Earthquake

Friday morning around nine our country was rocked by an earthquake that measured 5.5 on the Richter scale. I was standing in the reception area of our department, speaking to a fellow employee when the building began weaving like a drunken Frankenstein. Strangely enough I didn’t panic I just stood still and waited to see what would happen next. I remember recently thinking about the scripture that spoke about not being afraid of evil tidings. I still don’t know how I’ll handle other situations but I think I got a better understanding of what the psalmist was saying. Knowing that God is in control of your life: here and in the hereafter gives you calm in these types of situations because you know you can trust Him. Knowing your name is written in the Lamb’s book of Life gives you confidence to look death in eye because you understand that it can’t hurt you.

When it was over and I was making my way down the stairs to exit alongside the other employees I remember repenting before the Lord for anything that might keep me from Him. I’m sure I’m saved but I know I’m not perfect and there is something about facing such a moment that makes you realise you don’t know what the next will bring. We stayed outside the building on the football field that we have to the back, behind the car park for approximately two hours while engineers checked the building for damage. Afterward they let us back in the building but didn’t dismiss us for the day. A lot of people left though some to check on homes and collect children because most schools were let out early. I called family and friends and everyone was okay so I stuck around. Until around half two when the second quake struck then there was no question of sticking. I picked up my bag and left. I admit I was shaken after the second one because strangely enough I was more surprised at that one. It was a wakeup call really. Even though we live in an area that is threatened by hurricanes and earthquakes we always seem to escape the wrath of these natural disasters. A fact that a lot of people take for granted, believing that God is on our side and nothing bad can happen. It seemed God’s way of saying ‘You don’t know what the next moment might bring.’ If it was a lot of people didn’t hear that message. When we broke for lunch some of my coworkers went out to buy lunch when I called them to find out where they were at they had gone to a nearby restaurant/bar. When they returned it was clear to me that they had been drinking. I know people deal with stress differently but I still hope that on some level they realized the uncertainty of the future.

My prayer: Father, help me to face each moment as if it were my last so that I will always be prepared to meet You. I pray for my country, that we will understand our need for you, collectively and individually. Touch the hearts of those that don’t know You Lord and give them understanding of Your great love. I pray especially for family and friends, still lost in the clutches of the enemy. Open their eyes to the truth and if You can use me in some small way to make this happen, use me Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins

Okay, normally I like to do my own review of a book but I haven't finished this one yet! So I've included the post below from the Blog Alliance website to ensure I show that link love!

From September 27th thru the 29th, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance presents Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins.

Violet Dawn, which released in August of this year, is published by Zondervan and is part of Brandilyn's new Kanner Lake series. There are two other books to come...Coral Moon, releasing in March of '07, and Crimson Eve, releasing in September of '07.

You must also stop by and visit Scenes and Beans, the REAL blog for the fictional Java Joint coffehouse in Kanner Lake.

This is a unique marketing tool for the series, involving about 30 other
writers (including several of our CFBA members), and eventually involving readers of the series who want to audition posts.

Now, I've made you wait long enough. The book is classic Brandiln Collins Seatbelt Suspense. It grabs you from the very beginning...


Something sinuous brushed against Paige's knee. She jerked her leg away.

What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand.

Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers.

Hair?

She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. something solid bumped her wrist. Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out.


I'm telling you that this is suspense at it's finest! Brandilyn has a group of friends that she affectionately calls the Big Honkin' Chickens Club, because the women in the group are unnerved by Brandilyn's writing. This new series is a prime example of that kind of work!

Back cover
Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night...and finds herself face to face with death.

Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice.

In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith's first glimmer. One woman's secrets unleash an entire town's pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

You can go HERE to read a first chapter excerpt. But using Brandilyn's famous tagline....."Don't forget to breathe..."

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen Things My Mother Taught Me

1. My mother taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE...

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."


2. My mother taught me RELIGION...

" You better pray that will come out of the carpet."


3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL...

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week."


4. My mother taught me LOGIC...

"Because I said so, that's why."


5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC...

"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."


6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT...

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."


7. My mother taught me IRONY...

"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."


8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS...

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."


9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM...

"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"


10. My mother taught me about STAMINA...

"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."


11. My mother taught me about WEATHER...

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."


12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY...

"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"


13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE...

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."


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In Other Words

"It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else."
~ Erma Bombech ~

I think Erma is on to something with her quote here. Your dreams say a lot about you, about your innermost hopes and desires. They’re like little children, tender and vulnerable, facing a future as yet unfolded. Showing someone your dreams is like saying ‘This is who I am’, easy for some to do but harder for others. We want people to like us and accept us and I expect that noone wants to be the object of ridicule. Sometimes a dream can seem so out of reach that to share that with someone opens us up to that.

Joseph could tell us a lot about that. He had his dreams and shared them with his family only to be ridiculed and scorned. I imagine that this was hard because we share that secret part of us with those we love and trust. Having them throw it back in our faces with disdain would break that trust.

I think too you need not just courage but self-confidence to share your dreams. It’s easier to put yourself out there when you have accepted who you are and what you want. When I first started to write poetry I just wanted to express myself. I had just gotten saved and was growing in my relationship with God. The anointing was so strong upon me one day, I was at work at my desk and I had these indescribable feelings. I felt God speaking to me but as though the words were just beyond my hearing so I picked up pen and paper and began to write. It wasn’t terribly original, just bits and pieces of scriptures that the Lord was impressing upon my heart really but that’s where I started. It became my outlet to my experience with God and what I wanted to say to Him and vice versa. It was something I hid for long time because it was so personal. I felt like giving someone any to read was like handing my heart over on a silver platter. Not an easy thing to do. So I’d usually keep it to myself for a while and when I became comfortable with it myself, it was easier to share.

So I think self-confidence is important and not just confidence in ourselves but also confidence in God. The fact is that we 'can do all things through Christ' and 'with God all things are possible'. The question then is whether our dream is the will of God and ultimately if we will trust Him to accomplish it.

Days of the Week

I got this in an e-mail and I had to share.


Monday : Wash Day
Lord, help me wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.



Tuesday:Ironing Day
Dear Lord, help me iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected though the years so that I may see the beauty in others.



Wednesday : Mending Day
O God, help me mend my ways so I will not set a bad example for others.



Thursday : Cleaning Day
Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.



Friday : Shopping Day
O God, give me the grace to " shop " wisely so that what I "choose" will bring eternal happiness for myself and all others in need of love.



Saturday : Cooking Day
Help me, my Savior, to brew a big kettle of brotherly love and serve it with clean, sweet bread of human kindness.




Sunday : The Lord's Day
O! God, I have prepared my house for you. Please come into my heart so I may spend the day and the rest of my life in your presence.

Grande Riviere Trip

Since today was a holiday (Republic Day) some members of our church went to Grande Riviere. We normally go there for Independence Day (August 31) but this year we ended up going a little later. It’s a wonderful place, really. When you get there, to your left is a river and to your right is the ocean. What more could a person want? We’re thinking of camping out on the beach for Carnival next year. I think it will be so great especially since the beach has a public resort with bathroom facilities (I bet you can tell I’m not much of a nature girl, huh?). We had a brief service when we arrived and then enjoyed ourselves soaking in the sun, sea and sand.

I can’t swim but I did learn to float today. Yeah! It takes a lot of faith to do that, doesn’t it? Anyway, I had a great time. And to think I didn’t want to go. On the way back the maxi driver put on a Donnie McClurkin CD and it was really beautiful worshipping God and watching the sun set along the coast. I can’t wait for next year!

P.S. You ever notice how after a day at the beach you can almost feel the water lapping over you when you lie down to sleep? I always feel that way. I think it's so cool! :D

Fall Into Reading Challenge

I was scrolling through the Thursday Thirteen posts when I came upon the Fall into Reading Challenge on Blessed Beyond Measure. Being a reading addict/junkie/fanatic (take your pick) of course I decided to join. I mostly read fiction so for me the real challenge would be to finish the non-fiction books on my list.

The challenge originated from Callapidder Days and you can find out more about the challenge and how you can join here.

Below is my list

Non-Fiction
1. Cover to Cover (Through the Bible as it happened) – Selwyn Hughes and Trevor J. Partridge
2. My Spiritual Inheritance – Juanita Bynum
3. Experiencing the Presence of God – Charles Finney
4. Captivated - John & Stasi Eldredge
5. The Believer’s Handbook – Lester Sumrall
6. Blue Like Jazz – Donald Miller
7. Single, Sassy and Satisfied - Michelle McKinney Hammond

Fiction

8. Return – Karen Kingsbury
9. Rejoice – Karen Kingsbury
10. Reunion – Karen Kingsbury
11. Violet Dawn – Brandilyn Collins
12. Violette Between – Alison Strobel
13. The Last Sin Eater – Francine Rivers
14. Unafraid – Francine Rivers
15. Dark Hour – Ginger Garrett
16. Coldwater Revival - Nancy Jo Jenkins
17. Fame - Karen Kingsbury

Something That Lasts

Everyone has been the victim of bad choices; our own and those of others. Some may barely cause a blip on our radar, but then again, some take on life-changing proportions we seem helpless to avoid. In Something that Lasts, Reverend David Parst is confronted with a decision and his choice is one that will influence his family for decades to come.

James David Jordan weaves a tale of love, betrayal and loss that will grip you from beginning to end. You will want to ask the question ‘What would Jesus do?’ but will find yourself wondering, ‘What would I have done?’

In this first offering by James David Jordan, you will journey with the Parst family as they strive to overcome the past and look into the future to find, Something that Lasts.

Thirteen Things to Smile About This Week

Thirteen Things to Smile About This Week



1. I’m alive – Reason enough for me
2. Celebrating the 8th year anniversary of my baptism on the 20th September.
3. Pay raise.
4. Tuesday night service was really awesome
5. I can’t remember the last time I had a really bad hair day
6. I bought myself a new Bible to celebrate #2.
7. One of my bosses complimented me on my good work.
8. Monday is a holiday! Can anyone say ‘long weekend’?
9. Season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy
10. I don’t have to work this weekend
11. Tuesday was the birthday of one of the leaders in church so this Friday we're having a Par-tay!
12. Did I mention Monday will be a holiday?
13. Did I also mention I’m going to the beach?



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1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


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We Ting Wednesday

Folklores and Fables

Our culture is filled with lots of superstitions, myths and fables. Growing up, one of the most frightening folklore for a child was the douens. A douen is thought to be the evil spirit of a child that has died before he/she has been christened (baptized). They have no faces and their feet are turned backwards. They walk around naked and have large straw hats that hide their faces. For the most part they are thought to be found playing in forests and near rivers. They approach children that are not baptized and try to lure them away with them. They can also be identified by the eerie ‘whoop whoop’ sound they make.

As a child I remember being very frightened for one of my cousins who had never been baptized as a baby. Living in a country area, especially with my house right next to a ‘bamboo patch’ the whoop whoop sound was no stranger to me. Especially late in the evening and into the night. So after a certain hour, baptism or no baptism, this little girl found herself inside out of harm’s way.

As an adult I wonder at the veracity of this tale. Being a Christian I do believe in evil spirits but if the accounts of those who’ve claimed to have encountered these beings are to be believed then I don’t think they are in fact the spirits of children who have died without the benefit of baptism they encountered but maybe just an evil spirit.

Sacred and Ordinary

One of the most important things I hold sacred is my relationship with God. On reading this week’s quote I tried to reconcile the statement of the writer. How can something be sacred and ordinary at the same time? This lead me into thinking about my present relationship with God and what I would really like it to be. In so doing the words ‘sacred’ and ‘ordinary’ capture the very essence of my desire.

I want the type of relationship where I am always in His presence. When I say in His presence I don’t mean the outer court or the inner court but the very Holiest of Holies. To me that’s sacred. And I don’t want to be in that place once a year like the High Priest of Old Testament times but I want this to be the norm in my life. My status quo so to speak; my ‘everyday’ experience with God. I think too that heaven will be like this. Imagine the reality of walking with God in His fullness everyday. I want my little piece of heaven down here though while I wait for the totality that is to come.

Squat by Taylor Field

Jesus said, “…the poor you have with you always…”. In Squat, the new release of Taylor Field and current feature of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, we are thrust into the lives of ‘the forgotten ones’, people that we walk pass and ignore daily or dismiss by the toss of a coin.

Back Cover
In the shadow of Wall Street’s wealth, homeless citizens with names like Squid, Saw, and Bonehead live in abandoned buildings known as "squats" where life is hand to mouth, where fear and violence fester. The light in lovable Squid’s obsessive-compulsive mind’s eye is Rachel, a loving soup kitchen missionary who tells him about faith and unfaith, hypocrisy and justice, the character of God and finding identity in Him.

But among the squats and so many other abandoned lives, will such talk be enough to make Squid believe that his life may actually amount to something?

Read the first chapter

Bonus: Read the second chapter

You know you want to so buy the book.

We Ting Wednesday

A Taste of Trini Tongue

Like all people we have our own dialect or slang that is unique to our particular culture. Supposedly we're speaking the Queen’s English but really, we more often than not, write the Queen’s English and speak something else entirely. These are just some words we use that are not strictly 'English'.


Allyuh – what we really mean to say is all of you

Ent? – translated: isn’t that so? Or don’t you think so?

Harden – means willfully disobedient. Lots of little children and teenagers have heard this one. For example, a mother of rebellious children, at the end of her rope may exclaim, “Why allyuh children (pronounced chirren) harden so?”

fas – inquisitive, nosy, prying,. When someone calls you ‘fast’ it means it means you goin’ too far up in de people business.

frontish – always wanting to be the center of attention

Cell Phones vs Bible

I receceived this in an e-mail and just had to share.

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible the way we do our cell phones.

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to our kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

What if we upgraded it to the latest version?

Oh, and one more thing: Unlike our cell phones, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the
bill.

A Fixed Heart

Rumours that there was a gas shortage drove many vehicle owners into panic-buying mode this weekend. Long lines formed at gas stations with some motorists waiting hours for fuel. I heard of this morning on a radio talk show while on my way to work. I spent a most relaxing day on Saturday, never leaving my house at all. Hearing the hosts debate the verity of these rumours I was reminded of Psalm 112:7 which says, “He shall not be afraid of evil tiding; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.” (KJV)

How many times when faced with situations do we panic instead of trusting in God. We rush out to try and fix the situation like those people hurrying to fill up their tanks, not stopping to ask God’s input in the situation. Or even just trusting him to make things right. The prophet Elijah when he heard Queen Jezebel wanted to kill him found his heart not fixed on God and he ran and hid, not trusting in the Lord that had just done great wonders for him.

What has God done for you in the past? What has He promised to do? Will you trust Him when there are rumours of employees being laid off on the job or the doctor think s there’s something serious wrong with you? Will you still trust Him if the rumours turn out to be true?

Personally, I’ve often wondered how I would deal with these types of situations. My only answer is to get closer to God. I figure if I get close enough to Him, in my times of trouble I’ll be sure that He’s there. With Him by my side I know I can get through anything.

Books, books and more books....

I had such a great day today. Finally, I made my way to Logos II which has been in Trinidad for the past couple of weeks. Books, books and more books! I was in heaven! In spite of the mad crush of people and lack of air-conditioning. I got three great books I can’t wait to get into: Experiencing the presence of God by Charles Finney, The Believer’s Handbook by Lester Sumrall and Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge. This last book I’ve heard so much good things about, I can’t wait to read it.

You didn’t that was all I bought did you? I sort of went crazy in the ‘grab bag’ section which had most of the fiction books. Christian fiction! A rare commodity in this country let me tell you. Usually I buy books off eBay or Christianbook.com and have them shipped here so this was a great treat for me. Authors like Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury and Randy Alcorn to name a few. I only ‘discovered’ Christian fiction last year (wonderful thing the internet!) and just in time too, so I knew what authors to look for there.

I don’t think I mentioned it before but Logos II is a ship and I took these pictures through and open space between two shelves (speaking of which I’m thinking I might need more of those).

All in all a wonderful day. Below are some pictures I took of the view from the boat.

Thurday Thirteen

This is my first thirteen post and I decided to take up the challenge issued last week by Denise

Thirteen Things I Like About ME 1. I said yes to Jesus. The most important decision I've ever made and I'm glad I made it 2. I'm responsible 3. My hands - People always tell they're so small: makes me feel very female 4. Children like me - I hear they're good judge of characters 5. I'm really a very non-violent person 6. I'm smart. Honest. 7. Vivid imagination (can be trouble sometimes though :D) 8. Sense of humour 9. Humble 10. Good listener 11. Color - I'm comfortable in my skin (at least in this area) 12. Mole at the top right hand corner of lips 13.Tactful Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. tracie 2. mommyba 3. francesca gray 4. barbara

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'We Ting' Wednesday

Being a patriotic sort I wanted to take the opportunity to share a little about my country; our customs and practices and so forth. I had a light bulb moment and decided to blog once a week some interesting fact about the beautiful twin island republic I call home. Thus ‘We Ting’ Wednesdays was born.

It’s always best to start at the beginning, so let me first say that Trinidad and Tobago was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1498. Our name came about because of the three mountaintops Columbus first saw that he named La Trinity. As a matter of fact the highest award given out in the country is called the Trinity Cross. For now anyway. There have been a lot of arguments in recent times about the fact that this name has a Christian origin with moves being made to get the government to change it. Objectively, I can understand the need of other religious groups to feel represented but as a Christian I’m glad for this symbol of God and Christianity at the highest levels of the nation.

Confession

I started reading 1 John this morning and this verse jumped out at me

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (KJV)

Admitting to a wrong is never easy. It takes a lot of courage to admit you were wrong and in this case, not just wrong, but have sinned. Maybe that’s why it’s so important. It forces you to face what you’ve done and own up to it. Not always an easy task, facing the truth, ugly as it can sometimes be. If I remember correctly one of my lecturers said that confessing is saying about your sin what God says about it.

On second thought I think it takes more than courage sometimes to own up to your mistakes, it takes relationship. When you know God intimately you know He wants to forgive you. It’s hard, because you know you’ve disappointed Him but the desire to make things right overrides any other emotion.

The beauty about this is that it is cathartic. When we confess, God cleans and heals. He doesn’t leave us broken and wounded. He binds up our wounds and puts us back together, the way He would have us to be.

No More Excuses

• Jonah ran from God
• Naomi was a widow
• Job went bankrupt
• John the Baptist ate bugs
• Peter denied Christ
• The Disciples fell asleep while praying
• Martha worried about everything
• Mary Magdalene was, well you know
• The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
• Zaccheus was too small
• Paul was too religious
• Timothy had an ulcer...AND
• Lazarus was dead! ...

no more excuses now. God can use you to your full potential.
Besides you aren't the message ... you are just the messenger.

Be encouraged.