09
October
Jealous
“When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.” Nehemiah 2:10
In the book of Nehemiah we see a man who was tremendously gifted to lead, leave his place in the palace working for the King, to go to a people who were in trouble and needed help. Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, where his people were struggling under the oppression of two men Sanballat and Tobiah. These men were local politicians (non-Jewish)
30
September
Forgiveness
“But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. So when the natives saw this they said to one another, ‘No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.’ But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they
24
September
Great Leadership…servant leadership
“In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, ‘Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and it’s gates have been burned with fire.’ When I heard these things, I sat down and
17
September
Trust+Faith=Obedience
I was 23 years old and I was leaving to Northridge, California, to pursue a Master’s degree. Five years of college lead to this path, this pursuit of my dream to help people. Helping people was all I really cared about. I had an intense interest in nutrition, fitness and counseling. I was at school to become a Marriage and Family and Child Counselor (MFCC) with an emphasis in school counseling. I connect with people pretty easily and I am empathetic. I can hear people’s hearts. Hearing a heart is
11
September
How fast does a Red fern grow?
How fast does a red fern grow? These are the words I would hear in the quiet of the night. The first time I heard this question was February 14, 2001…Valentine’s day. Then, I didn’t hear anything of it for another six months. How fast does a red fern grow? I would hear it again while performing the mindless little tasks of the day. How fast does a red fern grow? I thought to myself, “Lord, you have asked me this before” as I recalled to myself, but enough time
05
September
Besotted
Have you ever heard the story of “Cyrano de Bergerac”? It was a play written in the late 1800’s about a man in the French army, named Cyrano. Cyrano was a soldier. Cyrano was a passionate and strong-willed man known for many pursuits and ambitions which included magnificence as a duelist, poet and musician. However, Cyrano had an enormous nose that he was extremely self-conscious of. He was hopelessly in love with a woman named, Roxane. Cyrano had little hope that she could ever have interest in him for she
04
September
Grace
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace. Such a small word, but containing so much power. It represents gentleness of heart. Grace is softness. Grace is moisture in a sun scorched land. What does it mean to have grace? Receive grace? Show grace? Grace is a peculiar thing, because many speak of it, want it, need it, yet it illudes so many who crave it.
02
September
Exuberant Joy
“Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.” Is.60:5
What does it mean to have joy? To love is to have one’s heart set afire with joy. Exuberant joy reaches through the narrow crevices of soul, entangling the senses and provoking the mind to delicate things…things that stir us…things that move us. Joy exudes out of us through the soul. In the words of Mother
28
August
My Father is a Gardener
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch in me that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1
I love to garden. For me, time spent in the garden is a time of reflection, meditation, worship and prayer. I can allow my thoughts to go to deeper things while I achieve the work that needs to be done in the yard. I get many thoughts of
25
August
True Beauty
“The greatest treasures are those invisible to the eye but found by the heart.” Unknown
Women are so beautiful. We were created soft and delicate, yet immeasurable strength lies within each woman. We love to feel pretty, to look pretty…and we are, for we are the apple of our Lord’s eye. Did you know that? You are the apple of his eye.
As woman, we spend money on our beauty. We all have some sort of beauty regimen we go through to prepare ourselves for the outside world. We buy cosmetics to paint