And More Snow

January 21st, 2015 dsisler

 

We are expecting another round of snow here in Colorado today. It’s hard to say how much snow we will get (because every forecaster has a different idea), but according to said forecaster’s, it does look like we’ll get some.

 

Daytona Beach 021mKnowing what is to come, this is the kind of day when I want to curl up and snuggle with a blanket, a cup of coffee and a good book (my good book would be God’s Word or a commentary).

 

As I think of my day however, I don’t believe lounging around in my pajamas is a possibility. Life doesn’t just stop today because I’d like it to. There are places to go and people to see and things to do. So today, I’m thankful for all the tools and resources God has provided to help me and you through a day when we really don’t want to do anything. Let me share them with you.

 

We have God’s Word. Today I can hold on to the promises and blessings that I have learned through Scripture. When I don’t feel like doing anything, God’s Word prompts me to get active. I find encouragement and strength to keep moving. If you feel a bit lethargic, ask God to lead you to the right passage to motivate you.

 

We have prayer. Our communication with God is a vital link to motivation. Through prayer, we are able to gain wisdom and insight into circumstances. Through prayer we are able to ask God to get us moving. Allow yourself to spend this time with Him in all situations.

 

We have the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit is within us to lead, direct, comfort, and convict, as well as other duties. Don’t ignore how He is leading you. Believe it to be His guidance.

 

We have a fellowship of believers. What would life be like without good Christian friends? Friends who will give good, sound, Christ-like advice when it’s needed? Or a shoulder to cry on? Or a friend who will just sit with me? I find great encouragement from my friends in Christ who help me to see when I’m not doing my best for God’s Kingdom. I pray that you have some of those friends in your life as well.

 

There is always something to do. There are always people to see. There are always places to go. My prayer today is that I choose wisely and do the exact things that Jesus needs me to do. To be the person Jesus needs me to be today. Maybe that should be your prayer today too.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Dreams

January 20th, 2015 dsisler

 

I had a weird dream last night. The communications director at church is a good friend. She was involved. In my dream, Kayla and I decided I needed a second job. So we were trying to figure out what I should do. Our first option was to drive people around in a car. You know, like a chauffeur. But we decided that just wouldn’t work.

 

???????????????????????????????So the job we landed on was for me to drive people around in wheel chairs. Yeah, so that was it. I started my second job, with her help of course, driving folks from place to place in a wheel chair. I had my own wheel chair and everything. I was kind of like a chauffeur.

 

Now don’t ask me what it all means. I could come up with a few scenarios. Like I dreamt this because when Kayla and I go out for lunch I always drive. Maybe I know deep down that I’m not a great driver and should stop hauling people around. Or maybe I just dreamt this because I had Chicken Schwarma for dinner last night and it didn’t set well with me.

 

If I were Pharaoh or Nebuchadnezzar, I might start looking for a person to really interpret this dream. I would search until I found my own Joseph or Daniel to help with this crazy dream. Or I could really chalk it up to the fact that Mediterranean food has a strange effect upon my mind.

 

What I do know is that when I seek an answer from God, I look to His Word for wisdom. I seek His counsel through prayer. I wait and listen for what He has to share with me. I allow God’s Spirit to lead and guide. And I stand firm in my belief Jesus Christ is always with me.

 

Perhaps you’re thinking, “I’ve never had this experience before…what do you mean?”

 

When I felt called to go on my service trip to SE Asia, God opened every door for me to go. I raised all of the money I needed. My passport came very quickly. I had no uneasy feelings about taking this journey. There was great peace. I believe that was God telling me, “Go. I’ll be with you.”

 

When I need to make a decision, I spend time in God’s Word reading Scripture and with God in prayer. Before you know it, I’m reading Scripture that is directly related to the decision at hand. And God places wise people in my path who share a good message with me that helps me as well. Whether they share the same quote or a verse of Scripture, through God’s wisdom, it all intertwines.

 

If I am being tempted by the evil one, it might be easy to fall into his trap. But when I am in tune with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit, I am able to put aside the temptation and look directly at my Redeemer. I steer clear of the one who is out to destroy me.

 

And then there is writer’s block. I have no clue what I’m going to write and then I remember. I remember a story or a Bible character that I can relate to in some way. I step out of the way and allow God to work through me. I’m not saying that my writing is equal to the Bible, but what I am saying that when I try to do it on my own, it can take a lot of agonizing on my part. But when I allow God to be in the middle of it (as He should be). I can easily write 700-800 words in a half hour. That’s exactly what I did this morning!

 

You too can have this same experience with God. Don’t believe that you can’t. Being with God and in His Word, allowing God’s Spirit to have control of our hearts and making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life is what God asks. When our lives align with God’s will, He is able to do some remarkable things through us. We simply need to be wiling vessels to do His work in His Kingdom.

 

That’s when the dream ends and life begins.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“Then Came the Morning” – Monday Musical Musings

January 19th, 2015 dsisler

 

It’s hard to believe that I have not shared this song with you. This has been one of my favorite songs for a very long time…let’s see, it was written in 1982 and recorded in 1983 by the Gaither Trio. Yes, I have probably loved this song from the moment I heard it.

 

???????????????????????????????Perhaps this was the way the disciples felt after Jesus died. They saw it happen. They were in shock. They wondered why it ended this way. They had devoted their lives to Jesus and now, He was gone.

 

Oh and how Mary must have wondered what God was up to. She knew Jesus was the Son of God. She knew He was the Anointed One. How could the Messiah lead Israel into victory from a tomb?

 

I can’t imagine all the emotions they felt, but I suspect their grief was unbearable. I suspect their hopes and dreams had faded. I suspect they chastised themselves for believing in this man.

 

Just as Jesus brings great hope and joy to our own lives, Sunday morning came with renewed hope, new dreams and greater faith in the Christ. Oh how beautiful that morning must have been. Tears turned to laughter. Mourning to dancing. Weariness to strength.

 

Perhaps your hopes and dreams have been squashed. Maybe you’re under the burden of grief. Or maybe you just can’t seem to find it in yourself to continue on this faith journey. Whatever it is you are going through, Jesus is the One who can lead you to a better place. He will comfort. He will give strength. He will calm your fears. He will be with you. And gloriously, the morning will come.

 

I pray that as you read through these lyrics and listen to this melody that you will be touched by the hand of Jesus. I pray that your eyes would be opened to the miracle of that Sunday morning. I pray that morning has dawned for you.

 

“Then Came the Morning”

 

They all walked away, with nothing to say,
They’d just lost their dearest friend.
All that He said, now He was dead,
So this was the way it would end.

 

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed,
Now that He was dead and gone.
The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail,
How could a night be so long.

 

Chorus:

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.

 

The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
The wedding, the water, the wine.
Now it was done, they’d taken her son,
Wasted before his time.

 

She knew it was true, she’d watched him die too,
She’d heard them call Him just a man,
But deep in her heart, she knew from the start,
Somehow her Son would live again.

 

Chorus:

Then came the morning, night turned into day;
The stone was rolled away, hope rose with the dawn.
Then came the morning, shadows vanished before the sun,
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.[i]

 

Click here and you’ll hear Ernie Haase & Signature Sound’s version of “Then Came the Morning.” Beautiful!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “Then Came the Morning,” Words by Gloria Gaither, Music by William J. Gaither and Chris Christian, Gaither Music Company and Word Music, LLC, 1982.

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We Begin Again

January 18th, 2015 dsisler

 

It’s Sunday morning. The beginning of the week. It’s a great opportunity to start over as well. Maybe this morning you need to get up and get to church. Maybe this morning you need to work on a relationship. Maybe this morning you realize that you need to eat healthier this week. Maybe this morning you need to re-energize your relationship with Jesus.

 

If you need to begin again, today could be a new beginning…but you must make the move. Is it time to begin again?

 

The post I share with you today is about God’s message. I pray that you know all of God’s message. If not, that’s another thing to begin again.

 

XOXO (Hugs and Kisses) – Blogging A to Z

 

Isn’t it wonderful to receive a note, letter or email containing the letters “XOXO?” It is an indication that someone loves you enough to send hugs and kisses your way.

 

Last summer, I stepped outside my front door to water my flowers and I found a little note. It had fallen behind my flower box, so I almost missed it.

 

DSC02473I was thankful that I didn’t overlook it. For inside was a message. It was one of hope. A message of forgiveness. A message of grace. A message without using the letters “XOXO” indicated that I was loved enough to receive hugs and kisses. The message was the Gospel!

 

Someone had taken the time to type and print this message, wrap it into a neat package, and deliver it to my door step. How blessed and honored I feel to be the recipient of this message.

 

Have you received this message? Are your eyes open and searching for the message God has for you? If not, I’d like to share the message with you today.

 

What is God’s message filled with hugs and kisses? I’ve gathered a short list here…there are many more messages in God’s Word, but this is a start. These are not in order of importance, but in order according to where they are found in the Bible.

 

God Made You and You Belong to Him

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalm 100:3 – NIV)
 

 

Do Not Be Afraid

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 – NIV)

 

God Loves You

“For God so loved the world [you] that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever [whoever is you] believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 – NIV)

 

Jesus is Preparing Heaven for You

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3 – NIV)

 

Repent and Be Baptized

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 – NIV)

 

God is On Your Side

“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 – NIV)

 

You Are a New Creation

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 – NIV)

 

You Are Chosen

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9 – NIV)

 

Jesus Will Return

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20 – NIV)

 

God’s message is one of love, grace, forgiveness and acceptance. You can’t be guaranteed of that in this world, but with God, all of these are possible.

 

How have you responded to God’s message? Have you embraced it and accepted it? Have you allowed it to make a difference in your life?

 

Or are you keeping your distance from God, not wanting to hear the full message? If so, why? Why not accept His message today?

 

I plan to be more alert to the messages God scatters throughout my day. I pray that you won’t miss the message that God has for you. It just might be life changing.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Dag

January 17th, 2015 dsisler

 

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you’ve read that I have struggled with my prayer time. Sometimes my mind wanders. Sometimes I’m just not focused enough. Sometimes I’m too tired. Sometimes I’m too lazy. Sometimes I forget. It’s been a frustrating journey for me and one that will continue.

 

???????????????????????????????Maybe I continue with this struggle because the evil one is working on me in this area. You see, I’ve come to believe that prayer isn’t just asking God for a wish list. It’s about change, transformation occurring in my life. As I offer my prayers to God, I offer Him a little bit more of me. I trust Him more. I love Him more. I believe Him more.

 

Of course, that’s not what our enemy wants. So I find myself tempted to do something else, anything else but pray.

 

I read this prayer by Dag Hammarskjold and realized that this is exactly what communion with God is all about. “Give me a pure heart—that I may see thee. Give me a humble heart—that I may hear thee. Give me a heart of love—that I may serve thee. Give me a heart of faith—that I may abide in thee.”

 

Beautiful! And it’s exactly what I want in my life.

 

Scripture leads us to these points as well. Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about these four desires.

 

That I May See Thee

These words come from Matthew 5:8 (NIV). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Jesus reminded Philip in John 14:9 that if anyone has seen Jesus, they had seen the Father. As we develop our relationship with Jesus, we develop our relationship with God.

 

That I May Hear Thee

Jesus shared the importance of hearing and listening in John 8:47 (NIV). “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” As our relationship develops with Jesus, we are able to hear His voice and respond. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Other verses to consider would be Luke 11:28 and Romans 10:17.

 

That I May Serve Thee

Jesus, in His teaching among His disciples spoke of service. When it was time to be glorified, Jesus spoke of serving. “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be.” (John 12:25-26 – NIV)

 

Romans 12:1 (NIV) reminds us that we serve as we offer ourselves as holy sacrifices to God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

 

And I love Joshua’s encouragement to the Hebrew nation in Joshua 22:5. He concludes with, “love your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

 

That I May Abide in Thee

I love being in Jesus’ presence and yet, I still struggle with that one-on-one time with Him. If you are in the same situation, let me encourage you with these verses.

 

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4 – NIV)

 

“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:10 – NIV)

 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 – NIV)

 

Today I pray that you will find time to see Jesus, hear Jesus, serve Jesus and abide with Jesus. There is nothing as precious as being in His presence.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • About Me

    "I pray also 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 the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19


    I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in southwest Ohio.

    I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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