A Voice of Thanksgiving - Patricia Jordan

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works. Psalm 26:7 ESV

Using a voice of thanksgiving is one of the best ways to witness for God.

During our children’s childhood, we attended churches where, on the fifth Sunday night, folks gave testimonies or asked for their favorite hymns to be sung. I enjoyed it and chatted with many people about how their testimonies uplifted me. 

One summer, I attended a friend’s church revival. People gave testimonies about how God answered their prayers. A woman in the choir told how God delivered her from heavy alcohol consumption. Since then, her life had become fuller and more enriched than ever before. She cried tears of joy over her new life in Christ. I didn’t see her as being too emotional, and neither did those around her. They hugged her or patted her on the back as the choir stepped down. 

In 1975, I lived in Atlanta, GA. I had lived an ungodly lifestyle for several years, moving from place to place and job to job and running from my bad decisions. I worked full-time, but still lost my car. I felt discouraged. But my sister Deena encouraged me to join the military.

On a Sunday morning in April, while sipping coffee, I thought about my life’s direction. While lost in thought, I saw myself sitting with my parents and four older siblings on a church pew during a revival night. I was nine that summer. As the choir sang their last song, the preacher looked in my direction and asked, “Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of Jesus?”

I wasn’t a Christian but wanted to be one. I went forward, confessed my faith in Jesus, and was baptized Sunday night. My decision on that revival night, along with reliving that memory, changed the direction of my life. I found a local church, joined it, and then investigated the military idea. I’ve lived a Christian life ever since. 

Sharing testimonies strengthens our faith and the faith of others. I love telling the story of how I returned to faith in God at twenty-three. 

With a voice of thanksgiving, tell others what God has done in your life. 

Patricia Jordan is a seventh-generation southerner from the Appalachian Mountains. She is thankful to return and live there after living in various parts of the world with her retired military husband. They have raised three daughters. She has published You Are Valuable (Westbow), which is her story of how she overcame chronic low-grade depression through Bible study, prayer, and talk therapy. Lately, she has turned her writing talents to writing devotions about walking with God.  

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.

Let’s Pray - Patricia Jordan

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 ESV

Feeling excruciating pain in one of her eyes, Mary screamed for help. A coworker rushed to her side, then yelled, “Quick, call an ambulance! Mary’s eye has blood in it.” 

The ER doctor informed Mary she had suffered an eye stroke. When I saw her a few days later, wearing an eye patch, she told me about her health scare and her fear of losing vision in that eye.

Later, at her pre-op appointment for surgery, the ophthalmologist told her she might be out of work for up to seven weeks. A pre-existing health issue would complicate her healing. 

Naturally, she felt apprehensive about not returning to work sooner. Her husband, however, assured her everything would be fine and encouraged her not to worry. She needed rest after the surgery.

I saw Mary on the Sunday evening before her surgery on Tuesday. “Let’s pray,” I suggested, and she agreed. 

“Can we include Monica?” I asked. I found Monica and asked her to pray with us. We formed a prayer circle, with each of us praying for the surgery and Mary’s complete healing. 

Including Monica in our prayer circle helped. She is a firm believer in God and His Word and fluent in Spanish, Mary’s first language. When Mary and I talk, she sometimes tosses in some Spanish because she can’t describe what we talk about efficiently in English. Thankfully, I always grasp the big picture of what she says.  

After praying for Mary, we went our separate ways. When I saw Mary again, I saw no eye patch. Her eyes appeared normal to me, and she was driving, so I asked how the surgery went. 

The surgery had gone smoothly, and she had completely healed over the two weeks since our prayer time. Additionally, the doctor had cleared her to return to work.

God gives us wonderful opportunities to intercede for others. Make time to pray for others. 

Yahweh Rophe, You are the God who heals. Our hope is in You, O Lord. Amen.

Patricia Jordan is a seventh-generation southerner from the Appalachian Mountains. She is thankful to return and live there after living in various parts of the world with her retired military husband. They have raised three daughters. She has published You Are Valuable (Westbow), which is her story of how she overcame chronic low-grade depression through Bible study, prayer, and talk therapy. Lately, she has turned her writing talents to writing devotions about walking with God.  

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.

 

How to Be a Person of Excellence - Patricia Jordan

Give my greetings to the brothers (and sisters) at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. Colossians 4:15 ESV

Not many women of excellence will see their names written in a book or be remembered a few generations from now. Nevertheless, their commitment to do what is good and right influences generations to come. Their reputation for excellence will always be a light for others.   

A lifestyle of excellence includes wise use of time, thought, and energy; honesty; and responsibility for the use of resources, with consideration for all involved.

Those who build a legacy of excellence change people’s lives for the good of humanity. Those who show benevolence, protect life, and honor God by avoiding profanity and immorality build an honorable legacy.  

Nympha was a biblical woman who did those things. Nowhere do we read that she sought self-glory. What we know is that she left a lasting legacy of excellence through her Christian commitment and hospitality in helping to establish the Laodicean church. Her brief but important mention in Paul’s letter indicates she was wealthy enough to have a house large enough for the church to meet in and to provide refreshments to guests, as was customary then and still is today.

Also, helping to establish a Christian congregation shows she was a woman of influence. Nympha may have been a seller in the marketplace where she would have had many contacts, including those from polytheistic cultures. That is where she invited people to church and spread the gospel message

Nympha may have been Jewish and knowledgeable about the Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah. What we do know is that when she heard Paul preach about Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection, she received the message of salvation.

Many Laodiceans also received salvation through the preaching of the gospel by Paul and his evangelistic team. They then spread the gospel message everywhere they went.   

Nympha showed that our acts of kindness lift people of all generations out of spiritual darkness. This first-century woman’s actions still influence us today.

Let God show you how to be a person of excellence. 

Dear God, you know my thoughts, my coming and going. Nothing is hidden from you. Let my thoughts and actions be pure and acceptable to you, Lord. Amen.

Patricia Jordan is a seventh-generation southerner from the Appalachian Mountains. She is thankful to return and live there after living in various parts of the world with her retired military husband. They have raised three daughters. She has published You Are Valuable (Westbow), which is her story of how she overcame chronic low-grade depression through Bible study, prayer, and talk therapy. Lately, she has turned her writing talents to writing devotions about walking with God.  

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.

 

Intercessory Prayer - Patricia Jordan

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. 1 Timothy 2:1 ESV

On New Year’s Day, I felt led to make an intercessory prayer for my extended family, although nothing specific came to mind. A few weeks later, one of my sisters texted that she and her husband would close on a house soon. I had no idea they had become discontented with their nice but older home that sat at the edge of their small town. It was built in the 1940s, but each new owner had updated it.

It was time to call my sister and catch up on their new plans. She told me that many young families were moving into their neighborhood. It was getting too busy and noisy for them.

A realtor’s sign in their yard quickly brought a young couple who wanted their house. The problem was where my sister and her husband would move. They had looked in the county but hadn’t found a house within their budget.

With their realtor, they looked again and found their perfect newer house—one on which the seller had just lowered the price. My sister and her husband locked in on the sale and buy dates and made a nice profit from selling their old home.

In buying their new home, the seller paid the $9,000 in closing costs. She had inherited the house and, with her husband, had lived there for decades. But now they had a new home built nearby and were eager to move into it.

None of this was a coincidence because that word is not found in the Bible and doesn’t exist in God’s plan. 

When we pray and intercede, we should want what God wants for us or others, not what we might want.

In the above verse, the Apostle Paul says we should give thanks for all people because God desires for all to be saved.

Praying for others’ salvation is a priority. Then, we should pray for wisdom, blessings, healings, and other prayer concerns. No one knows what the outcome will be. Prayers can have amazing outcomes, as when Elisha asked God to show his servant how protected they were.  

Make sure you are interceding for others. 

Adonia, let me be obedient to following your will. Amen

Patricia Jordan is a seventh-generation southerner from the Appalachian Mountains. She is thankful to return and live there after living in various parts of the world with her retired military husband. They have raised three daughters. She has published You Are Valuable (Westbow), which is her story of how she overcame chronic low-grade depression through Bible study, prayer, and talk therapy. Lately, she has turned her writing talents to writing devotions about walking with God.  

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.

 

 

 

 

 

The Flower Gardens - Patricia Jordan

Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 1 Kings 6:29 NKJV

Walking through the flower gardens brings me immense joy. These are special trips to be remembered, and I notice every flower the gardeners grow.

Trips to the local nurseries, especially in the early summer, excite me as much as planning for our vacation. I have three flower beds that I sow every year: zinnias for butterflies, marigolds to keep gnats and other bugs away from our deck, and daisies and black-eyed Susans because they’re dependable. Blooming hydrangeas line the side of our house, the lavender I cut back last fall is coming back, and the bees love my hyssop. The deer can’t wait for my daylilies to bloom. I barely enjoy them before Bambi and her extensive family find them and bite off the beautiful orange flowers. 

For me, a peaceful walk around my flowers, including butterfly weed, yarrow patches, and hostas that dot our yard, is a peaceful way to start and end my day. I ensure the sand in each of the pie tins is moist enough so that butterflies and bees can drink water. I also refill the birds' water daily with clean water so they can bathe and stay hydrated.

My mother always grew something. Sometimes, it was just house plants in our rented houses. When we five kids were almost grown, my parents launched a successful business. With their profit, they built their own house on a spacious acre and a half. That’s when Mom’s green thumb really took off. My oldest brother tilled her flower and vegetable gardens, and together they planted everything. Mom’s yard was always beautiful.

In the design of Solomon’s Temple, God directed the builders to include open flowers in the interior design. The Temple flowers were carved into the paneled walls, which were made from the cedars of Lebanon. Flowers are a part of God’s plan for a beautiful area, whether it be small or large. 

When possible, practice smelling flowers daily. And plant some, too. 

Heavenly Father, I thank you for providing us with landscapes that hold so much natural beauty. And yet how much more have you provided for us than you do for the flowers. 

Patricia Jordan is a writer. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.

 

 

We Need Revival - Patricia Jordan

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. Proverbs 29:18 NIV

One summer, I attended one of those old-time camp meeting revivals in Western North Carolina, where my husband and I live. This was my second summer of attending the tent meetings. I have a friend who attends the host church, and she invited me to her church’s revival. I went and enjoyed it so much that I returned again the following summer.

The host church covered the tent floor with wood shavings. Nightly, a great lineup of spirit-filled praise singers started and ended the meeting by singing wonderful gospel songs. In between the music, men and women prayed at the altar. Then one of the preachers approached the podium and preached an inspiring message. 

The preachers came from nearby towns scattered across the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as some from as far away as Mississippi. They each realized it was up to them to spark the revival flame. The preachers and singers knew we live in a dark world. The Spirit anointed each one to be a gospel messenger through their talents and calling. 

Our souls are in a dark place without the light of the gospel message being placed within them. Without Christ, we wander through life looking for meaning, even spiritual meaning. But because we know no restraint but God's law, we never find that peace that passes all understanding.

One night, I relaxed in our backyard, enjoying the stars that sparkled across the sky. After a few minutes, I felt in my spirit that God told me that the brightly lit stars represented believers. The dark sky represented the darkness of this world. That’s when I realized how much we need revival. As Christians, we have the responsibility to share God’s message with the world.

Think of ways you can help revive this dark world. 

Heavenly Father, cleanse me of all unrighteousness. Forgive me of my sins. Set my soul and heart on fire for revival. In Jesus' name, amen.

Patricia and her husband are both Christians who stay active in their faith. They are also Air Force veterans. They have three daughters, two granddaughters, and one great-grandbaby. They live in her hometown of Sylva, NC. Patricia went to college, intending to become a writer. After dabbling around at writing, she finally got serious about it and wrote a self-help book about her own journey of overcoming depression (Westbow Press). She enjoys gardening and staying in touch with her extended family. She believes in daily Bible reading as a means of spiritual growth and mental and emotional wellness.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing. No one escapes life's hurts, but we can move beyond them to hope and healing. 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.