A Neighbor’s Hand - Caroline Hales

Serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 NIV

As I walked along the trail, I saw a child up ahead.

Not of school-age, she screamed and jumped up and down in place. Her dad stood on the trail at the bottom of the hill holding both of their bikes, unsure what to do as he watched her cry hysterically.

As I approached, I gently asked, “Do you need help?”

She nodded.

“What is it you dislike?” I asked.

“Ants!” she said, pointing to the ground where we stood.

Right where she pointed, I saw seven or eight ants crawling on one side of the sidewalk. Although harmless, they terrified her.

“I will walk between you and the ants,” I said. “If one comes near you, I will step on it. Okay?”

She whispered, “Okay.”

We walked together by the insects, as I protected her by walking between her and the ants. After passing them, she ran to her dad.

He called to me, “Thank you!”

The little girl had stopped in her tracks, unable to face the perceived danger alone. An act of kindness from a passer-by allowed her to continue along the trail.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul referenced doing small acts of love. God loved people so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. And having shown this kind of love, Jesus calls his followers to love others in the same way.

We can show love by showing up with groceries, offering to listen, writing a thank-you note, and embracing a loved one with a warm hug. Sometimes, such acts are as small as walking between a child and ants. With God’s Spirit living within us, we carry out the greatest command and serve one another in love.

In what way has God called you to love your neighbor today?

Tweetable: Are you being neighborly? 

Caroline Hales is a Project Manager, a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, and a freelance writer. She has an adorable niece in California who teeters as she toddles. Caroline’s passion to share Christ with others has grown while she has served in church ministry, leading evangelism and women’s ministry. She lives in Ontario, Canada.

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Ask and Receive - Martin Wiles

When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.” And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.” 2 Kings 2:9 NLT

If we all joined, we would get to wear jeans for a week, and we would receive a ten-dollar gift card to Chic-fil-a.

I had worked with her for seven years, but I never knew what a fundraiser she was. A new school year had just begun when the emails started. Jan was an elementary teacher who oversaw a push to get teachers to join the Booster Club. Not having children at the school, I had never thought of joining the club, but I did know the funds helped the school do several things related to athletics.

Every few days, her emails came, telling how many teachers from each school had joined. When it appeared my joining or not joining would be the deciding factor for the jeans and gift card, I made the decision to join. Jan asked repeatedly—and she received. All teachers from each school eventually came on board.

Elisha asked too. God was about to take the prophet Elijah to heaven in a unique way. Somehow, Elisha knew. But before Elijah left, Elisha asked him for a double portion of his spirit. It was a tall request, but Elijah told Elisha if he saw him taken up into heaven, then God had granted the request.

God has more in store for us than we can ever imagine. Sometimes, we may think our requests are ludicrous—or even beyond God’s ability to grant—but God hears each one and has the power to fulfill each one. Asking is always the right thing to do—with qualifications.

We must make our petitions with faith, believing God can do what we ask of Him. This also involves expecting an answer. If we don’t think God will answer, why bother asking? But our motives are important. We’re human, and sometimes we ask with impure motives. Selfishness. Greed, Pleasure.

God also has a perfect plan for us that involves thousands of details along the way. Although we can’t know all the information, God does, and His Spirit will prompt us to ask according to what will move us along God’s journey for us. Jesus asked for His Father’s will to be done regarding the crucifixion. We should follow His example.

Whatever God’s answers to our petitions—whether we like them or not—we must accept God’s will. Doing so guides us into a joyful and peaceful life we can’t experience in any other way.

So, go ahead. Ask in faith and see what happens.

Prayer: Father, we make our petitions to You believing You will answer them according to Your will. 

Tweetable: Are you receiving what you ask for? 

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Chicken Casserole

 

Ingredients 

 5 chicken breasts – cooked (keep broth)

1 onion

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

16 ounces sour cream

1 bag Pepperidge Farm Dressing

Salt/pepper and onion salt

2 cups shredded cheese

Directions
Shred chicken and place in a bowl with other ingredients, except cheese.

Mix and place in a greased casserole dish.

Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Tweetable: Why not try this full meal in one dish? 

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Walk-on Wednesday - The Homecoming - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:28 NLT

The celebration was the highlight of the church year.

In the lower regions of South Carolina, church homecomings are immaculate celebrations that take a great deal of preparation. Normally held in the fall of the year, they are attended by current members, previous members, family members, previous pastors, and anyone wanting a free meal.

Barbeque is often the meal of choice, and churches prepare pounds of meat and hash. They also plan months in advance by mailing letters to former members and pastors and placing announcements in local newspapers and on local radio stations. Men stay up all night cooking.

On the day of, worshipers pack the churches. Some churches host singing groups to top off the day. After services, congregants gather for the feast, enjoying the company of those they haven’t seen since the previous year’s celebration.

As wonderful as homecomings here are, they’ll never match the ultimate homecoming that will occur when Christ returns. Some will be alive to witness it, while those who have died in Christ will return with him. Christ came the first time to pay humanity’s sin debt, but his second coming will put an end to all sin and corruption and usher his followers into a perfect eternity.

Homecomings took months of preparation, and we always knew the date. Jesus says no one except the Father knows the date of the final homecoming. Readying ourselves for the end time homecoming requires only one thing: trusting Christ as Savior. We serve him and others because of that decision, but the decision—not the actions—is what prepares us.

When we’ve taken care of the above, it won’t matter when Christ comes—or if we’re even alive. We can wipe the sweat of our labor from our brows and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of your Lord.”

In what ways are you preparing for the Homecoming?

Prayer: Father, we look forward to the eternal homecoming with You and all believers. 

Tweetable: Are you prepared for the final Homecoming?

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Boats for the Storms - Cathy Hill

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. Isaiah 43:2 NLT

I remember as a little girl absolutely loving rainstorms.

I loved watching the weather roll in. There was something magnificent about it. I also remember my dad. He would walk to the backyard and discern exactly what the weather was going to do. 

As we waited, he would go to his workbench, hand us a couple of scraps of wood and nails, and tell us to make a boat. When the rain stopped, we would find streams of fresh rainwater. If we had designed well, our creations would float, but we had some sinkers too.

There is an adage that says a boy marries his mom and a girl her dad. I did. Like my dad, my husband is a weatherman.  

One early morning, my husband was out in the country for ministry. The forecasters predicted the worst storm in seventy years. Great, I thought, and here I am without my weatherman.

I talked to the children about who controls the weather, but I wished Jesus were stilling this storm.  Sitting in the bathroom with my three children, as we listened to sirens roar and the rain fall, I wondered if I could build a boat for four?

Some hours later, the warning was lifted. The wind still blew, but the sky was noticeably brighter. Our day began again. I dropped the kids off at school and then sat at my desk, still unsteady by the fear-filled morning.

We face a lot of storms—a lot of heartaches. In these storms, gales of fear and downpours of tears come. I ask for God to still them, but He allows them to remain. He knows I have so much more to learn.

God asks us to have faith. Yes, we can build a boat, but we will need His presence. He will protect us when we can stand no more. He will hold us when life is too rough, and He will still our hearts when the storm rages on.

What are some ways you can trust God in your storms?

Tweetable: Have you built a boat for your storm? 

Cathy is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. She met her husband Brian while studying in Paris, France. They make their home in Geneva, IL, with their four children and their daughter-in-love. She loves writing about the wonder and whimsy of life and her love for Jesus. Her first book is Destination: Fierce, Moving from Fear to Fierce. Learn more about Cathy at www.cathyjoyhill.com.

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Down to the Bare Essentials - Martin Wiles

He looked around and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water! 1 Kings 19:6 NLT

Only by carrying as little as possible can they reach their goal.

Each year, thousands of backpackers set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. Statistics reveal that only about twenty-five percent of those who begin make it to the end—some 2,000 miles away.

Those who accomplish the feat learn to live with the bare essentials. The pack of an experienced hiker weighs somewhere between twenty and twenty-five pounds. Anywhere from eight to fourteen pounds of that is food. This doesn’t leave much weight for their essentials, which are toilet paper, toiletries, a cooking stove, a water filter, clothes, first aid materials, and a sleeping bag.

To reduce weight, thru-hikers carry nothing but the necessities. They leave the tent and sleep in AT shelters. They may even remove the tube from the toilet paper roll. Every pound counts when living with the bare essentials for six months.

The prophet Elijah found himself temporarily living with the bare essentials. He had challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and their counterparts—the 400 prophets of Asherah—to a contest on Mount Carmel. The time had come to reveal the true God, and the one God would reveal Himself by fire. Elijah’s God won, and Elijah eliminated the false prophets.

But the wicked queen wasn’t happy. She placed a twenty-four-hour death sentence on Elijah, causing him to run for his life. Tired, depressed, and lying under the shade of a tree, Elijah was awakened by an angel. God provided him with food—but it was only the bare essentials of bread and water.

Sometimes, God takes us down to the nitty-gritty. He removes so much from us that we, like Elijah, wonder how we can go on. And perhaps, we don’t want to. But God doesn’t take us to these unhappy places to destroy us or to cause us to give up.

When God gives us only the bare essentials, it is so our trust and faith in Him will grow. He knows this will only happen if He removes some things or changes some circumstances. Often, the more we have the more selfish we become. God wants us to remember everything we have comes from Him and should be used for His Kingdom's work in some way.

Living with the bare essentials teaches us to depend on God—not things, position, identity, or others. We can look up to the One who has our best interests at heart when it appears we’re at our lowest point.

When God takes you down to the bare essentials, trust that He knows what He is doing.

Prayer: Father, in our times of living with the bare essentials, we trust You. 

Tweetable: What do you do when you get down to the bare essentials? 

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Tater Tot Casserole

 

Ingredients
1 BAG FROZEN TATER TOTS

16 OUNCES SOUR CREAM

2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR CHEESE 

1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP

1 6 OUNCE CAN FRENCH FRIED ONIONS

Directions
ARRANGE TATER TOTS IN A GREASED BAKING DISH.

IN A BOWL, MIX TOGETHER SOUP, CHEESE, AND SOUR CREAM.

POUR MIXTURE OVER TATER TOTS AND TOP WITH FRENCH FRIED ONIONS.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 40 TO 45 MINUTES.
(Photo courtesy of wearychef.com.)

Tweetable: A warm breakfast treat for a winter morning. 

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Walk-on Wednesday - Cleansing the Conscience - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Walk-on Wednesday. By Hump Day, we are struggling, but we believe a good devotion can strengthen us to finish the week strong. 

For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. Hebrews 9:9 NLT

He was the sweetest man in the world when she married him . . . but that soon changed.

Peter and Catrina were high school sweethearts who planned their wedding for the summer after their graduation. Nine months later, Catrina delivered their baby girl. Shortly after Adeline’s birth, life took a downward turn when Peter lost his job.

Desperate, Peter decided to do what he wouldn’t have otherwise. He robbed a local store and buried the money in a vacant lot. But he left evidence behind that led to his arrest and a six-year prison sentence. The money, however, was never recovered. Catrina didn’t feel as if she could give him a second chance. She visited him only once while he was in jail.

Imagine Catrina’s surprise when six years later Peter showed up at a Christmas celebration hosted by the police chief. In his hand was the bag of money which he presented to the police chief. “It’s all there,” he said. Peter had done his time; all he wanted now was a second chance with his wife and daughter. Prison life hadn’t soothed his conscience.

Thousands upon thousands of sacrifices couldn’t pacify the raging consciences of the worshipers who brought them faithfully. The commands and ceremonies were merely temporary fixes until Christ came and paid what only a sinless person could pay.

Cleansed consciences are only possible by accepting and understanding what Christ has done. We could pay for our sins—but it would mean death and eternal punishment. No one else has offered to do this and couldn’t if they wanted since they are sinners as well.

Only the sinless Son of God could solve our dilemma. Knowing and believing that isn’t enough, however, to clear our consciences. We must believe our sins are forgiven. If we hang on to past mistakes he has forgiven—as Peter did—we’ll live continuously with false guilt. Satan will capitalize on our misunderstanding of forgiveness and make our lives miserable and useless.

What Christ has paid for and we’ve accepted, God will never hold against us again. Is your conscience clean?

Prayer: Father, cleanse our consciences from the false guilt that Satan attempts to inflict.

Tweetable: How do you cleanse your conscience? 

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Meandering Monday - Walking into the Holy - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again.

Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. Hebrews 9:3 NLT

Before the contestants were three doors—or actually curtains—Door 1, Door 2, and Door 3.

Which one to choose was the gamble. Monty Hall co-created and co-produced the original television show Let’s Make a Deal. Contestants played various games and were offered chances to trade their winnings for the possibility of something more valuable.

The Big Deal came at the end of each show, and the top winners were offered the chance to trade their prizes for what was behind one of the doors. Those who took the chance could possibly win the Big Deal of the day, which might be a car, boat, vacation, furniture, appliances, or any combination thereof. Some were pleased with their choice after the curtains opened while others wished they had kept their original winnings.

Two rooms comprised the tabernacle God instructed Moses to construct after the Israelites left Egyptian slavery: the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place. A curtain separated the rooms. Ordinary priests were allowed in the first, but only the high priest could enter the second—and that only once each year. The Ark of the Covenant, which represented the presence of God, resided in this sacred room. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest confessed the sins of the people and begged for God’s forgiveness.

Happily, no doors or curtains presently separate us from God. The curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross. Our sin debt was paid, thereby removing the barrier between us and God. Now we are priests in our own right. God gives us the privilege and loving invitation to enter boldly and confidently into his presence as often as we desire. His guidance, love, and listening ear are available regardless of the time or our location.

Nothing separates us from God’s love unless we voluntarily or rebelliously erect it. How often are you walking into the holy?

Prayer: Father, thank You for making it possible for us to enter Your presence at any time and any place. 

Tweetable: Where are you walking? 

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Sufficient Grace - Martin Wiles

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT

In 1799, Conrad Reed found a seventeen-pound rock as he fished in Little Meadow Creek.

 

Not knowing its composition, he and his family used it as a doorstop for three years. In 1802, his father, John Reed, noticed it and took it to a jeweler. The jeweler identified it as a lump of gold worth $3,600. Reed’s gold nugget stands as one of the largest ever found east of the Rockies. But until the jeweler determined its composition, its value remained unknown.

Our faith is like the rock: gold. Until God challenges its composition, its strength stays unknown. The great missionary, Paul, discovered this too.

 

Although God used Paul to take the gospel to the known world, he did so with a thorn. Theologians offer several guesses as to the thorn’s identity. What we do know is that the thorn aggravated Paul enough for him to petition God on several occasions to remove it.

 

God’s response to Paul was probably not what Paul wanted . . . but what Paul learned to live with and accept: God’s grace was sufficient. Then, God told Paul he must keep the thorn. By doing so, he would experience God’s grace in a way he would not have had God removed the thorn. Strange, but God often works this way.

 

God allows trials in our lives, not to hurt us, but to strengthen and prove our faith. His grace has been sufficient in the past. He sent Jesus to act as our substitute. Had Jesus not died for our sins, we would have had to die for our own sins. Jesus’ sacrifice proved sufficient for God to offer forgiveness to everyone.

 

God’s grace stands sufficient for the future. The forgiveness of sin God provides when we ask is good for the present and the future. Jesus said no one can snatch us from His hands once we’re there. He is also preparing a place for us and promises to return for us when the time is right—at His Second Coming or our death.

 

God’s future grace gets us through the present, as it did Paul. What we’ve experienced in the past—and what we know by faith lies ahead—gets us through whatever trials we face. No matter how intense the ordeal, God tells us the same thing as he did Paul: My grace is sufficient.

 

Be a willing participant in God’s trials. They will prove the composition of your faith.

 

Prayer: Father, we trust You for grace to carry us through our life trials. 

Tweetable: Are you trusting God for your thorny issues? 

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Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

 

Ingredients

1 pound bacon

1 onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 bag of frozen diced potatoes

1 carton of chicken broth

16 ounces cream cheese

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Salt/Pepper to taste

Milk

Directions

Cut bacon and onion into small pieces. Sauté with butter. 

Add ground beef once bacon is crisp. Add salt and pepper.

Once meat mixture has cooked, set aside.

In a pot, combine potatoes, one half carton of broth, and 1 to 1 ½ cups of water.

Bring to boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Add meat mixture along with sour cream.

Mix well and add milk to make soup the desired consistency. 

Let simmer on low until ready to serve. 

Top with cheese before serving.

Tweetable: Makes for a delicious meal on a cold winter's day. 

 

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Conniption – Cathy Joy Hill

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 1 John 3:1 NIV

It was the summer of 1985, and I had moved to France to finish my degree.

I was excited and homesick. I remember that first letter from my dad. A dialogue on the weather and his latest home repair. Fortunately for both of us, this was 1985, the season his beloved Chicago Bears would go to the Super Bowl. His letters became a record of that season, play by play, player by player, and my love of the game was born.

Some twenty-five years later, my son had started to play high school ball and my daddy and I were thrilled. It was game day.

Typically, my daughter played with her new football friends, but today was not typical. She started to fuss, a lot. We headed for a hotdog. I bribed her with cotton candy. Lily was having none of it. Somewhere in the heavens, Lily’s grandmother, my mother, smiled. At five years old, Lily was having a conniption, but I was an NFL pro at these. Absolutely nothing she did worked.

Desperate, I looked down the field for a place Lily might want to go. I spotted it, the port-a-potty. Lily loves those, and indeed, although still wailing, she agreed she had to potty. In private, I reminded Lily her behavior was unacceptable. It was football after all. She did not care. I was helpless.

Then it happened. A woman saw us as we left the port-a-potty, and, sounding exactly like Mary Poppins, said “So you don’t like football?” I looked at the woman in disbelief and then looked at Lily. She was shaking her head, no. It occurred to me that Lily had not yet been to college, nor had I written her letters about the Chicago Bears. How could she like football? Lily went on to tell Mary Poppins about ballet and school. My sweet little girl was back.

Over and over in the Word, God calls us His children. He gently reminds us we are held, and at our worst, He still loves and holds us. It is okay to be honest . . . to have a conniption now and then, He can absolutely handle and heal our hurting hearts.

How has God comforted you during your conniptions?

Tweetable: Are you having conniptions? 

Cathy is a writer, teacher, and entrepreneur. She met her husband Brian while studying in Paris, France. They make their home in Geneva, IL, with their four children and their daughter-in-love. She loves writing about the wonder and whimsy of life and her love for Jesus. Her first book is Destination: Fierce. You can learn more about Cathy at www.cathyjoyhill.com.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.