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Red Letter Day

November 4, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

IMG_20131030_091447_725Have you ever heard the term, “it’s going to be a red letter day?”

It means the day is going to be special, outstanding, worth remembering. Here is what the source of all sources (hmmm) Wikipedia says:

The term originates from Medieval church calendars. Illuminated manuscripts often marked initial capitals and highlighted words in red ink, known as rubrics. The First Council of Nicaea in 325 decreed the saints’ days, feasts and other holy days, which came to be printed on church calendars in red. The term came into wider usage with the appearance in 1549 of the first Book of Common Prayer in which the calendar showed special holy days in red ink.
 

My first real Bible- the one I was given when I confirmed Jesus as IMG_20131030_075636_787my Lord and Savior- is precious to me. It is the first one I read cover to cover, eager to absorb all the heavenly wisdom it contained.  In it, all the words attributed to Jesus were in red letters. They were special. Our Lord had uttered them. They stood out from the page and made the rest of the words fade into the background. The red letter words were the ones worth noting.

As I grew, I began to realize they were not just words. They were not just wisdom. The Bible is alive, a breathing extension of my faith. The old acronym – Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth –  is true. With the Holy Spirit’s help, these words are God-inspired,  breathed into me to guide, instruct, correct, convict and comfort me. (2 Timothy 3:16)

I want today to be a red letter day- a special holy day because I choose to include the holy in it.  I want it to be a day where I  read, hear and act upon the words of Jesus. A day where He dominates the page of my life. A day where my thoughts, words and actions, solely for my benefit, fade into the background while what I think, say and do for Him and for others stand out.

Who knows? Maybe that will make it a red letter day for someone else- someone I least expect!

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Worry’s Growl

November 1, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

My guest blogger today finds God, even in scattered worries. Please check out Kathy Collard Miller’ new book- just released:

I headed out on my jog, eyeing the storm clouds that threatened rain above me. Oh, I so want to run, and I can’t run tomorrow. I’ve got to do it right now even if it rains. But by the time I’d run a mile, the drops started and got bigger and bigger.

Oh. I’m so disappointed, I mourned, as I turned and headed back. But then, a new resolve overwhelmed me. By golly, I’m going to run even if I get wet. It’s just too important for my health.

I continued running and the drops fell continually but were not drenching. As I ran, the rain slackened, yet clouds off in the distance were a dark, threatening color. Will it hold off? By the time I’d passed my three-mile mark, the sprinkles stopped, and when I looked up at the sky, the dark clouds were gone. Where did they go? I turned to look for them, but they had dissipated, though the sky was still overcast.

For the next two miles, no rain fell. As I reached the last half mile, the storm clouds opened up again and my clothes were reaching the wet category. But I didn’t care that my hair was wet; it had been an exhilarating run. Walking for my cool-down, a few rays of sun broke through the clouds, splashing the luscious, colorful hues of a rainbow across the sky. Wow. I would have missed it if I hadn’t risked getting wet.

My run could have been a really unpleasant experience but the warning of rain had turned out to be a worse threat than the actual rain. In the end, I was rewarded with a beautiful rainbow that I would have missed had I not run.

That day as I ran, I saw an analogy to worry. Its growl is worse than its bite. Worry can easily cause us to focus on disaster while taking away our ability to trust God. Yet even if what we fear happens, it’s often not as bad as we thought it would be. We might even experience the “rainbow” of God’s blessings in some unexpected way.

k collard bookBOOK SUMMARY AND BIOGRAPHY:

It is possible to worry less through trusting God more. Regardless of the storms of trials, temptations, worry, uncertainty, confusion, or regrets that you’re facing, you can trust God more. Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries offers a conversational style, personal testimonies, practical illustrations, and solid biblical teaching for breaking anxiety and the devastating effects of worry. Each chapter includes Discussion Questions for individuals or groups, along with a “Letter from God.” In addition, a profile of a woman in the Bible who struggled with or experienced victory over worry is featured in each chapter to inspire every reader to see God’s hand in her life.

Kathy Collard Miller is a speaker and author. Her passion is to inspire women to trust God more. She has spoken in 30 states and 7 foreign countries. Kathy has 49 published books including Women of the Bible: Smart Guide to the Bible (Thomas Nelson) and she blogs at www.KathyCollardMiller.blogspot.com. Kathy lives in Southern California with her husband of 43 years, Larry, and is the proud grandma of Raphael. Kathy and Larry often speak together at marriage events and retreats.

Order at: http://www.amazon.com/Partly-Cloudy-Scattered-Worries-Collard/dp/193849976X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380319647&sr=8-2&keywords=partly+cloudy+with+scattered+worries

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Saints Alive

October 31, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

“I sing a song of the Saints of God,patient and brave and true …”

I grew up singing that song in church. Did you?

lay handsNovember 1 has for centuries been designated as the day we honor and pray for  the saints. In the Bible, the “saints” mentioned in the Psalms and the letters of Paul and John were living, breathing humans for whom we should pray, support, and emulate. Not the ones who are long gone with formal names and days venerated to them like St. John, St. Paul and St. Francis. Not  the dead– that is reserved for November 2, All Souls Day.  But, All Saints Day is the day we honor and thank God for the ordinary saints – folks just like you and me – who live their lives trying to live out the Gospel.

“They love their Lord so dear, so dear, and His love made them strong; and they followed the right, for Jesus’ sake, the hole of their good lives long…”

You know who they are. They may not have three miracles attributed to them or have been blessed by a pope, but their lives have influenced others to turn to Jesus. They are the ones we recall have been strong in times of turmoil, and positive even when it seemed the worse was happening to them.  They are the ones who are there when we need them, who reach out a  hand, and take the time to call even when it is not convenient for them. They are the ones we go to when we need clarity. The ones who know the Word because it is so a part of their lives. They are the ones who will wear out their knees in the wee hours for a stranger they heard or read about. Thy are the ones who silently scrub the commodes in the church or mow the lawn and never want any recognition.

“…you can meet them in school, or in lanes or at sea,  at church, or on trains, or in shops, or at tea…”

Think of the saints who have influenced you.  If they have passed on, thank God for them. If they are still on earth, why not write them, call them or even text them. Tell them you are praying for them. But above all,  thank them for being a shining example of what defines being a follower of Christ.  Let them know how much they have meant to you in your faith walk. Tell them, it is partially because of them that you can sing–

“…For the saints of God are folk just like me, and I mean to be one, too.”*

*Words by Lesbia Scott (b. 1898)

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Fall Back

October 28, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

????????????????????????????????????????This next Sunday, November 3rd,  at 2:00 a.m., most of the U.S. will be prompted to turn their clocks back one hour. It is called “Fall Back”, to reverse the hour we lost in the spring when we went adjusted our clocks forward one hour for Daylight Savings Time.

Many,  like me, crumble about this whole concept originally joked about by Benjamin Franklin 200 years ago and conceptualized by George V. Hudson in 1895. We not only relish that precious one hour of sleep, we applaud that we are finally getting back to “God’s time”.  Good riddance it’s about time! (Pun intended.)

But, we don’t have to wait until Congress deems it is time to go back to God’s time. His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 2:3) Each day, we can choose to fall back into His ways and not rely upon our man-made choices. Each moment,  we can choose to follow His timing instead of trying to manipulate things to march to our own schedule.

Scripture tells us He is working His purpose out, (Romans 8:28, Philippians 2:13)  and that His ways are not our ways. But our limited view often blocks us from realizing this. We want it all to happen now  — our way, please.

We only have this present second — God has all of eternity. We can only make our decisions based on the now, and our skewed version of the past as seen through our eyes and experiences. God sees all, knows all.

Who will you fall back on today?

 

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Love Letters

October 25, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

I love this quote. Thanks Steve for finding it.
If we are these pencils in the hands of a writing God, then that means He is involved, He is active, He is influential in our lives and those of others–whether they realize it or not.
But, it is up to us to stay sharpened. We can all get “used” up in serving God. When we wear down our “lead” we won’t be able of much use to Him. Let us be willing to be put in the sharpener for a good grind every now and then. That means spending time in His Word, listening to His Spirit, and yielding to His will. We must go through the process of shaving away what is keeping us from being His instrument.

Grind away, Lord. I want to be sharp for you.

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We are all pencils in the hand of a writing God, who is sending love letters to the world.

 

Mother Teresa

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Command Control

October 21, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

ID-10091607Ever read something and get a holy chill?

In my church, each Sunday we read an assigned prayer, an Old Testament Lesson, a Psalm, verses from a letter by the Apostles in the New Testament,  and verses from one of the four Gospels. Billions of people in my denomination and six other so called liturgical ones, will do the same this week,  and have done so for centuries. It is called following the Lectionary. In Latin it means: the collection of readings. As a form of daily discipline in God’s Word, I have gone back to reading a portion of the upcoming Sunday’s lectionary every day.

Monday, I read this opening prayer, called a Collect because it gathers our minds towards worship:

Almighty and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

It was one of those Holy chill moments. Love what I command so you can obtain my promise. Wow- it took me a while to wrap my mind around that.

Until we learn to live out the greatest commandments to love God above all else and our neighbors as ourselves- which is what Jesus said was the basis for everything else in the Law and the Prophets – then we are still in the “I wanna control” mode. How can we glimpse His promises when we are blinded by our own agendas, emotions, and experiences?

Yes, God can use our unique life lessons to His glory, but only when we choose to hand them to Him, and that means handing Him the control. That takes faith.

Only then can we truly hope – a positive attitude that sees the best possible outcome. With that attitude, we can then release our hands from gripping our own problems and extend them out to others, saying, “I can help you. Grab hold.” That is charity.

Faith, hope and charity – our tree-legged stance so nothing will topple us. That is our Lord’s promise. But first comes accepting His commands.

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Stillness

October 20, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

powerful message from Bill Merritt, blog: Life Reference.
Like how he stated he waited for Jesus to make the first move, but He already had- on the cross (implied).
– never ask if God is not there- He is. Seek and you will find.

Don Merritt's avatarLife Project Blog

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in the early morning stillness, when the mists are still upon the land, when the uncertainty of a new day is at hand, He is there.  When I don’t know where to turn, when I don’t know how to cope, He is there.  When life is too hard, when I’m at my wit’s end, He is there.

So many times I have been in this place with Jesus at my side and I’ve looked the other way. So many times I’ve seen despair because I did this, so many times I wondered why.  But He was there all along; right there!  He was there and I looked away from his face to see… what?

I was waiting for Him to make the first move, I was waiting for Him to do something, I was waiting for Him to save me.  He was at my side already waiting for me to…

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Reaching Down

October 19, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

I knew it was him. I could see him through the sheets of rain, as if he was walking inside a waterfall. The waves crashed around the boat, swirling it like a leaf in a gutter.  Yet he kept inching towards us, steady-footed, calm, assured.

Wait. He was on top of the water! A few cried out,”It’s a ghost!”. But, my heart knew it was him. If he was near, all would be alright. Through the whoosh of the wind I heard his voice in my soul. “Come to me.”

Without a second thought, I jumped in the water and rushed towards him.

Oh, my Lord. I was on the surface of the lake as well, my feet barely dampened by the waves.  This can’t be.  No one can walk on water.  It can’t be done.  What was I thinking?

The waves lapped my feet. Then my knees. Something  jerked me downwards into the frigid lake. Help me, Lord. Help me.

A wave crashed over my head. My mouth filled with muddy water and choked the words I tried to cry out. I floundered, even though my arms and legs pushing against the waves with every ounce of strength I had.  The gripping force pulled my legs straight down. My head ducked underwater. My tunic billowed around me then slapped against me like a death shroud. My  chest crunched against the pressure. My heart pounded against it like fists on a  closed door.I looked up through the water.  I was going to die. Lord, don’t let me die.

Then, through the shimmering murkiness appeared a hand. It reached for me. I saw his soft face smiling, beckoning beyond the surface of the lake. I stretched my fingers. They touched his.

Warmed strength surged through me as he grabbed hold and lifted me to His face. His caring eyes smiled into mine. “Believe, my friend,  and live.”

(Inspired by Matthew 14:22-32)

Jesus reaching inDo you feel like you are being pulled under? You don’t have another smidgen of strength to fight it. The pressures of your world push against you, jerking you down into the murky unknown where faith is drowned by anxiety and doubt. You sputter for breath. You may even whisper in a resolved plea, “Okay. I quit. Take me then.”

Stop struggling on your own.  Look up. He is there to reach down and lift you out into His loving arms. Stretch to meet his fingers. Believe, and live.

I found God today in this picture – it made me realize once again that if I fix my eyes on Jesus,  grab hold of His hand,  give Him the control, I will not sink.

 

To order a copy go to: http://www.goodsalt.com/cart/print_yskas0001.html

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More or Less

October 17, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

As I listened to a Christian radio broadcast in the car, a message came through the airwaves into my heart. The DJ simply said:

                    Don’t think less of yourself, think of yourself less.

Growing up, I was shunned by the in-crowd who were the children of parents’ friends. It left deep scars on my psyche. Bolstered by my late husband, who never complimented me on anything but was quick to riducle my faults, I battled a deep-seeded self esteem problem. That is until I truly discovered Christ’s love for me. The immensity of that love began to sink into the corners of my mind, though I doubt I will ever fully understand it. But as I open myself to experience His love more and more, I dsicover that I hate myself less.

ID-100142606Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, but lack of pride is one as well. Both foster the same result- a skewed image of self that is not the one God intends for us to have.  Pride thinks too much of self, while poor self esteem thinks not enough.

But, and this is key, both have the mirror planted firmly in front, focused mostly on self. All else – friends, family and even God – are in the peripheral vision.

Woman MeditatingHowever, when we think of ourselves less, we then can think more on things that are above. We center our thoughts in Christ Jesus instead of ourselves.  We don’t think about how we will come across, what others may think, or what they might say behind our backs. Instead, we think more of the wonderfulness of His love for us and for others, so we are more open to being His voice in a hurting world. We see more miracles, feel more passion, and experience the humbled joy of being more useful.

I guess in this case, the adage is true: Less is more.

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A Stiff Backing

October 13, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

SqueezeIt kept flopping over in a wilt. The picture I’d printed of my new book and glued to a piece of card stock would not stand upright in the little ringed holder at my vendor booth. With the moisture-laden gray clouds hovering overhead us that day, it was just too humid – even in an air conditioned room. I kept straightening my sign in the stand, and then out of the corner of my eye, I’d see it slowly bow towards the table in a wimpy droop. How would people be attracted to my book?

Then a wise friend came up and said, “Here. I can fix that.” She peeled the paper from the card stock. Next she accordion-folded the card stock in a tri-fold pattern and set it behind the paper.  Viola!  My sign stood straight as a soldier, and remained that way the rest of the day.

She shrugged with a grin. “It just needed a stronger backing.”

So do I, I thought. I need the tri-fold power of the Trinity to support me and keep me straight. That way,  I will – pardon the pun – stand out. Soon, people will take notice. They will be attracted to my message of what Christ has done in my life.

When I try to stand for Christ on my own, soon I will begin to droop against the elements of this world.  I just don’t have the strength that is needed. I need to stand firmly on the promises of the Word and let God be my strong backing.  If I lean on Him, God’s Spirit will bolster me.  I will not be toppled, I will not wilt.

Who is backing up you today?

So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.  2Thessalonians 2:15

 

 

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