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Still in Christmas – even if it wasn’t merry

December 27, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

Christmas should be a time of joy, laughter, family and friends. It should also be a time of quiet worship and thanking God for the

© Winterberg | Dreamstime.com

© Winterberg | Dreamstime.com

fact that he chose to become a man and walk in our shoes. As my minister said in his Christmas sermon, “The watchmaker became the watch so He could understand us fully from the inside out.”

But this Christmas there were parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters in Connecticut who had children brutally taken from them. In my own corner of the world was a wife at bedside of husband who had emergency surgery, a friend with shingles, a priest who hurt his knee and couldn’t tend to his flock over Christmas, people stranded by freak Texas snows who couldn’t be with family, a family whose house burned, a friend who fell and broke her shoulder while tending to her husband recovering from a knee replacement – the list goes on.

Where is God? Right in the manger, right on the cross, and also in Heaven above preparing a place for us all before He comes back for His own. He is in our hearts, in our tears and in our hands as we help each other down this less than fairy tale life.  The world as a whole didn’t end on 12/21/12.  For some, though, it may have well had.  Let us reach out, and then get down on our knees to show them God is there to bolster them through another day- as He is for us all if we choose to believe.

Tidings of comfort and joy.

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Have a White Christmas- Anywhere

December 22, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

The weather predictors keep dangling the carrot by saying that my part of Texas may have snow on Christmas – most likely flurries or a powder sugar dusting for a few hours at most. Being a native Texan and having lived no further north than Fort Worth except for two years in college, I have seen two white Christmases in my almost 60 years of life.

To be honest, that is not something to dream for- sorry Bing Crosby. Since people are not used to snow  and our roads can’t handle it, it means people would be stranded and not able to be with family. More than likely mine who are traveling from 1-4 hours would not make it. Nor would I want them to try!

But wherever we are we can have a White Christmas – because it is Christ’s mass. Jesus came, and then died to make our sins white as, well snow.  So here is what you do –

Like the shepherds, kneel before the manger in humble reverence.

Like the animals in that stable, make room for Him in your life.

Like the Wise Men, bring the Christ child presents – but not material ones. The one gift He wants is you. Box up all your hurts, anger, prejudices, mistakes, should’ve done thoughts, and self-judgments. Lay it at His manger and ask Him to forgive you for hanging onto them.

Walk away into the New Year with His love shining in your heart, bright as the sun glistening on new fallen snow.

Merry White Christmas

PS: you can have a white Christmas all year round by following the same steps every night before your eyes close onto your pillow. That’s why He came – that’s why He’s here. Hallelujah.

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In Sayings Abounding

December 20, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

 This has been the week of sayings and poems – must be the season. The first two are from a principal at an elementary school in a speech he gave – not sure if they are original or quoted – but they hit my heart.

Inch by Inch with God its a cinch.

 

There are many things that seem impossible to man.

But with (Hope) the ability to conceive it,

The faith to believe it,

God can set you up to receive it.

 

Then a friend forwarded this in an email – it is long, but worth the read.

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.

their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say….

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

“Where are we?” Asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

“This is heaven.” declared a small boy. “We’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their Savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring

those children all flew into the arms of their King

and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had

He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”

then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”

“May this country be delivered from the hands of fools”

“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”

Then He and the children stood up without a sound.

“Come now my children, let me show you around.”

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

“In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

Written by a Gentleman in Southern Pa

 

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Inside an MRI

December 18, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

I have a phobia about the MRI donut – cylinder coffin, white hole- call it what you will. Bedsides the fact that I had an adverse reaction to the dye a few years back and they had to pull me out, shoot me up with Benadryl and apply oxygen, I feel confined and not in control. Those of you who know me know “control” is my thorn in my flesh. It is the major issue on which God constantly works with me . “I’m here, Julie. Let go, Let Me.”

I pondered if I was relying too much on my own flesh and not my faith as I popped the mild sedative pill the neurologist had prescribed before my son drove me to the appointment. I asked God for forgiveness and swallowed it back.  Within ten minutes the world fuzzed. Now I really felt out of control!

The tech was nice enough to place a washcloth over my eyes as they strapped my head and neck down to keep them from moving. Oh, this is going to be really fun.  Then they slid me in head first. My heart pounded in my ears. Don’t squeeze the panic button. You are a big girl. It’s only 20 minutes. You can do this. If you have never heard one, then watch this —-

Ear plugs DO NOT help.

Then it came into my head  – Casting Crown’s song Praise You in the Storm. Per copyright laws you are not supposed to write out the lyrics, but they sing of God being God no matter where we are and how He has held every tear we cry in His hands. So I began to sing praise songs through the buzz. Each time the knock, knock, knock sounded I praised Jesus that He was knocking on my heart. He whispered you are doing this because I am here. My breathing calmed and the ten ton weight on my chest left.

I survived. Obviously, because I am writing this, though with residual grogginess even after a four-hour dead-to-the-world nap! I hope this “mild” sedative wears off soon!

When we are in a scary situation we have two choices. Praise God because He is there in all circumstances, or panic. We can focus on Him, of focus on our situation. Today I found God as close as my breath inside and MRI- and a precious reminder – that is where He is every moment, every day.

He and I are still talking about whether or not I really needed that sedative. Doesn’t matter. He was with me anyway. His mercies are new very morning.

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In a Blog Request

December 16, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

A fellow author, Anne Sanders, http://blog.annesanders.net/2012/12/works-in-progress.html has forwarded on this “Next Big Thing”. Yes, it is a blatant attempt for us autors to advertise, but then it is also to show we support each other and our goals are the same – Tell of God’s love, grace and redemptive mercy.

Hi Anne- in response to Your Next Big Thing –

which I am to then forward on to other authors (who will

journalinghopefully respond back so more of you will see what cool things God is leading them to write in order to spread His Word.) So here goes:

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book? Hush in the Storm

Where did the idea come from for the book? My sister actually. She said, “you love to read mysteries, why don’t you write one. I didn’t think God wanted me to m bump anyone off, so I went for suspense with a hint of romance instead.

What genre does your book fall under? Contemporary Christian Suspense

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? Perhaps unknowns, like me, so they can make a name for themselves.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?Jen, a young widow tossed in a storm of grief is kidnapped by a coworker named Tom, at the request of her late husband, or so Tom says.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Have a publisher “nibbling” now. Wathcing the string bob in the water – bite, please bite hard – hook, line and sinker!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Five weeks- remember, you asked about the first draft. The second…and third…and fourth took much longer.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Vengeance Squad by Sid Frost, Deliver From Evil Trilogy- Kathi Macias, Terror by Night  by R.W. Ley  (all are  recently written Christian based novels worth reading.)

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My sister, and believe it or not, God. Really. He took it in a direction I never expected. As I wrote I kept thinking, where is this going and why are You leading me into these subplots? At the end, I knew.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Tom kidnaps Jen and fakes her death to protect her from the cartel whom he says caused her husband’s fatal car accident. As Tom and Jen dodge human traffickers, the Feds and the reporters who discover she is alive, clues surface to suggest Jen’s husband may not be so dead after all. 

Yes, I am starting the first draft to the sequel = Legitimate Lies

I am forwarding this onto these Christian authors and bloggers – so, please check out their sites as well.

Diane Gates, Joy Brooks- Prayer For Freedom, Peggy Consolver, Lynn Hobbs and R.W. Ley

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Through the Smoke

December 14, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

It has been a rough week. I have been smelling sweet, pungent smoke  – all the time!!! It began intermittently , then gradually became more and more frequent. I wake up several times at night gagging. I smell it in the grocery store, in the car, at friends’ houses, in church. Then, yesterday my left eye began to act up.

I’ve spent two days being shuffled from specialist to specialist – trying to come up with some diagnosis other than the two elephants in the room – TUMOR or STROKE.  So after much prodding and discussion, the consensus has come back – it is time for the brain MRI early next week whenever they can get my measly insurance policy to approve it.  I am very phobic about them, the way some people are about needles. Truly – my blood pressure rose 20 points when they told me.

In the meantime this  intermittently half fuzzed-out and gagging from the phantom stench writer is trying to get work done, earn a living and keep from asking God why?  Warriors have been praying. Still, for the past two days questions have kept surfacing as if in a Magic 8 Ball- Will this get worse? What if I go blind, or have to stop writing? Please God, no. Take a leg, take this cup, but don’t take my writing. Okay- thy will be done. What window will crack open if this door shuts? (I have a Bible study on that by the way.  The radio interview with the Christian Authors Show airs on Dec 19th. I’ll share the link then when it is live.)

God in His sweet timing brought to me three gifts. God always has a way of doing things in threes for me. Three is an important number for me personally so it is an added touch of His grace – like a bow on the present.

The first was an email from Truth Media’s Editor Claire for a website “Power to Change -Christian Women Today” that I write for on a weekly basis –

Good morning Julie,
As I was going through emails this morning I was delighted to see that someone had written in specifically to praise one of your devos. Here’s what she said:

I was reading this on my phone so the screen was small and I had expanded text for legibility. As I read I thought, “Wow! This is really well written.” Curious I scrolled up to the top to see who had written it. Of course! Julie Cosgrove! What a gift she is to all who are lucky enough to discover her writings.

As soon as I read it I knew that you needed to see it too… So be encouraged, God is using the work of your hands for His good purposes.
Thank you for all the work you do month after month. You are very much appreciated!
Claire

Then I got five copies of The Journey  Jan-Apr 2013 edition in the mail- with a month’s worth of my devos  accepted in it for April, 2013.

Third- I got a letter from the couple I stayed with in England. I had donated several of my books and she said everyone there in the village has been reading them and love them.

They were My Sweet Lord’s reassurance that no matter what, and it is probably a lot of fuss and money over something that will turn out to be as simple as a nasty sinus infection, three things are true –

He is by my side,

He has been glorified through my work for Him, and

He is pleased.

Three reminders that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength (Phil 4:13) Even endure an MRI – again.

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In a Sneeze

December 12, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

This story was sent to me by email –

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.  Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.  This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.  The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.  All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED !!!!   The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, ‘GOD BLESS YOU’  And he walked off the stage…

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God’s blessing on their future with or without the court’s approval.  Isn’t this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends………and GOD BLESS YOU!!!!  This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland . 

May you not be afraid to say “God Bless You”, or Merry Christmas” or anything else that expresses your faith. 

Pray it – then Say it. Let God decide how it will be received.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (Acts 4:31 NIV)

NOTE: Snopes says it happened in 2001 and a bit differently (in Illinois) – the student sneezed and pre-planned group of students all yelled out “God Bless You” in defiance to a  court order to not have an invocation- read it here –http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/sneeze.asp

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In Baruch

December 10, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

Baruch (Bar-OOK) is a lesser known prophet, and legend has it, he was the great prophet Jeremiah’s personal secretary. He lived during the time the Hebrew people were in exile in Babylonia.

That was a pretty dark time. They had been punished by God for not repenting. You might say they were in “time-out”. Like a parent disciplines a stubborn child, God removed them from all the wondrous things He had given them – the Promised Land, the Temple in Jerusalem, an identity as a nation under Him.

Yet, Baruch tells the people this, “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory of God. Put on the robe of righteousness from God and on your head the diadem [ornamental crown] of the glory of the Everlasting.” (5:1-2)

It reminded me of when Paul talks about putting on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6.

That then led to the celestial tap on my brain — what are you putting on, Julie?

closetEvery morning I stand in my closet and decide what I am going to wear. The same is true for my attitude. Will I put on garments of sorrow and affliction, the unresolved hurt feelings, the negative attitude  I have towards someone  ( or myself) . . .or will I take them off the hangers and lay them at the feet of Jesus, stand naked before my Lord, and then let Him place on me His robe of righteousness and crown me with His glory?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

In My Computer

December 8, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

© Robert F. Balazik | Dreamstime.com

© Robert F. Balazik | Dreamstime.com

No – God didn’t take over my keyboard. But a message did appear throughout the day at the bottom right of my screen. It was a warning that would fade in and out and block what I was trying to type, or research, or read.

I went to have a larger, faster and better hard drive installed. Cheaper than a new desktop unit. The tech left in the old hard drive so I could back up my voluminous files onto it. Yes, I have an offsite backup service, but I grew up in the age when computers  filled rooms and often lost data. I know what it is like to spend days reentering data. I am sort of phobic about that.

Trouble is, he didn’t have the cable to connect the two, but told me it would be okay and the part would be in stock within a week.  That is why I have been getting this ghost message that I don’t have enough memory.

So how does that translate into a God moment? God can give us a new ministry, or a task. It is new, exciting and we feel purposeful. Hurray, God is using me.

But if, in our excitement, we forget to connect with Jesus often, He will send us error messages that float into the corners of our souls- “Connect with me- you are running low”.  We need that Holy Spirit cable to boost us through the day and through our task we are doing to His glory. We need that daily, if not hourly, surge of power. And, through His Word in our minds and on our hearts, we need to have our faith stored up sp we can plug into Him during the day.

What message is He sending you today?

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In the Wind

December 6, 2012 by juliebcosgrove

I remember sitting in my room decorated with peace symbol posters, bright pink and green cut out flowers, and Jesus Freak sayings. I sat cross- legged on the bed listening to Peter, Paul and Mary singing the Bob Dylan song “Blowin’ In The Wind” on the record player.

Now, as I sit in my room, which is also my office, clicking away on the keyboard, the wind whistles through the apartment complex windows. Some may think it is annoying, but I find it comforting. I equate it with God’s Spirit. You can’t see it , but you can hear, see and feel the effects of it.

Wind = power.  I’ve been in tornadoes and hurricanes. I’ve lived on the coast where a cooling 15 mph sea breeze is normal.  I’ve been stifled in the summer heat where there is no wind at all, and rejoiced when, finally, the change in weather blew in.

I can say the same for my spiritual life. Sometimes I constantly feel Him in my life like the refreshing sea breeze. Other times He literally blows me over with His grace or with a lesson I need to learn. There are times I don’t feel Him at all.

The soft humming that filters through my apartment windows reminds me that, even if I try to block Him out, He will find a way to seep through into my life. Whatever I am dealing with, well “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind . . .”  I just have to listen.

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