Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Seek the Beauty
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Content and Obedient
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
Content and complacent are not the same.
This time of year, when snow falls or rain drenches the
ground, I’m content to stay inside and enjoy the peace and quiet. With my word
for the year being content, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live a
life pleased with what I have and having what I need.
Tim and I live a pretty simple life. We don’t need a lot of
things. We’re not extravagant spenders, nor are we wasteful. In pursuing a
content life, does that mean I stop striving and moving forward in my life, my
writing, or my spiritual growth? Of course not. No matter how old I am, or how
successful, or pleased with life, God wants me to continue to serve through the
gifts and circumstances He’s given me.
The apostle Paul spoke of how he’d learned to be content in
any circumstance, but guess what—he continued to strive to be a better
person, one who served the Lord and listened to his calling. In Acts 18, the
Lord even spoke to Paul and encouraged him to not be afraid and to continue
speaking and sharing the gospel in Corinth because God placed people around him
to care for him. Paul obeyed God and once again found contentment.
As a believer in God’s mercy and grace and as a person of
faith, I trust God in my circumstances and long to serve Him all my days.
Content and complacent are not the same. Strive to be
content and obedient.
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
He Made Summer and Winter
Tuesday, January 3, 2023
Suspense Fiction Review: Critical Threat (Extreme Measures Book #3) by Lynette Eason
What it’s About:
FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioral analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn't mean they're not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer--in prison but certainly not out of Sam's life, as much as he wishes he was.
When bodies start showing up with Peter's MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They've met before--and though Grace thought they'd made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They'll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case--especially because it's about to get personal.
My Thoughts:
If you’re a fan of shows like Criminal Minds you’ll like this book. I’m not a fan of those types of shows, I prefer a little milder show like NCIS, but I will say this story kept me reading. Grace is a tough lady determined to find a serial killer. Sam, whose dad is a serial killer is right on her heals trying to protect her. Eason’s characters have depth and insight as they chase down the evil man who is taking lives. She also layers in how such horrific events affect so many. If you enjoy thriller suspense, you’ll want to read book three of the Extreme Measures series. I received a free copy of the book with no expectations. The opinions here are mine.
Sunday, January 1, 2023
Saturday, December 31, 2022
Learn to be Content
Philippians 4:11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be
content whatever the circumstances.
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own
business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your
daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be
dependent on anybody.
You are your words.
As I tiptoe into 2023 and leave behind a year that tugged on
my heart and left me with empty seats at the table, I’ve asked God to lay a
word for the year on my heart. For years, I’ve considered 1 Thessalonians
4:11-12 my life verse. The one I study to discern how to live my life. Of
course, I embrace all the Bible says, but these verses resonate with me.
As I prayed and read Bible verses in the hope God would help
me choose a word, the one that caught my attention was “content.”
A tall order in this world is to be satisfied with what I have and how I live.
In a Bible study of the word content, the leader said, “contentment is a
spiritual principle of dependence on the Lord rather than on human help or self.”
As I read those words, I read my life verse again. The last phrase “so that you
will not be dependent on anybody” struck me as contrary to contentment until I
understood, our contentment doesn’t depend on us taking care of ourselves, instead
we trust God to provide. In that, I am satisfied with His plan for my life.
The Apostle Paul spoke of contentment in Philippians. He learned to be content even though he lived a life of difficulties. In prison, on the streets, in homes where he
was well taken care of, and still he chose to be content and depend on God.
My prayer this year is to be content in my circumstances and
trust God to see me through. No doubt, I'll need to keep the word content in front of me and remind myself daily of God's care.
What word will you carry through the year?