Devotionals for the Heart: The Struggle is REAL, but so is GOD!

The Struggle is REAL
A devotional by Glynis Becker

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

A few years ago a phrase became popular as a sort of punchline to funny pictures or ridiculous, first-world problems: “The struggle is real.” You can laugh when it’s attached to a picture of a puppy that can’t quite make it up the stairs or a toddler in a high chair asleep with food on his face.

But the truth is, sometimes the struggles are very real and sometimes they are not at all funny. At different points in our lives, each of us must deal with things we’d rather not. Some are a result of choices we’ve made. Sometimes they are simply circumstances of life in this world.

No one I know has ever asked for more struggles. I know I certainly never have. I think human nature is to make our lives as comfortable as possible. Just like water and electricity find the path of least resistance when flowing from point A to point B, we humans aren’t much different.

People try all sorts of things to make their lives easier. Some manipulate others into doing their work for them. Some use alcohol or drugs to make their lives feel smoother, even if that really creates more problems in the long run. Some pour their hearts into things that don’t really matter to avoid doing the more important, but harder, things.

God knows this. God created human nature, just like He created water and electricity. He knew how it would all turn out. Our laziness, our struggles, our dysfunction, our choices are never a surprise to Him.

But what He does with those things can definitely surprise us. God can use the struggle of an addict to show His power and strength and compassion. God can show the world His provision to one who can’t make ends meet. God can show grace through someone and to someone struggling with a family relationship.

As believers, we need to be open in sharing our struggles with each other and with people seeking the faith. When others see how God steps into our hardships with us and carries us through, we have the most powerful testimony there is.

Our weakness, our difficulties, prove to ourselves and others that God is near and that He cares about our lives. Often in those times, our faith becomes real. Why wouldn’t we want more of that?

I’m certainly not saying that I’m ready to pray for more difficulty in my life. But when the hardships come, and they will, I pray that I see them less as a punishment and more as a journey to a new glimpse of God’s power in my life.

My Prayer: Father God, help me to bear my struggles with confidence and peace, knowing that You are in them with me. Help me to be vulnerable with others, sharing my testimony of Your goodness to me through all the circumstances of my life. Show me how to help carry someone else’s burdens, to encourage others, and to love the people You’ve placed in my path. Thank You for Your faithfulness, love, and care for me. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Glynis Becker writes devotions and inspirational fiction, hoping someday to have a published novel on her resume.

She has co-written several screenplays, including Sinking Sand, available on DVD and digital streaming. 

Glynis, whose childhood was spent all over the country as an Air Force brat, has called South Dakota home for many years, along with her husband and two teenage children. 

When she’s not writing or reading, she is watching more television than she should and crocheting. 

You can find her at www.glynisbecker.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: "What If?"

Removing the “What If?”
A devotional by Melissa Henderson

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”~ Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

By the time this blog is posted, I will have faced a yearly fear and the outcome will be known.

Each year, at the scheduled time for my mammogram, I become nervous. The reason for my nervousness and fear is because 13 years ago, I went to the doctor for a routine mammogram and the diagnosis was not what I expected. I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I am very good about getting my regular checkups and mammograms. No changes had been noticed in my body and I was sure the same report would be given that year. All would be fine and an appointment for the next year would be scheduled. No problem.

Yet, that particular visit was followed by a “call back”. The nurse on the phone told me there might be something wrong with the film so I needed to have pictures taken again. No problem.

My husband drove me to the place to have the additional pictures done. We were so confident all was well and he even sat in the car in the parking lot and waited for me.

After the second set of pictures were taken, I was asked to sit in a room and wait for the doctor. Another technician came in the room and told me she would view the results right there while I waited. We chatted and all was well until her voice quieted and she said, “Mrs. Henderson, I will be right back. I need to get the doctor.” No problem, or so I thought.

As the doctor entered the room, the atmosphere changed instantly. Fears of “What if?” ran through my mind. “What if there is a problem? What if I have cancer? What if I need surgery? Should someone go get my husband? My Mother had breast cancer.” These questions and more had my heart racing.

My first instinct was fear when my first action should have been prayer. Yes, prayer came but only after fear appeared first. Why didn’t I remember to pray first? Praying always gives me comfort and peace. Yet, that time, the “What if’s?” got to me first.

The diagnosis of breast cancer, the surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and medications I still have to take provided many lessons over these past 13 years. First, remember to pray. Read God’s Word and soak in His message. Isaiah 41:10 tells us to not fear because He is our God. He will strengthen us and help us.

Yes, God strengthened me and my family. God helped us. God reminded us time and time again that He is always with us. We are blessed by His love.

I am praying this yearly mammogram will have a good report. No matter the outcome, I will lean on Him and know He is with me always.

Blessings,

Melissa Henderson

~*~
Author Bio:

Melissa Henderson and her husband Alan live in South Carolina.

Married for over 38 years, they have one son (Mike) who is married to daughter-in-love (Christine) and now are blessed by precious grandson (Rowan).

Melissa was taught the love of reading and writing at an early age from her parents. She is now working on her first inspirational fiction novel.

Her passions are volunteering, Bible Studies and reading and writing. Connect with Melissa online, https://mimionlife.wordpress.com.

25 Days of Christmas Stories: The Durgin Christmas Miracle

Let's wish a "Merry Christmas" to a familiar author who is visiting with us again today! JoAnn Durgin has returned to the blog to share her real-life story about a miracle that God performed for her family many Christmases ago.

Enjoy!

~*~
The Durgin Christmas Miracle
A guest post written by JoAnn Durgin

I’ve told this story a few times in the past few years, but I’m not going to apologize if you’ve read it before. Why? Because, in my humble opinion, it bears repeating. You might say this story is for those skeptics who say, “That couldn’t happen!” I’m sure you’ve heard how truth is sometimes much stranger than fiction? Well, my friends, this is one of those stories.

Grab a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and snuggle up…this is also one those warm blanket moments!

In the late 1990s, we lived on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and my husband, Jim, was an associate pastor for youth/music/worship. It was during the six-year period when I was a stay-at-home mom with three small children under the age of ten. Heavy snow was predicted for Christmas Eve, but that didn’t stop our excitement as we packed up the minivan and headed on our way to Grandma’s house in my native southern Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky (where we now live). Stops included, driving straight through, we anticipated it would take about 12 to 14 hours.

The further we drove, however, the more treacherous the highway became. Huge trucks were skidding and sliding into ditches and guard rails, the roads were winding and narrow, and there were numerous fender benders and stalled cars everywhere. Did that stop the Durgins? No way! We were all singing, happy as could be, and nothing could stop us! At one point, I started to get a little apprehensive because of the blinding snow and icy road conditions. I remember giving Jim one of those looks and mouthing to him so the kids wouldn’t hear, “Do you think we should pull over and stop?” His response was to grip the steering wheel that much harder with fierce determination.

Our rumbling tummies finally forced us stop at a truck stop (still on The Pennsylvania Turnpike; it’s a really long stretch of highway). The warmth inside and the smells of a holiday buffet greeted us as we walked through the door. It was so welcoming! We knew we couldn’t stay long and needed to keep moving if we had a prayer to get to our destination before Christmas. As it was, we’d been delayed by creeping along at speeds of less than 20 miles per hour for several hours.

This is where it gets pretty wonderful. Our waitress came to our table with a radiant smile. Her name? Angel. She was sweet and as friendly as could be in spite of being hectic and busy with a number of customers. When Jim went to pay the bill, the cashier said, “Already taken care of, folks. Merry Christmas.” We’ll never know who paid for our meal, but it was one of those random acts of kindness we’ll never forget.

Now, for the part that makes my eyes mist all these years later. When we walked outside to our van, we discovered a man—who’d been sitting at the counter when we walked in (and greeted the kids with candy canes and a warm smile)—had been hard at work shoveling around our van in order to make sure we’d be able to get out of the parking lot. The man told us his name was Chris (or was it Kris?). In a red plaid flannel shirt with jeans and a heavy overcoat, he had a long white beard, thick white hair, wire frame glasses, and yes, I’m pretty certain there was a merry twinkle in those eyes. In case you think this is a case of an overactive writer’s imagination, I have witnesses (Jim and the three kids), and we all share this same marvelous memory (well, except for Matthew since he was very young at the time but he knows all about it!). To this day, we still marvel over the miracles of that exceptional trip.

The snow was falling and accumulating faster than I’d ever seen it. Spying a small motel a few miles down the highway, I exchanged a glance with Jim. He raised his brows and I shrugged. Then we both looked at each other a few seconds later and he said, “Indiana or bust.”

Nearly 18 hours after we started out, we finally made it to Indiana, and never was it so warm and welcoming! But the story’s not quite over yet… Jim had a mechanical problem with the van the day after Christmas. I can’t remember what it was, but we took the van to my mom’s mechanic (a lookalike for Larry Bird, a fact which thrilled my Celtics fanatic of a husband). Know what the mechanic said? “I don’t know how you made it that far, especially in the bad weather. This van should have broken down somewhere along the way.” I remember stopping somewhere in Ohio and filling a tire with air, but wow. I mean Wow! The Lord’s constant watch care and protection for us is amazing and awesome, isn’t it?

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

Isaiah 41:10 - "Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

~*~

Author bio:

JoAnn Durgin is the author of six novels (and counting) in the bestselling Lewis Legacy Series, as well as Prelude, the prequel to the series. Her other novels include Catching Serenity, Heart’s Design, Love So Amazing (Book #1 in The Wondrous Love Series), Perchance to Dream, Echoes of Edinburgh, and the popular Starlight Christmas Series. 

JoAnn lives with her husband and three children, as well as new grandbaby, Amelia Grace, in southern Indiana. 

She loves to hear from her readers at www.joanndurgin.com or www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin.
~*~

Buy JoAnn's Christmas stories from the Starlight Christmas Series:

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD)

Starlight fire captain Jake Marston meets his match in Nurse Julia Sinclair.

Starlight, Star Bright (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD)
Italian Cowboy Dante might take Amanda’s heart with him when he returns to Italy after a brief stopover in Starlight.

Sleigh Ride Together with You (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD)
When love comes calling at Christmas, what’s network executive Alex to do when he falls in love? Nicole discovers her true home in her heart when she returns to Starlight.

Starlight in Her Eyes (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD)
A cheeky Brit falls in love and wonders if a Christmas trip to Starlight will be his personal Christmas miracle to win Serena’s heart.

Thankful Thursday: I Know Who I Am

It's Thursday and I'm thankful that I know who I am! 

Not what the world tells me I am, I know who I am in God's eyes. God sees me as beautiful, treasured, created in His image, and most importantly, He says I belong to Him (Galatians 3:26).

The world tells young girls and adult women who they are and what they should or should not do. You've got to look a certain way, act a certain way, dress in a certain in-season style, fix your hair with whatever trend is "in" and even speak and move in a certain manner. All of this--starting at a very young age and reinforced by the media, movies, magazines and sometimes your peers and other people you know--can do serious damage to a female's psyche and emotional well-being which is why I am SO glad that I know who I am in God's eyes.

Who I am is simply a child of God, one of His own. I can take solace in the Bible-based truth that God created me, He loves me and I am wonderfully and fearfully made as far as He is concerned. I don't have to live up to an airbrushed beauty standard that dominates magazines and pop culture. I don't have to talk a certain way, act or flatter my way into God's heart. Why not? Because He is my Heavenly Father and He loves me unconditionally.

Guess what? This post is not only for me, it's for you! Yes, YOU. If you are a human being on this planet Earth then the truth according to Psalm 139:14 is, YOU are fearfully and wonderfully made by your Maker who happens to be the King of the Universe (yes, there are other worlds out there created by God, we're not the only ones) and He loves you! Yes, the Creator of the Universe loves YOU and when He looks at you, He sees one of His own. You belong to God. Always remember that truth.

And who better to belong to, to be accepted by, to experience pure and perfect unconditional love from than the Almighty God?

It's a beautiful thing when you are treasured by the King and Creator of all humankind.

Allow these words to soak into your mind. Rest tonight on the truth that even if you don't have an earthly papa, you have a Heavenly Padre (Papa) in God and He will love you forever. God will protect you, He'll encourage you, He'll uplift you with His righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). God will send His angels to surround you and care for you. He will rescue you. He is your everything, all you'll ever need.

If you don't already believe in God, I encourage you to do so. Why? Because God believes in you and He loves you with all of His heart. God has amazing plans for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). Trust Him.

Love,

Alexis