“Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season…” II Timothy 4:2

This year our yard, my T-shirt, and the treats we’re giving out all have the same theme:

“SATAN’S WORST NIGHTMARE”

Happy All-Hallow’s Eve, everyone, and remember: Jesus is Lord every day – even October 31.

Prayer: Lord, help us never to shrink from sharing Your Good News at every opportunity. Even now, be preparing every person who will come to our door tonight, looking for something good. May they find Something – Someone – more wonderful than anything they could have imagined – YOU. And may we glorify You always, even when the enemy is working overtime, because we know You are the Victor, now and always, and in Your powerful name we pray. Amen.

This post first appeared three years ago, but I thought it bore repeating. Besides, I am about to take my laptop in for repairs, and I’m told it has to be “sent out” for a couple of weeks. Since my phone is a bit of a dinosaur, I don’t know how much commenting I can do on your posts with it, so please don’t take it personally if you don’t hear from me for a while. Meanwhile, I have an important and timely message scheduled for next week, so please be sure to read it when it comes out! See you (read you) in a couple of weeks. – Annie

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

This is the time of year that brings back some special memories for me, memories of fifteen years of the most ambitious outreach I have ever been involved in. For some background on my earlier dilemma with Halloween, the “AHA! moment, and our humble beginnings, see these earlier posts:

Preview of “Satan’s Worst Nightmare”

Satan’s Worst Nightmare preview #2: A Different Kind of Yard Display

Satan’s Worst Nightmare Excerpt #3: Small Beginnings

Over fifteen years our outreach evolved from a “different” yard display (tombstones displaying Scriptures about resurrection) to a dramatized presentation of the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus from Satan’s perspective – “Satan’s Worst Nightmare.” Features included a live band, a large screen displaying song lyrics and scenes from “The Passion of the Christ,” dancers, and special effects such as a strobe light and fog. “Freebees” were added to the candy and tracts – hot cider, hotdogs, popcorn, and most importantly, Bibles.

After we discontinued our outreach, I decided I would at least make use of some of our scenery at our church’s annual “Trunk or Treat.”

In case the concept of “trunk or treat” is unfamiliar to my non-American readers, this is an alternative Halloween festivity for those who have misgivings about “trick or treating” for religious or safety reasons. A group of people gather their vehicles in one location (usually a parking lot) and decorate them – sort of “costumes for cars.” They open their trunks and give out candy to kids who come through. It’s a lot like trick or treating, but instead of going house to house, the kids go car-to-car (or van or truck).

I had never even been to this event at our church, much less had a car in it. I had always been busy directing the final intense rehearsals for “Satan’s Worst Nightmare.” I decided to transform the trunk of my car to show the Empty Tomb, draping the edges of the opening with stone-grey fabric, with “HE IS RISEN!” in sequined letters on a sheet of black cardboard inside. I took the big, round “stone” to lean against one side of the back bumper, and a tombstone declaring “He lives!” for the other.

I dug up one of the angel costumes – a long, white tunic with shimmering silver poncho over the top, silver sash, and a Christmas tinsel “halo.” (To keep warm I wore sweats underneath, so I was quite a chubby angel!) As the kids and parents paraded through, I gave them a jolly greeting of “He is risen!” as I handed out bags of candy and tracts.

One of the tracts was for the adults. It told about historical evidence for the Resurrection, along with an account of how the apostles died, begging the question, If Jesus’ Resurrection was a hoax, why in the world did His followers face excruciating persecution and death without one of them ever breaking down and confessing that it was a lie?

Looking around the parking lot that day, I was a little disappointed to see that most of the hundred or so other cars had secular themes, except for one trunk decorated as “God’s Garden.” This one had a little window just the size of a child’s face and a sign saying “Someone God loves!” A woman in overalls invited the children to peek through the window – into the mirror inside. I went over to express my appreciation of her creativity. She said it was what God had told her to do. I said I had sensed God’s direction for my trunk, too.

What I didn’t tell her was that this day seemed anticlimactic after the intense, directly evangelistic production I had directed for so many years. We had seen so many answered prayers, both providential and what seemed like “miracles,” such as the Bible some Satanists tried to set fire to that wouldn’t burn, or our outreach’s never getting rained out in fifteen years. (There were years it was raining everywhere except the block where we were performing.) I had decided to bloom where I was planted, in this relatively innocuous event. Surprisingly, things did happen later that day that may not have been “miracles,” per se, but nevertheless had Jesus’ name all over them.

The first bit of serendipity was when a woman dressed as an angel came up to my car, pointed a finger at me, and said with prophetic certainty, “The Lord will bless you for this!” I smiled, thinking, True, someday I will know what God is doing right now.

The second touch from God was when they announced the award for the best decorated trunk. (I didn’t even know they did that.) It was a name I didn’t recognize, but the title was “HE IS RISEN!” I was delightfully surprised that someone else had had the same idea, and I looked around to see who it was. Finally I went to the announcer, pointed to my car, and asked timidly if the winner was that car over there, by any chance? Apparently they had got the name wrong, and my car had won! I laughed, picturing Jesus standing there grinning and winking and saying, I was just messin’ with you.

The next little blessing was when I was handed the prize – a gift certificate to the grocery store I went to. Since I didn’t need help with groceries, I asked the Lord who He wanted to have it. He took me back to “God’s Garden” and when I offered the gift certificate to the lady in the overalls, she hugged me and tearfully exclaimed I had no idea what that meant. I learned she had spent her last $3.00 on candy for the kids.

(I also learned the angel lady had told her she’d be blessed for what she was doing, too.)

Happy “All-Hallows Eve,” everyone. Remember, every day is God’s, including October 31.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for giving the enemy too much credit. We know that You own everything – every day of our lives, every breath we take. Continue to reveal Yourself to us, and open our eyes to Your wonders, great and small, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. – Ephesians 4:29

Maybe as a Christian, I should be outraged at the “unwholesome talk” that is rampant daily in our society. But with everything else that’s going on to be outraged about, I find this issue close to the bottom of the list.

Not that foul language isn’t something to be concerned about. It is, but not because it somehow assaults my delicate sensibilities. (I’ll survive.) The degree to which I’m concerned, and how I should respond involves why that kind of language is used. I can think of four possible reasons:

#1. Ignorance In general, people speak the way they learned. Their parents spoke that way, maybe the neighbors spoke that way, and when they speak that way, the people around them don’t think anything of it; it’s just the language of the day.

#2 Desire for attention There are others who use this language, knowing it’s offensive to “uprighteous” members of society in order to elicit a response. Seeing the shock on the faces of the holier-than-thou ladies clutching their pearls won’t deter these individuals; on the contrary, shocking these folks gives them a sense of power. They have one problem, though: is anyone seriously shocked anymore? “Shock” usually involves an element of surprise, and these days this language is about as surprising as manure on a farm.

#3 Anger/rebellion The motivation is similar to the attention-seekers, but more malicious. They deliberately speak in ways they know will offend, wanting to distinguish themselves from the establishment they despise, for whatever reason. Profane or obscene language is their way of expressing anger, and these people seem constantly angry.

#4 Laziness Then there are those who are just lazy. They know there’s a better way to express themselves, but honestly, it’s just too much trouble to come up with the words. So, they resort to the generic vocabulary of the uneducated.

These days, I see the social media pages filled with redundant f-words. When these are not enough to get a reaction, they relate the words to God or to mothers or some other attempt at making them even more “shocking.” But the rest of us aren’t shocked. Or impressed. Or angry.

Personally, I’m just bored.

Sometimes, I feel sorry for the “potty-mouths,” wanting attention so badly and yet lacking any creative originality. I feel sorry for the pearl-clutchers, too. Don’t these righteous people have a ministry to attend to?

Outrage, annoyance, boredom, pity -What is the Christian response?

#1 The Ignorant Getting angry at or judgmental of the first group is a waste of time. If people don’t know any better, they don’t know any better, and they are just as much in need of Jesus – and just as reachable – as any other sinners, including you and me. Trust me, giving them dirty looks isn’t going to cause them to fall on their faces, crying, “What must I do to be saved?!” It will only convince them that you’re an angry, hateful person. And who wants to be one of those people?

When I taught at a public high school, one day a student shouted across the cafeteria at another student, “JOHNSON, YOU SUCK!” He immediately felt a tap on his shoulder and found himself face-to-face with the assistant principal.

The man calmly suggested, “I think you meant to say, ‘You are behaving like someone possessing no redeeming qualities whatsoever.’ …?”

Visibly impressed, the young man pointed to the assistant principal and shouted, “… WHAT HE SAID!”

I don’t remember if this incident was the inspiration, but that semester I initiated a new game in my English class called “Say What?!” It was, in the words of the inventor (yours truly), “A way to utilize alternatives to those words your elders have come to know and hate.” For a few minutes at the beginning of class, we took a popular expression that I had put in the “jargon jail” with some of the letters hidden behind bars (Example: “b*t*h), broke up the class into small groups, and had them brainstorm to see which team could come up with the most alternative words (ex: “shrew”) or phrases (ex: “cantankerous woman”) to replace the incarcerated word. The kids not only increased their vocabulary, but they also continued using these words and phrases (in my class, anyway) after the game was over.

#2 Attention Seekers Psychologist James Dobson describes the “Law of the Soggy Potato Chip.” It says, basically, that kids want attention, even if it’s negative attention. (Eating soggy potato chips isn’t the best, but it’s better than starving.) When Jesus encountered the neglected and overlooked, their lives were transformed. You may not know why people crave attention, but Jesus knows. Before attempting to deal with their language, pray for them. Then ask the Holy Spirit to help you set a better example and lead you in how to reach out to them.

#3 The Angry Similarly, dealing with the angry speakers of obscenities, compassion may seem counterintuitive. But ask yourself, Why is (s)he so angry? If the reason isn’t evident, pray for that person. Then, if the situation allows, get to know him/her, setting an example of better communication.

#4 The Lazy As for those who know better, why are they not making an effort to communicate well? Do they feel there’s no point, because no one is listening anyway? Perhaps if we engage in some “active listening,” asking questions, or good-naturedly/humorously suggesting alternatives, the way the assistant principal did in the cafeteria, they might be inspired to be more articulate.

Prayer: Father, as Your Word says, we all fall so short of Your glorious standard. And while there are times we must deal with the sins of others, help us first to love them, the way You love them, the way You have loved us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

I recently posted a series on Christians and judging.

“Don’t Judge Me!” Part 1: To Judge or not to Judge?

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. – Psalm 46:2

“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a) For most of my life I have heard that verse quoted by itself as a sweet reminder that the Lord is beckoning us to leave the everyday stress of life, come away and spend time with Him. And while that is certainly a good idea for each of us to practice daily, in the context in which it was written, it has another meaning that’s quite different.

This verse is taken from a Psalm that is both comforting and disturbing. It starts and ends with reassurance that as bad as things get, God is with Israel, her refuge (external) and strength (internal).

But these verses are interspersed with apocalyptic scenes – the earth giving way, the mountains falling into the sea, and the sea roaring and foaming. Along with these “natural” disasters are nations all around them “in uproar” and kingdoms falling, followed by the breathtaking statement, “he lifts his voice, the earth melts.”

Reading this Psalm, I can’t help thinking that this must be what the people of Israel are feeling today, as their world, which was not exactly peaceful and carefree before, has in one day broken out into the chaos, violence, and tragedy of an all-out war. (I won’t describe it here, as you’ve probably already heard enough details to be sickened.)

The descriptions that precede the well-known verse about “being still” are of the Lord’s making wars cease. He’s not bringing peace in a “Come, let us reason together” manner (Man has obviously not heeded that admonition.), but rather by breaking bows, shattering the spears, and burning the shields with fire. Clearly, this is a picture of a God who has seen Mankind warring endlessly and has had enough.

“BE STILL!” It’s not an invitation, it’s a rebuke.

” – and know that I AM God.” It’s a command from the only One who can make that claim.

Many of us who have read the scriptures concerning the “End Times” are seeing what’s happening in Israel as a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus warned that “then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.” (Matthew 24:21) The prophet Ezekiel described events similar to Psalm 46 – see Ezekiel 38 and 39. What’s happened in the past week might look like the fulfillment of the End Times prophesies, but there are still pieces missing. For example, throughout the world there has been support and sympathy for Israel, but in the end, Scripture says, there will be none; it will be Israel vs the rest of the world.

(“But God … ” )

As many of you know, I was led nearly twenty years ago to pray daily against terrorism, and I have seen that prayer answered in some remarkable ways. I used to collect articles in a folder describing terror attacks that failed for one reason or another. (My favorites were the stories about would-be terrorists who providentially “failed,” came to know Christ, and are now evangelizing their world.) But one day as I was sharing this prayer mission with my sister, the conversation turned to the prophecies of the Apocalypse. My sister asked me if it made sense for me to be praying against something that God has already said is going to happen.

Good question.

In pondering these things, I have considered that praying for individuals isn’t counter to the predictions for the world in general, and that maybe the conversions of individual would-be terrorists are answers to my prayers. Foiled attacks on larger populations, such as the car bomb that failed to detonate in Times Square, might not contradict the general prediction of rising terrorism. Could prayer possibly be postponing the inevitable, while the Lord salvages a few more souls?

Whatever the case is, until I sense the Lord’s telling me otherwise, I will continue to pray against evil and for those whose job it is to protect the innocent.

I would be interested in your thoughts on this. Feel free to share them in the comments.

Meanwhile, here is the comforting, sobering Psalm 46 to meditate on today:

God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
   though its waters roar and foam
       and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her; she will not fall;
       God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us; 
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
       he burns the shields with fire.
"Be still and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth. 

The Lord Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Prayer: Lord God, we are in awe of Your power and overwhelmed by our own frailty. Our hearts ache for Your people in Israel and for the innocent ones on both sides who are caught in the conflict with nowhere to go. Bless those who are going to the war zone to help the hurting, especially those who are going in Your name. Help the victims of this world’s evil to find their hope in You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

It was an ordinary day, and I was out doing ordinary chores, which almost always included a trip to the grocery store. At my age, I should have perfected the weekly grocery run, but my brain still hasn’t reached that level of order and organizational skills. So, as usual, I was checking out with a few things I had forgotten to buy a couple of days earlier.

The self-checkout machine was arguing with me about something, and one of the cashiers came over to help. I recognized her as the lady who reminds me of my friend Nancy, who lives in another city. Nancy is one of those people you just instantly like – friendly to everyone, with a bubbly personality, constant smile, and hair-trigger laugh. This grocery store employee seemed to have the same affable personality.

I like her, I thought.

Then tell her.

Was that God’s “still, small Voice” I just heard? I don’t know, but I thought, Why not?

“Thanks,” I said after she had clicked on a few buttons and got the machine cooperating again. She responded with a joke about the machines, as if they were children with minds of their own. I laughed. “I like you!” I added. She seemed a little taken aback at my bluntness, so I explained she reminded me of one of my favorite people, who was always so much fun to be with.

“She thoroughly enjoys life, and you seem like someone who does, too.”

“I try,” she said, smiling.

I put on my best analytical face. “Something tells me you don’t have to try very hard,” I said. “I would guess you’re just a fun person.”

There was that hair-trigger laugh, and I had a feeling I had brightened her day.

As I was leaving, a somewhat elderly man in a wheelchair was coming toward me. I moved to get out of his way, but he motioned to me to come over, as though he couldn’t contain his excitement about something amazing he just had to tell me. I leaned in a little to hear what he had to say.

“Do you know,” he asked, “who’s been beautiful their whole life?” I wasn’t sure I understood the question, so he repeated it.

“You?” I guessed, grinning and pointing to him. (He did seem like the same sort of person as the cashier, who just brought sunshine into everyone’s day.)

He shook his head emphatically. “No!” he giggled, pointing back. “YOU!” Now it was my turn to be taken aback.

“You just made my day!” I laughed, and from the way he chuckled, I got the feeling that I had somehow made his, too.

“And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14) Two thousand years ago, Jesus – God incarnate – walked the earth as one of us. Today He walks the earth through millions of believers in which His promised Holy Spirit lives and moves. If we profess to believe in Him, then we should take seriously our admonition to affect the world around us with “the aroma of Christ.” (I Corinthians 2:15-17)

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. (James 1:19-20) Maybe I have spent too much time online, but I’ve been under the impression that there’s a lot of anger in the world these days. But not everyone is angry all the time, as I saw the other day during an ordinary trip to get groceries. On my way home I marveled at how much my mood and attitude had been enhanced just by encountering a couple of ordinary people that the Lord is using to bring a little joy into the world.

Kinda makes me want to be one of them …

How can we “be Jesus” to someone today?

Prayer: Lord, there are so many things wrong in the world today, and people are rightly upset. But I’ve seen that getting angry rarely helps, unless it energizes me to be part of the solution. In the meantime, use me to bring light to dark places by showing Your love to my fellow mortals. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

A while back I wrote about some of the “firsts” in my life, which have been a bit of a surprise at my age – I’d thought at 70 I’d pretty much be coasting to the finish line, but clearly God has other plans. One of those plans was to get my books into audio form, since audiobooks have been gaining popularity.

Another “First” from 2022 – Expanding My Reach

On to Book Two!

At first, recording Vision, the second book of my trilogy, went a lot faster than the first book, ironically because I didn’t rush so much. Jeff, my recording technician and coach, had trained me well and got me to stop reading as though running a 50-yard dash. When I had finally “got the hang of it,” we did very little rerecording. Before we knew it, I was reading the epilogue, and that was that.

Or so it seemed.

Listening to the finished product, I thought it sounded … well, unfinished.

In one of the final chapters the story reaches a climax against a backdrop of a Christmas Eve performance of Handel’s Messiah. (Some of you may remember it as a Christmas story when I posted it in seven parts last December.) Listening to the crescendo unfold without the accompanying music sounded incomplete. (The kids would call it “lame.”)

I wanted to add the Hallelujah Chorus, the song that was being sung while God performed His miracle. When I posted the story in December, I had attached links to videos of the songs, so my blog readers could listen to the “soundtrack” of the story. But I learned I couldn’t legally use videos off YouTube in an audiobook, for copyright reasons.

Copyright laws can complicate things. I know that from my attempts merely to put song lyric quotes in my first book. One copyright owner of an old Broadway musical gave me permission to quote a couple of lines from one of the songs … if I would pay them half my royalties for the book! Needless to say, I wrote around the lyrics instead of quoting them directly.

Works that are hundreds of years old are usually “public domain.” Still, as old as Messiah is, recordings of choirs singing it are not public domain – unless they are more than 100 years old.

I remembered the church I attended as a child had a tradition of a Christmas Eve service that featured songs from Messiah, so I called them and asked the choir director if they still did that, and if so, do they ever record the singing? I didn’t get to the next step, asking permission to use their recording. I was informed that they don’t have any recordings, and they don’t do Messiah anymore. (What’s wrong with these people?!)

I checked with our choir director at my present church and asked if they had ever recorded their annual “Messiah singalong,” and if not, could they record it this year, and may I use the recording for … ? But I was told there was so much else going on, they wouldn’t be doing the event this year.

Next came a mad search for recordings that were over 100 years old. I found a few that were being sold online for hundreds of dollars, but I was reluctant to spend that much for something without knowing the condition or whether I could even use it.

Finally, I found a record with the Hallelujah Chorus for a reasonable price, so I took a chance and ordered it. When it arrived, it appeared in like-new condition, which is saying a lot, since it was recorded in 1918!

Now for the next challenge – finding a way to play it. Record players that play 78rpm speed are rarer than I thought. Jeff had a phonograph in the basement of the studio, and my son-in-law had one, but both of them played only 33 rpms and 45 rpms.

I emailed my church, a fellowship of believers that help each other out with pretty much everything, and asked if anyone had a phonograph that played at 78 rpms. Within 24 hours, two people responded, and I borrowed the equipment from one of them.

(I love my church. ❤ )

Since I already had recorded the narration, Jeff didn’t need me there, so rather than hanging around getting underfoot, I left the record and the phonograph at the studio, where he spent many hours working with volume levels and timing, all the while dealing with a bit of static, just by virtue of its being such an old record. There was also the matter of the sound of the phonograph motor, since there was no way to connect such an old device directly to modern recording equipment.

By this time, I was back in Michigan, but I received recordings via email which I listened to and suggested “tweaks.” Jeff was very patient with my nitpicking. He, too, was aiming for excellence, bless him.

I’m writing this today, because I just received the final recording, and I love it! Is it perfect? Probably not (especially with my voice). But considering what we had to work with, the completed work is, to me, miraculous.

I’m excited that, barring a disaster or the Second Coming, Vision should be available in audio form by Christmastime. I’ll keep you posted. 🙂

Prayer: Lord, thank You for inspiring Vision and for all who have been my support system in getting it published in hard copy, and now in audio! Thank You for Pam’s help with publishing, for Jeff’s recording expertise, and for the brother who trusted us with the antique phonograph. Please use Vision to bless readers and listeners with the story of an ordinary woman with an extraordinary God and use it to bring them closer to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Cast all you anxiety on him, because he cares for you. – I Peter 5:7

Back in the 80’s Marty and I moved from Michigan to St. Louis with our two children, Joanna and Benjamin. We arrived at our new home a week before Christmas to find the pipes frozen, but since my parents lived not far from us, this was only a minor glitch. We enjoyed the holidays with the grandparents and started attending a church nearby, where Joanna was enrolled in kindergarten.

Our daughter seemed ready for school. We had bought her some cute new clothes (At that age, everything was pink and purple.), ribbons for her pigtails, a lunchbox, and her most cherished accessory – a little pink umbrella with unicorns on it, which she insisted on taking to school every day, no matter the weather.

Shortly after school started, the women of the church had a luncheon in the fellowship hall. I had jumped right into this group and had found my new friends to be warm and welcoming. But that day I was about to realize it might not be as easy for a child to start a new school in the middle of the year.

Walking into the fellowship hall and passing the kitchen, I noticed that children could be seen through the kitchen window as they had recess, including one little girl I recognized. Her head was down, so she couldn’t see me, but I had a stabbing pain in my heart.

Unlike the other girls, who were playing in little clusters, laughing and apparently having a good time with friends they had known since September, Joanna was by herself. She was slowly walking around the perimeter of the playground, dragging her little pink umbrella with the unicorns on it.

As I stopped for a moment, the heartache intensified, now with tears. I whispered a frantic “mama prayer”:

Lord, Joanna needs You! Please help her to make some friends!

I don’t remember what we had for lunch that day. I only remember gulping it down as quickly as possible and taking my plate into the kitchen.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that!” a lady at the sink admonished good-naturedly, taking the plate from me. (Yes, I do …)

On the way out I lingered again by the window. Again, the tears flowed, but this time they were tears of gratitude.

It had started to rain, and a gaggle of little girls were crowded together, talking and giggling as if they were all old friends, including the one holding the umbrella they were under – a pink umbrella with unicorns on it.

Thank You, Lord!

Prayer: Lord, You know how our mama hearts can ache for our children. Sometimes we forget that You love them even more than we do. But they are in Your hands, and we can be confident that You won’t let them go. Thanks for what You did for Joanna that day by sending rain at just the right time – and for the kindergarten teacher who “for some reason” didn’t call everyone inside when the rain started! Thanks for answering my prayer so quickly, and for Your perfect timing in placing me right where I could see the answer for myself. Help me to trust You for hearing my prayers, even when the answers aren’t as immediate or as obvious. Help my faith in You to grow stronger every day, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. – Proverbs 4:23

Stand firm then … with the breastplate of righteousness in place – Ephesians 6:13

I read an article recently about how be invincible in battling the enemy. I read it out of curiosity, thinking It would be about some ultra-spiritual skill set only attained by years of seminary study.

So, what is this ultimate piece of armor? The answer was surprisingly un-mystical:

Living in total obedience to Christ.

What’s often missing in our armor is the “breastplate of righteousness.” Yes, we acknowledge that we can never be perfect. It’s His righteousness, not ours, but that doesn’t mean we can live in half-hearted obedience or with empty words and actions.

In the early days of the Church, the seven sons of Sceva were trying to cast out demons “in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” The demon answered, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?” And the demon overpowered them. (Acts 19:14-16)

An obedient servant like Paul was not only known in heaven, but he was also known (and feared) in hell! On the other hand, in the presence of seven brothers mimicking the latest thing in search of personal power or attention for themselves, the demon had no fear.

“In your anger do not sin … do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

It is the unconfessed sin in our lives that gives Satan a foothold. So, if we want to keep the evil one out, we need to dedicate ourselves to the Lord daily, submitting our hearts, actions, attitudes and motives.

It’s true that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) No one is perfect, except Jesus, and there will be times we fall short. “We all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:2) But the moment He makes us aware of our sin, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

Secondly, once we have been cleansed, we want to keep Satan from getting his foot in the door again. We should daily conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of Christ. (Philippians 1:27)

This is how to avail ourselves of the righteousness of God and keep our hearts from being overwhelmed by the enemy.  “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us, for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” (I John 3:19-20)

The enemy may accuse us, but “an undeserved curse does not come to rest.” (Proverbs 26:2)

If you have been tormented by guilt, if you have been “battling demons” from your past, know that you don’t have to suffer this way. If you know Jesus and believe in the Word of God as truth, you can stand on the promises I’ve shared here, and many more. Read the Bible as though it’s the instruction manual for fighting your daily battles – because it is! Ask God to help you understand what you’re reading and watch for Him to open your mind to new insights as to how to live out those truths.

If you don’t know Jesus, know that the torment of guilt is a wake-up call. You’re feeling guilty, because you are guilty – all of us are. There is only one way to be free from that guilt, that sin and shame, and that’s through Jesus. He is the perfect Son of God who came to earth to be the atoning sacrifice for your sin. He has paid the penalty, so you don’t have to.

He gave Himself for you, now it’s time to give yourself to Him. Ask Him to forgive you, cleanse you, and instill in you the desire to please Him. He wants to, and He will!

You have probably heard the Good News that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” The bad news is that Satan hates you, and he has plan, too. But the BEST news is that Jesus has overcome him. You can choose to serve the One who loves you. Submit your life to Him, and He will guard your heart.

If you are in need of a Bible, contact me at bascha3870@yahoo.com. Let me know in the comments, too, so if I don’t see your email, I can check my spam folder.

Prayer: Lord, I give you my heart – my emotions, my passions, my desires, and my affections. I give You my will, my motives, and my attitudes. Purify them and fill me until I overflow with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. [Galatians 5:22-23] Convict me when I have strayed and help me to turn back to You immediately. Lord, I delight in You; give me the desires of my heart [Psalm 37:4]. Instill in my heart the desires You want to fulfill in my life – to know You and make You known. Give me a heart like Yours, even if that means my heart will be broken by the things that break Your heart. Let my heart be covered with the breastplate of Your righteousness, so the enemy will never penetrate my heart, never have a foothold in my life again, because I belong to You completely. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare … – Psalm 91:3a

A few weeks ago, I posted some stories about times in our lives when the Lord has rescued us (mostly Marty) from situations that could have been dire.

Where Marty Was (“Don’t Judge Me!” Part 6, Continued)

Recently Marty and I went to see a movie that brought back memories of another “dodged a bullet” that occurred in that season when we were young and naive.

“Sound of Freedom” is a film about child trafficking. (It’s excellent, by the way. Do see it, if you haven’t already.) A scene depicted in one part of the film brought back disturbing thoughts related to one of our sailing trips, although we had not realized at the time the danger we were in, or what was happening very close by.

[Flashback about 48 years.] Early in our marriage, Marty was earning his PhD with a lab assistantship – getting paid to go to school! – while I was finishing up my bachelor’s degree. With the university calendar, we had the luxury of being able to go to Michigan in the summer for a couple of weeks of vacation at the lake. As in our teenaged years, sailing was a big part of that place both for us and for my cousins, Tom, Owen, and Larry, who were also life-long “summer people.” We fancied ourselves to be “hardy old salts,” although most of our sailing adventures consisted of racing little Sunfish sailboats around Portage Lake, and slightly larger boats, which we would occasionally take out the channel onto “the Big Lake” (Lake Michigan). On rare occasions we would sail up the coast, camping out on the beaches along the way.

One of the more memorable trips was when we sailed all the way to Beaver Island in two Catalinas – Marty and I in his dad’s with our dog Radar, and the cousins in my uncle’s. A steady wind was out of the north the whole week, so sailing north involved a lot of tacking and making little headway. (It took us nearly a week to sail to Beaver Island but just 24 hours to get blown back home.)

We had some interesting minor episodes along the way, but the most memorable was when we had stopped and set up camp on North Fox Island. After sailing most of the day, we were hungry and tired and glad to be settling down for the night.

But as we finished pitching our tents, two strangers approached us. These men did not look like tourists, and they did not appear happy to have company. We were informed that we were on private property, and we would have to leave.

“Oh, sorry!” said one of my cousins.

“We’ll leave first thing in the morning,” another promised agreeably.

“You’ll leave NOW,” one of the men stated firmly.

We noticed these men were armed, so that was the end of the discussion. As tired as we were, we broke camp, loaded up the boats, and backtracked to South Fox Island.

As we looked back on that trip, the encounter with the armed and unfriendly strangers seemed like just a momentary scare. That is, until the day Marty read a grim story in the news.

We read that North Fox Island had been owned by a Grosse Pointe multimillionaire whose “youth camp” had turned out to be a pedophile and child porn haven. In reading the article and comparing dates, we realized that the evening we were on the island, there were probably young boys close by having unspeakable things done to them. According to the article, there were also several unsolved murders and missing children that some speculated to be connected with that pedophile ring. (I don’t care to go into detail here, but if you google “Fox Island Pedophile,” you’ll find more information than you ever want to know.)

To this day Marty and I wish we had known and could have done something, but we couldn’t report what we hadn’t seen. And, if we had in fact known, and if those men had discerned that we knew, we might not have made it off the island alive.

As I look back on the full picture, I realize once again how the Lord has always protected us. And no, I don’t know why He didn’t protect those boys in the same way. He certainly doesn’t love them any less than He loves us. It’s something that breaks my heart, and that I will probably never understand this side of heaven. But I do know that

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. – Luke 12:48

I am taking that sobering verse to heart.

Prayer: Lord, I know I don’t deserve the mercy You have shown me. You have shielded me from many evils in this depraved world that I’m aware of, and probably countless others that I don’t realize. It makes me want to make every moment of my life – the life You have preserved these seven decades – be used to honor You and to bless the people You love so dearly. As You have shielded me from harm, shield me also from the temptations and distractions that would keep me from being all You want me to be and doing all You want me to do, in Jesus’ name, amen.

P.S. Today there are some things people like us can do to help in the fight against child trafficking. Tim Ballard’s organization, Operation Underground Railroad, is just one group that is rescuing young victims of traffickers and other predators. Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse is another. And there are more. If you do a search, you will find numerous organizations working to end this horrible practice, which you can support with your financial gifts and especially your prayers.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. – Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows how much joy I get out of singing. Ever since I sang in children’s choirs, learned to play the guitar and sing Joan Baez songs, performed in the high school Gilbert and Sullivan production, and joined the choir in college, singing has been one of my greatest joys, especially singing to and about the Lord. In my 30’s I wrote my own songs and tried to get them published. I took trips to Nashville to record demos and pitch my songs to my favorite singers. I’ve sung for women’s groups, weddings, funerals, and church services and in hospitals and nursing homes. Sometimes when I accept an invitation to get together with one or more friends, the next thing said is, “Bring your guitar!”

So, the times in my life I have found myself without a singing voice have seemed like times my world had a big hole in it. I told a story about one such time a while back:

Easter Tears

Another episode happened much more recently, and although it wasn’t as severe as my experience when I was in college, it still frustrated me, especially at church.

Our church doesn’t have a regular choir, except for the Christmas service and Good Friday. The rest of the year, as the music minister explained, the “choir” is the whole church. We are worshiping our God together. Everyone is participating, no one is “performing.” And it works for us. As our church has a remarkable number of good singers, the music minister likes to have the strong voices spread out. That way, worship fills the whole sanctuary. My favorite part of the singing at our church is toward the end of a song, when sometimes the instruments stop playing and 700+ people sing the final verse a cappella, in four parts. It’s like stepping into heaven for a moment and experiencing the unity and harmony of the Body of Christ. Being even a small part of those moments is a blessing I will always be grateful for.

Standing in the midst of such a moment and not being able to sing can be a frustrating experience. (Yes, I realize if this is my biggest problem, I am indeed blessed.)

A few years ago, I had recovered from an especially bad cold. Sinusitis had morphed into bronchitis, laryngitis – all the usual fun “-itises” that left my singing voice lacking, to say the least. For a while I was just glad to be able to talk and didn’t mention my loss to anyone, since it hadn’t yet affected anyone but me. At church other people’s prayer requests were about much heavier issues. But one night at our home group meeting it was my turn to ask for prayer, and I confessed that I hadn’t been able to participate in the singing at church, and it was breaking my heart. The group prayed for my singing voice to be restored, and I was grateful, possibly hopeful.

But a couple of nights later, one of our granddaughters was spending the night at our house, and as I lay next to her on the bed, she said sleepily, “Nana, would you sing to me?”

I gulped and “gave it the ol’ college try.” But after squeaking out the notes of the first verse, I stopped, and she didn’t ask me to go on. She drifted off to sleep, and I lay beside her, quietly crying.

The next morning, we went to church. As we found seats, the “gathering music” was playing and the worship team sang. The words were printed in the bulletin, so the congregation was welcome to join in. (I usually had.) But most spent that time greeting one another and taking a few minutes to chat before the service.

Of course, once my granddaughter and I were settled, we immediately had to go to the “little girls’ room.” We had taken seats close to the exit, so we could slip out more easily. I hoped we’d get back before the opening song that everyone sang together, because bittersweet as it was, I still wanted to hear the singing, even though I couldn’t join them.

When we came back into the sanctuary, the congregation were on their feet and singing the opening lines of a song that had recently become one of my favorites.

My heart leapt and cried: I just have to try! even though I feared more discouragement. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth …

And there it was! My voice was back – strong, pain-free, belting out the lyrics I loved and lived by. The prayers of the home group had been heard and answered, and I was given the desire of my heart – and for one of my all-time favorite songs! ❤

So … what was the song?

“Yet not I, but through Christ in Me.”

This was not my voice, it was His. When I gave my life to Jesus, He took all of it, including my voice, my abilities, my resources, my time, my passions – my everything.

(He IS my everything.)

Anything good I do in this life is not my doing. It’s “not I, but Christ in me.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, even as I write this, there are tears of joy. Thank You that when Your people sing out Your praises, their song not only blesses You, but it blesses us. I so look forward to the day we will all be together, singing before Your throne! Until that day, may we never treat worship lightly. Let our weekly gatherings always be a joyful celebration of You, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

P.S. This is the song I love so, which I’m hoping will be played at my resurrection celebration (a.k.a., “funeral”) someday: