Devotionals for the Heart: Why God wants us to have a grateful heart

Do You Have a Complaining Spirit or A Grateful Heart?
A devotional by Colette Christopher

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”—Numbers 11:5-6 (NIV)

The children of Israel often seemed to forget what the Lord did for them after their exodus from slavery in Egypt and journey to the Promised Land.

They experienced mighty miracles from the hand of the Lord, but that did not stop their complaining spirits. We can be like that as well when we face situations that seem daunting and impossible. When the Lord allows hardships in our lives, we seldom stop to reflect on the good things He did for us in the past.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines complain as: “to express grief, pain, or discontent”. When we fail to see the good things that God has done and desire something else rather than what He provides, we are expressing our discontent with Him. This suggests that God does not have the best in store for us nor does He often give us the best. And that is certainly not true. When we read the history of the Israelites, we can see how much God loved His chosen people. It was He who was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It was He who parted the Red Sea and caused them to walk through dry land. It was the same God who gave them manna from heaven, yet they complained about what they had before, and not about what God was doing for them now. They reflected on the meat they had to eat in Egypt, but not on the harsh treatment they had endured as slaves, from which God had delivered them.

I am the first to admit that I was that person, and at times will lean back into that spirit. I tend to forget what God did for me in the past because my focus is on the current difficulty. This tends to happen when I am in a particularly tough season, praying for and expecting a miracle, but the Lord seems nowhere to be found. Can you identify with this?

We can read about the Israelites and think that we would not have complained, but we would. We just need to look back on past hardships and examine our hearts and see that we have done the same thing. Recently, I was praying to the Lord about a particular matter that I desperately need His help with. Truth be told, it required a miracle that I needed to have faith for, but in that moment, I had none.

My mind went back to a place I left seven years ago, and I started telling myself that maybe if I were still there, what I am experiencing would not be happening. As I engaged with that thought, I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit. Immediately, He reminded me of how God came through for me during those seven years. The multiple miracles, favor, grace, and mercy that He extended, and now, because I am in a hard place, I choose to forget what He has done and to complain against my Heavenly Father.

In that moment, all I could do was ask for His forgiveness. I started to recount the many ways that God showed up for me, and I felt so bad because I knew that it was God alone who kept me, my home, my sanity, and so much more. I chose to sing songs of worship from a grateful heart instead of engaging a heart of complaining. In doing so, my entire atmosphere shifted from one of darkness and gloom to one of brightness and hope. It is a choice that we can choose to make.

I still haven’t received the miracle yet, but I know it’s coming, and I still choose to have a grateful heart. It is important to command our spirits to remember the goodness of God because it doesn’t come naturally to us.

We must choose to give thanks for where we are now because God is right here with us, walking alongside each of us in this journey called life. Don’t choose to look back at only the things that you thought satisfied your cravings and made you happy in the past; look back at what God delivered and saved you from. A right perspective matters. God provides us with everything that we need on this journey. The problem is that it doesn’t always fit in with how we think our life should look.

Today, be encouraged that even in the hardness and the harshness of this life, God will take care of you. You may believe that what you are going through now and the provisions that God is giving you currently are inadequate to meet your needs. But please note that it’s not true.

Look at your life and think about the times you choose to express gratitude to God for what He’s given you instead of complaining to Him about what you do not have. What happens in your spirit when you make either the choice to complain or be grateful? What do you see?

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines gratitude as: “the state of being grateful; thankfulness”. Today, choose thankfulness because the Bible says in Proverbs 17:22 (NLT), “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

I choose to be thankful today and every day. What about you?

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

We acknowledge that You are our God, our Provider, our Source for all that we need. We confess that we have complained against You. Please forgive us for forgetting Your goodness and Your grace. Forgive us for wanting the things of the past and forgetting what You brought us through. Please replace our complaining spirit with a heart of gratefulness. Father, help us when we choose to complain to look towards Your goodness and let praise flow from the inside of us. Lord, I thank you for my friend who is reading this today. Fill his or her heart with joy and remind them that just as You did for the children of Israel, You will do for them too. In Jesus’s name, I pray. Amen.

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Song of Reflection #1: “God I'm Just Grateful” by Elevation Worship & Chandler Moore. Listen to it here.

Song of Reflection #2: “Thank You” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Colette Christopher 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:
Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2367935
Email: Colettemarieonline@gmail.com

Devotionals for the Heart: When God gives you good things to enjoy in life

When God Gives You Good Things

A devotional by Kerry Sue Teravskis

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”—Psalm 103:2-5 (NIV)

Isn’t it wonderful to pause and smell the ocean? To take in a pasture scene with grazing cows and sheep? To observe a newborn baby with his or her mommy? Or to take that first bite of a luscious lasagna complete with herbs and cheese?

There is something so satisfying about these things. The sea salt scented air is breathtaking and soothing all at once. It smells like home for me because I grew up in Southern California with all its beautiful beaches. Nothing can quite replace that scene or nature-made fragrance.

These places are not forgotten because they are etched into my heart and into my mind. They bring up feelings of peace, joy and fun for me. How about you? When you need to escape the doldrums of reality (such as our commute to work, the piles of laundry, the stack of dirty dishes), are you able to recall a place that brings you joy and a smile?

King David, who prior to becoming a king, spent his time as a shepherd, wrote Psalm 103. He begins this Psalm with a call to remembrance of all God’s benefits. Not some, but all. That is a lot of remembering. One of the things David wants us to remember is God satisfying our desires with good things. Notice it is not just one desire, but multiple ones.

What are you desiring right now? A good job? Better communication in your family? Restored relationships? A few more dollars leftover at the end of the month instead of leftover month at the end of your dollars? God does satisfy our desires with good things. The Bible says every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17). God still gives good gifts in this modern day. He meets our needs, but even more, He satisfies our longings, our desires, the deep cravings of our heart.

What are you craving? Yes, there are the “here and now” things, but do you have a deep desire you have shared with no one because it seems absurd? Audacious? Far out there? Have you spoken these out loud to God? He already knows, but He loves to be included in your thoughts and dreams. It is how God shows you His love and direction. He demonstrates His provision and His goodness.

Are you experiencing a season of silence from God? Have you been praying for things for quite a while and yet no answer is the answer? I’ve been there—for five long years, at one point in my life. God was silent even though I wasn’t. I still read the Bible, prayed, went to church, and served, but there was this void in my life because I wasn’t hearing the voice of God.

Looking back, I can see He was there, but without words. He was enjoying my presence and wanting me to do the same with Him. I’ll admit I did a lot of complaining because I felt words were necessary, but it turns out they are not.

God satisfied me by sustaining me through that time with more than I could ask for—a place to hide in, a shelter, and a strong tower. A yoke to step into, and a green pasture to lie down in. He gave me water from a Rock, and faith handcrafted by His Son, just for me. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus Christ is the Author of our faith. Because of this, we can rest assured Jesus created our faith and He is daily writing our faith journey with Him and giving us what we need to trust Him.

God is good and He does good (Psalm 119:68). Always. He wants us to acknowledge this and to live in faith knowing that whether we choose to see the good does not negate the good He is and does. Let us recognize God’s loving hand in our lives and forget not all His benefits—all of them—and thank Him for all of it. It starts here with a heart of thankfulness. At the end of our time of thanking and remembering, God is there, meeting our desires.

If you’re in a season where you don’t hear God’s voice or receive answers from Him when you pray, just hold on and keep praying. He will provide in His perfect time. God is never late!

Let’s Pray: God, sometimes I forget all Your benefits. I look at the immediate, but You have been there all along taking care of my needs and even my wants. Thank You for blessing me with good and perfect gifts from above. Help me to see them as from Your mighty, powerful and loving hand of provision that is perfectly fashioned just for me. Thank You for satisfying my desires with Your goodness.

Song of Reflection: “Goodness of God” by CeCe Winans. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Kerry Sue’s life is very full because she is a wife and Marmee to three adult children—two of whom are married—and a new grandson. 

Kerry Sue met her husband in college and served on the mission field with him for a few years before settling down back in the United States of America to raise their family.

Kerry Sue’s family was a homeschooling family for 20 years and they enjoyed it immensely. For the last 24 years they have lived on a small farm in Northern California where they have raised many farm animals, along with growing and preserving their food. Kerry Sue’s family farm has been a great source of enjoyment and a place to host many family gatherings. She maintains an open-door policy for dear friends—old and new.

Following and serving Jesus Christ is an integral part of Kerry Sue’s life as well as her family’s. Whether it’s singing in the church choir, teaching children or leading and lecturing at a women’s Bible study, Kerry Sue loves to demonstrate her love for Jesus by giving to Him in service. She’s been a blogger for more than eight years, a Bible study writer for four years, and a devotional writer for more than two years.

Kerry Sue feels led to write about finding God’s Sovereignty in our suffering because of her own ongoing journey of more than four years, with the hope to encourage others.

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Connect with Kerry:
Blog: https://www.sovereignblog.com/home
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerry.teravskis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteravskis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sovereignblog

Devotionals for the Heart: How to have freedom in Jesus Christ

Freedom in the Lord
A devotional by Casey Wayne

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

—2 Corinthians 3:17 (ESV)

As I have become a wife, mother and a more mature adult, God has revealed areas in which I need to grow. God, in His loving kindness, revealed to me that if I would release my weaknesses to Him, He would give me freedom from the stress and fear they were giving me.

Chasing perfection has, and continues, to be an area I have to lift up to the Lord. Maybe you can relate. I love to make plans and have control. The peace and satisfaction I receive when a plan goes as I envisioned can easily become an idol in my life. I start becoming anxious and afraid of what will happen if things do not go the way I expect them to. My peace of mind becomes completely entwined with the results of everything I plan.

I am so thankful for the peace and freedom we have in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 26:3 (ESV) tells us, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Trusting our Heavenly Father and making room for His Holy Spirit to work through our weaknesses allows God to give us that peace. I won’t say this is always easy. It requires that we bring it to the feet of Jesus and trust in God’s faithfulness. Sometimes that means you bring it to Him over and over and over. But as we faithfully pursue Him and spiritual growth, He is faithful to sanctify us. 

Romans 6:22 (ESV) says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” As we learn to do this, God can turn our lives into a testimony for His glory. 

The beauty of the salvation we have in Christ, is that it does not stop there.

Salvation then draws us to obediently seek sanctification. God loves us, saves us and then gives us an opportunity to partner with Him, helping others by sharing our stories of redemption with those who still need to experience the freedom found in Jesus Christ.

Maybe, like me, you need peace and freedom from chasing perfection.

Perhaps you need freedom from shame, fear, or an identity centered on something other than Christ. Whatever sin is weighing heavy on your soul, bring it to God in prayer. Release it into the hands of a faithful Father who wants to replace it with peace and purpose for His glory.

Let’s Pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your redeeming grace through Christ. You faithfully give us hope and peace as we seek You. I bring my heavy heart to you and everything that is weighing me down. Reveal to me anything in my life that does not bring you glory so that I may build a life centered on you. Give me the strength to partner with you as I share my story of freedom in the name of Jesus Christ.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Freedom Reigns” by Jason Upton. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

Casey Wayne is a wife and mother of two children.

She enjoys time with her family doing simple things like movie nights and cooking together.

As a devotional writer, Casey strives to share her story with relatable honesty, showing how God is faithful throughout the big and small moments of life.

She has a heart for encouraging the faith walk of other moms, praying they gain a deeper connection with our Heavenly Father.

Her family lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.

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Connect with Casey:
Website: https://www.caseywayne.org/
Blog: https://peaceoffaith.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseylwayne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Peace.of.FaithCaseyWayne

Devotionals for the Heart: Miracles

A Change of Heart
A devotional by Tessa Huckstep

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” –Acts 16:25 (KJV)

I think each of us has gone to God and asked him to change a big situation in our lives.

Perhaps you have personally asked Him to heal a sick family member. Maybe you have asked Him to get you out of debt. Or perhaps you have asked Him to show you His will for your life.

We pray in earnest, expecting God to answer our prayers as He answered Moses and Elijah. But then, He does not answer our prayers. Not as soon as we would like, anyway. Unfortunately, when we feel God does not care enough to change our circumstances, we turn to ourselves and our own strengths to fix our problems.

Why can we not get God’s attention as the prophets of the Old Testament or as the Apostles of the New Testament had done? We may be led to believe that God does not listen to His people as He did in the Bible. Or maybe we start believing that God is not as great as He was in Bible times. These thoughts could be the most destructive lies we could possibly believe. Maybe the issue does not lie with God, but with our expectations.

God does wonderful things in our lives. He still performs miracles and is still as wonderful as He was in the beginning. But what if God miraculously changed your situation today? Wouldn’t you be back the next day to ask for something more? The miracles are not enough, dear reader. Only the Miracle Worker is enough.

The Miracle Worker is not as interested in your outward circumstances as He is with your internal heart. God desires your heart, and your heart is the focus of His daily miraculous works—the appointed location of divine miracle activity. In fact, God prizes your heart above all else.

God is far more interested in working in your heart, rather than working in your situation. This radical miracle—a miracle of the heart—requires a certain level of submission. We must lay down our own agendas and desires. We must be willing to sacrifice our comfort for His glory. We must be willing to submit to His will and make it ready for His miracle working power.

Consider Paul and Silas in the prison after they had nearly been beaten to death for their faith. They sat in a dark and filthy prison, their hands and feet chained, but their outward circumstances did not affect their internal joy. Those men prayed and sang praises to God while in pain and imprisoned. Later in the story, God would perform an outward miracle and rescue Paul and Silas from the prison, but God had already performed the greater miracle of changing their hearts and turning them toward Himself.

So many times, when I ask for big outward change, I expect an immediate difference.

Thankfully, God is far more patient than me. God first gives me peace. Often, this peace only comes when I still my thoughts and focus on Him. I have to let go of the outward chaos and noise and focus on what is really important. I have to focus on Him. Oddly enough, it is when I am trusting fully in who He is that He begins to orchestrate my situations and works through me.

My circumstances may not change, but troubles and fears seem so small when brought to the light of Jesus. Releasing your worry and unease at His feet is the most freeing thing you will ever do. As a child of God, you no longer have to be controlled by your circumstances. You no longer have to carry your heavy burdens and worries. Give them to Jesus. His hands are always open.

What is the situation in your life that completely overwhelms you? What would it look like for God to perform a miracle in your heart? Perhaps your answers do not lie in working harder or in your own prayer ability. Maybe He is calling you to stillness.

God can give you a change of heart. Simply be still, acknowledge who He is, and ask Him to perform a miracle in the deepest parts of your being. Believe me, dear reader, God delights in entering a humble and broken heart. Let Him enter your heart today and perform the deepest of miracles. When God changes your heart, your outward circumstances will be transformed as you learn to see them through God’s perspective.

Let’s Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for always being patient, even when we do not understand. Our world is plagued with injustice and worries, but we pray that You first perform miracles in us that you may work your miracles through us. Please make our hearts always open to You. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

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Note from Alexis: Tessa’s devotional message today reminds me of this song by Cody Carnes “Too Good To Not Believe”. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

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

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

God’s dream of Tessa becoming a writer was revealed to her at the age of sixteen and she hasn’t been able to stop since. Though she has not yet been published, Tessa enjoys writing historical romance novels and speculative fiction.

Tessa believes God loves stories, and through her writing, she wants to reveal the happily ever after God dreams of for each of his daughters—one where Jesus is the knight in shining armor.

Tessa loves all things Georgian/Regency, needlework, and dainty teacups of every size. When she isn’t writing or studying for exams, Tessa can be found in the kitchen with more flour in her hair and on the floor than in the mixing bowl, though the mess is always half the fun!

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Connect with Tessa:
Blog: https://beautifulbeloved937002841.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beloved.bookworm/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/101227159

Devotionals for the Heart: Worship God with a Thankful Heart

Thanksgiving in Worship
A devotional by Kay Pflueger

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;

make known among the nations what he has done.

Sing to him, sing praise to him;

tell of all his wonderful acts.

Glory in his holy name;

let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Look to the Lord and his strength;

seek his face always.” 

–1 Chronicles 16:8-11 (NIV)

The month of November naturally seems to beget thoughts of gratitude. In the United States of America, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day in just a few weeks. It’s our tradition to gather with friends and family to share a meal and to give thanks to our Lord.

Expressing our gratitude should not be limited to just one day in the month of November. Our personal and corporate worship should always include moments and thoughts of thanksgiving. Is it possible to speak of the love and adoration we have for God all the while ignoring what He has done for us? I don’t think so.

How do you react when you have gone out of your way to do something for someone, and they neglect to say “Thank you?” It is possible to feel taken advantage of and that is not a comfortable emotion. If we feel that way, how might God feel when we neglect to thank Him for His provisions? 

But, before we can truly be thankful to God, we need to have a relationship with Him. We need to trust that He is looking out for us. Once we recognize that we are dependent on Him, we can begin to develop an attitude of gratitude. An outgrowth of that attitude is the desire to worship Him with our whole life—our everyday life, our devotional life, our work life, our home life—and with our whole being. If we choose to worship Him in this way, then our corporate worship in church on the weekends becomes a culmination of the time we have spent worshipping Him all week long. It is a time to celebrate our blessings with our church family.

Gratitude keeps us centered. It takes the focus away from us and places it on the source of our blessings. In our corporate worship, in our private prayer time, in the small and mundane tasks of our daily lives, and in the most earth-shattering moments of life, we always have a reason to be grateful to God for what He has done and what we know and trust that He will do. 

If you are at a loss for words of thanksgiving, I encourage you to read Psalm 100 (ESV) and focus on what He, our Lord, has done for you. Let’s read this song of praise together:

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his; 

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!”

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.”

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we give you thanks for all that you are and for that all you have done for us. It is easy to praise you when life is good. Help us to praise you even when life becomes difficult. Thank you for your never-ending faithfulness to us. You, and you alone, deserve to receive our praise. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty. 

Choosing to share those words in her devotional writings has become a joyful and rewarding experience for her. As a widow, she feels a special affinity towards those who are grieving or experiencing loss.

When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.

Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.

She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.

Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.

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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/

Devotionals for the Heart: The Gift

The Gift of Laughter
A devotional by Tema Banner

“He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

–Job 8:21 (NIV)

As we turn the calendar to November, we who live in the USA think of Thanksgiving.

Many people in this country favor this holiday. Families and friends gather for the sole purpose of breaking bread and speaking aloud those things for which we are thankful. This holiday, more than any other, speaks to the heart of how God created us: as beings created to glorify Him with praises of thanksgiving and joy and to serve kindness up to our fellow man.

Family, health, and employment usually top the list of items on our gratitude list. But what God placed on my mind and heart to be thankful for today is laughter.

I was surprised to discover that the book of Job is tied with Genesis for the most mentions of laughter. If you have ever read the suffering and sorrow that Job endured, you too are likely surprised. Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday for many years. But now as November arrives, I have other memories that darken my mind ahead of our family gathering. The first day of November marks the anniversary of the passing of my son, Steven.

Thoughts batter my mind of what I could have done differently, with hopes of a different outcome. Laughter is in short supply the week leading up to the first, fighting the threat of tears is more the order of the day. Laughter is one of the many joys that Steven brought into the lives of those he knew. The beauty is that laughter did not leave this world with him. God never promised an easy life or one that would fall into place as we plan. Life can change in a matter of seconds and leave you wondering what happened and asking if you will ever be able to smile again, let alone laugh.

Laughter is vital to our recovery, even when it is laughter through tears. The more I remember the laughter my son brought into my life, the more I laugh anew at his antics, and the more my heart heals. I realize that as Sarah said in Genesis 21:6, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Laughter is indeed a gift, and it is not the only one that helps us heal. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that having a cheerful heart is also beneficial to our livelihood and health. These are gifts from God that we do not always think of when we are counting our blessings.

We live in a world that is bent on destroying the good gifts that God has bestowed on us. Therefore, we would be wise to cultivate the laughter and cheerfulness in our lives.

How can we do this?

First, ask God to open your eyes and your heart to the blessings He has given you. Sometimes we become accustomed to what we have, and we no longer recognize it as a gift from our loving Father (God).

Second, our brains are wired to think negatively, but we can change this by taking simple steps, such as writing out a scripture of hope and meditating on it, place it on your mirror so you’ll see it first thing every morning.

Third, recognize negative thoughts, give them to God and replace them with a positive thought.

It won’t happen overnight, but eventually you will create a good habit of positive thoughts which will make it easier to laugh and give you a cheerful heart.

Do you have an activity that brings you pleasure that perhaps has gotten lost over the past two years? My activity is walking. I enjoy nature and it is a special time between me and Jesus. Surprisingly, working from home seems to have curtailed my walking. It is important to push away from the world of work and take a stroll with God. He will refresh your soul and return laughter to your lips, just as He promised.

Let’s Pray: Thank you God for the beautiful gift of laughter! When I hear it flow uninhibited from the mouth of a toddler, I recognize what a beautiful gift you have given us. Thank you, Lord, for the memory of past laughter that still brings us joy. Lord, this Thanksgiving season bind the hearts of those who mourn with Your everlasting, unstoppable, love. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Writing stories that take the reader on a journey to parts unknown has been a lifelong love for Tema. She enjoys all history and continues daily to hone both her knowledge of history and her writing skills. 

God is her guiding light and the reason for every endeavor in her life. She is a member of the South Carolina ACFW chapter as well as an active member of her local RWA chapter, Carolina Romance Writers.

Tema has served as past President and Secretary as well as holding various chair positions of her local RWA Chapter, Carolina Romance Writers. She is the honored recipient of the Harold Lowery Service Award, presented by the Carolina Romance Writers.

God has gifted her with a loving husband, two children and four grandchildren who are the delight of her life.

In her spare time, she gardens and digs into genealogy for nuggets to use in her stories.

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Connect with Tema:
Website: https://temabannerauthor.com
Blog: www.temabannerauthor.com/blog
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temabanner/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/tema.banner

Devotionals for the Heart: Why we should thank God at all times

Give Thanks at All Times
A devotional by Patricia Russell

“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

– Psalm 34:1 (NKJV)

Have you ever found yourself in a place where you've questioned what the Bible has to say?

I get the feeling your answer is a loud, "Yes!"  If it weren't, I would have to check your pulse. Because to be honest, I've had to question if the Word really means what it said many times, especially when life is hard, and when life takes a turn in a completely different direction than you planned.

David, the chief songwriter of the Bible book of Psalms, asked a lot of questions too. There was a time (1 Samuel 30) when his family was kidnapped, and his household ripped apart, and he must have asked God how could He let this happen.

The enemy came and ransacked his camp and took not only his wives and cattle but the possessions of his fellow fighters. David perused the damage done, and he did what any human being would do – he wept. And then he did something remarkable. Would you believe that this man did something while in the pit of despair that most of us would find deeply difficult to do? In the midst of the pain, he began to encourage himself in the Lord. This is what the scripture encourages us to do. David may have sounded something like this, "Self, it's going to be alright. Self, be encouraged. Self, bless the Lord!”

Throughout the book of Psalms, we can see where David encouraged and strengthened himself. 

Let’s read three examples:

Psalm 42:11 (NIV): “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 18:5-6 (NKJV): “In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.”

Psalm 34:1 (NKJV): "I will bless the Lord at all times. His praises shall continually be in my mouth."

So where do you gather that kind of strength to give thanks in the midst of pain and disappointment? This is not an overnight lesson, but it is learned behavior. 

Today, wherever you find yourself, make a conscious effort to bless the Lord, to give thanks in all things. Remember, this is the will of God plainly written for is to obey. Tell your will to get on board and in all things give thanks.

David had learned how to worship God for who He is. He learned to praise God in his struggles. He practiced praise and it became a habit. He was honest with his pain, and his grief and developed a pattern of looking up to God especially in his darkest hours.

There will come many times in life when there is no human being to look to for what you need so I implore you to develop this habit to bless the Lord at all times, so it becomes natural.

I encourage you to give thanks at all times and in everything (1Thessalonians 5:18). Giving thanks develops a habit of gratitude is life-changing it affects or perspective and gives us the grace and the power to truly stand in the storms of life, knowing that God will carry us through.

Let's Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that in the middle of the storms you are with me. You are aware of everything that is happening and I am thankful. Today and every day I am thankful for your lovingkindness which is better than life. Help me to remember this at all times, in Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

*Note from Alexis: Patricia’s devotional message today reminded me of the song “Find Rest” by Francesca Battistelli. Listen to it here.

~*~
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: Blessings

Name Your Blessings
A devotional by Chaplain Paul Anderson

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.”

–1 Samuel 2:1 (KJV)

Recently, I was divinely prompted to review the Prayer of Jabez, found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.

In this Scripture, the obscure character named Jabez prays for the blessing of expanded territory, not solely for his own exaltation. He wanted to create distance and differentiation from his brothers who were not as noble and peace loving as he was. He wanted space in order to live a sanctified life in harmony with the will of God. 

Jabez wanted to live where he would not be distracted by the evil that enticed his brothers. He knew what caused pain in his life and he wanted to rise above the den of iniquity so that he would not be a cause of pain in other people. So, God granted what he requested. You have probably heard of the prayer of Jabez. You may have read the book by that title written by Bruce Wilkinson.

Subsequently, I was divinely guided to the story of Hannah in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel chapter 2. Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah who had a second wife named Peninnah. She was fertile and had given birth to several children. Hannah had not given birth, yet. The women contended for Elkanah’s attention and affection. He favored Hannah with more material things than he gave to Peninnah and her children.

In those days a fertile womb was considered a sign of divine blessing. The opposite, was considered, the opposite, a curse. Peninnah reveled in her fertility and lorded her stature over Hannah. When all else failed, Hannah went to the temple and prayed. Soulfully, in speechless anguish, she prayed.

The story says that her prayers caught the attention of the senior priest in Israel, Eli. He chided her for being drunk in the temple. When she protested and assured him that she was not a wicked woman, the priest empathized with her and assured her that God would hear and answer her prayer. God did answer Hannah’s prayer by opening her womb and allowing her to conceive a son who grew up to become one of God’s most legendary prophets. His name was Samuel.

My devotional focus today is not on the ministry of Samuel but upon the prayers of Hannah. Two of her prayers are recorded in the Bible. The first prayer was her request of God that we read about in the first chapter of the Bible book of first Samuel. Hannah’s prayer is for a male child and we read how she made a vow to commit the child to the service of God. The second prayer is quoted in detail in 1 Samuel, chapter 2. It is considered to be a prophetic prayer.

The 17th century Bible commentator Matthew Henry says that this prayer was “dictated not only by a spirit of prayer but by the spirit of prophecy.” Who says women cannot be oracles of God or prophets? Weren’t Miriam and Deborah female prophets of Old Testament fame? Add Hannah to the pantheon of the prophetic women who we read about in The Holy Bible.

The key to this devotional is not the gender of the prophetically prayerful voice but that tenor and tone of the prayer and the mind of the one saying the prayer. Hannah was thankful after God blessed her with Samuel and she dedicated him to serve the Lord. She was obviously and vocally thankful for the interventions of God in her life. Herein is a lesson for each of us. Thanksgiving is not optional.

When we demonstrate with verbosity our thankfulness to God for His manifest mercies, those thanksgivings and praises become the catalyst for even more of His presence and His blessings. Hannah’s first recorded prayer was inaudible, but her praise report was intoned for the world to hear and subsequently record.

Our anguish should be private. However, our deliverances, our enlargements, our victories should, with enthusiasm, be shared. Your victory, your deliverance, and your divinely deposited acquisitions may strengthen someone else in their prayerful pursuits of God.

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, don’t just count your blessings, articulate them. Name them one by one. Share your story about how God’s glory came into your life and changed everything for the better!

~*~
Author Bio:

Chaplain Anderson served for 20 years as a U.S. Navy Chaplain. Over 26 years of active duty, he was promoted through the ranks from Seaman Apprentice (E2) to his final rank as Commander (O5) in the Chaplain’s Corps. 

Prior to his Naval career, Chaplain Anderson pastored in the Allegheny East and Potomac Conferences of Seventh-day Adventists. His undergraduate preparation for ministry was completed at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md.

He has subsequently earned four graduate degrees: a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in Michigan, a Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland and a Masters of Sacred Theology in Religion and Culture from Boston University. His Doctor of Ministry degree was conferred by Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Chaplain Anderson also completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He also holds certifications in Suicide Awareness and Prevention, Civil Mediation, Alternative Workplace Dispute Resolution, Temperament Analysis, Marriage Enrichment, Workforce Diversity, and is a certified Life Coach.

Devotionals for the Heart: Dana's thoughts on thankfulness

Thoughts on Thankfulness
A devotional by Dana McNeely

As a child, one of the first movies I watched on our new 12-inch TV was Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I laughed at “Grumpy,” with his crossed arms, frowns, and for whom nothing seemed to go right, but I wanted to BE like “Happy,” with his irrepressible cheer.

Happy, Happy, Happy

The next day, I resolved to emulate Happy, but a series of events conspired against me. Before school, my sister scribbled with purple crayon on my prized Breyer horse. Later, my best friend Shari ignored me at recess. That afternoon, one of my lock-onto-your-shoes roller skates flipped off as I raced down our driveway, and I skinned up both knees. Later, as I settled with bandaged knees in front of the TV, my mother insisted I come to come to dinner right now, despite pleas that my favorite program, Mickey Mouse Club, was starting.

Smarting from the unfairness of it all, I announced I was running away to live with Shari. Her family also had a TV, and I planned to catch part of my program there. Having forgotten her snit, my friend was glad to see me, but Mickey Mouse Club was over, and so was dinner at her house. As we sat on her bedroom floor playing with dolls, I heard her dad talking on the phone. Was he calling my mom? Did she miss me? My knees smarted and my stomach growled.

Shari sympathized over my scraped knees and said she was getting skates soon so we could race together. Her little brother pranced into the room, grabbed one of the dolls, and ran out whooping.

My little sister wasn’t so bad—cute, really. I was lucky to have roller skates, and next time I’d tighten them better. I wondered what Mom had cooked for dinner. It didn’t really matter—my mom was the best cook in the world.

I asked Shari’s dad to ask if I could come home. In minutes, my dad picked me up. When I said my prayers that night, I thanked God for roller skates, my parents, my little sister, and the Mickey Mouse Club.

Lesson learned?

Sadly the tendency to channel “Grumpy” instead of “Happy” has plagued me throughout life. But I did begin to learn I can choose to look at circumstances in two ways. I can see unfairness, difficulty, and pain. This is the path of resistance, leading to resentment and anger. Or I can see blessing, potential, and God’s leading. This is the path of acceptance, leading to thankfulness and peace.

Easy-peasy choice? Not! The only way to keep our focus on the path of thankfulness and peace is to constantly bolster our spirits with God’s wisdom. When I first wake, I think, “This is the day which the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! Yay!” My version of Psalm 118:24 starts my day right.

When we face difficulty, we can thank God if we remember Psalm 138:8 (CSB) which says, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me. LORD, your faithful love endures forever; do not abandon the work of your hands.”

When we pray, each prayer can incorporate thankfulness. God gave instructions for thanksgiving and praise at certain times. 1 Chronicles 23:30 (NIV) says, “They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening…”

He also tells us to praise him at all times. Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV) says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Good Manners

Remember the ten lepers who Jesus healed?

Luke 17:15,16 (NIV) says: “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.”

This both shames and encourages me. I’m encouraged that a Samaritan, an “outsider” like me, could please Jesus by doing the right thing. I’m ashamed when I think how many blessings I take for granted without thanking the giver of all good gifts. Don’t be like the nine who went away amazed but never thanked the Healer.

A Challenge for you

Pick one activity below and practice it this week:

· A day without complaining. Don’t complain for twenty-four hours. Not once. If you grumble, ask forgiveness, and reset the clock!

· A day of extravagant gratitude. Thank God for everything that comes into your life today. Take notice of little things – a tender leaf, a butterfly spiraling in flight. Look for ways to thank God for even those things that unsettle your soul, like the driver who suddenly dives in front of you and slams on his brakes!

· A gratitude journal. As a writer, I love this one! Start with your Bible’s concordance. Find verses under the topics of thankfulness, praise, gratitude, and blessing. A few to get you started: Acts 3:7-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10. Copy these into your gratitude journal to re-read on days when “Grumpy” wants to take control. Draw pictures or make lists of people, things, and circumstances you’re thankful for.

Please share your ideas and verses in the comments section. I’ll be checking in to read your responses and chat. Thank you for reading my post!

Love,

Dana

~*~
Author Bio:

Inspired by the Bible story of Elijah and the widow’s son, Dana McNeely wondered why the prophet had come to stay with these two. Who were they? What was their life, before? And how did the boy change after dying, seeing the other world … and coming back? 

Dana began research for her novel, Rain, which tells the story of the three-and-a-half-year drought from the boy’s perspective.

No stranger to drought, Dana lives in an Arizona oasis with her hubby the constant gardener, two good dogs, an antisocial cat, and migrating butterflies. She writes biblical fiction, cozy mysteries, and has written for magazines and newspapers. Her short story “Death in the Butterfly Garden” appears in SoWest: Killer Nights (2017).

Connect with Dana on Facebook, Twitter, or DanaMcNeely.com.

Devotionals for the Heart: Thanksgiving and Heaven

Touching Heaven by Giving Thanks
A devotional by Patrick E. Craig

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, come into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” ~Psalm 100:4 (KJV)

The ancient Hebrews had a very structured set of rules by which they performed their worship in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon. These rules were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai along with the Ten Commandments. In these instructions for worship,  God was giving the Jews a glimpse into the heavenly realm. 

This is what The Holy Bible tells us about Moses’ meeting with God:

“For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
~Hebrews 8:4-5 (KJV)

According to my understanding and paraphrase based on my study of the Greek word studies by Wuest Word Studies, what God was saying to Moses was, the pattern I showed you on the mountain – for your earthly worship – is a duplicate of the pattern that happens in the heavenly throne room, when the citizens of heaven worship me.

So the priests knew that if they followed the heavenly instructions they would align themselves with the heavenly realm, and in that way, actually experience the Divine presence. God responded to their faithfulness by revealing Himself to them as a pillar of fire, the Shekinah glory, on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.

The book of Psalms is the liturgy for Temple worship the priests used every day in their tabernacle worship. Step one was exuberant praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 told the priests, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving in your heart, come into His courts with praise.” 

When they followed this instruction, the priests were able to come through the gate of the Tabernacle into his “Courts”—remember that the tabernacle was a copy of the heavenly throne room— and from there, approach the very throne of God (represented on earth by the Mercy Seat) without hindrance. 

Praising and thanking God was the mechanism by which they opened the door into the presence of God. God gave them directions for living and forgave their sins as they stood before the Mercy Seat.

In a modern context God is showing us a way to actually catch a glimpse of the peace and joy that exists in Heaven, and to share that joy – like a down payment on the next life. God knows that the best way for us to deal with our problems is to put our attention somewhere else. And if I am being thankful to God for all the blessings in my life, instead of blaming Him for all the bad things, it’s amazing how the answers to every situation just seem to come, along with real peace.

The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote these words in Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV): “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

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

When we sit down to our Thanksgiving feast this year, let’s remember that giving thanks is the key to his presence and peace in our lives. For it is at his throne that we will find the answer to all our questions and problems. Give thanks.

~*~
Author Bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. 

In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles. The first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, a romantic suspense novel, was published by Patrick's company, P&J Publishing, in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list in three categories for seven months.

The second book in the series, The Amish Princess, a historical romance novel, was released in December of 2016 and was on Amazon's Hot New Releases for over a month. Harlequin recently purchased the print rights for both books for their Walmart Amish series. Patrick also just released Cracking The Indie Egg—A Recipe For Publishing Your Own Book and it is available in most major digital bookstores.

Patrick and his wife Judy, make their home in Idaho. They have two married children and five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

~*~
Connect with Patrick:
Website - www.patrickecraig.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig
Twitter - https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig
Amazon Author page - http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg

A Thought for Thanksgiving Day

A Habit of Praise
A Thanksgiving Day thought from Savanna Kaiser

First of all, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I also want to thank Alexis for inviting me to stop by today. I know you’re all probably busy with family festivities, so I’ll keep this short.

I’ve been reading lately the Sermons on the Miracles by Charles Spurgeon. Every book of his I’ve ever read has blessed me in countless ways and this one is no exception.

The recent chapter I read covered the miracle of Jesus where He healed the 10 lepers and only one returned to thank and praise Him. “Where are the nine?” Jesus asked the healed and humbled one at his feet, but the Samaritan man had no answer for him. He was too busy worshiping the true Physician.

I loved the picture of this meager man made whole. His heart overflowed with gratitude and his simple actions left a legacy for all of us to mirror. If only worship – and less of the world – filled more of our hearts.

Spurgeon writes, “The Lord gives us blessings, new every morning, and fresh every evening, great is His faithfulness; and yet we let the years roll round, and seldom observe a day of praise. Sad is it to see God all goodness and man all ingratitude!”

Today is Thanksgiving and it’s a wonderful time to thank the Lord for His many mercies, but too often I’ve been guilty of letting gratitude slip away all too quickly. Jesus deserves so much more.

Spurgeon adds, “Most of us pray more than we praise…Prayer is not so heavenly an exercise as praise: prayer is for a time, but praise is for eternity.”

I’m so thankful Jesus invites us to come to Him at all times. After studying this miracle in Luke 17, I realized just how important it is for me to come to Him, not just in times of need, but in times of praise. I want it to be a habit of my life. He deserves more praise than I could ever give, but I want to chase after it all the same.

Spurgeon continues, “From the healed leper, we see his humility. “This man fell down at Jesus’ feet; he did not feel perfectly in his place until he was lying there. ‘I am nobody, Lord,’ he seemed to say, and therefore he fell on his face… There is no place so honorable as down at the feet of Jesus. Ah, to lie there always, and just love him wholly, and let self die out! Oh, to have Christ standing over you as the one figure overshadowing your life henceforth and for ever! True thankfulness lies low before the Lord. Added to this there was worship. He fell down at Jesus’ feet, glorifying God, and giving thanks unto him. Let us worship our Savior. We shall never cease to adore him who has delivered us from the leprosy of sin.”

That’s what I want my life to be about. Something my Mom and I do to seek this continual spirit of thankfulness is by writing down notes of blessing throughout the year. We get together close to Thanksgiving Day and read our notes aloud. We’re blessed all over again to see the Lord’s hand in every area of our lives. Memories we cherished and moments we forgot are all recorded on sticky notes. Laughter and tears usually follow.

We look forward to this every year. It never ceases to amaze me of the variety and creativity of answered prayers and God’s many surprises. I encourage you today – and every day – to watch for God’s delights and tokens of His grace. Praying He opens our eyes to see more of Jesus at work in our lives. He’s always there, friends. Sovereign and strong.

Allow me to conclude my thoughts with this quote from the great Charles Spurgeon:

“Let us learn from all this to put praise in a high place. 
Let us hold praise-meetings…Let us pay our praise to Christ himself. 
Personal praise to a personal Savior must be our life’s object.”

Wishing you all a life of Thanksgiving!

~*~
Author bio: 

Savanna Kaiser is a freelance writer of over 50 magazine articles, web designer, blogger, and gardener from the Missouri Ozarks. 

She also serves as the president for her local ACFW group. 

When she and her husband aren't chasing their one-year-old daughter around, they love to hike, kayak, and explore Civil War battlefields. 

Connect with Savanna:
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

Words of Faith: Davalynn's story about trust, thankfulness and two fists

Two-fisted Faith
A Words of Faith story written by Davalynn Spencer

TNT has been on my mind a lot lately—not Turner Network Television or trinitrotoluene, that explosive material with “convenient handling properties.”

I’m referring to a recent personal directive I received from the Lord with this handy acronym attached to aid in my short-term memory loss where spiritual life is concerned.

TNT = Trust and Thankfulness. Two-fisted marching orders.

I’m to walk through each day with Trust in one hand and Thankfulness in the other, regardless of what the day may bring. If I keep one in each hand, I can’t pick up worry or doubt or fear. It’s a simple decree that takes a load off my heart if I let it, much like a similar realization I had years ago in a hospital.

Evening slipped down the pale green walls of the room where our son lay following a motorcycle accident. I shifted in the stiff, plastic chair and watched Jake’s eighteen-year-old body fight to heal itself. And I was furious.

A week earlier Jake had wrecked a friend’s motorcycle on a gravel road near our home in southern Colorado. The friend never came to see him; neither did the boy’s parents. No phone calls, no cards. The disregard cut deeply and I clung to my anger as tenaciously as Jake clung to his life.

In the emergency room the night of the accident, Jake had cried out to his father and me to lift his head. “Just for a minute, Mom. Please, lift my head!” EMTs at the scene had taped him to a body board to stabilize his neck. Unknown to the ER doctors who refused to medicate him for fear of masking injuries or symptoms, the tape around Jake’s head pressed an open wound to the board. I longed to cut the tape and relieve his agony, but I knew it could result in paralysis. Due to summer thunderstorms that downed the Flight for Life helicopter, we waited three hours for a mobile trauma unit to arrive from the Pueblo, Colorado, hospital thirty-five miles away.

Gravel pitted Jake’s back, hips, and face. The accident had cost him his right eyebrow, fractured his skull, and shut down his kidneys. He was nauseous, delirious, and hateful—all common symptoms with a head injury, doctors said.

My husband and I took turns staying with him. We couldn’t leave him alone, and my anger festered. As I tried to sleep in the chair that night, Jesus spoke to me—not audibly, but undoubtedly.

“You have only two hands,” He said. “You cannot hang on to Jake and your anger and Me. Of which will you let go?”

God knew I was angry; He knew I hurt more than I had ever hurt. But He also knew that if I clung to the anger it would destroy me and maybe even my son.

Letting go of Jake was not an option, and I knew I’d never make it through the ordeal without God’s help. As I opened my fingers and symbolically reached for the Lord’s hand, the words of an old worship chorus from Psalm 3 became my unending prayer:

“Thou, O Lord, are a shield about me; 
you’re my glory, you’re the lifter of my head.”

Only God could keep Jake alive and heal his injuries, and He did exactly that. Jake recovered quickly, earlier than the neurosurgeon expected. The Lord indeed lifted his head—and mine from the death-like grip of anger.

Today as an author, I am intrigued by the poetic power of “three,” the trinity-like beauty of three images, metaphors, or examples. But God knows I need a two-fisted faith—something I can hold in each hand—and I praise Him for showing me the power of TNT.

Be anxious for nothing, 
but in everything by prayer and supplication, 
with thanksgiving, 
let your requests be made known to God; 
~Phil. 4:6 (NKJV)

~*~
Author bio: 

Award-winning author Davalynn Spencer writes bestselling inspirational Western romance and teaches writing at Pueblo Community College. 

Her novel, Romancing the Widow, won the 2015 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for inspirational Western fiction, and her recent release, The Cowboy's Bride, was an ECPA and Publisher's Weekly bestseller. 

Davalynn makes her home on Colorado's Front Range with a Queensland heeler named Blue and two mouse detectors, Annie and Oakley. 

Connect with Davalynn:

http://www.davalynnspencer.com

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorDavalynnSpencer

http://twitter.com/davalynnspencer

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5051432.Davalynn_Spencer

http://pinterest.com/davalynnspencer/boards/

Devotional by Mary Manners: Count Your Blessings

'Tis the season of Thanksgiving for everyone living on American shores! It's a holiday that's unique to the citizens of the U.S.A. but the concept of thankfulness can be applied to anyone living on any land, anywhere in the world.

What are you thankful for today? Maybe you're blessed by God more than you realize? 

Mary Manners is visiting the blog today to share her story that will encourage you to "count your blessings" because God is good and He provides for your every need.

Enjoy your time with Mary! :)

~*~
Count Your Blessings
A devotional written by Mary Manners

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

~James 1:2, NIV 

Sometimes I’m so caught up in the day-to-day bustle of life that I forget to thank God for how very blessed I am. The holiday season is a time to reflect…and hopefully take a moment to slow down long enough to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill my life.

I’m thankful for a loving husband—a man with whom a share a real-life romance filled with love and laughter, adventure and fun (I tell my husband he’s cheap entertainment). Tim supports and encourages my passion for sharing the written word with others. He understands that my love of writing is more than a job…it is a ministry. I’m so thankful God brought him into my life.

I’m thankful for my daughter, Danni, who has grown into a beautiful young woman. Danni illuminates my life with her loving, generous spirit. She’s friend to everyone, and has a special place in her heart for the elderly, children, and the hurting. As she ages, I realize with a greater and deeper understanding just how much she is truly a blessing to me.

My friends, especially my precious writing friends, are a reason to give thanks. These wonderful people completely understand when I mention the ‘voices’ that speak to me while I’m writing. They don’t mind if I, from time to time, pause from my daily activities to jot down an idea for future reference. I love them dearly.

But, most of all, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior, who has given all of this and more to me. What an amazing blessing to know His love and grace are never-ending. Even in times of trial, I know that He is working in me to provide for greater things. Thus, I embrace hardships and disappointments as an opportunity to deepen my faith and to grow spiritually. I know that when it is all said and done, He will never give me more than I can handle.

So, as this holiday season stretches before us, I wish you blessings and peace, dear friends. May you take a moment to draw a breath, step back, and count the many blessings that fill your life.

~*~
Author bio: 

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus. 

She loves swimming, running, flavored coffee and Smoky Mountain sunsets.

Mary believes everyone has a story to tell, and she loves to share hers. She writes inspirational romances of all lengths, from short stories to novels—something for everyone. 

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.