 Did you know God gives you the right to choose, and He also tells you how to choose?
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV) WHY? Because He created humans to have a relationship with Him. Genuine relationships allow individuals to have autonomy—to grow and learn about one another. He didn’t want robots that would only do what He made them do. Although God knows all about you and me- every thought we have, every word before we speak it, and every action, good or bad- He wants us to come and sit down with Him and talk, a.k.a. pray. When we err in our decisions and choices, He offers forgiveness. EVIDENCE: “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 Parents don’t need to teach their children how to be selfish or disobedient; they teach them right from wrong. Our Heavenly Father does this to perfection. He tells us how to live and why. He also knows we won’t always make the right choices. We are all born as sinners. We are naturally selfish and stubborn. But God wants us to realize how much He loves us, come to Him with those bad choices, and accept His forgiveness. This is a lifetime journey. We improve along the way as we listen more to God and less to ourselves and the world around us. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME? When we turn to culture instead of His word for the truth, we make choices that are contrary to His best for our lives. That’s why we should always check what the world tells us against what God says through Scripture and prayer, asking Him to provide the discernment we need. This doesn’t mean that making the right choices is easy. Some cultural values become deeply rooted in us, and changing our thinking can be difficult. But as we seek God and allow His word to renew our minds, He can help us choose what is right—even when it goes against the world around us. Want to learn more? Click on the WHY JESUS button.
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Did you know God sent His son, Jesus, for you? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 WHY? Because God wants us to live in heaven with Him. But God’s holiness requires perfection—a sinless life. It requires that we never tell a lie, even a little white lie, never have an unkind thought or word for anyone, and never do anything that harms anyone. Unfortunately, we’re all guilty of sin, and it requires a blood sacrifice from a sinless source. EVIDENCE: Also, for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. Genesis 3:21 The first sin of Adam and Eve required the death of a sinless creature to cover them. It became a required sacrifice that was repeated every time they sinned. The death of Christ for our sins never needs to be repeated. Only believed in and accepted. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME? Because Jesus came, lived a sinless life, and gave Himself to bear the punishment for our sins, we have hope. We don’t have to carry the burden or penalty for our sins. Through Jesus, God offers us the gift of forgiveness. But until we receive that gift through faith in Christ, we remain accountable for our sin—every unkind thought, word, or deed. Want to learn more? Click on the WHY JESUS button on my About Me page.  Don’t know about you, but the word repentance brings to mind doomsday movies with some deranged-looking man standing on a city street corner holding a sign and shouting out to all,
“It’s the end! Repent now!” Some may believe it’s a word whose meaning has lost its use in our do-as-you-please, everything’s ok if it makes you happy culture. Current belief, even among some Christians, is that if you say you’re sorry, God forgives you, and all is well—until the next time. But God knows your heart. He knows if you’re giving him lip service or if you’re sick at heart over your misdeed. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all given Him lip service, knowing full well we’ll repeat the offence. The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” Isaiah 29:13 (NIV). True repentance is a matter of the heart. We do something we know we shouldn’t, and we ask for forgiveness because, in our hearts, we know we’ve done something unacceptable in God’s eyes. We’ve caused harm to others and ourselves. True repentance causes a heart change. Our souls ache because in our spirit, we know we have rebelled against God and done something contrary to what He has spoken to us in His word. Repent means to turn around. Go in the opposite direction. Once we are Christ followers, we are constantly being changed to become more Christ-like—not by our own strength or works, but by the Holy Spirit’s work in us. Yes, we may slip, but we can’t live joyfully in sin because the Holy Spirit will not allow us to be joyful and content while we live in disobedience. Instead, conviction becomes our constant companion. When we find ourselves in that place, God’s grace is there as well—The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17 (NIV). It is not always easy to get ourselves out of the situation; sometimes we have entrenched ourselves in sin. But nothing is impossible for God. And when we turn to Him for help, He will give us a way out and the strength to follow through. We come to Him with all our mess, and He takes us into His arms because He is good and loves us more than we can ever comprehend. If the Holy Spirit has brought an area of disobedience to mind as you read, don’t ignore His gentle nudge. Surrender it to God, receive His forgiveness, and ask Him to help you turn and walk in His ways.  It’s a day of remembrance. Amid all the sales, cook-outs, and vacations that herald Memorial Day, it originally honored the fallen men of the Civil War—the only full-scale war fought extensively across the continental United States since the beginning of our country as a sovereign nation.
 I live in an area of North Carolina that experiences what meteorologists call the Carolina Wedge. The result—our area doesn’t get snow, we get ice and sleet. But every once in a great while, we get snow. This past weekend, that’s exactly what we got, and it was a Norman Rockwell Scene. Clean, gently falling snow for hours. We ended up with around 7-8” – more than we’ve had in a long time! I commented to my husband that snow sure can cover a lot of ugly. No matter how desolate a place may appear, when blanketed in snow, it’s transformed into a wonderland of sparkling ice crystals, and a quietness settles on the land. Reminds me of Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” No matter how ugly our sins are, Jesus covers them, renewing and cleansing us. Bringing peace to our lives. If you haven’t let him cleanse you, no time like the present to give the burden of a life gone wrong to Him. He’s the only one who can wash away the sin and make your life as clean as the new falling snow.  I’m happy to have KC Hart, author of Christian Contemporary Romance and Cozy Mysteries, guest blog today.
KC’s Story At the end of 2019, I did not truly know why I started writing. I loved reading cozy mysteries that resembled Murder She Wrote or Columbo, and with a little encouragement from my family, I started writing my first mystery in November of that year. I was determined to write a mystery with a Christian worldview, one where my sleuth would live the life that an average Christian woman could relate to. In my mind, I was doing something for the Lord. Looking back, I realize that starting this writing journey was so much more. You see, I show my love to others through acts of service. That’s my love language. I also show my love to Christ in the same way. It’s the way I’m wired. Until 2019, I had expressed this love language as a hospice nurse. But in 2019, I left this job that I loved after losing a sister, two brothers, and my mother. None of their deaths were connected, but for two years my family lost one of our own about every six months, and I had zero left to give as a nurse. The problem was, when I left hospice nursing, I lost a very important part of who I was. I needed to give back. I needed to share Christ in some way that worked for me. Looking back now, it’s easy to see that writing my stories was a way that God was using to bring me through the grieving process for my loved ones, and also the grieving process for my loss of hospice nursing. When I thought I was giving a gift to God, He was actually giving a gift to me. Isn’t that the way it is? Can we ever out-give our Savior? Now writing has grown into such a huge part of my life. Sharing my stories with fellow believers brings me more joy than I could have ever imagined. At a writer’s conference, a publisher said that all Christian fiction should be written to point the lost to Christ. I believe my writing does this, but if I’m honest when I’m writing, I’m doing it with fellow believers in mind. I’m writing stories that Christian readers can enjoy, that will hopefully and prayerfully draw them closer in their walk with Christ. My tagline is “faith-filled fiction for faith-filled readers”. The redemption message is stronger in some stories than in others, but you can always see Christ in my books, no matter who you are. My latest series is Red Creek Redemption. Each of these books is about very imperfect people who go through a journey that eventually brings them to Christ, and to their happily ever after with the love of their life. The series focuses on the Robinson family, the parents, and their five sons. Our Unlikely Love, the latest release in the series, is about Owen, the second son in the family, and Rachel, a childhood friend who has moved back home to help her elderly grandmother. If you enjoy stories with a strong Christian message, families who live out their beliefs, and church life shown in a positive, even though not always perfect, light, I think you will enjoy my writing. I look forward to connecting with you on FaceBook, Instagram, Bookbub, or Goodreads. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 (New International Version). Brown sugar. That's what popped into my brain during this morning's sermon when this scripture was read. Anyone who has done even a little baking knows that every time a recipe calls for brown sugar, it includes instructions to "pack" the brown sugar - press it down and add more, press it again until the cup is full. Now, I'm not a baker, but I can follow a recipe and know that packing and pressing down is important to have the right amount of molasses sweetness in the final product. Maybe we need to apply that same principle to our kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, love, and service to others - and not just to the people we know and care about, but to those who don't like us, and we don't exactly like them. To the stranger, we meet on the street or in a store, and yes, even to our enemies - maybe most importantly to our enemies. Have you ever noticed how sticky molasses is? It takes a great deal of licking to get it off your fingers. Just think how your generosity, kindness, and service to those who like you least might stick to them. Being Jesus to everyone isn't easy, but it is what He commanded His followers to do. We don't get to pick and choose. Brown sugar and molasses always make me think of my great-grandmother, Granny, to those of us who knew and loved her. She was a wonderful example of this principle - I never heard her say anything unkind to or about anyone. I'm not saying she never did, but I never heard her. Her quiet, gentle spirit permeated everything she did. The older I get the more I miss her. She loved Grandma Molasses with a little butter mashed in and burnt toast - yes burnt. We children would scrunch our faces up every time the bread got burned and complain loudly. Granny would just say, "It's not burnt, it's just good brown." I've posted about Granny before and if you've missed that post, you may find it here i-remember-granny.html. Granny was one of the older girls in a family of nine children - six girls and three boys. Below is a picture of her family. I believe Granny is the second daughter in the back row, standing beside her father (Daniel Pence). The first time I saw this picture, I also saw the next picture of her parents. It made me laugh. In the picture with all the young children, her mother looks tired and angry - of course, in those days you would have to be still for some time to take the picture. Couldn't have been easy with all those children. In the second picture, where her children are all grown and out of the house, she has the biggest grin on her face. It always makes me giggle to compare the two. Granny loved babies and after raising her four sons, she helped raise her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The black and white below is her rocking me and the color picture is my daughter, Michelle - her great-great-grandchild. Behind and beside Granny are my two grandmothers, Ruth Teeter and Bertha Hall. The last two pictures are of Granny in our backyard feeding our chickens and with her boys. From left to right, Henry, Cecil, and Edward - she lost one to lung cancer years before I was born. Henry was my grandfather. We all have those individuals who made an indelible mark on our lives and Granny is mine. Who's yours? #begenerous #bekind #Christfollower #lifewithgranny #familymemories #writinglife We Mourn with Hope I had the opportunity to attend four funerals this past weekend. Due to distance and time constraints, I was able to attend three of the four. One Baptist, One Methodist, and one Presbyterian. They held this in common - Jesus is the way and all these loved ones are safely home.
You might think the word opportunity an odd one to use. Funerals are sad occasions and not an event we look forward to attending. But they provide the chance to support, encourage, and console someone who is either directly or indirectly important to you. Attending shows you care. Lena Gibson Row is the mother of my dear friend, Sherrie Silverstein. I met Lena once, but I've known Sherrie for 20+ years. Her mother's attributes of caring, strong work ethics, joy of living and traveling are evident in Sherrie's life. Listening to those who knew her best, made me wish I had the pleasure to have visited with her—I think the best eulogies make you sorry you didn't have the opportunity to know the person better. My next-door neighbors are brothers, John and Grady McFarland. Grady had lived with John for 18 years. I've known him for 8 of those years. Grady loved Westerns, Bass fishing and carrot cake. John's stories of his life with Grady were heartfelt and comical, as brothers telling on each other can be. The pastor quoted Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." He shared how he witnessed Grady's good name. Grady was respectful and kind to all he met and according to John, could talk to anyone about anything for hours on end. William "Bill" Reames—I cannot tell you how many wonderful conversations I have had with Bill over the past 30+ years. He was a Baptist minister then his ministry become that of a life insurance agent, which is the field where I met him. We have had conversations about our common beliefs and faith in Jesus Christ and we've laughed more than anything. He poured goodness into my life, and I am forever grateful. He cared deeply for his clients, and I can't tell you how many times he would say, "I wish you could meet my clients., they're the nicest people." Bill was one of the nicest people. Being the most unexpected, William "Bill" McGuirt's funeral was the hardest. I never met anyone who didn't think the world of Bill. I also worked with Bill for 30+ years. The other lady in our office and I called Bill our other brother. He was always the voice of reason no matter the situation. The insurance world is a small one. My husband, Gil, also worked with and knew Bill. Gil recently shared a story with me that speaks the truth about Bill better than anything I can write. Gil was asked by a friend to review his insurance coverage, during the course of the review, Gil saw Bill McGuirt's name on the paperwork and asked his friend if Bill was his current agent. The friend responded in the positive and Gil told him, "I'm not touching this. You couldn't be in better hands than Bill McGuirt's." Let me tell you, in the insurance world, you can't get higher praise. Bill Reames and Bill McGuirt worked in the same agency as I and for many years I watched them go to lunch together. Our agency closed in 2014 and with that, going to lunches disappeared for these two. I couldn't help but think of them going to lunch together again, now that they are both safely home. The ribbon of truth in all three of the services I was able to attend was that God's children were safely home. Grief is personal. No two people grieve the same and there is no right or wrong. As this new week began I thought of all the family here–not yet safely home. Your world will never look the same. Beds and rooms are empty, absent the sound of laughter, a cough, or the presence of another so dear to you, breathing. I mourn in hope with you. "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him the believers who have died." 1 Thessalonians 4: 12-14  January, can you believe it is so quickly here again? A time of resolutions and new beginnings.
Choosing a word to focus on for the year has become something that many do instead of making a resolution. Being a writer, this idea has always appealed to me; alas, I can never choose just one word! This past August, God gave me a word. It was on my mind constantly, it met me at every turn, like running into a glass wall. I could not escape this word and it was not one I would have chosen on my own. But, when God gives you a word, there is no denying it. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you I am fiercely independent, some might even call me stubborn (wink, wink to that person(s) - you know who you are). I prefer the word tenacious over stubborn. Once upon a time, my great-uncle gave me the name 'Little Miss. Independence' and my motto when faced with thyroid cancer was never give up, never give in, never admit defeat. Perhaps it is handed down through my ancestors. My great-grandmother was an Elliott, and their motto is "With Strength and Right", the clan crest is a raised fist holding a sword. All of this did not make me favorably disposed to the word the Lord placed on my heart: SURRENDER. What had I not surrendered to God? What was I holding back? Searching the scriptures revealed interesting truths, not the least of which was the point in Jeremiah where he prophesied that if the people of Jerusalem would surrender to the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, they would survive, but if not, they would die. There are times when surrender to the enemy is in God's plan. As is usually the case in my own life, it was disobedience that had brought the nation of Israel to this point, but God provided a way out as He always does. After more prayer and reading of the word, the still small voice of the Spirit convicted me of all that I needed to surrender to Him: thoughts, actions, what I read, what I watch, were I go, regrets, bad decisions, worries that have no place in my mind. Let it go, He said, give it to Me. Then, wonder of wonders, He sent me another word in October! Not only does this word thing not have to occur in January, but it may occur multiple times in a year! The next word: ABIDE. I am liking this word a whole lot because I want to abide with my Lord. But do you know what? I should also want to surrender and to truly abide - I must fully surrender. I am still working on that but every day He changes we a little more and a little more to look like His son. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. John 15:4 |
