I Want It Now / Reese Fowler

Reese Fowler

Pastor's Wife / Bus Captain

Heritage Baptist Church

Canal Winchester, OH

I Want It Now! 

Hanging up the phone, I felt so helpless. My friend’s trembling voice was still echoing in my head, “Ms. Reese, I want him back now! Just tell me what to do.” I knew that the return of a prodigal son wasn’t as easy as waving a magic wand and repeating Abracadabra. It took six long years of praying and fasting before our oldest son returned back to God!

“And he said unto them, this kind come forth by prayer and fasting” Mark 9:29

Pushing the shopping cart down the beauty aisle at the grocery store, I sorted through my Loreal $2 discount coupons. It would be very evident in 2 weeks time that I would be wearing a skunk stripe down the top of my dark brown hair. I figured the cost up in my head and I was spending over $800 each year on coloring my hair. I decided that I would break up with Loreal #4 and go gray. What I didn’t know is that it was going to be a long 2-3 year process to go gray, but I wanted it now!

“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Romans 8:25

I could go on and on with stories on how I insisted on having it my way, and it didn’t work out at all… my way! One really good Bible Story, that I’ll never ever understand, is when Sarah wanted a baby so badly that she had her husband go into the tent with Hagar, her handmaid, and have a baby. What was she thinking? She wasn’t, ha! But Sarah wanted it her way. I want it now! Then she ends up throwing Hagar out, but she comes back. (One big soap opera.) She made a mess of things!

Veruca Salt in the Willy Wonka Movie was a spoiled brat that had to have everything her way. She wanted a squirrel, a glass elevator, on and on… You can see where it got her!

Sometimes we think we have to have everything asap. (The return of a prodigal child, gray hair, material things, etc…) Girlfriends, there’s a price that has to be paid for what we want, the price of patience. God is working everything out perfectly in His time.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

Choose Happy! 

He Sees YOU! / Laura Billings

Laurie Billings

He Sees YOU!!

Hey ladies! I pray this will be a blessing to you. 

Have you ever felt like your life feels more like a roller coaster of ups and downs and its hard to post prayer requests or ask for prayer from people when things change so much? Its been just over 4 months since my husband had to resign his position as Pastor. In the last several months God has been incredibly good to our family especially with zero income, its been nothing short of miraculous! . He has met our needs over and over again. Spiritual and physical. My husbands preached at a few churches for possible candidacy with no open doors or more like no peace. I've had some amazing days and several where my faith lacked so greatly. God has encouraged me through it all. Recently another door shut and the enemy immediately whispered some hurtful things to my heart. This little meme I made was an encouragement to me and I wanted to share it with you and some thoughts. 

1. Although we may not understand why some doors are shut or why our situation is the way it is, we can FULLY trust our unknowns to a KNOWN GOOD God!! A shut door doesn't mean we are forsaken, forgotten or even a failure in some way. Ministry hardships are there to grow us, purge us and keep us humble before Him. I'm so thankful for the last 3 months! I truly believe God has a people waiting for us and we were created just for them for such a time as this. Waiting for that open door is much harder when I'm looking inward and around instead of upward and in the Word.

2. Its OK to have those days where we falter, cry and waiver. When our kids do, we come to them, encourage, pray and love extra hard on them. Guess what, our God does the same for us. He doesn't get mad because we are human, weak and fallible. He sees our weaknesses and loves us despite it. What I've learned is He actually shows Himself so much more during those moments with such a tender love. I had a night where I was crying and literally having some chest pains as I thought about our situation. I guess you could call it anxiety. This is something that I had never experienced before. It was scary. More than that I was pretty broken and feeling hopeless. I got up the next morning, headed to the store with our last 50.00 and asked God to help me make it stretch for the next two weeks. I got a ding on my phone and it was money sent to us through a cash app! I couldn't believe it. It was from a person we hadn't spoken to in a while. All it said was "I'm praying for you"! The Lord whispered to my heart in that moment, "see- I'm here my daughter, I love you, I've got you, you're going to be ok, trust me". He didn't punish me for my unbelief. It honestly wasn't about the money and He could have chosen a million other ways to encourage me in that moment, but providing yet another miracle, was His method. Speaking to my heart was His method. Reminding me of scripture was His method. The miracle wasn't in the actual money, although it was miraculous, it was that He again was reminding me I wasn't alone and that He will always make a way, even when we cant understand why doors haven't opened yet.

So whatever is happening where you are, rejoice evermore. Praise Him, cry a little, pray a lot and don't forget that if He can number the stars, name them, knows the number of hairs on our heads, see's when a sparrow fall, HE SEES YOU! He just may have a greater yes for you and the "NO" is a temporary deflection.

You Can Do It, Too! / Bonita Epley

   

Bonita Epley

Evangelist's Wife

Singer / Song Writer

Marion Avenue Baptist Church

Washington, IA

You Can Do It, Too!

She was the life of the party;  her smile would cheer up even the grouchiest individual.  "Bubbly" was a great description of her personality, and when she entered the room, it felt like sunshine pouring into the place.  She had a ready laugh, and found humor in nearly every situation.

     But my friend began to change.  I noticed her laughs become fewer and fewer, her cheerful face grew more and more grim with the passing of time.  Her whole demeanor and countenance became somber.  Her marriage was suffering.  This godly, church-going, Christian lady, with grown children and two beautiful baby granddaughters, began getting tattoos.

     I wanted to reach out to her, but with our extensive travelling schedule, I felt that I couldn't squeeze it in.  Finally, on one of our rare days at home, I scheduled a time to be with her for an afternoon.  During the course of our conversation, she admitted that she was on antidepressants.

    Does this sound familiar?

   According to a new analysis of federal data (reported by the New York Times in 2018).  "some 15.5 million Americans have been taking the medications for at least five years.  The rate has almost doubled since 2010, and more than tripled since 2000."

     It's an epidemic!

     My daughter is our pastor's wife, and deals with ladies' problems on a regular basis.  We were having a conversation several months ago, and I mentioned in passing that I had recently spoken at a ladies' meeting in another state.  In the course of the lesson, I briefly addressed the issue of Christian women taking antidepressants.  My daughter interrupted and declared, "Mom, hit it every time you can!  It's unreal how many people are on them!"

     The friend I referred to earlier said that the doctor (who prescribed the meds) asked her this question:  "Do you feel like killing yourself?"  My friend's reply was, "No, but I feel like killing everybody else I see!"  Here is that doctor's unbelievable answer:  "That's understandable.  This is the same medication the Columbine killer was taking."

   Can anyone give me some clue as to why Christians seek after these drugs as an answer to their problems?  Actually, let me answer my own question:

    1.  Their doctors recommend it.
    2.  They know others who are taking them.
    3.  They feel discouraged, overwhelmed, trapped, stressed.... and they don't know what else to do.

    I'm sure there are other reasons, but can I give you my humble opinion on these?

    1.  Doctors are not infallible.  some honestly care about their patients, and are just doing what they were trained to do - prescribe drugs.  But just because a person is in a medical coat says this is your answer does not necessarily make it true.

   2.  It's never right to just blindly follow someone else's example.  Research for yourself!

   3.  Everybody gets discouraged at times.
        Everybody feels overwhelmed at times.
        Everybody feels trapped at times.
        Everybody feels stressed at times.
        You see, you aren't the only one.  Welcome to the human race!  (We could all have a serious heart-to-heart talk with Eve and say, "Look what you caused!")  But many times, our feelings are caused by an underlying spiritual issue that needs to be brought to light.

     Please don't turn me off.

     God says in his wonderful, truthful, inspired, problem-solving Word:  ".... in Thy presence is fulness of joy..." (Psalm 16:11)

     Even when you don't have enough money?
     Even when someone mistreats you?
     Even when you feel like no one cares?
     Even when your heart is broken?
     Even when you need to be in two places at one time?
     Even when it feels like everything in life has fallen apart?

     When I was a girl, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I remember hearing my mother say there was a time when she felt she needed to take "nerve pills" to get her through her days.  My dad had started a church (and was working a full-time secular job as well), they had two small children (although I 'm SURE we were both angels!), they were going farther and farther behind financially, and other forms of stress.

     My mom said one day she made up her mind that she didn't need the pills;  Jesus was enough to meet her needs!  What an interesting philosophy!  Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my JOY might remain in you, and that your JOY might be full." (John 15:11)

   You may think I am over simplifying the answer to your problem.  I know occasionally there may be a medical problem that can cause depression and anxiety, but far more often, the cause is a spiritual one.

     If you are depressed, can I give you a little self-examination quiz?

     1.  How much time do you spend daily on your phone?  According to eMarketer Trends, Forecasts & Statistics, "U.S. adults will spend an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices..."

     Follow-up question:  How much time did you spend in Bible-reading and prayer this morning?     " …. in THY presence is fulness of joy..."  No wonder we have a nation of depressed people!

    2.  How often is the TV on in your home?  Wikipedia states:  "According to a Nielson report, United States adults are watching five hours and four minutes of television per day on average.."

   Follow-up question:  How much time did you spend with the Lord this morning?  Are the characters on your favorite shows influencing you more than the Holy God?  "... in THY presence is fulness of joy..."

    3.  Are you thinking about the following things:
             Things that are TRUE
             Things that are HONEST
             Things that are JUST
             Things that are PURE
             Things that are LOVELY
             Things that are of GOOD REPORT

     Follow-up question:  Do your computer, phone, I-pad, tablet, TV, or close friends help you to think on these things listed in Philippians 4:8?

     I personally like technology.  I'm an old-fashioned girl in most ways, but I love the ways my I-phone can assist me.  I use it very frequently during each day!  But I realize that it can be addicting.  One of my favorite apps is the KJV Alexander Scourby Bible app;  I recommend it highly!  You can listen to the Bible often when you are doing things that don't require a lot of concentration, and it will feed your soul!  I guarantee it!  Try it for yourself and see!

    It can be set to loop verses, chapters, or passages;  one morning I was feeling stressed and discouraged (yes, I am human too), and I looped it to play Psalm 23 over and over.  As I meditated on those beautiful verses, I felt my spirits being lifted and my wrong attitude gave way to a thankful heart.

    There is so much that can be said about the subject of depression.  This was the case with my dear friend that was described earlier.  Thank God, she went to a naturalistic doctor who discovered that he depression was caused by a thyroid issue.  After she was freed from the effects of the antidepressants, she was able (with the help of some needed herbs, vitamins, etc) to calm the thyroid and is now back to her joyful, happy self!

     YOU can do it, too!  You can be a joyful person.  There IS hope for you.  Today can be the beginning of a new, happy life, free of "the blues", May the Lord help you to find your answers and live the full, rich life that only He can give.

Day 1 / Shelly Hamilton

Shelly Hamilton

Majesty Music

Greenville, SC

DAY 1

The just shall live by faith. Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38

God is the Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the Great One; the Creator, the Ruler over land and sea. He crafted each star and each planet, setting them with precision into the universe. The waves of the sea crash to the shore at His command. The trees and the flowers grow heavenward to worship Him. The birds sing their sweet songs to praise Him.

We have the gift of life only because God wills it. He formed each of us in our mother’s womb and breathed into us the breath of life. You and I will not rise up yesterday, today, or tomorrow without the permission, power, and preordinance of God.

In this incredible journey called life we encounter many twists and turns. Sometimes a twist in our journey surprises us with inexplicable joy, yet at other times, unimaginable sorrow.

We can’t see ahead on this journey. We make plans, we take precautions, we get wise counsel; but ultimately, God is the One who designs each individual road map. He knows exactly where each journey is going to begin, its length, its bumps and curves, and where it ultimately is going to end.

I have gained much through my journey, as I am sure you have through yours.

My celebrations are not always by my choice and

most certainly are not my trials—but what lessons I have learned as a result of both!

What I ascertain from my life journey always comes back to this simple truth from Scripture: “The just shall live by faith.” This important principle, which God repeats four times in His Word, has become the foundation of my Christian faith.

Advice in Action / Debbie Russ

Debbie Russ

Faith Music Missions

Boeke Road Baptist Church 

Evansville, IN

Advice in Action

When I was asked to speak at my daughter-in-loves baby shower, I asked the Lord what I could  talk about that would help and encourage her as a first time mommy. The following are some things that I was taught, and things that I learned when raising our children:

• -Seek God’s Wisdom daily. James 1:5

• -Don’t forget each other. Continue to cultivate your marriage.

• -Always take the higher road. If one of you feels more strongly in an area, yield to that standard. Don’t try to get the other to come down to your opinion.

• -Serve the Lord together. Let your children see you serving and enjoying it.

• -If you disagree about something, your children should not see or hear you arguing.

• -Your children should see their parents showing affection toward each other. It gives them security that all is well.

• -Don’t be critical of others. Your children will pick this up.

• -Teach them to work. Expect it of them.

• -Always remember that you are the adult. You are the parent. Don’t allow your children to run your home.

• -Always have good, godly music playing in your home.

• -You choose who you are going to get advice from. Many people will give their opinions. You choose who you will listen to.

• -Let them struggle. As babies, toddlers, children, teens. Don’t try to fix everything for them.    Struggling makes them stronger.

• -Trust your husbands judgment.

• -Make a big deal when daddy gets home.

• -Give lots of hugs. Show them affection. They will understand the love of God better when they are shown unconditional love by their parents.

• -Have fun!! Your children will remember the time you spent with them more than the money you spent on them.

Psalm 127:3 - Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.