Have You Ever Been Stuck in Mud?

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I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined unto me and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.  Psalm 40:1-2

 

Have you ever been stuck in mud?  It’s an awful feeling.  The more you  push the accelerator, the deeper you sink.  Until finally in desperation, you throw up your hands, quit trying on your own efforts, and call for help.

I’ve been stuck in the mud a few times.  What’s more, I’ve been stuck in some of life’s miry pits a few times as well.  I have a friend who is stuck in a miry pit right now and all of her self-defeating efforts remind me of the long agonizing process I went through getting out of some slimy pits.

My sister, bless her heart, would listen patiently as I tried to figure out all the minutia that led up to the catastrophe—that horrible thing that had happened that never should have happened that was never supposed to happen but it had happened and it happened to ME.  And stuck I was in a horrible pit.  It was as if my emotional and spiritual life got put on hold while I relived the pain in an attempt to unravel the inexplicable.

I’d pray and put it all in God’s hands.  But, I wouldn’t leave it there.  I’d snatch it back and obsess over it more and feel all the pain again—basically, spinning my emotional tires to no avail.  Slipping deeper into the mud.

The worst thing is—we can slip in and out of a pit for years.  Life goes on, but we’re stagnating, even dried up like a spring without water. 

 My sister would say…we’ve already figured that out… you know we’ve already talked about that many times.  And to a point, she helped me so much, as did the counselors and the pastors through the years.  But only to a point.

I, even I, am the LORD; and besides me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:11

Only God could pull me all the way out of the pit and establish my feet on solid ground. 

I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the LORD I made supplication.  Psalm 30:8

I don’t mean to minimize in any way the profoundly devastating heartbreak that can occur in someone’s life.  I know.  So many tragedies.  It’s humanly impossible to overcome them.  Our help comes from the LORD. 

I’ve reached a point in my life where I trust that everything that happens to us has been filtered through God’s hands, and everything that we experience serves to draw us closer to Him.  He promises to hear us and help us if we cry out to Him.

God’s restorative power is a wonderful thing.  Not only does He give us permission to be happy, He gives us JOY.  He heals the hurt.

It’s good to be able to look back, knowing those pits were there, and feel no pain at all, only contentment, rejoicing in where He has brought me, and looking forward with confidence knowing that He will never leave me nor forsake me.  What a wonderful Savior!

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.  Psalm 30:11-12

New Zealand photo courtesy of Melanie Giovino

If this devotional has touched on your situation, I pray that you will cry out to the LORD and cling to His promises. I pray that He will bring you out of that pit and set your feet on firm ground.  He is your salvation.  All praise and honor to Him forever.

Has a particular verse given you strength and encouragement when you were stuck in the mud?  Please share it with us.

Please consider leaving a comment. I appreciate what you have to say.  Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  May God bless you.

Be As Little Children ~ Plus the Winner of our Monthly Give-Away

Birdie fishing with Daddy ~ all photos today courtesy of Julie Roberts Lyda

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 18:3 (KJV)

I’ve been thinking about that verse a lot this week.  “…become as little children.”  I’ve been trying to figure out all that assertion implies.    

Children are trusting innocents with eyes wide-open to wonder and possibilities. 

They have no stipulations.  There is no such thing as disbelief.  All things are possible to their loving hearts.

So, maybe that’s the key.

Let go of all preconceived notions, prejudices, and prior knowledge based on laws of nature or man. 

Hold onto God alone.

Trust Him ~ He is the Source of Life and Love and all things good.

Then, enter into your prayer closet (Mt.6:6) and

Kneel before His throne of Grace (Heb. 4:16) and pray.

Pray until you forget all those things that constrain you in your grown-up life~

Forget time nipping at your heels.

Pray until earth seems to fade away and you rise to a vast open space where there’s nothing but you and God alone.  Your expectation in Him and from Him alone. 

Then, as a little child, all things are possible. 

When the LORD says to you, as He did to the blind man,

Believe you that I am able to do this? (See Matthew 9:28),

the ready answer springs forth from your heart.  Yes, LORD, I believe.



Reid and Jacob Lyda

 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.  Psalm 62:5

***

 

 And now, to announce the winner of one of Deborah Malone's cozy mysteries.

Congratulations to Patsy Parham.  You will be receiving one of Deborah's mysteries!

 

Many thanks to all of you who visited last week and left comments for Deborah and me.  We so appreciate what you had to say.  Thank you Deborah for being my guest and giving away one of your books.

Please consider leaving a comment below regarding today's post.  I enjoy hearing from you.  God bless you, little children.  Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.











Deborah Malone ~ featured author ~ plus monthly book giveaway

Deborah Malone ~ freelance writer and photographer
 

It's time again, Dear Readers, for the featured author of the month.  Today I'm pleased to introduce to you a lady I met through the John 3:16 Writers Network to which we both belong.  And since I'm from Georgia, and Deborah is from Georgia, and my son went to university in Dahlonega, I am intrigued by her cozy mystery Death in Dahlonega.  Reading it makes me want to go exploring again in that lovely north Georgia town.  I invited Deborah to tell us about herself, and she graciously offered to give away one of her novels to one of my readers. (Keep reading to see how to qualify.) I hope you enjoy the interview.

* * *

Rose, thank you for having me on Write Moments with God.  I hope my readers will discover your blog and learn a little something they didn’t know about me as well.

 

My dad was from Opelika, AL and my mother was from Cincinnati, OH. It’s so true when they say opposites attract. My dad had moved to Alabama to work for General Electric. While my parents lived there, my two older brothers, Bill and Curtis, were born. In the early 1950’s the family moved to north Georgia where my dad was transferred to work at GE.  I wonder sometimes how I would have turned out if we’d stayed in Ohio – I’d be a *&^% Yankee, rather than a Georgia girl. This past summer we had a reunion of my mother’s family in Cinn. I hadn’t seen some of my relatives for 40 years. It was so much fun!

 

My mother had RA (rheumatoid arthritis), but Dad never missed a church service and he always took us kids with him.  I have had my ups and downs with faith through the years, but I’ve never given up on God.  I’ve come to the conclusion there are some things we will not have the answers for while on this earth. And that is alright.  In Proverbs 3:5 we are told to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” That is the verse Trixie holds onto in Death in Dahlonega.

 

In 1992, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia – which determines how much and how often I’m able to write. I went back to school in 1995 and graduated with a Human Services Degree. While in school I took a creative writing class which sparked a fire in me, and thus my writing career began.  I published my first article in Georgia Backroads, a historical magazine, in 2001. I’m still writing for that publication more than ten years later.

 

In the early 2000’s I began writing a novel. I worked on it off and on for several years. Real life got in the way for a few years and I had to put my novel aside.  After discovering Christian fiction a few years ago, I knew that was how I wanted to write my book. I rewrote my novel and submitted it to several publishers. Lamp Post Publishing offered me a contract and Death in Dahlonega was published in Oct. 2011. Murder in Marietta was published in Oct. 2012. My next book in the series will be Terror on Tybee Island. Much of the extensive research I did for Georgia Backroads influenced my novels.

 

I really enjoy being a freelance writer.  I love to hear from readers and invite you to visit my three blogs. Here are the links. 

www.deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com

www.cozymysterymagazine.blogspot.com

www.sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com
 

Thank you again, Rose, for having me as a guest on your blog.

 

Now, for an opportunity to receive a copy of one of Deborah's mysteries:

At least ten readers must comment and share in order for there to be a book give-away. So come on everyone. It's easy.  Join in. Follow these steps to qualify for the random drawing.

1. Leave a comment on this blog (my favorite part!) which includes your name and email address if you want to be included in the drawing. You can comment without leaving your email if you don't want to be in the drawing. I will use your address to contact you if you win. To leave a comment, click on the pencil icon or the word comment at the end of this blog post.

2. Share this blog post on Facebook so your friends will read about it and visit too.

3. Tweet, tweet, tweet IF you have twitter, and mention the book give-away on your own blog if you have one. It would be great as well and an extra perk for me if you would become a follower of this site, so you won't miss a single post. But, #3 is optional.

Complete these steps by 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 6.   A winner will be announced here on Monday, April 8, so be sure to check back to see if you've won. 


Thank you for participating in the monthly give-away.  This feature of Write Moments with God is so much fun for me.  May God's peace and grace be with you.

Christ's Prayer for Christian Unity

The Church of the Most Holy Trinity ~ Augusta, GA

 

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  John 17: 20-23

 

We are so honored to know our Savior’s prayer to God on the night before His betrayal, the night before His crucifixion.  No words of mine can do justice to the depth and significance of Jesus’ prayer in John 17.  I do believe that His prayer represents the deepest desires of His heart.

 

Our Lord knew the hour had come and He poured His heart out to His Father.  And what did He pray for?  Not for Himself.  Not a word like we would have prayed…no cries for mercy…no cries for strength.  No.  He prayed for His followers. 

 

“That they may all be one…”   

 

Jesus prayed for His disciples as well as those who would believe in Him through all ages because of their testimony. 

 

Jesus prayed that there be unity in the body of Christ, the Church.

 

He prays for us to have the love of the Father in us so that we will love the brethren and bear witness to the world.

 

Yet, in reality, there is so much prejudice in the Christian bodies within the Church.  We all have preconceived notions, misconceptions, suspicions about so many situations and peoples, in general, but also, we have them about other believers, other denominations, other traditions within the body of Christ.   

 

…see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.  1 Peter 1:22b

 

 

That doesn’t mean love only fellow Catholics, or Baptists, or Methodists, or Presbyterians.

 

I have found that people really don’t care that much about my philosophies or theology—I’m not saying that these are not important to me personally because they are.  What I'm saying is this--what people really want to know about is a relationship with Jesus Christ.  They are encouraged by our love for Him and for one another.

 

I am inspired by Christ’s ideal of unity and love.  I hope you will read John 17 for yourself and be encouraged and inspired this holy season.

 

…then the world will know.

I pray that you are blessed this Easter season and inspired by Christ's love for you.  Thanks for visiting Write Moments with God.  Please feel free to leave your comments below.  I love to hear from you. 

Just What I Needed

 

Melanie with Samson (The Incorrigible)

 

 …for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  Matthew 6:8b
 

 A friend and I practically bumped into each other in the floral department of the grocery store.  We were delighted to see each other and vowed to get together for dinner the following week, although we haven’t been good about getting together in the years since we worked together.  We hadn’t seen each other in over a year—hadn’t met for dinner in two years.  This time, however, we set a date and stuck to it.  At the restaurant, we talked non-stop for an hour and a half catching up on life.   We laughed a lot.  When it was time to say good-bye, we hugged and shed a tear, promising to meet again, sooner next time.  The following day my friend sent me this message—“Seeing you and talking to you last night was just what I needed.  There are no coincidences.  I’m going to remember that.”

When I was getting my teaching degree, finding time to read and study after working all day and raising five young children was quite challenging.  I would stay up late after the kids were in bed, until I could no longer keep my eyes open.  During a particularly difficult time, my friend Irene suggested that she come to our house on Friday night, make dinner for the kids, and bring a movie, and I could go over to her pristine home and study there all by myself.  Ah, the peace and quiet.  Irene had prepared a snack for me at her desk, and set out the tea.  I felt so loved.  God bless her. What a blessing she was to me and my children.  She babysat several times for us.  I hope I said to her—“that was just what I needed”, for indeed, it was.

Years ago I took an eighty year old granddaddy to the hospital where we spent the day with his bride of sixty years.  We made the hour drive to the hospital and stayed the day.  We sat by her side and visited.  I took a walk outside to give them some time alone, and read when they napped.  On the way home, we stopped to eat a sandwich. The elderly gentleman said it was the best hamburger he had ever eaten. He was very pleased to have had the day with his wife. I know he said—“that was just what I needed”.

 

God is so gracious to us.  He knows exactly what we need.  He supplies our needs in ways we never even imagine…just when we need it most…in His perfect time.  

Although it might be a simple thing, when it’s just what we need, it satisfies our souls like a cup of cold water for a thirsty man. When our need is met perfectly, and we’ve received His peace and love, be assured, God designed and supplied it. Our sovereign all-mighty God is always at work on our behalf.

One of my very favorite things ~ thanks to Eileen DeCamp

I pray that he would give you, according to his glorious riches, strength in your inner being and power through his Spirit.  Ephesians 3:16

God bless you, and may He give you just what you need today. Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  Consider leaving a comment below.  I love to hear from you.



The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep

 

Photo courtesy of Julie Roberts Lyda ~ her beautiful children.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

For any good thing I need He shall never withhold from me.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John10:11

Christ gave His life for me.  No greater love has no man than this.

For "you were like sheep going astray," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  1 Peter 2:25

For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" Rev. 7:17 

 

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:  he leadeth me beside the still waters.

I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 34:14

 

3 He restoreth my soul:  he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

My soul is restored daily and magnified that I may comprehend the depth and height of His love.  He is righteous and holy; I trust totally in His integrity and His name. 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil?  For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

 

Why should I fear?  His perfect love sustains me. When adversity threatens to overwhelm me, my Shepherd is there with me. When I walk through the fire, not even a scent of smoke will be on me, but I shall come forth as pure gold. 

 

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 

 

He so generously supplies my needs that my spirit overflows.  I cannot contain His never-ending mercies. 

 

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

How can I fear what man can do to me for the Lord is my Shepherd.  I am a sheep in His pasture.   His grace sustains me and He watches over me every day of my life.

 

New Zealand ~ courtesy of Melanie Giovino

 

Thank you for visiting Write Moments with God.  May God bless you and give you His peace today.  I'd love to hear from you.  Consider leaving a comment below or write me at writemoments@gmail.com.  Blessings.

Is There Any Way to Simplify Life?

 

Thank you Virginia Sharp Franz for the beautiful bluebird

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.   Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

Life is difficult.  Life is complicated.  I know…colossal understatement.  So many important things, essential things, exhaust my time and energy.  Family, work, home, property, friends—vie for my attention. I have tools--calendars and agendas—to help me sort it all out; I can’t keep up with them either.  Technology has sped up every facet of our lives, and rather than simplify mine, it has made it exponentially more overcharged.  When my teenager has to give me a tutorial on how to use a phone, I realize I've fallen behind the learning curve.

Is there any way to simplify my life?

I am finite.  God is infinite.  I know He is my strength.  There is so much I can’t understand and will never figure out.  I know I need God.

It simplifies my life—more than anything else I can think of—to simply listen to God.  Study and know God’s Word.  Look to Him for the guidance I need.  Trust Him to care for all of my needs.  Pray to Him seeking His guidance, mercies, and peace.  Obey Him.

I’d rather be an obedient child, a humble sheep in His pasture, than to try to manage it all on my own.  I trust my Father God to take care of me and lead me in the way that I should go.  I’m grateful to be a sheep in His pasture.  Life is simplified for me when I ask What would Jesus Do? like Charles Monroe Sheidon suggested in In His Steps.

Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.  Psalm 119:24

Much of the frustrations I’ve experienced in life have come from assuming my common sense and calculations would show the way, rather than looking to God and trusting His infinite wisdom to show me the way.  I need to cooperate with God on everything, and learning that path hasn't necessarily been easy.  I have second-guessed God.  I dare say you have too.  I have learned that when I make a decision, make it with God.  I say, I have learned, but in realitiy, it's a moment by moment choice to look to God.

When I call to Him and listen, I want to hear—This is the way walk ye in it. (Isaiah 30:21b)

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end.  Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes.  Psalm 119:33-36a (NIV)

Florida sunshine courtesy of Google prints