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Posts Tagged ‘Julie B Cosgrove’

Symbol of battle

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , , , , on July 3, 2015| 2 Comments »

My son, James, and I belong to Toastmasters. Each meeting offers a chance to think on our feet as one member asks impromptu questions and calls on others to answer. We call it Table Topics. Last night, he told us flags are battle signs. They mark where the soldiers are and designate the battle line, i.e. the land they have conquered up to that point. That is why there is so much emotional response to a flag, even during times of peace. He asked what symbol would we be willing to die for.

Of course the Cross, and the Stars and Stripes immediately zipped through my brain. I heard the hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before.” I also heard the hymn, “God bless America… stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above.”

God Bless America

I believe the United States is in a dark time. So are other countries in the world. Battle lines have been drawn, and we are at war…with those who would desire to take away our freedom to worship and with those who call us, the ones who pray to a redemptive God of forgiveness and love, hypocritical haters because we will not bend to the winds of current social trends. Over two millenia ago, Paul encouraged us to put on the full armor of God. We need to dress appropriately before we can fight against the principalities which threaten to undo our faith.

The cross goes before us. It symbolizes one who was willing to die in order to save us.

Will you pray to Him  and ask Him to save your country before it dies? Then, pray for those who are being persecuted, and even executed just like the Savior, for their steadfast faith as they battle prejudice and evil in this earthly life. Because there but for the grace of God go you and I.

Today, God is asking each of us an impromptu question. What will be your answer?

Onward, Christian soldier.

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Illuminated

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on June 25, 2015| 3 Comments »

I saw an advertisement for glow-in-the-dark paint which you can apply to a stone path. AHA! Reminds me of the Word of God.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

The ad says the chemicals absorb the stepping stonessunlight, so when it becomes dark, they release a glow. That way,  people can see the way to travel and not stumble. This miracle paint is for sale at most of the national hardware chain stores.

While my life is sunny and things are going great, I should be storing up passages from God’s Word and memorizing them. Let them ooze into my heart and soul just as the glow-in-the-dark paint seeps into the porous stone.

The Word of God should illuminate my faith so when the dark times come, and they will, I will have them stored up inside of me. One by one, the faith-stones will light my way along the path, even though I cannot see where it  leads. Then, instead of crouching and crying out in fear, afraid I may stumble, I can walk upright, assured that God’s light will guide me through.

Are you storing up His Light in you?  You can get it at any local book store, or as a free app on your smart phone. It is called the Bible.  Illuminating, right?

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Hunger Pains

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on June 12, 2015| 3 Comments »

I was in the zone…typing away, editing as I went, the plot moving along. In the background the washer swished and the dryer tumbled. I’d break to feed a mewing cat, or refill my tumbler with water, and then scoot my chair back to the keyboard.

After a while, a slight wooziness waved over me. I blinked to refocus, only to be interrupted by a deep gurgle in the pit of my torso. Like Seymour the man eating plant, my stomach growled, “Feed me.”  I sighed, pushed back my chair and opened the fridge. Door opened with the frigid air blanketing my face, indecision clouded my brain. I knew not to grab anything junky.  I snatched a carton of fat-free Greek yogurt. Quick, easy to down, no cooking or mess to clean. I spooned it past my lips as I typed. That staved off the hunger for a while, but the sensation returned within a few hours.

Isn’t this often true of our spiritual lives? We are in such a rush, our concentration focuses on the “doing” mode. We forget that, like our bodies, our souls need regular nourishment in order to function.  A deep hunger for God niggles us. At first we ignore it, but it doesn’t  go away. We know a snack such as a faith based show won’t satisfy us. Not even a few Facebook scrolls from Christian friends.

ID-10087293But what to feed it? We flip through a few highlighted verses in our Bibles, scan our bookshelves filled with devotionals and inspirational guides, even stare at the Biblical saying plaques on our walls. We turn on Christian music. Still, the deep aching isn’t quite satisfied.  We need real God-time. And Sunday is days away.

But any time can be stop and pray time. Regular moments with our Father in Heaven can fulfill us and sustain us as we move through our day. From the half hour spent with hands folded, we receive enough strengthening to carry us through whatever we need to accomplish. Our gas tank refills, so to speak.

Reading our Bibles is wonderful. Christian music is great.  But in order to fully digest what we see and hear, we need to take it to the Father and let His Spirit help us absorb it in order to feed our faith in the way we need the most, just as our bodies assimilate the food we swallow.

Spend quality time with God today. Don’t snack now and the as you keep on “doing.” Instead, sit down, relax and devour the full-plated goodness God wishes to provide.That’s the full meal deal. Talk about soul food!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

for tips, trials and triumph consider getting Squeeze More God-Time Into Your Day.Squeeze cover

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Cast Your Cares

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on May 31, 2015| 2 Comments »

Wednesday evening I stumbled trying to carry a package to my car. Down threeIMAG0241-1 steps, wretching my right foot and ankle in the process. In the ER clinic the nurse dampened a felt covered strip filled with fiberglass and molded it around my foot and calf. Within minutes it had taken a perfect shape, protecting and providing support and strength to my injured extremity. It now fit only me, no one else. Next, he secured it with two bandages wrapped around and around.

Reminds me of my Savior. He is the same for all of us, yet His Spirit molds to me individually, knowing my soul’s shape, weaknesses and strengths. He forms a protective shell, guarding my thoughts and shielding me from the evils of this fallen world. All the while He is healing my weaknesses and strengthening me. He guards me from further injury.

Then His grace and mercy intertwine to further support me, secured by His love. He wraps Himself tightly around my soul when I need it to protect me from further harm.

Since I fell, and my foot and ankle became injured, the doctor told me to not put weight on it for several days, but instead to use crutches. God’s Word and blessings are my crutches whenever I fall out of His will. He picks me up, often through the prayers of others, and sets me right.

Now, with this soft cast on my right leg,  I’ve grasped a new meaning of 1Peter 5:7– “casting my cares on Him.”

Lord, may I rely on you in my weakness as You strengthen me, and lean on You for support as I heal whenever I tumble from Your grace. Thank You for this valuable lesson, even though painful. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This Li’l Light of Mine

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , , on May 12, 2015| 1 Comment »

Years ago I bought an LED nightlight that automatically shines when it is dark and dims when it is not needed. I keep it plugged in all the time, and to be honest, most times I don’t even think about it. It’s on when I need it, and more dimmed when I don’t.

AH- good theme for a devo! The Light of Christ is constant. No one can dim it. And, as long as we stay “plugged into” Him, His light will continually shine through us.

I decided to take a picture of it with my cell phone so I could show it to you. Funny thing happened.

Even though to my naked IMAG0228eye it gleamed, the little nightlight wasn’t bright enough to satisfy my sophisticated app’s sensor. My camera app on my phone detected a flash was needed. Each time I took a picture, the camera would instantly flash, which meant the “light” in this nightlight didn’t show up. It’s little glow was minuscule in comparison to the blast of light the camera emitted.

Frustrated, I took photo after photo, and then sent all to the delete box. I was at the point of giving up when the celestial 2 X 4 whacked me on the head – oh, so this is the theme for the devo!

I took one more picture. Here it is. You can barely tell the nightlight is shining. But if you look more closely, you can detect how it reflects around the edges of the back splash and the counter.

There are times when I feel as if I am barely glowing. Do you ever feel that way? Christ’s perfect brilliance so outshines the glow in my human heart. I know He is the Light and I am to reflect Him in all I do and say…but.  Well, I’m human. Sometimes, I don’t feel I measure up.

Even so, His light never leaves me. My human tendency towards sin may appear to dim in comparison, but it is always there–glowing around the edges, softly reflecting on the surfaces of my life. His Spirit shines without ceasing because I claim Him as Lord and Savior.

When His light momentarily blasts through me, I am okay with dimming into the background. As long as others see the illumination He emits into me and turn to Him as a result, I’m happy to be a small reflection of His mighty love and power.

May I stay always stay plugged into His source of strength and energy and keep glowing –just like that little light of mine–in case another needs it to direct them to my Savior. But may I never wish to “outshine” my Lord, or take credit for His merciful Light blasting into my life as an example to others.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

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I found GOD In Church

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on April 20, 2015| 1 Comment »

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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Burning Proof

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , , , on March 24, 2015| 1 Comment »

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.

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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

Posted in Nature, tagged , , , , , on March 18, 2015| 3 Comments »

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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On the Move

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on March 4, 2015| 2 Comments »

boxed inI recently moved…. again. Such is life. Moving is sort of like spring cleaning. Weeding through the stuff accumulated, dusting places you normally do not, shifting furniture and cleaning the spots where they have been. Over the packing process I discovered two things:

1. There are things I have been holding onto and I have no idea why. I haven’t used these items in years and probably do not plan to do so. They just do not fit my lifestyle or interests anymore.

2. There are things I truly cherish. Wrapping and packing each brought back loving memories of past times, but more so, warm feelings for the friends or family members who gave them to me–be it inherited from a  great grandmother or gifted as a thank you by a recently made friend.

It made me ponder. What things in my spiritual, emotional and worship life fit in wither of those categories. Are there things I need to pry my fingers from? What do I feel I wish to keep and preserve but not to the point of cluttering my life so much I have no room for future blessings? question

With more sleet and snow barreling down upon us in North Texas, I know it is not yet springtime even if we are springing forward this weekend. I’m not suggesting you move furniture and thoroughly weed through your belongings. But, perhaps during this penitential season of Lent, we are all called to do a little spring cleaning in our spiritual lives.  What do you feel God is asking you to preserve and perhaps let go?

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Legitimate Lies

Posted in Books, tagged , , , , , , , on January 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »

God can be found in fiction novels, too. I have a tab above which lists the ones I recommend, and many more can be found on www.efictionfinds.com ( at least one posted a day is a free download onto your electronic device. The rest are under $4,00.)

Now, here is the blatant advertisement my newest faith-based, romantic suspense novel, Legitimate Lies, which launches today. Please check it out at http://amzn.to/1AbN1PN . (Also in paperback on Amazon and Amazon.uk)

Thanks,

(PS- even though it is definitely not offensive, You Tube has decided it may require you to turn off your safety mode before you can view it. Sorry. Who knows why?) You can also view it on my Facebook page: juliebcosgrove.tx

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