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Posts Tagged ‘Where did you find God today’

In a Gathering

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on January 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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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On my cell phone

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on January 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , on January 8, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on January 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on January 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on December 31, 2012| 1 Comment »

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

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , , on December 28, 2012| Leave a Comment »

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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Still in Christmas – even if it wasn’t merry

Posted in Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , on December 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on December 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

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

Posted in Christian, tagged , , , on December 20, 2012| Leave a Comment »

 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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