The Seventh Day

May 13th, 2015 dsisler

 

I enjoy reading Old Testament accounts of God showing up in people’s lives. Sometimes bizarre, sometimes gently, sometimes with raging force, God showed up in miraculous ways to our Old Testament friends.

 

???????????????????????????????Adam and Eve encountered God on their regular walks through the garden in the cool of the day. Judges tells us that the angel of the Lord observed Gideon from under an oak tree before approaching him. Samuel heard the Lord call to him in the middle of the night. Jacob wrestled with God all night long. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream to ask what he desired. Elijah found God was in a gentle whisper. And Moses encountered God in a burning bush.

 

If you know your biblical stories, you might know that the burning bush incident was not the only time Moses encountered God. In Exodus 24 we see another moment when God and Moses spent time together. Let’s see what happened.

 

God had promised Israel the land of their dreams. God had also prepared the way for them to live in the land. Between God and Israel, there was a Covenant. There were many pieces to this Covenant, but one of the main things God asked of them was that they worship God and God alone. None of the idol worship that they had encountered in Egypt. And in Exodus 24:3 the people responded to God’s Covenant by saying that they would do everything God told them to do.

 

After this confession of faithfulness, Moses was to take Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders of Israel to the mountain of God. It’s interesting that Exodus 24:9-11 says that this group of men saw God. The only description of God at this point says that “under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself.” (Exodus 24:10 – NIV) How interesting! This passage goes on to say that God didn’t raise His hand against them. This group of men saw God and survived!

 

But then God pulled Moses aside and said, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here.” (Exodus 24:12 – NIV) Moses was given the special invitation to spend some time with God. Here’s something for us to think about. This special invitation is given to each one of us. God wants to spend time with you and me. Are you accepting this invitation daily?

 

As this encounter continues, Moses goes on up the mountain of God and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. From below, the people saw God as a consuming fire on top of the mountain. But that was not what Moses encountered. Another point we might keep in mind is that people encounter and think of God in different ways. Our perception of God determines our reaction to Him. This might be the reason a friend or family member hasn’t accepted Jesus as their Savior. Just a thought.

 

Now here is the interesting piece to this story. Moses sat on the glory-filled clouded mountain for six days. We don’t know what Moses did during those six days, but I suspect he worshiped his God. We don’t know what God did during those six days and I don’t even want to suggest what He was doing. But what we do know is that on the seventh day, God called out to Moses from within the cloud and Moses entered the cloud. There he stayed for forty days and forty nights.

 

Friend, do you hear God’s voice calling out to you? What is God asking or saying? Is God calling you to step into an area of ministry? Is God asking you to come to Him for rest? Is God reminding you of His laws and precepts He wants you to obey? Is God saying “let’s spend more time together”? What is God saying to you?

 

Today may be your seventh day. If so, I pray that you will be alert to God’s voice. I pray that you will respond to the voice of God. I pray that you will enter into a glorious encounter with the God of universe. Because you see, He is waiting for you on His mountain.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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What I Remembered

May 12th, 2015 dsisler

 

I want to share a couple of things that I learned from the conference I attended last week. To be honest, I was overwhelmed. I learned so much, met so many people, spent time in reflection and visited an area of the United States I’ve never been before. But what I want to share with you is that I was reminded to remember what I already know.

 

During reflection time, I remembered how much I love silence. I remembered how much I love to cook. I remembered what refreshes my soul. I remembered that friendship is really important to me and that I’ve neglected some of my friends.

 

While I have some plaFriendsns for each of these items I remembered, I want to share just one piece on friendship today. At the conference we were given a snippet from Mary DeTurris Poust’s book titled Walking Together. This is what she says.

 

“We are not meant to be solitary figures walking a lonely path toward heaven. We are meant for God and for each other. We are one body with many parts, sharing our gifts and growing in faith. Today we pray for the grace to recognize the friends in our midst; to open our eyes, our hearts, our minds to the possibility of what God has planned. We long for a community of friends to journey with us, and we know now that through trust and abandonment, we will be given exactly what we need.”

 

Spiritual friendship. Spiritual friendship with God and with people.

 

So let me ask you first, how is your friendship with God? Are you best buds? Are you a casual acquaintance? Are you somewhere in between?

 

Once you’ve answered this question, we can move on to the next. What is keeping you from having a closer friendship with God? Sin? Distraction? Busyness of life? Stubbornness?

 

God created us to crave something. God created us to crave Him! Why not decide today to take a step closer to God and build this relationship as He designed?

 

After your spiritual friendship with God is on the right track, what about spiritual friendship with others? Now I love my girlfriends as much as the next gal, but I believe we all desire a deeper relationship with another person. In our world today, we might call them an accountability partner or prayer partner. This is someone who is more concerned about our spiritual life than our physical life. This is the person who is able to see us through God’s eyes and lead us down the path to be a better person. To live a life that is more in line with God’s Word and will for our lives. Oh friend, don’t you want that in your life?

 

I must admit, my friendships are lacking. My energy level is depleted by the time working on this friendship thing rises to the top. But what I remembered is that these friendships, these ladies who I’ve invested time with in the past are very important to me. I need to get back in the game with each of them. No more excuses. Just do it.

 

But more importantly, I remembered that I need to be in community with a spiritual friend who will walk beside me through this journey. And that’s what I want to work toward. It has become one of my goals.

 

Maybe this is exactly what you needed to hear today. And then again, maybe not. Let me remind you of what God says about friendship.

 

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – NIV)

 

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel.” (Proverbs 27:9 – NIV)

 

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17 – NIV)

 

Draw close to God and then pull your spiritual friends closer. That’s what I remembered.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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“Before The Throne of Grace” – Monday Musical Musings

May 11th, 2015 dsisler

 

I’ve mentioned before that enjoy listening to a male quartet or men’s choir. Within a good men’s vocal group, there is a richness in the tone and blending of voices that brings joy to my heart.

 

0005030206R-849x565In college, I sang with a women’s choir. Now we sang much of the same type of music. Close four-part harmonies was our repertoire. For some reason though, for me, our music never quite reached the pinnacle of the men’s choir.

 

And for whatever reason, men’s groups have seemed to blossom while women’s harmonic groups haven’t been as popular. But in the early 1990’s, a women’s quartet showed up on the music charts. Their close harmonies rivaled any male vocal group and still today, when I hear one of their songs, I’m drawn to their sound.

 

Perhaps you know some Point of Grace songs. “How You Live (Turn Up the Music),” “King of the World,” “There is Nothing Greater Than Grace,” and “Circle of Friends” might be a song you’ve enjoyed from Point of Grace. I know I have certainly loved hearing them.

 

Today’s song is also one that touches me when I hear it. “Before the Throne of Grace” shares the desire of each heart as we stand before God with repentant hearts and ask for His forgiveness. Knowing we are not worthy of this forgiveness, we find God’s throne of grace to be filled with mercy and love.

 

“Your debt is paid, your name is clear” are words that allow us to face the day refreshed and renewed. Perhaps you need to spend some time at the throne of grace today. If so, know that these very words can be said of you. All you need to do is meet God there.

 

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 – NIV)

 

“Before the Throne of Grace”

 

Before the throne of grace I come

Humble and repentant one

With sorrow for the deeds I’ve done

Before the throne of grace I come

 

Before the throne of grace I fall

With a trembling voice I call

For pardon from the Lord of all

Before the throne of grace I fall

I love the Lamb who took my sin

Whose mercy makes me clean again

 

Before the throne of grace I hear

“Your debt is paid; your name is clear”

Such precious words of life so dear

Before the throne of grace I hear

I love the Lamb who took my sin

Whose mercy makes me clean again

I rise with words of grateful praise

Knowing now the only way

 

Before the throne of grace I stand

All because the Son of Man

Bears my wounds in His feet and hands

So before the throne of grace I stand

Before the throne of grace I stand[i]

 

Click here to listen to Point of Grace sing this beautiful song.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “Before the Throne of Grace I Stand,” Words and Music by Scott Krippayne and Tony Wood, Purple Honda Music/New Spring (a division of Benson Music Publishing)/Row J. Seat 9 Songs (adm. By New Spring), 2007.

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A Lot of Rain and a Little Snow

May 10th, 2015 dsisler

 

Our weather in Colorado has been pretty unusual this past week. It has rained every day. Friends have had to deal with the uncertainty and fear of rising water. And to top it all off, last night all that rain turned to snow! We have snow on the ground this morning!

 

But this morning is a glorious morning! It’s the Lord’s Day and I know I have a baptism to assist, so regardless of what the weather is doing outside, I’m dancing for joy in my heart!

 

It’s also Mother’s Day! I won’t have the opportunity to see my Mom today (I’ll call her), but I will be with the beautiful blessings God has given to me (minus my #1 child). Tell your mother that you love her today. Tell her that you are thankful that she is your mom. Give her a flower. Laugh with her. Make her smile. Show her that you appreciate her on this special day…now here’s a little note to my Mom, and then you can read a repeat blog post about flowers.

 

Mom, I love you! I am thankful for the example that you’ve been for me, my children and my grandchildren. I love the love. I love the words of wisdom. I love the instruction. I love the good. I love the provision. I love the strength. I love the encouragement. I love YOU, my Proverbs 31 Mom.

 

No Flowers?

 

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about purpose and re-purpose. I shared with my readers of the tool box I re-purposed and placed on my front porch. I had purchased an ivy plant, a spikey plant of some sort, and red geraniums to fill the tool box.

 

DSC02385After two weeks of diligently watering these plants, the geraniums had not changed. There were no new shoots. No prospect of them flowering. I was a bit discouraged. And besides, I found no beauty in non-flowering plants!

 

So I went to the internet to do some research. What was I doing wrong (besides the usual reasons for killing plants in my home)?

 

I learned three things about geraniums.

 

  1. geraniums require 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day to bloom – the plants sit in full shade all day long;
  2. geraniums do not bloom in extreme temperatures – it has been near or above 100° daily since I planted them;
  3. geraniums love fertilizer – I have only watered these poor plants…not a drop of fertilizer.

 

Like geraniums, we require some proper tending. Our Christian faith and walk depend upon it. If we look at the early church, we see exactly what God has provided for our spiritual nutrition.

 

Acts 2:42 (NIV) says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” Let’s take a look at these four elements.

 

Apostles’ Teaching

Jesus taught the apostles what He wanted them to share with believers. It was part of the commission Jesus gave to His disciples. “…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20 – NIV) It was imperative that the apostles preach and teach the Gospel to new believers. Today, we have God’s Word so that we might know the full message of Jesus. Through its’ words, we are able to gain knowledge and wisdom on how we should conduct our lives.

 

Fellowship

The new believers were to be encouraged by worshiping together. Being strengthened by the number of other followers helped them when they were faced with opposition. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV) encourages us by confirming this principle. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

 

Breaking of Bread

Although this could be an ordinary meal, scholars believe this to reference the Lord’s Supper. As we partake of this special meal, we remember what Jesus did for us and proclaim His gift of salvation until He returns. “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23b-26 – NIV)

 

Prayer

While the first three elements of spiritual growth have been corporate in nature, this last element is a more private exercise. When we spend time alone with God, we are able to draw near to Him. We are able to know God intimately. Scripture repeats that we are to be in prayer mode at all times. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV) says, “Pray continually.” Through this fellowship with God, our attitude changes. Our spirits are lifted. Our burdens are given to God. We celebrate our joys with Him.

 

As we draw closer to God using these four elements, we cannot help but grow and bloom. Our souls will receive sunshine (Jesus), the perfect climate (fellowship with believers and God), and fertilizer (Jesus’ teaching) to encourage our growth.

 

I will not profess to be an expert on geraniums at this point. I only learned how to best care for them under the circumstances.

 

I cannot move this beautiful showpiece. I cannot control the weather. I can however provide the nutrients needed to produce healthy plants. I also can purchase artificial geraniums to create the image I was looking for. And that is just what I did.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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My Broom Tree

May 9th, 2015 dsisler

 

It has been a great week. New places. New experiences. New ideas. New acquaintances. My mind is overwhelmed with all that was crammed into a short amount of time and space. Maybe that’s why it all happened in Las Vegas!

 

Eiffel TowerWhile I was dazed by all the sites, wonders, scents and tastes Las Vegas had to offer, I met some pretty incredible men and women at the Senior Administrative Assistants Conference who serve Jesus faithfully beside their respective pastors in their home church. Some of these ladies will become friends for years to come. These folks were amazing.

 

I learned some pretty invaluable information. I learned tips and about tools that will make my job easier come Monday morning. I gleaned priceless gems during casual communication while walking, standing in line or sitting around a table. All of this is jammed inside my little brain and within the pages of my notebook. I can’t wait to begin putting it into practice.

 

There were other things I learned along the way. I am able to find my way around Las Vegas without getting lost…despite the mountains on all four sides of this city! I am not the city girl I profess to be. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to Las Vegas, at least not to go to the strip. But I’d go to the outlying areas in a heartbeat! These are just a few things I learned…I’m sure you’ll be hearing more as time goes on.

 

What I loved most about this trip however, is that God met me there. Well, He was with me from the start, but when I pushed aside all the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas, I saw God. I experienced God. I breathed God. And it was glorious.

 

On our last morning of the conference, we had some time to reflect about our own spiritual well-being. I’ll be honest with you. There are women I met on this journey who were struggling spiritually. Their work puts them on a collision course with spiritual drought. There’s little time to worship, there’s little time to retreat, there’s little time to push aside the demands of the job.

 

You see, an assistant has a brain that is usually focused on a task that needs to be accomplished. Our brains are engaged with a duty instead of meeting God in the moment. So this portion of the week was especially exciting for me. Oh yes, I am always in need of a little spiritual boost, but I knew there were many sitting in that room that really needed to be in communion with God.

 

After a few words of instruction, we were allowed to spread out across the campus of the beautiful church property. Earlier in the week, Shan (my boss) and I had had a conversation about Elijah in 1 Kings 19. At the conference, we gleaned some beautiful information about Elijah from 1 Kings 19. There was something in this chapter God wanted me to hear or see or embrace. All I needed to do was open my heart to what God had to say to me.

 

My Broom TreeAs I left the building, I immediately found my little place where I would come face-to-face with God. There were two rocks under a tree. I couldn’t help but think this was my broom tree and that God was going to meet me there. I was so right. In that hour, I talked to God. I read from His Word. I quieted my spirit. I heard from Him. Right there. In the middle of Las Vegas (not on the strip, but in Las Vegas), in the middle of the desert, God’s glory was revealed. And what a beautiful moment God and I had.

 

Perhaps you are weary. Perhaps you are in the middle of a spiritual drought. Perhaps you haven’t seen or heard from God in a very long time. If that is the case, isn’t it time to reconnect with God? Isn’t it time to reengage with what God longs to provide? Isn’t it time?

 

At the church where we began and ended our conference, there is an area on their campus that depicts some of Isaiah’s words. These are beautiful word pictures for us to envision. Just imagine.

 

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into boom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:1 – NIV)

 

“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs.” (Isaiah 41:18 – NIV)

 

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:19 – NIV)

 

This is what God wants for you friend. To be new. To be refreshed. To be filled with joy. I pray that you will not allow today to go by without finding this Spring of Living Water to wash over you and bring new life to your soul.

 

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 Jacksonville, Florida.

  • 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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