No Good Thing

November 10th, 2012 dsisler

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. Since I live cross country from my family, I miss the family gatherings during this special season of the year. Remembering get-togethers of years past with grandparents, even great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and any other extended family who could join us brings joy to my heart. And I would be remiss not to mention the good friends that were invited to join my loving family.

Of course, there was always food. The best food around. I come from a long line of excellent cooks on both sides of my family and thinking of the platters and bowls filled to overflowing reminds me of just how thankful we were as we sat around those tables. I even recall specific foods that were always served in specific bowls or dishes.
I came across a verse of Scripture in my study time that I have remembered throughout the week. “I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’” (Psalm 16:2 – NIV)
For my family, on both sides of my family, God was always in our midst. I was raised by Christian parents who were raised by Christian parents who were raised by Christian parents. It is part of my heritage. So you see, when I saw this verse of Scripture my mind immediately went to the good that I have and recognize that it is good because I am a follower of Christ.
“Apart from you (God) I have no good thing.”
Obviously, this concept goes beyond family. All of my possessions. All of my serving. All of my studying. All of my writing. All of my heart. Without God, it isn’t good. He provides the goodness in my life.
I pray that you feel the same way. I pray that you can see God’s goodness flowing in and out of your life. I pray that you too have come to the understanding that without God, you have nothing.
I know that for some, family has brought heartache and pain. I pray that you’ll find peace and comfort in God this Thanksgiving. I pray that as you gather around a table on that day that you’ll be able to say that God has provided goodness in your life. That you will be able to join me in saying, “Apart from You I have no good thing.”
Yes, I miss being with my family, especially at Thanksgiving. But last year my Mom gave me a gift. She joined us in Colorado for Thanksgiving. She will be joining us again this year and I will once again know how blessed I truly am.
I have other family with me, too. My husband, my daughters, my son-in-law, my grandchildren. And a whole slew of friends who make me feel like family. So, even as I am 1,200 miles away from the rest of my beloved family, I am well loved and that love reduces the miles to mere inches.
Happy Thanksgiving (a little early)!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Building a Doll House: It’s All About the Details – Chapter 8

November 9th, 2012 dsisler

NOTE: If you missed Chapters 1-7 of Building a Doll House, you can find it in the column under “blog archive” to the right. 

From the beginning of this dollhouse project, my husband said we needed to be very careful with each piece. During the painting process, it was important that the paint didn’t drip, because that would cause it to be out of line with the rest of the pieces. During the sanding process, we had to be sure that just the right amount was sanded or it would fit.

Then of course, the details of the entire project was overwhelming. The directions. The number of pieces. The step-by-step process to take all of these pieces and create one doll house from them all. It was pretty amazing.

Here’s the thing. If we hadn’t paid attention to the details, it would not have turned out the way it was supposed to. It would not have looked like a house. Or at least not a pleasant-looking house.
It’s the same with our spiritual lives. If we haven’t taken care of the details of our faith, it’s hard to say what the outcome might be. But if we follow God’s plan and pay attention to the details, the results will be exactly what God intended us to be.
God planned that we would be “His chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (1 Peter 2:9 – NIV)
So how do we get to this point? What steps (details) do we need to take to become exactly what God intended us to be?
We must believe
There is a lot that we simply must have faith in. We must believe that God’s Word is living and active and that God breathed life into each verse. (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16)
We must believe that Jesus is God’s Son, sent to be the Messiah, the Savior of mankind. (John 3:15-16; 1 John 5:1; 5:5; Romans 3:22)
We must believe that Jesus was crucified for the forgiveness of our sins and rose to life to prove victory over death. (Luke 24:46-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:14)
We must repent
Repentance means to turn completely around. To go the opposite direction of our original path. So for a believer, we must put to death the sinful nature in order for the spiritual nature to be visible. (Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19)
We must confess
You’ve heard it before, Peter’s great confession of our Lord. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 – NIV) Yes, we must proclaim it as well. (Matthew 16:16; 2 Timothy 2:19)
We must be baptized
Jesus teaches that baptism is part of the salvation plan and was himself baptized. Peter preached it on the day of Pentecost. Paul also was baptized and preached baptism. (Matthew 3:13; 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 9:18; Galatians 3:27)
We must live
Live lives that bring honor, glory and praise to God who has freely lavished grace upon us. There are plenty of passages that lead us in this direction, but I’m just listing two here. (Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 2:10)
We must tell
If in fact we have the greatest news mankind has ever heard, why do we keep silent? Why isn’t His message on the tip of our tongues constantly? I don’t know the answer to that question, but I know that Scriptures tell me to share the Gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:47)
These are the “details” of our spiritual lives. They each fit perfectly with the next, like a plan, and exactly as God intended. By paying attention to each of these details, we ensure that our salvation will be complete.
Oh, I know that we’ll mess up along the way. I know that a detail will be missed or we’ll botch it up. But please know that God can take all those mishaps, those imperfections, and turn them into a thing of beauty. That’s an added bonus of loving God. Grace.
If you have a question about these “details,” I’d be happy to chat with you. I do know that there is nothing like being in God’s grace.
I’d also love to hear your story of grace. How your faith has been built through the years. What God’s grace means to you. Would you be willing to share?
In the end, the pieces of the dollhouse went together pretty well. There were a few pieces that didn’t quite fit, but a little sand paper and caulk covered a lot of mistakes. Please don’t look too closely at the dollhouse. You just might find those mistakes.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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And Lots of Shovels

November 8th, 2012 dsisler

When my daughter Candace was around 3 years old, we had planted a garden. We set up a home-made irrigation system to ensure a good harvest. To keep the hose from moving into the garden and ruining the beautiful plants, we placed shovels around the edge of the garden. Maybe there were 3 or 4.
 

One day Candace and her dad were inspecting the garden. Her Dad was telling her of the wonderful food we were growing. “We’re going to have lots of corn, and green beans, and squash, and potatoes, and tomatoes…”
“And lots of shovels!” Candace chimed in.
To a three-year-old, it did seem that we were preparing for a harvest of shovels. But as adults, we knew that wasn’t a possibility.
Throughout Scripture, we see references to children. Some insist that we become like little children. Others insist that we grow up and no longer think as children. So let’s see the contrast between the two and how we can determine when to be as little children and when not.
First, we can take note of the love Jesus had for little children. He saw something in their purity. In their faith. In their love. These passages show Jesus’ compassion for children.
Matthew 18: 5-6 (NIV) “Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Matthew 19:14 (NIV) “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Mark 9:37 (NIV) “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me, but the one who sent me.”
Mk 10:16 (NIV) “And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”
We also see that we are to believe like little children. In Matthew 18:3 (NIV), Jesus answered the question about the greatest in the kingdom. After calling a small child to join the group, He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
But once we believe, we must grow spiritually. We are not to remain as infants in our faith. We see passage after passage of how we should be growing spiritually into adults.
1 Corinthians 3:2-3a (NIV) “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.” They were like people of the world instead of people of God. Under these circumstances, it was impossible to grow spiritually.
1 Corinthians 14:20 (NIV) “Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” We should not be controlled by evil and we must be mature in our thinking.
Hebrews 5:12-14 (NIV) “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
I believe we can see from all these passages that we are to be as little children in some areas of our faith, but we must continue to grow throughout our lives in order to be spiritually mature.
And as Peter puts it, especially since we’ve “tasted that the Lord is good” we should strive for spiritual maturity. Knowing God’s goodness should be a great motivator for us to grow.
So are you growing spiritually? Are you tasting God’s goodness on a daily basis? Have you graduated from the milk and baby food of spiritual infancy to the meat and potatoes of spiritual adulthood?
If not, why not? What steps can you take to begin the process of spiritual growth?
If so, what are you doing to continue your growth? We cannot lean on what we already have produced in our lives. We must continue growing and learning.
We raised a great crop of vegetables that year. However, we didn’t produce any more shovels than were already sticking in the ground. Oh, to have the eyes and imagination of a child.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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My God Reigns

November 7th, 2012 dsisler

Yesterday was Election Day. I’m sure if you are like me, you are thankful that the television ads are over, the phone calls have stopped, and that peace will once again reign in households all across America.

Over the past few days, there have been statements on Facebook that refer to the fact that regardless of who won the election, that today and every day, God is still in control. He knew what the outcome of the election would be long before the poles opened.

Why is it that we have difficulty maintaining this way of thinking through our day-to-day lives? Why do we spend precious time worrying? We should be spending less time worrying and more time praying.
Yes, God is still in control this morning. He will be all day long and well into the evening. Even while you’re sleeping through the night, God will be in control. When I came to this realization and really accepted it as truth, my life suddenly became less hectic, less aggravating, and produced much less worrying.
A wonderful Psalm delivers this message. “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and is armed with strength. The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.” (Psalm 93:1-2 – NIV)
Aren’t there some wonderful thoughts in this passage? God reigns. He is robed in majesty. He is armed with strength. His throne was established long ago. He is eternity.
If we believe these five statements, we will be able to face each day and offer it to God. In return He will keep our world (lives) on a firm foundation.
What are you facing today? A difficulty? An illness? A broken relationship? A job search? A death? Whatever it is, God wants to be in the middle of it with you. Why not open up to Him and allow Him to encourage you with His strength. Allow Him to wrap His robe around you for comfort. Allow Him to be the Lord of your life and reign on the throne of your heart. Allow Him to be your eternity.
I will be praying for you…and our nation!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Gobble, Gobble

November 6th, 2012 dsisler

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. But I think I may be a little tired of turkey and the fixings before we even get to that day.

The 50+ and Better ministry at church offer get-togethers for this age group. They offer a monthly lunch for the oldest group and dinner for those who feel up to getting out in the evenings. Yesterday was the lunch and they had turkey available for my SE Asia team to enjoy before our presentation last evening. It was delicious!
Next Friday I will be preparing a turkey feast for the evening gathering of this group.
Then a week later, yet another turkey dinner for my family.
Don’t get me wrong, I love turkey. I love preparing all that reminds me of my childhood Thanksgivings, but it seems like this year I may be partaking of too much of a good thing.
However, the one thing I will never grow tired of is the thanksgiving part. Giving thanks for what God has blessed me with allows for my appreciation and joy to flow. I’m able to thank God for the material provisions, and also the spiritual.
There are plenty of passages in Scripture that we can use to offer this thanks to God.
Psalm 100 (NIV) is only five verses, but it is packed with so many thoughts. As you read through these five verses, you’ll recognize phrases from some of our worship songs.
Phrases like, “Worship the Lord with gladness”or “It is he who made us, and we are his; we are the people, the sheep of his pasture.” Yes, you’ve heard those phrases before.
Verses 4 and 5 are where I’d like to land today. They are about thanksgiving. Again, you’ll recognize them as ones you’ve sung.
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”(Psalm 100:4-5 – NIV)
After reading that we should praise God and why we should praise God, it stands to reason that the Psalmist would then point us to thanksgiving.
We have the opportunity to thank God regardless of what our situation might be. I know in the midst of pain, sorrow and suffering it is difficult to see one thing to be thankful for, but it is possible. And even more so, when all is well, we must acknowledge Him who provided that wellness.
The material blessings are a comfort to us and we are to thank God for those, but more importantly we are to thank Him for our spiritual blessings. Without His great love for us, we would be lost. If He hadn’t sent Jesus to be our ultimate sacrifice, we would still be wandering around in our spiritual rubble. For that, I am especially thankful.
This chapter ends with yet one more thing to be thankful for. God’s faithfulness. You see, He continues to be faithful to us, even when we are unfaithful to Him. It’s just the way He is.
Have you thanked God today for all of His provisions? For His faithfulness? For the spiritual blessings you’ve received through Him? Have you shared your praise and adoration for Him today? If not, why not take the time to give honor to God for what He has done in your life?
Thanksgiving is celebrated once a year, but as a follower of Christ, I must be thankful on a daily basis. Oh, I may be tired of turkey this year, but I certainly will never grow weary of praising and thanking my God and Savior. I pray that you feel the same way.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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    "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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