Blue Light Special

February 17th, 2015 dsisler

 

We live in a world of busyness. There’s always something to do, some place to go or someone to meet. The weekends seem shorter because of all the running around that has to be done. It’s no wonder rest is illusive in our day in age.

 

???????????????????????????????There may be another culprit to this lack of rest. It’s called blue light. If you haven’t heard, our electronics emit this blue light and it actually suppresses the production of melatonin.

 

“Research has demonstrated that nighttime light exposure suppresses the production of melatonin, the major hormone secreted by the pineal gland that controls sleep and wake cycles.”[i]

 

So when you check your email, or read what all of your friends are doing on Facebook, or play that impossible level on CandyCrush over and over again, or even watch your favorite television program before going to bed, you are at risk of not getting a good night sleep and the rest you need.

 

Rest is important. If it weren’t, God wouldn’t have rested on the seventh day of creation and He certainly would not have told us to use the Sabbath as our own day of rest. So where can we find rest in this restless world? Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about it.

 

Psalm 37:7 (NIV) tells us to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” We need to rest before the Lord. We need to be still before Him. In His presence, rest will be found.

 

As we walk where the “good way” is, we will also find rest. Jeremiah quoted God on this one. “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…” (Jeremiah 6:16 – NIV) Rest for our souls. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? When restlessness has us in turmoil, let’s ask where the good way is and then walk it. God’s way will always be the best way.

 

Perhaps you feel as if you’ve been wronged today. This injustice is causing the inability to rest. Rest assured, “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relieve to you who are troubled…” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 – NIV) Although it may seem difficult or impossible, find rest in our God who is just. He will take care of what troubles you.

 

And finally, the writer of Hebrews encourages us to just do it. Just get the rest we need. Why? Because God commanded us to do so and our simple obedience will bring rest. “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:9-11 – NIV)

 

Unfortunately, blue light and its melatonin stopping power can also cause other issues. Studies suggest that there could be an increase in the risk of cancer, it can impair the immune system, and can also lead to Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and obesity. I don’t know about you, but these are health issues that I would rather stay away from.

 

I’ve given you some valuable tips from God’s Word, but how about a few for this blue light problem? If you struggle with blue light trouble, perhaps one of these solutions will help.

 

  • Avoid looking at bright screens 2-3 hours before bedtime
  • Use dim red lights for night lights
  • Wear blue-blocking glasses (amber)
  • Expose yourself to lots of natural day light[ii]
  • Use amber tones on electronic devices

 

Instead of the blue light, let’s focus on the True Light. The Light of our world is Jesus. I know for certain, there is blessed rest in Him.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] How artificial light is wrecking your sleep, and what to do about it by Chris Kresser.

[ii] Blue light has a dark side by Harvard Medical School.

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“Patience” or “Lord or Patience” – Monday Musical Musings

February 16th, 2015 dsisler

 

I’ve been reading and studying the biblical account of Gideon. To be honest, I thought I knew all there was to this story. I’ve shared this story in Sunday School multiple times. I’ve told the story in Vacation Bible School. I’ve even shared the concept of asking God for assurance. But, I have come to realize that I really only knew the large-picture details of this story. There is so much more in this little three-chapter story than I have ever considered.

 

???????????????????????????????For instance, think about how patient God was toward Gideon. Patience was shown as the angel of the Lord sat under an oak tree and watched Gideon thresh wheat. Patience can be found as He listened to Gideon’s complaints. Patience was displayed as He waited for Gideon to prepare a sacrifice. Patience was shown when Gideon asked for assurance of victory in battle…not once, but twice with the fleece. Patience was extended when Gideon felt uneasy about his 300 man army.

 

That is a lot of patience. God’s patience can be seen throughout Scripture and it is extended to us today. Just stop to think where you might be without God’s patience in your life. I know I’ve been stubborn and have turned from God on many occasions. But God has been patient and has wooed me to return to Him. God’s patience and long-suffering are pretty amazing.

 

I was kind of surprised when I decided to write about God’s patience on a Monday and wasn’t able to find an abundance of songs about this characteristic of God. As a matter of fact, in all of my searching, I only found two that really hit the mark on God’s patience. So I will share both.

 

The first is a more traditional worship song. The second hip hop/rap. Take your pick. But regardless of your preference, please reflect upon God’s patience.

 

“Patience”

 

Your kindness waits with those gentle open arms

I want to be such a joy here in Your eyes

Teach me how I can give up

All of these things I have built up

 

Chorus:

Thank You for patient love

You’ve waited all these years

I see You more clearly

Than I ever have before

 

My future rests in Your watchful tenderness

I want to live to make You my one delight

Teach me how I can give up

All of these things I have built up

You give me greater meaning

Than all the things I’ve been dreaming

 

Bridge:

You won’t let me go

You amaze me everyday[i]

 

Click here to listen to Lovelite sing of God’s patience.

 

Now the second song is one that you may or may not listen to, but the lyrics are so good, I had to share. The lyrics are compelling. See if you don’t agree with me.

 

“Lord of Patience”

 

Verse 1 :

Heavenly Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus

It’s because of His righteousness that we pray You receive this

Lord, you’re holy, we shouldn’t even be in Your presence

Due to our sin, we don’t deserve the least of Your blessings

 

But through the cross and believing that Jesus is risen

Even the worst of sinners can be redeemed and forgiven

I’m living proof when I say this and these are truthful statements

You’re beautiful when displaying Your unusual patience

 

You take the blasphemous- pridefully stuck in our blindness

Instead of smashing us, decided to love us with kindness

Even with unbelievers facing Your terror, You slow up

Like when You waited patiently in the era of Noah

 

We know that with You, a day is just like a thousand years

So does that mean for every sin, You cry a thousand tears?

Who can record Your graces? Adored through scores of ages

Your reward is the nations, for You are the Lord of patience

 

Chorus:

Our Sovereign God, You are

The Lord of Patience, yeah

Your wrath, Oh God, we deserve

Christ has taken, yeah

 

Gracious God, You are

Slow to anger, yeah

You’re Lord of patience and

You love us patiently

 

Verse 2:

Lord, we worship You, we know that everything we owe You

And when we reflect on the time before we came to know You

How we were unbelievers committing tons of treason

We had a hundred reasons why we wouldn’t come to Jesus

 

But they were all excuses because our thoughts were useless

That’s what the dark produces, Father, You already knew this

We were foolish and clueless, just as ruthless as Judas

Who knew that You would choose to pursue us and move to woo us

 

So after waiting with patience as we would run from You

You activated our faith so that we would come to You

Your law exposed our sin so that we would know the danger

And take refuge in the Holy Savior who’s slow to anger

 

And as our teary eyes beheld the cross of our King

We understood the true meaning of long-suffering

Who can record Your graces? Adored through scores of ages

Your reward is the nations, for You are the Lord of patience

(Chorus)

 

Verse 3:

And now that we’re in Christ, the thing that is amazing to us

Is that You still continue to display Your patience to us

Through all our stumbles and falls and our idolatry

Through all our grumbling and all of our hypocrisy

 

Our self-righteousness, with brothers and sisters we’re hostile

Our unforgiveness- all because we’re just missing the gospel

We should be slow to anger, but Your Word- we’re slow to hear it

Oh Father, help us please! We truly need Your Holy Spirit!

 

He is the only Person who can shape this fruit within us

We praise the risen Savior who is able to present us

Without an ounce of blame, with zero doubt or shame

Lord Jesus, down You came from heaven to announce Your reign

 

In the hearts of Your people, and now we have the truth

And gladly choose to praise You for all of Your attributes

Who can record Your graces? Adored through scores of ages

Your reward is the nations, for You are the Lord of patience[ii]

(Chorus)

 

If you want to listen to this song, featuring Melissa T., click here.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “Patience,” Words and music by Andrew and Jen Polfer, Lovelite Music, 2008.

[ii] “Lord of Patience,” Words and music by Shai Linne, on the album “The Attributes of God.”

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A Trustworthy Saying

February 15th, 2015 dsisler

 

Our dear biblical friend, Paul, was an excellent writer. Oh yes, there are some of Paul’s words that get jumbled up in my mind, but once unjumbled are beautiful examples of Christian living.

 

Paul also likes the phrase, “a trustworthy saying.” When Paul starts a sentence with these words, they are words he wants us to remember. Words like, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” (1 Timothy 1:15 – NIV)

 

And another states, “That we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:9-10 – NIV)

 

The list continues. Here are three more passages where Paul uses this phrase. 1 Timothy 3:1; 2 Timothy 2:11; and Titus 3:8.

 

Yes, these are trustworthy sayings. Words to live by and to share. So today, I pray that you will listen to Paul’s words and strive to live according to the Bible.

 

Today’s repeated blog post is about a skillet. Enjoy!

 

Cast Iron Skillet

 

I bought a magazine to read on my flight home from Florida. The entire magazine is about cast iron skillets. There were articles about the different size and shapes available and the uses for each. There is plenty of advice on how to care for cast iron cookware. It even contained testimony after testimony from famous chefs regarding the impact cast iron had on their chosen career path.

 

My iron skilletOf course there are loads of recipes to create in these case iron skillets and Dutch ovens. Some I cannot wait to prepare…in a cast iron skillet or not! They sounded delicious and full of flavor. The first one I might have to try is Skillet Steak with compound butter.

 

The advice was interesting. One would say to never place iron skillets in soapy water, and then another would say it was okay to do so. One said to never air dry, another thought it wouldn’t hurt it. I suspect if the results are the same, how you achieve the finished product isn’t relevant, at least when it comes to cast iron. Or maybe it does matter. They’ve just managed to confuse me on these issues.

 

I did enjoy the stories from the chefs regarding the cast iron that had been passed down from generation to generation. Some even felt the cookware was as valuable as jewels or family heirlooms.

 

Is there something that you have received from a grandparent or ancestor that is of value to you? What makes it so? Is it the memory that is attached to the item? Is it valuable because of your relationship with the person who gave it to you? Or perhaps it is the combination of many things. Regardless, when we receive something from a loved one, it is precious indeed.

 

While inheriting items from loved ones can be wonderful, we have received far greater gifts from God our Father. Here are a few.

 

Love: God loves us. He wants to lavish that love upon us. 1 John 3:1 states, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” As His children we receive the inheritance. The true treasure, eternal life.

 

Glorious Riches: Grace. (Ephesians 1:7-8; 3:8). Again God lavished it upon us. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6-7) Without this glorious gift, we would be lost. Forever.

 

Jesus: God gave us His Son so that we might have eternal life (John 3:16). We are “…adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ…” (Ephesians 1:5).

 

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

 

If you love cast iron cookware, one from a great-grandmother would be a treasure! I have a couple that have been handed down and one that I have seasoned myself. Any of them will do. They simply are the best for making fried chicken or cornbread.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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On Love

February 14th, 2015 dsisler

 

In the past, I’ve been pretty good at letting my family know I love them. Writing a little something to let them know of my love. Any time I was separated from my children, they always got a card in the mail telling them how much I loved them and missed them.

 

heartAs the years have gone by, this practice has slowed…perhaps even stopped. But the love that I have for each of them grows each day. But sometimes we take love for granted. We assume they know that we love them, we just don’t express it nearly enough.

 

I’m the worst at buying cards. I don’t like standing in front of the many options available to me. I suspect that because I feel so overwhelmed, I typically just buy the first card I pick up (unless it is so off the point).

 

If God were like some of us, we might never hear from Him. He would never leave little messages around for you to find. He’d never spark a memory of His words. He’d never show up in our day-to-day lives. But that is far from God’s character.

 

God leaves notes around for us to see all the time. Maybe we don’t recognize them as such, but notes they are. As I look around my office, I can see seven notes from God. Each one is a verse of Scripture and each one is a reminder that God loves me.

 

Each time I read the Bible, I read a love note from God. It may not be a passage specifically telling me of God’s love, but the entire Bible shows me that God loved me enough to prepare this book of love.

 

Remember the little song we sang as a child and probably sang to your children and grandchildren? Jesus loves me. “Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so!”[i]

 

So, here are a few reminders from God’s Word telling us that He does love you and me.

 

“For God so loved the world (insert your name here) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 – NIV)

 

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you (insert your name here). Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:9-11 – NIV)

 

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us (insert your name here) in this: While we (insert your name here) were still sinners, Christ died for us (insert your name here).” (Romans 5:6-8 – NIV)

 

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us (insert your name here) from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39 – NIV)

 

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ love us and gave himself up for us (insert your name here) as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 – NIV)

 

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (insert your name here). And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16 – NIV)

 

Yes, God loves you and me. Yes, Jesus loves you and me. We can confidently face the day knowing this great love. And, it wouldn’t hurt to tell a few people in your life about this love either.

 

“The Lord is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 100:5 – NIV)

 

Grace and peace be yours forever,

 

Donna

[i] Jesus Loves Me, Anna B. Warner, 1820 -1915

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Full Armor of God

February 13th, 2015 dsisler

 

I’ve been hearing, reading, studying and coloring the idea of the full armor of God a lot lately. It seems that several of my conversations have directed me to the idea that regardless of what I’m in the middle of or where I might be, I need to be sure to have put on the armor of God.

 

Full Armor of GodI mentioned that I have even colored this idea. Yes, I found a beautiful picture of a female warrior. She is standing beside a rippling brook. The breeze is blowing through her hair and dress. But above all, she is clothed in God’s armor for her own protection.

 

Originally when I colored this picture I prayed through each of these pieces of the armor. I also prayed that God would show me how to put on each of these pieces of armor. I asked Him to remind me of each use and when I seem to miss the mark, to point me in the right direction.

 

This little reminder is visible for me each day as I prepare to head out into this world. Sometimes I stand in my circle and pray through the pieces of armor. Sometimes I act out taking up or putting on each piece. And while this little tool is helpful for me to remember, unless I am actively using this armor, all of this reminding and practice is of no use.

 

This passage of Scripture tells us why we should be faithful to put on the armor of God. You see, the devil is a busy guy. He is out to devour God’s beloved. His schemes are ruthless. His world is dark. His forces are truly evil. I don’t know about you, but I have no desire to do battle with this guy on my own. I need God and His goodness in me to fight well. I need the armor God has provided to stand firm against the evil one.

 

Maybe today you are in need of a reminder to put on the armor provided by God. If so, say it with me.

 

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And 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 the saints.” (Ephesians 6:14-18 – NIV)

 

Stand firm. Get your armor on. Pray. Be alert.

 

Now, let’s do today.

 

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.

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