Friday, July 25, 2014

Unplugging





I will be unplugged from most of my internet activity starting today until August 18, 2014. Our son will be visiting us during the first part of August. I need to get our house cleaned up and get ready and spend time with and enjoy our son.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Book Review: Arms Open Wide


                                                                                                                               
by Sherri Gragg

The subtitle conveys the whole story: A Call To Linger in the Savior’s Presence. Sherri Gragg has taken Biblical accounts from the Old and NewTestaments and set them into scenes through the lens of first Century culture. She provides these stories as devotions, giving the reader at least one scriptural reference to read before each story.

Each devotion has a title page with an Old Testament scripture printed out. At the end of each devotion Ms. Gragg has placed a prayer, each one being the cry of her heart.

Ms. Gragg has spent a vast amount of time in research to bring this collection of stories together. My favorite one is the story of what took place in Gethsemane. It is told in first person, from the point of view of Simon Peter.

A feature I like is the glossary at the back. In the text of the book, she uses terms from the first Century. These words are followed by an asterisk.

I would recommend this book to:
              
·        Parents who desire their children learn more of God.
·        Children’s workers and children’s pastors,
·        People who give devotions at meetings of their ministry group, be it a laity member or a pastor.
·         And to small group leaders.
The price of this book, a hardback, could hold back those on a fixed income



I was given a copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers through the Book Look Bloggers program. All they ask me to do was give an honest review.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Because He Cares for You




“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Peter gives good advice here. He tells his 1st Century readers and us, reading in the 21st, to cast all our fears—anything that makes us uneasy—on God.

He tells us to do this because God cares for us. Also, God can handle any hardship, problem, stressor, or issue we have to give Him. It’s when we think we can keep things to ourselves that we begin to have those fears grow into major problems for us or for those around us. 

When our anxieties kick in, we should say a quick prayer as soon as we can, even while the circumstance is before us. When we give those trials over to Jesus:

•We save ourselves from loss of sleep.
                                                                    When we keep things to ourselves, we find it difficult to relax. Our minds don’t want to shut down.
  • We learn that God is with us.
Some of the best conversations we can have with the LORD happen when we tell Him we can’t handle things without His help.
·We keep ourselves healthy.

                                                              Succumbing to stress can lead to ulcers, high blood pressure,         and  various other disorders.

We have a Savior  who shed His blood for us sp that we could find freedom in Him.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...