Divine Appointments

God has been nudging me since the first of the year to write again. While 2020 gave many people the extra time to develop a new hobby or hone a passion, I found myself focused on new grandbabies and family.  Though writing has been a constant in my life, that period of time until now would see me with my longest drought as an author.  Odd since the past four years have had plenty of material to draw inspiration!

New Years Eve, God prompted me to compile a collection of my devotions from this blog and share with friends.  "A 52 week Journey to JOY."  What I thought would be a handful of women interested, grew beyond my imagination.  I started writing out the names of the women on my calendar to pray for as each week began.  And soon, God would use that space tenfold to fill it with names. 

It was the boost I needed to pick back up the pen and share my God-given gift with others.  

A short while later, I discovered a writer's conference hosted by one of my most beloved and respected Christian authors, Liz Curtis Higgs.  The workshop filled quickly but I was blessed to be among the group of writers attending and counted the days eagerly until the event.

I am home now fresh from the conference and filled with every emotion in awe of how great our God truly is.  There is no doubt this event came in His perfect timing. Going, I hoped for inspiration, motivation, and possibly connections, but what I didn't expect was for this weekend to be a healing balm for my soul.

God used people to send me a smile, a hug, or an encouraging word I didn't even know I needed. I found myself often lifting up prayers of praise in the midst of the conference for how wonderful He is. But the "WOW God" moment is one of which I'm still in awe...

An introvert by nature, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and sat with different people every opportunity, wanting to meet and hear stories from other writers. Coming back to the gathering place for lunch, I almost passed up the table I'd last visited but something told me to sit again.  (I know now it was God)

We exchanged excitement and notes from the workshops. And then, one of the ladies, Tammy, commented about a new favorite author she'd discovered. When she mentioned her own child loss story, my momma-heart connected and I began to share as well.

We'd both lost sons.  

Both boys were nearly the same age.
Both 15 years ago...

To put two grieving mothers together, who were moments ago strangers, is God led. Then, to discover our boys were the same age and to hear they passed on the EXACT same date....but God.  It was a goosebump, tear-filled ending to an experience I will forever treasure.  November 29, 2008, will hold an extra special meaning now.

Tammy, Liz Curtis Higgs, and me

What a divine appointment, to meet the momma of the son who met Jesus the same day as mine!  How Great is our God!

Faithful Friday: Slow Down, Christmas

I'm grabbing the reigns of the seasonal sleigh and yelling, "Whoa!"

Carefully, I tiptoed into the season.  No rush, no fuss.  But time passes without our permission.  The clock ticks whether we will it to slow down or not.  And now I find myself at the last chapter of Christmas.  Twelve days until...

My heart's prayer is that I soak up the most precious gift of Christmas.  That I hear God's still small voice in the hustle and bustle of the holiday. 

When I tune the radio of my life into Him and truly listen, he has so much to say...

God has shown this to be so, as he's certainly been speaking to me this week.  The consistent theme I've heard is "Trust God."  Easy to say, harder to do. 

Wednesday, I came to him in tearful prayers and with a heavy heart.  It seems to be raining on my extended family as of late, with clouds of insecurity on the future.  Having a couple of big decisions to make, I needed his guidance on where to go next.  Truly, I'd already heard his answer, but being the stubborn, head-strong woman I am continued to ask, "But are you sure, God?"

That morning I opened my Bible to read the passage my daily devotion led me, Genesis 22.  At the top of the page were three words written in my hand..."Trust God Completely!"

Wow. 

The message continued throughout the day, as passages and whispers of trust came to me.  The night ended at church, with our pastor sharing the familiar story of Jesus' birth, but focusing on how difficult it was for Joseph and Mary to Trust God.

Then, this morning, as I nestled into my spot beside the fragrant Christmas tree, God whispered again.  In the stillness of the morning, before dawn has fully stretched awake, I opened a recent gift, "The Women of Christmas" by Liz Curtis Higgs.  One of my favorite authors, her words just reach out and grab me.  No other writer can make me chuckle and tear up one paragraph from the next.  She is real -authentic- and I could sit at her feet to listen to her read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.

Today, she shared the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah.  How I can imagine their struggle to believe the news God shared.  When you've prayed so long for something, you almost can't believe it when the answer comes.

There's no easy way to paraphrase Liz, as you feel guilty for leaving off any of the nuggets to share.  But these are the parts that God chose to highlight for me...

"Fear not.  Calm down.  Why do we fear the worst from God,

when he loves us completely and always gives us what is best?"

 

"...your prayer has been heard."  Luke 1:13

 

The promises of God seem "too good to be true-too hard to believe!" 

 Yet believing is what Christmas is all about. 

 

And I'm praising God this morning for an answered prayer. 
A prayer that I expectantly waited over 9 months for. 
Pregnant with anticipation, in God's timing, the answer came. 
A new job in the new year! 

While I didn't intend to write two book reviews in a row, I can't help but give praise for this work.  If you buy yourself one gift this Christmas, this should be it. 

I know I'm beyond blessed to have this gift of time at the close of the year to curl up and reflect on the many presents of His presence.

Merry Christmas, friends....

Miss Liz

I've decided maybe the best way to proceed with my posts this week about Women of Joy is to go straight to the source of my inspiration.

 

Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of hearing Liz Curtis Higgs, an author I was familiar with but had never really followed.  She hooked me instantly.

 

With a quirky, hip, yet grandmotherly charm, I was wrapped into the weaving of her words.  A fellow Kentuckian, sinner now saved, with unexpected spunk, she had me loving her from the start.

 

What truly captivated me was the ease at which she translated the Bible.  Liz would take only 2-3 words and explain them in a way I'd never heard or thought of and it changed the scripture's meaning entirely.  Or rather, I understood it on a deeper level than before.  How I could sit at her feet and listen to her teach for hours.  Liz, let's just start at Genesis and go all the way through, please!? 

 

The sweet surprise of her presentation was that she started rapping the book of Ruth at the end.  Not just rhyming the message, but full on rap with sound effects and all!  Too.  Cute.  I found myself chuckling, remembering all those years ago in youth, when my aunt Becky asked me rap the Sunday School lessons whenever I came to church.  Yes, I even threw in some beatboxing too!

 

I loved how she shared the story of Naomi and described her as the female Job of the Bible.  Her explanation of how the Lord was, "loving her all the while he leads her through the shadows" spoke to me. 

 

I know that God.

I've been in those shadows, the depths of grief.  Some days I find myself still there.  But I know, even when anger absorbed me and I tried to push Him away, the Lord was always by my side.  And he loved me through it.

As she shared Ruth 1:16, I was taken back to my wedding day.  Tim and I spoke those same words.  Hearing them from Ruth to her mother-in-law, and what a true example of love and devotion that was, re-emphasized their meaning.  It is the ultimate family creed.

 

 

And, it is absolute surrender. 

Much of that scripture can be mirrored to how we should follow Christ.

 “Entreat me not to leave you,

 Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

 And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

 Your people shall be my people,

 And your God, my God."

Wherever He leads.....I'll go

I surrender all,

I surrender all;

All to Thee, my blessed Savior,

I surrender all.