Saved for the Party

There is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. Luke 15:10

My son was gone. I watched as my two-year-old treasure sank into the deep, murky lake water. “Get him! Get him!” I screamed frantically and hand-paddled my inner tube toward the floating dock. I couldn’t make it in time to save him, but my mother-protector instinct roared. My husband Tim lept to the edge of the dock, only to see Ryan’s tiny foot disappear. What started out to be a beautiful day enjoying extended family, instantly turned into a nightmare. As Tim stared into the water where Ryan had gone under, a tiny hand appeared. Tim grabbed the hand and then the arm and pulled Ryan to safety. Joy. Pure, exuberant joy flooded my heart as I saw my son fall into his father’s arms.

Angels experience that same joy. Whenever a person turns to God, reaching for God’s forgiveness, the angels throw a party. They know that, as we turn to God, He will grasp our hand and pull us into his arms. Into safety. Then the festivities start. Angels party because of us.

Do we party over our salvation? We should have pure, exuberant joy because God pulls us out of the murky darkness. Sometimes we forget the miracle of our salvation as we live day-to-day. We become complacent. We lose the enthusiasm. We forget the party.

Thank God for rescuing you. Ask God to renew your amazement and joy at his love for us. The angels are partying. Let’s join the party.

Tami Thurber lives with her pastor-husband and three children in upstate New York. She has degrees from Houghton College and Northeastern Seminary. Tami enjoys teaching at women’s events and is a children’s instructor with Walk Thru the Bible, UnveilinGlory, and SuperDoc. Tami and her husband co-authored the family devotional Handing it Down. She also blogs at www.tamithurber.com.

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*Photo by koratmember – used by permission FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The strength of support

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. II Corinthians 12:10

My eighty-year-old mom passed out. As I cradled her bleeding head in my arms, my heart wrenched. When she finally came around, she spent the next few days in the hospital, recovering from a stroke. Mom fractured her paralyzed arm and had a hemorrhage on her brain, not to mention a nasty headache.

My parents came back to my house for a few days after her release from the hospital where I had the opportunity to serve and care for her. I learned a great life lesson through her care. I wanted to do everything for her. I wanted to make everything as easy as possible because she was weak and in pain. But as I watched, I realized I couldn’t do everything for her. It was hard—the things she had to do relearn were a struggle. A struggle to stand . . . to walk. A struggle to keep her balance. As much as I wanted to do more for Mom, I realized she had to struggle. She had to push herself up and walk. If not, she’d grow weaker . . . and weaker. She’d stand from the sofa and I’d walk alongside, holding her gently, making sure she kept her balance.

That’s when the picture of God’s presence came to me. God doesn’t do everything for us, making life simple and easy. He’s certainly able, yet He allows us to struggle because it is in that struggle where we grow strong . . . in Him. It is when we are weak that He walks patiently beside us, steadying us, helping us get where we need to go.

As you struggle in life, ask God to let you feel His loving arm wrapped around your waist—holding you close—supporting you when you’re unsteady. Lean into Him and grow strong. Mom did.

Mary Denman is an author and photographer and, in her words, an observer. She’s a homeschool mom of five kids. Mary’s keen eye through the camera has allowed her to capture much of God’s beauty in new and unique ways. You can visit Mary at http://marydenman.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html.

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*Photo by worradmu – used by permission FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Beautiful to God

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made . . . Psalm 139:14 NIV

I can’t seem to make anyone happy these days—the mirror, the scales, or the camera. Why is it I worry so much about what they think? They don’t determine who I am, but they sure do have a lot to say about how I see myself.

God says I am “fearfully and wonderfully made”—unique—special—one of a kind. Then why do I constantly compare myself with others and long to be someone or something I was never created to be?

I spent years trying to straighten my naturally curly hair and longing to be taller. I want to write like Max Lucado, sing like Karen Carpenter, and dance like Jennifer Lopez (would be happy to look like her too).

Why can’t I just accept who I am and be happy and content with the way God created me? Since He is a God of order and doesn’t do things haphazardly or without purpose, do you suppose He made all of us for a specific purpose, carefully crafting our characteristics, inside and out? If we were all exactly alike, what a boring world it would be. If variety is truly “the spice of life,” then we should learn to embrace the variety and respect the differences in everyone . . . including ourselves.

When the potter shapes and forms the clay, the clay has no input. The potter undoubtedly sees the finished product in his mind. The clay cannot say: “Make me 5’6” tall with long straight hair and a Colgate smile. Oh and by the way, give me a superior intellect and outstanding athletic ability.

The truth is, the Father knew what He was doing when He drew up the blueprints for our existence. We were His idea—His creation—and He has a plan, purpose, and destiny for us, just the way he created us.

It’s been said that “what we are is God’s gift to us; what we make of our ourselves is our gift to God.” Maybe the greatest gift we can give Him is to accept who we are and strive to be the best we can be—for Him.

I’m working on that. How about you?

Andrea Merrell lives in the upstate of South Carolina and is a freelance writer and editor with a passion to help others see God’s Word as practical and relevant for ordinary, everyday life. Andrea is a staff writer and Associate Editor for www.ChristianDevotions.us. She is a contributing writer and copy editor for www.DevoKids.com. Her work has been published in Spirit & Heart: A Devotional Journey, Faith & Finances: In God We Trust, Faith & Family, PEN Points, The Write Life, and Extraordinary Answers to Prayer. She also writes for www.cornerstonegreenville.com. Visit her website at www.andreamerrell.com.

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Give me answers...Now!

Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. John 11:6

Weeks of tests came down to one phone call – Chron’s disease. The specialist was almost certain our three-year-old had the disease. He was supposed to call in the morning. It was 6 p.m. and I had spent the entire week seeking after God — praying for deliverance from this trial. I also prayed He would be our refuge regardless of the results.

I wanted immediate answers. I’m not alone; others like to have things on their own time-table too.

When Mary and Martha received the message their brother’s sickness would not end in death, Lazarus was already dead. What good was Jesus’ message then? Jesus could have saved their brother, but He took His time. In their grief they may have wondered if God had denied their request to save their brother’s life, but they were mistaken. Jesus’ delay forced them to wait for the miracle. He would do something they never dreamed.

God has taught me life is full of delays but it doesn’t always mean denial. Sometimes God asks me to wait. It frustrates me, hurts my pride, and even sometimes angers me, but I can rest assured He hears me and has my best in mind. Even more than my best, He has His Glory in mind. Lazarus died so Jesus could raise him from the dead and bring glory to God. When I wait, God shows me the eternal things at stake—the things that will ultimately bring Him glory.

At 6:30 p.m. the phone rang. The results were all normal. While my family praised God for the good report, I realized I had spent more time with Him in the past week than I’d spent in a month. I’d been in the arms of my Father from the beginning. No matter the circumstance, His arms are always a safe place to fall.

The next time you are waiting on God, remember you’re not alone. Just because He doesn’t respond on our time-table doesn’t mean He is denying our requests. It means He knows best in the greater scheme of things.

When you grow impatient, seek Him, His will, and ultimately His glory. Wait. God will show you the best.

Elaine Price is a minister’s wife, a freelance writer, and a student of God’s Word. Visit her blog at www.devotionsforthejourney.blogspot.com. She is also very active in the music and preschool activities at her home church. She and her husband and three young sons make their home in Odenville, Alabama.

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Believe it is in His Control

Don’t be afraid; just believe… Mark 5:36, NIV

If words could devastate, then the words the doctor gave me concerning my unborn child were the worst. There wasn’t going to be a child in seven months. It had died in-utero, and that was the end of it.

Death is kind of like someone pulling a bag over your head. Suddenly, I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t see, and my concentration disappeared. My thoughts were solely upon my circumstances. I had prepared for months for that child — mentally and physically adjusted everything around me. Life would change big time when that baby arrived. It was what we wanted and planned for… it was all part of the joy.

That bag was on my head for a week.

This news slipped us a fast one — that we wouldn’t hold this child in our arms…that this child didn’t fit into my life. How could I pick up where I left off? I couldn’t. That part had left, never to return. And when the days passed and I finally figured out how to move on, I believe God cared and actually had his hand on my life when the fear crept in, taking the place of shame, grief, and loss.

When Jesus was about to raise a little girl from the dead, He told Jairus, her father, not to be afraid but to believe. It was as simple as that. Everyone relates to death because it is a part of our life. Friends or family, someone we hold dear, born or unborn, will eventually die. What we don’t expect is early death. The surprise of it creates fear and sadness. Jairus despaired because he had lost hope. Here he had Jesus, the Son of God, right in front of Him and Jairus still feared; it paralyzed him.

Jairus had a bag over his head too.

This is why Jesus calmly laid a hand on his shoulder and told him to relax, not to fear, and just believe that He had everything under control.

This fear, even though Jesus decided not to resurrect my little one, is what I felt. What if I couldn’t get pregnant again? What if I lost that one too? Satan worked his way into my helplessness because he saw the weakness; he saw the propensity for me to go there; feeling like God didn’t care enough to save that child. But that isn’t like God. God’s timing is perfect and He is full of love. That’s what Jesus’ words reminded me of too.

So I trusted and believed. And today, my second son is a reminder that God is faithful to us all, especially when we believe Him.

When fear overwhelms you…believe.

Heather Spiva is a freelance writer who lives in Sacramento, CA with her children and firefighter husband. When she isn’t writing, she is reading and when she’s not reading, she’s enjoying (or trying to, anyway) the crazy and joyous atmosphere with her two rambunctious boys. Read Heather’s devotions.
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Pray, Pray, Pray

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them… Matthew 19:13

A deep sense of urgency almost overwhelmed me. “Pat, we must pray for Jennifer.” My body was warm, like someone was holding me.

I had been sitting on the floor playing with my preschool class of children. At 10:30 that morning everyone was happy, clean, and full of energy. Another teacher, Pat, had come to my room with her one-year-old class. We were pushing trucks back and forth along the floor, watching all of them play together, when I felt this sense that something was terribly wrong. Jennifer, a little girl in Pat’s room was in surgery, and we hadn’t heard how the procedure had turned out.

So, we prayed—prayed Jennifer would be healed and back with us soon.

The next morning, the director of the center came to my room. “Your prayers have been answered. Jennifer is still very ill, but recovering.”

“It wasn’t easy, though,” her mom said. “About 10:30 Jennifer’s heart stopped. The medical team worked for several minutes. Miraculously, her heart began to beat and she started to cry. Everything is okay. Her surgery was a success.”

Matthew tells us they brought children to Jesus so He could lay His hands on them and pray. The disciples tried to keep them away, yet the Lord said the children shouldn’t be kept away. Instead, He said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them. Jesus calls us to pray for the children today as well. Sometimes we may be called to pray specifically for a child.

Wow. What an exhilarating experience for me. God knew what was going on, and Pat and I knew to pray. No coincidence here. We heard our Master’s voice and followed His direction. I felt truly humble and thankful that the Lord chose me for His purpose.

Allow God to use you for His purpose. Listen to the voice of God. He will speak to you and guide you in your work for Him.

Marie Weaver lives in Elizabethtown, Kentucky with her husband and two children. She is currently a caregiver for a disabled American Veteran and a contributor to Christian Devotions. She writes children’s books and stories.
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The Cord is Strong

Two are better than one. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4: 9, 12 NLT

“I feel like you’re so far away,” I said, exhausted from hours of dealing with cancer. My husband and I collapsed into our living room chairs. Another tough day was done. I felt numb and disconnected.

Gary stood, dragged his chair across the room until it touched mine, plopped down, took my hand and said, “How’s that?”

It was perfect.

It was a day like many recently — repeated medical appointments, procedures, and planning of life and death importance. It was difficult to deal with such heavy issues all day every day. That evening, in my weakened state, I felt another urgent need pressing down.

The illness rudely introduces a deep personal sense of isolation. It threatens the strongest of us with another real enemy — despair. I knew I needed something more than the medical community and my excellent everyday support system of family and friends to help me stay strong.

The Bible tells us two are better than one. Gary stopped the gap. He and his chair stayed by mine for almost two years. He held my hand, sometimes cradled my head, but he held my heart ever so close. I soon realized Gary’s physical presence and God’s spiritual nearness coincided. When family and friends reached out, God also reminded me of His faithfulness.

Like a braided steel rope, a cord of three strands is not easily broken. God is the divine strand that gives us strength in the cancer experience.

Do you feel alone in your journey? Ask God to put you together with His compassionate people, from your family, friends, a faith based cancer support group, or church. Let them know you need them, then allow them to come close and take your hand and walk, the three or thirty of you, intertwined with God.

Venita McCart, founder of Faith Force Cancer Support Ministries has, with her group, ministered to hundreds of patients since 2005 through group meetings, personal contacts, writing, and speaking. A cancer survivor herself, Venita is currently working on materials to comfort and encourage cancer patients, their loved ones and to help others create support ministries for the same. She and her husband live in central Illinois. Venita may be reached at venitamccart@yahoo.com.

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He has set eternity in the hearts of men…

I’m a writer; a thought-keeper. I journal, make lists; scribble on sticky notes and paper scraps. I shall not forget anything profound (or more likely, slightly sensible). I may need these thoughts for an article, devotion, or best seller. Okay, so I’m an optimist too.

Do I want all my thoughts? No. When I changed doctors recently the little girl in scrubs said, “Be sure to list your medical history on these forms, especially details about your cancer.” I would rather just forget all the cancer stuff; and I never really want to write it down. But I must.

I would rather forget other things too, like death. I once was an expert at forgetting it. Then the diagnosis came and death was in my face, but I ached so, to live. My conflict within brought other thoughts I didn’t want: Thoughts like, Aren’t you supposed to be a Christian? Shouldn’t you be okay with this?  I am a Christian. But I had never been a dying Christian before. I was afraid. So I called out to God, the best prayer ever: “Help me!”

Then I remembered Jesus spent much time and many tears in a garden praying, facing death he knew was coming. His soul was crushed with grief; like mine. He pleaded for life; like me. He anguished for release, like I did.

In prayer, with eternity in his heart, He found peace about dying…and the keys to peace for me. Jesus Christ went to the dreaded cross to give me the eternal life I crave.

Here’s the thought: I want to live forever. Here’s the other thought: That’s not going to happen. Here’s the other-other thought: Oh, yes it is!

Jesus knows your dilemma. If you are struggling with the fear of death because of cancer, remember the Creator and Savior of your eternity. Ask Him for His thoughts; for they are eternal. And they are for you. If you call, He will answer.

Venita McCart, founder of Faith Force Cancer Support Ministries has, with her group, ministered to hundreds of patients since 2005 through group meetings, personal contacts, writing, and speaking. A cancer survivor herself, Venita is currently working on materials to comfort and encourage cancer patients and their loved ones, and to help others create support ministries for the same. She and her husband live in central Illinois. Venita may be reached at venitamccart@yahoo.com.

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I attended another funeral today. A memorial service actually. There was no body in a casket for attendees to file past and say goodbye. A photo and a few items of memorabilia brought by family and friends had been placed on the communion table at the front of the sanctuary. My friend had lost her barely twenty-one-year-old daughter. Suddenly and unexpectedly, many lives were forever altered.

My friend saw me and opened her arms. I had no words left. Everything had been said over and over. I embraced her in a big hug, matching her desperate grip to comfort her aching heart. We held one another for a long time. When I loosened my bear-hug grip, she barely loosened hers – only enough to peer up into my eyes with that age-old question, pleading for answers.

“You’re my best friend,” she whispered. I gently kissed her hair as I further loosened my hug.

“I love you,” I said. There was only the reassurance I was there for her – understanding her pain as best I could.

My friend’s daughter had come to our church almost two years before, found joy in accepting Jesus, and brought her mother who also discovered Christ and Christian friends waiting to love her. Although she moved away last year, she continued to pray that her step-dad, my friend’s husband, would also find salvation through Christ. We pray he will soon.

Meanwhile, the testimonials and memorial message have completed. The pastor reminded us to take time for those we love, and never assume we’ll have unlimited opportunities to heal any wounded relationships. Life is fleeting.

Sometimes words of reconciliation are needed, or leisure time is better lavished on those we love. We workaholics need to purposely make time for our relationships rather than take them for granted. Our loved ones are not fixtures in our lives; they are not comfortable couches waiting for us to rest with them. They are precious and priceless and need us to say it and show it often.

Who needs a word from you today – or just a hug?

Jeanetta Chrystie is an author, educator, and speaker. Her articles, devotions, and poems, have appeared in Church Libraries, Christian History, Clubhouse, Discipleship Journal, Mature Years, and other online and print publications. She serves as president of her local Christian writer’s group, and in her church. Her web site is www.ClearGlassView.com. She recently began a ministry to people who have lost their jobs at www.JobToJoy.us and is looking for writers.
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Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

I am a fixer. When someone shares problems with me, I automatically go into problem-solving mode. As a pharmacist, I was trained to help people solve their medication problems, but I can’t stop there. If I don’t know the solution, I feel compelled to find someone who does.

Seven years of grand mal seizures, migraine headaches, severe depression, insomnia, and prescription drug addiction sent me into “fixer” overdrive. I tried everything under the sun to fix myself and failed miserably every time.

It was not until I completely surrendered my life to God that he healed me and taught me two very important lessons.

First, we never truly know how people feel until we’ve walked in their shoes.

During my first fourteen years as a pharmacist, I counseled patients on their medications, but no matter how much I knew about the medication, I could not understand the patient. I could not see why they felt the need for daily antidepressants, pain medication, or anti-anxiety and sleeping pills. Well, God had a remedy for that problem. For seven years I had firsthand training in empathy.

Second, no matter how much we want to help someone else with their problem, they must be ready to help themselves.

This one is frustrating. Now that I am on the other side of my struggle, I can see so clearly why I struggled so long. I had to learn the hard lessons myself. I was given advice time and time again to improve my health—some good, some bad, and some just far-fetched and silly. The advice of the godly people around me was good advice, but I could not or would not receive it. For whatever reason, I had to learn the lessons myself. God let me get to the end of myself before I could completely and honestly surrender to Him.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

The Bible tells us to seek God first—not the Internet, the advice of friends, or pills — only God. It’s okay to be a problem solver, but we must go at it a little different way. Instead of fixing the problem, we must help find a solution, and that solution starts with Christ.

Celeste Vaughan graduated from the USC College of Pharmacy and settled comfortably into her life as a pharmacist, wife, and mom of three children. After fourteen years working as a pharmacist, she found herself on the other side of the counter and suffered for seven years with migraine headaches, grand mal seizures, and severe depression. On September 25, 2010, God intervened in her life and changed her forever. He has now called her into a ministry of writing and speaking, using her story to help others find happiness and their true purpose in life through Christ.
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