Ingredients – Blogging from A to Z

April 10th, 2013 dsisler

I love to cook. I find such joy while preparing a delicious meal, whether it is for two, 200 or somewhere in between. I have confidence in my skill and in my desire to find something unique to prepare, as well as my interest in learning something new.

 

Regardless of whether I use a recipe or whip something together, there must be ingredients of some sort. Ingredients make up everything we eat.

 

Sometimes ingredients are better than others. Obviously fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier for us, so when they can be purchased in season, the end product is just more appealing. We live in a time where what we put into our bodies is much more important. Better ingredients make better food (I think I just stole that from a popular pizza joint!).

 

What “ingredients” are needed for a better relationship with God or for spiritual growth? Let’s take a look at some of these elements.

 

Bible Study

An example of studying God’s Word can be found in the book of Ezra. He was “well versed in the Law of Moses.” He arrived in Jerusalem from Babylon and he had “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:1-10 – NIV)

 

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Timothy was told to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” We also should study God’s Word so that we know exactly what His Word says. We then, will be able to be like Timothy.

 

Prayer

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) shows us that we are to “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 all the saints.”

 

Here are a few other verses to take note of that lead us to the same conclusion.  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 – NIV) “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2 – NIV) “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16b – NIV)

 

Scripture Memorization

Psalm 119:11 (NIV) reminds me of King David’s words. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Hiding Scripture in my heart keeps me on the right path. God’s path.

 

And we find that the Hebrew nation was given a similar command regarding the memorization of God’s commands. “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” (Deuteronomy 6:6 – NIV)

 

You may want to consider some other “ingredients” for spiritual growth that we don’t have time to go into with this post, but you could look up the provided Scripture to see what God’s word has to say about them.

 

Worship (Psalm 95:6; Psalm 122:1, John 4:24; Romans 12:1-2)

 

Meditation (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 19:14; Psalm 119:148)

 

Fasting (Isaiah 58; Matthew 4:1-11; Matthew 6:16-18; Acts 14:23)

 

Silence and Solitude (Job 33:32-33; Psalm 4:3-4; Habakkuk 2:20; Luke 6:12)

 

Rest (Psalm 119:165; Psalm 127:2; Isaiah 30:15; Matthew 11:28)

 

I love what James says in James 1:22 (NIV), “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” We must put all that we learn through the “ingredients” into practice, otherwise we will not grow spiritually. That is not what God wants us to be or how He wants us to live our lives. We are to do what His Word says.

 

And since I chatted earlier about loving to cook, I had to bring this passage into this piece. 1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) tells us that we are to crave spiritual milk, because we have tasted that Lord is good. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Click to Tweet.

 

The “ingredients” listed above lead to spiritual maturity and as we mature, we crave God more and more and only want what He has to offer.

 

So let’s do a little evaluation of our lives by answering the following questions.

 

What are the steps you need to take to move from infancy to Christian maturity? Are you in a weekly Bible study that draws you into God’s Word to learn more about God? Are you attending worship services on a regular basis? Do you have a spiritual mentor who can assist when you have a spiritual question? Do you crave being with God daily?

 

I pray that today you will crave God over anything else.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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High Winds – Blogging A to Z

April 9th, 2013 dsisler

I live in Colorado. Over the past 18 hours, we have been experiencing some very gusty winds. Our personal weather station only records winds up to 30 mph…we’ve hit that mark on several occasions and believe we have gone above that speed.

 

There is some wind damage on our property. The winds cleared the deck of items that have never blown off and we have had some high winds before. And then there is a portion of the fence that landed in our neighbor’s yard.

 

My husband waited for our neighbor to get home from work before temporarily fixing the issue. It was dark, cold, and the snow began before they fixed it to their satisfaction.

 

I am reminded of the section of Scripture when Jesus walked across the water to meet His disciples Matthew 14:22-33). Among the disciples were seasoned fishermen and they had been sent by Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus retreated to the mountains by Himself to pray.

 

While Jesus was praying on the mountainside, the disciples were battling wind and waves in the middle of the lake.

 

In Matthew 14:25 (NIV), the story gets interesting. “During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”

 

In the middle of this raging storm, Jesus walked to the disciples, who were a considerable distance from the shore. The disciples were terrified and cried out in fear. Not of the wind and waves, but of the “ghost” walking toward them.

 

But then Jesus spoke, telling them who He was and not to be afraid. Peter questioned that this was really Jesus. Why didn’t Peter recognize Jesus’ voice? Didn’t Peter just leave a miraculous event and had heard Jesus speak? Peter had been with Jesus for quite a while at this point and he still didn’t recognize His Master’s voice?

 

Peter asked Jesus to prove who He was. He wanted evidence that this person was who He said He was. It’s no wonder Peter received these striking words from Jesus. “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31 – NIV)

 

We may not be so different from Peter. In the midst of wind and waves in our lives, perhaps we question if Jesus is really speaking to us. Perhaps we question if He is really with us.

 

So what can we learn from this passage of Scripture? Let’s look at a few points.

 

Lesson #1

Recognize the voice of your Master. If we are in God’s Word, we will hear Jesus’ voice. We come to know and recognize His voice. Get into the Bible. Read it daily. Know for certain when you hear Jesus’ voice that you will recognize it.

 

Lesson #2

We can believe that Jesus is with us. If we look to Jesus’ words, we find that He is with us. Later in the Book of Matthew, Jesus reassured His disciples (and us), that He would be with them. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b – NIV) We have His word. Jesus is with us.

 

Lesson #3

There is no reason to doubt. Yes, Jesus is with us at all times, but there is no reason to doubt that He is with us through the difficulties of our lives. Regardless of what winds and waves we experience, Jesus is with us. He will show up in our most distressing times, but we must be looking for Him, not something or someone else.

 

Lesson #4

Do not fear. Fear is crippling. Fear keeps us from doing what we need to do. With Jesus by our side, we are able to work through the wind and waves and press on to victory. Remember what happened to Peter because of his fear? He began to sink. We will too if we do not look to Jesus for His presence, strength, and guidance.

 

The fence doesn’t look so bad this morning. The winds have died down a bit and there is still work to do, but it is much better than it was last night.

 

Much like our lives, things seem to look better when daylight arrives. Don’t give up. Keep working toward the goal. Look to Jesus. He is always with you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Gobbledygook – Blogging from A to Z

April 8th, 2013 dsisler

I received a book from Dad last year. It was a text book on writing. I read it. Maybe not all of it, but I read quite a bit of it. I can honestly say that there is more to this writing skill than I ever dreamed. I have learned so much!

 

I came across the section about gobbledygook. Yes, there is such a word and it pertains to writing!

 

 

 

“Gobbledygook is writing that suffers from an overdose of traits guaranteed to make it stuffy, pretentious, and wordy.”[i] It is an attempt to make writing sound better than it is by adding words to give it a “fuller” feel.

 

If you have ever read a legal document, you’ve read gobbledygook.

 

Jesus had something to say about gobbledygook. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said, “And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

 

This verse is in a section where Jesus teaches His disciples about prayer (Matthew 6:5-15). His model prayer follows.

 

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed by your name,

Your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.”

 

This prayer spoken by Jesus gives us the purest, most concise way to pray to our heavenly Father.

 

When we get rid of all the over used words, traditional phrases, and church jargon, we can get to the heart of prayer—sharing our hearts with our Father.

 

Entering God’s presence with our souls bared is where Jesus wants to meet us. Getting down to the real issues, using real, honest words with our God is where He will reward us.

 

And when we are to the point where we don’t know what to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in for us. Romans 8:26-27 tells us, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.”

 

Even when words cannot express what’s on our hearts or our emotions, God will hear us.

 

Gobbledygook has no place in our conversation with God. Tweet this. Pure, simple words are all He desires from us. With that, I’m done!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] Alred, Brusaw, Oliu. The Business Writer’s Handbook. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2000. p. 271.

 

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Blogging A to Z – Break #1 – Ironing Sheets

April 7th, 2013 dsisler

Through the month of April, I am blogging through the alphabet. Each day of the month corresponds with a letter of the alphabet, but on Sunday’s, there is a reprieve from this structure. We are able to write anything we like.

 

So each Sunday through April, I will share a post from the past. One that I really enjoyed writing or one that I need to read on that particular day. I pray that you’ll enjoy these pieces as much this time as you did the first.

 

Thanks for stopping by…it’s such a pleasure to see your smiling face!

 

Ironing Sheets

 

Ironing sheets is not common practice among folks today. However, in my grandmother’s era, sheets were ironed regularly. With the invention of permanent press, life became easier for the homemaker…all homemaker’s except my Grandmother. She continued to iron every sheet she put on a bed. Most thought it was a waste of time, but as my time with Grandma drew to a close, I understood how ironing sheets was a time of reflection and was even therapeutic. I was fortunate to be able to spend two weeks with Grandma just before she died. Each night as I crawled into the guest bed, I felt as if I were in another world. The sheets were crisp and inviting. I felt so special each evening because I knew Grandma had ironed those sheets.

 

As Grandma slept in her hospital bed at home, we felt it was important that Grandma always have ironed sheets. I ironed many sheets in those two weeks. At first I laughed with Grandma about wishing I had seen her “trick” for ironing a fitted sheet, but then it became an experience in which I could connect to Grandma’s life and world.

 

One evening, as Grandma, her three adult children and their spouses laughed and talked of memories, I was busy ironing sheets. I was thankful for the laughter; for I knew there wouldn’t be many more opportunities such as this. Then I began to drift off to Grandma’s life as she was ironing sheets. I wondered if she thought about her children during those times. Did she worry about where they were? Were they safe? Were they in trouble? I wondered if she thought about Grandpa while she ironed. He worked away from home early in their marriage and it had to have been a burden on her. Was he safe as he traveled? Did she wonder what he was doing so far away? Did he miss her as much as she missed him? I wondered if she spent time thinking about her own life. Was she living the life Jesus would have her live? Was she the best wife and mother she could be?

 

And as these thoughts spun in my mind, I realized how relevant each question was to my own life. How are my children? Do they need more of me? Do they need less of me? Are they really safe? Are they happy? Thoughts of my husband came to mind. He was 1,300 miles away…was he safe? Did he miss me as much as I missed him? And then my thoughts turned to me. Was I living the life that Jesus would have me live? Was I the best mother and wife that I could be? I felt too inadequate in comparison to Grandma. But I also knew that her example had been part of my life for 43 years and all I needed to do was search Grandma’s life for that example.

 

Ironing sheets has become part of my life now. I want each person that spends a night in one our beds to feel as special as I felt as I lay in Grandma’s guest bed. I also use that time to reflect on my life and remember my connection to Grandma. Ironing sheets may not be the most important thing that I do today, but it will keep Grandma closer to me.

 

It was so appropriate that Proverbs 31 was read at Grandma’s funeral. She fit the description closer than any person I’ve ever known. How I pray that can be said of me when my life has ended. Grandma’s life was inspiring. I strive each day to follow her example, for I know that Jesus was the center of her world. He was the light that guided her footsteps.

 

                                                                                                                                                           

 

I wrote this piece several years ago…it was the first attempt at writing a devotional and after several submissions and rejections, I quit writing for some time. I kept it just as it was when I wrote it in 2003.

 

I don’t iron sheets any more. Life has a way of keeping us from the things we want to do. But I still reflect on my life and how every day, ordinary circumstances and events can bring me right back to reflection. I pray that you find your own times of reflection and can say with me, that Jesus is the Center of my world and that He is the Light that guides my footsteps.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Follow Me – Blogging from A to Z

April 6th, 2013 dsisler

Last fall, as I prepared to go on a service trip to SE Asia, I read through the book Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker by Randy Sprinkle. It is actually a Bible study, and in a few days, I will be joining a group of ladies to study this concept of following Jesus.

 

There is a story in this book that caught my attention. There was even a physical reaction to this story. Goosebumps formed on my arms. Chills ran up my spine. It truly is a moving account.

 

The story tells of a widowed Scottish minister, John Harper, traveling on the Titanic with his young daughter. When he realized there was no hope for the mighty ship, he placed his daughter in the hands of an officer and returned to second class to assist others.

 

It is noted that Mr. Harper began directing people to the lifeboats. His words were, “Women and children and the unsaved into the lifeboats first.”[i]

 

There is also evidence that while in the icy waters, Mr. Harper’s last words were “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”[ii] (Acts 6:31 – KJV) At least one soul was saved that night…a survivor who later told the events of an encounter with Mr. Harper and the message of salvation that was accepted.

 

But the feeling that I get is that Mr. Harper wasn’t acting this way because he was on a sinking ship. Because there was a sense of urgency. I believe that this was a lifestyle for Mr. Harper. To share the message of God’s salvation to anyone and everyone.

 

So I must ask myself this question. How often do I quote Acts 6:31 throughout my day? Are these words on my lips only during times of urgency? Do I really care about the lost of this world?

 

When I accepted the call to follow Jesus, I accepted Jesus’ mission. That mission is to seek and save the lost. Mr. Harper got it. I think I get it at times, but not all the time.

 

The thought “you’re being too hard on yourself” just ran through my mind. No I don’t think I am. That’s the devil telling me to “back off. There’s no reason to share that message with others today. There’s still plenty of time.”

 

It doesn’t matter if there is plenty of time. The message must be spoken. The message must be shared. I am called to speak this message to those who are lost.

 

Being a disciple of Christ requires action on my part. If we look at how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ call, we’d see some remarkable actions.

 

Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their boats and fishing nets behind to follow Jesus. (Matthew 4:18-22). There was no hesitation on their part. They didn’t know what their future with Jesus held. They just knew there was something to be done.

 

In Luke 5:27-28 we see the calling of Levi (Matthew) the tax collector. This call led Matthew to action. He left everything behind.

 

Jesus found Philip and then Philip brought his brother Nathaniel (Bartholomew) along. (John 1:43-51) Jesus’ words about Nathaniel are so interesting. “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (John 1:47 – NIV) How amazing it would be to hear those words from Jesus!

 

Each time Jesus called a disciple, His words were simple. “Follow Me.” They chose to follow Jesus. Without hesitation. Without questions. Without answers. They followed.

 

When Jesus says “Follow Me,” He asks us to be clothed in His characteristics. Follow His actions. He asks us to pick up His mission and follow through with it.

 

“Follow Me” are Jesus’ words to all of us. Whether we choose to leave everything to accept that call is what it is really about. Have you accepted the call? Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Have you left it all behind to be a disciple of Christ?

 

I must admit, there are times when I am not the best follower. I allow my human nature to take control and push aside Jesus’ characteristics. But I also know that Jesus is loving and eager to accept me back into His circle.

 

Peter found this same acceptance after his denial of Jesus. Peter fully accepted the call on a little beach after breakfast. Peter had gone back to his old way of life, but Jesus called him once again to follow through with His mission (John 21:1-18).

 

Don’t underestimate what God can do in your life. What God can do through you. Follow Him. He will lead you in ways you’d never dream possible.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] Sprinkle, Randy. Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker. Alabama: New Hope Publishers, 2001. p. 22.

[ii] Sprinkle, Randy. Follow Me: Becoming a Lifestyle Prayerwalker. Alabama: New Hope Publishers, 2001. p. 23.

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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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