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What Say You?

January 25, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

A dear Christian friend and writer, DiAn Gates, wrote this in her blog –

Stuffed in my ears and heaped in stacks around my feet. From hands-free devices to flat screens. TVs. Phones. And books. Zillions of them. A constant barrage of words. All day, every day and into the night, words surround me.
But is anyone listening? Does anyone really hear my words?

                           (check out her blog at  http://dianegates.wordpress.com/)

I often wonder if anyone is reading my words?? Do they hear the witness of my voice calling through the screen of their computer?

SO…. I want to know if you are listening (reading), so I can listen to you through reading your words.  Yes, I really want to know – because what you have to share is very important.

Where have you found God in your life recently?

It is in telling each other that each of us is bolstered with faithful hope. Your example may just be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

Please share your story in the comment section below or email it to me at juliebcosgrove@gmail.com and give me permission to post it next week.

May you feel Him so close to you today that it seems as if His breath is on your cheek as He draws you to Himself.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

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In a Dot

January 21, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

A large white block – shining in front of you. 2013-01-21_09-20-17_999

Just off center, a tiny dark spot.

Off to the other side, a glimpse of a glimmer.

Which one  captures your focus?

My church is still in the growing stage. (But, really, shouldn’t they all be?) We rent facilities and use a power point presentation to display the words to the songs and hymns, the prayers we say out loud and the Scripture verses.

On the wall is a hole, or maybe a large black nail. Anyway, it is a black dot which is just a bit larger than the power point period or dot over and “i”. Just enough to stand out and trip you up as your eyes scan the Scripture verse or the hymn.

After a while you learn to ignore it, but each time the slide changes, there it is again, black spot against a white background.

What black dots are in your life are distracting others from the message our Lord is illuminating through you?

Or do they see the glimmer  of His presence as well? The walls are painted  with a sheen so, every once in a while,  when the congregation looks at the verse, prayer or hymn on the wall, there is a slight reflection from the projector’s glow.

Today, will people see Him reflecting through your words and actions?

One slide our church always uses displays a graphic which is at first blank, then the face of Jesus slowly comes into focus. When it does, the black spot disappears.  May it be the same in my life, O Lord.

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In a Gathering

January 18, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

It’s been a while since I joined in a small group Bible study. I’d missed it horribly,  but the times offered at my old church never jived with my schedule. So, it was a desire of my heart I never really prayed about even though I’d mulled it over in my head a few times.

After I joined this new church, I was surprised when one of the ladies came up and asked if I was the Julie Cosgrove who wrote Bible studies. She had seen my one on the unnamed women in the New Testament called What Can She Tell Us? and thought the church’s older women Bible study group on Thursday mornings might want to do it.

At first I was very flattered and said, “Well, sure.” Then that nudge in my soul occurred. Thursday mornings –  fits my schedule. Older women – I guess I qualify.  A way to meet people – okay. But going to a Bible study using my own work? Sure I’d led retreats and given workshops on it, but . . . talk about exposure. What if they didn’t like it?  Who would be more embarrassed? Me or them? Would it taint my acceptance in this new worship group?

Sometimes our answers to prayers come in ways we do not expect. I reminded  myself of my vow this year to be unexpectedly surprised at God’s blessings.  I asked her, “Would it be awkward if I came? I would love to join a Bible study.” Her eyes lit up. “NO. Not at all. Please come!” She bought one copy to preview, flipped through it, and passed it around the small group to get a consensus. I sucked in my breath and slithered away.

The next Sunday, several  of the older ladies approached me. “We love it. Exactly what we were looking to do.” The first lady who had approached me touched my arm and leaned in. “By the way, will you lead it?”  I scanned their faces. The others smiled and nodded.

We met for the first time yesterday. A small gathering in a home. It felt so good to be sharing my faith with other ladies again. The Holy Spirit, like a masterful  tailor, began to interweave us into a bond. I was immediately accepted into the loving friendship of these Christian women who had known each other for years. The knot in my stomach loosened – this isn’t the elementary school playground revisited, Julie.  We were all one in the Spirit and one in the Lord, as the hymn says. God, in His plan, knew this was what I needed.

bible_study[1]We need to gather.  Women with women. Men with men. Young parents with young parents.  Teens with teens. Too many times we think it is all about God and me. But the cross is not just a vertical stick. It is also horizontal. Jesus spread His arms out on the horizontal part to the cross not only to take on our sins but to bind us in Him.  If you are not currently in a small group Bible study, please find one – or start one!

We need each other’s faith to strengthen us, each other’s prayers to bolster us, and each other’s ears to hear the Spirit moving in our lives. This earthly battle is not to be fought alone.

 

 

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In Laundry Day

January 15, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

003 Happy dance! It’s Laundry Day.

I know because I have one pair of underwear left in the top drawer of my dresser and the basket will not hold any more clothes no matter how many times I push them down and cram them together.

So, sigh, I begin to sort. I sort by color and by fabric weight- heavy cottons like sweats, jeans and towels, perm. press, lighter weight delicacies, bleachable whites, etc. Each has to be washed a special way with a certain temperature of water, agitating speed and spin. Then each has to be dried per the instructions on the label. Oh, sure you could dump them all in together but then colors may bleed and some won’t get thoroughly clean. If tossed together in the dryer, some may get too hot and others come out damp. Some may shrink and no longer fit.

Can you see the analogy yet?  When it comes to my faults, sins and imperfections, I want God to zap them all at once. Let’s get this over with, I have things to do. Clean me up, dry me off and send me out. I want to be a super Christian,  always walking with You and filled with Your Spirit.

But God knows that is not for the best. He sorts out the things in my life He wishes to revamp into a more excellent way. He knows how to handle each fabric of my being. He has it figured out and knows how long it will take to wash each category clean and get it ready for the task ahead. Some stains in my personality may need a very long soak and extra care. Some areas of my heart should be on the delicate cycle. Some need more vigorous agitation to break loose the grime.

Here is the light bulb moment. Cleaning is only half the job. Everything has to be dried, maybe pressed, in order to be presentable. Some clothes need to drip dry. Others can take the heat. Some need the wrinkles ironed out. Is that not true with the areas of our lives God chooses to work on? He washes away our sin, doubt, grime and negative thoughts. But that is only the beginning. Before we can wear this new aspect of our lives into the world as witness of His mercy and grace, we must go through more. We must be transformed back into the original, fresh-from-the-store state.

So our All-knowing LORD hangs our issues up to dry, or applies the swirling heat in our lives, not out of cruelty, but out of care and love. That requires time, patience and the knowledge of what each area of our lives needs.

Praise God-  may every day be Laundry Day!! May I no longer cram things down, assuming I will bring them to Him later to clean and prepare. LORD, let me not wait until I have only one little thing left to cling to before I bring the situation to you.  Teach me to be joyful in the knowledge that You are taking Your time and handling each load as it should be handled. Thank You that, through Your blood, You wash us white as snow and through Your Holy Spirit, you prepare us for what is next by giving us the spiritual clothes we need. Amen.

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On my cell phone

January 12, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

dreamstimefree_16167No, it didn’t ring and God answer – but in a way He did.

This time of year when I begin to do my year-end tax preps, the questions begin to swirl. Did I make enough at this freelance writing/ author/motivational speaker thing? Did I spend way too much on marketing and advertising with too little results?  Should I try to land a part-time job this year, even though each time I’ve tried in the past three years the doors whammed closed?

It’s not that I want fame and glory – I truly want God to have all of that. I’ll admit. It’s nice to know I can make a difference in people’s lives and that He is touching their hearts through my words.  It would also be nice if more of my books sold and more people wanted me to speak to their congregations, talk with Bible study groups or lead retreats.

Hey, honest truth here – I do have bills. Millions of writers and speakers have full-time jobs, or spouses who can support them, right?  Just because I am a widow and a freelance writer doesn’t mean I shouldn’t either. Why should I be living on this precipice of wondering if I have enough to pay the rent or my car loan this month? Perhaps, in 2013 my goals should be to look for a job, or a man, or both.

The answer came in one sentence on the screen of my cell phone. Illuminated on stark blue-white in black, Times Roman font was my answer: Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

It was if a voice from Heaven corrected me. “I should be the only man you seek- the Son of Man. That is your job. Trust me with the rest.”

No matter what your 2013 plans are, seek God in them first. Commit whatever you do right here and right now to Him. Each day vow to do that, and what you do tomorrow, next week and three months from now will fit into His plan for you.

Today, I’ll choose to embrace the unknown in giddy excitement because I’ll trust the One who knows all to guide me. Lord, forgive my lack of faith and doubts. To You be the honor, the glory and the power over my life forever and ever. Amen

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AN URGENT PLEA

January 8, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

imagesCAJ1YR52THIS WAS IN MY EMAIL _ WILL YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS SAFEHOUSE?   Julie

 

 

As WAR, Int’l staff drove into work today, sat at their desks, and logged on to their computers, an email sits waiting…one of our beloved safehouses in SE Asia has emailed us requesting not only for prayer, but for an army of prayer warriors, to surround them.

At some point last week, a pimp of one of the girls broke into the safehouse and tried to steal “his” girl back.  When she fought back and stayed, he retaliated and killed her brother…now the threat is more real than ever.  He says if he cannot have her then he will kill everyone at the safehouse.  Last night he was hiding at the safehouse again.
Police have been informed, charges have been filed, but in the world of WAR, Int’l and third world countries we know that this is not a strong enough deterrent.
Our safehouse is doing all they can to protect those within its walls.  Training has begun, and the boys are learning how to look for the pimp on the campus and bring him down on his face, tie his hands behind his back, then his feet, and call the police.  The threat is real, the circumstances scary.  Boys are now roll playing on how to get away, be fast, be strong.
The safehouse staff fears an upcoming wedding of one of the staff members, as the pimp as declared he will kill all of the safehouse staff and guests who attend.  With eyes filled with tears, the staff continues to move forward on their knees in prayer.
As a member of the WAR, Int’l family we ask you to take a moment today (it is night there), and pray for the safety, wisdom, and strength of this precious safehouse family.  The leaders are on the pimps hit list, and it has been told to us he is a mafia head man.  The rescued girl was a big part of his income.
God hears their cries, collects their tears, and it is our prayer He will continue to pour steel into their backbones, and bring this threat to an end in only a way God can.

Thank you for joining us in this might battle with your prayer!
Blessings,
The WAR Staff

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In a Drop and a Verse

January 7, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

Remember staring at a slide under the microscope in school?  Look what is in one drop of drinking water –

I get what is called the daily Lectionary– verses for the Psalms, Old Testament, Epistles (Apostles’ Letters like Paul, Peter and James) and four Gospels – each morning on my computer. It is designed to take you through the Bible in 3 years.

The first line of today’s Old Testament passage caught my eye –

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? Isaiah 40:12a

Mediate on that for a moment.  How much does God handle each day? Yet Scripture tells us He knows it all. He knows every hair on every head of His people, billions of them.  Tenth Avenue North is a Christian band I like and they had a song about three years ago which stated they felt like they were just one drop of rain in a tropical downpour.  One tiny drop out of all the waters God holds in the hollow of His hand.

And yet, God know not only each drop but the movements of each of those microscopic creatures. Surely He knows each thought, each breath, each move I make as well. I may be just a tiny drop in the seas that fit in the hollow of my Creator’s hand, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t notice me. Nor does it mean I will slip trough His fingers. I am tucked away inside the palm of the One who knows all that ever was, is and will be. So are you. And that is worth more than a drop in the bucket, isn’t it?

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In a Wag

January 4, 2013 by juliebcosgrove

dreamstimefree_209775Visiting a friend, I noticed a little  dog in the backyard. When she heard her master’s voice she came to the slider and perched, ears cocked, and waited. She was unable to reach up and open the sliding glass herself. But she knew her master would come over and let her in.

However,  my friend waited until everyone at the gathering had come through the front door and found a seat. She didn’t want wilds of the street to be too tempting, or for the little dog to get underfoot. My friend knew when the best time to open the door would be. The dog sat there patiently and didn’t even bark. That is trust.

As my friend made her way to the glass door, the little dog sat up and wagged her tail back and forth so rapidly that it became a blur of fur. She stood, her weight shifted from leg to leg and her eyes were fixed on the hand as it reached for the handle. With each wag I could almost hear the doggie’s enthusiastic thoughts –

“My master is here. My master noticed me and is coming to meet me. My master is opening a way for me.”

Dearest Lord, May I be so eager to receive You. Your death on the cross opened a way for me to enter into Your presence. My prayers summon You to the Heavenly slider between earth and eternity. May I have the patience of that little puppy to know You will open doors for me in Your timing when it is right. May I wait in trust and obedient certainty, then be quick to respond in thanksgiving and praise. Amen.

 

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In A Motto

December 31, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

new yearsIf you are like me, your emails are flooded with people listing their New Year’s Resolutions. Somehow, I guess,  if you put them in writing, then there is a sense of commitment involved.

Personally, I loathe New Years Resolutions ( click to see top ten) because they are generally very “me” centered. Some resolutions can be worthy – be nicer to that person at work that gets on my nerves, I won’t belittle my spouse, I’ll pray more, read the Bible in a year, etc. Even lose weight or exercise more are worthy goals.

I’m not saying we should not have personal improvement goals. Sure we should. But this year, spend some quiet, quality time with your Heavenly Father who created you to be you. Ask Him what He wants you to work on this year.  Then be bold enough to ask Him to help you do it. Odds are you will have a much easier time keeping this year’s resolutions if you do because they will not be yours, but His for you.

I belong to an order of women prayer and service warriors. Our motto has a phrase in it –

What I can do, by the grace of God I will do. Lord, what will you have me do?

What if we all prayed that before our feet hit the floor each morning?

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In a Traffic Jam

December 28, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

43 QueingToday I was taking my son to work, which is usually a three to five-minute trip. But there must have been a wreck or something up by the highway because our side of the street was bumper to bumper for as far as we could see (which was pretty much the car in front of us).

We crept along at 5 miles an hour max on an otherwise 35 mile an hour road. Then we stood still for almost a full song on the radio. Creep a bit more, stop. Inch a few more car lengths, stop.

In  the rearview mirror I saw a ribbon of cars behind me in both lanes. There were no side streets to provide a detour. We were stuck.

That seems to describe my life at the moment. I am creeping along at a speed that is far slower than I want when it comes to my writing recognition, career and monetary situation. I should have gotten to the destination of being where some of my writing friends are by now. I have worked hard for years, studied techniques, attended conferences, hobnobbed with publishers and agents, read “how to write the best novel in the world” books, promoted myself over and over. I want ot stand on the car top and sceam “Here I am! Look at me. Let me through.”  But that would only make me look foolish at best.

I get a commission to write for a missionary society and they like what I wrote, so I creep forward. Then stop. I get a letter saying I am published in a magazine. Creep forward. I get a royalty check off my one of my Bible Studies – under a $100. Creep some more. Had another radio interview. The tires roll a few more rotations. Yet, I feel stuck.

But, just like the traffic jam today, I can’t see what is up the road. I can only see directly in front of me. There are no detours. So, I must plod along only as fast as the car directly in front of me moves. That car is God’s will. He made this road, He made the road blocks, He is setting the pace. I will try my level best to be patient and not blow my horn, or my cool. Neither would accomplish a thing.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.  Psalm 62:5 NLT

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