Thanksgiving Blessings, Tragedy, and God's Grace

On November 19^th, my husband and I drove to Gatlinburg, TN to begin a week of thanksgiving and gratitude to our Savior. It was a long 500 mile trip, but the expectation of seeing the mountains and hoping for a little leftover color kept our hopes high.

God showed up in a mighty way! As we wound around one curve after another, we oohed and ahhed. Red, orange, and yellow clung to the trees. When the thicket of trees thinned, the valley was still ablaze, rich in color. My heart beat faster, my prayers came in worship. Creation sang its endless song to the Father, and I sat amazed with wonderment and joy. God provided.

When we pulled up to the rental cabin, it was nestled in the side of a mountain. The sweetest little cabin I’d ever seen. I wanted to cry. And when we got inside I almost did. It was a nightmare. Half the furniture was gone. It was filthy, and there were dead bugs on the floor. Our daughter and her family met us there. Disappointment was an understatement.

Three hours later, we were in another cabin on another mountain top, and it was the cabin we had envisioned staying in over Thanksgiving. But we couldn’t. We could only stay there until the day before Thanksgiving. The cabin assistant worked earnestly in order to get us into another cabin by late Wednesday.

All of us chose not to be discouraged and to head out and see as much of Gatlinburg as we could. I hadn’t been to Gatlinburg in a few years and couldn’t wait to see the village, go Christmas shopping, and take the tram up the mountain to see more of God’s glory. We went hard for three days.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we were faced with a dilemma – either we get into another cabin or we travel home. At the eleventh hour the assistant called and we moved into our third cabin. Glory Hallelujah! Thanksgiving in the Smokies!!! God provided.

Thanksgiving was joyous! I managed to find a grocery store the night before, and presented a decent meal the next day. All twelve of us sat around the table giving thanks to God for all His intervention in our lives. We lifted up my grandson, Hudson, who would be having surgery on December 5. Life was grand! God was good! The color was still hanging on, and outside the gorgeous full-length windows, we sat amazed and humbled by God’s blessings. God provision.

Here’s a picture of a beautiful Smoky Mountain sunrise (and my granddaughter taking pictures)

Within twenty-four hours, the fire that had threatened the Smokies raged and grew. When eighty-plus miles per hour winds hit on Monday night, the ashes swirled around the mountaintops, landing, and creating more fires. By ten o’clock, an evacuation was called for our area. Smoke thickened, and visibility was limited to only a few feet. We could see the red glow of the fires in the mountains. All the beauty turned into a beast, a fiery beast threatening everything in its path.

Below is a pictures taken of the thick smoke.

I cried at the loss. My heart sank thinking about the locals and visitors who were scrambling to get off the mountain and into safety. We chose to leave early Tuesday morning. Images of downed trees and backed-up traffic on the TV kept us back. It was a harrowing night filled with fear.

Tragedy. As I stood and looked out over the smoke and fire, I cried again. The landscape would never look the same. The cabins lining the mountaintops were gone or burned too badly to be saved. On the tram ride we took earlier in the week, we sadly realized our images of a peaceful mountain town were gone forever. Now everything was in chaos and destruction.

I prayed. And as I prayed, God revealed His blessings, one-by-one, providing for His people and eliminating my fear.

Volunteer helpers poured into the area. Firefighters from all over Tennessee and adjacent states arrived and went right to work. Churches opened their doors for evacuees. Money began to pour into the coffers of the Red Cross and local food banks. Blessings heaped upon blessings that were broadcast during the night. We watched and marveled at God’s people laying down their commitments and lifting up their resources to help a needy mountain area. God provided.

Tragedy to blessings. God was on that mountain. His hands and feet were working miracles. Many people were saved from perishing. A lot of establishments were saved from destruction. Even the eagles at Dollywood were taken care of. The acts of courage and kindness continued. The hands and feet of Jesus moved throughout the area.

Every day we are called to be a blessing. Opportunities abound. Even small gifts of kindness are multiplied and the harvest grows. God provides.

Many blessings to you. In Christ’s name I pray,

Emergence of the Cries Series

Months before I began writing Cries of Innocence, I was faced with many facets of evil and deception. For a relatively calm and gentle person, I can tell you that this was disconcerting to me.

For many years, God has led me into a ministry of mentoring and teaching His Word. During this time, I’ve dealt with issues of addiction, abuse, neglect, brokenness, and unforgivenes, scars that ran deep in God’s children. Scripture tells us that God uses His spiritual warriors in many ways, and He’s certainly had me on testing ground, preparing me for even more challenging circumstances.

God used our thirty years of moving all over the country to teach me. Every location brought new areas of ministry, mostly working with children. Children have been the gem of my life. Whether it was ministering to my own children or other people’s children or in a classroom or church setting or as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused, neglected, and abandoned children, children have been foremost in my life.

While working with children, God offered me the opportunity to work with their parents, especially their mothers. I’ve been police escorted into more homes than I care to remember. At this point in my life, I began to think that evil reigned. So many had no hope. So many lived lives standing on a time bomb, knowing it could explode any minute. I’ve been in hospital rooms and listened to horror tales of physical abuse. I’ve held hands of teens who had tried to commit suicide. I’ve wandered halls of court rooms and wondered where justice had fled.

Did I ever think I’d write a book about all that ugliness? No. And that’s because I could not see a happy ending to any of it. Then in 2014 on a trip across the United States, my husband and I witnessed a girl being attacked, openly and without recourse. At the time, I had just seen Christine Caine at a faith-based women’s conference, and she had talked about human trafficking, a ministry she is strongly engaged in. When I saw that man beat that girl, uncaring if anyone witnessed it, I knew in my heart this incident went beyond a man-woman disagreement. His dialect was European, and hers were screams of fright.

I’ve been told many times there is no evil. Oh how foolish! Evil is rampant, and we allow it to continue. We tie acceptable names to it and wear it like it was a disfigurement that is tolerated.

My life up to this point birthed Cries of Innocence.

I began having dreams, and I don’t dream much, about the protagonist in the book, Bren Parrot. I could see her. I began to know her heart. I also began to know her fear and hopelessness. When I began writing her story, it was to purge it from my subconscious. Then more and more of her story began to surface, and I would pen that. Before I knew it I was staring at 203 pages. And I thought it was over, but within weeks of publishing Cries of Innocence, the characters began throbbing in my head again.

For the past few months, God has been leading me to tell the rest of Bren’s story. And over this time, I realized there would be two more books that will come out of Bren’s life.

Cries of Grace will be about Bren and Joseph. It will be a Christian Fictional Romance. I am almost finished, but the last part, Part III, is going to be fun to write, but it will push me to make it something you will never want to forget. (I can’t believe I just said that. The pressure is on.)

Cries of Mercy will be . . . well, . . . God is still working on that one, only sharing images of what new and complex life issues Bren and Joseph will encounter. Evil does not rest. It stalks. It waits. And then . .  .

When the next book in the Cries series comes out, I hope you will be eager to read it. I’m praying God’s fingerprints will be all over it. For He is why I write. My Savior is why I put myself on the line, writing about His children who realize, “Not for a moment will You forsake me.”

Please listen to Meredith Andrews song, “Not For A Moment” to hear Bren’s heart announcing, “After all I’ve been through, You never forsake me.”

Link to You tube video: Meredith Andrews “Not for the Moment”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD0cvWImVjA

God bless you always,

Writing Addiction

My husband chides me, “Why are you always writing?”

I confess. I’m addicted to writing. It’s the same with reading. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. But, there’s never enough time to do all the writing and reading I want to do. I mean NEVER!

When I get to heaven, I want to be assigned to the journaling department with spirits of like ilk. What joy!!! Then on my days off, I can just sit on a cloud and write or read. Yep, one day you may look up and see a pair of feet dangling from a fluffy cloud and you can say with a lot of certainty, “That’s Angela!”

As soon as my teachers put a pencil in my hand, I wanted to write all the stories that were in my head. Most of those stories germinated from my Papa LeMaire who was a great storyteller. The more proficient I got, I wrote about everything. Nothing missed my observant eyes or emotional wrangling, and it all went down on paper.

When I got married, I left a few things in the closet in my bedroom. At nineteen you think you will have a residence with your parents forever. I could have never imagined my mother cleaning my room and throwing away the three boxes of potential manuscript material that I’d been working on. Well, in my mind it was manuscript, awarding material, and I was devastated. My mother said, “Good riddance!” Sometimes parents don’t realize how important your “stuff” can be!

My grandmother once asked me, “What kind of people do you write about?”

That was a hard question. I observe everyone – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes, I add in all these traits to come up with some very unusual characters. I like to write about real people caught up in the act of living life small and large. People who struggle and find joy are amazing subjects. I want to crawl into the mind of the homeless, the psychotic, and the little old lady across the street and set them up as neighbors trying to get along. Oh, I forgot. I already did that one.

I think the whole idea of taking what you know and twisting it a quarter of a turn is exciting. You never know what’s going to come out of a situation of fate, promise, and determination. That’s writing for you!

So, for the next couple of blog posts, I’m going to write about what I’m writing about. I’m ninety percent finished with the sequel to Cries of Innocence. I’m so excited! It’s a new genre for me - Contemporary Christian Romance. Afterwards, I will head right into finishing up the Cries trilogy with Cries of Mercy.

I can’t wait to share with you what’s happening in my happy place – the writing happy place. In everything I write and do, I remain consistent in my desire to share Jesus and His love with everyone. Writing Bible studies or fictional novels, I want every word I pen to bring my King the honor and glory.

Blessings!

Not I, But Christ

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10

Yes, I have repeated these words over and over again. I shouted this in love to my Savior who gave me another chance to see His blessings.

I almost emotionally derailed my trip to Morganton. From there, my husband and I with two friends were headed to the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. I know. . . how could I have been so distraught about a gas crisis and getting stuck at The Cove! Woe is me!!!

The trip to The Cove was fabulous! We took the Blue Ridge Parkway. Need I say more? At one lookout area, I met a painter who was trying to capture the lushness and fluctuating light on the mountains. I saw God’s beauty in a new dimension as he tipped the brush and dabbed paint to highlight and enhance. What a joy!

But the best was yet to come. Two and half days we sat at Dr. David Bruce’s feet and learned more about Jesus’ teachings from the book of Colossians. The instructor titled his study, “Living in the Promise of Eternity”. I cannot begin to explain the importance this topic had on me. From beginning until the end I saw my name written in a lot of places. It was especially geared to understand how to navigate life through complexities and challenges.

The gas crisis only stirred up another crisis that was going on within me. Our God is magnificent at getting us in the middle of the stew and then stirring up the stuff sticking to the bottom. That stuff rising up was almost to the point of charring. As a cook, you know when that happens you have almost ruined the stew.

Almost ruined it, but didn’t by the saving grace of Jesus who quickly turned me around with Scripture. God’s Word never returns void.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25

Part of the study of Colossians was on growing in faith by being strong in life and meeting trials and difficult situations head on. The key is knowing God’s Word which settles one into knowledge and understanding. In my moment of gas-crisis-panic, I failed to be settled by the truth I know in God’s Word. And God used every failed attempt on my part to bring me back to His Word, to ground, and re-center me.

I loved Colossians 2:5 when it says above all to lead “orderly and firm” lives. Dr. Bruce reminded us that it was a military term to keep rank and be firm in our faith.

I broke rank when I got overwrought over the gas situation. What a lesson I needed. Over the days at The Cove, I realized that I needed to watch out for spiritual perils and stand firm. The only way to do that is to put God’s Word in my mind and pray fervently for strength and courage in unsettling times and events.

The most beautiful thing I learned was how to be victorious over sin. My gas-crisis-panic was a sinful act of distrust. But the Word is clear about what we can do to be victorious over sin.

1. Starve it – don’t feed emotions.

2. Crowd it out – by positive graces.

3. Activate the Word in your life.

4. Apply the blood of Jesus. Pray for the power of the blood to cover sin.

5. Live in the Power of the Holy Spirit through prayer.

When we do these things, we can starve all those pent up emotions and channel them into worship, singing, and praise, glorifying God’s name. Then all will see Jesus on our face.

Trust me I saw many people at The Cove who wore Jesus in humble, beautiful ways. What a testimony! They displayed the heart of Jesus, exercised faith, operated from a servant’s heart, saturated themselves in prayer, and spoke about Jesus’ life and work as real and tangible.

Lord, bend that proud and stiffnecked “I.”

Oh to be saved from myself, dear Lord,

Oh to be lost in Thee:

Oh that it might be no more I,

But Christ that lives in me.

If the stew gets stirred up remember Jesus will help you pick out the charred pieces until the stew becomes palatable and tasty. He’s a Master Chef at correcting mistakes. Trust me. I’ve met Him in the kitchen many times.

Thank you, Jesus, for loving me when I don’t love myself. Thank you for new mornings and new chances.

In Thee I place it all,

Gas Crisis?

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 my husband and I journeyed toward Morganton, N.C. We were not 50 miles from home when I unfortunately read the news about “North Carolina’s gas crisis”. Gas crisis? At this point, I was ready to go home. From Morganton, we were planning on driving to Asheville for an event. I quickly figured the distance and realized there was no way a tank of gas would get me home.

As nicely as I could in my distraught condition, I asked my husband to please turn the car around and take me home. I told him that I did not want to be stranded in the western part of the state. And as nicely as he could, he told me we were not turning back, but were going to continue our trip forward.

Well, I’d like to say we had a wonderful ride from that moment until destination arrival, but I will not add lying to my list of egregious internal railings.

We arrived at our destination to visit with friends before heading on to our big event. I admit I struggled to keep my composure. Looking back I realize I was in severe emotional overdrive, overwrought, and overwhelmed.

Later that night, I went to the Lord in earnest prayer asking Him to do what only He could do—calm my soul and renew my spirit. I immediately felt tension flowing away as I drifted off to sleep.

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?” Luke 12:25

That was the verse I heard in my subconscious as I was waking up. Oh how foolish it is to worry about tomorrow since it accomplishes nothing. Well, nothing but a raging headache! I realize the gas problem could have stranded us for a few days, but instead of looking at it as an adventure of sorts, I let the uncertainty of the situation fester and bring up all the things at home I had to get back to and do.

Overnight God eased my tension. I do believe He needed me to get back focused on Him. He had a lot of surprises and too many blessings for me to miss. If I had started my second day like the first, I would have lost some incredible memories.

Stress can derail us.

What a beautiful lesson for me. When the unfortunate happens or plans seemed sabotaged, sit in wonder and expectation. Something’s up. It might be a negative situation. In that case, you buckle up and endure. But . . . it just might be the best thing ever! Some of God’s greatest gifts come in simple, unannounced, random ways.

What a life lesson for me. I want to remember this one forever. Do not worry. More importantly, I don’t want to miss God’s blessings. I can’t even think about the gifts unseen, unnoticed, or unaccepted on that first day of my high tension. It hurts to know I can never get them back. But I can make sure it doesn’t happens again. And I can promise you, worrying didn’t add one single hour to my life. To be truthful it took many hours away from my joy.

Next blog is God’s overflow of blessings.

Blessings, 

Living Under Grace

How differently would we live today if we truly believed we were living under grace?

Most of us believe we are living with and in grace, but under grace takes on a whole new meaning. These three little prepositions are cantankerous little words that can cause a slight variation in meaning.

Living under grace means to see everything in life in the light of God’s grace.

Wow!!! Can you imagine that? Our eyes trained to see everything under the perspective of our Lord. The beauty of the world reflected in the face of a beggar. Love raining down on the just and the unjust. Trust flowering among those who distrust. Faith showered on a refugee camp. A church youth group thundering in to a small Appalachian village to minister to impoverished kids.

For once the world would be seen with a different lens and ministered to from God's perspective.

Grace is:

Sitting on my back deck, I envisioned a new world order where people would see things boldly. Strife would be at a minimum. Discord would be settled with a handshake. Anger would be dissolved in simple words like, “I’m sorry”.

What a joy to be a Christian writer and seek to see beyond troubling news and a fractured culture. I’m going to stay on the deck and watch the golden eagle riding the afternoon wind or try to catch a glimpse of the little red fox that has been hiding behind my azalea bushes.

Even if I can only escape for a little while, I want to cherish grace. It’s a gift. And sitting under it means I can take my time unwrapping it and think about Jesus’ life, how He loved so much that He died for those who loved Him. It’s hard to comprehend such a sacrificial act, but looking out over the river living under grace, I feel Jesus wants me to savor the gift and revel in the love, so that I can leave and take it with me and extend it to others.

There’s lots of room in living under grace. I encourage you to find your place to reflect on it and invite others to join you. I’m thinking we can change our small world and gain a new perspective.

I’m living under grace. Join me,

Olympics Of Life

Watching the Olympics over the last two weeks has made me acutely aware of how much life investment has been made. But getting to the Olympics does not mean their challenge is over. It’s the apex of all they have worked for. Each athlete knows how important it is to finish the race and cross the line.

I marveled watching athletes from across the globe persevere in their fields of competence. You could see the struggle and determination branded in each face. As I watched them, I was inspired to push harder in my life challenges.

Here we are just days away from the Olympics and I wonder if I can capture a semblance of what those athletes gave the world. Those men and women who gave it all. They ran the race and stayed the course.

But . . . do I? How often do I begin something and lose interest? How often do I decide it’s too hard and give up? How often do I look at others and feel I can never achieve what they can and walk away?

Too often. Way too often.

That’s tragic in and of itself, but how often do I berate myself over not finishing goals and spending years piling up one failure after another, beating myself up until I am inept at finishing even everyday mundane chores and objectives.

More than I want to admit to.

Traveling through God’s Word reminds me that I’m not alone in my struggle with perseverance or achievement. Many struggle in their quest to know Jesus better, to spread the Good News, and minister to others. The apostle Paul felt he couldn’t possibly do what was needed to be done for Christ. He asked, “Who is adequate for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16 NASB)

But Paul looked beyond his limitations to God’s sufficiency, declaring “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:5 KJV)

God’s guidance and presence is what makes the race of life possible. Paul assures us in Philippians 4:13 that we “can do all things through Him who strengthens” us.

So I’m on Team Jesus, and I’m asking you to join me to run the race set for us by Jesus Christ. We are all runners. We may not be competing, but we’re after the eternal goal: heaven. We aren’t running aimlessly or fighting like a boxer beating the air (1 Corinthians 9:26), we know what to do. We keep running for Jesus.

Our race is worth every moment of investment: studying the Bible, reaching out to others, teaching, listening, loving, praying, and pushing every faith muscle we have to exhaustion. We’re running with Jesus. What a wonderful thought!

Okay . . . Team Jesus is ready to roll!!! The race is worth the effort. Do you see the finish line?

Remember: “Overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loved us enough to die for us.” (Romans 8:37)

God bless you all,

Money, Money, Money

Money, money, money must be funny in a rich man’s world!

I can’t help but think of this song every time I get phone calls from Omaha, NE; Washington DC; E. Waterford, PA; Santa Paula, CA; or Lytton Spg, TX. All the calls want is money for political agendas, ad campaigns, or to stop certain political opponents. Really? Money is not the answer folks. If they were selling something of value, they wouldn’t have to ask for money. We would already be sending it.

When my grandmother died, I helped mother clean out her home. While taking clothes out of the dresser, a letter fell on the floor. It was one I had written to her when I was seven years old.

Dear Grandmama,
How are you and Papa doing? I miss and love you so much. Could you send me a quarter? I really need it. Love, Angela

Guess I was practicing for today’s culture!!! I set it up to make them feel good and then wham, I’m asking for money.

Money, money, money.

And have you noticed all the pop-up ads on Facebook recently? Cure wrinkles. Write a book today! Buy this. Buy that. It’s beginning to feel like an assault.

In my devotional this morning, I read:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. . . . and which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your stature? . . . But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Luke 12:22-31, paraphrased)

When I get stressed over every day occurrences, I get so agitated. I lose my joy.

John Piper said, “Maintaining joy in God takes work; that is, it’s a fight against every impulse for alien joys and every obstacle in the way to seeing and savoring Christ.”

“Rejoice always.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

I have to fight to feel the joy. And that’s okay. Fighting or resolving to be joyful has many bonuses, internal and external.

Omaha, NE just called me again. I felt my ire rising, but I fought back, answered the phone, and listened before saying, “Thank you for your offer. You are so kind. I pray God blesses you to the uttermost. Have a wonderful day. Goodbye.”

I did not hang up on Omaha, NE. And before the receiver left my ear I heard, “Thank you! God bless you, too”

Joy.

God will do it His way – in great and unexpected ways through us when we trust Him and fight for joy in the middle of life’s aggravations!!!!

Are you fighting for joy in your life? If so, marinate in the following verses:

Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.”

Proverbs 17:22 “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Psalm 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure.”

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

1 Thessalonians 2:20 “For You are our glory and joy.”

1 John 1:4 “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

Fight for joy! Marinate in it! It’s the key to physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

God bless you,

Summer At Camp Love

My husband and I had a very concentrated six weeks of summer company. It was awesome and filled with joy and blessings. At one point we had sixteen at the beach! As our summer fun was coming to an end, our seven-year-old granddaughter handed us a postcard: Greetings from Camp Love! (with the word Wannago! struck out).

I don’t think our granddaughter knew what Wannago meant or she might have inserted the “love” in between Camp and Wannago.

The postcard has been in front of me for a few days. The house seems way too quiet, the laundry is caught up, and the bare refrigerator is filled with healthy food again. I miss the morning sleepyheads who straggled into the kitchen with a blanket wrapped around their shoulders asking for juice. I miss the kitchen table filled with art supplies and stacks of finished and unfinished artwork. I miss the chatter of small voices.

I wannago back to the chaos and feeling filled up with love. I wannago back to the beach, the zoo, the aquarium, and the theater. I wannago randomly to the ice cream store and sit at the waterfront in Washington, N. C., licking very fast to catch every drop of coconut, chocolate, almond ice cream in 98 degree weather. I truly don’t want summer company and fun to be over.

So today Dallas and I got in his ’57 Chevy, and we went to Scoops Ice Cream Store in Washington. We got our favorite ice cream and walked over to the waterfront to enjoy our dessert, people watch, and settle into the late afternoon heat and slight breeze off the Pamlico River.

And for a moment, summer fun was back on, and I could feel all the blessings and joy of those six weeks. I closed my eyes and said a prayer of thanksgiving. When I opened them, I witnessed the most beautiful sunset ever. It was like another blessing, a gift to remember God’s love pours out in many ways: grandchildren, fellowship, worship, fun, and nature.

As I get back into the routine of life after Camp Love, I realize I am eager and excited about our next Camp Wannago, I mean Camp Love. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for our family.

Have you had a wannago summer? If not, it’s not over yet. Plan a wannago outing and invite someone that needs to have a little fun and companionship.

God be with you!

All Lives Matter

My Papa, Theodule Joseph LeMaire, was a descendant of Pierre Thibaudeau and his wife Jeanne Terriau who left France to settle in Acadia (Nova Scotia). Their lives as settlers in a new land were extremely hard. But life got harder. The British Conquest of Acadia in 1710 set up deep barriers between the French settlers and the British, culminating in the Great Expulsion in 1755 of the French. Ten families in my ancestry line were put in concentration camps. Later, they were deported to many different locations. Most of my family ended up in the swamps of Louisiana. They later became known as Cajuns.

My Papa was born in 1898. Only one time do I remember his sharing how hard life was for him, and his immediate and extended family. French mothers fought hard to keep their family heritage and language at the forefront of their teachings. Papa’s mother insisted her family only speak French. If she heard them speak English, the children were punished severely. At that time, assimilation into the English culture in Louisiana was forbidden by French families. The children received the brunt of this division. If they spoke French in public, they were often slighted, made fun of, or physically harmed by the English settlers.

My great-grandmother’s maiden name was Hebert (pronounced A Bear). The picture below gives a clear indication of what the Cajun/French children had to deal with.

This painting entitled “He Burt Yes. A Bear No.” by George Rodrigue illustrates what Cajun children had to deal with for years. It shows a boy in school where the black board says ‘No French Spoken in School’. In the painting, the little boy is being chastised for pronouncing his name, Hebert, using the French dialect. The English speaking teacher wanted him to pronounce his last name phonetically (He Burt), robbing the boy of his nationality and culture.

My grandfather spoke broken English all his life but he persevered, working long hours in the rice fields of Louisiana. He eventually broke tradition, learned English, and moved out of Louisiana in order to better himself. By the time I was born, my grandfather ran a furniture store and wore a suit and top hat to work every day He worked past his cultural disabilities to provide a good life for my grandmother, mother, and aunt. My mother said she never heard her father belabor his plight in life. He only showed his family his pride in succeeding.

This is not an unusual story. A lot of people flocked to America and went through the same kind of discrimination, violence, and persecution that my French forefathers endured. But that was then and this is now. These ancestors of different cultures, languages, and beliefs paved the way for our freedom. I’m sorry bad things happened to those refugees. But we live in the twenty-first century, and free to be all we want to be. I don’t care what circumstances you are facing, our forefathers showed us that perseverance and a strong work ethic can bridge gaps to ensure a good life.

More importantly, we need to focus on what is real to all of us today.

Jesus died for each of us. He ended the debate on which lives matter. Everyone matters. The prostitute. The unbeliever. The lost. The demon-possessed. The doubter. The sick. The widows. Jesus encountered them all with love and offered words for an eternal life. When people approached Jesus, he engaged them. Jesus also pursued the ordinary and unlikely and called them to follow Him.

Isn’t this what we should be focusing on in 2016? I don’t expect an apology from the British or from the English colonists about the deplorable treatment and persecution my family endured. What I want to remember is their survival, determination, and sheer willpower to persevere. Without that, I might not be here today writing these words. I am alive and free because of the perseverance of my ancestors, and I’m so proud.

Let’s end the debate on whose life matters. It truly is not up for debate.

We are God’s children: red and yellow, black and white, we are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Do you believe this?

You should. Jesus loves you, and He can’t lie. Jesus also insists we love one another.

We are in this messy, dangerous world together. We need all races and cultures in this great land to put their energy on creating a better life for generations to come by focusing on what we have in common. Remember Jesus understands persecution and hatred. He was killed by people who should have opened their arms to Him. I’m sure His heart breaks over every death and killing that has happened in our great country.

I implore you to read Dr. Tony Evans book, “America: Turning A Nation To God”. In it he states, “America is in serious trouble. From sea to shining sea we are witnessing the devolution of a nation. Regardless of which side of the political aisle you sit, it is clear that things are unraveling at warp speed. The United States is quickly becoming the divided states as signs of disunity and conflicts abound. From family breakdowns to the immigration crisis to the abiding racial divide to Congress’ inability to function; it is clear we are a fraying nation. Add to this the continuing moral decay that is engulfing us, whether it is the redefinition of marriage and the family, abortions on demands, a media that continues to dumb down decency, or an educational system that increasingly seeks to impart information without ethics in the name of ‘freedom’. We are as a nation sliding south fast. The American dream is quickly becoming the American nightmare as more and more citizens become disillusioned with the direction things seem to be going.”

I am glad my Papa is dead and cannot see what has happened to America. I think his heart would break just like Jesus’.

We have to secure our land and return it to God in our worship, praise, and how we conduct our lives. There is nothing more immediate or urgent than our unity as a people.

What can you do today to help discord in your area? This is not a rhetorical question. It’s an imperative one that needs to happen now.

One thing I know I can do to help unify is to talk more about Jesus. Even unbelievers know what He went through; and yet, through it all, He maintained integrity and love in all He did. Share the hard core reality of Jesus. Tell others what Jesus has done for you (Luke 8:39).

As Lysa Terkeurst said, “Our job is obedience. God’s job is results.”

Charles Spurgeon ended a sermon with this call, “Now, get at it all of you! You that are doing nothing for Jesus, be ashamed of yourselves and ask Him to work in you so that you may begin to work for Him.”

God has given us the power of choice. Let’s accept our responsibility to do something about it.

As you plan how you can help change things, keep your eyes upward. Pray continually for God’s intervention and mercy on our nation and her people.

God bless you. God bless America.

Renew A Right Spirit In Me

“Hey, Missy, do you know Jesus?”

I was 7 years old. Both my parents worked; so, I had to walk to and from school by myself. I don’t remember any lecture about strangers. If I was told about the dangers, I quickly forgot them when an elderly black man halted me in midstride to ask me a question.

“Hey, Missy, do you know Jesus?”

I was walking past a large cotton mill in Rome, Georgia. When I stopped, he motioned for me to come and sit down beside him. I realize now he was sitting on a retainer wall leading down to a docking bay for delivery and pickup, and he was probably on a break or waiting for the next truck to arrive.

His smile was infectious, so sincere and welcoming. I didn’t hesitate to join him. Seeing I was too small to join him on the wall, he jumped down and hoisted me up. Then he joined me.

“Have you ever heard about Jesus?” He asked, smiling at me again.

I just shook my head. Curiosity killed the cat, as my Papa would have said. I wanted to know who this person was.

“Jesus was a great man. He taught us love. We are supposed to tell everyone about this love.” Then he laughed. I could hear it bellow over my head. A deep, throaty laugh, deep like his voice.

That day began a meeting every afternoon for what seemed like forever, especially now. I remember his voice and his words. He would tell me stories about Jesus. Then he would start the drill. All I remember are the first few names he had me recite, “Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, Jude, and James.” I tried so hard to memorize them just like he said. I wanted to please him so he would tell me more stories about Jesus and the people that knew Him.

This beautiful black man has stayed in my memory for almost 60 years. If he told me his name, I have forgotten it, but I’ve never forgotten his attention and the powerful words he shared with me. I’ve often wondered if this was God’s way to begin my journey into faith. Seeds planted that have grown and grown because one man decided to tell me about Jesus.

The year was 1957. I didn’t know anything about racial tension or color bias. I was a 7 year old girl who met a man who was living out his commission in life: spreading the gospel of Jesus to all who came across his path.

Isn’t that what we are supposed to do? Nothing matters more than for followers of Jesus Christ to keep the Words written in red close to our heart and proclaim Jesus’ victory in our lives. We’re to share Jesus’ love with everyone regardless of who they are.

“Call out for insight, and cry aloud for understanding.” (Proverbs 2:3)

Become more interested in a person’s character rather than the package they are in. Look beyond the color or disability or size and into their heart. It might seem too simple to change the explosion of racial tension that is threatening to implode our country, but we need to stop running down the agonizing road of hate and dissension. It didn’t work in the ‘60’s and it won’t work now.

How do you view people? By color? By faith? By actions? By sin?

Take these to Jesus and let Him guide you through scripture for a fresh revelation.

Our hearts are messy with sin, weakness, and judgment. We feast on selfishness, pride, and ambition. On our own we can accomplish nothing, but with Jesus we can conquer the bitter bile of racial conflict and social tension.

Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Thy presence;
Take not Thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;
And renew a right spirit within me.

God bless you,

Hope Is Freedom

My nephew was in the hospital for 65 days. He’s been a quadriplegic for 40 years and up until this hospital stay he’s been able to manage life and live independently with the use of trained helpers.

For 65 days many people have been by his side. They have offered help, but more importantly, they have offered him Jesus in the way they act and conduct their lives. And my nephew has listened, requesting prayers before they left the room. My husband and I have watched expectantly knowing God was going to show up in a mighty way in His perfect timing.

But the looming problem: my nephew was losing hope. He had fought a good fight, but he wasn’t healing like he should. For 64 days the hospital staff changed his orders many times, and we watched as his condition changed from grave to poor, but never really getting any better. Then on day 65, the surgeon walked in and told him to go home and see if he could manage better with his helpers. He was released that day.

He still has a battle ahead of him, but being home has offered hope. Many issues have arisen, but he’s had a tremendous support group who has rushed in to help. His faith is growing. As faith grows, hope grows.

On Monday, we celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day, when 13 colonies celebrated their freedom as a new nation with a new home – the United States of America.

Our forefathers had renewed hope when they were freed from British rule. They knew they would have issues ahead, but they were ready to move forward and succeed as a new nation.

“Hope is the thing that gets us up in the morning when we know that God cares but we haven’t seen any evidence of it in the last few days. Hope drives us onward when we stop and quit. Hope keeps our dreams alive while we are waiting.” (Dr. David Jeremiah)

How about you? Are you facing circumstances that are taxing your hope?

Attend a 4th of July celebration, remember and feel the power of hope that is still vital 240 years after our battle for freedom.

Take that hope home and pray for God’s intercession in your life, trials, struggles, and heartbreak. Ask God to help you revitalize your hope. Hope is the freedom to move forward and live life to its fullest.

Happy 4th of July! God bless you all,

Love Never Forsakes

Last year my heart broke when Dylann Roof on June 17, 2015 walked into a Charleston, SC church and began shooting. In less than a year, there have been many more shootings. Mass shootings are described as four or more people shot in one incident. It’s becoming more frequent and more deadly.

On June 12, 2016, in the wee hours of the morning at an Orlando, Florida nightclub, the deadliest mass shooting attack in American history occurred.

I was brokenhearted. For the lives lost, and the man who did this atrocious act of violence. Every deceased person had someone that loved them, and their hearts are broken, too.

On Tuesday, I was standing in line at a store when I overheard a conversation on the shooting. It was ugly and mean. There seemed to be little remorse for the victims, and an almost acceptance of the tragedy. Their laughter caught me off-guard as they speculated that maybe a Muslim could have killed people based on their sexual preference or orientation.

At first, I got sick at my stomach. I knew these people went to area churches. But the absolute worst thing was, for just a moment, I leaned in and let Satan tip my ear to hear their horrible accusations. It was an ungodly conversation with ungodly thoughts. I’m so blessed that I immediately took my thoughts captive, reigning them back under God’s authority.

Folks, John 13:34-35 states:

“Love one another; as I have loved you.”

Jesus does not segregate or isolate a particular people. He said, “Love one another; as I have loved you.” It’s all inclusive. It doesn’t say “leave out the sinner” because if we did that we would have to eliminate everyone, including ourselves.

This mass killing and all the other heinous acts committed across our vast land have left people devastated. Their loved ones are dead. Murder has left fear in the hearts of many. Some wonder if their lives will ever be the same again.

Jesus asks us to love one another as He loves not to justify a killing or a killer’s intentions. There is no justification.

We have to keep our eyes on God, not on sin. We have to preach the good news of the gospel to our hearts first in order to remind ourselves how much Jesus sacrificed for all of us.

At church on Sunday, the Praise Band played Meredith Andrews song, “Not For A Moment”. The words are so right to sing over God’s children who are deceased, and to those who feel they have been left in a dry and thirsty land, wondering how they can possibly move forward.

They can, but it’s with God’s mercy, love, and grace. They need our outpouring of love and prayers.

Hope you are able to view the video and let the words sink deep into your soul. We’ve all been in the throes of heartbreak. Let our heart always break for the things that breaks Jesus’ heart.

Go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD0cvWImVjA

Not for a moment will God forsake us. God bless you,

"

I'm Ready To Listen

The news on TV can be stifling. People expressing their views about the news can be unnerving. Reading the newspaper is depressing. Magazines distort or embellish even the lies. More and more people wonder what truth really is and where they can we find it. Or buy it. Manufacture it. Make it. Or possibly create it.

I was sick and tired of being sick and tired of it all. So I decided I was better off being uninformed since I was having trouble shoveling through the mirage of “truths” to find a kernel of truth or none.

But let me share something with you. There are several verses the Lord has placed before me recently to pray over and remember as the Truth. I wrote about one in my blog post, Do You Believe.

The second verse God offered me was 2 Chronicles 20:12. I sat with this one a long time, holding it in my mind, and marinating in its profound lesson.

God hit the nail on the head with this one. It wasn’t the first time I had read it, but now its nuances became clearer. The words went beyond a physical army, applying to all aspects of life and living, and wrapping its meaning in the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. God verified this by sending me to other verses about His Truth and Sovereignty.

Proverbs 19:21 Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail.

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be frightened or discouraged for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Isaiah 45:6-7 This is so people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the Lord, who does all these things.

Psalm 22:28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations.

Hebrews 2:8 Now in putting everything in subjection to Him, He left nothing outside His control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to Him.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the Truth; Your Word is Truth.

The verses came through devotionals, Bible study, faith-based blog posts, and sermons my pastors preached over a six month period.

The vast army Jehoshaphat faced was fearful. It was vast. The armies coming down on God’s people were fearless, mighty, and evil. Much like those people I heard about on the TV who were doing evil, despicable deeds. And scarier were those heinous crimes committed in my country and worse my hometown.

Jehoshaphat gathered the people together and went to God in a bold prayer-cry. Jehoshaphat asked God, “Are You not the God who is in heaven, and do you not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations?” God’s people knew their God and expected no less than His full deliverance from their attackers.

Here goes several life lessons God placed on my heart:

1.Go to God immediately with your concern.

2.Pray BOLD. Your God wants you to state who He is and then confirm you know He can do all things in His will and timing!

3.The vast army going against God’s people, instilling fear in their heart also occurs today. Satan, our enemy, tries to defeat us and disillusion us by distorting the truth in order to take our eyes off the Almighty God.

4.And don’t think it’s all about the horrid things on the news. That vast army is also the day-to-day mess we find ourselves in – being overwhelmed, frazzled, disappointed, angry, unforgiving, gossiping (yep, that one, too), and faltering in the steadfast knowledge that God is over all things, including rulers and nations. That’s Satan’s playground, too, trying to keep our eyes on worldly things.

The Battle is the Lord’s. Our job is to keep spreading the Good News, and at the same time, to keep vigilant by staying in Scripture to be able to detect lies and deception. We need to lift up our greatest gift to the Father, our worship and praise. Let Heaven ring with our rejoicing. Joy will overflow on us. That’s worth singing about and listening to.

Let God’s blessing flow over you,

(Opening picture is from Dear God Kids series book, Guess What, I'm Ready to Listen Now!; Flying Frog Publishing, 2011)