Eastertide Thoughts

strengthforthekingdom.blogspot.com

During this Eastertide season, the time between Easter and Pentecost, I am re-using a Lenten study book titled 40 Days to Decrease by Alicia Britt Chole. This marks the third year I have read and studied it. The following entry is the result of thoughts I experienced last year.

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, Matthew 14:22-23 (ESV)

Jesus heard of John’s cruel death. He “withdrew to a solitary place in order to pray, reflect, and grieve. People found Him anyway. He showed his compassion for them. Our Lord preached and healed those who requested it. Then, He sent his disciples on ahead and retreated back to solitude again.

I have heard and read that our modern world chooses not to honor grief. As I observed people when I grew up, I saw people act “back to normal” the next day after a funeral of a family member or someone close to them. The idea of grief being a personal issue escaped my youthful mind and heart.

In old movies set in the 19^th Century, a woman was expected to wear black clothes for one year. This, to me, seemed to be for public show.

In my research on grief, I have discovered experts have divided the grief process into at least five, and as many as ten steps. An interesting fact is these experts cannot tell us how long a person will spend in each step or in what order one experiences them.

As I read about Jesus’ seeking solitude, not once but twice, tears came to my eyes. I know that I have not been allowed to grieve certain losses from my family at the time of the losses. However, eventually, I have gone through the process each time.

Some points about grief:

1.)    Grief is an emotion that has to be dealt with.

2.)    It is personal. No two people grieve in the same way.

3.)    It takes time to get through the process.

4.)    We who believe in Christ are not to grieve as one who has no hope.

    (1 Thessalonians 4:13, ESV)

5.)    Each of us will experience grief each time we lose a friend or a loved one to death.

Teach Us to Number Our Days/A Give-Away

I have been reminded by a fellow blogger that I have not said anything about my book for quite some time. Here is a devotion from Times of Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy

Teach Us to Number Our Days 

Amazon.com

“So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

Moses prayed this as part of a prayer in the book of Psalms. He asked God to instruct him and his people to order their days. We also need to learn to do this. Moses stated the reason for prioritizing their daily activities—so they could learn and become wise people.

In our twenty-first century world, many activities call out to us, usurping our time. Just watching television can cause us to waste time. Our time spent on the computer can also take a chunk of the day. I try to practice moderation in these activities. From time to time, I create a chart—a timetable to help me gain ground in this uphill struggle to manage time.

For Your Thoughts:

1.         List three things you can do this week to help you better manage your time.

2.         How can you manage time to establish better habits?

If you leave a comment about your struggles with time management in the area below, I will enter your name into a drawing for a chance to win a free copy of my book. All I ask in return is that you post a review of it on your blog and on Amazon. This giveaway has to be limited to the United States. It will be open for one week, until Tuesday, April 10th.

We are having a season of rain here in central Indiana. Hubby told me we would have this ‘liquid sunshine’ for a whole week.  We have to remember that April showers bring May flowers.

Thoughts on Prayer (part 1)

Quiet Spirit.

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)

I picked a book out of a basket in my writing room. The title of the book, “If my people. . .”, a 40-day prayer guide.  I leafed through it and decided to use it in the 40 days of Lent. Later in the day, I realized how I could utilize the passage 2 Chronicles 7:14, as a beginning point of my Lenten observance.

God speaks to Solomon on the occasion of dedicating the Temple. He says some very pointed things.

The LORD speaks of what His people, you and I have to do. We have to pray. He tells us if we pray, not if we share our concerns with our best friend, or talk about someone behind their back. He will respond.

When we pray, we are to humble ourselves. We are to realize that we are sinners and that He is the only perfect being.

As we prepare to pray, we are to seek His face. We are to earnestly make our way into our prayer closets and shut the door and spend quantity time in prayer. We need to spend time with Him to strengthen our relationship with Him. We should attempt to keep our ‘on the run’ prayers to a minimum.

Then, and only then, will God hear our prayers and forgive our sins and heal our land. God’s actions are contingent upon the condition that we spend time in prayer to Him.

These were some of my thoughts on prayer at the beginning of Lent.

The Potter's Hand

We sang this praise song this past Sunday as a part of our Palm Sunday worship. I love the chorus. It is my desire that God will complete the actions in the verse for myself and for all who follow Him.



The Potter's Hand


Beautiful Lord, Wonderful Saviour
I know for sure, all of my days are held in your hands, crafted
into your perfect plan
You gently call me into your presence guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me, dear Lord, to live all of my life through Your eyes
I'm captured by Your holy calling
Set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
Lead me, Lord, I pray

Chorus:
Take me, Mould me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the Potter's hand
Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the Potter's hand

you gently call me into your presence guidin me by your holy spirit
teach me, dear Lord, to live through your eyes
I'm captured by you holy calling
set me apart, I know you're drawing me to yourself
lead me, Lord, I pray

Repeat Chorus

http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/d/darlene_zschech/the_potters_hand.html

RJD Reunion, Where I Am in Writing

Galleryleather.com

Several years ago, I happened on to a blog site belonging to a woman who later became known as Enthusiastically Dawn. She had an event  called Random Journal Day.  We  pulled out our old or our current journals and shared with the others and whoever else read our blogs. By participating, I got to know other bloggers and what they wrote about.

Lately, I haven’t been journaling on a regular basis (I know, shame on me.) I did decide after reading another RJD person about her activities to at least open my most recent journal book and see what I could find that might be of interest to patricipate in this reunion.

Journal Entry Dated 2/16-17-2017

2/16

I received a phone call from my dear friend Martha. She was uncharacteristically upset. Her sister-in-law, Wilma, was unexpectantly taken to a nursing home on Tuesday night. Martha was visiting her at the facility. As she left, she ran into her brother and one of their daughters.

Her brother was going to see his doctor. He was severely dehydrated. His daughter was told he’d have to drink 64 ounces of water to get hydrated. That day he was going to the ER for a related circumstance.

Martha asked me to pray over the phone for her and her kin. We prayed and then we talked for a bit. I told her, “I wish I could say everything was going to be all right, but, I can’t. She understood what I meant. At our age we know things can “go south” quickly. We both know our lives are in God’s hands.

When she went to see Wilma, she read today’s devotion from Jesus Calling. It was perfect for where Wilma was. She also took a book by my friend Jeanette Levellie and read some of the stories to her. (Martha said she took Jeanette. The way she said it made me laugh.)

2/17

I e-mailed Jeanette and shared with her about Martha “taking Jeanette with her.” I also shared with her that Wilma enjoyed the stories .Jeanette thanked me for passing the story on to her. She told me she had become discouraged about her writing. I felt I had been used by God.

Present day Things

Both Hubby and I were down with the Influenza A. I had to go to the ER with him one Sunday in February. They admitted him due to another issue that was going on. I realized the next day that I might have caught it also. After getting into our doctor on the next day (Tuesday,) I had to go to the hospital to bring Hubby home. He walked out of the hospital and I got to ride in a wheelchair.

I was down for about 3 ½ weeks. I did not writing. I did no research on my new book. I did no investigating of where I could try to do book signings for my published book. I am still in a quandary what to do with promoting it. I really need some people to pray about this for me.

I am just getting back to wanting to write again. I have several letters of encouragement to write and I have three more to write.  I hope to review two books I have read. These are written by authors I personally know. I also am awaiting a book to come from a publishing company that I will be reading and reviewing.

Light

Godsongs.net

Again, Jesus spoke, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 (NRSV)

In our lives, due to our humanity, we, as well as others, have times of experiencing darkness. Uncertain times can bring times of fear. Financial difficulties, health crises, unemployment and marital problems all have caused people to begin to doubt themselves.

Some of these issues can cause people to sink into depression. However, there are remedies to looking at things cheerily while others might have a bleak attitude.  I just got off the phone from talking to my Sunday school teacher’s wife. She works in our church office. We go to talking about the weather. She told me our pastor came in today wearing his snowman tie and then went into the kitchen and found his snowman mug for his coffee. His answer to all this is, “You just have to embrace the weather.”

When one is faced with seemingly insurmountable issues in his or her life, we can turn them over to Jesus and let Him smooth out the problems.

I remember in some old movies when a family was facing hard financial times their neighbors would have a ‘rent party.’ At a church we were in, the congregation would hold a ‘pound party’ where the people would each bring a pound of some food item and give the items to the new preacher or do one for pastor appreciation month. Some places call it ‘pounding the preacher.’

Once, when I was a child, we went up to see my great-uncle while my dad was laid-off from his job. As we were getting ready to leave, here came Uncle Charlie carrying an armload of fresh vegetables for us. I didn’t understand why he did this until I was older. He wanted to help us out.

When I was in college, a fraternity house caught fire. That fire was a total loss of the house and all its contents. All the women in my residence hall started donating things-blankets, pillows shampoo, toothpaste, soap, anything that they thought could help those displaced men.

Sometimes, we get to extend Jesus’ light to others. A get-well card, a condolence card, a phone call, or a cheery note just to tell a person we are praying for them will take away the feelings of gloom and sadness. We have times where someone needs to hear a special compliment from us. That thought might lighten their load and brighten their day.

Jesus calls Himself the light of the world because His Father sent Him to cast light into our world and to lead us out of the dark places into which it can lead us.

Praise the LORD for the light Jesus brings to us.

______________

If this looks and sound familiar to you, it's my mistake. I was trying something different and wasn't sure if it would work and I deleted this entry instead of the one I was working on. Please for give me for this error.

World

pinsdaddy.com 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only son. John 3:16a (NRSV)

We learned this verse when we were very young. Have we ever fully understood the ramifications of the message the Apostle John gave us?

What constitutes ‘the world’ for us? For some of us who spend our days at home, the world begins just outside our front doors.  Having recently been ill for right at three weeks, the first day I exited our enclosed front porch the world seemed bright with sunshine.

Some of my friends are employed and their days are spent serving others. One young man is employed at the grocery store where we trade. I sometimes see him there.  Another friend is a certified nursing assistant at a local healthcare facility. She devotes her working hours caring for infirm people. A grandmother I know works as an office worker for a heating and cooling company. All three of these friends have the ability to show God’s love to those whom they serve.

John didn’t say, “For God so loved the rich. . .”

Or, “For God so loved those who are talented. . .” He didn’t say, “For God so loved those who are law-abiding. . .”

John said For God loved (everyone in) the world. . .” That means He loves those in jail or prison, those who are marginally employed, those who are unemployed, those who are homeless, those who are hungry.

I feel the need to expand my world. I also need to listen more to discover what God wants from me.