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Posts Tagged ‘Julie Cosgrove’

A Treasure Box

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

IMAG0345Several years ago, the women of St.Matthias gave me this treasure box with a fall arrangement in it as a thank you for giving a talk. I truly do “treasure” it, and the memories of those lovely ladies I see way too little as they are in another city from me.

As I stared at it on my dressing table, I realized that during the fall season we often decorate with “fallen” things. Dead leaves, spent pine cones and acorns, twigs, dried grass.  We arrange them in vases, weave them to wreaths, and yes, glue them into a treasure box.

 

 I had to ask–what are some of the dead things I am displaying in my life? Or even treasuring like a memento of the battle?

Now I am not much of a gardener, but I do know if you want a plant to keep blooming you pluck the dead blossoms off the branches. My father always told us the reason he had us rake and bag leaves in the fall was because the grass would die underneath if we didn’t. It would not become lush and green in the spring. I know people put their leaves in a compost pile to decompose as fertilizer, transforming what is dead and useless into something to revitalize and feed what begins to grow later.

God brings us through seasons just as He does in nature. Sometimes, the old things need to fall to the ground and be swept away so after a period of void and dormancy ( our learning and readjusting time when we draw closer to God) new things can spring from the ground and grow.We always talk of spring cleaning, but spiritually speaking, perhaps I need to do some fall cleaning.  How about you?

I need to let go of some anger, angst, hurts and thoughts that should die in Christ so, when I go through a wintry period, they won’t thwart the seeds God is planting deep inside me. I should rake these dead things up in a pile for Him to mercifully transform into forgiveness, understanding and tolerance to His benefit, and mine. Sort of a spiritual compost. After all, isn’t our Lord in the business of taking dead things and making them new and purposeful?

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions… (Ephesians 2:4b-5)

Lord, help me to gather up and give to You the things that are now dead so, when the renewal of spring comes, I will be ready for the seeds You have planted and nurtured deep inside to spring forth from Your rich mercy.  Let me not hold onto past hurts and bitter lessons learned, but offer them to You so You may use them for Your glory. Amen.

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SANDWICH BOARD

Posted in Devotional, tagged , , , , , , on October 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Today I read a prayer that asks for God’s grace to precede and follow us.

sandwich baord-page-001I had a visual image of the old way of advertising – the sandwich board. People used to wear them and walk the streets so people saw the message coming and going. People noticed the message, not the bearer of it.
Perhaps if I sandwich God’s grace around me, people will see Him first and last while I will be in the middle–shielded and covered.

Lord make me your visible message that points to You and not myself. Amen.

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Germ Warfare

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2015| 1 Comment »

‘Tis the season for germs- flu, colds, bronchitis…your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. But what about the spiritual germs lurking about, ready to weaken your immune system?

Last week I picked up a virus, most likely among the 500 authors I was in close proximity to for three days at a conference. Bam- within two days of returning home it had invaded my tired, worn-out body to the point that I felt the $30 copay for the visit to the doctor was warranted.

Yep- bronchial pneumonia has settled into my lungs. Steroid inhalers and antibiotics were the key to helping my body defeat these germy invaders.  Warfare was waged. At first, it looked like my lungs were losing. But after a few skirmishes, the meds kicked in, the fever lifted, and my hacking eased. My lungs began to expel the gunk – victory!

In the spiritual realm, we can pick up little germs as well. None of us are immune. They may lie dormant for a bit, but soon we realize we in and of ourselves are too weak to combat their influence. Sin can invade us in so many ways. It is everywhere. You can’t avoid it combating your ears and your eyes, much less your thoughts. Even the Apostle Paul admitted this in his letter to the Romans.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. (7:19)

We need help. Holy help. And the Great Physician is ready to send in the troops. Through a prescription of prayer, Spirit guided thoughts and Scripture, we can defeat those sinful germs and slowly expel them from our souls. God provides His strength in us. War is raged and the treatment is assured because Christ has already won the battle. Proven, tried and true, the prescription works.

However, when it comes to being on a routine of antibiotics, nutritionists will tell you you need to re-plenty your body with the good germs through probiotics. Same with our souls. Don’t let there be a void. Refill with the  good stuff- the Word of God. Cram it in so tight the nasty germs of sin will find it hard to invade. Paul also gave the Romans this advice: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. (6:12)

So, take your  soul meds, folks. Stay strong in Christ, absorb His Word, go to Church and pay your copay in the offering plate with thanksgiving that He has the cure. You may get through this germy season unscathed.

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Go Deeper

Posted in Life Experiences, Nature, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Author Erin Taylor Young smiled and said, “It was against it’s nature to go deep. But that was the only way out.”

At the American Fiction Christian Writers Conference, September 17-19,  Erin told us an analogy to not being afraid to go deeper in your faith. She noticed a moth mothcaught between the window pane and the screen in her home. It’s predicament wretched her gut. But she also saw a lesson, one that helped to form her website theme.

It kept trying to fly up to get out. That is it’s nature.  However, it forgot it got in through the dent in the bottom of the screen’s frame as it flew towards her bedroom light.

Now, to get out, the moth had to go against everything it had learned.  It had to go deep into the dark corner of the window and walk at an angle through some cobwebs to reach that dent again.  Against it’s instinctual tendency and through a bit of danger. It could get caught up in the sticky web remnants. It could crash.

For several minutes the moth kept flying towards the top of the window, only to whack into the top sash each time. Over and over it tried. It’s little wings flapped as hard as they could. Same path, same result. Over and over and over.

Erin asked us if God is calling us to go deep. Are we flitting around trying to reach His  light by still following our own instincts, or will we hear His call to fly down and discover the one way out into His will? It may be dangerous, and a test of faith. It may get a bit tough, and the devil may put up obstacles. But, if we stay true to God”s course and follow His will, we will experience freedom, peace and the reward when we trust and obey.

Is God calling you deeper? Are you willing to say, “yes” and follow His path, even though it seems convoluted and not the normal way of doing things? It maybe keeping your cool when you want to yell back. Perhaps it is turning the other cheek. Maybe forgiving someone who has deeply hurt you. Or taking on a ministry in which you feel totally inadequate. Facing a tough circumstance like a death of a family member, a divorce or the big C diagnosis. Your instinct may be to escape the easy way. Let your human nature guide you. Rely on your own know-how, experience and strengthen.

Or, you can give in and follow God’s promptings, even if they seem contrary to everything else.

By the way, the moth finally caught on. It slipped through the dent in the screen frame and went on its way. No longer trapped.

Will you follow the moth?

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Irritating

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on September 11, 2015| 2 Comments »

What irritates you?

IMAG0312I have always had s sensitivity to certain metals. Only surgical steel can go into my pierced ears. But one pair I bought, which I later discovered was not surgical steel, are my favorite. Yet, if I wear them for more than a few hours, the “holes” become angry and infected. I have tried coating the wires with clear nail polish, dousing the posts in antibiotic salves, soaking them in rubbing alcohol…but the plain fact is my ears do not tolerate whatever alloy is in that metal. The result will be the same each and every time. So I stare at them and ponder, “Is it worth it?”

Sad to say, sometimes I suck in my defiant breath and shove them into my earlobes anyway. Then, I complain about the consequences for the next few days.

Sound familiar? No, I am not talking about earrings anymore. I am referring to those little “sins” we try to get by with. Those whispered temptations. The “no one will know if you do” nudges.

These irritate our souls just as the alloy embedded in the posts aggravates my sensitive ears. You might say these indiscretions rub us the wrong way – and that is what God intends. As Christians, sin is supposed to be an irritant to us.

Yet, how often to we pretend we are not sensitive to it because we want to have it, we give in and do it, or we sneak around and try it. We can coat the sin with anything we like, but the truth of the matter is it will still infect us. And only Our Lord can heal us.

Better to chuck it in the trash and walk away.

Easier said than done. I still have the earrings in my jewelry box.

 

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Reflected

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on August 17, 2015| 3 Comments »

IMAG0296Every morning I curl up on my couch with my coffee and my Bible. (Only way to start the day…I make sure the cats are chomping their kibbles so they leave me alone.) Today, the sun’s angle shone onto my son’s photo on the book shelf catty-cornered to my line of vision. I noticed the crystal cross I had sitting on the shelf near it reflected upon him. Ah!

I love my family. I am sure you do as well. But families are very human. That means we can rub against each other’s nerves at times. We have histories together and we know each other’s faults, mistakes and stumbles. That can color our view of them.

On the other end of the scale, our loyalty and love can obscure who they really are. We develop a tendency to overlook actions or tolerate attitudes we wouldn’t in friends or coworkers because they are, well, family. “Oh, that’s just Uncle Joe.” “My sister can be like that, but you don’t know her as l I do.”  “My little nephew can do no wrong. Sweet and smart as a whip.”

How much clearer when we see them through the cross. When we see them reflected through God’s vision, we can not only see them as His child, as sinners like us in need of a Savior. We glimpse the potential God envisions and strives to mold our loved ones be.  We become more tolerant  and more realistic in how they appear in our minds. Hurts dissolve. Jealousies no longer cloud the issues.

We are also no longer blinded by love and can truly lead the family member to come to know our Lord, who also sees us for who we are. By seeing them through Christ, we can love them in a healthy, productive way and help them to seek forgiveness, change their lives and grow in His will for their lives.

We just have to see them reflected through the cross more often and ask the Son to shine through onto our relationship.

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In a Name…Amen

Posted in Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on August 10, 2015| 2 Comments »

I love word games, you probably realized that by now. While playing Scrabble, I noticed I had several choices when it came to playing my tiles M-E-N-A

Two jumped out at me – NAME and AMEN. Why? Because one puts the “N” at the beginning while the other word has it at the end.

God showed me a lesson.  It is up to us how we choose to arrange the letters. It all depends on where we place our values.

name-clipart-name-sign-md       If we put ourselves first, our name is important.

Shove our needs to the back behind those of others and God’s will for our lives and we have the word Amen.Amen

What is your “N”? Is it notoriety, making a name for yourself, or do you think of yourself as nothing?  Perhaps the “n” is a negative attitude, or the feeling you will never amount to anything.  Maybe it is neverneverland– a pipe dream. It could even be being noble. nice, or natural.  Whatever it is, the emphasis is still on you, not God.

Think what would happen if you flipped that “N” and thought less about it and more about your blessings, your purpose, and your Savior?

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. MaAtthew 6:33

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In What I Already Had

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on August 5, 2015| 1 Comment »

DSCF8872Why is it that we seek after what we do not have?

Human nature tells us the grass is greener across the fence. I had been coveting one pasture for quite sometime. Lush, shady, secure. Prime real estate. If I ended up there, people would respect me, and maybe be a bit envious. The idea lured me. I even put my foot on the lower rung, ready to hoist myself over by my own strength.

I had a chance six months ago to chat with an acquisition editor employed by one of the most renown publishing houses. She dangled the carrot and I chased after it.  I’ve always been a mystery buff and several people had tickled my ear to try writing one. I presented my idea and she told me it seemed to have all the elements and submit it. I couldn’t wait for the conference to be over so I could dash back to my keyboard. I brainstormed three synopses and wrote the first three chapters of the first novel as a tickler to show her my style. She responded by email that she looked forward to reviewing it…

For days on end I’d check my in box. Nothing. A week went by, a month, three months. I emailed her again in case it had hit her spam file. Nothing. I kept writing and when I finished the first draft I sent her another correspondence. Yep, nary a response. My ego deflated like a whistling balloon.  I felt unworthy, questioned my writing ability and almost gave up.

God yanked me off that fence so fast I landed on my rear end. And it hurt.

But God knew what lay on the other side of the fence was not in my best interest.

I learned it meant sticking with the publisher I had. The one who treats me well, appreciates my writing, always responds quickly to every email I send, and is willing to promote me. DUH- why look elsewhere?

Even though mystery was not a genre they’d ever published, I  felt a strong urge to query the editor in chief. I gulped and hit “send.” Within two hours she replied very positively. In another five days, I had a contract in hand FOR ALL THREE novels!

The Hebrews whined they had no meat in the wilderness when they had flocks of animals with them. God provided. Even when they continued to whine. David couldn’t help watching the wife of his troop commander bathe, even though he had a loving wife, and his desires lead him to leap where he didn’t belong. Greener looking grass lures us every time.

If you find yourself focused on climbing the fence to get to that softer, verdant, shadier landscape you may be ignoring the wildflowers right underneath your feet. Sure, goals are important, but so is God’s timing and His purpose. His blessings are all around you. Seek those, thank Him for what He has provided, and trust that He will tell you when it is time to explore a new field of opportunity.

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It’s What’s Inside

Posted in Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on June 16, 2015| 1 Comment »

IMAG0266An older woman I know excitedly told how she got a part-time job stuffing envelopes. Her eyes danced as if she was a teenager once again. Her nephew questioned what the big deal was. It didn’t sound very exciting to him.

She smiled. “Oh, it’s not the envelopes. It is what goes inside. A very important letter that will help thousands of people. I am so glad to be a part of that effort.”

Her words hit me. It’s what goes inside. The image describes the purpose of being a Christian. We are the vehicle for delivering God’s message of redemption and love to the world. In other words, we are the envelopes.

It is what is going on inside of us, i.e., the transformation by the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus into our hearts, that is the important stuff. As others peer inside the window to our soul, they can see a difference. Something important is happening. The Light of Christ is flickering, glowing, then shining. The message revealed is one of forgiveness and salvation, of something more wonderful waiting for us beyond the pain of this world.

 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

Lord, the times when I think I am not much on the outside, remind me it is what’s inside that is important – You working in me. You have placed your stamp of delivery on me, and I am simply to carry the message. Let me be more thankful, like my elderly friend, to be a part of that effort. Amen.

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Carried

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , , on May 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »

…. I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4b

shepherd- dayspring really wooly

courtesy of Day Spring Really Wooly collection http://dayspring.com/

A young woman in our congregation hobbled to receive communion with a scraped knee and Velcro laced cast-boot. When I asked her how she was doing and if she needed assistance, she said this recent injury reminded her of a time as a little girl when she broke her leg and was in a cast for weeks on end. Her father carried her to the altar during church to receive a blessing of healing.

“I pictured later that’s what our Heavenly Father does when we are broken. He lovingly carries us to His altar to receive healing in our soul. As I hobbled through the day now, that image sticks in my mind and I am comforted.”

She found God in her injury.

http://ecards.dayspring.com/ecards/subcat.asp?CategoryID=6&SubCategoryID=47&CardID=401952&Widescreen=False&CurPage=1There are times we need to be carried. Perhaps we’ve hit abump in the road of life and taken a tumble. Our soul has been scraped. We ache and throb, and when we try to get up, we wobble unsteadily. We need the Good Shepherd’s staff to lean on for a while.

ID-100108485Other times, we just need Daddy to cuddle us. Like a toddler we stretch out our arms and whimper, “Up,please.”  We need His warm strength, or maybe just to see the world from a new perspective–on His shoulders.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

In their classic song Flood, Jars of Clay sing for God to lift them up because they are weak, to lift them up so high they cannot fall. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help, be it from a friend, a parent, or your Heavenly Father. Sometimes, you just need to be uplifted so you can carry on, or be carried so you can be lifted up in spirit.

Jesus carried his cross so He could now carry us…

  • to be with Him,
  • to rest for a while,
  • to renew our strength,
  • to be comforted.

Lord, lift me up…

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