Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 74

When Christmas Isn't Perfect

I watch as she feeds my granddaughter, cradled warm and soft against her. A diaper change, then a fresh, pink onesie. How gently she dresses her, poking one floppy arm, then the other through uncooperative sleeves. 

“There, she’s ready,” she says, and kisses the top of her fuzzy head. “Will you hold her while I get changed?” 

Will I hold her? Would I like to gaze deeply into a pink sunset or savor something sweet? 

“I’d love to,” I say, and my daughter settles the baby onto my lap in one smooth motion. Lauren, the two-year-old, flits by, strokes the top of her baby sister’s head like a treasured lovey, and sings the ABC’s: 

“H-I-J-K-LMNOPEEEEEEE.” 

Somewhere from the Netherlands of the baby’s diaper, a discordant sound interrupts the alphabet chorus. Lauren stops in her tracks. Her eyes widen as she recognizes the familiar noise. 

“Sissy poo poo.” 

“Yes, Sissy poo pooed,” I acknowledge, as warm wetness forms a perfect circle on my leg. I hand Lauren a wipe, and she cleans her stuffed Minnie’s felt bottom while I gently clean the chubby cherub, who is staring up at me with a self-satisfied smile. I smile in return, shaking my head. 

The Christmas season is upon us. Despite road rage and long checkout lines, people smile more. We remember to say please and thank you and look for opportunities to give sacrificially. We make time to visit with family and friends, and most gatherings are sweet and special. 

But every now and then, someone poo poos. 

Not literally, I hope, but inevitably something less than idyllic happens to mar the Hallmark Channel scene. Someone says something unkind, or selfish, or rude. A family member or friend expects to be served rather than serves, takes instead of giving, or criticizes instead of compliments. 

When this happens, and it will, we have a choice—focus on what is wrong, or focus on what is right. We can compile a mile-long list of what’s wrong with the world, our lives, or our holiday celebrations. Or we can make an equally long list of what’s right. Even if we have to think a bit. 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things,” (Phil. 4:8). 



Thank you, Lord, that Christmas is more than gifts under the tree. Christmas is Christ with us, the hope of glory. 

Thank you for lifting us out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, setting our feet upon a rock, and establishing our goings, (Psa. 40:2). We don’t know why you saved us, but we’re so glad you did. 

Thank you for our families. Flawed and frustrating though they may sometimes be, they are ours by your design. You have used them in many ways to demonstrate your faithfulness. 

Thank you that your mercies are new every morning. 

Thank you for providing for us all the days of our lives. 

Thank you for your Holy Spirit’s presence that comforts and consoles, instructs and inspires, and empowers and emboldens. With him, we are never alone. 

Thank you for those you’ve brought into our lives to walk the faith walk with us. Spouses, parents, siblings, friends. Those who love Jesus and love us give us glimpses of what eternity will be like as part of your great big family. 

And thank you for Jesus, who binds up the brokenhearted and heals all their wounds. 

Merry Christmas.


I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

A Christmas Wish from My Publisher

Do you have a Christmas Wish List? 

I do. And this year one of the things on my list (and my publisher's, Eddie Jones) is a burst in sales for my book. 



You see, last year at this time, I accomplished a life-long dream--to write and publish a book. But my book competes against thousands of books on Amazon, many of which are published by well-known authors backed by big-name publishing companies. As such, my book stands little chance of cracking the top page in its sale category as it did when it first released last December. 

But you can help. Today my publisher dropped the Kindle price of my book to 99 cents. Once we sell 50 copies, we'll raise the price. Then tomorrow, we'll repeat the process. 50 books at 99 cents, then raise the price. This Christmas Wish List campaign will run for four days, then we're done. 

If you want to help, click on the link below and buy a copy of my book for 99 cents (if you already have one, you can gift it to a friend if you have their email). If you see a higher price, it means we've reached our sales goal for today. 

And if you can't afford the 99 cents, let me know and I will GIVE YOU a $1 Amazon gift card so you can buy my Christmas present to me from you. Thanks so much for helping make this a Merry Christmas for my book. 

With much love at Christmas time, 

Lori

Here's the link: http://amzn.to/1J5UkJ9 If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

4 Reasons to Mark Your Bible

It took me years to write in my Bible without looking over my shoulder. 

I learned as a child that the Bible was too complex and profound for a layperson to understand. The average churchgoer in my congregation didn’t carry a Bible, because she didn’t own one. Only church leaders were allowed to read from the over-sized white Bible that occupied the hallowed place at the front of our church. 


When I was six, two ladies from the Primitive Methodist church down the street knocked on my door. Thanking my mother for allowing me to attend Vacation Bible School, they presented me with a black, gold-edged Bible with my name written inside. It was a solemn moment. 

For twelve years, my Bible was the only Bible in our house. Once, when I was 13, I made a New Year’s resolution to read it from cover to cover, one chapter a day. I felt quite scandalous, reading a book I’d been warned was too complex, but by January 4, I had lost interest. I returned my Bible to its place on the shelf where it sat until I was 16. 

Fancying myself a poet and spending hours sitting on the shores of Narragansett Bay composing long poems about unrequited love, I discovered the poetic books of the Bible. I admired the beauty of its simile and metaphor, puzzled over its subliminal messages, but again quickly lost interest. 

When I was 18 years old, I fell in love, and that changed everything. When I surrendered my life to Christ, I pulled my Bible down from the shelf again. Only this time I wasn’t reading to keep a New Year’s resolution or plumb the depths of ancient literature. I was reading to learn about Jesus, the Lover of my soul. 

Hungry to discover everything I could about my new found faith, I bought a Billy Graham discipleship book from a thrift store and began looking up verses. 

Friends gave me my first leather Bible. Unlike the black, cardboard-covered treasure from my childhood, this beauty had a burgundy leather cover with my name embossed in the corner. I carried it to church three times a week and read the stories behind the legends I’d thus far only heard about. Moses, Samson, and Jonah came alive, and I couldn’t get enough. 

One night in Bible study, I noticed a man underlining verses and making notes in the margin of his Bible. Another woman pulled out a yellow highlighter and began to mark her copy of the Scriptures. I was horrified. 

Flashbacks to my early childhood, combined with my teachers’ warnings about not writing in schoolbooks convinced me I was witnessing not only disrespect, but desecration. 

As soon as Bible study ended, I cornered a friend. “Why are they writing in their Bibles?” I asked. “Isn’t that WRONG?” 


She explained that people write in their Bibles for many reasons—to mark special verses, to record notes from a memorable sermon, or to isolate promises they want to remember. Reassured, I began to think about writing in my Bible. 

It seemed appropriate, I thought, to underline the verses that directed me into a relationship with God, six verses from the book of Romans, traditionally called The Roman Road*. It was frightening and exhilarating, all at the same time. 

After those first verses, I underlined precious promises I wanted to remember. I scribbled sermon notes in the margins. I dated special passages. Instead of a museum piece, I now had a living record of my spiritual journey. 

In the 34 years since then, I’ve owned several Bibles. I’ve worn the covers off paperback versions and rubbed the leather smooth on others. My current copy, a leather-bound John MacArthur One Year Study Bible is a treasure. 

Just yesterday I came across verses in Jeremiah and a note in the margin claiming a promise God gave me for one of my children. Dated 2010, the promise has since been gloriously fulfilled. In the book of Mark, I recorded a prayer asking for mercy on behalf of a loved one. In Ezekiel, I underlined God’s insight into a difficult family situation. Notes on almost every page record God’s faithfulness to me and stand as an indisputable testimony of the dynamic nature of God’s living Word. 

Do mark your Bible? Why or why not? What note is most special to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and join the conversation. 

*The Romans Road contains the following verses that explain salvation: Romans 3:23 Romans 3:10-18 Romans 6:23 Romans 5:8 Romans 10:9 Romans 10:13 Romans 5:1 Romans 8:1 Romans 8:38-39



If you're reading by email, Click here to listen to an absolutely beautiful rendition of Carol of the Bells (for 12 cellos) by the Piano Guys.


I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!


I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

What Are You Waiting For?

I don’t wait well. Long drive-thru lines, grocery stores with ten customers and one cashier, even slow downloads make me grumpy. The longer the wait, the more I struggle with patience. 

I find it especially difficult to wait for something I want badly. The grown up version of “I just can’t wait ‘til Christmas” becomes, “Why isn’t my career, financial situation, ministry, relationship, or ____________(fill in the blank) getting better? When will something change?” 

I suspect you struggle in similar ways. You desperately want your husband to get a new job so finances will improve and he’ll be happier. You struggle with a prodigal child, a difficult marriage, or a challenging ministry, and you wonder when the breakthrough will come. You give and give and give, and pray and pray and pray, and some days you wonder if you’re just wasting your time. Should you give up on the hope, the dream, the prayer? 

James, the half-brother of Christ, penned words of encouragement for times like these: 

“Be patient, brothers . . . See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient” (James 5:7-8). 

Since most of us aren’t farmers, we miss the profound significance of this metaphor. It speaks volumes of hope to those of us who are waiting. 

Every day we plant a hope. We water it with effort and prayer—sometimes a lot of effort and prayer. Sometimes years of effort and prayer. And we wait. And we wait. And we wait.

Occasionally we see glimmers of what might be happening beneath the surface, but often we don’t see anything but flat, black earth. Sometimes things even seem to get worse, and we wonder, Is God at work at all in this situation, or is he off tending to more important business? And we grow weary. 

What we miss by not being tillers of the earth is the necessary process of waiting. Did you notice that in the two short verses above, James used the word patient three times? Three times. 

No farmer expects to plop a seed in the ground and come back the next day to harvest an ear of corn. He recognizes that time, warm dirt, and gentle rain will one day cause the seed to produce a harvest. 

But not today. And not tomorrow. 

He also knows that the flat, black earth isn’t a barren wasteland. It’s an incubator for growth and change. 

How does this apply to our wait? A wise counselor once told me, “It’s your job to plant the seeds, but only God can make them grow.” 

If you’re in the period between sowing and harvesting, please don’t despair. And don’t give up. Continue to pray, sow, and water, and, I promise you, the latter rains are coming. And then comes the harvest. 

“He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:6). 

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (Jas. 5:16). 

What are you waiting for? If you’ll leave a comment in the comment box, I’ll add my prayers to yours, and together we’ll wait (patiently) to see what the Lord will do.





If you're reading by email, click here to listen to a toe-tapping Carol of the Bells by Pentatonix.


I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

It's OK to Feel Like Quitting

Life is hard. And some days, it’s all we can do to lift our heads from the pillow and face another day.

Loneliness that throbs like an aching toothache steals our sleep and shadows our days. Grief for a loved one snatched away stalks every happy gathering and quiet moment. Sickness and pain torment our bodies and threaten our lives. The loss of a job, a relationship, or a dream steals our hope.

Sometimes the desire to quit is fleeting, and we shake it off and move on. Other times it backs a 50-foot moving van up to our front door and takes up residence.

It’s OK to feel like quitting. You’re in good company if you do.

Moses did. Drafted into service to lead a recalcitrant army of wimps and whiners, he was so sick of the Israelites’ complaining that he asked God to kill him to put him out of his misery.

 “Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you intend to treat me, just go ahead and kill me. Do me a favor and spare me this misery!” (Numbers 11:13-15).

Elijah also wanted to quit. Exhausted, alone, and running from wicked Queen Jezebel, he came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die.

“I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:1-4).

And then there was Job. Poor Job, just trying to live righteously and be a good father to his kids. Devastated by the loss of his fortune, his health, and every single one of his children, he cursed the day he was born and wondered why he hadn’t died in his mother’s womb.

"Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11).

If you quit, you’ll also be in good company.

There was a scientist researching a cure for cancer, but he quit.

There was a diplomat developing a peace plan for the Middle East, but he quit.

There was a teacher, beating back the darkness in the public school system, but she quit.

There was a missionary sharing the gospel in the 10/40 window, but she quit.

There was a youth worker challenging teens to follow Christ, but he quit.

There was a police officer trying to uphold the law, but he quit.

There was a husband, struggling to stay committed in a difficult marriage, but he quit.

And there was a mother, caring for her young children with few resources, but she quit.

But if you don’t quit, you’ll be in better company.

Moses, in desperation, flung himself on God and said, “I can’t do this alone. You have to go with me!” God used him to save and deliver the nation of Israel (Ps 106:23).

Elijah allowed God to feed him and watch over him while he slept. He listened for God’s still, small voice in the earthquake and the flood. And he received God’s comfort and assurance that he was not alone. He climbed back down the mountain, completed the work God had for him, and retired in a blaze of glory (2 Kings 2:11).

And Job. Poor Job. He continued to trust God, love his wife, and pray for his friends. God used him to show millions of believers how to walk through trials with faith and courage. And he blessed the second half of Job’s life more than the first.

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” Job said (Job 13:15).

So what’s the secret to continuing rather than quitting?

Two of my favorite Christians, the apostle Paul and Elisabeth Elliot, answer this question.

And before you say, “They didn’t know what I’m going through,” listen to Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:8: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.”


Then listen to what Paul discovered about the reason for his trials: “But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope . . .” (9,10).

Paul reached the end of his human strength and tapped into a power source far greater than anything he could muster up—God’s. And because Paul didn’t quit, God used him to evangelize Europe and write over half of the New Testament.

And then there’s Elisabeth Elliot, whose first husband was martyred on the mission field when she was 30, leaving her with a 10-month-old daughter, and whose second husband died from cancer. Because she didn’t quit, she and her fellow missionary wives led an entire tribe to faith in Christ and mentored millions of Christian women through books, radio shows, and one-on-one discipleship.

How did she keep going when she wanted to quit? Listen to her words:

“Trust in God, obey him, and do the next thing.”

If you feel like quitting today, you’re not alone. And you’re not a failure. You’re in the perfect place for God to do something absolutely amazing. It may not happen in a day. Or in a week. Or even in a year, but it will happen.

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'” (Mat. 25:23). 

May you find your strength in God and do the next thing.






If you're reading by email, click here to listen to Pentatonix' phenomenal rendition of Little Drummer Boy. It will cure what ails you. 



I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.



Delivered by FeedBurner

If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Meltdown at the Customer Service Desk

I don’t know what came over me, but it wasn’t pretty. I’m normally very even-tempered, but not this afternoon. I had just spent a torturous half hour waiting in line at the post office, and now I was waiting again—this time behind a woman in the customer service line at Target. All I had to do was return two belts.

I admit it, I was already grumpy because I had to return the belts in the first place. I don’t enjoy shopping, but I had braved the Black Friday sales the weekend before to snag some great clothing deals for my husband. When the time came to choose belts to go with the outfits, I knew I was out of my league. Like a man trying to choose a woman’s purse, I needed further insight.

A quick phone call to my husband would solve the mystery. Unfortunately, my husband, who usually wears his phone on his hip, had chosen to take it off and lie down for a nap. When I couldn’t reach him, I chose two belts I thought would work. Of course, they were the wrong size, the wrong style, and the wrong material.

So now, two days later, I’d not only shopped, but was now unshopping. If there’s one thing I hate more than shopping, it’s unshopping. And then shopping AGAIN for the same items.

Back to Target I go. I have the belts, with the tags still on them, and the receipt. It should be a simple transaction, right? Until Frozen Woman gets between me and my refund.

Did you know that when you order a Ship to Store life-sized Frozen Elsa Doll, you cannot simply pick it up at the Customer Service desk? Apparently it takes no fewer than three associates, including the one assigned to handle simple returns, to assist you.

Like Secret Service agents preparing for a presidential visit to a foreign land, men with walkie-talkies and silicone earpieces direct traffic and ensure safe passage of Princess Elsa from the stockroom to the door. Small children holding tightly to their mothers’ hands stop to wave as she passes by. All forward motion in the store grinds to a halt until the princess, surrounded by her entourage and safely ensconced in her red shopping cart limo, rolls out the door.

And all I want to do is to return two stinkin’ belts.

When the customer service associate finally returns to her register, I plaster on a smile that convinces no one. I’m mentally calculating the level of traffic that has exponentially increased between me and my destination during the 20-minute Elsa motorcade. I’m crossing off the errand I hoped to do enroute. And I’m stuffing down impatience and frustration while the lyrics from “Silent Night” mock me in the background. All is calm. All is bright. . .

The only thing calm, I think, is Elsa, safe inside her nice dark box and on her way to her destination, which is more than I can say for myself.

I’m not sure how the celebration of the birth of Christ becomes a season that brings out the worst in us, but it happens every year. In the hours that followed my near meltdown, I gained some perspective I think is worth sharing.

1. Stress (whether it’s holiday, work, family, or ministry) doesn’t cause our sin, it reveals it.

When you squeeze a toothpaste tube, toothpaste comes out. When you squeeze a sinner, sin comes out. When you squeeze a sinner who has Christ living inside her, Jesus should come out.

It doesn’t mean much when we’re patient, kind, and pleasant when everything’s going our way. It’s easy to be like Jesus then. Throw a life-sized Frozen Elsa motorcade into the mix, however, and our true natures come out.

We can use these episodes like a doctor uses diagnostic tests—to reveal what’s sick inside us and help us implement a cure.

My friend Linda trains service dogs. As part of their preparation, she puts them into situations they’re likely to encounter when escorting their future owners. Exposing them to crowds, traffic, sudden movements, and loud noises teaches them to be self-controlled, calm, and steady.

We can view challenging encounters like my Target stop in the same way. Every morning, even before we climb out of bed, we can say, Today is a test, allowed by God, to give me the opportunity to show Jesus to someone. Will I pass or fail? Then, instead of being surprised by the fiery trial, we can expect it. Like a scheduled exam instead of a pop quiz, we are better prepared to pass if we know the test is coming.

2. It shouldn’t surprise us that Christmas, the celebration of Christ’s advent on the earth, brings out the worst in the world.

Road rage, Black Friday stampedes, and increased numbers of robberies and purse snatchings are just a few examples of the sinful behavior we see during the holiday season.

In a strange way, even this points to Jesus.

Christ came into the world to save mankind from our sins. Because we can never be good enough (believe me, I tried really hard that day in Target), we all need a Savior. No amount of self-control or determination can make us perfect, yet perfect is God’s standard if we want a relationship with him.

The sinful behavior we witness and exhibit during the holiday season is undeniable proof that we need the Christ of Christmas to transform us. Without the Holy Spirit living inside us, sanding off the rough spots in our character, and transforming us to be like Christ, we are hopeless.

So the next time Elsa rolls by and you’re about to have a meltdown, take a deep breath and remind yourself, This is a test—a test I can pass with Jesus’ help.

And the next time you see someone in the middle of a meltdown, pray for her. Realize, this is why Jesus came—because sinners need a Savior. Then do what you can to breathe grace into the situation.

May God fill your holiday season with opportunities to shine for him.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS:
I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Erring on the Side of Mercy

I saw the movement out of the corner of my eye early one morning. Oh no, I thought, not another one. It’s getting colder here in South Carolina, and critters of all types have been finding their way into my house when my back is turned.

Last week it was a bright green anole lizard. Today it was what my daughter affectionately nicknamed, “that mutant-grasshopper-thing.” One blogger describes it as “a giant bug that looks like its mother was a spider and its father was a cricket.” Instead of crawling, however, which would be bad enough, these long-legged insects hop.

Definitely NOT what I wanted to see before I’d downed my first cup of tea. 

I was tempted to smack it with the sole of my bedroom slipper and be done with it. Instead, I reached for a solo cup. With one swoop, I plopped the cup over my long-legged trespasser. I waited a moment for my heart rate to return to normal. (The thrill of the chase and the deep-seated fear that the creature might jump at the last moment and land on me always leaves me with a bit of an adrenaline rush.) 

After sliding a piece of paper between the cup and the floor, I gingerly lifted the cup and the creature and headed for the door. With a move that would have made Houdini proud, I whisked the paper away from the cup and flung my captive to the wind. “Be free,” I said, “. . . and don’t come back.” 

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not always so merciful. Cockroaches and flies fall into the category of the damned at my house. Kill or Be Killed is my motto when I encounter one of these creatures. Whenever I can, however, I show mercy.

This morning, after returning to my interrupted cup of Raspberry Zinger, I thought about the gift of mercy. Theologians and lay people alike define it as “not getting the punishment we deserve.”

Like my six-legged trespasser, I’ve often been the blessed recipient of God’s mercy. When I accepted Christ as my Savior, he expunged the sin that separated us and welcomed me into his family. Every day, Lamentations 3:23 tells me, his mercies toward me are new.

Sometimes he extends mercy through my friends and family. My husband forgives me (again) for being selfish and self-centered. My friend graciously accepts my apology for forgetting her birthday. My children love me anyway, despite decades of parental mistakes and oversights.

Despite being the grateful recipient of God’s never-ending mercy, however, I’m not always quick to show mercy toward others. Sometimes, instead of giving someone a second (or third, or fourth) chance, I smack ‘em. “You never . . .” and “You always . . .” rush from my mouth. Other times I mentally write them off. I forget that they’re on a faith journey just like I am. Some days we get it right, and other times, we need mercy, forgiveness, and another chance.


[image error] “Whenever possible,” a wise theologian once said, “we should err on the side of mercy.”

I don’t know if I’m the only one who struggles to extend mercy, but I suspect not. If you are similarly challenged, will you join me in asking God to help us? 

Father, help me be gracious today. Enable me see others the way you see me—flawed and imperfect, but still worth loving. Remind me every day of the magnitude of your mercies. Help me see your grace in my life and extend it to others. Use me as an example of your love to a lost and dying world, remembering that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Whenever possible help me err on the side of mercy.

*If you’d like to see a picture of a Spider Cricket, also known as a Camel Cricket or “Spriket,” click the hyperlink above.

JUST IN TIME FOR CYBER MONDAY:

I love the newly-designed, glossy cover!
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, Five-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is the gift you're looking for. 
And what about those special women in your life that may not have a relationship with the Lord? In the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.
Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time  is available through Amazon.com,BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.

If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

One of the Best Christmas Gifts You Can Give

Today's women are busier than ever. Juggling the demands of motherhood, relationships, work, church, and community, we're trying to be all things to all people. In the press of everyday life, however, something important often gets squeezed out -- our time with God.

The struggle is real. That's why I wrote my 5-minute devotional book, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time, to help busy women connect with God in the craziness of everyday life. 
I suspect there are quite a few busy women on your Christmas list. Friends, co-workers, fellow church members, and your children's teachers, coaches, and babysitters, just to name a few. If you'd like to give them a gift that will draw them closer to the Lord, encourage them to spend time in God's Word, and think biblically, Hungry for God is the gift you're looking for. 
Each 5-minute devotion tackles a subject 21st century women face. Relationships, busyness, conflict, insecurity, loss, and jealousy are just a few of the topics introduced by the daily Facetime questions. Then, in the short devotion, with insight and humor, we discover what God has to say about each subject. Like a spiritual power bar, HFG's devotions provide spiritual nutrition to help busy women get through the day.
And what about those special women in your life that you're not sure whether they have a relationship with the Lord? After we laugh about bad hair days and other things unique to women, in the last devotion in the book, I share what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Giving someone you care about a copy of HFG is not just passing along spiritual encouragement, it's a gentle, winsome way to share the gospel.





Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time is available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. 

If you live in the Columbia, South Carolina area, I'd love to autograph and personalize copies for your special friends. Email me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

6 Resolutions to Reclaim the Holidays

Many people make New Year’s resolutions, but I’ve always been a trailblazer. This year, in order to preempt stress, disappointment, and hurt feelings (I hope) during the holidays, I’m making a few early resolutions. 

As I enter the holiday season, this is what I hope to do: 

I RESOLVE, during a time when everyone’s rested and in a good mood, to prayerfully open a conversation about where, when, and how we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as possible, we’ll take everyone’s schedules and preferences into consideration, but I will remember that the primary goals of our holidays are that Christ is honored and our family is together. Whether we celebrate the weekend before Christmas, the week after, or by Skype at 2 a.m., I will surrender my hopes for a “perfect” family gathering and accept a realistic one. 

I RESOLVE to sit down with my husband and determine what we can and should spend on Christmas this year. I will stick to this figure no matter what. This will involve deciding in advance who will receive gifts, who will receive cards, and who will receive a sincere Merry Christmas hug with no accompanying guilt. I will recognize that I do not honor the Christ of Christmas by foolishly and wantonly overspending. 

I RESOLVE to thoughtfully ponder each loved one’s love language and use it as a guideline for gift giving. While love languages don’t solve the mystery of why some Christmas gifts evoke squeals of joy and others prompt a sigh or (worse yet) a grimace, they do help. 

Instead of giving my quality-time-loving mother another collectable she has to find a spot for and dust into perpetuity, I’m going to give her a gift certificate for a manicure and a lunch date. Instead of giving my acts-of-service-loving friend a book, I’m going to give her a homemade meal, frozen and ready to reheat. As often as I can, I will strive to put careful thought and purpose into each loved one’s gift. I encourage you to read Mary Hunt's wonderful blog post on this called "The Gentle Art of Gift-Giving."

I RESOLVE to honor and acknowledge the empty chairs around our holiday table without letting their presence steal the joy from the day. I will treasure the memories of past gatherings without comparing them to the ones unfolding in front of me. I will think of special ways to pay tribute to our missing loved ones, but not in a somber, morose way. Instead, we will give thanks for the celebrations we shared, continue the traditions that bear their fingerprints, and perhaps even start a new tradition they would have approved of. 

I RESOLVE not to allow other’s poor manners, thoughtless actions, or ungrateful attitudes to suck the joy out of my celebration. As much as it lies within me, I will seek to spread holiday cheer, but I acknowledge I can’t make others happy, nor am I responsible for their happiness. 

I RESOLVE to take time to sit at Jesus’ feet every day. I want to reread the Christmas story in all four gospels (yes, there’s an account in the first chapter of John as well). I also want to read an advent devotional. If you have a favorite one, I’d love to hear about it. 

Some of my family’s favorite Advent devotional stories for children are those by Arnold Ytreeide. Jotham’s Journey is the first book we read and is still my favorite. The stories are written with elementary/middle school children in mind, but teens and adults will hang on every word and eagerly look forward to each day’s brief chapter. I can’t wait ‘til my granddaughters are old enough so I can read them again. 

These are my resolutions for the 2015 holiday season. I’m sure you can think of a few of your own. You may find it helpful, as I did, to write them down. You may prefer to keep them to yourself or share them with family and friends. 

As you approach the holiday season, I encourage you to enter prayerfully, reverently, and intentionally. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the other details will fall into place. Purpose to model Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve. In this way, you will honor your friends, your family, and most of all, your Savior. 

May you enjoy a blessed and holy holiday season.


If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

God's Heart for America

There are parts of the Bible I struggle with.


I don’t struggle because the language is challenging, or because I don’t understand the symbolism. I find some parts difficult because what I read hurts my heart. The passages offend my senses and paint violent and disturbing pictures in my mind. In other words, I struggle because I don’t like the content.

The book of Ezekiel is one of these books. Written at the end of Judah’s long period of apostasy, when the people had forsaken God and were chasing every idol that beckoned them, it is a frightening and horrible book. Most of its 48 chapters contain God’s solemn warnings that if Judah (the southern kingdom of Israel) doesn’t turn back to God, it will face severe judgment. (And I won’t go into detail about what that looks like, because the details made me cry.)

The book of Ezekiel upsets me because Judah’s falling away greatly parallels my own country’s, the United States, moral and spiritual demise. It makes me fear for my nation, my state, and my fellow citizens. Like Israel centuries ago, if my people don’t repent of their sins and turn to God, they will suffer unimaginable horror. This is God’s only appropriate response to a people who consistently rejects his offer of forgiveness, cleansing, and peace.

But there are sparks of brilliant beauty on these dark pages. They burst through the shroud of death and destruction like a mighty comet blazing a fireball path across the heavens. Here’s one of my favorites:

“’Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live?’” (Eze. 18:23).


From the dawn of time, God has been pursuing mankind. Inviting us to have a relationship with him. Showering us with care, provision, and love. He has wooed us and offered the ultimate declaration of his love when he allowed his beloved Son to die on a cruel Roman cross for our sins.

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all . . . .” Romans 8:32 reminds us that God signed his love letter to us in his own blood. It’s no wonder, in the middle of God’s heartbreaking declaration of the coming judgment, that he interrupts to say,

“For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies. . . . Therefore, turn and LIVE!” (Eze. 18:32).

If you've never surrendered your life to God, please don’t wait. God calls to you. Begs you. Pleads with you. Listen to his words in Hebrews 3:15:

"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . .”

Our only hope, but our sure hope, is to trust in Christ as our Savior, Lord, Protector, and Provider. It is only under the shelter of his almighty wings that we will be safe in the perilous days to come.

My invitation is twofold: 

If you haven’t surrendered your life to Christ, asked him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, and change you, don’t wait another day. Here’s a link to my How to Know God page, which contains verses from the Bible and my personal testimony to show you how.

 If you do have a relationship with Christ, it’s time to get serious. We can’t be wishy washy in our witness while the world rides a bullet train toward its own demise. During ever-darkening times, the light of Christ will shine brightest through clean vessels.

To this end, we must confess sin quickly and seek God’s face daily through prayer and Bible reading. Like a runner preparing for a marathon, we need to be spiritually strong and healthy to run our faith race with endurance and finish well. We cannot shrink away. We cannot compromise. We must finish our course to receive the prize and hear our Lord’s words, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” 

Do you ever encounter parts of the Bible you find disturbing? How do you handle it? I’d like to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and join the conversation.

If you're reading by email and can't see the link for "On Eagle's Wings" by Josh Groban, CLICK HERE.

 


If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher