Sunday, May 17, 2009
From the Bookshelf...
Recently I've read...
This is an excellent book in every sense of the word! The titles is exactly what the book is all about as Nancy Leigh DeMoss expounds upon commonly believed lies in our society and the truth from God's Word to combat them. Her writing is clear, engaging, and incredibly refreshing. There is great freedom to be found in the truths of God's Word if we will just believe and walk in it. I think every woman - young and old - would benefit from reading this book!
Over the past year and a half, I have been reading my way through this delightful series by the Thoene's known as the A.D. Chronicles. Bible fiction at its best, the A.D. Chronicles paints a colorful picture of what life might have been like for the various characters we meet in the Gospels whose lives intertwined with Yesusha of Nazareth. We encounter Peniel - the man born blind, Lily - a kindhearted leper, Zadok - chief shepherd of the temple flocks, Mary and Joseph of Nazareth, among countless others who were all touched in some way by the Lord Jesus.
In the 7th and 8th books of the series that I just recently finished, Lazarus and Zaccheus are central characters set against the background of an ever-increasing threat against Jesus' life.
With brilliant creativity, the Thoene's weave a masterful story in each book that is well written, brimming with Scripture, and tremendously edifying with every page. The New Testament has come alive for me in a new way thanks to this series! I am greatly looking forward to reading book 9 as soon as possible!
Currently Reading...
God has been showing me lately that evangelism is one area of my life that I need to grow stronger in, so when a friend lent this book to my family, I eagerly began reading it.
Wow. What can I say? This book has been LIFE-CHANGING!
With every chapter, I feel convicted, inspired, and equipped all at the same time! Mark Cahill writes incredibly practical chapters on learning to share one's Christian faith effectively, while giving story after story from his own witnessing experiences that make this book very difficult to put down!
I can't recommend it enough! You've GOT to read it. That's just all there is to it.
This is an excellent book in every sense of the word! The titles is exactly what the book is all about as Nancy Leigh DeMoss expounds upon commonly believed lies in our society and the truth from God's Word to combat them. Her writing is clear, engaging, and incredibly refreshing. There is great freedom to be found in the truths of God's Word if we will just believe and walk in it. I think every woman - young and old - would benefit from reading this book!
Over the past year and a half, I have been reading my way through this delightful series by the Thoene's known as the A.D. Chronicles. Bible fiction at its best, the A.D. Chronicles paints a colorful picture of what life might have been like for the various characters we meet in the Gospels whose lives intertwined with Yesusha of Nazareth. We encounter Peniel - the man born blind, Lily - a kindhearted leper, Zadok - chief shepherd of the temple flocks, Mary and Joseph of Nazareth, among countless others who were all touched in some way by the Lord Jesus.In the 7th and 8th books of the series that I just recently finished, Lazarus and Zaccheus are central characters set against the background of an ever-increasing threat against Jesus' life.
With brilliant creativity, the Thoene's weave a masterful story in each book that is well written, brimming with Scripture, and tremendously edifying with every page. The New Testament has come alive for me in a new way thanks to this series! I am greatly looking forward to reading book 9 as soon as possible!Currently Reading...
God has been showing me lately that evangelism is one area of my life that I need to grow stronger in, so when a friend lent this book to my family, I eagerly began reading it.Wow. What can I say? This book has been LIFE-CHANGING!
With every chapter, I feel convicted, inspired, and equipped all at the same time! Mark Cahill writes incredibly practical chapters on learning to share one's Christian faith effectively, while giving story after story from his own witnessing experiences that make this book very difficult to put down!
I can't recommend it enough! You've GOT to read it. That's just all there is to it.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Another Stirring Quote
Last night, as I was preparing for bed, the Lord began to speak to my heart. He opened the eyes of my understanding to realize that, lately, I have become so busy serving Him, I have made less time for being with Him.
When I arrived at work this morning and entered our chapel room for quiet time before the day began, the devotional reading that was sitting on the table once again struck a chord in my heart! It's as though God planned today's devotional just for me.
Here is the excerpt that especially confirmed what He's been showing me:
"If we become more consumed with our task than we are with our love for God, our lives will eventually become brittle and desolate. To restore our souls, the Lord brings us back to the essentials of our faith. Indeed, He might even stop our labors completely and direct us to the simpler realities of prayer, time in the Word, and worship. He reminds us that, of all He calls us to accomplish, His greatest commandment is to love Him with all our "heart... soul...mind...and strength." (Mark 12:30) Without this focus, we lose touch with God's presence; we are outside the shelter of the Most High...
Is not intimacy with God the very thing we most negelct? And is not the Lord alone our source of strength in battle? If the enemy can distract us from our time alone with God, he will isolate us from the help that comes from God alone."
~ Francis Frangipane
When I arrived at work this morning and entered our chapel room for quiet time before the day began, the devotional reading that was sitting on the table once again struck a chord in my heart! It's as though God planned today's devotional just for me.
Here is the excerpt that especially confirmed what He's been showing me:
"If we become more consumed with our task than we are with our love for God, our lives will eventually become brittle and desolate. To restore our souls, the Lord brings us back to the essentials of our faith. Indeed, He might even stop our labors completely and direct us to the simpler realities of prayer, time in the Word, and worship. He reminds us that, of all He calls us to accomplish, His greatest commandment is to love Him with all our "heart... soul...mind...and strength." (Mark 12:30) Without this focus, we lose touch with God's presence; we are outside the shelter of the Most High...
Is not intimacy with God the very thing we most negelct? And is not the Lord alone our source of strength in battle? If the enemy can distract us from our time alone with God, he will isolate us from the help that comes from God alone."
~ Francis Frangipane
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Thought for the Day...
I read this quote today in chapel devotions here at the pregnancy center. I thought it was worth passing along...
"The Lord has no plan where we succeed without Him. Life is so constructed to drive us to God." - Francis Frangipane
"The Lord has no plan where we succeed without Him. Life is so constructed to drive us to God." - Francis Frangipane
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Pretty, Isn't It?
The Ring Set 
Showing the world she's claimed! 
Engagement band and wedding band together. 
Mrs. Nathan Day - coming soon in November of 2009! Sunday, May 3, 2009
Happy Birthday Katelin!
As you celebrate your twenty-first birthday far from home with your special fellow, I just want you to know I am thinking about you today!
I am so grateful to have you for sister! You are a true delight in my life.
Thank you for your constant example of cheerfulness, kindness, and self-lessness as you walk with Jesus so closely day by day. Your example has taught me so much.
I am so grateful to be able to share fun family memories with you, late night talks, crazy moments, the ups and downs of life, service in the Lord's work side by side, and most of all, a common love for Christ!
You are a true kindred spirit whom I'm so grateful to call my sister and my friend.
Love you lots, Katelin!
Hope your special day is as wonderful as you are!
Friday, May 1, 2009
A Divine Appointment
God never ceases to amaze me with His orchestration of Divine appointments in my life and those of other precious Christians I know!
Let me tell you about one such experience this past week...
It was Tuesday. Because of flooding all around the city in the wake of two giant thunderstorms, I called my boss to find out whether or not the pregnancy center would be open. She said yes, so once the waters had receded enough for me to manuever out onto the highway, I drove to work.
In all honesty, I did not know why we were openning our doors that day. I figured no one would come for appointments due to the rain, the flooding, and the fact that news anchors were advising everyone to stay home. Several staff members couldn't even make it out of their neighborhoods without a paddle boat. While I was more than happy to show up for work, I anticipated a very quiet day in the office...convinced that very few people, if any, would care about pregnancy tests or ultrasounds that day.
Was I ever wrong.
That day had to have been the best day in the history of our pregnancy center in terms of clients showing for their appointments! I was astounded. We even had several walk-ins we were able to accept!
As I was enjoying a delicious pecan-crusted chicken salad with other staff members over lunch (compliments of our director!), the woman who was covering for me at the front desk came in with a smile on her face. She informed us all that one of our counselors could not make it in due to high waters in her area, and that all the clients scheduled for that hour had arrived, causing us to be one counselor short. In times like these, it is policy for a staff member to fill in, so she left the opportunity up to our lunch bunch and walked back to the front desk.
My boss immediately turned to me and asked if I would like to take the client. She graciously offered to cover for me at the phones if I was interested in doing so.
"Sure!" I replied. I used to see clients on a weekly basis, but with my new position, such opportunities occurred only when emergency back-up was needed...as it was that day.
Wiping my mouth with my napkin and hurriedly popping a breath mint in, I quickly processed my waiting client's paperwork, noting with relief that she was around my sister's age. (I much prefer to counsel young women who are around my age or younger. Speaking to those who are my senior by ten years is a bit uncomfortable.) Then, I grabbed my Bible, breathed a quick prayer for God's help, and welcomed the client back to one of the counseling rooms.
We chatted easily about her life as I filled in the client intake form for her file. I learned about her family, her pregnancy history, her current pregnancy symptoms, and other bits and pieces of information that helped me to get to know her better.
By the time we came to the part on the intake form that moves into the spiritual realm with questions about a religious preference and a client's eternal destination, I was grateful to see that she felt so relaxed. We were about to enter the most important part of our appointment together.
God blessed our conversation in an amazing way. Finding her very open to a discussion about spiritual matters, I was able to take the next 45 minutes and share with this precious young woman the whole Gospel message! I started by sharing some of the 10 Commandments, having learned that this is an excellent way to show a person their sin, and thus their need for a Savior. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." (Psalm 19:7)
Then, I opened my little New Testament with its previously marked verses and took my client through each verse, one at a time, explaining the good news of God's grace and the gift of salvation that can be received only through Jesus Christ. We talked of His death on the cross and the significance it holds even now, 2,000 years later, as the only way to be saved from God's punishment of our crimes. We talked of His resurrection and the power that He has over sin, death, and hell.
As we talked, my client told me stories from her life that led me to believe God has been in pursuit of her heart for some time, preparing her for our very conversation that day. I also pointed out to her how the enemy has been battling for her soul in his own devious ways.
Gently drawing her attention back to the verse at hand, John 5:24, I asked her if she had ever made the decision to respond to God's gift of salvation, to repent of her sins and put her faith in Jesus, thus crossing over "from death to life." She shook her head no. Then I asked her if there was anything stopping her from doing so that day. When she again said no, I asked her if she was ready to trust Jesus in faith. This time, she said yes!
We had a time of prayer together and it was the most precious experience to hear my new friend pour forth her heart to the Lord with tears and anguish over her sin as she thanked Him for His death on the cross for her. In childlike faith, she humbled herself and received His forgiveness.
There is truly no greater joy on this earth than to witness a person place their faith in the Savior! As the angels rejoiced in heaven that day, I was rejoicing with them! What a privilege to water seeds that had been planted over years of time and watch God "bring forth the increase!"
I would so appreciate it if each of you would hold this precious client up in prayer as she begins her new life. I know the enemy is not happy about losing her to the Lord and I anticipate that he may increase attacks on her soul. Please pray for God's protection and grace in her life. Pray that she'll stand strong in her new found faith and that she will be a witness to her husband.
I spoke with my client on the phone this past Thursday and she told me she has been reading the Bible every day. She was up to Matthew 12 the day we spoke. What joy it was to hear her words!
I am hoping to meet with her on a regular basis at the pregnancy center for Bible study and discipleship...so your prayers for wisdom on my part would be greatly appreciated as well!
God is so good to orchestrate Divine appointments in our lives. Who would have thought that on a gray, rainy day in a city full of flood waters, He would bring a young woman across my path who was ready to enter the Kingdom, and just needed a guide?
I love Kingdom work! It is the most exciting of anything in life! Praise God for His sovereign workings. He alone is worthy of praise!
Let me tell you about one such experience this past week...
It was Tuesday. Because of flooding all around the city in the wake of two giant thunderstorms, I called my boss to find out whether or not the pregnancy center would be open. She said yes, so once the waters had receded enough for me to manuever out onto the highway, I drove to work.
In all honesty, I did not know why we were openning our doors that day. I figured no one would come for appointments due to the rain, the flooding, and the fact that news anchors were advising everyone to stay home. Several staff members couldn't even make it out of their neighborhoods without a paddle boat. While I was more than happy to show up for work, I anticipated a very quiet day in the office...convinced that very few people, if any, would care about pregnancy tests or ultrasounds that day.
Was I ever wrong.
That day had to have been the best day in the history of our pregnancy center in terms of clients showing for their appointments! I was astounded. We even had several walk-ins we were able to accept!
As I was enjoying a delicious pecan-crusted chicken salad with other staff members over lunch (compliments of our director!), the woman who was covering for me at the front desk came in with a smile on her face. She informed us all that one of our counselors could not make it in due to high waters in her area, and that all the clients scheduled for that hour had arrived, causing us to be one counselor short. In times like these, it is policy for a staff member to fill in, so she left the opportunity up to our lunch bunch and walked back to the front desk.
My boss immediately turned to me and asked if I would like to take the client. She graciously offered to cover for me at the phones if I was interested in doing so.
"Sure!" I replied. I used to see clients on a weekly basis, but with my new position, such opportunities occurred only when emergency back-up was needed...as it was that day.
Wiping my mouth with my napkin and hurriedly popping a breath mint in, I quickly processed my waiting client's paperwork, noting with relief that she was around my sister's age. (I much prefer to counsel young women who are around my age or younger. Speaking to those who are my senior by ten years is a bit uncomfortable.) Then, I grabbed my Bible, breathed a quick prayer for God's help, and welcomed the client back to one of the counseling rooms.
We chatted easily about her life as I filled in the client intake form for her file. I learned about her family, her pregnancy history, her current pregnancy symptoms, and other bits and pieces of information that helped me to get to know her better.
By the time we came to the part on the intake form that moves into the spiritual realm with questions about a religious preference and a client's eternal destination, I was grateful to see that she felt so relaxed. We were about to enter the most important part of our appointment together.
God blessed our conversation in an amazing way. Finding her very open to a discussion about spiritual matters, I was able to take the next 45 minutes and share with this precious young woman the whole Gospel message! I started by sharing some of the 10 Commandments, having learned that this is an excellent way to show a person their sin, and thus their need for a Savior. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." (Psalm 19:7)
Then, I opened my little New Testament with its previously marked verses and took my client through each verse, one at a time, explaining the good news of God's grace and the gift of salvation that can be received only through Jesus Christ. We talked of His death on the cross and the significance it holds even now, 2,000 years later, as the only way to be saved from God's punishment of our crimes. We talked of His resurrection and the power that He has over sin, death, and hell.
As we talked, my client told me stories from her life that led me to believe God has been in pursuit of her heart for some time, preparing her for our very conversation that day. I also pointed out to her how the enemy has been battling for her soul in his own devious ways.
Gently drawing her attention back to the verse at hand, John 5:24, I asked her if she had ever made the decision to respond to God's gift of salvation, to repent of her sins and put her faith in Jesus, thus crossing over "from death to life." She shook her head no. Then I asked her if there was anything stopping her from doing so that day. When she again said no, I asked her if she was ready to trust Jesus in faith. This time, she said yes!
We had a time of prayer together and it was the most precious experience to hear my new friend pour forth her heart to the Lord with tears and anguish over her sin as she thanked Him for His death on the cross for her. In childlike faith, she humbled herself and received His forgiveness.
There is truly no greater joy on this earth than to witness a person place their faith in the Savior! As the angels rejoiced in heaven that day, I was rejoicing with them! What a privilege to water seeds that had been planted over years of time and watch God "bring forth the increase!"
I would so appreciate it if each of you would hold this precious client up in prayer as she begins her new life. I know the enemy is not happy about losing her to the Lord and I anticipate that he may increase attacks on her soul. Please pray for God's protection and grace in her life. Pray that she'll stand strong in her new found faith and that she will be a witness to her husband.
I spoke with my client on the phone this past Thursday and she told me she has been reading the Bible every day. She was up to Matthew 12 the day we spoke. What joy it was to hear her words!
I am hoping to meet with her on a regular basis at the pregnancy center for Bible study and discipleship...so your prayers for wisdom on my part would be greatly appreciated as well!
God is so good to orchestrate Divine appointments in our lives. Who would have thought that on a gray, rainy day in a city full of flood waters, He would bring a young woman across my path who was ready to enter the Kingdom, and just needed a guide?
I love Kingdom work! It is the most exciting of anything in life! Praise God for His sovereign workings. He alone is worthy of praise!
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