Ukrainian Eggs – Blogging A to Z (Sabbatical Post)

January 4th, 2016 dsisler

 

I am so blessed to have my grandkids nearby. On one visit a while back, when Percy was napping I was able to spend some one-on-one time with Joy. She wanted to look at my Ukrainian Eggs. One by one, she held an egg and told me why she liked it or didn’t like it. She decided upon her favorites and then sat and listened to my explanation.

 

You see, I love creating. Anything. When I had the opportunity to learn how to make Ukrainian Eggs, well, it was just meant to be! My husband’s grandparents came to the United States from Russia. This was a chance for me to add a bit of his heritage and culture into our home. I learned the process and began making these lovely creations and still have a deep desire to continue this craft.

 

Everything about a Ukrainian Egg is representative of something else. The color, the symbol, and even the egg itself. And the best part is that each symbol leads to God! Yes, they are an evangelistic tool. So, I was once again given the opportunity to share with Joy the great news of the Gospel.

 

Symbols were very important to God throughout the Bible and we’ve carried that importance throughout the history of the world. You may be thinking of some, but I’ll give you a few here.

 

  • The Rainbow – represents God’s promise to never destroy the earth by flood again (Genesis 9:12-17)
  • Baptism – represents the death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-4)
  • The Dove – represents the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:21-22)
  • The Lord’s Supper – represents the body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:17-26)
  • The Bride and Bridegroom – represents the Church, God’s people and Jesus (Ephesians 5:22-33)
  • The Empty Tomb – represents hope, eternal life, victory (1 Peter 1:3-5)

 

As I said, each symbol on a Ukrainian Egg means something. I was delighted to find that the symbol for “joy” was the red poppy. Each time I see a red poppy, I think of my granddaughter, as well as the joy in my life because Jesus is my personal savior. What about you? Do you see something and automatically think of someone or Jesus? I pray that you do.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Thank You, Lord! – Blogging A to Z (Sabbatical Post)

January 3rd, 2016 dsisler

 

I believe every day should be a day of thanksgiving. But today, I am especially thankful for all that God has blessed me and my family with. I have a warm home on this cold morning. I have a loving husband who cares for me so well. I have a job! I have three beautiful children and three little blessings called grandchildren.

 

I am thankful for the snow that is falling (yes, it’s snowing again in my neck of the woods). I’m thankful for my parents who taught me about God’s love. I’m thankful for Jesus who made my salvation possible. I’m thankful for a church family with whom I can praise Jesus. I’m thankful for good health. I’m thankful for…well, I believe this list could continue a while, but I think you get the idea. I am thankful.

 

I recall a short song we used to sing as I was growing up. Sometimes it was at camp around a campfire. Sometimes it was in a worship service. Whenever it was chosen, the message was simple. The message declared thankfulness. The message was of God’s love for me.

 

Today I share the song, “Thank You, Lord,” written by Seth and Bessie Sykes. Included are the verses (which we never sang), and what I liked about these words are how encompassing they are. Yes, we should thank God for all of these things, but most of all, we should thank God for what He’s done.

 

So take a look at these words and listen to this little song if you’d like. There is a link below to do so. “Thank You, Lord.”

 

Some thank the Lord for friends and home,

For mercies sure and sweet;

But I would praise Him for His grace

In prayer I would repeat:

[Chorus]

 

Some thank Him for the flow’rs that grow,

Some for the stars that shine;

My heart is filled with joy and praise,

Because I know He’s mine.

[Chorus]

 

I trust in Him from day to day,

I prove His saving grace;

I’ll sing this song of praise to Him

Until I see His face.

[Chorus]

 

Chorus:

Thank you, Lord, for saving my soul,

Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;

Thank you, Lord, for giving to me

Thy great salvation so rich and free.[i]

 

You surely would love to listen to this reminder to be thankful and you can do so by clicking here.

 

God has certainly blessed us and deserves our thankfulness. So let’s look at just a few of the blessings God has lavished upon us and why we should be thankful.

 

We are to be thankful that His love just keeps going. It never gives up on us. Ever! “Thank the Lord because he is good. His love continues forever.” (Psalm 107:1 – NCV)

 

We are to be thankful for victory! As we are led to victory in Jesus, God is able to use us for His mighty purpose. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.” (2 Corinthians 2:14 – NCV)

 

We are to be thankful for stability in God’s Kingdom. When everything around us may be shifting or even sinking, God’s Kingdom stands firm! “So let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” (Hebrews 12:28a – NCV)

 

We are to be thankful for God. Our praise should come from grateful hearts and His Name should always be our lips. “So through Jesus let us always offer to God our sacrifice of praise, coming from lips that speak his name.” (Hebrews 13:15 – NCV)

 

We are to be thankful all the time. This passage tells us how to do so. “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, go continue to live in him. Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be thankful.” (Colossians 2:6-7 – NCV) We are to continue living in Jesus, keep our roots deep, build our lives on Jesus, and be strong in our faith. This is the path to thankfulness.

 

We are to be thankful by sharing with others. This passage speaks to singing, but it also shows that we are to encourage one another through instruction. When we are firm in Christ’s teaching, wisdom will flow from us, like little musical notes. “Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16 – NCV)

 

I’d say there is plenty to be thankful for. Perhaps you are struggling with health or a financial situation and you aren’t feeling as thankful as I am today. You can still be thankful for the reasons listed above. Our hearts are to be overflowing with thanksgiving to our Father in heaven, regardless of our situation here on earth.

 

So what are you thankful for? I would love to hear about your thankful heart today. It would make my day!

 

Today let’s choose to be thankful. Today let’s choose to thank the One who has given us so much. Today let’s choose to be kind and gracious. Today let’s give thanks.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] Thank You, Lord, Seth and Bessie Sykes, 1940, 1968 renewal by Singspiration Music.

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Shelter in Place – Blogging A to Z (Sabbatical Post)

January 2nd, 2016 dsisler

 

This past week has brought some great tragedies as well as some great victories. For those who are struggling through the healing process in Boston, my heart and prayers are stretched your way. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering you bear. For those who have lost a loved one this past week, I pray for strength and comfort as you deal with this loss.

 

As the events of last week developed, a phrase was repeated on Friday for those living in the Boston area. Shelter in place. For these communities, this phrase meant to remain inside. Keep doors locked. Not to answer the door unless it was a uniformed or well identified officer. Report any suspicious behavior.

 

While I would never suggest I understand what they were feeling, I might venture a guess. Perhaps fear. Perhaps uncertainty. Perhaps frustration. Perhaps anger. Perhaps loss of control.

 

These would be justifiable feelings during a day of violence in the streets of a city or town. And perhaps, there were even more emotions I cannot comprehend.

 

I heard this phrase during the day as I sat close to my television, my mind continued to dwell upon God and the shelter that I have in Him through the storms of my own life. I am certain I would feel many of the above emotions on a daily basis if I weren’t sheltered in His care.

 

So today, I offer some wonderful visions of being sheltered by God. I pray that you’ll find peace, comfort, safety and perhaps joy as you read through the following passages.

 

Deuteronomy 33:27a (NIV) tells us, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” In His arms we have refuge. In His arms we find protection. With God, we are in the shelter of His loving arms.

 

In Psalm 91:1-2 (NIV), David shares these words. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” This is one of my favorite verses about being sheltered. Knowing that I can trust my God in times of trouble to shelter me is very reassuring.

 

David certainly knew about God’s shelter and protection and asked for it frequently. In Psalm 5:11 (NIV), David rejoiced in God’s refuge. “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” We can rejoice in God’s protection as well, because we love His name!

 

Another passage in which David praised God for protection is Psalm 32:7 (NIV). He says, “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” When we hide from our enemies within the shelter of God’s protection, we will be delivered.

 

We read in Psalm 31:28 (NIV) that when we act justly and are faithful, God protects and is faithful to us. “For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off.” Oh and don’t forget our shelter is there for our protection forever!

 

And finally in Psalm 40:11 (NIV), David says, “Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.” God’s love and truth always protect. What a promise!

 

I pray that these passages are as comforting to you as they are to me. The world we live in belongs to the evil one and that means there will be trouble here. But as we look to God, we know we are within His sheltering arms. We certainly can shelter in place with Him.

 

If you are waking this morning to fear and anxiety in your life, why not give it all to God? There may be consequences, but you can have peace and be sheltered in God’s loving arms in the midst of these troubling times. You’ve tried it your way, why not try it God’s? It is worth a try.

 

For those of us who are already sheltered in God’s arms, let’s keep these verses close to our hearts. They will continue to remind us that He is sheltering us. We have no reason to fear.

 

I’m reminded of a song…perhaps you know it. Forever Reign.[i]

 

You are good You are good
When there’s nothing good in me
You are love You are love
On display for all to see
You are light You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope You are hope
You have covered all my sin

You are peace You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy You are joy
You’re the reason that I sing
You are life You are life
In You death has lost its sting

[Chorus]
Oh I’m running to Your arms
I’m running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here You are here
In Your presence I’m made whole
You are God You are God
Of all else I’m letting go

[Repeat Chorus]

My heart will sing
No other Name
Jesus
Jesus

 

If you’d like to listen to this beautiful melody, click here to hear Hillsong’s version of this song.

 

Thanks for stopping by this morning. If you’d like to leave a comment, please click here. I’d love to hear from you!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] Forever Reign, Reuben Morgan and Jason Ingram, 2010

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HAPPY NEW YEAR! (Sabbatical Post)

January 1st, 2016 dsisler

 

It’s the beginning of a new year. 2013 has gone and overnight we rang in 2014. What opportunities await us as we begin this New Year!

 

bookI read a quote on Pinterest yesterday that caught my eye. As a writer it was appealing to me. “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.” – 2014 –

 

How exciting! A blank book to be filled. If given the opportunity, what would you fill this book with? Memories? Adventure? Love? Hope? Anticipation? Rebellion? Regret?

 

There certainly are plenty of possibilities. Some good, some not so much. But we each have the same opportunity to make something of this year. So just what would you fill all of those blank pages with?

 

Let me share how I’d like to fill my book.

 

With God’s Strength

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9a – NIV)

 

With Successful Plans

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (Psalm 20:4 – NIV)

 

With God’s Abundance

“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.” (Psalm 65:11 – NIV)

 

With Trust in the Lord

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and h will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 – NIV)

 

With Hope

“There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:18 – NIV)

 

With Compassion

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23 – NIV)

 

With a New Attitude

“You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24 – NIV)

 

With Good Work

“Being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 – NIV)

 

With a Bad Memory

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14 – NIV)

 

With Prayer for World Missions

“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heart it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.” (Colossians 1:6b – NIV)

 

With Peace

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15 – NIV)

 

With Friends

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 – NIV)

 

With God’s Promises

“His (God’s) divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (2 Peter 1:3-4 – NIV)

 

This is just the beginning…there are still many more pages to fill in my book this year. I look forward to learning, understanding, and applying much more of what God has in store for me in 2014.

 

I pray that you will find a way to fill the pages of your book with good things this year. If you are not sure where to begin, these passages will give you direction. However, I can guarantee that God will help with all that you need. Just ask. He is always there to lend a helping hand.

 

So happy New Year! Make it a great one for the Lord!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Rummikub – Blogging from A to Z (Sabbatical Post)

January 1st, 2016 dsisler

 

I’m addicted to this game. It’s actually a game that I’m pretty good at. I love sitting around the table with the tiles scattered about. I love the interaction. I love the strategy. I love the game.

 

But I don’t get to play Rummikub this way very often. So I’ve chosen to play this game online. There is still sitting around a table (a virtual table) and there are still tiles, but they are very organized. And newbie Rummikub players are often shown how the game is supposed to “look.” There can be interaction, but I really like the strategy of my game, so I generally keep quiet.

 

I really enjoy the fact that I can play this particular game with people from all over the world. There is no language barrier. It’s numerical. So I might play against a person from Canada, Australia, and Greece all at the same time. We are worlds apart, but right there together playing this simple game that really has no purpose except entertainment.

 

There are some elements of this gaming thing that remind me of my spiritual life. Typically, I am very organized about how I study the Bible. If I’m writing something specific, like a blog or a Bible study, I spend time reading a section of Scripture and allow God to work on me as to what it means. Then I am able to move in the direction of writing. Whether it’s coming up with questions or just writing about the passage.

 

Then there is the fact that I am a Christian and how many there are across this globe who also make the same claim. And because we have a common factor, we are connected. We may not be able to speak the same language, but because Jesus is our Savior, we speak His universal language. Love. Grace. Forgiveness. Hope. I love being part of God’s Church!

 

This fact can be traced back to the first century Church who were scattered due to persecution in Jerusalem. And wherever they went, they took Jesus with them. They shared His message with others. They lived the Christian life in their communities. And because of their efforts and God’s Hand, the Church grew by amazing numbers. Regardless of the persecution that followed, Jesus’ Name continued to be preached. People followed.

 

And why do you suppose this is the case?

 

I believe it’s because of the message. His message. I could spend days sharing His complete message, but let’s just look at his I am statements from the Gospel of John and we’ll get a very good idea of what His message was and is.

 

Jesus said:

 

“I am the Bread of Life” – John 6:35

Jesus said that anyone who comes to Him and believes in Him would never be hungry or thirsty. Jesus brings spiritual refreshment to our parched souls.

 

“I am the Light of the world” – John 9:5

Jesus said He would give light to those living in darkness. Jesus brings spiritual light to dark souls.

 

“I am the Gate for the sheep” – John 10:7

Jesus said He was the entrance to the Kingdom of heaven and will provide protection against those who would do harm to His sheep. Jesus brings spiritual entry and protection for our wandering souls.

 

“I am the Good Shepherd” – John 10:11

Jesus said that He would lay down His life for His sheep. Jesus brings spiritual redemption to our unsaved souls.

 

“I am the Resurrection and the Life” – John 11:25

Jesus said that He would provide life to those who believe in Him and that life will be eternal! Jesus brings spiritual life to our dead souls.

 

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” – John 14:6

Jesus said that He was the only way to the Father. Jesus is the only way. Jesus is the only truth. Jesus is the only life. Jesus brings spiritual direction, truth, and life to our out-of-control souls.

 

“I am the True Vine” – John 15:1

Jesus said the He would provide all that is needed for us to grow and produce abundant fruit as long as we remain in Him and love Him. Jesus brings spiritual completion to our weary souls.

 

Can you understand why Jesus’ message was so exciting in the first century? Can you understand why it is relevant for our lives today? It’s the same message for a world that is still dark. He has so much to offer. It’s up to us to accept it.

 

Will you accept Jesus as your Savior today? Will you accept Him as everything you could ever want, wish for or hope for? If so, I’d love to talk to you. Send me a message so we can begin the dialogue.

 

I don’t have the opportunity to play Rummikub nearly as often as I’d like. But when I can catch a quick game, I certainly don’t pass up the opportunity. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Reading? Playing a game? Chatting with a friend? Maybe you’d like to share that with me?

 

If you’d like to leave a comment, click here. I’d love to hear from you!

 

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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