Fix Those Holes in My Heart, Jesus!

I'm forever asking God to fix all the holes in my heart, help me be more like Jesus. I figure after knowing Him for over fifty years, I should be more "together" than I am. 

Recently He spoke to me  as I poured my empty soul out to Him in my prayer journal. His voice deep in my heart was a sweet but solid: “You are trying too hard. You cannot force grace; it flows from My heart. It isn’t wrenched out by effort on your part. You can’t fill yourself or grow 
yourself up.”

Oh. I knew that. Then how did I forget ? I had allowed that pesky demon, fear, into my life. Fear that I wasn’t good enough. That I didn't "do Christianity the" right way. Fear that God was disappointed in me … Have you been there?

I purposed in my heart to allow God’s grace to flow into my tank, filling me up with Him instead of trying to run this race myself. After all, it's not about me. It's about this gift of communication He's given me, burning a hole in my heart, compelling me to tell everyone I can how exquisite is this God that I love and serve.

What about you? How do fears paralyze you, hindering you from being and doing all God has called you to? I will stand with you in prayer in this fight against the enemy of our souls and destroyer of our dreams. We are a threat to Satan because we carry the source of life--Jesus--to a dark world.

My word to you today is: You can do this. You can be whatever the Lord has put in your heart. God is on your side. He believes in you and so do I. Just let Him love you into wholeness. 

12 Reasons Why I Find the Scariest Book Encouraging

Some people find Revelation the scariest book in the Bible. I am encouraged by it. Why? For these dozen reasons:

1.       “Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power forever and ever” (1:4-7).

2.       “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come. You are our Lord and our God, you are worthy of glory and honor and power, because you made all the universe and it was only by your will that everything was made and exists” (4:8, 11).

3.       “There is no need to cry; the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it. You are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals of it, because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought men for God of every race, language, people and nation and made them a line of kings and priests, to serve our God and to rule the world” (5:5,9).

4.       “The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing. To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honor, glory and power, forever and ever” (5:12, 14).

5.       “Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen” (7:10,12).

6.       “We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He-Is-and-He-Was, for using your great power and beginning your reign” (11:17).

7.       “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down” (12:10).

8.       “How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are all your ways, Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord? You alone are holy, and all the pagans will come and adore you for the many acts of justice you have shown” (15:3-4).

9.       “Then a voice came from the throne; it said, ‘Praise our God, you servants of his and all who, great or small, revere him.’ And I seemed to hear the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun; let us be glad and joyful and give praise to God” (19:5-7).

10.   “And now I saw heaven open, and a white horse appear; its rider was called Faithful and True; he is a judge with integrity, a warrior for justice. His eyes were flames of fire, and his head was crowned with many coronets; the name written on them was known only to himself, his cloak was soaked in blood. He is known by the name, The Word of God” (19:12-14).

11.   “You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes;there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone. Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new,’ he said” (21:3-5).

12.   “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining o them. They will reign forever and ever” (22:3-5).

(All Scriptures from The Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday Publishing, 1966, 1967, 1968)

What do you think? Do these passages encourage you, too? Which is your favorite? 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

12 Reasons Why I Find the Scariest Book in the Bible Encouraging

Some people find Revelation the scariest book in the Bible. I am encouraged by it. Why? For these dozen reasons:

1.       “Grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits in his presence before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the First-born from the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. He loves us and has washed away our sins with his blood, and made us a line of kings, priests to serve his God and Father; to him, then, be glory and power forever and ever” (1:4-7).

2.       “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God, the Almighty; he was, he is and he is to come. You are our Lord and our God, you are worthy of glory and honor and power, because you made all the universe and it was only by your will that everything was made and exists” (4:8, 11).

3.       “There is no need to cry; the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed, and he will open the scroll and the seven seals of it. You are worthy to take the scroll and break the seals of it, because you were sacrificed, and with your blood you bought men for God of every race, language, people and nation and made them a line of kings and priests, to serve our God and to rule the world” (5:5,9).

4.       “The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing. To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honor, glory and power, forever and ever” (5:12, 14).

5.       “Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen” (7:10,12).

6.       “We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He-Is-and-He-Was, for using your great power and beginning your reign” (11:17).

7.       “Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down” (12:10).

8.       “How great and wonderful are all your works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are all your ways, Who would not revere and praise your name, O Lord? You alone are holy, and all the pagans will come and adore you for the many acts of justice you have shown” (15:3-4).

9.       “Then a voice came from the throne; it said, ‘Praise our God, you servants of his and all who, great or small, revere him.’ And I seemed to hear the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun; let us be glad and joyful and give praise to God” (19:5-7).

10.   “And now I saw heaven open, and a white horse appear; its rider was called Faithful and True; he is a judge with integrity, a warrior for justice. His eyes were flames of fire, and his head was crowned with many coronets; the name written on them was known only to himself, his cloak was soaked in blood. He is known by the name, The Word of God” (19:12-14).

11.   “You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them; they shall be his people, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone. Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new,’ he said” (21:3-5).

12.   “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in its place in the city; his servants will worship him, they will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining o them. They will reign forever and ever” (22:3-5).

(All Scriptures from The Jerusalem Bible, Doubleday Publishing, 1966, 1967, 1968)

What do you think? Do these passages encourage you, too? Which is your favorite? 

5 Habits of Happy People

Would you like to be happier this time next year than you are today? Me too. Here are five habits that will make you happy, or twisted around, five things happy people don't do...

1. Happy people don't live in the past or the future. They receive God's forgiveness and look forward with hope, but they never dwell on past mistakes, or ruin their todays by thinking, "When I get my raise..."

2. Happy people don't read into what others say and do, taking it personally. They realize that the universe doesn't revolve around them. If Boo-boo didn't say 'hi' this morning in church, it may be because he or she is worried or distracted.

3. Happy people don't have super-sized expectations of others, which usually lead to disappointment. They expect God to move on their behalf, but they let others make mistakes, and treat them with grace.

4. Happy people don't hold grudges. They realize that bitterness destroys the one who holds onto it, and do whatever it takes--praying for, blessing, giving gifts in secret--to forgive those who've wronged them, so they can move on with their lives.

5. Happy people never give up on themselves. They continue to sing in the rain and whistle in the dark, holding out their hands to God, trusting in His love to turn even horrible circumstances into trophies of his mercy.

Are you happy today? 

Which of the above Habits can you apply to your life to make yourself happier? 

Attraction: More Than Body Part

Romance Vs. Character in Liturature and Real Life

Is attraction only about body parts?

When I recently wrote a romance story for a women's magazine, I knew I needed to show attraction between the man and woman. But I had an issue with that idea. I beleive that attraction involves far more than body part.

Our society focuses far too much on image instead of character. The huge city my husband and I lived in most of our adult lives had a gym on every corner and healthy foods in the restaurants, but for the wrong reasons. Everyone wanted to have a skinny, buff body so they could look like a movie star. Not to live longer so their spouses wouldn't be left alone, or so they could contribute their gifts to the world around them. But to look good. To create an image instead of building a character.

That's just wrong. We are more than bodies with parts to look at. We are sprits and souls, minds and hearts, dreams and plans and fears and hopes. So I decided to fight against the focus on image when I wrote my romance story.

My loyal, kind husband reading to our grand kids--this attracts me!

I mentioned lovely blue eyes flecked with amber, and a smile that turned knees to jello. But I also focused on character qualities like loyalty to family, wisdom, and a sense of humor. 

Character should count more than image. In real life, it does. I'd rather have a fat, kind friend than a pretty, gossipy one. Or a faithful, plain-looking spouse than a buff philanderer. Even a C student child with an obedient spirit trumps a smart, sassy pants.

Because God looks on the heart, not the outward appear ace. And His love is the greatest romance of all time.

Have you noticed  a shift away from character to image in our society? How about in the books you read? What character quality most attracts you to a person?

Face Down Your Top 10 Fears

Top Ten Fears: How Do You Face Them Down?

Here is a list of the Top Ten Fears:
10. Water and storms
9. Public Transportation
8. Flying
7. Crowds
6. Tunnels and bridges
5. Spiders
4. Heights
3. Confined Spaces
2. Snakes
1. Public Speaking.

How do you face your fears down? Pretend they don't exist, and act as if you are brave? Take tranquilizers? Or, avoid doing things that scare the bejeebers out of you?

When I was a young mother I became afraid of something not on the above list: mental illness. My daddy had spent some time in a mental hospital, and we'd seen a popular movie that depicted a horrible scene from a psyche ward. I was terrified I'd end up like that.

Even though I was a Christian, I didn't know what to do to face my fears down and break their power over me. I lived in torment for two years. I was a nervous wreck. Then one day I called a prayer counselor at the 700 Club, explaining my fear to him.

He said, "I am going to give you a list of bible verses that talk about overcoming fear. I want you to sit down and list them, then when we hang up, look up each one and read them aloud to the devil--the author of fear--and tell him to get lost. You are a child of God, and Satan has no right to torment you with his lies." Then he prayed for me before we hung up, after he'd given me the list of Scriptures, which ranged from Genesis to Revelation.

I followed his instructions, reading those verse to the devil and commanding in Jesus' name that he skedaddle. And... it worked! The fear left, and I was free!

This is the best way I know to face down fear and conquer it. The Word of God is powerful and sharp, to slice through the devil's lies. Because that's what fears are: lies that God won't protect you and care for you. Satan is the father of lies, so we know that fear comes from him.

Please join me today in using the Bible, the Word of God, to face down your fears and make the devil sorry he ever messed with you! Here are a few to start with:

I John 4: 4
Isaiah 54:17
Psalm 103: 17
I Peter 5:7
Psalm 23

Do you have a favorite Bible verse for facing down fear? Please share!