bundle carefully beneath my robe. This is for His eyes only. No one else must see.
I worry, perhaps He will not see me; will not care. If He does not restore my brokenness, all hope is gone. On bended knee I slip inside, and gingerly ease toward the light. It’s a busy place. There’s perfect order and calm, though couriers hustle and bustle careful to do His bidding.
I know He will be busy; He’s always on call – “Please do this . . . Will You help me here? . . . What should I do now? . . . Do You think that You could . . .?”
What if He doesn’t have time for me? I cautiously peek my head around the corner. Oh, how I love Him. What would my life be without Him? For just a moment I catch a glimpse, then the crowd closes and I lose sight of Him. I sigh and quietly bow my head. He IS too busy; I should have known.
A circle of greats surround him - a beloved president, an esteemed evangelist, a renowned speaker. They are movers and shakers, consulting Him on important business. They touch lives for eternity every day. I am so aware as I stand there that I am not them. I’m just me.
My face burns with shame. I shouldn’t have come. I’ve never saved a life, written a book, buried a martyred husband. Most days I’m just car-pooling to games, vacuuming carpets, doing the laundry.
I reach beneath my garment, and touch the old, worn rag. I have nothing to offer but my broken pieces. Perhaps another day I’ll try. Swiping at the hot tears trickling down my cheeks, I stifle a sob as I turn to leave. That’s when I hear it. His voice caressing my name.
I turn, and He is there. All of Heaven senses the urgency of the moment, and stills. He leans intently forward, and with quiet authority speaks, “Come to me, My child.”
I take first one step and then another. As I near, I feel the weight of His presence. He speaks, “Don’t be afraid,” and I bow in humble submission before Him.
“Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, my Lord! Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might be unto You, my God, forever and ever.”
He whispers my name once more, and I lift my eyes to His. I read His love for me, holy and pure. He holds out His arms, and I run into His embrace. He folds me close, so close that I hear the cadence of the beating of His heart. It is beating for me.
“I have called your name,” He whispers, “You are mine.”
He knows me, and He loves me still. I weep deep sobs of sorrow and surrender. He pats my shaking shoulders, and gently rubs my back. Not once does He does scold or hurry me along. He does not blow out my flickering flame. He simply understands.I could stay there forever safe in His embrace. He is my refuge, and His everlasting arms my support. My weeping spent, He holds my face in His hands and gently wipes my tears with His thumb. “Tell me, daughter, why do you weep?”
He knows, I know He knows, but He bids me tell Him still. I need to speak my pain. Then He inclines His ear toward me. “My heart is broken, Father.” I reach beneath my robe and give to Him the worn-out rag. He takes it from me with great care. "What have we here?"
Slowly He folds back the corners exposing the contents I’ve hidden there. I know that I can trust Him, still I tremble at the thought, What will He do now? Will it hurt for Him to heal? I know that He can do anything, but for just a moment I doubt. Maybe this one He can’t fix.
I feel vulnerable in His presence; unworthy of His care. I stutter an apology, "Perhaps I should not have bothered you with something so small."
"Small? Why if it matters to you, it matters to Me."
I hold my breath, waiting for His words. "You trusted me with your pain. You could have carried this and walked on alone, but you brought it instead to Me. You’ve given Me your heart. Thank you. What is it that you would you have Me do?"
"Lord." I whisper, "I want to be whole."
So, He lovingly wraps His fingers around the broken pieces of my heart, and tenderly fits them together.
"Here," He says, "Good as new. Better actually- for once your heart’s been broken it’s much better than before. Now it beats with compassion for those who hurt. It beats with confidence because it’s known My touch. It beats with courage because it knows it never walks alone. It beats with assurance knowing that even if it shatters, I can fix it again."
Then He puts it back in place. I whisper my thanks, and rise from my knees. I can face my day. He’s quieted me with His love. I am His, and He rejoices over me with singing. I’ve been with the Father and I'll never be the same again.©rjk2014
"When Memory Fades" by Ronda Knuthhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00J2GE9EG

WHEN DO I CRY WOLF? By Steven R. Catt

Meet Restoration Evangelist Steven R. Catt, who was in my Sunday school class in Lakewood, Colo., as a teenager. What an honor when students you've touched are used mightily of the Lord. -- Ada Brownell

Steven R. Catt, Christian recording artist and author of the book “When Do I Cry Wolf?”, is now in his 35th year of full time, traveling ministry.  Early on, he developed the reputation as one who was willing to step into difficult churches and boldly speak the word of God.  Steven quickly became known as a “restoration preacher.”  His experience in dealing with these troubled churches has given him a wealth of wisdom on the subject .  Recently Steven was encouraged by four noted church leaders to write a book based on his teaching series entitled, “The footprints of Wolves.”  From this teaching, as well as real-life experiences, the book came into being.
The purpose of the book is to make pastors and their fellow church leaders aware of impending danger. “When Do I Cry Wolf?” is a valuable tool in identifying and uncovering the deceptive work of the enemy within the local church.  In the book, church leaders will find the answers to such questions as:   How can a pastor identify a wolf in sheep’s clothing?   What is the difference between a wolf and an angry sheep?   How can shepherds form a network of protection?  How can the wolf be uncovered and scripturally removed without destroying the church?  These questions and many more are answered in this book.


BUILDING A KINGDOM CULTUREBy Steven R. CattI was in Bisbe, Arizona, a few years ago when an aging crippled man walked up to me and placed his shaky hand on my shoulder. I turned to see a wrinkled-care worn face staring at a patch on my shoulder which read:  “I am proud to be a vet and a biker.”
 “Are you a vet?” I asked.
 “Yes.”
“Vietnam?”
“ Yes.”
  I took his hand and said: “Welcome home soldier.”
  He broke into tears and said: “You are the first person ever to welcome me home from Vietnam.”
 I held him while he cried. He had been denied the honor due for his service to this country.
In Mark 5, we see three life-changing miracles. First, the deliverance of the demonic man possessed by “Legion” which means “Many.”  The man lived among the tombs and the word said: “No man could control him.” 
When Jesus came on the scene in verse 8, He said,  “Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.  Suddenly, the man was in his right mind.
Then we see, a leader from the Synagogue  named Jairus, who stops Jesus and asks him to come heal his dying daughter. But before he can get there a woman with a issue of blood reaches out of the crowd and touches the hem of his garment, and immediately she is healed.
  Jesus cries out:  “Who touched me?”
 “Everyone is touching you,” the disciples said.
But Jesus answered, “This was different, someone touched me with faith.”  Then he looked at her. “Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be healed of this plague.”
By the time Jesus reaches Jairus daughter, she had died.
Ever get the feeling Jesus was somewhere else when he should have been with you?
Mark 5:41 Jesus finally arrives, takes the hand of the dead girl, and says to her, “Talitha cumi; which is to say, Young lady, arise…and straightway she stood up and walked;”
But in chapter six, everything is about to change. Jesus is coming home to Nazareth, his home town, to the people who know him, only as the carpenter’s son.
 In Nazareth, the next Sabbath He began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were amazed. They asked, "Where did He get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?"
 Then they scoffed, "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And His sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in Him.
He came to deliver the word and heal their sick,  but they mocked him and showed him no honor.
 Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family."
Ever have someone close to you dishonor you? Maybe a family member or a close friend? How did you feel? Worthless?  Of no value?
Remember that feeling because that’s how the other person feels when you take away their honor with your words.  “A twenty second statement can make someone’s day or break their heart. The choice is yours.”
What was the result of this belittling of Jesus? “Because of their unbelief, He could not do any miracles among them...except to place His hands on a few sick people and heal them” (Mark 6:5).
Here’s my question: If their lack of faith and dishonoring words towards Jesus could prevent him from doing great things in that city, is it possible we could hinder what God is wanting to do by failing to give honor where honor is due?
 I believe that one of the best ways to change the mindset of a community is by treating people with respect.
There are two basic reasons people withhold respect or honor from others.
·          “Familiarity.”  ( His own hometown ).
            “Oh…I know him!            “Oh…that’s just Phil….he’s been here for years.”            “Oh…that’s  just A.J…I went to school with  A.J.”            “That’s just Emily…I’ve known her all my life.”
They said, “That’s just the carpenter’s son.”The second reason people withhold honor is:  They know your past.Someone finds out what you did ten or twenty years ago.People search your historical closet looking for skeletonsIn an instant…your honor  is questioned todaybecause of who you were yesterday!  Let’s start restoring honor.
Show honor to the leadership watching over you.  Heb 13:17 (NLT)  “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”

Show honor to the Elders…they were appointed!Act 20:28  "So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock—His church, purchased with His own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.”

Show honor to each other.
                        (Rom 12:10)  Be devoted to one another in love. “Devoted”  Dedicated…inseparable !                         Honor one another above yourselves                        Put their best interest ahead of yours.                        Lose the  “It’s all about me attitude.”
Outside the church
                        Show honor to the lady serving your food.                        Avoid dishonoring conversation: Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting                          them  with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp                                 arrow” (Proverbs 25:18).
David said this about approaching God:
“Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors  or speak evil of their friends” (Psalm 15:1-3).
Reckless words can hinder what God wants to do.
Let the transformation begin with usRemember:    “To change a person’s mind…you must first win their heart.”

EARTH DAY: IS GOD AN ENVIRONMENTALIST?

                   
By Ada Brownell
The need to care for the earth has awakened in America and now is taught from kindergarten through college. Along with that awakening comes resentment against Genesis 1:28 where God said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing.”What is God’s and the Christian’s view?The Bible not only speaks of dominion, but also of responsibility, respect and stewardship of nature. Dominion can be interpreted to mean “loving care, such as parental authority.”       Christians often take the lead when it comes to preserving human life, especially the lives of the unborn, but are not noted for being tree and mouse lovers. But most understand we endanger ourselves when we endanger the ecosphere.      Albert Schweitzer, a theologian/philosopher of the last century, said reverence for life is connected with the individual’s will to live.      “If I am a thinking being, I must regard other life than my own with equal reverence,” Schweitzer said.” Ada Brownell, a free lance writer and retired newspaper reporter, has written numerous stories on the environment and with Dennis Darrow received the 1994 Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters first-place environment award for a series that appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain. Her blog: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com







HOW THE BIBLE VIEWS ECOLOGY
·         The land is to rest every seven years. “For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.  But in the seventh year the land is to have a Sabbath of rest” (Leviticus 25:3-4).·         Don’t cut down trees unnecessarily. “When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees of the field men, that you should besiege them?” (Deuteronomy 20:19-20).·         Be compassionate to animals. “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” (Deuteronomy 25:4). “If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it” (Exodus 23:5). Jesus tells about the shepherd leaving his flock to find one lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7). “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal” (Proverbs 12:10).·         Respect birds. “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it” (Matthew 10:29NLT). “If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young.  You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life” (Deuteronomy 22:6-7).·         Respect the earth and its Creator. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Who stretched a measuring line across it? Who shut up the sea behind doors? Have you ever shown the dawn its place? The earth takes shape like clay under a seal. Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? What is the way to the abode of light? Where does darkness reside? Have you entered the storehouses of the snow? What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered?“ (Selected from Job 38).·         Turning away from God affects the land. “Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites; because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land. There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery. They break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the land mourns, and all who live in it waste away, the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the fish of the sea are dying “ (Hosea 4:1-3).·         God blesses the crops of the obedient.  “’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’” says the Lord Almighty, “’and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit... all nations will call you blessed for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty” Malachi 3:6-12). --Ada Brownell            

EASTER: IS IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID DEATH?

By Ada BrownellEXCERPT FROM SWALLOWED BY LIFE:MYSTERIES OF DEATH, RESURRECTION AND THE ETERNALChapter OneAn old gentleman leaned on his cane and peered into the cherry-red 1923 Model T Roadster. It glistened like a new car, but just a few years earlier had rested in decay almost forgotten.          “This is just like the first car I ever had,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes.          He and his son were examining four antique cars brought to a senior care center as part of the National Nursing Home Week celebration.
          The man, like the Model T, was almost an antique himself.           Before the old car found redemption, from the front bumper down to the brown leather on the rumble seat, the old Ford stood waiting for one last trip—to the junkyard. Many vehicles like it have been retrieved from gullies, from behind the barn, and from buildings and junkyards, metal-consuming rust eating away at running boards, fenders, hoods, engines, and other vital parts.           Rust is the reddish-orange coating of ferric hydroxide, the substance that causes oxidation of metal in the car’s body. When metal rusts, it breaks down until its elements disappear into the air and into the earth, leaving holes.          Doctors tell us oxidation occurs in the human body, too, as we age and develop diseases. We aren’t eaten by rust, but oxidation causes cell damage, and that is why nutritionists recommend we consume foods rich in antioxidants, such as blueberries and green tea. In the human body, life-essential oxygen combusts and produces by-products referred to as oxygen free radicals, which cause aging.          Oxidation is part of the second law of thermodynamics, a scientific term we seldom talk about but see all the time when there is a loss of electrons in an atom. Every barn you see with the roof caved in is an example of this law, which says in simple terms that everything eventually falls apart because energy becomes less organized with time.           Our bodies do the same thing. As we age our sight grows dim, the ears less discerning of sounds. Our memory slows. Our muscles and joints don’t work as well. Our skin wrinkles. Our cardiovascular system becomes clogged or diseased. Our lungs and vocal cords exhibit wear and tear. The body’s defense weakens and diseases take up residence in us. Then, like an old automobile, one functioning organ goes, and then another, until the loss of a vital part is enough to kill.Death for the human body is connected to the degradation of matter. Our mortal flesh isn’t designed to last forever. Unless taken by death prematurely, like the unrestored Model T covered in rust and with an engine that won’t run, the human body wears out or just quits.As I explained before, I started studying about death and life after we lost our beautiful eldest daughter, Carolyn, to cancer in 1990. A born-again Christian who could quickly tell someone else what to believe, I found my faith challenged.When I knew Carolyn was dying, over and over I prayed, tears streaming down my face, my insides feeling ripped out, “Where are you, God?”My guts twisted with anger and doubt. Fear choked me as I wondered if what Jesus said about eternal life was really true.
I’d heard and read what the Bible has to say. It says at death we will immediately be with the Lord (Luke 23:43, Ecclesiastes 12:6–8) and at the resurrection, in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, our flesh will be changed into an immortal body with all-new parts that never age, get sick, or die—even if that flesh has already turned to dust.Probably because of my experiences and what I learned on the medical beat at the newspaper, I decided to investigate if there is evidence we are more than a mere body.I knew a journalist’s assignment sometimes goes beyond the obvious. Facts aren’t material objects that can be felt or seen. Through testimony and evidence, truth can be learned. Interviewing witnesses, experts, and victims and making visits to the scene help a reporter present facts to the public.          Yet, when the story is all told, newspaper readers or television viewers react differently. Some believe what is reported; others do not. Some doubt the reliability of the reporter. Others assume the media conspires to deceive the public. A few believe the persons interviewed are liars.          Those who believe take the plunge into faith. I took that plunge and believe Jesus when He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:26).          No matter what you believe about life after death, it takes faith. But there is evidence, and the eyewitnesses' testimony is recorded in the Bible. It's your decision.©Copyright Ada Brownell 2012
SWALLOWED BY LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal
                                          By Ada Brownellhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06
Do you know evidence shows we’re more than a physical body? The author, a prolific religion writer and retired medical journalist, talks about the evidence; the wonder of life with all its electrical systems; the awesome truth about cell death and regeneration; mysteries surrounding the change from mortal to immortal; where we go when our body dies; resurrection; and a glimpse at what we will do in heaven. Questions and answers make this non-fiction inspirational book a great text for group study. It’s written for support groups, religion classes, people with chronic or terminal illness, individuals who fear death or are curious about it, the grieving, and those who give them counsel.An excerpt from Swallowed by Life was featured in the June 2, 2013, “Reading for Spiritual Health” edition of The Pentecostal Evangel.
Where you can find Swallowed by Life:Amazon: http://amzn.to/Jnc1rWBarnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/JnbKVLBooksamillion.com http://ow.ly/cJmx8 And you can see reviews on GoodReads http://ow.ly/cJmMeChristian Publishers Outlet also has the paperback

Ada Brownell bioAda Brownell has been writing for Christian publications since age 15 and spent much of her life as a daily newspaper reporter. She has a B.S. degree in Mass Communications and worked most of her career at The Pueblo Chieftain in Colo., where she spent the last seven years as a medical writer. After moving to Springfield, MO in her retirement, she continues to free lance for Christian publications and write non-fiction and fiction books. She is critique group leader of Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers.She is author of Imagine the Future You, a Bible study; Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, fiction released Jan. 15, 2013; Swallowed by Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, Bible study released Dec. 6, 2011; and Confessions of a Pentecostal, published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House in 1978, out- of-print but released in 2012 for Kindle. All the books are available in paper or for Kindle.      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/AdaBrownellWritingMinistries     Twitter: @adellerella     Blog: http://inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.comStick to Your Soul Encouragement     Amazon Ada Brownell author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06