I am interrupting my three-part series: “Three Steps to Accomplishing Anything” to share with you one of the best inspirational books I have read in a long time. “Welcome Home! Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy” is the chronicles of the Woodhouse Family: Dad is Jeremy; Mom, Kimberley; Son, Josh and Daughter, Kayla. From several miscarriages to the birth of Josh and then Kayla, from severe postpartum depression to the discovery of Kayla's extremely rare nerve disorder, Kimberley led her family on a journey to find out what it means to "count it all joy."
Kimberley writes with a passion that draws you into her family, and you will fall in love with each member. Have your hankies ready - you will cry - but you will also laugh, smile, and sit on the edge of your seat as you wait for developments in Kayla's illness and treatment. You will be inspired to make James 1:2-4 your family's verse to live by: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
If you had to choose only one book to read in the remainder of 2009, make it "Welcome Home! Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy." You will not regret it. I promise.
Be sure and leave your email address for the drawing for an autographed copy of Kimberley's book!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
THREE STEPS TO ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING:
STEP ONE: PRAY
On Monday, I posted a blog about not being able to write. I listed several different reasons why I believe I have had “writer’s block” for the last two weeks. The reasons were accurate, but I have realized since then, they are not the main reason I’ve been unable to write.
One would think at my age I would have realized that anything and everything I do should be prefaced with prayer. The more serious the project or challenge or change, the more time I should spend in prayer before beginning that work.
I can’t speak for anyone else of course, but I suspect I’m not the only one here that gets into trouble because I don’t pray before I say ‘yes’ in response to being asked to do something. Or I see a need and I speak up; before I know it, I own that need and its solution, that being whatever solution I develop. Even when I think I have heard the voice of the Lord giving me something to do, I still will not take time to pray. I will go bulldozing my way ahead, taking charge and “gettin’ ‘er done.” Woe be unto man or beast who stands in the way of a woman on a mission!
And if getting myself into trouble by saying ‘yes’ before I pray isn’t enough, it is disobedience to the Word of God:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) I’m not a Bible scholar, but I think “seek ye first” means exactly what it says. In other words, pray first – before you make any decisions or take any action. The second part of the verse says, “all these things shall be added unto you.” This phrase means you will receive what you prayed for. Right? We know that God answers prayer. But not always in the way that we expect. His answers to our prayers may not be manifested according to our timetable, but the answer will come at the exact moment needed. His answer may not be what we had prayed for, but it will be even better - "far above what we could ask or think." I am sure that God has answered your prayers and He has answered mine in ways we never expected, but always "exceedingly abundant" above what we requested and that answer came at the precise moment we needed it.
If we pray, and God says “Yes, I want you to do this” what’s next? We must prepare. The topic for the next blog.
On Monday, I posted a blog about not being able to write. I listed several different reasons why I believe I have had “writer’s block” for the last two weeks. The reasons were accurate, but I have realized since then, they are not the main reason I’ve been unable to write.
One would think at my age I would have realized that anything and everything I do should be prefaced with prayer. The more serious the project or challenge or change, the more time I should spend in prayer before beginning that work.
I can’t speak for anyone else of course, but I suspect I’m not the only one here that gets into trouble because I don’t pray before I say ‘yes’ in response to being asked to do something. Or I see a need and I speak up; before I know it, I own that need and its solution, that being whatever solution I develop. Even when I think I have heard the voice of the Lord giving me something to do, I still will not take time to pray. I will go bulldozing my way ahead, taking charge and “gettin’ ‘er done.” Woe be unto man or beast who stands in the way of a woman on a mission!
And if getting myself into trouble by saying ‘yes’ before I pray isn’t enough, it is disobedience to the Word of God:
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) I’m not a Bible scholar, but I think “seek ye first” means exactly what it says. In other words, pray first – before you make any decisions or take any action. The second part of the verse says, “all these things shall be added unto you.” This phrase means you will receive what you prayed for. Right? We know that God answers prayer. But not always in the way that we expect. His answers to our prayers may not be manifested according to our timetable, but the answer will come at the exact moment needed. His answer may not be what we had prayed for, but it will be even better - "far above what we could ask or think." I am sure that God has answered your prayers and He has answered mine in ways we never expected, but always "exceedingly abundant" above what we requested and that answer came at the precise moment we needed it.
If we pray, and God says “Yes, I want you to do this” what’s next? We must prepare. The topic for the next blog.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Where Has It Gone?
For at least the last two weeks, I’ve been unable to write. I have lost count of how many times I have sat down at the computer, determined to write, and there is nothing. No thoughts, no musings, no inspiration. A Big Fat Nothing! And it is not just my three-times-a-week-blogs that I am unable to write, but I haven't written one word on my current work in progress.
What is causing my little gray cells to rebel against writing? Too many things are going on in my life and family’s life and that is at least, part of the problem. I can’t concentrate because my mind is flying in a million different directions seeking a solution to situations about which I can do nothing. Why do I worry like that? Is that type of worry hereditary? My mom worries the same way. She worries over every tiny thing. I have often said half-jokingly that my mom worries when there is nothing to worry about because there is nothing to worry about. It’s like she is in a constant state of “waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Another contributing factor is that I don’t sleep well. When I sit down at the computer, especially on a hot summer day like today, I get very sleepy. I either succumb to the lure of sleep or I have to stand and walk around for a few minutes until I can sit again, only to fall asleep — again.
I also wonder if I truly did hear God speak last year when He said I was to write. I believe so, but there were times during these two weeks when I was so completely unable to put any words on paper, I thought I dreamed hearing God’s voice on this topic.
Too many distractions can certainly cause me to lose the muse! When I write, I am at my computer. I have three email accounts and FaceBook. Need I say more? Discipline will now be the order every time I sit at my computer.
I have determined today to write. If I have to type the words “blah, blah, blah” until the page is full, I will do so. But I will not have to do that. After all, I’ve just written almost a full page. To you, it probably seems meaningless and a waste of time to read it. To yours truly, after a two-week period of nothingness, it’s a beautiful thing.
What is causing my little gray cells to rebel against writing? Too many things are going on in my life and family’s life and that is at least, part of the problem. I can’t concentrate because my mind is flying in a million different directions seeking a solution to situations about which I can do nothing. Why do I worry like that? Is that type of worry hereditary? My mom worries the same way. She worries over every tiny thing. I have often said half-jokingly that my mom worries when there is nothing to worry about because there is nothing to worry about. It’s like she is in a constant state of “waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
Another contributing factor is that I don’t sleep well. When I sit down at the computer, especially on a hot summer day like today, I get very sleepy. I either succumb to the lure of sleep or I have to stand and walk around for a few minutes until I can sit again, only to fall asleep — again.
I also wonder if I truly did hear God speak last year when He said I was to write. I believe so, but there were times during these two weeks when I was so completely unable to put any words on paper, I thought I dreamed hearing God’s voice on this topic.
Too many distractions can certainly cause me to lose the muse! When I write, I am at my computer. I have three email accounts and FaceBook. Need I say more? Discipline will now be the order every time I sit at my computer.
I have determined today to write. If I have to type the words “blah, blah, blah” until the page is full, I will do so. But I will not have to do that. After all, I’ve just written almost a full page. To you, it probably seems meaningless and a waste of time to read it. To yours truly, after a two-week period of nothingness, it’s a beautiful thing.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Fried chicken. Tasty. Crispy. Brown. Greasy. “Finger-lickin’ good.” KFC. Why fry chicken when some one else can fry it so well? Last night, Dave, my husband, was really craving fried chicken and loads of carbs, commonly know at KFC as creamed potatoes.
Extra crispy. Requires loads of napkins. So juicy one almost needs a shower when finished eating.
Fried chicken reminds me of my mother cooking fried chicken when I was growing up. No one, absolutely no one, could fry chicken like my mother. She would take chicken pieces and wash them off. Each piece of chicken would be dipped into buttermilk and dredged through a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. The process of dipping into buttermilk and dredging in the flour mixture was repeated and then the chicken was dropped into hot oil. Mother would fry the chicken until it was golden brown. Scrumptious! Eat your heart out, Colonel!
Although we never had a garden, my parents would buy bushels (literally) of beans, peas and corn every summer from the Atlanta Farmer’s Market. When my mother was working full-time, my grandmother would come early in the morning and she, my sister and I would shell peas or beans, or snap green beans all day long. Or we would shuck beautiful ears of corn, pulling off the green husks and silky strands to reveal the golden yellow kernels of corn. Once my mom arrived home from work, she would “blanch” the beans or peas – a procedure that required bringing the legumes to a boil and then sitting the hot pan in icy cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled off, the beans or peas would be placed into containers and in the freezer.
When we had corn to freeze, my mother would stand on her feet for hours cutting the kernels of corn off until nothing was left but the cob. It was quite a sight to see, as the corn kernels fell into a large dishpan and the white, milky cream dripped off the cob. Sometimes, if she cut the corn too quickly, the kernels would fly across the table, usually landing on the floor. Once all the kernels were in the dishpan, my mother blanched the corn just like she did the beans. All of the corn, every vegetable we snapped, or shelled, or sliced or cut went into the freezer so that once winter arrived, we had fresh vegetables all season long. But the corn was the best and my favorite. My mother would add a full stick of butter, salt and pepper and cook the corn until it was tender and soft. The corn would literally melt in my mouth!
I have truly missed my mother’s cooking since she has not been able to cook due to her health. Unfortunately, I did not inherit her cooking “genes!”
Addendum: I had a "Betty Crocker" Day a few weeks ago. This is what my children say when I decide to experiment in the kitchen, bake - any of those domesticated things that "Betty Crocker" would do. So I purchased corn on the cob and blanched some on the cob and froze it. Easy enough. I got bolder and cut the corn off the cob and blanched it. Not too bad. Now we wait and see how it tastes!
Extra crispy. Requires loads of napkins. So juicy one almost needs a shower when finished eating.
Fried chicken reminds me of my mother cooking fried chicken when I was growing up. No one, absolutely no one, could fry chicken like my mother. She would take chicken pieces and wash them off. Each piece of chicken would be dipped into buttermilk and dredged through a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. The process of dipping into buttermilk and dredging in the flour mixture was repeated and then the chicken was dropped into hot oil. Mother would fry the chicken until it was golden brown. Scrumptious! Eat your heart out, Colonel!
Although we never had a garden, my parents would buy bushels (literally) of beans, peas and corn every summer from the Atlanta Farmer’s Market. When my mother was working full-time, my grandmother would come early in the morning and she, my sister and I would shell peas or beans, or snap green beans all day long. Or we would shuck beautiful ears of corn, pulling off the green husks and silky strands to reveal the golden yellow kernels of corn. Once my mom arrived home from work, she would “blanch” the beans or peas – a procedure that required bringing the legumes to a boil and then sitting the hot pan in icy cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled off, the beans or peas would be placed into containers and in the freezer.
When we had corn to freeze, my mother would stand on her feet for hours cutting the kernels of corn off until nothing was left but the cob. It was quite a sight to see, as the corn kernels fell into a large dishpan and the white, milky cream dripped off the cob. Sometimes, if she cut the corn too quickly, the kernels would fly across the table, usually landing on the floor. Once all the kernels were in the dishpan, my mother blanched the corn just like she did the beans. All of the corn, every vegetable we snapped, or shelled, or sliced or cut went into the freezer so that once winter arrived, we had fresh vegetables all season long. But the corn was the best and my favorite. My mother would add a full stick of butter, salt and pepper and cook the corn until it was tender and soft. The corn would literally melt in my mouth!
I have truly missed my mother’s cooking since she has not been able to cook due to her health. Unfortunately, I did not inherit her cooking “genes!”
Addendum: I had a "Betty Crocker" Day a few weeks ago. This is what my children say when I decide to experiment in the kitchen, bake - any of those domesticated things that "Betty Crocker" would do. So I purchased corn on the cob and blanched some on the cob and froze it. Easy enough. I got bolder and cut the corn off the cob and blanched it. Not too bad. Now we wait and see how it tastes!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sunday Dinner
During my childhood Sunday dinner at my house was always a special affair. Preparations began on Saturday. I would wake up to the delectable smell of freshly baked cake layers that Mom had made from scratch. No boxed mixes for my mother! I would lie in bed and try to determine what the cake flavor of the week was just by the smell in the air. Was it her rich and moist chocolate cake? Or the smooth red velvet cake? Or maybe it was her sweet strawberry cake. By this point, I was drooling and I decided to get up and check it out. The cake layers were on wire racks cooling and I could tell from the dark color that this week’s feature was my mom’s famous Chocolate Cake with Homemade Chocolate Icing. Yes! My favorite!
Next on her agenda was preparing the veggies. Although we never had a garden, my parents would buy bushels (literally) of beans, peas and corn every summer from the Atlanta Farmer’s Market. When my mother was working full-time, my grandmother would come early in the morning and she, my sister and I would shell peas or beans, or snap green beans all day long. Or we would shuck beautiful ears of corn, pulling off the green husks and silky strands to reveal the golden yellow kernels of corn. Once my mom arrived home from work, she would “blanch” the beans or peas – a procedure that required bringing the legumes to a boil and then sitting the hot pan in icy cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled off, the beans or peas would be placed into containers and in the freezer.
When we had corn to freeze, my mother would stand on her feet for hours cutting the kernels of corn off until nothing was left but the cob. It was quite a sight to see, as the corn kernels fell into a large dishpan and the white, milky cream dripped off the cob. Sometimes, if she cut the corn too quickly, the kernels would fly across the table, usually landing on the floor. Once all the kernels were in the dishpan, my mother blanched the corn just like she did the beans. All of the corn, every vegetable we snapped, or shelled, sliced or diced went into the freezer so that once winter arrived, we had fresh vegetables all season long. But the corn was the best and my favorite. My mother would add a full stick of butter, salt and pepper and cook the corn until it was tender and soft. The corn would literally melt in your mouth! I complained long and loudly as a child and teen about having to spend part of my summer vacation days snapping or shelling or husking, but not one complaint did anyone hear from me when it came time to eat those veggies!
Every Sunday morning, Mom would get up very early to prepare the entrée. If we were lucky enough to have a roast, she would prepare it by adding seasonings, carrots, potatoes and onions. Just before leaving for church, in the oven the roast would go. When we arrived home, the aroma would greet us as soon as we opened the door.
If we weren’t having roast, fried chicken was usually on the menu. No one, absolutely no one, could fry chicken like my mother. She would take chicken pieces and wash them off. Each piece of chicken would be dipped into buttermilk and dredged through a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. The process of dipping into buttermilk and dredging in the flour mixture was repeated and then the chicken was dropped into hot oil. Mother would fry the chicken until it was golden brown on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Scrumptious! Eat your heart out, Colonel Sanders!
I have truly missed Sunday dinners at my parent’s house since “growing up” and moving out. My mother is no longer able to cook due to her health. Although I can write about her fabulous cooking and Sunday dinners, unfortunately, that is as far as my cooking talents go!
Next on her agenda was preparing the veggies. Although we never had a garden, my parents would buy bushels (literally) of beans, peas and corn every summer from the Atlanta Farmer’s Market. When my mother was working full-time, my grandmother would come early in the morning and she, my sister and I would shell peas or beans, or snap green beans all day long. Or we would shuck beautiful ears of corn, pulling off the green husks and silky strands to reveal the golden yellow kernels of corn. Once my mom arrived home from work, she would “blanch” the beans or peas – a procedure that required bringing the legumes to a boil and then sitting the hot pan in icy cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled off, the beans or peas would be placed into containers and in the freezer.
When we had corn to freeze, my mother would stand on her feet for hours cutting the kernels of corn off until nothing was left but the cob. It was quite a sight to see, as the corn kernels fell into a large dishpan and the white, milky cream dripped off the cob. Sometimes, if she cut the corn too quickly, the kernels would fly across the table, usually landing on the floor. Once all the kernels were in the dishpan, my mother blanched the corn just like she did the beans. All of the corn, every vegetable we snapped, or shelled, sliced or diced went into the freezer so that once winter arrived, we had fresh vegetables all season long. But the corn was the best and my favorite. My mother would add a full stick of butter, salt and pepper and cook the corn until it was tender and soft. The corn would literally melt in your mouth! I complained long and loudly as a child and teen about having to spend part of my summer vacation days snapping or shelling or husking, but not one complaint did anyone hear from me when it came time to eat those veggies!
Every Sunday morning, Mom would get up very early to prepare the entrée. If we were lucky enough to have a roast, she would prepare it by adding seasonings, carrots, potatoes and onions. Just before leaving for church, in the oven the roast would go. When we arrived home, the aroma would greet us as soon as we opened the door.
If we weren’t having roast, fried chicken was usually on the menu. No one, absolutely no one, could fry chicken like my mother. She would take chicken pieces and wash them off. Each piece of chicken would be dipped into buttermilk and dredged through a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. The process of dipping into buttermilk and dredging in the flour mixture was repeated and then the chicken was dropped into hot oil. Mother would fry the chicken until it was golden brown on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Scrumptious! Eat your heart out, Colonel Sanders!
I have truly missed Sunday dinners at my parent’s house since “growing up” and moving out. My mother is no longer able to cook due to her health. Although I can write about her fabulous cooking and Sunday dinners, unfortunately, that is as far as my cooking talents go!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Good News
“Dear Author,
It's with a great deal of pleasure that I tell you that your entry progressed successfully from the Initial Short list to the Intermediate Short List.
Your entry has now achieved Commended status. Please accept my heartiest congratulations!
Sadly, however, your work has not been selected for the Final Short List. Nonetheless, you did remarkably well to progress this far in the judging. Only approximately 50 submissions out of the 2,000 or so received are now being considered for cash prizes and Highly Commended citations.”
Thus began the email notifying me that my short story did not make the final cut. A babe-in-writing, this was still good news to me. The very kind judge made several encouraging remarks, urging me to edit, re-write, re-tweak and re-submit, which I have every intention of doing.
The title of the judge’s email was “The Good News and the Not So Good.” The entire email started me thinking, “What if God treated us like this?” What if, at the end of every day, we had to submit a manuscript of our day to God? What would His response be?
Dear Edwina:
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I tell you I have received your manuscript for today’s activities. Thank you for your timely submittal.
Sadly, I must tell you that your manuscript did not make the Initial Short List. Your activities today were less than satisfactory. For example: The lady you cut off in traffic because you left too late to get to work on time? She couldn’t see too well because she was crying. She had just found out that she no longer had a job to look forward to everyday.
The clerk in the grocery store whose head you bit off when she couldn’t tell you where to find that special sauce you absolutely had to have? She had just started her next shift, after having been on her feet for eight hours, making minimum wage, so she can put food on the table for herself and her two children.
I could go on, but you get the point. Please consider editing, re-writing, re-tweaking and re-submitting tomorrow.
Sincerely,
GOD
Obviously, God does not require a daily manuscript, nor does He send us a daily letter. But He does expect our “daily manuscript” to look much better than mine did (both the actual written one and the one I just made up!)
I want mine to read “You have represented Me well today my child. I saw you pay for the elderly gentleman’s groceries. I heard you when you stopped in the middle of your busy day and prayed for everyone on the prayer list. You showed My love to everyone you saw. Well done, my child!" Love,God
What about you? What would your daily manuscript look like? What would God’s response be?
May all of our “manuscripts” improve every day!
It's with a great deal of pleasure that I tell you that your entry progressed successfully from the Initial Short list to the Intermediate Short List.
Your entry has now achieved Commended status. Please accept my heartiest congratulations!
Sadly, however, your work has not been selected for the Final Short List. Nonetheless, you did remarkably well to progress this far in the judging. Only approximately 50 submissions out of the 2,000 or so received are now being considered for cash prizes and Highly Commended citations.”
Thus began the email notifying me that my short story did not make the final cut. A babe-in-writing, this was still good news to me. The very kind judge made several encouraging remarks, urging me to edit, re-write, re-tweak and re-submit, which I have every intention of doing.
The title of the judge’s email was “The Good News and the Not So Good.” The entire email started me thinking, “What if God treated us like this?” What if, at the end of every day, we had to submit a manuscript of our day to God? What would His response be?
Dear Edwina:
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I tell you I have received your manuscript for today’s activities. Thank you for your timely submittal.
Sadly, I must tell you that your manuscript did not make the Initial Short List. Your activities today were less than satisfactory. For example: The lady you cut off in traffic because you left too late to get to work on time? She couldn’t see too well because she was crying. She had just found out that she no longer had a job to look forward to everyday.
The clerk in the grocery store whose head you bit off when she couldn’t tell you where to find that special sauce you absolutely had to have? She had just started her next shift, after having been on her feet for eight hours, making minimum wage, so she can put food on the table for herself and her two children.
I could go on, but you get the point. Please consider editing, re-writing, re-tweaking and re-submitting tomorrow.
Sincerely,
GOD
Obviously, God does not require a daily manuscript, nor does He send us a daily letter. But He does expect our “daily manuscript” to look much better than mine did (both the actual written one and the one I just made up!)
I want mine to read “You have represented Me well today my child. I saw you pay for the elderly gentleman’s groceries. I heard you when you stopped in the middle of your busy day and prayed for everyone on the prayer list. You showed My love to everyone you saw. Well done, my child!" Love,God
What about you? What would your daily manuscript look like? What would God’s response be?
May all of our “manuscripts” improve every day!
Monday, July 20, 2009
AND THE WINNER IS.....
AND THE WINNER IS….(Drum Roll Please)…WENDY!
CONGRATULATIONS, WENDY! I KNOW YOU WILL ENJOY READING “LOVE FINDS YOU IN REVENGE, OHIO” BY LISA HARRIS!
STAY TUNED! MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE TO WIN FREE BOOKS!
CONGRATULATIONS, WENDY! I KNOW YOU WILL ENJOY READING “LOVE FINDS YOU IN REVENGE, OHIO” BY LISA HARRIS!
STAY TUNED! MORE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE TO WIN FREE BOOKS!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio
“The only thing worse than being a spinster is being a twice-jilted spinster. At twenty-five, Catherine Morgan is hardly an old maid. But she’s given up on marriage and instead manages the family’s general store in the little town of Revenge, Ohio. Bound by a promise made to her mother to care for her three sisters until they marry, she’ll do anything to keep them safe. But Sheriff Corbin Hunter stands in her way. He has evidence that her sister’s fiancé is really an infamous bank robber – and the man who murdered his father. Catherine finds herself torn between saving her sister’s heart and losing hers to the man who jilted her seven years ago. Will Corbin’s desire for revenge cause him to lose Catherine a second time?”
Dishes were ignored, floors weren’t vacuumed and the family fended for themselves because I could not put this book down! Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio is one of the best Christian historical fiction books I have read in a very long time. I will confess: historical novels are not at the top of my list of favorite types of books to read. However, the history of the late 1800’s, and the description of Revenge, Ohio (which actually does exist) are interwoven throughout the book so masterfully that I never realized I was being taught a history lesson. The suspense kept me up until all hours of the night and every time I thought I had determined “whodunit,” another surprise was mixed into the plot. And then there was the heroine and hero. Have you ever wanted to reach through the pages of a book and shake two people until they come to their senses? These two were more stubborn than the mules used to plow the fields. Above all, Catherine’s faith and that of her family was truly a blessing to behold.
Lisa Harris, award winning author of Christian fiction and nonfiction, has done it again. She has combined history with romance, suspense and faith in a book that will captivate readers for years to come. Thanks, Lisa, for the privilege of reviewing your book!
Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing to win a copy of Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio. Leave your email address in your comment so I have a way of contacting you.
Dishes were ignored, floors weren’t vacuumed and the family fended for themselves because I could not put this book down! Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio is one of the best Christian historical fiction books I have read in a very long time. I will confess: historical novels are not at the top of my list of favorite types of books to read. However, the history of the late 1800’s, and the description of Revenge, Ohio (which actually does exist) are interwoven throughout the book so masterfully that I never realized I was being taught a history lesson. The suspense kept me up until all hours of the night and every time I thought I had determined “whodunit,” another surprise was mixed into the plot. And then there was the heroine and hero. Have you ever wanted to reach through the pages of a book and shake two people until they come to their senses? These two were more stubborn than the mules used to plow the fields. Above all, Catherine’s faith and that of her family was truly a blessing to behold.
Lisa Harris, award winning author of Christian fiction and nonfiction, has done it again. She has combined history with romance, suspense and faith in a book that will captivate readers for years to come. Thanks, Lisa, for the privilege of reviewing your book!
Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing to win a copy of Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio. Leave your email address in your comment so I have a way of contacting you.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Now - To Be Healed
Earlier this week I wrote a blog on forgiveness. If you have unforgiveness in your heart towards anyone for any reason, please read that blog. Before you can move forward with today’s topic – healing – you must first forgive.
Someone once said that “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” In other words, your unforgiveness towards the other person doesn’t affect them – it affects you. Eventually, that lack of forgiveness on your part will cause you to become resentful, and the resentfulness will turn into bitterness. Bitterness will develop into hatred, and if this hatred within you is not resolved, it can lead to physical illness and spiritual death.
Scientists come closer every day to proving the spiritual principle that unforgiveness can cause illness:
Unforgiveness can even cause illness and/or disease in some people. That unforgiveness can cause illness makes sense scientifically when we consider that our thoughts and emotions trigger biochemical reactions in our bodies, which can cause illness. 1
It’s interesting to note that those who can forgive tend to be sick far less often than those who do not [forgive]. At Hope College in Michigan, Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet and her colleagues have shown that holding anger and resentment is damaging to physical health. Their study was on the physiological effects of forgiveness vs. holding a grudge. Their theory was that forgiveness...“may free the wounded person from a prison of hurt and vengeful emotion, yielding both emotional and physical benefits, including reduced stress, less negative emotion, fewer cardiovascular problems, and improved immune system performance. . . Unforgiving memories and mental imagery might produce negative facial expressions and increased cardiovascular and sympathetic reactivity, much as other negative and arousing emotions (e.g., fear, anger) do.”
Working with 70 undergraduates from Hope College, they requested the students remember a time when they were mistreated or harmed by someone. The participants were asked to practice forgiving or being unforgiving. They’re psycho-physiological, emotional and facial responses were recorded. Participants reported feeling sadness, anger, negativity and lacking control when being unforgiving. Physiologically, they showed greater tension in the brow area of the face also and higher blood pressure during unforgiveness periods. Overall Witvliet (and colleagues) surmised that “although it is unlikely that the brief unforgiving trials in this study would have a clinically significant effect on health, we believe that the effects obtained in this study provide a conservative measure of effects that naturally occur during unforgiving responses to real-life offenders.” 2
These big, fancy, hard-to-pronounce words are saying – unforgiveness can cause illness.
On the other hand, forgiveness opens the door to healing. Psalm 103:3 states “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” (Emphasis mine) It was no accident on the part of the Psalmist, David, that he wrote those two words in this order: first, forgiveness – then healing. If you have the sin of unforgiveness in your life, God cannot heal you. Obviously, the opposite is true. Once your sins are forgiven, God can heal you. There are other aspects that are a part of healing, but this week, I felt led of the Lord to write on forgiveness.
I can’t say that all illnesses are caused by sin, because there are other contributing factors that can cause one to be ill. However, if it seems like you’re always sick – you get well from one illness and before you know it, you are sick again and your doctor(s) can’t determine why this is happening -- perhaps you should have a spiritual check-up:
What is your heart like? Hard? Soft? Cold? Uncaring?
Where is your spiritual walk? Miles away from God? Trailing
behind Him, rebellious and determined not to catch up?
When is the last time you soaked in the Word? Spent quality time
in prayer? Sat at Jesus’ feet soaking in His presence?
Do you have unforgiveness in your heart towards someone else? If you can’t say “No” with certainty, ask God to show you. Ask Him what He wants you to do – and be obedient to do what he tells you. Then sit back and watch as He “forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
1 http://www.healinghappens.com/
2 ublog.atsh.com/post/InReasonstoForgivePart2
Someone once said that “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” In other words, your unforgiveness towards the other person doesn’t affect them – it affects you. Eventually, that lack of forgiveness on your part will cause you to become resentful, and the resentfulness will turn into bitterness. Bitterness will develop into hatred, and if this hatred within you is not resolved, it can lead to physical illness and spiritual death.
Scientists come closer every day to proving the spiritual principle that unforgiveness can cause illness:
Unforgiveness can even cause illness and/or disease in some people. That unforgiveness can cause illness makes sense scientifically when we consider that our thoughts and emotions trigger biochemical reactions in our bodies, which can cause illness. 1
It’s interesting to note that those who can forgive tend to be sick far less often than those who do not [forgive]. At Hope College in Michigan, Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet and her colleagues have shown that holding anger and resentment is damaging to physical health. Their study was on the physiological effects of forgiveness vs. holding a grudge. Their theory was that forgiveness...“may free the wounded person from a prison of hurt and vengeful emotion, yielding both emotional and physical benefits, including reduced stress, less negative emotion, fewer cardiovascular problems, and improved immune system performance. . . Unforgiving memories and mental imagery might produce negative facial expressions and increased cardiovascular and sympathetic reactivity, much as other negative and arousing emotions (e.g., fear, anger) do.”
Working with 70 undergraduates from Hope College, they requested the students remember a time when they were mistreated or harmed by someone. The participants were asked to practice forgiving or being unforgiving. They’re psycho-physiological, emotional and facial responses were recorded. Participants reported feeling sadness, anger, negativity and lacking control when being unforgiving. Physiologically, they showed greater tension in the brow area of the face also and higher blood pressure during unforgiveness periods. Overall Witvliet (and colleagues) surmised that “although it is unlikely that the brief unforgiving trials in this study would have a clinically significant effect on health, we believe that the effects obtained in this study provide a conservative measure of effects that naturally occur during unforgiving responses to real-life offenders.” 2
These big, fancy, hard-to-pronounce words are saying – unforgiveness can cause illness.
On the other hand, forgiveness opens the door to healing. Psalm 103:3 states “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” (Emphasis mine) It was no accident on the part of the Psalmist, David, that he wrote those two words in this order: first, forgiveness – then healing. If you have the sin of unforgiveness in your life, God cannot heal you. Obviously, the opposite is true. Once your sins are forgiven, God can heal you. There are other aspects that are a part of healing, but this week, I felt led of the Lord to write on forgiveness.
I can’t say that all illnesses are caused by sin, because there are other contributing factors that can cause one to be ill. However, if it seems like you’re always sick – you get well from one illness and before you know it, you are sick again and your doctor(s) can’t determine why this is happening -- perhaps you should have a spiritual check-up:
What is your heart like? Hard? Soft? Cold? Uncaring?
Where is your spiritual walk? Miles away from God? Trailing
behind Him, rebellious and determined not to catch up?
When is the last time you soaked in the Word? Spent quality time
in prayer? Sat at Jesus’ feet soaking in His presence?
Do you have unforgiveness in your heart towards someone else? If you can’t say “No” with certainty, ask God to show you. Ask Him what He wants you to do – and be obedient to do what he tells you. Then sit back and watch as He “forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”
1 http://www.healinghappens.com/
2 ublog.atsh.com/post/InReasonstoForgivePart2
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
A Season of Forgiveness
A few weeks ago, a dear friend posted a statement on FaceBook that really caused me to mediate and think. She wrote,
“It’s a season of forgiveness, a season of friendship, a season of new starts. One act of forgiveness can change the outcome of a life.”
I believe that there are certain “levels” of offense. Before you scream in protest "An offense is an offense is an offense..." let me say that this is not based on Scripture but on years of observing and counseling people:
Level 1: Offenses of No Significance: An example of this would be the “grocery cart bump,” where someone who is in a great hurry accidently bumps another person’s cart. The bumper says to the bumpee “excuse me” and most normal, sane people will answer “no problem” or some other acknowledgement and life goes on.
Level 2: Offenses of Minor Significance: After you have worked for hours and hours in your yard, your neighbor, who just happens to be married to the Chairperson of the Landscaping Committee for the homeowners association, wins the “Yard of the Month Award” and rubs your nose in that fact.
Level 3: Significant Offenses: Perhaps a significant offense would be when a dear friend, or a spouse makes an extremely unkind remark about you. Extremely unkind.
Level 4: Offenses of Major Significance: With this level, begin the wounds that usually change a person’s life. A spouse leaves his/her family for another person. A teenager rebels and begins a life of addiction.
Level 5: Offenses of Grave Significance: Wounds of grave significance are usually wounds that are inflicted on a person in their early years as a toddler or young school age child. These wounds are normally caused by a parent or a major caregiver in the life of a child. Sometimes, these wounds are covered over by the child and forgotten until something later in life triggers the memory of that wound and for that adult, it is as if their entire body is being ripped in two and everything they thought was buried has been dug up. These types of wounds range from abuse to absentee parent(s) to never being accepted and loved unconditionally by one or both parents.
If there are levels of offense, then it would stand to reason that there are levels of forgiveness. Right? Wrong. Forgiveness is forgiveness. And as Christians, we are commanded to forgive. It’s not an option. And it’s serious business. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
I don’t think the language can get much clearer than that! If we forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will forgive us our offenses. If we don’t forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will not forgive us our offenses.
There’s not a cap on the number of times we are to forgive. Again in the book of Matthew, we read this: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22).
Someone is probably thinking, “So if I forgive someone 490 times (70 x 7) and they offend me for the 491st time, I don’t have to forgive them? No. Jesus used those numbers to illustrate the fact that there is no limit on the number of times we must forgive those who offend us.
But what if the wound is one of those of grave significance? Must we forgive that person too? Absolutely. If we want our sins forgiven, we must forgive those who sinned against us. But how can one forgive the person who wounded them so deeply that their entire life was affected by that wound?
Many years ago, I heard an excellent teaching on forgiveness. The teacher had been wounded deeply. She shared that she had learned to pray “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” You see, she had learned an invaluable lesson on forgiveness. Sometimes we are not able to forgive on our own. Maybe it’s because the wound is too deep and the hurt is too great. Whatever the reason, we are not able to forgive. The Bible says that “God looks on the heart.” Even though this teacher was not able to forgive on her own, God heard her prayer of “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” He looked at her heart and knew she wanted to forgive. He had compassion and mercy on her and answered her prayer. Soon, she was able to pray, “Make me willing to forgive.” And God answered her prayer again and she reached the point of saying “I forgive….”
I’ve used this prayer myself many times in my life. I fully believe God understands and knows my heart when I pray this prayer. He knows I realize I must forgive that person but at that moment in time, I am unable to forgive on my own. Thus, I ask for His help and He answers. As I become more willing, forgiveness appears on the horizon and eventually becomes full blown in my heart.
If you have been wounded, at any level, I encourage you to begin to forgive. It may not be easy. It can be an uphill battle. Pray the “willingness” prayer. Begin to be willing to be willing to forgive. God will help you. He will walk with you every step of the way until forgiveness is full blown in your heart. With forgiveness comes healing. But then, that is a blog for another day.
Oh, yes. When is the season of forgiveness? Every day.
“It’s a season of forgiveness, a season of friendship, a season of new starts. One act of forgiveness can change the outcome of a life.”
I believe that there are certain “levels” of offense. Before you scream in protest "An offense is an offense is an offense..." let me say that this is not based on Scripture but on years of observing and counseling people:
Level 1: Offenses of No Significance: An example of this would be the “grocery cart bump,” where someone who is in a great hurry accidently bumps another person’s cart. The bumper says to the bumpee “excuse me” and most normal, sane people will answer “no problem” or some other acknowledgement and life goes on.
Level 2: Offenses of Minor Significance: After you have worked for hours and hours in your yard, your neighbor, who just happens to be married to the Chairperson of the Landscaping Committee for the homeowners association, wins the “Yard of the Month Award” and rubs your nose in that fact.
Level 3: Significant Offenses: Perhaps a significant offense would be when a dear friend, or a spouse makes an extremely unkind remark about you. Extremely unkind.
Level 4: Offenses of Major Significance: With this level, begin the wounds that usually change a person’s life. A spouse leaves his/her family for another person. A teenager rebels and begins a life of addiction.
Level 5: Offenses of Grave Significance: Wounds of grave significance are usually wounds that are inflicted on a person in their early years as a toddler or young school age child. These wounds are normally caused by a parent or a major caregiver in the life of a child. Sometimes, these wounds are covered over by the child and forgotten until something later in life triggers the memory of that wound and for that adult, it is as if their entire body is being ripped in two and everything they thought was buried has been dug up. These types of wounds range from abuse to absentee parent(s) to never being accepted and loved unconditionally by one or both parents.
If there are levels of offense, then it would stand to reason that there are levels of forgiveness. Right? Wrong. Forgiveness is forgiveness. And as Christians, we are commanded to forgive. It’s not an option. And it’s serious business. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
I don’t think the language can get much clearer than that! If we forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will forgive us our offenses. If we don’t forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will not forgive us our offenses.
There’s not a cap on the number of times we are to forgive. Again in the book of Matthew, we read this: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22).
Someone is probably thinking, “So if I forgive someone 490 times (70 x 7) and they offend me for the 491st time, I don’t have to forgive them? No. Jesus used those numbers to illustrate the fact that there is no limit on the number of times we must forgive those who offend us.
But what if the wound is one of those of grave significance? Must we forgive that person too? Absolutely. If we want our sins forgiven, we must forgive those who sinned against us. But how can one forgive the person who wounded them so deeply that their entire life was affected by that wound?
Many years ago, I heard an excellent teaching on forgiveness. The teacher had been wounded deeply. She shared that she had learned to pray “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” You see, she had learned an invaluable lesson on forgiveness. Sometimes we are not able to forgive on our own. Maybe it’s because the wound is too deep and the hurt is too great. Whatever the reason, we are not able to forgive. The Bible says that “God looks on the heart.” Even though this teacher was not able to forgive on her own, God heard her prayer of “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” He looked at her heart and knew she wanted to forgive. He had compassion and mercy on her and answered her prayer. Soon, she was able to pray, “Make me willing to forgive.” And God answered her prayer again and she reached the point of saying “I forgive….”
I’ve used this prayer myself many times in my life. I fully believe God understands and knows my heart when I pray this prayer. He knows I realize I must forgive that person but at that moment in time, I am unable to forgive on my own. Thus, I ask for His help and He answers. As I become more willing, forgiveness appears on the horizon and eventually becomes full blown in my heart.
If you have been wounded, at any level, I encourage you to begin to forgive. It may not be easy. It can be an uphill battle. Pray the “willingness” prayer. Begin to be willing to be willing to forgive. God will help you. He will walk with you every step of the way until forgiveness is full blown in your heart. With forgiveness comes healing. But then, that is a blog for another day.
Oh, yes. When is the season of forgiveness? Every day.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Celebrate Freedom
July 4, 2009 has come and gone. I pray that you enjoyed the holiday with family and friends, ate some delicious food, enjoyed a parade and oohed and aahhed at beautiful fireworks. I hope that you took time to remember those who made your celebration possible – men and women who gave their all in past wars and men and women who are fighting right now to maintain the freedom you have to celebrate the 4th and every day of the year.
Most Christians I know are very patriotic. We are grateful to live in a country where we can worship at the church of our choice, on the day we choose. We can own as many Bibles as we want. We can meet in homes for prayer and Bible study. We can, for now at least, pray in public. Whether or not we still have these and other freedoms at the end of the current President’s administration remains to be seen (another blog for another day).
Christians have the privilege of celebrating freedom every day. Freedom in Christ, that is. The Bible says “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But what is the truth?
Most Christians I know are very patriotic. We are grateful to live in a country where we can worship at the church of our choice, on the day we choose. We can own as many Bibles as we want. We can meet in homes for prayer and Bible study. We can, for now at least, pray in public. Whether or not we still have these and other freedoms at the end of the current President’s administration remains to be seen (another blog for another day).
Christians have the privilege of celebrating freedom every day. Freedom in Christ, that is. The Bible says “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." But what is the truth?
- "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18 NIV) When we believe on Jesus and accept Him into our hearts, we are no longer condemned but rather granted an eternal home in heaven.
- “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows.”) (John 10:10 Amplified) Not only does God want us to have eternal life with Him, but He also wants us to have an abundant life here on earth.
- "So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” (John 8:34 The Message) Many people remain in bondage even after accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is not that they want to remain in bondage; for many, they do not realize they are in bondage. Bondage to old habits, bondage to anger, fear, resentment, bondage to unforgiveness. All of these are poison to a person who remains bound to them.
- Many years ago, I was going through a very dark period in my life and God gave me a dream one night. I dreamed I was literally wrapped from shoulder to feet in chains. There was not even an inch between the layers of chains that bound me. As I stood there and cried out to God, the chains began to pop, breaking loose row by row. It was an amazing dream and showed me that God was working to break me free from the chains that bound me.
- If you are reading this blog and realize that you remain bound to past hurts, emotions and/or unforgiveness, ask God to forgive you for any sin that may cause you to remain bound.
- Ask Him to break the chains that still bind you. Receive His forgiveness.
- Celebrate your freedom.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Three to Four Seconds
“It only takes three to four seconds.” I was talking with a friend after church this past Sunday when she made this statement to me. We were talking about a very tragic accident that occurred a few days ago here in the town where we live. As a result of what happened in those three to four seconds, a 14 year old boy lost his life. 14 years old – his whole life ahead of him. He could have been the next Billy Graham for his generation, or the President of the United States, or the dedicated doctor/scientist who discovered the cure for AIDS. He could have been a missionary to the darkest corners of the world or a pastor of a church. Instead, the enemy of our souls sought to bring this family to its knees by robbing them of their son and brother.
We talked, my friend and I, about how it is beyond our worst imaginations of what it would be like to bury your child. We could not even fathom the pain that this Mom and Dad are going through and will go through in the coming weeks and months. Burying your child is not in the natural order of life. No parent should ever have to bury their child – and yet, at this very moment as I type this blog, the parents and other family members and his friends from school have gathered at their church and a service to remember him and celebrate his short life here on earth has just begun.
My friend and I took comfort in the fact that this young boy and his family are Christians and therefore, his parents know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will see their son again someday in heaven. The pain and anguish are still there, and yet, there is hope because of the assurance that their son is waiting for them and will be standing next to God to greet them when they arrive Home.
That thought brought me to the point of wondering how people who don’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior – how do they handle the death of a loved one? There is such finality about the death of a person who had not accepted Jesus into their hearts - it is almost beyond my comprehension.
Where is their hope? Because there is truly no hope for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior when they die. How does the living go on with their lives with no hope of seeing their loved one again? They don’t – not really. They will go back to their daily routine; some day they will even smile again. But they will never have hope of seeing that loved one again. For them, that death was final.
I write about this today because of the reality that there are far too many people who do not know Jesus. If you are one of those and you are reading this blog today, please read the Scriptures below and then find a church and go there. Tell the pastor or whoever is available that you want to be saved. It is, far and above, the most important decision you will ever make.
If you are reading this today and you are a Christian and you have the assurance that when you die, you will go to heaven, but you have family and friends that you know are not saved, do not wait. Go to them today and share the love of Jesus with them. Tell them the message of the Gospel. Tell them that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
For those of you who are reading this and have not accepted Jesus into your heart, and for those who will be talking to unsaved family and friends, here are the two Scriptures that you need to read as a witness to them.
Romans 3:23b “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That’s really all a person has to do – recognize he or she is a sinner, confess that sin to God and receive Jesus into their heart and life. If you have not done that, why not today? It only takes a little longer than three to four seconds, but the difference it will make in your life is eternal.
We talked, my friend and I, about how it is beyond our worst imaginations of what it would be like to bury your child. We could not even fathom the pain that this Mom and Dad are going through and will go through in the coming weeks and months. Burying your child is not in the natural order of life. No parent should ever have to bury their child – and yet, at this very moment as I type this blog, the parents and other family members and his friends from school have gathered at their church and a service to remember him and celebrate his short life here on earth has just begun.
My friend and I took comfort in the fact that this young boy and his family are Christians and therefore, his parents know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will see their son again someday in heaven. The pain and anguish are still there, and yet, there is hope because of the assurance that their son is waiting for them and will be standing next to God to greet them when they arrive Home.
That thought brought me to the point of wondering how people who don’t know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior – how do they handle the death of a loved one? There is such finality about the death of a person who had not accepted Jesus into their hearts - it is almost beyond my comprehension.
Where is their hope? Because there is truly no hope for those who do not know Jesus as their Savior when they die. How does the living go on with their lives with no hope of seeing their loved one again? They don’t – not really. They will go back to their daily routine; some day they will even smile again. But they will never have hope of seeing that loved one again. For them, that death was final.
I write about this today because of the reality that there are far too many people who do not know Jesus. If you are one of those and you are reading this blog today, please read the Scriptures below and then find a church and go there. Tell the pastor or whoever is available that you want to be saved. It is, far and above, the most important decision you will ever make.
If you are reading this today and you are a Christian and you have the assurance that when you die, you will go to heaven, but you have family and friends that you know are not saved, do not wait. Go to them today and share the love of Jesus with them. Tell them the message of the Gospel. Tell them that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
For those of you who are reading this and have not accepted Jesus into your heart, and for those who will be talking to unsaved family and friends, here are the two Scriptures that you need to read as a witness to them.
Romans 3:23b “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
That’s really all a person has to do – recognize he or she is a sinner, confess that sin to God and receive Jesus into their heart and life. If you have not done that, why not today? It only takes a little longer than three to four seconds, but the difference it will make in your life is eternal.
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