Christian Living Blog

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. Philippians 4:11

Not all running is fleeing away when it comes to fear. Sometimes we’re the pursuers. For fear makes us doubt God’s love and His ability to provide for us. So we decide to take care of ourselves, running for all we’re worth to chase down our wants and our desires.

If I could only be there, if I could only have that, we think, then I would be happy. Satan dangles our “if onlys” in front of our faces like a carrot in front of an old, worn-out nag. And we respond, galloping after our dreams day and night, only to find, when we get there, that “there” has moved—and happiness and fulfillment remain out of reach.

God’s kingdom is not like that. He doesn’t tempt and tease or ruthlessly hunt us down. Instead, He simply asks us to trust Him, and He provides. “The Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion,” Isaiah 30:18 promises. “Blessed are all who wait for him!”

What a difference. Running from our fears and chasing our dreams bring us nothing but anxiety and frustrated hopes. But waiting on the Lord not only renews our strength (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV); it also brings us everything we need.

It may not happen according to our timetable, but God will come through. In fact, Deuteronomy 28:2 says, “All these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God” (NKJV).

Did you catch that? Instead of your pursuing blessings—blessings will pursue you! Now, that’s an amazing promise. For as you choose faith over fear, you’ll experience a holy makeover that not only removes your worry lines but refreshes your heart and meets your needs.

An inner beauty treatment that goes far beyond skin-deep.
—Having a Mary Spirit

Read: Psalm 34:4–10

Reflect: List the blessings that result from looking to God for what you need.

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver. Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Weaver. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Psalm 33:22

Nothing is more detrimental than allowing the stone of unbelief to wedge itself between us and the heart of God. I appreciate the honesty with which Ann Spangler writes of her struggle to truly believe in the love of God.

I have never found it easy to believe in God’s love for me, except perhaps in the first days and weeks of my conversion…Nearly every prayer in those days was answered, sometimes wondrously. I remember thinking that the problem with many people was that they expected so little from a God who was prepared to give so much.

But years passed and something happened. It wasn’t one thing but many….It was tests of faith [and…] sins accruing. It was disappointments and difficulties beyond comprehending. All these heaped together like a great black mound, casting a shadow over my sense that God still loved me, still cared for me as tenderly as when he had first…won my heart.

In an attempt to recapture that sense of God’s love, Ann went back to the promises of the Bible. Unfortunately, “like many people who tend to be selfcritical,” she writes, “I find it easier to absorb the harsher sounding passages in the Bible…Somehow, the tender words seem to roll right off me, much like water that beads up and rolls off a well-waxed automobile.”

But Ann persisted. Over the next year, she immersed herself in the Word of God, allowing truth to wash over her until God’s love stopped being a concept and started to feel like a reality.

“Act as though God loves you,” a friend advised her. And that’s what Ann did. She put the full force of her mind behind believing the truth, exercising her faith rather than depending on her feelings. And the stone of unbelief began to roll away.
—Lazarus Awakening

Read & Reflect: Using a concordance or Bible website, look up several verses on the love of God. Write them out, then choose one to memorize.

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver. Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Weaver. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

When discouragement breaks down our perspective and dismantles our defenses, it causes us to say and do things we would never consider saying or doing otherwise. Though we may have just completed great things for God, weary discouragement tells us we’re useless, hopeless, and abandoned.

Elijah felt that kind of discouragement. Having just won a mighty victory over the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18), Elijah had been flying high. But when Jezebel took out a contract on Elijah’s life, the wicked queen’s haughty words brought the mighty prophet back to earth with a thud. Less than a day after holy fire fell from heaven—proving once and for all that God was God—Elijah was running for his life.

“Don’t you care?” Elijah asked God as he sat trembling under the broom tree in the desert. “I have had enough, Lord,” he whimpered in 1 Kings 19:4. “Take my life.” Just let me die.

Have you spent much time under the broom tree of self-pity? I have. It’s easy to find a shady spot and feel sorry for ourselves when we’re distracted and discouraged. Especially when we run up against unexpected opposition. Especially when it feels like we’re running for our lives.

In the dictionary you’ll find self-pity stuck between self-perpetuating and selfpollinating. I had to laugh when I saw it, because it’s so true. I happen to be an expert on the subject. Being quite the hostess myself, I throw pity parties fairly regularly. Trouble is, no one wants to come. Self-pity is a lonely occupation.
—Having a Mary Heart

Read: 1 Samuel 30:1–6

Reflect: Like Elijah, David faced a terrible, not-so-good day. Rather than giving into self-pity, what did David do?

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver. Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Weaver. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Do not be afraid or discouraged…for there is a greater power with us than with him. 2 Chronicles 32:7

We all get sidetracked by distraction, dipping down now and then into discouragement and doubt. The secret is not to stay there. Here are several ways you can beat the downward spiral of the Deadly Ds in your life.

• Allow for rest stops. Discouragement is often our body’s way of saying, “Stop! I need rest.” Try taking a nap or getting to bed a little earlier. It’s amazing how different things will look in the light of morning (Exodus 34:21).

• Get a new point of view. Take a few steps back and ask God to help you see His perspective on your situation. Often what seems to be an impassable mountain in our eyes is only a steppingstone in His (Isaiah 33:17).

• Have patience. It’s easy to get discouraged when things don’t go the way you planned. But if you’ve committed your concerns to the Lord, you can be sure He is at work, even when you don’t see His hand (Romans 8:28).

• Mingle. Discouragement feeds off isolation. Get out of the house! Go visit some friends. It’s amazing how good old-fashioned fellowship can lift our spirits and chase away the blues (Psalm 133:1).

• Set the timer. Okay. So things aren’t so good. I’ve found it helpful to set the oven timer and allow ten minutes for a good cry. But when the buzzer sounds, I blow my nose, wipe my eyes, and surrender my situation to the Lord so I can move on (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
—Having a Mary Heart

Read & Reflect: Read each of the verses mentioned above. Which one do you need most today?

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver. Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Weaver. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Joanna Weaver, the best-selling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, Having a Mary Spirit, and Lazarus Awakening, has written a new devotional featuring excerpts from her bestselling books. At the Feet of Jesus: Daily Devotions to Nurture a Mary Heart, features 365 daily readings that will draw you closer to the heart of Jesus.

For the next two weeks, Monday – Friday, we’ll be sharing excerpts from At the Feet of Jesus. I hope they whet your appetite for taking a further look at this devotional resource from Joanna Weaver.

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He chose us…to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4, 6, NKJV

The good news is woven through the New Testament in a grace-filled strand that shines especially bright in the gospel stories of Mary and Martha. The message is this: salvation isn’t about what I do; it’s about what Jesus did.

The cross did more than pay for my sins; it set me free from the bondage of the “shoulds” and “if onlys” and “what might have beens.” And Jesus’s words to Martha are the words He wants to speak to your heart and mine: “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed” (Luke 10:41–42).

The “one thing” is not found in doing more.

It’s found by sitting at His feet.

Catch that: Mary sat at His feet. She didn’t move a muscle. She listened. She didn’t come up with clever responses or a doctrinal thesis. Her gift was availability. (In the end, I believe that was Martha’s gift as well.)

The only requirement for a deeper friendship with God is showing up with a heart open and ready to receive. Jesus invites us to come and rest, to spend time with Him in Living Room Intimacy. Intimacy that allows us to be honest in our complaints, bold in our approach, and lavish in our love. Intimacy that allows us to hear our Father’s voice and discern our Father’s will. Intimacy that so fills us with His love and His nature that it spills out to our dry, thirsty world in Kitchen Service.

In the Living Room. That’s where it all begins. Down at His feet.
—Having a Mary Heart

Read: Jeremiah 29:12–13

Reflect: What does God promise will happen when we seek Him?

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver. Copyright © 2012 by Joanna Weaver. Excerpted by permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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A couple of weeks ago I spoke to best-selling author and prayer warrior Stormie Omartian. We talked about her newest book, Lead Me Holy Spirit: Longing to Hear the Voice of God, in which she explores how the Spirit is integral to the Christian life and how He leads, guides and empowers followers of Jesus. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to the interview with Stormie.

Listen to Interview

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Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Heaven Answer Book, in which Billy Graham lends his reassuring expertise and a compassionate heart while answering questions about our future and final home! To enter click Here.

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Crystal Paine is the wife of Jesse and mommy to three little children (Kathrynne was born in 2005, Kaitlynn in 2007, and Silas, born in May of 2009). She is a homeschool graduate, and sister to six.

When Crystal is not homeschooling her daughters, bargain-shopping, or blogging, she enjoys tweaking recipes and baking big batches of things for the freezer, engaging in thought-provoking discussions, trying to keep up with politics, indulging in dark chocolate, drinking a hot cup of tea while reading a good book, or spending a quiet day at home with her family.

 Six Ways Moms Can Contribute to Their Family’s Finances
By Crystal Paine, author of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget

1) Set Up and Follow a Grocery Budget

It’s amazing what the simple act of creating and sticking with a grocery budget can do for your family’s finances. If you’ve never had a grocery budget before, I’d recommend going with a ballpark figure of $20 per person per week to start out with. Then, slowly work on lowering it by 1-3% each month.

Take your budgeted grocery amount out in cash at the beginning of each month and only bring that with you to the store (leave the debit card, credit card, and check book at home). This provides instant self-discipline because when the money’s gone, it’s gone.

2) Plan a Menu

A grocery budget is a wonderful thing, but it’s usually the menu plan that enables you to be successful at sticking with your grocery budget. Not only does having a plan and working the plan encourage you to make dinner instead of heading through the drive-thru lane or ordering pizza, but you can also plan inexpensive meals based upon what ingredients you already have on hand or are on sale at the store.

3) Use Your Freezer

Your freezer can become of your best money-saving friends. You can use it to store extra produce you got in season at a rock-bottom price, you can use it to store meat you purchased in bulk, and you can use it to keep freezer meals at-the-ready for last-minute dinners.

Many people are turned off by the thought of freezer cooking because they envision it entails mushy freezer-burnt casseroles. While casseroles are a quick and easy thing to make ahead and stick in your freezer, there are so many other non-casserole options when it comes to freezer cooking.

You can brown hamburger or bake and chop chicken and freeze it, you can put together baking mixes, you can make sauces and marinades to freeze, you can chop and freeze veggies for stir fries… the possibilities are near endless!

4) Stay Home More

There’s no arguing the fact that the less you shop, the less you buy. The more you can learn to enjoy and find productive ways to occupy your time at home, the more money you’ll save.

Being a one-car family for a few years taught me to appreciate and enjoy the quietness of just being home a lot. There’s so much you can learn and do–without ever leaving your doorstep!

Some ideas: Read good books, learn new skills, try your hand at new recipes and do-it-yourself ideas, follow a few blogs that inspire you, write handwritten cards of encouragement, get to know your neighbors, or invite people into your home for a Bible study or book club.

5) Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

Want an almost fix for your discontentment? Stop comparing yourself to others around you.

You’ll always find someone who has a seeming better situation than you, but wishing you were them doesn’t change that you are you. The sooner you can embrace your lot in life–no matter the struggles–the sooner you’ll start experiencing true joy and contentment.

6) Choose Gratitude

Finally, adopt a thankful, grateful spirit for the life you are living. It might not be the life of your dreams, it might seem overwhelmingly hard right now, but a grateful spirit–even in the midst of hardship–can change your whole outlook on life. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for!

You can also enter to win a Free Copy of The Money Saving Mom’s Budget on Christianbook.com from April 30th – May 14th. To enter to win, click Here.

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Since 2003, thousands of women have been directly impacted by Sandy’s marriage teachings, attending Beautiful Womanhood small groups led by marriage mentors, and applying The Beautiful Wife mentoring curriculum. This curriculum is a powerful resource praised by bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn as “an incredible handbook that every woman needs.”

Sandy and her husband Tom have been married since 1980 and live near Grand Rapids, Michigan.  They have three adult children and a growing number of grandchildren.  When not writing and speaking, Sandy enjoys shopping at yard sales for vintage clothing, cooking, travelling, and drinking really good coffee, (black is best) with her husband.

Power for a Breakthrough
by Sandy Ralya

At times, nothing short of a breakthrough was needed to supply me with much-needed hope to endure a difficult phase of life. Chances are you understand what I’m talking about.

When Tom and I found ourselves unable to get on the same page concerning issues that had plagued our marriage for years, fasting broke up the logjam of our disunity—and I’m not using the word logjam lightly here! Early in our marriage, my husband was egocentric and self-absorbed and I struggled with sexual abuse issues, both of which contributed to a messy marriage largely void of harmony. Believe me, I tried everything I could think of to regain unity with my husband, but not one log budged. Experts say the best way to break up a logjam is dynamite, and we needed the relational equivalent to break down our marital barriers. Fasting provided the explosive power we needed.

What is a fast? Before I describe what fasting is, I want to explain what it is not. Fasting is not going without food or particular foods for a certain length of time. That’s dieting. Fasting is removing food or a certain food or drink from your life for a spiritual purpose. During the fast, time is spent seeking God about your particular struggle(s).

When I was fasting for my marriage, I would:

• Read the Bible daily
• Sit quietly with a journal to capture any thoughts or impressions that came to my mind
• Thank God for all He’d done and was going to do for me
• Pray morning, noon, and night seeking God for the answers to my problems (even if 5 minutes)

Don’t allow your hectic schedule to stand between you and your breakthrough. We all have a choice when it comes to our extracurricular activities. If you have health issues which you think may prevent you from fasting, consult your doctor about foods that could be eliminated from your diet without experiencing any negative effects.  Whatever you choose to fast, select a food or beverage that you love to eat or drink—one which you turn to for comfort.  Every time you’re tempted to reach for that item, you’ll be reminded to spend time with God instead.  It may be difficult at first, but once you’ve tasted the comfort you receive from spending time with Jesus, you’ll become addicted!

While fasting, God speaks to me about me.  As I journal, He reveals His love for me as well as things about me that need to be changed or implemented in my life.  When I obey—when I do what I can do—God does what I cannot. He steps in and works change in me, as well as in the people and events that touch my life.  There have been times when I’m the only one who changes…but it’s enough to fill me with increased hope, strength and dignity which ultimately gives me the peace I crave.

Do you need a break-through?  Fasting will shatter your toughest obstacles.

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Debora M. Coty is an inspirational humorist, popular speaker, and award-winning author of 13 books, including More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming Your Inner Ogre, and Too Blessed to be Stressed.  Deb lives and loves in central Florida with her husband Chuck and her pooch Fenway.

The Annoyance of Forgiveness
by Debora M. Coty

Why on earth would that woman want a meeting with me? I hung up the phone, puzzled. Maureen had long been dissing me, ignoring my phone calls and e-mails, walking past me at church like I was invisible, snubbing invitations to my local book events and speaking engagements. She’d disagreed with nearly everything I said or did for the past ten years.

And now she wanted to take me to lunch? Go figure.

I felt completely justified arming my inner guard with an attitude Uzi as we sat across a cozy table from one another and ordered salads. I was prepared for her attack.

When the server left, Maureen took a sip of water and then, of all unexpected things, teared up. To my absolute flabbergastation, she confessed that she had treated me badly because as a wannabe author, she’d been jealous of my writing success.

Then the air was completely sucked out of my guts when she quietly added, “I’d like to ask for your forgiveness.”

What? I screamed inwardly. You want my forgiveness? Forget it, Sugar. You hurt my feelings so many times I’ve lost count. You don’t deserve forgiveness!

My knee-jerk reaction shocked me. Wasn’t I a Christ-follower? Didn’t Christ himself say, “Forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too”? (MARK 11:25, NLT).

But forgiveness doesn’t come naturally in our revenge-glorified world. Because it’s often impossible without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, and because we feed off the power of one-upping someone who did us wrong, forgiving and accepting forgiveness are unique qualities in today’s society. Even among Christians.

I was stunned to realize that I really didn’t want to forgive Maureen. I felt comfortable in my long-term grudge state and was actually annoyed that she threw this surprise twist in our relationship. But I was supposed to forgive her, wasn’t I? It was the Jesus thing to do. Even if I didn’t feel forgiveness in my heart, I could state it with my lips and pray that my heart would follow.

Sometimes it’s hard to remember that how we feel has nothing to do with forgiveness. We forgive as an act of the will, because God commands us to, not because of feelings. If we wait to feel like it, we’ll never forgive anybody.

The act of forgiveness enables God to perform a mysterious and profound work of grace in us. The healing process begins – first inwardly, in our own heart, then outwardly, in the broken relationship with our offender.  As we release others from the hurt they’ve caused us, our own hurt is released. Anger stops holding us prisoner. Resentment no longer corrodes our intimacy with God.

And you know what? After I forgave Maureen verbally that day, I eventually did feel that grudge boulder begin to crumble. It wasn’t overnight; it was a process, but crumble it did.

Are there any grudge boulders inside of you that need to be obliterated?

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