Tag Archives: cindysproles

Pride and Prejudice – She Said
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photo courtesy of travelblog.com

The hand of God

So don’t be proud. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

I put the suitcase in the car and returned to my room. Empty. Hummm, where’d they go? I opened the door and wandered the hallways looking for my group. They were nowhere to be found, so I meandered out to the car and waited another fifteen minutes. By this time it was obvious my group had left me.

Oh well. I headed to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. There they were. My morning shower must have been short lived or I wasn’t meant to be included. I would have preferred the first … at least it was good cause to be left out.

I waded through the breakfast crowd, grabbed my meal, and headed toward my friend’s … gone. Now I’m feeling a little shunned.

Shortly after breakfast one of my friends asked if I’d head into town to run some errands. So I did. It was an opportunity to check out a unique little town in the Rockies, so me and my bruised ego headed out.

As I stood in the grocery line, a man and his wife whispered among themselves. Awkward, again. The automatic response was, “they’re talking about me.” I shifted from foot to foot wishing the cashier would hurry so I could leave.

Sometimes our pride trumps reality. We assume everything should center around us. The incidents become personal. I must have done or said something that made folks treat me this way, when truthfully that’s a lie we tell ourselves.

God’s hand is mighty and despite how I look at myself, He sees me through eyes of purity and grace. He understands my insecurities and sometimes even lets me wallow in them. When the time is right, He lifts me up…shows me just how special I am. Then God, in His loving and tender way, reminds me I am loved – especially by Him.

Just as I laid my items on the counter to pay, the man behind me tapped me on the shoulder. “Aren’t you a writer?”

I was dumbfounded. I’m 1500 miles away from home, in an obscure little store in the Rockies and this man asks if I’m a writer. “Yes, I am. How did you know?”

His wife pulled a wadded sheet of paper from her purse and straightened the wrinkles. It was a devotion printed from our website. One I’d written about our prodigal son.

“I knew it was you.” She said. “I read this every day. I see your picture every day. We have a prodigal son too.” For the next few minutes we shared a very intimate discussion.

I was honored…touched, this woman across the country, had kept the words I’d written as her encouragement.

God works to admonish us when the time is right. His plans are wonderfully woven together for us. I was feeling a little left out and I assumed they didn’t want to include me. God let me crawl around awhile before He touched my heart with the reason He wanted me in that town, in that store, at that time.

When you feel discouraged and left out, wait on God. His hand is mighty and His plans are perfect. He will honor you when He sees the time is right.

Cindy  is the founder of Mountain Breeze Ministries and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She has contributed  to Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She has written for PML Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net and CBN.com. Her devotions and articles are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. Cindy is the Executive Editor of ChristianDevotions.us and the Devotional Acquisitions Editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She cowrites the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones and is the coauthor of He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion and the author of New Sheets: Thirty Days to Refine You Into the Woman You Can Be.

She attended Johnson Bible College and graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Phoenix.  She is a speaker who teaches and speaks at ladies’ conferences, special events and writers conferences across the country.  Cindy directs Writers ADVANCE! Boot Camp. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.

Read Cindy’s devotions

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

I Get Weepy But It’s My Prerogative – Cindy Sproles
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We are all God's children

We are all God’s children

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:16 NIV

I couldn’t help it. Last week I took my son to a special needs prom our church hosts each year. And what do I do? Get weepy.

I looked around the room filled with teens, some missing limbs, others twisted from birth defects and still others, like my son, harbor mental retardation. I wept for them.

What mother doesn’t wish perfection for her child? My son, bashful in a “dance” situation, sat at a table smiling from ear to ear. I so want for him … bodily perfection. I want him to enjoy his life without the prejudice of others and to have the ability to care for himself when I die. But that won’t happen and when I think of it, I grow weepy.

Paul himself understood affliction. Though Scripture only tells us he had some sort of aggravating physical problem, we never really know his issue, only that he prayed for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. Yet through his own physical ailments, Paul never doubted he was loved by God. And he reminds us numerous times we are all God’s children.

The people at the prom loved my son. They loved every child, regardless of their age or ability, as they waltzed them onto the dance floor. I pulled my camera up and snapped a picture. For a brief moment, frozen in time, were all of God’s children. None less than the other … but all of God’s children … danced in the spirit of joy.

I’m blessed to be chosen by God to carry my sons in that “secret place.” To whisper to them as they grew within me. To gently stroke their faces when they slept and stand in the rear of a room and weep with pride at the men they have become.

Through it all, I’d not change a thing about my sweet disabled son who possesses the wisdom of Solomon and the compassion of Christ. After the prom, my son announced, ”Ain’t it nice, we’re all God’s children?”  Chase is a child of God. Loved. Cherished. And blessed in ways few can imagine. God has promised His loving care over us … over ALL of us. Including my son.

I’m a mom. I’ll always have my moments when emotion overtakes me and I weep … it’s my prerogative as a mom. But I rest assured that regardless of my son’s ability or lack of … the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

On this Mother’s Day, rejoice in the love of your children. Rejoice in the love of your own mother. It’s okay if you weep too. But do not fail to celebrate that you are first and foremost, God’s child.

Cindy  is the founder of Mountain Breeze Ministries and cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries. She has contributed  to Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She has written for PML Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net and CBN.com. Her devotions and articles are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. Cindy is the Executive Editor of ChristianDevotions.us and the Devotional Acquisitions Editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She cowrites the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones and is the coauthor of He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion and the author of New Sheets: Thirty Days to Refine You Into the Woman You Can Be.

She attended Johnson Bible College and graduated with a BA in Business from the University of Phoenix.  She is a speaker who teaches and speaks at ladies’ conferences, special events and writers conferences across the country.  Cindy directs Writers ADVANCE! Boot Camp. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com.

Read Cindy’s devotions

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

The Squeaky Wheel Gets… – She Said
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Work, work, work

Work, work, work

The Squeaky Wheel Gets… – She Said
Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”  Exodus 5:9 NIV

Squeak, squeak, squuueeeeaakkk.

I crawled out of bed and flipped on the living room light. Two little hamsters ran wild in their exercise wheel. The faster their little legs flew, the louder the wheel squeaked. The books I’d rested on their cage seemed to keep them secure. I did what any sleep deprived mom would do … I dropped a piece of lettuce and a carrot into the cage, flipped off the light, and enjoyed the lull of silence that rocked me back to sleep.

The escape abilities of these hamsters amazed me. Regardless of how I taped their plastic crawl-tubes shut, or parked heavy books on top of their cage, we’d find them out by morning. It seemed the harder I made it for them to escape, the harder they worked to wiggle out.

Pharaoh found Moses was a lot like a hamster. He insisted the children of God were lazy and Moses’ plea for them to make a sacrifice to the Lord was a ploy to abide in their laziness. The truth was, Pharaoh knew Moses’ desire was to free the people and if he could squelch the hope of release by forcing harder work, then he would. What he didn’t realize was, the harder he worked to hold the people, the more determined Moses and Aaron were to free them. The “keep ‘em busy where they have no time to think” theory didn’t work.

My efforts to make the work harder for the hamsters to escape didn’t prevent them from trying. Within minutes of munching the goodies I’d given them, their tiny tummies were full, and the exercise wheel began to squeak again … soon followed by another successful escape. Even heavy books on top of their cage cover didn’t keep the little critters corralled. The harder I made the work, the bigger challenge it became. The rodents kept at it until they found a way to rid themselves of their bondage.

Work is good for us. It brings meaning to our lives, strengthens us, and offers us a sense of success and accomplishment when we’re finished. But overworking only leads to fatigue and anger. There has to be a balance. Even Paul stressed that he labored so he would not be a burden.

Don’t believe the lies that work is useless and a handout is better. Place an attitude of gratefulness on the labor and do your best. Rejoice in the gift of provision it brings. God will bless your efforts.

Photo courtesy of http://sagegenx.me

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

 

 

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

The Only Words that Count are His – She Said
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Don't listen to the whispers. (Edie and Cindy)

Don’t listen to the whispers. (Edie and Cindy)

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you… Ecclesiastes 7:21 NIV

This individual cares what others think about them. They desire to please.

A grin parted my lips as I scanned through the results of my McQuaid Personality Test. I was curious to see if I agreed with the test, so when the first result line stated I desired to please and I cared what others thought about me, the McQuaid hammer hit the nail on the head.

It’s true. I’d rather be horsewhipped than to think someone is angry with me. My mother will attest. I was an easy child to discipline. Simply showing her disappointment tore me to pieces.

As the little girl with blue cat-eye glasses, most of my childhood friends chose the more popular girls as their buddies once we reached high school. I felt the pressure of the other girls as they leaned into one another, covered their mouths, and whispered. I felt their judgmental eyes drop a noose around my neck and pull. Yes, I cared what others thought and honestly … it hurt.

God offered Solomon a gift and Solomon chose wisdom. Looking at Ecclesiastes we almost want to sign Solomon up for counseling and antidepressants. He didn’t realize the gift or the curse of his wisdom. It took time for him to refocus this new found ability and the weight it bore. Solomon then saw the world differently and as he sorted it out, he began to put it into perspective. The wisdom he spouted was nothing short of … well … wise. Among his tidbits, he realized people will be nice to your face and then rake you over the coals when your back is turned. His thought process was simple: Ignore it. This is how people are. And if you’re honest, you’ll see you’ve done the same thing. Worrying about it only serves to keep you in turmoil.

Most of my problem was childhood insecurities, but I decided my junior year in high school, the game would change. I would excel. I learned Solomon was right. Don’t pay attention to everything folks say. it’s not worth it. And so, I began to make life changes, pushing myself through the fear and shyness and into a place of respect. It was hard work and honestly … still is.

These days, if I call my friend Edie and say, “Is that really what people think?” she quickly reminds me that I am precious to her and God. It doesn’t matter what others may say.

If the words of others weigh you down, let them go. Strive to please the one who developed the original personality test. The only words that count … are His.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

 

 

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

If I’ve Told You Once…. – She Said
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photo courtesy www.backpacker.com

Follow the instructions

If I’ve Told You Once… – She Said
However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. Exodus 16:20 NIV

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times…” I thought my ears would bleed if I heard it once more. Alex was the head outfitter at our camp.

We were outfitters, working with the teens summer camp just outside of Boone, NC. and every morning this was Alex’s theme song for the kids preparing for excursions.

Regardless how many times we’d tell the kids, “Suspend your food from a tree”, the next morning we cleaned up the havoc from raccoons and bears.

It was a simple task and always the first thing we taught teens in survival 101. Hang your bear bag. Do it first. Do it in the daylight. And do it about 200 yards from your camp. DO IT. Still in the excitement of hiking the Appalachian Trail teens do what teens do best…fail to listen.

So when the survival hike came, and food rations were divvied, Alex explained. “This is your food. It’s all the food you’ll have. When you ready your campsite for the night…hang your bear bag.”

The kids had  mastered the skills we’d taught them…so we thought. They loaded their packs, took the maps, and set out. Outfitters fanned out to monitor the hikers from a distance.

The miles passed and the teens met their challenges for the first day. With two hours until nightfall, it was time to set up camp.

We watched as they built their fires and cooked their meals.

“Alex,” I said. “They didn’t hang the bear bags. Shouldn’t we remind them?”

“Nope. They know the rules. We’ll see if they pay the price.”

We’d taught the teens how to manage their hike. Even how to scavenge for food in the event of an emergency. They had the provision and skill. They only had to obey.

The next morning the teens roused and emerged from their tents to find their backpacks shredded and their rations licked clean.

Moses dealt with this same issue. God, Jehovah Jireh, promised provision. In the morning the Israelites would have bread and in the evening, quail. But the rule was…take only enough for the day and don’t keep left overs. On the sixth day, take double and prepare for the Sabbath. The people wouldn’t follow simple instructions. And their refusal not to, proved they didn’t trust God. Those who kept the left overs ended up with a mess, and Moses wasn’t a happy camper. He’d made the instructions clear…several times. Now the people paid the price for disobedience.

Our hikers kicked a few packs and I’m sure I heard a few curse words. But as we rounded up the teens that famous line hit. “If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times…”

We always think our way is the best way. Despite the rules. Despite the consequence, we always seem to test the waters then sink.

When you’re tempted to disobey, think twice. Remember, God loves us but He’s given us instructions. All we have to do is obey. Don’t get caught without your bear bag suspended from a tree. Obey His word and dine on the love of the Father.

Photo courtesy of www.backpacker.com

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

 

 

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

Hero Shepherds – She Said
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The home of the brave

The home of the brave

The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. John 10:12

It happened again. Tragedy on our soil.

I remember when CNN had just begun. My babies were tiny and I was on my knees picking up a scattered box of Cheerios. CNN was covering President Reagan walking out of a building after a meeting. I stopped to watch when I saw a secret service man drop to the ground, the president shoved into a car, and one huge “pile-on.” I sat stunned. I’d witnessed an assassination attempt on the president.

The same thing again on September 11. I lay recovering from surgery watching NBC Today when, to my shock, a plane slammed into the Twin Towers. I’d just witnessed a terrorist attack.

Earlier this week as we watched successful runners cross the finish line in Boston … more senseless violence.

Even through these tragedies and the chaos that ensued — through those running away in fear, hurt, and injury — I noticed a handful of individuals who defied their fear and bolted to the rescue of others. In the instant their decision to run toward the chaos was made, their personal preservation became null and void. These are heroes. Those who take action and responsibility. Those who care.

Jesus tried His best to make the Pharisees understand He was the hand of rescue, the shepherd that cared. Those who preceded Him were thieves, cowards. They cared only to lure away “the sheep” for their own benefit and if the times got rough, they’d tuck tail and run. Three times Jesus rephrased His words in hopes the blinded Pharisees would grasp hold, but to no avail. Instead, they called Him possessed. Never once in the history of Christ did He ever run from His sheep. Rather, with an outstretched hand and soft voice, He called them to Him.

I watched on all three occasions as those heroes, who in the midst of danger, quickly turned to those in need. They could have run, but they chose to offer rescue. Unlike the hired hands Jesus spoke about, these heroes did not abandon.

We’re not all placed in situations where lives teeter on the edge, but we daily come in contact with souls whose salvation is precariously balanced. We are called to minister to them. When you see these lives flapping in the wind, don’t abandon them. Run to them. Reach out and do as Christ would do. Rescue. Draw them to the Shepherd Hero.

*To all those men and women who selflessly serve our nation on foreign and domestic soil … for all those who on 9/11 and at the Boston Marathon, ran into the chaos to help … thank you. Your willingness to care for others first, exemplifies the love of Christ.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

 

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50    

Kindle version  $3.00 

Hard Nuzzled by Love – She Said
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Hard Nuzzled by Love – She Said

Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.v-vProverbs 15:17

My folks were not “fighters.” For the most part, their arguments were held behind closed doors and out of earshot. Still, Mom was great with the silent treatment, so I always knew when she and Dad had shared a few spats. Life in our home was pretty peaceful.

Apparently that wasn’t normal. My friends would talk about the knock-down-drag-outs their parents would have, and I just couldn’t imagine. I got sick listening to them describe the angry words and hateful attitudes.

My folks were encouragers, even when I was in the wrong. They were great at showing me my flaws by squeezing them between the good things I did and sharing those things with great love.

When God offered Solomon the opportunity to choose a gift, Solomon chose wisdom … both a blessing and a curse. As he ruled, he was able to clearly see both sides of a dispute and know how to solve the issue. But one of his greatest dabs of wisdom was this (paraphrased to the Cindy version) – Squeeze criticism between two pieces of love. Solomon understood love helps the “hard” go down a little easier. He figured out when you offer correction nuzzled between love, it’s received with an open mind.

I’ve had my share of folks who ripped me apart, never taking time to see the good I have done … only focusing on my flaws. So, whenever I teach or work with writers, my family, or friends, I try to remember their good qualities as well. When I offer the ways of improvement nuzzled between bits of praise, they are lifted up.

The next time you’re placed in a position to criticize, remember the words of Solomon. Practice positive assistance and you’ll grow in your own compassion. Those you help will grow in self-confidence and self-esteem. This is the wisdom sent down from God to Solomon. It translates to good in every language.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version  $5.50 

Kindle version  $3.00 

A Tangible God – She Said
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God's majesty...forever He is supreme

God’s majesty…forever He is supreme

A Tangible God – She Said

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation … Colossians 1:15 NLT

Tangible. I needed something tangible that day. I was worried, stressed.  I needed something I could wrap my fingers around and hold in my hands. After all, I’m human and there’s that innate need to touch reality. But the reality is … God isn’t tangible. At least not in how we think of it.

It’s easy to proclaim, “I’m a Christian. I’m faithful.” But when life tosses a fastball and I pray, plead, and beg, yet God doesn’t answer immediately … His reality seems to inch further from my fingertips. His face blurs. That whole faith being the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance of what we cannot see, fades.

In my humanity, I’m imperfect. Selfish. Weak. Less than faithful and my faith is something that shouldn’t waiver. Be it good or bad, this constant of faith is the image of God. This bulwark that never fails should be ingrained so deep in my mind that I never forget what it looks like.

Paul never walked with Jesus. He never had the privilege to sit at His feet and learn from the Master. Yet, through his conversation and into his ministry, Paul’s image of Christ never left his sight. So when he wrote to the church at Colossae his letter began with the highest praise: …we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. Paul went on to proclaim Christ’s supremacy. Even when the people couldn’t see the tangible Jesus, they never turned loose of the image Paul had placed in their minds. He’d preached so vividly of Christ that when the people thought of Jesus, they saw God.

When I ponder life, I see a very vivid picture of the invisible God. I see His majesty everywhere. The walks I’ve taken along the mountainside scream the omnipresence of God. His omnipotence and omniscience shine in all He has created. God is so intertwined in His universe that it’s hard, if we’re honest, not to see His tangible presence. And when I don’t notice, to wrap my hands around His realities, then I have have failed.

Open your eyes to the mighty God who was, is and always shall be supreme. Bow before Him and when your eyes close in prayer, envision His image. Let the face of Christ burn in your memory so you never forget He is very tangible.

Photo courtesy Cindy Sproles

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version $9.95

Just Sayin’ – She Said
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Just Sayin’…be grateful

Just Sayin’… She Said
And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. 1 Corinthians 10:10 NIV

A grandbaby. Our first. Seven months into her pregnancy and it’s just beginning to resonate. After all, it’s been years since I’ve held a sweet baby in my arms. My husband and I reminisce about rocking our boys to sleep when they were babies…how sweet their tiny fingers felt wrapped tight around ours. These days we make regular visits to the baby section at Target just to catch up on what’s “new” in child care. I’ve made baby blankets, crocheted animals, and bought a Pack ‘N Play (thirty-two years ago, we called those baby gates). And despite how caring for infants has changed, we have no complaints. We’re eager to change a diaper, even if it comes with tape instead of pins.

The momma of our grandbaby is the epitome of strength as her tiny size eight frame stretches and contorts to accommodate Baby J. I’ve not heard one complaint. Even though she most certainly has the right to growl and grumble…she hasn’t. Instead, she’s taken each trimester of her pregnancy with grace and joy.

Paul reminded the Corinthians their complaining was not pleasing to God. Neither was their sin. It was a slap in His face. Paul dug into history and recounted the effects of ungratefulness, sin, and testing as examples. Though God had always provided for His people, they quickly forgot His goodness and resorted to the “gods of the day.” Eventually, He punished the people for their continued disobedience and ungratefulness. Paul slipped in a big reminder – don’t grumble like they did and be destroyed. Hint. Hint. Just sayin’ …

It’s easy for me to complain, easy to forget what it was like when I had little. Our momma-to-be could complain too, but instead she chooses to look at the blessing of the discomfort. Good comes from it just as it came for me in my own hardships. Paul continually preached: Rejoice in the Lord. Be grateful. He, better than anyone, understood how hard it could be to do just that. Paul was a living example of God’s loving provision and care.

There’s truth in the cliché, “following God isn’t easy.” But the reward in working through, in rejoicing in what is given, is so much more. The next time you find yourself complaining about hardships, search for the gifts and blessings. Just sayin’… see how blessed you are.

God is always, always faithful.

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version $9.95

Who are You? – She Said
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Photo courtesy of www.ebay.comWho Are You? – She Said

But by the grace of God I am what I am…1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV

His name was Kevin and he kept all his college peers in stitches over his childhood antics. As a kid he sat at a wedding pretending to be Popeye. His mother sat in the pew behind him and when Kevin’s rendition of “I’m Popeye the Sailorman…toot, toot” got a little too loud for the ceremony, she popped him on the back of the head.

Kevin’s response: ”Well, blow me down.”

I still chuckle about that story. After all, every day at 3:00, Popeye lit our television screen. As an adult I still continue to use quotes from the cartoon: Wimpy’s, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today,” and my personal favorite of Popeye’s, “I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam.”

When I went to work for God in His ministry I wanted to be different. I wanted His love to reflect through me. I spent more time in prayer, learned to study His word, and changed how I responded to others. I prayed to be a better person when I knew I was as sinful as the next.

When my faith was actually put to the test, I remembered Paul and Popeye. “I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam. Thank goodness by God’s grace I’m changed.”

Paul, of all people, understood the grace of Jesus. He experienced it firsthand. Taken to his knees, blinded, healed, and then forgiven, this man, who’d spent years killing Christians, completely undeserving of forgiveness or grace, became a recipient. Because of that, he was able to say about his past, By the grace of God I am what I am. And what he was…was changed.

It’s easy for us to stand in judgment of others, point out their flaws, and wave a self-righteous finger in their face, forgetting that grace covers a multitude of sin. We‘re all imperfect and unworthy, but God’s gift of grace says differently. It says that in Him we are changed.

When others call you down for your faith or work for God, remember Paul and Popeye. You are His, loved and appreciated. By the gift of grace, you are changed and forgiven, usable in His kingdom. You are the recipient of His grace, so why not be the giver as well? Share your gift and the love of Christ. By His grace, be who you are…His.

Photo courtesy of www.ebay.com

Read Cindy’s devotions.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

Receive He Said, She Said on your Kindle!

 

 

* Money from New Sheets is donated to Hope House to help young, pregnant moms choose “life.”

Need to change your husband? Change your sheets. Want to change jobs? Change your sheets. Long for a new life? Just change your sheets. God uses our life experiences to shape us. When the friction of frustration chaffs the skin, God offers us respite and rest. For author Cindy Sproles, sleeping on worn-out sheets meant holding on to the past, but new sheets…new sheets marked a fresh start. The slate wiped clean. Crisp. Fresh. New. With each monumental event in her life, she tossed out the old and ushered in the new with a set of fresh new sheets. From the cheapest muslin to the most expensive Egyptian cotton, she saw how God was shaping her into the woman she needed to be. When the road is tough, veer off and step onto a path that is tried and true. One already walked, already blazed, and already prepared just for you. New Sheets – Thirty Days to Refine You into the Woman You Can Be, is a series of thirty transparent devotions and inspirational thoughts that welcome you, wrap you tight, and snuggle you in encouragement. The next time you long for a change…go for new sheets.

Print version $9.95