I Surrender All: There’s Power in Surrender

There’s Power in Surrender

As a new Christian back in 1997, one of the first Bible verses I memorized was from the book of Proverbs.

I’m sure you know this one too.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6, (NASB).1

That’s a truly powerful verse that deserves more than just a cursory glance.

It means to surrender your will to God’s will

The act of “letting go” before God is not an example of weakness, or giving up, or even a last resort.

Rather, there is power in surrender.

power in surrender

We can trust the Lord God Almighty with our whole heart and soul.

Even during times of extreme distress in our lives, remember that He always has our best interests at heart. (See Jeremiah 29:11).

Jeremiah 29:11 was directed to the Babylonian exiles in an earlier century as an encouragement for their future restoration.

But, we can keep in mind that God’s grace, mercy, and love are unchanging – no matter what century we’re in.

He loves you and me, and that will never change.

Trust is an all or nothing proposal: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.”  Partial trust is not trust at all. Either God is trustworthy, or He is not. If He cannot be trusted with all, He cannot be trusted at all.Precept Austin.2

There’s Power in Surrendering to God’s Will

If you’re experiencing some heartache in your life right now, or if you just need a reminder of God’s faithfulness, I wanted to share this beautiful song from Gentri’s latest album, “Hymns II.”

It’s a well-known and well-loved hymn, and Gentri’s soul-stirring “cover” does not disappoint.

Dear Sisters in Christ, don’t ever lose hope.

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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Precept Austin quotation is from the Proverbs 3 Commentary, [2024] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Subheading, “On Whom Are You Leaning? Self Or Savior?”. Web. Accessed 16 March, 2024.

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Offering Thoughts And Prayers

Encouragement for Offering Thoughts and Prayers

offering thoughts and prayers

Have you ever told a hurting friend or family member that they’re in your “thoughts and prayers?”

Have you ever commented online about praying and received an onslaught of angry comments back from atheists?

I guess those commenters think that the more they badger Christians online, the better their chances to shut us up.

Even the sentiment “thoughts and prayers” has gotten a black eye.

This is our world, folks.

Christianity is being singled out.

The following true statement can really get them going . . . 

“Jesus is coming again.”

The Coming Day of the Lord

3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed by being flooded with water. – 2 Peter 3:3-6, (NASB).1

Do Say, Don’t Say

Atheists love to tell us what we can and can’t say.

Here are some of the comments I’ve read recently:

“Thoughts and prayers don’t work”

“You’re praying to a sky god”

“So where is Jesus? I thought He was coming back”

Truth: We can’t expect unbelievers to act like believers.

And, until Christ returns, there’s nothing we can do, except be patient and pray for lost people in this broken world.

These unbelievers have no idea how much they need our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, whether it’s an atheist or anyone else (including the media) trying to change what we can and can’t say, I hope you ignore them like I do.

Offering Thoughts and Prayers and Even More

When we went through our family accident years ago, we received a lot of love and grace from others.

Friends brought meals and more. I also knew who I could call if I just needed to talk to someone.

I welcomed every prayer during that difficult time.

It was a beautiful example to me (as a relatively new Christian) to witness these pure-of-heart demonstrations of what Christlike love is all about.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.2 Cor 1:3, (NASB).2

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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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Protecting Those Who Protect us

Protecting Those Who Protect Us: First Responders

Whenever there’s any kind of accident, you can count on real-life heroes, otherwise known as first responders, arriving on the scene.

Every day, these brave men and women rush to every emergency call with the purpose of saving lives.

Many times, they’re at risk of losing their own as no two emergency calls are the same.

As a former TV reporter, I’ve seen firsthand what they can do.

Also, as an accident victim myself, I know the gratitude an injured person feels when first responders arrive to offer a helping hand, medical assistance, and reassuring words.

You can read my life-changing accident testimony here

When that accident happened, emergency personnel showed up within minutes to tend to the injured and help us search for our missing niece.

I don’t know what we would have done without all those wonderful rescuers by our side.

They spent hours combing through the back woods and searching along a dangerous whitewater creek.

It is the Heavenly Father who put a heart of service into these brave souls who serve as first responders.

Protecting those who protect us is on my heart today.

With that in mind, I offer this simple prayer as a “thank You” to God for them.


Protecting Those Who Protect Us: God Bless First Responders

Father God –

Today I want to offer a special prayer of gratitude for the many men and women who serve as first responders in our country.

Father – we know it is You who gave them a heart for serving others.

Each new day is an opportunity for them to face dangers in unpredictable circumstances.

No matter what type of emergency it is, these brave rescuers put their own lives on the line to come to our aid.

Please keep them safe as they travel to their next emergency call.

Father, we ask for your protection over them.

May they always feel the support and gratitude of our communities.

In Jesus name, Amen.

A prayer for first responders

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Every Living Thing Matters to God

Why Every Living Thing Matters to God

We probably all know at least one person who says they can’t dance.

But, we also know, if they were to accidentally walk through a large spider web – all bets are off.

Trust me, you’ll see some moves you never thought you’d see. LOL!

I can’t resist. Are you up for a laugh?

Here’s a humorous example of a mother and daughter witnessing the spider “dance” from dear old dad.

Arachnophobia aside, spiders are amazing creatures with extraordinary abilities to survive in God’s kingdom.

Spiders prey on many different organisms and employ a wide range of strategies to capture prey. They may trap prey in sticky webs, lasso it with sticky balls, mimic it to avoid detection, or chase and tackle it. Most detect prey mainly by sensing vibrations, but active hunters have acute vision. – as quoted from ThoughtCo.1

Every living thing matters to God

God’s Grand Design – Every Living Thing Matters

Every living thing matters to God.

Even spiders, which some people are deathly afraid of, serve a valuable role in the grand design of the universe.

Through the beauty and complexity of the natural world, we are gifted the ability to see the fingerprints of God on every living thing.

How exciting is that?!

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.Romans 1:20, (NASB).2

the intricacy of a spider’s web

The beauty of a sunrise, the majesty of a mountain peak, and the intricacy of a spider’s web are just a few examples that reflect the attention to detail by our Sovereign Creator. 

Stronger Than Steel

Speaking of spider webs, I had no idea just how strong some of their webs are.

For instance, the Bark Spider “has the toughest silk ever seen — more than twice as tough as any previously described silk, and more than 10 times stronger than Kevlar.” – as quoted on the livescience.com website.3

Jaw drop!

The proteins forming spider silk make that silk one of the strongest materials in the world. Ounce for ounce, spider silk is the strongest. The golden orb-weaver spider’s webs can stop a bee mid-flight at 20mph and can even stop small birds. If humans could create spider silk as thick as a pencil, it could stop a jet airplane mid-flight!The Institute for Creation Research.4

Spider webs can also be huge, like some of those tracked on the island of Madagascar, or even this one at a wastewater treatment plant in Baltimore.

I think I‘ll avoid those places for now, thank you.

Every Living Thing Matters to God – You and Me

Why all this talk about spiders today?

Because the Creator of every living thing also created you and me.

The difference between us and the rest of the natural world is that we are made in God’s image.

Through Jesus Christ, our fallen nature (just take a look at the headlines) is redeemed so we can have eternal life through Him. 

He graciously offers forgiveness and reconciliation to a broken world.

What can we do with that knowledge?

Spread the word!

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1 Quotation courtesy of Hadley, Debbie. “Characteristics of Spiders.” ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/spiders-order-araneae-1968563.

2 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

3 Livescience quotation [2010] Courtesy of livescience.com., “Itsy Bitsy Spider’s Web 10 Times Stronger Than Kevlar ” Web. Accessed 20 February, 2024.

4 Quotation courtesy of The Institute For Creation Research. From “Spider Silk Properties Ideal for Nerve Repairs”, August 10, 2023., Web.  Accessed 22nd February, 2024. Retrieved from Spider Silk Properties.

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The Stench of Sin

The Stench of Sin in Your Life

Have you ever seen a little skunk like this one scampering about in the woods?

The stench of sinHe’s cute alright.

But, this little critter can strike fear in the hearts of anyone who crosses its path.

Did you know that a skunk’s stinky spray can travel over three miles downwind?

It’s so strong, you can even smell the spray inside your car when traveling down a country road.

My husband likes to tell the story of a dog he used to own.

Cindy the lab once caught a skunk in the backyard and, yes, she got sprayed.

It took a lot of effort to rid her coat from the stench.

But, even with the multiple dog baths, the disgusting smell stayed on her breath for a very long time.

In the same way, the stench of sin is an offense to our Holy God.

The Stench of Sin Offends God

No doubt about it, we all fall short. 

From the hardened criminal on death row to the religious leaders that are sometimes put on a pedestal.

The following is an often-quoted verse from one of the Psalms of David. Here, he reflects on the fallen state of mankind.

We are no different in today’s world.

2 The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of mankind
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek God.
3 They have all turned aside, together they are corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one. – Psalm 14:2-3, (NASB).1

We are capable of good deeds, yes, but good works don’t get us into Heaven.

Our salvation is through Jesus Christ alone.

In other words, we can’t save ourselves – no matter how much money we raise for charity, or how much we put into the offering plate on Sundays.

The fact is that our Sovereign God who created us, hates sin.

We are born with a sinful nature.

We’d better acknowledge that and not let a fallen culture try to tell us that anything goes.

All of us need to feel convicted for our sins and the importance of repentance before our Heavenly Father.

Fortunately, God made a way for us to be forgiven of our sin and be saved through Jesus Christ. Salvation is based on Jesus’ goodness, and “in him is no sin” (1 John 3:5). While we were in our sinful state, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), and if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9). Christ alone was good enough to earn heaven, and He declares righteous those who trust in Him for salvation (Romans 1:17).GotQuestions.org.2

Heavenly Scent: The Aroma of Christ’s Presence in Our Lives

Pleasing aromasDo you have a favorite scent?

If you asked me, I would say “Cinnamon” or “Pumpkin.”

Maybe a loaf of fresh bread baking in the oven!

Fragrances such as those filling my whole house instantly remind me of happy gatherings with friends during the holidays.

I want to smell those pleasing aromas all the time!

In the same way, the spiritual aroma of our faith in Christ is a blessing to all who experience it.

A life lived for Christ washes away the stench of sin from our repentant hearts.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.2 Cor 2:14-17, (NASB).3

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Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Quotation from gotquestions.org, from “What does it mean that ‘there is none who does good, no not one’ (Psalm 14:3; Romans 3:12)?” n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed February 15, 2024. None who does good  application.

3 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

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