God’s Not Wringing His Hands

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God’s Not Wringing His Hands;

He’s not frantic, or worried or scared;

He’s carefully unfolding His perfect plan

While seeing if we are prepared

To call out evil and sin;

To beckon others to come;

To be forgiven and restored,

By Jesus, the Only One

Who can take all our mess and regret

And turn it all out for our good,

To be the impetus we must need,

To make things be as they should.

So tremble not, fellow believer;

Fear not for what lies ahead;

For Satan, the terrible deceiver 

Was defeated when Jesus bled;

When He died and rose He accomplished – 

All that was needed, He faced

To meet His Father’s rightful wrath,

And give us His Mercy and Grace!

So cheer up, fellow believer!

The fight has already been won!

No longer a slave to sin, death or fear ~

They’re defeated in Jesus, God’s Son!

Go boldly, with truth, love and mercy;

Tell of His infinite love;

Given to all who accept Him by faith,

While granting us strength from above.

Is sickness yours to contend with?

Is it death you immediately face? 

The Hope for the Christ-filled Believer 

Is God’s love and His limitless grace;

Satan, the terrible deceiver

Will steal all our joy if he can;

This world is not our brightest or best;

Our God has a much better plan.

No matter the furious trial, 

Regardless the certain demise;

This life cannot hold, keep or harm us

We who are given new eyes;

To see our promising future –

Wondrous and beyond compare!

Full of our Father’s perfect rest;

His riches and love: Ours to share!

So cheer up, fellow believer!

We’ve all that we need for the fight;

And one day, soon, after this world,

Everything WILL be made Right! 

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Helping loved ones through Grief

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I am still very much in this world…but with the passing of several dear ones lately, it occurred to me that NOW, while I am still alive, I have the ability to do at least some small things that might bring a measure of comfort to the hearts of those I love. Were I to pass suddenly, I might even be instrumental in helping them keep their sights firmly where they ought to remain. Purposefully living, while loving fully…

My Dearest: You are a Survivor.

There is surely pain in the realization, because right now, if you are reading this, you more likely feel alone, abandoned and afraid.

But be assured, my precious one: you are not.

Whatever befell me was simply my doorway into Eternity with Jesus – and you need to draw comfort from knowing with absolute certainty that I am whole, healed and happy – and rejoicing with Jesus! I Thes. 4:13-18

Believe me, I understand how you are feeling – that’s why I am writing this reminder to you – for you to find when I am gone, that it might bring you comfort in your grief.

I love you. You must know that of all the gifts from God’s good hand, that of Family has been the very dearest to me!

And so, at this low point, in this trial, I want to linger a bit with you. I wish I could stroke your hair and dry your tears…but through these words, I pray I might offer help to your hurting heart. Oh my loved one – do not despair! We have such a glorious Hope!

As I write this, my mind fills with memories of happy times, so many days bright with promise…what a marvel, really, that in a sin cursed world there can still be JOY – Isn’t that a remarkable gift from God?? Oh honey: embrace LIFE and all it has to offer! Do not be dismayed, defeated or lose hope…Satan would love to shake your faith. Surely doubt follows pain – but you must remain steadfast in your Trust. You must see the Possibilities – what man sees as tragic, senseless, futile and Final, God in His Sovereignty has already victoriously defeated. So Death, in His hand is just a tool – to build a platform from which we can proclaim His sufficiency, His sustaining Power and His comfort. The truth is that trials and hardships ought to be used (and often are!) as a wake up call to those who have wandered, or have let their faith dim… (Yes, I know I am lecturing now – permit me this small indulgence – now that I’ve passed, it will be my last J)

Where was I? Oh yes – reminding you, my treasured one, that you must make the most of the opportunity afforded you by my passing. You will have no end of those sympathizing with you – after all, such a loss of our loved ones brings out great compassion in people.

Let their affections warm your heart; do not close yourself off from the reach of Comfort. Grieving without hope is left to those who have none – but that is not US – we have Hope!

I guess that is the crux of what I want to say…and yet, while I am still afforded time, I will write a bit more, that the looping figures on these pages might themselves bring a small amount of peace to you…like an old recipe written out by a loved one – not only does the actual dish offer a remembered joy, but the familiar scrawl as well, brings a smile to the one who misses the owner’s hand.

We have shared plenty of conversations through the years for you to be grounded in the knowledge of the Gospel. You must continue the work – the task and joy of sharing the Good News with others who need yet to hear of it. It is every Believer’s obligation to carry on the proclamation of God’s salvation through the cross of Jesus…and we – you and I together – will have Eternity to rejoice and revel in His provision, love and grace.

Together…isn’t that such a lovely word? This parting of ours is temporary – only for a while – oh, what a comfort we can have knowing that Christ bore separation from His Father while on the cross, to make possible the fact that we will be together forever! Amazing!

And so, though death holds us for a brief second, and we grieve its sting, it is a temporary pain, a necessary reminder to the fact that our sin cursed world groans in agony.

Aren’t you so grateful, my dear one, that “we have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened to the Rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep, in the Savior’s love”?!

You’ll be humming that one for the rest of the day, I bet. J

What more can be said? I began by calling you a Survivor – for that is what you are…I like that term – it’s not necessarily ‘heroic’, though it could be. I think I like that within it is the very essence of ‘one who rises above their circumstances’. Life is full of tragedy. Uncertainty and danger lie all around us – human beings have a tendency to try to skirt all threats and snares – and understandably so…

BUT the believer in Jesus has the steadying truth that God is IN CONTROL.

Do you remember my quote, “Do not worry…God has already measured out all the days needed for you to get done whatever He has called you to do, so take time to do things well, and as unto Him.”?  Well, I thoroughly enjoyed each day measured out to me, with the pleasure and joy of walking my journey with YOU, my treasured family by my side.

“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” II Tim 4:8

I love you. May you always know how deeply thankful I am to God for giving me the gift of you! I could fill pages more with a steady flow of praise for you! (In fact, be sure to read my journals, the baby books where I related many wonderful stories that you’ll want to remember and pass along – oh and my prayer journal, and the basketfuls of cards and notes and letters…I’ve left enough material for you to be reading for months. J)

I only hope that your discovery of this letter has brought you some healing, my darling… There is a delicious little thrill in my heart knowing that this awaits your discovery. I seal it with a prayer that you find great comfort in this, our final time ‘together’ on this side of Heaven’s Gate.

Know that I’ll be looking for you when your time comes ~ and we will delight together, forevermore! Now dry your tears ~ LIFE Awaits you! And it’s a wonderful Gift from our Father’s loving hand! Live it out fully, for Him and you won’t regret a moment…

All my love,

Sarah

Wife, Mom, Daughter, Sister, and Friend, but mostly,

Follower of Jesus Christ, my Savior

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Being a Truth Teller

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It doesn’t always matter what you think.

Do you believe that? That there are some things not up for ‘debate’?

For example, wouldn’t it be foolish to argue against the fact of gravity? Although there may have been a time where people couldn’t explain how it works, or have an actual word to ascribe to it, nonetheless, gravity exists. Wouldn’t it sound ridiculous to hear someone say, “I don’t believe in a natural pull that causes mass to fall towards the earth, and keeps us from flying off into space”? Yes, it would. Some things are simply factual.

But what if that person were to say, “but that’s what I believe. You can’t question my opinion. It’s how I feel”? Would we rush to accommodate their belief, to try to make them feel that their “opinion” on the subject held value; or would the loving thing be to tell them the truth, “It doesn’t matter what you think about it, the fact is that gravity does exist, whether you want it to or not. You need to change your way of thinking.”

We would want to move toward that person, and share truth with them, desiring them to come to a place of understanding, wouldn’t we?

That is what our response should also be toward people who deny the existence of God, or the fact that He has a standard of righteousness, by which all who are not found in Christ will be judged. Those of us who have put our trust in Jesus stand in his righteousness, not our own.

Psalm 14:1 tells us that, “the fool says in his heart, ‘there is no God.’” God calls the person who refuses to accept the truth of His existence, a “fool”.

Rather than rushing to affirm them and make them feel like their ‘belief’ holds value, it ought to cause us to lovingly correct their incorrect thinking, pointing them to the truth that a loving God created them, with a glorious purpose and value. But our own sin has separated us from Him.

The rebelliousness in human hearts is called sin. The refusal to look at things God’s way: sin. Choosing corrupt life patterns: sin. Seeking to come up with alternative methods to Heaven outside of His revealed plan: sin.

What hope has anyone, to break free from the grip of sin? The only way that God provided: through the blood of Jesus, shed on the cross, for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 That is the Good News of the Gospel! God sent hope for sinners into the world – and his name is Jesus!

Are we lovingly sharing with hurting people the fact that Jesus loves them, and died for sinners, so that those who put their faith in him can escape the coming judgment of God’s wrath? Those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus must use our time well, sharing the truth with men and women who need to hear this Good News. We need to be praying that hearts will be convicted of sin, minds be opened to understand truth, and souls have their eternal destination changed.

We don’t change the standard; we ask God to change the hearts of those who don’t yet understand the truth.

Paul instructed Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

Are we prepared with the message that offers life? Its a privilege to share in the ministry of the gospel that brings salvation to all who hear and are changed by it’s message… let us be about our Father’s business, and tellers of the truth, while there is still time.

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Broken by pain, mended by God

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Her confession that came to my ears delivered a crushing blow to my gut. Unsuspected. Unforeseen. Unbearable.

I was devastated.

Where could one even go from there? Where to find any hope? Any healing? 

The beginning of that journey brought me to my knees, renewed my trust in my Savior, and caused me to cling all the more to His Truths. Journaling was cathartic. And, it turned out, became the nugget at the core of a work of fiction, borne from our pain.

Still She Speaks, my first published work, was wrought from the discovery and the journey of healing that we went through with our precious daughter. God’s faithfulness surrounded us during those dreadfully dark months; my heart wavered between lamenting, and rejoicing. Some days, grief flooded hope. Other days, hope won. Pride toppled as I learned that even Love cannot forbid entry to sin. As a parent, I had to rethink the foundations of my trust – they’d been built on a flimsy platform of thinking “that couldn’t happen to us” and “my kids are doing great”. Truth came crashing in that day. And with it, the walls of pride fell down around me.

Oh – but HE is faithful! And together, we rebuilt my understanding of what it means to be a “Good Parent”. Instruction? Yes. Love? Certainly. But more than that – more than my modeling as best I could; more than serving and helping, praying and providing… Going deeper with God was a must. Trusting in His sovereign hand became my lifeline.

As I learned what it means to cling to Jesus, our daughter was also on her journey of healing and growing, and taking ownership of her own faith. As much as I wanted to – ached to! – have my ever deepening faith grafted into her own heart, I could not. It was something she was going to have to embrace on her own, and for herself. Thankfully, she did.

My journal sat on the shelf, successful in it’s initial goal of bringing me a sense of therapeutic healing. But in my spirit, I wondered, “Does God have a greater purpose in bringing us through this heartache? What if someone else can glean some encouragement from hearing this story?”

And so began the work that eventually became Still She Speaks. Overall, it is a work of fiction; certainly I draw a few things here and there to add the personal touches that make it mine; but mostly, it’s fiction. Excepting the core, the nugget that sits nestled in the middle of the story, poignantly reminding me that for all it’s highs and lows, characters and plots, joys, tears and sorrows – really, I guess, just like the timeline of life itself… we have a Hope, that the hurting world cannot understand. And His name is Jesus.

I pray that you are blessed hearing the back story of how this book came to be; and that you find tremendous blessing in reading my book. If you do, would you take a minute to share a word of how it ministered to you? Reviews left on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com are extremely helpful and very much appreciated! Thank you!

And if you have a word to share, or a journey you’ve been on that you have seen God’s faithfulness – let’s rejoice together! Or if you’re in the middle of a season of hurt, and need prayer – please leave a comment here – it would be my privilege to lift you up in prayer. (I won’t ever publish any comments that people prefer remain private – just mention it when you post)

May you be blessed, as we walk this journey of life, together. And let’s talk- you know – between friends.

 

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