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A Quick Cover Up

May 3, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

I had to leave in five minutes. I looked down and gasped. During my showering and hair styling, my nail polish had chipped off on a few nails- ugh!

Now if you aren’t a gal, let me explain. This is equivalent to a button popped off or a mustard droplet on a necktie. Not the end of the world, but it definitely screams that you are not put together. Plus, all day you will be self-conscious and imagine everyone is giving you a wide berth and clicking their IMAG0225tongues.

Back to my plight: No time for a manicure. So I dabbed on some more polish to “smooth over” the rough spots. I knew better. With not quite dry nails I smudged two when I dug in my purse for my car keys. The newly applied coat actually revealed more of the “craters” rather than concealing it. Plus it adhered to the old, making the polish thicker and uneven in places, which made it chip off even more during the day. Now my nails really screamed “Mess!”  Sigh.

Well, God used this as a lesson. No, it’s not that I have a vanity thing, though there is that I suppose. But how often do we try to cover up our sins thinking the world will not see them?  We don’t have time to deal with it so we try a quick cover-up. I lost my temper so I will send her flowers.  I walked by without saying hello so I will text it later. I took home some copy paper from the office so tomorrow I’ll bring brownies. I used the Lord’s name in vain so I will put an extra dollar in the offering plate. Quick cover-ups never properly fix the problem.

To set things right, I needed to take the time to remove the old chipped-off stuff, apply a new coat or two of polish and then seal it. Or, at least remove the flaking color and leave my nails fresh and clean. However, that would leave them exposed. Polish and sealant help protect them from breaking. They also add a touch of attractive shine and glimmer.

IMAG0105Couldn’t the same be said of my soul? I need to take the time to remove sin by confessing to God, and perhaps another person, the wrong I’ve done which is chipping away at my relationship. Then I must reapply God’s polish–by reading His Word, colored with prayer and brushed on with a contrite heart–so I can again shine. Lastly, I need to once more be sealed by His merciful Spirit so I am protected. Otherwise, sin will just keep peeling off any attractiveness I present to the world. I will lose my attractiveness.

Thing is, if I’d called and apologized for running late due to a slight wardrobe malfunction, people would have understood. How much more difficult to say I’m going to be tardy because I need to get right with God and someone I’ve wronged,  and that is a process which can’t be rushed?

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

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There’s an App for That

April 28, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

On my e-reader tablet is a cool app. It is a landscape that changes as the weather does. That is according to a national weather forecasting service. It isn’t always accurate.It is a forecast, a prediction of a likely occurrence. It lets me know when there is a “good chance” of rain or sun or snow, etc in my area of Texas. Click on the link below to view it.

storm-clouds-2-134981298598261vguA few days ago  a tornado watch, then warning was issued. There was one sighted about 50 miles south of my location moving directly east, so I wasn’t in danger. It is hard to predict if and when one will strike. That is why these siren-activated announcements are called watches and warnings.

OH, IF ONLY LIFE WAS THIS WAY.  There is a 50% chance you will be in a car accident. this afternoon, so watch out! Today will be mild and sunny, so anything you worried about will dissipate. Tonight, there is an 80% likelihood you will come down with a cold, so stock up on tissues and meds. BEEP… BEEP….BEEP: This is a warning. You are about to receive a call concerning a death in the family, so prepare yourself now.

Well, perhaps some of us would prefer not to know in advance. It would activate our worry mode. And, these broadcasts are not guarantees.Nor are they 100% accurate. They only give the probabilities of it possibly happening.

However, unlike the weather service, we do have a 100% reliable source. Our Heavenly Father. No need to predict- He already knows. Whatever we go through, whatever is coming, He is there to guide us, shelter us, comfort us or rejoice with us.

That’s an app we can count on each and every day. It’s called trustful prayer.Woman Meditating

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I found GOD In Church

April 20, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

church-building-clipart-FaithChurchYou may scrunch you eyebrows at the title. But, let’s be honest with each other. How often do you go to worship out of obedience, but during the service your mind wanders? You just are not connecting that day. You don’t “feel” the Holy Spirit moving. Your body is perched in the pew and your money is in the collection plate, but that’s about it.

This past Sunday, our rector broke tradition. He admitted he’d hit a dead end in writing his sermon and at the twelfth hour, God intervened. He heard the holy whisper in his soul, “Don’t tell them about me, they know that. Help them experience ME.”  Obediently, with a cracking voice and tears welling in his eyes, he stepped away from the pulpit and spoke the Truth God had planted in his heart, mind and soul.

Praying hands_He interrupted the normal flow of the service and asked us all to bend a knee and pray for a renewed experience of God–dwelling in us, equipping us, comforting us, and strengthening us with His Spirit so we could bring others to Him and stand together united in Christ, for each other and beside each other. Then we stayed on our knees and confessed our sins.

As we knelt, tears warmed my eyes. I felt a surge of gentle power flowing through each soul and into me. For a brief moment, we were one in Christ. One voice, one request, one humbled desire.

Of course, this is how it should always be in worship. However,our churches are filled with humans. We are all on different paths of  the faith-walk. We all have sins lurking on the edges of our souls. We all have hurts, grudges, prejudices and preferences. You know, those things Satan loves to utilize in order to separate us. Often times it is more than pews which divide us into sections.

But on Sunday, in one church who is renting space in a strip center in southwest Fort Worth as we grow our congregation, Christ’s glory filled the place as we spontaneously prayed in obedience. Our strength was renewed and we soared. It is what our congregation needed–it is what we all need.

Don’t be fooled, dear friends. We in the U.S.A and Canada are not cushioned from the evil persecution that is flooding the Coptic nations. Just because we have “In God We Trust” on our coins or sing “God Save the Queen” doesn’t mean we have an invisible wall to stop the tsunami of hatred from crashing across our land. The first waves are already lapping at our shores.

Let us all bend a knee, often and united together  and pray to renew our experience of what it is like to be true children of God, washed by the blood of the Lamb, and bolstered by His Holy Spirit. Let’s no longer think about God, but truly dwell in Him. For He alone is our strength, our comfort and our hope.

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Beyond Taxing Times

April 15, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11(NIV)

If you have taken time out to read this devotional today of all days, congratulations. Millions of people are only thinking of one thing today—getting their tax returns done before midnight.  They are too busy rendering unto Cesar at the moment to find time to turn to God, except perhaps in a desperate plea of panic when they see how much they owe. Tax time can definitely be a stressful time. So many rules, loopholes and hoops to jump through. Endless forms to fill in, if-that-then-this scenarios, trying to determine if you, as a square peg, can squeeze into the round hole of restrictions.

Praise God  that His way is not so convoluted. Perhaps that is why many people find salvation hard to believe. There are no hoops to jump through, no volumes of rules to follow to the letter or else, no restrictions, no loopholes. What’s the catch? It’s not that simple. No way. There has to be a plan.

Of course there is. What is God’s plan? To restore us to His presence. That’s it. His biggest desire for us is to return to Eden. But our sinful nature blocks the way. Evil lurks to trip us up and tempt us into turning our heads, and then our backs. All we need to do is to say we are sorry and we desire Christ to come into our lives and take it over. His plan brings peace into chaos, hope into despair, a future of faith where none once existed.

Today, who will you choose to serve? Jesus said we can’t have two masters. Yes, we must render unto ImageCesar, so to speak. But, the best way to do that is to realize that even the government is under God’s plan. In Romans, Paul encouraged the people to be respectful of their government because it, too, came from God. If God is truly sovereign then all is under His control, despite the human free will factor. Once we render all to Him, it makes having to render unto the government more purposeful, and all the more necessary. By paying our taxes, we are abiding by the law of the land, and in essence, obeying God’s desire for us.

Render all to God first—all your fears, misdoings, hurts, joys, blessings and money. Then trust in His plans for you. He died on a cross to ensure that plan. Whatever April 16th brings, you can have faith that it is under control. Render unto Cesar, yes. But first, surrender to God.

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Pluck Away, Lord

April 7, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

IMAG0206I admit I am not much of a gardener, especially with an 7′ X 4′ patio off a second-story apartment. But one thing I do know is when blooms die, you should pluck them off the plant in order to encourage new ones to grow. If you don’t, the plant becomes weaker and scraggly looking. The blooms fade and do not replenish. But, if you diligently pluck the spent blossoms, the plant thickens in foliage, grows fuller, and produces bright, colorful new blooms.

Is this not true with our lives? Life is about change, so why is it we want to cling to past things even after they have withered? “Ah, but it was so beautiful at the time. I can still see it in my mind.”

Is it that we don’t trust God to bloom new, lovely moments in our lives? Would we rather hang on to what is past and slowly wither, or be willing to be pruned so we can bloom again?

Don’t misunderstand. Some memories will permanently “bloom” in our hearts. But others can be our excuse for not moving forward and for clinging to what we once knew. These old withering flowers can keep us from embracing the changes in our lives which God can use to His glory if we’d only squeeze our eyes shut, take a deep breath and say, “Go ahead, Lord. Pluck away.”

Why settle for faded glories when new buds of brilliant growth can replace them? Tonight, I am going on my knees and asking God to pluck away the dead growth in my life. Then I will wait in anticipation for the new blossoming He will begin in me.

Will you?

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Feathered Cacophony

April 1, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

As I pulled into work, a strange buzz hit my ears. No, not a buzz. Hundreds of squawks, in unison and yet sounding individually. An enormous flock of starlings darted in and out of the trees near Mary’s Creek. What struck me is that in the drumming noise I could pick out individual bird songs.  Listen and I bet you can as well.

A warmth spread over me as I thought- that is what God hears. All of our prayers lifted up all over the world, and yet He can decipher each individual one. I never have to worry if mine gets “lost” in the shuffle. Whether 15,000 people are praying with me or just one or two, it is heard. After all, He knows the whisperings of my heart before it even hits my brain and comes out of my mouth.

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Psalm 5:3

God heard His Son’s  sob-laden pleas in the Garden of Gethsemane, and  his last words choked out on the cross. Be cause I believe His son died for me I am confident He hears my sorrowful pleas, the words that choke in my throat as well as my shouts of joys and questioning why?

Today, a feathered cacophony of birds flocking in spring reminded me that God hears. What will God’s message to you be today?

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Another God in the Sky photo

March 26, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

This was taken as tornadic clouds formed recently over Oklahoma.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?  Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?  Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son?  Surely you know!  Proverbs 30:4

11060018_10206201281935869_4190886433056711074_n

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Burning Proof

March 24, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

Something different registered in the corner of my eye. I looked up from my Lenten Bible reading to peer out the sliding glass door which leads to my second floor screened-in patio. Just at sunset, this spectacular scene appeared. I took the photo through the screen, but you can still see the beauty.

IMAG0191

The live oak trees across the lane in my apartment complex were ablaze with color. It lasted about ten minutes, then the spectacular array began to fade into muted reds, then grays. When I posted it on Facebook, several other friends in my area reported the same phenomena, and a few also took photos.

10987752_10152799479959779_7627567809700990302_n

It reminded me of Moses and the burning bush. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” (Exodus 3:3)  His encounter with the Holy I AM  changed his life’s direction. God became real. Later in Deuteronomy 33:13-16 it states,

May the Lord bless his land
    with the precious dew from heaven above
    and with the deep waters that lie below;
14 with the best the sun brings forth
    and the finest the moon can yield;
15 with the choicest gifts of the ancient mountains
    and the fruitfulness of the everlasting hills;
16 with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness
    and the favor of him who dwelt in the burning bush.

I can’t say seeing the trees burst into brilliant sunset colors has changed my life, but it warmed my soul because I know the artist who created it. But, maybe somewhere in southwest Fort Worth it did becoming the pivotal point for someone on the verge of faith. Perhaps the thought, “There is a God.” caught in their breath. As the man whose son needed healing said perhaps they too whispered, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24.)

The next time you see evidence of God in your world, will you praise Him for blessing the land and also ask it touch someone who needs to come to Him to be saved from the brokenness of this life?

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Partly Cloudy

March 18, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

11731677_843326022441119_5009069572829748336_oWhere do you find God in your day?  I often find Him in the clouds. (Which is why clouds billow on this site.)

Perhaps it’s  because my father was an amateur meteorologist and through him I came to love the amazing power and beauty of the atmosphere. God knows this, so it is one of the ways He touches me. I have collected “God pictures” over the years. I switch them out as wallpaper on my home computer and they always make me smile, even on the tough days when I feel in a fog or the dark clouds are hovering.

Here area few of them.

1528744_10152751910254322_7775218544257807944_nID-10014140011060018_10206201281935869_4190886433056711074_ngod smiling in the sky580569_667084729976622_1695637681_ncropped-sunrise-over-burleson-0023.jpgstorm-clouds-2-134981298598261vgu god in the clouds

What are your hobbies, joys and passions? Look carefully. You may find God there trying to get your attention so He can tell you He loves you. Don’t let the daily busyness of your world cloud your vision.

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Onward Through the Fog…

March 11, 2015 by Julie B Cosgrove

I awoke to a warning beep on my cell phone. Dense Fog Advisory.  So, naturally when I hopped in my car to head for work I sent up a prayer for me to arrive safely, and also for any of my friends out on the roads. Even still, my hands gripped the wheel a bit more firmly. I couldn’t see more than two cars ahead of me, and my breath began to quicken as the muscles in my shoulders tightened.

 

Then a small voice told me, “That’s all you need to see. Trust me for the rest.”

As I drove, cars slowly came into view as well as directional signs- speed, curve, stop.  All along the way, I still received guidance. Is this not an example of our life? Truth be told, I had plenty of visibility. In fact, when I played back the video on my cell phone I thought. “Wow, It’s not as foggy as I thought!”

Doesn’t that describe our lives? God sees all, yet we only see now, and a bit of the past fogged by our memories  in our rear view mirror. I think at times He envelops us in uncertainty so we can learn to slow down, trust and only see what He needs us to see at that given moment. Otherwise we may become distracted, or too overconfident of our own abilities.

Who will you trust to navigate you through the fog today?

 

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