It was a long day with a longer to-do list. I was chipping away at it but running out of emotional and physical steam. What I needed was a large sweet tea. When I pulled into the Chick-fil-A drive through, I heard the flapping noise of a flat tire.I turned into a parking space and called for roadside assistance. Then I opened a book, unwrapped my straw, and took a sip of tea.
Steve and I were headed to the coast and stopped for our usual lunch break—Chick-fil-A—Just twenty minutes from our destination, it was one last time to fill up on sweet tea. While Steve purchased our nuggets, I took our Bernedoodle, Molly, for a walk in the grassy area between Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’.
I was so confused. I was talking to God, but it seemed He wasn’t talking to me. There seemed to be a barrier between us. I was single, twenty-years old, and needed to make an important decision about my future, but I wasn’t hearing from God. Have you ever had that experience? Talking but not hearing. Asking but not receiving? Read more...
“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” 2 Kings 6:16 (NIV)
“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b (NLT)
Have you ever felt like you just wanted to quit this thing called the “great race” of life? That’s your spiritual legs ache and you would much rather sit on the side of the road and have a good pity party than take one more step? I certainly have. And then I think of my nephew Stu and his mom, Read more...
Do you have a book you’ve read that you feel like everyone should read? For us, that book is Enough by Sharon James.
As I looked through those various lenses, I wondered if I was looking at my life through the correct lens. Could it be that I was looking at my story through the wrong lens, and if I would simply flip down a different one, I would see a better story?
Do you have a book you’ve read that you feel like everyone should read? For us, that book is Enough by Sharon James.
Dimensions (Overall): 8.4 Inches (H) x 5.4 Inches (W) x .9 Inches (D)Weight: .65 PoundsSuggested Age: 22 Years and UpNumber of Pages: 272Genre: Religion + BeliefsSub-Genre: Christian LifePublisher: Harvest House PublishersFormat: PaperbackAuthor: Sharon JaynesLanguage: EnglishStreet Date: April 3, 2018TCIN: 77809855UPC: 9780736973540Item Number (DPCI): 247-12-9972Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'” Mark 9:24 (NIV)
There’s something about January that gets me down. While others are setting New Year’s resolutions and goals for the months ahead, I tend to feel sorry for myself because some areas of my life aren’t where I hoped they’d be by now. My tendency is to give in to discouragement for what I didn’t accomplish rather than look ahead to what God has planned.
I'm writing over at Proverbs 31 Ministries today and thought you might enjoy the post as well. “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” (Psalm 143:5 NIV)
At HOME with GOD by Sharon Jaynes - MINT Condition Book! Etsy Best Price! Perfect Gift for Students of Religion! Awesome - Mint condition book; perfect gift for students and observers of religion. Etsy best price! May have minor cover wear. We ship fast and safe worldwide everyday. See publisher details below... Purchases of $35 and above qualify for FREE shipping! Buy more from our store and save $$$.... SEE MORE items from KMS Vintage Eclectibles Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/kathleensmiles?ref=profile_shopname Synopsis You've invited Him into your heart, now invite Him into your home. What would it be like to open your front door and find the Father standing there? Would He first pause a moment to enjoy the welcoming wreath upon your door? Would He maybe even sit in the wicker rocking chair before ringing the bell? Would He feel welcome - at home and free to enter in? Open your heart to the Father as never before - He is standing at the door knocking. Welcome Him into your home. When you do, you will see He has been there waiting for you all along. Catch a glimpse of His presence in your own life and feel...At Home with God. Paperback: 256 pages Language: English ISBN-10: 1589195035 ISBN-13: 978-1589195035 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
“Samuel did what GOD told him.” 1 Samuel 16:4a (MSG)
One of the greatest ways God puts to use what he puts us through is by creating in us a deeper sense of compassion than we would have ever known without the trauma. The word compassion is derived from the Latin words pati and cum, meaning “to suffer with.” Compassion for brokenness comes from brokenness. There’s really no other way.
This made me wonder, whose voice am I listening to today?Here’s a truth: The voice we listen to will determine the path we take and the decisions we make.The Bible says that we are in a spiritual battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2-3). All three are whispering to lead us in the opposite direction of where God wants us to go. When I say whispering, I’m not talking about an audible voice, but an inner inkling.How do we tell if the voice we’re hearing is the world’s, the flesh (the way we’ve been programed to get our needs met apart from Christ), the devil’s, or God’s?By knowing the Truth of Scripture.
“... Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b (ESV)
When my brother was a teenager, my mother used to threaten him when he hunched over at the dinner table. “If you don’t sit up,” she would say, “I’m going to buy you a back brace from Sears.” I don’t even know if Sears made back braces then, but it sounded like a pretty good threat to me. Then I had a son who seemingly grew to six feet overnight. Read more...
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).I don’t like to struggle, and I don’t like to see my child, my husband or my friends struggle. I like for life to be easy. I want all my friends to love me all the time, my husband to agree with my every decision, and God to answer every prayer with a checkmark.
“I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.” Psalm 143:5 (NIV)
This woman, pursued by God, dropped her water bucket, and ran back to town to tell the very people she had avoided about Jesus. Her story holds great promise for any woman who has ever tried to fill the hole in her heart with relationships but come up empty. It is for every single one of us who has ever felt less than because we were tossed away, or others were chosen, and we were not.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)
What we believe to be true affects the way we act and react. Personally. Spiritually. Emotionally.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: … a time to be silent and a time to speak …” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b (NIV)
My son, Steven, was in the ninth grade when I turned in the manuscript for my book, Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids. I should have waited until he was in the tenth grade.That fateful morning, I placed my neatly printed pages in a padded envelope, prayed a blessing over the bundle, and then dropped a year of hard work in the mail slot at the post office. When I returned home, my phone was ringing. It was Steven.“Hey, Mom, I’m calling to let you know that I’m in the principal’s office. I got caught stealing in the lunchroom. You need to come to the school.”
For years we were joined at the hip. Not a day went by when we didn’t talk on the phone at least once. But sometimes friendships come unhinged. People change. Perspectives change. Purposes change. Passions change. While nothing went terribly wrong, and no hurtful words were exchanged, the void was vast beyond bridging. I felt tossed away. Discarded. Read more...
I was 16 years old and about 100 pounds soaking wet. My friend’s dad, Mr. Evans, gathered up a few of us teenagers and drove us to a church just outside my hometown. We were going to give our testimonies at a Saturday night gathering of strangers. I’d never stood behind a podium, spoken into a mic, or stared at a sea of faces thinking I had something to say. Read more...
I remember as a little girl, hiding under the covers of my bed, trying to shut out my parents’ yelling and screaming in the next room. I heard bad words. I didn’t know what some of them meant, but I did know how they made me feel. Dirty. The next morning, I awoke to the aftermath of the night’s tirade—Mom’s black eye, Dad’s crying remorse, furniture tossed and broken—and those bad words bouncing around my little-girl head.
Have you ever felt that your concerns were too small to bother God with—that they seemed frivolous in comparison to what’s going on in the world? A friend has breast cancer. A parent has dementia. A neighbor’s house burned to the ground. Then there’s world hunger, climate change, and devastating natural disasters around the world. It’s easy to fall into the false trap of thinking that those are the only types of prayers worth mentioning…and the smaller ones we need to keep to ourselves.
As I looked through those various lenses, I wondered if I was looking at my life through the correct lens. Could it be that I was looking at my story through the wrong lens, and if I would simply flip down a different one, I would see a better story?
Shop SharonJaynes.com - Equipping Women to Live Fully and Free
Have you ever wondered if your story could help someone else? Consider this precious story… A store owner was tacking a sign in his store window, which read PUPPIES FOR SALE, when a little boy appeared. “How much are you selling the puppies for?” he asked. The man told the lad he didn’t expect to let any of them go for less than $50. Read more...
One of the greatest ways God puts to use what he puts us through is by creating in us a deeper sense of compassion than we would have ever known without the trauma.
More than a theological debate, modern facilities, or the latest media-savvy services, loving relationships are the net that casts out and gathers in a bounty of souls.
When people ask me how I got started in ministry, I tell them I started by writing for free publications for free for 10 years. This is not what most people want to hear.When I tell them I started by folding newsletters in the den of my home for several years, they seem crestfallen.When I tell them I started out by cleaning the bathrooms in our first little ministry office, they seem confused.
