Merry Christmas

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." -John 1:14

I am so thankful for the CHRISTmas season and the amazing birth that gave me salvation and eternal life! If you don't have a relationship with Jesus, I encourage you to trust in Him, He will never let you down. He loves YOU. He came for YOU. He died for YOU. 

 Merry Christmas!

Tuesday Truth - What Are Your Goals

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”                      

-1 John 2: 15-17

We are to be IN the world, not OF the world. God has created us and placed inside of us hopes, dreams and goals. It’s exciting to have a plan in front of us. The world tells us to move forward, do what’s best for us and acquire our plans and goals for ourselves. All our goals and dreams should revolve around one thing: Jesus. Everything we do, achieve, desire, work for – should be for the greater good of God’s Kingdom! We can’t hide our intentions from God, he knows our hearts. In Proverbs 16: 1-3 it reads, “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue. All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” In my study Bible it asks three questions about your plans/goals/dreams/desires: Is this plan in harmony with God’s truth? Will it work under real-life conditions? Is my attitude pleasing to God? These are all great things to keep in mind when pursuing the plans God has for you. Remember years ago when the Jabez prayer hit our Christian community? I often find myself going back to this prayer when faced with a new goal or plan. 1 Chronicles 4:10, “Jabez cried out to the God of Isreal, ‘Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” Let’s break this prayer down. Oh that you would bless me – I often ask for God to bless me so that I can bless Him! And enlarge my territory – When I ask God to enlarge my territory I ask that He would expand the number of people that I can reach for Him. That He would open doors for me to do His work. Let your hand be with me – When I am doing God’s work, if He is not walking alongside me, then I am doing it all in vain. So I ask Him to guide me and direct my footsteps so that I stay in His will. And keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain. It is so easy to fall into the trap of sin. Satan doesn’t like it when we are working for God, so I always want to be on guard and ask that God would keep me safe from sinful attitudes, thoughts and actions. In your walk with the Lord, how are you being IN the world, but not OF the world? Are there any changes that you need to make? Talk to God about that right now.

Heavenly Father, as I immerse myself into the world, guide me as I make plans and goals for my life. In 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14, your word says, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” Through you, help me to be all those things as I work at keeping in step with your will for my life. Amen.

Love Language Cards

When writing a romance novel, you have to put into account how others want to receive love and what makes them feel appreciated! The same goes for those in our lives. God made us all different - and we all give and receive love differently. The key is to know who needs what and when. I'm happy to share the idea that my friend Sara Hochstetler had on helping us along on figuring that out...

Love Language Cards and why I made themWhat is your love language? What acts speak to the heart of your spouse and children?  It gets overwhelming to remember what each child needs from me. Am I praising them enough? Hugging them enough? Am I making them feel like they are a priority to ME in the ways that matter to THEM? I felt frustrated by feeling as if I was not doing "enough" at the end of the day. So I made these cards for my boys so THEY could tell ME what they needed. Now it is up to them to communicate to mom and dad what they are feeling. All they have to do is put it on the fridge (where it will get my attention) and then I can love on them in the way they need it! Of course this works for Mom and Dad too. If you are not familiar with the 5 Love Languages-here they are:

Quality Time, Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service and Receiving Gifts

You can take the test for your family here.

What I've come up with is a set of 6 magnetic cards on a ring (easily hung on a Command strip hook on the side of the fridge). One for each love language plus one for mom and dad. You can pick from the titles shown plus some others I have or come up with your own. Your family is unique-embrace that! Come up with as many cards as you want. Extra cards will be $1 each. Cost of 6 cards is $10 plus shipping (if necessary).
Contact me through my Facebook page where you can see all the example cards. Please know each card design will be different but you can pick out of 3 options for style. They are Girly, Boyish or Both. Or tell me what  style you would prefer per card if that works better for your family.
Here's a sneak peak at the cards!
Thanks for reading!
Sara Hochstetler

Tuesday Truth - When I Get in the Way

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”                     

-1 John 2: 15-17

 

We are to be IN the world, not OF the world. Last week we talked about the people that surround us, our friends. Today, let’s talk about the one person that always seems to get in the way. Ourselves. We live in a very self-centered world. It’s all about: What can I do to make ME happy. To make ME succeed. What’s best for ME. What’s easy for ME. How can I obtain more wealth, prestige and power for ME. Notice a pattern here? Me. Me. Me. So if this is what the world tells us, what is God telling us? We can find it in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others!” Not quite the same is it. And not only do I have to work on this continually for myself, but I also have to press it upon my children in a way that shows them how much I love them while explaining that life is not always about them. My middle son, Brayden, gave me a good example of this when he was in Kindergarten. I went to the school to have lunch with him and stayed for recess afterwards. We had a great time playing and then the bell rang, announcing it was time for the kids to get in line to head back to class. Brayden jogged up to the line and right as he found his place in line, a kid ran up and pushed him out of line and said, “Haha, I beat you. I’m first.” Let me tell you, it about got ugly on that brisk April day on the playground. Mama bear stepped forward ready to grab that kid by the collar and let him know how I felt about the situation, but I stopped when Brayden just shrugged and said, “That’s okay. God says that the first will be last and the last will be first!” Bible burn. Not gonna lie. I loved it and my heart swelled with pride…and then I cringed over what my reaction was going to be. What a great reminder as we submerge ourselves into the world to put others before ourselves. I’ll be honest, I struggle in this area. I can be a very selfish person. And the one person I should be the most giving with, the one that I should always put first, I don’t: My better half - my husband. I can do it, but it takes effort and doesn’t always come easy for me. This is an area where I claim...I am not a perfect person, but I serve a perfect God, who’s not done with me yet!!! In your walk with the Lord, how are you being IN the world, but not OF the world? Are there any changes that you need to make? Talk to God about that right now.

Heavenly Father, as I immerse myself into the world, help me to keep my eyes on YOU, so they are not on ME. In 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14, your word says, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” Through you, help me to be all those things as I put others before me. Amen.

Small Time Author Meets Big Time Author = Mind Blown

Today I had a pretty awesome experience. If you are a fan of Christian Romance novels, then you will appreciate what I am about to tell you. I had the privilege of meeting Denise Hunter this afternoon. (Enter squeal here!!) Just her and I on a little one-on-one talk at Starbucks as we chatted about life, kids and writing! What?!?

 

 

 

Long story short: I found out that Denise lives in Fort Wayne, and only being an hour away, I gathered some nerve and e-mailed her asking if she did any writing workshops or if maybe we could meet sometime. Ya know, "Please meet with me, a wanna-be-author that is a complete-stranger to you." I mean, who wouldn't jump at the chance? A lot of people wouldn't - but she did!! She so kindly offered to meet with me.

 

What an encouraging time of picking her brain, gleaning off her experience and wisdom, sharing our stories, and having some good laughs together! Sounds like a perfect afternoon to me. I came with a long list of questions that she graciously answered about: how she started, why she writes, how she markets her books, her relationship with her publisher, suggestions for how-to books that can help me improve my writing skills, her writing process, how she comes up with ideas, how I can get more involved in writing groups, etc. Great information for an author that has no idea what she is doing!!!

 

If you haven't read any of her books, I urge you to give them a try. Not only do I speak very highly of her as a person that is generous, kind and loves Jesus, but she is also a fantastic author. You can find Denise's books in local bookstores or here.

 

Sometime I'll stop smiling, right?!?

 

 

Tuesday Truth - Choose Wisely...

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.”                     

-1 John 2: 15-17

We are to be IN the world, not OF the world. If you’re like me, you’ve heard this statement many times before, but what exactly does it mean for us believers? First of all, it’s easier said than done, isn’t it! When we believe in God, sin has no power over us. When we follow Christ, it changes our hearts and we should become less interested in the things of this world and have more desire to be like Jesus. Over the next couple weeks we are going to talk about how we can submerge ourselves into the world and yet hold our ground. Today let’s talk about the people that surround us. Why are we here on earth? We are here to serve God and lead others to him. Paul’s ministry tells us that we are to make ourselves a slave to everyone, to win as many unbelievers as possible. To find a common ground, to not have a self-righteous attitude, to make others feel accepted, be compassionate to their needs and problems, and to live a life that looks different than theirs. The trap here for many believers is when we make these people our core people. Now, please understand me. I’m not saying we can’t be friends with unbelievers. God encourages us to be! But the concern is inviting them into our inner circle. In 2 Corinthians 6: 14 it says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”  I think it even goes deeper than unbelievers. We need to remember that believing in God is way different than living a life that glorifies God and having a relationship with Him. Knowing that, we must choose our core people wisely. So let’s take a look at the people in your life. Who are you with your friends? Do you change who you are when hanging out with different groups of people?  Do you change your morals, values, language, television and movie tastes, etc.? God tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.” What do you do with the people closest to you in life? You share who you are and you seek advice and wisdom. Let’s look at a few verses that God explains to us the damage this can cause.

“A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Proverbs 12:26

“He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20

“Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips.” Proverbs 14:7.

In your walk with the Lord, how are you being IN the world, but not OF the world? Are there any changes that you need to make? Talk to God about that right now.

Heavenly Father, as I immerse myself into the world, help me to keep a strong foundation. In 1 Corinthians 16: 13-14, your word says, “Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” Through you, help me to be all those things with the people I surround myself with. Amen.

 

Tuesday Truth - The Road To Forgiveness

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

                     Isaiah 43:25

Three years ago I lost my son, Brayden, at the grocery store. It was unfortunately the really bad kind where all shoppers heard this over the speakers: “Code Blue!  Code Blue! Attention all Wal-Mart Associates, we are in lockdown. We have a missing child. Boy, age 4, blond hair, red shirt, navy shorts.” Yep. I know. Mom of the year award right here!  I would have dressed up for the occasion had I known. In case you’re wondering, Brayden thought it would be fun to play hide and seek with me…but forgot the slight detail of telling me he was playing this game. And boy did he play well. We (as in myself and the surrounding employees AND managers – enter face palm here!) finally found him down an aisle tucked behind some boxes. Brayden, of course, has never let me forget it. To this day, when we drive into the parking lot, without fail, he says, “Hey mom, remember when you lost me here?”  This situation reminds me of our road to forgiveness, or more so, what it is not.  I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that I serve a God that doesn’t hold my sins against me. That doesn’t continue to remind me of the times I’ve fallen short. That once I ask for forgiveness, that’s it. It’s forgiven…forgotten!  King David spoke of this truth in Psalm 51:7 after he committed adultery.  “Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.”  Hyssop branches were used by the Israelites to place the blood of the lamb over their doors ways. This act saved them from death and secured their release from slavery. When we ask for forgiveness, it not only cleanses our hearts and repairs the separation we made with God, but it also releases us from the sin that keeps us in slavery. It makes us pure again, without blemish. Is there a sin that you are holding on to? Give it to God so He can break your chains and give you freedom!

Heavenly Father, bring to light the sin(s) that keep me captive, that keep me from drawing closer to you.  Thank you for sending your Son to come and save me from my sins, and that those sins are forever forgotten.  Amen.

Tuesday Truth - What is Your Example?

“Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”

– Genesis 37: 3-4

 You know that person that gets under your skin. That rubs you raw. Makes your blood pressure spike and you wonder, “Am I going to have a stroke?”  Yep, that’s the one. Well, I have one. Two, sometimes. Alright, let’s just say three … ahem, moving on! There have been times I’ve wanted to revert back to Bible times and have uproar like Jesus did in the temple. I would have loved to throw a few tables myself. Clearly Jesus had the right, and with good reason…mine would have been just because I was ticked off or hurt. So instead of throwing tables, I threw a few frustrated words that oh so easily spilled out from my not so holy mouth. I held a grudge. I struggled to forgive.  We as parents have a great responsibility to model how we deal with these people in our lives. When we read about Jacob’s sons we see so much anger, resentment and jealousy. Hmmm, does that sound familiar? Isn’t that exactly what Jacob, Rachel and Leah went through? Instead of showing their children the righteous way to respond, they displayed the sinful one that led to sad and bitter consequences among all the children, and how that hatred grew so much they ended up selling Joseph into slavery. I had to stop and ask myself: What example are you giving your children? What words are they overhearing you say? Ouch. In 1 John 2: 10-11 it says, “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” Does this mean we are to like everyone? No. But it’s about our attitude. It’s how we handle these people and the situations that arise around them. My son handed me a piece of humble pie a couple years ago. Jarrett came home so upset because a boy in his class had been so mean to him. In fact, he cried for an hour that night in bed. The next week was his birthday party at school and I made cupcakes with each of the students’ names on them. In my dislike over this child that had hurt my son’s feelings, I put his name on the worst and smallest cupcake – yep! I was deliberately mean to a seven-year-old. Not my finest moment! At the party, they played a game and Jarrett could pick someone to come up front with him (huge honor to a 2^nd grader to be picked).  You want to know who he picked? Yep, the kid that had been so mean to him. In my darkness of wanting to stick it to this kid and give him a crappy cupcake, it had blinded me to loving on this kid instead. Maybe he needed a word of encouragement or just a smile or maybe the biggest and best cupcake I made. We can never control how people will react, what people will say, what people will do – but we can always control the way we react, the words we say and what we do!! Do you have an opportunity to bring healing to a relationship? Forgiveness? Let God work through you so you are able to walk in the light and not be blinded by the darkness.

Heavenly Father, you know the people in my life that cause strife in my heart. As I go through training and disciplining my children, do the same for me through these individuals. Mold me to speak only kindness, work on my heart to forgive - even if it’s not asked for or deserved. Guide me to pray for these people and love on them through You and with your strength. Amen.

No More Excuses

I imagine we’re sitting in a coffee shop, me with a caramel steamer in hand and you with a coffee or latte or mocha, because that’s what the grown-up world does. I’ll explain how I wish I liked coffee. How my mornings would probably be completely different because I might actually not despise the mornings any longer. Or maybe if I had a cup of joe (that’s what you savvy coffee drinkers call it these days, right?), the morning routine of getting kids ready for school and packing those blasted lunch boxes wouldn’t be as overwhelming during my caffeine high. We would chit-chat about our day, the weather, and through getting to know each other you’d find out that I write inspirational romance/suspense novels. You’re intrigued, and then you confide in me that you’ve always wanted to write a book.

 

Can I just tell you how many times that happens? Through book signings, random conversations and scenarios like above – I can’t count the number of times someone has told me about their dream to write a book. I’ve been asked by Bob Clary from the online learning company, Webucator, to share any words of wisdom or knowledge I’ve collected about writing for their new “Teach Your Talent” project. At first I hesitated, thinking, “What do I have to offer?” I may not have incredible writing/grammar skills to share or a heap of wisdom to bestow – but I can be your biggest cheerleader! To those of you that have a dream and desire to start writing a book … DO IT! No more excuses of...

 

I don’t have the time.

Even if it’s five minutes a day – DO IT! I’ve been known to carry a notepad wherever I go to jot down ideas or anything that pops up in my head. If you see me in the pick-up line at my kids’ school, chances are you’ll see me scribbling like a madwoman.

I don’t have the skills.

Learn. Take classes. Teach yourself. DO IT!

I don’t know how to start my story.

Just start writing, if it doesn’t flow, that’s what the backspace is for. How will you ever know, if you don’t try and just DO IT! If I can give any advice in this area, it’s to start with an outline. For me, it was so much easier to start writing once I had an outline and knew where my story was heading.

I have the fear of failure.

Don’t we all! DO IT anyway! I’ve learned through my process of getting published to grow some thick skin and that I’d rather fail than not try at all.

I don’t have it in me for the hard work.

I’ll be honest; it takes a lot of effort to write a book. It’s not for the faint-hearted. But trust me, hard work makes the success even more rewarding. So DO IT!

 

I can hear you say, “Natalie, you don’t understand. It’s easy for you to say that, you’re a published author.” Once I stop laughing, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

 

Since I was a child, I always enjoyed writing and telling stories. I had often thought about writing a novel but never really pursued it because I have poor grammar skills (you, think I am, Kidding but seriously its, horrible?). Knowing I had this huge struggle, I just assumed I could never achieve writing a book. Back in 2009 life hit hard. I had two horrible miscarriages and my middle son came down with a very rare and life-threatening disease. It felt like all I did was grieve and take care of little people. I finally realized I needed a hobby – an outlet. One night my husband encouraged me to write a book – and hearing him say that sparked my desire again. So a few days later I sat down, wrote out a quick outline with detailed characters … gulp … and started writing chapter one.

 

I thought it was going well. Halfway through the book I decided to find an editor, because NO ONE was going to read this manuscript without first fixing my million grammar mistakes. I found an amazing editor and sent it off with high hopes, only to be crushed by the response. The manuscript wasn’t good. At all. It needed so much work the editor couldn’t even start editing. The subtext, the dialogue, the plot – you name it, and it was probably terrible. Pretty much the only way anyone is going to get their hands on that first manuscript will be over my dead body.

 

So what did I do? I cried. I didn’t tell anyone, and for three days I licked my wounds and cried. Then I sucked it up and got honest with myself. I could quit right there - only a handful of people knew what I was doing. I could save face and no one would be the wiser. Or I could pick myself up and do something about it. I had to ask myself what I really wanted. The answer? I wanted to write a book.

 

For the next month all I did was research how to write a fiction novel. I read article after article. I read self-help books. I went back through my favorite author’s books and gleaned from her words, style, and examples. And after all that, I found my own niche and voice - and started all over again. I sent the first chapter back to the editor. And guess what? She loved it!

 

I wish I could say from there on it was all smooth sailing until I signed my contract four years later with my publisher. I wish I could say I didn’t get rejected by twenty some agents that didn’t see my vision for a story. I wish I could say my books have been on the New York Times Bestseller list.

 

I can’t.

 

But what I can say is … I DID IT! I wrote a book.

 

Now, it’s your turn!

 

And yes, someone did proofread this…

Tuesday Truth - The Bitter Wake From Our Path

“When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?” Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my maidservant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and that through her I too can build a family.”

– Genesis 30: 1-3

 
When reading this passage and taking a good look at Rachel, one word sticks out to me. Jealousy. Rachel became so jealous of her sister Leah because she could give Jacob children while she remained barren. So jealous in fact, that she took matters into her own hands and had her maidservant sleep with him so she could have children through her. And it didn’t stop there. It actually got worse. Then Leah couldn’t conceive, so she had Jacob sleep with her maidservant. And for years this went back and forth between them. Finally the Lord heard Rachel’s cry and she gave birth to Joseph. Joseph then became Jacob’s favorite and his brothers became extremely jealous of him. So jealous, that the brothers ended up selling him into slavery – but that’s a story we will cover next week. Let’s take a look at a couple scriptures that tells us about jealousy. In 2 Corinthians 12:20 we have Paul sharing his concerns to the Corinthians. “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outburst of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. Did you notice in that list you usually have jealousy with at least one of the others? Now flip over to Galatians 5:19-20, “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious; sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and factions. Hmmm, are you seeing a theme here. I am. God compiles jealousy with some pretty ugly sins. It also makes me think about how ugly my heart looks to God when I store jealousy in it.  The thing with jealousy is that it never just stays in our heart, it leaks out and causes destruction around us, a bitter wake from our path, and another stepping stone to more sins. It alters our actions, words, and perspective. Let’s take a serious look at jealousy and how it can corrupt us. Often times when we compare ourselves to others, it births a seed of jealously that quickly grows. We become jealous over how people look, their positions, someone has what we want, the loss of another’s affection/time, others getting the blessings when we feel like we only get the leftovers – the list could go on.  Often times when we harbor jealousy in our hearts, we can’t see what God has right in front of us. Rachel let her jealousy ruin her relationship with her sister. Rachel let her jealousy become self-destructive and consume her. Rachel had a husband that loved her deeply, despite whether she could conceive or not, and she dismissed that devotion for her own selfish desires. Take a moment to pause and reflect on your life. How are you struggling with jealousy? We all do – we just have to find the source and look to Christ for the freedom over it.

Heavenly Father, as water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man. Lord, I do not want my heart to reflect jealousy. Please help me to identify those areas that I struggle in this and help me break free. Amen.

Tuesday Truths - Where Do You Find Your Worth?

“When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.

– Genesis 29: 31-32

Lately I’ve been reading about Jacob/Rachel/Leah - and I think my jaw has dropped quite a few times. I’ve read their story before, but never really grasped the amount of sin, jealousy, revenge, deceit, pride and lack of acceptance it held. And as you continue reading how it affected all the brothers and ensued generations of hatred. There is so much to learn from their situation, so I will be splitting it up and covering different topics today and the next couple weeks. Today, we are going to talk about Leah. My heart went out to Leah. I’m a huge sports fan and if I’m watching a game that my team isn’t playing in, I always cheer for the underdog. When reading this scripture, that’s what Leah felt like to me - the underdog of this story. How hurtful for her to experience not being wanted or chosen and it wasn’t even her doing. Her father gave her away to Jacob. A man that didn’t want her, a man that wanted her sister and made sure everyone knew it. Leah begged God to give her a child in hopes it would help Jacob fall in love with her. Heartbreaking, isn’t? Have you ever felt unwanted? I have. It’s not a good feeling. When I look at Leah and examine her life, I can’t help but notice that she looked to others for her self-worth and favor on her life. But God tells us in Proverbs 8:35, “For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord.” Makes me pause and examine my life a bit. Where am I finding my worth? In my husband, kids, writing success, my home, who my friends are, what strengths I have to offer? How about you? Let’s backtrack a bit in Proverbs to 8:17-21, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice, bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.” A couple things I took from these verses. 1. Leah thought she needed a son to have worth and be accepted (notice she kept having children, but it never filled that gap, that longing to be accepted). But in God we find our riches, worth, and prosperity. God doesn’t love us because we have or haven’t done something. He simply loves us because WE ARE HIS. 2. God says that His fruit is better than fine gold. What God pours into us will always be enough. Always. We should never have to look beyond God to others or “positions” to fill any holes – God wants to make our treasuries full with the love of Him alone. The great thing about being a follower of Christ is that we are always wanted by the King. We never have to wonder. So on days when my heart is hurt and I try to grasp onto other things for my worth, I can rest in the joy that I am wanted and loved and in God I find where I belong!

Heavenly Father, you have created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (Psalm 139: 13-14). Amen.

Tuesday Truths - The privilege of suffering!

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”

– John 9: 1-3

Suffering. We’ve all dealt with it. Some of us have just walked through it. Some are in the midst. Some days the pain is almost too much to bear. Some days it’s easy to lay it at Jesus’ feet. Our sufferings are not meant to make us weak, but to build us up, teach us, give us insight, strengthen our faith. Many times through my struggles I ask God – “Please don’t let me be the same at the end. Change me. Mold me. Strengthen me. And help me not to go through this and miss what you are trying to teach me!” Paul tells us in Romans 5:3-4, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Rewind back eight years ago and you wouldn’t recognize that Natalie! My second child, Brayden, had sleeping problems (and I use that phrase loosely) – I think it could be used as a means of torture.  For the first two years of his life, he was up screaming for hours almost every night. On top of that, my husband was gone on many trips (he’s a pilot). Then Brayden got infected with a very serious and life threatening disease. During which I had two very difficult miscarriages. All the while in the thick of my marriage falling apart and stressed over unending medical bills to pay. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. I was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. I had nothing left to give to my family, friends, and especially God. That was a very dark time for me and I often cringe when I walk down memory lane. But I stand as a witness that God refined me through that fire. I also stand serving a God that understands my pain. In Isaiah 53:3 it says, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Jesus understands physical pain. The loss of a loved one. The deep wound of rejection. I don’t know about you, but I never want to stand on the other side of my suffering and realize it was all in vain because I didn’t let God work IN and THROUGH me! Through Paul’s ministry he considered it a privilege to suffer for Christ. What better testimony can we give than our strengthened faith, trust in God, strong character, deeper compassion and the work of God in our lives.

Heavenly Father, today I’m really hurting. I feel alone and as if no one understands my struggles. But you do. As you comfort me Lord, help me to turn my eyes off of myself and on to you. Give me hope, when I feel hopeless. Speak your truth, when I believe the lies. Guide my life, when I feel lost. And take this broken heart and heal it. Amen.

Tuesday Truths...and a little of "It Takes A Church"

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” -Proverbs 18:24

Back in February I had a one-of-a-kind experience. My husband and I, along with our pastor and some friends from church, filmed a reality TV show episode on the new show called, "It Takes A Church" on Game Show Network. Yes, you read that correctly. It still feels a little surreal even to write about it. During those days of filming, God had been pressing and speaking to me so passionately about being aware of the words I speak. For three days I had a microphone strapped to me – we referred to it as “My Holy Spirit” – but oh how true. Shouldn’t we all walk around with a constant reminder to be watchful of our words! It has been years since I’ve felt this submerged in “the world” by being with Hollywood crew and producers, trying to speak truth and life – and not making an idiot of myself on national television!! What a challenge and eye-opening experience! So take a minute and think about the people around you, your circumstances and your opportunities that can be affected by your words. Those hurting and in need a word of encouragement – “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24. Or someone that needs to hear something God has placed on your heart – “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25-11. Maybe there is someone that needs or deserves your praise – “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2.  Then I think about the times my words have caused damage – “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18. Or when I am upset about something or with someone or one (or all) of my children – “When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:19. What a great reminder that we have the power of life and death! How are you using your words today? Join me this week and let’s all strap the Holy Spirit to us as we use our words to bring life around us! Heavenly Father, you tell us in your word that the lips of the righteous know what is fitting – help me Lord to stay in tune with your Spirit so that I can acknowledge that very thing. Bring me so close to You that I know immediately what words to use and the words to hold back. Amen.

Our episode aired on June 12^th, so for months I had been holding my breath, nervous on how they would edit and praying, “God, if I’m going to look like a fool, let me look like a fool in love with You!” We loved the episode – and I might be a bit biased, but I’m pretty sure my husband stole the show. I’m so happy that his humor shined through. Boy, I sure love that guy! Here are a few pictures with the cast, crew and producers from the show!

 

It never gets old...

I still can't believe that my second book, A Rescued Hope, has been released! I tell ya what, this excitement, nausea that gets caught in my throat from the anticipation of wondering if people will like it, and the joy of once again reaching a dream ... never gets old! It's wonderful and I am so humbled that God would use me in such a fun and rewarding way.

The book has been out for a couple of weeks and reviews are starting to come in!! Here are a few...


"After reading "A Rescued Heart", I was super excited about getting my hands on the sequel, "A Rescued Hope", and it did not disappoint!!! I could NOT put it down!!!! I love getting to know some of the other characters while still getting to read about Matt and Ava! This book takes an unexpected twist that had my saying out loud, "Oh my word!!!!" This will be a re-read book just like the first one, and can't wait for the 3rd book already!" :)


"Loved this book! Very easy read. Gets you hooked in from the start. Love it when a book starts right in with the action. I can not wait for the next one to continue getting to know the characters."


"Loved it! Such a great story, I couldn't put it down! Enjoyed the first book too and can't wait for the 3rd book!"


"I read Natalie's 1st book, "A Rescued Heart" in three days. The sequel did not disappoint! It was so great to see where Matt & Ava were and to learn about some new characters, as well. There was love, action and adventure. Definitely some parts that had me on the edge of my seat! By the last page, I was ready for the 3rd book! I can't wait to see what happens next!!!"