Two

June 28th, 2016 dsisler

 

I am excited to share a couple of things that have been going on in my life. Today marks day two of training for a program called The Journey. If spiritual formation is on your mind, this is an awesome way to take others down the path to a deeper relationship with God.

 

Through The Journey, I’ll be leading a group of women to a deeper understanding of who God is, who they are and how their lives line up with God’s plan. It’s going to be an exciting program and I can’t wait to get started.

 

20160627_193104The second thing I’m pretty excited about is that my Stephen Ministry training is complete. Over 50 hours of training and twenty weeks of class time has provided me with some beautiful tools and guidelines that will help me in my day-to-day living, as well as helping women who need a listening ear.

 

Last night was our commissioning. The nine of us stood before our family and friends and were set apart for this role by our elders. I started crying when they called the first person up and, being the last person commissioned, I was pretty much blubbering. I have grown very close to our graduating class of Stephen Ministers and am blessed to called each of them friend and fellow Stephen Minister.

 

20160627_191715A passage was spoken over each of us and we were prayed over by two of our elders. I want to share what was given to me. “May the Spirit dwell in you richly, filling you with joy and peace and courage for all your endeavors in the Lord’s service.” Okay, I’m tearing up again. This was pretty special, but I knew I would feel this way when I read through the last section in our manual.

 

Two questions. These are the two questions that brought tears to my eyes.

 

Question #1:

“Take a few minutes to reflect on what Stephen Ministry means to you.”

 

Question #2:

“Select a Bible passage or story that you would like to use as your ‘Motto of Stephen Ministry’ or your ‘Picture of What Stephen Ministry Means.’”

 

Here are my answers:

 

Question #1:

I started the training for Stephen Ministry to gain tools and tips for helping others when they are faced with a difficult situation. This training far exceeded my expectations or my desires. I have drawn closer to God through these weeks of study and preparation and training. I have come to a better understanding of who I am in Christ through these sessions. I have accepted the fact that I need God’s Spirit to work within me continually so that I may be used by Him to do His work with others. I have a deeper appreciation for those who are hurting and my spiritual eyes have been opened to their needs.

 

Question #2:

The verses of Scripture that I chose are from Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV). “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

 

Well at the end of the day today, I will have completed two very important pieces of training. Am I all set for service in God’s Kingdom? I said it last night and I’ll say it again, “Yes, with the help of God.”

 

I think I’m going to cry again!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“Great Are You Lord” – Monday Musical Musings

June 27th, 2016 dsisler

 

I want to share this beautiful song with you today. What a great reminder that everything within our being is because of God our Father. It is His breath within us that gives us the desire and need to praise Him.

 

As you read through these lyrics and perhaps sing through the song below, I pray that you are drawn toward God in a way that you have not experienced in the past. I pray that you will find the need to fill your lungs with God so that you can praise Him. I pray that you will praise Him with everything within you. Oh, how great is our God!

 

“Great Are You Lord”[i]

 

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

 

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise

We pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise to You only

 

You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great are You, Lord

 

All the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing

Great are You, Lord

 

Click here to listen to this beauty!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “Great Are You Lord,” words and music by Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan and David Leonard, Integrity’s Praise Music, Integrity’s Alleluia! Music, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing, Hands Music, 2014.

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Oops!

June 26th, 2016 dsisler

 

Well I managed to do it again. I didn’t write or post anything yesterday. I was busy with grandkids all day long and never once thought about getting something down on paper to share with you. Please accept my apology!

 

Since it’s Sunday, it’s time for a repeated blog post. I pray that your day is filled with God’s grace and peace.

 

Mirrored Image

 

butterflyMy seven-year-old granddaughter (remember this is a repeated blog post…Joy will be 10 in October!) drew this picture of a butterfly. Isn’t it beautiful? As a grandparent, I thought it was beautiful just because she drew it. But then, she explained how she drew this picture.

 

She took a crayon in each hand and as she drew the right side of the body, she mirrored the motion with her left hand. As she drew the upper portion of the right wing, she drew the upper portion of the left wing. Simultaneously, she created both sides of the butterfly to match the other.

 

You see, this butterfly is brilliantly beautiful!

 

Of course, we see this same idea in Scripture. That we are to be mirror images of Jesus. When we mirror Jesus, we must mirror His qualities and character. Matthew 5:48 and 1 Peter 1:16 tell us that we are to be perfect and holy because Jesus is perfect and holy. And 1 John 2:6 tells us that if we claim to live in him, we must walk as Jesus did.

 

But let’s face it, those are pretty big shoes to fill.

 

Paul’s advice to the Corinthian Church was to follow his example as he followed the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The Gospels are filled with examples of Jesus encountering people. When we know how Jesus lived His life and interacted with others, we can follow His example and live our lives in the same manner.

 

But there are other Scriptures that point us to how to live like Jesus did. Paul spoke to the believers in Ephesus to be imitators of God and to live a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2).

 

To the believers in Philippi, Paul said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3-5 – NIV)

 

Again, these are big shoes to fill. But Jesus knew that we would need help in reflecting His image in our lives. He didn’t leave us on our own, but gave us a Helper. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV) to see how God’s Spirit helps us. “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

 

Through transformation by the Spirit, we are able to reflect, mirror Jesus’ glory more and more. Transformation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 calls it becoming a “new creation.”

 

Transformation is a matter of the heart and when our hearts are in line with God’s Word, we reflect or mirror Jesus (Proverbs 27:19).

 

1 Corinthians 13:12 mentions that we don’t see this mirrored reflection as clearly as we could, but that one day, when we see Jesus face to face, the image will be true perfection.

 

If you look closely at the image of this butterfly, you’ll see little differences and if you were to look solely at the left side, you would see the flaws. But as a whole, the left side is a good replica of the right side.

 

It’s the same with our spiritual lives. When we separate ourselves from Jesus, our flaws are evident. When we examine our hearts more closely, we see that we are not following as close to Jesus as we should. It’s only by being close to Jesus that we are viewed to be mirroring Him.

 

Today, I believe we must look at our lives and ask ourselves how closely we are mirroring Jesus. We must examine our hearts to see if they are in line with Jesus’ teaching. We must determine if we have given ourselves over to transformation.

 

How’s your reflection?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“Life Is A” – Today’s Touch

June 24th, 2016 dsisler

 

Just a reminder that I’ve added a touch of poetry to my world. Not my poetry (but I would never rule out the possibility of sharing a poem I write…if I ever decide to write a poem), but others who are much more skilled at this form of writing.

 

sunflower-image-Vintage-GraphicsFairy (2)Now here’s the problem. I’ve determined to do this on Thursday’s and I’ve missed posting the past two Thursday’s. So I figured I’d post this today and then get back into the schedule next week.

 

I attended a beautiful memorial for a lovely lady last evening. She was a woman of God, filled with the Holy Spirit. She was a prayerer and an encourager to many. The memories of Barbara that were shared last evening were precious and plentiful.

 

I left last night with a deeper, more determined desire to live as Barbara lived. To be the one others turn to when they need encouragement, the one others spend time in prayer with, the one who is always singing and praising God, but most importantly the one who continually points others to Jesus.

 

As I read this poem this morning, I thought these just might be words that Barbara would have spoken…but Jesus would have been sprinkled throughout. So read through this poem and make the decision to live life in this way, but then, read my added stanzas to the poem.

 

“Life Is A”
by Catherine Pulsifer, ©2012

Life is an opportunity,
seize the day, live each day to the fullest.
Life is not a project,
but a journey to be enjoyed.

Life is a gift, accept it,
enjoy it, and be happy with it.
Life is a challenge,
but challenges can always be overcome.

Life is to be lived,
not to be dreamed.
Life is a wonder,
if you sit back and be thankful.

Life is a decision each of us makes,
to be happy or sad.
Life is a time
for new beginnings and endings.

Life is a balance,
take time for play not just work.
Life is a joy
for those who are optimistic.

Life is a bundle of possibilities
if you just look for them.
Life is a meant to do,
not to regret.
Life is no bed of roses
but life is what you make it.

 

“Life Is A” (additional stanzas)

By Donna Sisler – 2016

 

Life is a blessing, a gift from God;

Created to be His hands and feet

With everyone we meet.

 

Life is a moment in eternity,

But what we do here and now will

Determine our destiny.

 

Life is not to be wasted;

Each moment to have meaning.

Are you making the most of your life?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Trust God’s Commands

June 23rd, 2016 dsisler

Creative Bible Journaling is over for the day…this is what I shared with our ladies about trust. Hope you find a piece of encouragement here.

“Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands.”

(Psalm 119:66 – NIV)

 

DSC00374As we continue our journey down this trust path, I want to see what we can learn from Psalm 119:66. This verse tells us that we can trust God’s commands. I want to unpack this idea to help us understand why we can trust the commands that God has put before us. So let’s see what we can learn.

 

There are five areas for us to look at today directly from this verse. The commands themselves, knowledge that comes from God’s Word, good judgment that is a result of following God’s commands, why we can place our trust in God’s commands and our role in obedience to God’s commands.

 

Commands

There are many commands in Scripture. For instance, the Book of Leviticus is filled with them. Some may seem a bit odd or outdated, while others have deep meaning for our lives today.

 

All commands in Scripture were very important to God. If they weren’t, He wouldn’t have given them. And the Bible writers wouldn’t have spoken of their deep love for God’s commands. So how do these commands throughout the Bible apply to our lives today?

 

I believe that God wants what is best for each of us. It is His desire for us to live our lives abundantly. Jesus spoke these words in John 10:10 (NIV) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” If God wants what is best for us and if Jesus came to give us abundant life, these commands or precepts that we find in Scripture are there for our own good.

 

So where do we begin to follow God’s commands? The New Testament is filled with many guidelines for us to follow. There is a long list in Colossians 3 and 1 & 2 Peter is filled with a plethora of commands. This is just a sampling of commands in Scripture and they are a good place to start.

 

Now before we get too caught up in the fact that no one can follow all of these commands, remember that when our heart is right with God, He extends grace. When our hearts look like God’s heart, these commands become easy. Again, Jesus’ words from Matthew 11:30 (NIV) reminds us that “My (Jesus’) yoke is easy and my (Jesus’) burden is light.”

 

 

Knowledge

We are reminded from this verse that we receive knowledge from God’s commands. We know that it is better to be in line with God’s will and it makes our lives better.

 

Recall the words from Psalm 84:10 (NIV) with me. “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

 

Knowing that God’s commands are good for us helps us to understand that that’s where we want to be. And who doesn’t want to be more knowledgeable?

 

Good Judgment

We also see that we gain good judgment when we follow God’s commands. It becomes our desire to do good things because we know God’s commands are good for us. So what steps can we take to follow this path of good judgment?

 

We can understand that God is establishing our steps. Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) says, “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” You can trust that God will help you make good decisions.

 

We can come to a better understanding of God’s Word. This goes back to the knowledge piece. We’re reminded in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV) to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” As we learn from Scripture, we are more in tune with God’s plan for our lives and we will want to make the best decisions.

 

And then, James 1:5 (NIV) tells us that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” When we just don’t know what good judgment to use, we can ask God. You and I can trust that He will point us in the right direction.

 

Trust

Because we know that God has in mind what’s best for each of us, we can trust what He says to be true and worthy of our obedience.

 

Think of what God has brought you through. These are the reasons you can trust Him.

 

Now, think of the times when you didn’t trust Him. These are yet more reasons you can trust Him.

 

Joshua is a great example of how to trust God because of what He had done. In Joshua 23 and 24, Joshua recounts all that God had done for the Hebrew. He expressed to them that God had not failed in a single promise. God had proven Himself to be trustworthy. And because of all that God had done, Joshua stood unwaveringly to say, “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15b – NIV)

 

God has proven Himself trustworthy throughout history and I pray He has done the same for you. Now it’s time for you to decide what you shall do.

 

Obedience

Because we trust God (because we know what He has done in the past and can believe that He will do it again), we can obey His commands. If we are not willing to obey, then our attempts to trust God will be worthless. And I can’t help but mention Peter’s words in 2 Peter 1:5 to “make every effort…” when it comes to obedience. Not just here or there. Not just when we feel like it.

 

It’s very easy to obey God when His commands fall within our liking, but when He asks us to get uncomfortable, that’s when it becomes most difficult. When we trust in His commands to bring about knowledge and good judgment, we are then able to accept His guidelines and follow through with what He asks.

 

Obedience isn’t easy. We will sin and fall short of the glory of God. But remember, when our heart is in line with God’s Word because of the knowledge and good judgement we have received through His Words, we are able to accept God’s grace with a deeper desire to make every effort to live abundantly through Jesus Christ.

 

As you spend time with God this afternoon, I pray that He will show you the area where you are lacking trust. Be open to His leading and guiding. Allow His Spirit to direct your creation. Accept His prompting to go deeper in your trust with Him. Hold tightly to His promises and trust in His commands.

 

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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