Rebecca Hatch is my guest today at The Stream's Edge. Her words will encourage you in your walk (or run) with God because life is a journey. And remembering along the way gives us hope and connection to what God is doing around us. What You Really Need to Mark Down: Remembering for the Journey reminds us to remember God's faithfulness. Welcome Becky with me and be sure to join the conversation!
Image courtesy of Morguefile.com
I’ve taken
up running again on a trail just a few miles from home.
I’m a short
drive away from slapping my feet against the pavement
with my favorite music blasting in my ears.
After
tucking my key and cell phone safely away, it’s a short stretch and quick walk
to begin. Nothing feels quite like
eating distance and space up with your sneakers.
As I am now in my forties, hindsight is long and indeed
useful for showing me how the Lord has been with me all my life. Circumstances,
choices, and “coincidences” reveal His love, care, and provision over and over
again. But none more than the godly people He has placed in my life to mentor,
invest, and guide me in His ways.
These people loved the Lord and saw something in me that I
couldn’t see in myself. They saw value where I saw deficiency. They saw potential,
gifting, and talent where I saw average, plain, and ordinary. These people
didn’t view me higher than anyone else, but because of their love for the Lord,
they valued me. Because of the wisdom of the Lord, they were willing to foster
the potential they saw to help bolster my faith.
With encouraging words, quality time, and listening ears,
these people…these precious gifts instilled in me a desire to know their
God…this Jesus that they loved so much. Why would they care for me? What made
them invest in me?
Something small and maybe insignificant to you, can
literally change the course of someone’s life. A small, “how’ve ya been?” and
then really listening. Truly wanting to spend time with another person can be
such a gift.
We see this with Paul and Timothy. As
Paul writes his second letter to Timothy from prison (some experts say this was
his last letter), we catch an intimate glimpse into how much time Paul has
invested in Timothy.
"You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of
life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions,
sufferings…" 2 Timothy 3:10-11
We are all busy. I get it…truly. But busyness in NOT godliness.
I feel so strongly about being intentional with investing in others. God brings
people into our lives every day. Now, with internet, we have more exposure to
people than ever before. How are we loving other people? Are we investing? Are
we willing to spend time with people? Can we teach and encourage?
The people the Lord used to mentor me were not scholars,
counselors, or professionals, but ordinary individuals willing to let Jesus
love me through them.
Are you willing? Melissa
Hello! My name is Melissa Longval from New Hampshire. I
am married to my childhood sweetheart. We have a two children, a daughter and
son, who make us laugh and help us grow in the Lord every day. Keith and I are
blessed to do ministry together.
The Lord had impressed
upon my heart a desire to share my life with others. So I have very recently
started my blog. “Taste and See that the Lord is Good” at www.melissalongval.wordpress.com . We all have hardship, but our
Lord and Savior is good and kind through all of life’s messes. My heart’s
desire and prayer is that through the stories of my life, you would see the
goodness and kindness of Jesus in your own.
Check out this mentoring resource just published in April:
Images courtesy of Morguefile.com unless otherwise noted.
Moving from Broken to
Beautiful Blog Tour Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy!
Yvonne, you’re celebrating the release of your
new book, Moving from Broken to
Beautiful: 9 Life Lessons to Help You Move Forward. What led you to write
that book?
Friends often asked me how I survived (Click to Tweet) and thrived after a domestic violence marriage, divorce, single
parenting, breast cancer, several car accidents, and the loss of my only child.
I would tell them, and they would say, “You need to write a book about that. It
would encourage other people.”
After I heard some version of
that response dozens of times, I sensed God leading me to write the book.
All those trials make me think the book might
be somber or depressing. Is it?
On the contrary, remember the
subtitle is 9 Life Lessons to Help You
Move Forward. The style of writing is positive and hopeful. Friends tell me
my sense of humor keeps the message upbeat.
How does your work as a licensed professional
counselor influence the book?
I became a therapist after
the divorce. My training and clinical experience helped me to focus on change
for the better rather than being stuck in the past. However, my writing and
speaking are not based exclusively on my training and clinical experience but
also on the life lessons I learned. Although I’ve also used stories from other
people, I have changed names and some identifying details to protect their
privacy.
What makes Moving
from Broken to Beautiful an interactive book?
The introduction of Moving from Broken to Beautiful suggests
how the readers can utilize the book. At the end of each chapter, the readers
will find three activities, three affirmations, three Scriptural readings, a
prayer, and two pages to journal their thoughts and emotions about the life
lesson in that chapter. The book emphasizes application of the life lessons.
What additional resources make Moving from Broken to Beautiful an
interactive book that encourages the readers?
Appendix A has thirty
additional affirmations to encourage the readers. Appendix B has thirty
additional Scriptural readings to give the readers hope that they, too, can
move from broken to beautiful. Appendix C lists and describes helpful links for
cancer, divorce recovery, domestic violence, grief recovery, and substance use
recovery.
The book has one hundred and three pages. Did
you have a reason for keeping it short?
Yes, I did. People who are
going through a major illness or some other crisis don’t have a lot of time to
read. They want help and hope, but they want them
quickly.
Where can the readers purchase Moving from Broken to Beautiful?
They can go to Smashwords,
Create Space, and Amazon. They can buy a paperback book or an e-book for the
Kindle, iBook, Nook, Sony Books, Deisel, Flipkart (India), and Kobo (Europe). Have you experienced brokenness? Do you need a copy of Yvonne's book? Answer the following question in the comments and I will enter your name in a drawing to receive it. Why do you think you should receive a free copy of Moving from Broken to Beautiful? (Click to Tweet)
Yvonne Ortega is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed
Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner, a Clinically Certified Domestic Violence
Counselor, and bilingual professional speaker. She is the author of Moving
from Broken to Beautiful: 9 Life Lessons to Help You Move Forward and Finding
Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer (Revell). She’s
also a contributing author to The
Embrace of a Father and Transformed. Her website is www.yvonneortega.com.
Yvonne is on the board for Christians in Recovery,
speaks for Stonecroft Ministries, and is the Stonecroft Regional Speaker
Trainer for Virginia. She loves to speak to audiences in
either English or Spanish about her journey in moving from broken to beautiful
and enjoys hearing from her readers.
I have included the link to purchase Yvonne's book on Amazon:
My guest is Kathy Collard Miller. She and her husband, Larry have a new book published and I'd like to share an excerpt. Be sure to leave a comment for Kathy and Larry - they have graciously offered to give away a copy of Never Ever Be The Same
I don't know about you but I often turn to self-protective measures when I am faced with difficulties. Kathy and Larry's book will address this tendency and it is perfect for your small group or Bible study.
Here is a sample story:
What’s Your “Walker”?
by Kathy Collard Miller and Larry Miller
One Christmas when my ninety-year-old mother-in-law,
Audrey, lived with us, our then-three-year-old grandson, Raf, was fascinated
with Audrey's walker. As he walked (or ran!) away with it, Audrey became
visibly anxious calling out to him, “Don't take away my walker. I need it. I'm dependent upon
it. I'm just an old woman, so don't hurt it.”
I felt sad to think Audrey believed we wouldn’t help her and
that she was on her own. She felt she had to call after Raf and try to control
him. But she didn't have the strength to retrieve the walker or follow Raf to
supervise. My husband, Larry, and I, on the other hand, could do something and
we decided that Raf couldn't play with it because it caused her too much
anxiety.
We each have our own kind of “walker”that we believe we require in life to meet our needs. We
demand from people or things, “Don't take away my idol. I need it. I'm dependent upon
it. I'm just an incompetent Christian, so don't hurt it.” Our idol may be
a relationship, an accomplishment, our reputation…pick which “walker”you believe you
need for your security and happiness.
This
article is excerpted from Never Ever Be the Same (Leafwood Publishers)
which offers Christians hope that they can change their ungodly reactions
through identifying their self-protective strategies and trusting God instead.
The authors are Kathy Collard Miller and Larry Miller and includes biblical
principles, insightful stories, and helpful instruction. It has individual and
group discussion questions.
Kathy
Collard Miller and Larry Miller are speakers and authors. They have been
married 44 years and Larry is a retired police lieutenant. The Millers live in
Southern California, and have two grown children and one grandson. Visit them
at www.LarryAndKathy.com. Kathy blogs at www.KathyCollardMiller.com.
Never
Ever Be the Same
is available at your local Christian bookstore and in both print and digital
versions at:
Lori Hatcher has just the thing. Her new book called, Hungry for God, Starving for Time: 5 Minute Devotionals for Busy Women has just published. And, you can win a Kindle copy. Lori has lots of fun ways to win prizes so be sure to check those out too - including a special link to enter a drawing for a Kindle Fire HD 7.
My guest today is Kathy Collard Miller. Her newest book, Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries has just released.
I've invited her to share a little about worry...something I can relate to. How about you? Be sure to leave a comment for Kathy and be entered for a chance to win a copy.
Worry Can't Change Others
by Kathy Collard Miller
There’s something deep inside of us that
believes worry can change others. If someone we love has a different
perspective than we do, we worry. If someone we love has a different belief
about God, we worry. If someone we love has a character flaw, we worry. We just
know their wrong thinking will mess up their lives. Some of these worries may truly seem
“worthy” of worry. Your mother may not know Christ as her Savior, and she has
cancer. Your son may be on the street taking drugs. Your friend may demonstrate
a lack of integrity at work. Another friend drives while intoxicated. You may
have tried to reason, cajole, quote Scripture, even manipulate each person into
changing their ideas and their behavior, but nothing has worked—not even
prayer. God hasn’t changed them either. You fear something bad, really bad, is
going to happen. Even if it’s not a matter of something
really bad occurring, we can easily take responsibility for someone else’s
happiness and then respond in an unhealthy way. I recognized that possibility
as we walked through the grief process with my mother-in-law, Audrey. My husband's parents, Don and Audrey,
were married for sixty-two years and in all that time, Audrey was only alone
overnight for fewer than twenty nights—total. Even when Don was away during two
different wars, Audrey’s mother lived with her. Four or five months before Don
passed away, Audrey remarked to me, “If something happens to Don, I don’t know
if I can live alone.” Then about a month later she commented, “I’ve been
thinking about living alone and I think I can do it.” I was so proud of her. The first night of Don’s
hospitalization, Audrey stayed in our home. The next day she surprised us with
her spunk, saying she wanted to return to her own home. I volunteered to spend
the night at her home, but she said, “No, I have to get used to it.” And she
did, even after Don died a week later. But that doesn’t mean I didn't worry
about her loneliness. During the first two weeks we made sure she had something
to do with us every day. But realizing we couldn’t keep that up for long, I
wondered how she would cope. In my prayer time I prayed verses for
Audrey dealing with the topic of loneliness. I began praying Psalm 146:9 for
her: “The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the
widow; But He thwarts the way of the wicked” (NASB). Unexpectedly, I thought, I
shouldn’t try to fill the place the Lord wants in her life. Wow—that hit me hard. In my worry about
her loneliness, I had begun to feel responsible to make sure she wasn’t lonely.
I wrote in my journal: “I can try to be there too much. She could depend upon
me and/or Larry instead of looking to You, Lord. Help me, Father, to resist the
compulsion to ‘be there’ for her too much.” When I told Larry about what the Lord
had revealed to me, I jokingly (but with some seriousness) quipped, “God
doesn’t want me to be your mom’s grief savior.” If I had continued to worry
about her, I could have easily become that. And I’d be good at it because I so
easily take responsibility for the happiness of others. When I talked to Audrey later that day,
she enthusiastically said, “Guess what Chuck Swindoll talked about on his radio
program today?” “What, Mom
Audrey?” “Loneliness. It
really ministered to me.” I laughed. God had come through. I didn’t need to be in
charge of making sure she wasn’t lonely. Of course, she’s going to be
lonely—she’s alone for the first time in her life. We certainly are going to
help her, but she should primarily look to God, not us. Otherwise, she’ll draw
too close to us and not closer to God.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this....How has God met you or someone you know in the midst of your worry? ~ Kathy
Want to be entered for the drawing for Kathy's book? Share a time when worry had an impact on your life. How have you discovered more of God's care even when worry threatened to overwhelm you? We will announce the winner on November 11, 2013.
BOOK SUMMARY AND BIOGRAPHY:
It is possible to worry
less through trusting God more. Regardless of the storms of trials,
temptations, worry, uncertainty, confusion, or regrets that you're facing, you
can trust God more. Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries offers a
conversational style, personal testimonies, practical illustrations, and solid
biblical teaching for breaking anxiety and the devastating effects of worry.
Each chapter includes Discussion Questions for individuals or groups, along
with a “Letter from God.” In addition, a profile of a woman in the Bible who
struggled with or experienced victory over worry is featured in each chapter to
inspire every reader to see God's hand in her life.
Kathy Collard Miller is a
speaker and author. Her passion is to inspire women to trust God more. She has
spoken in 30 states and 7 foreign countries. Kathy has 49 published books
including Women of the Bible: Smart Guide to the Bible (Thomas Nelson)
and she blogs at www.KathyCollardMiller.blogspot.com. Kathy lives in Southern
California with her husband of 43 years, Larry, and is the proud grandma of Raphael.
Kathy and Larry often speak together at marriage events and retreats.
Order a copy of Kathy's book in paperback or Ebook here:
I am teaching at the New England Christian Writer's Retreat and so I have asked Emily Wickham to share her heart with us this week. This topic is one that causes my heart to beat too--leading me to be involved in our local crisis pregnancy center, Women's Center of Northeast Connecticut. I believe the Lord weeps over these little ones...I know I do.
"Will we stand for life wherever God places us?" ~ Emily Wickham
"...
blood is on their hands ... when they had slaughtered their children for their
idols...” Ezekiel 23:37, 39
Wooden
stakes laced with plastic orange netting decorated the beach. Early morning
caretakers diligently visited these areas where sea turtle eggs awaited
hatching. An exciting time, the arrival of these creatures clearly classified
as an eagerly anticipated event.
" ...
It is illegal to harm ... sea turtle eggs...”
I stared at
the sign. Processing the stern warning that included potential prosecution, I
contemplated this law of protection for sea turtles. Inescapably I thought of
this irony: it's illegal to harm a sea turtle egg ... but perfectly legal to
destroy human life within a mother's womb. Oh, how this must break God's heart.
God
eternally exists as Creator of life. Before mankind, He designed exquisite
angelic beings. In the garden, He formed man from dust and fashioned woman from
man's side. Almighty God excels in intricate detail and skillful construction
obviously delights Him. Originating in His immense mind, all things
living--including sea turtles to humans--express His creative genius. Yet we
have irreverently, rebelliously, selfishly interfered.
Oh, how
abortion must break God's heart. Watching these little ones, whom He's uniquely
shaped into His image, heartlessly destroyed invokes intense grief. Surely He
weeps. Just as death's foul odor pervaded Lazarus' tomb, death's stench
presides over these graveyards in the womb. A travesty of epic proportions,
abortion annihilates whom God wants--a child--because for various reasons, a
human heart deems that child unwanted.
Aborted
children: wanted by God ... unwanted by mankind.
We as the
church remain accountable for our response to this disease of legalized death.
It's not about a woman's right to choose--the living God, the Creator Himself
already has chosen to initiate life.Will we idly stand by and look the other way? Or will we stand in the
gap--even on the sidewalk--lovingly reaching out to women and their unborn
children? Will we stand for life wherever God places us?
Dear family
in Christ, God has graciously given us the " ... ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting
their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
entreating through us..." (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
It's hard.
I've only participated in sidewalk ministry once. But I'm planning to return.
Not as a goody two-shoes Christian, but as a sinner saved by God's incredible
grace. Though my presence there is unwanted by the world, I go because it’s
wanted by God.
God doesn't
call every Christian to stand for life in the same way. Enormously creative,
He's gifted each of us to impart His truth distinctly. How is He leading you?
Emily
Wickham, founder of Proclaiming Him to Women Ministries, maintains a passion
for teaching God’s Word. Her PHtW blog, Mothers Like Me blog, Sophie Woman’s
Magazine column, and Daily Dose of Encouragement devotions allow her to reach
many with God’s truth. As a published author, conference organizer, and
speaker, she appreciates every opportunity to encourage and equip women by
exalting Christ. Emily welcomes contact and connection via Facebook at
www.facebook.com/emilywickham.author
Most
importantly, Emily cherishes her relationship with God and treasures her family
as gifts from His hand. Residing in western NC with her husband and their
children, she considers each day a blessing. A note from Jeanne: If you or someone you know have experienced an abortion--please know that there is forgiveness in Christ. Often, we keep this secret buried but when we bring it to the Light of Christ, He can bring healing. There is hope in the cross. There is counsel available so that you can be freed from unresolved feelings that arise after this experience. Contact your local Christian crisis pregnancy center for post abortion help. You are loved and prayed for....
This resource is available in both e-book and paperback format:
Linda Thomas is our guest blogger today--what a treat. She brings us her message, an analogy of marriage. All the girly-things we love and being the bride of Christ...a relationship that should be growing stronger every day. More Than A Wedding Day Who doesn't love a beautiful,
romantic wedding? Especially us girls! I, for one, am a complete girly-girl. I
love all the foo-foo, frilly, feminine things that make being female such FUN.
(Alliteration overkill?) Oh well!
From high tea at the Grand Floridian...
...to princess parties and ballet...
to my fairytale wedding day on a Caribbean island…
I simply adore being a girl. In fact, next to Christmas, my favorite holiday is
Valentine's Day; because in my girly ways I love the whole idea of love itself.
But candidly, if I were to hang my hat on this thinking, it would not be
healthy at all. Being in love with love doesn't bode well for enduring the relational
difficulties and conflict that are sure to arise. To put it bluntly, a lover of
love won't care as much about the person as much as what that person can
do for them.
As I was lunching with a friend this week, she made a sweet and meaningful
analogy about our relationship with Christ. In a nutshell, it's this:
Coming to faith in Christ = wedding day
Ongoing relationship with Christ = marriage
Frequently it seems many Christians associate their testimony with their
"wedding day" when they first came to Christ. But in reality, we are
to have an ongoing testimony - a marriage relationship with Christ - that will
continue to grow and thrive and transform us over time.
Now to be fair, it's absolutely a blast, and even important, to reflect on our
"wedding day" when we came to Christ. Just as those of us who are
married reflect on our wedding day - sometimes in an effort to rekindle that
first love we had for one another. But let's also make sure we aren't simply in
love with love where Christ is concerned. Ask yourself:
Am I in this relationship because of what Jesus can do for me?
When I do what he asks of me, do I expect him to do something good for me in
return?
When things go poorly, do I turn my back on him?
Am I striving to cultivate a relationship with Jesus; to really know him more?
If our only testimony is to tout how awesome our wedding day was, it's time to
get busy building the testimony of our marriage relationship. After all, it's
during the daily ups and downs; joys and heartaches; victories and failures
where true intimacy happens - and the true love story comes to life. Our
relationship with Jesus is to be an ongoing testimony of an on-fire love life.
And that's what this girly girl finds both irresistibly attractive and
delightfully satisfying about life with Jesus. It's so much more than a wedding
day...
I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the
clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a
bride with her jewels. {Isaiah 61:10} Linda
Linda Thomas is the author of a 6-week Bible study titled, In Step with the Spirit – A life of passion,power, and purpose. Having been set free from decades of sin and shame,
Linda’s love for God has developed into an unwavering commitment to understand
and apply God’s word with simplicity to the real, and often difficult,
circumstances of life. She resides in Indianapolis, IN, with her husband Mick;
and is a loving mom and stepmom to Jensen (now serving in the U.S. Air Force),
Jordan, Noelle, Ben, and Lauren.
Gloria Ashby is a wonderful storyteller and my guest blogger today. Thank you, Gloria for offering your gift to us and letting your light shine.
Image courtesy of Morguefile.com
The child's wavy blond hair fell around her face
as she peered into the hole carved into the top of the pumpkin. "Gross.
Isn't this clean enough? It's icky. Isn't there enough room for the light?"
she whined to her brother, who kneeled close by and bent over his own pumpkin
with both hands thrust inside.
Remembering my past pumpkin carving rituals, I
paused in the middle of sorting pansies to see if someone would rescue the
child and finish the task for her.
"Not clean enough," the brother
declared after examining his sister's pumpkin. The girl rolled her eyes, sat
back on her heels and sighed, tossing her scoop to the ground. Her brother
shrugged his shoulders and returned to his own pumpkin preparation. She'd get
no help from him.
The girl's mom paused from leaf raking and
glanced toward her children.
Ahh, mom to the rescue, I assumed. Wrong.
Mom leaned on her rake where she stopped her
yard work. She encouraged her daughter to continue. "Scrape it clean — all
the way to the walls. Get all the seeds and stringy stuff out."
"Why?" the child still resisted the
disgusting task.
"So you can put the candle inside and let
the light shine through."
The young girl cocked her head, as if
considering whether she wanted a light in her pumpkin. After 60 seconds of
weighing options, her wrinkled forehead relaxed. She picked up her scoop and
kneeled to finish cleaning the pumpkin's icky insides.
Microsoft clip art
"Now I'm done," the child's voice
drifted with the breeze into my yard. I watched the father round the corner
from back of the house and walk over to the newspaper full of pumpkin goo. He
inspected his daughter's work, nodded and smiled as if to say, "Well
done." Then, without a word, he lowered himself to the ground and began to
carve the pumpkin's face through which the light would shine.
In that moment, I
understood the Father's call on my life. Only when I choose to be emptied of the
goo of self-will, self-control, and self-love, can God transform me to make a difference.
The more I empty myself of the goo, the more room I make for Him to fill me
with His Holy Spirit. I am called to do as my young neighbor did ... to hand my
life to the Father and let Him shape me into the person He created me to be.
But first, I must
choose to empty myself. To make room for His Light.
"You are the light of the world...let
your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your
Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14, 16, NIV).
Gloria Ashby's passion for teaching began at the age of five with stuffed animals as her audience. Drawing from over 20 years experience, Gloria speaks with wit and wisdom to faith-based as well as professional business groups. She is a Christian Communicators graduate and contributing author to Love is a Verb, The Heavenly Company, and The Plight Before Christmas. Her stories appear in The Secret Place, The White's Chapel Herald, and several Chicken Soup for the Soul publications. Gloria lives in Texas with her husband, Jim. They have one daughter who lives close by with her husband and four dogs. Find more of Gloria's speaking topics and reflections at her website, www.gloriaashby.com. Email Gloria at gloria.ashby7@gmail.com
Today's Featured Resource will help you to reflect God's light in your world:
Back cover: "Christians can and ought to be the movers and shakers of social change -- 'roaring lambs' who infiltrate and make an impact on their workplace and world with their faith."
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