The Best Seat

August 5th, 2012 dsisler

When we moved into our home seven years ago, it was the first in the second phase of our new sub-division. Our home sat away from all other homes or objects. Because our area was used for farming and mining, there are few trees. Even more so when we first moved in. It is a fairly sparse landscape.
On July 4th of that first year, we were able to walk around our home and view fireworks from cities and towns on the horizon. It was quite a show.
As the years have passed, houses have been built up around our home and some trees have grown. We are unable to view fireworks from far off cities, but the Tri-towns area is certainly able to pull off some wonderful celebrations with fireworks included.
The best part? These fireworks can be seen from my back yard!
Yesterday was the Carbon Valley Music Festival and the fireworks for this event are the best of year for us. The fireworks are set off in a field directly behind our home. Last night, I curled up on my swing and enjoyed the festivities.
I had the best seat in the house. My house.
There is an incident in the Bible where Jesus taught a lesson about the best seat in the house.
The mother of Zebedee’s sons had a little chat with Jesus. She took her two boys and went to the Master. She asked if her boys could sit on either side of Jesus in His kingdom.
Now let’s back it up. Can you imagine the dinner conversation the night before?
“Oh, James and John. You have worked so hard for Jesus. I think it is time for a promotion! Perhaps I’ll just have a little conversation with him to let him know that you two are his best options for these prominent roles in his kingdom. Yes, that is exactly what I will do.”
The thing is, she had James and John believing it!
She approached Jesus, asked her favor, and then Jesus turned to the boys and said, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” (Matthew 20:22 – NIV)
Then the boys answered, “We can.”
Jesus with all of His wisdom and knowledge probably shook His head a bit and maybe even let out a weak chuckle. He then turned to the boys again and made this prophecy.
“You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.” (Matthew 20:23 – NIV)
Jesus knew what their obedience in following Him would cost these young men. His role would be to prepare them for the upcoming events of their lives. He needed to make an impression upon them that would take their hearts and minds from this point to the moment they would be martyred. He used this teachable moment. He couldn’t waste any time.
Of course, the other disciples were indignant. They were annoyed. Perhaps with the mother and her sons, but maybe at themselves for not thinking of it first!
Jesus called them all together and spoke again. I believe He spoke with urgency, but I also believe with a pleading for them to understand what was about to take place. With His gentle words, Jesus wanted them to get it. This is what He said.
“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for man.”(Matthew 20:26b-27 – NIV)
You see, having a servant attitude places us in the best seat in the house. Why? Because it is nearest to Jesus.
I have read this passage many times over the years, but to be honest, this is first time I really got it. My eyes are filled with tears. There is a lump in my throat. My heart gets it.
I pray that you get it too. That you’ll gain a better understanding of what it means to have the best seat in the house. Today I am truly thankful to be able to serve God and others. Are you?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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50 Days and Counting

August 4th, 2012 dsisler

As dawn breaks this morning, it is 50 days and counting until my service trip to Southeast Asia. There is still so much to do and yes, I am still running out of time!
What I’m Doing
I applied for my passport and it is being processed. This was such an easy process and as of this morning, all is going well and it is on target to be returned in plenty of time for my trip.
I am studying up on the location, religious tendencies, and culture of the area. This is an interesting aspect of the trip. Learning about the cultures of Southeast Asia has been so exhilarating and fun. I can’t wait to see if what I’m learning is really the way it is.
I have sent letters, emails, and have had one-on-one conversations to raise awareness and support for my trip. I’ve learned from past experiences that this piece is so important. Communication with others is the key. If no one knows I’m going, how can I expect them to be of assistance? It has been so wonderful to connect with others and know they will be supporting me along the way. Thank you to those who have made commitments.
I have prayed, prayed, and prayed some more. God is taking me on a prayer journey for certain. My prayer time has blossomed into precious time with my heavenly Father. I am not willing to compromise in this area. Conversation with God keeps me motivated!
What is God Doing?
He is preparing me by reminding me of specific and relevant Scripture. I love God’s “living and active” Word (Hebrews 4:12 – NIV). I have adopted a section from the book of Colossians as my mission statement. It says, “Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” (Colossians 4:2-4 – NIV)
He is preparing me by sending encouragement. I love 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV). “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” God is encouraging me, but He is also sending encouragers my way. I am so thankful for the people who have excelled in this area.
He is preparing me by allowing my faith to grow. The financial support for this trip has not been completely raised. But I am still holding on to the fact that God has called me to do this. “The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” This phrase is found in two sections of Scripture. In 2 Kings 19:31 and Isaiah 9:7 (NIV). I believe God will come through.
He is preparing me by covering me with His peace. Jesus shared this thought with His disciples in John 14:27 (NIV). “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” I have God’s peace that “transcends all understanding”(Philippians 4:7 – NIV). How could I possibly do this otherwise?
What You Can Do
You can pray for me, the team, and the people of Southeast Asia. If you would like to receive prayer updates, please let me know. I’m working on setting up a system to share requests with others. I’d love to have you on my team of prayer warriors.
You can support my trip financially. I do need more funds in order to go on this trip, so if you have any desire to do so, please don’t hesitate and send your gift today. I would like to see this part of the journey complete so that I can concentrate on other areas that I feel are so important. I thank you in advance for your contribution.
You can trust that God is in control of this service trip. The same peace that covers me is available to you as well. You can be assured that God will accomplish great things through these 13 days in Southeast Asia. You can trust that He will finish what He started!
I wrote this blog post differently than I typically write. I made an outline and then went back to fill in with more detail. Maybe that’s the way God wants me to look at this service trip. Create the outline, but wait for Him to show up and fill in the details. I’m just a willing vessel. He is the Master.
Thank you for reading yet another blog post about this important vision for my life. I’m thankful you’re on the journey with me. Together, with God, we really can do remarkable things.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Good Mood Mission – Part Two

August 3rd, 2012 dsisler

Yesterday’s blog post was about a sighting of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, the decal that is located near the rear of the vehicle, how God has His own good mood mission and that the Holy Spirit can take our attitude (mood) and turn it into something pleasing to God.
I started going through the fruit of the Spirit and expanded on each of them. If you missed yesterday’s blog post, you might want to read that now.
In Good Mood Mission – Part One, I broke down the first four fruit listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Love, joy, peace, and patience. Today we will finish with the last five.
Kindness
There is another list of characteristics listed in Colossians 3:12-14. This section includes some of the same attributes listed in Galatians 5. Perhaps we should take note of those repeated.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12 – NIV) Yes, kindness makes this list. Has someone ever treated you with kindness? How did it make you feel? If you’re like me, it was an encouragement to you. You felt special.
God has shown His kindness to you and me. He has made us feel special. He has encouraged us. And when we didn’t deserve His kindness, He lavished it upon us. Christ’s death is proof of that.
Sometimes however, it is difficult to be kind to someone who has hurt us. But, as Christ has shown His kindness to us, we are to show kindness to the world. Allowing God’s Spirit to make a change in our attitude will produce this fruit. Let the good mood transition begin!
Goodness
Goodness is another trait that made the second list. Actually, it has made several lists. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NIV) tells us, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge…For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Goodness, as defined by my NIV Study Bible, “depicts excellence expressed in deeds—virtue in action.”[i]
I’m pulling out Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) again. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Do you see it? Good works. Goodness not only is an attitude and attribute, it is also an action word.
Goodness in our lives is proof that the Holy Spirit is at work within us to create a good mood.
Faithfulness
We can see God’s faithfulness throughout Scripture. I’m certain you can even see His patience in your own life. I know I can. God has faithfully stood by and watched as I allowed sin to creep into my life. As I pulled away from God, His love, and His grace. Faithfully waiting until I came back into His arms. This is the faithfulness God has called us to. To be faithful to Him as He is to us.
We know how to be faithful. In marriages or relationships. In commitments to earthly activities. To a diet or exercise plan. To whatever you have placed in high priority in your life. You are faithful.
We must be that committed and faithful to our relationship with God.
In the midst of the Overseers and Deacons passage in 1 Timothy, Paul encourages women to “likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.” (1 Timothy 3:11 – NASB)
That’s it. We are to be faithful in all things. Including our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our good mood just continues to get better!
Gentleness
1 Peter 3:1-6 shares instruction on the wife’s role in marriage. But there is a phrase in the middle of this passage that tells us what our mood should be. “…the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight…” (I Peter 3:4b – NIV)
There is a difference between a gentle and quiet spirit and being a door mat. Do not believe or understand me as saying we are to lay down and let others walk all over us. I’m saying we need to keep our attitude in line with God’s. A gentle and quiet spirit says more about us than our own words ever could.
Proverbs 15:1 (NIV) says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” You know this statement is true. That is why God placed gentleness on His list for the good mood mission.
Self-control
[Insert big sigh]. [Insert “ugh”]. [Insert a whining, “whyyyyy???]. Last but not least, self-control makes this good mood mission list. Why? Because God knew we would need His Spirit to help us with this one.
Earlier in the Galatians 5 chapter, Paul states “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Galatians 5:17 – NIV)
With God’s Spirit, we are able to use His power to overcome what we have no self-control over. Whether it’s food, television, internet surfing, laziness, addiction, or something else, if we have no control over our bodies or minds, we’ve lost control. We need the Holy Spirit to develop this fruit within us.
Through the years, I’ve lost my battle against food. I’ve allowed food to control me instead of me controlling the food I eat. I’ve been lazy in my addition of exercise to my lifestyle. The weight has increased through the years and now, the physical ailments have crept in to create an old, decrepit body.
What happened? I didn’t utilize God’s Spirit in this area of my life. I thought I could do it on my own. Ha! Look where it got me!
It’s time to stop believing we can do this. That we can steer clear of sin on our own. We can’t! God must be in the middle of each struggle. He’s there to help us. He sent His Spirit to lead and guide us. It’s about time we allowed His good mood mission to take root in our hearts. Are you with me on this one?
There is certainly a lot to talk about when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit. I could probably have written nine posts about them! Maybe someday… But until then, I’m ready for this good mood mission make-over. What about you?
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

[i] NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan, p. 2566.
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Good Mood Mission – Part One

August 2nd, 2012 dsisler

A while back I saw the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. I don’t know that I had ever seen it in person before, so it was a real treat. It was fun to see this popular icon.

There is a decal on the side that says, “Good Mood Mission.” Their “Good Mood Mission” was to raise food for those in need. I know my mood is sometimes dependent upon food, so I thought this was a great idea.

But this is an old idea. God came up with the idea long ago. He sent His Holy Spirit to live within us for a purpose. The Holy Spirit had and still has a good mood mission.
Several years ago, I led two women’s Bible studies on the fruit of the Spirit. Written by two different authors. I believe God was telling me something and I learned so much about the fruit of the Spirit during those few months.
Today and tomorrow I’m going to go through the fruit of the Spirit and expand on each of them. I pray you will spend some time in prayer to consider how God’s Spirit is able to create a good mood within you.
But before we move on, let me clarify what I mean by “mood.” I am speaking of our attitude. The good news here is that our attitude can change in moments if we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us. If you feel your mood souring, talk to God. His Spirit will improve your mood.
I have done this on many occasions and it works. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself.
So let’s get started. Can you recall the nine fruit of the Spirit without looking the passage up in Galatians 5:22-23? It’s okay. I’ll wait while you think.
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control
That’s it! These are the characteristics that have replaced the sinful nature in our lives when we accepted Jesus as our Savior. However, it is an overwhelming list. So let’s look at these attributes one at a time.
Love
We are fortunate enough to have an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians devoted to the topic of love. God reveals specifically what love is and what love is not. Love is patient, kind, rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres.
Love is not envious, boastful, proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, a wrong-record keeper, or an evil delighter. Love never fails.
I know that my love for others could not fulfill all of these qualifications, but with God’s Spirit, I have the ability to rely on God’s perfect love and share that love with others.
With God’s Spirit, I have the ability to change my mood to His good mood and find it within me to love. Without fail.
Joy
There’s a tiny little verse in John 15 that creates such enthusiasm within me. “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11 – NIV)
Jesus gives us a wonderful picture of the Vine and the Branches in this chapter. He repeats over and over that we are to remain in Him. When we do so, the joy we receive is Christ’s joy! The joy within us is complete!
There is no doubt that there is some good mood going on with His joy within us.
Peace
Romans 12:18 (NIV) tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” There it is. The command. Live at peace with everyone.
Peace may be difficult to find in this world. My personality is more than likely to cause someone else some distress. And theirs to cause me some distress. So if the command is there and I must obey the command, how can I possibly do this?
Ephesians 2:14 (NIV) points out, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” With God’s Spirit within, we are able to utilize Christ’s peace and live peaceful lives with others.
Just another example of the good mood mission!
Patience
Perhaps we could just skip this one…okay, okay. Let’s see what we can learn about patience.
If I’m ever in a dilemma on how to teach a certain aspect, I find that if I look at how God does that particular thing, it makes it easier to teach. So let’s see what Scripture says about God’s patience.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) shows us, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
How long were you wandering around, seeking God’s truth in this life? Was it years? Decades? It didn’t matter to God how long He had to wait for you. You were worth His wait. He waited patiently for you to accept Him.
That’s the example of patience set before us. But without the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit, our patience runs thin. We must learn to use God’s patience in our lives. Our mood depends upon it.
Thankfully for us, the good mood mission is very clear on this one.
Tomorrow we will look at the remaining five fruit of the Spirit to see how the good mood mission helps us in these areas as well.
How is your mood today? Have you spent time asking God’s Spirit to lead and guide you as you go through your day? Have you put on the Armor of God this morning? If not, stop right now and ask for God’s assistance. It really will improve your mood!
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna
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Creativity

August 1st, 2012 dsisler

My granddaughter Joy has a creative mind. If you look at the pictures I have, you’d know just how creative (you’ll want to check out the photos at the end of this blog).
I have photos of food art. A waffle robot. A spaghetti face.
There are towers of blocks and some of random objects stacked on top of one another.
There are a few of animals organized into single file straight into the barn. And another with all the pieces of her nativity set on top of the stable.
Of course I must mention the furniture on top of the doll house (that was to keep the items safe from the tornado).  Or the people of her doll house family hanging from the rails of the porch.
There are Easter eggs. There are bath tub murals. There are even photos of this creative mind at work.
She is creative.
My husband’s all-time favorite television program is MacGyver. Mac’s creative mind is the envy of any engineer (or any person for that matter). Mac had the ability to think under stress and come up with alternative methods for getting out of tough situations. Now that’s a creative mind.
God’s creativity has always amazed me.
He used animals to get people’s attention. Balaam’s donkey spoke to him (Numbers 22:28-30). Jonah was swallowed by a big fish (Jonah 1:17). Daniel wasn’t eaten by the lions (Daniel 6). Jonah’s God-provided vine was chewed up by a worm (Jonah 4:7).
He used odd methods for winning battles. The battle of Jericho (Joshua 6). God insisted that Gideon had far too many warriors to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7). David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17).
He used science and nature in strange ways to share His message. Moses parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross (Exodus 13:17-14:31) and Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan River after parting it (Joshua 3-4). Jesus calmed a storm to teach a lesson on faith (Matthew 8:23-27). Jesus fed a very large group of people with very little food (Matthew 14:13-21).
He uses you and me. Perhaps that’s the most remarkable use of all. Because I know myself. I know that I am weak. I know that my flesh fails. I know what I know. I know who I am. And yet God chooses to use me on a regular basis to share His message with others. And if you don’t believe He can use you, think again.
I’ve used this passage in the past, but I love what Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”He has prepared each of us for whatever task He is asking us to do. Don’t doubt it. Just allow Him to do it.
Watch for God’s creativity in your own life and then tell your story.
I am thankful for all the creativity in this world. Life would be boring without it. But we must ask ourselves these questions. What creative task is God asking of you today? Where will your creativity lead you? Who do you need to share God’s creativity with? When will you act upon God’s leading?
The only question left is why. Why haven’t you allowed God to work through you? He’s just waiting to show you His creativity.
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Donna

Robot Waffle

Spaghetti Face

Block Tower

Farm Animals

Easter Eggs

Kitchen Tower

The Hanging Family

Safe from Tornado
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  • About Me

  • "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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