My Review for "The Story of Everything" documentary film

When Momentum Influencers Network (MIN) asked me to review “The Story of Everything” feature-length documentary film by Sypher Studios, I agreed because it sounded like a wonderful opportunity to explore how scientific findings can prove the existence of a divine Creator. We are not here by accident. Life has purpose. And we are not alone because the Creator (God) of all that exists is always with us. I also thought this film would be a good resource for people who doubt God exists and believe there’s no life after death.

But before I share my review with you, I’d like to share a few words from Momentum Influencers Network about this film:

After a successful nationwide theatrical run that sparked conversation across faith, science, and culture, “The Story of Everything” is now available to purchase on Amazon Prime Video!

Inspired by Stephen C. Meyer’s bestselling book Return of the God Hypothesis, the cinematic documentary invites audiences to explore one of humanity’s oldest—and most consequential—questions: Does the evidence point to a universe shaped solely by blind chance, or is there evidence of purpose and design?

Synopsis: “The Story of Everything” is a cinematic exploration of the cosmos that reveals the hidden hand behind our universe. From the precise laws that govern the stars to the intricate patterns found in every living cell, the film traces evidence of intentional design throughout nature. Whether examining distant star-forming clouds or the spiral structure of DNA, we discover a consistent signature woven into the fabric of existence.

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My Review for “The Story of Everything”

“The story of everything has purpose, that behind everything there is an author. The alternative is that none of that is true. We are the result of blind and impersonal processes that did not have us in mind.”

This quote (above) was mentioned toward the end of this feature-length film. But it holds the meaning of the film’s title. After hearing it, I knew that’s why this production was called “The Story of Everything”. It really shows how the core message of this film was to present two main schools of thought: Belief in a Creator of all things vs. Belief that we were created by nothing and our life has no real meaning. I think these are important points to explore as part of the human experience on Earth. As a believer, I’ll always point you to Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of humankind and the His divine light breaks through the darkness in our world. Like a popular Christian bumper sticker says: “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace!” I have found this saying to be true in my everyday life.

But Jesus Christ is a true gentleman. He’s not going to force you to believe in Him. He always gives humankind the freedom to choose who we will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15).

If you are on a search for truth but don’t want to start with a Bible yet, start with this film then pick up The Holy Bible (you can buy a physical copy or read it via Bible Gateway online for free) and ask God’s Holy Spirit to help you understand the words you are reading. It is key to ask Him to teach you as you read because the Bible is understood through a spiritual lens, not a lens of doubt or a carnal mind.

Speaking of truth, this other quote was also mentioned in the film, “Sometimes the path toward the truth leads through beauty. And that is an important window. We need to be willing to open that.” Those words resonated with me because I never thought about my search for truth like that before. This film is filled with profound messages that will make you think and challenge you to decide what you believe.

On a lighter note: The set designs for most of this movie looks like it is from the 1970s. Many of the people who were interviewed or spoke on camera also were dressed in a way that looked like eras of the past. However the set design and clothing style did not take away from the points made in this movie.

If you have a scientific mindset or are curious to know how everything we see in space and experience on earth was created, then this movie is for you. Every detail is designed to make you think and ponder Biblical truth supported by science when it comes to the questions, “Is there a Creator of everything? Is God real?”

This movie might help you answer those questions.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Sypher Studios for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

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More information:

"The Story of Everything" is available for purchase on Prime Video via this link.

Church and Homeschool Resources:
https://www.thestoryofeverything.film/resources

#TheStoryOfEverythingMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Devotionals for the Heart: The Power of Prayer and Believing God

The Power of Prayer
A devotional by Colette Lawrence

“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”—James 5:17-18 (NLT)

Is prayer your last resort or your first line of defense?

Life can come at us fast—sometimes striking us at a lightning-fast speed! In those challenging moments, praying seems useless. You may have asked yourself, “How can praying change what’s happening to me right now?”

If that’s you right now, I get it because I have said that before as well. However, as I grew deeper in my faith and relationship with the Lord, my thoughts changed.

Oftentimes we are expecting God to either stop the storm or don’t allow it to happen. When what’s happening does not “seem” to cooperate with our prayer, then the enemy plants a seed in our mind. It shows up as thoughts that sound something like this: See? Prayer doesn’t work! It has no power. If it did, then why did that happen? Have you ever heard those lies whispered by the enemy?

In those moments, the challenge we face may appear as if nothing is changing. But have you ever considered that it could have been worse? What if you didn’t pray? What else might have taken place that could have destroyed you? But by the grace of God, He heard your prayers and kept you alive.

As we reflect on the life of Elijah and his life of prayer and faith, it sets the tone for how we should react to what is happening in our minds and in the world around us. Elijah prayed according to the will of God for no rain to fall and it didn’t (1 Kings 17:1). It’s in that same way God wants us to exercise our faith in Him.

What if He doesn’t answer the way we want Him to and in the time we want Him to? Does that mean prayer is powerless? What I have learned is that prayer is not just God answering me; it’s building our relationship with Him. This makes a difference in our lives.

The power that prayer has is to not only pull down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4), but to help us understand that when the answer isn’t as we expected, God is still Sovereign and prayer is still a necessary and a vital piece of the Armor of God that He encourages us to wear every day and night (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Scriptures are replete with the prayers of faith that moved mountains (Matthew 17:20), caused the Red Sea to part (Exodus 14:21-23). This is evidence that prayer has power and moves God to act (Matthew 21:22). The question then becomes, “Do we believe what we are praying for?” Do we believe in the importance and effective use of prayer? The Word of God (The Holy Bible) declares in James 5:16 (KJV), “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” If we don’t expect to receive what we asked for, then there’s a good chance we are treating prayer a last resort and not the first line of defense.

This season of my life seems very long. There are things that I have been praying and believing God for—most likely you are as well. While the specific things I have been talking to the Lord about have not materialized yet, I have noticed that other things that I have prayed for decades and years ago are being answered. Prayer isn’t less effective because the answer isn’t what we expected; it’s more effective because it changes our hearts and builds our faith.

Think back to a time when you prayed and you didn’t receive what you asked for from God. Over time, what did you notice about your heart? Did the Lord open the eyes of your heart and shown you something, that all you could do was nod your head and said “Father, thank You?” I have. In that moment, did you think your prayer was meaningless because it didn’t materialize as you thought or did you think, “My God, what if what I requested had come to pass? Thank You for not answering that prayer how I wanted it to be answered!”

Today I want to encourage you to keep praying! Prayer will change things and it will also change you. Know that as the storms come—literally and figuratively— God hears our prayers and He will come through in the way that is best for us.

Don’t believe the lies of the enemy telling you that prayer has no power! The devil will stop at nothing to ensure we don’t grasp the fact that prayer always works!

God is not deaf. He will answer our prayers in His perfect time and according to His will. Remember: God’s response is either a “Yes”, “No” or “Wait”. Whatever the response you feel He is giving you, trust His timing and His best for you.

Know that before the foundations of this Earth were made and humans were created by God, He knew what you would face today. He knew the exact need and made plans for it to be met. He is not withholding from you. Instead, in your season of waiting, God is developing within you the importance of prayer and waiting.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, thank You for teaching us the importance of prayer! You showed us that even before we pray, You hear us and you answer us. Help us to look to You to access this power of prayer that You have given us to pull down, root up, to bind, to loose and to plant. It’s You who gives us this authority. Help us to stand in it and use our voice to make changes happen. We love You and thank You, God. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “When God’s People Pray” by Wayne Watson. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colette Lawrence is an empowered woman who inspires women to be who they were created to be. Her core message is empowerment. She is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and trainer with the Maxwell Leadership team. 

Colette believes that an empowered woman empowers others and is powerful in knowing who she is and what she can accomplish. Colette is on a mission to impact the lives of the women assigned to her, whether she is their coach or trainer or shares a word that will transform their lives.

Colette utilizes her Christian principles as the base of all her engagements. She is passionate about fulfilling her life purpose of empowering women to know who they are, rebuild their confidence, and use their voices as tools to uplift themselves and others.

​​She is the founder of the M.E.E. Movement L.L.C., a faith-based empowerment ministry business that helps women of faith rebuild their confidence and use their voice to walk in their purpose through life coaching, mentoring, and empowerment speaking. Colette believes in using the gifts God has given her to help women be who God has called them to be and ultimately fulfill the purpose for which they were created. She lives by Romans 8:28 (NIV), that promises, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

A native of Jamaica, Colette resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is the mother of two beautiful young women, a son-in-love, and two grandsons. Colette enjoys reading, writing, watching good movies, and chatting with her daughters and friends.

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Connect with Colette:
Blog: https://www.colettemarie.online/blog
Website: https://www.colettemarie.online/
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Trusting the God who has all the answers we need

Unsolved Mysteries and the God who Knows Everything
A devotional by Suzanne Felton

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?”

—Job 11:7 (NIV)

I love a good mystery.

Whenever I find time to read for pleasure, I reach for a whodunnit. I scour the pages for clues as I read, trying to solve the puzzle before the fictional sleuth does. There’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from unravelling all the knots and tying up all the loose ends of the plot before reaching the end of the book.

Wouldn’t it be nice if real life were like a mystery novel? In a way, we are all amateur sleuths navigating life as best we can, using the facts and clues at hand to try to figure it all out. Sometimes we do have “aha moments” when the lightbulb goes on and the problem suddenly makes sense. But often, things happen that are simply beyond our comprehension. As one of my favorite mystery authors, Dorothy L. Sayers, once said, “Life is no candidate for the Detection Club.” Sayers, who was also a Christian apologist, explained that the “notion that all human situations are ‘problems’ like detective problems, capable of a single, necessary, and categorical solution . . . cannot be [true].”

Mystery stories appeal to our human desire for understanding. We want to know the “who, what, where, when and why” of the world around us. Any time we can make sense of something, life seems a little less overwhelming, and we feel a little more in control. Sometimes we can’t find the answers, though. Sometimes life just doesn’t make sense.

Perhaps the thoughts that ruminate in your mind are something like: I worked hard and excelled in my occupation, but I was still passed over for the promotion. I ate a healthy diet and did exercise regularly, but I still received an unwelcome diagnosis from my doctor. There is tragedy, injustice, grief, oppression, war, suffering, and hopelessness in the world. If God is good, why do these things happen?

The reality is that our human minds are not equipped to understand all of life’s mysteries, and that’s not really a bad thing. Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’” God Himself tells us that His thoughts and His ways are too big for us to grasp. Shouldn’t this be a comforting thought?

When life doesn’t make sense to us, there is Someone who does understand it, who sees the big picture and knows how it all fits together. This Someone is never baffled or confused or overwhelmed by anything. That someone is Almighty God, and He is not only omniscient, but He is always good. That means that His thoughts and His ways are always good, too, even when we can't comprehend them.

It’s not always easy to be comforted by this knowledge, though. We are human, after all, and we were created with curiosity and a thirst for understanding. I think this is where faith fits in. If we were like God and understood everything, we would have no need for Him. If we had no curiosity or longing for knowledge, we would never seek Him. Faith grows when we are able to admit that our understanding is limited and trust that His is not.

My pastor, Dr. Kris Clifford, preached a sermon this week that resonated with this devotional I was already writing. He said, “Truth often comes wrapped in mystery. When we embrace mystery, we don’t grow in knowledge—we grow in faith. Paradox isn’t a problem to solve—it’s an invitation to trust.”

Some mysteries weren’t meant for us to solve. As hard as it is for us to accept, we won’t always be able to know answers to all the “who, where, what, how and why” questions of life. We do know, though, that God is God, and God is good. Those are the only facts we really need.

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, sometimes we don’t understand why things happen, and that’s hard for us to accept. We know that Your ways are higher than our ways, though, and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that You are good. Please help us to trust You more each day. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Glorious Unfolding” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it. 

She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.

Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.

Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.

She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.

Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.

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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How to approach God for the help we need

We Can Approach God with Confidence
A devotional by Suzanne Felton

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)

When I was a student in college, I don’t think I ever took advantage of the office hours my professors offered. 

Maybe it wasn’t as common then as it seems to be now for professors to schedule blocks of time to offer their students extra help with course material, advice concerning their majors and future careers, or further discussion about a topic introduced in class.

I know at least some of my teachers offered this courtesy, but I was too intimidated to approach those learned and prestigious men and women face-to-face. I attended classes, listened to lectures, and took notes, but I relied on the textbook and my own capabilities for doing homework and studying for tests.

Thinking back now, I wonder how much more I might have learned if I’d gone to my teachers during their office hours to ask my own specific questions and receive their personal help, or even just to soak up the wisdom of experts in their fields. What incredible opportunities I missed because of my fear, timidity, and pride.

Some people seem to think of God as something like an erudite professor speaking to a large, dark room full of faceless students from a high podium on a distant stage. They attend church services to hear the sermons, and some of them refer to the textbook (The Holy Bible) from time to time. But, like me, they never consider approaching the Teacher (God) personally, even when they don’t fully understand what they’ve heard. God isn’t like that, though. Yes, He is the Maker of the entire universe and Creator of humankind, and His presence reaches to the farthest limits. But He is also a personal God who invites us to come to Him, ask Him questions, and get to know Him. Yes, His greatness is intimidating, but His love is just as great, and He offers it freely all the time.

This reminds me of the Bible story about Nicodemus. He was a high-ranking member of the Pharisees, a prominent sect of Judaism during Jesus Christ’s time on Earth. Nicodemus visited Jesus at night to ask him questions about his teaching. He had heard Jesus speak in the temple, but he wanted to understand more. Let’s read about his encounter with Jesus in John 3:2 (NIV). Nicodemus approached Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Nicodemus and Jesus went on to have a deep philosophical discussion in which Jesus shared profound truths about himself, His Heavenly Father (God), and the kingdom of Heaven. The record of their discussion includes one of the best known and most treasured verses in scripture: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV). What an amazing tutoring session!

Since Nicodemus waited until nightfall to go to Jesus, it’s likely that he was nervous and timid about approaching him at first. It didn’t take long for Nicodemus to become fully engaged in a meaningful discussion with his teacher, though. He couldn’t fully grasp the truths Jesus imparted to him then, but he seems to have taken Jesus’s words to heart and pondered them after that night. We’re not told what happened immediately after that encounter, but in John 19 we learn that Nicodemus was one of two men who came to prepare Jesus’s crucified body for burial, bringing his own costly spices. Finding the courage to approach Jesus and ask him questions that night had an eternal impact on Nicodemus’s life.

Let’s read what Jesus said about His Father and how He wants to help us. According to Luke 11:9 (NIV): “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

We are invited to come and sit at the feet of the one true living God! The God who set the stars in place and who knows how many hairs are on your head welcomes you and wants you to not only know Him, but to learn from Him and grow in wisdom and faith. He requires no appointment or admission fee for us to enter His Presence. All we need to do is seek Him out, knock on His door, and ask whatever questions are on our hearts. What an incredible invitation! Let’s learn more about God’s invitation to us in Hebrews 4:16 (KJV). It reads, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

As great and mighty and omniscient and unfathomable as God is, He is also approachable and welcoming. His office hours are always open for us. Therefore, let us come boldly unto the throne of grace!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, You are great and mighty, and loving and approachable. Help us take advantage of your amazing invitation to seek You, knock on your door, and ask whatever is on our hearts with confidence so that we can grow closer to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Before the Throne of God Above” by Selah. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Suzanne Felton has been a writer for most of her life, even before she realized it. 

She has worked in a wide range of settings, from non-profits to science labs to government contracts to educational classrooms, all of which involved writing in one form or another.

Suzanne is amazed by the power of words and now uses her passion and experience to help authors and students as a writing coach. Encouraging others to find the words and the courage to share their stories is one of her greatest joys.

Suzanne’s devotionals have been published in periodicals and blogs including The Upper Room, The Love Offering, Keys 4 Kids, and The Swallow’s Nest. She is also a two-time finalist in the Cascade Christian Writing Contest for poetry.

She is a wife, mother, writer, reader, teacher, deep thinker, and sinner saved by grace. Suzanne and her family reside in Northern Virginia, but Suzanne will always call her native South Carolina home.

Married to her best friend for twenty-five years, Suzanne is active in her church, where she and her husband have served as deacons for over a decade. They enjoy watching sports and visiting national parks with their two teenage sons. Suzanne is also an avid birder, easily and happily distracted by anything with feathers.

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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://suzannefelton.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l_suzanne_felton
Email address: suzannefeltonwriter@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: How Christians can draw people to Christ

A Light So Lovely
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

Have you ever heard the saying, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”?

There’s something to be said about a sweeter touch when it comes to getting along with people, drawing them to you or your point of view, or simply helping them appreciate your perspective and enabling them somehow to relate to you.

Sweetness, kindness, and general niceness are attributes I’ve always held dear. I don’t believe from reading Scripture that Jesus Christ was always particularly “nice”, but I know He was always good and always merciful. He said some hard things. He overturned tables in the temple when He was angry and blatantly insulted His enemies in front of crowds. But He was Jesus, “Word became flesh” (John 1:14), God born as a man, the son of the Father. He had the clout and the right to behave that way. We, however, are mere human beings. And we don’t know everything, so we’re not allowed to act as though we do with the sort of confidence that comes from knowing we are the son of God.

I was a bit of a know-it-all growing up, though I tried to mask it, and I’m probably still a bit of a know-it-all deep down. I remember sitting next to more obvious know-it-alls at school, bristling at their arrogant little smiles as they insisted that they were right about something, but a lot of times they weren’t right. Whether through tests or teacher instruction, they soon found out they were wrong. As the old saying goes, “They got a slice of humble pie.”

The truth is that none of us knows it all. We are not God, and though as believers we do have the Holy Spirit inside of us, we can’t pretend we know exactly what God meant in Scripture. We can read certain things in the Bible, things that were translated from ancient Greek and Hebrew, and think we know exactly what it meant, but consider how many years have passed and how much the language has changed over the years.

There are certain truths in Scripture we can understand without a shadow of doubt—the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior, our only path to salvation. But some of the other things, some of the things that are in Scripture that are not necessarily the “Gospel truth”? If we feel convicted about them for ourselves, then absolutely we need to follow that conviction! We need to be obedient to God and do what we believe Scripture is telling us to do. But we cannot for a moment believe we are the only ones God is convicting, because every day at every moment, God is convicting other people.

For example, in Christianity, there are differences. For example, recently I saw a video where a woman felt convicted that she needed to cover her head in church at all times. She got this idea from 1 Corinthians 11:4-5. So now she and her daughter wear a hat or headwrap every time they are worshipping God. They’re not part of some sect that is teaching them to do these things. In fact, they’re the only women in their church that do this. They’re not asking anyone else to do it, and they’re trying not to judge anyone else who doesn’t do it. But they are personally convicted that this is what God wants them to do, and for them, this is important.

We Christians fundamentally believe in the same things. But we don’t agree on everything, and that’s not a bad thing. It was this way in the early church also. Some Jewish Christians still followed traditional Jewish ways, while others felt convicted that the old ways had been set aside with the coming of Jesus.

Remember the circumcision strife in Acts? There was a huge issue because many felt the new Gentile believers needed to be circumcised to follow The Way, while others believed this wasn’t essential. Finally, after much prayer and debate, Peter and the other apostles affirmed that we are saved through grace, not because we follow rules like circumcision. Ultimately, they decided to issue a letter settling the matter, telling the Gentiles they didn’t need to worry about this issue any longer. As they wrote in Acts 15:28-29 (NIV), “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.”

They showed tolerance and grace. God is love, and God is truth. God is everything, our Creator who knits us all together. In the Lord, we are perfectly united in the Holy Spirit. As humans, we sometimes have differences, and it’s important to remember to be kind to each other in those differences, to maintain an element of sweetness and niceness and tolerance when it comes to the convictions of other Christian believers.

I believe one day in Heaven, we will know all the answers because we will be perfectly, fully and completely of one mind with God, our Heavenly Father. Until then, let’s keep our sight on Him and not those around us. Let’s heed the words of Jesus when He told us in Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV), “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

In closing, reflect on this quote by Madeleine L'Engle. She said, “We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us do our best to follow You in the way that we feel convicted is the right way, and not to let culture or different voices and pressures sway us from what You speak into our hearts. Help us to behave kindly to other people and offer grace and mercy whenever we have the opportunity. We are all on a journey. Help strengthen us as we approach the summit that is You. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Find Us Faithful” by Steve Green. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica Brodie is an award-winning journalist, author, blogger, editor, writing coach, and devotional writer with thousands of articles to her name. 

Since 2010, she has served as the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate, the oldest newspaper in Methodism, which has won 123 journalism awards during her tenure. Her latest book is Preparing Our Hearts: An Advent Devotional to Draw Closer to God at Christmas.

Jessica has won more than 100 writing awards. She is a seasoned speaker and frequent contributor to Christianity.com, BibleStudyTools.com, and Crosswalk.com, among many others. She has a weekly faith blog at JessicaBrodie.com and is part of the team at Wholly Loved Ministries, with her work included in many of their devotionals and Bible studies.

She’s also produced a free eBook, A God-Centered Life: 10 Faith-Based Practices When You’re Feeling Anxious, Grumpy, or Stressed.

Brodie holds a Master of Arts in English, and she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in communications/print journalism from Florida International University. Born and raised in Miami, Brodie now lives in Lexington, South Carolina, just outside Columbia. She has also lived in Ohio and in the mountains of western North Carolina. She and her husband, Matt Brodie, have a blended family of four teenage children and stepchildren.

Brodie has written several novels and is actively seeking publication through her agent Bob Hostetler of The Steve Laube Agency. Her novel The Memory Garden won the 2018 Genesis contest for Contemporary Fiction from American Christian Fiction Writers, and her novel Tangled Roots won a third place Foundation Award in Contemporary Romance at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in 2019. She is finishing the third in the series, Hidden Seeds, now.

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Connect with Jessica:
Website: https://www.jessicabrodie.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicajbrodie/
Twitter: https://x.com/JessicaJBrodie
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicajbrodie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicajbrodie/
Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/jessica-brodie
Download her free e-book:
https://www.jessicabrodie.com/ebook-god-centered

Devotionals for the Heart: Reasons why we don't need to know it all

Why We Don't Need to Know it All
A devotional by Kayla de Jong

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

You have likely experienced some confusion when reading your Bible, as have I.

How did you react? Did you beg God to open your heart to comprehend His Word? Did you push your questions to the back of your mind only to have them later intrude your thoughts and induce worry? Did you just give up on reading the Bible altogether?

I often put pressure on myself when I come across a biblical concept that I don’t understand because I have believed the lie that to be a follower of God, I have to understand what every passage in the Bible means and attempt to make the entire Bible apply to my life.

I subconsciously think I am doing the righteous thing by fretting about how I don’t know the answer to my spiritual question and proceed to deny myself peace of mind until I get the answer I “deserve”. But God wants us to have peace in all the storms of life, even the spiritual ones. And God does not give us all the answers, but He does give us hope!

Let’s look at some verses to see what God wants us to do when we are struggling with wanting to “know it all” about the Bible. While the verses may not have been written about this specific issue, I think they are reminders of how God deals with His children, what He expects of us, and how He defines wisdom.

Psalms 139 is a great chapter about God’s omniscience and omnipresence, and I suggest you take some time to familiarize yourself with it. Psalm 139:1 (NIV) says, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” To me, this is saying that God knows how much I desire to be close to Him. And He knows what spiritual revelations I actually need, and which ones I convince myself I need in order to serve God better. He also knows when I am making an idol out of having all the answers to all my questions as a Christian. Yes, it is possible to idolize the attainment of information.

Here are some more verses to ponder as we consider this topic:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) says: But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Proverbs 9:10 (NIV) says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Now let’s summarize all the verses from this devotional. 

Here are the beliefs I can cling to when a desire for all the answers to life’s questions sows seeds of worry and unease in me:

• Reverent fear of God and worshipping Him is true wisdom. It is part of my purpose.
• When I stray from living in God’s wisdom, His grace covers me. I can delight in not knowing it all because in my weakness (or lack of understanding), I am aware of my need for God’s insight and guidance.
• God knows me better than I know myself. If I trust Him, I will obey Him, not live according to my own understanding of how I think life should be.
• My limited knowledge is nothing compared to God’s infinite wisdom.

This is what God is teaching me: Being a Christian does not require me to know everything God knows. Not knowing everything requires me to trust God. I think we could all benefit from praying less for information and more often for revelation. The key difference between the two is that information is the attainment of knowledge while revelation is the attainment of understanding. We can spend countless hours gaining information from the Bible and other resources about biblical context and culture, but I believe God is the source of revelation and of understanding. It is when we have revelation that we know God and His ways more intimately in a life-changing, practical sort of way.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord,

Help me to live in peace when I do not understand aspects of Christianity and the Bible that I think I should. Thank you for Your grace and guidance and for teaching me that You alone are God, and You alone are omniscient. May I worship You, not knowledge. Thank You for blessing me with Your wisdom and may I live wisely to glorify You.

In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Oh, I Want To Know You More” by Steve Green. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Hi! I’m Kayla de Jong! 

I’ve lived in Indiana my whole life and was blessed to have been raised in a Christian household. I have an associate degree in library science and have worked in various libraries for over six years. I love reading and writing!

I have mostly written poems, some of which were published in the compiled works of a local writers guild. I am in the middle of seeking a new career. I would love to be an author, artist, or journalist. But most of all, I would love to be a stay-at-home mom someday.

~*~
Connect with Kayla:
E-mail: kaylagmcdaniel@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: What reading a prophet's journal taught me

Life Lessons Learned from Reading a Prophet’s Journal
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“The Lord God is my strength, my source of courage, my invincible army. He has made my feet steady and sure like hinds feet. And makes me walk forward with spiritual confidence on my high places of challenge and responsibility.”—Habakkuk 3:19 (AMP)

The first time that I went to Greece, I was a young sailor.

The ship that I was assigned to pulled into a remote port that was surrounded on three sides by mountains. As the other sailors and I awaited a bus to take us to town, we noticed animals moving down the steep and rocky mountainside.

They looked small, but realizing how far away from them that we were, we realized that they had to be pretty large animals. As we watched them confidently traverse the treacherous slope, we realized that they were mountain goats. They fearlessly trod down the mountain slope because they were sure footed by nature.

I remembered reading Habakkuk and later that evening, I reread this small prophetic book of the Old Testament. Habakkuk 3:19 is really the culmination of a dialogue that the prophet had with God. The little book is like a journal that the prophet wrote to remind himself and us that God still communes, converses and confides in us.

Habakkuk was a minor prophet, not because his message was petty, but because his prophetic testimony was short. He starts his journal by complaining to God about the state of affairs in which he currently lived. Apparently his social and spiritual environment was unsafe, violent, and unstable. Law enforcement was unreliable because even the people most inclined to righteous living were marginalized by the wicked.

He did not see the hand of God and wondered where God was and if His promises of deliverance were still valid. God responds with an assurance that the trajectory of His plans exceeded Habakkuk’s perceptivity, but they were sure to happen.

The prophet responds in Habakkuk 2:1 (ESV) with a second complaint that seems a bit flippant. He wrote, “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”

Is challenging God okay? Perhaps we’re saying, “God, I’m looking for you! What will you do?” Is that okay? I think so! In our journals, where we write our struggles, temptations, failures, successes and reflections, we can converse with God. He is eternal, yet contemporary. He was Emmanuel and His Name means, “God is with us”. The New Testament writer, Paul, in 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that our bodies are the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. This means that He is with us through the whispers of our consciences and the spurring in our souls.

When Habakkuk recognized that God had not left nor forsaken him, his prose was converted from complaint to a trusting testimony. Habakkuk gave glory to God for being the source of his courage and strength. Knowing this, he became brave enough to face his challenges in life. We could learn Habakkuk’s story and share his prayer and praise report too!

Let’s Pray: Thank You, God, for blessing us with the favor of your plan and purpose in our lives. As we go through today, grant us the focus of Habakkuk, to lean forward with courage rather than looking around in fear. May our faith be reflected in our being and our deeds. Let us be your hands, eyes, ears, feet and heart to the world around us. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Everlasting God” by William Murphy. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson is the Director Emeritus of Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries for the North American Division. In this role, he was the friend, advocate and gatekeeper for the profession of chaplaincy among Adventist pastors.

His new mission is to specialize in personal and personnel development coaching.
He journeys with and guides clients, personal and corporate, as they define their goals and grow into their full potential.

His pastoral career began in the Allegheny East Conference where he was ordained.

Subsequently, he served in the Potomac Conference at the Sligo and Seabrook churches. His professional dream was to be a chaplain in the United States Navy. He got to live that dream and achieved the rank of Commander before retiring from Naval service in 2015 with 26 years of service.

Chaplain Anderson has earned four graduate degrees: He earned his Master of Divinity Degree was earned at the seminary at Andrews University. He earned a Master’s of Education from the University of Maryland and a Master’s in Sacred Theology from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.

Chaplain Anderson and his wife Debra have been married for 41 years. They have two healthy, saved and well-adjusted adult children who picked good spouses and delivered four grandchildren.

Adventures through traveling, reading, praying, preaching, teaching and writing are the avenues of ministry and self-care that define his now and his destiny.

You may connect with Chaplain Anderson via email at this address, psanderson75@gmail.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Learning to take a step of faith and trust God

Step of Faith
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” –Matthew 6:34 (KJV)

Worry and fear can be nearly paralyzing when considering an unknown future.

There are so many “What ifs?” in this life. Such as, "What if I fail the exam? What if the test comes back positive? What if life never gets better than this? What if God never shows up?" 

These questions make us feel suffocated in our hearts, minds, and souls. If we allow these fears, worries, and doubts to continuously enter our thoughts, we are destined to start believing our future is bleak and hopeless. We begin to believe we are justified in our worries and things will always turn out badly.

But such a negative focus could not be further from the truth. Maybe the test will come back positive. Maybe we will experience the worst possible scenario in our situation. God never promised our lives would not be filled with problems and sorrow. However, God did say that He would never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). Additionally, Jesus promised that the victory is already His because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).

We will face trials, heartache, and failure. No one can claim the remainder of their life will work out perfectly and without problems. Your future does hold difficult seasons, but you were never meant to walk in those seasons alone. Our Heavenly Father walks beside each of His children in the darkest of valleys and the highest of mountaintops.

Lay your future in the hands of the Creator. He knows all things in the past, present, and future. God knows every worry that consumes our thoughts and He is calling us to release them to Him. Today, will you release your fear, your worry, and your doubts? Remember: There is no dark valley along your life journey that God’s Light cannot break through. There is no worry that the peace of God cannot still. The peace of God passes all of our human understanding (Philippians 4:7). His peace is so strong that it can ease our worry even though the situation that is bringing our worry remains.

I know that God is the One who directs my paths (Proverbs 3:5-6) and leads me toward a future that I am uncertain of (Jeremiah 29:11). I also know that God is calling me to release the worry that is weighing me down. He continues to whisper just one simple request, “Trust Me.”

Trust is a choice. It is a step of faith. Will you choose to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and simply take one more step of faith today and every day of your life on Earth?

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank You for offering Your peace and presence to us. Please help us to release our worry and fear to You. Grant us the faith to entrust our future to you and simply take another step of faith. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Trust Me” by Crystal Lewis. Listen to it here.

~*~
Author Bio:

Tessa Huckstep grew up in rural Illinois. She was born to Christian parents and has known Jesus Christ personally since the age of five. 

Currently, Tessa is attending community college and majoring in elementary education. In the future, she plans to teach in the public school system, hoping to bring the love of God with her.

Tessa enjoys being active in her local church. She serves as a co-teacher for the two-to-five year old class where there is never a dull moment.

It is Tessa’s passion to be a girl after God’s own heart and through her studying of God’s Word, Tessa longs to draw closer to her Savior. Through her writing, she longs to take others with her on this journey of faith.

Tessa loves all things Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size.

When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, she can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

~*~
Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/

Devotionals for the Heart: Putting our faith in a God who knows everything

We Have Access to an All-Knowing God
A devotional by Dr. Jessica B. Turner

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

—Proverbs 2:6 (ESV)

We live in such a time where a question can be asked and within seconds an answer is dropped into your hands. Literally.

It’s hard to truly grasp the depth of knowledge we have within our fingertips with all the technology we have. The advancements that have been made since I was a kid are mind-blowing! No longer are the days of going to the library and checking out books to expand your understanding of a particular topic.

I was reminded of this as I re-entered motherhood after an eight-year hiatus. Long gone were the days of searching for answers concerning sleep training and colic remedies. They had since been replaced with questions concerning how to raise girls in this day of age.

Overnight, I found myself bombarded with questions regarding the well-being of my son. While many things were trivial, others were a real source of anxiety to our family. At which point was a particular issue worth pursuing? Which specialists should we see to further explore the concerns we were having?

I would like to say that my first response to so many unknowns was turning to my Heavenly Father, but it wasn’t. Sadly, I became very good at scouring all the mommy sites for solutions. It was only after being overloaded with more information than any one person could process that I brought God into the equation.

One of the many nights when I sat rocking my little one to sleep, God gently reminded me of this scripture (Proverbs 2:6 ESV) that says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

In the midst of my sleep deprived state, I had forgotten that there is only one source of knowledge I need to rely on during this season and any season: God. After all, He is all-knowing.

God is familiar with every inch of my son. He understands the intricacies of his body and holds insight as to what is best for its development. He doesn’t have to comb through articles to get the latest and greatest treatment options. He already knows everything, and He was patiently waiting for me to recognize that.

I think all too often we forget this characteristic of God. Or we remember but feel as if our questions are more of a burden than a welcomed invitation to draw closer to Him.

When we turn first to our Lord for answers, He not only saves us time that would otherwise be wasted, but He also covers us with His peace in the process. By trusting Him, we are taking the pressure off ourselves to get it right and placing our confidence in the One who created all things. I can’t think of anything more comforting than that!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, Maker of the Heavens and the Earth, help me to see that You are the only source I need when I am faced with unknowns. While there may be a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips, You have the answers to the things that concern me. All I have to do is ask and You will open Your mouth! I love You and I trust You. In Jesus’s Name, I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Jessica B. Turner is a wife, mom, and LSU graduate with a degree in veterinary medicine.

 

After practicing small animal medicine for six years, she traded in her stethoscope to become an online wellness coach, motivational speaker, and writer with a passion for mental health advocacy. This major life change was sparked after Jessica struggled with postpartum depression soon after she birthed her twin girls.

Along with Jessica’s career change came the discovery of who Jesus Christ really is and how He was the missing piece for her to be able to move forward from past trauma that she had suppressed for decades.

Jesus walked alongside Jessica as she underwent a transformation like none other. God transformed Jessica’s life from a broken mom who struggled with depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and PTSD from witnessing an attempted suicide, to using her experiences to make her a powerful vessel for Him. To this day, God enables Jessica to touch the lives of others through her often unfiltered, yet inviting, form of storytelling.

Throughout this process of refinement, Jessica has shared her life story with the world through her social media platforms, in-person events, blog posts, and podcasts. She values the gift of transparency and has discovered that what so many people need to know is that they are not alone. Jessica has walked in their shoes, and she wants the world to know that Jesus is walking with them as well.

~*~
Connect with Jessica:
Website: www.jessicabturner.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicabturner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicabturner/

Devotionals for the Heart: When God won't heal you on this side of Heaven

Healed Through Jesus
A devotional by Cyndi Staudt

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” 

–Matthew 4:23 (NIV)

Huddled over the tiny casket at the front of the room were the family members still in shock at the nightmare unfolding before them. How could their sweet toddler be gone? 

We had cried out to God, fasted, and prayed around the clock, yet God had chosen not to heal their sweet child this side of Heaven. At a complete loss on what to say and how to support them through this journey of grief, I fought to find words to express to God how I was feeling. If I was honest, I was probably a little angry with God. At the very least, disappointed. This was a good family, faithful in their walk with Jesus, always serving and giving to others selflessly. They didn’t deserve this.

I didn’t feel like praying but knew I needed to. I wanted to turn away from God in a toddler-like tantrum, but I knew that wasn’t going to help. In a gentle whisper, the Holy Spirit encouraged me to come back to what I knew about God and sit there for a while. As I reflected on the character of God and was reminded of the immutable nature of God my breathing began to slow and my thoughts began to quiet. And in the stillness, He soothed my hurting heart and spoke sweet truths to my spirit until I could crawl to my knees and come to Him with all my raw emotions in prayer.

It can be hard to understand how and when God chooses to heal His children (or not), regardless of their age. I would be willing to bet most of us have prayed for someone’s healing at one time or another only to have it delayed or, perhaps, withheld completely. Maybe we have believed for a restored relationship that remained forever dismantled. Or watched a loved one’s mental capacity be stripped away until they were virtually unrecognizable. We know that God can heal, but it doesn’t always mean He does. And this can be a hard truth to wrestle with. We want to make sense of it all. Find a logical conclusion. Unfortunately, one is rarely available.

It can test our faith when we pray and believe God for healing and it doesn’t happen. But we must be careful not to let doubt creep into our minds and hearts. When healing is delayed or doesn’t come at all we must trust that God is still able, faithful, loving, and gracious. He promises perfect health to us. Sometimes that comes in this life while other times it comes in the next. We must believe that God is still on His throne, He is still sovereign, and He is still in the business of doing miracles whether we receive the answers, outcomes, and miracles we are seeking or not.

Friends, let’s not lose sight of the truths we know about God. When we are faced with what seems like insurmountable or unfair circumstances, we are called to continue to seek God and come before Him in prayer.

There are also practical things we can do while we are continuing to seek Him and cry out to Him. We can seek medical advice, counseling, or assistance as the situation calls for. We are to pray like it depends on God and work like it depends on us. That way no matter what the outcome, we know that we have done everything we can, then we leave the results up to God. 

Whatever God decides to do, we need to trust Him and praise Him in the process, knowing one day we will all find ourselves forever healed in Jesus.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

We know that Your ways are not our ways and Your timing is not our timing. Help us to remember this when we are confused and wondering why our prayers are not being answered in the ways and timetable we had hoped or imagined. Let the Holy Spirit within us remind us of what we know to be true about You even when what we see and feel tries to tell us otherwise. Give us eyes to see You in the midst of our circumstances and ears to hear You through the noise of our lives so we never lose sight of Who you are. We thank You for all You do for us and for Your grace to see us through the highs and lows of life. In Jesus’ s Name we pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Light of that City” by Allison Speer. 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.

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

Devotionals for the Heart: Questions

Questions for God
A devotional by Patricia Russell

“But as for me, my feet had almost slipped

I had nearly lost my foothold.

For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;

their bodies are healthy and strong.

They are free from common human burdens;

they are not plagued by human ills.” 

–Psalm 73:2-5 (NIV)

Have you ever found yourself asking God any of these questions: How long Lord? When is it going to be my turn? Are you even listening Lord? When is relief coming?

If you’ve ever expressed these thoughts, you are definitely not alone.

There have been days when I sat by my window and wondered how much longer it would be before the change I needed to see would come. It’s very likely many of us go through phases like this and then we receive a call, an email or a text from someone who is going through a situation and their questions are the same or more complex. Essentially, we are both asking God for an answer. This is not new to God because He has been listening to human beings from the beginning of time (He created us). He is quite familiar with our pain and uncertainties.

For me, this is comforting to remember. It lets me know that God is not afraid of my questions. He is committed to seeing us become all that He has purposed for us. We just need to trust Him. The writer of Psalm 73:3 (NLT) struggled with similar questions. He was struggling with the fact that people around him who weren’t serving God, were living their best life (or so it appeared) without any struggles, prospering and were yet wicked. How is that possible?

Later on, King David (the psalmist) is given some insight into what really happens to the wicked when they appear to be prospering. It’s not a very good picture. God sees and God hears! There really is a payback when you sow evil into other people’s lives because the Bible says you “reap what you sow” (Galatians 6:7-9).

Yet no matter how bad a situation looks we have the hope and blessed assurance that God is always extending mercy. He is always showing us that there is a reward for living faithfully. And that He really does hear our cries.

Jeremiah was a prophet who was given a very hard task to speak on God’s behalf to His people and warn them of things to come, to get themselves together and live right before God but how much do you think they listened? They did not. Yet God once again extended mercy and hope. God lets them know that despite their wicked behavior, He still has good plans for them.

In Jeremiah 31:3-4 (NLT), God says to Israel:

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.

With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself

I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.

You will again be happy and dance

merrily with your tambourines.”

Israel was not in a good place at the time when they are given this message. How often do we find ourselves being disobedient and not living in alignment with God’s will? How often are we living contrary to how He has instructed us to live. Yet we see that God’s love for us is not based on our behaviour. His love is unconditional and when He says He will do something, you better trust and believe it’s a done deal.

During the times we are waiting for change and answers, God reminds us that His love for us is everlasting. It’s unfailing and will not change. Can we strive to be consistent like our Heavenly Father? Can we trust Him a little more today, especially in those moments when the future seems so uncertain?

We can continue to hope. We can continue to trust. We must certainly be convinced that God’s love for us is constant and when He states He will do something, it’s a done deal!

Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and caring for me every day. Thank you for your lovingkindness and faithfulness to me. Thank you for your promise of hope even when it seems that change is taking long in my eyes. Help me to trust you even when I cannot see. Lord, I trust you. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Patricia Russell is a speaker, worship leader, author, certified life coach and songwriter. 

Her gifts have been shared internationally with audiences to encourage, empower and share life lessons through words and songs. She has sung on national television broadcasts and shared the stage with several respected speakers. Over her 30 years in ministry, she has been a featured artist in musical cantatas locally and the United States of America.

Patricia had the honour of leading worship at the kick-off event for the 2006 the “Just Give Me Jesus” Toronto Revival with Anne Graham Lotz who is the eldest daughter of Billy Graham, a well-known American evangelist.

Patricia serves in ministry along with her husband Rev. Wayne Russell. Together, they have served as guest hosts on a local early morning call in program called “Nite Lite Live” that formerly aired on the CTS Television Network. They have two adult children: Raquel and Benjamin.

Patricia has recorded two CD’s: “Lord I Trust You” and a live recording “Draw Me Nearer.” She is also an author. Her first book is titled Lord I Trust You: Words of Encouragement. It is meant to further encourage and share life lessons as a result of her cancer journey. She is a co-author of a #1 bestseller book titled Crushed Diamonds Still Sparkle, and she has compiled the recent #1 bestseller book titled Stronger Resilience.

~*~
Connect with Patricia:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrussellsings/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/patrussellsings
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrussellonline/
Email: patrussellsings@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: Mercy

Becoming Vessels of Mercy
A devotional by Sharon Musgrove

“What if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom He has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” 

–Romans 9:22-24 (ESV)

Years ago, I was working toward the goal of becoming a Specialist in Fitness Nutrition. As a competing athlete, I was passionate about how the right nutrition could not only fuel but help shape the human form into a lean, powerful, performing machine. I put out my shingle for business.

Unbeknownst to me, grievous events would quickly alter my course. Personal injury brought my physical abilities to a halt and the business relationship I had built with a gym owner terminated. I was devastated.

Over a year later, out of the blue, I received a call from a local recovery center looking for a nutrition teacher for their program. It wasn’t what I intended for myself, but knowing it was an opportunity to work in my field, I accepted.

Within the Relapse Prevention Program, dozens of women were recovering not only from substance use, but, more sizably, traumatic life events. Their stories were filled with abusive horrors that were foreign to my life experience. Because of my naïveté, I did not understand why God would put me in a place so completely outside of my league.

These women taught me strength training of another sort and I became educated by their lessons. I felt as though I was being shaped for something completely different than expected.

That’s when news of sexual abuse within my family territory struck. The enemy hit my base. In the shock wave, I remembered the stories told to me by my students and I knew... I knew to my very core...that God had been preparing me beforehand for this, as a vessel of mercy.

In Romans 9, Paul addresses some of the very same questions that surface in the lives of believers of his time: 

“Is God fair?”

“Has God failed?”

“Am I just a puppet...a victim on the whims of God?”

Paul uses the metaphor of two vessels, one being an angry vessel (“vessel of wrath”) and the other a compassionate vessel (“vessel of mercy”), both of God’s making. Opportunity is given to both vessels to be tools for the Maker’s goodwill.

The Greek word for wrath in Romans 9:22 is ““orgé,” from the verb oragō meaning, “to teem, to swell.” This implies not a sudden outburst, but rather a growing agitation.

The vessel of wrath might be considered a crockpot of indignation, slowly breaking down its internal contents with constant heat. But, according to Romans 9:23-24, certain vessels have heeded God’s call and are filled with mercy. Like a bowl of fruit sitting on the counter, always available for the snacking.

Seeking God’s will can often look like letting go of the specific plans we have made and accepting with trust the opportunities that are offered. Being malleable under direction is a choice. Trust is a choice. And mercy might just be the consequence of accepting the offering.

I could have remained angry, stubbornly holding fast to my goal and demanding God be fair, but I would have been unprepared for what was ahead of me. Instead, I’m grateful for the very specific direction God was turning me toward, putting roadblocks on one path and opening up a new route. Without the job, without the broken ladies I was working with, I would not have had the mind frame of compassion nor the skills of grace for the marred ones in my personal sphere.

Look into the story of your life. Does it feel like God has failed you or been unjust? Is anger the temperature of your heart? God has mercy on you, my friend! His hand on you is compassionate. God knows your future and wishes to prepare you for it. Respond to His touch. You will be eternally grateful for His filling of mercy.

~*~
Author Bio:
Sharon Musgrove is a self-proclaimed sociologist. The opportunities opened to her, over the years, have led her on a fascinating journey observing human behavior.

She has a diverse background in business, fitness and health industries. This background led her to a unique position writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both recovery programs served women primarily from the homeless community.

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She's been privileged to participate in Leadership camps for maturing young women. These annual camps have a mission of encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young Maasai girls.

Easily identifying personally with the brokenness of the women she's served, Sharon now sees all people as needing more encouragement regardless of cultural or socioeconomic status. Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

In her leisure time, Sharon enjoys her garden, health food, travel and a good story. She and her husband, Jeff, make their home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. They have two grown children. Currently, Sharon is writing her first Christian historical fiction novel utilizing her study, experience, and understanding of self-destructive behaviors.

My Blog's 10th Year Birthday Bash: Trish Perry's book giveaway

Welcome to the 30th day of my blog's birthday bash!

Please welcome my author friend Trish Perry.

She's here to give away one of her books!

Enter the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget the end of this blog post. Only residents of the USA are eligible to receive a signed paperback copy of this author's books. International residents will only receive ebook copies due to costs of mailing books outside of the USA.

Let's learn a little bit more about Trish and her book ...

Author Bio:

Award-winning novelist Trish Perry has written 17 inspirational romances for Harvest House Publishers, Guideposts/Summerside Press, Barbour Publishing, Winged Publications, and Mountain Brook Ink. She has co-authored five devotionals for Guideposts/Summerside, Broadstreet Publishing, and Worthy Inspired. 

She has served as a columnist and as a newsletter editor over the years, as well as a 1980s stockbroker and a board member of the Capital Christian Writers organization in Washington, D.C. She holds a degree in Psychology. 

Since the 2006 release of her first novel, The Guy I’m Not Dating, Trish has woven romance, humor, friendship, and faith throughout her stories of people seeking fulfilling lives together, and in spite of one another. 

She loves to entertain readers while exploring how even the faultiest of characters can grow, especially when they get out of God’s way. That growth is sometimes frustrating, sometimes poignant, and often hilarious. This theme colors all of Trish’s books.

Trish’s latest romantic suspense, A Special Kind of Double, released May 2019.

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Back cover copy for Trish's book: 

When she attends a Washington, D.C. dinner party thrown by friends far wealthier than she, writer Maddie Travers is distracted by internal debates. 

Should she move back to D.C.? Should she seek work she might find more fulfilling? 

She meets the appealing “regular guy,” Dom Sebastiani, at the party and consequently wonders whether she’s ready to seek romance again. So many decisions! 

At the stroke of midnight, a shocking turn of events sets Maddie on a path that holds at least as many questions for her as it does answers.

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Connect with Trish:

Website: www.trishperry.com

Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/trishperry

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/TrishPerryAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrishPerryWrtr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trshprry/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/trish-perry

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Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway