Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 82

When God is Gone

When was the last time you sobbed?  I mean heartbroken, gut-wrenching sobs - the kind that erupt from a crushed and broken heart.

Maybe someone close to you drove a knife into your heart and then walked away.

Perhaps you had been betrayed.

Or abandoned.

Or forsaken.

Or lied to.

Maybe someone you loved had died, and all your dreams died with them.

You were left hopeless.

Alone.

Afraid.

Mary felt that way. As she walked to the tomb early that Sunday morning, her heart ached for what might have been. All the dreams. All the promises. All the hopes. Gone.

How could things have gone so wrong?

By the time she reached her destination, grief and sorrow overwhelmed her, and she sobbed. Gut-wrenching, heartbroken sobs. 

The kindly gardener's words did little to soothe her grief, "Woman, why are you weeping?" 

Forming an answer required her to acknowledge the reason.

"God is gone, and I don't know where to find Him."

Has sorrow ever made you feel this way?

When the resurrected Christ encountered a heartbroken Mary outside the tomb that first Easter morning, he spoke one word that changed Mary's life forever. It righted her world. It brought comfort and hope. It eased her sorrow and soothed her pain.

"Mary."

If you, like Mary, are heartbroken, close your eyes and open your heart.  Picture the Savior stepping into your grief and your pain and calling you by name.  He knows you.  He loves you.  He IS alive in your life.

Allow the hope of that first Resurrection Day to push everything else out of your heart.

REJOICE!

"He is not here!  He is risen, just as He said!"

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness." (Ps 30:11)

"And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty."  (1 Cor. 15:14)






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.


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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

"You're Not Welcome Here."

My friends and I were busting out. Doing something crazy. Casting off the shackles that had kept us fettered for so long. 
A random conversation over the Christmas holidays had sown the seeds for a Spring Break trip we’d always wanted to take. With no families to slow us down, cramp our style, or keep us in check, this trip was going to be all about us. 
And where do homeschool moms go when they bust out? Why, to Washington, D.C., of course. And what do they do? Tour museums, eat out, and cram as much learning and exploration into five days as possible.
As my friends and I planned our trip, we each made a list of our top five “must sees.” Experts at juggling the collective preferences of nine children, we found planning a tip for three was as easy as frying eggs in a non-stick skillet. Many of the attractions we wanted to visit overlapped, and before long we had an itinerary that made our hearts beat hard in anticipation. 
The first item on our agenda was a no-brainer because it was on everyone’s list—the White House. Unfortunately, touring this icon of Americana isn’t easy. Although we submitted our request months in advance, the congressional aide who assisted us said our request had been denied. 
We were sooooo disappointed! What’s a trip to Washington without a White House tour? No pictures in the East Wing. No plying the Secret Service agents for funny stories about the President. No chance to peek around the corners to glimpse a visiting dignitary. 
But the gates were barred. The doors were locked. And the Secret Service agents’ guns were an imposing barricade to our admittance. There was no question about it—we were not welcome. 
Determined to make the best of it, we rode the subway into the city the next morning. When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I was surprised to see an unknown Washington, D.C., number on the screen. 
“Hello, this is Carla in Congressman Joe Wilson’s office. He asked me to call you to see if you were still interested in that tour of the White House. If you are, and can meet him at the Visitor’s Gate at 7:30 tomorrow morning, he’d be glad to get you in on a VIP tour.” 
As you can imagine, my friends and I were waiting at the East Gate well before 7:30 that next morning. Our congressman greeted us, we chatted a bit, then he flashed his congressional ID to the guard at the gate. “These ladies are with me,” he said. The gates opened, and we were ushered into the home of the president of the United States. 

Alicia, me, Congressman Wilson, and Mandy on our great adventure
I thought of this experience recently as I read in Leviticus about the tabernacle of God in Old Testament Israel. A moving place of worship and sacrifice, the tabernacle housed the holy articles of God. In its very center was the most sacred place—the place where God dwelled—the Holy of Holies. 
Separated from the rest of the tabernacle by a four-inch thick woven tapestry, the Holy of Holies was off-limits. No one was allowed to enter except the High Priest, and then only once a year, after being ceremonially cleansed from his sin and the sin of the people. The common man was simply too sinful to even think about coming into the presence of God Almighty. Anyone who entered the Holy of Holies to approach God without permission and proper preparation would die instantly. 
Until Jesus. 
On that horrible/glorious day long ago, he shouldered the sin of mankind, hauled it to Golgotha, and covered it with the blood that dripped from his wounds. He offered his body as a living, perfect sacrifice, and died in our place. 



“For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence” (Heb. 9:24). 
He was judged—the innocent for the guilty—and God accepted his offering. 
How do I know? 
“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom” (Mark 15:37-38). 
On my Spring Break trip years ago, when I couldn’t enter the White House on my own merit, the congressman showed his badge and granted me entrance. In a far greater way, when I was too sinful to approach God, Christ shed his blood in my name. When I accepted it by faith, his sacrificial death on the cross granted me entrance into God’s presence forever. 
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:19-23). 
As Easter approaches, I pray that you too have received this precious gift of salvation. I hope you have full freedom to bring your needs boldly to God’s throne. I pray you have the assurance that one day you’ll spend eternity with him in heaven. 
If you are unsure, I’d love to share my story with you in a quick, five-minute video. If you already know Christ as your Savior, why not share this post with someone you love? I could make an eternal difference.


If you are unable to view this music video, "Beautiful, Scandalous Night," double click here.


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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Northern or Southern--When You're Sick of Winter

I know my friends in the North have it bad. They’ve had snowstorm after snowstorm, freezing temperatures, endless grey days, and weeks without sunshine. 

This is why, by God’s good grace, I live in the South. 

And even though our temperature has stayed considerably above zero, and it’s only snowed once—for 20 minutes, by South Carolina standards, it’s been a long, cold, dreary winter. For this transplanted Yankee who whimpers and whines every time the temperature dips below 50, spring is a welcome guest I’d like to invite to stay forever. 

I don’t live in a neighborhood with beautifully manicured lawns, artfully crafted landscapes, or six-figure homes, but as I walked its streets today, it was beautiful. Dressed in its Easter finery, I saw God’s gardening skills everywhere I looked. 

Your neighborhood—your life—may not be beautiful at first glance either, but I’d like to encourage you to look a little closer. I suspect if you peer beyond the surface and look intentionally, you’ll find something to make you smile. When you do, accept it for what it is—a gift from God. 

After you’ve acknowledge your gift, thank him, for we know “every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). When someone gives us a gift, even a small one, thanksgiving is the only appropriate response. 

And after gratitude comes the greater gift—joy. 

“...the secret to joy is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is,” Ann Voskamp says in her book, One Thousand Gifts. If gratitude always precedes joy, I wonder how much joy we miss by not being thankful? 

Come walk with me today and let me show you my little corner of joy. 











This is southern snow -- Bradford Pear petals after a rain.

What are the good gifts for which you're thankful this spring? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.



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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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

When Someone Else's Joy Makes You Sad

Mother’s Day—smiling women surrounded by adoring, healthy, happy children. Your arms are empty, or your children are prodigals, absent, or angry. 

Wedding Day—filled with promises, hope, and beauty. Your bed is empty and your heart is cynical, or your grown children—the ones you prayed for every day of their lives—are stealing the benefits of marriage without bothering to make the commitment. 

Graduation Day—diplomas, job prospects, and a bright future. You dropped out, or maybe your child did. Maybe they never made it to college in the first place, or an expulsion, probation, or too much partying delayed or destroyed their hope of graduating. 

Easter Day—new life, fresh starts, and the resurrection. You see only death, hopelessness, and the tomb. 

Scripture tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice, but what do we do when someone else’s joy reminds us of what could have been, should have been, and might never be? When we plaster on a fake smile and make an excuse to leave early? When we feel petty, selfish, and small in light of such great rejoicing? What do we do when they are rejoicing and we are crying inside? 

We do what Hannah did. 

 Hannah was a childless woman. Beloved of her husband yet barren, she lived in a household where a second wife bore child after child when her womb remained empty. 

“Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” her tenderhearted husband said one day in an effort to make her smile. Instead sorrow made her heart ache and grief stole her appetite. 

I hesitated to use Hannah as an example because her story ended the way she had hoped—she received not only one son, but many. Your story may not end this way, but regardless, the truths of Scripture still apply. Hannah was a godly woman, and she wrestled with her sorrow and disappointment in a godly way. 

There are six steps to Hannah’s example: 

1. She allowed her sorrow to drive her to God, not away from him. She visited the temple and spoke to the priest: “I am a woman who is deeply troubled,” (1 Sam 15). 

2. She sought God in prayer. “In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord” (v. 1:10). 

3. She was honest with God about her pain. “I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. . . . I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief” (v 15). 

4. She submitted her request and trusted God with the outcome. By prefacing her prayer with the word IF, she left room for God’s will. “IF you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me . . .” (v 10). 

5. She accepted God’s comfort.“Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (v. 18). 

6. She worshiped the Lord.“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord” (v. 19). 

Some may argue that it was easy for Hannah to honor God in her sorrow because she ultimately got what she wanted. If we read the text closely, however, we see that Hannah responded in faith during her darkest days—long before God answered her prayer the way she had hoped. 

If you’re struggling with sorrow, disappointment, or grief today, I pray Hannah’s example will challenge and encourage you. Guard your heart and “see to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Heb. 12:15). Whether God answers your prayers the way you hope or not, trust him. You’ll be glad you did. 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:16-18). 
Personal Note: Today is my BIRTHDAY! If you appreciate the ministry of Hungry for God, I'd like nothing more than for you to click the link here to go to HFG's Facebook page and LIKE it. My goal is to reach 1,000 likes by the end of the day, so feel free to share HFG with your friends and invite them to like it too. Thanks so much!

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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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've Wasted a Lot of Money

I’ve wasted a lot of money in my lifetime. 

This may surprise you, because I’m naturally very frugal. Anyone who knows me knows I hate wasting time, and I hate wasting money. Time and money are too precious to be misspent. 

This is why I’ve lived frugally all my life. I set my thermostat too low in the wintertime and too high in the summertime. I dry laundry on a clothesline. I hand wash dishes instead of using a dishwasher. I clip coupons, shop sales, and reduce, reuse, and recycle. I do anything I can to save money. 

But I also love wasting it. 

Mary did, too. 

Martha and Lazarus’ sister, Mary had a bottle of fragrant oil worth an entire year’s salary. In today’s terms, it was worth forty thousand, sixty thousand, or maybe one hundred thousand dollars. She’d probably saved for years to purchase this outrageously expensive perfume. 

And now she was preparing to waste it. Fritter it away. Blow it. 

“And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as (Jesus) sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on his head” (Mark 14:3). 

Her friends tried to talk her out of it. They “criticized her sharply,” and lamented among themselves, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?” She could have sold it for lots of money and given the money to the poor. Instead of doing something practical and responsible with her treasure, she wasted it. WASTED it by lavishing it on Jesus. 

My husband and I have been married for over 30 years. Over the course of three decades, we’ve similarly wasted more money than we can count. This is shameful, really, since for most of our married life my husband has been a blue-collar worker, and I’ve been a stay-at-home mom with a part-time job. Of all people, we shouldn’t be wasting money. It’s too dear and hard to come by. 

If we’d kept our hard-earned money instead of wasting it, we might not have driven the older van that embarrassed our children so badly. Or lived in the house that was smaller than all their friends’ homes. Or gone to Disney World more than once. We might have had nicer clothes, newer electronics, and a country club membership. 

Instead we wasted our money by giving to our local church, supporting missionaries, and sending poor kids to camp. We’ve helped rebuild a church in Mexico, feed the hungry in Nicaragua, and bring Christian education to Spain. We’ve helped dig wells in Afghanistan, buy mosquito netting in Kenya, and care for the homeless elderly in Romania. 

Like Mary, we realized early on that there’s something much more precious than money, and that something is Jesus. And Jesus’ kingdom, Jesus’ work, and Jesus’ church. 

I’m not sharing this to brag, except to brag on Jesus. One Easter long ago, Jesus gave the most precious gift imaginable—his physical life in exchange for our spiritual life. His mortality for our eternity. 




What is money in light of so great a sacrifice? 

As his children, we have the privilege of giving back, in very small yet sacrificial ways, to the One who gave his all for us. 

And Mary? 

“Let her alone,” Jesus said. “Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me . . . . wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (v. 6, 9). 

If you haven’t experienced it already, I pray you discover the joy of wasting money for Jesus. 

What about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below and join the conversation.


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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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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 friend the judge -- it's all in who you know

Sam was in a pickle. 

Newly married, he and his wife were days away from a mission trip when they realized they didn’t have a vital document necessary to allow them to enter the country. He called my husband and me in a panic, unsure what to do. 

Thinking furiously, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “I have a friend who is a judge. Maybe he can help.” I’d known Clyde for years, worked with his wife, and prayed for his kids. “I’m sure he’ll do whatever he can.” 

A quick phone call confirmed that Clyde was, indeed, willing to help. 

Unfortunately, willingness wasn’t enough. 

“I’m a family court judge,” he said when I explained Sam’s dilemma. “His request is out of my jurisdiction. I have no power.” 

Disappointed, I phoned Sam with the bad news. He thanked me for trying, impressed I was willing to go to bat for him. “I’ve never known anyone who had a judge’s phone number in her contacts,” he said. “I’da been scared to death to call him.” 

Sam's mission organization intervened, he received the documents he needed, and he and his wife left for the mission trip as scheduled. As I breathed a sigh of relief, I thought back on my attempt to help him. 

I wasn’t afraid boldly to phone my friend the judge because I had a relationship with him. I was confident he hear my request and do everything within his power to help. Unfortunately, Judge Clyde didn’t have the power or the authority to intercede on Sam’s behalf. 

I remembered this experience when I read Hebrews 6:16: 

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” 

I called an important man to ask him to advocate on Sam’s behalf because I had a relationship with him. How much more should I feel the freedom to approach God, my Great High Priest, on the basis of my relationship with him? 

“We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,” Romans 6:15 says, “but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are . . .” 

My friend Clyde sympathized with Sam’s predicament. My friend Jesus sympathizes with mine—my woes, my heartbreaks, my fears, my struggles, and my weaknesses. He, too, was tested and tempted, but because he was sinless, he earned the right not only to sympathize, but to advocate for me. 

Judge Clyde didn’t have the authority to act on Sam’s behalf. His jurisdiction was limited and his power was narrow. Jesus Christ, however, has full jurisdiction and all power necessary to help me. 

“Was my arm too short to ransom you?” God asked Isaiah. “Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert” (Isa. 50:2). 

On the basis of my relationship with my Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, I can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that (I) may receive mercy and find help in time of need” (Heb. 5:16). 

What about you? Are you struggling with something today? You may feel hindered, helpless, and hopeless, and you may very well be. 

But God is not. 

I encourage you to call upon him today. I believe you’ll find mercy, grace, and help in your time of need.


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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Delivered by FeedBurner


May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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

When Past Failures Threaten Future Success

John Mark had failed. Big time.

As the understudy to the apostle Paul, he had begun well, but something went terribly wrong. The Bible doesn’t give us the details, so we can only speculate. Maybe the journey was too hard, the pay was too little, or the hours were too long.

Whatever the reasons, John Mark quit. Packed his bags and went home. Abandoned the work, the workers, and the cause of Jesus Christ. Paul was so hurt and disappointed by his defection that, years later, when John Mark asked for a second chance, he said No. No way. Forget it. You blew it, Buddy (Acts 15:38-39).

Thankfully, God never says No to our requests for second chances. When we come to him in humble repentance, he forgives and restores us.

In this biblical account, John Mark even earned back Paul’s trust. In the days before his execution, the apostle called for him, saying John Mark was “useful to me” (2 Tim. 4:11).

But what if John Mark hadn’t accepted God’s (and Barnabas’ and Paul’s) forgiveness? What if he allowed his failure to marginalize him for the rest of his life? What if he hadn’t picked himself up, made peace with God and his fellow men, and begun again?

The most obvious answer is, we wouldn’t have the gospel of Mark. 

Why is this significant? After all, there are three other gospels.

Most Bible scholars agree the gospel of Mark is the earliest written of the four. It’s the closest document to an original source—an account written by someone who walked and talked with Jesus. The time of its writing (prior to AD 70) adds indisputable credibility to the entire New Testament. Scholars also believe the book of Mark is the source document for the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

When we consider the additional fruit of John Mark’s ministry—his and Barnabas’ evangelization of Cyprus and his ministry to Paul shortly before his death, his value to the Lord’s work is indisputable.

He lived a fruitful, godly, productive life despite his youthful failures. 


Which brings us to ourselves. What happens when we can’t move past our failures? When we don't live in light of God’s forgiveness? When we continue to crucify ourselves because of our past sins? When we allow our past shortcomings to sear a scarlet letter onto our futures?

We miss the work God has planned for us to do. Significant work. Life-changing work. Eternal work.

So I ask you, what sins lay buried in your past? What regrets nibble at the edges of your confidence? What forsaken actions still hinder your wholehearted service to Christ? What failures whisper words of doubt and accusation every time you consider speaking out for the Lord?

“If we confess our sins,” John wrote, “he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

Do you believe it? Will you act on it? Kingdom work may be awaiting your answer.

*This piece is inspired by a Key Note address Bob Hostetler gave at the Asheville Christian Writers Conference (Writers Advance Boot Camp) called “What If John Hadn’t Written?"


Tune in to Christian Communicators LIVE blogtalk radio program tomorrow as I talk with hostesses Vonda Skelton and Carolyn Knefely about life as a magazine editor. If you can't listen live, the program will be archived for your listening pleasure :)  March 17th Insights from an EditorListen online at http://www.blogtalkradio.comchristiancommunicators at 1:00 p.m. EST to Lori Hatcher, editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine. You can also dial in to Christian Communicators Live at (347) 843-4920 to ask Lori a question.

Lori is an author, women’s ministry speaker, and a writer's conference faculty presenter. She will be sharing her perspective and experiences in a writer’s world.


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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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

When You Can't See the Mountains for the Freeway--A Cure for Worry

I had worked myself into a tizzy.

CreditYou know how it goes—a concern arises—health, wealth, or relationship trouble, usually. The thought pops into my head and instead of taking it captive, I allow it to run free. One anxious thought leads to the next, and fear spreads its worry poison like jellyfish venom after a sting. My heart begins to race, my breathing quickens, and before long I am paralyzed—unable to reason, act, or pray.

My heavenly Father, armed with the antidote, waits in the wings, but I refuse to sign the consent form. “I’ll handle this myself,” I mutter feebly, waving him away.

And behind the spiritual veil, Worry smirks silently and scratches another notch in his belt. My old nemesis has gotten me again.

My daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter live in Roanoke, Virginia, and we visit often. It’s a beautiful city. User-friendly, easy to navigate, and moderate in climate and cost of living. The city is surrounded by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and I never grow tired of seeing their cobalt peaks on the horizon. Everywhere we go, they are there—stately, silent, and strong—distant sentinels hedging us in. 

On a recent visit, my husband and I were trying to cram many activities into a short amount of time. Playing with our granddaughter, visiting with friends, going to church. Helping with chores, grocery shopping, and wedding planning with my eldest. The list was long, and we stayed busy.

It wasn’t until our final day that I realized something—I had forgotten about the mountains. 

Consumed with my To Do list, I’d plowed my way through one task after another without ever lifting my eyes to the horizon. I’d missed sunrises, sunsets, and beautiful cloud formations. I’d missed shades of brown, blue, and grey. I’d missed the beauty that gladdens my heart and brings color to my sometimes monochromatic days.

My eyes were so focused on the freeway that I had missed the mountains. When I finally lifted my eyes, there they were, where they’d been all along, the strong and silent guardians of our weekend.

When I allow fear to plunder my heart and mind, it’s much like my mountain-less visit to Roanoke. I become so focused on the problems in front of me that I forget there is help on the horizon. Help that surrounds, protects, and shelters me.



 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?” the Psalmist writes. “My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber” (Psa. 121:1-3).

With what worry are you struggling today? I encourage you to lift your eyes to the hills, and to the Lord of the hills. His help is waiting there.


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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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

The Spanking I Deserved

“Spank me! Spank me! I need you to spank me!” 

I was 6-years-old, and I had done something mean-spirited and selfish. The details escape my memory, but the intensity of my guilt and shame do not. I was a good girl, but under my generally compliant disposition lurked a selfishness I continue to fight to this day. 

On that fateful day, my father called me on it, but because I was usually obedient, he was reluctant to punish me. Most kids would have been delighted by this, as my husband points out every time I tell this story, but not me. My sensitive soul knew I had sinned, and without loving discipline and punishment, there would be no absolution. No freedom from guilt. No peace. 

“Spank me! Spank me! I need you to spank me,” I cried to my father, pointing to the switch usually reserved for my less-obedient sister. 

My father knew little of the biblical principles of repentance and forgiveness, so what could have been a valuable teaching moment left him bewildered. He reluctantly took the switch and gave me a few gentle swats on my backside, then hugged me tightly as I sobbed in relief. 

“. . . your rod and your staff, they comfort me,” says Psalm 23:4. 

Now that I’m a believer, I understand what David the shepherd-boy meant when he penned this beloved psalm. 

Sometimes I sin against others, and ultimately, against my spiritual Father. And although Christ absolved me of my sin on the cross, he continues to correct my behavior and conform me to his image. Sometimes he uses his Shepherd’s crook to guide me gently back from the edge of destruction. Other times he uses a stronger form of correction--his Shepherd’s rod. 

Both instruments and methods are effective tools in a loving Father’s hand, but the rod definitely hurts more. Natural consequences of our sinful decisions can affect us for years (speeding tickets, financial loss, or health problems). Spiritual consequences can do the same (lost trust, opportunities, or our testimonies). 

However God manifests his discipline, his actions are evidence of our relationship with him. Like any good father, he cannot and will not allow his children to continue to sin without correcting us. He loves us too much. This should give us great comfort. 

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." (Heb. 12:5-6). 

Long ago, my 6-year-old soul knew this—that if my father loved me, he wouldn’t allow me to continue to sin. My 50-year-old soul gains great comfort from this as well. What about you? 

Are you experiencing the Lord’s discipline because of sinful actions? I encourage you to do whatever it takes to make things right with others and with God, then rejoice, because God loves you enough to correct you. 



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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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May I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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 Don't Have a Dress for the Wedding

We’re in the throes of wedding planning at my house. My eldest, the daughter most like me, will soon stand beside her beloved and say, “I do.” On that day there will be candlelight and roses, joy and laughter, and smiles and kisses. 

CreditThe days leading up to the ceremony, however, aren’t quite so idyllic. Innumerable calls to the caterer, the photographer, and the florist. Countless trips to Michael’s, Jo-Ann’s, and Hobby Lobby. Multiple orders to Etsy, Amazon, and, yes, Shealy’s Bar B Que. It is a Southern wedding, after all. 

Eclipsing it it all is the dilemma that plagues every female: 

  I don’t have a dress for the wedding!

Last year’s dresses won’t do. We’ve gained, lost, or redistributed weight. Styles have changed and what was rocking the runway two years ago is retro today. We know all eyes will be on the bride, but we want to enter into the celebration and bless the happy couple. It’s important to have the right clothing for such a special occasion. Carefully chosen attire shows honor and respect. 

 Jesus told a story of someone who didn’t have proper wedding clothes in Matthew 22. 

 “The wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen" (v. 11-14). 

One day there will be a wedding that puts every other wedding to shame. Music, flowers, and beauty like we’ve never seen before. Opulent, elegant, and lavishly abundant, this celebration will make Kate and William’s wedding look like the Beverly Hillbillies’. And the bridegroom? Oh my! 

The guest list spans the ages and includes everyone from the vilest sinner to the purest saint. And our names are on it. But like the man who was thrown from the banquet hall, we cannot attend without our wedding clothes. 

And unlike the teal dress with the beaded yoke I found at Belk, we cannot buy these garments. They’ve already been bought—with a price. We cannot earn them or deserve them. We can’t borrow them, either. They must be ours alone. 

Like Adam and Eve in the Garden so long ago, God must clothe us in robes of righteousness—not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. We must confess our sin and accept God’s forgiveness. We must surrender our meager, filthy, self-sufficient rags and allow God to clothe us with his abundant, pure, and mercy-infused covering. Then we will hear the words that beckon us to the celebration: 

Credit“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" (Rev. 19:7-9). 

 If you don’t have a dress for the wedding, I invite you to click here to discover how to have a relationship with Christ. If you do, why not share this post with someone you love? Invite them to accept the invitation to the greatest wedding celebration ever. 

I hope to see you there. 






If you enjoyed this devotion, may I tell you about my new book, Hungry for God … Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women?

 Today's women 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. 

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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