“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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Lasso

June 22nd, 2016 dsisler

 

There is so much in my mind. All sorts of thoughts, ideas, concerns, “to-do lists,” schedule, Bible study prep, family dynamics and much more. And my mind just isn’t keeping up. It’s a bit weary from this past weekend of travel and parties. It’s a bit weary from lack of sleep. It’s a bit weary from these crazy allergies and medication. And as much as I’d like to just relax and allow my mind to recoup, there just isn’t time.

 

My mind is on overload and these are the exact moments when I need to lean more heavily onto Jesus. You see Satan knows where I am this morning. So his goal is to get me to make poor decisions because my mind is weary. His goal is to tempt me with things I shouldn’t even consider. His goal is to point me in a direction that isn’t good for me. And he knows that this is the exact moment when I am weakest and he will take advantage of that fact.

 

But I’ve caught on to the enemy’s tactics. I know what he’s trying to do. And I also know that he isn’t going to win this one.

 

On Sunday morning, I had the opportunity to go to church with my Dad and listen to him preach. It was a pretty awesome morning. The first song we sang in worship is one of my favorite songs. We use it in Praise in Motion and we call it the lasso song because that’s one of the moves. But as I stood there and sang the words to this song, I had a deeper love for this song. Not because I was going through the motions (as I sometimes do when we sing a Praise in Motion song in worship), but because I caught the meaning of the song.

 

The song is “Greater” and I’ve shared it with you before (you can click here to see my thoughts), but what I want to share this morning is that this song begins with an invitation to those who are tired. Bring it. Bring it to the One who is greater than your tiredness. There is no reason to carry this burden of weariness all by yourself.

 

Jesus knew we would be tired and that Satan would use our weariness against us. That is why He invited us to bring our load to Him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 – NIV)

 

Are you ready to give your weariness to Jesus? If so, you can lasso that tiredness and dump it at the feet of Jesus. That is where you will find rest. Sweet rest.

 

I have a busy day ahead, but I know that Jesus is right beside me to give me the strength and mind I need to get through it. Because greater is the One living inside of me than the one living in this world.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Another Break – Day 8

June 21st, 2016 dsisler

 

And one more day of repeated blog posts. I look forward to sharing what happened over the weekend.

 

Have a blessed day!

 

Listen

 

???????????????????????????????I have mentioned many times that I love listening to God’s Word. There are a lot of reasons for this, but the two reasons that rise to the top are because I hear things that I don’t always read and because hearing God’s message is the way our biblical friends came to know God’s Word.

 

I currently have been listening to 1 & 2 Peter. I have enjoyed finding morsels of goodness through this audio version of the Bible. If you haven’t tried it, I would encourage you to do so.

 

I also enjoy listening to preaching on the radio. Yes, music is a passion, but there’s just something about hearing God’s messengers preach His Word as I drive about town.

 

I recently heard a message by Charles Stanley titled, “How to Listen to the Word of God.” Of course, it caught my attention and so I thought I would share his thoughts here. If you are new to reading my blog, please know that I rarely do this, but I felt Pastor Stanley’s words were far better than I could express. I pray you will enjoy this as much as I did.

 

“You must listen to God’s Word:

 

Eagerly (Nehemiah 8:1-2) – When you come to a worship service, ask God to speak to your heart.

 

Attentively (Nehemiah 8:3) – Your attention span is determined by your desire to know God and His will for your life.

 

Trustingly (Nehemiah 8:4-5) – Our world is unpredictable. We must place our faith in something that gives us assurance—and God’s Word is trustworthy.

 

Expectantly (Nehemiah 8:5) – In Nehemiah’s day, the people couldn’t understand the original languages of the scrolls. But they stood in anticipation of hearing God’s Word.

 

Prayerfully (Nehemiah 8:6) – The people bowed low and worshipped the Lord.

 

Patiently (Nehemiah 8:7) – The people listened for hours as God’s Word was read.

 

Humbly (Nehemiah 8:6) – The people fell on their faces in humility because of their ancestors’ sins, which had caused them to miss the Lord’s blessings.

 

Purposefully (Nehemiah 8:12-17) – They wanted to gain insight into the Law. Each time you come to church, ask God for insight about His character.

 

Happily – There was great joy when the people listened to the Law. You are responsible for your own attitude toward the church.

 

Repentantly (Nehemiah 9:1-3) – The people listened with repentant hearts. If the Lord brings something to your attention, don’t blame the preacher. Be honest with God about it.”[i]

 

You may or may not find anything in this list that sparks your interest, but I pray that being in God’s presence through His Word does. The next time you hear God’s Word spoken, I pray that you will be reminded of a few of these ideas.

 

When we listen to God’s message with eager, humble, expectant hearts, amazing things will begin to happen. I can’t wait to hear God’s Word again. Can you?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] “How to Listen to the Word of God,” Charles F. Stanley, intouch.org.

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Another Break – Day 7

June 20th, 2016 dsisler

 

Okay this is a recoup day…still in Ohio with family, but it’s a bit more relaxed. It’s been so good to be here and I will miss them all, but I’ll be back in a few short weeks for Liam’s birth. What a great summer!

 

Another fun story from my childhood. Enjoy!

 

Digging Potatoes

 

CCI was raised in Upstate New York. If you’ve never visited that area of the country, you’ll not realize how well produce grows there. The summer months were beautiful. Our family had a large garden. A garden that was probably overwhelming to most, but it kept our family fed throughout the year and it was something of great pride for my parents.

 

Caring for this large piece of land was a daunting task. The plowing, planting, weeding, and harvesting were all done as a family. However, I do believe most of the weeding and hoeing was done by the children in our family. Plant after plant. Row after row. Day after day. We spent hours in that garden. Watching our friends play baseball close by did not make it any easier either.

 

The most memorable time of harvesting for me was the potato harvest. Typically, it was later in the season. Usually a cold day, and when combined with water to rinse them, created a frosty atmosphere.

 

We had a small tractor with a plow attachment, but it wasn’t heavy enough to bring the potatoes to the surface, so one of us would have to sit on the plow. It wasn’t a comfortable ride. The plow was not equipped with a seat. The steel bars were extremely hard. The up and down motion of the plow created a desire to hang on tight. I’m sure if we had a video camera back then, there would have been some great video for our viewing pleasure. Thank goodness they weren’t available to us or our neighbors at that time.

 

Row after row the tractor would dig up the potatoes. After the plowing, all those potatoes needed to be picked up, washed of all the dirt, and then placed in the cool cellar for use throughout the year. We were thankful for what was harvested during the fall months. Each time a potato was brought up from the cellar, I remembered the day we dug them from the ground.

 

Our spiritual journey sometimes looks like this. We bury attitudes, unforgiveness, bitterness, disappointment, hurt or sin deep into our hearts. We sometimes allow these little nuggets to fester and grow until there’s nothing more to do with it than to dig it up.

 

With the help of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit, we dislodge the growth from our heart. It comes to the surface, but it’s pretty ugly. It’s covered with dirt and grime, but that’s the nature of hurt and sin. There’s nothing pretty about it.

 

But suddenly, a cool, refreshing flood of forgiveness and grace washes away the filth of the sin. Our spirits are renewed and our hearts are healed.

 

And the sin that once festered deep within us is tossed to the cellar where it is never to be seen again. The hurt that once held us captive is nowhere to be found.

 

It may be a difficult process. You may be tossed back and forth. But the end result is so beneficial. Feasting on God’s goodness will always be the best tradeoff for the effort given.

 

So what’s growing in your heart today? Do you need to harvest some bad fruit? Are you willing to allow God to dig up those hurts or sins that have taken root in your heart? If so, I know that God will be with you every step of the way. Just ask and He’ll join you during this harvest.

 

“You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11 – NIV)

 

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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