Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 78

A New Take on an Old Rule -- A Guest Post by Debra Coleman Jeter

We all know the Golden Rule in Matthew 7: 12, but sometimes I wonder if we interpret it too literally.

Over the years, I’ve become convinced that what Christ intended was for us to do unto others as they would have us to do. Most of the time this is equivalent to doing to others as we would have them do unto us, but occasionally it’s different.

For example, some of us love surprises. Others who do not. Just because we are among those who love surprises doesn’t mean we should plan a surprise party for a spouse who has told us sincerely and repeatedly that he doesn’t want one, or that he hates being the object of attention. You may know your spouse well enough to know that he would love such a party deep down despite his protests, but I’m pretty sure mine would not (he says there should no “pretty” about it).

As another example, my husband thinks the heel of the bread is an inferior slice, so he avoids it when he makes me a sandwich. I prefer that slice, but I know he’s doing me an intended kindness by avoiding it. When my husband is ill, he likes to go to bed and be left alone. I like to have someone look after me. In the early days of our marriage, this was hard for him to understand.

To some extent, we become set in our ways as we grow older, but with the Lord’s help and a lot of will and work, we can change and improve in our other-centeredness.


If you prefer to have lots of friends around to commemorate important occasions, but your loved one prefers only the immediate family, you may want to refrain from inviting “extras” when it’s his or her celebration. If you prefer to receive gift cards for Christmas but your sister prefers gaily wrapped packages, you probably shouldn’t give her a gift card. If you prefer board games but your husband calls them “boring” games, it may not be wise to assume he’s really itching for a game of Scrabble. If no one but you can make your coffee or tea quite right, keep in mind that others might enjoy being waited on occasionally (even if there’s slightly too much or too little cream).

Many of these examples are trivial, but becoming familiar with the preferences of your loved ones can make you a better friend and family member. 

And isn’t this what you would have them do unto you?


Debra Coleman Jeter is a Vanderbilt University professor whose debut young adult novel, The Ticket, is now available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other outlets. She’s published fiction and nonfiction in popular magazines, including Working Woman, New Woman, Self, Home Life, Savvy, Christian Woman, and American Baby. Debra is a co-writer of the screenplay for Jess + Moss, a feature film which premiered in 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival and captured several international awards. She lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with her husband.




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

When You Feel Like a Failure as a Wife

I don’t know why it’s such a struggle to doing and being what our husbands need us to do and to be.

Is it selfishness? Laziness? Neglect? Misplaced priorities?

Yes, I think it is.

Selfishness because we prefer other ways of showing love—ways that are easy. Ways that fit our nature. We can do them in our sleep, check off the boxes, and feel like good wives. 

Except it doesn’t feel like love to our husbands, so it defeats the whole purpose. Giving love our husbands can’t receive is pointless—like cooking a steak for a vegetarian. We can put all the love in the world into making it, but a vegan won’t get anything out of a steak except a greater hunger and a whole lot of frustration.

Laziness because learning a different love language takes time. And effort. And commitment. And discipline. And we want the easy way. It’s frustrating to speak those newly conjugated love language verbs and see a blank look on his face. Or worse, a snicker, or the drooping shoulders of disappointment. To know we’ve missed the mark again. Right word, wrong timing. Or right timing, wrong approach. Or the wrong language entirely. Comment allez-vous? Muy bien, gracias. 

Rivers take the path of least resistance, but for our marriages to be healthy, we must be rivers that carve a path through a rock canyon—the flint-hard stone of our own sinful nature that defaults to lazy whenever things seem to be going OK.

Neglect because we take them for granted. They’ve been faithful, loyal, and hard working for so long. The thought that they would be anything else seldom crosses our minds. They’ve done a good job of making us feel loved. How can we be failing so miserably?

Misplaced priorities because the tyranny of the urgent screams loudly while they only sigh. Until we reach a crisis point—then the anger echoes loudly against the cold walls of our bedroom, and we wonder how we’ve reached this place.

Again.

Hopeless.

Hopeless.

Hopeless.

You'll never change. 

They might say it to us in words dripping with disappointment and compromise. Settling for what they think they have a chance of getting but don’t really want. A consolation when they really want the grand prize.

Their hopelessness almost sucks us in. We almost believe them because we know the weakness of our flesh and the truth of Romans 7: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

But then the still small Voice whispers Philippians 1:6 into our hearts, “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it.”

We realize we can’t conquer laziness, selfishness, neglect, and misplaced priorities. But God can.

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:21-23).

God began a good work in us and in our marriages, and by God’s good grace, he will be faithful to complete it.

Instead of hopeless, we can be hopeful.


If you're struggling in your marriage, here are two great resources:

7 Things He'll Never Tell  You, But He Wants You to Know by Dr. Kevin Leman

The Marriage You've Always Wanted by Dr. Gary Chapman





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

Satan's Game -- A Guest Post by Kelli Hughett

One of the best parts of summer as a child was visiting friends. Sleeping over was the best, but even a short visit to a friend's house was a treat. 

Today I'd like to introduce you to Kelli Hughett, a new friend and fellow Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas author who's visiting my blog today. Like the summer visits of long ago, I hope you enjoy Kelli's time with us today.



Satan's Game

Have you ever played Jenga? Each player takes turns pulling a block out of a large stack, tugging ever so carefully so as not to upset the tower. If you cause the tower to fall, you lose. 

Sometimes, I’m afraid we play Jenga with our faith. We stack our towers with spiritual building blocks—prayer, Bible reading, fellowship, meditation, service, obedience, and belief. 

When the pressures of life assault our tower, however, we begin to play Satan’s game instead. We feel the pressures of time and commitment and believe the lie that if we remove a block from our life stack, things will improve. Prayer is often the first block we slide from the tower. 

At first we don’t even miss it. The base of our tower remains strong and unmoving. Then more pressure comes. More defeat, more struggle, more disappointment, less money. 

We slide other blocks from the tower, thinking we can use the room for other things, but the slot remains empty because nothing can fill the space where faith fits in our lives. 

We pull blocks out left and right, but we’re not stupid. We try to slide blocks from all sides, counting on perfect balance to keep our tower aloft. 

After a while, the tower begins to sway precariously. 

This is Satan’s favorite part of the game. A sneeze, a tiny tremor of the table, even a slight breeze can cause the tower of our faith to fall to ruin. Make no mistake, he will take this advantage. 


How is your faith tower doing today? Is it solid and strong, or does it feel like the slightest breeze will blow it over? Is Satan’s game about to topple your tower? 

Or maybe your tower’s already crashed to the ground, and you’re sitting in the rubble wondering how it happened. 

May I encourage you? Give your blocks to the Master and stop playing Satan’s game. First Corinthians 3:11 reminds us that Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith. 

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 

Jesus Christ is the true foundation. 

First Corinthians 3:13-14 says: “their work will be shown for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 

We want our work to survive the fire. We want our tower to survive the pressures of this life. 

Dear friend, build on Jesus. Put the blocks back one by one, line upon line. Cement the blocks with love and grace. Put prayer back in. Slide in Bible Study. Tap meditation into place. Hammer obedience home. 

Stop playing Satan’s game and build on Jesus, the true foundation. 



Kelli Hughettholds a degree in Women’s Ministry from Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. In addition to teaching women, Kelli is a fiction writer and homeschool mom. She and her husband, Kirt, work with the church in Windsor, Colorado where they’re raising their three kids. Kelli loves agricultural landscapes, the Broncos, and reading the classics. Her debut novel, Red Zone, is available on Amazon. You can read more devotional thoughts or book a speaking engagement with Kelli at www.kellihughett.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

Obeying God Even When It Costs You Something

Richard* made a faith promise pledge to the building project at his church. He committed to give a certain amount of money every month for two years.
Then the stock market crashed.
Instead of having a comfortable income that allowed him to meet his family’s needs and many of their wants, he now had an income that barely covered the basics. With fifteen months still left of his pledge to the building project, he wondered if he should continue to give.
“You need to look out for your family,” one friend said. Richard knew this was true, but he also knew it wasn’t a question of providing his family’s needs. It was their wants they’d be doing without if he kept his commitment.
“God will understand,” another counseled. “After all, he’s the one who allowed your income to be reduced in the first place.”
But the more he thought about reneging on his promise, the more uncomfortable he became. He thought about the instruction he’d read recently in Numbers 30:2. “When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”
He thought about how good God was, how he had always provided for him and his family, and how he was still providing, even during a difficult economic downturn. He thought about how Jesus had commended the widow for giving out of her poverty, and knew he was far from poor.
One morning, seeking counsel from the Scripture, Richard read the account of King Amaziah in 2 Chronicles 25. Amaziah was gathering an army of fighting men from among the people of Judah. A great military threat loomed on the horizon, and he wanted to be prepared. He wondered if his 300,000 men would be enough to defend the country.
Fearful, he decided to shore up his forces by hiring 100,000 mercenaries from the country of Israel—to the tune of one hundred talents of silver. To put this in perspective, this equals about ten million dollars in today’s economy.
Before the ink had dried on the payroll check, however, the man of God came knocking on the door of his throne room. “Don’t let the army of Israel go with you, King Amaziah,” the prophet said. “God is not with Israel. If you do, God will make you fall before the enemy.” Then he scolded Amaziah for his lack of faith. “Don’t you realize ‘God has power to help and to overthrow’?”
Amaziah was cut to the heart, and rightfully so, for God had always been faithful to him. He’d never given him reason to doubt, and certainly no reason to put his trust in human power rather than in the Lord’s.
But there was still the matter of the ten million dollars.
“What shall we do about the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?”
And the man of God answered, ‘The Lord is able to give you much more than this.’
“So Amaziah discharged the troops that had come to him from Ephraim, to go back home.” He led his significantly smaller army into battle, and, with the Lord’s help, they conquered their enemy.
When Richard read this account, he knew what the Lord was telling him do.
He called a family meeting, explained the financial circumstances they were facing, and told the children about the commitment he and his wife had made to the Lord. Then he shared with his family how the Lord had spoken to him through his Bible reading.
“It’s going to be challenging for the next 15 months,” he told them. “We’ll have everything we need, but I’m going to have to say no when you ask me for money for extras. God has been so faithful to provide for our family all these years. I know we can trust him.”
And trust him they did. The kids were great, although occasionally they’d whine and complain. Sometimes Richard felt like a terrible father when they’d ask him for money to go out with their friends for pizza and he’d say no.
Eventually his daughter sought babysitting jobs and his son mowed lawns to earn pocket money. They invited friends into their home for games and dinner instead of eating out at a restaurant. They borrowed movies from the library, popped microwave popcorn, and piled up together on the couch. He and his wife brainstormed creative, free date nights. They grew closer together as a family, more creative, and much more resourceful. When they did splurge on a birthday dinner out or a special outing, they no longer took it for granted.
When fifteen months had passed and the day came to write the final pledge check to the church, Richard gathered his family around the table. He told them how proud he was of them. He recounted the many ways God had shown himself faithful over the past year and how they had lacked nothing essential. When he took stock of where they were, compared to a year before, he realized God’s Word to him had been true:
“The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
Are you afraid to do what’s right because it might cost you something? Are you hesitant to obey what God wants you to do because it involves financial risk? Take the words of the man of God to heart: “The Lord is able to give you much more than this.”
Step out in faith today.



*This is a true story.




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

Cease Striving - A Guest Post by Nan Jones

Today I'd like to introduce guest blogger Nan Jones. Nan and I met at the Writers Advance Boot Camp conference in 2014, but I knew a lot about her before we met. I'd even been privy to the private details of her life as a pastor's wife.

Are you curious?

As faculty at Writers Advance Boot Camp 2014, I had the privilege of serving as a judge in the conference's annual writers' contest. Nan had entered her book proposal, Perils of a Pastor's Wife. Of all the proposals I read that year, I gave Nan's the highest score. Her ability to paint vivid word pictures, her transparency about the struggles pastors and their families face, and her faith-filled encouragement to her sisters in the ministry had produced a manuscript I felt deserved the top prize--a publishing contract.

But I was only one of several judges. Would the other judges be equally impressed? 


As you can see in the photo, I wasn't surprised at all when the conference director announced the winner, but Nan sure was.

It's my pleasure to share one of Nan's devotions and tell you a little bit about her book. It's been quite a journey to get to this place, and I'm delighted to be part of its launch.





Cease Striving


I came in from work frazzled and weary with my insides running a million miles an hour like a gerbil on its wheel. Frustrated tears trickled down my cheeks, releasing the pressure of a busy and emotional day. I prayed. I sighed. I prayed. I cried.

I closed my eyes and spoke the name of Jesus.

Jesus ... softer still ... Jesus.

He began to quiet me with His love. In my spirit I felt the Lord nudging me to seek solace on my porch "sanctuary". I live in the mountains of North Carolina far away from city lights and traffic. Countless hours of communion with the Lord have occurred while aimlessly rocking on my beloved porch.

I snuggled into the corner of the porch swing. With my toe, I gently moved the swing back and forth … back and forth … the simple rhythm soothing my spirit, refreshing my tired body. I closed my eyes and thought about the Lord.

You are wonderful, Lord. Your love embraces me with a comforting warmth. I'm so thankful for You.

I sat quietly, closed my eyes, and steadied my heart. A sweet breeze kicked up, rustling the wind chimes, sending them into song. A celestial melody filled the air. The cardinal chirping in a wild cherry across the way joined in. Out back a woodpecker drummed on our apple tree, adding percussion to the symphony. I'm certain the strings section buzzed in and out of my irises. Oh my! What a heavenly chorus of praise to the Creator. 

I could sense his lovely presence surrounding me.

Because of Jesus, we can know our God. We can know his voice and his love. Isn't that amazing? What love is this that we can walk with the Creator of the Universe? What love, indeed!

I kept my eyes closed and listened to nature's song of praise. In the quiet of the moment I heard him whisper, Be still and know that I am God.

I relaxed in the arms of Jesus. My restless spirit ceased its striving. The constant motion of my thoughts submitted to his peace, his calm, even to his authority. For it is in the stillness that our spirit recognizes his supreme authority over all things that concern us and suddenly we realize that it's not who we are or what we are up against. No. It's all about Who is with us and Who has inscribed us on the palm of his hand.

But we must learn to be still. Cease striving. Rest in his lovely presence.


"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah" ~ Psalm 46:10-11 
If you hear the Lord's whisper today beckoning you to come and sit with him awhile, will you heed his call? Will you leave the dishes in the sink, dry off your hands and run to him? Will you turn of Facebook and your phone and focus on Jesus? He will meet you right where you are and he will turn your mourning into dancing, your ashes into beauty and your crazy, busy life into a calm refreshing pool of Living Water.



Nan Jones is an author/speaker who uses the words of her heart to assist fellow Christians in discovering the presence of God in their darkest hour. Her devotional blog, Morning Glory, has become a place of community for Christians to find encouragement in God’s Word and comfort in his Presence. She is thrilled to announce her debut book, The Perils of a Pastor's Wife released June 30, 2015 by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.

When Nan is not writing, she enjoys leading prayer retreats, bible studies or sharing God’s love as keynote speaker for special events. You may visit Nan at her website or her blog, Morning Glory

Nan has also created a facebook community page, Seeing Beyond The Veil, to provide a place for folks to go and get away from the chaos for a few moments and focus on Jesus through scripture, worship, testimony, and inspirational quotes. For personal communication you may email Nan at nan@jubilantlight.com.

 The Perils of a Pastor's Wife is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


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

When Guilt Overwhelms You

King David’s pride and presumption in ordering a census of Israel caused 70,000 mighty warriors to lose their lives (1 Chr. 21). Paul’s violent persecution of the infant church played a part in Stephen’s death and countless others’ beatings and incarcerations (Acts 9). 

I read both stories recently and wept as I imagined how these men must have felt. I imagined David’s overwhelming feelings of sorrow and guilt. SEVENTY THOUSAND innocent people’s blood on his hands. By today’s standards, a tragedy of this magnitude would wipe out every person in a city the size of Richmond, Virginia. 

Listen to David’s gut wrenching lament: 

"Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people."

And Saul. He wasn't jailing murderers or incarcerating thieves or political prisoners, he was persecuting God’s people. People whose only crime was loving Jesus. People who were praying for those who persecuted them. 

Picture him, consenting to brave Stephen’s death and holding the clothing of the murderers and watching as the stones struck his body until he cried out, “Father, do not lay this sin to their account.” Watching Stephen take his last struggling breath. 

Then, while the blood was still wet on his hands, he “was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1). 

Throughout Paul’s writings we see evidence that he never forgot his sinful past: 

“I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison” (Acts 22:4). 

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:9). 

“For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it” (Gal. 1:13). 

Yet David, a believer who sinned horribly, and Paul, an unbeliever with a heinous past, didn’t allowed their sins to define, defeat, or render them useless for the kingdom of God. They understood the truth of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sin, (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

They confessed, repented, and accepted God’s cleansing grace. 


Listen to David’s prayer in Psalm 51:1-2: 

“Have mercy on me, O God, 
according to your unfailing love; 
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." 

And Paul’s humble gratitude in 1 Corinthians 15:10: 

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle . . . But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” 

If you’re struggling with guilt over something you did as an unbeliever, or a sin you’ve committed as a Christian, don’t allow Satan to imprison you in guilt and shame. Do what David and Paul did—confess your sin, forsake it, and accept the forgiveness Christ extends to you from the cross. 

Then walk in the confidence that God has separated your sins as far as the east is from the west, to remember them no more. 

Mercy there was great and grace was free. 
Pardon there was multiplied to me. 
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary.* 


*William Newell’s hymn, “At Calvary.”

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










Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.


You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.


 

 

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

My Grandmother's Hands

My grandmother’s hands never stopped. 

A fiery little Portuguese lady with a big laugh and an even bigger temper, my granny was a piece of work. When something struck her funny, she’d throw her head back, slap her leg, and cackle. She loved sweets, gardening, and crochet. 

My granny adored pastry more than any other food group. She hoped to die with a cup of coffee in one hand and a piece of cake in the other. Most of the food she made was overcooked and under seasoned, but her Malasathas, Portuguese fried doughnuts, were out of this world. 

I remember watching her stretch the dough between her fingers until it was flat and thin and drop it into the bubbling oil. My childish attempts usually yielded blobs that would fry up doughy in the middle, but not Granny. Hers were perfect every time. I loved watching her flour-covered hands make this delicious treat for us. 

Granny was also passionate about gardening. So much so that before there was running water on the property she inherited from her father, she’d haul the water her plants needed. She'd fill every available container, load the containers into her wagon, and pull it around the block. One by one, like a parent dolling out allowances, she’d give each of her fledgling plants a drink. 

I remember her clucking her tongue at the "greenhorns" digging dandelions from the sides of the road. Her harvest was much more sophisticated. She planted kale and escarole before kale and escarole were cool. If she were alive today, she’d laugh to see that “field greens” are trendy, expensive, sophisticated items on many restaurant menus. I loved watching her dirt-covered hands make something grow. 


Whenever my granny sat down, which wasn’t often, she’d have a crochet needle in her hand and a ball of yarn at her side. 

She’d put her over-sized reading glasses on the tip of her nose and occasionally glance down at the fuzzy yarn sliding through her fingers, counting stitches under her breath. 

It was her way of redeeming the time, I think. And maybe justifying the soap operas she watched every afternoon. How she kept track of her pattern and her soap operas simultaneously, I’ll never understand. At the end of the hour, every stitch was in place, and she could tell you in graphic detail about the latest romantic scandal. I loved watching her nimble hands create something beautiful. 

It was hard watching her confined to a bed in the nursing home where she spent her last years. I baked her pound cake and spooned ice cream into her mouth to satisfy her sweet tooth. A Christmas amaryllis that always bloomed in February and a dusty philodendron in the corner composed her garden. She continued to crochet, only lap blankets instead of afghans. 

And when the phone rang past midnight, I knew why. 

“I’m on my way,” I told my mom, and cried the 45 miles to the nursing home. Images of Portuguese doughnuts, fledgling plants, and yarn balls superimposed themselves onto the dark interstate before me. 

As is so often the case when the essence of a person has gone and only their shell remains, the figure on the bed bore little resemblance to my granny. I stroked the soft grey hair my mom had tenderly brushed from her face. I touched the parchment paper skin that covered her thin arms. And then I noticed her hands. 

Unchanged in shape and size from my childhood, they were the same hands that had cooked, and planted, and crocheted - hands that had held, and hugged, and laughed for nine decades. 

But they were finally still. 

Like Elisha to Elijah when the fiery chariot came to take the prophet away, I prayed, Lord, give me a double portion of her spirit. Use me to carry on her ministry. 

Give me my grandmother’s hands.  

Today, ten years after her passing, I stretch dough into flat thin rounds and fry it up for my granddaughter. I plant flowers in the yard and eat kale and escarole. I’ve yet to master crochet, but I knit words together into something beautiful. 

These hands that hold, and hug, and laugh, and never stop—they are my grandmother’s hands.







"O God, you have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come." (Psalm 71:17-18)







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










Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.


You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.

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

I Did It My Way

Frank Sinatra recorded the song “I Did It My Way” in 1969, but King David could have sung it in 1010 BCE.

Fresh from a victory over Israel’s enemy the Philistines and newly crowned king of all Israel, David had thrown the party of the century. Three days of eating, drinking, and dancing, and family everywhere. “There was joy in Israel.”

As they were sitting around eating raisin cakes, burgers, and lamb chops, David proposed an idea. “What do you think, guys? I’d kinda like to have the ark back. (You'll remember that the Ark of God was a large wooden box that contained priceless artifacts from the exodus). It’s been way out in Kirjath Jearim for a long time, and we haven’t been able to use it to inquire of God. Wouldn’t it be cool to restore it to its rightful place among the people?” 

“Sounds good to me,” the military captains said. 

“Great idea,” the local leaders said. 

“Let’s do it,” the people of Israel said. 

So David gathered everyone together, placed the ark on a brand new cart, gave the band its cue, and the parade began. All was well until Oxen #1 hit a pothole and stumbled. Uzza, the chief petty officer in charge of the ark, reached out to catch it and keep it from sliding off the cart. 

Quicker than you can say “Duck,” a giant lightning bolt shot from the sky. When the smoke cleared, all that was left of Uzza was his dogtags. 

What’s up with this? All King David wanted to do was restore the ark to its rightful place (a good thing). All the people wanted to do was support their king (a good thing). All Uzza wanted to do was keep the ark from hitting the ground (a good thing). 

And lightning crackles from heaven and turns Uzza into a French fry? 

On the surface, this seems so wrong. So out of the blue (pun intended). So random. So UNFAIR. They were just trying to do something GOOD. Something GOOD FOR GOD, for heaven's sake. 

Enter Frank Sinatra. 

And the problem that has beset mankind since Day 1 in the Garden. 

“I did it my way.” 

Many years before, through Moses, God gave the Israelites special instructions for handling and transporting the ark. These instructions are recorded in (Numbers 4:4, 15, 17-20):

Only one particular branch of the Aaronic line, the Kohathites, can move the most holy things. 

Never touch the ark. 

Carry it on poles. 

Remember, this wasn’t just a piece of furniture. It was a symbol of God himself—the place where God chose to place his presence. He “dwelt between the cherubim” on top of the ark. When David proposed moving the ark, he wasn’t just switching the sofa from the east wall to the west, he was relocating GOD. Did God care about how that was done? Yeah! 

In total presumption and independence, David, his captains, and the people never stopped to ask God if he wanted the ark moved. Or how he wanted it moved. They just did it. 

I am so guilty of this. 

I get a great idea. I plan how to make it happen. I invite other people to help. I implement the plan. 

But I forget to pray about it. To ask God if it’s his idea or mine. To be still before him and listen for his thumbs up or thumbs down. Sometimes I don’t even care if it’s his idea or mine. I just want him to rubber stamp it. 



There are at least four dangers to doing good things without God: 

1. We harm instead of help. (Think of Uzzah.) 

2. We lack Holy Spirit power. ("Apart from me, you can do nothing. John 15:5)

3. Our work is useless in the kingdom. It is wood, hay, and stubble and will burn up on the Day of Judgment. 

4. We misspend and misdirect valuable time, energy, and effort. 

So what should David have done? And what should we do? 

 * Begin with prayer. Sit at God's feet and invite him to give us our marching orders. Let the ideas come from God. 

* Write down what we think we hear. As we pray about it, does the desire grow stronger over time or fade? 

* Ask, does it agree with Scripture? (If David had asked this question, Uzzah would never have died.) 

* Seek counsel from wise, godly experts. If David had consulted the priests, they would have told him there was a special protocol for moving the ark. 

Thankfully, David didn’t let his failure stop him. He spent time before the Lord, and God revealed his error (1 Chron. 15:13). He took the appropriate steps, then went back and did it right. The result was a beautiful celebration and the return of God’s presence to Gibeon. 

“So David, the elders of Israel, and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with joy” (15:25) 

 “O give thanks to the Lord,” David penned, "for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. . . Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting!” 

If you’re like me, you want to please God and further his kingdom. By praying, seeking his will, confirming it with Scripture, and obtaining wise counsel, we’ll have a better understanding of how to do this. 

What about you? When you think you’re hearing from God, how to you find out for sure? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.


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 you'd like to hear "Old Blue Eyes" sing his famous song, here you go. If you're reading by email, click HERE to watch it on Hungry for God.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 Secrets Grandparents Never Tell

MYTH: Grandparenting has all the joys of parenting without any of the responsibilities. 

This is only partially true. In some ways, being a grandparent is even harder than being a parent. I didn’t discover this, however, until I became a grandparent and learned the six secrets grandparents never tell. I’ll share them with you, if you promise to keep them to yourself: 


1. Grandparenting is HARD. Grandparents have a deep-seated fear that our grandchildren will get hurt on our watch. So we follow them everywhere, call out warnings, and rise in the middle of the night to check their breathing. We caution against minimally dangerous behavior, cut grapes into fourths, and renew our infant and child CPR certification. We’d never forgive ourselves if something happened to our precious grandchildren, so if we seem like nervous Nellies, it’s because we are. 


2. Grandparenting gives us an excuse to be silly. Even the most dignified grandparent casts off restraint in the presence of his grandchildren. We’re finally old enough to be comfortable in our own skins. The cool factor is long gone, so it doesn’t matter what someone else is thinking. All we care about is making our grandchildren smile. Silly songs, horsey rides, and bedtime stories complete with different voices for every character. Snowmen pancakes, elaborate games of pretend, and tea parties with water from questionable sources. The more they laugh, the happier we are. 

3. Grandparenting gives us more to worry about. The possibilities for harm to our precious grandchildren are endless—just watch 20/20. Kidnapping, SIDS, choking, drowning, car accidents, playground falls, accidental poisoning, terrorism, bullying. Because their parents are with them most of the time, they know they’re safe. Not so with us. There’s a whole lot of blank space between one Face Time visit and the next, and much fuel for the imagination. And so we worry. 

4. Grandparenting also gives us more to pray about. Not only do we carry the burden of prayer for our adult children’s, we also extend it to our grandchildren. We pray for their safety, their health, and their protection. We pray for success in school, good friends, and obedient dispositions. We pray for their development, their growth, and their salvation. More than anything else, we pray they will love Jesus, for to do otherwise would break our hearts. We know the pull of the world is stronger than it’s ever been, so we do battle for them daily on our knees. 

 5. Grandparenting makes us eat our words. We realize we don’t really want our grandchildren to hurt their parents like their parents hurt us. From the toddler screaming I hate you to the adolescent telling you your the worst parent ever, we don’t want our children to know how it feels someday. We don’t. We really don’t.


6. Grandparenting brings us more joy than almost anything on earth. When the door flies open and our grandchildren race through the house calling our names, the sun shines more brightly. When the busy toddlers crawl into our laps and allow us to rock them to sleep, our hearts swell. And when we witness their first prayers, baptisms, and steps of faith, our eyes leak grateful tears of gratitude.

The greatest secret of all isn’t really a secret—we love our grandchildren more than we love ourselves. In this way, perhaps grandparenting Is a lot like parenting. Secrets notwithstanding, it’s worth it all. 

 “Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children” (Prov. 17:6)




You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you.



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










Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 

 

 

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

There Is a Danger in the Familiar -- Don't Miss God's Comfort

My friend and his wife have an ongoing bet. If he fails to notice her haircut within 24 hours, he has to take her out to dinner.

 Sometimes he wins. Sometimes he loses.

It’s crazy, really, how someone who lives in the same house, sits at the same breakfast table, and sleeps in the same bed can miss something as obvious as a haircut. And it goes both ways—it took her two days to notice that he’d shaved the mustache he’d worn for six months.

There is a danger in the familiar. It’s possible we become so familiar that we fail to really see.

This happened to me at church recently. The worship leader announced the hymn for the day: “It Is Well with My Soul,” and launched into the very familiar story behind the song.

“Horatio Spafford’s wife and four daughters were sailing to England when a horrible storm arose. . .”

I’ve heard the story a hundred times and could probably spout the relevant details if the question came up on Jeopardy.

“The loss of his precious daughters in a shipwreck at sea,” Alex Trebeck would say.

“What event inspired the beloved hymn, ‘It Is Well with My Soul,’?” I’d respond.

DING DING DING “You win the DAILY DOUBLE!”

But that day, as I sang the words from the hymnal, I noticed something I’d never seen before.

Not a haircut or a mustache, I saw something that makes this precious hymn even more meaningful and deep: two quotation marks.

Huh?

Remember, I’m an editor. Editors see things other people miss, and that day my editor’s eye saw the quotation marks I’ve never noticed before. The last verse of the hymn reads:

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so,” it is well with my soul.

A writer uses quotation marks to show he's quoting words from another source. And what was the source that brought Horatio Spafford comfort as he mourned the loss of his beloved daughters?

The Word of God.

“Even so,” is a quote from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.

As Horatio sailed the ocean that had swallowed his children, broke his wife’s heart, and plunged him into a deep, gut-wrenching grief, the Word of God spoke hope and comfort.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

God used the truth Horatio Spafford had stored in his heart to speak comfort to his broken heart.

You will see your daughters again, the Holy Spirit whispered. Grieve, but don’t grieve as those who have no hope. You believe in Christ—that he conquered death, hell, and the grave. His resurrection proved that death could not hold him. Mourn your loved ones. Mourn them deeply, but fear not. You will see them again. They rest safely in the bosom of Jesus, and he will bring them with him on the last day. 

“Even so,” it is well with my soul.

If you’re grieving the loss of someone you love today, may God give you eyes to see the familiar. May his Word give you comfort and hope.

May it be well with your soul. 

“It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you’ve been through.” ~Wintley Phipps




 


If you're reading this by email and would like to hear Wintley Phipps' version of "It Is Well with My Soul," 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. 

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



Delivered by FeedBurner










Hungry for God is on Facebook! Will you take a moment and LIKE my page? CLICK HERE to help HFG share 5-minute devotions.
 






You want to connect with God, but in the craziness of life, it’s just not happening. You want practical, biblical answers to situations you face every day, but you don’t have hours to pore over Scripture.

You need a resource that answers the questions you’re afraid to ask out loud. Questions like:

• Is my situation hopeless?
• If God already knows what he’s going to do, why bother to pray? 
• Why have you allowed this to happen to me? 
• No one appreciates what I do. Why shouldn’t I quit? 

Each devotion begins with a Facetime question and ends with a biblical answer wrapped in a modern day parable. Like a spiritual power bar, Hungry for God … Starving for Time is packed with enough scriptural nutrition to get you through the day. Wherever you are—in break rooms, carpool lines, or wherever you can snatch five minutes of quiet reflection—Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women is for you. 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