Tag Archives: Eddie Jones

The Angel on the Mountain – Kevin Spencer
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Mt. Mitchell

Mt. Mitchell

For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways, they will lift you up in their hands. Psalm 91:11,12

With a low groan I forced open my eyes, and the familiar dimensions of my Montreat College dorm room focused into view. The clock beside my bed said a little after 10:00 p.m. Fumbling for my glasses, I heard my best friend softly snoring in his sleeping bag on the floor beside my bed. Eddie had come up from NC State to visit for the weekend. We were college freshmen and best friends. That much I remembered. What I didn’t know was what we were doing back in the dorm room.

Fifteen hours earlier, Eddie and I had decided to go hiking. We had first walked around the campus, but Montreat wasn’t that big.

“Any trails to the top of the mountain?” Eddie gazed up at the mountains that surrounded Montreat.

“Sure.” And without another thought, off we went. It was a beautiful winter Saturday at the little Christian mountain college outside of Asheville. The sun was shining, and it was warm. Eddie and I took off up the mountain trail in just our light windbreakers.

After a hard push up to the ridge, Eddie and I fell into the easy conversation of old friends. We had been virtually inseparable through four years of high school, but having gone to separate colleges we had a lot to catch up on. We hiked and talked, and the hours slipped away.

Hiking upward, under the tree canopy, neither one of us noticed the temperature falling, or the clouds moving in. Nor did we keep track of time. Our trail eventually crossed the old Mt. Mitchell Toll Road, and breaking into the open out from under the trees, it was the first indication we had that the weather had changed. The sun was gone, and with it the warm day. It had turned bitterly cold. Dark gray clouds hovered. We realized it was late afternoon, and there was no possibility we’d find our way back to the college before dark. And then, right on cue, it began to snow.

We had no choice but to push on toward the Blue Ridge Parkway, and hope for a ride back to the college. Eddie and I trudged through the snow to the Parkway. But when we reached it, there were no tracks in the snow that covered it. The Parkway was closed because of the weather. There would be no cars and we were in trouble. We were alone, on the highest mountain east of the Mississippi, in a driving snowstorm, in already wet tennis shoes and windbreakers. Worse… no one knew we were here.

With no other alternative, we kept hiking. Soon we reached the large stone sign that proclaimed the entrance to Mt. Mitchell State Park. We were exhausted and cold. The snow was inches deep. There was a small ranger cabin at the entrance. I suggested we break in to get out of the snow, but Eddie had another idea.

“Let’s pray.”

So we did.

Eddie sat on one side of that granite Mt Mitchell State Park sign, and I sat on the other shivering uncontrollably. The snow piled up around us. And we prayed… fervently.

And God heard us. I have an impression of a light streaming through the snow, with the individual flakes sparkling in its brightness, a warmth coming over me, and dropping us deep into sleep…. waking in my dorm room.

I don’t know the mechanics of what happened in between. I don’t need to know, and probably wasn’t meant to know. I DO know my Father heard my prayer, and Eddie’s (who also remembered nothing), and He rescued us. An angel came and lifted two careless young men out of a snowstorm off of Mt. Mitchell, and deposited them safely back in their home.

Our Father always hears us. Always. He guards us without question. No matter how great your problem, give it to Him.

Photo courtesy Wikipedia.org

Kevin Spencer lives in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Charlotte and grandson Caleb. He is a staff writer for ChristianDevotions.us.  A former prodigal son, Kevin is now trying to use the gifts God gave him, and by the grace of God has a life far better than he ever deserved.

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I yam what I yam – He Said
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I Yam What I Yam

I Yam What I Yam

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

The story goes that rabbi Zusya lay dying. His disciples gathered around him to say goodbye and were surprised to find their teacher terrified at the prospect of facing God. If anyone should have confidence in their accomplishments, they reasoned, it should be Zusya.

“You have lived life with the faith of Abraham,” one of his students commented. “You have cared with the heart of Rachel. You have revered God with the humility of Moses. How could God possible find fault with your efforts to serve Him?”

Zusya took a deep, shuddering breath, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

“I fear when I come before the throne of judgment, God will not ask, ‘Why were you not more faithful than Abraham? or more loving than Rachel? or more reverent than Moses?’ He will not ask why I did not slay more giants than David. No, I fear when I stand in the presence of God He will simply ask: ‘Zusya, why were you not more like Zusya?’”

With apologies to my friend Steven James, I borrowed this story because I believe too often we fail to become the person God desires.

As I write this, sixty-four college basketball teams begin play with the hope of becoming national champions. Only one will go home a winner. Does that mean the players on the other sixty-three teams are losers? Only if they play the game as impostors.

We are not all tall, quick, and able to dunk like Michael Jordan. But we can play the game of life in the skin and soul God gave us. To give your all and play your best is the mark of a champion – not the final score or last comment on an author’s rejection letter.

The next time you are tempted to put on the skin of another, remember the words of Popeye: “I yam what I yam and that’s all what I yam.”

Go in the strength God gives you and be all the you, you can be.

You Still Ask What I Want – He Said
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You asked what I wanted

You asked what I wanted

What do you want Me to do for you? Luke 18:41

My last great birthday party occurred when I turned forty. I invited all the kids in the neighborhood to our driveway and lowered the basketball goal to eight feet. I was in my zone, swatting shots into the grass and dunking on middle-school age boys. The opposing team complained I held an unfair advantage. I did. Birthdays allow you to bend the rules and on that day, at least, we played ball the way I wanted — with me king of the court.

“What do you want for your birthday, Eddie?”

I read those words this week and thought, Not much, Lord. Boys are grown and healthy. We survived the Great Recession. The wife and I have our health and a DVR stocked with back episodes of Downtown Abbey. Life could change tomorrow but for now, we’re set.

“Set? Is that what I asked? How are you set? Set is for people who settle. I asked you what you want.”

I examined the verse again. Jesus arrived at the well in the heat of the day without any tools for drawing water. How dare He ask the woman – or me — “What do you want me to do for you?”

To want is to risk picking at our dead dreams until the scab bleeds.To want is to risk acknowledging life has not turned out as we’d hoped, that hope disappoints, and that the author of hope failed to deliver on our dreams. And still Christ leans against the well filled with our bitter water and asks,  ”What do you want me to do for you?”

Our encounters with God leave us disturbed. Just when everything is set, we feel the tug of His Spirit asking us to pick and probe until we confess our disappointment in Him – and our need for Him to come through for us, still.

Some days, when the sun is warm on my face and the sound of waves draws me to the shore, I recall the dreams of my youth. Those wants of the young dreamer still bring tears to my eyes and make my heart skip when I think, Yes, this – this is what I want. To enjoy God’s creation from the deck of a surfboard with nothing but a thin coating of Coppertone to weigh me down.

You asked what I want, Lord. Here it is: To have my bitter tears transformed into a wellspring of living water. May your Spirit keep me forever young, Lord, even when I am old.

Photo courtesy microsoft.com free photo gallery

Bootcamp19Eddie Jones is the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries. He is Acquisition Editor of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, an imprint of Christian Devotions Ministries. Eddie has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, an adult romantic comedy, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over twenty different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and Living Aboard Magazine, among other publications.

His Young Adult novel, The Curse of Captain LaFoote is available from Port Yonder Press as well as his newest release, Dead Man’s Hand from Zonderkids. From Lighthouse Publishing, My Father’s Business.

Read Eddie’s devotions.

MyFathersBusiness-300x464Devotional Stories Featuring: Jeremy Lin, Bruce Wilkerson, George S. Patton, Walt Disney, Jim Valvano, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, Colonel Sanders, and others with selected quotes from Oswald Chambers.

What does it mean to discern God’s will for your life? How can you hear His call? The word discernment comes from two Latin words: discernere (to perceive) and discretis (to separate). To discern God’s voice and will is to converse with Him. In both Hebrew and Greek, the word will means “to yearn.” When we say, “Lord, Your will be done,” we are asking God to infuse His deepest yearnings into our spirit and alter the circumstances of our life in order that we may grow. God sees beyond our past and knows our secret desires, even those desires yet to be born. In My Father’s Business, you will see how others responded to the yearning God placed within their heart and enjoyed their Father’s blessing.

We often complicate the business of knowing God’s will, but His word is clear: “And You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV). Those who seek and ask, hear His voice. The following devotional stories illustrate how others have heard God’s call and heeded His voice. My prayer is that you, too, will learn to recognize God’s voice so that you will be able both to discern and to do His will.

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It’s All About Him – She Said
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Not about ME...it's all about HIM


Not about ME…it’s all about HIM

What do you want Me to do for you?’ Luke 18:41

“It’s all about me,” was written on a photo my niece sent me when she graduated college. It was about her and though this was a joke in our family, the fact was, she’d worked hard to graduate nursing school. We were proud.

One spring, God introduced me to Eddie. We sat at a conference, heard the same message, made notes, and went our separate ways. Two years later we bumped into one another again, discussed how we’d change the face of publishing (this coming from two unpublished wanna-be’s) for others. Then went our way.

Long story short, Moe introduced Larry and Curly and a ministry was born. We’ve often laughed about how God took two unlikely misfits and used them…but that’s just like God. He loves surprise.

We had obstacles… like how WE could “fix” publishing, overcome financial issues, and answer questions about how we’d spread the word of God. To be honest, we weren’t sure how we’d manage this task, but then, it wasn’t our problem. It was God’s. It wasn’t about US. We simply asked what we could do for Him.

Yearly, we ministry buddies walk the mountain to discuss our thoughts, make plans, sometimes argue, but more so, we remind ourselves to ask God, “What do you want us to do for you?” It’s easy to let the conversation slip the other direction, with upcoming travel expenses, websites being hacked, volunteers coming and going. Still, every time we walk, we ask God to keep us focused on Him, not us.

Jesus, the epitome of servanthood, spoke these words in a hundred different ways and proved them through His actions. Imagine being a blind man, crying out for mercy and having Jesus ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” and getting an answer. Even when it was something Jesus dreaded like… the cross. He asked God what He could do for Him and God reiterated, “Die for my people.” So He did.

The world’s primary goal is “ME.” It’s a dead-ended concept. Still, most of us haven’t figured that out yet. But when we turn the idea around, scramble the sentence and ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” — astounding things happen. We’re proof. Don’t you get it yet? If God can take Eddie and Cindy and use US to remind others of their value in the kingdom, then what makes you think He’d do less for you? But you have to call out — ask.

These days, we’re teaching the age-old idea of Jesus. What do you want me to do for you? When God is pleased, He blesses in amazing and unexpected ways. Especially when the ME comes second. When there is definition of the calling you’ve been given and it’s focused on what can be done for others rather than yourself, perspective happens and God is truly in control.

Start today. Turn to your neighbor, the man on the street and ask, “What do you want me to do for you?” Ask. You’ll be surprised what comes of it.

**Thank you to all those board members, faculty, staff, editors and prayer warriors who asked along with us…”God, what can I do for you?” May God bless your loving kindness as you advance His Word.

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.

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* 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

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Prepare to Wait – He Said
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Prepare to Wait

Prepare to Wait

Make the most of every opportunity. Colossians 4:5a

Even though he led his high school team to a state championship, no college offered him an athletic scholarship. Harvard allowed he might be able to play for them – but he must pay his way.

During his sophomore season he averaged 12.6 points and was named All-Ivy League Second Team. By his junior year he was the only NCAA Division I men’s basketball player who ranked in the top ten in his conference for scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocked shots, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point shot percentage. ESPN called him “one of the twelve most versatile players in college basketball.” Professional scouts were not impressed. On the day of the NBA draft no one called his name. The Golden State Warriors finally offered him a partial contract but released him a few months later. He bounced around with a couple other teams before falling into the development league.

Then he received “the call.” The New York Knicks needed him to play starting guard while their star player recovered from his injuries. In his first four NBA starts he scored more points than any player in NBA history, surpassing Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael Jordan. With him on the floor, the struggling Knicks became unstoppable. He produced game winning shots and helped fuel a seven game winning streak. Jeremy Lin continues to shoot over thirty percent from three-point range and average around 15 points per game. He is professional sport’s “Linsation.”

The Apostle Paul directs us to make the most of every opportunity; not make do or make excuses. When tossed into prison, Joseph the Dreamer changed the culture of captivity. When sent into the fields, Ruth gleaned more than grain — she gathered a husband. Peter, when told to fish for men, founded a church. What door of opportunity has God placed before you?

Pastor David Jeremiah writes in his best selling book, Life Wide Open:  “God’s open doors are often disguised as problems, time-sensitive, met with resistance, and often missed because of fear.” Are you afraid, stuck, and overwhelmed by difficulties? If so, practice, prepare, and pray for an opportunity to shine for Him.

Good things come to those who wait – great things come to those who prepare while they wait.

***

Bahama Breeze, by Eddie Jones

Print: $14.95 NOOK & Kindle $4.95

Looking for a fun read about a man overcoming his past, problems, and deadly hurricanes –  nuclear missels, missed opportunities, clogged toilet bowels (No, wait! That’s toilet BOWLS),  personal demons, political demonstrators, terrorist cells, corrupt politicians, cockroaches in the shower and a broken heart (hey, we even threw in a Cuban spy ring tied to Sesame Street)… then grab a copy of Bahama Breeze: Eddie’s latest “blessed seller.” Money back guaranteed. If not completely satisfied contact the Bahama Bureau of Tourism and ask for a one way ticket to Cockroach Cay. (Hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?).

This offer not valid is states ending in A E I O U or on days ending in Y.

With Prayer, We Cannot Fail – He Said
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With Prayer, We Cannot Fail

With Prayer, We Cannot Fail

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

“Chaplain, sit for a moment. I want to talk to you about this business of prayer.” George S. Patton stood by the window watching the steady rain. For days the Third Army had been bogged down due to the weather. “Chaplain, how much praying is being done in the Third Army?” The Chaplain admitted that lately, not much.

“Chaplain, I am a strong believer in prayer. There are three ways that men get what they want; by planning, by working, and by praying. Any great military operation takes careful planning, or thinking. Then you must have well-trained troops to carry it out: that’s working. But between the plan and the operation there is always an unknown. That unknown spells defeat or victory, success or failure. Up to now, God has been very good to us. We have never retreated; we have suffered no defeats, no famine, no epidemics. This is because a lot of people back home are praying for us. We were lucky in Africa, in Sicily, and in Italy. Simply because people prayed. But we have to pray for ourselves too. We must ask God to stop these rains. This Army needs the assurance and the faith that God is with us. With prayer, we cannot fail.” (http://www.pattonhq.com/prayer.html)

But what if we are forbidden to pray for the protection of our nation, wisdom of our leaders, and freedoms of our people?

On August 29, 2011 a three-judge panel of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled officials could not pray before public meetings. The ruling, in the case of Joyner v. Forsyth County, admonished public officials to refrain from invoking the name Jesus.

To pray is to call upon God and to invite Him into conversation. The Greek word enteuxis is often translated as “intercession.” In the New Testament the word is used to describe a petition presented to a king on the behalf of another. A petition is not an unspoken request but a bold supplication that carries with it the signatures of those who dared to come before the ruling authorities. God listens to our silent prayers, but He also longs to hear our voices raised to the heavens, demanding justice for the oppressed and help for the wounded and hurting.

Between December 12-14, 1944, two-hundred-fifty thousand copies of General Patton’s Prayer Card were distributed to the troops. On December 20, the rains ceased. For almost a week, American warplanes bombarded the German army that had been advancing under the cloak of fog. General Patton prayed for fair weather, and he got it.

Perhaps it is time we gathered in our homes and churches, public squares and courtrooms and asked God to have mercy on us, to forgive our sins and repent. Each year the United States recognizes a national day of prayer; what our country needs is to pray without ceasing.

Will you?

My Mama Nell – He Said
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Mama Nell's Family Tree

Mama Nell's Family Tree

Honor your father and mother—which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:2 (NIV)

Listen to My Mama Nell – He Said

I’ve waited all my life to tell Mom what I thought of her and now I can without fear of retribution – assuming of course she can’t curse me from the grave. Others have accused me of lacking a verbal filter, but I blame my bluntness on Mom. One thing about my mother . . . you always knew what she was thinking. Whether you wanted to know or not.

But my aim today isn’t to highlight Mom’s faults (and there were many – from her constant carping about how our church had grown too large (apparently100 members is the perfect size), to her criticisms of the pastors and their apparent lack of attention to the elderly and shut-ins). I count these as faults only in the sense that Mom often voiced her opinions in a gruff manner, sometimes leading individuals to do the exact opposite.

No, my goal today is to honor Mom and cash in on that promise in Ephesians 6:2. I want to live a long, long while here on earth because I know when I get to heaven Mom will ask me to pick up sticks, or weed the garden, or some other horrendous childhood chore. Here’s a story that highlights three of Mom’s more prominent qualities: to have community, to contribute, and to be in charge.

A year or so ago Mom was on her way to the hairdresser when another driver ran a stop sign and smashed into her Buick. Mom got out, inspected the damage, and exchanged insurance info. Then while the two women waited for the police to arrive, Mom popped the trunk and motioned the other driver to the rear of her LeSabre.

“My son’s a writer,” Mom announced, “and I’ve got some of his books. Do you want a copy?” I wasn’t there but, knowing Mom, the inflection in her voice and order of words was probably more like: “You do want a copy? Right?” I’m almost certain of this because the woman bought one copy of The Curse of Captain LaFoote (a YA / Tween novel) and a church recipe book. I bet the woman doesn’t even cook.

But that was Mom. Always hawking my books (contributing to the needs of others), talking about her friends in the J O Y group (Just Older Youths was her community), and making other people’s business her business (charging in uninvited).

This week I lost my biggest fan and best salesperson, but God gained a worthy assistant. I can’t imagine how He thinks He’ll remain in charge now.

The last thing Mom told me was, “I’m not as young as I used to be, Son. You need to think about your old mom once in a while and come see me.”

I will Mom. I promise.

God Encounters: Innocence Lost – He Said
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Innocence Lost

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. – Matthew 2:16 (NIV)

Listen to God Encounters: Innocence Lost – He Said

At last Mary exhaled. No more angels appearing in the dead of night. No more heavenly hosts singing outside her home. Even the steady parade of shepherds dropping in to check on her boy had ceased. After nearly two years of interruptions, she was finally living a normal life–or what passed for normal with a toddler in the home.

But the serenity would not last. Weeks after the wise guys from the East bid her son farewell, she lay awake, listening to the screams of other mothers. Reaching to her side, she cradled her boy to her chest as thundering hooves raced down the dusty highway. Roman legions, she thought, descending on Bethlehem. She looked up and saw Joseph peeking past the tent flap. She waited for his nod and began gathering their few belongings. With the growing crescendo of cries ringing in her ears, Mary wept for the friends she loved, the mothers who wailed for her son’s innocent playmates.

But were they innocent? Are you?

The birth of Mary’s boy brought joy and hope to a conquered people. Years earlier, God’s people had demanded a king: a leader they could see, hear, and curse. God cautioned them to be content with Him alone: to seek His face and guidance. But they coveted the royalty of neighboring nations so God conceded to their wishes. “They have not rejected you,” He told the prophet Samuel, “but they have rejected me.”

Now, in the town of Bethlehem, God had returned. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords would call nations to account. This is the consequence of an encounter with God: the loss of our innocence. We think we are “good enough,” but we are delusional for the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Before Christ, our sins were not counted against us; now we have no defense except one, the One who escaped the sword of Herod.

Romans tells us that all have sinned. There is none righteous, no not even one. Not even the baby boys of Bethlehem. This is the reality of an encounter with God.

For whom will you weep today?

God Encounters: Familiarity Lost – He Said
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God Encounters: Familiarity Lost

God Encounters: Familiarity Lost

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. – Matthew: 2:12

Listen to God Encounters: Familiarity Lost – He Said

A few months ago my friends Joe and Debbie took a trip out west. “Took a trip.” That’s Southerner-speak for “driving.” In the South we’re always “taking and toting” things. In 1861 we took Fort Sumter but gave it back because we couldn’t afford the upkeep. Plus, the Yankees who’d been living there left it a wreck. But I digress. That’s another thing Southerners do. We stray from our main point.

Speaking of straying, a few months ago my friends Joe and Debbie took a trip out west. Driving into Indianapolis they started around the beltway when their GPS units barked: “Drive .6 miles. Then turn right.” Joe looked at Debbie and said, “Guess Leaner is taking us on shortcut.” He pulled off and stopped at the bottom of the ramp.

A few blocks later Joe and Debbie found themselves on an unlit city street in a part of Indianapolis not featured in the Chamber of Commerce welcome packet. At a traffic light bracketed by abandoned vehicles and homes missing doors and windows, Joe’s GPS advised him to: “Continue straight for another 247 miles.” Joe looked down the darkened street, then out his window at the gang of adolescent males walking towards them. While the GPS unit squawked and recalculated, Joe shoved the car into reverse and returned home another way.

Speaking of returning home another way, those wise guys from the east faced a similar dilemma. Having chased a star over wilderness, rivers, and mountains, they left their gifts for baby Jesus and pointed their camels home. But God had other plans.

Over the next few days many of us will announce our plans for the coming year. Lose weight, lose debt…lose interest in both. When God speaks through a vision or friend or His Word, we can follow his voice or follow our familiar ways but we can never return home. God will not allow it. Our tendency is to reflect fondly on the “good old days” and call them paradise, but if you attempt to cling to the past, you will find yourself its slave.

This is the consequence of an encounter with God. Once you have experienced a revelation of His truth. you will never be the same again.

Is God calling you to a new way, new path? Has he blocked your escape through a job loss, health issue, or abrupt change in a relationship? Ask for clear vision in the darkness.

Then follow the light.

And yes, Joe and Debbie did return home safely via another route. They’ve yet to go back to Indianapolis.