“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people!” Luke 2:10

I am one who absolutely loves to deliver good news. I love the look of surprise and delight on the face of the recipient, even if the good news has nothing to do with me. I’m not looking for credit, I just like watching people being made happy.

But sometimes, especially lately, I get a less than delighted response. Sometimes the person I am telling good news will, in fact, get angry with me. Now I‘m the one who is surprised, and not pleasantly. (Has that ever happened to you?)

Case in point: A little less than two years ago, the nation was warned that a deadly disease was invading our country. The news predicted grim scenarios where people would be dropping like flies, and once-healthy people would fill intensive wards, gasping for their last breath. It seemed it was only a matter of time before each of us would be stricken.

The phrase “Follow the science” started being tossed around, and it sounded like a good idea. I am not a scientist, but I am married to a PhD engineer, a man who follows the science daily. And to him, “science” is data. When a dramatic story hits the news – usually something anecdotal designed to tug at our heartstrings or make us break out in a cold sweat – his response is to say coolly, “Show me the data.”

So I looked at the data early on, and I was immediately reassured to learn that this “deadly virus” had a survival rate of over 99.9%. That sounded like great news to me. I also learned that many, many people with this virus had little or no symptoms, and once they had recovered, they had natural immunity for some time. So, the available data pointed to a much better picture than what we were being presented on the nightly news.

I wanted to encourage people with the science, hoping to see looks of relief on their faces. Often, though, they would instead get visibly angry. I was accused (directly or via sarcasm) of not caring about people who were dying. Rather than being a bearer of good news, I was seen as insensitive and heartless.

For the record, I do care about those who have died or lost loved ones to the virus – I have prayed for many of them. I also care about those who have died in plane crashes, but I also know that with the millions of flights that daily reach their destination safely, the chances of dying in a plane crash are very small. Consequently, if someone next to me on a plane is visibly terrified, I will try to reassure that person that chances are excellent that we’re going to be just fine.

I haven’t tried to share statistics lately, but now that there is another item in the news that seems to be terrorizing people, I’ve got to share the good news I’ve heard.

This could even be an answer to our prayers, but are we paying attention?

There is a new “varrient” on the horizon, originating from South Africa. This varrient is reportedly spreading much faster than any of its predecessors.

[The predictable response: *instant panic!*]

But let’s mute the panic button for a moment. My husband, “show-me-the-data” Martin, was listening to a broadcast the other morning that presented all the statistics (data) from the past 24 hours, and the doctor presenting it seemed genuinely happy! Of course, I started to eavesdrop. 😉

According to “Dr. Campbell” on YouTube, this varrient has, in fact, extremely mild symptoms, if any. And the fact that it spreads so rapidly is actually a good thing! According to Dr. Campbell, at the rate the varrient is spreading and replacing the other most recent varrient, South Africa should reach herd immunity in a very short time. (Herd immunity is the state where the majority of a population has immunity to a disease.)

This is GOOD news, folks!!!

But that night on the American nightly news the anchors were, as usual, speaking in ominous tones, predicting widespread disease and more measures that might have to be taken, “for our protection.”.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve been in a prayer meeting and heard someone pray for an end to the p@ndemic, … I could go to a really nice restaurant for dinner. Could it be that God is answering our prayers before our eyes, and we’re so busy panicking that we can’t even see it, much less appreciate it?

I don’t know what I can do, other than try to spread the good news, and try not to be overwhelmed with frustration at the people who angrily refuse to receive it, because they are “following the science.” (Really?)

And now, on a more important topic, here’s the BEST news of all!

God loves you! Just think, the One who created the whole universe loves and cares about you! And while the “bad news” is that we’ve all “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), making us ineligible for eternal life, God has always known we’d fall short, and He has prepared a way of escape for us!

“The wages of sin is death.” We all have earned the death penalty for the sin we’ve committed, but Jesus, the Only Begotten Son of God, loved us enough to take that penalty on Himself, allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross He didn’t deserve. As Someone who is 100% innocent, His death paid for our crimes, so we can be forgiven and accepted by God and inherit eternal life! If we accept His gift, it’s ours! (Merry Christmas!)

We who follow Jesus have better things to do than live in fear (or frustration). Let’s keep spreading good news, especially the Good News. Some people may get angry with us, call us names, accuse us of anything and everything. But others may respond with joy and eagerness to accept the gift. Whether they accept or reject our message is not our responsibility. Jesus said “go and tell,” (Matthew 28:19) and we should be doing that and leaving the results to Him.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for dwelling in fear and complaints. You have given us the gift of life, and even more, the gift of Your life, to save our souls. May we not waste another moment wallowing in the lies of the enemy. Help us to spend our lives reveling in and sharing the Good News of Your love, in Jesus’ name, amen.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans. – Proverbs 16:3

“Give me six hours to cut down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

When I was on the board of an emerging Christian school, we had many, many things to discuss: electing officers, articles of incorporation, applying for tax-exempt status, mission statement, by-laws, hiring an administrator, teachers and staff, writing applications for these positions, writing student applications, curriculum, textbooks, ETC. I remember seeing the long agenda filled with things I had never done before and didn’t know if I could even understand what all that was. The first thought that came to mind was, What were we thinking? We can’t do this! The other board members seemed no more experienced or knowledgeable than I was, and yet this was the group the Lord allegedly had raised up to get His school started.

At our first meeting, with the night’s agenda looming over us, we began with prayer.

Correction: We began with silence. Awkward, extended silence. Finally, one of the board members spoke for all of us, and it was more of a groan than a prayer.

“Oh Lord, I feel SO inadequate…”

At that moment I thought, We’re going to make it. We were beginning at the right place, admitting that there was no way we could get this done. It was going to have to be God‘s doing.

At first we met several times a week, and meetings went until about 1:00 A.M. We had much to accomplish – like getting a building! – but we always began with about 30-40 minutes of prayer. Much was accomplished, but summer was passing quickly. After a while, we prayed “briefly” before the meetings, and one night the chairman said, “We have so much to do tonight, let’s just open with a quick word of prayer and get going.” After a “word” of prayer, the meeting continued with what seemed like a million complications, and by the wee hours of the morning, next to nothing had been accomplished.

This did not mean prayer wasn’t happening. I can personally attest to many sleepless nights and “prayer walks,” giving the school to the Lord, and at the end of the summer, we had everything we needed with the minor exception of a building. Then, at the last minute, a little Baptist church in a neighboring town approached us, having heard of our plight, held an emergency meeting, and decided unanimously to let us rent their building.

The school board met with their church board to decide rent, legalities, satisfying the fire marshal and building inspector, moving details, rules for use of the building, utilities, calendar, special events, shared equipment, who got keys to what … another L-O-N-G agenda.

But first, we prayed.

One by one the board members of the church and the school prayed fervently for God’s will to be known, for open, obedient hearts, for every child that would attend the school, for every teacher, administrator, staff member, and volunteer, for the families, for harmony between the school and the church (for the enemy to be prevented from dividing us) …

As the prayer went on … and on … God’s presence filled the room with a feeling of warmth, love, and unity. When we finished praying, I had tears in my eyes. Looking at the clock, I thought, This’ll be another late night. – We had prayed for over an hour and a half!

But after prayer, miraculously, we got everything worked out in about 30 minutes. Apparently, while it takes forever for us to get anything done on our own, God works fast!

A couple of years later my friend Kelly was also on the board, so I was no longer the only female voice. Kelly and I were prayer partners, and we knew that the less we felt we had time to pray, the more we had to pray.

Kelly recalls one night after our principal had resigned unexpectedly and a few other crises had arisen, there was a sense of panic. The men wanted to dive right into the “business” part of the meeting. Kelly and I were saying, “NO, we need to pray!” And as the men went right on talking, I took a stand... I think.

[For the record, I do not remember doing this, but Kelly swears it happened.]

As I got tired of saying “We need to pray!” and the men went right on without us, I got out of my chair, knelt on the floor, and just started praying. (According to Kelly) I think she knelt with me, but since I don’t remember the incident at all, I couldn’t say for sure. And I think the guys finally stopped talking to one another and prayed with us.

That was over thirty years ago. The school has survived and thrived, after some very shaky years, and Kelly and I both eventually got off the board and spent our time walking the perimeter of the school property each morning after dropping off our kids and covering the school with prayer. (We had a few “adventures” related to that, too, but that’s another story for another day.)

Just know this: If you are setting out to so something and want half-baked, flawed results, go ahead and try to do it yourself. But if you want to do God’s will effectively, start with knowing He is the one who grants success. Yield your body, mind, heart, and talents to Him and see what He does with what you offer Him.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be a tool in God’s hand than an independent worker just making a mess.

Prayer: Father, thank You for allowing us to be a part of Your plan. Thank You for giving us everything we need to do the work You assign us. Forgive us for the times we’ve run ahead of You and taken the wrong path or dragged our feet and missed what You’ve had for us or gone down rabbit trails, wasting time and making messes. Thank You for always drawing us back to You and for keeping us within Your reach. We yield to Your will today, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. – Psalm 91:7

Since being retired and seeing our youngest child leave the nest, I have not yet found myself sitting around looking for something to do, as I had feared I would when I was younger. Rather, I can do those things I used to procrastinate about years ago, when the mantra seemed to be “I don’t have time!” Well, that excuse isn’t going to cut it these days. As surprisingly busy as I am, I can always find time for prayer, if I make it priority – which, of course, I should!

I have friends who will get upset with me if I say I have OCD – “That’s a negative confession!” But having obsessive-compulsive tendencies can serve a useful purpose when a commitment is made. I take my commitments seriously, especially when it comes to my commitments to God. There are certain things I have committed to praying for daily, and as far as I’m concerned, if I committed, I’d jolly well better do it!

One of these “daily” things is “putting on the spiritual armor,” as Paul described in Ephesians 6. Not that I think I’d be spiritually vulnerable if I didn’t “put it on” each day. (After all, I don’t remember ever taking it off.) But it’s a good reminder for me of how God has prepared His children for battle. (He doesn’t need reminding, but I do.) So, meditating on relevant Scripture, I “put on” the belt of truth,” “the helmet of salvation,” and “the breastplate of righteousness,” as I give the Lord my body, my mind, and my heart for the day. As I do, I feel my soul being built up to have a right mindset for whatever happens that day. (Romans 8:5) Someday I’ll write a piece about this process.

“Having my feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15) involves just asking God to send me where He wants me to go that day, letting me encounter the people He wants me to encounter, and speaking the words He wants me to say. This prayer excites me! I never know how it will be answered by the time the day is over.

While Paul calls our faith the shield “that quenches all the fiery arrows of the evil one,” (Ephesians 6:16) the Old Testament tells us God’s faithfulness is a shield and fortress. (Psalm 91:4) God’s faithfulness has been with me – over and around me, shielding me from harm – even longer than my faith. And His faithfulness is what covers the people I love. So, I pray daily for His faithfulness to shield each of my family members and anyone who has been part of our household in the past. (We’ve had some pretty special people living with us through the years.) I also pray for people I once sponsored, wherever they are, that the Lord’s hand is still in their lives.

Finally, I pray a shield around the kids I’m sponsoring now. One of these is Ibra, my teenager in Uganda. I wrote a post about him a while back:

A Tale of Two Dreams

Since Uganda has been on lockdown and schools are not in session, Ibra has been staying with friends in the city of Kampala instead of the orphanage. I trust the Lord is keeping him safe, along with my sponsored children in other countries.

Tuesday morning of last week I got a Facebook message from Ibra, telling me, “… we have lost some Ugandans.” This was due to an attack in the city that killed some, injured others. “ … and this happened when I was in the city and I saw this happen glory to God that I was not affected I was protected by him who lives in me.” He sent me a couple of very gruesome photos, and by the end of the day, when I had heard nothing about this on the American news, a part of me wondered if this had really happened (Teenagers, you know …).

But that evening I googled “bombing in Uganda,” and sure enough, earlier that day in Kampala two bombs had been set off, with people killed and some severely injured. And my kid Ibra saw it up close, but hadn’t a scratch on him! I guess you never know when those “routine prayers” might make a crucial difference.

There have been countless times I’ve traveled, and friends pray for “safe travels” for me, and I don’t usually think much about it, other than, That’s a sweet thought. There have certainly been more urgent prayers in our circles. But occasionally I will arrive at my destination and contact a friend to thank him/her for the prayers – after a semi had come at me and missed me by inches. And I have to wonder, are there other close calls I don’t even know about?

Amy Grant once sang, “God only knows the times my life was threatened just today/ A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way. / Near-misses all around me, accidents unknown,/ Though I’ll never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home.“*

But God sees, and thankfully, He’s got His angels watching over us.

Prayer: Father, thank You for your care and protection as we go about our days, usually oblivious to the enemy’s plans. We’re so grateful we don’t have to live in fear, but we can trust You to bring us to the end of our lives with Your plans for us fulfilled, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

*”Angels Watching Over Me” from the Album “Straight Ahead,” Myrrh Records, 1984

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death, to the other the fragrance of life. – II Corinthians 2:15-16

Most people over 30 will remember the remake of the classic movie “Father of the Bride,” starring Steve Martin as the bumbling father. There’s a scene where the wedding is nearly called off because of a crisis in the relationship of the bride and groom. When the father of the bride is trying to console his daughter, he learns that the whole blowup was over a gift she had received from her fiancé: a blender. What does that say about their relationship? she wails, interpreting the gift as a sign he’s already thinking of her as “the little woman”/housewife.

As the soon-to-be (or-not-to-be) son-in-law later explains to the bride’s father, he had bought the gift because he knew how much his fiancée loved banana smoothies, and he was giving her a blender for her enjoyment. It was a gift of love from a man who knew (or thought he knew!) what she liked.

Even though Dad hasn’t relished the idea of his daughter’s marrying the guy, his love for her overrides his personal feelings. He smooths things over between the two, and the wedding is back on.

A friend of mine had a similar experience when her husband came home on her birthday with a box from Victoria’s Secret. She was surprised, thrilled, and extremely curious as to what kind of romantic gift was inside! Imagine the let-down when she found the box filled with beef jerky.

She was complaining to me about it, and I asked whether her husband had any explanation for the … “unusual” gift. She said he had explained that he knew she had occasional bouts of low blood sugar when she was out and about, and these spells were an indication that she needed protein. He was giving her something that she could carry in her purse to remedy the situation when she was on the go. (The box was just the nearest thing he could find to put the gift in.)

We women who long for romance have to come to terms with the fact that many men are more pragmatic than romantic. I explained to my friend that this gift was saying (1.) “I’m paying attention to your needs,” and (2.) “I love you and want you to feel good and be healthy.” I’m guessing her husband is like mine, in that he doesn’t see the point in a gift which doesn’t really serve any practical purpose.

Although we may not be able to control our emotions moment by moment, perspective is a choice, and the perspectives we consistently choose can mold our general disposition over the long run. As fashionable is it is to be “offended” these days, giving people the benefit of the doubt and appreciating them makes everyone happier. For example, the Christmas my husband gave me a Dust Buster, some of my girlfriends were surprised that I was happy about it. To them that kind of gift says, “You’re the cleaning lady.” But to me, it said “I love you, and I want to make your job easier.” (Besides, I had thought Dust Busters were cool and had asked for one.)

Someone on a talk show used the example of a treadmill as the epitome of a terrible gift to give your wife. I guess some women would see it as saying, “You’re fat, and you need to get in shape.” I remember thinking, I would love a gift like that – maybe not a treadmill, but an elliptical machine would be awesome. To me a gift like that says, “I love you, and I want us to have a long, healthy life together.” (Not to mention, “This piece of machinery is expensive, but you’re worth it!”) If my husband had bought me an elliptical machine, it would have said to me, “I notice the elliptical is your favorite machine at the health club. Here’s one of your own.” Of course, that would not have been practical, as we were within walking distance of the gym. But when the gym closed because of the pandemic, I went ahead and bought one myself, with Marty’s blessing.

Any gift can be seen in a positive or negative light. I entertained my disappointed friend with examples of romantic gifts that could be taken the wrong way:

Perfume could say, “You stink. Use this.”

A beautiful piece of clothing could say, “Your looks could stand some improvement.”

Flowers could say, “we need something pretty around here. The house looks terrible.”

Pretty soon we were both laughing at how, as one comedian recently quipped, “A woman can turn anything into an insult.” And I hope the next time my friend had a sugar crash and dipped into her purse for a piece of jerky, she appreciated her husband’s thoughtfulness, however un-romantic it may have seemed at the time.

We may need to reverse our perspective on gratitude:

Having things doesn’t make us grateful. Gratitude makes us enjoy the things we have.*

*This piece of “divine perspective” was brought to you by Jesus Christ, whose unspeakably wonderful gift involved a beating, a crown of thorns, nails, and a bloody Cross. (Not pretty.)

Jesus, the priceless Lamb of God, was the sacrifice that paid the penalty for our sins. Through His death on a cross we can be forgiven and live with Him forever! We can respond to this amazing gift by repenting, accepting His forgiveness, yielding our lives to Him, and being eternally grateful that He was willing to sacrifice Himself for us. With this perspective, we can begin enjoying that eternal life right here and now, knowing He loves us and will never leave us.

Or … we can, like some people, be offended at the very idea that God considers us sinful and in need of a Savior. We could be offended that Jesus had the audacity to say He is the only Way, instead of being glad there even is a way at all, which is one more than we deserve.

Joy or offense. The choice is yours.

Prayer: Lord, forgive our tendency to complain and always want something other than what You have offered us. Give us “divine perspective” to accept and appreciate Your sacrifice for us, as well as the little gifts You give us daily, knowing You always want the best for us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. – Matthew 22:2

It’s been a while since I’ve written about any dreams I’ve had. Frankly, I don’t remember many since I started praying I’d only remember the important ones and forget the meaningless ones. (My mind has enough clutter, thank you.)

But recently I had a dream that was vivid and, I believe, significant for believers today.

Maybe it was because the holidays are approaching, but I dreamt about a gathering of people. Women were bustling around the kitchen, while some teenagers sat around a table playing a board game. (I assume the men were in the den watching sports.) I was heading outside to take some chicken off the grill and bring it inside.

The chicken glistened with juiciness and barbecue sauce, and I knew it was going to be delicious. Just as I got the last piece onto the platter, my daughter’s big dog, Irma, leapt at me, nearly knocking me down and snatching the biggest piece of chicken.

I was annoyed, but also concerned for Irma. I’ve had dogs all my life and know you don’t give chicken bones to dogs, as they splinter and can pierce the dog’s insides.

“Hey, I need some help here!” I yelled, as Irma continued to jump on me, threatening to spill the whole platter of poultry. I could see the kids still playing their board game, seemingly oblivious to what was going on outside. I tried to balance the platter while pushing the pooch away from me and continued to call for help. Since the kids didn’t seem to care what was going on outside, I yelled louder, hoping the women in the kitchen would hear, before their entire dinner got dumped in the dirt.

Dreams are strange. Sometimes you know things without seeing or hearing them. Somehow I knew someone inside was rolling their eyes and saying, She’s OK, she just wants attention.

This isn’t just for me, it’s for them, too! And I’m worried about Irma! I thought, indignant.

Ignore her, they were saying.

I was being deliberately ignored!?

With renewed energy, I pushed my way past the dog and into the house. I chastised the kids who had turned a deaf ear to my cries for help – not just for my sake but for the sake of the dog swallowing the razor-sharp bone fragments, not to mention anyone else interested in the feast I was bringing to the table!

“Did you not hear me yelling for help?!” I demanded. To my utter astonishment, they still didn’t look up from their game. Nor did any of the women come out of the kitchen to see what was going on.

“Fine!” I announced, dropping the platter onto the table. “I’m done.” And with that I walked away. I was only mildly surprised when no one followed or even called out after me.

At another house it was Christmastime! I felt welcome here and went right in. Once inside I could see snow at every window, a fire in the fireplace, and bright colored decorations sparkling everywhere. I could hear Christmas carols and children’s laughter. In the kitchen some kids were decorating sugar cookies, and in the den some more were watching the last minutes of a Christmas special. I recognized it as one of my favorites, and I feigned disappointment.

“Aw, you didn’t wait for me?” I fake pouted.

“It’s OK,” said my granddaughter, Charlotte, jumping up and taking my arm. “We’ll watch it again later, and you can watch it with us then.” I was invited to join them in any and all of their Christmas activities, and I experienced a deep joy, as I felt like a little kid myself.

[I woke up with a smile on my face.]

Amazingly, Jesus taught that the sin of apathy is as damning as what we call the “big sins” – murder, adultery, and the like. He told a parable of a king who gave a great wedding feast for his son, but oddly the invitees refused to come. So, the snubbed king sent his servants out to gather others off the street until his banquet hall was filled. Those who had ignored the original invitation were left in outer darkness. – Their loss.

Many people behave that way today. We share the way to eternal life; some accept the message joyfully, others reject the invitation. Some even seem annoyed, as though we were asking them to do us a favor – not realizing that it is for their sake that we’re trying to point the way. Many simply ignore us.

But these responses (or lack of) are no reason to give up sharing the Gospel! While some may not seem interested in avoiding damnation and living forever with God, there are plenty, like my granddaughter Charlotte, who are very eager to hear your good news. Childlike at heart, they are far different from those who consider themselves too cool to talk with you about such things.

If you’re like me, you have spent a lot of time praying for and witnessing to certain people you care about very much. You reason with them, you invite them, and you warn them. Their lack of response can be draining, and downright discouraging.

You may need a break. You may need to leave those people to God, knowing there are others who have been waiting for someone to give them hope. You just might find that the moment you’re about to give up, the Lord puts people in your path who are only too happy to invite you into their lives and hear your good news.

Jesus gave us the Great Commission – share the Good News. Especially now. Time is short.

P.S. If you’re wondering, What is this “good news?” here are a couple of my past posts that explain it:

“Be-(or “Not Be-)Attitudes” – The Road to True Happiness

The “Be (or “Not Be-) Attitudes – the Road to True Happiness, Part 2

If you’d like to discuss this offer of eternal life further, please feel free to email me at bascha3870@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for the times we’ve ignored Your invitations. We know we’re the ones who get hurt when we pass up the chance to be with You. Open our eyes to Your will for us. Then use us to open the eyes of others to the wonder of Your salvation. Help us never to give up. In Your name, Amen.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” – Ephesians 6:12

Raise your hand if you have ever entered a competition – athletic, singing contest, dance contest, – writing contest 😉 – beauty pageant, competing for an academic scholarship or a job … ?

(Now, raise your hand if you did not win…)

This excerpt from my book Vision was inspired by the despair I observed at a Christian artists’ conference the morning after the first “cuts” in the competitions were posted – despair that should be non-existent in a believer in Jesus Christ:

The meeting room was darkened by the forms of countless demons, summoned to an emergency council. As the last of the spirits fluttered in and lit upon the remaining rafters, their leader stood and motioned them to be silent. There was an immediate hush, as every demon wondered what great threat to their kingdom would bring Lucifer himself to such a relatively harmless place as the United States. Surely Apathy, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Ease had done a sufficient job of keeping the American Church from being much of a force for the kingdom of heaven.

But today the Devil himself seemed disturbed enough to summon a myriad of demonic warriors.

“As you all know,” he began, “one of the most powerful forces both we and the Enemy have is music. You know how Lust, Addiction, and Suicide have made use of it in capturing and destroying a large part of this generation.” Lust, Addiction, and Suicide grinned at each other smugly.

“Unfortunately for us, there are also those in the Enemy’s camp that are rediscovering its effectiveness and are using it in ways that are snatching young humans away from us – some of the very ones we thought we had the tightest grip on!” His scaly talon clenched tightly, and as he began to pace, demons sheepishly backed out of his way.

“That didn’t seem that disastrous at first,” he continued, “but the few musicians that are really sold out to the Enemy are more and more realizing the power and opportunities they have at their fingertips, and how much more their side could have, if they were to multiply themselves, and they’re planning to do JUST THAT.” 

A murmur of dismay broke out among the demons.

“A week-long seminar is being planned for this summer, one that will involve singers, songwriters, instrumentalists, producers, publishers, technicians – you name it. Some of them are even people who used to be OUR tools and are now instruments in the hands of the Enemy. As if that weren’t enough, now they plan on teaching and training others to be His instruments as well! Some of these creatures are people who don’t even know the extent of their own talents yet! The Enemy is about to blow the lid off our whole Department of Blindness and Ignorance! Once these humans start realizing their potential and using it, it could mean the beginning of the downfall of our whole kingdom!” Some of the spirits looked at one another with questioning eyes.

“THINK, FOOLS!” he screamed. “There are still areas of this planet where preachers and missionaries aren’t allowed to enter. But musicians are! And music draws people like a magnet, you know that from your own work. So we need a counterattack.

“Where are they meeting?” asked Destruction. “I’ll send a tornado and flatten the place the day before it’s scheduled to start.”

“AMATEUR!” shrieked Lucifer. “Do you think you could stop them by knocking down a few buildings?”

“Destroy the people themselves,” advised Death, a dark form that stood motionless in the shadows, “or at least the ones who are the leaders. A well-timed bus crash right before the seminar could wipe out quite a piece of their army.”

Lucifer sneered at him. “Yes, and I suppose your crucifying the Enemy put an end to HIS battle plan? Don’t be an idiot. We must avoid the obvious. Whatever we do, it must be subtle. Some of these people are real warriors of the Enemy, and if they were to recognize any of us, they could disarm us by using that detestable Name, and it would be the end of the mission for all of us. No, our plan must be carried out under cover – under the very Name of the Enemy Himself, if possible. You know that all our most successful plans have been carried out in the very Name of … (The multitude shuddered at the thought of the unspoken Name.)

“I don’t know about wiping out their whole plan,” began Conformity, an intimidating demon with a scornful expression, “but we could really hem them into one place by narrowing their vision and destroying their sense of uniqueness. Just take their eyes off the Enemy – that’s always the first step – and onto each other, especially the ones who are ‘successful’ by the world’s standards. Insecurity can help by getting them to deny who they really are and trying to imitate their idols. Blindness can get them to disregard their own unique qualities and try to compete with someone else who isn’t like them at all.”

Insecurity laughed. “No problem! Musicians are so insecure anyway, I could pull this off on my lunch break.”

“Why stop there?” hissed Cruelty from the shadows. “These ideas are rather vague. Why don’t we provide a more concrete way of destroying their self-worth, rather than relying on bad feelings that could be brushed away with a prayer? Get them to judge one another in a very limited setting, and have them put that judgment in writing. It will drive some of them to the brink of suicide.” His mouth watered at the thought of so much misery.

Confusion jumped in. “I’ll instruct my imps to put it into the mind of every artist to question his or her gifts on the basis of those pieces of paper!”

“Meanwhile,” Fear interjected, “all the anxiety we can produce in such a situation can cause a lack of sleep and health…”

“Sounds convenient to me,” muttered Sickness. “It is such fun to watch the creatures suffer.”

Suddenly an older demon spoke up.

“Careful!” he cautioned them. “I’ve known these plans to backfire in my time. When humans are hurt and humiliated, they often draw closer to the Enemy in their humility. They can also empathize and comfort one another. There’s a danger of maturity and closeness and … love resulting …

“Never fear!” Pride assured them. “I’ll see to it that none of them admit their hurt to one another. My imps will scatter and persuade every last one of them to put on a mask of super-spirituality …”

“While all the time envying the ‘successful’!” hissed Worldliness.

“And feeling inadequate!” squealed Inferiority.

“And finally giving up on doing anything at all with their gifts!” Despair shrieked triumphantly. The four began dancing with glee.

“HOLD ON!” bellowed Lucifer. He wanted to think this through. It seemed too easy. “What about the few who come out on top? What if the winners … “

“We’ll take care of them, Sir!” chimed in a rowdy chorus of demons that included Arrogance, Lust, Greed, Conceit, and Self-centeredness.

The Devil gazed at the room full of spirits, poised in readiness for his orders.

“Then do what you have to do,” he ordered, his fiery eyes narrowing. “Poison this plan in its very inception, and we’ll maintain control over the music world. After all, it was given to ME, and I have no intention of letting it go.”

And so it came to pass that as a group of godly leaders gathered to plan a week that would change the world, an unseen, uninvited band of spirits joined them. Several of the demons surrounded a member of the group whose mind had been distracted during the prayer. As they dug invisible talons into his brain, he gasped, not with pain, but with a sudden inspiration he thought was from God.

“I’ve got a great idea!” he cried. “Let’s hold competitions!”

The spirits smiled at one another with evil satisfaction.               

Folks, there is only one contest that matters. We (believers) are the Body of Christ – a team, an army. We struggle against our enemy, the devil – not one another! We work together, we fight together. And guess what? I’ve read the last chapter – we win!

Together.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gifts You’ve given to each of us. Help us to use them for Your purposes and not judge our success by the opinions of others, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.

– 2 Timothy 4:2

For the past few weeks our neighborhood has resembled a haunted graveyard. Tombstones, zombies, ghostly figures, giant spiders, skeletons, and the “Grim Reaper” have inhabited the landscape.

Oddly, some of the same houses that all year have had green lights on at night in remembrance of those who have died of Kovd now have yards full of tombstones with clever sayings on them poking fun at death.

Others are impressive and scary-looking, larger than life, a celebration of death.

But as a follower of Jesus Christ, the risen Savior, I prefer to celebrate life. So, I repeated a yard design my prayer partner and I created in Michigan years ago – a reminder, not of death, but of Jesus’ resurrection – “SATAN’S WORST NIGHTMARE.” Tombstones are there, but each one displays a Scripture about Jesus’ Resurrection, the salvation He made possible, and His “amazing grace.” This year I added another feature, the empty Cross (easier to construct than the empty Tomb!) with a saying borrowed from a neighbor’s yard display: “I’ll be back.” Only instead of being a creepy inscription on a tombstone, this is an affectionate note nailed to the Cross, signed “– J.”

A few days ago two women knocked at my door and told me how much they loved the display. We sat on the porch and talked about the Lord for about an hour, and got one another’s contact information. I’ll probably be going to one of their prayer meetings soon. So, I’ve already been blessed with two new friends because of this declaration of Life! God is so good!

Tonight there will be people coming to our door looking for something good, and I don’t plan on disappointing them.

Prayer: Lord, no matter what day it is or what the world is doing, help us to be about Your business, declaring the good news of the Gospel to anyone we can reach, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. – Romans 12:9 (NLT)

Many years ago, as a young Christian prone to self-pity and living by my emotions, I would get bouts of what I called “depression,” although I’m sure I had no clue what real depression feels like. I wrote a number of poems back then, some better than others. My shortest poem was written at a time I felt not only lost but utterly alone:

* ********* HONESTY**********

If I ran into you just by chance, at church, the store, the zoo,

And you asked me “How’re ya doin’?” I’d say, “Fine thanks, how’re you?”

But if I ever got the feeling you really gave a damn,

Then I just might surprise you and tell you how I am.

I’m not that cynical today, but I do realize there are different degrees of friendship, and we can’t all be best buddies. I can detect pretty easily who says “Hi, how are ya?” and isn’t expecting an in-depth answer. (Something about the way they don’t slow their pace as they’re walking past me.) I’ll say, “Fine thanks, how are you?” knowing they won’t have time to say more than “fine!” And that’s OK. We’ve made a momentary connection. Someone has acknowledged my existence, however briefly, and in some small way kept the lines of communication open.

There are other friends that I know a little better who ask in such a way that I know they’re genuinely interested. I find more of these friends at church. I belong to a church whose members are always praying for one another, and there’s a general feeling of camaraderie that brings comfort even if nothing else is said.

Sunday after service I saw a young lady who greeted me by name (one degree higher than “Hi there!”) and asked me how I was. I smiled and said “great, how about you?” She answered positively, but then added, “How is ___?” naming a loved one I have been praying for. At that moment I opened up and gave her an update. After a couple of minutes I added sheepishly, “That’s a long answer to a short question.” She assured me that she really wanted to know and said she and her husband would be praying. We parted with hugs, and my load was lightened.

Since I am not in school and don’t work outside the home, Sunday is my time to connect with people, so I usually visit with friends after Sunday school and linger after service to talk with others. Sunday I saw a woman I knew sitting by herself. (I’m guessing her husband was still socializing.) I came and sat with her, asking how things were going with her in a way that I hope meant I really wanted to know. She didn’t have any earth-shaking news, but when she asked me how things were with my family in a way that seemed to mean she really wanted to know, I told her about the one who was most on my heart. This was a praying lady, and I was confident that she would put in a good word for my family next time she was talking with the Lord. But she took it a step further.

“Let’s pray now,” she said, taking my hands. And as I let the tears come, she prayed a beautiful prayer, putting my loved one in Jesus’ hands. Of course, hugs followed.

When someone tells me their troubles, I also ask, “May I pray for you now?” It’s not that I’m a superior friend, it’s just that I know me, and more often than not, if I just say “I’ll be praying for you,” chances are I’ll forget. And I don’t want to be one that doesn’t pray for others or care about what they’re going through.

I don’t want to be just a “fine-thanks” friend.

So, when you ask someone “How are you?” how do you convey to that person that you really want to know? If the response is “Fine, thanks,” do you ask the follow-up question, “Are you really?” I’ve heard that suggested, but I’m hesitant to ask that, lest the person think I don’t believe what they just told me, or that I’m prying or looking for gossip. But maybe that’s just me.

A question I appreciate from my Christian brothers and sisters is, “How can I pray for you?” When I ask that question, sometimes the other person has to think a bit. Then I see a light in the eyes, and I’m given a specific thing to pray about. (I love to pray for specific things, because the more specific the request, the more obvious the answer, and I love answered prayers!) Depending on the situation, a follow-up question might be, “May I pray for you now?”

There are still those moments I see someone as I’m racing somewhere, running late, and I just have time to say “Hi, ___! How are you?” and I get a “fine thanks, and you?” And I trust we both understand. We’ve connected, and later the Lord may bring us up to the “Let’s pray” level.

Prayer: Lord, You know our needs better than we do, and You hear our prayers, even if we’re praying alone. But we also know that You love to see Your children pray for one another, and as we “bear one another’s burdens,” we also get to share in the joy when prayers are answered and the burden is lifted. Make us mindful of the needs around us, and let us not be “fine-thanks” friends, too busy to reach out, but rather the kind of friends willing to invest our time into being like Jesus. In His name, Amen

The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. – Proverbs 16:9

Last week I had to get a Kovd test before attending a concert with my daughter Kelly. I thought it would be a breeze, but after calling all over for more than an hour, I was starting to panic. No one could test me until Wednesday – the day after the concert! I finally called a sweet young lady in our home group who worked at a hospital, and she suggested a place I’d never heard of. I checked their website to see if they had any openings – Bingo!

Next morning I pulled into the parking lot, parked, and called the testers, who said they would be out shortly. I turned my car back on, rolled my window down, and waited.

Suddenly, I started having irrational doubts. I knew I wasn’t sick, but what if the test said otherwise?! (I’d heard about people getting “false positives.”) I texted my prayer partner and another friend or two to pray, but none of them responded. Guess I pray alone on this, I thought.

Soon two masked individuals came out and unceremoniously shoved a stick up my nose (Why do they have to stick that thing into my brain for a sample, when one drop of my saliva could infect an entire village? ) As they were walking away, a “random” call came from a friend I hadn’t seen in years. She happened to be a prayer warrior extraordinaire! We talked for a while, and I told her what was going on and why this concert, for which I had bought tickets five months before, was so important. She immediately went to battle for me. (We prayed “together.”)

When the tests came back “negative,” I was relieved, though not surprised. I figured I’d head home, rinse out my sinuses, and jump into the plethora of things I had to do before Kelly arrived from Knoxville. As I turned the key in the ignition, I heard,

“Click.”

It seems when I had turned on my car half an hour before, I’d forgotten to turn it back off.

I don’t have time for this! I started fretting again, sending a frantic text to my daughter Joanna. When she didn’t answer, I called her and left a message on her voicemail: “I need help!”

I don’t have time for this! I fretted again, then decided to swallow my pride and ask the people parked next to me if they could help me jumpstart my car.

They were knowledgeable and helpful, but when I tried to start my car, this time it went, click-click-click-click-clunk.

Now what?! I thought.

“Just sit here a while, and let it charge,” the lady said sweetly. (God bless her!) More waiting.

OK, Lord, what am I missing?

I wanted to do more than thank them, then remembered I always had copies of my books in the back. I’d give them a copy of BARRIERS (So, if prayers are so powerful, how come mine don’t get answered?)!

I checked the trunk, but oddly there were no copies of BARRRIERS, just the first two volumes in my fictional trilogy. I grabbed the first one, Counselor, the book my publisher had said reminded her of Twilight. – For the record, I had written it before Twilight came out. The mysterious man in my book was not a vampire, however, but Jesus!

“Are you a reader?” I asked the woman.

“… Sometimes …” she replied hesitantly. I told her I was an author, and I would love to give her a copy of one of my books. When she seemed hesitant, I told her a little to see if it was the type of book she’d like.

“It’s a love story with some mystery. And a little bit of supernatural,” I added. Her face broke into a knowing grin.

“If I don’t read it, my daughter definitely will! She’s all into the Twilight series. That’s what got her into reading.”

(BINGO!)

I wrote a little note to the daughter and gave it to the mom with my thanks for the jump start. I got into my car and turned the key…

It started right up.

As I drove away, I said a prayer for my newest reader, that she would fall in love with the “Wonderful Counselor,” as some of my readers have told me they had done.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

I have to believe that God was/is using the story He inspired in me all those years ago to touch yet another young person, considering all the unexpected (and unwanted) details that had led up to that moment. Here are a few:

• The big sign I had driven past every day advertising “Free Kovd Tests” was suddenly taken down the day before I needed to be tested. None of the drug stores, walk-in clinics, or ERs I called could take me. I had to be there – at a place I’d never heard of.

• I had to be in a certain parking spot, at a certain time.

• I needed a delay, and it came about by something that shouldn’t have been a problem. (Ordinarily my battery wouldn’t die after 30 minutes of the car just being “on.”)

• I had to be unable to reach my daughter by phone or text.

• The people next to me had to have jumper cables and know how to use them. [Note to self: Buy jumper cables!]

• The first couple of jump starts had to fail; I needed time to think of giving the couple a book, even though they didn’t seem like avid readers.

• I had to be out of copies of BARRIERS, the book I usually have the most copies of. Counselor wouldn’t have been my first choice.

• And I needed to describe Counselor in a way that made the woman think of her daughter.

One benefit of “divine perspective,” or the confidence that “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28), is being able to trust that even when (especially when) things are frustrating or inconvenient, God is up to something! And these “somethings” make ordinary days a lot more interesting!

Prayer: Lord, when will I learn? When will I stop panicking or getting irritated the moment things don’t go as planned? Help me remember You always have the best ideas, and it’s my privilege to have a ringside seat to watch You work. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I

“Who despises the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10a

His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” – Matthew 25:23

“Small numbers make no difference to God. There is nothing small if God is in it.”
Dwight L. Moody (Thanks for the quote, Cindy Dawson, “Real Christian Woman.”)

A few weeks ago I had a book signing in a small Michigan town, where I barely sold enough books to pay for the gas it took to drive there and back. But I met some great people and had some interesting, sometimes random “God conversations,” and I trust God was at work, although I probably won’t know this side of heaven all of what He was doing.

That same week I got a delightful voicemail from a lady about my age that I had met a few weeks back on another road trip. We had met at a gas station in Indiana and struck up a conversation in the ladies’ room. I had liked her little red sports car. She had liked my t-shirt that said, “If Being a Christian Is Boring, You’re Doing It Wrong.” – instant connection! Upon learning that it was her birthday, I had given her a copy of my book BARRIERS (So, if prayers are so powerful, how come mine don’ get answered?) We had prayed together before hitting the road again. She was calling to tell me how blessed she was by the book – and meeting me. ❤

A few days ago I was racing around trying to get everything done that I had to do before my daughter arrived. We were going to a concert I’d bought tickets for back in May. I’ll probably tell the whole story next week, but the bottom line is, I was stopped in my tracks when my car died. (“NOOooooo!”) I was unable to reach my other daughter, and my husband was out of state, so I asked the couple in the car parked next to mine for help, which they kindly gave. As they were helping, I was thinking about how to thank them, and realizing I still had a lot of books in my car, so I could definitely offer them one.

BARRIERS, the book I was planning to offer them, was not in the car, though, just the first two books in my trilogy Awakening, books I had originally written for teens and young adults. My publisher had said the first one reminded her of Twilight. I asked the wife if she liked reading, and when she said “…sometimes …” I described the book to see if it might be her “cup of tea.” She said her daughter was into Twilight big time and would probably love it. (!) So I inscribed it to her daughter and gave it to her, thanking her again for helping me with my car …

… which then started right up.

The Bible often refers to the Church as “the Body of Christ,” saying we’re all different members of the Body, who work together to do God’s will. I used to wonder which part I was. Any contributions I’ve made to the Kingdom of God always seem small and relatively insignificant. I have talked with the Lord about that, asking Him, “What am I, anyway?” One day it seemed He was telling me I was a blood cell.

Great! I thought, having just given a pint of blood to the Red Cross and not even feeling the loss. I’m dispensable.

Not at all, Jesus seemed to be correcting me. And as He often does, He answered by bringing a verse of Scripture to mind. After all, “The life is in the blood.”

There are those who are very public figures, doing great, widespread, powerful things for God. We admire these “spiritual giants,” and rightly so. But many more of us yield ourselves to be used by God, only to find Him using us in little, “random” ways that seemingly have no connection. I would submit to you that these are every bit as much a part of God’s plan as the big stuff.

My sister used to love to tell the story of the “Bug in the Rug.” This little creature was crawling around among fibers that were a variety colors. He never knew as he wove his way through the threads what color was coming up next. He liked the bright colors – the red and the yellow. The blue and green fibers made him feel relaxed and peaceful. But the bug didn’t like the charcoal grey and black fibers; they were like a dark jungle, and making his way through them scared him!

But the day the bug sprouted wings and flew high above the rug, all at once, the whole pattern appeared before him, and it was beautiful! The bright colors and the relaxing colors intertwined in intricate, mesmerizing patterns, and even the dark colors that had frightened him, he now saw had their place to make the other colors pop out and be all the more beautiful.

Such are our lives. What seems random, and even meaningless, God has a purpose for, and as we plod along, faithfully following His lead, He will use us to make for Himself a beautiful creation – one little stitch at a time.

“Oftimes He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride,/ forget He sees the upper, and I the underside./Not ’til the loom is silent, and the shuttles cease to fly,/ will God unroll the canvas, and reveal the reason why.” (from “The Weaver,” By Grant Colfax Tullar)

Prayer: Father, You created each of us uniquely, each for our special purpose and place in the Body of Christ. May we be faithful in whatever You have called us to. May we not look to the world for affirmation, or through the world’s eyes, but with “divine perspective,” seeing that You are at work, and rejoicing that we get to be a part of Your plan. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.