One Person Under God

 

For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; Deuteronomy 4;7-9

We've all recited the Pledge of Allegiance and we are often reminded of the words "one nation, under God" but have you considered that you and I are one person under God? We want our nation to recognize God, but are we recognizing Him in our daily lives? 

In Deuteronomy 4,5 Moses is recounting how God gave the children of Israel the Ten Commandments. He is reminding them of how they promised God to obey His laws. The Israelites had heard the voice of God, the thundering and lightning, the smoke on the mountain, but they were afraid, so God had Moses go up on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. When Moses left, the people forgot their promise. By the time Moses came down in just forty short days, they were worshipping a golden calf! They had completely lost their fear of God. 

Where are we today? Are we not a nation so great with God so nigh in all the things we call upon Him for? Are not our statutes and judgments and laws righteously based on God's Ten Commandments? Have we failed to take heed? Have we forgotten all the things we have seen that God has brought us through? Have we failed to teach our children and our grandchildren? 

I won't be so pessimistic as to think there is no hope. I refuse to believe that we can no longer be "one nation under God". Beginning with the Mayflower Compact, it is He that hath made us and not we ourselves. Moses led the people of Israel — one man under God. William Brewster drew up the Mayflower Compact — one man under God. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote for the abolition of slavery  — one woman under God. Are we not each one person — man or woman — under God who can be leaders in our homes, in our churches, in our communities, and in our nation? These and so many others have taken it upon themselves to be that one person, to make that difference, to lead their nation to be united, one nation under God. 

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Deuteronomy 5:29

May each of us be that one person under God's direction to change the direction of our homes, churches, communities, and nation so that God will bless America.

Blessings,

Gail

Back to the Future

But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Numbers 14:21

"Grandma, do you think we'll ever have time travel? I'd like to go back to the Civil War just to see what life was like." 

"Well, everything we touched would affect and change the future. I'm not sure that's a good idea but I've always wanted to be an interpreter at a national park."

This was the beginning of a conversation with my teenage grandson on the way back from the gym. Our family loves history. We've lived in Spartanburg county since before the Revolutionary War. We are surrounded by family history and when we vacation we visit historic sites. Our conversation ended by concluding that God placed us here in this time and place for a specific reason — "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). So does our lives affect the future? 

In Numbers 13 the Lord had Moses send twelve men into the land of Canaan to spy out the land. Ten of the men brought back a bad report — bad news. They wouldn't be able to take the good land because there were walled cities and giants. Only Joshua and Caleb were ready to go into the land and take it believing God's promise. The people chose to follow the ten spies who gave the bad report because those spies were the majority. Their choice affected their future. God was ready to destroy the people and start over but Moses' talk with God affected the future.

God agreed to let the people live but those over twenty years old would die without seeing the promised land. They would wander in the wilderness until the younger generation grew up and the faithless died off except Joshua and Caleb. We live in a troubling time. Our thoughts and actions affect the future. God sent revivals in the past. The Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th Centuries were victorious times for God's people. Then several things happened to affect the future of God's people. 

Do you think God could send revival again? Do you think He will? Our thoughts and attitudes toward God's purposes affect our future. God's purpose in leading the Israelites into the promised land was to bring the gospel to the whole world. They were to be the people used by God to bring the Messiah. Their fear and disobedience delayed God's plan. How is our obedience or lack thereof affecting God's plan for our future? 

Take the time to look back at the preaching of the Great Awakenings. Google search should bring up the preachers and their doctrines without too much trouble. Look back at Christmas carols like "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear". Think about how people thought about the future. What was their vision? Life wasn't easy but they had a hope. 

We can't and shouldn't go back to the past, but we do need God's vision for the future — that all the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Blessing,

Gail

 

Writing God's Vision

And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Habakkuk 2:2,3

God's creation is filled with illustrations and you've probably used a few. But have you written them down? What about the lives of your parents and grandparents? Are there stories you'd like to share with your children, grandchildren, and others? You may think no one would want to read your writing. Read the verses from Habakkuk again. 

The Lord says write the vision. What vision has the Lord given you?

He says to make it plain so the runner can read it. When we are gone, the race will not be over. Others will need to read the vision God has given you. 

Then the Lord says the vision is yet for an appointed time. Wait for it. It will surely come. You may not see the fruit of your vision but wait for it. Pray for it. God will use it. 

Never be discouraged. God has given each of us talents to use for His kingdom. He expects us to use them, not hide them. Sometimes we all need encouragement, a little honing of our skills, or just to know we're on the right track. I'd like to invite you to the Write2Ignite Virtual Conference. Below is the information for registration. Pray about it. Let me know how I can help you pray. Let the Lord move your heart for His vision. 

 Write2Ignite Goes Virtual

 

If you write fiction for children, young adults, or even adults you are invited to join Write2Ignite for our first ever Virtual Master Class. On September 19, 2020, multi-published author Joyce Moyer Hostetter will help us master four big elements in writing fiction.

·       Creating Memorable Characters — Tried and true strategies for creating characters.

·       On Writing Plot: What’s the Problem — Structure and the power of conflict in creating a great plot.

·       View Point and Dialogue— Dialogue that works overtime and strategies for creating an authentic narrator.

 

At W2I we provide Christian writers of children’s and young adult literature with:

·       Instruction

·       Inspiration

·       Encouragement

·       Challenges

·       Community

 

Our focus is on those who write for youth.

Our foundation is Christ and His Word.

Our Master Class format provides one-day workshops designed to help writers build specific skills. If taking your writing to higher levels is your goal, you will benefit from these Master Class features:

·       Instruction by master authors like Joyce Moyer Hostetter

·       Guided hands-on practice of new writing skills

·       Immediate feedback

 

This Master Class will be an online event using Zoom. If you’re not familiar with using that platform, no worry! We’ll have a practice session on Friday, September 18, 2020 just for you.

 

If you’re not familiar with Joyce check out her Youtube video here. Her books are available through any bookstore.

We’re excited about this innovative opportunity. Hope you’ll join us on September 19, 2020.

Registration is just $79 for a full day of instruction, practice, and encouragement.

Click here to Register.

Blessings,

Gail

 

Mining for Truth

 Photo courtesy of Matt Seymour

 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17

Have you ever been gem mining? My grandson always loved swishing a pan of sand in the water and finding little gems. The water helped the sand pass through the sieve, leaving the goodies in the pan. If the sieve had a hole in it or was coming loose from the side, the gemstones would slip through and be lost. That would never do. We needed a good sieve so he could come away with a nice pocket full of rocks.

Just like with gem mining, we need a good sieve in life.  It's often hard to figure out the truth. We hear so many versions of "truth". We see so many video clips trying to convince us of "the truth". We read so many "facts" to demonstrate "the truth". We need a good sieve to pass all this information through. One with no holes or loose edges that would allow an untruth to pass through. 

 Jesus said that God's word is truth. How do we filter everything through God's word? It's hard to understand. It's a big book. We don't have time. My grandson didn't pour water over the pan of sand and just wait for the gems to appear. He had to swish it and dip it again and again. Each time swishing and taking out little treasures until he had devoured the whole $15 bucket. So too, we must take little bits, letting the Water of Life swish over the words, revealing the gems a few at a time. Here are a few tips I use:

• Commit to reading one chapter each day, just one.
• Pray before reading to commit that chapter to God's revealing.
• Look for the gem, the one thing God is speaking to you about in the chapter.
• Journal your find.
• Write an application for yourself.
• Write a prayer about that application.
• Share your gem with someone else, a spouse, your family, a friend, etc. 

One find leads to another. As soon as my grandson finished one bucket of sand he always wanted more. When you begin to find the gems in God's word and apply them to your life and the things you hear and see and read, you too will be hungry for another chapter of truth. 

Blessings, 

Gail

Windows Of Learning (5) Ships on the Seas

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. 

Proverbs 30:19

Until recent times ships needed sails, oars, and a rudder to maneuver across bodies of water. Now we use engines but ships still need a rudder. What does the rudder do? Where is it located? These are beginning questions for not just the children but all of us to investigate. 

The captain of a vessel steers the rudder to keep the ship, boat, or vessel of any kind, even airplanes, pointed in the right direction. There are also other factors to help the captain guide the ship. There are no roads to follow on the water so the captain must use God's creation to help him find his way. Many of us know how to use the sun for directions. It rises in the east and sets in the west and with a little knowledge of where the destination is located, we can head in the right direction by using the sun. But what about night travel?

A ship's captain can use the stars to guide the ship at night. Stars rotate in the night and through the seasons but there is a constant in the North Star. It's always going to point north. A captain uses a sextant to measure distance and help guide his ship both day and night. 

Each of us is like a ship. We need to be guided both day and night and across the years. How does God's creation help us with guidance? The Lord created many things in three's.  Think about the sun for a moment. There is the big burning mass, the light, and the heat. This helps us picture the Father, Jesus-the Light, and the Holy Spirit which we cannot see but we certainly can feel his leading. The sun is our guide by day but by night, in the dark? The North Star never changes. It's our guide by night. Jesus is our constant around which everything rotates. When the storms of life come and we just can't see how we will ever make it, know that behind the clouds day and night Jesus is there and when the storm passes He will still be there. The Lord has given us a sextant to help guide us. He has given us His Word, the Bible. 

In leading our children this coming school year, how can we help them investigate ships?

• sink and float activities - how are heavy metal ships with heavy cargo able to float?
• tides
• shipping lanes
• the Bermuda Triangle
• the Titanic

Each investigation can be tailored to the age, ability, and interest of the child. Writing, reading, math, science, and history can all be covered in one project.

One thing may lead to another such as a study of the stars.

• Identify constellations
• history of constellation names
• constellation legends in different cultures
• Design constellations
• Meteors
• star gazing
• Milky Way

How fun to just lay on your back under a clear night sky just watching, relaxing, quietly talking, contemplating the magnificence of all the Lord has made. 

God's Creation teaches us many things about our Creator. We are the ships on life's seas. What/Who is our life revolving around? Where are we getting our direction?

Blessings,

Gail