The Job of Encouragement - Anita van der Elst

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans 1:12 NLT

While staying for a couple of weeks with my daughter after the birth of her firstborn, I visited a nearby church. I was delighted that the church had a small café where one could enjoy a quick breakfast and specialty coffee before the worship service. 

Waiting for my latte and wanting to connect, I tried to engage in conversation with some folks sitting nearby. I was slightly surprised that they didn’t seem interested in doing so. This would have discouraged me in the past, but the Lord has brought maturity over time. I know He wants me to be encouraged, like Paul desired, and to encourage others. So, I looked for a connection somewhere else in the area.

The Lord did not disappoint. The next person I saw stood in the middle of the room in a circle designated “Next Steps.” A sign hung from the ceiling that read, “Start Here.” She smiled, and we conversed. Her job may have been to greet and help people, but her interest was genuine. She offered to sit with me in the sanctuary, and I readily accepted. 

Our shared camaraderie and love for our Savior greatly enhanced the worship experience. We exchanged phone numbers, and although I would go home to another state, we agreed to stay in touch. Our encounter encouraged me in my faith journey, and she said the same.

If I had let the first failed attempt to connect dictate the rest of my morning, what a loss I would have experienced. And the same for my new friend. How much better to go with the motive of seeking to encourage others in the faith.

Think of ways you can encourage others in their faith. 

Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to three of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, exploring the state parks in the PNW, facilitating a small group of women, and participating in a Bible study. 

I invite you to try my newest book, Grits, Grace, and Grands, in eBook or paperback. If you are a grandparent or just want to hear grandparent stories, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Soup

 

Ingredients

4 BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST

     

1 CAN CREAM  OF CELERY

1 SMALL BLOCK VELVEETA CHEESE

  

2 CANS CHICKEN BROTH

1 BAG EGG NOODLES

1 CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN

1 CAN MILK

1 STICK BUTTER

SALT/PEPPER

1 CAN ROTEL

Directions

COOK CHICKEN BREASTS IN BROTH, BUTTER, AND SALT/PEPPER.

ONCE COOKED, REMOVE FROM BROTH.

ADD NOODLES TO BROTH AND LET COOK.

SHRED CHICKEN, THEN ADD BACK TO NOODLES AND BROTH.

ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS AND LET COOK ON LOW FOR 30 TO 40 MINUTES.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Overcoming the Wily One - Martin Wiles

God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming to strong that you can stand up against it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

With the wily ways of his nature, the opossum lured my chicken to her death.

After one move, I decided to buy a few chickens. I saw no need to fence them since I lived in the country, but I was wrong. Some immediately headed for the woods. Others became food for wild varmints. Finally, only one chicken remained. I did my best to protect her by putting her in a cage with small holes and placing her next to the back porch. Surely, a wild animal wouldn't get her here. I was wrong again. The next morning, the cage was completely empty. Not a feather in sight. An opossum had lured her with his charming ways and sucked her out of the cage piece by piece.

Satan came in the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden, and Peter classified him as a roaring lion seeking to kill. Paul, however, gives us encouragement. God controls Satan's temptations.

Sometimes, I must remind myself that temptation isn't the same as sinning. Satan tempts, God allows it, and I'm the one tempted, but temptation isn't sinful. Instead, it demonstrates my desire to live obediently to God's commands. If I were already living as Satan wanted, he would have no need to tempt me.

Satan would love nothing better than for us to adopt a we-can't-win attitude. Having this mindset sets us up for defeat—and Satan loves it when a defeatist attitude overcomes us. With a defeatist attitude, we'll give in to temptation more easily. We won't be able to summon up enough energy to fight. Why bother, we'll muse. We might as well give in.

Through interaction, Satan learns our weaknesses and targets them. Once he discovers where we're prone to fail, he'll attempt to suck the life out of us like the opossum did my chicken.

But giving in to temptation isn't necessary. The one who lives in us is greater than the one tempting. Through prayer, depending on the Spirit's power, putting on spiritual armor, exercising caution, staying in the Word, and associating with Christian encouragers, our chances of winning over the wily one increase tremendously.

If Satan has duped you into thinking you can't win over his wily tricks, take heart. Through Christ, overcoming the wily one becomes possible.

Father, thank you for providing me the power to overcome the enemy's tactics.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Enduring Life's Thorns - Martin Wiles

But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. 2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

I hadn't garnered enough backpacking experience, so my first long haul involved a serious mistake. 

Hiking and backpacking had become a love I pursued monthly, but I wanted more. And what better way to spend the week than hiking a remote section of the Foothills Trail with my daughter, who was on spring break? This particular trail meanders along the South Carolina—North Carolina border.

My mistake entailed wearing a new pair of boots. Halfway through our first day of hiking, a burning sensation grabbed at the side of my heel. We stopped at the first cool stream of water so I could investigate. The culprit was a large blister. I cleaned the area, applied antibiotic cream, covered it with a bandage, and moved on. This thorn on my foot required daily care for the remainder of the hike.  

Paul was a great apostle, but he had a thorn. Theologians conjecture what it was, but Paul leaves the answer as a mystery. What it was isn't as important as how he responded to it. His actions are noteworthy when dealing with our thorns. 

Paul identified his thorn—not to us--but to himself. I knew what mine was as well. Soldiers in battle must identify the enemy before they can fight him. 

Though we can't identify the thorn, we can understand why Paul asked God about its why. Asking God a question and questioning God are different. The first is permissible; the second is questionable. God may choose to reveal why or keep it a secret. I knew why I had the blister. 

Paul asked God to remove the thorn. I would have loved for God to miraculously heal my blister, but I doubted that would happen until I took the boots off. God didn't take Paul's thorn away, either. Paul's thorn had a purpose; my blister did as well. 

When God refused to remove Paul's thorn, Paul made peace with it. I did the same with my blister. I doctored it daily because I knew the risk of infection. Paul was obviously tempted to have a prideful spirit since he concluded that God gave the thorn to keep him humble. 

God has a purpose when assigning thorns. When enduring life's thorns, ask God what he's attempting to teach you rather than complaining. 

Father, though I don't enjoy thorns, I trust you have a purpose in allowing them. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

God of Mystery - Martin Wiles

"My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8 NLT

For several seasons, my wife and I have watched a mystery that defies solving.

Few television shows have tantalized me so much that I would stop what I was doing to watch them. Black List is one. I'm not quite sure what drew my wife to it, but as I sat and read while she watched the show, I, too, was mysteriously drawn to the main characters and the show's mysterious nature. One of the characters, Raymond Reddington, is a criminal—albeit one who assists the other main character, a crime investigator, Elizabeth Keen. He helps because of a mysterious connection with her—one that is never revealed.

God defies solving as well. Scientists propose hypotheses. Experiments, in turn, test the hypotheses. When a particular result occurs, the scientists propose a theory. If the same result repeats itself, they proclaim a fact. But God doesn't follow scientific procedures. When I think I've figured him out, he'll surprise me. He is a mystery, yet a mystery I can live with.

A relationship with God entails admitting that we can't figure him out. I enjoy solving mysteries in life. A favorite board game of mine when I was younger was Clue. Through elimination, someone playing the game determined who the criminal was, what room the crime took place in, and what weapon they used in the act. God, however, doesn't play by the usual rules.

Despite all that we may not be able to figure out about God, there are some things we can know—predictable things. The ways he shows us love may change or surprise us, but the fact that he loves will not. Loving is his nature. How he delivers us from or through trouble may vary, but deliver he will. What temptations he allows us to face—and how long he allows them to endure--will differ, but he always provides a way of escape and the strength to endure the temptation. Trials of different shapes and sizes will come, but God will consistently deliver us through each one.

Although we worship a God of mystery, he remains consistently loving. Make sure you love and trust this God of mystery.

Father, among the many mysteries that surround you, I thank you that I can depend on the consistency of your love, grace, and mercy. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Cheesy Bacon Grits Casserole

 

 

Ingredients

7 packs of Instant Grits

4 eggs

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk

1/2 stick of butter

1 cup of shredded sharp cheese

1 cup of Velveeta cheese

1 pound of cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions

Mix all ingredients.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place in casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Waiting on God - Abigail Skelton

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us.” Judges 6:13 NIV

Do you ever feel like you’re just waiting on God? Perhaps you’ve been waiting for months—even years—praying that someday soon will be the day God chooses to step in and answer prayers with a yes instead of a no. 

Gideon was there, too. When the angel of the Lord showed up for a conversation, Gideon wanted an explanation first. 

To Gideon’s confusion (and probably slight annoyance), the angel of the Lord didn’t answer his questions. But the response has inspired countless sermons and songs throughout generations: “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you” (6:14)? 

The Lord’s solution to Gideon’s problem was Gideon. While our situations are often beyond our ability to change—like the death of a loved one or a natural disaster—sometimes the suffering we see is just a challenge to live for God. Maybe there is a relationship in our life that could use some mending. Perhaps we could help those in our community who are in need. God might call us to step out in courage and solve a problem we’ve been praying about.

Fortunately, the angel of the Lord didn’t just leave Gideon to figure things out alone. He assured Gideon he would be with him. What a promise. 

When God calls you to act—whether you’re saving a kingdom or helping a friend—he will accompany you wherever the journey may lead. 

Abigail Skelton is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.