“God Bless America” – Monday Musical Musings

October 20th, 2014 dsisler

 

With mid-term elections just two week away, I thought a patriotic piece was in order. “God Bless America” is my choice for the day.

 

flagSeveral years ago I traveled to SE Asia on a service trip. I learned many lessons on that trip, but one of these lessons was to embrace the freedoms I have here in America. I can voice my opinion. I can vote for my candidate. I can move about without being watched. I can write and post my thoughts and feelings without reprimand.

 

I live in freedom here in America and I am so thankful for those who have fought through the years for my freedom. I am thankful for those men and women who willingly placed their lives on the line for my freedom. I am thankful for those who sacrificially gave their lives so that I might know and love freedom.

 

I am also thankful for the One who gave His life so that I might have spiritual freedom. It is only through Jesus Christ that can know what freedom is truly about.

 

Because of Jesus, I am free from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:18).

 

I am free from the holdings of earthly pleasure (Colossians 3:2).

 

I am free from the guilt of my sin (Philippians 3:13).

 

I am free from all the trappings of this world (Ephesians 2:1-10).

 

I am free to believe God (John 6:29).

 

I am free (John 8:31-32).

 

Yes, I am free indeed! I pray that you can say the same thing today, for there is truly nothing outside of Jesus Christ. There is nothing this world holds that is more important than freedom in Christ.

 

So today, I proudly ask God to bless America. I pray that God will open our spiritual eyes to the spiritual warfare around us. I pray that His strength and power will spur us on to fight against injustices around the globe. I also pray that we as Americans will not take our freedoms for granted.

 

“God Bless America”

 

While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that’s free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer.

God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home.[i]

 

Kate Smith first introduced this song and you can listen to her version by clicking here.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “God Bless America,” Words and music by Irving Berlin, © Copyright 1938, 1939 by Irving Berlin, © Copyright Renewed 1965, 1966 by Irving Berlin, © Copyright Assigned to the Trustees of the God Bless America Fund

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Ascribe to the Lord

October 19th, 2014 dsisler

 

It’s Sunday morning and I’d like to share a few of King David’s words about worship. There is a psalm outside of the Book of Psalms and can be found in 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 and it is yet another psalm giving thanks to God. Take a look at this verse.

 

???????????????????????????????“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.” (1 Chronicles 16:29 – NIV

 

That’s it. Let’s prepare our hearts, bring our offerings before Him, and worship. I pray this is on your agenda this morning!

 

Today’s repeat blog is from the Blogging A to Z challenge in 2013 and it’s about lasagna. Enjoy!

 

Lasagna – Blogging A to Z

 

I haven’t made homemade lasagna in years. I struggle sometimes with making casseroles (and yes, I consider lasagna a casserole) because I seem to create a big mess. There are preparations that need to be made before I can put it all together in one dish to make it a casserole. And in the end, I still have a big mess to clean up. So I typically don’t make casseroles.

 

But I was in the mood for good, ooey, gooey, cheesy lasagna. So I purchased the items to make lasagna on my grocery shopping excursion yesterday.

 

I prepared it. Cleaned up the whole mess. And after dinner, just had a few things to throw in the dishwasher (I don’t actually throw things into the dishwasher) and one dish to cover and put in the refrigerator. It was worth it. If you’d like my lasagna recipe, click here.

 

And the lasagna hit the right spot. It was exactly what I wanted and needed. A good dose of homemade goodness that satisfied each taste bud.

 

There is something to be said about satisfaction. In the taste of a certain food. Or the completion of a project. Or the outcome of a situation. But these forms of satisfaction are temporary and to be honest, if God isn’t in the middle of them, there really is no satisfaction at all.

 

You see, God doesn’t want anything other than Him to completely satisfy us. We are to look to Him for that. So let me remind you of a few verses from God’s own Word that will help us to understand this idea.

 

“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you, I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” (Psalm 63:3-5 – NIV)

 

“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (Psalm 90:14 – NIV)

 

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5 – NIV)

 

“When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand they are satisfied with good things.” (Psalm 104:28 – NIV)

 

And if these aren’t enough, how about a few more? Psalm 105:40; Psalm 107:8-9; Psalm 145:16; and Psalm 147:12-14.

 

God wants to satisfy us with all of our desires. His hands are full of good things for us. We simply need to look to Him for that satisfaction.

 

I can’t really move along here, until I bring up a specific point where many seem to look for satisfaction. Wealth. King Solomon shared a few words about money that I should at least include here. “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 – NIV)

 

Nothing, nothing brings satisfaction to us except God. It’s the way He created us. It is His greatest desire to be everything to us. He wants us to find complete satisfaction in Him.

 

And here’s what it really comes down to. Jesus satisfied the debt for each of us, therefore, we must find satisfaction in Him. Isaiah 53:11 (NIV) tells us of this satisfaction. “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” Jesus’ sacrifice brings perfect satisfaction.

 

And as we look at Jesus’ words through His great teachings, we can find more about satisfaction. In Matthew 5:6 (NASB), this is what Jesus had to say. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” And if we look at this same teaching from Luke, these are words we find. “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.” (Luke 6:21 – NIV)

 

Our spiritual lives find complete satisfaction through Jesus, but He also can satisfy the physical. Jesus did so in feeding the five thousand. Matthew 14:20 (NIV) says, “They all ate and were satisfied…” Now perhaps Jesus doesn’t perform this type of miracle on a daily occurrence, and for certain, there are many who go hungry each day, but if we acknowledge that what we have comes from God, God is satisfying our physical needs.

 

If you are feeling unsatisfied with your life today, why not ask God to open His hand for you? Take a look at the good gifts He has for you. Find complete satisfaction in the One who has satisfied your debt. And be satisfied.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Milk Toast or Milquetoast

October 18th, 2014 dsisler

 

In my little devotion book about the beach, the author mentioned milquetoast. I hadn’t heard this word in years and for certain didn’t recall seeing it in print, so I was intrigued.

 

???????????????????????????????Turns out, the word milquetoast was brought into our world through a comic strip by H. T. Webster. In The Timid Soul, Casper Milquetoast was created as the character who was timid, weak or a bland person. We now use the term milquetoast to describe such a person.

 

However, milquetoast is not to be confused with milk toast, which seems to be a comfort food in nearly every region and culture around the globe. It always includes bread of some sort and the topping is milk-based. But each area has added their own twist to make it unique.

 

Some warm the milk while others serve it cold. Some add sugar and complementary spices while others use savory spices. Some cultures thicken the milk as a white sauce while others would never consider changing the consistency of milk (Asia actually uses sweetened, condensed milk).

 

As I mentioned earlier, this dish brings great comfort to many in our world, but in its original form, milk toast is bland. This is where the term milquetoast gained its inspiration.

 

When it comes to our spiritual lives, God has called us to move beyond milquetoast lives. God has called us live boldly for Him. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of these verses.

 

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1 – NIV)

 

“They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:28-31 – NIV)

 

“Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.” (2 Corinthians 3:12 – NIV)

 

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7 – NIV)

 

I don’t know about you, but these few verses certainly show me that I haven’t been as bold as I should be. Did you catch the part about being filled with the Holy Spirit? God’s Spirit is within us to make us bold. To boldly be righteous people, speaking God’s truth-filled message, and sharing our hope in love. I don’t think I do this nearly as often as I should

 

We have some really good examples in Scripture of men and women who boldly spoke God’s message. Noah, Moses, Esther, Nathan, Isaiah, Daniel, John the baptizer, Peter, Paul, Aquila and Priscilla just to name a few.

 

Were these extra-ordinary people? I don’t believe so. I believe these were ordinary people who were willing to allow God’s Spirit to move them from a milquetoast life to a bold way of living. We can do the same thing.

 

When we allow the Holy Spirit to move and then take action when He prompts, extra-ordinary things will happen. Our lives will move from timid to powerful. We simply need to be willing, useful vessels of God’s Spirit.

 

I pray that you will find it within yourself to ask God where He wants to take you today. Ask what He wants you to do. Then, in boldness, take that first step toward a powerful, Spirit-filled life. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me today!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Birds of a Feather on a Wire

October 17th, 2014 dsisler

 

It’s that time of year. Perhaps you’ve noticed it. Birds are flocking together and sitting atop wires along the road. Apparently, this is a phenomenon that occurs in the fall, as the weather begins to cool. I suspect there are other times of the year that it happens, but autumn is when it is most obvious to me.

 

birdsSince I’m not an expert on bird behavior, I “Googled” it. Why do birds gather on power lines? I found a few interesting pieces of information. First, some birds gather in this way at dawn and dusk for protection. They are able to look for predators and you know there is always safety in numbers.

 

Then there is the migration staging reason. When they are organized in this fashion, it takes less effort to “head south.”

 

They also gather in this fashion for companionship and to find a mate. Kind of like on-line dating. Ha. Get it?

 

And then, there is a thing called “loafing.” Their bellies are full and they want to chill. And what better place to do so than with a few hundred other birds?

 

Community is just as important to birds as it is to us. Friendship, companionship, and common interests draw humans together. The desire to be loved and accepted are important for us and we tend to be attracted to people who are like us.

 

Today, let’s look at some of our biblical friends who were part of communities.

 

People have gathered together since the beginning of time. Genesis 11 shares the account of people gathering to build a city with a tower that would reach to the heavens. They wanted to make a name for themselves. Unfortunately, this was not part of God’s plan and caused confusion among the workers. Ultimately, this band of friends split up because of communication issues.

 

In another situation, a group of men (an army) gathered at the “spring of Harod.” They were set to fight against the Midianites and Gideon had been guaranteed a victory. But once again, God said “no” and sent all but 300 men home. God was able to use these men to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7:1-25).

 

In the New Testament we find a decree from Caesar Augustus demanding a census be taken. Everyone needed to go to their hometown. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem and it’s during this great gathering that Jesus, the Messiah was born (Luke 2:1-7).

 

There were other times when community gatherings were celebratory. Think of the Jewish feasts. The Feast of Trumpets (Nehemiah 8:1-12). Purim (Esther 9:17-19). The Passover (Luke 2:41-52; John 12:12-19). The Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Lights (John 10:22-24). And Pentecost (Acts 2:1-41).

 

Oh and what about gatherings to learn of God’s ways? John the baptizer drew crowds (Luke 3:7-18). Jesus drew lots of crowds (Matthew 5:1-2; Matthew 14:13-21; John 12:9). Jesus taught also in the temple (Mark 11:27-12:44).

 

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a few intimate gatherings. Jesus called His first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22). Jesus clarified His teachings with His disciples (Matthew 13:36). Jesus called for greater faith (Matthew 14:25-33). Jesus gathered little children to Himself (Matthew 19:13-15). Jesus had a conversation with a rich young man (Mark 10:17-31). And who could forget the message Jesus delivered to Martha (Luke 10:38-42)?

 

After Jesus’ resurrection, we see Him continue with these intimate gatherings. There is the walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). His appearance to the disciples (Luke 24:36-49). And the restoration of Peter (John 21:15-19).

 

Community. Gatherings. Living life together. It was important in the Bible and it is important to us today.

 

 

If you are not connected to a local church or part of a small group who studies the Bible, I would encourage you to get connected. Are you looking to find God’s plan for your life? If so, the church and Bible study groups are a great way to seek God. Why not get connected today?

 

Just like the early church, we find great comfort in being together. I pray that today you’re able to be part of a community as they did in Acts 2:46-47 (NIV). “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Who’s the Boss?

October 16th, 2014 dsisler

Today is National Boss’ Day. I’ve had my fair share of bosses through the years. Some have been great, some have been, well, not so great.

 

DSC00470mMy first boss was my Dad. I was blessed to work for the church as his secretary for about two years in high school. One thing I recall is that I could sign his name perfectly. I will admit, however, that I never used that on anything other than letters I sent out for him.

 

I recall a boss who hated rice because it reminded him of his childhood. Another boss loved lime green and purple. One kind-hearted boss suggested that I place a bowl of candy on my desk to attract friends. One whose spiritual wisdom helped me pointed me to Jesus each day. Another whose smile warmed my heart as much as the coffee we sipped between jobs. And yet another who sat staunchly behind a large desk and barked out orders.

 

Funny some of the things that came to mind as I thought of my bosses through the years. Each with their different styles and yet, they had a role. To be a leader.

 

I must say that I am currently blessed with a fabulous boss. He is kind-hearted, fun-loving, and spirit-filled. It’s no wonder he fills the role he does today.

 

Forbes Magazine shared a few key points about leadership. This is their list. Great leaders: provide inspiration; teach and learn; are bold; are humble; listen to people; strike a balance; and tackle challenges.[i] Yes, I would say they have a good list here.

 

As I look at this list, I would say Jesus knew exactly how to be a great leader. Jesus definitely provided inspiration (Matthew 16:13-20; Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus was the best teacher (Matthew 5, 6 and 7). Jesus was bold (Matthew 21:12-13). Jesus was humble (Matthew 11:25-30). Jesus listened to people (Matthew 19:13-15; Matthew 20:29-34). Jesus was able to strike a balance (Matthew 14:13-21; Matthew 26:6-13). And Jesus tackled challenges (Matthew 8:23-27).

 

As a great leader, Jesus asks us to follow Him. To go where He leads. To do as He asks. Perhaps one quality missed in the list above is that a great leader leads by example. Jesus does not ask us to do anything that He wasn’t willing to do Himself. We have His example to follow.

 

I believe each of us should ask ourselves if we are following Jesus’ example. And maybe we need to ask ourselves a few more questions.

 

Am I an “all in” follower of Jesus?

Do I pick and choose the areas I want to follow Jesus’ example?

Who is the boss of my life? Jesus or me?

 

National Boss’ Day is the perfect day to make a deeper commitment to Jesus and allow Him to have full Lordship and Kingship of our lives. Today as you acknowledge the boss in your working world, I pray that you will take the time to acknowledge Jesus as the boss of your life.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2014/04/10/16-leadership-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-greatness/

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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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