Devotionals for the Heart: God Made You and Loves You Unconditionally

As I Am
A devotional by Sara L. Foust

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)

This verse has been on my heart a lot lately. First, when I returned from my mission trip in May. Then it spurred the idea for my recent blog post on my website. And today, again, as I write this newest thought I can’t get this verse out of my mind.

As my friend, Becky, and I drove to a weekend event at the Grainger County Tomato Festival recently, we visited and the topic of our health came up, as it does often. I have struggled with depression since I was a young girl, and many times in my life have wondered why in the world I had to suffer with such a complicated, unseen, stigmatized disease. Years ago my cousin, also Becky, pointed out to me that I shouldn’t feel embarrassed or badly for my disease. It isn’t necessarily something I can completely control.

After all, someone with diabetes or heart disease or arthritis is rarely chastised for having a disease. It isn’t something they can help, after all, right? I am thankful for this reminder and especially thankful for the journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance it created. Since that conversation, God has shown me just how carefully He crafted me. I am precious, like the items at the fair, hand-crafted, unique, and made with care. God didn’t randomly grab a bunch of ingredients and throw them into my DNA pot. No, He hand-picked them with intention, including whatever element it is in my brain that makes me susceptible to depression. I may not understand why I have it. My cousin may not understand why she has RA. My friend may not understand why she has dysautonomia. But I firmly believe, without a shadow of a doubt, there is a reason.

Let’s say that again, there is a reason. Knowing that the Bible tells us “all things work together for good to them that love God,” it must be a good reason, for our good. But more importantly than that, for others’ good. Since I accepted that part of me and began telling my story, God has given me opportunities to encourage others who have similar problems. 

Unless I possess firsthand knowledge of a disease or situation, while I may feel empathetic, it is hard to fully and completely understand the how a person feels. Not the way the person experiencing it does, anyway. Because I know what it’s like in the darkness of depression and the joy of finding light, I can help others who are struggling to find the peace and wonder of God’s love.

It may sound strange to some, but I am thankful for my disease. It makes me a more humble, understanding, and compassionate person. It draws me closer to God, for in the “down” times I must draw close to Him to keep my head above water. And it allows me to understand a niche of people whom I could potentially be blessed to help.

It’s often hard to embrace a diagnosis as a good thing, but I am trying to keep it in a positive perspective and keep my focus on the good that can come from a disease in the form of helping another. And to be thankful for a loving God who created me just as I am.

~*~
Author Bio:

Sara writes Inspirational Romantic Suspense from a mini-farm in East Tennessee, where she lives with her husband and their five homeschooled children. 

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science from the University of Tennessee and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Tennessee Mountain Writers.

Her debut novel Callum's Compass won second place in Deep River Books' 2017 Writer's Contest. She also has a story, “Leap of Faith,” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. Sara finds inspiration in her faith, her family, and the beauty of nature.

When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, camping, and spending time outdoors with her family. To learn more about her and her work or to become a part of her email friend’s group, please visit www.saralfoust.com.

Thankful Thursday: Be Encouraged

It's Thursday and I'm thankful for this song "Encourage Yourself." Listen via the video below before reading what I have to say...



Beautiful song, isn't it?

It speaks to my reality. Since being laid off from my day job two years ago, I have struggled to find another day job that provides me with a steady and sufficient income. My hunt for a new day job has not landed me in a new career...yet!

I say "yet" because I know that God is in control of my real life story and He will lead me to where He wants me to be.

But some days, the weight of everything related to not having a day job really discourages me. I shared these thoughts with a friend today and as we were talking, God brought this song to my mind and I realized that now is the time for me to encourage myself.

So instead of lamenting over defeat, I'm going to speak victory.

Instead of worrying about my human (and therefore finite) timeline for my own life, I'm going to trust God's Divine (and therefore infinite) timetable for my life.

Instead of rehearsing the difficulties in my mind, I'm going to be still and know that God is God, as He advises me in Psalm 46:10, and use that energy to pray more to Him.

Instead of complaining about the big size of this mountain, I'm going to tell this mountain that my God is bigger and He can move it for me.

Ultimately, I'm going to work on encouraging myself and trusting in God's perfect timing.

If you too are experiencing defeat in any area of your life, I challenge you to bring your concerns to your Creator (God), pour out your heart to Him then listen to this song again and practice the art of encouraging yourself in the Lord.

Know that I'm praying for you too!

God bless your dear heart.

Love,

Alexis

Devotionals for the Heart: Following

“Who are you following?”
A devotional by Melissa Henderson

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

- Matthew 4:19 (NIV)

Every time I read Scripture, I learn something new. In every life circumstance, each verse reveals something amazing and enlightening. A feeling of peace comes over me when I pick up my Bible and open the pages.

There are times when I am not searching for a particular passage. Those times, I simply open the Bible and see where the pages land. Today, the Bible opened on this Scripture in Matthew.

Matthew 4:19 gives me a reminder to look at my life and see who I am following in every moment. In this Scripture, we are told how Jesus had just begun His preaching in Galilee. He met fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew and invites them to join Him. Jesus tells them He will make them “fishers for people”.

Can you imagine the setting? Close your eyes and picture the water lapping against the side of the boat, fishermen standing while throwing their nets in and out of the water, a daily routine.

Here is Jesus. Encouraging them the join Him. Did they understand his meaning of making them “fishers for men”? Discussion could have gone on for a while. Debates about whether they should go with Jesus or not could have occurred. Did they discuss for a long time or did they answer quickly? Continuing to read the book of Matthew, we can learn more.

If they truly became “fishers of men”, would they be able to bring others to Jesus? So many questions. Those fishermen had to make a decision.

Every day, we have to make a decision in our own lives. Are we going to follow Jesus and show His love to others? Or are we going to make a decision to follow someone or something else? Temptation is all around. 

Making the true decision to follow Jesus allows us to show others His love, through our words and our actions. We never know when someone is affected by something we speak or some action we take.

Perhaps while standing in the grocery line, we notice a person behind us with only one item to purchase while we have a cart full. We let that person go ahead of us. That’s showing God’s love.

Maybe we are taking a walk in the neighborhood and see other neighbors. We pause to say hello and have a chat. Listening and hearing to what the person shares is another way of showing God’s love.

Or even in our own families, do we truly forgive and forget a wrong done to us? I have heard people say forgiving family is harder than forgiving friends. Who are we following if we don’t have forgiveness in our hearts?

If we rush by opportunities to show God’s love, who are we following? Are we following material things or thinking only of ourselves? Life can be very busy, with activities, daily routines, and definitely unexpected events. Do we pause, reflect and remember to follow the examples Jesus provided? Love, care, compassion. Or are we so concerned about the next minute that we move ahead without showing His love?

I pray that we will all follow Jesus each day. What a difference we could make if we became “fishers for people”.

Look around and see how you can show God’s love to others.

Have a blessed day,

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 a 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.

Devotionals for the Heart: On Helping

Helping others is loving others
A devotional by Jessica Brodie

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 

—1 John 3:18 (NIV)

I’m not sure when or why I started having trouble accepting help from others. Constructive criticism is fine, and words of wisdom are always welcome. But accepting actual physical help—whether that’s someone teaching me to use a weed-eater or taking my kids for the day so I can write—is difficult for me. I fear I’m taking advantage of my friends, or I’m being a “mooch” or a “taker.” I get flashbacks of a mine-mine-mine childhood when I’d hoard my lunch or my toys, and I fear I’ll backslide into that slippery slope of selfishness.

If I’m being brutally honest, I think deep down I’m also worried I’ll be indebted to someone else. And yet I love to help others—not because it makes me feel like big-shot Jessica to the Rescue, either, but because it feels good to let my servant’s heart soar and do stuff for people. I offer to host playdates and bring my friends’ kids to and from places frequently. I don’t ever feel like they’re less than me, nor do I feel they owe me something or that they’re taking advantage of me.

So why when it’s my turn to be on the receiving end do I feel so uncomfortable about it? The other day, I had a full slate of activities and appointments lined up, including a summer camp and two performances for one of my kids, but my husband’s car unexpectedly needed service—and he needed to borrow mine to drive to the other side of the state for a meeting.

I texted a few pals, and all of a sudden I had friends to the rescue! One friend brought my daughter to kids’ worship music camp so I could work from home. Three hours later at lunchtime, another friend drove all the way across town to pick me up so I could see my daughter’s camp finale performance, then dropped me back off at home and took her on to their house for a swimming playdate, then brought her home hours later. A third friend brought her to the theater that evening, and when my husband finally got home, I hopped in the car to go watch her perform.

At first, it didn’t seem so bad to be carless and relying on friends to get everything done, but by the time the evening rolled around, I felt like a colossal scrounger. I kept apologizing and thanking people all over the place, not to mention furiously calculating exactly how and when I could reciprocate their kindness.

Finally, one of my friends gave me a patient smile and said, “Girl, please. Friends do this stuff for each other. It’s really no sweat.”

She’s right. John the Evangelist writes in his first epistle that we should “not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18, NIV). Helping others, caring for others, feeding others—anything we physically do for others is a way to show love for others, and love is something Jesus specifically calls us to do. In fact, we’re not just to show this extravagant love for friends but for all—strangers included. Enemies included.

Accepting help from my friends is allowing them to be obedient to God by showing love for me...and that’s always a good thing.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Jessica Brodie is a Christian author, journalist, editor, blogger, and writing coach. 

She is the editor of the South Carolina United Methodist Advocate (AdvocateSC.org), the oldest newspaper in Methodism. 

Learn more about her fiction and read her blog at http://jessicabrodie.com.

Summer Stories: Proverbs 31 Woman

Pride, Despair, or Surrender?
A guest post by Autumn Macarthur

Have you ever compared yourself to other people then felt inadequate or second-best? I admit I have! far too many times than I should.

Other girls at school, especially the ones who had the coveted 36 color pencil set in the metal box when I had the cheapest possible set of 12 in a cardboard box. And the ones who could speak and sing in front of the class when I was painfully shy and choked up every time.

Then there was my sister, so much prettier, with beautiful long black hair and darker skin, while I had gingery hair and freckles. So much more talented at things I had zero talent for, like drawing.

In my teens, comparing went into overdrive. Who was prettier? (Nearly everyone - I had terrible spots!). Who had more friends? Who did the boy I was crushing on like better than me? Becoming a Christian didn't change the comparisons, just changed the things I compared. Who had read more of the Bible? Who was the better witness? Which camp counselors brought more of their cabins to know Christ?

Though I grew out of the spots, I didn't grow out of the comparing!

But comparing ourselves with others carries risks. It can lead to jealousy or despair. Judging ourselves harshly, we can give up even trying. Or we may think we're doing so much better than those we compare ourselves to, giving an unhealthy sense of pride and complacency.

Neither is what God intends for us!

Comparing can be a positive thing, done right. Having role models further along the journey than we are can teach us. As an author, I learn so much from the way more successful authors do things. As a Christian, I learn so much from other Christians who are bearing spiritual fruit in their lives. We can celebrate others’ successes, rather than feeling less than.

In my story Imperfectly Proverbs 31, Samantha Rose has a big issue with comparisons. All her life, she's compared herself to her mother and sister, both gifted homemakers and Proverbs 31 women. Unlike her, who flunked Homemaking 101. She's given up on trying to cook or keep house. That's why God invented pizza places, right? And a tomboy like her working in IT doesn't need homemaking skills, anyway.

Until she's forced into homemaking when she agrees to care for her sister's five-year-old twins for the summer!

Suddenly, Sam needs a crash course in cooking. But more than learning how to bake the perfect pie, Sam needs to learn that God has given us different abilities for a purpose. She isn't less-than because she has talents in some areas but not in others. In His eyes, we're all equal. Equally valued, equally loved.

She needs to learn a real Proverbs 31 woman isn’t a woman who excels at everything. She’s a woman who says "Yes" to God.

Any time we find ourselves comparing, we can hand any unhelpful emotions over to Him, trusting that He has a loving plan and purpose for every single one of us. He created us as we are for a reason. And His reasons are always good, even when we can’t quite understand them yet!

Read Psalm 139:13-14 (The Voice):

For You shaped me, inside and out.

You knitted me together in my mother’s womb long before I took my first breath.

I will offer You my grateful heart, for I am Your unique creation, 

filled with wonder and awe.

You have approached even the smallest details with excellence.

Your works are wonderful; I carry this knowledge deep within my soul.

~*~
Author Bio:

Autumn Macarthur is a USA Today bestselling author of clean Christian inspirational romances with a strong touch of faith. If you love happy-ever-afters, sweet romance, and Hallmark movies, chances are you’ll enjoy her stories!

Originally from Sydney, Australia, she now lives in a small town not far from London, England, with her very English husband (aka The Cat Magnet), and way too many rescue cats for their tiny house! 

A recent addition to the family are two guinea pigs. For such small creatures, they have amazingly huge personalities.

When she’s not feeding cats, she hand sews, reads, and most of all she writes heartwarming stories of love and faith. With every story, God teaches her the exact same lessons her hero and heroine need to learn to commit to their forever love.

She’s also blessed with a chronic health issue that has changed her life in the way it limits her. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s come to give thanks for the gift hidden in the illness — the way it’s taught her patience, brought her into a greater dependence on God and given her a far deeper appreciation of His love and provision.

~*~
Book Blurb for Imperfectly Proverbs 31:

To help her archeologist sister, geeky Samantha Rose agrees to swap her black T-shirts and diet of pizza and ice-cream for a pretty apron and a summer caring for her adorable twin nieces and their Newfoundland dog in Huckleberry Lake, Idaho. How hard can it be?

When Perfectly Proverbs 31, the blog she starts to reassure her sister, unexpectedly goes viral and everyone believes she really is a wonderful homemaker, Sam reluctantly needs to keep up the pretense. If she doesn’t, she risks ruining everyone’s summer. The girls’ over-protective grandma will surely swoop in to take them away from her.

Forced by his boss to interview Sam then take a vacation, a month at the lake with nothing to do but write a fluff piece is burned-out city crime journalist Daniel Novak’s worst nightmare. But he finds her surprising and delightful, as her attempts to impress him with a picnic go horribly wrong. Time with Sam could restore his lost faith in people — and in God.

Can Ms. Klutz-in-the-Kitchen transform herself into a Proverbs 31 woman in time to stop him from revealing the truth about her blog? And what will happen to their growing love when he does?

~*~
Buy Autumn's book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Autumn:
Website/ blog: http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com
Mailing list sign up: http://faithhopeandheartwarming.com/sign-up-here-3/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/autumnmacarthur
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AutumnMacarthurinspirationalromance
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/autumnmacarthur
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8522441.Autumn_Macarthur
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/autumn-macarthur

~*~

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

Devotionals for the Heart: Silence

On Quietude and Silence
A devotional by Lisa Lickel

“Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” 
–Habakkuk 2:19-20 (ESV)

In his book, Freedom of Simplicity, Richard J. Foster says, "Silence frees us from the need to control others. One reason we can hardly bear to remain silent is that it makes us feel so helpless. We are accustomed to relying upon words to manage and control others. A frantic stream of words flows from us in an attempt to straighten others out. We want so desperately for them to agree with us, to see things our way. We evaluate people, judge people, condemn people. We devour people with our words. Silence is one of the deepest Disciplines of the Spirit simply because it puts the stopper on that."

Have you ever been in a meeting or a group activity at which one member verbally overflows and can’t find the shut-off valve? How does that make you feel? For me, I tend to go through the cycle of compassion for the speaker, then boredom about the third repetition, then wrestle with the desire to cut in and state my opinions, then frustration that I can’t get a word in edgewise, then disappointment or even anger if there’s a facilitator who won’t do his or her job and keep the purpose of the meeting flowing.

We tend to be afraid of silence—of the quiet—don’t we? The child who is quiet too long, the space between question and answer, the degree between deciding and decision. Am I wrong? Are they going to make of me? You’re wrong and I have to tell you why.

When we bought the property where we now live, my husband and I had a five-year discussion about where to eventually build the house. He had his reasons and I had mine. Mine had to do with the desire to be far away from the road and not be able to see neighboring houses. His had to do with the expense and work of maintaining a lengthy driveway. It wasn’t a contest and we each won. One of the common observations guests point out is “It’s so quiet.”

Except for the birds and the farm noises of our neighbors and the occasional clip-clop of horses and buggies, and the pheasant who crows at five thirty every morning outside our bedroom window, I think But yes. Exactly. Our home is a refuge from clamor. But there is still that meeting of the volunteer association, Bible study, of neighborhood get-togethers where we run into “motor mouths.” 

As I grow in my refreshed faith, I am learning the practical aspects of quietude at home and in public. I appreciate the positives of what happens when I don’t run off my mouth, or even my thoughts, desperate to get my point across. You know the biggest benefit? I listen much better, and not just like the birds and the clip-clop of horses. I can hear the quiet places in my neighbors’ hearts and appreciate their beautiful made-in-Christ’s-image faces. Quite often, someone else in the group has the same thing to say that was on my heart and has a much better explanation.

We are siblings and heirs, or we need to be. Sometimes the Gospel is best modeled through a quiet attitude, and in silence.

My prayer: Thank you, Father God, for two ears and one mouth, and an open heart.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives in the rolling hills of western Wisconsin. 

A multi-published and award-winning novelist, she also writes short stories and radio theater, is an avid book reviewer, blogger, a freelance editor, and workshop leader. 

She is a member of Chicago Writers Association and part of Novel-in-Progress Bookcamp and Writing Retreat, Inc., mentoring writers from across the U.S.A. and Canada.

~*~
Connect with Lisa:
Website: http://www.LisaLickel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisalickelauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/lisalickel
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lisajlickel
Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/2bPxi2X

Devotionals for the Heart: Home

A Place Called Home
A devotional by Patrick E. Craig

Wallowa Lake, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, is one of my favorite places on earth. You head up from La Grande, Oregon through Elgin, over the Minam Grade, down the Wallowa River canyon, and suddenly you drive out into the most incredible valley, with green fields, flowing streams, and snow-capped mountains rising straight up all around you. 

It’s called the Switzerland of America, but it beats Switzerland all hollow. Wallowa Lake is set like a jewel, right at the head of the valley just past the wonderful little town of Joseph. I spent much of my childhood roaming the mountains around the lake, trout fishing, hiking, camping… I have always dreamed of living there.

But what I have learned after many long years in this broken world, is that even the most beautiful place on earth will pale in comparison to the glory that awaits us when we come into our inheritance in Christ and are seated in Him, in heavenly places, ruling and reigning over the new heavens and the new earth.

We are so focused on the earth, and our life here, that we forget that this creation is corrupted – forever spoiled and useless to God, because of the rebellion of a proud creature named Lucifer. One day, our God, who is a God of love, but also a God of righteousness who must judge sin, will complete His judgment of this corrupted sphere and it will melt in the fervent heat, to be replaced by a garden of unbearable beauty.

If the places I love on this earth are beautiful beyond description, then it is impossible for me to comprehend the wonder of His coming new creation… and how big the trout will be…

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only they but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body." ~Romans 8:22-23 (KJV).

~*~
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