Ada Brownell's Blog, page 67

DO YOU HOLD GRUDGES? By Guest Author Katie Clark

FORGIVE AND FORGET
By Katie Clark
It’s so easy to hold a grudge—especially when someone has truly, deeply wounded you. That feeling of hurt can last for days, months, years. That is, unless you accept the all-encompassing forgiveness offered through Christ.
Easier said than done? I don’t think so.
So, how does one do this? How does one forgive and forget? Life is a struggle, and the process may be different for everyone, but here are a few tips that may help along the way.
·         Realize it is okay to forgive. I held a grudge against someone for a long time. I held the grudge because I thought that if I forgave and forgot, And always remember that your Heavenly Father is full of mercy and love, as well as forgiveness toward you. May we all live to emulate Him!

BIO:Katie Clark has been telling stories since she was seven years old. When she grew up and realized people liked hearing the stories, well, she was hooked. She spends her days telling tales to her two wee daughters, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world. Katie’s published works include her upcoming YA novel, Vanquished, the first book in the Enslaved series, as well as numerous children’s books. You can learn more at her website, www.katieclarkwrites.com.


VANQUISHEDSUMMARY

When Hana’s mom is diagnosed with the mutation, she is denied the medication that might save her life.  Fischer, a medic at the hospital, implies there are people who can help—except Hana’s not sure she can trust him; Fischer is involved in a religious group, and religion has been outlawed for the last hundred years.  Hana embarks on a dangerous journey, seeking the answers Fischer insists are available. When the truth is uncovered does Hana stick to what she knows?  Or does she join the rebellion, taking a stand against an untrustworthy society?

NEED YOUR JOY RESTORED? DISCOVER THE FAITH ELEMENT

We sing a worship song by Dwight Liles that compares the spiritual life to giving: We Are An Offering 

By Jude Urbanski
            We can do nothing more than be an offering to God. Whether we’re a reader, a published or an aspiring author, we are called to lift our voices, use our hands and offer our lives up to Him. And to humbly request-Lord, use our voices, Lord use our hands and use our lives. They are yours. We are an offering. We sing this song at church. Sometimes I raise open hands in obedience and supplication. The words of this song never fail to engage my heart. They are the best hook I’ve read.            I have been intentional about writing in an inspirational way, but at one low ebb, after unsuccessfully trying to find a Christian publisher, I consciously (or was it defiantly?) delayed including the ‘God part’ in my conference pitch. In a quiet way, the well-respected agent asked, “Where’s the faith element?” That gentle, or maybe not-so-gentle, jerk is now my constant reminder of where I’ve chosen allegiance in writing. I always include the faith element, someway and somehow. Lord, use my voice, my words, and my life. They are yours.  I am an offering.

Jude Urbanski's recently published book:



JOY RESTORED
Kate Davidson wears a mask since her husband’s life was snuffed out on a mountain curve. Outwardly, she continues to care for her children and home. Inwardly, she wages battle with God. Clayton may as well have died in the jungles of Vietnam as in a one-car accident on the Wolf River Bridge.
Will Kate refuse God’s healing and the love of widower
www.judeurbanski.com http://judeurbanski.blogspot.com The Chronicles of Chanute Crossing   Joy Restored, November 2011   Nurtured in Purple, June 2012 Desert Breeze Publishinghttp://about.me/judeurbanski I Choose You, anthology, Oak Tara, Dec 2012

Writing expert Stephanie McCall shares important writing tips

Writing Tips and TricksBy Stephanie McCall, author of Fiery Secrets


            One of the toughest things for me as a writer is coming up with a perfect villain. That is, someone who readers love to hate, but could still be sympathetic toward, given the right circumstances (for example, if he or she could use their brains and talent for good rather than evil). To me, the perfect villain is also someone in whom readers can see examples of what can happen when a life created in God’s image derails.             When crafting your own villain (or villainess) how can you make them memorable, even if that memory makes the reader flinch? Here are a few things I try to keep in mind:
1.      Be careful with a villain who has your own baggage. I’ve always heard, “If it hurts, it’ll probably make a good story.” Giving your hurts a place in fiction can be cathartic, but tread carefully. For example, you’ve probably never killed anyone, but maybe you have struggled with a nasty temper. Great—but we don’t need to see your villain explode in every chapter. Why? Because not everyone with anger issues becomes a murderer. Represent the baggage as fairly as you can while still telling the truth.2.      Love on your villains.Remember, the wicked stepmother in Ever After had a pretty wicked mom herself. The villain in Brandilyn Collins’ Over the Edge grieved his wife, dead from Lyme disease because physicians didn’t listen. Give the villain a motivation or non-typical twist.3.      No redemption? No sale! No, the villain doesn’t have to embrace Christ at the end, but readers need to see potential for redemption, or else the character falls flat. For example, within Fiery Secrets, readers see that Kyle has had mentors, a chance at a good marriage, and even a promising beginning to fatherhood. He chose to throw it all away, but remains redeemable.4.      Leave some things to the imagination. In Christian circles, this is often not a big issue, but sometimes, it is. For example, one lovely inspirational author disappointed me when a novel of hers contained a graphic near-rape scene. What’s too graphic will vary from reader to reader and also depends on the rules of your publisher, editor, or the CBA. However, show as much restraint as you can, particularly if villain-centered scenes also take place in naturally horrific settings (i.e., a torture chamber, a concentration camp).
How about you?  What baggage have you liked or not liked in a villain?  What motivational twists have you enjoyed in a villain?  Can you think of a villain whom you would be interested in working with to mentor them towards redemption?  What is your personal comfort level with graphic scenes?



“Fiery Secrets” by Stephanie McCall.
When it comes to trial, God either spares you from it totally, asks you to walk through it, or delivers you from it by taking you to Heaven. Dr. Grace Taylor, a driven pediatrician and single mom, needs divine intervention if she’s going to heal from the actions of her cheating, abusive ex-husband.  But she never thought God would work through Chris Anderson, a tutor at the local learning center whose secrets keep him from opening up to her. Both Grace and Chris have been asked to walk through their trial by fire; they’ve come out alive, but they still smell like smoke.  Despite fears and distrust, love begins to take root in their hearts. But their fiery secrets threaten to keep them apart, and blister their souls.  Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense.

Release date: July 2, 2013.
Trade Paperback Retail $14.99ISBN 978-1-938708-16-9
Amazon Kindle $3.99ISBN 978-1-938708-17-6
Barnes & Noble Nook $3.99ISBN 978-1-938708-17-6
Author Bio:Stephanie McCall is an English teacher with two Master of Arts degrees from Western Carolina University, one of which has a professional writing concentration. She also has a B.A. in Religious Studies. She lives in North Carolina with her parents and younger brother, where she enjoys reading, writing (and discussing her writing), and participating in Bible studies, prison ministry, and her church’s drama team. She also plans to adopt a cat in the near future. Her favorite Scripture is Jeremiah 29:11

Nike Chillemi: crime fictionista. Why would a crime novelist ask us to appreciate pastors?

Meet Nike Chillemi, crime novelist:


Like so many writers, Nike Chillemi started writing at a very young age. She still has the Crayola, fully illustrated book she penned (penciled might be more accurate) as a little girl about her then off-the-chart love of horses. Today, you might call her a crime fictionista. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better.

She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and is its Chairman, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine. She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011 and 2012 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. BURNING HEARTS, the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, finaled in the Grace Awards 2011 in the Romance/Historical Romance category. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in December, 2011 won the Grace Award 2011 in the Mystery/Romantic Suspense/Thriller category. PERILOUS SHADOWS, third in the series released July, 2012, and DARKEST HOUR, the fourth in the series released in February, 2013.  She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning). http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
Appreciating Our PastorsBy Nike Chillemi
Many Christians seem not to realize that one of the ways we hear from the Lord is through the five-fold ministry. So many in the pews say they need to hear from the Lord. It seems strange, yet some seem to overlook the fact that God speaks to them through their pastors.
The Lord uses pastors all over the world as His mouthpiece to direct, guide, and motivate the body of Christ. If we all went to church purposing in our hearts to hear a word from God through our pastors, I'm sure something wonderful would take place. We'd hear words of direction, words of correction, words of inspiration, words of motivation, and words of impartation. And I'll bet we'd be able to hear the voice of God better when we're not in church.I believe it is God's plan for believers to hear Him through our preachers. I see this Romans 10: 13-14 [NASB] -- for Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?




This is how I know it's God's plan that we hear His voice through our pastors. It really matters how we view our pastors and respond to their preaching. Everyone likes to be appreciated and so do pastors.
One of the things I enjoyed tremendously was writing the character of Pastor Lenz Dobak in the first book in the Sanctuary Point mystery series, BURNING HEARTS. Pastor Dobak leads the tiny Bay Chapel with its poor and mainly immigrant congregation. He is always there as a support for his flock in times of trouble and delights in speaking about his own formation in the faith. He's a true man of God.
The principle of hearing God's Word through our pastors is so much more than, "thus sayeth the Lord."  I think of church as a boot camp, a laboratory, a school-room, a training ground. We gather together in church to partake of the Word of God as it is preached. In this day, in this hour, especially, believers need to be tuned into the Word of God more than ever before. I believe we need to come to church expecting to hear the Word of God from our pastors. This will better equip us for what we will have to face in these last days.

 The purchase links for Burning Hearts.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/13cqgVC
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/12nzjUY

Award-winning author Shannon Taylor Vannatter: "Love doesn't make the world go around. God does."

Why I Write Christian FictionBy Shannon Taylor Vannatter

Note: Leave a comment and get a chance to win a copy of Rodeo Regrets.
Back in 1999, I finally realized the story I’d had in my head since I was a teenager could be a book. I set out to write a clean romance because I fell in love with the genre as a teen. But my characters wouldn’t stop praying and talking to God. And I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t leave God out of the story because love doesn’t make the world go around. God does.
Christian romance was still in its infancy then and I had no idea there was such a thing. Until I went to the library to learn how to get published. The librarian suggested the Writer’s Market Guide and I found numerous publishers looking for what I was writing. I was a reader. How had I missed Christian fiction? I often shopped at the Christian book store, but I always went straight to the music section.
I submitted my book to publishers and started another book. I stopped counting rejections at two hundred on six different books. If I’d known how hard, how frustrating, and how long it would take to achieve publication, I probably never would have started. Nine and a half years later, countless writers meetings and conferences, and a membership in American Christian Fiction Writers later, I achieved my dream.
I write romance because I love happily-ever-afters and I read to relax. With romance, I know everything will turn out okay. The how it will turn out okay keeps me turning the pages. I write Christian because I can’t imagine writing anything else.
Now there are so many genres within Christian Fiction. Science fiction, speculative, fairytale retellings—something for everyone. It never ceases to amaze me the unique books God can dictate to touch every reader. All he needs is a willing writer.

I try to be that willing writer. With each book, I write to uplift Christians, to help them see something in a new light, to strengthen their walk with God. And I always pray that Christians will loan my book to their non-believing friends and maybe my book will plant seeds. 
Summary of Rodeo RegretsNATALIE WENTWORTH'S PAST IS ABOUT TO CATCH UP WITH HER Natalie once dreamed of finding true love. Then Lane Gray broke her heart. After running wild to fill the emptiness inside her, she heads back to her hometown to heal. But when she sees the cowboy she once loved so much, she finds him hard to resist.
Lane Gray is a changed man. The handsome cowboy wants Natalie's forgiveness-and more. Natalie has made plenty of mistakes in her life, but so has Lane. Could falling for each other again
be the worst one yet? Or the path to redemption?





Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom and pastor’s wife. Her debut novel won the 2011 Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. When not writing, she runs circles in the care and feeding of her husband, their son, and church congregation. Home is a central Arkansaszoo with two charcoal gray cats, a chocolate lab, and three dachshunds in weenie dog heaven. If given the chance to clean house or write, she’d rather write. Her goal is to hire Alicefrom the Brady Bunch.

Darlene Franklin talks about the joy of fulfilling God's call

THE CALLByDarlene Franklin ©2013
Blessed be God, the God-of-Our-Fathers, who put it in the mind of the king to beautify The Temple of God in Jerusalem! Not only that, he caused the king and all his advisors and influential officials actually to like me and back me. My God was on my side and I was ready to go. (Ezra 7:27-28, MSG)"The call" refers to the phone from an editor or agent, wanting to contract with you for your book--especially the first one.
Now, I have contracted 30 books and never received a phone call; I did get, back in 2003, an email from Tracie Peterson, wanting to contract  Romanian Rhapsody. I received the message on Thanksgiving Eve, so you can imagine my celebration that year.
In chapter six, Ezra described the first Passover celebrated after the temple was rebuilt and of Era's revival. Both express impossible, laugh out loud, incredible, unbelievable joy. God had plunged them into a sea of joy. (Ezra 6:21, MSG) Receiving that first contract plunges a writer into holy joy juice.
In chapter seven, Ezra went into detail about his personal rejoicing. His experience parallels mine as a writer.
He thanked God for the opportunity to do what he wanted to do:
·         Blessed be God . . .who put it in the mind of the king to beautify the Temple of God. Writers without publishers and readers are sad people indeed. The day I quit my job to write full time fulfilled a lifelong dream, but it took a publisher with a desire to print Christian romance to make it happen.
·         Not only that, he caused the king . . . actually to like me and back me. They like me! They like my "baby," my book! They actually are going to back me, by taking on the expense of printing it, editing it, creating a cover and a marketing plan--and paying me!
·         My God was on my side and I was ready to go. For those of you not yet published: take heart from Ezra’s preparedness. The time you've spent learning your craft has not been wasted. You will be ready to go, when your call comes.
So rejoice in that sea of joy when God sends that publisher or agent who actually likes you and your work!
Get ready, set, GO.
AUTHOR BIO/LINKS: Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV, in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written twenty-six books, been published in twenty more, and has written more than 200 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont. You can find Darlene online at http://darlenehfranklinwrites.blogspot.com/, http://mydailynibble.blogspot.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/darlene.franklin.3 .
Blurb: The lyrics from Horatio G. Spaffords beloved hymn It Is Well with My Soul inspire this encouraging title. Simple, heartfelt devotions speak to women of all ages. Add to that page after page of lovely prayers, memorable quotations, and Bible promises.Purchase link: http://amzn.to/1cWQBgq

HOW DO WRITERS KNOW WHEN THEY NEED A VACATION? From Guest Author Larry Timm

It's a pleasure to have Larry Timm as my blog guest.  FYI: WIP is "Work in progress."

DO YOU NEED TO GET AWAY?
By Larry Timm
Hey, even writers need a vacation. No matter how much we love something, we sometimes need a break from it. Here are the Top 10 Signs You Need a Break from Writing. If any of these describe you, put your hands above your head and back away from your WIP slowly.

TOP 10 SIGNS YOU NEED A BREAK FROM WRITING:
#10:  You are stalking someone so you can eventually interview them and ask them how it felt.
# 9:  You refer to your spouse as "the antagonist I'm currently married to."
# 8:  Your best friend cries on your shoulder and shares a terrible problem they're having in their life, and all you can say is, "Ohhhhhhh, this will make a great inciting incident in my book!"
# 7:  When you go on vacation, you pack a suitcase for each of your main characters.
# 6:  One of your children interrupts you with a question, and you say, "And what chapter are you in?"
# 5:  You dial 9-1-1 and say, "I need to see how fast you can get here! ready? Go! Hurry, this is research, lady!"
# 4:  When you're in jail for repeatedly calling 9-1-1 for research (see #5), you scare the beejeebers out of your cell mates by telling them how you once used a flip-flop to kill a man, and then disposed of his body with a wood-chipper...and you forget to tell them it's fiction...or was it?
# 3:  You let one of your favorite characters die and then refuse to speak to yourself for a week.
# 2:  You realize that you just dictated the last six chapters of your book into your electric razor. (And now your chin is bleeding).
# 1:  You run up to the poor kid mowing your lawn and scream, "I said to leave one inch margins, moron!"
Soooooo, anyone (else) need a break? :)


Larry W. Timm is a Husband, dad, preacher and writer. He's a member of ACFW and is currently the chapter president of the ACFW Southcentral Kansas Chapter that meets in Wichita, Kansas.  He was a double semifinalist in ACFW's GENESIS contest in 2012 & 2013. You can follow Larry's blog at www.larrywtimm.com  Larry invites you to go "Like" his Author Page at www.facebook.com/larrywtimm & you can follow him on Twitter at @larrywtimm

IMAGINE THE FUTURE YOU

Imagine the future you
 My next book, Imagine the Future You, will be out in a few short weeks. Here’s a glimpse at what it’s about.

What will your life will be like in the future if you become all you can be ? How are you working toward achieving your dreams for now and the future? The intriguing thing about our dreams is we’re always the “Star.”  Comedy, romance, murder mystery, drama, documentary of a heroine—there we are in the middle of everything.When we’re awake we also star in our dreams. Dream big and work toward your goals and you’ll write a story with your life that will cause satisfaction beyond what would occur if you were a television or screen celebrity who plays roles about fictional people’s lives.Each of us “stars” in his life, and whether the story is a tragedy or a cherished classic depends on who we want to become and if we pursue our dreams.If you continue to do or not do what you practice now, what kind of future do you imagine for yourself?If we take time to dream and to imagine, it often changes our choices and our future. The decisions we make ourselves affect our future more than those made for us. We have control of our attitudes, our work ethic, our sense of wonder, our faith to believe in God and for great things. It is pretty much up to us where we end up in life and eternity.

Chapter headings

1.      Imagine your story. What kind of story will you write with your life?2.      Imagine: Joseph’s story. Why you can succeed no matter what happens in your life and what other folks do.3.      Imagine a unique You. Don’t be a copy of others. Let the talent, beauty and wonder inside you surface.4.      Imagine: The really big show. What kind of person would you like to be? Who do you admire? What kind of character do you desire? The career and serious hobbies?5.      Imagine: Important things you can know—and things you don’t want to know. Why our future is affected by positive knowledge we need to acquire, as well as evil that would like to work its way into our heads and damage our tomorrows.6.      Imagine: Someone who was, is, and is to come. How belief in God changes your future.7.      Imagine: God in a seven-pound body.  Why believing the evidence that Jesus is God and rose from the dead changes everything.8.      Imagine: Clean! How the wonder of being God’s child enhances our lives.9.      Imagine: A love letter to me? How God communicates to us through the Bible, showing us the right path into the future.10.  Imagine: The Creator listens to me? How knowing God hears our prayers adds another great dimension to our tomorrows.11.  Imagine: Falling in love. How preparing yourself for love and marriage gives a greater chance for success.12.  Imagine: You on your wedding day. How making the right choice makes a difference.13.  Imagine: Reachable goals. No matter who we are, what our background, who our parents are, with God’s help we can fulfill dreams.QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION FOR EACH CHAPTER

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP THE CHURCH SURVIVE AS NATIONS TURN TO SECULARISM?

     

I'm thankful our daughter, Carolyn, who became a strong Christian as an adult, was ready to go to heaven when cancer took her at age 31.
If Jesus tarries his Second coming, will the church be around in the decades ahead  for our children and grandchildren?   Christians are concerned. Nearly every family has a child or grandchild who isn’t serving God despite being raised in a Christian home and the church.

      When I worked as a newspaper reporter, I asked the late general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Thomas F. Zimmerman, whether he believed if Jesus doesn’t return in this generation whether he thought the church would survive.
      “It will survive,” he said, “but the next generation won’t do church like we do.”
      The music changed. Churches developed satellite congregations. We have podcasts, and numerous other advances from modern technology. Thank God all my children and grandchildren know the Lord, are involved, and despite changes, God is still working.
      But still, statistics show a large percentage of youth leave the church during or after college.
      What can we do?
       I worked with youth the majority of my life, and despite being a senior citizen now, I watch non-Christian youth with a heavy heart. Ultimately it is each young person’s decision, but the church is supposed to be salt and light which causes people to seek the Lord. Jesus still stands at the door and knocks—but he’s not going to crash through and enter without being invited.
So, with that in mind, we can:
1.    LIVE THE WORD
How we’re supposed to live was summarized for us by Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself " (Luke 10:26-28).
 If we do this, we model our faith. It’s not easy.
The first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with serving and respecting God. The last six have to do with how we treat our neighbor.
I can’t forget, however it is, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-6)
Nevertheless, if I love God as Jesus told me to, I’ll talk to Him, read His words, be in His presence, obey Him, and work in His kingdom.
Much hinges on the fruit we produce and walking in the Spirit.
 The Apostle Paul told the Galatians, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
2. SHARE THE WORD AND YOUR TESTIMONY
Why are you a Christian?
Your children and grandchildren should hear your testimony. Did God change your life? Give you something to live for? Fill the emptiness inside you? Given you joy unspeakable and full of glory? Has he healed you or given miracles for your family?
God reminded sometimes reminded people to be sure to tell their children about God’s miraculous works.
      Read about it in Joshua 4, which tells how God parted the Jordan River similar to how he parted the Red Sea and Israel crossed. The Lord told them to gather stones and build a memorial about the miracle.
“This may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
 “What do these stones mean?” I’m fortunate because I’m a writer and I’ve been sharing my testimony since my youth. My children have read some of it, and today if I write something in which they could be interested, I send it to them. Often they comment that they enjoy it. You might be surprised at your family’s reaction.
3. BELIEVE THE WORD We have specific promises for our children.
 “Raise up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6NASB).God's Word will make a lasting impression on our children's lives.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55: 9-11). (If you’ve taken your kids to church, or had devotions at home, this promise if for you.)

And we can claim the promises from the Word that says our children can choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which has many benefits:A prophecy by Peter on the day of Pentecost: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-40).
4. TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO CHURCH  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
            If you make the Lord and meeting in His presence the center of your lives, it makes a difference in families. Children learn the Word, doctrine, to obey their parents, and they make best friends who also want to follow the Lord. The church usually provides good clean fun, too. This gives children the opportunity to accept Jesus as Savior, discover that God loves them no matter what and has a plan for their lives. Children faithful in God’s house usually also choose Christian mates.
5.  PRAY AND BELIEVE The Bible is filled with promises and testimonies that state God answers prayer. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told the jailer who wanted to become a Christian, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16).
            ©Ada Brownell June 2013
     

WILL THE CHURCH SURVIVE ANOTHER GENERATION?

        I'm thankful our daughter, Carolyn, who became a strong Christian as an adult, was ready to go to heaven when cancer took her at age 31.  If Jesus tarries his Second coming, will the church be around in the decades ahead  for our children and grandchildren?   Christians are concerned. Nearly every family has a child or grandchild who isn’t serving God despite being raised in a Christian home and the church.

      When I worked as a newspaper reporter, I asked the late general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Thomas F. Zimmerman, whether he believed if Jesus doesn’t return in this generation whether he thought the church would survive.
      “It will survive,” he said, “but the next generation won’t do church like we do.”
      The music changed. Churches developed satellite congregations. We have podcasts, and numerous other advances from modern technology. Thank God all my children and grandchildren know the Lord, are involved, and despite changes, God is still working.
      But still, statistics show a large percentage of youth leave the church during or after college.
      What can we do?
       I worked with youth the majority of my life, and despite being a senior citizen now, I am watch non-Christian youth with a heavy heart. Ultimately it is each young person’s decision, but the church is supposed to be salt and light which causes people to seek the Lord. Jesus still stands at the door and knocks—but he’s not going to crash through and enter without being invited.
So, with that in mind, we can:
1.    LIVE THE WORD
How we’re supposed to live was summarized for us by Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all yoursoul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, love your neighbor as yourself " (Luke 10:26-28).
 If we do this, we model our faith. It’s not easy.
The first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with serving and respecting God. The last six have to do with how we treat our neighbor.
I can’t forget, however it is, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-6)
Nevertheless, if I love God as Jesus told me to, I’ll talk to Him, read His words, be in His presence, obey Him, and work in His kingdom.
Much hinges on the fruit we produce and walking in the Spirit.
 The Apostle Paul told the Galatians, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.”2. SHARE THE WORD AND YOUR TESTIMONY
Why are you a Christian?
Your children and grandchildren should hear your testimony. Did God change your life? Give you something to live for? Fill the emptiness inside you? Given you joy unspeakable and full of glory? Has he healed you or given miracles for your family?
God reminded sometimes reminded people to be sure to tell their children about God’s miraculous works.
      Read about it in Joshua 4, which tells how God parted the Jordan River similar to how he parted the Red Sea and Israel crossed. The Lord told them to gather stones and build a memorial about the miracle.
“This may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
 “What do these stones mean?” I’m fortunate because I’m a writer and I’ve been sharing my testimony since my youth. My children have read some of it, and today if I write something in which they could be interested, I send it to them. Often they comment that they enjoy it. You might be surprised at your family’s reaction.
3. BELIEVE THE WORD We have specific promises for our children.
 “Raise up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6NASB).
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55: 9-11). (If you’ve taken your kids to church, or had devotions at home, this promise if for you.)
A prophecy by Peter on the day of Pentecost: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-40).
4. TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO CHURCH  “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).
            If you make the Lord and meeting in His presence the center of your lives, it makes a difference in families. Children learn the Word, doctrine, to obey their parents, and they make best friends who also want to follow the Lord. The church usually provides good clean fun, too. This gives children the opportunity to accept Jesus as Savior, discover that God loves them no matter what and has a plan for their lives. Children faithful in God’s house usually also choose Christian mates.
5.  PRAY AND BELIEVE The Bible is filled with promises and testimonies that state God answers prayer. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told the jailer who wanted to become a Christian, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16).
            ©Ada Brownell June 2013