The Lord Bless You Book Review

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Author Terry A. Smith states his book, The Lord Bless You: A 28-Day Journey to Experience God’s Extravagant Blessings is about how much God wants to bless the people he created. He says it is about how we can embrace God’s blessings in our life, and how we can bless the world around us.

The author defines blessing as being in harmonious relationship with God who wants to do good in us, to us, and through us.

Perhaps The Lord Bless You can best be summed up as this. God is good. God wants to be in relationship with you. He wants to do good in you, to you, and through you.

In short, God wants to bless you so you can be a blessing to others.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

Have you read this book? If so, what was your impression of it?

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Gluten-free Sour Cream Banana Pudding Recipe

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bowl of banana puddingThis delicious gluten-free Sour Cream Banana Pudding recipe is adapted from my Aunt Alma’s recipe.

  • 1 large box instant vanilla pudding (You can also use 2 small boxes of banana cream pudding. That’s what I did.)
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 1 1/2 boxes of gluten-free vanilla wafers
  • 4 or 5 large bananas
  • 8 oz container whipped topping

Mix pudding with milk. Beat two minutes.

Add sour cream and 1/2 of the whipped topping. Mix well.

Layer bananas, wafers, and pudding in a large dish.

Top with the remaining whipped topping.

Enjoy!

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Pause for Poetry–They Are His Waves

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meadow lake courtesy pixabayThe following poem, They Are His Waves, was written by Annie Johnson Flint.

They are HIS waves, whether they break over us,

Hiding His face in smothering spray and foam;

Or smooth and sparkling, spread a path before us,

And to our haven bear us safely home.

They are HIS waves, whether for our sure comfort

He walks across them, stilling all our fear;

Or to our cry there comes no aid nor answer,

And in the lonely silence none is near.

They are HIS waves, whether we are hard-striving

Through tempest-driven waves that never cease,

While deep to deep with turmoil loud is calling;

Or at His word they hush themselves in peace.

They are HIS waves, whether He separates them,

Making us walk dry ground where seas had flowed;

Or lets tumultuous breakers surge about us,

Rushing unchecked across our only road.

They are HIS waves, and He directs us through them;

So He has promised, so His love will do.

Keeping and leading, guiding and upholding,

To His sure harbor He will bring us through.

Annie Johnson Flint

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I wish you well.

Sandy

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God Knows Our Need

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icy road

Our Trip Begins

The end of January, Pilot, our dog Daisy, and I took our RV to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas to celebrate Pilot’s birthday. Although we knew it would be cold, we didn’t know how cold, nor how dangerous the weather would turn. However, the God who knows our need, did.

Before leaving on our trip, I searched my bookshelves for a devotional book to take with me. The book I chose was The Words and Mind of Jesus, by the Rev. J.R. Macduff, D.D. (23 May 1818 – 30 April 1895), published in 1858.

Although the language is formal and archaic, I found the truths inside this book no less relevant as a winter storm of ice and sleet descended upon us as we camped. In this post, I include Rev. Macduff’s thoughts from his Second Evening devotion that I read during our trip.

Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. This may be taken as a motto for the child of God. It should lull all misgivings, silence all murmurings, lead to unquestioning submissiveness. The Words and Mind of Jesus–J.R. Macduff      

The Weather Starts to Change

At 6:00 P.M. on Saturday the outside temperature was 62 degrees. By noon Sunday it was 40 degrees. At 6:00 A.M. Monday the temperature was 30 degrees.

Although the campground was full of campers when we arrived Saturday, at this point, only two other RVs remained besides us and the campground hosts. Undeterred, we stuffed blankets and towels around any space we believed cold air could enter, and continued our hikes of the area tracking down dinosaur tracks. 

We are poor judges of what is best. If we are tempted in a moment of rash presumption to say, “all these things are against me”, let this word rebuke the hasty and unworthy premise. Unerring wisdom and Fatherly love have pronounced ALL to be needful. The Words and Mind of Jesus– J.R. Macduff      

Decision Made

Our original plans were to leave on Wednesday. However, when we woke to 28 degrees and sleet Tuesday morning, our plans changed.

Since Sunday we kept an eye on the weather, noting the winter storm warnings. We read the updates and weighed our options as areas around us became impacted.

When we knew it was either get out now, or be iced in until Friday morning at the earliest, we packed up and headed out. Since our route home was southeasterly, we reasoned things would only get better.

He crossed your worldly schemes and marred your cherished hopes. There was a lurking thorn in the coveted path. There was some higher spiritual blessing in reversion. He prevented you with the blessings of his goodness. The Words and Mind of Jesus–J.R. Macduff   

 Your Turn

The beginning of our drive home was icy and threatening, but the God who knows our need went ahead of us. He cleared a pocket along our route home that escaped the worst of the storm that hit all around us.

The drive home took 2-3 hours longer than usual, but the closer we got to home, the clearer the roads, and better the weather.

God knew what Pilot and I had need of, and God knows your need as well. Although it may appear on the surface as if our plans are a shambles, God knows our need. He knows we have need of THIS.

Is something disturbing your peace? Providences dark, crosses heavy? Write on each one, “Your Father knows you have need of it.” God knows we have need of THIS as well as ALL these things. The Words and Mind of Jesus– J.R.Macduff    

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So don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to. Matthew 6:31-33 (TLB)

 

I wish you well.

Sandy

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You can find a previous article I wrote about Dinosaur Valley State Park here.

Because We Love Jesus

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I love you windchimeWhat Have We Done?

A devotion in 365 Pocket Morning Prayers, by Dave Veerman asks the question, what have we done lately just because we love Jesus?

Obligation or Love?

When we consider all that Jesus has done for us, it is easy to love him. Still, do we show our love for Jesus because we love him, or because of obligation? That was the question at the center of this devotion.

The author wondered if we tithe, serve, pray, study Scripture, share our faith, out of obligation because the Bible tells us we should do those things, or if we do those things out of gratitude because we love Jesus?

We Love Because He First Loved Us

Years ago a friend said she explained her love for and obedience to Jesus to a college friend like this. She didn’t love Jesus because she thought loving him would bring more blessings into her life. She loved Jesus because he already brought blessings, her salvation, into her life and she was grateful.

Her love was an act of gratitude, not obligation.

Act of Love

The story is told in all four Gospels of the woman who poured a jar of expensive oil over Jesus’ head during a dinner. It was an extravagance the disciples made sure to point out.

In their minds, they felt this woman’s act of unselfish love was totally unnecessary and completely unacceptable. At least to their way of thinking.

Apparently, however, it wasn’t unnecessary and it wasn’t unacceptable to Jesus. In fact, he told the disciples to leave the woman alone. He commended her unselfish act of love. Jesus praised the woman because she anointed his head with her finest gift simply because she loved Jesus.

Your Turn

Do our hearts overflow with love for our Savior to the point we are willing to go beyond a checklist which feels obligatory, to pure worship and sacrificial love simply because we love Jesus?

In my life I know there have been far too many times I acted out of obligation, a checklist, instead of because I love Jesus.

I want  a pure, unselfish love for my Lord and Savior like the woman with the alabaster jar of expensive oil. A woman who didn’t care what the disciples thought about her or her gift. Her act of love was between Jesus and her.

What about you?

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While he was eating, a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it over his head.

The disciples were indignant. “What a waste of good money,” they said. “Why, she could have sold it for a fortune and given it to the poor.”

Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why are you criticizing her? For she has done a good thing to me.” Matthew 26:7-10 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Photo by Suresh Kumar on Unsplash

Lesser-known

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courtesy pixabayLesser-known

How many of the tribes of Israel can you name without looking them up? I only remembered ten. I forgot Asher and Zebulun. Two of what might be called the lesser-known tribes, I guess.

The Twelve Sons of Jacob

It’s easy for me to remember Judah. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Joseph and Benjamin aren’t hard for me, either. They were Rachel’s sons. Then Simeon who planned to rescue Joseph, and Levi the priests. I remember Naphtali and Issachar because I find their names unusual. Gad who, along with Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh, refused to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, and lastly Dan. I guess I can remember Asher and Zebulun are from A to Z. (Brief FYI — I didn’t miscount. Because Joseph stayed in Egypt and didn’t receive land in Israel, his portion was divided between his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.)

What Matters?

Regardless of whether I remember the names of Jacob’s sons or not, isn’t all that important. What is important is the fact God does. In fact, according to the apostle John’s vision in the Book of Revelation, each name of the twelve sons is written on one of the twelve gates in heaven.

Well and Lesser-known

In 2022 many well-known people around the world died. Queen Elizabeth II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pele, Franco Harris, Sidney Poitier, Barbara Walters, Sesame Street’s Bob McGrath, Christine McVie, Angela Lansbury, Loretta Lynn, David McCullough, Bill Russell, Lt. Nyota Uhura; Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek, Wally Cleaver; Tony Dow from Leave it to Beaver, and many more.

However, there is one person who died in 2022 you may not have heard of. A lesser known, as it were. My niece’s husband, Mike. Lesser-known maybe, but no less important.

Regardless of whether we knew these people, or merely knew of them, God knew them. He created them in their mother’s womb. He numbered their days and the hairs on their head.

Your Turn

In a world where influencers, the quest for large numbers of social media followers, and making a name for yourself abounds, it’s wonderful to embrace the fact there are no lesser-known people in God’s eyes. We are all important and loved by the one whose opinion matters most.

Our names may not be on one of the twelve gates in heaven or in a book of Who’s Who, but if we have claimed Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. And that’s more than enough. Amen?

How’d you do? Did you name all twelve sons without looking?

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The city had a high and thick wall with twelve gates, and each one of them was guarded by an angel. On each of the gates was written the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 21:12 (CEV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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The Sound of Light Book Review

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Set in the early 1940s during the Danish resistance movement of World War II, The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin has everything I enjoy in Christian historical fiction. Well-developed characters to cheer for with a touch of romance, historical accuracy without getting bogged down in the details, fast paced compelling story full of suspense and intrigue.

In The Sound of Light, Sundin creates a compelling action-packed story of Dr. Else Jensen and Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt; resistance fighters willing to sacrifice everything for Denmark’s freedom from Germany. Hard questions are asked. Hard questions are answered. None of them easy.

If you enjoy Christian historical fiction centered around the events of World War II, Sarah Sandin is the author for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

Have you read this book? If so, what was your impression of it?

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Mundane Moments

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bored woman at computerMundane

According to the Oxford dictionary, mundane means very ordinary and therefore not interesting. Is that how you might describe your everyday life?

Ordinary.

Not interesting.

Boring.

Maybe we could add insignificant or useless? Do you think that’s how Moses felt before the burning bush?

Same Old Same Old

After Moses fled Egypt and left his princely title, and before God met him at the burning bush, Moses’ life could be described as mundane, don’t you think? Very ordinary. Not overly interesting.

As a shepherd in the wilderness tending his father-in-law’s flocks, Moses’ life was rather isolated. Not much going on except maybe a few marauders to chase away every now and again.

His routine was the same day after day. Nothing exciting there. Mundane.

In the Middle of the Mundane

Yet, that’s where God met Moses. In the middle of the mundane. In the middle of Moses’ ordinary, everyday activity, God showed up.

Moses was being faithful where God had him at that moment. He was doing the job he’d been tasked to do. Shepherd Jethro’s flocks. He no longer resided in Pharaoh’s palace, nor anywhere else in Egypt. He was in the middle of nowhere. The wilderness.

God Works in the Mundane

After living in Egypt for forty years, Moses was a shepherd for another forty years before God called him to return to Egypt and lead God’s people to the Promised Land.

For forty years of those everyday, mundane moments God prepared Moses to be the leader he needed. The leader he wanted. The leader God knew Moses could be.

God worked in those moments to shape and mold Moses into the man who would bring God’s people home.

Redeem the Mundane Moments

In those moments when it might seem as if what we do doesn’t really matter, perhaps we can look at ways God would like for us to redeem them.

If we pay attention, we might discover God is calling us to a new thing. A new job he has for us to complete. A new season of service.

Or he might be asking us to pay attention to those around us who might benefit from an encouraging word, a shared prayer, an act of kindness. We never know what divine appointments our mundane moments might hold.

Your Turn

Most of our lives are not burning bush moments. Still, even when it seems like nothing is happening in our everyday mundane moments, God is at work. He is shaping us. Molding us to be the tool he wants us to be. And in those moments, just as it was for  Moses, we are right where God wants us to be.

How do you view your mundane moments? As something to avoid, or something to embrace?

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. Exodus 3:1-2 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Something Greater Book Review

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I found much to ponder and glean from Something Greater, by Jentezen Franklin. In this book, Jentezen suggests we can discover God’s best for our life right where we are by looking for buried acres of diamonds. He references Russell H. Conwell’s lecture, Acres of Diamonds, to remind us that although we may think the place where we are right now is worthless, there is hidden potential.

With examples from Scripture, Jentezen’s life, and the lives of others, Jentezen suggests we must learn to see, value, and grow what we have. Right where we are. He recommends we don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring, and stop living in regret of what we did or didn’t do yesterday.

Jentezen concludes by saying our joy, purpose, peace, and hope are here and now. He suggests we start digging in our own backyard for these things, and watch as God unfolds diamonds in places we think is a valley of dry bones.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House for a fair and honest review, which is exactly what I gave.

Have you read this book? If so, what was your impression of it?

I wish you well.

Sandy

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Seven Anchors for the Storms of Life

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small boat in storm courtesy pixabayStorms of Life

When I turned on my computer to write yesterday, I saw a notification saying we were under a tornado emergency. Before the storm was over, homes and businesses in the area were damaged. Thankfully, my neighborhood was spared.

This tornado was unexpected. A little like the storms of life at times. Some storms sneak up on us. Some we’ve watched form on the horizon. Other storms we know are coming, but truly wish they weren’t.

In the Middle of Our Storm

In the middle of our storm, we may feel like we’re spinning out of control on Disney’s Mad Hatter’s tea cup ride. Even if we are, that’s okay, because God remains in control.

The ride is going to stop at some point. We may need assistance getting off it, but the ride will stop when God tells it to. And when it stops, we’ll find God is standing right there with us.

Whether the storms occur in nature or in our personal life, they will occur. It’s all part of life. With that in mind, I would like to share seven anchors Preacher said to hold onto during the storms of life.

Anchor #1 God is in Control

God is in control of every situation in our life. Since God is in control, our storm did not surprise him. Whatever storm reaches us has to pass through God’s hand first.

The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything. Psalm 103:19 (NLT)

Anchor #2 God Has a Plan

When we’re in the middle of the storm, we often focus on what’s wrong, believing all is lost.

When we’ve lost what seems like everything, we need to remember God still has a plan for our future. We might not see it right away, but it’s there nonetheless.

 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Anchor #3 God is With You

Storms can make us feel all alone. They can isolate us. Some storms make us feel as if no one cares.

God cares. He is with us. He’ll never leave. We may not  see him, but we can be confident he is always working on our behalf.

No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5 (NLT)

Anchor #4 God is Bigger Than Our Storm

God is the Creator of the earth and sky. The sea and everything in it. He controls the wind and the rain, and he controls our storm.

When we feel as if we are about to go under during the storms of life, Jesus reminds us he is in our boat with us. He is the one who commands the wind and rain to cease.

They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed … Mark 6:50-51 (NLT)

Anchor #5 God Will Get You Where You Need to Be

Since God is in control, has a plan, is with us, and bigger than our storm, he will get us where we need to be.The storm might cause us to take a detour as we stumble over debris fields, but we’ll get to the place God prepared for us.

The storm, no matter how devastating, destructive, damaging, or overwhelming, can not keep us from completing the good works God created us to complete.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Anchor #6 God’s Timing is Perfect

During an especially difficult time in my life I purchased a small plaque. It is a picture of a sailboat on the water. The words on the plague say, This too shall pass.

Regardless of what storm we face, in God’s perfect timing, it too shall pass. Just as Annie sang in the musical of the same name, the sun will come out tomorrow.

But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Psalm 55:16 (NLT)

Anchor #7 There is Life After the Storm

After the storm, life goes on. The storm is a disruption. A pain. Something we’d rather do without, but it is not the end.

Today, the day after the tornado ripped apart homes and businesses, there is life as people go about the business of assessing damage, and moving towards restoration.

Sometimes, after a storm rips through our life leaving a debris field miles wide and long, that’s all we can do.

When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! Job 42:10 (NLT)

Your Turn

I try to remember something Preacher said whenever storms come into my life. Perhaps it will comfort you in the midst of your storms of life.

“The Lord wouldn’t have allowed this storm into your life if he didn’t have something good on the other side of it.”

There you have it. Seven anchors worth holding onto during our storms of life.

Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the subject. If you think others would appreciate reading this, please share it through the social media buttons.

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:4 (NLT)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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