“But I have prayed …” (Luke 22:31-32 Pt2)

My sister Venieca got her CXC results today. For the uninformed, in the Carbbean, this is something akin to the American High School Diploma. Passing five subjects is considered a ‘full certificate’. She wrote seven subjects and passed all, gaining distinctions in some subjects. We are so proud of her. She was so happy and excited that she couldn’t wait to get to church to testify of God’s goodness to her. One subject in particular, ‘Principles of Accounts’, she was quite sure she had failed.

What does this have to do with the scripture quoted above? I was impressed by my sister’s eagerness to attribute her success to God. Do we always do that? Acknowledge God for his participation in our triumphs, be they in life, business or our spiritual walk?

In Luke 22:31-32 Jesus tells the disciples that the devil has desired to sift them as wheat. His next words were “But I have prayed that thy faith fail not…” When our lives are surrendered to Christ He is always acting on our behalf (Romans 8:26, 27, 34). As I read them, these words are a great comfort to me because they tell me that Christ is interceding on my behalf. You see, to me what the Lord is saying goes something like this, “Listen Simon, your enemy the devil wants to test/tempt you. He will get his chance but don’t worry. I have already prayed and dealt with the situation.” (KNV – Kell-Ann’s New Version).

Hallelujah! God has dealt with our situations. I was talking here about things happening in the spiritual that we don’t always know about but we see their effects in the natural. God is always working for us, fighting our battles and so forth. So when we receive blessings and we are victorious in different areas of our lives, we should do as my sister did and thank God because sometime in the past He has prayed…

Tick Tock ...

"I thought about the whole notion of "reproduction," and what it really means to replicate yourself. Is it merely about the passing on of eyes and chins and hair color? Or is it, rather, the replication of the heart? Do we leave a bigger mark by passing on our genes, or our thoughts?"~ Shannon Woodward, author ofInconceivable: Finding Peacein the Midst of Infertility ~

Tick tock, tick tock. If I listen carefully I’m sure I’ll hear the unmistakable sound of my biological clock ticking away. Not foghorn loud of course but loud enough to remind me that Ill never see twenty-five again (except as some sort of anniversary maybe). I know I’m far from over the hill but I had always envisioned having a family at a young age. However, my mothering instincts are not wasted since I am the oldest of six daughters (yep lots of estrogen in my household :D).

My youngest sister, Arielle is eight years old. When she was born I was just out of high school and I remember taking care of her for the first few months of her life while I was looking for a job. Not exclusively, of course but I was her unofficial nanny. I fed her, bathed her, took her for walks and defended her still bald head. I read books and agonized over when she should begin eating solid foods; planned her daily menus and so on. It’s not that my mother was neglectful or unloving but my heart clave to the child and instead of being hers she was ours.

Recently Arielle raised her hands in church when our Pastor asked for those wanting to be baptized. I was so happy. No just for the obvious reasons but I remembered something that the Lord had spoken to me the year before. In our yearly thanksgiving service someone had remarked that seeing us together they could easily believe that I’m her mother or some such thing. Laughing she had thrown her arms around me and cried “Mama”. I laughed myself but in the wake of the moment the Lord spoke to me saying that, in fact, that is what I was to her. Not biologically, but spiritually He had entrusted the care and development of this child to me. I was impressed with the seriousness of this responsibility and resolved to do my best. That little upraised hand was a signal to me that inspite of my own failings He was still able to move in the life of this child. She has a lot of life left to live but I’m assured that right now she is on the right path

I may never have kids of my own but the influence that I have in my sister’s lives (both my parents are unsaved) and the difference I have made in them by just making sure they go to church and listen God’s word has been rewarding. I may never look into a young pair of eyes and see my own but I think the best part of being a parent is the molding of a young heart to be just like Christ’s. What’s more important than that?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Today is my sister Venieca's birthday. She's seventeen. Seems like just yesterday she was a little scrap of a thing running around and getting on my nerves :D.

Now she's all grown up (almost) and spending hours on the phone talking to the enemy - cough- um- I mean, boys.

Happy Birthday sweetheart. I hope the day was great for you. Stay as sweet as you are always. I'm off to polish my shotgun. Have a goodnight.

I Taste Like Him!

Salt, when dissolved in water, may disappear, but it does not cease to exist.We can be sure of its presence by tasting the water. Likewise, the indwelling Christ, though unseen,will be made evident to others from the love which He imparts to us.”~ Sadhu Sundar Singh ~

I’ve always been really shy. I’ve come a long way (with age) but still if given half a chance I will try to stay in the background (the proverbial wallflower) and hope that under no circumstances will I become the center of attention. That’s my biggest problem with public speaking; the idea of all those eyes focused on me always made me want to dive under the nearest table and hide. One wouldn’t expect that God would call someone like me to preach the gospel but such is my mission in life. I like to think of that verse of scripture that says that he uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise because it seems foolish that God would call mousy ole me to spread His Word. I like also that He gets the glory. When people taste of me they know it’s not me but God in me that they taste. Personally, I like to be like that salt that has dissolved water and seemed to have disappeared.

I saw a message by Bishop T.D. Jakes on Sunday and his message was that there are people that are normally in the corner (I can relate) but now God is calling those people out of their corners and into the spotlight. He does that to us. His presence in our lives can hardly be hid. We are the salt and He brings people to us so that through us they can taste of Him. The Bible says that a person wouldn’t put a light under a bushel but on a mountaintop for all to see. For all my shyness I feel that way too. Having Christ in me I want the entire world to know about Him and know that I have Him. All that He has taught me I want to share with the world. The love He has shown me I want to share with the world in whatever way I can. This provides a balance to my shyness I think and is allowing me to put myself out there when my natural self just wants to dissolve in the background. To God be the glory!

More Than The Eye Can See (Luke 22:31-32 Pt 1)

I am studying Luke 22:31-32 at the moment and one of the first things that hit me was the fact that there really is a natural world and a spiritual world. Jesus is saying to Peter in Luke 22:31 that Satan has desired him to sift him as wheat. This didn’t happen in the natural but in the spiritual. The fact of the matter is that things are happening in the spiritual all the time. Usually, we don’t know about them but we experience their effects. If Job were here he could testify to this. A big mistake we make is to take things that happen to us at face value without questioning their true origins or rather without understanding that a lot of things that occur in the natural are the outcomes of battles fought in the spiritual.

I’m reminded right now of the story where I think it was Daniel had prayed and God had sent his angel with the answer but he (the angel) was delayed when he had to battle the devil that had come up against him. Daniel would not have known of this had not the angel told him upon his arrival. Most times the battles that are fought in the spirit realm for our blessings and deliverance, etc., we are not privy to. This is another reason why we must ALWAYS keep our faith and trust in the Lord because we know that no matter what happens he is on our side.

We must also understand that we too fight battles in the spirit realm. And whether we win or lose there determines our actions in the natural. For example when we are tempted our spirit man resists the devil in the spirit but if he (our spirit man) is not strong enough to withstand the attack of the devil then we lose the battle and see the effects in the natural. Sin is a good example of this happening. So we must keep up our spiritual strength by staying in prayer and in the word.

In "Other" Words

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity .”~ Albert Einstein~

The week before my baptism in September of 1998 I decided that there were two people that I needed to ask forgiveness of before my big day. One was an uncle who was a staunch Catholic as was most of my family. I called and apologized to him. One might expect that this call would have ended on a happy note as he readily forgave me but it didn’t. By the time I hung up the tears streaming down my face were not those of joy.

My uncle’s comment to me on my baptism was that he understood my situation at home was not perfect but that was no reason to be jumping from church to church. You see I grew up and made First Communion in the Catholic faith but later attended a Seventh Day Adventist Church for about a year as my mother had gotten baptized into this faith. We stopped attending when I was about 9 or 10. I did not attend any church for the next couple of years when I was coerced by my aunt (she was the adult after all) to a full gospel deliverance meeting. I got saved and was never the same again.

My childhood was not a model of stability. My father had three gods in his life: alcohol, gambling and women. Not exactly the starting point of happy family memories. But when I accepted Christ it was because I had found someone to love me inspite of myself. I do not consider that I was hopping from church to church searching for the happiness that was not always present at home. His words hurt because I felt like he was saying that I didn’t love God but was only using him conveniently somehow. There was also the shame because even though my father’s weaknesses affected us in many ways I felt we had a lot of love amongst ourselves. My mother always made sure we knew that we were loved and my father always told us he loved us. My uncle’s words somehow made me feel like trash.

So I cried. I can’t remember if I responded in any way but I remember sitting at my desk and crying feeling very much misunderstood. It was only in hindsight I realized something. He had no right to make me feel ashamed. My circumstances were not of my doing and if God had used my difficulty as an opportunity to draw me unto Him then praise the Lord! The truth of the matter is that the personal relationship with Christ that I needed to complete my life I did not find anywhere else but in a simple cell group meeting at somebody’s house and the choice of place to worship was something I considered carefully and prayerfully.

Over the years I’ve learned the value of Einstein’s statement. Every difficulty I face is an opportunity to grow closer to God. As the songwriter said, “If I never had a problem I wouldn’t know my God could solve them”

VBS 2006: Jesus is Coming Soon!

It has been a busy couple of days/weeks for me with our church concert and fashion show, my sister's wedding and the start of VBS being the 05, 06 and 07 August 2006. I guess you won't be surprised then when i tell you that even though the VBS was supposed to start at 10.00 am, at 10.45 am i was being roused from sound sleep by my sister who could not believe that i had overslept. Thank goodness I was not solely responsible for carrying on the VBS so by the time i had whipped my sleepy butt into shape it was in full swing.

Our theme this year is Jesus is Coming Soon! I had wondered if this might be too heavy for the kids but i think if it's important that they understand that our Lord and Saviour will return again for us. Today's lesson dealt with who Jesus is and we showed a movie (animated) that depicted his death and resurrection.

One Down, Four More To Go

My sister got married today. (Hip hip hip hooray!)

The day ended up being very lovely although it had a very rocky start since my sister went up to this morning by the tailor and he still had not finished her VERY SIMPLE DRESS. Needless to say many tears were shed before she receieved her dress. Also she was an early bride but this was necessary since the church had three weddings planned for that day.

Another glitch in the plans was that the keys to the Benz that was supposed to take her to the church could not be found so to avoid being late she was chauffered in a van. Hey at least it was clean and she arrived on time. Doesn't she look beautiful! Will try to put up more pictures soon!

P.S. To clarify the title my mother has five girls so one down, four more to go.

My Grace Is Sufficient for You

My grace is sufficient for you
Trust in me,
I will see you through
When times are tough and seasons change
I will always be the same
On mountaintops, in deepest seas
I control your destiny
Have I not promised, will I not stay
Here beside you everyday?
Have I not spoken, will I not do
All that I have purposed for you?

You are washed in my blood
I have called you by name
For you I came,
died
and suffered shame
Do you not trust me, to do as I say?
Have I ever failed you in any way?
Do not rely on your eyes
The things that you see
For the things you do not
Are more real to me.

WAKING LAZARUS

This month’s Christian Fiction Blog Tour features none other than the first published book by the founder of the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, T.L. Hines. Waking Lazarus has been described as :


"Provocative from the first line, intriguing to the last. WAKING LAZARUS is a thriller of strategic pacing, colored in tones of mystery and wonder. DON'T miss this exceptional debut."
--Brandilyn Collins, Bestselling Author of WEB OF LIES

"In its raw honesty and credible depiction of the paranormal, T.L. Hines' WAKING LAZARUS recalls the early work of Stephen King, leavened with optimism and a profound sense of grace. A wonderful debut by a prodigiously talented writer!"
- Michael Prescott, NY Times bestselling author and author of MORTAL FAULTS

"T.L. Hines delivers a creepy yet compelling read that focuses on one of the most disturbing questions to ever haunt man’s subconsciousness – why am I here?"
--Joseph Nassise, Author of the TEMPLAR CHRONICLES

"T.L. Hines is a fresh voice in the field of suspense, balancing dark moods with moments of emotion and redemption. He creates a likeable, conflicted character in Jude Allman, then pits Jude against an unforgettably chilling villain. I found myself holding my breath in more than one scene. With flawless pacing, Hines leads us to a final twist which is startling, yet satisfying."
--Eric Wilson, author of EXPIRATION DATE and DARK TO MORTAL EYES


Jude Allman has one motto: Keep it secret, keep it safe. He uses this to escape the notoriety that came with returning from the dead not once or twice but three times. To this end he has changed his name and is a current resident of Red Lodge, Montana. In keeping it secret and keeping it safe he has blacked out his memories from his past and works hard at secluding himself away from the world.

But the light is about to shake up his dark world as things begin to happen that may reveal life-changing truths about his own deaths. As children begin disappearing in Red Lodge and surrounding towns, Jude Allman finds himself on the brink of self-discovery that can crack the case wide open.

A Child is Born

No, not the Christchild but my brand new cousin ... cue trumpets ... Natalia. Ain't she sweet. Awwww. Welcome to the family, baby.

The Hidden by Kathryn Mackel

May Christian Fiction Blog Tours features The Hidden by Kathryn Mackel which debuted May 09, 2006.

Susan Stone vowed never to return to her childhood home but twenty years later she goes back to take care of her injured father and his business. After participating in a traumatic foaling Susan rides off into the hills of Colorado, recklessly courting danger and death. Flung headlong into a dark ravine Susan encounters something that will change her world forever. A strangely scarred boy-man chained in darkness, with no memory of who he is …

Meanwhile Sheriff Ricky Sanchez investigates a series of gruesome murders in the Colorado area that seem increasingly linked to Susan’s new discovery.

Kathryn Mackel has written a story that will keep you guessing till the end (my favorite kind). You will be caught up in the mystery of Jacob and entangled in the turbulent emotions that surround Susan and Melissa.

In the words of Colleen Coble (author of Alaska Twilight) The Hidden is "...An amazing, riveting read not to be missed."

A Worship Experience

Yesterday's service was so sweet and the anointing of God so rich, I was truly blessed. Pastor preached about the worship experience and we really experienced that. So tonight I was in Bible Study class and Pastor mentioned to those who did not make it to service yesterday what they had missed out on. I tried to put into words what I had felt and wrote the following.

Heart lifted
wholly
Bowing before you
humbly
Blood washing
purely
Praises received
sweetly

Feeling Your touch
so gently
Hearing You speak
so softly
Heart is moved
so deeply
Grace
it overcomes me

Your Spirit
living inside me
Your love
it overwhelms me
Joy
so full of glory
No other god before Thee

SAFE SEX DRESS

Personally, I think (as a single person) that the safest sex is NO SEX. However, this is a very creative idea.

TOO MUCH TIME

This has got to be one of the cleverest
E-mails I've received in awhile.
Someone out there either has too much
spare time or is deadly at Scrabble.
(Wait till you see the last one)!


DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:!
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
IM A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE


AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE:

MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When
you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER

Yep! Someone with waaaaaaaaaaay
too much time on their hands! (Probably a son-in-law)

Christian One Liners

Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited
until you try to sit in their pews.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

When you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

People are funny; they want the
front of the bus, the middle of the road, and the back of the church.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Quit griping about your
church; if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If the church wants a
better pastor, it only needs to pray for the one it has.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God Himself does not propose
to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Peace starts with a smile.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

I don't know why some people
change churches; what difference does
it make which one you stay home from?!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

A lot of church members who
are singing "Standing on the Promises" are just sitting on the premises.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We were called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't put a question mark where God put a period.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Forbidden fruits create many jams.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God grades on the cross, not the curve.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God loves everyone, but probably prefers
"fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

He who angers you, controls you!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If God is your Copilot - swap seats!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Prayer:

Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.
*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We don't change the message, the message changes us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*
You can tell how big a person
is by what it takes to..........discourage him.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The best mathematical equation I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails= 4 given.

He Took Our Place

One day, a man went to visit a church.

He got there early, parked his car, and got out.

Another car pulled up and the driver got

out and said,"I always park there!

You took my place!" The visitor went inside for

Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down.

A young lady from the church

approached him and stated,

"That's my seat! You took my place!"

The visitor was somewhat distressed

by this rude welcome, but said nothing.

After Sunday School, the visitor went

into the sanctuary and sat down.

Another member walked up to him and said,

"That's where I always sit! You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this

treatment, but still He said nothing.

Later as the congregation was praying

for Christ to dwell among them,

the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change.

Horrible scars became visible on

his hands and on his sandaled feet.

Someone from the congregation

noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?"

The visitor replied, as his hat

became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye,

"I took your place."

It’s Raining Pounds

No, not the sterling kind but the kind that wraps around your middle like runaway tires and hangs on your butt like gravity. All those years of eating whatever I wanted is now taking its toll. Those fat molecules that I thought were eliminated by my superior metabolism had simply bided their time all these years waiting for a weak moment to strike. Increasingly obvious is the fact that that time is here since I seem to be retaining pounds like water.

Of course my dear sister would choose this time to announce her impending marriage (yeah, yeah, yeah, hurrah, hurrah and all that) and my role as Maid of Honor. To which I take offense (not to the role but the title). I don’t need to be reminded that I am staring thirty in the eye and still single. I hear the ticking thank you very much. “Maid”, indeed.

Anyway, I’m gonna get on a strict regimen of healthy eating and exercise (yes, a diet) that will whip me into supermodel shape (Lord, I know You can work miracles) by August 06, the date of my sister’s impending nuptials. It sounds so simple doesn’t it except that I’ve never been much into sports and the only time I deny myself food is to fast (only for Jesus people). So, the coming weeks should be … umm…interesting.

Be Slow to Speak

(James 1:19)
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:


Look at the picture below. What do you see?

Horse or frog?

Christy award nominees

Christy award nominees are out. I am glad to see a couple of the books on my Must Read list nominated.

Two of them were featured by the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance (cue applause here): namely A Bride Most Begrudging by Deanne Gist and Comes A Horseman by Robert Liparulo. Also on my Must Read list is River Rising by Athol Dickson and Whence Came A Prince by Liz Curtis Higgs.

I’m not familiar with most of the other authors but then I’m just getting to know Christian fiction. However this is proof that they’re worth checking out.