Posted in Christian on November 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »
This Advent, follow the Lord closely…
It is easy to follow a person’s footprints if we walk close behind him, but if we walk some distance back, we might fail to see them as clearly. Similarly, if we follow close after the Lord, we would easily see the footsteps along the way, but if we try to follow afar off, we would find it difficult to know the path of His will.
Andrew Bonar
Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged blood of Jesus, Body of Christ, clean, cleansed, God is in control. Where Did You FInd God Today?. Julie B Cosgrove, Julie B Cosgrove, sin, wash on November 18, 2014| 1 Comment »
While lecturing and book signing in San Antonio, I spent the night with my sister. When I blurry-eyed stepped into her shower, this is what greeted me.
SIN AROMA. I had to laugh. It was 6:30 in the morning and I’d already found God today. San Antonio is a bilingual city, so labels are in English and Spanish. “Sin Aroma” means “unscented”, But it got me to thinking. What is the aroma of sin? Isn’t it often undetectable? Unlike natural gas, which is also undetectable, nothing is added to temptations to let us know danger lurks. No nasty, scrunch up your nose odor to warn us to back away.
The father of lies’s temptations are often what we think we want, need or even believe is God’s will for us. So we dash ahead without taking it to God in prayer first for verification and blessing.
James wrote in his letter, “Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full-grown, give birth to death.” (1:15)
Then fact that sin can wash over our body and we still “feel clean” is evidence that we live in a fallen world. But when we become the Body of Christ and He lives in us, sin’s enticement is more detectable. The more we allow ourselves to be washed in His Blood, the more protected we will become. As believers, we all need a “body wash” (jabon corporal) at least once a week (worshiping corporately) to slough off the sins that have begun to stick to us like sweat. As individuals, just as we cleanse our skin each day, let us also remember to wash our souls.
Now everyone sing…”What can wash away our sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus…”
Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged faith, Holy Spirit, Julie Cosgrove, praying, warms the soul, Where did you find God today on November 7, 2014| 4 Comments »
Would you think me crazy to say I found God today in my tea cup?
As many of you know already, I ‘m an avid Anglophile. I was weaned on Earl Grey and milk…well, almost. It has always been my comfort drink. When I am hurting, physically or emotionally, just wrapping my fingers around the warm mug and inhaling the soft scent of the tea relaxes me. Then that first creamy sip…hmmm. The world is a better place.
Now, I can drink tea without the cream, but somehow it is not as the same. The swirling white liquid changes the color, the texture and enhances the taste in my opinion. It makes it oh, so much better.
This here is where the God part enters the picture.
My faith acts in much the same way. When I am hurting or frustrated I can wrap my soul around His Spirit. It envelops me and swirls through me. Immediately, I feel as sense of calm flow over my shoulders and down my back. When, through prayer, I drink in this holy peace, I begin to feels its effects from the inside out.
I suppose I could exist without my faith. Many people do. They drudge through life with a fatalistic, self-orientated attitude. But like the cream in my tea, faith enhances my life. It recolors it, 
enriches its flavor, and makes my day more appealing, no matter what happens. I really prefer having that dash of soul-cream in my day. When I pray to my Lord and read His word, it as if I am swirling goodness into my life.
As the tea warms my belly, faith warms my soul.
Of course, there are times I just want to bask in a good cup of tea–just because. Nothing is making me anxious. My aches and pains are minimal. Life is chuggin’ along just fine. Get the connection? I knew you would.
Enjoy some tea time with your Lord today.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged haze, Julie Cosgrove, Light of Christ in us, sin, Where did you find God today, wipe it clean on October 22, 2014| 2 Comments »
It seemed clean. I could see through it just fine…until I turned my car into the rising sunlight. 
Oooh, the hazy smudges, minuscule dead bug guts, road dirt. It glared at me — literally. The brilliance of the rays accented the dirtiness of my car glass, making it hard for me to see beyond the filminess. It clouded my view.
So, as I waited for the light to change to green, I pushed the button on the wand to the right of my steering wheel, and squirted window cleanser on the outside of the shield. Then I flipped my wipers on full speed. Back-forth, back-forth, back-forth.
Well, that worked a bit. But, I realized there was haze on the inside as well. It was a residual of my breathing, mixed with fumes from the plastic dashboard, dust that slipped through the AC filter, and lint off my clothes. (Yeah. I Googled it to find out.) Okay, maybe a few fumes from the cheeseburger and fries I got at the drive-thru last week as well. I confess.
I grabbed a sleeve of my sweater (I didn’t have a rag) and wiped over the inside of the windshield in a tight, circular motion. Aha. Clarity. No more glare. Both sides cleaned…not perfect, but definitely a vast improvement.
Is that not indicative of our lives? Some dirt gets slammed into us- the offensive language or scenes on our TV shows that slip into the script. That touch of gossip we overheard in the restroom at work. The local news that has to relay all the ugly details. The younger coworker who is dressing in too tight clothes that accent the fact they work out–a lot.
Other things dirty us from our inside. Anger, jealousy a revengeful thought, a slight pilfering of office supplies, forgetting to pray before we dash out the door to face the world. negative self-talk.
Both work to form a haze over our witness. People cannot see Christ as clearly in us. And as each little thing accumulates over time, it may be hard for us to notice the view has become obscure.
It works both ways. Our view of the world may not be as clear. We begin to think – Is it really all that bad nowadays? Perhaps times have changed,and so should my opinion. People seem more tolerant, maybe I should as well. It’s okay if I sleep in on Sunday, again. Everyone else does.
Our judgement has become clouded. That is until the Light of His Truth blares into our lives.
It may be a sermon, a passage in Scripture, or wisdom from a well meaning friend. Perhaps that small inner voice you know is not from your brain waves. Something throws a glare onto the filthiness you have collected in your life.
Time to wipe it clean…
Next time the Son shines, it will be clearer to others, and to ourselves, that we are truly His followers. No more haziness.
Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged correction, Holy Spirit, Julie B Cosgrove, sin, Where Did You Find God on October 10, 2014| 1 Comment »
Ever get a scraggly place on your fingernail. It’s not a break, or even a chip. Just an almost microscopic rugged spot enough to catch materials, like clothes, hosiery, etc. And yes, it seems to catch on everything!! A slight aggravation seems to grow. You rub it against a rough surface, but that doesn’t do it. You need a file, the correct tool. And, until you can get to that nail file or emery board that rugged place bothers you.
(Guys, tell me you have this problem at times, too. Surely it is not just a girl thing. If not, bear with me. There is a point to this – no pun intended..)
But, once you get the file, it takes work to right the situation. You have to buff it away, feel the place, nope- not smooth enough yet. Buff…feel, nope…file a bit more. The thing is, the more you file, the more evident it becomes that the nail is damaged and needs to be re-shaped. At last your nail is smooth, well -shaped and presentable again.
Are you beginning to see the God-connection?
Sin can snag us. Until we bring it to God, it will nag at us, and as we go through the day, or week, or months, it keeps catching on our thoughts and actions. We know it’s there, even if no one else does.
So, we finally carve out time to fall to our knees and give it to our Lord. He scrapes it away, and at first, it makes the sin seem more obvious, so much larger. But with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that sin can be buffed away and we fully restored. Now we can grow again–in the correct direction.
But we know in this fallen world, we will brush against the harshness of sin again. We women usually carry an emery board in our purses so we are prepared when an unexpected snag occurs. May we all carry the Holy Spirit that close, and stop to correct the situation the first chance we get. It will make the day go, well, a lot smoother.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, Nature, tagged God knows, Julie B Cosgrove, Matthew 13, seeds, sowing, Where Did You Find God on October 3, 2014| 3 Comments »
As I walked along a shaded breezeway, I noticed a small plant peeking out of the concrete. Evidently the wind blew a tiny seed into the crack and perhaps, after a few rainstorms, enough water was captured to entice it to sprout. Now it is growing. Will it last? Grow little plant – thrive.
It made me think of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Jesus says some seeds are sown in rocky soil, but since they have no roots, they die off quickly. He explains to his disciples that these are the people who have an emotional conversion, but they are never grounded in the Truth or the Word. They lack commitment and trust. But, is that always so?
Roots can take hold, even in the most unlikely places.
When it comes to spreading the love of Christ, we are all to join in the seeding process. Some are to clear the rocks away, others to till the soil, some to sow the seeds. Others are called to nurture the newly sprouting seedlings, Still others are to keep watering it so it will grow. But we must remember that God’s Holy Spirit does the growing.. God knows what lies beneath the surface and the potential that seed has. He know what each needs to thrive.
I am not sure if this small plant has deep roots or not. I don’t know what soil lies under that concrete walkway and brick wall. But My Father in Heaven knows.
I cannot see into the future to witness which lives my writings and lectures will have touched, and what the outcome will be for each. However, I know I am called to sow the Truth of Christ anyway and let God take care of the rest — be it through fifty more people or just one.
The next time you feel as if your efforts to bring someone closer to Christ seem unproductive, think on this tiny plant. You may think their lives are rocky right now, but there just may be nice soil that was once deposited underneath. Or, there may be undercurrents feeding into the rock you cannot see. Miracles happen every day.
Posted in Christian, Devotional, Nature, tagged GOd will be htere, God will help in our struggles, Julie Cosgrove, pray for each other, upright, Where did you find God today on September 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Here in North Texas we are plagued with black beetles. Our cleaning crew at the Church can sweep diligently, and within hours, the sidewalks and floors are spotted with them again–all on their backs, wiggling their little six legged bodies. (Obviously the bug man’s spray works.)
When I first began to work here, my heart bled for these poor bugs who crawled over the invisible poison seeking water and shelter. I hated to see them suffer. So, I would diligently take a leaf or piece of paper and try to flip them over. Maybe if they had enough life left in them to keep flaying their legs, they’d be all right if they could just crawl away. Inevitably, the little guys would flip on their backs again and flay away.
I don’t know why God designed them to die on their backs, and I hope they are spared suffering- that it is just instinct to wiggle to the end since they have no emotions. But, it brought home a valuable lesson. Often, I see others suffering. Many are Christians. They seem to be flaying and are unable to right themselves, just like these beetles. No matter what I do– pray, help, talk– they seems to be stuck in that situation or slump.
I know now that God has placed them there for a reason even though I don’t know why. It may be to draw them to Him, to diminish their pride, to correct their path… that’s between them and God. But I ‘m confident He never takes His eyes off of them, because when I was flaying on my back, unable to upright myself, I felt my Lord’s presence hovering nearby. I heard His whisper, “Hang in there. I’m here.”
No matter how hard I try, I can’t turn my friends upright. But I know the One who can…and will in His own timing if they can just hang in there and keep having faith. It may happen on this earth or in Heaven. In the meantime, there is one thing I can do–pray them through it.
Like the beetles, we may not be able to flip over on our own, or even with the help of a well-meaning friend. Unlike the beetles, we have a choice of how we spend our time on our backs. Will we wiggle and squirm, or peacefully rest in the assurance that God has purposed our struggles? Our destiny, if we have accepted Jesus into our hearts, is not death. It is life beyond this world. That is the when all will be righted for good. We will never be flaying on our backs again.
Posted in Christian, tagged frustrations, God calling you to pray, Julie B Cosgrove, stress, Where did you find God today, why is this happening? on September 5, 2014| 2 Comments »
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I felt it coming on. I tried to ignore it, but it kept building. Small things, like my purse dumping all over the floorboard when I turned the corner. Dropping a sack of groceries–not the ones with the eggs, thank the Lord. Catching the pocket of my skirt on the doorknob when my arms were full. . The shower curtain collapsing in the middle of my shower. Stubbing my toe as my sandal slipped.
Each time my blood pressure inched up another point or so. Every incident piled onto the other like a tower of cards wobbling in the blast of an oscillating fan.
WHAT WAS GOING ON????
Perhaps it is because I have been instrumental in planning three large events and five talks coming up in the eleven weeks after coming off the roller coaster of launching a novel and jumping from book signing to book signing. Then it is Toastmasters contest season and I am chief judging five of them. Plus, I am helping two people edit their books and reviewing three more. When I told a writer friend of all I had planned over the next two months she wrote back that she became tired just reading about it.
Then,,,My computer erased my work in a brown out and the auto back up (scheduled for every 5 minutes) decided not to kick in as it should. ARGHHH!!!!
I finally sat with my head on my desk, tears swimming, and prayed. I prayed for Satan to quit messing with me. I prayed for the Holy Spirit to bolster me and and calm me. I prayed to the Lord to bring me His peace. I prayed for all these end-of-rope frustrations to stop. “What are you trying to tell me, Lord?”
Then, like a whisper in the ear, but from the inside out, came a voice. “I will see you through it and protect you from attacks, my child. But next time, pray to me before you take all this on.”
OH! Okay. Sure. My cheeks warmed and my heart sunk.
How often do we overload ourselves, and then ask for strength to endure it? How many times do we rush ahead and then reach back for Jesus’ hand and try to pull Him along with us? What makes us think we can keep running on empty and not refill through quiet God-time?
When frustrations build, stop, breathe and pray. Above all else, pray. Abba Father may be allowing these things because He is trying to call you to His side so you’ll give Him your undivided attention.
If He can calm a storm over a lake, will He not find a way to calm us? Lord, may I be as obedient as the waves in the Gospels.
Posted in Biblical, Christian, Life Experiences, tagged get out of a mess, God lifts us out, Julie B Cosgrove, out of the depths, Where Did You Fnd God Today on August 29, 2014| Leave a Comment »
My priest, Chris Culpepper, posted this on Facebook. (click on the link)
It’s been around for a few years, so maybe you have seen it before. But, do you see the message? There are times when, out of stupidity, or naivety, or because we are lured, we get ourselves into an awful mess. Others can bring us the ladder – Christ – to lift us out so we can again follow Him. He bridges the gap between sin and salvation.
Who can you bring a ladder to today? It may be via a phone call, giving them a sincere smile, or even praying for them from the depth of your heart when God brings their name to your mind.
I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Psalm 30:1
Where Did You Find God Today? 