I saw Jonny Diaz perform “The Opener” at Maple Noise 2011. I really like his serious songs, especially “More Beautiful You” and “Scars” but it’s great to laugh once in a while. You can see the video for his new song, “Scars,” on the Jonny Diaz website. The site also has a link to follow him on Twitter–definitely worth doing if you like to smile. Here’s “The Opener” for another smile: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXW2wuOdnxE]
The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
Psalm 23:1, NLT*
I’ve been working hard to apply the first part of this verse to my life, to get it deeply rooted and to let it change me. I believe it’s true, but life’s stresses have a way of seeming to weaken or disprove that truth.
The Lord is my shepherd.
Which Lord? The Lord. The one and only.
The Lord is my shepherd.
Who is my shepherd? The Lord. The almighty God of the universe.
The Lord is my shepherd.
There’s no room for doubt. He really is my shepherd. It’s fact.
The Lord is my shepherd.
Whose shepherd? Mine. Ours. His care is personal and individual.
The Lord is my shepherd.
He’s what? Our shepherd. Our good Shepherd. We have a basic understanding of a shepherd’s responsibilities. God has committed Himself to our care, and by His nature He will surpass our human definition.
I have a good shepherd.
I’ve been saying it a lot, reminding myself of the truth and putting my focus back on God and away from the stresses or negative feelings that swell when watched.
I say it when I’m happy. And when I’m sad, or anxious, or feeling spiritually heavy or alone. It won’t let me stay in self-pity or apathy or a sense of lack.
It works with other people too. If I’m concerned about someone, or if they’ve hurt me, there’s reassurance in whispering “The Lord is his/her shepherd too.”
God who is our Good Shepherd, forgive us for giving more weight to our feelings and circumstances than to Your word. Remind us of who You are, and anchor our spirits in Yourself. Thank You for Your grace and care, and help us to live by faith.
∞
Here’s Peter Furler’s adaptation of Psalm 23. Not how King David would have played it, but I love it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTu1X4w83mE
*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Fatal Deduction, by Gayle Roper (Multnomah Books, 2008)
Single mom Libby Keating can handle most things life throws at her. Move from suburban New Jersey to Philadelphia? Sure. Trade a cozy bungalow for an elegant historic home for the next few months? No problem. Share said home with her elegant twin, Tori? Help!
If Libby, 13-year-old daughter Chloe, and Tori can meet the terms of Aunt Stella’s will, they’ll inherit a fortune. Too bad the two sisters bring out the worst in one another.
Then Libby trips over a corpse on their doorstep—a corpse with a crossword puzzle note for Tori. What kind of trouble is her high-spending sister in?
Libby finds an ally in handsome single dad Drew, whose daughter becomes best friends with Chloe. Libby and Drew both carry regrets from their pasts, and as they risk sharing their hurts, they help one another.
As the only Christian in a negative and dysfunctional family, Libby works hard on her attitude. She’s miles ahead of me, maturity-wise, but she keeps finding out how much farther she has to grow. She’s human, and her honesty, over-thinking and feistiness make her a memorable character.
Secrets won’t stay hidden in Fatal Deduction. The pressure builds with each crossword puzzle Tori receives. (They’re printed in the book, with answers in the back.) And Tori adds more pressure with her schemes to buy Chloe’s affections.
Fatal Deduction is a feel-good romantic suspense. I liked the crossword puzzle touch, and Libby’s chosen career: finding and restoring other people’s “junk” and selling it as treasures.
Aard-winning author Gayle Roper has written over 45 books. Visit the Gayle Roper website to learn more or to read an excerpt from Fatal Deduction.
“It’s all in your head.” Doctors say this, maybe family too, and whether or not they intend it, you hear a dismissive tone. A put-down. A message that says “it’s your fault, you caused it, and it won’t go away until you decide to stop it.”
In all fairness, what a good doctor probably means is, “It’s outside my expertise to help you with something that’s generated in your mind.” The tone is probably genuine regret that s/he can’t help.
Let’s not get into the debate over whether it truly is generated in your mind. Doctors have been known to write off tangible physical responses to environmental and food sensitivities because the tests don’t show any proof. And other things actually are products of the mind.
The fact is, we’re still stuck with the problem until we get help. If a medical doctor can’t help, perhaps a naturopath or counsellor can—or a prayer warrior.
Today I’m thinking of the kind of thing that actually is all in the head: the lies or worldviews that we internalize and believe that limit and damage us. The garbage that needs taking out.
Cover via Amazon
For me some of that is self-pity, self-focus and just plain self. I found Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind a very effective removal tool, and I need to read it again.
It’s important to recognize the mental crud, agree with Jesus that it doesn’t belong there, and then cooperate with Him to replace it with wholesome, holy, healthy thoughts.
If it’s all in my head… that means it’s not a tangible disease or limitation. Real, but it doesn’t need a scalpel, drugs or a prosthesis to fix. It just needs realigning my mind to God and cooperating with Him.
I find that liberating and encouraging.
God bless Peter Furler for his song, “All in Your Head,” where I first heard the encouraging tone and the assurance that “it’s all in your head” means “nothing’s really holding you back” and I could push through the blockage.
Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1, GW*
When you were little, did you like making blanket forts and nestling into small spaces? I used to love the airy, green “rooms” made by the trailing branches of giant willows.
Still do, actually. And I’ve turned a corner of my bedroom into a cosy “nest” for reading and writing.
The last few weeks have been extra hectic, but when I stopped to rest I kept getting thoughts of shelter. I drifted into some delightful naps while imagining myself tucked into a cosy nook in the overhang of a flowering shrub (on ground as soft as my bed, and without any insects).
When I read this week’s verse, “under the shelter” jumped out at me.
Under the shelter.
I think most translations say “in the shelter,” but this made me stop and think about the shelter images I’d been having. How good is our God, to prompt restful thoughts when I needed them, and then to remind me that He is our ultimate shelter, security and source of rest?
God Most High, Your shelter is perfectly secure because of Your strength. Even when bad things happen, You sustain us and can bring good if we trust You. Strengthen our faith, and help us to keep our trust in You. Open our eyes to the tender, personal ways You remind us of Your love, and help us to live and remain under Your sheltering shadow.
∞
Our song is “Hiding Place,” written by Steven Curtis Chapman and Jerry Salley.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdVj231fPFA
*GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) Copyright © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group
Oak Island Revenge, by Cynthia d’Entremont (Nimbus Publishing, 2012)
It’s 1958. Fourteen-year-old Jonah Morgan and his best friend Beaz live on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia (Canada). Nearby Oak Island is forbidden territory, so naturally it’s a rite of passage to row to the island and search for the legendary treasure.
This summer vacation, Jonah and Beaz are set to hit the island, but they’ll be even more secretive about it than most teens. Jonah’s mom is overprotective since his older brother died, and he’s pretty sure Beaz’s mom is abusive.
What they find on the island piles secrets on secrets. Jonah doesn’t want to lie, but he can’t tell the whole truth. When missing 16-year-old Charlotte Barkhouse turns up dead, surely what Jonah knows wouldn’t make a difference. Would it?
His parents and his dead older brother seem perfect, and Jonah can’t measure up no matter how good his intentions. As he wrestles with how much truth to tell and how much to hide, he begins to suspect that everyone has secrets of one sort or another and that life is more complicated than it looks.
Oak Island Revenge is a coming-of-age story that evokes the feel of 1950’s small-town Nova Scotia in a mystery for young adult readers. It’s one of those satisfying novels where all the threads weave in perfect balance to make an organic whole.
Author Cynthia d’Entremont has a fresh, vivid writing style with a satisfying splash of humour. She’s also the author of the award-winning young adult fantasy novel Unlocked.
Here are some posts that have spoken rest to my spirit:
Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia (photo credit: Janet Sketchley)
Margaret L. Been’s beautiful poem, “At His Feet.”
Emily Freeman’s “The Art of Rest” at (in)courage.
Rose Harmer writes about “Rest” at Under the Cover of Prayer.
At Roller Coaster Suspense, Marcy Dyer looks at exhaustion and priorities: “Noodled.”
And at Hearing the Heartbeat, Carolyn Watts reminds us that it’s not about working harder and pushing through the pain. It’s about resting in God. Read “Gifts from Your Personal Trainer.”
Bonus: In Refresh: 19 Ways to Boost Your Spiritual Life, Ron Hughes explores the value of rest. He says:
“Sabbath rest … reminds us that we did not make the world, that we are not in charge, and that everything will not grind to a halt if we reduce our activity level. Sabbath is not a reward for us getting all of our work done … we can relax in our awareness that we trust God, not ourselves, to meet our needs.” [Refresh, pp. 151-152]
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.
All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.
Praise him forever!
Psalm 111:10, NLT*
Fear of the Lord is one of those things I’m still trying to understand, and I’m sure that people who try to scare others into the Kingdom of Heaven have missed the point.
But the Psalmist says fear of God is the basis for wisdom.
People explain it as “reverence for the Lord” and that helps a bit. Others say, “fear God or fear everything else.” That makes it a bit clearer.
Reading the book of Matthew in the New Living Translation, I feel like the proverbial penny has dropped. In Matthew 9 we have the story of Jesus saying to a paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven. Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”
Look at the crowd’s response:
Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for sending a man with such great authority. (Matthew 9:8, NLT*)
Picture yourself in the crowd. I’d be afraid, wouldn’t you? This is power beyond our imagining. This is the God who is good, but not safe.
This is the God who is bigger than whatever situation threatens to paralyze me with fear. He doesn’t guarantee to provide a miraculous way out, but He does promise to be with me. And with Him in trouble is better than on my own in a safer place.
Holy and mighty God, a glimpse of Your power could undo us, yet we’re drawn to Your presence. Help us understand and believe that we’re held in Your keeping, and that You are stronger than anything we could fear. Help us accept the paradox that in Your love and grace, You may not rescue us from what we fear, and help us trust that Your presence with us will somehow work even the darkness to good in Your time.
∞
Third Day’s “Consuming Fire” reminds us of God’s power.
*New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider released one year ago, and has already reached bestseller status in Canada (5,000 copies sold). Many of the entries are short-listed for The Word Guild’s Canadian Christian Writing Awards, my story won an award in the InScribe members-only contest, and the anthology itself was awarded 2012 Book of the Year: Gift Book Category by the Christian Small Publishers’ Association.
To celebrate, the publisher is offering a special deal for the month of May 2012: Buy a copy of A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider and get a free copy of the original Hot Apple Cider. Just in time for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day!
Visit the Hot Apple Cider website for more information. And follow this link if you’d like a sample of my story, “The Road Trip that Wasn’t.”
[Photo credit: Wikipedia, public domain]
I’ve never been sure. It’s just something I do. God has prompted me with a devotional thought to share here each week, so I’m pretty sure that’s part of my current assignment.
But fiction? All I know is it’s fun to write, and something in me comes more alive when I’m discovering a story. If that’s the whole point of it, I’ll embrace the gift and enjoy it. If He wants to bless someone through it, that’s great too and I’m relying on Him to connect the words with the person because it ain’t happenin’ through my own efforts.
Mary DeMuth is a writer who’s encouraged many other writers. Here’s a post she wrote in 2010 that I only just found. If you’re wondering about writing and calling, please click over and read Called to Write? Ten Ways to Know. Note she distinguishes between “called to write” and “called to write, be published and widely read”.
And you know what? “Not called” doesn’t mean “don’t write.” It just means writing is optional. If you’re called, better obey.
Related link: “Why Do You Write?” by Lisa Hall-Wilson.