Jennifer Slattery's Blog, page 10

Running Ahead of God?

(This post first published on January 25, 2018.)

I don’t like chaos, uncertainty, or when things don’t go according to plan–and I often have a plan. The problem comes when I allow my agenda to overshadow God’s voice. My guest blogger, Linda Shenton Matchett can relate.

 Running Ahead of God?
by Linda Shenton Matchett

Crisis mode is never a good way to operate, but I have found myself there on more than one occasion.

I manage a boarding school’s dining hall, and meals tend to run smoothly. Until we lost electrical power. Chaos reigned. Fortunately, dinner had already been prepared or we would have had to serve PB&J. As the kids streamed in, we stumbled around looking for flashlights. (Of course, more than one contained dead batteries!)

Convinced the power would soon return, I waited before breaking out the paper plates and plastic forks. Dirty dishes, cups and silverware stacked up the dish room while the chefs figured out how to keep hot things hot and cold things cold. Our biggest concern was whether we would have enough to feed five hundred people. Though we got through the meal, the dining staff became frustrated and exhausted.

Fast forward to last week, when we lost power again. This time we had procedures in place that included having battery-powered lanterns and flashlights close at hand (with fresh and extra batteries!). Staff members had assignments, thus knowing exactly what was expected of them. The chefs had a standby “without power” menu. Although challenging, we served dinner with smiles in the soft glow of emergency lighting. Preparation and planning made all the difference.

God used both experiences to speak to me about preparation (and the lack thereof) in my life. He asked me how many times I’d done something without preparation that resulted in disastrous outcomes. I became disappointed when things didn’t go as I wanted.

Perhaps if I’d planned ahead, and more specifically, prayed about the situation, the outcome would have been positive.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? But forethought is even better.

I’m a doer. As much as I enjoy being with people–lots of people–when it comes to a task, I prefer to work alone. I love the feeling of charging ahead to get the job done. Did you catch that? “Charging ahead.”

Though I’ve been a Christian most of my life, I often run ahead of God, turning to look behind to see if He’s keeping up. Fortunately, He is patient with me, and He reins me in with His soft, gentle voice. The Holy Spirit nudges me to seek the Father’s will before I start the task, project, or journey–to ask Him if it’s something I should be doing or should wait to begin. To consider whether He’d like others to be involved. He reminds me that listening to God is how one plans ahead.

What about you? Have you raced ahead of God lately? Do you need to rethink your modus operandi? Reach for God’s hand. He wants to be your partner.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT).

***

Let’s talk about this! What resonated most with you as you read Linda’s post? Do you have a tendency to run ahead of God? What’s the result been? Have you ever had Him use chaos, like He did with Linda, to guide and teach you? Share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments below, because we can all learn from each other!

Get to know Linda:

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, journalist, blogger, and history geek. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, Linda has lived in historical places most of her life. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Active in her church, she serves as a choir member, usher, and treasurer. She lives in the central New Hampshire. Connect with her on at her website, on Facebook, follow her on Pinterest, and sign up for her newsletter HERE.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright (c) 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinios, 60188. All rights reserved.

Check out her latest release, Under Fire: 

Set in April 1942, Under Fire tells the story of Ruth Brown whose missing sister Jane is declared dead. Convinced her sister is still alive, Ruth follows clues from their small New Hampshire town to war-torn London trying to find her. Discovering that Jane has been murdered results in a faith crisis for Ruth, and she decides she must find Jane’s killer. In her pursuit, she stumbles on black marketers, resistance fighters, and the IRA – all of whom may want her dead.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

True Significance – Guest post by Tina Yeager

I would add to the above quote by saying, every act, big or small, done in obedience to Christ, has eternal, transformative purpose–even when we don’t see the results.

True Significance

by Tina Yeager

I gazed at the ceiling this morning. The vacant square footage reminded me of those blank spaces remaining where I had hoped to check off accomplishments. I asked the Lord if I had done anything significant during the past two decades of my career, volunteer work, and community. The ceiling glared back as a reminder of my limited reach.

Twenty years of effort should have produced more measurable outcomes. Yet I still earned nothing and wondered if my work touched those who needed support. Could I continue sharing inspiration in person or on camera without any sign of impact? How can I justify work without revenue? Typing additional pages to add to the mountains of unpublished pages that no one may read proved harder each day.

Then I realized how humanistic my logic had become. My concerns and measure of success all centered upon what I could see and believed I had done so far. I stretched my hands before the Lord to reorient my soul. My life, what it is and what comes from it are not my own.

I am yours, Lord. I am yours.

The validity of my life has never depended upon human assessments. Jesus established my purpose before my birth. He masters any measurements or accounting of actual consequence. The Lord prescheduled the number of my days. He allotted provision for all the work He designated for me. No matter what challenges I perceived, my Savior has sustained me through them.

The Lord calls me as His disciple to serve in faith. My opportunities to serve remain as long as I breathe and choose to submit my life to Him. I pray that the Holy Spirit will empty me of my self-focus with all its insecurities, resistance, and doubt. I ask Jesus to fill me with more of Himself. May the Lord sculpt me into His vessel. Shape me into Jesus’ image. And present me as one who devotes all I am to Him.

If any part of my life amounts to anything, that’s up to Jesus. My concern is surrendering to him, obeying his call every moment, every day. Whether or not I see significance. Even if I never see an income or audience worth measuring. I am not meant to be the significant one, after all. Nor is my work. He alone is significant. The full places and blank spaces are his. Not my own.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:10-11 NIV

Get to Know Tina:

Award-winning author, licensed therapist, speaker, and life coach, Tina Yeager hosts the Flourish-Meant podcast, Flourish Today radio show, and publishes Inkspirations Online.

Licensed as a counselor since 2005, she has decades of experience teaching parenting to at-risk families, writing skills, emotional healing, and spiritual growth. Look for her online course, Subdue Stress and Anxiety.

Yeager has won over thirty awards and serves with Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers, STRUCK digital streaming series, and Christian Women in Media Association.

Look for her award-winning titles, Upcycled: Crafted for a Purpose (Bold Vision Books, Fall 2022) and Beautiful Warrior: Finding Victory Over the Lies Formed Against You.

For life coaching or to book her as an event speaker, check out tinayeager.com.

Catch my conversation with her on the Faith Over Fear podcast HERE.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

Conquering Our Fear of Weakness

Note: This first published on Feburary 27, 2020. 

I don’t like to appear weak or needy. In fact, I will go to great lengths to avoid this and to portray an image of strength, even in the face of weakness. I suspect some of this comes from my slightly stubborn and determined personality. But honestly, most of my insecurities stem from fear and pride. I’m afraid my weaknesses might somehow disqualify me from some future opportunity and might cause others to lose their respect for me.

I didn’t realize I had a fear of weakness until I became physically weak. Some of you know my story—how I grew sick in 2011. And while I’m so much better than I was, I’m still far from the athlete I once considered myself to be. Sometimes, oftentimes, actually, I’m afraid to admit why: I have fibromyalgia, though I hide my symptoms well. I’ve learned to smile through the pain and shake off the fatigue—until I come home. There, nestled in the security of my husband’s love, my true and often hurting self emerges.

Like I indicated, my insecurities stem from a fear of missing out. Of being labeled by my weaknesses rather than my strengths. Of being discounted before I even try. Of having to fight not just my inherent limitations, but other people’s false perceptions as well. In short, my fears stem from a failure to rest in God’s sovereignty and grace.

One hot, summer afternoon, I sensed God’s nudge to share how He’d met me in my struggle—how He became my strength during a time of weakness. But out of fear and shame, I remained quiet. As I explained to God why—all I feared might happen should I step out from behind my carefully erected veneer, He reminded me of a faith-bolstering truth.

He’d called me. Long before I took my first breath, committed my first sin, ran my first triathlon, or acquired my first illness. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (NIV). This means God has a plan for me and my life, a wonderful, eternally significant plan. That plan absolutely must include my current condition, because He set His plan into motion before my diagnosis. What’s more, Psalm 139:16 tells me that every day of my life was recorded in God’s book before a single one came to pass.

But the original Hebrew goes deeper. It says, in essence, “All the days fashioned, or molded into form, for me …” Combined with Ephesians 2:10, this creates an image of a patient, loving, intentional craftsman molding a pliable, not yet perfected lump of clay into His masterpiece. The pushing, squeezing, and molding hurts, absolutely. But never without purpose. Never without hope.

My condition cannot limit the call God’s placed on my life. It may, in fact, reveal that call more clearly. Though I don’t believe He gave me fibromyalgia, He can and will use it to reveal the gospel. As I lean on Him, the only One able to bring strength from my weakness, I proclaim a God bigger than everything hard, broken, tarnished, and incomplete in this world. And as I long for restoration and health, He lifts my heart to thoughts of eternity where He’ll one day make all things right. Where there will be no more pain, no more sickness, no weakness or sin. Nothing but light and life and love as we, God’s children, stand in the presence of the One who is light and love.

So in the meantime, I serve, honestly, faithfully, and authentically, focusing not on how others perceive me but rather how I reveal my God.

Fear of weakness, at its root, is an idolatry problem. It stems from a failure to lose myself completely in my Lord, the One who gave Himself completely for me. I conquer this fear not through fighting for strength but rather choosing surrender. Choosing to lose myself in a battle greater than me.

Let’s talk about this! When has your weakness caused you to rely on God and therefore turned to a strength? When has your strength resulted in self-reliance and therefore turned to a weakness?

Connect with Jennifer Slattery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, join her private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group, listen to the first two episodes of her Faith Over Fear podcast HERE and find her free Bible reading plan HERE.

Additional resources:

Moving Past Self-Sufficiency, video presentation from Wholly Loved’s Becoming His Princess Bible study.

Don’t Fear Weakness by Bear Grylls

Weakness is an Invitation From God by Sarah Walton

 

https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

Expectations or Expectancy – Guest post by Ava Pennington

Expectations or Expectancy

by Ava Pennington

Have you recently experienced frustration? Something or someone irritated you?  Plans didn’t go your way? That seems to be happening to me more as of late.

I get annoyed at the increased seasonal traffic in south Florida. I’m frustrated by people who don’t follow through on what they said they would do. I’m irritated by circumstances that cause me to make two separate trips to purchase the same item. But what if the cause of the irritation is not external at all?

What if I’m the cause of my own frustration? Someone once said “the level of your frustration is directly related to the level of your expectations.” Ouch.

So the real cause of my own grief is most likely…me. Knowing we live in a broken world, why do I go through life expecting people to respond perfectly? Especially when I know I don’t! Understanding that our little town experiences a population surge during the winter season, why do I get annoyed at the increased traffic?

Failing to take the time to plan properly, why am I surprised that one task requires multiple trips to the store?

Unrealistic expectations.

Expectations grounded in reality as I want it to be, rather than the way it is. Ancient Israel had a similar problem. Their expectations of the coming Messiah were based on cherry-picked prophecies. The sad result was that they didn’t recognize Him when He did come. They were so busy looking for a victorious military leader that they missed the Suffering Servant who came to redeem humanity. So what’s the answer?

I believe the answer for a Christian is to live expectantly. To live expectantly is to live in without setting specific expectations or demands on what that will look like. Living expectantly allows us to recognize where the Holy Spirit might be moving in areas we would not normally look for Him. And it communicates that we are satisfied with whatever the Lord does, allows, or gives—without comparing it to our own agenda or shopping list.

Those who live expectantly have the privilege of living out a truth understood by martyred missionary Jim Elliot: “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him.”

Will you join me?

Together, let’s put aside our expectations and live in daily expectancy for how God will show Himself active in our life. And as He does, share your experiences with others to increase their own sense of expectancy.“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3 ESV).

Let’s talk about this: How are you living expectantly?

About the Author: Ava Pennington is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. She’s also a freelance editor, and a certified coach for writers and speakers, and she teaches a weekly Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class.

Ava is the author of  (Revell Books, 2022), an abridged gift book edition of the one-year devotional, Daily Reflections on the Names of God. Three devotions for each name/attribute explore who God is, and how this changes us and our relationships. Visit her at www.AvaPennington.com to learn more.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

is what feels urgent god’s leading? – guest post by kathy howard

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Is What Feels Urgent God’s Leading

By Kathy Howard

(This post first appeared on Kathy Howard’s website.)

My mother used to tell a story about me to which most moms of young children can relate. One day, when she ran into the bathroom for just a moment, I immediately began knocking on the door, demanding her attention. In frustration, she said “Can’t I get just a little privacy?” To her surprise, the knocking stopped and briefly all was quiet. Soon I was knocking again, but with a new message. “Mommy, I looked in my toy box, but I couldn’t find any privery!” 

Like the endless, urgent entreaties of a toddler on a frazzled mother’s time, we also experience constant demands on our limited time. Our daily 24 hours are gobbled up by family responsibilities, work, household duties, and more. Some demands we can control, forcing them into our timetable. Others scream for attention until we give it, like knee-high grass in the yard or an overflowing laundry basket. 

This phenomenon, commonly referred to as the “tyranny of the urgent,” steals valuable time from the more polite, but more important things. Sometimes we can’t avoid temporarily setting aside the important to deal with something that cannot be put off another minute. But all too often we allow the seemingly urgent to push out the important because we fail to purposefully prioritize the important.

Jesus Defeated the Tyranny of the Urgent

Jesus experienced constant demands on His time and attention. The tyranny of the urgent was always a threat. For instance, in the Gospel of Mark, we learn that Jesus couldn’t openly enter a town to teach because He would be overwhelmed by crowds of people who wanted something from Him (Mark 1:35). So Jesus intentionally worked to make room for the most important things.

When Jesus first began His ministry in Galilee, everyone in Capernaum wanted to get close to Him. So, after an overwhelmingly hectic day in ministry, Jesus rose early to get away and spend time alone with His Father. “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35 ESV). (Also see “8 Tips for Moving Quiet Time from “Want To” to “Get To“ and “11 Tips for Spending Quality Quiet Time with God.“)

When His disciples woke and discovered Jesus gone, they went looking for Him. Their search was not mere concern for Jesus’ welfare. According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary the Greek word Mark used that’s translated as “searched,” “looked for,” or “followed after” means to intensively track and persistently search with a determination to find. The disciples didn’t merely wonder where Jesus had gotten off to, they were a bit indignant that He wasn’t conforming to their timetable. After all, the crowds back in town clamored for His presence. (Mark 1:37).

We can Follow Jesus’ Example

Sometimes we also feel that indignant hostility from the things that pull at our attention. But rather than simply throwing our hands up in surrender, we can follow Jesus’ example. After a busy, draining evening and with more of the same ahead, Jesus intentionally did two things. 

First, He spent time with the Father by slipping beyond the reach of the urgent to commune with the only One who could provide everything He needed. He set the urgent aside to embrace the important.

Second, Jesus established His priorities and voiced them to those in His circle. Jesus clearly and firmly told the disciples that the Father had sent Him to take the Gospel message to those who needed it. “And he said to them, ‘Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.’” Mark 1:38

He would fulfill that purpose first and meet the physical needs of the people as He went. And we can follow Jesus’ example. Let’s establish our priorities, voice them to those close to us, and ask God to help us keep the important at the top of our list.

Yes, some days the time tyrant will win. But most days, with a little discipline and a lot of Jesus, we can defeat the tyranny of the urgent and use the time the Father has given us for His glory. 

This post was excerpted from “Deep Rooted: Growing through the Gospel of Mark.”

Get to Know Kathy Howard:

About the author: Kathy Howard is a treasure hunter. She hunts for the creamiest chocolate, richest coffee, and cherished stories of faith. She also digs deep into Scripture, mining God’s eternal truths. Kathy has a Masters in Christian Education and has taught the Bible for more than 30 years in a wide variety of venues. She is the author of 12 books, including “Heirloom: Living and Leaving a Legacy of Faith” and the “meaty” devotional series “Deep Rooted.”

Kathy and her husband live in north Texas. They have three married children, six grandchildren, and one accidental dog. Find free discipleship resources at www.KathyHoward.org.

Check out her book, Deep Rooted: Growing Through the Book of Romans

Have you lost the wonder of your salvation? Maybe you’ve forgotten the abundant riches of God’s grace. The Gospel isn’t just a statement of faith. It is more than hope for eternity. The Gospel of Jesus is the power of God for your life today. Recapture the awe of your life in Christ with this 40-day pilgrimage: Deep Rooted: Growing through the Book of Romans.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

Obedience in the mundane

(This first published on Sept. 8, 2016.)

Have you ever felt invisible? Wondered if anyone would notice, should you stop doing whatever it is you’re doing, day in and day out?

When our daughter was younger, I often wondered what would happen if I didn’t make the bed–after all, it’d only get messed up again. Or what if I left the laundry and dishes untouched.

There were times, many, when the tedium of the day wore me down and left me feeling … insignificant.

They say integrity is doing what you know is right when no one is watching.

Except, Someone is always watching, right? Psalm 139 tells us God is attentive to our every move. He knows every detail of our lives and every thought that flits through our brain. More than that, He takes great delight in us.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord upholds them by the hand” (NLT, emphasis mine*).

Pause to consider that verse for a moment. The Lord delights in every detail of our lives–when we’re doing something grand and exciting and when we’re folding towels for the umpteenth time. Perhaps because He knows our character, that part of us He’s continually molding, is grown in the big and the small.

I don’t know about you, but I want to be a person of integrity.

I want to be known for my character and obedience. I want God to look down on me, when I’m elbow deep in dishwater, and smile, and I want to do it all–everything–for Him and His glory.

For obedience sake.

These emotions and thoughts were triggered as I read Luke 1:5-7. Elizabeth and Zechariah, an old and childless couple, were known for being righteous and carefully obeying God’s commands and regulations. When we read this passage, it’s easy to skip over that, probably because we know the end of the story. They were faithful, and God rewarded them with something they’d deeply longed for–a child. Not just a child, but the one birthed to proclaim the coming of Christ.

Wow. Pretty awesome, right?

But let’s step back. Back to when, still childless and likely unnoticed, John’s parents lived obediently. Scripture tells us Zechariah was a Jewish priest, and as such, his responsibilities were to maintain the workings in the temple, instruct the people, and on occasion, if the lot cast landed on him, to enter the Holy Place of the Tabernacle to burn incense on the altar of incense.

I’m not a statistician, but it seems likely he could go his entire life and never, not once, receive this honor. He was one of 20,000 priests! Though Scripture doesn’t tell us, I think it’s safe to assume there were times he felt unseen and wondered if what he did mattered. After all, should he simply cease performing his duties, there were 19,999 other men ready and able to take his place, many of which likely had children.

Let me explain the significance of that for a moment. In Bible times, children were seen as a blessing from God; barrenness was seen as a curse. Meaning, Elizabeth and Zechariah were likely judged for their infertility. The common assumption of their day–They’d likely done something wrong or had displeased God in some way, and that was the reason they were barren.

In other words, Elizabeth and Zechariah served God faithfully in the midst of their sorrow. Despite the fact that He hadn’t granted them the one thing they likely longed for above all else.

That’s integrity.

They obeyed in the mundane, in the hard and painful, simply because it was the right thing to do.

They obeyed because they knew God is worthy, amen? 

There’s a verse I love, and one I pray often: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him” (Romans 12:1 NLT).

In view of all God has done for us, in view of Christ’s sacrificial death so we might live, may we offer our whole bodies–all we are. Our time, our gifts, our words, our thoughts–to Christ, as a living sacrifice.

Sometimes life is a sacrifice, right? Obedience isn’t always easy or glamorous. But that is “truly the way to worship [God].” Or to put it another way, every time we scrub toilets, mop floors, wipe snotty noses, or answer phones, if we’re doing it in obedience to Christ, we’re worshiping Him.

Isn’t that cool?

Let’s talk about this!

What were your thoughts as you read today’s focal passage? Is there an area in your life or something you do that feels insignificant? How does it feel knowing God is watching you every time you engage in that activity? How does it feel knowing that thing, whatever it is, can be an act of worship, something that brings your Father joy?

Additional content you might find helpful:

Meaning in the Mundane

The Invisible Woman

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

New Release!

Falling for the Family Next Door

The home he doesn’t want … could become the family he needs.

Returning home to sell his mother’s struggling farm, Tyler Reyes doesn’t expect the new neighbor to ruin his plans. But when Daria Ellis’s ATV rentals damage the property, working on repairs with the single mom is the only option. Soon the simple agreement turns into kids’ riding lessons and family dinners. With his deadline looming, Tyler knows his biggest challenge will be leaving Texas with his heart intact.

Buy it HERE.

Finding God in the depths – guest post by Jessica Brodie

This past year, I endured one of the most difficult seasons in the over two decades. I felt like I was being hit on every side. Relentlessly. During this time, someone I served with, and with whom I hadn’t shared much, texted me to tell me her husband had dreamt that evil was chasing me.

And I was like, “I so feel that!” But, I also knew that good had already won and my victory was sure because no matter how far I sank, I would always find God holding me.

If you can relate, today’s post by a sweet friend and Wholly Loved team member will encourage you.

Finding God in the Depths

by Jessica Brodie

Have you ever been in a body of water, certain you could touch the ground, only when you fumbled for footing, there was none?

Our family spent some time last week at a waterpark, where my favorite activity has always been the wave pool. In case you’re not familiar, wave pools are giant swimming pools that start out shallow and grow increasingly deep, and every so often, water courses out in giant, slow waves for about fifteen minutes while everyone gently bobs up and down in the water. After fifteen minutes, it stops, and the water is calm again.

I love the soothing, rhythmic motion of the waves. My body relaxes as the waves guide me up and down, up and down, my feet gently lifting up off the bottom and then back down again. All is safe and well.

Unlike the ocean, in the pool I can relax. I don’t have to worry about sharks or riptides. My only concern is getting a little too close to a stranger or when I need to reapply sunscreen.

But one day, as I let the waves lull my body into relaxation, I didn’t realize that with every lull I was also inching deeper and deeper into the pool. At one point I bobbed up, then came down, expecting my feet to find the bottom—only they didn’t. I was in too deep, the water now over my head.

Quickly, I swam a few feet toward the shallow end and regained my footing. My peaceful motion began once more. Everything was fine.

But in life, sometimes it’s not so easy. I find myself rolling along, not paying much attention to my surroundings, and suddenly I’ve gotten myself into deep waters—a situation a bit over my head, with all sorts of unexpected dangers. And unlike the wave pool, swimming toward swallow water isn’t so easy, nor is there always footing to find.

Sometimes I’m stuck there in those deep waters, flailing about, not sure how to extricate myself from the situation.

Perhaps you’ve been there, too—a temptation that got out of hand, a “white lie” that became deception, a health worry that turned into an all-out panic, a quarrel that evolved into the utter dissolution of a relationship.

What then? What do you do when you can’t find shallow ground, when you’re surrounded by deep water and there’s nothing you can do but scramble to stay afloat… or surrender?

For me, those are the times I’ve found God to be the closest—right there in the depths of my affliction, my pain, my struggle, or my fear.

God, who as “Word became flesh” (John 1:14) suffered a brutal, humiliating, tortuous death on the cross after the worst betrayal imaginable, understands what it means to be in deep waters. God understands what it means to want help so desperately, yet there’s nothing to do but endure the pain.

It can be incredibly difficult to seek and trust God when we are in the depths of pain and despair, when the darkness looms so powerfully we cannot even imagine light, let alone a way through.

Yet He is there, and He always has been.

He was there before creation, beyond time, the Alpha and the Omega. He is our rescuer and our redeemer, our brother and father and Maker and friend all in one.  

We may have ashes, but God brings beauty from ashes (Isaiah 61:2-3). We may have dry bones, but we know God can turn dry bones into life (Ezekiel 37:1-10).

Trusting God and knowing that everything will truly be all right doesn’t mean the situation will right itself in this earthly realm. We might indeed lose that relationship, succumb to that illness, get fired from our job, or wind up on the streets. We might spend a lot of time in those deep waters, suffering and begging for reprieve—maybe a reprieve that doesn’t come until we draw our last breath.

But what we can know in the depths of our soul is that we will find reprieve in eternity. Our hopes lies in Jesus.

Today, if you are floundering in the deep, take a breath and know you are not alone. God is with you.

As the apostle Paul teaches us in Philippians 4:12-13, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (NIV).

We truly can. Amen.

Get to Know Jessica Brodie:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning Christian novelist, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach and the recipient of the 2018 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Award for her novel, The Memory Garden. She is also the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, and part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries. Learn more about her fiction and read her faith blog at http://jessicabrodie.com. 

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

Fun Book News: A free Read and a NEw Release!

Book addicts unite!

This is for those of you whose book purchases add up as quickly as mine and who, like me, love to learn about great deals. You can’t get much better than free–the price at which New Hope Publishers/Iron Stream Media is offering my first release Beyond I Do.

Here’s the blurb:

Marriage . . . it’s more than a happily ever after. Eternally more. Ainsley Meadows, raised by a hedonistic mother who cycles through jobs and relationships like wrapping paper on Christmas morning, falls into a predictable and safe relationship with Richard, a self-absorbed, socialite psychiatrist. But as Ainsley’s wedding nears, a battered woman and her child spark a long-forgotten dream, a hidden passion. One that threatens to change everything, including her fiancé. If she wants to embrace God’s best and find lasting love, this security-seeking bride must follow God with reckless abandon and realize that marriage goes Beyond I Do.

And, my next release Falling for the Family Next Door hits the shelves next week!

The home he doesn’t want could become the family he needs.

Returning home to sell his mother’s struggling farm, Tyler Reyes doesn’t expect the new neighbor to ruin his plans. But when Daria Ellis’s ATV rentals damage the property, working on repairs with the single mom is the only option. Soon the simple agreement turns into kids’ riding lessons and family dinners. With his deadline looming, Tyler knows his biggest challenge will be leaving Texas with his heart intact.

From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

Grab your copy HERE.

I also encourage you to check out the latest Faith Over Fear podcast episode titled Courage to Live Fully Alive.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/

Remembering What we cannot see – guest post by Karen Wingate

When life feels hard or uncertain, I try to lift my gaze off of my problems and onto the One who knows me, sees me, loves me, and is always, always working on my behalf.

Today’s guest, Karen Wingate, has a unique understanding regarding what we do and do not see.

Remembering What We Cannot See

by Karen Womgate

When I was a child, my family often traveled the back roads of Arizona to my grandparents through what was then farming country between Phoenix and Tucson. That was in the day when Arizona was famous for its Pima cotton. But all I could see were smudges of white.

Born legally blind, my description of distant objects was in terms of “blurry blobs.” My family slowly got the idea that if I was to see a particular thing, they would either have to point it out to me or move me closer. Once I saw the item up close, my mind would fill in the details the next time I saw the distant blur.

During one trip, my mother drove while my step-dad monitored his ham radio. On an abandoned county road south of Phoenix, she abruptly did a hard left into a cotton field.

“What are you doing?” my stepdad sputtered, as he bent to pick up his microphone.

She calmly replied. “I’m going to show Karen a cotton boll.”

And she did. We “gleaned” a cotton boll from the edge of a field. I then spent the rest of the trip pulling it apart and marveling at the strands of cotton and the hard seeds embedded within. So that’s why Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin!

I marvel at my mother’s wisdom. She brought the world to me, but she did more. She used my poor vision that identified things as “blobs” as a launching pad for asking, “What’s out there?” I learned to squelch fear of the unknown with curiosity and perceive the unseen as an adventure, rather than a threat.

God invites us to do the same in our spiritual journey. He says in Jeremiah 33:3, “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know (NKJV).’

But venturing past the defined detail of the familiar can be scary. We don’t know what lies beyond in space or time. What we do see or know looks much like my blurry blobs.

Instead of leaving us to retreat in fear, God invites us to move forward with curiosity. He has so much to show us. He has exciting moments waiting where we’ll see glimpses of His glory and the inner details of His work. He wants us to come boldly before His throne, walk into the center of His will, and discover just how great a God He is.

He is there in the undefined, beyond what we can see. He is here, waiting to walk into the unknown with us, so He can show us who He is and what He can do. As we venture into the new, we discover the reality of what we could not see, and the wonder will push aside the fear.

As you walk toward the ambiguity of an upcoming event or the future hours of an ordinary day, why not squelch uncertainty with curiosity? Ask, “Lord, what’s out there? Show me what You are doing.” He may show you spiritual treasure that will equip you with hope for the next time you trek into the unknown. Or He may simply ask you to trust Him and let Him guide you through what you cannot see for the moment.

If you fear what lies ahead, take a deep breath, and tell the Lord you’re ready to discover whatever He’s waiting to show you. Whatever it is will be amazing.

Get to Know Karen:  Karen Wingate is author of the award-winning book,  With Fresh Eyes: 60 Insights into the Miraculously Ordinary from a Woman Born Blind   After she and her husband spent 35 years in local church ministry, they have returned to the desert Southwest where Karen continues to write and speak, including an appearance on the Focus on the Family broadcast. Visit her website at www.karenwingate.com.

Check out her book, With Fresh Eyes: 60 Insights Into the Miraculously Ordinary from a Woman Born Blind:

What miracles do we miss when we close our eyes to the wonder of everyday moments?

In this busy, jaded world of ours, we often take for granted what we see every day. We may set aside time to spend with God in a quiet room, but we struggle to see his hand in a traffic jam or while walking the dog. But for Karen Wingate, sight itself is something extraordinary, and what our eyes can reveal is even more astounding.

Karen lived most of her life with severely limited sight due to a cluster of disorders stemming from a genetic defect. But through the chance outcome of a surgery, she regained sight in one eye that doubled her visual acuity–and allowed her to see things she had never seen before. And as she discovered a more detailed world for the first time, she also began to see God in every new discovery–from the prosaic numbers of a bathroom scale to the glory of sunsets.

With Fresh Eyes invites readers not only to celebrate the gift of their own sight but to reawaken to the wonder of what they observe in creation–great and small–and how God is working in everyday moments. In each of her sixty meditations, Karen’s humor and whimsy draw a connection between physical sight and spiritual understanding that will leave readers with a renewed joy and delight in what is good and beautiful, and will reassure them that God still works in the lives of his people.

Grab your copy HERE.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/

Following the Holy Spirit’s Prompting – guest post by Debb Hackett

Following the Holy Spirit’s Prompting

by Debb Hackett

I know you know the feeling. You’re sitting or standing, working, or playing peacefully, and an idea drops into your mind. You dismiss it. And then it appears at the forefront of your thoughts, a little more developed this time.

Once more you push it away. You’d be laughed at or proven wrong if you did this thing. People might think you’d lost your mind. But by the time you’ve decided you’re losing your mind, the idea has morphed into a firmly formed plan, and you know with certainty and a vaguely nauseous feeling, that you’re doing it.

This happens to me every time I encounter the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Unless it’s to bake or cook for someone. Then I cheer and pull out my measuring cups. Typically, though, I’m called to act out of my comfort zone.

Most recently, this involved organizing a financial blessing. Not funding it, just arranging it and helping to deliver. But I’d hemmed and hawed over it for several weeks. I gave the Lord my answer, explaining the recipient was fairly independent and extremely generous themselves. I told Him my worries about the gift being rejected and about my own popularity, should that happen. Somewhere, I suspect my spiritual ancestors were shaking their heads. Especially the Apostle John.

The truth is, I did know whose voice it was. But instead of worshipping with my obedience to that voice, I let my earthly hands cover my ears while yelling “la la la.” Finally, worn down after learning more information to fuel this blessing, I spoke up. I expected failure at every turn (several things needed to line up). Instead, everything fell into place. The blessing was delivered.

Several days passed. Tick tock, tick tock. No word from the destination of the funds. Then finally, a message. The situation I’d been hoping to ease was far worse than I’d realized. In fact, just that day, the beneficiary hadn’t known how a certain need would be met. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit peeled my hands off my ears long enough to deliver a swift, verbal, kick in the pants.

As I mentioned, I wasn’t the source of these funds, simply the person who got to deliver them. The Lord has people in our lives He wants us to bless on his behalf, sometimes solo and sometimes as a team. We don’t need to be fabulous chefs or wealthy philanthropists. The only requirements are ears ready to listen and hands ready to act.

Can I encourage you to take a moment and ask the Lord what he has for you to do today? Then listen, and let your actions be your answer.

Get to Know Debb Hacckett

Writer, broadcaster, and speaker Debb Hackett  has been a radio journalist for more than twenty years. Married to a test pilot, Debb writes for military wives and lives in England with her husband and children. She’s having lots of fun working on an inspirational contemporary romance series. When she’s not writing, Debb can be found leading worship, playing bass, or skiing. Also, if you can swing by her house while she’s making scones, that would be a win. She blogs at: http://debbhackett.com.

https://www.lifeaudio.com/faith-over-fear/