Devotionals for the Heart: Mirrors

The Only Mirror That Matters
A devotional by Sarah Cole

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”–1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

As a kid, I loved going to the State Fair.

Unlike my friends, it wasn't cotton candy or carnival rides that thrilled me; I was crazy about the house of mirrors. While my parents ate cheese curds and watched the crowds go by, I stood in amazement as my head and body morphed into something out of a poorly written sci-fi movie. It was wildly entertaining, but it didn't reflect the real me.

When I hit puberty, I spent countless hours in front of the bathroom mirror trying to find the right combination of clothing, hairstyles, and makeup to gain the acceptance I craved. My dad called it "preening". Dozens of outfits later, I hoped my new look would give me favor with the "in'' crowd. Sadly, I was mistaken.

Unlike our Heavenly Father, humans are fickle, aren't they? The right appearance or performance this week doesn’t guarantee the acceptance our souls crave the next.

The good news is that in God's eyes our worth is a settled issue, and we don’t have to do anything to earn it. In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul tells us that in Christ we are chosen, blameless, predestined, redeemed, and forgiven (Ephesians 1:4-8). Isn’t this great news? When we rest in His perfect love, we can enjoy our lives and celebrate our identity as children of the King.

But Satan doesn’t give up without a fight. He holds up a variety of mirrors to lure us away from God's unconditional love, hoping we'll look to the world instead for fleeting acceptance.

The mirror of popular culture shines brightly on every magazine rack. Each glossy page bombards us with beauty we can only dream of having. Pop star icons, entrepreneurs, and politicians whose powerful careers we can't compete with take up our thoughts. This peddles Satan's lie that beauty and performance define our worth. But it leaves out the fact that addiction, promiscuity, and broken lives run rampant among the rich and famous people in this world.

The mirror of social media needs no introduction. Gazing into it too often can lead us to become envious or competitive and can keep us from enjoying real relationships. The enemy whispers the lie that our friends have happier, more successful lives based on a snapshot in time. Yet these posts don't reveal the entire picture—just as someone's appearance doesn't tell us who they really are! God created us each to be unique masterpieces, so there is no need for comparison. When He created each of us, He broke the mold.

Finally, there's the rear-view mirror! I imagine that if we ask anyone on the street if they have a regret or two, the answer would be “yes.” However, in God's eyes, it doesn't matter how much we think we've messed up. We’re all on a level playing field when it comes to making mistakes and as humans, we can’t escape them. Thankfully, God forgives and forgets them all. He is a God of grace, and His mercies are new each morning.

When God’s Son (Jesus Christ) died, He not only paid our sin penalty in full; He also broke the curse of sin and death, and His resurrection makes it possible for us to dwell in His presence forever. We can stop striving for acceptance because we are already perfect in His eyes.

So, in the pursuit of what truly defines us, God's Word (The Holy Bible) is the only mirror that isn't distorted. When we look into God’s mirror, His ageless truths reflect to us our true worth as one of His dearly loved children!

Let’s Pray: Dear Father God, thank You for the acceptance You lavish on us. You have created us each to be a masterpiece, unique in our calling and giftedness. As we follow You, help us to give ourselves grace, and honor you in all that we do. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Sarah Cole’s interest in writing began in grade school when her poem was published in the local paper. As she got older, her mother’s chronic illness inspired her to design a line of greeting cards. Since then, she has written for her college newspaper and two community newspapers where she wrote restaurant reviews and articles for their “Best of” spread. 

Her experience as an administrator in the marketing field gave her the opportunity to write ads for a local business journal.

After a 20-year detour and a three-year season of adversity, God reignited her passion to write. Two divine appointments later, the short story she wrote about her father appeared in the St. Paul Almanac, and a short story about her cocker spaniel Gigi was published in Guideposts (magazine) Mysterious Ways. She believes her adversity was worth the lessons God taught her.

During this year (2022) and the next (2023), Sarah’s devotionals will be published in The Secret Place by Judson Press, as well as David C. Cook’s Devotions and The Quiet Hour. To this day, she smiles, pinches herself and gives God all the glory.

When she’s not writing, Sarah enjoys watching cooking shows, designing cards and mugs, and taking day trips.

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Connect with Sarah:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smittyc65
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@SarahCo45835279
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.cole.52

Devotionals for the Heart: Dinner

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me.”

– Matthew 26:23 (NLT)

Have you noticed the Bible talks a lot about meals? I’m not complaining by any means. This girl loves her food and even more so when I can enjoy that food in the company of good friends or family. Gathering together, especially for meals has always been a great way to connect with others and, much like Biblical times, many significant events happen around a table.

In the Bible we see that sharing a meal together is one of the primary ways relationships are established, deepened, and enjoyed both with God and with others. Old Testament prophets often compared life in the new heavens and earth with the picture of a divine banqueting table. In the New Testament, we regularly find Jesus “reclining” at a table during His earthly ministry, engaging with real people, furthering His kingdom work, fostering true community, demonstrating reconciliation with God, and building genuine fellowship among His disciples.

While we see that eating or gathering together is important, what might be more important is who we gather with. If we are going to establish, deepen and enjoy relationships around the table there must be others at the table. And who those people are matters. In fact, we can often tell a lot about a person by the people they hang around with. Typically, we tend to gather with people who are a lot like us – think like us, believe like us, maybe look like us, etc.

This got me thinking about those Jesus fellowshipped with while He was on earth. Jesus loved to hang out with people that made the Pharisees uncomfortable. It’s part of what got Him killed. Certainly, when you look at his closest crew, they were people that if we simply looked on the surface, might make us scratch our heads.

My study Bible has a chart that lists occupations, qualities and traits of the disciples and it’s somewhat comical to read through. Among the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ was Matthew the despised tax collector, James described as short-tempered and judgmental, Thomas the doubter, and Peter who was impulsive and disowned Christ three times. Yet they were all part of His ride or die crew – the ones He went everywhere with! It makes me feel good to read some of the people Jesus chose to spend time with – it gives me hope that maybe, in spite of my less-than-stellar traits, He would choose to spend time or share a meal with me too.

But, let’s not forget Judas, the betrayer. He too was in Jesus’s inner circle, part of His ride or die team. Judas was there for the miracles and the ministry. He saw the healings and heard Christ’s teaching. And he also had a seat at the table with Jesus many times during His ministry, including at the Last Supper. In fact, if we read the entire account of the Last Supper in the Matthew 26:20-30, we see in verse 25 that Jesus lets Judas know that He knows Judas will betray Him. Yet none of the disciples do or say anything in reaction to this statement. This would lead you to believe that Judas was sitting very close to or right next to Jesus at the table during the Last Supper—close enough for Jesus to say this and no one else to hear.

I also find it fascinating that the disciples were asking “Am I the one, Lord?” This indicates the disciples had no clue who the betrayer was and that they each knew they had the potential to be unfaithful, to be a betrayer, to Jesus as well. In fact, it wasn’t long after that they scattered and even denied knowing Jesus. If we are honest, we all have the capacity to be unfaithful, a bad friend. Recognizing this should prompt us to extend understanding and offer grace when others let us down and, yes, even invite them to our table.

Their questions also tell us that Jesus must not have treated Judas any differently during their time together. Nobody suspected Judas was the betrayer because, despite knowing that Judas would betray him, Jesus loved and treated Judas the same way He did the rest of the disciples. Every meal they shared, every conversation they had, every road they walked together Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet Jesus never treated Judas any differently.

Let’s be honest, how many of us would dine at the table with a person that we knew was going to betray us and hand us over to die? And how many of us would bend down before them and wash their dirty, dusty feet as we discover Jesus did in John’s account of the Last Supper?

Until we learn how to sit at the table with people who are like Judas, we’ll never fully understand the love of Jesus. If we want to love like Jesus and not simply be loved by Him, we must figure out how to reconcile our differences and personal agendas and accept everyone at our table – the person who votes differently than we do, the person who looks differently than we do, the person who loves differently than we do. We must learn how to sit at the table with our “Judas” and love them like Jesus did.

Let’s Pray: Loving Savior, thank You for Your unconditional love and abounding grace that You offer freely for everyone. Help me to search myself and locate those places where I am holding back love or withholding grace so I can open up the floodgates allowing both to flow without restraint. I want to open my heart to others without reservation, without hesitation and without inhibition so I am a vessel for Your overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love. In Jesus’s mighty name I pray. Amen. 

*Note from Alexis: Cyndi's devotional message reminds me of this "Nobody" song by Casting Crowns, featuring Matthew West. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Cyndi Staudt is a Jesus-loving, adrenaline junkie who is devoted to living her life for Jesus Christ until the day she is living with Him. 

With a passion for cultivating a craving for God’s Word, her devotions and Bible studies are saturated with faith and hope to stir your soul to connect with God in deeper, more intimate ways.

Through her writing she hopes to ignite your desire to read God’s Word, invite your heart to experience God’s love, and inspire you to live your live life “souled out” to the One whose love has no limits.

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Connect with Cyndi:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/souledoutcyndi/

Devotionals for the Heart: Seasons

Changing Seasons
A devotional by Gail Kittleson

This month is a favorite of many in the Midwest because it marks the gradual transformation from the Summer season to Autumn. As the temperature drops, the barest tinge of gold touches the leaves’ edges. A few days later, we see some leaves already fallen to the earth. But there’s much more color to come—oranges and reds and golds...oh my!

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, they say, and we can find glories in every season, but it’s hard to top walking through crunchy leaves in a fall landscape, with even more overhead, still clinging to their warm-weather home.

Autumn makes some people sad because it beckons us to winter’s inevitable cold. In my youth, I felt this way, but the decades have brought me to pronounce fall my favorite season.

Once it’s cool enough to delete all annoying, biting, stinging insects, we can relax and enjoy golden days still warm enough to spend lots of time outdoors.

We often hear midlife compared with autumn. In those years after our children have left home and we turn to other pursuits, we no longer carry the “baggage” of our youth and leave much of the trivial behind us. We know winter’s bound to arrive, we have a better idea of who we are and what to expect of life. Now, we can let go of our efforts to control, and give ourselves to the tasks we still believe worthwhile.

All this is because we’ve come to deeply believe the message of Romans 8:3-4 (MSG) which says, "God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that. The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us."

Instead of redoubling our efforts, we simply embrace what the Holy Spirit is doing in us. This bears repeating because it’s so easily verbalized, but so very, very difficult to do. Some call it “let go and let God.”

But for many of us, it takes a lifetime to accomplish. Such a challenge, setting aside our work ethic, our desire to be in charge, and our intention to change everyone around us.

Ah, but Autumn often brings relief, and so do the middle years, when we finally accept our human limitations, but also the unlimited potential of placing God truly in the center of our lives.

Yes, our leaves may fade and fray, and one day fall to the earth, but in the meantime, there’s a glorious display of brilliant hues.

One day, we turn fifty. Then all of a sudden, sixty. And onward...

But it’s okay. Winter has its own beauty to offer, and through it all, our God has promised to remain with us.

~*~
Author Bio:

When Gail Kittleson's not steeped in World War II research, drafting scenes, or deep in an edit of her 1940’s novels, she does a limited amount of editing for other authors.

She also facilitates writing and creativity workshops, both in Iowa and Arizona, where she and her husband like to spend part of the winter in the amazing Ponderosa pine forest under the Mogollon Rim.

Favorites: spending time with grandchildren, walking, reading, meeting new people, and hearing from readers who fall in love with her characters.

Love is in the Air: The Appeal of Happily-Ever-After

Women who love reading books about love, believe in the beautiful fairy tale of boy-meets-girl stories that end with "and they lived happily ever after." But how attainable is such a happy ending in real-life?

Today, I invited inspirational romance author Amanda Cabot to my blog in order to talk about happy endings in real-life and on the page. 

Enjoy! :)

~*~

The Appeal of Happily-Ever-After
A guest post written by Amanda Cabot

“And they all lived happily ever after.” For as long as I can remember, the stories that caught my fancy were the ones that ended with those words. They didn’t have to begin with those other famous words, “Once upon a time, many long years ago,” because I was just as happy reading books about happily-ever-after in modern times, but one thing was definite: I wanted a happy ending. I loved the books and the movies where the hero and heroine walked off into the sunset, hand in hand, leaving no doubt they would have their happily-ever-after. Why? Maybe it’s because I’m a hopeless romantic. But then so are many others. That’s why romance is the best selling form of genre fiction.

Love is definitely in the air … and on the page. Though romance novels are often considered the Rodney Dangerfields of the literary world, not getting much respect and being dismissed as little more than cotton candy, they have literally millions of loyal readers and represent sales of more than a billion – yes, that’s a “b” – dollars each year.

Were you surprised by that? That would be a lot of cotton candy, wouldn’t it? But romance novels aren’t cotton candy. They’re books that celebrate a fundamental aspect of human life: the need to be loved. Embedded inside each person is the desire to find that one special person who knows us better than anyone else, who puts stars in our eyes, who makes us feel complete. And when we do find that person, the world seems a better place.

My friend and fellow romance author, April Kihlstrom, says, “The message of romance novels is that one can be true to oneself, really true to oneself, and find love and acceptance. It’s about men and women coming together in ways that empower both and diminish neither. It’s about love and fidelity and commitment – too rare in our society these days – and it’s about empowering women to imagine all the possibilities open to them to live fulfilling lives.” Wow! That’s a mouthful, isn’t it? And it’s true.

There are other reasons why romance novels are so popular and why they outsell other forms of genre fiction. The first is that readers know what to expect when they pick up a romance. The contract we authors make with our readers is twofold: first, we promise that our protagonists are admirable characters. They may be flawed, but they’re intrinsically good people. You won’t find a serial killer or a psychopath as the hero of a romance novel. The second promise we make is that there will be a happy or at least a satisfying ending. In a world of ambiguities, we provide certainties, and that’s satisfying to readers.

But just because we have basically honorable people who will eventually find their happy ending doesn’t mean that the books are fluff. No, indeed. Some romance novels deal with heavy subjects, everything from domestic violence, death and serious illness to PTSD and drug abuse. That doesn’t sound like cotton candy, does it? It sounds like real life. But it’s real life within what some refer to as a “safe” framework.

What do I mean by safe? It’s that contract we authors make with readers, that there will be a happy ending. Including serious and sometimes heart-breaking subjects in a romance novel gives readers the opportunity to confront their fears and to overcome them by indentifying with fictional characters who face the same problems but manage to surmount them. Knowing there will be a happy ending allows readers to experience the pain and sorrow that the fictional characters endure, because no matter how dire the circumstances, readers know that at the end they will find healing along with the characters. For some readers, this is therapy without the high price tag. For others, it’s an affirmation that while their lives may not be perfect, they’re better than the fictional heroine’s. In either case, these serious romances deliver the message that love heals, and oh, what a powerful message that is.

Whether they celebrate the sometimes humorous bumps on the road to true love or the way love can heal even the deepest hurts, romance novels share several characteristics. They are powerful; they are empowering; they celebrate a fundamental human need. That’s why I love reading and writing them. So, let’s celebrate, because love is in the air.

~*~
Author bio: 

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of more than thirty novels including the Texas Dreams trilogy, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. 

A former director of Information Technology, she has written everything from technical books and articles for IT professionals to mysteries for teenagers and romances for all ages. 

Amanda is delighted to now be a full-time writer of Christian romances, living happily ever after with her husband in Wyoming.

~*~

Blurb for Amanda's book, In Firefly Valley:

She’s lost her dream job—but has she found the man of her dreams?

Devastated by a downsizing, Marisa St. George has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up. Though it means a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow’s End resort. The only silver lining: Blake Kendall, a new guest who might make her believe in love at first sight. But will Marisa’s dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers Blake’s real identity?

This warm and witty story of dreams deferred and mistaken identity will have you believing in second chances.

~*~
Buy Amanda's book, In Firefly Valley:

Amazon.com - http://amzn.to/1Fi3AtM

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/1IK0mBu

Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1JRlCUs

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Connect with Amanda:

Blog - http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

Website - www.amandacabot.com

True Love Stories: The Blonde and the Boy Scout

Such a sweet story is featured today about a woman who realized the man for her was better than a billionaire or Prince Charming. She met an ordinary man who accepted her for who she was and whose love for her was not only true but extraordinary!

I hope Linda's true love story inspires you as much as it has me.

Here it is...

~*~
The Blonde and the Boy Scout
Linda Wood Rondeau’s true love story

“He seems real nice,” I told my mother. “We’ve only been going out a few weeks, but I really like him.”

In the seven years since my divorce, I discovered that the Marines had taken whatever few good men were left. Demoralized, I moved to the redneck community of farmers and shoe factory workers to be near my parents.

“I’m glad to be close to you and Dad,” I told my mother, “but I doubt I’ll find a husband in these here hills.”

“Don’t be so quick to give up. You’ll find someone.”

When I’m so old, it won’t matter?

The ad leapt out at me—“Casting call for Annual Irish Play.”

I landed a one-line part. Hey, even Meryl Streep had to start somewhere. Since I learned my line within five minutes, I signed up to do publicity. My first interview was with a lanky major character who always wore his auto parts uniform. Imitating a psychiatric patient, he stretched out on the carpet. “So what do you want to know? I’m single, and I haven’t had a date in a year and a half.”

“I only need a few personal bits, like where you live.”

Our first date was the cast party. I wasn’t used to dating nice guys—only pretend nice guys who used children and pets to steal a girl’s heart. I didn’t trust nice guys. I married a nice guy, and he deserted me. Nice guys were myths—like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“It won’t last,” I said aloud while alone watching the wind blow against the curtain.

Nevertheless, I agreed to a second date. There was a third and a fourth. Who could say no to a boy-scout leader, a member of the prestigious Order of the Arrow?

“Have a nice night, Dear,” Mother said as we concluded our conversation.

It seemed silly to be exited over attending a Scouting banquet. Steve was to be the recipient of a prestigious award, and he’d asked me to be his date. He even asked me to sew a new patch on his scout uniform and never complained that I had stitched the pocket shut in the process, the first clue that I was indeed a natural blonde.

I’d hired a sitter who would arrive at six and feed the children their dinner so I could at least comb my hair in peace. At six forty-five, the sitter had not yet arrived. I called the teenager’s home. “Oh, I forgot to call you. I’m grounded for a week. My mother says I can’t baby-sit tonight.”

As I hung up the phone, feeling like I’d found the lucky lottery ticket after the prize had been claimed, Steve arrived in his highly decorated uniform, looking like a Norman Rockwell painting of the Last American Boy Scout. What would I tell him?

I took out a box of spaghetti noodles and placed a filled pot of water on the stove while I gave him the bad news. “You go on ahead. I’ll feed the kids and then try to find another babysitter.” It was the best out I could provide—convinced the romance was doomed. I had ruined a very important moment for him.

While three pre-school children clung to his neatly pressed khaki’s, he gave me the only order he has ever spouted in our nearly three four together. “You get on the phone and find a sitter. I’ll make the spaghetti.”

Any other man would have run like Peter Rabbit out of Mr. McGregor’s garden. Instead, he chose to stay through the worst of the crying, spilling, and saucy mess.

I fell in love that night. Not with a handsome prince or billionaire. It was not my fantasy—it was better. I had found a man who loved me as I was—a blonde who wanted only one thing out of life: acceptance for who she was. 

No pretensions—simply a blonde and a Boy Scout. 

~*~
Author bio: 

Winner of the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel The Other Side of Darkness, LINDA WOOD RONDEAU, writes blended contemporary fiction that speaks to the heart and offers hope to those with damaged lives. After a long career in human services, Linda now resides in Jacksonville, Florida. A Christmas Prayer, (aka A Father’s Prayer) was a finalist for both the 2014 Selah and Carol Awards.

Other books include: It Really IS a Wonderful Life, Joy Comes to Dinsmore Street, Days of Vines and Roses and her non-fiction book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children, also part of a compilation (Uplifting Devotionals).A sequel Joy Comes to Dinsmore Street, (Snow on Eagle Mountain) is expected to be released soon. Watch for Fiddler’s Fling and Red Sky Promise, inspirational romances expected to be released later in 2015.

Rondeau’s, Jolly Angel, is also part of a compilation, Blue Heaven Romances.

Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com, her blog, This Daily Grind, or email her at lindarondeau@gmail.com or find her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.

~*~
Blurb for Linda’s book, A Father’s Prayer:

Award-winning author Linda Rondeau returns with a tender romance about a country singer, a father's plea for forgiveness, and a woman's heartbreak. 

A year after learning of a son’s existence, Country music legend, Ethan Jacobs returns to Jasper Falls, a place of bitter memories, to help the his twelve-year-old autistic child, given up for adoption at birth. Orphaned after the death of his adoptive parents, the boy is at risk of institutionalization due to probation violations and alleged inadequate guardianship of his current caregiver, an older, adoptive sister. In view of his son’s delicate emotional state, the court advises Ethan to keep his relationship to Gib secret for now.