Are You In A Drought?

By: Sandra Harris Frey

The summer drought of 2007 has most of the state of Kentucky needing an additional 6 – 10 inches of rainfall in order to be properly hydrated.

It is almost an endless losing battle to water the grass, plants, and flowers because it’s time consuming and can become very costly. When the drought becomes critical to the area, communities must enforce water restrictions. Water restrictions conjure up images of wilted grass, flowers, and plants…unless you are prepared.

Prepared for a drought? The solution is simple. A rain barrel. What’s a rain barrel? The definition is “a barrel used as a cistern to hold rainwater”. A rain barrel catches the rainwater throughout the year and is a perfect outside water source.

Our plant life goes dormant and sometimes even dies if we do not give it the necessary nutrients and water. Our faith and commitment can also go through a “dry spell” if we do not give it what it needs to sustain. The constant demands of our daily lives become repetitive and tedious. We go through the motions, while our souls are in desperate need of refreshment. We do not always recognize our need until we are befallen with tragedy – an illness, an accident or even the death of a loved one. During these times, we either blame God or turn to him.

Is your soul in a drought? Are you prepared? Is our Lord your rain barrel?

Jeremiah 17:8
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

My Princess...Trust Me With Those You Love

"Those who trust in the Lord are secure in Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever." Psalm 125:1

I know your heart, and I know how much you love those close to you. I am your Creator and the Giver of every good gift. I have given you loved ones to share your life with. But you, My child, must remember those you love ultimately belong to Me--not to you. I didn't give you those special relationships to tear you apart or to control you through fear of the future. Like Abraham did with his only son, Isaac, I need you to open your heart and give back to Me those you love. Trust Me with everything that concerns you regarding them. Place your hand in Mine, and I promise I will walk you-and your loved ones-through all things this life brings.

Love,
Your trustworthy King

Exert from "His Princess: Love Letters from your King" by Sheri Rose Shepherd

Be Joyful and Thankful

"Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

When God tells us to be joyful, He doesn't mean that we're supposed to be happy about everything that happens to us. Some things are too painful for us to be happy about. But, joy comes from knowing that God is in control. He also wants us to pray about everything. He wants us to talk to Him about things in our life and to thank Him because He's molding us into His image through every circumstance.

Becoming a servant leader

Becoming a servant leader through putting others first
By Katie Brazelton & Christian Stevenson

Evan Almighty is a cute, summer-released, PG movie about a newly elected Virginia congressman, Evan Baxter, who faces a crisis of biblical proportions. God (played by Morgan Freeman) actually appears to him multiple times and asks him to build an ark. After much hilarity, Evan decides to step up to the plate and obey God, but he is abandoned by his family and friends, who – fair enough – think he's gone mad. As Evan, AKA Noah at this point, dives into the ark-building process by himself, he changes from a brash leader into a quiet servant on-assignment.

The remarkable thing about the flick is watching Evan, an important statesman, humbly do such back-breaking work, day-in and day-out. He seems to have found a level of contentment and joy as he goes about his endless tasks. Because of his calm persistence about his immediate mission in life, he eventually attracts a few followers (albeit his family and a whole lot of animals) to help him build the ark. Later, as a local dam breaks and a flood destroys a valley of homes, Evan also attracts the attention of congress, the media, and the public – as they better understand his visionary leadership. You and I may not be called upon by God to save followers from a real-life impending flood, but we are definitely asked by him to live our lives as servant-leaders.

So ... what might that look like for a Christian man or woman in today's world? How can we serve and lead a group, look out for everyone's needs – and do so joyfully and humbly – amidst so many critics? Read More

Faith to Move Forward

By Sandra Harris Frey

I’m always amazed by the beauty of God’s creatures. The babies born in the spring are just now getting on their feet and becoming independent. Their parents teach them everything they need to know to get them on their way. We have some baby birds who are just learning to fly and how to balance themselves on the birdfeeder in our backyard. Their little peeps of song and their antics to impress their parents are always a welcome pleasure in the early evening.

Last Saturday as I was making my way across the yard to the storage shed, something caught my eye on the ground next to one of my “ailing azalea” plants. It was a baby rabbit. It had apparently been born under our deck in the back yard and was venturing out for the first time. It was about three or four inches long, with fur that looked soft and silky. Its little ears were peeled back and eyes that were large and dilated with what I’m certain was fear.

About the time that I discovered this little beauty, my husband was preparing to mow the backyard. I showed him our little visitor and cautioned him to be careful as he mowed in case there were others running about the yard. I pulled some sweet grass out of the ground and started to lay it at the baby rabbit’s feet to feed, but the little thing was frightened by my movements and scurried back under the safe haven of the deck.

When we venture out on a new adventure, we sometimes scurry back to what’s familiar or safe. Change is hard and new avenues to explore can be frightening. What motivates us take those next steps to discover new frontiers? The sweet taste of success naturally.

It takes courage and bravery to begin those first steps and God’s word always has the right answers for us. His word motivates and graces us with the right words to steer us to triumph. Have faith to continue your exploration.

Psalm 32:8
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go.”

What Was A Turning Point In Your Life?

A turning point in your life can be a minor incident, a major event, or a sudden realization which causes you to change, either for the good or bad, the course you are on. It is a time during which you take stock of your situation and then take action. It can be a dramatic wake-up call to stop doing something, or it can be a simple, conversational affirmation that makes you finally pay attention to one of your life dreams. What in your life has caused you to turn from Plan A to Plan B? And what was the result of that change in direction? God wants to be intimately involved in all the turning points of your life. He knows there is much at stake for his kingdom-building plans, and he wants to see you through!

Did You Change Your Course?

A turning point in your life could have been an illness, accident, graduation, household move, betrayal, major disappointment, or the realization that you were “bored out of your mind.” It could have been a joyful conversion to Christianity or complete surrender to Christ as Lord. It might have been an inheritance that dramatically improved your lot in life or unleashed sin in your life. It could have bee a baby’s birth or the death of a loved one. It could have been a job lay-off or a crumbled marriage.

What Was a Turning Point in Your Life?

Saul Had a Major Turning Point

Saul, a persecutor of Christians whose name was later changed to Paul, experienced a 180-degree turnaround in his life when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Read Acts 9:1-22. Have you allowed your turning points to draw you closer to God or to push you farther from him?

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

Show me the way I should go, for to you I life up my soul.
(Psalm 143:8)

So…What Insight, Prayer, or Action Step Has God Laid on Your Heart Today?


Exert from "Praying for Purpose" by Katie Brazelton

Comments...

Realizing that some of you may be new to the world of blogging, here’s a quick tutorial on how to leave a comment after reading a post:

1. Click the word “Comments or No Comments” at the bottom of each post.

2. You’ll see the actual post page and any other comments people have left.

3. Type your thoughts in the “Leave A Reply” section near the bottom of the page. You can comment on the blog post itself or respond to what someone else had to say about it.

4. Enter your name, email and website IF YOU CHOOSE TO. You can post anonymously if you want to. We’re looking for conversation here more so than identity so feel free to remain anonymous.

5. Be sure to review your post with one last look before clicking on “Submit Comment.”

6. Once you submit, the rest of us can read your thoughts and possibly even respond with a comment of our own.

I know it sounds complicated, but it goes quickly once you get the hang of it.

So, give it a shot. We look forward to hearing from you soon!