Six-Word Memoir (Sabbatical Post)

January 21st, 2016 dsisler

 

A friend of mine mDSC02392mentioned that her 6th grade students were ending the school year by writing a six-word memoir. She asked her friends on Facebook to share what their six-word memoir might be. There are some serious responses, some funny replies and some thought provoking memoirs. I thought it was an excellent exercise.

 

So I started thinking of my six-word memoir. I came up with several. Okay, more than several, but I got on a roll and just kept going.

 

What’s done for Christ is worthwhile.

I will follow wherever You go (Luke 9:57b).

My life is in You, Lord.

All my heart, soul, strength, mind.

Daughter, Sibling, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Friend.

Salt and light in this world.

May others see Jesus in me.

Heart felt thoughts. Words to paper.

Be kind. Speak gently. Love unconditionally.

Christmas is just around the corner.

Sinner, saved by grace. Living gracefully.

Love to cook. Love to eat.

 

I then wondered what some of our Biblical character friends’ six-word memoirs might be. Here are a few I came up with.

 

Abraham – God will provide all my needs.

Moses – Floating. Fleeing. Herding. Leading. Wandering. Encountering.

Ruth – Your God will be my God.

Peter – You are the Christ, God’s Son.

Paul – Chief of sinners. Saved by grace.

Ananias and Sapphira – Greedy plot that didn’t end well.

 

Obviously, there is more to our lives than just a six-word memoir. Just look at how many different six-words I came up to describe my life. And to be honest, this is just a fun exercise. But it does make me stop to think about what I want others to know about me.

 

What do you want others to know about you? What would your six-word memoir be? Then after you’ve come up with one (or 20), think about what Jesus wants others to know about you. What would your six-word memoir be as a Christian?

 

This is not my typical blog post, but it does cause me to reflect upon my life. Not just my physical life, but also my spiritual life. So today, why not come up with your own six-word memoir (or multiple memoirs)? And once you’ve done so, ask yourself if it is pleasing to God.

 

I pray that your day is filled with God’s abundant blessings.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Whatever (Sabbatical Post)

January 20th, 2016 dsisler

 

You’ve heard it before. That word. You may have heard it from your teenager, your child, a co-worker, or even your spouse. Perhaps you have used it in the past or use it on a regular basis. And, you know, the word cannot just be spoken alone. There must be rolling of eyes, perhaps a hand gesture, or even someone walking away from you.

 

sunrise 1-28-15WHATEVER!

 

It is a word that clearly says, “I really don’t care about what you are saying and you can’t make me care!”

 

If you are like me, it is a word that sucks every bit of life from me. Especially when it comes from someone that I love. I want to shake them and say, “Why don’t you care?” “Am I really that unimportant to you?” “You need an attitude adjustment!” Now, I may not have tons of wisdom, but I do have some. Please give me that much!

 

Regardless of their reason for saying that word, my feelings get hurt, I feel as if I have no value, or it makes me angry. So how can that one little word mean so much? I believe it is because it is the final word.

 

The apostle Paul gives us an alternative use for this word that may help when we are in this situation. Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Puts “whatever” into a completely different light doesn’t it?

 

When we are faced with a situation where the conversation ends with “whatever,” think about the things God wants us to think about. What is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. These thoughts will fill us with life! Abundant life! They will restore us so that we might be able to move on with our day.

 

And what does God promise? Peace. Peace in an otherwise hostile situation. Isn’t it wonderful how God knows exactly what we need? How He knew over 2,000 years ago that that one little word, “whatever,” would take on a different meaning and supplied a way for us to react to it. I can now thank God for the “whatever’s” in my life and rejoice that I can use that very same word in a positive way. Whatever!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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He Owns the Cattle (Sabbatical Post)

January 19th, 2016 dsisler

 

Colorado weather has finally decided to warm up. After months of cold and snow, we are now enjoying warmer temperatures…perhaps a little too warm for some. But we are at least able to enjoy the outdoor patio.

 

Today 011MAs I woke to the birds singing and a beautiful sunrise, I looked out my window and saw the open space behind our property. It was green! It looked like a rolling meadow and I was awestruck.

 

I then told my husband, “This is beautiful! Without my glasses I can’t even see the junk yard.”

 

This field is green now, but just a few weeks from now, it will be dry and it will turn brown. My beautiful green meadow will be gone.

 

As I snapped photos of the field, I remembered an old song we used to sing. “He Owns the Cattle (on a Thousand Hills).” There isn’t a cow to be seen, not even a chicken. There is an occasional prairie dog or coyote, but still no cattle. So why would I think of this particular song?

 

Because that song goes on to share an even greater message. Take a look at these words and if you’d like, you can listen to a medley of songs by the Gaither Trio that includes “He Owns the Cattle (on a Thousand Hills)” by clicking here.

 

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,
The wealth in every mine;
He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,
The sun and stars that shine.
Wonderful riches, more than tongue can tell –
He is my Father so they’re mine as well;
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills –
I know that He will care for me.[i]

 

It’s not that God owns all of His Creation. It’s that He has shared it with me! I am His heir and therefore all that He owns belongs to me as well.

 

But the earthly portion of it isn’t even the best part. Oh we have some beauty in our world to see, but my future home is far greater and more wonderful than anything this world has to offer.

 

Because God is there. Jesus, my Savior sits at God’s right hand. I will be able to sing praises to them forever without my voice cracking or feeling weak. I will be able to stand in their presence without my feet hurting. I will never grow weary of worshiping.

 

And unlike my green meadow that will turn brown soon, nothing in heaven will grow old or fade away or die. Forever, it will be green.

 

And unlike the drought season that will return to my small portion of this earth, there will always be water in heaven for there is a river that runs through it.

 

And unlike the small amount of trees that line the landscape from my view, there are trees that produce crops of fruit and they are on either side of the river of life.

 

And all of this will be mine one day for I have Jesus’ promise that He will return. I find great hope in John’s final words after seeing the vision of heaven. “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20 – NIV)

 

I believe that sometimes I get too comfortable in this world. I love its beauty and the people I am blessed to have in my life and I forget Jesus’ words that He is coming soon. And I rarely ask for Him to come as the Apostle John did.

 

And because my mindset isn’t always as it should be, I miss opportunities to share God’s grace and message with the lost and dying world. I am too focused on the now instead of the eternal future.

 

I must be determined to live my life with urgency. The urgency Jesus felt in those three short years of ministry. The urgency of His mission “to seek and save the lost.” (Luke 19:10 – NIV)

 

We find these words in Psalm 50:10 (NIV). “For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” But I find greater joy in knowing that I am His and that He cares for me.

 

Do you belong to Him?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

[i] He Owns the Cattle, Words and Music by John W. Peterson

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A Cut Wire (Sabbatical Post)

January 18th, 2016 dsisler

 

Yesterday was such a good day. A celebration of motherhood is always enjoyable. But the day had possible threat looming over it.

 

DSC04473On her way to work, my daughter Candace called and said her engine light came on and that her car wasn’t running well. So we knew when she returned home, we’d have to see what the issue was.

 

So at 8:30 last night, my husband pulled out his handy gadget that told him the fourth cylinder had misfired. And after looking at the engine, he knew why.

 

Somehow the spark plug cable had been cut, possibly by the fan.

 

I know there are times in our lives when we aren’t running on all cylinders. Illness may be hindering our function. Young children may be zapping energy from us. A busy schedule may be keeping us from releasing our full potential.

 

But it can be downright dangerous if we allow this to happen in our spiritual lives. Perhaps we’ve “taken a break” from church attendance or group Bible study. Perhaps there’s no time to add personal devotions to our lives. Or perhaps we’ve grown lazy in our spiritual development.

 

Whatever our “good” reasoning is, it isn’t.

 

There is a reason Jesus gave us the command in John 15 to remain in Him. Jesus is our life source. Without Him, there is no life. It’s not just one cylinder misfiring, it is your entire life misfiring.

 

And according to Jesus, apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). That may seem a little dramatic to some, but I’ve lived on both sides of this command and it is so true.

 

There is nothing outside of Christ.

 

However, Jesus doesn’t want us to just remain in Him. There is something we are to be doing in this state. We find this in the same verse mentioned above (John 15:5 – NIV).

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

 

We are to bear much fruit. And you’ve heard of this fruit before from Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

 

This is the fruit we are to bear.

 

Jesus also mentions in this section what happens to the branch that doesn’t bear fruit.

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (John 15:1-2 – NIV)

 

Looks like we’ve come full circle doesn’t it? We aren’t the only ones who cut ourselves off from God. If we are non-fruit producing followers of Christ, God will do the cutting for us.

 

Remember God’s words about being lukewarm? To the Church at Laodicea He said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16 – NIV)

 

We cannot be happy with mediocrity. We must be working diligently to grow spiritually and by remaining in Jesus and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are able to produce an abundance of fruit.

 

Mason had a spark plug wire. He replaced it in 5 minutes and Candace’s car now runs smoothly again.

 

We have the source and power to be great followers of Christ. Reach out and grab it. Repair that broken line between you and God. Then, wait to see what God produces in your life and what wonderful things He has in store for you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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My Desktop (Sabbatical Post)

January 17th, 2016 dsisler

 

I have an odd mix of items on my desktop that I’d like to share with you today. But then I want to do a little “prayer walking” around my desktop.

 

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You see, I prayer walk through my neighborhood. I prayer walk with a group of ladies each Wednesday morning. I prayer drive as I’m heading out each day. So why not prayer walk through my desktop? It is what I look at each time I sit down to write or check email or enjoy Pinterest. But if God is not in the midst of it, this screen could cause some problems for me.

 

I am easily distracted. And maybe a cluttered desktop is just what the evil one needs to keep me occupied with things of this world instead of concentrating on God’s work.

 

There is one verse in James 4 that carries some convicting words. Take a look at it. “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4 – NIV)

 

Bear with me today…this is important. Perhaps it is something that you need to do as well.

 

The first thing I see as my computer comes to life is the picture of my grandchildren. They are so precious to me, but they are more precious to God. My prayer is that I will be an example of God’s love and grace to them and that my focus must be on teaching them about Jesus.

 

There is a recycle bin. It holds all the trash that I no longer need. I pray that God will take the trash of sin in my life and delete it permanently. I don’t need the guilt or anguish to continue haunting me. Once it’s deleted, it is gone.

 

Zune is the program that goes with my little music contraption. My prayer is that the music that I choose to play is honoring to God. That God would be glorified by what my ears hear.

 

Symantec. I have no idea what this is for, but it’s one of those things that tells you if you delete it, there are consequences and so it’s easier to just keep it. I pray that God will show me those things in my life that are just space takers. If it isn’t important, get rid of it.

 

A Word document that teaches how to make a homemade mosquito trap. It’s pretty popular right now on the internet and I’m hoping it actually works! My prayer is of thanksgiving. For this little critter is so annoying to us, but it is one that God created. Thank you God for your creation!

 

There is a folder of the April snow storms we have had this year. Thank you God for the moisture we have received here in Colorado. Everything is so green and filled with life. Although we were tired of snow, the benefits far outweighed the struggles. Thank you God for your forethought and design. It is beautiful!

 

Well, that finishes the first row of my desktop praying. I’ll save you the details of my remaining prayer walking through my desktop. I’ll work on the rest throughout the day.

 

This morning in my Bible study time, I asked God to show me how to illumine Him. For Him to point me to ways that I could point others to Him. I believe this is a start.

 

Perhaps today you will find the need to do exactly what I am doing. Praying more and illuminating God. If so, let’s travel on this journey together. Let me know how God is showing up in your life. Let me know what you’re eliminating so that God can take His place out front.

 

My greatest desire is to serve God. But I cannot have friendship with the world and with God at the same time. Jesus taught this concept as well. “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” (Matthew 6:24 – NIV)

 

Okay, I’m going back to prayer walk through the rest of my desktop. When I’m finished here, I have my laptop to pray over as well. Then there’s my phone…and my Nook reader…and my Zune…

 

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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