The Storm (Sabbatical Post)

November 9th, 2015 dsisler

 

A couple of years ago my husband and I went on a getaway for our anniversary. We decided to go to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. September is not ski season (we don’t ski anyway), but still there is a lot to do in Steamboat. We also thought there might be a chance to get some good photos of the changing colors of the Aspen trees.

 

snowflake2We headed in the direction of Steamboat, enjoying one another’s company. In Rabbit Ears Pass, the snow began to fall. The further we went, the worse the weather became. Soon, we were in a full blown blizzard. The roads became treacherous and Mason was worried that we wouldn’t be able to finish our trip and that we should turn back.

 

My thought was that we should continue. We’d come to this point, why not keep going? We did keep going. It wasn’t pleasant, but we managed to come out on the other side of the pass without any real problems.

 

The weekend was fabulous. The sun shone the entire time we were in Steamboat and we were able to relax and enjoy our time together. All too soon it was time to head back to our daily lives. We packed up and headed home.

 

The trip home was priceless. We were rewarded with some beautiful scenery. The fresh snow covered evergreen trees and there was a stark contrast between dark and light. Aspen trees with their changing colors of yellows, golds, and reds were also contrasted between the snow that covered them. What a photographers dream. Many photos were taken on that trip home.

 

There are times in life when things are going along splendidly. No worries, concerns, or disappointments. Then a storm invades our lives out of nowhere. It becomes difficult to continue on and only with the help and strength from God are we able to do so. After the storm, something beautiful is visible. Perhaps it is a changed life. Or maybe an attitude change. Whatever it might be, God’s hand can be seen in the situation.

 

My prayer would be that in the midst of the storm, remember that there is something to look forward to on the other side. Yes, it will be difficult. Yes, you will want to give up. But don’t! Continue on and you’ll find a great reward when it is complete.

 

Vince Gill wrote a song called “The Rock of Your Love.” The chorus says,

 

“Let the storm cloud roll;

Let the rain flood my soul.

I’ll still be here when the troubles come;

Standin’ on the rock of your love.”

 

When we know that God is in the midst of the storm with us, it is much easier to weather that storm. His love, His comfort, His strength are all available to us during these difficult times. I pray that we stand on that Rock for stability.

 

David shares his pain with God in Psalm 61:1-2. He says, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

 

God does hear your cry. He hears your prayers. He leads you to the rock. During those most difficult times, lean on Him. Allow Him to bring you through to see the beauty on the other side.

 

Mason and I have not seen such a dramatic change in scenery since that trip to Steamboat. We’ve seen some beautiful places since then, but nothing compares to that trip. I once again am thankful to live in this beautiful place called Colorado.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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More or Less (Sabbatical Post)

November 8th, 2015 dsisler

 

I live on the high altitude prairie of Colorado, just beyond the foothills of the great Colorado Rocky Mountains. 99.99% of my existence here is perfect. I love the weather, the sunshine, and the low humidity. The views are spectacular and the sunrises and sunsets are beyond beautiful.

 

sunrise 1-28-15So you’re probably wondering what that .01% of my life here that isn’t perfect. It’s baking. Baking at high altitude gets me every time. My beloved recipes from the low lands just don’t work here. I get frustrated and I quit baking. And after several months I forget my frustrations and try it again, only to be disappointed yet again.

 

If you read the back of a cake mix, you’ll see high altitude instructions. They usually require the addition of flour or cutting the liquids or adding more liquid. It’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve lived in Colorado and there are times I still forget to look at that little piece.

 

I’ve also purchased cookbooks to help with the whole “I can’t bake in this high altitude” situation. There is a formula for making all recipes work at high altitude. I just haven’t figured it out yet. I cannot seem to wrap my brain around it.

 

Now to add another issue into my baking dilemma, we’ve had to purchase a new oven. Well actually two new ovens because my kitchen has a double oven set up. So in one, we chose a convection oven. Fortunately, it has a convection converter. So I just punch in some numbers and it takes care of the conversion. And there’s a method to this too.

 

Meats are cooked at higher temps for less time and baked goods are baked at lower temps for the same amount of time. At least that’s what my understanding is. But then again, I could be wrong! I think I’ll be using the conversion setting for quite a while.

 

More or less? Without reading the instructions or knowing the formula, chances are pretty good it’s going to be wrong. It can get confusing, frustrating, and even demoralizing.

 

More or less? These words can be used in regard to our relationship with Jesus as well. John the baptizer knew all about this more or less thing.

 

John had been sent before Jesus to prepare the people of Israel for Jesus. He was born to be a preacher. He was given the role of starting a revival among the Jews. He was to tell anyone who listened that the Messiah would be following soon. But when the time came, when the Messiah appeared, John’s role was to introduce Jesus to the world and step back.

 

Oh, John continued to preach. John still baptized. But he was always pointing others to Jesus. Always.

 

I’m sure it was disheartening to John’s disciples when Jesus began His ministry. John had been the forerunner. He had preached to great crowds and shared the message God had given him with them. But after His baptism, Jesus began drawing the crowds. John’s crowds diminished. Jesus’ crowds augmented.

 

It’s no wonder John’s disciples approached John about the situation. “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” (John 3:26 – NIV)

 

John knew his role. He had accomplished it. It was time for Jesus to take over. But John had to bring his followers to the same understanding. John reminded his disciples that he was not the Christ and had never professed to be. John then shared the analogy of attending the bridegroom and being filled with joy upon hearing the voice of the bridegroom.

 

But then, John spoke words that have great significance in our walk with Jesus.

 

“He must become greater; I must become less.”(John 3:30 – NIV) The New American Standard Version puts it this way. “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

 

More or less?

 

That is a question we must ask ourselves every day and perhaps throughout our day. Does my life reflect more of me or more of Jesus? Have I chosen the path of becoming less so that Jesus becomes greater in all that I do? Am I decreasing so that Jesus can increase?

 

I know it’s not easy. I know I get the formula wrong. I know I mess it up. But in the Kingdom of God, Jesus must be the King. Jesus must sit on the throne. And that means Jesus must rule in our hearts. His presence must increase and our sinful, human nature must decrease.

 

John continued testifying for Jesus in the remaining verses of John chapter 3. He also mentioned that Jesus, “the one who comes from above is above all.” (John 3:31 – NIV) As we place Jesus above all in our lives, He increases. This must be our goal.

 

And the reward for our decrease? Eternal life. John closes his testimony with these words. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36 – NIV)

 

I am certain that I will try to bake again at some point. It’s a cycle I can’t seem to break. As I add more or less ingredients to my batter, I will remember this passage. More or less? Increase or decrease? Greater or less?

 

How will you remember to make Jesus’ presence greater in your life?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Watercolors (Sabbatical Post)

November 7th, 2015 dsisler

 

I attended a watercolor painting workshop yesterday afternoon. I recently mentioned to my husband that it was something I’d like to try and he gave me a watercolor kit for Valentine’s Day. Then this workshop showed up on my Facebook page. I knew it was something that I had to experience.

 

???????????????????????????????And experience I did. With a group of nine other ladies, our instructor, Marti, gave us detailed instructions. Step by step we began the process of building the chosen scene.

 

What was most interesting to me is that there was one instructor. But at the end of day, there were eleven different looking scenes. Each person had a different level of talent, perception and creativity. Each person there interpreted Marti’s instruction differently. Each person there created something unique to them.

 

Each was different due to colors chosen, the size of the house and the amount of color actually placed onto the paper, but each was beautiful in its own way. Reminds me of a Ray Stevens’ song…one of his serious ones.

 

My mind then wandered to God’s Word. His Bible holds a great deal of information for us. It is filled with instruction, guidelines for living, and commands. There is only one Author. God.

 

So why are there so many interpretations of the Bible? Why are there so many versions? Why are there so many different churches? I’m not sure I can answer this question adequately, but here is my take on it. It’s because of the human hands and minds that have taken God’s Holy Word and given it their own meaning.

 

I can read a passage of Scripture and say it means one thing. Someone else can say it means another. And then a biblical scholar might disagree with both of us and say it means something completely different.

 

Is it any wonder people are confused about God’s Word? Is it any wonder some have chosen not to believe because of the discrepancies between denominations and versions?

 

So here are my thoughts on all of this.

 

First, we must study God’s Word and allow His Holy Spirit to lead us to an understanding of what Scripture says. There have been many times in my Bible study life that I’ve thrown out the commentaries and saturated myself with what God has to say about a certain topic or passage. Then I wait for Him to enlighten me. It may not work for all, but it does work for me.

 

If we do not know what God’s Word has to say, we will just accept whatever someone else says it says. Please don’t be an uninformed follower. Study God’s Word for yourself.

 

Second, I believe we must trust the source we receive information from. Again, please don’t just like a preacher because of their preaching style. Love him for his willingness to preach the Word. God’s Word. In its whole. The good and the bad. Sin and its consequences. Heaven and hell. Jesus and His fullness. Not just things that tickle the ears of the audience (2 Timothy 4:2-3).

 

As we get to know a minister and his character and integrity, we will then be able to trust what he has to say about God’s Word.

 

Third, if Jesus isn’t taught as Scripture presents Him, then we must not accept the teaching of that particular teacher, church or minister. Anything outside of Scripture is false. Anything less than the fullness of Scripture is also false. And if we do not know who Jesus is, we cannot know God and all that He has to offer us (John 14:9-14).

 

Jesus is the only way to God. Jesus answered Thomas in John 14:6-7 (NIV) with these words. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

 

If we really know Jesus…

 

If we call ourselves “Christian”, a follower of Christ, shouldn’t we know Him? So tell me, what do you know about Jesus? I want to know. There is plenty of room for comments below.

 

Of course, I could tell you what I know about Jesus, but then that would go against what I wrote about today. My goal here is for you to think and study and then tell others what you know or have learned. It’s no less than what Jesus calls us to do.

 

I look forward to using my watercolor kit. I learned so much in the workshop and while it may not be exactly what I envision it to be, I believe I will find joy and peace through this creative outlet of watercolor painting.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Ring Tones (Sabbatical Post)

November 6th, 2015 dsisler

 

I love my smart phone. One of the features I love about it is that I can set specific ringtones for specific people. These ringtones were chosen carefully. They are ringtones that match a person’s personality or it might be their favorite song. When I hear a song or words, I know who is calling. It’s actually pretty exciting.

 

For instance, when my daughter Bethany was pregnant and time was getting close, the theme song to the show “Friends” would make my heart jump for joy. It still does. And here’s the list of all the others.

 

???????????????????????????????Mom – “Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let’s go racing boys!”

Dad – Theme song to “Gunsmoke”

Mason (husband) – “MacGyver” theme song

Philip (son) – “Ghostbusters” theme song

Candace (daughter) – Kamakauiuo’s version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”

Tammy (sister) – Opening words to “Days of Our Lives”

Billy (brother) – “Hawaii Five-0” theme song

Michael (brother) – Theme song to “Star Wars”

Lori (best friend) – Theme song to “Golden Girls”

 

Of course I change the regular ring tone throughout the year, well, okay just for Christmas, and “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” can be heard, but the rest of the time, the theme from the “Waltons” is my ring tone.

 

If I had the time and greater understanding of each person on my contact list, I would for sure have a specific ring tone for each of them. However, that would be a much larger task than I could possibly take on. So if you happen to call me, your ring tone is the “Walton” theme song.

 

Maybe I have too much time on my hands, but this was fun. I loved picking out the perfect ringtone for each person.

 

I might say that God chose different ways to announce Himself to each person in Scripture. It was like His unique ring tone for who He was speaking to and how He wanted to get their attention.

 

God got Moses’ attention through a burning bush (Genesis 3).

 

Balaam received word from God through his donkey and an angel with sword drawn (Numbers 22:21-35).

 

Elijah heard from God in the form of a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:9b-18).

 

Mary and Joseph received news from God through an angel (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25).

 

Saul saw a blinding light and heard Jesus’ voice (Acts 9:1-19).

 

The Apostle John received God’s revelation through an angel (Revelation 1:1-3).

 

Regardless of how God appeared or presented Himself, our biblical friends knew it was Him. And here’s some good news. God still has a message for us today. We know His message will provide exactly what we need when we need it.

 

We, who are living in this present age, have God’s words and message He has given through His Scripture. The Bible is our main source of hearing God’s voice and knowing Him. If we do not know the Bible, we do not know God.

 

We also hear God’s message through those called to ministry. God’s Holy Spirit leads these people to an understanding of God’s Word and they in part share their enlightenment with others.

 

And of course, we have God’s Spirit within us to be with us along our life journey. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor (John 14:16), will teach all things and will remind us of everything we’ve learned (John 14:26), is our Helper who testifies about Jesus (John 16:26), convicts of sin (John 16:8), guides us in all truth (John 16:13), speaks what He is told (John 16:13), brings glory to Jesus (John 16:14), resides within us (Romans 8:9), and He brings good fruit to our lives (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

God still shows up. God still calls. God is still at work. As we recognize Him, we are able to listen to what He has to say and act upon it.

 

I pray that as you go through your day today that you’ll stop to listen for God along the way. Hear what He has to say to you and act upon it. He has something special to tell you. Let’s just start with, “I love you! God”

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Gathering Eggs (Sabbatical Post)

November 5th, 2015 dsisler

 

The loved ones of this world celebrated St. Valentine’s Day yesterday. I thought about writing on the topic, but decided against it. Until I was out and about on Valentine’s Day.

 

DSC04227I received several emails, read all the Facebook posts, and even received a cute card from my husband about love for others and God’s love for me. I purchased a card for my husband and small boxes of chocolates for my grandchildren. I will admit that I added a few dollars to the commercialism of love. But that’s not what I want to write about today.

 

My husband and I were in a party supply store purchasing Elmo party supplies for our grandson’s 2nd birthday next week. As we stood in line, all the customers ahead of us were purchasing red heart balloons. Some were leaving the store with single balloons while others were struggling with ten, twenty or perhaps more.

 

The problem was that it was a windy day in Colorado. We noticed a large bunch of balloons in a tree when we arrived at the shop, so we weren’t surprised when the store clerk told each patron to “hold on to your balloons tightly.”

 

One woman left the store with a dozen balloons and did as she was told. She held tightly to the ribbons that were attached to the balloons. However, the balloons were not attached at the top as tightly as they should have been and two escaped before she made it to her car. I mentioned it to the clerks behind the desk and they had to make some alterations to their ribbon attaching strategy.

 

One of her balloons drifted off into the great balloon abyss, but one tangled itself in a nearby tree. As we walked to our car, without any balloons I might add, I noticed a young man climbing the tree to capture the wandering heart-shaped balloon. With balloon in hand, he descended from the tree, but the balloon must have snagged on a branch, for when he touched the ground, the balloon was torn. This young man hung his head in disappointment.

 

But his female companion was not disheartened by the scene. Upon spying the large grouping of heart shaped balloons in another tree, he began the climb once again, while his young friend took video of the adventure. I was hoping he could at least get one balloon out of that tree intact.

 

Life, in all its wonders and excitement, still disappoints us at times. We may not be loved by the one we love. We may be attacked by illness. We may find ourselves unemployed. We may face unbearable pain each day. We may have been betrayed by a friend. Our dreams may be dashed. Yes, disappointment is part of living.

 

But disappointment is just that, a part of living. There is so much more to this life than disappointment. And we can learn from each disappointing circumstance.

 

We understand from Scripture that this world is a disappointing place. Look at 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV). “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

 

Peter’s solution to disappointment? Rejoice! Rejoice that there are more opportunities out there.

 

Peter also encouraged his readers to “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 – NIV) When disappointment surrounds you and me, God would love nothing more than to wrap His everlasting, never disappointing arms around us. Because He loves us!

 

God also desires to deliver us from our troubles. King David wrote of such deliverance in two specific passages.

 

“A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” (Psalm 34:19 – NIV)

 

“Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man’s behalf!” (Psalm 66:5 – NIV)

 

In Psalm 73:21-26 (NIV), David also reminds us that in God we will never be disappointed.

 

“When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me you’re your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

 

I saw a quote on Pinterest that said, “I’m placing all of my eggs in one basket and I’m giving the basket to God.” I believe that is exactly what David did. David accepted God’s counsel and guidance. He understood that nothing satisfied as God did. He depended upon God for provision and strength. Yes, David placed everything in God’s hands.

 

Yes, this life will bring disappointment, but as we place our trust and faith in God and God alone, we accept the disappointments as growth experiences. Learning experiences. We also come to realize that God is the only one we can truly depend upon. He will never disappoint.

 

Let’s start gathering those eggs!

 

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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