FOR WRITERS: LEAVING THE CACCOON

We writers feel happiest sitting in a corner by ourselves, tapping at a keyboard. Preferably, the house is empty. At the very least, the door is closed. We only emerge from our cocoon for coffee and potty breaks, curling back in our chairs to tap the keyboard again in sublime solitude.

Writer’s conferences are a wonderful opportunity to connect with other people in the industry, learn about the craft of writing, and be inspired.

This weekend, our Northern California Christian writers organization, Inspire Writers, had a wonderful 2-day conference. I’ll soon be posting some insights and how they clicked with my own writing, but wanted today to simply urge writers to do whatever they can to connect with other writers.

To read this post, please click here. 

FOR READERS: A CANDLE IN THE DARKNESS

As a writer, I know I’ve only got a few short lines to capture an editor or an agent’s attention. A book only has a few lines to capture a reader’s attention, too. Entire writing workshops are devoted to first pages, first paragraphs and even to first lines. And how to get them right.

So when I read the first two lines of Candle in the Darkness, I knew author, Lynn Austin had hooked me:  The first scream jolted me awake. The second one chilled my soul.

And those first two lines did not disappoint.

To read the full book review, click here.

FOR FAITH: HOPEFULLY DEVOTED

I grew up in a Christian home as a pastor's kid. One ever-present item found on our kitchen table—along with the salt shaker (back when folks used salt), oleo (back when cheaper was more important than healthy) and the daily devotional.

To read this post in full, click here. 

FOR KIDS: FLAG FANCY

Vexillology (veks-ih-LOL-uh-gee) is the study of flags.

Here are some flag facts.

Flag Symbolism

 Flag colors have special meaning. Red can symbolize blood shed in the fight for freedom. White often means peace. Orange represents courage and sacrifice. Black may represent determination, ethnic heritage, or defeating one’s enemies. Blue often represents freedom, justice, or prosperity. Green can symbolize the earth, agriculture, or the Islam religion. Yellow often represents the Sun, wealth, or justice. 

To read the rest of this post, click here.

FOR FAITH: PRAYING NAMES

Each month I create prayers for people we love based on the meaning of their names.

This month, as the friends of Lisa celebrate her life well lived and pray for the dear family she left behind, I focus today’s post on praying that her husband, Dan and their three children will live the meaning of their names.

To read this full post go here. 

FOR WRITERS: BEING YOUR OWN COPY EDITOR

It’s time for a final copy edit of your finished manuscript. Time to find those tiny typos and pesky grammatical and punctuation errors. Time to format the text and the layout for consistency. Time to check facts and make sure that when you send someone to page 47 it’s actually where you want them to go.

The secret to successful copy editing is step-by-step focus. When you copy edit, go through your manuscript looking only at one of the basic issues on each pass. If you try to look at everything at once, you’re bound to miss something. Think focus but with a global view.

To read the full post, go here.

FOR READERS: INTERVIEW WITH CHRIS VONADA

One of my intentions of having a unified website over at CarolPetersonAuthor.com is to encourage other writers and bring them together with readers who will love them.

Earlier this year, I interviewed my friend, Chris Vonada here. You will recognize him as a monthly guest blogger, who shared the 10 + 1 Building Blocks of relationships. He currently has three books published with Amazon, Common Ground…Geology Happens! Believe…And You Say? and All Sorts and Conditions of People.

To read excerpts from my interview, please head over to CarolPetersonAuthor.com.

FOR FAITH: CALL ME GUMBY

I'm posting today over at Jon Stolpe's site. Join me there. Here's a teaser...

Toward the end of June I dropped Jon a line and told him I’d write something “stretchy” for this site. Instantly, a big green Gumby with my face on it appeared in my head. 

Gumby—that guy from the 60s made of green rubber. Pull his leg and it bounces back in place. He’s flexible. He stretches to the fullest and then springs into shape even if things get a little too stretchy. Because Gumby teaches us that we can stretch and even if life gets twisted, we’ll still be alright in the end.

Head over to Jon's to read the rest here.

FOR KIDS: FINANCIAL SUPERHEROES

Many of us learned how to handle money by watching our parents. Then our kids learned from us. Unfortunately, that’s sometimes like making a copy of a copy. Each copy becomes more and more distorted.

What if we started over, learning proper money management and taught kids from where they are supposed to learn rather than from where we are now?

Read the full post here.

FOR FAITH: OZ AND I

This morning Oswald Chambers said that once we understand God’s vision—yet before it has truly become our vision too—Satan sometimes comes in and stirs the pot, making us feel like there is no point in continuing.

Satan has been stirring my cyber pot.

+ + +

Please head over to my website here to read this post in full.  

NEW: FOR WRITERS

Over at CarolPetersonAuthor we start the week with something to entice writer-wannabees.

Ever think about taking your own writing seriously? Read Writing the Dream.

Remember: From Carol's Quill is moving to CarolPetersonAuthor.com permanently...soon.

NEW! FOR READERS

Technical difficulties are slowly being ironed out over at CarolPetersonAuthor.com.

That means From Carol's Quill will be eased out over the next month or so. The good news is that I'll have more good stuff for everyone. And it'll all be in one spot so I'll be easy to find. In case you were looking...

Over at CarolPetersonAuthor.com:

Monday will offer an article about writing.
Tuesday and Thursday will still be about faith.
Wednesday will have something for kids.
Friday will be for readers.

My first FOR READERS post is up today—a book review of a great (and free) Christian ebook. You can find the review here.

I'll still see you here Tuesdays and Thursdays for a while. But why not start making it a habit to head over to my website now?

See you there.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Just a short post to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July.

May God bless America!

FOR LISA

This week our world lost a bit of beauty and heaven became even more glorious. My friend, Lisa died after too many years’ battle with cancer. She leaves her legacy though through her husband and three school-age children. She also leaves a legacy of steadfast faith in Jesus.

Several years ago, I began creating prayers for family and friends. I prayed that they would live the meaning of their names. Here is the prayer I created with my friend Lisa in mind. Over the years I have prayed this for her many times. Anyone who knew Lisa, recognized that God answered that prayer. Lisa truly lived the meaning of her name.

Lisa: consecrated to God

Lord, I pray that Lisa will live her name. I pray that Lisa will be fully consecrated to you in everything she is and does. I pray she will live her solemn dedication to you and that she will be a lighthouse to others so that others, too, will be consecrated to you because of her light. Amen.

Please visit the PRAYING NAMES page to find names of people you love. Then pray that they, too will live the meaning of their names. If you don’t find the name you’re looking for, please let me know and I will create a prayer especially for them.

This is a cross-post with my website: carolpetersonauthor.com. I am in the process of moving this blog over to that site so folks can conveniently find me in one spot. I'll be cross-posting here until everything is in place.

I appreciate your patience and grace during the move.

MORE PRAYING NAMES

Each month I create prayers for people we love based on the meaning of their names. 

These additional names are then added to the ongoing list at the tab to the right titled, “PRAYING NAMES.”

If you don’t find the name of your loved one listed, please leave a comment below. I’ll research it and create a prayer for a future month.

Bernard: bold as a bear; brave; hardy

Heavenly Father, I pray that Bernard will live the meaning of his name. I pray that he will live a life full of courage and that he will bravely speak of your love and salvation boldly. Amen.

Clarice/Clara: illustrious; clear, bright

Heavenly Father, I pray that Clara will live the meaning of her name. I pray that she will understand your Gospel clearly and that she will live her life in such a way that she will be a bright light of your love in this world. Amen.

Ryan: descendant of the king

Heavenly Father, I pray that Ryan will live the meaning of his name. I pray that he will understand the full impact of being a son of the King of the universe and that he will live his life as an ambassador for you. Amen.

Stephanie: crown

Heavenly Father, I pray that Stephanie will live the meaning of her name. I pray that she will wear your crown of glory throughout her life, that her status as adopted daughter of the King will be apparent to all those who meet her. I pray that she will understand the importance of being your daughter and will wear her crown humbly. Amen.

The God-Honoring Courage And Calling Of Nehemiah

This is a guest post from Chris Vonada. Chris is an author and geologist, and also enjoys reading, running, anything outdoors, travel, family, friends, music and life! He writes about his passions at I’m Just Thinkin’ (http://chrisvonada.com). You can also follow him on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ChrisVonada)

At church we've been talking about restoration and the power of unity. One of the books in the Bible that we discussed in our small group was Nehemiah. I wasn't all that familiar with this book and Nehemiah's story before this. It's one of extraordinary leadership and courage, accenting the elements of vision, unity, and commitment.

Nehemiah was a man of action. God wanted him to leave a prominent position in the Persian government to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. Nehemiah followed many exiles who had returned to Jerusalem. This assignment was a big deal to God, and Nehemiah was chosen for his organizational skills and his ability to inspire others to action. When he came to town he inspected the walls and gates and lots of folks fell in line with his directive.

One of the key elements of Nehemiah's success was in prayer for doing God's work and for His purposes. This quest wasn't about Nehemiah. It was all about restoring God's place for the future coming of Jesus. Jerusalem's walls had been broken down and the gates had been burned. After hearing this distressing news, Nehemiah fasted and prayed for several days and received God's calling, favor and blessing to proceed with the task at hand.

This idea of "calling" is key in our society today and I believe is very important in how we will be remembered in the history of Christianity. The story is as relevant today as it was at the time it was written. Recent surveys suggest that we are in the midst of a leadership crisis. Joseph Cavanaugh, the author of "The Language Of Blessing," sums it up this way:

"Western individualism is primarily focused on fulfilling wants and desires. Biblical individualism is about what we have been given for the benefit of others. It is about fulfilling our unique function, contribution and calling.

King David beautifully articulates in many of his psalms how intimate God’s love is for each of us as individuals. Centuries later, in his letters to the Corinthians and to the Romans, Paul emphasizes the great diversity of gifts and functions that exist in the body of Christ. He also points out that each individual’s contribution is indispensable and vital for the benefit of the whole body. A final reality communicated in the parable of the talents and again in the book of Revelation is that each of us will stand before the Lord and give an account of what we did with what we were so generously given—an individual experience.

Healthy self-esteem is simply proper care for ourselves—physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. A self-esteem that comes from knowing we are loved by God and created with purpose allows us to get on with loving and serving others."

Nehemiah served the King of Persia at the time of his calling. He was the cup-bearer, or the dude responsible for making sure that the wine and drink given to the King were safe to consume. How? Well, Nehemiah often tasted every provision before the King did. It was a very important and prestigious position, a great honor. However, it wasn't his calling and when God summoned Nehemiah to duty the faithful servant gracefully asked the King to be relieved of his role as the cup-bearer. It was as dramatic as the fisherman Peter dropping his net and stepping off the boat to follow Jesus.

How do we find our calling? Calling is found through a relationship with the Holy Spirit, and it begins with self-awareness(Click To Tweet). Don't spend so much time running away to realize what you could be running toward. Identify your gifts and talents, then pray to the Lord to show you the way in how to best apply them.

After inspecting the wall and gates, Nehemiah said to the people, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18

 

The task at hand may have seemed enormous, but with God's help and support the effort was united and accomplished. After Nehemiah identified his calling, he used his gifts and talents to organize and inspire others to help. If you read through the book of Nehemiah you will find the names of many who rallied in support of God's glorious purpose. Of course, there were pockets of dissension. There are today, and always will be. Not to worry though as we already know the end of the story...

"So the wall was completed on the 25th of Elul, in 52 days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." Nehemiah 6:15-16

Don't want to be the leader? Lead, follow, or just step out of the way. Either way it's time to pony up and ride. It's all about courage, and identifying then following God's calling.

How do you think of calling? Have you ever felt that God was calling you to head off in a new direction?

TODAY IS THE DAY

Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)

...that's all I have to say today on this subject.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for today that you have made--this day that has never been lived before. Thank you for whatever you have planned for it. Show us ways today to rejoice in all things and be glad. Amen.

TIME FLIES

To God a thousand years is like a day. And a day is like a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4)

Time flies when you’re having fun. That saying makes me wonder: 

Does that mean that when God’s will is being done more often than not; when we’re drawing near to Him instead of trying to do life on our own—that time is flying for God? At those times, to God is a thousand years like a single day?

What about those other times? Those times when I forget to pray. Or when I decide to pray later. And don’t. Those times when I see a need and look away, intending to extend the effort the next time—when it’s more convenient.

During those times, is God thinking that a day feels like a thousand years?

Fortunately, God is also patient and “slow to anger.”

If a day feels like a thousand years to God because we’re slow in getting around to doing things His way, how much better to turn it around so that God can think of us and smile, knowing that time flies when He’s having fun. And how much more fun for God when we hear Him calling for us to spend time with him; see His hand in our daily lives; listen to His Word and make it part of our heart for Him.

And for us…spending time with God means our time here on earth will fly until the day when we no longer care about the concept of time at all. When we have eternity to spend in His presence.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience. Ignite our hearts for you and your plan today. Show us that spending time with you is good. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What was the longest day in your life? Or the shortest?

G.O.D. IN THREE PERSONS

Don’t you think it’s great how the word God is made up of three letters? There’s one letter for each of the three persons in the Trinity. Was it a coincidence? Or is the word God a divine acronym?

G can refer to the GIVER OF SALVATION. That’s Jesus. I can pray to Jesus in gratitude for his sacrifice of becoming human for my sake; for living a life that is an example for me; for dying a horrible death in order to save my soul. Thank you, Jesus.

O can refer to the OVERSEER OF ALL THINGS. That’s the Father. He keeps the earth spinning. He keeps the stars from falling out of the heavens. He makes sure the plants grow, the tides go in and out, the rain falls. Thank you, Father.

D can refer to the DOER. That’s the Holy Spirit. As a Christian, the Spirit lives in me. And one way God works is through me. I am His hands and feet in this world as long as the Spirit guides and directs me. And as long as I attune my thoughts and actions to His. Thank you, Holy Spirit.

If I pray to God, I can remember to pray to G.O.D. 

PRAYER: Thank you, God for who you are and all you are doing in me and through me in this world. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you pray more generally to one person of the Trinity? Why do you think that is?

PLANS WITHIN PLANS

The movie, The Passion of the Christ brought home Jesus’ physical suffering in a powerful, guttural way. Whereas we previously might have thought, “what a horrible way to die,” watching that movie helped us internalize the torture, the pain, the humiliation, the power of Jesus’ final day in his human, physical state.

But for some of us, the more significant sacrifice of Jesus was the one he made in heaven. He set aside his divinity and became human for our sake. This sacrifice is harder for us earthly folk to comprehend because we haven’t experienced heaven yet. We “know” that heaven is glorious, that it is beautiful, that being in God’s presence is exceptional in the extreme. But we don’t quite understand it.

That makes it hard for us to comprehend the sacrifice Jesus made when he left heaven; left the presence of being in the Trinity; left the place where he was God and was with God. So because we cannot comprehend that part of his sacrifice, we focus on the one we can understand: the physical torture, humiliation and death.

But when we focus on only one of those sacrifices do we dilute its power. Jesus was not only the Son of Man; he was also the Son of God.

Oswald Chamber’s head-whacking devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, pointed this out, reminding us that Satan was there at Jesus’ crucifixion, just as Satan was in the desert, tempting Jesus to use his power to save himself. After the time in the desert,

“The Devil left to return at a more opportune time.” (Luke 4:13)

How much more opportune time is there than when Jesus faced torture, humiliation and death in such a cruel way? And how much more opportune than the last opportunity to do so in Jesus’ earthly life?

But Jesus was also the physical incarnation of God. He was the Son of Man—a flesh and blood human who was not only God, but man as well. Oswald reminds us: “The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man.”

There was never a question that God would triumph as Son of God. As Son of God, Satan could not touch or tempt Jesus.

But as Son of Man, Satan could attack Jesus on the basis of his humanity. And he did. But because Jesus, as Son of Man, was tempted and came through for us despite his humanity, we were saved. Despite Jesus’ humanity and because of it.

This point crystallized in my mind this morning. The sacrifices Jesus made as the Son of God (setting aside his divinity temporarily) and as the Son of Man (overcoming temptation and dying a human death) are both of equal greatness. Without the sacrifice as the Son of God, Jesus would not have become human and would not have been able to offer his human, physical life. Likewise, without the sacrifice as Son of Man, Jesus would not have been tempted and have overcome that temptation, to give his human, physical life for our sake.

Praise God for His plan and for His plans within plans.

And thank you, Oswald for another head-whacking devotional.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Share your thoughts about the two different forms of sacrifice that Jesus made for our sake.

(For other readers of Oswald Chambers, this post was based on the devotional for April 5. This  is a repost from my guest appearance at Deborah K. Anderson's Faith, Fiction and the Unvarnished Truth.)

A PROCESS IN COURAGE

As you know, my one word focus for 2013 is courage. I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I’ve been reading about it in scripture. I’ve been meditating on it. I’ve been listening to others. I’ve been writing about it and I’ve asked my writing colleagues in The Network to write about it when it’s their turn to post here at From Carol’s Quill. It’s in my heart and my mind.

Recently, God has led me to see a process in courage and beyond:

• God places in our hearts a desire: to do, to experience, to love
• He helps us dream about giving life to that desire and often gives us gifts or places people or circumstances in our path to accomplish those dreams.
• Insecurity steps in: I’m not enough, I can’t, I’m too little, it’s too hard
• That results in a sense of vulnerability: I may fail, be rejected, ignored, hurt
• This is the pivotal point in our journey. Sometimes we turn away. Give up. Abandon our dream. Ignore God’s leading. Be disobedient.
• And sometimes we decide to be obedient anyway. Even though we are insecure. Even though we are vulnerable. Even though.
• At that point God shows us that the attempt is worthy. Regardless of the outcome, the itself path provides experience. The process brings knowledge, wisdom, growth, empathy, strength. Courage.

God created me to desire and dream. He gifted me with talent or the ability to learn. When I proceed with courage in the process, I also leave the results to Him.

Insecurity and vulnerability become nearly irrelevant. Despite insecurity, I try and I do my best. I learn from my mistakes and get better each time I try. If I fail, I learn why and try again.

I may feel vulnerable, but even if I am rejected by people or ignored or hurt. I am never rejected by the God of the universe who stands at my side, pushing me forward, lifting me up, cheering me on.

In the end as well as through the process, God loves me. He is pleased at the trying. Results are important—even sometimes to Him—but the process is what causes learning and growth and it is the process that shines the light of obedience that makes God smile.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us minds that dream big dreams. Please show us how to make those dreams a reality. Show us how to be obedient to you in the process. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?  What desire has God placed on your heart that you are just now beginning to dream about?

OZ AND I: BEING DISOBEDIENT

“We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God.”

Let me check the cover of the devotional I’m reading. Yes, it really is Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest.

Is Oz cutting us some slack today?

I think. “I’m not disobeying God—on purpose. I can’t help it. I’m weak. It’s not my fault.”

We may hear other people speak God’s truth and conclude that they’re probably right, continues Oz, but it is easy to ignore people. So we do.

But by ignoring God’s truth spoken by others, we are ignoring God himself. When we recognize how we have ignored God, “we will be filled with shame and humiliation.”

Ouch. There’s the Oz we’ve come to expect.

How often have I ignored God by belittling His truth merely because it was spoken by people? Are believers of this age any different from the people 4,000 years ago who spoke God’s truth, inspired by Him and preserved in scripture?

It’s time again to hang my head, admitting that I deserve Oz’s head whacking, and asking God’s forgiveness when I’ve ignored His truth, spoken loud and clear by people He has placed in my life.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we do love you and we don’t want to ignore your truth. Please open our ears and help us get out of your way when you use others to speak your truth to us. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have you experienced a time when you clearly knew that others were speaking God’s truth to you?

NOTE: This post was based on the devotional dated February 12.

MORE PRAYING NAMES

Each month I create prayers for people we love based on the meaning of their names. These additional names are then added to the ongoing list at the tab to the right titled, "PRAYING NAMES."

If you don’t find the name of your loved one listed, please leave a comment below. I’ll research it and create a prayer for a future month.

Adelle: noble, kind

Heavenly Father, I pray that Adelle will live the meaning of her name. I pray that in all things, her character will be both noble and kind and that she will dwell upon only things that are praiseworthy. Amen.

Clark: clerk

Heavenly Father, I pray that Clark will live the meaning of his name. I pray that in all areas of life, he will take on the mantle of good stewardship over the things you have entrusted to his care. I pray also that he will give ready and good assistance where you show him there is a need. Amen.

Lester: from Leicester, England

Heavenly Father, I pray that Lester will live the meaning of his name. I pray that he understands that—like each person on earth—regardless of where he makes his earthly home, his true home is in heaven with you. I pray that he will always keep an eye upon his eternal home and live his live with that in mind. Amen.

Rhonda: noisy

Heavenly Father, I pray that Rhonda will live the meaning of her name. I pray that all her life she will cry out to worship you in song so that, like Psalm 98, she will make a joyful noise unto you, Lord.

FINDING COURAGE IN TRYING TIMES

This is a guest post by Joseph Lalonde. He is a youth leader at Oak Crest Church of God and leadership blogger at JMLalonde.com. Joseph shares leadership tools and encourages you to become a better leader. Connect with him on Twitter or at his blog.

Courage is an amazing tool. It allows us to move forward even when we're fearful of what's ahead. It allows us to overcome the obstacles that we set up for ourselves.

I want you to think about the last time you had to use your courage. Can you think back to a time when you had to do this?

Put yourself into that position again and examine what you had to do to build up the courage to take the action and defeat the fear.

Relive the moment. Let the situation sink in. I bet you'll discover you had to find the courage deep within yourself. 

Why Courage is Important

Courage is important for many reasons. When we have courage you're able to face difficult situations. We're also able to move ahead when we are unsure of what is ahead.

Without courage we might never take the actions to move forward in life. We'd also never take the steps God wants us to take.

His ways are beyond our understanding. You'll find yourself wondering what you should be doing next.

But when we have courage, we can move forward with the confidence that we can overcome the dangers ahead.

Finding Courage

Not everyone has an easy time finding courage to move ahead in life. I'm one of those people at times.

I look at situations around me and feel like there's no hope. No chance of coming out on top.

The times are trying and I'm not sure what to do.

This is what happens when I lack the courage and cannot find it. I'm brought down and become discouraged.

Yet when I find courage my outlook changes. I feel confident. I feel energized. I see excitement and adventure ahead.

I believe there's a way to find courage when we need it in trying times. I know I have and know you can as well.

There's two things that bring us courage:

Experience: There's nothing like having experience in a situation. When you've experienced an issue before and overcome it, you can see that there is hope for the future.

The hope then brings courage to face trying times. You can recall the moments of success and use those as stepping stones to take the next steps you need to take.

God: The other thing that can bring courage is God. We know He's going to call us to do BIG things. He does that to people. Sometimes I think it's to test us. Other times it's to show the world that God uses the least of these and the unqualified.

How can this give us courage when I just said He calls the unqualified? It's easy when we begin to look through the Bible and see what God has done.

He's called men like Moses. What movies like the 10 Commandments and the cute Bible stories overlook is the fact that Moses was a stutterer and had to rely on Aaron to relay God's message to Pharaoh.

Or take a look at Joseph. His brothers beat him up, threw him in a pit, had a woman accuse him of assault, and more. Joseph could easily have given up and lost courage. Instead he kept going because he knew God had a plan. He was able to stay courageous.

Focus on God's goodness and the fact that He wants you to be courageous.

Question: How have you been courageous in the past? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

STREET SIGNS AND MANHOLE COVERS: THE LIVING WATER

We have heard the stories of how the early Christians were persecuted. Many people met in secret, using hand drawn or carved signs as a signal. A shepherd’s crook or a fish, often identified members of “the Way”—groups of Christians who met in seclusion.

This morning I discovered the sign of the fish, right there on the curb above the underground runoff drain in front of our house. The note carved into the concrete accompanying it says: Flows to river.

The sign is a warning not to throw pollutants into the drain. It identifies the underground runoff drain that leads to a water source filled with living critters. In other words, the sign of the fish points to living water.

Jesus said:

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

After more than 2,000 years, the sign of the fish still reminds us of Jesus—the source of spiritual living water. I’m happy to see our local government using our tax dollars to remind us of that.

Thank you, Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminders around us of your love and plan. Thank you for giving us a thirst to know you more and for being the true living water that will satisfy that thirst. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have similar fish signs on the curbs in your town?

STREET SIGNS AND MANHOLE COVERS: THE SLIMY PIT

Puppydog and I go for walks in the morning. Usually I pray as we walk along. Sometimes I sing. Every once in a while I stop and pick up a lucky penny. This morning I noticed something I’d never seen before:  crosses surrounding the manhole covers on our street.

There are dozens of bible verses related to pits. Caution about going down into pits. Praise for God rescuing us from pits. The dangers and horrors of pits in general.

One of my favorite pit scriptures is Psalm 40:2:

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Man, that's a great verse! He lifted me out of the slimy pit. How much slimier a pit could there be than the sewer? And right there, on the manhole cover that keeps me from falling into the pit, like a protective force field, is a circle of crosses, reminding me that Christ paid the price to keep me out of the eternal pit. Crosses reminding me that it was Christ who gave me a firm place to stand, both on this earth and in the heavenly realms with Him.

For once I was happy to see how my tax dollars and utility payments have been used. I love that our local government and public utility companies have paid to decorate our pit covers with reminders of what Christ did for us more than 2,000 years ago.

Thank you, Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminders in this world of your love and plan. Thank you for lifting me up from the slimy pit and giving me a firm place to stand in your love. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have crosses trailing the edges of manhole covers in your town?

FAMILY LOOK ALIKES

I have my mother’s eyes.

I have my father’s temperament.

I have my grandmother’s feet, my aunt’s sense of humor, my grandpa’s smile.

It’s fun to look at people and find family resemblances. Sometimes traits and characteristics are learned; sometimes they’re inherited. We look and act like other members in our family.

And that’s cool.

How much though do I resemble Jesus? I’ve been adopted into his family. I probably will never look like him physically. But I can learn his character traits. I can grow into his likeness.

This morning, Oswald Chambers whacked me upside the head with this statement:

“The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him.”

When will I fully take on my appearance as the daughter of My King?

And almost as importantly—when will those character traits become so strong that people around me recognize the family resemblance? So that I’ll not only have my earthly father’s temperament but my Heavenly Father’s temperament as well.

That’ll be cool.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for adopting us into your family. Thank you for giving us time to grow and learn your character traits. Please help us become recognizable as members of your family. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What physical and character traits have you inherited?

NOTE: Today’s post is based on the February 8 devotional from Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest.

How Does 10 + 1 = 7 ?

Please welcome my blogging friend, Chris Vonada, as he finishes up his series on the 10 + 1 Building Blocks of Relationships. You can catch up with him over at www.chrisvonada.com.

Well, if you've followed the 10 + 1 series over the past year you may realize that I have reworked the material into The 7 Essentials Of Extraordinary Relationships, the subtitle of my new book that will be released tomorrow, May 15th. There are, in fact, 11 chapters to the book, but only 7 of the building blocks were strong enough, IMHO, to make the list. (IMHO is just added to entertain Carol - hee hee!!). Anyway, it all adds up to love because love is the twine that ties this all together. You know, the cord of three strands? Yep, it's a Jesus thing!

Here's a glimpse of "All Sorts And Conditions Of People"...

",,, and they lived happily ever after..."

It's the standard ending to fairy tales, or stories that imply the good characters were blessed with happiness or joy. Happily ever after suggests we've found the right person or people to share life with. The saying also implies that the journey is ending. That's cool in fairy tales. In our lives that's just when things get exciting, and real. I'll outline how finding the right people is where the journey begins, and the 7 Essentials that I will share with you will then put you on the right track to having extraordinary relationships.

Sound interesting? Just look for this title on Amazon, starting tomorrow.

A special thank you to Carol P. for hosting this series over the past year. I had no idea when we started this what it would turn into... a 144 page book that is by far my best one yet! Thanks Carol for all of your encouragement and friendship!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  I’ll be driving home from Idaho; ten and a half hours in a car. Mother’s Day lunch will be at a drive-through in Winnemucca or maybe just a handful of junk food from the gas station along the way. 

But it’ll be a wonderful Mother’s Day because we’ll be returning home from son-in-law’s graduation from pharmacy college—celebrating one more loved kid’s dream about to begin.

Happy Mother’s Day!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for our mothers. Thank you for putting us together in families. We ask that you would lift up the mothers in our lives--encourage them and lead them to care for the children you have placed in their lives. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What's your favorite way to honor the mothers in your life?

OZ AND I: PLACES FOR PRAYER

Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest

As I've internalized the realization that my writing is my ministry, I've noticed that my prayer life has changed.

But not entirely in a good way.

Accepting my role as a member of God’s writing team, has occasionally morphed my prayer time into something that resembles a phone call with my editor—talking over structure and content, rather than humbling myself before His throne and worshiping Him for the King of the universe that He is.

How quickly it became all about me.

Yes, I’m praying more.

Yes, my prayers feel more naturally as coming from my soul.

Yes, I approach the throne with confidence.

But maybe with too much familiarity.

What happened to the praise and worship part of prayer? Why am I standing before the throne, when I should be kneeling?

That’s where Oswald Chambers came in this morning. 

“Beware of getting ahead of God by your very desire to do His will.”

And “If a burden and its resulting pressure come upon us while we are not in an attitude of worship, it will only produce a hardness toward God and despair in our own souls.”

I don’t want hardness toward God. I don’t want despair in my soul. Yes, I desire to do God’s will, but at His pace. Really, I do want that.

This morning was a reminder to spend more time in the worship and praise part of prayer. God knows my needs and wants even without me rushing straight to the point. He knows.

He also knows that what I need—even more than getting to the point of my prayers—is that the real point of prayer is understanding my need to recognize my place in His realm. That place is the firm, comforting and beautiful place of worship.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for creating prayer so that we can communicate with you. Please show us more of your glory and help us find more ways to worship and praise you more. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? How do you worship and praise God in prayer?

*The devotional this post was based on was from April 1.

CAROL'S GEMS: MAY—THE EMERALD

Every month has a birthstone. The birthstone for the month of May is the emerald. And it reminds me of Jesus.

The gorgeous green emerald symbolizes rebirth, reminding us of Jesus’ resurrection as well as our rebirth into God’s family when we come to Christ.

Several healing properties have been mythically associated with the emerald. The one that makes me smile is that gazing upon an emerald soothes the eyes. Well, of course it does. It’s just that beautiful. As is our Lord when we gaze upon Him.

Ancient Greeks and Romans, associated emeralds with Aphrodite/Venus—their goddess of love. Our Heavenly Father—the one true God of love—proved His love by the physical act of becoming human and dying for our sake. In Christian symbolism then, the emerald stands for rebirth in Christ, faith and hope and love.

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Sort of makes you want to go find an emerald and gaze upon its beauty, doesn’t it?

Happy birthday to everyone born in the month of May.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the extravagant beauty you have spread throughout this world. Thank you for even hiding bits of your glory underneath the surface of the world for us to find and enjoy. Thank you that everything in the universe provides us with an opportunity to thank you and exclaim your glory. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? This is the final post in the Carol’s Gems series. Have you followed the monthly birthstone blogs? Which birthstone most reminds you of Jesus?