Saturday, April 11, 2020

He Opened Their Minds

Luke 24:36-47
While they [the disciples] were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ”

Easter—the day we remember Jesus' resurrection from the dead.


Prophets spoke of the Messiah, how he would die and on the third day break the chains of death. The Lord himself taught the disciples about his purpose on earth. They traveled with him and witnessed miracles. They heard the Pharisees mock him. Every one of them knew Jesus' story inside and out. But here they were humming and hawing about the very truth he showed them.

They thought they saw a ghost.

They'd witnessed Jesus being drug through the streets and beaten. Yet, the man they loved and missed, the one they'd seen nailed to a cross, and placed in a tomb, dead as could be—stood in front of them in full flesh and blood and declared victory over the grave.

Peter's guilty conscious plucked at him because he had cowered and denied he ever knew him. Thomas shook his head in disbelief. The other disciples stood with their mouths hanging open. Yet, Jesus didn't give up. He opened their minds to the truth.

In this time of pandemic, stop doubting and open your minds to the truth and hope of Jesus. The world is a mess. Not just from COVID-19, but from evil and sin. That's the bad news. The good news is, Jesus opened the doors to hope and heaven.
Jesus stands with outstretched hands in hopes everyone will trust in him.
I thank God for the opportunity to worship my Savior this Easter. Let's sing praises to him from our couches. Lift up prayers from our living rooms. Search our hearts and accept Jesus as Savior. He died so we can live, here on earth with purpose and one day with Him in heaven.

Celebrate Easter with Him!

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Peace to You

Sometimes the calm we need feels far away.
I know Jesus offers a peace that transcends whatever is going on in life.
He offers amazing grace and hope.

In this week before Easter, I pray peace fills your heart. 


Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Historical Fiction Review: The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate


Book Description:
Bestselling author Lisa Wingate brings to life startling stories from actual “Lost Friends” advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as newly freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold away.

Louisiana, 1875: In the tumultuous era of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Hannie, a freed slave; Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now destitute plantation; and Juneau Jane, Lavinia’s Creole half sister. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following roads rife with vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of stolen inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and siblings before slavery’s end, the pilgrimage west reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987: For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt—until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, is suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled live oaks and run-down plantation homes lie the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.

My Review:
Lisa Wingate has written an amazing story. I'd never read about the "Lost Friends" ads that posted for folks to find family and friends after the Civil War ended. I love the way she approached the story with a split-time perspective. Benny Silva is the perfect character to guide her students into the history of their town and their families. She has her own interesting story, which you'll discover as you read. I absolutely love Hannie and her spunk and courage. She's incredible. As I read each different time period, I couldn't wait to get back to the other one. Both stories are told in rhythm with one another, even though separated by 112 years. Being reminded how families were split apart is heartbreaking and thought provoking. The struggle to find their people took strength and an amazing amount of courage. If you read historical fiction or contemporary fiction, you'll enjoy The Book of Lost Friends. This is a 5++ stars story. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Fiction Suspense Review: Silent Shadows (Harbored Secrets Book #3) by Natalie Walters


Book Description:
Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances evolve into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally--her stubborn patient.

Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the undiagnosed disorder that is ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force him to take action. But Colton's involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer--and more deadly--than they realized.

With this suspenseful new story, Natalie Walters welcomes you once more to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name--but no one knows your secret.

My Review:
Silent Shadows
is a great suspense story. I enjoyed the interaction between Pecca and Colton and the friendship that developed between Colton and Maceo, Pecca's son. I also liked the older veterans who rehabbed with Colton. They reminded me of my dad. There are surprises and twists I didn't expect. The small town setting where the people are supportive and kind create the perfect community for Pecca and Maceo to start over. The thread of romance adds a sweet touch. I haven't read the first two books, but picked up on their stories in this one. They sound intriguing, also. If you enjoy suspense with a twist, pick up Silent Shadows. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Praises and Palms

He rode in on a donkey to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9 

Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.


Saturday, April 4, 2020

He's our Ever-present Help

Psalm 46:1-3
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.

I loved listening to my Gram tell stories.

Grammy as a teenager
When the 1918 Spanish Influenza attacked, my gram was nine years old. In October a messenger about Grammy's age, dropped a telegram at the door. A military officer had alerted my great-grandmother Helen Hannah Smith to the urgency of her son's illness. "If you want to see him alive, come right away." My Grammy Sara fetched her brother Bernard and his wife, and the family loaded into the Model T and traveled from Lynchburg, Ohio to Camp Sherman in Chillicothe, Ohio where her brother, Walter, prepared to serve in WW1. The flu had hit the camp and my great-grandma Smith was determined to see her son. 

Sara, too young to visit, waited on a bench with the doctor's wife, outside the building where the infected men stayed. Great-grandma applied a mustard plaster to Walter's chest in hopes the home remedy would help. Sadly, Walter died during the epidemic with complications from pneumonia. Great-grandma Smith, Grammy, and other family members contracted the flu. Thanks to the doctor who lived across the street and a neighbor who left soup on their step every day, they survived. As my gram's memories echo with sadness and sorrow, I'm reminded of the folks who have lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic. My heart breaks for anyone who has suffered such loss. 
Please pray with me that God pours peace over those who mourn.
Grammy, Great-grandma Smith, & Mom
Are you feeling exhausted, nervous, sad? Are you mourning? God wants to wrap you in his arms and comfort you. He reaches out to the brokenhearted, the hurting, the sad. He offers shelter in this time of distress.

As I've reflected on my Grammy's story and witnessed her life, I know she clung to Jesus. She loved God and set an amazing example of resilience and faith in her 92 years. No matter what we're going through, God is our strength and our hope. He gives rest to the weary and peace to the broken.

Seek the Father who is our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Bow Down

In this time of uncertainty, I know God remains the same. 
He's bigger than all my problems, greater than all my stress. 
I know that I can bow down and lift my prayers to Him, and He hears me. 
He loves me and He comforts me. 

Lift your worries and anxiety to the one who always listens.
Worship the One who cares.