Green

May 1st, 2012 dsisler

I am always amazed at how green Ohio is in the spring and early summer. Not just the grass, but the trees as well.
And speaking of trees, they are abundant! As I sit in my Mom’s hospital room, I can look out and only see the tree tops.
Trees of Colorado
As I move through the hospital, the view is the same. Tree tops. Green tree tops. Occasionally there is a water tower of cell phone tower, but very occasionally.
Although green is not near the top of my favorite color list, the abundance of green right now is encouraging. It is refreshing. It is inspiring. It is uplifting. It is reassuring.
We can also find encouragement, refreshment, inspiration, uplifting, and reassurance from God’s abundant blessings. Reflect on a few verses to be reminded of His abundances.
“They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” (Psalm 145:7) Celebrate! You are covered abundantly by His goodness!
“You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.” (Psalm 68:9) There is nothing like a shower…inside or outside. It does bring great refreshment to us as it does the land.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 – NAS) When we accept the life that Jesus offers, everything changes. Our quality of life changes too. It moves from being mediocre to excellent. It moves from average to above average. It moves from ordinary to extraordinary. Now that is abundant!
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” (Romans 5:17) We don’t just get a provision of grace, it is an abundant provision. I don’t know about you, but for this makes me very happy.
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) God blesses us for a purpose. For His purpose. So that in each situation in our lives, we can be doing good.
“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.” (John 1:16 – NLT) God’s abundant blessings keep on coming. One after another. He certainly is a gracious Father.
The problem with abundance is that we sometimes take it for granted. We don’t acknowledge it. We just expect it to always be there. If we take God’s blessings and gifts for granted, we are certainly not showing our heavenly Father an attitude of gratitude.
Please don’t let a day go by that you don’t thank or praise God for His abundant blessings upon your life. That in itself will bring abundant joy to your life.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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My Little Garden

April 30th, 2012 dsisler

I gave up gardening years ago. I just don’t enjoy it like I used to.
I’ve tried to raise a few vegetable plants since living in Colorado. With the dry, desert climate, my plants simply didn’t survive.
An AeroGarden seemed to be the perfect solution. I could grow a few plants next to my kitchen sink and I could gather the goods as needed.
It was the perfect solution.
Except that I couldn’t grow everything I wanted. It wasn’t big enough to grow large tomatoes. I could only grow a small variety. I couldn’t grow green beans. There simply wasn’t enough room.
It was a good solution.
Until the novelty wore off. After growing tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and flowers, I was finished with it. The need to grow my own produce was fulfilled. I no longer needed to use my AeroGarden.
How many times have you thought you found the perfect solution to a spiritual situation? I know I’ve done it plenty of times.
I think I know a passage of Scripture and upon studying it, find that my conclusion had been wrong.
Believing I know a certain phrase or idea can be found in Scripture and upon studying it, find that once again my conclusion was wrong.
Therefore, I’ve come to the correct conclusion that I must study Scripture for myself and I must study regularly and deeply. I cannot rely on what others feel, think or believe. I must know what Scripture says. I must know what God says.
So first I must study to gain knowledge. If you look for yourself, you’ll find passages like:
“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” Proverbs 2:10
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
“This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4
These verses lead us to the conclusion that we are to gain knowledge for ourselves, for God, and for others. Using what we know to lead others to God should be our greatest desire.
And my knowledge will then lead me to obedience. If I don’t use this knowledge for my own good, it is useless.
“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13:17
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17
Knowing God better and obeying His commands bring blessings to my life.
Then I must study to become mature. Again, knowledge without any growth on my part is useless. It must transform. It must make me a better person.
“Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete.” James 1:2-4
Mature. Complete. These are goals of those who study God’s Word. God’s Word is life-changing. God’s Word convicts. God’s Word leads me to being a better person, but only if I know what God’s Word says.
My AeroGarden sits in my basement. Waiting for a renewed interest in its purpose. If you haven’t picked up your copy of God’s Word in a while, why not do so today? You’ll be amazed at what God has in store for you!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Windshield Wiper

April 29th, 2012 dsisler

I had seen my Dad do this more times than I could possibly count. When a windshield wiper blade became crusted with snow or ice, he’d roll down the driver’s side window, wait until the wiper was near the edge, lift the wiper, and then release it.
The wiper would be free of debris and visibility through the windshield was once more restored.
I was driving in near blizzard conditions. Heading to work after dropping the kids off at school. The buildup on my windshield was making it difficult to see, so I thought of my Dad’s trick.
I opened the window, waited for the perfect moment to grab the wiper blade, picked it up, and released the blade.
The problem? The wiper blade released from the wiper arm and flew into a snow bank.
I had made my problem even worse. Now there was nothing on my vehicle to clear the windshield directly in front of the driver’s side window.
I slowly crept along until I came to a small auto repair shop. I had forgotten it was there. But at that moment, I was thankful for the small business.
I asked if they could help me, and yes, they had the wiper blade for my car. The gentleman fixed it and within minutes, I was on my way yet again.
I was thankful for the mechanic at the little shop. He was a master at fixing messes…at least my mess. My God can do that same thing. He is the Master at fixing the messes in our lives.
What does He fix?
He fixes our hearts
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15
“May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” 1 Thessalonians 3:13
He fixes our souls
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes ne lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3a
He fixes our lives
“I am 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
He fixes our joy
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Psalm 45:7
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12
He fixes our attitude
“To be made new in the attitude of your minds.” Ephesians 4:23
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5
He fixes our broken hearts
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”Psalm 147:3
God is with us to heal us. God is with us to care for us. God is with us to strengthen us. God is with us to fix us. Allowing Him to do so will be the greatest step you’ll ever take.
Obviously, my Dad had mastered the “windshield wiper flick.” I certainly had not. Because I have no desire to be wiperless, I haven’t tried this since then. To be honest, I don’t know that I ever will.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Open Hands

April 28th, 2012 dsisler

I came across this section of Scripture a couple weeks ago. It is one that I believe will become part of my arsenal. My stack of verses I use on occasion in my battle against Satan.
“The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:13b-16 – NIV)

Yes, God is trustworthy. Yes, He keeps His promises. Yes, He is faithful. Yes, He upholds us. Yes, we look to Him. But look at the last line.

He opens His hand…
This reminds me of the game I’ve played with my granddaughter. You know, when you place something in your hand, close both hands and ask, “which hand is it in?” With the same excitement, I am able to see what God holds in His hands for me.
A plan. An answer to prayer. A word of wisdom. A comforting thought. And the list could go on and on.
Regardless of what I’m searching for, or what I desire, God knows exactly what I need and He provides it.
He satisfies the desires…
I’ve learned in the past year how important it is for me to look to God for my satisfaction. There are great benefits for me by doing so. And boy can I get into deep trouble when I look to something or someone else for that satisfaction.
I don’t want to seek satisfaction in anything else but God. But I fail. So I continue to go back to God, ask for forgiveness, and allow His hand to be opened yet again to offer a precious gift.
A gift of grace. A gift of forgiveness. A gift of life.
This passage reminds me of another verse I mentioned earlier, also from the Book of Psalm.
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14 – NIV)
With God’s open hands, His unfailing love, and all the satisfaction I can stand, I stand before God as a woman seeking Him. Seeking God alone. And with that, I am able to sing for joy and be glad all my days. Thank you God for pulling me to You with open hands.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Blinders

April 27th, 2012 dsisler
I’ve mentioned that living on the “prairie” in eastern Colorado has brought with it some excitement. It was a beautiful fall day. The front door was open and a fresh breeze was flowing through the house.  At one point, I looked outside and a large hot air balloon filled the entire doorway.
It was one of the colorful ones and it was landing just across the street from our house. I grabbed my camera and headed outside to take some pictures.
There were a number of our neighbors outside checking out this unusual site, just as I was. One of them said, “Did you see the one behind your house?”
“No I didn’t!” I replied.
I turned and headed back through the house. When I got to the kitchen, I could see it through the window. I then went to the back yard. Sure enough, there was another hot air balloon landing in the field directly behind our house.
I took a lot of pictures that day. I watched the entire process of landing the balloon to folding the balloon and loading it onto the trailer.
There were a few things that really surprised me. First of all, how large these balloons were. I had never been that close to a hot air balloon before and was impressed by its size.
Secondly, I didn’t realize how many people could fit inside the gondola of a hot air balloon. I suppose there are different sizes, but this gondola held 8 people. More people than I really thought it could hold.
Thirdly, I was amazed that I missed the balloon in my back yard. The most obvious one was the one I overlooked.
Perhaps that is the way we are with our lives. I know that in my past, I’ve been so busy with ministry duties, that I’ve missed seeing people who were hurting. People who needed someone to talk to. People who need to hear words of encouragement.
I’ve walked around with “blinders” on and have just ignored people. That part of my life is finished. I know that my eyes must be open and see people the way Jesus sees them.
God asks us to live our lives a certain way. Micah 6:8 says, “He has sown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God requires that we love mercy. We are to see others through God’s eyes. We are to love others the way God loves them.
I now pray that my eyes would be open to the cries of those I encounter. I pray that my eyes would see people as Jesus sees them. I pray that I would not miss a thing.
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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