The Sun - Lynne Phipps

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:3 NIV

It was a cold winter’s day. So cold that I debated going for my daily walk with the dogs, worrying that it would be too frigid for their feet. Nevertheless, they were anxious to get outside, so off we went. 

As we trudged around the snowy path, I pulled my parka hood up over my hatted head to try to cut the searing north wind. What a bitter day, I thought. In spite of the cold, however, the beauty of the brilliant blue sky against the stark white landscape was a sight to behold. Best of all, however, was the heat of the winter sun beating down upon us, making our glacial experience that much more bearable.

That winter sun reminded me of the last part of today’s scripture verse: a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Life, just like the weather, can at times become quite bitter, causing us to become discouraged or even to despair. God understands this and has given us a remedy to make our difficult situations bearable. 

Praise is the key to lifting our spirits and blessing us with the encouragement, hope, and strength to persevere amidst the winters of life.

Praise focuses our attention on the truth of who God is, what He has done in the past, and what He will do now and in the future. Praise opens the door of hope, as well as expectancy. God is ever-present.  He will never leave us. He goes before us and can lead us on the right path. He is the God of peace who will provide every good thing we need in order to do His will. God provides wonderful counsel and wisdom. He hears us when we cry and answers our pleas. He is also able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever hope or dream, more even than our highest prayers.

Yes, when we don the garment of praise amidst our times of discouragement or despair, our spirits are lifted, our burdens become lighter, and hope for today as well as tomorrow begins to shine down upon us, just as that warmth of that winter sun shone down upon me on that cold and bitter winter’s day and gave me strength to keep going.

Father God, thank you for the garment of praise to banish the spirit of heaviness within my life when the storms oflife assail me. Remind me to don it quickly and wrap it tightly around me. In your name I pray, amen. 

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God. 

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Club Benefits - Martin Wiles

Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

We had the clubhouse. All we needed were members. And after all, we had club benefits. 

My first cousin and his family lived next door to my maternal grandparents on a large farm. The closest neighbors were of another race, and, because of the prevailing culture at the time, neither he nor his siblings had much to do with them. He only played with other cousins, his siblings, or someone farther down the road with whom he went to church. Many of his games and ventures, he concocted himself. 

One of his ventures was building a clubhouse. He happened to be in the middle of his construction project when I made one of my periodic visits. Using scrap lumber from around the farm, we finished our small square dwelling and decided who would and would not be welcome. Somewhat of a mute decision since we were the only two around. Who could we exclude? And why would our membership rules matter if no one else wanted to join?

The early church began as somewhat of an exclusive club, too. When the Holy Spirit appeared on the Day of Pentecost, he indwelt only Jewish people. As non-Jews began believing and receiving the Spirit, some of the Jewish folks wondered whether they should let them into the club. An eventual decision by the church opened the doors to anyone, with a few conditions. 

God’s club is inclusive and exclusive. Everyone who wants to join is welcome, but there are conditions. God doesn’t want anyone to perish, but he also won’t allow just anyone in without an examination.

Confession of sin is one requirement. Christ assures us that if we confess him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. Forgiveness hinges on confession and repentance and is our ticket into God’s clubhouse. 

Once in, we get to enjoy the benefits of belonging—forgiveness of our sins being one. God also offers an abundant life. The ability to live with peace and confidence regardless of what we face in life. We also have the assurance of God’s perpetual presence with us, guiding us in every life decision. When life is over, we transfer our membership from earth to heaven. A place where no hardship, pain, sorrow, sin, or death exists. 

No other club offers the benefits God’s does. Join today.

Father, thank you for offering club membership to anyone who asks. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Sugar Free Oreo Cookie Delight

 

 

Ingredients

2 packs Sugar-Free Oreo Cookies
1 large pack Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 8-ounce tub Sugar-Free Cool Whip
1 box Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake Mix
2 ½ cups low-fat milk

Directions

 Bake cake mix as directed on box. Cool and crumble.

In a separate bowl, mix pudding and milk.

Then fold in 4 ounces of Cool Whip.

Using your favorite glass dish, start with a layer of crumbled cake mix, followed by a layer of pudding mixture, and finally Oreos.

Continue layering until all ingredients are used.

Top with the remainder of Cool Whip.

Cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving.

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The Heavenly Know-It-All - Martin Wiles

For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Proverbs 5:21 NLT

Every class I took in college seemed to have a know-it-all.

Know-it-alls are people who think they ... well ... know it all. And during my college tenure, I knew quite a few. They were the ones who quickly raised their hands when the professor asked a question he thought no one should know. With a smirky smile, they bellowed their answers and were proud of them—even when they were wrong. They were the ones who prided themselves on asking difficult questions to the professors, thinking they might stump the one who was supposed to know everything. And they loved to brag … on themselves.

I never enjoyed hanging around with know-it-alls. Their pompous attitudes got in the way of my having any meaningful conversation or relationship with them. A friendly, “How are you?” was the most I could manage. Inside, I felt sorry for them when the professors put them in their place or when I saw others avoiding them because of their attitude. And there were times when I knew more than they did, but I wouldn’t answer because I didn’t want to be perceived as what they were.

But there is one know-it-all I choose to have a relationship with: God. We term his ability to know it all as omniscience. Just as he is all-powerful and can be in all places at the same time, so he also has the capacity to know the past, present, and future—as well as all the possibilities that never materialize.

This trait of God is comforting. When we’re down in the dumps, he knows. When the financial crunch crunches, he knows. When the relationship sours, he knows. When the test grade bombs, he knows. Not only does he know the facts, but he also knows the whys behind the facts. He knows how to get us through the financial messes, soured relationships, difficult assignments, tough work atmospheres, and emotional upsets.

I make a habit of avoiding know-it-alls, but not God. He’s not pompous or self-focused. He wants to help us through life’s tough spots, and will if we ask.

Don’t wait until life goes downhill to consult God. He’s the know-it-all who knows it all and wants to help you every day and with every detail.

Father, as my heavenly Know-It-All, prompt me to come to you with all of life’s episodes—good and bad.  

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Missing Nothing – Kristen Whiteley

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalm 23:1 ESV 

It’s not often that I read the Bible in French, but one morning that’s exactly what I did. I began with the oft-read and beautifully familiar Psalm 23: “L’Eternel est mon berger, je ne manquerai de rien.” Literally, “the Eternal One is my Shepherd, I will miss nothing.” 

I will miss nothing? The six verses of this psalm have slipped through my lips innumerable times since I was probably twelve, sealed on my heart, and yet the nuance of this translation shifted my whole perspective of the opening lines. “I shall not want” has a very different flavor from “I will miss nothing.” 

Allowing God to guide my steps, to care for me tenderly and work for my good, warrants the blessing of fullness. To walk in step with the Shepherd is to experience life in such a way that I don’t miss anything. 

I followed this train of thought as it chugged away in my mind, and considered the pragmatic application of this truth. What about the prompting of the Holy Spirit to spend money in a certain way? To reach out and apologize to someone, though it could feel embarrassing? Instead of viewing these things as restrictive, we can see the full and better life on the other side of the Lord’s correcting or leading. Restoring fellowship leads to peace and a free heart. Giving money, time, or talent invites God to give back in tangible, unprecedented ways. 

I ponder the practices of a good friend and mentor who keeps sheep. She has an upper and a lower pasture, and she leads the sheep back and forth to keep the forage fresh as the grass cycles through grazing and regrowth. Animals that are left to graze freely in large areas tend to deplete the land over time. Through rotational grazing, the earth has time to recover, and the ruminants enjoy a fuller diet. The animals thrive as their livestock owner leads them within certain boundaries.

Lean into the Lord’s tender guidance; He will not disappoint. The Lord is my Shepherd. Truly, I will miss nothing.

Kristen Whiteley agrees with her father that poetry is a way of seeing the world. In between discipling three young children and home-keeping, she leads worship and writes as a way to process her ponderings. Kristen is passionate about creation, the cross, community, classic literature, and homesteading.

Looking for Evidence - Martin Wiles

I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side. John 20:25 NLT

We were looking for evidence, and it was overwhelming. Yet, we followed something we feared.

Panthertown Valley is just outside Cashiers, North Carolina. But if someone is looking for a directional sign, they’ll be disappointed. But my brother and I had directions. Numerous trails run through more than 10,000 acres of protected land, and we planned to hike one of them.

As we made our way along the trail, we noticed scat. Since it was filled with berries, we knew which animal left it. Although we enjoyed the scenery, our eyes roamed our surroundings. Every noise made our hearts race and our eyes dance. When we reached the end of the trail, a tree with claw marks greeted us. A bear scratching post. We never saw Smokey, but the evidence convinced us he was near.

The evidence convinced us, but not Thomas. Jesus had been resurrected from the grave. Women saw him, as did some of the other disciples, but eyewitness reports weren’t enough for Thomas. He wanted to see the marks. So Jesus showed him. Then Thomas felt ashamed that he’d asked.

The evidence for God’s existence seems overwhelming to me—but not all agree. When I look at nature and how natural laws operate according to an unseen plan, I wonder how anyone could doubt, or even deny, the existence of a Higher Being. Theologians disagree over the methods God used to create. Did he initiate a Big Bang or perhaps use evolution as his process? Or was everything a fiat act of creation out of nothing?

Jesus showed Thomas the evidence he asked for and listened as Thomas shamefully confessed him as Lord and Savior. He should have believed without the evidence. God won’t appear to us and say, “Yes, I exist and created,” but he has given enough evidence to know he does and did.

The evidence at Panthertown Valley convinced my brother and me that a bear was in the area, whether or not we physically saw him with our eyes. The universe, along with a still small voice that speaks to my spirit, convinces me God exists, loves me, and wants to be included in my life. What I do with the evidence is up to me.

Evidence for God’s existence is overwhelming. Believe he exists and invite him into your life.

Father, I acknowledge you as the Creator and Governor of the universe and my life. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing 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.

Apple Nut Cake

Ingredients

3 CUPS DICED APPLES

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 CUPS SUGAR

3 CUPS SELF-RISING FLOUR

1 CUP CRISCO OIL

3 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

Directions

HAND MIX ALL INGREDIENTS.

POUR INTO A GREASED TUBE PAN.

BAKE ON 350 DEGREES FOR 1 HOUR OR UNTIL DONE.

GLAZE

Ingredients

½ CUP BUTTER

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

¼ CUP EVAPORATED MILK

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

Directions

HEAT MARGARINE AND BROWN SUGAR OVER LOW HEAT UNTIL MELTED.

ADD MILK AND LET COME TO A FULL BOIL.

REMOVE FROM HEAT AND COOL.

ADD VANILLA AND POUR OVER CAKE.

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