Press On

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.

Hosea 6:3 (NIV)

My husband and I are in our fifth week of working/staying home. It isn’t a whole lot different for me since being at home is my normal operating procedure. It is something new for my husband though. We’re blessed he has a job that enables him to work from home.

Perhaps you’re like us in that our days seem to all blur together. It’s hard to tell which day of the week it is since we don’t have any normal activities we’re going to. Not that we had a lot. But going to choir practice midweek, church and Sunday school on Sundays, with a sprinkling of activities throughout the month made the weeks and even days go faster.

Only the Lord knows what’s still ahead of us. I’m so thankful to know He’s in control. We can trust Him with our future. We’re able to hold on, because we know our Lord can be trusted.

But I don’t want to merely hold on… I also want to press on. I want others to see through me the hope we have in the Lord. We may live in unprecedented times, but we know WHO is in control. Press On. Put your faith in God. Ask Him to help and encourage you. Keep trusting the Lord. He’s got this.

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and COMPEL Training. She's been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. She's a contributor and co-founder of Stitches Thru Time blog. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

 

From Hectic to Holy

The current corona virus crisis has a lot of people frazzled and short tempered. Occasionally, that includes me too. I miss my Bible study sisters. I miss going to church services. I miss going out for barbecue on Friday nights. I miss hugging people. I miss a lot of things. I’m sure you do too.

One of my friends emailed me saying she thought she’d get more rest during this “self isolation” period we’re going through, but she’s more tired than ever. Author Chris Hodges in his book The Daniel Dilemma says that “real rest doesn’t come from simply resting; it comes when your soul is connected to God’s power.” He points out how calm Daniel in the Old testament is–along with his chums Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego—even though they were taken captive, separated from their families and lived tumultuous times—the slaves of high- strung pagan kings in palaces full of debauchery.

The subtitle of the book is How to Stand Firm and Love Well in a Culture of Compromise. I have been reading short sections of the book each day during this Coronaggedon and have found it uplifting and encouraging. I am learning to rest in His Grace and Truth—despite these tumultuous times.  Yes, the author points out that even when we trust in God, will still wrestle with loss, disappointment and doubts and painful emotions, but as he says, “I’d rather have hope in what an all powerful God can do than certainty in what I am limited to do.”

God bless you.

Stay well.

Keep the Faith.

Shirley

An award-winning writer and frequent conference speaker, Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God (Harvest House). She holds an M.A. in literature and has been married to her husband Bill for over forty years. They live in New Mexico where she is prayer chairman for her local Community Bible Study (CBS). Touch base at shirleyrayeredmond.com or Facebook.

                    

Courageous WorldChangers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God is currently on sale from Harvest House. Get free shipping with promo code STAY HOME.

Fear Not

So do not fear, for I am with you;

    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

 We're living in unprecedented times. I imagine, like me, you never thought you'd be seeing a global pandemic. It was never on the horizon I envisioned. Thousands getting sick and dying. A virus that is quite contagious and takes a couple weeks before symptoms show. I imagine many are afraid, worrying about their health, their jobs, whether or not they can find the supplies they need, etc.

I am comforted by this scripture in Isaiah. God knew about COVID-19 well before it even became an issue for the first patient who contracted it. I rest in the fact that I serve a trustworthy God. He knows the future, and I can trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6) to have me in the palm of His hand. (Isaiah 49:16)

With some of my health issues, I'm in one of those vulnerable groups. I am assured that no matter what happens, God is in control. If I get sick, He'll be with me. If I get sick and die, it's a bonus for me. To die is gain. (Philippians 1:21) Because I'm a believer and follower of Christ, I know that when I die, I will spend eternity with my Heavenly Father.

Now is not the time to fear, but to trust God. If you haven't ever made a personal decision to follow Him and ask Him into your heart, today is the day. Don't delay. He's calling out to you. Are you ready to seek Him?

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and COMPEL Training. She's been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. She's a contributor and co-founder of Stitches Thru Time blog. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.

Birds of a Feather

Visiting Nassau’s Ardastra Gardens was one of the highlights of our Bahamas vacation. My husband and I laughed as we watched the world famous marching flamingos circle the performance ring. With their long spindly legs and graceful S-shaped necks, the birds obeyed the commands of their “drill sergeant.” Around the ring they marched, puffing out their chests. When the “sergeant” blew his whistle, the birds would do a quick about face and head the other way. They were hilarious. After the show we learned that this particular generation of birds hadn’t been trained at all. Decades ago, the owner of the gardens had trained a few flamingos, as part of an experiment. Now the younger birds mimic the older birds, and so it has continued for generations of the garden’s flamingos. It reminded me of that game follow the leader we used to play as children. Even as adults we still follow leaders, don’t we? Pastors and their wives, mentors, teachers, supervisors at work, and others. Are we choosing to follow people who are worthy to be followed? Keep in mind that others are watching and following us—our children and grandchildren and neighbors, for instance. Are we leading them as we should? Not all leaders do so—consider Adolph Hitler and Mao Zedong, for example. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  (Matthew 16:24--NIV) Jesus calls us to follow him too. He will not lead us astray. Nor will he suddenly order us to do a spiritual about face. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

An award-winning writer and frequent conference speaker, Shirley Raye Redmond is the author of Courageous World Changers: 50 True Stories of Daring Women of God (Harvest House). She holds an M.A. in literature and has been married to her husband Bill for over forty years. They live in New Mexico where she is prayer chairman for her local Community Bible Study (CBS). Touch bases at shirleyrayeredmond.com or Facebook.

Stepping Out in Faith

I'm an introvert. I think most writers are. Give me my computer, a comfortable spot to write, and a hot cup of tea and I'm happy. I love those weeks where I have days in a row that I don't have anywhere to go and I can just stay home.It's not that I don't have friends and enjoy being around people part of the time, I just happen to thrive on my alone time.

Because I'm an introvert, there are certain aspects of being an author that are hard for me especially promotion and marketing. In less than three weeks I have a new book releasing, which means I'm working hard on setting up appearances online. Blog posts and interviews aren't too bad because again, I can write those from home. :)

I took a major step out of my comfort zone last week and contacted our local television station who has a weekday program where they interview people. To my surprise they got back to me quickly saying they'd love to have me on the show and were surprised I'd never been before. Now I'm thinking, 'What did I do?'

I realize that God doesn't always call us to walk where we're comfortable. In fact, he often calls us out of those spots to walk in rough waters so we have to rely on Him and His strength.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

I have to remind myself of this verse whenever I step into those unsure places. What scripture provides comfort and reassurance for you when God is asking you to do something out of your comfort zone? What pointers can you share?

 

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Romance Writers of America (RWA), and COMPEL Training. She's been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. She's a contributor and co-founder of Stitches Thru Time blog. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.