Advice

by Patty LaRoche

Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Proverbs 19:20 ESV

When I was young, I loved reading “Dear Abby,” especially advice on how to deal with a rude neighbor or an inattentive boyfriend or a bratty child.  I, of course, didn’t need Abby.  I had my friends. 

“You don’t have to put up with that.” “Try out for cheerleader.” “Get a credit card.” “Just call in sick.” “Stop being so nice.”  “Don’t let your mom know.” “Marry for money; love will follow.” “Stick up for yourself.” “You’re better than that.” “Let’s sneak away to Oklahoma.”  “It’s just marijuana” (one piece of advice I never, praise God, followed!). “It’s the thought that counts” (said by a friend, consoling me over the weed eater Dave bought me for my birthday).       

I wasn’t exactly a wild child, but I sure did some bone-headed things, and rarely did I seek wise counsel.  (By the grace of God am I alive to write this devotional.)  How times have changed!  Now that I am older, I am very careful about the advice I receive. Now I am picky about whom I ask for help.  Now, I make sure my advice-givers are God-followers. To do that, they need to know the Bible.                                                                                                             

For good reason, the Bible is called a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” My friends who know Scripture guide me according to its principles, principles that instruct me about forsaking pride and choosing love. Psalm 32:8 is a reminder of who should mentor me: I (God) will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 

But let’s face it—bad advice is not in short supply.                                                              

My book, A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection, a humorous book with a serious message,came out a few weeks ago.  In it, three women tell their stories, women who were advised by our high school counselor that they weren’t smart enough to attend college, much less major in their desired fields. 

All graduated with advanced degrees but never forgot the degrading “tip” they had been given.  Only because they had encouraging parents did they forge ahead, ignoring what they had been told.  But what about those who had no such counsel?     

The problem with advice, of course, is that well-intentioned people can be wrong. There is one story in Scripture that reeks of poor advice. Job, tempted by Satan, is being counseled by his pals and wife as to why God turned against him and forced him to suffer.

Not once do his pals admit that they might not really know the answer. Yet they are adamant in their criticism. They are wrong.  Pastor Andy Cook studied Job and recommended we always ask these questions of human counsel:                                                                                          

1.  Is it biblical?                                                                                                                      

2.  Is it factual?                                                                                                                      

3.  Is it necessary?                                                                                                      

4.  Is it teachable?                                                                                                                  

5.  Does it acknowledge the imperfections of human counsel?                                             

6.  Is it spoken in love?                                                                                                          

I’m wiser than I used to be. I understand the importance of good advice. I now know how little I know, so I am reluctant to tell someone what to do…unless, of course, my answer meets those six qualifications…or it involves a weed eater as a gift.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Patty LaRoche is a wife, a mother of three, a step-mother of three, a grandmother of nine and a great-grandmother of three.  She has been married to Dave, a former professional baseball player/coach, for 50 years and because of his career, has lived in over 40 cities, ranging from California to New York.  Her three sons followed in their father’s footsteps, and all were drafted into professional baseball.  One remains in the game today.

After retiring from teaching high school speech, theater, debate and forensics, Patty split her time between Kansas and Mexico where she volunteers for local orphanages. She speaks professionally and writes a weekly, religious column for three area newspapers. In her spare time, she plays tennis and Pickleball, reads, hangs out with family and friends, roots for the KC Chiefs and thinks about exercising.

Patty recently published her first book A Little Faith Lift…Finding Joy Beyond Rejection, a humorous, Christian book—with a serious message—which addresses people who spend their lives trying to measure up. 

Join the conversation: What is the best advice you have ever received?

Gathered Fragments

by Harriet Michael

And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” John 6:12 ESV

I first noticed this verse in an old handwritten journal-type book my father has on his shelf. It was handed down to him by his mother, who got it from her mother.

On the pages of the book are poems gathered and carefully written by its first owner. Some are famous poems, while others are original works by family members. My grandmother and even my father have some original poems hand-written by them in this treasured book. The book is titled, “Gathered Fragments,” and part of this verse is written in beautiful penmanship on the first page.

The above words in Scripture were actually Jesus’ instruction to his disciples after the miraculous feeding of five thousand people. It was lunchtime, and the people who had gathered were without food. Most had come spontaneously without planning ahead. At Jesus’ request, the disciples found a little boy with a small lunch of five loaves of bread and two small fish. After blessing the food, Jesus broke it into pieces, and had the disciples distribute them to the hungry crowd, who consumed it eagerly. Then, when the crowd had eaten all they wanted, the disciples were told to “Gather up the fragments, that nothing be lost.”

Isn’t that a beautiful instruction? I am reminded of it every fall when the squirrels scamper all around gathering up nuts to store for the winter.

How do you gather fragments? Do you have a collection of some type—rocks, coins, or stamps, maybe? Do you keep old photos and relics from years gone by, polished and sitting in a place of honor in your home?

My father had a plaque hanging in his home for years of an old letter he’d written to his mother from camp as a child. His sister found the letter and made it a very special birthday gift for him one year. Do you carefully hold onto family heirlooms so you can pass them to the next generation?

Or maybe you gather fragments in other ways. Maybe you freeze or can produce for winter or maybe you gather and dry herbs, fruits, or vegetables.

There are so many ways to gather fragments. Through the years, I have learned another way. I have had more than one opportunity to help gather the broken pieces of a loved one’s shattered life. While others shatter through accusations, anger, or gossip, my heart aches and longs to help the broken friend rebuild their life again. I remember how God has more than once done the same for me. 

God is a fragment gatherer. He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. He brings beauty out of their ashes. He turns their sorrow into joy.

Do you know someone whose life has been shattered and broken? Ask God how can you help them. May He make us sensitive to the people around us that need us to come alongside to lend our support. May we always remember Jesus’ instructions to “Gather up the fragments that nothing be lost.”

When the disciples gathered the leftovers in the Bible story, they had twelve baskets full of food. Though this was a miraculous occurrence, the underlying principle is still valid. If you or I form fragment-gathering habits, we will find abundance in our lives, too. And so will others whom we bless with our fragments–carefully gathered and lovingly given.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Harriet E. Michael is an award-winning and widely published author and freelance writer. She has authored or co-authored ten books, with three more under contract for release in 2024 and ’25. She has penned hundreds of articles and devotions that have been published in various publications. Her autumn devotional, Glimpses of God, focuses on how we can prepare for change and the possibility of difficult days ahead. Autumn also represents abundance and blessings.

Join the conversation: Has God restored or rebuilt something for you with your shattered fragments?

This is Not Our Home

by Ava Pennington

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die. John 11:25 NIV

Three of my friends lost their mother recently. Three times in two days, I received a message saying John or Pat or Sonia’s mother died.

These three deaths remind me that death cuts through all the things we think are important and lays bare what is truly important. It also causes us to examine what we claim to believe. This is not our home. And yet … it’s the only home we know for now.

First Corinthians 15:55 (NIV) tells us, “Where O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” But it does sting when we lose someone we love, doesn’t it? The Puritan preacher, Thomas Watson, once said, “What a wicked man fears, a godly man hopes for.” Yet, if we admit it, few of us actually hope for death.

Our hope in Christ is not politically correct according to a culture that says there are many paths to God. However, Jesus said, “I am the way…,” (John 14:6, all versions) not, “I am a way.” Either He was a liar, or He is indeed the only way. And he offers not just statements but the assurance of a promise, as in John 11:25. Whoever believes in Him will live beyond death.

This world is nothing more than a glorified bus station on our way to our true destination. But that destination depends on whether we have the assurance of a relationship with God in Christ. We grieve without hope of ever seeing again those who die without a restored relationship with God.

But if our loved one had a restored relationship with God in Christ, then we grieve with hope. We have the assurance that nothing—not even death—can come between us and the One who loves us—and them. Our grief is natural, but not without hope. We grieve our loss, not theirs. We grieve our pain, not theirs. We grieve our loneliness, not theirs.

Thomas Watson also said, “The world is but a great inn, where we are to stay a night or two, and be gone; what madness is it to set our heart upon our inn, as to forget our home.” Today we might say, “What madness is it to set our heart upon our motel, as to forget our home.”

May we enjoy the motel but remember our destination. Through our tears of grief, let’s take comfort in knowing that our loved ones who died in Christ have already safely arrived to be with Him forever.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the Author: Ava Pennington is an author, speaker, and Bible teacher. She’s also a freelance editor, and a certified coach for writers and speakers, and she teaches a weekly Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class. Ava is the author of Reflections on the Names of God: 180 Devotions to Know God More Fully (Revell Books, 2022), an abridged gift book edition of the one-year devotional, Daily Reflections on the Names of God. Three devotions for each name/attribute explore who God is, and how this changes us and our relationships. Visit her at www.AvaPennington.com to learn more.

Join the conversation: How have you experienced God’s comfort in the loss of a loved one?

The Greater Eclipse

by Patti Richter

What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. … in the things that have been made. Romans 1:19 – 20 ESV

Much of North America embraced peace and harmony one day in late August of 2017. Political discord and most other items in the daily news took a midday break as citizens of all bents stood in unified wonder over a heavenly phenomenon. It was called the Great American Eclipse.

Some people travelled hundreds of miles to view the total eclipse of the sun from their chosen destination along its coast-to-coast path from the Pacific to the Atlantic, from west to east. They sacrificed time and money for their “total” experience, although the celestial performance itself was provided free of cost.

The reliable prediction of that stellar event served to heighten our expectations. (We had our safe-viewing glasses ready). Scientists now tell us to mark our calendars for April 8, 2024, for the next total eclipse of the sun. And we have no reason to doubt their prognostication.

It would take an awesome amount of faith in Nothing to believe that such well-ordered astronomical manifestations come from a random beginning. In contrast, those of us who believe in the Event Coordinator can appreciate signs and wonders. God’s Word opens with the creation of the world and closes with Jesus’ return—and his coming will eclipse both the sun and the moon.

The universe testifies to the perfection of God’s design. The Apostle Paul wrote that nothing is random with God, whose eternal power is made plain to us through his creation, and no one has an excuse to deny this (Romans 1:19 – 20).

After Jesus forewarned his disciples of his coming death and resurrection, he revealed his future return as judge (Matthew 16:27), which led to their questions about the end of the age. Jesus answered that his coming would be “as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west” (Matthew 24:27 ESV); “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven… and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds.…”(24:29 – 31 ESV).

As the risen Messiah, Jesus speaks again in Revelation, to remind us that he is indeed coming (22:12). He then compels believers and spiritual seekers alike: “let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (22:17 ESV).

How tragic that anyone would miss out on that far greater day—the Day of our Lord’s return. This save-the-date event can only be written on our hearts, not our calendars. And there won’t ever be another one like it.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Patti is the co-author of the award-winning Signs of His Presence—Experiencing God’s Comfort in Times of Suffering. It is the story of Luann Mire, whose godly husband was blindsided by an indictment due to a former employer’s tax fraud. The resulting prison sentence and restitution took the once joyful couple into a long season of suffering as they fought judicial tyranny. Helpless to change her situation, Luann endured a painful examination of her life and found God faithful to His promises.

Join the conversation: What truth have you been sure to pass on to your children?

When Lightning Strikes

by Sheri Schofield

Crash! Boooooom! Lightning shot its first bolts of the coming storm into one of the mountain passes above our home. I waited. A couple minutes later, the second crash came. I headed downstairs, away from the bank of windows overlooking the valley below.

The lightning frequently struck very close to our house. In fact, one year it hit a 200-year-old pine tree not thirty feet away. Whenever an electrical storm came down our pass, I hid out in the basement where it was less noisy—and less scary. These storms in the high mountains rattle me to the bones.

King Saul had an anxiety problem. He was insecure and did not trust God. He heard about David’s skillful music and demanded that David play for him at mealtimes, which soothed his anxiety (1 Samuel 16:14 – 23).

After David killed Goliath, Saul became jealous, convinced that David would become king in his place. And then came the day when the music didn’t help. Saul, in a fit of jealousy, threw his great spear at David to pin him to the wall! David escaped but came back later, hoping Saul had calmed down (18:6 – 11).

For a while, Saul seemed to be normal. But then he threw another spear at David. Again, David escaped. This time, he asked Jonathan to let him know if it was safe to return or not. After Jonathan informed David that it was not safe at all, the two pledged eternal friendship, and David fled to the wilderness (chapters 19 – 20).

Other men who had been mistreated joined David, and he became their leader (1 Samuel 22:2). Eventually, after Saul & Jonathan’s death, David became king of all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1 – 5).

During those times of running and hiding, David wrote songs (psalms) about his struggles, when spiritual lightning was striking around him, and he was constantly dodging the bolts.

I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him my troubles. When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn … I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! … Then I pray to you, O Lord. I say, “You are my place of refuge. You are all I really want in life. Hear my cry, for I am very low. Rescue me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Psalm 142:1 – 6 (NLT).

And God protected David. When King Saul had scoured the wilderness to find and kill him, God blinded Saul to his location, yet led Jonathan straight to David. God placed his mighty hand of protection over his chosen future king.

When David became king, he celebrated by writing other songs to God, like this one from Psalm 98: “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! … Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! (vv. 1, 4 NLT).

You might say, “Yes, but I am not David!” But if you have chosen Jesus as your Savior, you have become God’s child!You are every bit as important to God as David was. You live under God’s protection, just as David did!

If God allows hardship in our lives, we can trust he has a purpose. All will be well in eternity, where we will be with our Father forever.

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. Psalm 91:2 NLT

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Sheri Schofield, award-winning author and Bible teacher, has added a new way to share faith in Jesus: Her latest book, Before You Find Me, is a contemporary romantic suspense featuring a strong Christian who faces a crisis that tests her courage. Tara, a freshman at West Texas A&M whose parents are dead, learns that her younger sister witnessed a murder. To protect her siblings, she must spirit them out of Texas before the murderer learns there was a witness to his act. Tara has one day in which to act. Can she do it? She remembers a family ranch in Montana…and Ben, the boy next-door, who captured her heart once. Will he still be there? Will he help her protect her family now? This book entertains while it presents godly responses to danger and struggles. Sometimes fiction can draw people closer to God when they will not be drawn by nonfiction. Before You Find Me is available at http://www.sherischofield.com.

Join the conversation: What makes you anxious?

When the Horse is Blind

by Julie Zine Coleman 

Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. 1 Samuel 14:6 NIV

When my kids were teenagers, autumn Sunday afternoons at the Coleman house revolved around one thing: NFL football. Our favorite game commentator was John Madden. He was an expert on the game: first as an NFL player, then as a Superbowl Champion NFL coach.

Madden’s players would occasionally question him on what he ordered them to do.  They didn’t see the logic in his instruction.  They wanted to know his reasons why.

Madden’s response to a questioning player was always the same: “It doesn’t matter if the horse is blind; keep loading the wagon.”

I love this quote. It may have been meant for football players, but it contains a nugget of wisdom for Christians as well. Sometimes God calls us to something that just doesn’t make sense. To us.

I’m pretty sure the soldiers in King Saul’s army had some questions about their particular situation. They faced a fight that looked like they could not win. Philistine raiders had spread out across the land. This enemy was far better equipped for war than the Israelites, years ahead in the manufacture of metals. They carried iron swords and spears and knew how to use them. In contrast, the Israelite troops carried pickaxes, hoes, and winnowing forks, fashioned with inferior materials. The situation was grim.

Saul’s son, Jonathan, camped with an army of about six hundred men. Only he and his father had adequate weaponry. I imagine that night as they waited on Saul to order their move on the enemy, Jonathan began to wonder. Was his father going to remain immobile forever? How would this standoff ever end?

Someone had to do something. Jonathan decided to risk a secret mission into enemy territory. He turned to his armor-bearer. “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men,” he told him. “Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6 NIV).

They passed between two cliffs and approached the enemy garrison on watch. A skirmish ensued. In a few minutes, twenty Philistines assigned to the post had fallen to Jonathan and his armor-bearer. The Philistine camp was shaken. They began a hasty retreat.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Saul and his soldiers watched the confusion from a distance in disbelief. They didn’t understand what was happening. But obviously, God was on the move. The army sprang into action and pursued the fleeing soldiers. And the Lord delivered Israel from a powerful enemy that very day.

There are other stories in which biblical heroes chose to trust God in the face of insurmountable odds. David, too small in stature to even wear Saul’s armor, faced down the fierce warrior Goliath with a hand-full of stones. Gideon and an army of three hundred surrounded a Midianite camp of thousands. What would possess any of them to take such risks?

They went, but not because of confidence in their warrior prowess. They trusted that while their perspective might be limited, the Lord’s was not. They knew that God’s ways were higher than theirs. And what God wanted was the only thing that mattered.

In other words, they chose to trust in the Lord. Even when they couldn’t see what would happen next.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am not talking about “blind faith.” They placed their trust in a God they knew to be faithful, powerful, and good.

We can trust in a God who sees the big picture. We can have confidence in His plan. There will be times when He asks us to do what does not make sense to us. Times when we would rather hole up and remain immobile than risk defeat.

Sometimes He wants us to just keep loading the wagon. Trusting obedience to our God makes perfect sense when we understand just how great He really is. There’s nothing blind about it.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Julie Zine Coleman helps others to understand and know an unexpected God. A popular conference and retreat speaker, she holds an M.A. in biblical studies. Julie is the managing editor for Arise Daily. When she is not glaring at her computer, she spends time with her grandchildren, gardening, or crafting. More on Julie can be found at her website JulieZineColeman.com and Facebook.

Many Christian women are torn between the church’s traditional teachings on gender roles and the liberty they experience in secular society. But what if the church’s conventional interpretations aren’t really biblical at all? Julie’s new book, On Purpose, is a careful study of the passages in the Bible often interpreted to limit women in the church, at home, or in the workplace. Each chapter reveals timeless biblical principles that actually teach freedom, not limitation. On Purpose was recently named the Golden Scrolls 2022 Book of the Year as well as receiving the Director’s Choice Award at the Selah Awards. 

Join the conversation: When has God asked you to step out in faith?

Is God Punishing Me?

by Fran Sandin

The house was quiet. I sat alone at the kitchen table, plagued with questions following the sudden death of our 17-month-old son, Jeffrey. When he awoke with fever on a Sunday morning, my husband called our pediatrician and followed his directions, but that afternoon, we took Jeffrey to the hospital Emergency Room where a spinal tap revealed bacterial meningitis, affecting the brain and spinal cord. Jeffrey was transferred to Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Everything medically possible was applied, but on Thursday of the same week, angels transported our sweet baby into the arms of Jesus. I was devastated.

How could Jeffrey have contracted the dreaded disease? Should I have left him with his grandma the day I took him with me to run errands? Then I remembered telling my sister how surprised I was when Jeffrey was born because I thought my baby was a girl. Did God think I was ungrateful?

No! Jeffrey was a beautiful, blond-haired, blue-eyed, healthy baby, and I loved him immensely. But I wondered if Jeffrey’s death was due to God’s disapproval of something I had done. Maybe God was correcting me for my failures as a mother, for past sins, for things I should have done that I didn’t do. I wept as I pondered all the possibilities.

The Lord knows the deepest needs of the soul. It is almost like He took me by the hand and began answering my concerns. From a booklet about grief, I found assurance in knowing I had done the best I could. I should leave the results to God. I knew I was fallible and far from a perfect mother. But I had my given my child my all.

Was Jeffrey’s death God’s punishment for my past sins? My friend, Linda, visited me and brought a magazine that featured Psalm 103:10-12 Amplified Study Bible in bold type. “He has not dealt with us according to our sins (as we deserve), nor rewarded us (with punishment) according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who fear and worship Him (with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence). As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

One Sunday a visiting pastor at our church explained that no pain or sorrow could be severe enough to punish us for our sins. Falling short of God’s moral standards is so contrary to God that it required the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, perfect and blameless, to cover the sin of all mankind, once and for all. If we confess our sins according to I John 1: 9, then we can accept His forgiveness. 

Another pastor said the determining factor for the outcome of any illness is the Sovereignty of God. Yes, we had prayed for Jeffrey to get well, and he is well, not here, but in Heaven.

“Is God punishing me?” was a question I did not discuss with anyone but God, the best counselor I know. It took months for me to work through the self-condemnation. From the truth I found in the Bible and the messengers He sent, I learned to leave the questioning behind. Assured of His love, mercy, and forgiveness, I began searching for the productive life He designed just for me.

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Fran Sandin is a retired nurse, organist, mother, and grandmother living in Greenville, Texas. She and her husband, Jim, have traveled to many countries and states. Find out more about Fran at fransandin.com. 

In Fran’s new book, Touching the Clouds, sixteen women reached out to God during life-altering situations, including: bulimia, suicide, homosexuality, job loss, husband’s death, drug and alcohol abuse, death of a child, and more. Fran wrote their true stories and added a Faith Lifter after each chapter, which includes Scriptures and practical help. For personal or group study.

Join the conversation: Have you ever wondered if God was punishing you?

De-Clogging Our Minds

by Rhonda Rhea

I had a little wrestling match with my vacuum cleaner recently. It was doing that wimpy-clean thing—you know, where you have to get down on your hands and knees and hand-feed it every little fuzz ball? If I’m going to do that, I might as well not have a vacuum cleaner. I could just pick up every little piece of fuzz and throw it in the trash myself—cut out the middle man.

A vacuum that’s lost all its “suck-ocity” is not worth much. So I got down in the floor, got the thing in a headlock and looked inside to find the problem. Oh, I found a problem alright. Several.

The first was a little piece of sock. Then there was that string. And while I call it a string, I think it might better be described as a length of yarn that could’ve been an entire sweater in another life. There was a hunk of the bathroom rug the size of a Chihuahua—and I hadn’t even missed it. I was also surprised to find what I thought was a loofa. But then I realized it was just a whole bunch of those little plastic fishing-line-like connectors that attach price tags to things. Who knew they could find each other inside the dark recesses of the vacuum cleaner and form their own little solar system? No wonder the machine didn’t want to work! How did all that stuff even get in there?

At least it gave me a little reminder. When we let our minds suck up the wrong things, we can’t expect them to work the way they’re supposed to. There’s a lot less wrestling with our minds when we’re emptying out the clogs and filling our minds with the kind of thoughts that truly feed our spirits and grow our faith.

Negative, evil thoughts will find each other in the dark recesses of our minds. And they multiply. The next thing you know, you find yourself with a solar-system-sized problem in your thought-life.

There’s so much garbage available to us. On the Internet, TV, movies, magazines—it’s accessible at every turn of the head.  If we let our minds suck up trashy junk, we shouldn’t be surprised when we have a hard time staying alert to walking out our faith-life well.

Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8-9 what we’re supposed to continually feed our minds: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (NIV).

There’s a lot less wrestling with our minds when we remember to fill them with the right things. Less wrestling, more peace. As a matter of fact, that passage doesn’t merely say that we’ll experience great peace, it tells us that the God of peace Himself will be “with” us. It’s vital to our faith-life that we remember that His presence makes all the difference.

And personally, I’m also going to try to remember to clean out my vacuum a little more often. Especially since this last time I was unclogging it, even though we’ve never had one, I’m pretty sure I also found a gerbil.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 NASB

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Rhonda Rhea is a TV personality for Christian Television Network and an award-winning humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway and many more. She is the author of 17 books, including the Fix-Her-Upper books, co-authored with Beth Duewel, and the hilarious novels, Turtles in the Road and Off-Script & Over-Caffeinated, both co-authored with her daughter, Kaley Rhea. Rhonda lives near St. Louis with her pastor/hubs and has five grown children. You can read more from Rhonda on her website or Facebook page.

Got baggage? Ever find yourself lugging around messy spiritual baggage like so much purse clutter? Rhonda’s book, Messy to Meaningful: My Purse Runneth Over, will help you stop holding on to what you don’t need and start fighting for what you do. Learn to walk out your faith life less weighed down, lighter, and freer that ever!

Join the Conversation. How do you discern between healthy and unhealthy emotions?

God’s Reality Versus Ours

by Cheri Cowell

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5 – 6 NIV

The surgeon’s face told us the news wasn’t good. My stepfather’s brain surgery had taken longer than anticipated, and we gathered to hear the results. The doctor was blunt. (I assume there is no good way to share such news.) No doubt he spoke complete sentences, but all we heard were the words: brain cancer; terminal; six-to-nine months to live. When the doctor left the room, my mother burst into tears. My sister and I cradled her as she went through a series of emotions.

Always stalwart of faith, my mother now said she wasn’t sure her faith was strong enough for this. I smiled through my tears and said, “That’s okay, Mamma. My faith is strong enough for both of us.” And, silently, I prayed, “Lord, help me to have the faith I just professed.”

Later, when my mother feared telling her husband the news, I assured her I would do that. Again, I prayed silently, “Lord, speak through me because I don’t know how to do it.”

The next day, through God’s provision, I spoke the words my stepfather, David, needed to hear. God’s goodness further provided comfort to my mother and shone even brighter through David’s spirit when he heard the hard news. With tears running down his face, he said, “Cheri, I know when my time comes, I will take my last breath here and my next with Jesus.”

Over the next several days, David’s joy was palpable. Some feared he was in denial, but I knew this joy was a gift. My stepfather was not in denial. He was not ignoring reality but embracing it—not the world’s reality but God’s reality.

As I watched David, a question occurred to me. Who determines reality? When someone views life’s struggles through a rose-colored lens, is it not reality? Could it be that their joy-filled view is the true reality?

Two scriptures helped answer my question. Proverbs 3:5 – 6 reminded me that we must trust in the Lord instead of our understanding. And Psalm 33:20 – 22 says, “We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (NLT).

I had new ears to hear these truths. The world’s reality is without hope, without a future, and without joy. God turns that hopelessness and futureless-ness into a reality that is hope-filled, future-focused, and joy-filled. He offers us a redefinition of reality that is not tied to this world nor our understanding of it.

What if you and I could live like this every day? We could choose daily to see our reality through the lens of faith, hope, and joy. We can put on God-colored glasses to see that he holds our present and our future. Then, even our most difficult moments can be filled with unspeakable joy.

(One year later, my stepfather has received a miracle—no evidence of the brain tumor. It’s still early but we are praising this reality!)

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: As an author and sidewalk theologian, Cheri Cowell writes and speaks from a refreshing vulnerability about her own struggles with the deep questions of faith. A graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary, she shares her passion to help others apply biblical principles to the sidewalk issues of life.

Cheri is also a publisher (owner of EABooks) and writing coach. She is passionate about helping others see God’s Word come alive, and she is excited to expand that mission by helping fellow authors take advantage of the new publishing trends. For a list of where you can meet or hear Cheri, or to learn about publishing your own books visit http://www.eabookspublishing.com/

Cheri Cowell is the author of Direction: Discernment for the Decisions of Your Life and Parables and Word Pictures Bible study in the Following God series. Learn more at www.CheriCowell.com

Join the conversation: How would your life change if you lived with God’s perspective rather than your limited one?

Seasons of Life

by Nan Corbitt Allen

I am a word geek. I admit it. I like to study word origins. I also shuffle words around on a page and call myself a writer. If that’s not a word geek, I don’t know what is.

One word that describes an environmental phenomenon reminds me that life goes in cycles and that change is inevitable. The word deciduous means “falling off at maturity,” and while the term is mostly used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, it can also apply to the shedding of flower petals or ripened fruit.

The word is also applied to the animal kingdom; “the dropping of a part that is no longer needed,” like deer antlers, baby teeth, and a snake’s skin. This is true of some trees that shed their leaves as winter approaches. That’s why we get the beautiful fall colors that I love so much.

This cycle in plant and animal life brings the idea of seasons to mind. Seasons in nature, seasons in life. Sometimes our lives are times of harvest, or times of dormancy, of shedding the old for re-growth, or whatever. The proverbial “Circle of Life.” Ecclesiastes reminds us of this.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; A time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; A time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 KJV

Those in the Baby Boomer generation learned this maybe for the first time in 1965, when The Byrds recorded a song that used this passage as its lyric almost verbatim. The song was called Turn, Turn, Turn and written by Pete Seeger. It was a lovely thought.

But back to the deciduous things I mentioned before and the ancillary meaning of the word “the dropping of a part that is no longer needed.” Some things we leave behind might grow back in time like deer antlers or leaves. I guess this is an assumption of the definition of the word. 

But I’ve got things in my life —like grudges, prejudices and bad habits that need to disappear forever. I need to deem them “no longer needed” and pray they never grow back.

…let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us… Hebrews 12:1

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Nan Corbitt Allen has written over 100 published dramatic musicals, sketchbooks, and collections in collaboration with Dennis Allen, her husband of 45+ years. A three-time Dove Award winner, Nan’s lyrics and dramas have been performed around the world. Dennis and Nan have sold almost 3 million choral books. Nan and Dennis retired in 2020 from full time teaching at Truett McConnell University. They now live south of Nashville. They have two grown sons and two beautiful grandchildren.

Nan’s book, Small Potatoes @ the Piggly Wiggly, is a collection of devotionals that reveal the great impact seemingly insignificant, routine experiences can have in our lives. She describes what she learned of God’s providence and wisdom while growing up in the Deep South in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Join the conversation: What things do you need to leave behind?