Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 84

Lost with a GPS in my Pocket

Jill and I were lost in the woods.

And our GPS was no help.

It was a crisp fall morning, and we had set out early to hike the trail around the conference headquarters. The woods, decorated in the rich colors of autumn had beckoned to us from the window the day before, but workshop after workshop kept us indoors. 

“Let’s get up early tomorrow,” I proposed, “and take a hike before the first session.” My friend Jill was all for it. She’s a Texas girl who loves wide open spaces and the joy of physical exertion.

The thick woods of the mountain didn’t exactly qualify as a wide open space, but the mild temperatures and the heavenly scent of newly fallen leaves was incentive enough for her. After reminding ourselves of the general trail layout, we chose a path that would bring us back to the conference center in 30 minutes or so—plenty of time to freshen up before the first session.

At least that’s what we planned. And the plan worked well until 30 minutes had come and gone with no sign of the conference center. After we had hiked an hour through thick woods with no clearing in sight, we pulled out our technology. Both of us had smart phones, but technology only goes so far in the hands of not-so-smart operators.

I swiped open my Google maps and sure enough, there we were. We weren’t lost after all. Google knew right where we were. We were a steadily blinking dot in the middle of . . . well . . . a forest. 

I don’t know what I expected, maybe a little red arrow saying Conference Center this way, or, The Right Trail is 1,000 Yards to Your Left, but no, just that steadily blinking dot telling us You Are Here.

But You Are Here doesn’t help much when you really don’t want to be HERE anymore. To make matters worse, we couldn’t remember the name of the conference center, so we didn’t even have a value to put into the destination slot of the app.

I’m sure there are a hundred readers who can tell me how we could have used my program to navigate ourselves out of those woods, but spare me. I’ve made mental notes to prevent a repeat performance.

Instead we tucked our phones back in our pockets, took a good look around us, and headed in the opposite direction of the sun. We remembered noticing how the sun had shined through the windows of the conference center the day before, so we knew that heading away from the sun would eventually bring us to our starting place.

An hour and two and a half miles later, we saw the outline of the buildings in the distance.

A surveyor friend commented recently how GPS makes his job so much easier than it used to be. Once he finds his reference point and hammers one of those familiar orange-ribboned stakes into the ground, he says, he can use his GPS signal to walk off the perimeter. “But I have to have a reference point,” he says.

My lost-in-the-woods experience and my surveyor friend’s observations confirm what I’ve learned during 32 years of living. If we don’t know where we are and where we’re going, we stay lost. We spend our lives wandering, expending great amounts of time, energy, and resources, and never really “arrive.”

 I was 18 years old when I first realized where I was. I had the world by the tail, yet I was wandering, purposeless, and empty. I had everything I thought should make me happy—I’d graduated fourth in my high school class, had a steady boyfriend, had a full tuition scholarship to the college of my choice, but there was an ache, an empty place I could no longer ignore.

Scientist Blaise Paschal described it this way: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

St. Augustine said something similar: "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee."

The most important step for me was realizing where I was. Then I had to figure out where I wanted to go. For me, I’d lived enough of MY life MY way to know that being the “master of my destiny” wasn’t working very well.

So I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ.

I couldn’t imagine how praying a simple prayer could really change anything, but I was desperate enough to try it. 

That was 32 years ago. That simple prayer gave me direction, peace, and purpose. Best of all, it helped me know not only where I was, but where, one day, I wanted to be. These are the two things we all need to know if we don’t want to spend our lives wandering.

And that is the moral of my story.

So where are you? And where do you want to go? Figuring out the answers to these two questions could change your life forever.

If you'd like to know more about the simple prayer that changed my life, CLICK HERE. If you've prayed this simple prayer, I'd love to hear how it changed your life. Leave a comment below and share your story.



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. 

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

Between Behemoth and the Belly of the Whale

Other children splashed happily in the pool. Confidently swimming from one side to the other, her peers had crossed the threshold from fear to faith. 

But not my daughter. 

My daughter was stuck. 

Stuck on the diving board six feet above the water with her jaw set, arms crossed, eyes squinting defiantly against her swim instructor. No matter what, her posture said, I’m not jumping in. 

The board was too high. The water was too scary. And the instructor waiting directly beneath the board with outstretched arms to catch her? Altogether untrustworthy. 

“If she doesn’t jump in,” the instructor had said in one of those off-to-the-side-so-the-kid-doesn’t-hear-you conferences, “she’ll never learn to trust me. You have to back me up.” 

And so, unbeknownst to my child, I vowed to betray her. Pledged not to rescue her when the standoff reached high noon. 

“If you don’t jump,” the instructor told her, “we’ll have to drop you in.” 

How a three-foot-tall four-year-old thought she could stare down a five-foot-something behemoth, I’ll never know, but she gave it her best shot. Perhaps she was sure her mother would come to her defense. Or that a clap of thunder would miraculously clear the pool. Or that her pint-sized defiance would intimidate her Volkswagen-sized adversary. 

Whatever the source of her bravado, she wasn’t budging. Until a second instructor, backup to the first, stepped onto the diving board. 

And she was trapped. 

Wedged between an unknown future and certain death, she eyed her options one more time, her scathing glance now including Judas, the mother who had betrayed her. 

As the second instructor approached, she backed toward the edge. The instructor took each trembling hand in hers, lifted her squirming body as gently as she could off the board, and deposited her safely into the first instructor’s waiting arms with nary a splash. 

“Hooray!” shouted one of the onlookers watching the drama unfold, and other swimmers joined in the applause. 

“See,” her instructor said, “I told you I would catch you. That you didn’t need to be afraid. That you could trust me.” 

“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. 

He said: ‘In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. 

. . . When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the LORD. 

And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (Jon. 1:1-3, 7-10). 


What about you? Are you standing with your toes on the edge of the board peering down into an unknown future? 

 Fear not. 

If you don’t jump, you’ll never move forward. 

And you’ll never learn to trust. 

“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut. 33:27). 


 Jump. 





If you're a homeschooling mom and live within driving distance of Summerville, South Carolina, I'd love to invite you to join me and the Low Country Home Educators for a morning of encouragement.

On Saturday, January 24, I'll be sharing one of my most-requested talks, "8 Mistakes I've Made While Homeschooling." It's a candid look at what NOT to do as you homeschool your children. 
The gracious ladies of LCHEE have opened their meeting to guests, and we'd love to have you join us.
Here are all the details:
When: Saturday, January 24 at 9 a.m.
Where: The Nursing Building, Room 132, at Charleston Southern University
For more information: Contact Melissa Rhoton at  email mom2sjr@yahoo.com





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. 

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

Life's dark hallways -- A Guest Post by Laura Poole

Today I'd like to introduce a friend and fellow blogger, Laura Hodges Poole. Laura has accomplished an impressive feat--she's launched two books in two months! The following devotion, "Life's Dark Hallways," is adapted from her latest devotional book,  While I'm Waiting .





“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” ~ Mark Twain 

 Have you ever been really afraid? I mean heart-pounding, palm-sweating, knee-shaking, throat-choking afraid? 

My parents live in a ranch-style block house in Florida. Like most homes built in the 1950s, it has a long hallway with bedrooms on one end, the living room and kitchen on the opposite end, and a bathroom in the middle. 

At night when I was a child—and especially during stormy weather if the power went out—that hallway loomed dark and sinister. When I came out of the bathroom, I’d peek around the corner to make sure nothing was there to get me. Convinced there was something scary out there, I’d summon the courage to outrun “it.” As I streaked down the long hallway, my little feet barely touched the linoleum. I only felt safe again once I was back in bed with the covers tucked tightly under my chin. 

If we’re honest, we all have dark hallways and monsters we try to outrun. If we can just reach a certain level of financial, physical, or emotional security, we tell ourselves, we won’t be afraid anymore. Meanwhile, we sprint down the hallway before “it” gets us, and we survive until our next encounter. 

Fear is everywhere. It’s consuming and debilitating. We gain nothing positive from it. When we apply our own strength to situations beyond our control, we fail to leave room for the security God offers us. 

Before King David became king, he probably slept with one eye open and looked over his shoulder constantly. After all, King Saul, a madman, had a vested interest in him not becoming king. Ultimately, God’s strength and wisdom provided physical and spiritual protection for Israel’s future king (See 1 Samuel 23). “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3). 

What are you afraid of today? Impending results from a medical test? The risk of stepping into the unknown to walk a path God designed for you? Maybe something less life threatening like boundaries you need to draw in an unhealthy relationship or the need to stand up for yourself? Perhaps you’re afraid of the bitterness and chaos in in your soul. 

Reflection: Fear often traps us. Whatever your dark hallway, I encourage you to reach for God’s comforting hand to guide you. Living in his will and leaning on his strength is the best security you’ll ever experience. 

Laura Hodges Poole is a freelance writer with dozens of articles, devotions, and short stories in publication. She is a 2014 ACFW Genesis semi-finalist and a 2012 RWA Emily finalist in Christian fiction. Laura is also a non-fiction ghostwriter/collaborator. Her passion is encouraging others in their Christian walk through her blog, A Word of Encouragement. You may contact Laura at laurapoole565@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @ Laura_Poole and like her Facebook page. 

Her Christmas novella, A Christmas Chance , is also available on Amazon. 


While I’m Waiting is a compilation of Laura Poole's blog posts. A 31-day devotional, While I’m Waiting will inspire readers to patiently and reverently wait on God to answer prayers according to his perfect timing. Laura shares her own struggles and shortcomings in a way that is encouraging and hopeful, even in the most difficult circumstances. Her devotions show that it is possible to walk through the valley of trials and not despair while praising God and choosing contentment. 

As Jim Elliot once said, “God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.”


 
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

Can We Earn God's Favor?

I know I’m on shaky ground. 

The topic of this post is a theological octopus. It has the potential to make people angry, cry “FOUL,” shoot me scathing emails, and unsubscribe. 

It’s my Sunday school teacher’s fault, really. She led me to this verse, although I noticed she left the ticking time bomb untouched. Me, well, I had to pick it up, sparking fuse, sizzling flame, and all. 

“. . . he (Ezra) arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him” (Ezra 7:9). You may remember the story. 

Ezra the priest, with the permission of King Artaxerxes, was leading a contingent of 5,000 Jews. They were carrying precious metal back to Jerusalem. Ezra’s troupe comprised the second wave of exiles returning to their homeland after the diaspora (dispersion). 

The journey was 900 miles long and dangerous, yet Ezra and the Jews made it safely, successfully transporting over 24 tons of silver and bronze to build the new temple. 

What caught my eye in the story was the phrase, “and the gracious hand of his God was on him.” 

The gracious hand of God granted Ezra safety, protection, favor, and provision on his 900-mile journey. Imagine what the gracious hand of God would look like in our lives. 

We’d be crazy not to want it, but how do we get it? 

Can we earn God’s favor? 

I’m not talking about earning God’s love—Scripture tells us that is unconditional. Ask the toddler in the church nursery lisping through John 3:16; God’s love is undeserved and unmerited. 

 I’m talking about God’s favor. His inclinations to bless us, help us, and answer our prayers. Can we earn the gracious hand of God upon our lives? 

I think so. 

Let’s read the next verse: 

 “. . . the gracious hand of God was upon him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel” (9b-10). 

By studying God’s Word, obeying what it said, and teaching it to others, Ezra positioned himself to experience the gracious hand of God upon his life. 

It’s a no-brainer, really. A loving Father blesses his obedient child. We do it all the time. Which child are we more inclined to favor, the obedient, loving, compassionate one, or the lazy, rebellious, selfish one? This doesn’t discount the mercy of God, nor does it limit his compassion only to those who obey him. It does, however, acknowledge the primary way God responds to his children—in response to their actions. 

But herein lies the potential for confusion. The gracious hand of God is not a spiritual Coke machine. We can’t just feed the God machine and expect it to pay out. God doesn’t invite us to check off the boxes in an attempt to manipulate him into doing what we want. 

God wants us to seek him diligently, obey him sincerely, and share salvation with others because it’s the best for us. And the best for the world. He wants our motivation to be love for him, not lust for stuff. And when we study, pursue, and tell others about him, the natural outcome of these actions is that we will be about his business. And the gracious hand of God will be upon us. It all comes down to relationship. 

Ezra loved God, and God called him to do some pretty amazing things. Then, through his gracious hand, God provided everything Ezra needed to accomplish it. 

I want this. 

How about you? 

What are your thoughts on the subject? I’d love for you to leave a comment below and chime in. 

 

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. 

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

She said, "Yes."

Thirty years and three days after my husband and I said, “I do,” my daughter said, “Yes.” 

Yes to the young man who loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Yes to the ring he placed on her finger to declare to the world his promise. Yes, on New Year’s Day, the day of new beginnings, to take the first steps into 2015 together. 

Yes. It is appropriate, and beautiful, and scary, and wonderful, and this mother’s heart is full. 

Full and leaking out of the corners of my soul. 

I say yes, too. Yes to all that has been good about the last 30 years of my own marriage. And to all I hope and pray for hers. 

Yes, that marriage can make you a better person. It is the first opportunity, really, to love another more than you love yourselves.  

Yes, that marriage can make you better Christians. You’ll lack wisdom and claim James 1:5. You’ll lack humility and surrender to Ephesians 5. You’ll lack love and ask God to pin 1 Corinthians 13 to your hearts.  

Yes, that marriage can make you a better daughter and a better son. The veil will lift, and you’ll begin to understand that what you took for granted in your parents’ marriages didn’t come naturally. Or easily. Or without a price.  

Yes that marriage is the closest we come to understanding the Father’s passion for his bride. How he gently woos her, fiercely defends her, and lays down his life for her. How she serves and honors him, respects and supports him, and keeps herself only for him. 

Yes, that marriage is the hardest, easiest, happiest, saddest, craziest, calmest adventure you’ll ever embark upon. It will strengthen your faith, broaden your reach, and open your hearts. You’ll love deeper, cry harder, and laugh longer. Your home will become a haven for lost souls, a warm fire for the lonely, and a gathering place for the beloved. 

Yes, that it is not good for a man to be alone. That God created a helpmeet for him. That leaving and cleaving will not distance you from your families, but serve to draw us closer, for as you love each other, so will your love splash out onto those who love you. 

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor. 1:20). 

Yes. 

 

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. 

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

5 Things Parenting Taught Me About God Part II

In Part I of 5 Things Parenting Taught Me About God, I shared how my children taught me why God wants me to obey him, how much he loves me, and how much my sin hurts him . Today I share two more things I've learned about God through my children.

4. Parenting taught me how much Jesus’ sacrificial death cost God. 

When I think about how much I love my children and how protective I feel toward them, I stand in awe of God. To think that he would sacrifice his perfect Son on a torturous cross for sinful humanity is too much even to imagine.

“Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man,” the apostle Paul writes, “though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:7-8).

Picture the worst sinners you can imagine—Hitler, Stalin, Ted Bundy. Then picture the face of your innocent child. Now imagine exchanging your child’s life for theirs. That’s how much God loves us.

 5. Parenting taught me why I must trust him even when I don’t understand. 


My husband and I made many decisions that made no sense to our children. We allowed nurses to stick needles in their arms, teachers to force them to study Chemistry, and swim coaches to push them until they threw up. We made them work for their money, memorize Bible verses, and humble themselves to ask forgiveness.

Our actions were often puzzling and sometimes seemed cruel. My actions toward God demonstrate some of the same suspicion my children felt. How can financial difficulty be good? I wonder. How can a closed door be the answer to my prayer? How can this tragedy be part of God’s “good and perfect will” for me? 

Now that our daughters are young adults, they understand why we parented them as we did—because we were looking beyond their immediate comfort to their long term good. I know God is doing the same for me.


“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful,” the unknown writer of Hebrews tells me. “Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

God reveals himself in many ways—through his Word, creation, and other believers. One of the greatest ways he’s helped me understand him better has been through my children.

They’ve helped me learn why God wants me to obey and how much my sin hurts him. Through them he’s taught me how much his son’s death cost him and why I should trust him even when I don’t understand. Most of all, he’s shown me that he loves me beyond comprehension, just like a Father loves his child. And that’s something we can all understand.

What about you? Have the children in your life taught you things you might not have learned otherwise? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.



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. 

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

5 Things Parenting Taught Me About God Part I

1. Parenting taught me why God wants me to obey him.

Our children didn’t understand why we made them eat green vegetables, do their schoolwork, and go to bed at a decent hour. They couldn’t fathom how baths were good and eating dirt was bad. It was a mystery to them why we were so passionate about them avoiding alcohol, only dating believers, and hanging out with kids who loved Jesus.

I loved playing with my children. I loved teaching them. I loved sharing adventures, reading to them, and taking trips. I loved feeding them, clothing them, and giving them special gifts.

I did not enjoy making them obey. I didn’t enjoy holding them accountable to be honest, diligent, and respectful. I didn’t enjoy making them do chores, save their money, and complete their school assignments. I didn’t enjoy being “the bad guy” who punished them for disobeying and “forced” them to go to church.

But I did it anyway, because I knew the scriptural guidelines we were laying down would help protect them from the danger and devastation of sin and help them become happy, healthy, productive, godly adults. I wanted my children to experience everything good and avoid everything bad. 

Many times, like my children, I’ve struggled with obedience. I become willful and rebellious. I march off in pursuit of what I know is best for me. I’m convinced I know best what will make me happy and fulfilled. Obey God? Surely he doesn’t know better than I what makes me happy.

And I’ve lived long enough to suffer the consequences of my disobedience.

“If you love me,” he calls, “keep my commandments. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And all these things (everything you need to be fulfilled) will be added to you.”

My children helped me understand why God wanted me to obey him.

2. Parenting taught me much God loves me.

Because I didn’t enjoy babysitting, I worried that I might not be a good mother. I was unprepared for the emotions that overwhelmed me following my daughter’s birth. Almost instantly, something happened that made me 100 percent mother. Fiercely protective. Sacrificially giving. Unconditionally loving. When I held my baby in my arms for the first time, I knew, should the need arise, I would die for her.

Yet I am frail, and flawed, and selfish. I’m impatient, fickle, and imperfect. I’m plagued by a sin nature, and I make mistakes. Because of my human limitations, I know the love I feel for my children is a mere whisper of the love God has for me. Loving my children gives me a glimpse of God’s heart toward his children.  And toward me.

3. Parenting taught me how much my sin hurts God.


I have two amazingly wonderful daughters, but they are imperfect. Their actions have, at times, hurt my heart. How can they do this after all I’ve done for them, all I’ve sacrificed for them, all I’ve tried to teach them? I’ve wondered sadly. Don’t they know how much they’ve hurt me?

Yet I hurt my perfect, holy, loving, sacrificial Father without batting an eye. Selfishness? That’s just the way I am. Dishonesty? It was only a small lie. Neglect? I had important things to do.

It seldom enters my mind how much my sinful actions hurt God. Break his heart. Drive the cross nails a little deeper. Press the thorn crown a little harder. Because I know he will forgive me, I treat my sin casually and play the mercy card when my conscience pricks.

Feeling the pain of my children’s sin awakens me to the piercing power of my own. Father, forgive me. 

Over the 30 years I've been a believer, God has revealed himself to me in many ways. Parenting has been one of them. Through the relationships I have with my children, I've  learned why God wants me to obey him, how much he loves me, and how much my sin hurts him.


Next time, I'll share two more things I've learned about God through parenting. I hope you'll join me. If you haven't yet subscribed to my blog, now's a great time to do so.

What about you? If you're a parent, how has God revealed himself to you through your children. If you don't have children of your own, how has God used someone else's children to teach you something about himself? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts. 



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. 

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

Why Granny Needed a Man -- How to Start the New Year Right

In honor of the new year and the upcoming 105th anniversary of my grandmother's birth, I thought I'd share this popular post  from 2012.

photo creditMy granny was a quirky little Portuguese lady with a big laugh and a love for coffee. Every January 1 she'd call my dad and ask him to come to her house. "If a man is the first person to walk through my door on New Year's Day," she'd say, "I'll  have good luck all year." 

I often wondered what would have happened if one of her female friends knocked on her door before dad arrived. I suspect she'd have left them sitting on her frozen Rhode Island stoop.

Granny had another superstition concerning New Year's Day. "Whatever you do on New Year's," she'd say with a shake of her prophetic finger, "you'll do the rest of the year." I was really concerned the year the toilet overflowed and the oven caught fire. If her prophecy was true, things did not bode well for the other 364 days of that year.

While I don't send my husband out the front door only to turn around and walk back in to secure luck for another year, I often think about my granny's second pronouncement.

"What you do on New Year's Day, you'll do the rest of the year."

Overflowing toilets notwithstanding, the first day of each year sets the tone for the other 364. I'm not a fan of resolutions, because they leave little room for failure. I favor goals instead. They're much more gracious.

If you're like me and can look back over resolutions you've made and broken, or goals you've set and failed to accomplish, take heart. You're in good company.

I suspect the apostle Paul made and broke a few New Year's resolutions, too. Why else would he have written, "Forgetting those things that are behind, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus"?  (Philippians 3:13).

When Paul "forgot" the past, however, he didn't forget the lessons he learned. He just didn't let those failures define him. He didn't allow the failures of his past to prevent him from starting over.

"Let the past sleep," writes Oswald Chambers, "but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ."

As we begin the new year, I invite you to do three things with me:

1. Trust God with the past, knowing that he will cause all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

2.  Set new goals that will help you to draw closer to God and become more like him in the coming year.

3. Begin today. In the words of my little granny, "What you do on New Year's Day, you'll do all year long." 

I pray your new year is filled with good, God-honoring activities.

I'd love to hear about the goals the Lord leads you to set for the new year. Leave a comment below and join in the conversation. If you're reading by email, click here to comment.
 







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. 

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

Spooning and Sulking -- Reflections on 30 years of marriage

I’m a sucker for a love story.


I remember watching Anne of Greene Gables for the first time at the ripe old age of 30. As I watched Anne and Gilbert’s relationship develop over several hours of videos, I became increasingly frustrated. It was obvious to all but Anne how much Gilbert loved her, despite the rocky start to their friendship (Never call a redhead names; they will hate you forever). One misunderstanding after another always seemed to push them apart instead of together.

“She should have known Gilbert loved her when he gave up his teaching position at the Avonlea School," I fussed. "He knew Anne wanted to stay close to Marilla after Matthew's death." My poor husband, already distressed after watching five hours of chick flicks, didn't know what to do with me. 

Several more plot twists and misunderstandings made it apparent that Anne was on the verge of rejecting Gilbert forever, and I was beside myself. A lover of happy endings, I called my friend Maxine, who had loaned me the videos, and practically shrieked into the phone, “If you can’t tell me that Gilbert and Anne finally get married, I’M NOT WATCHING ANOTHER MINUTE!” 

I felt the same passion when I watched Jo fall in love, unbeknownst to herself, with Professor Bhaer. And Elizabeth Bennett’s on-again-off-again relationship with Mr. Darcy. I suspect this is the heart of every woman who longs for a forever love. 

I think this is why a commercial, of all things, moved me to tears early one morning. I share it with you today:


 If you’re reading by email, you can click HERE to watch the 2-minute John Lewis Monty the Penguin clip.

Today is my husband and my 30th anniversary. 

On December 28, 1984, I promised to love David Glenn Hatcher until death did we part. 

So far, so good.

In thirty years we’ve experienced some of the greatest joys two hearts can hold. We’ve also endured some of the deepest sorrows. We’ve weathered financial trials, health issues, death, depression, and the daily challenges of parenting. We’ve cried ourselves to sleep, and we’ve laughed ourselves awake.

We’ve sulked on opposite sides of the bed, and we’ve spooned in the middle. We’ve shared a tiny mobile home and a three-bedroom house. We’ve boldlytold people about Jesus, and we’ve chickened out. We’ve prayed with thankful hearts and with broken ones. We’ve fought over the stupid and the serious. We’ve called each other pet names and rude ones.

We’ve said, “You always . . .” and “You never . . .” We’ve said “I’ll love you forever.” We’ve eaten steak and soup, roast and Ramen. We’ve driven a land yacht and tiny Toyota. We’ve made minimum wage, but never millions. We’ve beamed with pride and wept with shame.

We’ve always loved each other, but we haven’t always liked each other. We’ve been impatient, selfish, and rude, and we’ve been sweet, sacrificial, and kind.

On December 28, 1984, we promised to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” and all the rest has been added to us. 

Our 30th anniversary is a testimony of God’s grace and love.

“We love . . . because he first loved us and gave himself for us" (1 John 4:19).

 Happy anniversary, Hubby. The best is yet to come.








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. 

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

What I pray you understand this Christmas

The incarnation -- a mystery and a miracle. 

May you fully understand this Christmas day, how the baby in the manger, born to die, bought eternal life for all who believe.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21).


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 FeedBurnerIf 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