Sunday, November 29, 2015

Where is God? Sunday Glimpses

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor


Lord, I'm so very thankful for You. Even when I'm distant or despondent, You still love me. I hear You bidding me to come to You - to Your secret place where we can talk. Forgive me for not coming quicker. Please forgive me for withdrawing from Your incredible love. You minister beautifully to me, meeting my needs, gently pouring Your strength into my weary spirit. I appreciate that, Lord. Thank You.

I bring my friends before You as well. As we kneel together before Your throne of grace I ask that You touch them by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Strengthen them, encourage and inspire them to keep moving forward. It's such an awesome thought to realize that not only do You go before us, but You hedge us in from behind also. We are surrounded by Your protection and assistance as we journey on our walk of faith. I ask that You open the eyes of my friends to see You and to recognize Your Presence with them always. Fill them with hope. Make a way for them where there seems to be no way. Flood their minds with peace as they focus on You and Your promises.

You are our sure place Lord. We depend on You being who You say You are. What a wonder it is to realize just how magnificent You really are! ... and that we belong to You. My heart overflows with gratitude for You. Thank You for Your constant and abiding love. You are wonderful Lord.

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

Where is God when I am despondent? @NanJonesAuthor offers a glimpse. (click to tweet)

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Thursday, November 26, 2015

Finding God's Presence ~ Why is There Something About That Name?

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor


Jesus.

He is the King of kings.
               Lord of lords.
               Almighty God.
He is my Prince of Peace.

He is the Morning Star bringing a song to my night.
He is the Lily of the Valley breaking through the fallow ground of my heart.

Jesus is my Redeemer.
                   My Deliverer.
                   My Rock and my Refuge.
He is my Strong Tower when the enemy assails.

He is Emmanuel. God with us. Always.

Jesus.
He is my everything.

I give thanks today for who He is.

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

Why is there something about that Name? @NanJonesAuthor offers insight. (click to tweet)

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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Finding God's Presence ~ How Do Flowers and Candles Protect Us Against Terrorists?

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor


"But Papa, there are very bad people and they have guns. They will hurt us."

"No, son. They cannot hurt us."

"But they have guns, Papa."

"Yes, but we have flowers."

"Flowers?"

"Yes. And candles."

"The flowers and candles will protect us?"

"Yes, son. As long as we have flowers and candles, the bad people cannot hurt us."

My eyes glistened as I watched this conversation unfold on CNN's coverage of the terrorist attacks in Paris. The six year old nodded in understanding as he studied his father's face. My heart melted into a puddle of sorrow laced with thanksgiving as I studied my Father's face.

I'm thankful for the Presence of our Father God. I'm thankful for the enormous insight of this young father that jarred my heavy spirit. I'm thankful for the ability to fight darkness with the heavenly light of our Father's love.

As long as we have flowers and candles, the terrorists cannot harm us. They can kill our bodies. They can impact our economy. They can destroy landmarks dear to our world history.

But they cannot destroy our spirits.

Not as long as we have flowers and candles.

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you." ~ Isaiah 60:1-2

SELAH 
  
Tweetables to Encourage Others

Where is God when I live in fear? @NanJonesAuthor offers a glimpse. (Click to Tweet)

How do flowers & candles protect us against terrorists? @NanJones Author shares thoughts. (Click to Tweet)

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Sunday, November 22, 2015

Where is God? Sunday Glimpses

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor
 

Father, You are Lord and You are worthy to be praised! You are to be lifted up so that every knee shall bow at the mere mention of Your Name ... Jesus. The Name above all names. The Name that brings peace. Victory. Deliverance. The Name that brings a song in the night. You are amazing Lord. May we never forget that - may we never take You for granted.

Even in the midst of the evil permeating the earth, You are faithful - Your Light shines bright. Surround us with Your ministering angels that comfort and guide and protect. Cause all fear to go in the presence of Your perfect love. We are safe in Your arms. I ask that You would stir within each of us a strong desire to be a witness in these dark hours. Light a holy fire within us. The harvest is ripe. Fill us with Your compassion to reach out to the lost, the frail, the frightened. Help us see others through Your eyes of love.

I pray for those who are filled with anxiety and fear. You are teaching me to rest in the knowledge of who You are, Lord. Please help my friends learn the same lesson. We belong to You. You will never abandon Your children to the dangers of this world. You are with us always. Thank You Lord. Thank You for Your faithfulness, Your mercy and Your grace. Thank You for Your Spirit that goes before us, and follows behind us with goodness and mercy. Yes, Lord ... we are safe in Your arms. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

Where is God when I am afraid? @NanJonesAuthor offers a glimpse. (click to tweet)

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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Finding God's Presence ~ When I Cry, He Cries

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor



A few days ago someone posted this song on facebook. It touched me deeply and I realized that it's powerful words represent fully what I have come to know about the Lord, and what I desperately want you to know as well:  He is magnificent, Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, and yet? And yet He pursues us - you and me - with His great love. He is tender towards His children. He is personal and intimate in His care for us, calling us by name. And although that may sound like a fairytale to some, I have experienced this truth in my life and nothing anyone can say will ever convince me otherwise.  

"Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" ~ 1 John 3:1 

Yes! You are a child of God. You are loved from everlasting to everlasting and when you cry, He cries. When you hurt, He hurts.

Amazing love, isn't it? Will you embrace His love today? In the midst of your messy life with its hurts and difficulties - its impossibilities - will You run to Your Heavenly Father and let Him put the broken pieces back together?



         When I Cry
by Gaither Vocal Band

Making a list of all of the good things You've done for me
Lord, I've never been one to complain
But right now I'm lost and I can't find my way
My world's come apart and it's breaking my heart
But it helps to know Your heart is breaking too

When I cry, You cry
When I hurt, You hurt
When I've lost someone
It takes a piece of You too
And when I fall on my face
You fill me with grace
'Cause nothing breaks Your heart
Or tears You apart
Like when I cry

Alone in the dark, face in my hands, crying out to You
Lord, there's never been a time in my life
There's so much at stake, there's so much to lose
But I trust it to You
You'll bring me through
And it helps me to know that I'm not alone

When I cry, You cry
When I hurt, You hurt
When I've lost someone
It takes a piece of You, too
And when I fall on my face
You fill me with grace
'Cause nothing breaks Your heart
Or tears You apart
Like when I cry

You're the One who calmed the raging sea
You're the One who made the blind to see
You looked through all of heaven and eternity
And through it all You saw me ...

When I cry, You cry
When I hurt, You hurt
And when I've lost someone it takes a piece of You, too
When I fall on my face, You fill me with grace
Nothing breaks Your heart, or tears You apart
Like when I cry.

Could I pray with you?

Father, You are faithful and true, merciful and good. You calmed the sea, made the lame to walk. You hung the stars in place and yet You know our names. We are Your children. Through the blood of Jesus, a way was made for us to know You as You know us. May we never take that for granted! Open our ears to hear Your sweet whispers of love. Open the eyes of our understanding to grasp the truth that You desire intimate relationship with Your children. What an amazing thought. Thank You for Your love. I pray for those who want to know You more. Let them feel the exhilarating love of their Father. You are an awesome God. We bless Your holy Name.

A Tweetable to Encourage Others

Where is God when I cry? @NanJonesAuthor offers a glimpse. (click to tweet)



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Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Finding God's Presence ~ Dreams Interrupted

by Nan Jones   @NanJonesAuthor

Guest Blogger, Kathy Ide   @KathyIde


I am so honored to feature Kathy Ide on Morning Glory. Kathy is an editor, author, mentor, and teacher at writing conferences. When life comes at us hard - and it does for everyone of us at different times - it's easy to moan and complain and question God. Amen? Kathy shares about this very real frustration and how she has seen God's faithfulness time and time again - His plan unfolding. His divine intervention. His grace covering His child. We are praying that you will be encouraged by her words and strengthened for the journey.

Welcome Kathy!


We all have cherished dreams and goals. We make detailed plans and then put in the time, effort, and sometimes money to make them happen, with the expectation that our plans will enable us to achieve our goals and realize our dreams.

And then life happens.

Twenty years ago, I got the idea of becoming a novelist. So I started to pursue that dream. I am now a successful freelance editor, and I have a couple of commercially published books, and I absolutely love what I do for a living. But I still don’t have a published novel.

When my son got married, he and his wife were eager to have children. That didn’t happen for more than a dozen years.

When they finally adopted their first baby a couple of weeks ago, I immediately made arrangements to fly from California to Texas to see my long-awaited grandchild. My hubby suggested I tack on a few days to the visit and do some work-related things so I could count the trip as a tax deduction. Great idea!

About an hour or two after I made the plane reservations, I got slammed with a nasty cold. When I arrived in Texas, I agreed to wear a mask to protect the baby. But since there’s a big concern here about whooping cough, which can kill infants, my son and daughter-in-law also wanted me to get an immunization. I went to a clinic, but the doctor told me the immunization wouldn’t be worthwhile because I was sick and because the vaccine takes two weeks to be effective.

I didn’t want to take any chances with my newborn grandson’s health, and I’d already made plans to visit friends and colleagues in various parts of Texas. So I extended those plans instead of spending more time at my son’s house. One of my sweet writer friends offered to let me stay with her for three days, even though she’s dealing with a son who has cancer.

A stupid cold derailed my plans to love on my precious grandbaby … and the plans my son and daughter-in-law had for getting some help and relief during their first few weeks of parenthood.

Cancer sidetracked my friend Lori’s writing plans … not to mention her son’s career plans when he had to drop out of nursing school, move back home, and become the patient.

What are your dreams and goals? What plans have you made to achieve them? How has “life” interfered with those plans and altered your expectations?

Writers deal with dashed hopes on a regular basis. After spending years learning the craft, honing your skills, and polishing a treasured manuscript, maybe even paying hard-earned money for a professional edit, you finally work up the nerve to submit query letters and proposals … only to receive one rejection after another. Each “no” is a stab to the heart, a dagger that slashes your dreams to shreds.

And yet … the Bible says we are to rejoice always and give thanks for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Everything? Rejections? Infertility? Cancer? Losing a loved one? Being unable to see the grandbaby you dropped everything to come bond with? Surely not those things.

Yep. Even those things.

When life doesn’t go according to our plans, we can whine and moan and complain and question. Or we can trust that God has His own plans for us … and that He truly can work anything and everything out for our good. That doesn’t mean life isn’t sometimes painful. Annoying. Frustrating. Confusing. Heartbreaking. What it means is that we can choose to trust the one who loves us beyond anything we could possibly imagine. The one who knows our future. The one who isn’t surprised at all by the things that come as a total shock to us.

Sometimes rejoicing is a matter of choice. We willingly choose to live according to scriptural principals because we acknowledge that God knows what’s best for us. Can we also intentionally thank the Lord for our circumstances, even if we hate them?

Of course, we don’t have to be happy with everything that’s going on in our lives. But as Christians, we can focus on our loving heavenly Father more than our present circumstances. And put our ultimate trust in Him. Not in doctors or immune systems. Not in query letters or proposals or agents or editors. And certainly not in our elaborately orchestrated plans.

When we focus on God, we’re able to recognize the blessings He provides in the midst of our struggles. As we acknowledge those special gifts from the Lord, we’re better able to let go of our disappointments and expectations, and trust Him with the outcome and results. That perspective makes rejoicing and giving thanks … in everything … seem a little less impossible.

I wouldn’t be able to edit fiction as well if I hadn’t spent years trying to be a good novelist. And although I’m sad about not being able to spend more time with my precious grandbaby, the days I spent with my friend Lori and her sweet family was a tremendous blessing for both of us … and that wouldn’t have happened if I’d gone back to my son’s house right away.

It’s great to have dreams and goals. And to prayerfully and intelligently make plans to achieve them. But when life interrupts those plans … and it will, far too often … choosing to trust the true Orchestrator of our lives makes those detours easier to handle.

A Tweetable to Encourage Others


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Meet Kathy:


Kathy Ide is the author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors and the editor/compiler of the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. She is a full-time freelance editor/writing mentor and teaches at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and director of the Christian Editor Connection and The Christian PEN.


To Connect with Kathy, visit her website at kathyide.com/



 
Kathy's Books: 



Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors contains tips from multi-published authors on proofreading manuscripts for typos, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies. Also includes industry-standard guidelines for punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling (“PUGS”), highlighting the issues most writers and editors struggle with, explained in easy-to-understand language.



 21 Days of Grace: Stories that Celebrate God’s Unconditional Love is the first book in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. It contains twenty-one short fictional stories followed by brief life applications, each chapter written by a different author. Some contributors are major best sellers, some are midrange authors, and some are new writers. This hardback book, with its debossed cover, full-color interior, and ribbon page marker, makes a wonderful gift—for others or yourself. Free study guide available at www.FictionDevo.com to go deeper individually or in a group setting.



21 Days of Christmas: Stories that Celebrate God’s Greatest Gift is book 2 in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series. Some of the stories in this book focus on the Nativity; others are about modern-day people celebrating that miraculous event. All will warm your heart and help you focus on the reason for the season. Great gift for family and friends. Can be used for Advent, especially with the free study guide available at www.FictionDevo.com.

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