May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
John 7:16-18
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent
me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether
my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on
their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of
the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.
The rhythm of the game of baseball relaxes me. The runners round the bases in order—first, second, third, and home—and the rules make sense, most of the time.
This summer a grandson is playing the great American game, Tim
is ushering at the Reds, and a granddaughter is playing softball. My family has
a long friendship with the game. Grandpa Griffith hosted baseball games at his
farm in the 1920s and 30s. Mom shared stories of watching the men lift their
bats and run the bases.
As I’ve watch baseball and softball, I see the players
making a lot of decisions. How far to run to field the ball, when to run and
when to stay on base, when to hit and when to wait.
Much like baseball, life is full of choices. Every day I’m
faced with decisions. What to do, how to react, what to say, but I have an
advantage when it comes to the choices I make. I talk to God and seek his wisdom
for what I should do. Like the baseball player looks to the coach, I seek God’s
wisdom. You see, I love God, and I want to glorify him and follow his will.
In my decisions, I seek God’s wisdom and when I forget, I
struggle. God gives free will, and he wants me to choose. So I choose him. I
Praise God for his wisdom and the freedom of being a believer.
Bend God’s ear when you have choices to make.
Kit and the Missing Notebook is a story about calming anxiety. Kit and her family move to a new town, and Kit can't find her precious notebook where she writes all the things she wants to remember. With the help of her new neighbors, she learns some techniques that help calm her anxiety.
This is a sweet story that's perfect to read aloud to children. The way the authors present the various coping techniques is unique and spot on. The authors also include notes in the back that talk about why they wrote the story and how to use the methods in the book to help a child. Mrs. G's soup recipe is included as well. The illustrations are perfect for the story.
Race to Kindness is about a race where everyone wins by spreading kindness throughout the community. The story, written by Time's 2021 Kid of the Year, is inspired by his desire to collect toys, food, and books for kids in need. It's an inspiration for all readers and a book that needs to be added to all classrooms and libraries.
The illustrations are colorful and fun and include the author as a boy leading the way to kindness.
Proverbs 14:30
A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.
As I walked along the vegetable aisle at the local grocery store, I searched for a red pepper. The one I found shone with a healthy red color and felt firm to the touch. I held it up, and the skin appeared perfect, not one blemish, and the stem still held its green color.
I’d found the perfect red pepper. After I arrived home, I
set out the vegetables I wanted in my salad. I chopped the broccoli into small
sections, cut up some carrots and celery, and sliced a few olives in half. Then
I prepared to cut into that beautiful pepper.
The knife slid through the skin and pulp and the pepper fell
open. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Rot. The entire inside of the perfect red
pepper was covered in mold. I’m sure you’ve guessed—I threw it in the garbage.
I couldn’t eat a rotten red pepper. Disappointment filled me. I had looked
forward to the flavor it would add to my salad.
The pepper reminded me of social media. We tend to put our
best foot forward, share pictures of what appears to be a somewhat perfect
life, yet in reality, no one has a perfect life. There’s not a thing wrong with
sharing the positive and uplifting days. It’s encouraging, but I have to remember
that everyone else goes through trials and difficulties. I guard against the
envy I might feel for what others have or do by inviting God’s peace and
contentment into my heart.
Instead of projecting a perfect appearance, I try to be
myself. Whether on social media or in person, if you meet me, you’ll likely see
warts and all. I don’t want to be the person who looks perfect on the outside
but is rotting inside. I’d rather be my imperfect self and have the love of
Jesus in my heart and the Holy Spirit in my soul so I might have a peace filled
life.
Have a heart at peace by loving Jesus.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his
height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things
people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks
at the heart.”
Proverbs 4:23
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from
it.
I experienced joy in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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Have you ever experienced something or attended a gathering
where you tasted a hint of heaven? That’s what I experienced at the Blue Ridge
Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
I spent a week at the Ridgecrest Conference Center immersed
in fellowship, worship, and education. More than knowledge, wisdom swirled in
those mountains. Every day we spent two sessions listening to encouraging and hope-filled
messages from the keynote speakers. We were led in worship by a young couple
who blessed us with their love of Jesus. We attended classes led by amazing
authors and folks in the publishing industry, and I met fellow writers who,
like me, needed encouragement to stay obedient to the call to write.
The experience as a whole filled me with hope and
anticipation, but I knew when I went home to my family (who I longed to see) and every day life, I’d
need to ease back into life. I say this because I know the Devil and his wily
ways. He can’t wait to suck the joy out of me, but Kia Stephens, the final
keynote speaker, reminded me to guard my heart from the one who wants to
inflict doubt.
God told Samuel He looks at the heart, and Proverbs reminds
me to guard my heart because everything flows from it.
One way to keep my heart safe from attack is to praise God, lift
my face to Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to fill me with peace.
When the devil attacks—fight back—lift your voice and sing. It doesn’t matter if it’s off key or not, just praise the Father and ask Him to fill your heart with His hope and peace.
