Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Julie B Cosgrove’

Happy Summer Solstice

Posted in Devotional, Nature, tagged , , , , , on June 21, 2013| Leave a Comment »

dreamstimefree_257490Today is the longest day of the year. It is the official beginning of summer. (Coulda fooled me. Here in my part of Texas, it’s been in the 90sF for several weeks already. That’s summer in my book!)

On Sunday will be the super moon-  the time the full moon is the closest to the earth all year so it looks super-sized.

Many ancient pagan rituals evolve around these two events. Those cultures felt as if the gods were especially close during this time  of the year, so it was the best time to summon them. Maybe they would listen.

But Christians have the Son year round, and for eternity.  He’s the creator of the sun and the moon. Everyday is the longest day and every  night is dispelled by the brightness of His love.  We don’t have to wait for a certain time of year when He draws near.  We have God’s attention whenever we lift our prayers and hearts to Him, and even when we forget to do so.

The Lord is your keeper;???????????????????????????????????????

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.       Psalm 121:5-6

Read Full Post »

In a Diet

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on June 18, 2013| 1 Comment »

beef-steakWell… this program I have started calls it a lifestyle change – not a diet!  The first week, we were in a toxic-cleansing “jump start” stage, so we were limited to lean red meat, grapefruit, eggs and raw veggies. The third day I felt waves of vertigo and was very sluggish. But I kept at it and increased my water intake. It got a bit easier, then a bit harder. Temptations crept into my brain – would eating just a bit of this or that really hurt? The funny thing was this: during that week, I thought I would crave chocolate or bread. What I craved was string cheese.

So why should you care? God spoke to me during that week and perhaps what He said to me will be meaningful to you. I learned that some foods are not as tough to give up as I imagined they would be. The same is true for our habits. “But, God, I can’t give up watching that TV show I love, even if it does have more and more sex and foul language. ”  “Sure I will pray every day, but I still want to hang out at the weekly beer, cigars and poker game with the guys- okay?”  “God, I know I should keep the Sabbath, but it’s summer and the lake is calling me.” You get my drift.

When we go on a lifestyle eating change (see, I didn’t say diet.) we have to relearn what to eat and what not to eat. When we go on a spiritual lifestyle change, we must do the same. Everything we do, think and say must be weighed against the Word. As we do, God will detox us from what was poisoning our souls. The Blood of the Lamb will cleanse us. It may feel strange in the beginning, but that’s okay. Keep at it. Just understand that temptations will creep in. Count on it.

Hang in there – fall to your knees and ask for strength. Drink in more and more of the Living Water to help flush out what is not spiritually healthy for you.  The weight of the world will slowly slip from your shoulders, pound by pound.

By the way- in case you do care, I’ve lost  7.8 pounds that week, which, for this metabolism-of-a-snail gal, is a miracle in itself! Lord, help me to slough off the same toxicity in my spiritual life so I may be more fit to serve You!

But he [Jesus] said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about. Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  John 4:32-34

Read Full Post »

IN A SONG – The Greatest Tear

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , on June 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Awesome song of God’s powerful love

Read Full Post »

Is Being Angry Okay?

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on June 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

You may be familiar with the passage in Ephesians 4:26 which says to not let the sun go down on your anger. It is often given as marital advice.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????But, anger itself is not evil.  The first part of verse 26 says: Be angry, and sin not, it doesn’t say to  never be angry because that’s a sin.

So where does the sin part come into the picture? It is all in how you handle your anger.  Anger that brews or broods can become toxic.  In fact, the next verse, 27, says to give no opportunity to the devil.  When we mull over our hurt and angry feelings like a cow chews its cud, that is like sending the evil one a personal invitation to come into our hearts and minds.

Anger doesn’t have to be a destructive emotion. It should be the catalyst that drops us to our knees, not fly off the handle.  Righteous anger happens when something vehemently against the Word of God happens. When that anger rears up inside of you, it is a prompting by the Holy Spirit.  It is a call to action – to pray, to  peacefully protest, to speak truth.  It is not a call to lash out, say things you will regret later, or hold a grudge. You can find God in the middle of your anger.  In fact, you should.

So, go ahead – be angry. Righteous anger over being violated or robbed, or hearing about atrocities such as sex slavery and child trafficking should get your bile boiling.  When someone hurts our loved ones, we should get riled. But, stop it there. Give it to God and let Him channel the anger according to His will. Remember that God is the one who has the right to judge others, not us. We are to forgive so we can be forgiven.  Like separating the shaft from the wheat, we must ask God to separate our emotions from our anger.

And, if you are angry at God because you don’t understand why or how He could allow something to happen, that’s okay as well. Beat on His chest and scream like a two year old. That’s being honest and raw. God can take it. Just don’t turn away from Him. Ever. Give Him the chance to heal you, correct you or comfort you.

Be angry- that’s okay- but don’t turn it into a sin. Don’t let it separate you from the One who loves more than anything, or the ones who are trying to love you the best they can yet still manage to step on your feelings. Before the day is over, lay that anger in the hands of the One who knows the best way to handle it.

Read Full Post »

Abiding

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on June 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

We sat around our backyard fire pit. As we watched the stars come out we talked about how to walk our faith out on a day-to-day basis. We talked about what the Bible had to say about business ethics; raising kids; dealing with church politics or prickly people. At the end of many of our discussions our friend, Jerry would say, “It really all comes down to abiding.”

What would it be like to truly abide in Christ and His Word all the time? 

Read more from Gail Rodgers at http://powertochange.com/blogposts/2013/06/11/fireside-wisdom/

Read Full Post »

A Swell of Swallows

Posted in Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , on June 7, 2013| 2 Comments »

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Every morning when I drive to work, a flock of swallows huddles together under one of the highway overpasses. You can barely see them as they cling together for safety, companionship and warmth. But when cars whiz by, they immediately scatter willy-nilly, flying in a  chaotic waltz. They swell into swirls going a thousand different directions. Then one by one they return to the underpass. This happens over and over, every morning. Silly birds. After a while, you’d think  they’d be immune to the disruptive engine noise and vibrating whoosh of the wind as tons of metal and rubber zip by underneath them.

Are we immune to disruptions? As Christians we huddle together and cling to our traditions. But when something disruptive happens  often we let it ruffle our feathers. I have seen congregations burst into chaos when someone suggest a new way of doing things. People fly off the handle, as the saying goes. Everyone scrambles to take sides, often bumping into each other’s feelings.  But, eventually, we all remember to whom we should cling and peacefully return one by one to our knees before His throne … until the next disruption whooshes by to unnerve us.

It may be that many church goers cling to the wrong things such as traditions and customs, mistaking them for faith. “But we have always done it this way.”  “We have never allowed children at the early service.” “The minister should always preach for 20 minutes, no more.”  “The women have always held Bible study at 10 am on Thursdays. We can’t possibly move it to the evening just because some women work nowadays.”  The theology behind why we do what we do gets lost in the routine.

Perhaps, God’s spirit shakes us up a bit now and then to see how we will react. Will we cling to our faith, or scatter in a swell of chaotic fluttering like the swallows, seeking security in our steadfast routines and customs?

Read Full Post »

In a few sentences

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on May 30, 2013| 5 Comments »

Julie,

Thank you for your submission. We would like to publish Hush in the Storm. I have attached our contract and W9. After you review the contract, please return it along with the W9.

 After you return the contract, you will need to have your final version of the manuscript to me within three months, then we’ll begin the edits.

Thank you,

Marcy G. Dyer

Editor, Prism Book Group

hush_womenIt’s no longer a secret- my 2nd novel is about to be born.  Thank You Lord for creating this story in me  and orchestrating all that has to yet occur for it to enter the world – in your perfect Timing.  Forgive my impatience and frustration over the past 18 months, and the doubts it would ever come to fruition. To  You be all the glory.

Read the first chapter at www.juliebcosgrove.com/hush-in-the-storm.html

Read Full Post »

In a Nest

Posted in Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , on May 22, 2013| 1 Comment »

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????The church where I work is built in a square with an inner meditation and memorial garden called a Garth. There are wonderful trees, flowering bushes, benches and a trickling fountain.

It’s almost like a mini ecosystem with all sorts of life. Lizards scurry the columns, birds flit in and enchant us with their songs. Butterflies flit amongst the flowers.

Yesterday, I noticed a small nest in the crook of a tree limb. A young male cardinal had been singing like crazy the past few days, and now I knew why. He was trying to get a female to come see his handiwork.

Then the clouds darkened and the sky rumbled. The phone rang with the emergency announcement that we were under a severe storm warning and tornado watch. The trees bent. The rain gushed. The rampage lasted about thirty minutes. When it was over, I looked out and there was the little nest.

In the past few days tornadoes have devastated communities here in North Texas and in Oklahoma. Houses have been reduced to piles of rumble and lives lost. The landscape looks as if a Paul Bunyan sized bulldozer blazed through it, living little unscathed.  And yet, a little nest was safe.

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young– a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God. Psalm 84:3

In the storms of life, is your nest safe? I am talking about your spiritual one–the one where you can find love, refuge and security. The one that will help you survive, no matter what. The one built on faith. If it is interwoven with Scripture and padded with God’s mercy, it can be. No matter what horrible, unexplained things happen, there is a place you can nestle. It is in the arms of our Savior.

Please continue to pray for those whose lives have been ravished by the spring storms. Pray for the parents who lost children in Moore, OK and for the communities of Granbury and Cleburne, Tx.

Read Full Post »

In the Drama

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , , on May 17, 2013| 2 Comments »

The gavel tapped repeatedly on the wooden top of the judge’s bench. The spokesperson for the jury slowly rose.  “What say you?”, the judge queried as he peered over his reading glasses…

This is the part that every TV court drama aficionado waits for, isn’t it? Did the person get off or not? Was the stealth lawyer savvy enough to find the real “whodunit?” Will justice be served, the way we want it?

Ah, that is the key- the way we want it.

judgeAnytime now, from today though the next two weeks, the Texas Supreme Court will hand down their “opinion” as to whether around 50 congregations  here in North Texas get to keep their church buildings, many over fifty years old, or be forced to leave. It has been a long, arduous and expensive legal  battle.

Someone will win, someone will lose. But will God be praised by both sides no matter the outcome? Both sides will lose if they continue to  harbor ill feelings for each other and do not trust that God’s will is greater than any decision man can make.

It is so easy to get caught up in the drama.  But like a tornadic vortex, those being sucked up into it rarely come out unscathed. No one really wins when they are battered by the experience.

In the first chapter of the book of James, he tells his listeners to be slow to anger because human anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. When we let emotions get in the way, we will always be hurt. Whips of sharp tongues can have a boom-a-rang effect. Hurt and anger can skew the Truth just like looking through the wrong prescription glasses.  Not getting the justice we feel we deserve can sour our faith if we do not yield our emotions to God’s plan and fall to our knees, begging for clarity and strength.

Drama on TV is one thing- in life it is something else.

As far as the court decision, I pray the judges will heed these words:

He [Jehosophat who appointed judges in ancient Israel after he had turned the people back to God’s ways] told them, “Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for mere mortals but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.”  II Chronicles 19:4

But no matter what, God is still on His Throne, and He is the ultimate judge.  Thy will be done, even though it may not be mine.

Read Full Post »

In a Bisquick Pie

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on May 11, 2013| 1 Comment »

I spoke at women’s breakfast today. One of the dishes they served was taken from a recipe on the Bisquick box  – the Impossible Pie.  I had made it years ago for my family, back when I cooked meals on a budget and was always looking for a new way to dress up hamburger meat, leftovers or sausage.

What is incredible is that you pour all the ingredients into a pie pan, shove it in the oven, and as if by magic, the layers separate as it cooks  into a tasty quiche-like meal. It comes out perfectly  – crust on bottom, cheese on top and the eggs and other ingredients fluffed up in the center. Seems impossible.

You know this is going to turn into a devo- so here goes.

Our lives can be like the impossible pie. All the things that are happening to us can be mixed up and shuffled together. We just can’t see it all coming together in a right way. But with God in control, all things will come together and turn out in perfect order.

When you follow the instructions on the recipe, it seems as if the ingredients are a bit off kilter. How can so little dough make a crust, and will it come out okay when you don’t take the time to mix it, knead it, pat it down, roll it out and press it to the sides? If I was doing a pie, that’s what I’d do.

When we follow God’s instructions, everything is perfectly measured, even though we think., “Now,  how in the world can that turn into something good? That’s not how I’d do it.”   God’s fiery furnace will  bring it all together in a wonderful way. We just need to trust in that fact.

If you feel the heat turning up a bit in your life, take to heart what Peter wrote in his first letter –  “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.”  1Peter 4:12

Let God work in your life and slowly, things will get in order. The end result will be incredible,  even though you thought it impossible at first.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »