Tag: Peace

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When You Can’t Go On…Go To God

Posted on by Paula Davis

Elijah was a great prophet and had seen great success through the power of God.

  • He declared there would be no rain on the land for several years until he spoke again. (1 Kings 17:1)
  • He saved a widow and her son through a few drops of oil and a handful of flour. (1 Kings 17:12-16)
  • He  had proven that His God was more powerful than Baal when he called down fire on a drenched altar. Then all the prophets of Baal had died at his hands. (1 Kings 18:20-40)

 

But despite all God had done through him Elijah spent. He was exhausted and afraid. He didn’t want to go on.

“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. (1Kings 19:4b-5)

Have you ever been there? You believe you’ve followed God and seen some wonderful successes. But suddenly you’re so tired. You have had enough and don’t feel like you can make it through one more day.

God met Elijah there in the wilderness where he had run. God allowed Elijah to rest, fed him and gave him water to refresh him.

Then God spoke to Elijah.

He took him up to a mountain and told Elijah the presence of the Lord would pass by. There was a mighty wind. Then there was an earthquake and a fire. But God wasn’t in any of those. Next came a gentle whisper…the voice of God. Tender and loving, meeting Elijah in his distress.

God listened to Elijah, then spoke to him a promise of help…and sent him on his way.

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God listens to you too.

He hears every time you cry to Him. In the times you don’t understand and you don’t think you can go on you can expect to hear from Him. If you listen, God will feed you from His word, refresh you through others, and promise you help.

Then God will send you on your way. When you are refreshed and empowered by His Spirit you will go forward and see wonderful things happen once again.

Things more wonderful than you can imagine.

 

blessings and peace…
Paula

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Delight ~ Words Worth Remembering Week #15

Posted on by Paula Davis

The Lord delights in those who fear Him,
 who put their hope in His unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11

 

DELIGHT

1: a high degree of gratification : joy; also : extreme satisfaction
2: something that gives great pleasure
What do you delight in?
Does it take something grand to bring you great pleasure
. . . or do you find joy in the simple things of life?
I have a little dog who loves to wander around the yard. She will sniff and sniff, then suddenly she stops – and down she goes!
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She rolls and rolls, doing a dance of sorts and delighting in that sweet spot she has found.
And I delight in watching her.
This week’s verse says that God delights in those who fear Him…
But this fear He speaks of is a sense of awe, not to be afraid of Him.
Do you look at a sunrise or a sunset in awe of its beauty? God did that!
Do you find awe in the creation all around you? God’s responsible for that too!
God desires only good for those who love Him and longs to delight in us.
When we put our hope in Him, trusting in His love for us that will never fail that is just what He will do!
And maybe…just maybe He dances in Heaven with delight over each one of us.
Praying you will find delight in unexpected places today,
and that you bring delight to our Lord in the process!
blessings and peace to you!
Paula
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Prayer Changes Things

Posted on by Paula Davis

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It’s a wonderful reminder for Christians to renew our commitment to pray for each other, our country, and our world.

Lately I have been studying prayer and learning to grow closer to God as I spend more time with Him in prayer. The Lord still has much to teach me but I thought today I would share some of what I’ve learned about how prayer changes things.

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When I started seeking to deepen my prayer life I hoped to see God change things around me as I learned the ‘right’ way to pray. He has certainly changed things…just not exactly the way I thought!

Here are some changes I’ve seen so far:

A change in PERSPECTIVE
As I draw closer to God in prayer and allow Him to purify my heart and open my eyes I see things differently. Through prayer the Holy Spirit shows me things my human-self can’t see. Hidden hurts that are masked with anger or intimidation, growth in others I don’t allow myself to see without His perspective, and many other things I never expected.  I see God’s grace for me and want to extend that grace to others around me.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  ~ Matthew 5:8

 

A change in POWER
When I devote myself to prayer and seeking God’s will I gain power that is greater than my own. The power of the Holy Spirit flowing through me allows me to love others who aren’t always likable and face fears and failures I am not strong enough to conquer on my own.

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  ~ James 5:16b

 

A change in POSTURE
In order to see any changes through prayer I must first change my posture. Bowing down and looking up are vital to seeing changes in any area of my life. Recognizing (sometimes several times a day) that I must become less and God must become more within me if He is going to do anything through me.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

I pray for each of you today, that you will allow God to make changes in you through prayer and drawing closer to Him each and every day.

blessings & peace to you!

Paula

 

 

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“WHERE’S HEIDI” Book Review

Posted on by Paula Davis

This is a highly anticipated book for me. I am blessed to be part of a writers’ group with the author, Lisa Buske and was treated to glimpses of the manuscript as this incredible book took shape. That being said, my relationship with the author does not automatically grant her a positive review! But the truth is, I do love this book as much as the author!

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“Where’s Heidi, One Sister’s Journey” gives us a unique view into a tragedy we only get a glimpse of through news reports. One Easter morning Lisa was awakened to the sound of a ringing telephone. Soon the voice of her aunt on the answering machine plunged her into a tragedy that would impact the rest of her life. Lisa’s only sister, Heidi Allen had been kidnapped.

When a child disappears or is kidnapped the news reports primarily reflect the loss of the parents, grandparents and other adults in that child’s life. The siblings are wisely protected from the media and news reports. While this makes sense it also leaves out an important piece of the full picture. It often causes us to forget that siblings have lost a companion, a confidant…a best friend. With this book Lisa closes that gap for us as she takes us on a journey…her journey of the hours, days and years that followed Heidi’s disappearance. She bares her heart to us to see and feel the tragedy first-hand. Her story is compelling and draws each reader in to what became her reality.

Thankfully Lisa’ story is not without hope. Heidi’s disappearance is unfortunately still a mystery. But through her journey Lisa has found the ultimate Hope in the saving grace and overwhelming love of Jesus. And ironically enough, this gift was offered to her by a child.

You’ve got to read it for yourself!

Purchasing Information:

Where’s Heidi? One Sister’s Journey will be released, April 3, 2013. Lisa’s book will be available at Amazon.com for your convenience. Additional bookstores and locations will be posted on her website once confirmed.
Lisa will be hosting a “scavenger hunt” as part of her TOP’S Tuesday blog series in the month of March to reveal a mystery location and book signing on April 3, 2013. There will be a limited number of books available at this location but more will be available at the book release party at The River’s End Bookstore in Oswego, New York later this same day.
More information will be posted as it’s determined.
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About the Author:
Lisa M. Buske’s sister, Heidi M. Allen was kidnapped on April 3, 1994 never to be seen or heard from again. God has taken a tragic instance of her life and transformed it into a life-saving occurrence. She writes with passion and out of obedience for the God who saved her knowing others need to hear her story. Lisa’s relationship with Jesus opened the door to a hope and healing she didn’t think was possible.
Lisa’s husband, Ed, daughter, Mary, and her parents serve as Lisa’s team as she writes and speaks. Lisa’s faith in God and dedication to family motivate and inspire her to do and be the best woman, wife, mother, and sister she can be. Her life proves it is possible to survive when God is part of the equation.
In addition to writing and speaking, Lisa works as a teacher’s assistant for her local school district and serves at different capacities within her church.
Contact Information:

To learn more about Lisa M. Buske or to follow her writing and speaking:
Facebook: “Where’s Heidi?” book page and “Lisa M Buske” author page
Twitter: @LisaBuske
AIM: Lbuskewriter
Writing for Him…to keep Heidi’s memory alive with prayers to heal those affected by abduction.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1 -2 (NIV)

 

 

Please take some time to stop at Lisa’s blog and pre-order this book. You won’t be sorry you did!!
blessings and peace…
Paula
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Week #4 ~ Words Worth Remembering

Posted on by Paula Davis

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 NIV

I grew up on a dairy farm where there was always work to be done. As a child I was fascinated by the equipment my dad & uncle used to accomplish it all, but the Bobcat skid-steer loader was one of my favorites. It was used for many tasks around the farm but its daily role was to clean the free-stall barn housing the milk cows with open stalls and wide aisles. Every day the aisles were scraped and the dregs scooped up and dumped into the manure spreader parked outside the door. It wasn’t difficult but could be tricky to maneuver around the corners. The stall railings were tall enough that the bucket had to be raised to get around them, but not too high.

I’m not sure what fascinated me about that job but as I watched Dad & Uncle Ken I wanted so badly to be trusted to do it myself. When the day finally came I was overjoyed. Dad felt I was finally old enough and experienced enough to take on the task. I boarded the Bobcat, started down the first aisle and carefully began the cleaning process while he milked inside. Things were looking good and I was pretty proud.

Freestall Barn

Then it happened. Rounding the corner I lifted the bucket, cleared the railing, and was home free…almost. As I manipulated the levers to get to the next aisle I turned…in the wrong direction. The crunch I heard announced the tearing of steel as a corner of the bucket went through the wall of the barn. I was devastated. I had messed up big time!

I don’t remember how long it took me to go into the milking parlor to confess to my dad. I don’t even remember exactly what he said. But I do remember he didn’t yell or berate me for being careless. He forgave me and told me to be more careful in the future.

I was blessed with parents who disciplined me but were always there no matter how badly I screwed up. Perhaps you did too, or maybe not. Maybe you avoided facing your parents when you did wrong, unsure of their reaction and fearing the consequences of your confession.

For me confessing to God was not so easy. I could somewhat predict my parents’ reactions because I knew them. I felt secure in their unconditional love even when they were upset with me. But I didn’t have the same security when it came to God. I knew Him mostly as a judge who gave us rules to follow and was unhappy with us when we failed. It was difficult to face Him with my wrongdoings, especially when I messed up the same thing over and over. I didn’t think He would keep forgiving me.

The more I’ve gotten to know God and learned from His Word I realize how much more He loves me than anyone here on earth. God created each of us and is proud of His creations. He knows our hearts even better than we know our own. God sees the motives of our hearts and when we confess our sins we can be certain He will forgive us and then forget the sins.

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His grace will help us to pick up the pieces of our mistakes and move on, leaving our sin behind us and moving forward in His grace. 

It takes a measure of faith, but remember if it’s in the Bible it’s true!!

I encourage you to hide this word in your heart throughout the coming week so you can bring it to mind when you need God’s grace and are reluctant to stand before Him.

blessings and peace to you this week!
Paula

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Are We Listening?

Posted on by Paula Davis

Does anybody remember the days of chatting with your neighbor over the backyard fence? How ’bout kids communicating with two cups and a string? With all our modern communication devices I sometimes miss the days of simple conversation over a cup of coffee.

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Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of most of our advances in technology but what can be unfortunate is that these methods tend to eliminate the need to actually listen to the person communicating with us. When our conversations are via e-mail, texts and Facebook the person’s voice is eliminated, too often leaving much room for misinterpretation. Without the inflection in their voice we don’t hear what they’re really trying to say. Do you ever miss the warmth of a friend’s voice when all you do is exchange e-mails and texts?

I was thinking today about how I communicate with God. I read His Word and try to apply it to my life. I read books and blogs and listen to music and sermons that communicate His love for me and desires for my life.

And I pray.

Oh, wait…I mean I talk to God. Yeah, that’s what it is most of the time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all greediness. I thank Him and praise Him as well as asking for help and blessings.

But it’s not really communicating unless I listen.

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Listening to God is foreign to many people and difficult for most of us. We have examples in the Bible of God speaking to His people in burning bushes (Exodus 3) and visions (Genesis 46:2-3). He even spoke through a donkey (Numbers 22:21-38)! But today I was thinking of how He spoke to the prophet Elijah one day when he was feeling like God had perhaps forgotten him.

It takes place in Elijah 19. Elijah has just won a big victory for the Lord by destroying prophets who were against Him. But one woman made Elijah run. She was an evil woman, and very powerful. She threatened to kill Elijah and he was so afraid that he ran away. He came to a cave and hid there, still fearing for his life. God sent an angel to feed Elijah and asked him why he was there. Elijah sort of whined about what he had been through and this was God’s reply:

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
(1 Kings 19: 11-13)

Elijah had to really listen to know that the Lord was there, then he went out to visit with God.

I believe God still longs to speak to us just like He did with Elijah and others in the Bible. But the conversation won’t be complete and meaningful if we are impatient and not still before Him, listening until we hear. It will take some practice, but give it a try. Perhaps 5 minutes at first. Just shut out the rest of the world, work on turning off your mind and listening. No agenda, just you and God. You may never hear His audible voice but you will know when He is communicating with you. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

How have you heard God’s voice in your life? Please share with us in a comment below.

blessings and peace to you as you listen for God’s voice in your life!
Paula

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GETTING STARTED IN 2013

Posted on by Paula Davis

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It’s the first day of 2013 and the day of resolutions. As we flip the calendar page many of us will resolve to change our lives and our outlook. We will vow to eat better, exercise more, criticize less and overall have a positive attitude about life and those we love.

Looking ahead and resolving to make changes is a good thing. But it’s not enough. For better success we need to turn our resolutions into goals.

A resolution is a statement. A goal is a plan.

Goals are putting action to what we resolve to do. Instead of resolving to exercise more we can make a plan to walk 3 days a week at lunchtime. Or join a Zumba, Pilates, spinning or ______ class (fill in the blank with something you’ve always wanted to try). Be sure your goals are specific, manageable, achievable, realistic and time sensitive….or SMART! (we’ll talk more about this in future posts)

Are you overwhelmed already? Not sure where to start?

Don’t be in a hurry
but…
Do set a deadline.

January 1st doesn’t need to be the day we start our goals for the New Year. We can make it the day we start seeking God’s will and make the start date a few weeks later. Take time to allow the Lord to direct you in your planning. 

1. PRAY – ask God

•For guidance
•For God’s will
•For His blessings to be on your plans.

Jeremiah 29:11
Proverbs 16:3
Proverbs 19:21

2. START – Just put something down

•Write down things that are in your heart
•Think about what will bring you closer to the person God wants you to be.
•How can you make ‘required’ areas into goals? (work, school, chores)

3. PRAY – Lay the goals you’ve set out before God


4. LISTEN – Give God time to speak to you about your goals and whether He wants them to change.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.  James 1: 4-5

5. ADJUST – Make changes where needed

One of my downfalls each year is being overzealous in my goals. I want to set goals for so many areas of my life that I sometimes forget to ask the Lord if His desires are the same as mine. If not I need to humble myself before Him and make some changes.

Whatever your goals are for 2013 I want you to succeed!!

I’m no expert on goal planning, but am learning more and more each day. Each week of the new year I’m going to share with you a little of what I’ve learned and hope you’ll share as well. We can encourage each other as we set goals and as we work to achieve them.

May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4

What are your New Year’s traditions? Do you make resolutions and set goals? How can we help you with them this year?

I hope you’ll join me on a journey to see the Lord’s plans succeed in our lives in 2013!

blessings & peace to you…
Paula

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The Hope of Christmas

Posted on by Paula Davis

There was only one thing I wanted for Christmas that year. Baby Alive. She was a doll that you could feed special “baby” food and she would drink from a bottle of water. Her mouth moved when you put the spoon or bottle up to it so that she was actually eating and drinking! Then of course, she wore diapers because what she took in also had to come out!

Every time a commercial would come on the television for Baby Alive I would tell my parents how much I wanted her. (I still remember the jingle they sang about her). I knew my parents didn’t have a lot of money and quite likely I wouldn’t see that special doll under the tree. But that didn’t stop me from hoping!  I loved that doll and hoped some day to making her mine.

We seem to use the word hope generously in our culture…almost flippantly it seems. “I hope it doesn’t rain.” or “I hope these pants still fit.” along with similar phrases often fill our conversations. While there’s nothing wrong with hoping for things here on earth it is important that we and those we impact have eternal hope. We hope in others to give us what we want for Christmas but humans cannot fill the void of a lonely or broken heart. Only God can fill that emptiness that each of us has.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.                                                                                                     Psalm 62:5-6

Christmas celebrations cannot be complete without remembering the eternal hope that comes because Jesus left His throne in the majesty of Heaven to be born as a helpless infant. He left his future in the hands of imperfect humans and yet He lived a perfect life then gave that life on the cross for our sins.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.                                                                                                  Ephesians 1: 18-19a

So many in this world are without the hope of Jesus. They see Christmas as only filled with shopping, lighted trees and gifts under the tree. Without the ‘right’ gift all hopes are dashed and the day is ruined.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:24-25

I pray that this Christmas you truly know the hope of Jesus. The hope of eternal life. And the confidence that when we hope in Jesus we will never be disappointed.

Please share your hope with others this Christmas. Bless them with the eternal hope that can only be found in Jesus and His promise of Heaven.

blessings and peace to you!

Paula

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My Christmas List

Posted on by Paula Davis

Christmas is only two weeks away!

Can you believe it? 

Are your days filled with hustling and bustling, decorating and shopping?

Have you made your list and checked it twice? (Or if you’re like me you have a few lists going!)

I’ve been thinking about a very special list.

The things on this list can’t be bought at a store. They can’t even be made on my sewing machine or baked in my kitchen.

Maybe they’re just a dream. 

But maybe we can work together to make some of them come true… 

At least in our little corner of the world.

Christmas List

What’s on your Christmas list this year? 

I’d love to know what’s in your heart.

blessings and peace to you this Christmas season!

Paula

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EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Posted on by Paula Davis

It’s November 1st and my 1st book is published!!!

I’m so excited to share with you my Christmas devotional:

Christmas is coming!

Do these words fill you with joyful anticipation

…or dread at the thought of approaching chaos and clutter?

On December 31st do you wonder what happened instead of wondering at Christ’s birth?

I invite you to cherish Christmas as never before. Journey back in time as you get to know those who were there, and bring new meaning to your own holiday.

Cherish This Christmas helps each of us discover our unique role during this precious time of year as we get to know the One whom we celebrate differently…maybe a little better.

This year let’s cut through the chaos and choose to

Cherish This Christmas!

Cherish This Christmas is available:

I hope you’ll take a look, and share with your friends and family!  Thanks for being a part of this big adventure with me!!

 

blessings and peace…

Paula