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A few months ago, I was really frustrated with my writing. I was entering a contest, and I wanted to get everything just right. I wanted my chapter to be perfect, and anything short of that didn’t seem good enough. Then, I saw a box of crayons, and the Lord reminded me of a lesson I’d started to learn long ago.

When I was in 1st grade, I used to take my red crayon and draw a big red X across my workbook page if I had a single incorrect answer. It didn’t matter if there were 20 questions, and I got 19 out of 20 right. If I missed one answer, the whole page was wrong. I concentrated on where I’d fallen short instead of on where I’d succeeded. I wanted perfection.

It used to drive my teacher crazy, and it took a lot of scolding on her part, before I got it through my head: I didn’t need to throw out everything that was good because of one mistake.

I’ve since grown up and put away my crayons. But sometimes I still focus on the spot and forget to appreciate all that’s right, whether it’s in the beauty of a day or in my writing.

I think each of us can get so caught up in the step we missed or where we fell short that we stop climbing. We miss the mountaintop because we trip on a pebble. And too often we forget that we don’t run alone.

The Lord doesn’t expect us to get everything perfect, not in our lives or in our writing. But He has called us to keep on running, to keep on writing, and to keep our eyes on the finish line. Perseverance. Determination. Not perfection.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12: 1-2, NIV)

By Sherry Schindelar (sherryshindelar.com)

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A paraphrased definition of push comes to shove explains it as a critical point in a situation when a shove, rather than a push, is needed. The origin or first use of this phrase is unknown. However, a fun story from the late 1880s illustrates its meaning.

A nameless, entrepreneurial young woman arrived in town only to find its men in deep despair. She inquired about their sad state and was told the town’s only barber had fled during the night, stiffing all but a lucky few of debts he owed. On further questioning, she discovered the men were more concerned about their shaggy and unshaven appearance than the money they’d lost.

This woman jumped at the opportunity. She set up shop in the rogue barber’s establishment and soon needed to hire a few more like-minded women to accommodate her growing (pun intended) business. Her wealth accumulated, and an article in the town’s newspaper called her an “apterous tonsorial angel” (wingless barber angel).*

Ergo, she did what was needed when push came to shove.

Silliness aside, this story reminds me of Paul and Silas. After freeing a fortune-telling slave girl of an evil spirit that brought her masters much wealth, the two believers were beaten and thrown into prison. At midnight, Paul and Silas sat in their cell singing and praising God. Of course, the other prisoners listened! Who rejoices in their pain and misery, especially when death hangs like a thick Roman cloud over their heads?

Suddenly an earthquake shook the building and all the prisoners’ chains were loosed. Now, even if earthquakes happened regularly in that region, one that freed fettered inmates would be enough to cause the jailer to take his life. If he didn’t, Rome would.

This is when push came to shove. No doubt, Paul and Silas, and any one of us, might have been tempted to say, “Wow. Thank you, Lord, for this miracle. I’m outta here!” Instead, the two men reassured the jailer they were all still there.

I love this part! I can’t help but giggle each time I think about it. Ready?

The jailer called for light!

But The Light had already come! At our darkest hour of night, Jesus came to give us eternal life. Our lives, and that of the jailer’s, had already been spared. No different than each of us, this jailer had to see for himself.

And isn’t that so gracious of God to let us grope and wander in the dark until that critical point, until that earth-shaking moment, until we ask for Light. Until we want to taste and see for ourselves that He is good. He is there. And best of all, we don’t have to wait until push comes to shove. We can enjoy His gift of love and eternal life now. All we have to do is ask.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, NKJV)

By Author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title in bold above, WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this website with friends, and please come back next week for more encouragement. Thank you and God bless you!  🙂

*wordhistories.net

Last week’s blog included one stanza from C.T. Studd’s poem Only One life, Twill Soon Be Past.

Because this plaque in my childhood home had such an impact on me, I wanted to share its author with you.

Born to wealthy, non-Christian parents, Charles Thomas (C.T.) Studd enjoyed a privileged childhood in Spratton, England. Well known for their cricket prowess, C.T. and his two brothers dominated the Cambridge sport in the early 1880s.

But when their father Edward became a born-again believer at a Moody Crusade, he invited a preacher into their home. Slow to accept the full gospel, C.T. would only go so far as admitting that Jesus Christ died. However, once he acknowledged that Jesus Christ died for him and accepted Him as Lord and Savior, “joy and peace came into my soul. I knew then what it was to be born again.”

C.T. entered the mission field in 1885, formed the World Evangelization Crusade (aka WEC Int.), and spent the next 46 years in service to the Lord in China, India, and Africa. C.T. lived “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13, NKJV)

A few of C.T.’s inspirational quotes follow:

• Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell, I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.
• If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.
• The light that shines farthest, shines brightest, nearest home.
• God’s real people have always been called fanatics.*

C.T. Studd’s powerful poem Only One life, Twill Soon Be Past is printed in its entirety below.

Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past
by C.T. Studd

“Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill.
living for self or in His will;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, “Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

__ extra stanza __

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,
If the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.*”
✝️

By Author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title in bold above, HIS ONE LIFE, and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this website with friends, and please come back next week for more encouragement. Thank you and God bless you!  🙂

* reasonforhopejesus.com

Through an interesting turn of events, southern-born Rose’s (Maria Rosetta) marriage to Dr. Robert Greenhow ushered her from a life of poverty to one of financial and social status.  In fact, Rose often hob-nobbed with Dolley Madison and other well-known socialities of her day. It’s said that Rose’s influence helped elect President James Buchanan in 1856.

However, when the Civil War began, Rose became a Confederate spy. Though imprisoned on several occasions, she continued to leak Union information to aid the Confederates. Then, a diplomatic excursion brought her to France, where she wrote her memoirs and sold them for two thousand dollars in gold.

Far wealthier than when she’d arrived, Rose boarded a ship bound for home with her handsome salary sewn into the hem of her gown. But when her ship reached the mouth of Cape Fear River (Wilmington, N.C.), a Union ship gave chase.

Not to be outwitted, Rose and two soldiers hopped on a lifeboat to avoid capture. When the stormy seas capsized the small vessel, Rose and her gold perished.

We know that God’s word says in 1 Tim. 6:6 that our relationship with Him is what brings contentment and is of great gain. I wonder if Rose had ever read this verse: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” (1 Tim. 6:9, NIV).

My parents had framed a poem by Charles Thomas Studd on a wall of my childhood home. Its impact is the same as the first day I’d read it. I pray it blesses you too:

By Author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title in bold above, FACTS ARE FUNNY THINGS, and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this website with friends, and please come back next week for more encouragement. Thank you and God bless you!  🙂

 

 

Billy Graham had been struggling with Parkinson’s disease for more than a decade when leaders in Charlotte, North Carolina, decided to have a luncheon in his honor.

According to one article, Billy was reluctant to accept the invitation because of Parkinson’s and other age-related difficulties. Assured by the leaders that he wouldn’t have to give a ‘major address,’ he eventually agreed to attend.

A number of speakers offered eloquent accolades about Billy and eventually, after the applause hushed, he stood on the platform and began his address with:
“I’m reminded today of Albert Einstein, the great physicist who this month has been honored by Time magazine as the Man of the Century. Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train. The conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. He came to Einstein, who reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his pants pockets.

“It wasn’t there. He looked in his briefcase but the ticket wasn’t there. Then he looked in the seat beside him. Still, he couldn’t find it.

“The conductor said, ‘Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.” Einstein nodded appreciatively. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.

“The conductor rushed back and said, ‘Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are; no problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.’ Einstein looked at him and said, ‘Young man, I too, know who I am. What I don’t know is where I’m going.’”

Billy Graham continued his address, but here’s what he said that made all the difference:
“…when you hear I’m dead … I want you to remember this: I not only know who I am. I also know where I’m going. …Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil – it has no point. May each of us have lived our lives so that when our ticket is punched we don’t have to worry about where we are going.”

If you’ve accepted Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation (believe He died on the cross to save you from your sins, believe He rose again from the dead and is now sitting on the right-hand of God the Father, and you’re living your life to glorify Him), then your ticket has been punched, as Billy Graham had said. Now, lead those to your right and left to get their tickets too!

If in your hand you hold an unpunched ticket, the decision you make in the next few minutes will determine whether you spend eternity in Heaven or hell.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, NKJV)

retold story by Author eMarie)

To leave a comment, please click on the title above, TICKET TO WHERE?, and scroll down. Please subscribe and return next week for another encouraging blog. Thank you and God bless you!  🙂

A friend posted this on FB, and I thought it was too good not to share:

The other day I was hangin’ out with a friend. This friend is a Christian but doesn’t always act like one. Some days she’s in line with God’s Word, and some days life’s struggles get the best of her. It’s like she doesn’t know or use her God-given power – the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!

As our eyes met, I really wanted to say something about it but decided to let the Lord speak to her heart, knowing nothing I could say would have the same impact as her Father’s Words.

So I prayed with her.

After some time passed, I smiled at her …
And walked away from the mirror.

I can relate to the friend in the mirror. Can you? In fact, this might be what Oprah calls an “aha moment.”

Because we’re not perfect, and won’t be until we enter Heaven, we Believers sometimes live less-than-stellar moments. Our words or deeds produce an embarrassing snapshot—one we’d rather not have others see. Countless Bible verses remind us that the Lord lovingly takes our undesirable portraits, removes ugly sin stains, and frames every new morning in glamorous, one of a kind moments.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22, 23, NIV)

If, like me, you saw yourself in the mirror, now’s the perfect time to repent, call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and move forward in His faithful, unfailing compassion and love.

Anonymous author
(adapted by eMarie)

To leave a comment, please click on the title above, A MOMENT IN THE MIRROR, and scroll down. Please subscribe and return next week for another encouraging blog. Thank you and God bless you!  🙂

 

William Driver, whose early years were less than stellar, ran away from home to become a cabin boy instead of going to Sunday School. At age twenty-one, he was promoted to captain of a ship bound for the South Pacific. His mother and wife made him a flag, which he proudly hoisted on his boat’s mast. At the sight of his flag unfurling in the breeze, he exclaimed, “Old Glory.” Captain Driver served his country well, and his words became an affectionate nickname for our flag.

On July 4th, Americans enjoy picnics in the park, family barbecues, fireworks, and we display flags to commemorate our independence from England. The people of the United States have endured hardships—wars, diseases, natural disasters, financial and economic downturns, civil unrest, and terrorism—to name a few. But in recent years, our flag, a symbol of freedom, has come under attack.

Our founding fathers envisioned a country based on “liberty and justice for all,” a detail incorporated in our Pledge of Allegiance.

The colors and symbols carry the same meaning from the first to the current flag. The brilliant field of blue represents justice and perseverance. Fifty stars, one for each state of the union, gleam as bright as those in the heavens placed there by God’s design. Thirteen bold red stripes symbolize valor and courage, honoring the original colonies.

America’s flag stands for the hope of a new nation—perseverance, innocence, and purity—and the promise of justice and freedom.

Have we as a nation achieved the ideal of “One Nation Under God?” Not by a long shot. Wrapped in human frailty, we miss the mark.

But the God who created the vast blue skies, who secured the twinkling stars in the heavens, and who sent His son to bear our stripes, beckons:

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 will I hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Happy 4th of July! God bless America, and may we ever remain the land of the free and the home of the brave.

By eMarie

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One of the first pages of a book by R. Blackaby shocked me. In, Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Blackaby says that Jesus sees the work God is doing and joins in that work.

What?

Jesus doesn’t have His own mandates, lists of things to accomplish, work to be done? I’m no theologian, but the Bible says in John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

What about us? How do we know what to do?

Here are a few ideas:

God can carry you, but He gives you arms and legs so you can use them. Ephesians says we’ve been called. And while it’s true we aren’t all called to be Billy Grahams or Mother Theresas, we are to be like Christ … who submitted Himself to God’s will. Lord, break my will and make me more like you!

God is the motivator. That tug we feel is the Holy Spirit prompting us to action. Maybe He’s asked us to do something small, like give away a smile. Maybe it’s a bottle of water or a cheeseburger happy meal. (…I could use the Nike quote, but that would put me in serious trouble.) So, whatever we’re asked to do, Just Act On It!

God has infinite knowledge and wisdom. When we ask, He supplies His extraordinary, supernatural intellect, strength, and courage. We might not all be Solomons, but we can ask and receive God-sized wisdom!

God, who has no beginning and no end, isn’t surprised by our tomorrows. He’s already seen each and every one of them. He existed before He created us, and He’s prepared to do the impossible for us. In fact, He already has! All we have to do is ask.

He holds our days in His hands. His breath of life is in us, He’s measured our days, and He knows we’re frail creatures, made of dust. Yet, He’s created us to do great works to glorify Him. If He says we’re more than conquerers, then what are we waiting for?

He knows how we’ll respond to each challenge. And He still loves us! The Bible says with every temptation God’s made a way of escape. Have you called out to Him and experienced His faithfulness?

The choice to do the work He gives us is ours.

A little chorus from Sunday School goes like this:
When we all pull together, together, together,
When we all pull together, how happy we’ll be.
For your work is my work and my work is your work.
When we all pull together, how happy we’ll be.

God does have important work for us to do. And He equips those who want to do the work. The question is, are we willing?

By author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title above, “WHAT’S GOD’S WORK” and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this blog with family friends! And please come back next week for more encouragement. God bless you!  🙂

 

 

My hubby Bert and I chatted while driving home from a wonderful social gathering weeks ago. With the heat on full blast, we suddenly noticed a strong, unpleasant odor. After scanning for the usual culprits, we spotted no dead animals on the roadside. At last in our driveway, we burst open the car doors and investigated its several compartments. Nothing. Next, we searched beneath the seats, but came up empty again.

We took off our jackets in the house and, voilà, the offending odor hit us. By process of elimination, we surmised an unsuspecting participant’s strong, spicy cologne or perfume had rubbed off on our clothes. And while their cedary, chili pepper scent pleased them, it assaulted our nostrils with its unpleasant odor.

That’s when God’s word flooded in.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. (2 Cor.2:14-16a, NKJV)

Many Old Testament books, including Genesis, Leviticus, and Numbers, talk about a sweet aroma to the Lord produced by grain and animal sacrifices. God required these offerings to atone for the sin of the people.

But, thank God, the New Testament demonstrates that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the once-and-for-all sacrifice. When we give our hearts and lives to Jesus, because of His death and resurrection, God now knows us as the sweet aroma of Christ. Because of Jesus’ righteousness, we become righteous, and an acceptable aroma to God.

No need to worry whether or not we pass the world’s sniff test. To them, we are a defining fragrance. The aroma that calls them to repentance or continued rebellion. As opposed to the scent our clothes picked up at that gathering, the sweeter our aroma to God, the better.

So, let me ask you a personal question. How’s your aroma?

By author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title above, “WHAT’S THAT SMELL?” and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this blog with family friends! And please come back next week for more encouragement. God bless you!  🙂

More than 3,000 years ago, King Cyrus of Persia allowed Israeli captives back to their homelands to build a temple for the Lord.

Since no one ever said this task would be easy, Zerubbabel girded Joshua and his team with prayer. His next priority was organizing the workload and hiring skilled tradesmen while waiting for cedar logs to come in from Lebannon. Then he arranged for daily food and drink. If the men questioned Zerubbabel’s priority list, they wouldn’t wait long to find out they were wrong.

Ezra chapter 4 says the enemies of the Lord heard about exiles who had come to build a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel. Think of this group as present-day evildoers churning out anti-God rhetoric at full speed! Their first attempt to slow temple-building came cloaked as something good. “We want to help you,” they said. Who would deny that offer?

Zerubbabel the wise!! Because they were spiritually fortified, Zerubbabel and his companions recognized their enemy (“The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16). Zerubbabel and his men were prayed up. They discerned the voice behind the offer. Ah, but true to form, these evildoers didn’t throw up their hands and walk away.

Plan B was initiated. This next volley came as a two-parter: discouraging zings first. Maybe these messengers whispered that the task was too great; not enough laborers; too many cedar logs clogging the port; no, not flatbread for lunch again!

When the temple builders didn’t buckle under discouragement, the enemy rolled out part 2: a social media blitz centered around … fear. What if the structure isn’t sound-it’ll crash down on you. Sunburn hurts. You can’t keep up this kind of physical exertion in these temperatures. There are ravenous animals, spiders and snakes, sickness, not enough water/food, inadequate housing, material shortages, significant price hikes…

None of these tactics worked, so the enemies of the Lord dug deeper. Since offers to help, plots to discourage, and a firestorm of fear hadn’t worked, they no longer disguised their evil efforts. But Zerubbabel and his men prayed and continued their work, letting God fight their battles.

Recognize the same ol’ arrows at work in our world today?

The enemy has aimed these unimaginative devices at believers for thousands of years. They won’t work if we’re prayed up and moving forward in Jesus’ Spirit, strength, and power. In fact, Jesus said the believer … “will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

Like Zerubbabel and his men, we too are temple (kingdom) builders! When we stand tall on our knees (pray) and keep our eyes on Jesus, He will deal with the evildoers of this present age and we, too, will accomplish the tasks He equips us to do.

By author eMarie

To leave a comment, please click on the title above, “EVILDOERS,” and scroll down. Thank you for subscribing and sharing this blog with family friends! And please come back next week for more encouragement. God bless you!  🙂