Tag Archives: cindysproles

From the Ashes – She Said
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Only in His time

Only in His time

From the Ashes – She Said

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

It wasn’t something I’d ever dream to have. In fact, we’d given up on ever having grandbabies. Our boys hadn’t chosen to marry or entertain the idea of children. So as we watched other grandparents coo over their grandchildren, we smiled and sighed.

Until this week…when they laid that baby in the bend of my arm, the floodgate opened. I couldn’t stop the tears. The baby stretched and his little hand touched my cheek. You would have never convinced me six years ago, this baby, from this son…would be resting in my arms.

It’s funny how life changes in a heartbeat. From moment to moment we wait and wonder how the path will twist and turn. What does God really have in store?

While Solomon must have experienced a rush of overwhelming realization when God gifted him with wisdom…it must have given him an inkling of understanding about the immenseness of God. We can only guess that, for an instant, Solomon actually “got” eternity and the beauty of things even in the darkest of moments. Beneath the apparent sadness of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was trying to put into words, the vastness of his gift. The amazement in God.

There was a time we wondered if we’d ever see our son again…if we’d ever again experience the joy he’d  brought us, and yet when he returned, the moment was beautiful. Precious to us. Nothing could surpass that feeling until this week. In front of us stood our boy, holding his boy, and in the words of Solomon…no one could fathom what God had done from beginning to end.

We still face rough spots with our boys, but we remain faithful in lifting them before a God who has control of eternity and all the pieces that fall into place getting us there. This week was bittersweet as we rejoiced in the turnaround of one and the stumble of another. Yet in the midst of this, God made it beautiful in its own time. For a moment we understood, as Solomon must have, what it meant to see wonderment rise from the ashes.

I can’t change history, make decisions for others, or even begin to bring about world peace, but for now…I can hold in my arms the promise of the beauty God creates.

During your times of uncertainty and hurt, hold tight to the wisdom and truth found in an omniscient God. He will raise good things from the ashes and eternity will reign…all in its own time.

Cindy  is the 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 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 

In His Name – She Said
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The Name of God

In His Name – She Said

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. Ezra 3:11

Apple! I thought. Gweneth Paltrow named her daughter APPLE!  This same woman gave her son the name Moses (and a pair of sandals I’m not sure anyone can fill).

There’s so much in a name and in this world, in this society, a name can make or break you. Remember a boy named Sue?

I pray every morning. In the beginning it was awkward and forced. I had to learn. Now it flows like the waters of the Nolichucky River—fast, effortless and continual. Yet when I pray I still struggle for the words that praise Him best…that thank Him appropriately.

“Thank you for….” “I praise you for…” just doesn’t cut it. God has given us the very foundation we stand on, His Son. The Rock. There must be something more befitting Him than a simple thank you.

God is known by many names. That’s what’s so beautiful about the Hebrews and their language. They praised God; prayed to Him by the names that addressed their needs and praises. None can out do God’s response when Moses cried out, “Whom shall I say sent me?” God replied, “Tell them I Am.” There’s little that can surpass I Am.

God has done a lot this week. He’s given what I needed and then some—blessed me when I probably didn’t deserve it. Yet still, I couldn’t find the right words to articulate my appreciation. So, yesterday, I turned to scripture. I jotted down several names that paid homage to a God who loves me so.

I praised Jehovah-Jireh, which denotes the side of God that is provision. I lifted my petitions for those who are suffering and ill to Jehovah-Rophe, the side of God who heals. My praises of hope and guidance to Adonai, my Master. My praise of life and admonition to El Elyon, the God of Most High.

I’m not sure I can show adequate thanks to the God, who out of His love for me, called His Son Emmanuel—God with us. But I am thankful. Grateful. Awed by Yeshua, my Savior.

God only expects what He knows I can conceive and understand and by lovingly reading my heart, He accepts my praise and thanks through the names I grasp, know and call Him.

Of all the names I am allowed to use for praise, the dearest is Abba…father. Lift your heart in praise for He is the very foundation of all we are. Call out your thanks in the names of God. Come to know Him intimately.

(Photo courtesy istock.com licensed for Christian Devotions)
Cindy  is the 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 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 

How Did She Do It? – She Said
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The pains of childbirth

The pains of childbirth

How Did She Do It? – She Said

While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Genesis 4:8a NIV

I’m not sure how she did it. Eve, that is. It’s hard enough when you have children who walk into mistakes, but to have one kill the other … I’m not sure how she managed.

Our family is no worse than anyone else’s. We’ve had our moments when our kids, even as adults, have made bad choices. I’ve stood to the side and sobbed into my husband’s shoulder as we watched from a distance … unable to help … unable to change the course. We’ve muddled through a prodigal, a wayward child, and one who’s been a little lost. And I continue to tell myself, this is part of being a parent. Regardless of their age, they are always our children … always our babies.

Our children are grown and now we step to the side to let them make their own way. My inclination is to say, “Wait. Think that one through. Hold up, that could be messy. Careful.” But my children, like everyone else’s children, have to stand on their own two feet and reap the consequence or reward of their efforts.

Like I said, I’m not sure how Eve did it. I’m convinced when God pronounced the curse and punishment on Eve — the one about pain in childbirth — it was not just the physical pain of giving birth. I believe the real curse for Eve was standing to the side and watching the children she cherished make huge mistakes. Things she could neither stop nor change.

When Cain and Abel walked into the fields that day, I doubt the immediate thought in Cain’s mind was murder, but sin crept in. Anger and violence overtook him and the result was irreversible. That day, Eve understood the real pain of childbirth. It was never the pain of pushing a child from her body; rather, it was the unfixable pain of losing one son to death and the other to sin. She couldn’t fix it so she suffered the curse.

As parents, all we can do is raise our children beneath the wings of Christ. Train them up in the ways of God and then, when the babies spread their wings … pray. Pray fervently, continually, and with deep passion. When they wander, pray. When they falter, pray. When they sin, pray. When, when, when … just pray.

When you worry about your kids and you suffer at their pain, lay them at the feet of Jesus. And then trust He will take them into His arms. Let Christ ease the suffering and lessen the pain of childbirth.

**For all those mothers who lay awake at night feeling the pain. Trust them to Him.

Photo courtesy microsoft.com free image gallery
Cindy  is the 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 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 

Who’d Have Thunk It? – She Said
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God took me to the mountain top

God took me to the mountaintop

Who’d Have Thunk It? – She Said

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10 NIV

It was never something I imagined. Days earlier I stood on a mountain peak in Colorado watching the sun rise over the snowcapped Rockies, wondering what I’d done to earn such favor. Now, I stood atop a summit in the Blue Ridge Mountains; and to think … God had chosen me. Me. That scrawny, backward, ugly duckling who stood in the background during high school, ridiculed and mocked … alone more than with someone … me.

“Eddie, I still can’t understand it. Look what God has done with us. Who’d have ever thunk it?” We sat atop Rattlesnake Ridge — our yearly walk on the mountain — to talk, pray, and plan for this ministry.

When I look back over the past six years I can see where we were. Two willing misfits, brought together as friends to serve God. And all we did was say, “Okie dokie.” God spoke and these two buddies had no clue what lay ahead.

It’s been hard work and sacrifice too. Plugging alone, selling the idea that when we do for others, others do for us (remember, that’s biblical). Help one another. Whatever you do for the least of these you do for me. Love your neighbor like you love yourself.

We set out on a journey of faith. It wasn’t a chore, but it just seemed right. The tasks God laid before us were as high as the mountain we walked … but we didn’t see the height, only the climb.

There have been times when the rocky path caused our feet to sink into the mud. The reality of the work was there but our naivete in our service blinded us to the obstacles. All we knew was God called and we answered.

Have we had rewards? I suppose it depends on your idea of payment. If you counted dollars and cents … well, then, we’ve not been so successful. But then God isn’t always a God who pays in cold hard cash. Our needs have always been met, our families provided for. Sometimes, not until the bell for timeout was ringing, but they have always been met.

God doesn’t forget the work of His servants. He didn’t forget Moses as he led the Israelites out of bondage. Didn’t forget David when he whisked up a stone that would take down a giant. God didn’t forget Samson when he cried out for one last burst of strength to take down the stone columns and defeat his enemy. He didn’t forget the Magi when He sent them home a different way, or Joseph when he woke in the middle of the night to save his family. God doesn’t forget.

For every palm you grace with friendship and love, a palm is turned toward you. The repayment is not always in wealth. It’s in the amazement of being used by the Father to complete His plan. It’s helping others. Serving with a heart of willingness. It’s being there even if it’s inconvenient.

I never imagined God could or would even consider using a scrawny misfit. I never dreamed He’d send me to the Rockies to teach others then whisk me back across the country into the mountains of “home” to do it all over again. I never, ever, imagined. But you see, God doesn’t forget.

When He calls, just say yes and I promise, God will not forget.

Cindy  is the 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 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 

Pride and Prejudice – She Said
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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