My “To Do” List

March 27th, 2012 dsisler

Last week I went to lunch with my best friend, Lori. We went to a local Chinese restaurant and had a delicious and pleasant meal. At the end, as usual, we received fortune cookies. This is what mine said:

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
Of course, I kept mine. I knew it would wind up in my blog at some point. And here it is. The idea that if I do something, I am more apt to get it. To understand what it is I’m doing.
This got me to thinking about the things that we are to be “doing” as a Christian. I’ve compiled a list…not an exhaustive one by any means, but still something we can check to see how we are doing with these.
So what are we to be doing?
Make Disciples
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
Good
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6:9-10)
Be Holy
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Stand Firm
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13) [don’t overlook the others in this short verse]
Encourage
“Encourageone another daily, as long as it is call Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)
Sing
“Singand make music in your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:19b)
Rejoice!
“Rejoicein the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
Shine
“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Love
“Do everything in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
As I said earlier, this is not an exhaustive “to do” list…there are still many, many more to add. But this was a good start. Maybe you could start your own “to do” list. What you are to be doing.
Most of the fortunes I’ve received at Chinese restaurants aren’t worth reading, much less something to take to heart. I was surprised by this one and was thankful it could be used to bring glory to God. Now if I could only say “Mother’s Day” in Chinese! Mŭ qīn jié?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

Car Seats

March 26th, 2012 dsisler

I have two car seats in the back seat of my car. One for my granddaughter Joy who is 5 years old and one for my grandson Percy who is 1 year old. Those car seats certainly fill the back seat!

Before I needed two, I used to remove Joy’s seat from the car after each visit and replace it as needed. That got to be a little tiresome, so eventually I began leaving it in the car until I absolutely had to take it out.
I then realized something. Each time I looked into my back seat and saw that car seat, I knew someone loved me. I knew that regardless of what happened or what I did, someone loved me.
Now I have two car seats in my car! That means double the love! My heart is filled with love and joy when I look at those seats.
I’m sure you understand. There is probably something that you see that reminds you of how someone loves you. Perhaps your wedding band. Or a picture. Or maybe it is a location. Whatever it might be, when you see it, you know that someone loves you.
There are a few things that remind me that God loves me as well. Each time I see one, I know how much God loves me and what He was willing to do to so that I might be His child. I’ll share a few, but perhaps you have some of your own.
The Bible
I’ve had many through my lifetime, and in fact, have several sitting on my shelf right now. I’ve had leather and hard cover. Large and small. Small print and large print. I’ve even had different colors. But they have all meant the same thing. That God’s love for mankind was so great that He wanted to share His love with us. We read about His plan and His love in His Book.
The Lord’s Supper
As I sit with the emblems of the Lord’s Supper in my hands each week, I am reminded of God’s great love for me. What He was willing to do for me. That He would offer His Son as the sacrifice for the world. The representation of His shed blood and broken body bring me back to that point each week. To remember His love.
The Cross
In recent years, I was given a gold cross necklace by a dear friend. I couldn’t recall ever having one before. It has come to be an important piece of jewelry for me and I wear it quite often. As I put it on, I am reminded once again of God’s love for me. That Jesus suffered through it all, for me. I wear this symbol for all to see what great love the Father has for His children.
Maybe there are other things that bring your thoughts to God during the day. I pray that you do. I know that if my thoughts are directed to Jesus just a few more times each day, there will be less thoughts of this world in my head. More thoughts of God’s love will push out my own selfish thoughts.
I’m only sharing one verse of Scripture today. But it covers so much. It shows us how much God loves us.
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)
Car seats and love. For me, it’s what it’s all about…well at least part of it. What about you? What do you see that reminds you that someone loves you? I’d love to hear about it!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

My Big Ole Foot

March 25th, 2012 dsisler

If you are anything like me, you’ve opened your mouth and put your extra large foot inside one too many times. Yes, I can say that I’ve done that. I’ve said things that as soon as they left my mouth, I wished I could drag those words back, stuff them inside my mouth, and swallow them to where no one would ever hear them again.
With those words, several things can occur. 1) I can hurt someone with my harsh, uncaring words. 2) My reputation can be tarnished or at least dented with little hope of salvage. 3) The realization that I’ve done a horrible thing and that I must do something to repair the damage.
If you have ever been in this situation, you know how miserable you can feel. You know how desperate you are to make things right. You know what you must do. Seek forgiveness, even though it might be one of the most difficult thing you’ve ever done.
If you have ever been on the other end of the harsh words, you know how belittled you felt. You know how hurt feelings can completely overwhelm you. You know how difficult it can be to forgive someone who has harmed you.
Regardless of the side you are on, we are called to forgive. Here is a verse from God’s Word that leads us in that direction.
In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus has this to say about forgiveness. “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
For certain if we are asked for forgive a brother, we must forgive. But most Scripture talks about forgiveness as a whole, much larger picture. Here are more examples.
Before the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus the question, “How many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Peter felt he was being generous, but Jesus had more to say on this issue.
“I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-times.” I heard at some point that Jesus wants us to forgive until we can’t recall the number of times we’ve forgiven. Until we lose track. Just keep on forgiving.
After this same parable, Jesus says, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35)
And if these still aren’t enough, here are a few more. “Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.” (2 Corinthians 2:7)
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”Colossians 3:13)
And just how has the Lord forgiven you? Well, this is how much.
Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
“Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19)
And as we jump to the New Testament, forgiveness through Jesus Christ is just as wide and deep and complete.
As Peter spoke about Jesus in Acts 10:43, he says, “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
And this message is carried on through Ephesians 1:7-8. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
And there are plenty more where these came from. God’s Word is filled with forgiveness. Him forgiving us and we forgiving others. We don’t have to search long before we find this message loud and clear within its pages.
I pray that as you go through your day today that you allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. That His words would be your words. That your actions would be pleasing to your heavenly Father. That is my prayer each day. To keep my feet on the ground and my mouth filled with God’s goodness.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share

Memory Loss

March 24th, 2012 dsisler

I have had some memory issues over the past few years. Not the typical, “I wish I could remember why I walked into this room,” or “I know there was something else I needed to pick up at the grocery store.”

 

The problem I’ve had involved forgetting who family members were, confusion over common events or locations, and on occasion, not understanding words in documents. I had even decided that I would probably need to quit my job because nothing made sense. Nothing.
 

I believed I was developing dementia or even worse, Alzheimer’s, and I had just turned 50. I began having anxiety attacks if I was in a new or unfamiliar location, so eventually I stopped going places by myself. I started carrying around a notebook with vital information within its pages and pictures of family members with their names.
 

A stabilizing factor in my situation was my husband. If I could talk to him when I felt an “episode” coming on, I could make it home without a full blown anxiety attack or a sense of losing control. However, I was rarely in control.
 

I visited my doctor, and after much discussion and tests, she came to the conclusion that I was having a type of migraine. My type of migraine. I would have certain symptoms; auras in my eyes or numbness in my hands, but usually never went completely to a headache.

 

She started me on a migraine preventer and within a week, I knew I was on the road to recovery. I remembered people’s names and understood words in documents. That pill, two times per day, was and is a life-saver for me.
 

On two occasions, I didn’t take my migraine preventer. The day after not taking this medication, a migraine started with aura and numbness. I have learned that I must never, ever forget or think that I don’t need to take that little pill. Ever.
 

I sometimes wish there were symptoms like an aura when I forget to study God’s Word or maybe numbness in my hands if I don’t spend prayer time with Him. I would be more inclined to make sure I made an effort toward these important times with God if that were the case.
 

Even though I don’t have physical symptoms when I neglect God, my spiritual life is in real danger because of my lack of time with Him. I must spend that time with Him on a regular basis in order for my spiritual life to be complete.
 

Spending time studying God’s Word and prayer time are just two spiritual disciplines that we must regularly have in our daily lives. Scripture clearly conveys the message that we are to be working toward spiritual maturity. Let’s look at a few to determine the importance of these activities.
 

Bible Study
An example of studying God’s Word can be found in the book of Ezra. He was “well versed in the Law of Moses.” He arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon and he had “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:1-10 – NIV)
 

In 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV), Timothy was told to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” We also should study God’s Word so that we know exactly what His Word says. We then, will be able to be like Timothy and grow spiritually.
 

Prayer
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) shows us that we are to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
 

Here are a few other verses to take note of that lead us to the same conclusion. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 – NIV)

 

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 – NIV)

 

“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b – NIV)

 

Spiritual Maturity
I love what James says in James 1:22 (NIV), “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” We must put all that we learn into practice, otherwise we will not grow spiritually. That is not what God wants us to be or how He wants us to live our lives. We are to do what His Word says.
 

My memory has been fully restored. Sometimes it’s even better than I could have imagined. My memory restoration is part of the reason I began writing in earnest. I feel as if God has given me a second chance to share His message with others. I do not plan to simply study His Words any longer. I plan to “do what it says!”
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
 

Donna

Share

My Baptism

March 23rd, 2012 dsisler

I was raised in a minister’s home. I’m a “PK”. We lived in a small town in the heart of Ohio until I was about to turn 8, then we moved to North Syracuse, New York to start a new church. There were many Sundays where our family of five were the only ones in the folding chairs of the rented building, listening to my mother play the piano and my dad preach the sermon. The church grew slowly, family by family.

As we outgrew a rented building, we would move to a larger rented building until finally we were able to build our own facility that would house the North Syracuse Church of Christ.
My dad was also the camp director at Mountain View Christian Camp, in Dansville, New York. I loved going to camp. It was a great place to be the tom boy that I was.
In August of 1969, while at camp, my dad and my brother were having a serious conversation under a tree. I casually wandered over to them and asked what they were talking about.
My brother wanted to be baptized. I said, “I want to be baptized too!” Dad asked me a few questions, I knew all the answers, and that evening, my brother and I walked down into the pond and were baptized.
The pond was slimy. Gooey mud gushed up through my toes as I stepped into the water. Unfiltered pond water surrounded me as I went under and it sputtered from my nose and mouth as I came up out of the water. It was gross. And I was thinking, “I could have waited until Sunday morning and could have been baptized in the clean water of the baptistery at church!”
I can’t say that the event of my baptism changed my life. It should have. I wanted to be baptized because my brother was being baptized. I did love the Bible, however.  I began reading it. Listened intently to every sermon I heard. I went to Bible College…5 years. No degree. But lots of Bible classes. God’s Word changed me.
Through my study I found that my baptism at that early age was because of my obedience to Jesus’ command and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I received God’s forgiveness, the Holy Spirit to be my Guide, my Counselor, my Comforter, and so much more; and Christ’s blood that sanctified and redeemed me. But I also learned that I missed the dying to self part at baptism. I didn’t sacrifice anything at that point. I did make that commitment to Christ again later as a young adult. I allowed God to work in me to take off the old self and put on his glory.
I still love God’s Word and can’t seem to get enough of what God has to say to me. It’s alive and living and is my weapon against Satan.
I’m thankful for that pond water at Mountain View because when I came out of that dirty, slimy water, I was as clean as the baptistery water at the North Syracuse Church of Christ.
“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7b)
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
Share
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

  • Subscribe by Email

  • 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.

  • Bible Studies & Other Happenings

    Bible studies I’m currently leading:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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

  • Categories

  • Recent Posts

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On PinterestVisit Us On Linkedin