my heart in Haiti (day 2)

Hi DW's! As many of you already know, last week I was in Haiti on a missions trip with friends. I was part of a small group of four people who independently traveled there to help out friends at The Apparent Project. The trip proved to be overwhelming on so many levels considering the large amount of poverty and the mass rubble still present from last year's earthquake in Port au Prince. Anyway, my bunk-mate and fellow DW friend, Jennifer, wrote a daily synopsis of the experience (from her viewpoint) in order to update family and friends while we were there. I was so impressed with her writings, I asked for her permission to post them here on Fresh Flowers for the coming week. We hope and pray that these daily entries paint a real-life picture for you and bless your hearts to further help the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned as mandated in James 1:27.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Ladies, each one of us is able to make a difference in the lives of others! We must only be willing to follow God's call! May you be richly blessed by His love as you enjoy Jennifer's writings this upcoming week. Blessings! ~Victoria

(Pictured above: A typical tent house in Haiti)

My Heart in Haiti (Day 2)
By Jennifer Theodorou
It's 5 a.m. The roosters are crowing, the light of day is breaking the horizon. After being awake for 36 hrs with early morning travel I am grateful to have gotten a few hours rest.

Last night I drifted off to sleep to the sound of a gently rumbling thunder storm. A sound I have always enjoyed and found somewhat soothing. As I lie here this morning I am thinking about the 800,000 people still in tents here. As I was soothed to sleep last night, their floors were turning to mud. They probably spent half the night adjusting and readjusting the tarps and sheets that comprise some of these tents, in an effort to stay even remotely dry. Some sheltering 3, 4, 5 children in the elements.

Hurricane season in coming. June 1st marks the beginning of a season of fear here. It is guaranteed that MANY storms will form over the Caribbean waters in the months ahead. And many prayers will be lifted up here, that this country would be spared another major disaster. With so many people outside of secure shelter, a direct hit from a hurricane would guarantee death of thousands more Haitians.

Yesterday I asked Shelley, our host, where all these people were before the quake. There were no tent cities before last years disaster. I learned that some were in apartments that collapsed, some rented houses that collapsed, and some rented houses that stood strong. The houses that survived were often owned by people who's primary residence did not. Landlords kicking out tenants so that they could have shelter for themselves and their families. None the less, 800,000 people still needing so much. Where will this help come from?

Yesterday I was blessed with the opportunity to meet 2 of the three families that we built homes for at the start of the new year. I got to stand within the walls that now protect their families. I was overcome with emotion. It was hard to explain. I was filled with joy in knowing that God used me and those that joined me in giving, to change these peoples lives. They, for the most part, were dry last night.

I don't share this to bring any glory to myself. It was all obedience to the calling of the Holy Spirit I felt clearly in my heart last October. It was all God moving those who gave into action. To GOD be the glory! I share this because I want people to see how it IS possible to make a difference. Hopefully in the next few days I will meet Nadege, who works here at Apparent. She received our third house. We have not changed the world here in Haiti, but in the lives of these three families, we have made a difference.

If you read my post yesterday, you'll recall my cry to the Lord, asking how I could possibly help in a nation that needed so much. He showed me, and I obeyed. Maybe you find yourself asking the same question. How can I possibly help? You can. You don't need to be rich, you don't have to pack up your life and move to Haiti. Through Apparent you can host a jewelry party. It costs you nothing. The jewelry is sent to you at no charge. You just track the sales and return the funds you receive. Each artist is paid 80% of the sales price when their pieces sell. 20% goes back into materials and aids in the cost of feeding the artists and their children each day that they come to work. How many of you have hosted or been to one of those ridiculously priced jewelry parties? How bout hosting one that is changing the lives of people in need?

Jewelry not your thing? Organize a cereal box drive at your kids school or in your work place. These materials are used to make the amazing paper beads that adorn the Apparent jewelry.

Are you in a circle of people that ARE financially in a position to give? That have hearts for those in need? Challenge people to help you raise funds to build a home here. It only takes $1600-3200.

If nothing else, please pray for Haiti and her people. Pray that God's protection would be with them during this hurricane season. Pray that the new president, recently inaugurated, would be able to establish change here, so that funds promised to Haiti would be received. Pray for Apparent and the Clays. For endurance, protection, wisdom and opportunity. There are big things on the horizon for Apparent. I'll share more about that later.

Today we will begin some work here at the Apparent guest house and artisan work shop in preparation for what's ahead. We will be painting, reorganizing, moving some furniture; anything and everything we can in the time we have been given. Please pray for our safety.

Give thanks for this day! For all that the Lord has blessed you with! For there are many here who have nothing. And in that nothingness they STILL praise the Lord!

(Continued tomorrow...)

my heart in Haiti (day 1)

Hi DW's! As many of you already know, last week I was in Haiti on a missions trip with friends. I was part of a small group of four people who independently traveled there to help out friends at The Apparent Project. The trip proved to be overwhelming on so many levels considering the large amount of poverty and the mass rubble still present from last year's earthquake in Port au Prince. Anyway, my bunk-mate and fellow DW friend, Jennifer, wrote a daily synopsis of the experience (from her viewpoint) in order to update family and friends while we were there. I was so impressed with her writings, I asked for her permission to post them here on Fresh Flowers for the coming week. We hope and pray that these daily entries paint a real-life picture for you and bless your hearts to further help the poor, the widowed, and the orphaned as mandated in James 1:27.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)

Ladies, each one of us is able to make a difference in the lives of others! We must only be willing to follow God's call! May you be richly blessed by His love as you enjoy Jennifer's writings this upcoming week. Blessings! ~Victoria

(Pictured above: DW Jennifer and DW Victoria)

My Heart in Haiti (Day 1)
By Jennifer Theodorou
The view from the plane on this early morning flight is an incomparable reminder of the foremost purpose for this journey; the Glory of God. The God who created the earth below, the God who created the sun in the sky, is who I desire to serve, exemplify and glorify in the week ahead. He put this path before me, one I never thought, until about six months ago, my feet would ever walk upon. Several years ago I joined my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray over a couple from our small group as they were preparing to depart for a mission trip to Mexico. At that time the only thought I had about missions was how beautiful it was that THEY were called to serve in this way. No personal thoughts of action ever crossed my mind.

Forward to January 2010. Haiti had just been devastated by a massive earthquake. I've never been one to follow world news, but I found myself glued to the coverage of this unimaginable disaster. And not in a train-wreck kind of way either. My heart was broken for these people in a way I had never experienced before. I would watch CNN, cry and pray, watch, cry and pray. I had no connections to Haiti, but the pain I felt in my heart for this nation, these people, was personal.

Four days after the quake our Pastor announced that he would be going to Haiti. I turned to my husband quietly and said, "I swear, if he said there was an extra seat on that plane, I'd be in it." I didn't really know what I had to offer these people in the midst of such grief, but if it were just to hold the hand of someone in despair, I would go. I followed our pastors journey and grieved right along side him and those he encountered.

Over the next few months, as the media coverage quieted down, so did my heart. Around May, my friend Sara began her involvement with The Apparent Project in Haiti. She was introduced to the organization as a possibility for employing Haitians in the production of a simple product to be sold in the Fair Trade market. We began supporting Apparent by selling the beautiful jewelry their artisans make in our salon suites. (Jennifer is a hairdresser by trade.)

I began to follow the blogs of Shelley Clay, founder of Apparent, and quickly found my heart consumed once again, with grief for Haiti and it's people. Shelley writes in a way that allows you to see what she writes about, to feel what she feels in her daily walk with this nation. After reading a particularly painful blog, I found myself overwhelmed with a desire to help these people.

Again in tears, I cried out to God, asking, "How can I possibly help? I'm one person. This is a NATION in need of so much!" Over the next few months God showed me what one person, led by the Holy Spirit, could do. I found myself blessed with several opportunities at my church, to have large jewelry sales for Apparent. And I felt led to encourage friends and clients in a holiday drive to build homes in Haiti for the new year.

Through the generosity of these loved ones, and by the grace of God, three homes were built for families by March 2011. In prayer, I walked beside my friend Sara on her first trip to Haiti. I told her, while she was there, to be thinking of how I could be of help if I joined her on her next trip. And here we are, in mid air, 6 hours away from touchdown in Port Au Prince, Haiti. I never thought I would be here. But God had a plan for me, long before I knew of it.

I am excited for what I will experience, anxious for what I will learn, and overjoyed for the opportunity. I pray that the Lord will use us this week to be His hands and feet. That we will be able to serve Him, by serving others, EXUDING the love of Jesus Christ.

(Continued tomorrow...)

good morning everyone!

Good morning everyone!

Let's say YES today!
Let's welcome in!
Let's open up and offer out!
Let's rejoice in the "good" of this good morning God has given!
Let's worship the Savior with our all!

ALL for Jesus!
ALL for His Way!
ALL for His Kingdom!
ALL for His Love!

Good morning everyone!

~Victoria

everyday is a gift! everyday!!!

Chuck and I spent Saturday evening visiting with our dear friends Mike and Michele who are currently camped out at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Without going into extensive detail about Mike's physical condition, let me just say that for years he has suffered the threat of dangerous blood clots building up in his veins along with many other associated health concerns.

Today, Mike's health situation has reached a critical decision point for his perplexed doctors. The question: How to best treat Mike's health? Do they keep him in the hospital or do they release him? Do they perform a very dangerous, life-threatening surgical procedure that may or may not improve Mike's condition, or do they leave everything as is and manage Mike's blood flow (which thankfully for now is reaching all his major organs) with thinning agents and pain management medicines? Either decision is risky. Neither decision is easy. But one thing is certain... moving forward, both decisions will result in the same undebatable, undeniable, and unquestionable truth for Mike and those who love him: Everyday is a gift! Everyday!!!

Chuck and I spent Sunday afternoon visiting with family to celebrate Mother's Day together. Without going into extensive details about the many events and participants involved in our day, let me just say that I was one of five people packed into a car who drove about an hour across Illinois in order to meet up with other beloved relatives to enjoy a lovely luncheon together.

To get to our location quickly, Chuck decided to take the expressway. This resulted in our group arriving earlier than expected before our reservation. So, there we were... together in a historic, little town with time to kill. As it turned out, we decided to use our free time to bum around in a quaint antique/resale shoppe that, upon first glance, may as well have been painted by Norman Rockwell himself. This place had everything! It was bursting at the seems with all sorts of memories from yesterday past.

I love places like that. Places that remind me of lives lived before my own life began. Places filled with precious remnants once greatly appreciated and newly purchased by their original owners... hobbies enjoyed, books read, fashions revealed, souvenirs acquired, time lived. Ahhh.

While running my fingers down the worn lines of an old furnishing that most likely graced someone's home only a century before, I kept thinking about the one truth that the Lord so evidently made clear to me while in the hospital with Mike and Michele just the day before: Everyday is a gift! Everyday!!!

The luncheon proved to be a grand success. Everyone hugged and said their farewells, then piled back into their vehicles to head back to familiar destinations. Since the weather was sunny and the temperature delightful, Chuck decided to spoil our group by meandering through the back roads. This allowed our original five to travel home laughing and sharing stories of life. Life that has proven to be a gift for each of us. Life that has been both a solitary journey as well as communion alongside one another. Life, no matter how difficult, we each still appreciate - no matter how trying a moment has been faced... no matter how terrible an experience has been endured. No, yesterday those hard times were easily discarded (if only for a short while) as our ride home paused our spirits to enjoy the beauty of scenic farmlands, breezy country roads, rusty tractors, playful horses, faded barns, white picket fences, reminiscent chit-chat, happy seconds. Yesterday, LIFE (in and of itself) proved good, and the blessedness enjoyed was undebatable, undeniable, and unquestionable.

This got me to thinking: a good life is what we each crave, isn't it? The desire of every living being is to enjoy these moments of poetic fullness, feelings of acceptance and love, visions of beauty, experiences of pleasure... purpose...hope! LIFE!

Everyday is a gift! Everyday!!!

I realize by now that some of you might be wondering why I feel compelled to share these experiences for what seems to most to be an ordinary Monday morning. But to this I ask you: Is today really ordinary? For isn't today the only Monday, May 9, 2011 that our earth's history will ever record? Isn't this "now" the only moment you can really choose to rejoice in, appreciate, enjoy, and LIVE? If so, how will you choose to live THIS day... and who will you live it for?

Might I suggest you choose to live for the One who can insure that this "now" - this good part of life that everyone is so desperately scrambling to hold onto - will continue and actually improve for the better? You see, there is a NEW LIFE of everlasting goodness that Jesus has offered to those who will choose to receive Him. His is an even better life... an ETERNAL life!!! A life without uncertainty, sickness, horror, hardship, sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, hatred or fear. A good, holy, perfect life that He is able to assure us of - even after our gift of "everydays" on this earth have past by and concluded.

Friends, there is no denying that in this world human death is as certain as the life you are presently living. Our time on this planet is limited. Our important agendas, dearest relationships, and valuable belongings will one day become memories, relics, and antiques of yesteryear and we will each ultimately pass away and likely be forgotten. Everyday is limited here. But everyday promised in Christ offers us an eternity of whatever is good, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, whatever is excellent and praiseworthy. Oh, what a wonderful life Jesus has to offer!!! But this NEW LIFE can only exist in His presence. It can only be found in His kingdom and under His rule. Indeed, this NEW LIFE is the life our Creator originally intended for us to know and enjoy in the glory of His holy presence!

The Bible says that from the dust of the ground God created man in His own image and breathed into His nostrils the breath of LIFE! (Life comes from God!) Unfortunately, man selfishly turned against God and corrupted his own existence by choosing to sin. And, unfortunately, where there is sin, there is death. (Just look around - death consistently surrounds us and threatens us. I hate sin and death! Don't you?)

Thankfully, God - the Giver of all LIFE, loves us enough to keep on giving! To right our selfish wrong, He came to earth and paid the ultimate price for our sin! Sure, this world still displays many examples of His creation - the good He first intended for mankind to enjoy. For our God is gracious, loving, and anxious to extend us His goodness - even to those who deny Him. Why? Because He loves mankind and desires to be intimately close to us forever. However, ultimately God cannot allow sin. Corruption must be corrected or removed. So, man must either choose God's gift to become new again (Jesus) or be removed from His kingdom forever. If we choose Jesus, our sin is forgiven. If we reject Him, we will die and be removed forever - then the gift of life will be lost FOREVER.

Knowing this, will you choose Jesus as your Savior, dear friend? Will you trust and learn to obey His loving, life-giving Word? Will you believe that His Way is healthy, good, and can insure you eternal LIFE? I pray that you will. For this is the day... this is the moment... this is the only "now" you have to choose Jesus... the Giver that keeps on giving!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

In Jesus Holy Name, I wish you all His eternal goodness, love, and blessings!
Love you all!
XOX!

~Victoria

___________________________________________________

P.S. For those who seek to receive the gift of NEW LIFE in Jesus Christ...

Can people in today's world have hope? Yes. God's power can make us secure.
Many people today live without hope. They have no resources to strengthen them or guide them through their struggles in life. However, the focus of the Christian faith is God's power to help us in whatever trials arise. Through Jesus we are able to receive a power great enough to bring salvation and deliverance. It is available to any person who believes His Word.

Romans 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."

God's power results in change.
Through God's loving plan, people can change. The biblical word for "change" is repentance. This means allowing God to change the direction of our lives for what is best.

Romans 2:4, "God's kindness leads you toward repentance."

Sin makes change necessary.
Why do people need to change? According to the Bible, every human being has to face the problem of sin. Sin is to fall short of the standard we were originally created to uphold. The Bible teaches that God created us in His image with a standard of perfection. (See Matthew 5:48) However, man failed to meet that standard by disobeying God's plan. As a result, man has to face his problem of sin. We may do much that is good, and we may not want to do anything bad, but no person can measure up to God's standard of ALWAYS doing what is right.

Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fall short to the glory of God."

God still loves us.
Some people think that our failure to meet God's standard results in God being our enemy. But the message of Jesus is that in spite of our sin, God still loves us. God hates sin.... not men. But God's love for us is not based on an unawareness or intolerance that overlooks our sin. God cannot tolerate sin. So, the Lord sent His perfect Son to take man's place for the penalty of sin. God demonstrated the depth and reality of His love for us, by doing what was necessary to overcome mankind's problem with sin. (See John 3:16 again.)

Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Sin earns death, but God gives life.
Sin would not be a problem, if it did not have serious consequences. However, the consequences of sin are too serious to overlook. Whenever we sin, the Bible says we earn the wages of death. This means, if every person is guilty of sinning, then every person must die. This does not refer to a physical death alone. This refers to a spiritual death and complete separation from God for eternity. (See John 3:36 and Revelation 20:11-15) However, because He loves us, God provided an eternal solution so that we may live with Him for all eternity. Jesus died on the cross in our place as a sacrifice to save us from death. (See 1 Peter 3:18) He took our guilt for sin upon Himself so that His death would fulfill the judgment against our sin. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Colossians 2:13-14) Basically, Jesus substituted Himself so that we could live! By our own works, we earn death. But by His grace we can receive eternal life. This is the loving gift that God offers to mankind.

Romans 6:23, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The Call to Salvation: Confess / Repent / Believe / Call

Confess: The biblical word translated confess means to "say the same thing". When we confess Jesus as Lord, we are recognizing His rightful authority over us - agreeing with who He says He is. (See Isaiah 45:5-7, 22-24 and Philippians 2:10-11) In acknowledging Jesus as our Lord, we admit our sin and the problem it poses for us.

Repent: In accepting Jesus authority, we can then repent of our sins and turn away from the hopeless life we have been living on our own terms. Rather, we can obey and serve Him by living a God-oriented life (rather than self-oriented). This turning away from sin in order to follow Jesus is called "repentance".

Believe: Believing God means to trust God. When you you choose to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, you have confidence that the death and resurrection of Jesus are enough to secure your salvation. You are trusting the work of Christ, rather than your own works to save you. You are putting the certainty of your physical and eternal life in His hands.

Call: Acknowledging that Jesus is now the rightful Lord in control of your life, and believing in His work alone for our salvation results in our calling on Him to be saved. Anyone who is willing to call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Anyone. No other qualifications are required. To call on the name of the Lord is to ask Him for forgiveness of sin and for salvation. By doing this, you are acknowledging Jesus as your Lord and expressing your intention to live a life following Him.

Romans 10:9-10, 13, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
The Sinner's Prayer
Would you like to have an intimate, eternal relationship with the One who made you and loves you unconditionally? If so, tell Him in your own words or repeat this simple prayer of repentance (below). Note: The language used in a person's prayer of salvation is not the primary issue. The action of genuinely committing one's life to Christ matters the most. Words are not more holy or effective if they are scripted. The prayer shown below is only to help someone express what they want Jesus to do in their life.

“Father in Heaven, until now I have been living life my own way, but I want to start living for You. I trust You. Through the working of Your Holy Spirit, I realize I’ve sinned before You and come to You in repentance. I believe that You loved me so much that You sent Jesus, Your Only Son, to fully pay the penalty for my sin by dying on the cross. I receive the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf and trust Him as my Lord and Savior. Because Jesus rose from the dead, I will live eternally in Your perfect, glorious presence. Dear God, thank you for forgiving me, making me Your child, and preparing a place for me in Heaven. Amen.”

Those who have accepted Jesus as Savior have hope because we are heirs of God!
Once we have accepted God's gift of salvation, God adopts us as His own children, and His Holy Spirit assures us that we are part of His family. According to Roman law at the time of Paul's writing, someone's adopted son also became his heir. While Christ is God's heir by nature, Christians have become God's heirs by adoption. Therefore, we are now joint heirs with Christ Jesus.

Verses 38-39 tell us that we are eternally secure in God because Jesus defeated the principalities and powers of this earth. The result is that we need not fear any human or superhuman enemies. Nothing can separate us from God's love in Jesus Christ!!! Believers can live with hope because they are God's children - secure in His eternal love. GOOD NEWS!!!

Romans 8:16-17, 38-39, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Faith = Life for God
Once you become a Christian, God calls you to live your life for Him. He wants only the very best for you! By following His commands, your life will change to become more like Jesus who is perfect. New Christians can expect their life to be different because of this. God wants a Christian's life to change (even if it means sacrifice). The goal for believers is to look and live less like the unsaved world and more like Jesus. That kind of change only happens because God brings it about. He will transform the new Christian's life, making it more like the life of Jesus. (See Philippians 1:6 and 2:13) It is important to note that a person does not need to be "religiously inclined" to become a faithful Christian. Jesus is all you need to focus on. He will make you look and live like one of His children.

Romans 12:1-2, "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

false gods

Every now and then, I like to poke my head out into the world to see who and what is being said by the elite, leaders, and celebrities that the masses follow. Today, I found myself visiting a famous talk show host's website. This is a person who has a disturbing amount of influence and power in this world, but sadly does not claim Jesus as her Savior. She is a person who I will continue to pray for, but refuse to follow or recommend no matter how big a philanthropist she may present herself to be.

Anyway, on her website, this talk show host has dedicated an entire section to showcase all things spiritual... at least spiritual to her. There, her flavor-of-the-month assigned spiritual advisor is showcased under the headline "How to be Spiritual Every Day" along with the following quote, "While it's good to have strong relationships with the people in your life, it's important to put your relationship with your 'Source' at the top of your priority list... Your Source can be God, the Tao, Divine mind, Krishna or whatever else you call your higher power—the key is that you make this bond your number one."

Ladies, do you realize that society has stopped looking to God's Word for answers and has instead decided to daily seek the "spiritual" advice offered by a talk show host and her paid network associates? Let me just say that again... A TALK SHOW HOST AND HER PAID NETWORK ASSOCIATES!!!! And the "spiritual" advice presented is BAD ADVICE, to say the least! Anyone who wants to stand up and publicly proclaim that I should hold the ONE TRUE GOD as an equal to the shuffled deck of false gods created by men until I find the one who is best matched to work as my "source" of choice is pointing me in only one direction... toward SATAN! Call on whatever "god" you wish... it doesn't matter... if you are not following JESUS CHRIST... you will only find eternal death and separation from your Creator.

Look in 1 Kings 18. King Ahab and the people of Israel were following the many false gods of Ba'al. Elijah boldly stood up against the wicked king and his prophets to offer a challenge. His purpose: to show Israel WHO was the real God... the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob... or the false gods of Ba'al. Here is what happened:

THE CHALLENGE IS MADE
Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The god who answers by fire - he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."

BA'AL... ARE YOU THERE?
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.

At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.

GOD IS GOD!
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and he dug a trench around it... He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood."

"Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."

Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The Lord - he is God! The Lord - he is God!" (1 Kings 18:22-39)

The times of Ba'al actually parallels the "spiritual" beliefs of today in so many ways. Here were the Israelites who had finally settled into the promised land only to be convinced by the elite, leaders, and celebrities of their day to worship God as an equal alongside the other gods and idols of Ba'al. Mind you, the Israelites never abandoned the idea of worshipping God. They simply added the syncretism to also accept the politically and socially acceptable Ba'al into their lives. Sure, God was who they would continue to call upon in real crisis and emergency. But Ba'al was more up-to-date... more modern... more in tune to everyday. Ba'al gods were recognized as the spiritual source of worship for all things natural, fertile, peaceful. Even though Ba'al promoted all sorts of sexual immorality, the desire for power and motives for personal and selfish gain, that wasn't really discussed. Rather, the gods of Ba'al were worshipped by followers who had high hopes that they would receive back from the generous gods in control of the earth so they could live their best life NOW... sound familiar?

Considering this, I strongly urge you to read what the Lord says in His Word...

"You shall have NO OTHER GODS before me." (Exodus 20:3)

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4)

"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you." (Leviticus 18:24-28)

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)

Ladies, the day is approaching when Christ will return and claim His throne. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is the ONE TRUE GOD... that Jesus Christ is LORD! And when unbelievers cry out in the name of their false gods...there will be no response, no one will answer, no one will pay attention.

I encourage you to consider who you are listening to for "spiritual" guidance and what false gods, sources, and idols you have accepted into your life. Are you following the unchanging, all-knowing wisdom of Jesus Christ, Creator of the Universe, Who Was and Is and Is To Come.... or are you following the feel-good advice of a talk show host?

Please think about it. Choose whom you will serve. But as for me and my house... WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!

Blessings!

~Victoria

be better with Jesus

Dear Reader,

Contrary to the popular opinion of those who wish to bomb me with hurtful words and threats... for the record, I am not your personal punching bag. Nor do I hold any authority to change God's Word in order to accommodate anyone's comfort and/or sinful desire... not even my own. No, I am alive for one main purpose - to glorify Jesus' Name! I am here to love my King with the very life He has given me. His Word teaches me to love others (including you), and I am resolved to do so until my very last breath has concluded.

So you... you who express a desire to hurt me... you who attack, threaten, bully, and attempt to silence my voice with hateful, mean rattlings... please know that although I do not enjoy your scorn against my faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ, I will never stop sharing His message. I will always sing His praise. Always!

As I continue to absorb your punches with prayer, deep down I know that your anger is not really directed toward me personally, but rather toward God. For you really don't know too much about the depths of my life, opinions, feelings, heart, etc. Nor do I know these things about you. You have only heard me echo His scriptural truth. My identity and stance has always been about establishing His image, for God is my foundation! So much so, that I have surrendered my life to His service. And now, through this journey, our paths have somehow crossed. Why? I do not know... but God does.

Mind you, I have not deliberately singled you out. I have not sought to make trouble in your life by sharing His Way. Rather the very opposite. I love you. I love you because Jesus first loved me. I love you because God calls me to love you. I love you because I am no better or worse on my own as an individual... for scripture tells us, in God's eyes we all fall short. We are all incomplete, lost, hopeless. But with the aid of Jesus, I know that hope is indeed available. I have found eternal treasure... everlasting life and holiness in His Name! By His authority and grace, I have received His free gift of redemption and have been saved from sin and death! I have real purpose in His plan! As such, my prayer is that you too will come to intimately know this same relief and receive His new life. I pray that you will stop denying your Maker and instead receive His beautiful, everlasting future.

So today, as I continue to read through your many, many harassing messages filled with animosity, I will still rejoice in my Savior's security and love. I do not fear you. I forgive you. For despite your hurtful words and abusive behavior, I know God is always in control of my eternal future. And I believe He has sovereignly brought you to DW to hear His good news and be challenged to walk His new Way. Clearly, He has gotten your attention or you would not still be reading. So now, how will you proceed? Will you continue in your own hate or will you receive His gracious love and new life?

I'm praying that you will choose to follow His love! For His love is just better! I encourage you, dear reader... be better with Jesus! He's worth it!

Always in Christ's service,

Victoria

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

are you listening and doing... or just listening?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)

My husband and I were discussing this topic over lunch today. We were praying over the lifestyle and actions of an aquaintance of our family. Their situation is actually a bit scary when looked at through eternal eyes.

Here is a person that we know well, who verbally can recite the entire Bible to both my husband and myself. However, when it comes to actually living as God has called them to live... well, that's a different story. For their actions and decisions clearly are ignoring scripture altogether. In discussing their situation with Chuck, it forced me to think about these verses in James 1 and, in turn, examine my own actions and lifestyle.

In searching my own heart, I had to ask myself, "Am I living like this acquaintance? Am I fooling myself into believing that my listening to the knowledge of God's Word is merely enough? Am I someone who is savvy to study scripture (someone who hears the Word daily, indulges in Christian books and resources, etc.) only to pat myself on the back with a euphoric feeling of "spiritual wellness" simply because I showed up? However, after that, do I forget how Christ has called me to live and ignore all opportunities that He brings forth so that I might actually live out my faith?"  Serious questions that will impact my future, for sure!

James warns believers that unless our hearing is accompanied by the commitment to follow through and LIVE holy, we permit God's Word to become more of a spiritual malpractice that leads to self-deception and the illusion of false spirituality.

Ezekiel 33:31-32 says, "My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice."

Ladies, I am concerned that we are abandoning our pilgrimage after we hear God's message by failing to follow-through and practice our said obedience and devotion. Jesus notes in John 13:17 how important following Him is (not just hearing about Him), “If you understand all of this, you are blessed whenever you follow my example.”

Reading on in James, we see that someone who listens to God but does not do what He commands is like a person who looks at his face in a mirror, studies his features, then goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. Here, James is saying we could examine ourselves for hours and uncover all our sin and shame, but the process would render itself worthless if we walked away from the mirror and failed to commit our sinful image to memory. If we walk away and immediately forget how low and desperate we truly are without Christ, we will not take action to correct any visible imperfections to become more like Jesus in how we live. If there is no recollection - no action can be taken. We then stay lost... stuck in our sinful ways. This is not how Jesus intends for us to be! Hearing of the Word is rendered ineffective if its admonitions are not obeyed through appropriate actions! We must hear Christ's commands... and then we must actually "do" what He says!

From what I can tell in scripture, there are three points that describe best how a Christian should live out his commitment to the Lord: Looking, Continuing, and Doing. (1) Looking connotes the desire to search, learn, and gain useful knowledge about God. We must study to show ourselves approved and hide His Word in our heart so that we don't sin against Him. (2) Continuing suggests the commitment to sustain our efforts of looking so that we know best how to model our lives after Christ. This requires consistently staying faithful, making the devoted effort every day to know Him as much as possible. (3) Doing affirms our pledge to put into practice what we have learned and to abide by the principles we have acquired in studying His ways.

Barnes said, "If a man supposes that by a mere punctual attendance on preaching, or a respectful attention to it, he has done all that is required of him, he is laboring under a most gross self-deception. And yet there are multitudes who seem to imagine that they have done all that is demanded of them when they have heard attentively the word preached. Of its influence on their lives, and its claims to obedience, they are utterly regardless."

I leave you with this last thought... "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does (emphasis on the word "does")... only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

Live out your faith and be blessed as you focus on resembling His image... His holiness! Praise our Lord Jesus Christ for providing salvation from sin and death and giving us the gift of a new life in Him! Let's get out there and LIVE that new life, shall we? Let's do what our Savior has told us to do! Let's be holy because He is holy!

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

an ordinary woman... God's extraordinary call

Hi ladies. Today, I just can't seem to focus on what I had originally planned to share. You see, in the last few weeks, God has introduced many personal changes and spiritual challenges within my own life, and I feel it is time to start sharing some of them with you. The biggest change is that the Holy Spirit has made it abundantly clear to both my husband and myself that God is calling me to press on with this small women's ministry. Overall, I don't really know what DW will look like, but I do know that I am supposed to write and speak through this medium. So, in about a month, I have decided to step down from my position as officer and business operations manager at my day job, and devote more of myself to ministry. As you can imagine, this is both exciting and daunting for both me and Chuck for many, many reasons. However, we have prayerfully decided to trust the Lord in every step as we know He oversees our future.

Since the conception of The Devoted Woman, I have been praying for God to put in front of me exactly what He wants me to be focused on in this capacity and exactly who I should meet in order to best share His message of love in action. Without going into so many details it will make your head spin, God has definitely done just that. However, the closer I have sought after the will of my King, the more Satan has tried his best to hijack my sanity. But amidst these storms, God has always proven faithful and has continually offered me His peace.

OK, so fast forwarding to today...

One of the projects God has recently put on my radar is something that will lead this ordinary woman to help a place in which I never thought God would lead... Haiti! Yes, Haiti!!! I am, at present, helping to generate silent auction items for some dear friends at the ApParent Project for a fundraiser intended to help buy land, build homes and aid the poor, the orphaned, and the widowed who lost everything in Haiti's last massive earthquake.

Resulting from this project, I've been invited to visit Haiti to meet it's people and see the devastation first hand while investigating fair trade opportunities and networking with other ministries/charities on location. This, in and of itself, has spiritually challenged my own sense of security and trust in God's promise never to leave me, and never to forsake me, and I am in heavy prayer over the decision.

To prepare for the trip, I would have to undergo several preventative measures in advance so that I may avoid contracting diseases such as hepatitis, malaria, cholera, or whatever. You see, life in Haiti is not like life in the United States. They don't have the things we do to feel safe. No, they are soooo very poor... without clean water, without shelter, without many of the necessities we foolishly take for granted each day. So, the prospect of heading directly to a place that most of us generally overlook in our comfortable commonplace of Christian life has led me to feel spiritually stripped down in pure nakedness before God's throne. But I am still prayerfully deciding to trust the Lord in every step as I am certain He oversees my future.

DW's goal has always been to educate, empower, and engage our worldwide audience of Christian women to take a more active role within our communities by personally reflecting the love of God to all the world, and by continually seeking and loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. As I now advance forward in spearheading DW's ministry full-time, to remain true to our objective, I am certain that I will be further challenging you to boldly follow Christ out of every earthly comfort zone. He calls His followers to leave everything for His sake and to step up and love in places we may never have thought He'd lead.

I hope you will answer His call and join me in obedience to the Master as we enter into His new season of change. Let's spiritually strip ourselves naked before the King of kings and trust that He will clothe us, feed us, protect us, and empower us to do the extraordinary will of Almighty God each and every day! He will never leave... He will never forsake. So, this is the day to rejoice and be glad in Him!!! Amen, precious Lord. Amen.

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Use us, Lord. We have everything because of Jesus... let us give everything because of Jesus!

Blessings, Ladies!

XOXOX

~Victoria

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

have patience

I have an old childhood song running through my head.  Momba used to sing this one to me when I was little...

"Have patience.  
Have patience.  
Don't be in such a hurry.

Whey you get impatient, you only start to worry.

Remember.  
Remember.
That God is patient too.

And think of all the times when others had to wait for you.

So true!"

Thanks, Momba!

uncomfortably comfortable in corruption

Have you ever stopped, looked around, and realized that your life seems to be in disarray? That while you have been dealing with the day-to-day brush fires of the moment, your immediate surroundings, your schedule, and even your relationships have begun to appear more and more like dried kindling that could easily ignite at any given hour?

Have you ever wondered, "How did my life get so complicated... so messy... so out of control? How could I let this or that happen? Why does everything seem so loud and stressful? And why can't I seem to gain a foothold ahead of all these interruptions and distractions?"

This is how I began my day. Mind you, at no fault of my own, I have been very sick with the flu as well as dealing with severe pain from an ongoing back injury. As such, for some time I have chosen to step away from the norm in order to attend to myself. However, while I have been spending what seems like the last few months recovering and healing, Satan has been at work scheming his next attack on camp Victoria.

The enemy's intent: to trip me up and watch me fall while rendering my life ineffective in bringing glory to God Almighty.

His ammunition of the hour is to skillfully utilize loud noise, busyness, clutter, and distraction as a means of gaining momentum. His motive is to make me feel defeated and hopeless. To encourage my weary emotions to get the better of me. To monopolize my time and thoughts in order to stop me from moving forward in my life's purpose and total commitment to honor and worship the holy King of kings.

As such, today I woke up under attack - feeling extremely panicked and overwhelmed. Today, I looked around and realized that in the last month every part of my home has accumulated some form of clutter requiring my personal attention of which I have been unable to physically accommodate. That my schedule has become incredibly overbooked and unrealistic. That some of my dearest relationships have fallen into shortened neglect. And, as a result, my heart is now unsettled and worried. Yes, today I looked around and briefly reacted negatively while temporarily discarding the clear focus of my God's perspective of peace. Instead of praising His Name, all I could see was disarray, disorder, and chaos accumulating. All I could focus on was my never-ending supply of difficult tasks and problems. It's always something, right?

Have you ever been here?

Have you ever felt completely out of control and overburdened?
Have you become lost in all that is wrong rather than hopeful in all that is righteous and available to you?

Yes, today I woke up feeling buried and hopeless! But blessed be the Holy Spirit because thankfully, for many months He has had the foresight to prepare me for this day of attack - driving home one single truth in my mind each and every time I would listen. That truth is this: The Word of the Lord is always my answer. The Word of the Lord is always my defense. The Word of the Lord is always my source of strength, and hope... and peace! The Word of the Lord is my firm foundation in Jesus' new, better life.

How vital is it to stay close to God?

How important is it to regularly study and meditate over His truths and allow His wisdom to fill our hearts?

It is most important, Ladies!

His Word is MOST important to our survival and growth in Jesus Christ!!!

Satan thrives to coax us away from being close to God. He loves to lead our souls into chaos. He wishes to trip us up when we are burdened down by making even simple things seem complicated... making our world seem unfixable and unkempt. Yes, Satan fiercely wants us to stumble... and to keep stumbling. He wants us so battered and abused that we are only able to focus on our sorrows and sores rather than receive God's proven Way to lasting health and wellness... rather than moving forward in service and love. Yes, evil Satan wants us to accept an unwarranted defeat outside of God's will. That ole' snake wants us to submit to his unstructured rule rather than abide in the care of our perfect Creator who always brings order and purpose. In short, Satan wants us to live uncomfortably comfortable with corruption. Furthermore, he is the grand master of shifting the blame of his inadequacy onto us. Blame, that sadly when we are not prepared to stand firmly in God's truth, we buy into - accepting of lies and reacting in panic.

This was Satan's attack on me this morning. And, had he succeeded, his attack could have been the beginning of some real trouble and damage... not only for me, but also for my family as I frequently am key in setting the spiritual tone in our household each morning. When I think of the domino effect that Satan's attack could have caused on this beautiful morning, I am angered at his vicious attempt to hurt and destroy my new life. But mostly, I am sooooo grateful for my prepared Shepherd. For my Jesus has proven that He is not the god of panic. No, my God is not the god of unstructured surroundings or disorderly conduct. Rather to the contrary, my God loves me. He is the God who commands the wild seas to be still and at peace. My God is the God who silences the lips of those who foolishly challenge His law. (Ya hear that, Satan!!!) My God is the God who dictates the comings and goings of every sunrise and sunset. My God is the God who saves and protects His beloved family from all harm. Most importantly, My God decrees the exact amount of what I am able to handle. Thankfully, experience with His truth has taught me to trust Him on that. For I know He has a valuable purpose and plan for every single moment of my life. And, I know that every day He calls me to rest calmly in His care as I proceed forward. So, today I am resting on God's many promises and choose to stand firm in the security of His Word. Today, I confidently reject Satan's bed of negativity and lies about my current condition and/or status. For I have real hope in the Lord. So I will face ALL things with the renewed purpose of abiding in that hope while giving my Redeemer all glory for every accomplishment and step forward.

Ladies, if you are faced with any trial, any horror, any sorrow, any chaos... stop and be still in Spirit. Pause in God's promises before proceeding foolishly in a reactionary panic. For our God never invites panic. Rather, He wishes for us to be filled with His grace, always trusting His authority and control of all things placed before us. With this in mind, I encourage you to be alert to the schemes of Satan and choose to stand firm in the Lord with this important truth: The Word of the Lord is always the answer. The Word of the Lord is always your defense. The Word of the Lord is always your source of strength, and hope... and peace!!! The Word of the Lord is your firm foundation in Jesus' new, better life. Any viewpoint or emotion that blurs this certain hope contravenes us against the law of obedience to solely follow Christ... to solely trust the Lord to see us through.

“All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:24-25)

Blessings!

~Victoria

just thinking about these things: my oak tree

As I look outside my window today, I notice my favorite oak tree. At present, it is quiet, reserved, skeletal, still. It has no leaves left on it, for winter's harshness has come and gone. Around it's majestic trunk, the snow is beginning to melt away, giving me a glimpse of the grasses on which my beagle has been known to play. It is now that I realize another season of life has passed, and my oak tree's roots have once again held strong... held true.

Soon the warmth of spring will arrive and every branch of my favorite tree will blossom. The birds will return and take residence while the caterpillars feast upon it's big, beautiful, green leaves. I will once again enjoy the visiting breezes that dance outside my window, and my oak tree, of course, will sway in tandem - keeping in step to the music of nature, all the while lifting it's arms up in praise.

In fact, now that I think about it, my tree has never stopped worshipping God. As long as I've known it, through rain, snow, sleet, hail... through sunshine, moonlight, dusk and dawn... my quiet oak always rejoices with it's limbs outreached toward heaven! Let heaven and nature sing!

This is something to really stop and think about as I pause from the busyness of my work day. Yes, this is is something to consider as I think about how each day I too am to glorify my King. Similar to this tree, I can stand rooted - secure in the foundation and truth of my God's Word. I too, can overcome any trial/any season and be used to nourish, encourage, and support others I encounter. I too can raise my hands to heaven and rejoice and be glad because I know Who made me... I know Who I belong to... I know Who has redeemed my life forevermore! I can sing in spite of thunderstorms and hail. I can echo God's joy in spite of winds that blow apart my leafy coverings of earthly comfort.

Yes, let every season come, precious Savior! For I am assured of your everlasting security and peace. You have renewed my spirit so that I can stand obedient and strong in any storm. I love you, Lord, and am blessed to say I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength! Glory to God for His strength! Glory to God for His joy! Glory to God for He is indeed worthy!!!

THIS IS THE DAY!

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55:12)

Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" (Psalms 66:1-4, 20)XOXOX!

~Victoria

let the Son shine

Beautiful sunshine come beam down on my day.
Glorious air with breezes of spring and life renewed with budding blooms.
This is today.
Our newest moment to rejoice to the Creator of all earth... to lift up our hands to the One who grants us new life and purpose!
Hallelujah to the King of kings with whom we can trust completely!
Blessed Savior, we will worship!

(Victoria Anderson)

For those who like a binary challenge... decode the secret message below:

01001010 01100101 01110011 01110101 01110011 00100000 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 01110011 00100000 01011001 01001111 01010101 00100001

Click here is you need help:  http://www.binarytranslator.com

XOX!

~Victoria

meatball

A few weeks ago around midnight, Chuck was walking our dogs for one last "hurrah" before going to bed. While standing in the front yard waiting on our beagle to finish his business (the slowpoke), a happy-go-lucky little dog appeared out of nowhere and started socializing with our canine family. He was a fluffy little guy who was clearly lost due to his lack of leash or master to guide him. The minute our dogs saw this cutie pie, they started to wag their tails and welcome him into the yard. Since this new dog seemed friendly, Chuck allowed the dogs to engage and get to know one another. While this was going on, my kind husband bent down and read the shiny tag on the dog's collar. His name was Meatball, and he lived only a few blocks away from our home. Chuck scratched behind the ear of his new four legged friend and said, "OK, Meatball, I'll get you home."

From there, Chuck came into the house and told me the story and how Meatball would be visiting with us for a while. Even though it was late, I decided to call Meatball's family. (I knew if it was my dog, I'd be freaking out trying to find him, so it was likely that Meatball's parents were no different.) After the first ring, a man picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi, I know it's late, and you don't know me, but...." I proceeded to tell this man how Meatball found his way into our yard while Chuck continued to entertain the animals. To say the least, this man was grateful and relieved. You see, nearby our subdivision is a busy street. Meatball could have easily been harmed (or worse), and this man had spent his whole night calling out to Meatball hoping he'd come home. He had just about given up when we phoned. He immediately rushed over to pick up his baby, shook Chuck's hand, and all was well in the world of Meatball again. Yeah!

So, yesterday morning (weeks later), you can image my shock to see Meatball sitting in our front lawn!!! It was as if he knew which house was ours because he was clearly lingering in our yard waiting for Chuck to rescue him once more. When we realized he was out there, we both dashed to get a leash and bring him in. "Meatball, what are you doing here again?"

Like before, Chuck entertained the dogs while I phoned Meatball's parents. We all got a good laugh that this silly dog was intelligent enough to make it back to our house on his own. This time, "mamma" came and got Meatball and we shared ideas to better contain him. Turns out, Meatball is an older dog. Before now, he never tried to get out or run away. However, recently he has started to become curious and investigate outside his yard. Somehow, he has managed to break free from his leash and turn into a little "Houdini". Meatball's mamma promised that she would correct the problem, shook Chuck's hand, and all was well in the world of Meatball... AGAIN.

I was thinking about Meatball this morning... about how I could relate to his predicament. Frequently, my sinful curiosity gets the better of me and I break free from what I know to be good and holy and instead follow after the false attractiveness of the world. It's not long before I realize I've gotten myself lost and in trouble. But I've learned from past mistakes that the safest thing for me to do is stop and sit myself down in the yard of my Savior and look to Him to rescue me. For He knows that my Father in Heaven has been desperately calling for me to come home. And only He has the means to get me there safely. If I just relax and linger in His presence... if I trust that He loves me and wants what is best for me... if I wait for His timing, provision and plan - then I know all will ultimately be well again. I trust Him no matter what.

Have you stumbled into trouble? Have you found yourself lost in a situation that you cannot correct? Might I suggest you stop running around without a Master? Choose to sit yourself down in God's Word and linger in the safety of the Savior. Trust me when I tell you that He is a faithful friend... a Lover of your soul... a Comforter and Guide for your life. He will protect you from harm while inviting you to dwell with Him - to abide in His love. He promises to lead you back into the loving arms of the Almighty Father. So, stop living like a meatball and start living as a blessed child of the King of Kings. Stop running from the One who loves you and instead choose to trust Jesus. It is well. He will safely lead you home.

In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. (Exodus 15:13)

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

one two three four five six rest... and relax forever in His presence!

On the first day of creation my true Lord let there be...
(Yes, I have the "12 Days of Christmas" song in my head, so just go with it. Ha ha.)

Day 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
On the second day of creation my true Lord let there be...

Day 2
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
On the third day of creation my true Lord let there be...

Day 3
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
On the fourth day of creation my true Lord let there be...

Day 4
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
On the fifth day of creation my true Lord let there be...

Day 5
And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
On the sixth day of creation my true Lord let there be...

Day 6
And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. d blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

On the seventh day of creation my true Lord RESTED!

Day 7
By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Ahhhh, rest. Don't you just love that God rested? Isn't it wonderful that God didn't just stop with those six days in the first week of our earth's history? Rather, our loving God chose to acknowledge a seventh day where He deliberately ceased creating and stopped to enjoy and appreciate His good work. Furthermore, isn't it interesting that the Master Carpenter of all we know made a deliberate point to bless this unique day of rest... to actually decree it as something special and holy?

Later in scripture we see God use this example of holy rest to establish the principle of Sabbath for His people. In fact, God considers this day so important that He commanded Israel to remember the Sabbath day and continue to keep it holy. (See Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15.) One day out of every seven we are to keep especially sacred, set apart, special. Here, Israel was instructed to rest from their labor - acknowledging the same day of rest not only to themselves, but to their servants and animals. It is important to note that this remembrance was not just about God's people physically resting, but also about their complete cessation to fully and deliberately practice the act of pausing, recessing, breathing. Ahhh, breathing. Remembering His breath of Life! Remembering His purpose and plan.

So, what would happen if we followed God's example and were purposeful to consecrate one day each week to simply relax? What if we chose to obey His command and took time out to enjoy a restful vacation every seventh day of the week? What if we deliberately and thoughtfully stepped away from the hustle and bustle of life and, for a short while, simply praised and acknowledged all that is good... all that God has done... all that God continues to provide and bless us with? Doesn't that sound delightful? Doesn't that sound refreshing? Doesn't that sound right?

Mind you, I'm not speaking about church attendance here. For even when God commanded Israel to remember the Sabbath, there was not one specific day set aside for the purpose of corporate worship. No, worshiping the Almighty God occurred EVERY day in Israel. Sacrifices were made daily at the tabernacle/temple. So, holding onto the notion that the Sabbath is the only God-ordained day for corporate worship is actually not biblical. When we research God's Word, we see the early Christians meeting regularly to study, share and worship. Sure, in Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2 Christians met on the first day of the week; however, there is no evidence in all the New Testament that the Apostles or the early Christians observed the Sabbath day as the one and only exclusive and prescribed day of corporate worship.

By no means am I disregarding the importance of church fellowship alongside other believers. Growing in the body of Christ is an essential part of our Christian walk. All that said, I think it is important to point out that scripturally the Sabbath day is not about a formal, organized church service being checked off our to do list. No, the Sabbath is about rest... God's perfect, restorative rest.

Ultimately, the Sabbath is intended to symbolize the promise of the cross. As Messiah, Jesus provides the only solution to save His people - permanently removing all "labor" and struggle in our lives. For without Christ, man cannot be found holy or acceptable in God's sight. And without God, we cannot survive. As such, without Jesus there can ultimately be no rest.

But thankfully, because of Jesus' sacrifice, we no longer have to “labor” in order to be justified in the sight of God. Jesus came so that we might know rest. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) Sabbath is a deliberate, dedicated reminder that we can cease from our spiritual labors and rest in Him, not just one day a week, but always. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:6-10)

So, are you taking time out to enjoy His Sabbath rest? Are you intentionally living for Christ EVERY day and pausing once a week to breathe in acknowledgement of your Maker and Redeemer? Have you made it a priority to rest - to stop working, stop worrying, stop consuming, stop processing and rather unplug, unwind, and relax? Is your priority to remain rooted in His perfect presence, allowing Him to strengthen and build you up? I hope so. For this is how He created you to function. Jesus is the only One whom you can find complete and lasting fullness and peace.

Ladies, as we live out our days, weeks, months, years... let's look forward to our Savior's gift of rest. Let's regularly and deliberately seek to acknowledge His goodness - allowing every blessing that we pause to appreciate and every Sabbath that we obediently practice serve as a reminder of His grace and love to save and restore our lives back to whole.

This is the day to rejoice and be glad for our Maker is in full control of our earthly and eternal schedule. All things work together according to His perfect timing and purpose. So, let's obey Him and take time out to recess and relax in His grace. Let's abide in Him regularly and enjoy the calm only found in His Sabbath peace. Let's pause weekly and wait upon the Lord to renew our strength - allowing the Master to restore our weary souls and bring us back into focus of His fullness. Then, after enjoying His proven goodness, let's passionately pursue our intended purpose and spend our days glorify His Holy Holy Holy Name with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength!

Hallelujah to the King of kings! "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” (Matthew 12:8)

Peace, be still... and relax forever in His presence!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

Would you like to have an intimate, eternal relationship with the One who made you and loves you unconditionally? If so, tell Him in your own words or use this simple prayer to receive Him as your only God and King:

"Father in Heaven, until now I have been living life my own way, but I want to start living for You. I trust You. Through the working of Your Holy Spirit, I realize I’ve sinned before You and come to You in repentance. I believe that You loved me so much that You sent Jesus, Your Only Son, to fully pay the penalty for my sin by dying on the cross. I receive the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf and trust Him as my Lord and Savior. Because Jesus rose from the dead, I will live eternally in Your perfect, glorious presence. Dear God, thank you for forgiving me, making me Your child, and preparing a place for me in Heaven. Amen.”

who couldn't love Jesus, right?

Late last night, my honey (Chuck) flew home from another business trip. By the time he landed at 11:00 p.m., he was tired but happy because the trip offered promise to produce new sales for our company in the upcoming year. (Yea Chuck!)

Chuck's traveling is nothing new for us as a couple. When we aren't joined at the hip in person, we are glued by cell phone to one another because it seems that he is always flying away to some random location to sell and/or service test equipment to any number of new or existing customers. You see, my husband oversees all sales for the Cable Test company we both work for by day. So naturally, he is a social butterfly because he has to encourage sales relationships in order to put food on the table. He's pretty good at it too. The ongoing joke with everyone who knows him is, "Who couldn't love Chuck, right?" In fact, I always tell my husband that he should really be running for some kind of political office because he is always so friendly with everyone and makes time to get to know individual people. I mean... he's ethical, smart, has a great memory, a witty sense of humor, is handsome as ever... who couldn't love Chuck, right?

Strangely enough, Chuck is also a brilliant engineer. (A sales manager AND an engineer... I know, his personality is an oxymoron, right?) When he's not charming your socks off, he is usually discussing all sorts of "engineering'y" topics with really, really, REALLY smart people. I hear him carry on intelligent discussions that include technical sayings like: distance to fault... or passive component... or functional test... or calculus. OK, I admit I added in calculus, but his language may as well be something perspicacious and mathematical (my worst subject) because he can unintentionally talk WAY over my pee-brained head most of the time. (And yes, I did look up the word "perspicacious" in order to write that last sentence. Wink!)

Although my husband does not officially speak any foreign languages, he somehow has the ability to understand EVERYONE he meets and can carry on full conversations with people who aren't limited (like me) to only speaking English. We have traveled abroad to many countries and I've never worried about our well being... Why? Because who couldn't love Chuck, right? I remember our last trip to Italy... no Italian known, but by the end of a one hour drive, Chuck knew all about our taxi driver's family life, hopes and dreams, etc... merely by speaking a mixture of Spanish/Italian/English/and I think he even threw in a little German. How he manages to do this, I'll never know. But I love him and always feel safe with him.

Anyway, last night, Chuck flew in quite late from a business trip. After he got his luggage, he headed for our car which was parked in the short-term parking lot at O'Hare airport. Unfortunately, the car wouldn't start. It was dead as a doornail. Now, I don't know about you, but I would not practice grace in such a situation. I would have an emotional moment and probably embarrass the family name with words my Momba never taught me. But not Chuck. Chuck calmly called to tell me the problem, then contacted a towing service and took care of all matters. By the time he got home, it was 1:30 a.m. But did Chuck complain or lose his cool? No. He hugged and smooched me and playfully encouraged me stay up and watch the Survivor episode that was missed earlier in the day. (Yes, we are Survivor fans.) Of course, by the time we were all settled and snuggled in front of the television (2:30 a.m.), I think we lasted about five minutes before falling asleep. (My neck hurts from sleeping in a recliner now! Ha ha.)

I woke up first this morning (a rare phenomenon since Chuck is usually showered and already chatting business on the phone with our German owners before I even open my eyes). I looked at my husband snoring soundly in his recliner and smiled at his cuteness. Then I covered him with another blanket and left to make my morning coffee. While the beans were brewing, I thought about what a cool customer my husband really is. How even in the midst of last night's automobile discouragements, he never blurted out one frustrating word. Sure, he had just traveled thousands of miles, dealt with calibrations and sales meeting, and still he was wonderfully loving and ready to spend quality time at home with me.

As I sipped my coffee, I thought about past examples of how wonderfully gracious and caring my husband has been during difficult and trying times. And then I thought about my own behavior. Hmmmmm. I'm not so gracious under pressure. I'm not so caring. I'm not loving or at the ready to spend quality time with ANYONE when I've been frustrated by the smallest of things. Between my husband or myself, I'm usually the emotional mess of our twosome. I'm usually the one with the problem. But here's the most interesting dynamic between us... whenever I'm upset or something is really wrong in my life, Chuck stops EVERYTHING just to be with me... to comfort me... to love me and take care of me. When my world is off-track... he stops his whole schedule... his whole life, in order to do all he can to insure that I'll be alright. OK, really... who couldn't love Chuck, right?

And here's the best news of all... my relationship with Chuck is just an example, a glimpse, of the beautiful love and grace God extends to His beloved! I know that I am blessed to be with an earthly husband who strives to love me like Christ. And because of Chuck's effort to model the Savior in our marriage, he has taught me more and more about the kind of husband Jesus really is. My God is the most personable, intelligent, gracious, all-knowing KING of Kings! And I have to wonder, why is this magnificent Creator of the whole universe so enraptured with me? Why does He stay connected to me and share interest in my interests? Why does He want nothing more than to be home with me, embraced and enjoying one another's company? Oh, how I can take His love for granted and forget how beautiful and marvelous He really is! Really, who couldn't love Jesus, right? He is EVERYTHING!

With that in mind, I'm off to bring coffee to my man this morning. I'm off to read him today's Fresh Flowers blog. (Hi Honey!) I'm off to love him up and appreciate him for all he is and all he does! Lastly, I'm off to encourage my husband to take a vacation day alone with me so that we may spend some quality time together - handling life matters while enjoying one another's company.

When was the last time you vacated to be alone with Jesus, ladies? When was the last time you stopped to really know and fully appreciate your Heavenly Husband? When was the last time you paused to consider ALL that He is... all the love that He holds for you... all the protection He promises... all the peace that He brings? Perhaps it is time to start living more connected to Him? Perhaps it is time to thank Him for ALWAYS being there for you? Perhaps it is time to love Him in return with all your heart, soul, mind, strength?

I don't know much. But I do know that marriage is at its strongest when both husband and wife are completely DEVOTED to one another. So, are you a Devoted Woman?

Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. (Revelation 19:6-7)

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (2 John 1:6)

THIS IS THE DAY!

Blessings!

Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson