Angela Beach Silverthorne's Blog, page 6

Psalm 107:1 "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is so goo...

Psalm 107:1 "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is so good!"

Embrace the day and give God the glory! Thank Him for life. Thank Him for a new morning and a new beginning.

Oh praise His holy name.

God bless you,

One week until Valentine's Day. Let's take this week to r...

One week until Valentine's Day. Let's take this week to recenter ourselves in scripture with a few motivating thoughts and lessons. This is day 1. God bless you!!!

Over the last few months, I’ve been so stinking embarrass...

Over the last few months, I’ve been so stinking embarrassed over the political rhetoric that I have removed myself from hearing it. It was upsetting, and I had a greater task at hand. I’ve been involved in a life change, a move. As soon as the boxes were at a “see over” level, I committed a big mistake. I turned on the TV. And nothing had changed. Nothing. The raw hateful mess was still there, stronger than ever. I’m so stinking embarrassed over this!

Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt. They have done abominable works. There is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside. They have become corrupt; there is none who does good. No not one.”
Doesn’t it feel that way?
God refused to leave me in this mindset. Spiteful and annoyed. A dear friend gave me a present which has become a precious gift. Sparkling Gems by Rick Renner. Today, January 19, 2017 I read “Comrades In The Lord Jesus Christ”. Here it is just one day before Donald Trump is to be inaugurated as the 58th President of the United States of America and I’m reading this and it has changed my perspective. I hope it will yours, too.From Rick Renner (not in its entirety),
1 Thessalonians 5:27 “I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.”
Throughout Paul’s writings in the New Testament, he uses the word “brethren” when he writes to the churches. This word comes from the Greek word adelphos, which is one of the oldest words in the New Testament. In the King James Version, it is usually translated as the word “brethren.” However, it actually has a much deeper meaning than this.
In the oldest sense, the word adelphos (“brother”) was used by physicians in the medical world to describe two people who were born from the same womb. So when the early Greeks addressed each other as “brethren,” they meant to convey the idea: “You and I are brothers! We came out of the same womb of humanity. We have the same feelings; we have similar emotions; and we deal with the same problems in life. In every respect, we are truly brothers!”
But the word “brethren” also had another very significant meaning during New Testament times, a meaning that it doesn’t have in our world today. It was used during the time of Alexander the Great to describe faithful soldiers. These fighting men were true brothers, comrades, and partners who were united to fight the same fight, handle the same weapons, and win the same wars!
Thus, to be a “brother” meant that a person was a true comrade. Through the thick and thin of battle, these soldiers stood together, achieving a special level of brotherhood known only by those who stay united together in the heat of the fray. This was also part of what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Early Church.
When Paul called his fellow Christian “brothers,” he was telling them:
“In addition to being blood brothers, we are all in a similar fight, slugging it out against the same enemy – and this common fight makes us real comrades . . . “
I’m sure that Paul’s readers were struggling in their personal lives, just as we do today, but they hadn’t given up the fight. They were still on the front lines, slugging it out and plodding along, one step at a time. They were the kind of believers who are worth knowing and worthy to be called brothers because they possessed an ongoing commitment to stay faithful in the battle and committed to the cause.
No matter how well or how badly these believers were doing in the midst of their fight, at least they were still fighting! Others had given up, but they had not. As long as they remained faithful to the fight and refused to relinquish their stand of faith, Paul viewed them as exceptionally fine soldiers – the kind of soldiers anyone would be happy to associate with!
The word “brother” emphatically declares that it’s not really how well you fight in life that counts. What really counts is that you keep on fighting! So don’t give up on yourself, and don’t give up on those believers around you who seem to be struggling. As long as they keep on trying – as long as they stay in the battle – they’re worthy of your friendship! You should be proud to be associated with people of such a spiritual caliber!”Renner’s Prayer Associated with this devotional:
“Lord, I ask You to help me see myself and other Christian brothers and sisters as soldiers in the army of God. Help me develop an attitude of determination that refuses to surrender to hardship or to throw in the towel in the face of difficulty. At the same time that this attitude is being developed inside me, use me to help fortify the same determined attitude in other Christian soldiers who face hostile forces that have come to steal their victory and joy. I pray this in Jesus’ name!”Renner’s Confession for this devotional:
“I confess that regardless of how much resistance the devil is trying to bring against my life. I will never surrender to defeat. Others may give up, but not I? As long as I am alive, I will stay in the fight. I refuse to relinquish my stand of faith. I am an exceptionally fine soldier – exactly the kind other Christian soldiers should be happy to associate with – because I am committed and determined to fight until my victory is complete! I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!”


The world and our culture are under the Enemy’s attack. We must hold strong and stand firm together and hold the banner of our faith high for everyone to see. I pray this devotional has helped you get back on track as a foot soldier for Christ. There are many that need our attention. Are you ready to armor up for Jesus and stand united for Christ?
In Jesus’ name I humbly pray,

Thanksgiving Blessings, Tragedy, and God's Grace

On November 19th, my husband and I drove to Gatlinburg, TN to begin a week of thanksgiving and gratitude to our Savior. It was a long 500 mile trip, but the expectation of seeing the mountains and hoping for a little leftover color kept our hopes high.
God showed up in a mighty way! As we wound around one curve after another, we oohed and ahhed. Red, orange, and yellow clung to the trees. When the thicket of trees thinned, the valley was still ablaze, rich in color. My heart beat faster, my prayers came in worship. Creation sang its endless song to the Father, and I sat amazed with wonderment and joy. God provided.
When we pulled up to the rental cabin, it was nestled in the side of a mountain. The sweetest little cabin I’d ever seen. I wanted to cry. And when we got inside I almost did. It was a nightmare. Half the furniture was gone. It was filthy, and there were dead bugs on the floor. Our daughter and her family met us there. Disappointment was an understatement.
Three hours later, we were in another cabin on another mountain top, and it was the cabin we had envisioned staying in over Thanksgiving. But we couldn’t. We could only stay there until the day before Thanksgiving. The cabin assistant worked earnestly in order to get us into another cabin by late Wednesday.
All of us chose not to be discouraged and to head out and see as much of Gatlinburg as we could. I hadn’t been to Gatlinburg in a few years and couldn’t wait to see the village, go Christmas shopping, and take the tram up the mountain to see more of God’s glory. We went hard for three days.
On the eve of Thanksgiving, we were faced with a dilemma – either we get into another cabin or we travel home. At the eleventh hour the assistant called and we moved into our third cabin. Glory Hallelujah! Thanksgiving in the Smokies!!! God provided.
Thanksgiving was joyous! I managed to find a grocery store the night before, and presented a decent meal the next day. All twelve of us sat around the table giving thanks to God for all His intervention in our lives. We lifted up my grandson, Hudson, who would be having surgery on December 5. Life was grand! God was good! The color was still hanging on, and outside the gorgeous full-length windows, we sat amazed and humbled by God’s blessings. God provision.
Here’s a picture of a beautiful Smoky Mountain sunrise (and my granddaughter taking pictures)
Within twenty-four hours, the fire that had threatened the Smokies raged and grew. When eighty-plus miles per hour winds hit on Monday night, the ashes swirled around the mountaintops, landing, and creating more fires. By ten o’clock, an evacuation was called for our area. Smoke thickened, and visibility was limited to only a few feet. We could see the red glow of the fires in the mountains. All the beauty turned into a beast, a fiery beast threatening everything in its path.
Below is a pictures taken of the thick smoke. I cried at the loss. My heart sank thinking about the locals and visitors who were scrambling to get off the mountain and into safety. We chose to leave early Tuesday morning. Images of downed trees and backed-up traffic on the TV kept us back. It was a harrowing night filled with fear.
Tragedy. As I stood and looked out over the smoke and fire, I cried again. The landscape would never look the same. The cabins lining the mountaintops were gone or burned too badly to be saved. On the tram ride we took earlier in the week, we sadly realized our images of a peaceful mountain town were gone forever. Now everything was in chaos and destruction.
I prayed. And as I prayed, God revealed His blessings, one-by-one, providing for His people and eliminating my fear.
Volunteer helpers poured into the area. Firefighters from all over Tennessee and adjacent states arrived and went right to work. Churches opened their doors for evacuees. Money began to pour into the coffers of the Red Cross and local food banks. Blessings heaped upon blessings that were broadcast during the night. We watched and marveled at God’s people laying down their commitments and lifting up their resources to help a needy mountain area. God provided.
Tragedy to blessings. God was on that mountain. His hands and feet were working miracles. Many people were saved from perishing. A lot of establishments were saved from destruction. Even the eagles at Dollywood were taken care of. The acts of courage and kindness continued. The hands and feet of Jesus moved throughout the area.
Every day we are called to be a blessing. Opportunities abound. Even small gifts of kindness are multiplied and the harvest grows. God provides.
Many blessings to you. In Christ’s name I pray,

Emergence of the Cries Series

Months before I began writing Cries of Innocence, I was faced with many facets of evil and deception. For a relatively calm and gentle person, I can tell you that this was disconcerting to me.
For many years, God has led me into a ministry of mentoring and teaching His Word. During this time, I’ve dealt with issues of addiction, abuse, neglect, brokenness, and unforgivenes, scars that ran deep in God’s children. Scripture tells us that God uses His spiritual warriors in many ways, and He’s certainly had me on testing ground, preparing me for even more challenging circumstances.
God used our thirty years of moving all over the country to teach me. Every location brought new areas of ministry, mostly working with children. Children have been the gem of my life. Whether it was ministering to my own children or other people’s children or in a classroom or church setting or as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused, neglected, and abandoned children, children have been foremost in my life.
While working with children, God offered me the opportunity to work with their parents, especially their mothers. I’ve been police escorted into more homes than I care to remember. At this point in my life, I began to think that evil reigned. So many had no hope. So many lived lives standing on a time bomb, knowing it could explode any minute. I’ve been in hospital rooms and listened to horror tales of physical abuse. I’ve held hands of teens who had tried to commit suicide. I’ve wandered halls of court rooms and wondered where justice had fled.
Did I ever think I’d write a book about all that ugliness? No. And that’s because I could not see a happy ending to any of it. Then in 2014 on a trip across the United States, my husband and I witnessed a girl being attacked, openly and without recourse. At the time, I had just seen Christine Caine at a faith-based women’s conference, and she had talked about human trafficking, a ministry she is strongly engaged in. When I saw that man beat that girl, uncaring if anyone witnessed it, I knew in my heart this incident went beyond a man-woman disagreement. His dialect was European, and hers were screams of fright.
I’ve been told many times there is no evil. Oh how foolish! Evil is rampant, and we allow it to continue. We tie acceptable names to it and wear it like it was a disfigurement that is tolerated.
My life up to this point birthed Cries of Innocence.
I began having dreams, and I don’t dream much, about the protagonist in the book, Bren Parrot. I could see her. I began to know her heart. I also began to know her fear and hopelessness. When I began writing her story, it was to purge it from my subconscious. Then more and more of her story began to surface, and I would pen that. Before I knew it I was staring at 203 pages. And I thought it was over, but within weeks of publishing Cries of Innocence, the characters began throbbing in my head again.
For the past few months, God has been leading me to tell the rest of Bren’s story. And over this time, I realized there would be two more books that will come out of Bren’s life.
Cries of Grace will be about Bren and Joseph. It will be a Christian Fictional Romance. I am almost finished, but the last part, Part III, is going to be fun to write, but it will push me to make it something you will never want to forget. (I can’t believe I just said that. The pressure is on.)
Cries of Mercy will be . . . well, . . . God is still working on that one, only sharing images of what new and complex life issues Bren and Joseph will encounter. Evil does not rest. It stalks. It waits. And then . .  .
When the next book in the Cries series comes out, I hope you will be eager to read it. I’m praying God’s fingerprints will be all over it. For He is why I write. My Savior is why I put myself on the line, writing about His children who realize, “Not for a moment will You forsake me.”
Please listen to Meredith Andrews song, “Not For A Moment” to hear Bren’s heart announcing, “After all I’ve been through, You never forsake me.”
Link to You tube video: Meredith Andrews “Not for the Moment”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD0cvWImVjA


God bless you always,

Writing Addiction

My husband chides me, “Why are you always writing?”
I confess. I’m addicted to writing. It’s the same with reading. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. But, there’s never enough time to do all the writing and reading I want to do. I mean NEVER!
When I get to heaven, I want to be assigned to the journaling department with spirits of like ilk. What joy!!! Then on my days off, I can just sit on a cloud and write or read. Yep, one day you may look up and see a pair of feet dangling from a fluffy cloud and you can say with a lot of certainty, “That’s Angela!”
As soon as my teachers put a pencil in my hand, I wanted to write all the stories that were in my head. Most of those stories germinated from my Papa LeMaire who was a great storyteller. The more proficient I got, I wrote about everything. Nothing missed my observant eyes or emotional wrangling, and it all went down on paper.
When I got married, I left a few things in the closet in my bedroom. At nineteen you think you will have a residence with your parents forever. I could have never imagined my mother cleaning my room and throwing away the three boxes of potential manuscript material that I’d been working on. Well, in my mind it was manuscript, awarding material, and I was devastated. My mother said, “Good riddance!” Sometimes parents don’t realize how important your “stuff” can be!
My grandmother once asked me, “What kind of people do you write about?”
That was a hard question. I observe everyone – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes, I add in all these traits to come up with some very unusual characters. I like to write about real people caught up in the act of living life small and large. People who struggle and find joy are amazing subjects. I want to crawl into the mind of the homeless, the psychotic, and the little old lady across the street and set them up as neighbors trying to get along. Oh, I forgot. I already did that one.
I think the whole idea of taking what you know and twisting it a quarter of a turn is exciting. You never know what’s going to come out of a situation of fate, promise, and determination. That’s writing for you!
So, for the next couple of blog posts, I’m going to write about what I’m writing about. I’m ninety percent finished with the sequel to Cries of Innocence. I’m so excited! It’s a new genre for me - Contemporary Christian Romance. Afterwards, I will head right into finishing up the Cries trilogy with Cries of Mercy.
I can’t wait to share with you what’s happening in my happy place – the writing happy place. In everything I write and do, I remain consistent in my desire to share Jesus and His love with everyone. Writing Bible studies or fictional novels, I want every word I pen to bring my King the honor and glory.
Blessings!

Not I, But Christ

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Yes, I have repeated these words over and over again. I shouted this in love to my Savior who gave me another chance to see His blessings.
I almost emotionally derailed my trip to Morganton. From there, my husband and I with two friends were headed to the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I know. . . how could I have been so distraught about a gas crisis and getting stuck at The Cove! Woe is me!!!
The trip to The Cove was fabulous! We took the Blue Ridge Parkway. Need I say more? At one lookout area, I met a painter who was trying to capture the lushness and fluctuating light on the mountains. I saw God’s beauty in a new dimension as he tipped the brush and dabbed paint to highlight and enhance. What a joy!
But the best was yet to come. Two and half days we sat at Dr. David Bruce’s feet and learned more about Jesus’ teachings from the book of Colossians. The instructor titled his study, “Living in the Promise of Eternity”. I cannot begin to explain the importance this topic had on me. From beginning until the end I saw my name written in a lot of places. It was especially geared to understand how to navigate life through complexities and challenges.
The gas crisis only stirred up another crisis that was going on within me. Our God is magnificent at getting us in the middle of the stew and then stirring up the stuff sticking to the bottom. That stuff rising up was almost to the point of charring. As a cook, you know when that happens you have almost ruined the stew.
Almost ruined it, but didn’t by the saving grace of Jesus who quickly turned me around with Scripture. God’s Word never returns void.
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25
Part of the study of Colossians was on growing in faith by being strong in life and meeting trials and difficult situations head on. The key is knowing God’s Word which settles one into knowledge and understanding. In my moment of gas-crisis-panic, I failed to be settled by the truth I know in God’s Word. And God used every failed attempt on my part to bring me back to His Word, to ground, and re-center me.
I loved Colossians 2:5 when it says above all to lead “orderly and firm” lives. Dr. Bruce reminded us that it was a military term to keep rank and be firm in our faith.
I broke rank when I got overwrought over the gas situation. What a lesson I needed. Over the days at The Cove, I realized that I needed to watch out for spiritual perils and stand firm. The only way to do that is to put God’s Word in my mind and pray fervently for strength and courage in unsettling times and events.
The most beautiful thing I learned was how to be victorious over sin. My gas-crisis-panic was a sinful act of distrust. But the Word is clear about what we can do to be victorious over sin.
1. Starve it – don’t feed emotions.2. Crowd it out – by positive graces.3. Activate the Word in your life.4. Apply the blood of Jesus. Pray for the power of the blood to cover sin.5. Live in the Power of the Holy Spirit through prayer.
When we do these things, we can starve all those pent up emotions and channel them into worship, singing, and praise, glorifying God’s name. Then all will see Jesus on our face.
Trust me I saw many people at The Cove who wore Jesus in humble, beautiful ways. What a testimony! They displayed the heart of Jesus, exercised faith, operated from a servant’s heart, saturated themselves in prayer, and spoke about Jesus’ life and work as real and tangible.
Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked “I.”Oh to be saved from myself, dear Lord,Oh to be lost in Thee:Oh that it might be no more I,But Christ that lives in me.
If the stew gets stirred up remember Jesus will help you pick out the charred pieces until the stew becomes palatable and tasty. He’s a Master Chef at correcting mistakes. Trust me. I’ve met Him in the kitchen many times.
Thank you, Jesus, for loving me when I don’t love myself. Thank you for new mornings and new chances.

In Thee I place it all,

Gas Crisis?

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 my husband and I journeyed toward Morganton, N.C. We were not 50 miles from home when I unfortunately read the news about “North Carolina’s gas crisis”. Gas crisis? At this point, I was ready to go home. From Morganton, we were planning on driving to Asheville for an event. I quickly figured the distance and realized there was no way a tank of gas would get me home.
As nicely as I could in my distraught condition, I asked my husband to please turn the car around and take me home. I told him that I did not want to be stranded in the western part of the state. And as nicely as he could, he told me we were not turning back, but were going to continue our trip forward.
Well, I’d like to say we had a wonderful ride from that moment until destination arrival, but I will not add lying to my list of egregious internal railings.
We arrived at our destination to visit with friends before heading on to our big event. I admit I struggled to keep my composure. Looking back I realize I was in severe emotional overdrive, overwrought, and overwhelmed.
Later that night, I went to the Lord in earnest prayer asking Him to do what only He could do—calm my soul and renew my spirit. I immediately felt tension flowing away as I drifted off to sleep.
“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25
That was the verse I heard in my subconscious as I was waking up. Oh how foolish it is to worry about tomorrow since it accomplishes nothing. Well, nothing but a raging headache! I realize the gas problem could have stranded us for a few days, but instead of looking at it as an adventure of sorts, I let the uncertainty of the situation fester and bring up all the things at home I had to get back to and do.
Overnight God eased my tension. I do believe He needed me to get back focused on Him. He had a lot of surprises and too many blessings for me to miss. If I had started my second day like the first, I would have lost some incredible memories.
Stress can derail us.
What a beautiful lesson for me. When the unfortunate happens or plans seemed sabotaged, sit in wonder and expectation. Something’s up. It might be a negative situation. In that case, you buckle up and endure. But . . . it just might be the best thing ever! Some of God’s greatest gifts come in simple, unannounced, random ways.
What a life lesson for me. I want to remember this one forever. Do not worry. More importantly, I don’t want to miss God’s blessings. I can’t even think about the gifts unseen, unnoticed, or unaccepted on that first day of my high tension. It hurts to know I can never get them back. But I can make sure it doesn’t happens again. And I can promise you, worrying didn’t add one single hour to my life. To be truthful it took many hours away from my joy.
Next blog is God’s overflow of blessings.

Blessings, 

Living Under Grace

How differently would we live today if we truly believed we were living under grace?

Most of us believe we are living with and in grace, but under grace takes on a whole new meaning. These three little prepositions are cantankerous little words that can cause a slight variation in meaning.

Living under grace means to see everything in life in the light of God’s grace.

Wow!!! Can you imagine that? Our eyes trained to see everything under the perspective of our Lord. The beauty of the world reflected in the face of a beggar. Love raining down on the just and the unjust. Trust flowering among those who distrust. Faith showered on a refugee camp. A church youth group thundering in to a small Appalachian village to minister to impoverished kids.

For once the world would be seen with a different lens and ministered to from God's perspective.

Grace is:
Sitting on my back deck, I envisioned a new world order where people would see things boldly. Strife would be at a minimum. Discord would be settled with a handshake. Anger would be dissolved in simple words like, “I’m sorry”.

What a joy to be a Christian writer and seek to see beyond troubling news and a fractured culture. I’m going to stay on the deck and watch the golden eagle riding the afternoon wind or try to catch a glimpse of the little red fox that has been hiding behind my azalea bushes.

Even if I can only escape for a little while, I want to cherish grace. It’s a gift. And sitting under it means I can take my time unwrapping it and think about Jesus’ life, how He loved so much that He died for those who loved Him. It’s hard to comprehend such a sacrificial act, but looking out over the river living under grace, I feel Jesus wants me to savor the gift and revel in the love, so that I can leave and take it with me and extend it to others.

There’s lots of room in living under grace. I encourage you to find your place to reflect on it and invite others to join you. I’m thinking we can change our small world and gain a new perspective.

I’m living under grace. Join me,

Olympics Of Life

Watching the Olympics over the last two weeks has made me acutely aware of how much life investment has been made. But getting to the Olympics does not mean their challenge is over. It’s the apex of all they have worked for. Each athlete knows how important it is to finish the race and cross the line.

I marveled watching athletes from across the globe persevere in their fields of competence. You could see the struggle and determination branded in each face. As I watched them, I was inspired to push harder in my life challenges.

Here we are just days away from the Olympics and I wonder if I can capture a semblance of what those athletes gave the world. Those men and women who gave it all. They ran the race and stayed the course.

But . . . do I? How often do I begin something and lose interest? How often do I decide it’s too hard and give up? How often do I look at others and feel I can never achieve what they can and walk away?

Too often. Way too often.

That’s tragic in and of itself, but how often do I berate myself over not finishing goals and spending years piling up one failure after another, beating myself up until I am inept at finishing even everyday mundane chores and objectives.

More than I want to admit to.

Traveling through God’s Word reminds me that I’m not alone in my struggle with perseverance or achievement. Many struggle in their quest to know Jesus better, to spread the Good News, and minister to others. The apostle Paul felt he couldn’t possibly do what was needed to be done for Christ. He asked, “Who is adequate for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16 NASB)

But Paul looked beyond his limitations to God’s sufficiency, declaring “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV)

God’s guidance and presence is what makes the race of life possible. Paul assures us in Philippians 4:13 that we “can do all things through Him who strengthens” us.

So I’m on Team Jesus, and I’m asking you to join me to run the race set for us by Jesus Christ. We are all runners. We may not be competing, but we’re after the eternal goal: heaven. We aren’t running aimlessly or fighting like a boxer beating the air (1 Corinthians 9:26), we know what to do. We keep running for Jesus.

Our race is worth every moment of investment: studying the Bible, reaching out to others, teaching, listening, loving, praying, and pushing every faith muscle we have to exhaustion. We’re running with Jesus. What a wonderful thought!

Okay . . . Team Jesus is ready to roll!!! The race is worth the effort. Do you see the finish line?

Remember: “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.” (Romans 8:37)

God bless you all,