A Woman of Faith - Melissa Henderson

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 NIV

After boarding the airplane, my husband and I searched for our seats. Passing the first class section and the people already waiting, we read the letters and numbers until we found our spots. There were three seats on our row. We had chosen the window and middle areas. As we settled and buckled our seatbelts, a woman arrived and sat next to me. We exchanged smiles. After a few minutes had passed, she spoke. “You must be a woman of faith.” Her words surprised me. How did she know?

I smiled and said, “Yes, but how did you know?” 

She pointed to my pink carry-on bag, which displayed the word FAITH in bold, embroidered letters. We both chuckled and began a wonderful conversation about God.

The woman and I shared our experiences of travel, family life, and prayer. As we waited for the flight attendant to provide instructions on the exit doors and other vital information, we continued to share about God's goodness.

Although our travel plans would take us to different states, for that brief time together on the plane, we found joy in discussing common interests and plans for the future. We never exchanged names or contact information. My husband gazed out the window and watched the clouds. I shared fellowship with a stranger who was also a woman of faith.

God knew his plan for that day. Perhaps someone across the aisle, or in front of us, or behind us, heard our conversation. Maybe that was the day someone became closer to God by hearing us share about our faith. We’ll never know why he placed two women of faith beside each other on that plane ride. But God knows.

Consider ways to share God's love so that others can have a relationship with Him. 

Melissa Henderson is an award-winning author who writes inspirational messages, sometimes humming with humor. She has authored Licky the Lizard and Grumpy the Gator. She is a contributor to many publications. Melissa is an elder, deacon, and Stephen Minister. Follow Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, Bookbub, YouTube, LinkedIn, and at http://www.melissaghenderson.com.

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Remember Your Spiritual Roots - Martin Wiles

Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17 NLT

With little roots, Tom sold most of his belongings and headed out.

Tom had a fragile childhood. His father was known as a rowdy type, a sailor with a woman in every port. Naturally, things between his mother and father fell apart because his father wouldn’t stop carousing. Then, the day came when his mom met a man from Florida. Before he knew it, they were married and moving to Florida—without him.

Tom was left to live with his grandmother, who lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and their two children. His aunt and uncle became his parents, and his two cousins became his brother and sister.

Tom’s life wasn’t much different than his father’s. None of his marriages lasted long. Since he couldn’t father his own children, when the marriage dissolved, so did all the roots that went with it. When his last wife died from cancer, Tom sold almost everything he had, loaded his horses and belongings in a trailer, and hit the road. 

Sometimes, I feel a little like Tom. As a preacher’s kid and then a preacher myself, moving from place to place came with the territory. We often missed family reunions because of church, so I depended greatly on my grandmother to keep me updated. Mom and Dad’s sister are the only family matriarchs my family has left.

Although my earthly roots are somewhat fragmented—and now relatively shallow—my spiritual roots run deep. Distance, divorce, and death can shatter and fragment genealogical roots, but the root that extends into God’s love is deep. In fact, it is a tap root with no end.

Others may leave us in life for numerous reasons. We ourselves will one day leave this earth behind. But if we are rooted in God’s love, we have a large family planted worldwide. Though our physical families dwindle and fragment, our spiritual families are found anywhere we go because we find people rooted in God’s love.

When it appears your family roots are slowly dissipating, remember how large your spiritual family is. Pray for them and enjoy spending time with them.

Father, I thank you for giving me spiritual family all across this globe. 

Tweetable: How deep are your spiritual roots? 

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Lugging Luggage - Martin Wiles

Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. Acts 3:19 NLT

As I turned the corner and squinted at the gate numbers, I knew I hadn't finished lugging luggage.

My wife and I and another couple were on our way to Nova Scotia, Canada, for mission work. With an hour layover in Chicago, we imagined we’d have time to catch our breath before our last leg of the flight. The point of our arrival, however, was as far as it could possibly be from the terminal of our departure. Somehow, we missed the sign offering shuttle service.

My friend and I slung our carry-on bags over our shoulders and carried our wives’ baggage. But when we arrived at the designated terminal, our gate was at the opposite end of where we entered. I heaved a sigh of relief when I could finally put down the luggage. But no sooner had I done so than I heard, “We are now boarding for gate . . .” Lugging luggage isn’t any fun.

Pentecost had happened. Thousands believed in Jesus as the Messiah. The disciples preached as Jesus had told them to do. Peter had healed a crippled beggar lying by one of the temple gates. A crowd gathered to marvel. Peter saw his chance to invite the people to put down their baggage—sin.

Lugging around sin isn’t enjoyable. It’s heavier than any luggage we’ll ever carry. It causes our shoulders to ache, our feet to burn, and our hands to cringe. More than that, it infects our hearts and ruins our relationship with a God who loves us very much.

All the crowd had to do to obey Peter’s directive was turn from their sins and turn to God. Repentance is the theological term. Turning from one direction and going in another.

The way to quit lugging around the luggage of sin hasn’t changed. Since God doesn’t like ugly, we have to quit being ugly. And with God’s help, we can. Jesus bore our heavy luggage on the cross. When we give it to him and let him carry it, we don’t have to lug it around anymore.

Give your luggage to Christ. He’ll be glad to carry it for you.

Father, thank You for allowing Christ to carry my sins away on the cross. 

Don't forget to add your comments below. 

Tweetable: Are you lugging around unnecessary luggage? 

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Another Mystery Trip - Karen Huffaker

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11 NIV 

Our driver grinned from ear to ear. We were on another mystery trip, and he wasn’t about to reveal the details.

There was a good bit of chatter on the bus as we speculated where the trip would take us. We only knew we would enjoy a good meal, fun fellowship, and some exciting sightseeing. The driver occasionally revealed a tiny hint, but no one figured out what he had in store for us that day. Who knew that a little-known museum of a famous entertainer was nestled in a small town on our way to the mountains?

One of the many things I enjoy when riding the bus is sitting back and relaxing. I don’t worry about itineraries, traffic, directions, driving conditions, getting lost, or where to park. Instead, I give those concerns to our capable driver.

Our life journey is like a mystery trip. We may have a plan, but it will change over time and the seasons of our lives. I have repeatedly discovered that my plans are not set in stone. They are simply guidelines until the revised plan comes into play.

Since I learned that my plans are not always the best, Jesus has become my driver. I’m the passenger. I watch for where He’s taking me, but He controls. I look to Him for direction, next steps, and turns.  

I know God will take me to the place He wants me and that He will be with me every step of the way. There will be no missteps along the route if I let Him have the steering wheel. He is more than able.

My meditation and prayer times help me trust the Lord and depend on Him for safe arrival. Scripture assures me Jesus loves me and wants the best for me. He will be glorified as my journey unfolds according to His will.

As God takes you on another mystery trip, will you turn the driving over to Him? 

Tweetable: Are you trusting God on the mystery trips? 

Karen Huffaker is a freelance Christian writer. She has taught children’s Sunday school and single mom’s Bible studies and written poetry. She is from the Deep South and loves reading Christian books, devotionals, genealogy adventures, fishing, and all things family. She is also passionate about her grandchildren’s sporting events. 

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Celebrate God - Caroline Hales

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4 NIV

The tour bus pulled up to the curb to let passengers out at our destination—the Grand Canyon.

Our guide gave first-time visitors a suggestion: “When getting off the bus, cover your eyes and look at the ground. Walk along the path following the fence-line. Once you arrive at the end of the path, uncover your eyes and look.”

I followed the instructions. And the sight was unbelievable. My eyes welled up with tears. I have never seen anything like it before or since. The awesome view far exceeded the pictures.

How could God have created something so majestic? Towering spruce, looking the size of trees in a toy train set, lined the edges of the cliff below. Further away, the trees looked like specks of dust. The Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon meandered like a ribbon.

The grandeur made me rejoice at the magnificence of God’s creation. My heart praised the Creator for a spectacular view of a small piece of the foundation of the world he created. I imagined the world God intended without brokenness and sin. Perhaps I beheld a glimpse of the perfect world yet to come. I could have stood there for hours gazing at the beauty, mesmerized by the splendor, and offering worship.

When I think of the Grand Canyon, I praise the God who can make such a marvel. And my mind considers even more than his creation. I think of David, who danced before him. And I think of Paul, who wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice!”

Even on the bad days, I can feel the joy welling up inside for the gift of the Holy Spirit in me. I delight in the hope for a better future. And I celebrate having a Savior who died for me and rose again so I might dwell with him one day in a perfect new world.

What thoughts direct you to rejoice in God?

Tweetable: What are some ways you rejoice in God?

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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Be Your Best - Martin Wiles

Wishing all our supporters a very Merry Christmas. 

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6 NLT

“We won’t see anyone here we know,” I remarked to my wife.

Not that I wanted to do anything that would shame me. It’s just that everywhere my wife and I go, we seem to run into someone we know. But we were now in Savannah, Georgia. Two friends of ours had taken us on an overnight trip, all expenses paid. My wife had not visited Savannah since she was three years old, and I had not paid a visit in seventeen years.

After spending the night on nearby Tybee Island, eating breakfast there the next morning, and visiting a local lighthouse, we made our way to Savannah. We visited Bonaventure Cemetery and then made our way to River Street where we planned to walk the Factor Walk.

No sooner had we started, than we saw a couple waving at us. Sure enough, we knew them. They were friends from a previous church where we had once attended.

“What’s the chance of that happening?” I asked my wife after our brief conversation with them.

Then I texted Mom and told her. Her response? “Always be on your best behavior.” I guess a child never gets too old to receive good advice from a parent.

The same holds true when the advice comes from God. Through John, the oldest living apostle, God reminds us we should always live our lives as Jesus did.

Jesus always followed the plan of His heavenly Father, never wavering even a little bit. He imitated the Father, telling others He always did what the Father did and that He always spoke as the Father spoke.

Being our best also entails monitoring our physical and spiritual health. Our bodies are temples of God’s Spirit, so it matters what we put in them. God has plans for His children and a time frame for them to accomplish them in. Ruining our physical health with addictive substances or with too much of any good thing—play toys and busyness included—can shortcut God’s plan. Forgetting to engage in spiritual disciplines—or just doing them on a sporadic basis—makes us spiritually unhealthy and prevents us from being our best.

When we’re on our best behavior, we’ll handle God’s truth correctly. When we do, we’ll live it out daily in our thoughts, emotions, actions, and words. And even if we don’t run into anyone we know, God will be pleased.

Wherever you are, be on your best spiritual behavior.

Prayer: Father, help us to be on our best behavior, wherever we are.

Tweetable: Are you being your best at all times? 

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Meandering Monday - Following the Leader - Martin Wiles

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

Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:20 NLT

Following high school graduation, I avoided college like a plague and looked for work to support myself.

Attempting to escape plant work, I chose a local exterminating company. Things went well initially, but then a shuffling around of employees occurred, and I found myself working under houses. One can find many things under houses: snakes, busted septic lines, spiders, discarded toys. One of my trainers was an older gentleman who hated flashlights. I, on the other hand, preferred looking around before I lunged under a house. While in training, I followed his lead—frightened and in the dark. Surprisingly, he always took me to the area where we needed to go and without incident.

Jesus is a better leader. Prior to his arrival, people were forced to approach a priest, confess their sins, and allow him to go before God in their behalf. God, however, wanted unhindered access as had originally been the case with Adam and Eve. In his perfect timing, he sent his Son to blaze the path back to him. Now all who follow his lead can come boldly into God’s presence without fear of rejection or condemnation.

As followers of Christ, we’ve been charged with leading. In what direction we lead others and with what qualities are important considerations. By our actions, words, and attitudes, we should direct those in our circles of influence in a particular direction.

We’re leaders whether we desire the position or not, but where will others end up if they follow us? When our lifestyle reflects Jesus’, we’ll lead them to understand who Jesus was and is and what he was sent to earth to accomplish. By watching us, they’ll comprehend the exchanged life—living for Christ instead of ourselves. Those who choose to follow our lead will stroll successfully through the mountains and valleys of life on their way to an eternal Promise Land.

Who’s following your lead, and where are you taking them?

Prayer: Father, help us lead others to an abundant relationship with You. 

Tweetable: Where are you leading others? 

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Here I Am; Look at Me - Teri Verduyn

When you look for me with all your heart, you will find me. Jeremiah 29:13 NIrV

In December 2007, my son Justin and I went to Antarctica.

We have traveled to each continent and discovered God on all seven. In Africa, we saw people who loved God and followed him faithfully living in wretched conditions. We received hospitality from the Australians that mirrored what Jesus gave to sinners. Asians joyfully shared their food and possessions with us like the poor widow who gave her two coins to Jesus. But, on each of the seven continents, we remembered that we lived as sojourners, waiting for our eternal home in heaven.

The Israelites were banished to Babylon and forced to wait in a new land. Jeremiah prophesied via a letter that, although they longed to return to Israel, they should engage in Babylonian life because God had a plan for them and hope for their future. God promised if they searched and called to him at the end of the exile, he would listen to them and return them to Jerusalem.

Today, God’s promise still holds. If we call to him, he will listen. But, unfortunately, it took a penguin to make me hear him.

This picture is one of 5,000 I took of the penguins and their environment. The rule—take only memories, leave only footprints—required us to socially distance from the penguins. As a result, the picture shows the penguin standing in the midst of us.

As I reviewed the picture, I thought about the trip. It took forever to fly to Antarctica, and we spent an atrocious amount of money to get there. But then, we stood looking at our cameras and not looking at the adorable little chinstrap penguin. Can you hear him say, “Here I am, look at me?”

Sometimes, I neglect Jesus, just as I neglected the penguin. I go to church, read my Bible, and serve others. I look for Jesus and call out to him but don’t hear him because I get distracted with the urgent. He stands next to me, saying, “Here I am. Look at me.”

Don’t miss Jesus. An incredible journey results when we follow him.

Father, help us seek Jesus in everything we do.

Tweetable: Have you missed Jesus? 

Teri Verduyn lives in Fargo, North Dakota, with her husband. She works as a financial advisor and pursues a ministry in writing Bible studies and non-fiction articles. She and her husband love their family, traveling, photography, and serving Christ together. 

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From Blues to Good News - Sara Lewis

The message that God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Acts 10:36 NIV

The older gentleman observed, “Nothing in the news but the blues.”

Years ago, as I traveled in the Bahamas, I met an older gentleman listening to a depressing newscast on ZNS (the Nassau radio station). Hearing the above statement, I smiled at the poetry of it, but the statement has also become a slogan of today’s reality. There isn’t much about news that is good.

As Christians, we use the term “good news” differently than our culture. Our good news—the gospel—is that God in His great mercy chose not to doom us to our own bad choices. Instead, He rescued us by sending His spotless Son to make the ultimate advance payment so that we could live with Him forever.

As correspondents of the Kingdom, we are instructed to share this good news of Jesus with the hopeless, helpless, and defeated. Our personal media resource material (the Bible) records beautiful feature stories to show how God’s plan works: the headline accounts of Moses, Joseph, Daniel, Esther, Ruth, the woman at the well, the good Samaritan, and the Great Reporter, Jesus Himself.

Seeing glimmers of the good news creeping into today’s media reports is heartwarming. Stories of compassion by policemen taking the knee in prayer with peaceful protestors, a man offering his townhome as shelter to people caught in street rioting, hospital workers serving selfishly through exhaustion and deprivation—kindness and light in the face of darkness. These are the good news stories God wants us to show and tell.

As participants in God’s Kingdom, we can demonstrate random acts of kindness amid chaos. We can also inspire others to go out and do more of the same. After all, who doesn’t want to see pretty feet heading their way with a joyful report?

Think of someone in your sphere of influence who needs to hear some good news rather than the blues.

Tweetable: Are you sharing more good news than blues news? 
 

Sara Lewis has responded to God’s calling to pray and to write in several ways. She has written two books: Walking on the Waterways: Parables from Sailing and Called to Pray: An Intercessor’s Toolkit. She has been active in forming two email groups of intercessors, The CORD (Chain of Redeemed Daughters) and the WatchWomen on the Wall. After retiring as a community college English instructor, she and her husband, Monty, began living their dream of winter cruising in the Bahamas, eventually publishing the Explorer Chartbook series of navigational charts and cruising guides. They spend the rest of their time at their home in Ocean City, Maryland.

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Just Passing Through - Martin Wiles

When they walk through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. Psalm 84:6 NLT

We passed through many towns along the way, but we didn’t plan to stay in any of them.

During the four years I attended college, my family lived in the Florida panhandle. Although we had an apartment and established residency there, we didn’t plan to stay once I graduated. We were only passing through.

Twice each year, we planned a trip to Greenwood, SC, to see our parents. My college town had no major interstate nearby, so our journey home took us along secondary highways. We passed through many small towns. Though beautiful, we didn’t plan to stay in any of these towns.

When I graduated, we moved back to Greenwood. We planned to stay there only until my first church called me to pastor. Yet, we didn’t plan to live in the town where that church was located forever—or in any of the other towns where I pastored churches. They were just stopping points along life’s way.

And so the psalmist said of the places the pilgrim passed through on their way to worship at the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. On the way, they passed through the Valley of Baca, or weeping, but joy came when they reached God’s house. The Lord’s strength assured they’d arrive safely.

Life is a journey—a temporary one. I often plan as if I’ll remain here forever, but I know better. Even if the Lord blesses me with many years, they pass swiftly … more so as I age. As I get older, I’m more aware of death and the fragility of life. I focus more on the lasting things than on the things that bring temporary joy.

Trials accompany me on this journey, as they have on my travels from one church to another and from one job to another. They are a part of life. For the weary pilgrim going to Jerusalem, God’s strength assured they’d arrive safely. And the same holds true in life. No matter the trial—no matter its intensity or texture—the strength of God carries us through when we set our mind on Him.

We should take life’s journey with eternity in mind, focusing on the things and adventures that thieves cannot steal, that moths cannot eat, and that the elements of nature cannot destroy.

Enjoy the journey, but remember where your final stopping place is.

Prayer: Father, remind us this life is merely a journey to our eternity with You.

Tweetable: Have you realized you are just passing through? 

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Throwback Tuesday - Where Are You Headed - Martin Wiles

Where Are You Headed? 

If you don’t know where you’re headed, how will you know when you arrive?

My car sits in the driveway, waiting patiently for my arrival. Eventually, I make my appearance, open the car door, insert the key into the ignition, and crank the car. Slowly I back out of the driveway, put the gearshift in drive, and proceed to the stop sign at the end of our subdivision. After making a left turn, I travel 500 yards to the next stop sign, and then turn left again. Now I have a straight shot for as far as I want to travel. What my eventual destination would be, I’m not sure. And is it even the direction I really want to travel? If I haven’t planned where I’m going, how will I know when I get there? And where is there? How do I know I’ll enjoy myself when I get wherever there is? Read more...

Tweetable: Where are you headed and why?

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