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10 Ways To Teach Babies, Toddlers, And Young Children Biblical Principles by Lee Ann Mancini

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Our guest blogger this week is Lee Ann Mancini whose new book Forever With Jesus released earlier this month. Lee Ann shares my heart for reaching the next generation for Christ, and the earlier we start with our children and grandchildren the better. She offers some great ideas complete with websites of ways to introduce young children to the love of Christ in ways they will understand and appreciate. Enjoy and share with everyone who has children in their life! Also a chance to enter a drawing for a free copy signed by Lee Ann. Just leave a comment. Would make a great birthday, Christmas, or baby shower gift!

10 WAYS TO TEACH BABIES, TODDLERS, AND YOUNG CHILDREN BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES USING TOOLS CHILDREN WILL LOVE!  

By Lee Ann Mancini

HOW TO TEACH BABIES, TODDLERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES USING VARIOUS TOOLS CHILDREN LOVE! by Lee Ann Mancini 

All of us want our children and grandchildren to grow up to be filled with hope, joy, and love rather than the negativism, despair, and pessimism that is so prevalent in the modern era.

[Tweet “Young children have the ability to develop a sense of confidence, trust, and truth that comes from God.”]

Do your children have a strong foundation in Jesus? Do they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? Young children have the ability to develop a sense of confidence, trust, and truth that comes from God. They develop this from watching their parents respond to the daily challenges of life.

When I was young, there was a picture of Jesus that hung on the wall of our tiny house. My mother would often pray to Jesus and ask him for help. Although I was just a little girl, I remember watching her and feeling happy because I knew that Jesus would take care of all our needs. I developed this strong confidence in God from seeing my mother live out her faith.

At a young age, my mother placed me in Sunday School. I recall that I adored my Sunday School teacher. Like my mother, she was also a woman of great faith. She expressed the love of Jesus to me through her every action. I could tell she loved me dearly, and that love she had for me solidified my desire at a young age to know Jesus.

[Tweet “10 ways for teaching babies and preschoolers about the love of Jesus”]

Here are 10 ideas for teaching babies and preschoolers about the love of Jesus:

  1. The “Jesus Loves Me” Lullaby Teddy Bear by Gund is an adorable baby gift. By the time your child enters preschool, they will be familiar with the words and excitedly exclaim, “I know this song!” when they hear the teacher play it in class. This happened with my son!
  2. Babies love board books that are filled with colorful pictures and fun pages to touch and feel.  All God’s Creatures by Karen Hill is a really good example. It concludes, “Thank you for animals, big and small. Heavenly Father, you made them all!”
  3. Wee Believers https://weebelievers.com offers an adorable stuffed animal lamb that says prayers. BibleToys.com and ThePuppetStore.com also have some great Christian toys for young children.
  4. Breath prayers are wonderful. These are prayers that are short and can be said within one breath. For example, while you are out walking, find a pretty flower to show to your preschooler and say, “Thank you, God, for this beautiful flower!”
  5. Kneel with your child at bedtime and pray with them. Let them see and hear you pray often.
  6. Tell your children how much you love both them and Jesus. I remember telling my kids, “I love you and Jesus so much!” You want your children to learn to say, “I love Mommy, Daddy, and Jesus!” all in the same sentence. As parents, we should never miss an opportunity to help our children build a strong foundation in Christ!
  7. Do arts and crafts projects together that revolve around biblical concepts. You can find a wonderful list of biblical ideas for arts and crafts at http://www.truthforkids.com/crafts-for-bible-lessons.
  8. Throw a Bible-themed birthday party for your kids. Turn their special day into an opportunity to have some godly fun. Make goody bags filled with religious candy and stickers. (Oriental Trading is a good source for these.) Play Christian card games that are educational. ChildrensMinistry.com has a nice list of biblical games for preschoolers ().
  9. Read Bible stories to your kids. There is a plethora of Bibles geared towards young children. Also, read picture books that teach children to pray to Jesus in real life situations. My series, Adventures of the Sea Kids, helps children build a foundation in Christ and learn to love others as Christ loves us. My books are available at.
  10. Most importantly, make sure your children know how much you love Christ. Try to show the love of Christ to everyone you encounter. Remember that your actions speak louder than your words!

Which of the above 10 Ways do you think the young child in your life would enjoy the most?

[Tweet “Lee Ann Mancini has an award-winning series titled, “Adventures of the Sea Kids” that helps children learn how to have a relationship with Jesus,”]

In my mission to help build a strong foundation in Christ for children under seven, I have an award-winning series titled, “Adventures of the Sea Kids” that helps children learn how to have a relationship with Jesus, and how to be like Jesus during difficult situations that children face.

[Tweet “Forever With Jesus by Lee Ann Mancini deals with sin, salvation, and death. Children learn there is nothing to fear about death for those who believe in Jesus!”]

Please visit http://glmpublishing.net/for trailers and more information. Each book has discussion questions, word search, quizzes, and coloring sheets to help parents integrate the biblical principles taught. Also, there is a hidden symbol on each page that the children and parents love to find! Our latest book, Forever With Jesus, deals with sin, salvation, and death. Children learn there is nothing to fear about death for those who believe in Jesus!

HOW TO TEACH BABIES, TODDLERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES USING VARIOUS TOOLS CHILDREN LOVE! By Lee Ann Mancini

We would love to hear about any new ideas or questions you may have!!

It is the responsibility of all adults to help raise the next generation in Christ! 

[Tweet “It is the responsibility of all adults to help raise the next generation in Christ!”]

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of Forever with Jesus. If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here.

HOW TO TEACH BABIES, TODDLERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES USING VARIOUS TOOLS CHILDREN LOVE!

http://www.leeannmancini.com

Lee Ann Mancini’s series Adventures of the Sea Kids, published by GLM Publishing LLC, has won numerous accolades. Lee Ann Mancini graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Regent University, a Masters in Biblical and Theology Studies from Knox Seminary, and a Masters in Christian Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. In addition to writing Christian children’s books, Lee Ann is currently an adjunct professor at South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary. Lee Ann also speaks to women groups regarding the redemptive power of the gospel represented though the types of brides of the church.

Lee Ann is married and has two children. She loves to read, jog, and teach the Word of God.

Adventures of the Sea Kids  Facebook link

https://twitter.com/GLMPublishing

August 27, 2018
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Caregiving Lessons Aren’t Just for Caregivers by Cheri Swalwell

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I have a big favor to ask. Would you take a short quick survey to help my publisher and me with the title of the book I’m currently writing! It won’t take five minutes. Thanks so much. Here’s the link.

This week’s guest blogger is Cheri Swalwell. I know you’ll enjoy her lessons learned from caregiving that we can apply to all areas of our life.
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Caregiving Lessons Aren’t Just for Caregivers by Cheri Swalwell

This past spring, I co-lead my first life group. While we studied the book Caring for the Caregiver, God used the time to teach me multiple truths, which apply to many areas of life, not just caregiving.

I’m Not in Control

One lesson God has been teaching me through the study is “I’m not in control.” So true when providing care for another. While I may be able to control when I offer food, rest, medication, and/or bathroom privileges, I cannot force someone to eat, drink, sleep, use the bathroom, or take medication. I’m not in control of the other person agreeing and following through.

The same is true whether dealing with friends, family, or just strangers on the street. So, you may ask: What can we do when the control is out of our hands?

[Tweet “Pray – before, during, and after every situation we find ourselves.”]

Pray – before, during, and after every situation. When we invite in Jesus before we make any decisions, He takes control. I don’t have to control anything.

Knowing Who You Serve

Another lesson He taught me through caregiving: You must know the person you’re blessed to serve. Study their preferences. Introverted or extroverted? Prefer to spend time alone or crave the company of others? A high or low pain tolerance?

The same principles apply to everyday life. When we’re interacting with loved ones, friends, or strangers, pay attention, listen, and ask questions.

I like to start each day asking God to use me in whatever way He wants. I ask Him to help me slow down and see opportunities where He wants to use me as a blessing.

Approaching life this way, God will provide opportunities for us to bless others. He will give the “wiggle room” in our schedules to take the time to get to know others so our interactions with them are genuine.

[Tweet “We’re here on earth to share about God’s plan with those who don’t know Him and to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ who feel like giving up.”]

We’re here on earth to share God’s plan with those who don’t know Him and to encourage brothers and sisters in Christ who feel like giving up. Best done through relationships. Taking a genuine interest in those God puts in our circles.

Know Your Own Limits

Equally as important as knowing the person you’re called to serve, is staying close enough to God to know your own limits.

This past spring was a busy season for our family. We were dealing with a few serious health crises of family members, emotional burdens of other family members, and added busyness of “end-of-the-school-year activities.” Our oldest graduated from high school, with the added joy of planning his party.

One day, I was attempting to juggle a doctor’s appointment while fielding updates from another family member’s serious illness, while gathering prices at various stores for the party we were planning. While running errands, I looked up when a urinal caught my eye – I had walked into the men’s bathroom!

Two stores later, I “woke up” from my thoughts with enough time to stop from nearly shoplifting three containers of juice. I’d hit my limit. I couldn’t put one more thing in my brain. I shouldn’t make major decisions until I allowed myself time to rest and recover, if only for a few hours.

[Tweet “Fill up with God before you allow yourself to get completely depleted.”]

Know your limits and fill up with God before you get completely depleted. Sometimes, life hits hard and fast and we can’t fill up as fast as we have to pour out. That’s when relying on God’s strength is the best decision we can make.

My recent busyness has included obligations not usually on my plate. Most are good things like celebrations to enjoy and cherish. However, busy is busy and there are still only 24 hours in each day.

[Tweet “Too busy leads to stress. Stress can make a person act differently. Stress can give license to unleash their “crazy.””]

Too busy leads to stress. Stress can make us act differently. Stress can give license to unleash our “crazy.” During the busy, stressful times is when people around us take notice. How will she act in this situation? How will she handle such and such? Especially, if one professes to be a Christ follower.

[Tweet “When we’re at our busiest or when we’re faced with the worst trials, people tend to look the closest and our true character shines through.”]

When we’re at our busiest or when we’re faced with the worst trials, people tend to look the closest and our true character shines through. I had to look in the mirror and decide if I liked the character traits I saw, or if I needed to make some adjustments. More than anything, I want people to see more of Jesus and less of me at all times, but especially in the times of busy.

Busy seasons will always be a part of life. How we prepare ahead of time for them determines how much of Jesus others will see in us during those times. I, for one, want others to see more of Jesus and less of me as I mature and become closer to Jesus’ likeness.

What Characteristics Does Caregiving and Busy Bring Out in You?

I’m Not In Control?

Knowing Who You Serve?

Knowing Your Own Limits?

If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here.

Cheri Swalwell is a Christ follower who thoroughly enjoys her calling to be a wife, mother, and writer, in that order. She enjoys writing regularly for Book Fun Magazine. Her Spoken from the Heart Series is available through Amazon in both eBook and paperback versions. Her book, Hope During Heartache, a compilation of 13 men and women’s stories told from their viewpoint about hope after the loss of a child, is also available at Amazon in both paperback and eBook versions as well as her Bible study, Caring for the Caregiver. To read one of her many articles on life from a Christian perspective, visit her blog. She loves to interact with her readers and would love for you to visit her website or send an email to [email protected] or “like” her on Facebook or interact with her on Twitter, LinkedIN, or Goodreads.

 

 

 

August 13, 2018
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Conservatives, Don’t Be Intimidated!

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“I haven’t done enough research on conservatives to call myself or be called one. I’m just refusing to be enslaved by monolithic thought. There are people around me that disagree with me and voice their opinion. I respect everyone’s opinion but I stand my ground.” Kanye West

“My definition of conservative is having the audacity to believe what your grandma taught you!” Kay Cole Jones, President of the Heritage Foundation

On our recent trip to Southern California, we met some former neighbors at a favorite coffee place in Orange County. Since we were all Christians and conservative Trump supporters, the conversation quickly turned to our faith, FOX News, President Trump, and the California liberal progressive government. We sat at an outside table, prayed together over our meal, talked openly, and enjoyed each other’s company.

Without warning, a husky man came up behind Dave and me. I saw him lean into Dave and stick out his hand. We were all surprised, until it registered that this was another good friend of ours. After we exchanged conversation and our friend left, the neighbor we were having breakfast with said that as he saw the man approaching us, he feared that he was coming to yell at us . . . or even worse . . . regarding our conversation.

Intimidated, fearful, apprehensive is exactly how many conservatives are feeling today, especially in liberal states and college campuses. Many liberals use bullying tactics to quiet conservatives and instill fear rather than encouraging an honest open debate. Or just allow us to have our opinions without trying to demonize, bully, or call us names!

[Tweet “Many liberals use bullying tactics to quiet conservatives and instill fear rather than encouraging an honest open debate.”]

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

I don’t know of many conservatives who would approach a group of liberals at a meal or in a public place and start shouting at them or calling them names, as many liberals do with conservatives. Their goal is not to convert us, but to silence us. Even if convinced they’re right and we’re wrong, no one has the right to use scare tactics, or even force. Try wearing a Make America Great Again or Trump hat or T-shirt and see what happens.

Government Tries to Intimidate Us

Sadly, many governments, like California, are supporting the liberal agenda and trying to quiet or eliminate conservative and religious rights. Often conservatives are letting them, accepting it as the new normal.

[Tweet “Many governments, like California, are supporting the liberal agenda and trying to quiet or eliminate conservative and religious rights.”]

One California couple, the Fromms in San Juan Capistrano, were fined by the city for having a Bible study in their home, but they’re not backing down or acquiescing to the attempt to stop their home meetings because one neighbor complained. You can read more of their story in this news clip.

“We will stand up for our faith and for the use of our home.”

While we were in California, the state Assembly approved Assembly Bill 2943 that prohibits the advertising or selling of “sexual orientation change efforts.” The bill declares books and conferences dealing with biblical views on homosexuality or transgenderism as fraudulent under the state’s consumer fraud statute. Ultimately, it could penalize those who encourage and promote biblical views of marriage and sex.

That means the Bible!

Thankfully, before it goes before the California Senate, many Christians are rallying together to stop it. From an article by Emily Jones, Will California Ban The Bible? Christians Say ‘Not Without a Fight’ “There are churches that want to have everyone in their congregation making phone calls to their state senators. And there are also some people who want to have effective and persuasive news conferences.

[Tweet “Christians need to be stronger, bolder, and tougher if we plan to defend our faith and the right to live by our morals and beliefs”]

Sadly, discrimination is not just happening in California, but we must NOT let this become our new American normal. The Bible tells us that in the last days Christians and God’s Word will come under attack and persecution, but the Bible does NOT tell us to acquiesce under any circumstances. We need to be stronger, bolder, and tougher if we plan to defend our faith and the right to live by our values, morals, and beliefs. We need to be thick-skinned and never shrink from the Truth and our right to speak it.

[Tweet “The Bible tells us that in the last days Christians and God’s Word will come under attack and persecution, but the Bible does NOT tell us to acquiesce under any circumstances.”]

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 2 Peter 3:3

[Tweet “We can’t shrink away from the attacks and threats on our faith and beliefs,”]

Social Media Tries to Intimidate Us!

We can’t shrink away from the attacks and threats on our faith and beliefs, but we must fight . . . not like liberals fight . . .  but with our voices, social media, calling and emailing congressmen, supporting and voting for those who represent the conservative agenda, blogging, using whatever platform God gives us, and covering it all in prayer.

I know it’s getting harder as social media and YouTube are trying to censor the conservative or Christian voice. Trump supporters Diamond and Silk went in front of Congress to voice their complaint of Facebook and YouTube censoring them because of their vocal support for President Trump. It was appalling to see how the Democrats in Congress dismissed and patronized them. But they aren’t staying silent and their voices are being heard.

Diamond and Silk challenge Facebook censoring them.

Maybe we don’t have a platform like Diamond and Silk, or Kanye West, but we can do our part . . . without intimidation . . . wherever the Lord plants us.

 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:12-15

Do not be afraid!

Do not stay quiet!

Do not be intimidated or dismissed!

Do not accept sin as normal!

Do let your conservative Christian voice be heard!

Do adhere to what you know is right!

Do be willing to sacrifice!

Do stand up for what you believe!

Do stay strong in the Word!  

The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:20-25

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April 30, 2018
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How a Beauty Pageant Launched a Destiny by Catherine Zoller

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Today’s guest post is written by a dear friend who puts books of the Bible to rhyme for children. Her books are beautifully illustrated and loved by all children. Enjoy her post on Esther and her own personal testimony.

Catherine Zollers rhyming Bible stories for children

How a Beauty Pageant Launched a Destiny

by Catherine Zoller

People either love beauty pageants or hate them. But one of the oldest beauty pageants in history turned a participant into a queen.

Like many of you, I’m sure, I’ve come to love the small ten chapter book of Esther.  Not only because it’s a beautiful story of a young woman who dared to risk her life by trusting the living God, but also because it speaks so powerfully of identity and destiny.

Esther, or Hadassah, as she was known before being taken into King Ahasuerus’ harem, was a young Jewish orphan girl.  Think about those four words for a moment. Don’t let your eyes and thoughts glide over them without being struck by what they reveal. Young. Jewish. Orphan. Girl. It was a societal four strikes. In a caste system (and it was, of sorts) she would have been on the lowest rung.

Her cousin, Mordecai, had been taken captive from Jerusalem into exile in Babylon under the ruler ship of King Nebuchadnezzar (Esther 2:5-6).  Mordecai was raising young Hadassah. Somehow after the death of both of her parents, she found herself in her relative’s care. As the story unfolds, we are relieved to see how devoted he was to her well-being.

However, they were living as outsiders in a foreign land.  They were Jewish, and about to face severe persecution to the point of planned annihilation.  Hadassah was an orphan in a patriarchal society.  And she was a girl.

And yet God, as only He can, gave Hadassah a change of identity. Within a year of being one of the chosen women to potentially replace the rebellious Queen Vashti, Esther would find herself winning the favor of the king and being crowned the Queen of Persia and Media.  Without any intermediary steps in between, she went from a position of lowest to highest. It’s remarkable, really! And a lesson we can take to heart of the kind of transformation the Lord wants to do in each of us.

From Rebel to Writer

[Tweet “Thankfully, God is in the business of changing identities and leading us into our destiny”]

Thankfully, God is in the business of changing identities and leading us into our destiny.  But rarely does it come without His transformational power on grand display.

I was raised in what appeared to be an ideal situation. Within an intact marriage; with two brothers, and a financially successful father.  And yet, like every family since the one in Eden, we had our share of dysfunction.  At some point, I began to believe a lie. A lie that seemed to scream at me from the lips of almost every adult in my life. And the lie was this: It’s not okay to be me.

I wasn’t quiet and studious like my older brother.  Nor was I docile and winsome like my younger brother. Rather, I was the challenging, wildly curious, hyperactive, rule-questioning, exasperating middle child.  I was a horrible student from the moment I entered Kindergarten until I managed to graduate from high school.  “Trouble” was my constant companion and we got along just fine.

Because I felt marginalized both at home and in the classroom, a flicker of fury was quietly being fanned into an inferno of rage and rebellion.

The summer I turned fifteen, my parents severed their parental rights and had me placed in a state run home for juvenile delinquents. I felt the sting of rejection and the slap of abandonment in the deepest part of my being. I became even angrier and more rebellious. At one point, I was put on six months’ probation with a potential 8-year prison sentence hanging over my head like a guillotine waiting to be released. (You can read the full story here.)

My identity was clearly defined in my mind and everyone else’s, and all who knew me could see I was racing headlong down a path of destruction.

But God.

I don’t have time in this short blog to tell you how God scooped me up from the miry pit and set my feet on the narrow path.  But He did.  And in the process, He began to change my identity.  Not as swiftly as He did Esther’s, mind you, but every bit as effectively.

I married, had three children, and buried my oldest son three weeks before his 22nd birthday. I was active in our church, attended two Bible studies, and began to put the books of the Bible to rhyme. The Rhyme and Reason Series was born in 2009 and is now eight titles strong. I’ve been an inspirational speaker, sharing strength, hope, and the redemptive power of Jesus for longer than I can remember.

You Are a Destiny Imparter

[Tweet “Like Esther, like you and me, every child has a God-given destiny and identity.”]

Like Esther, like you and me, every child has a God-given destiny and identity.  Our job as parents, grandparents, mentors and human beings, is to help guide those God has placed within our families and spheres of influence. When we impart that knowledge to them in their early lives, and reinforce it all along the way, we empower them to seek and discover God’s purpose and plan for their lives.

[Tweet “Our job as parents, grandparents, mentors and human beings, is to help guide those God has placed within our families and spheres of influence.”]

Tools to Inspire

If you have a child in your life between the ages of two and twelve whose identity and destiny you are trying to help shape, consider reading the book of Esther to them in rhyme. And then take advantage of the free coloring pages, word games, and activity sheet that correspond to the book and help reinforce the story.

Use these tools as a natural springboard for conversations about how the child sees themselves. If what they say doesn’t line up with who you know them to be and who God declares they are, begin to gently shift their thinking with words of truth and encouragement.

I leave you with the words of my favorite rhyme mister, Dr. Seuss. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not.”

If you feel so inclined, please share with me and others the practical ways God is using you to make things better for the people in your lives as you help steer them into their identity and destiny.

Leave a comment below to enter a drawing to receive an autographed copy of Esther.

If you received this blog by email, leave a comment here. 

With a delicious blend of engaging humor and biblical truth, writer, author and inspirational speaker Catherine Zoller more than lives up to her pledge to, “Make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry, make ‘em think, and change their lives!”

Catherine’s life experiences, along with her wit and candid, invigorating style, resonates deeply with her audiences.

At the age of fifteen, she fell in love with the truth found in the Scriptures and experienced its life-changing power.  Since that time, Catherine’s singular passion is for divine influence to move hearts toward reverent obedience to God and His Word.

She firmly believes in getting the truth into children’s lives at a young age.  To that end, she has put several of the books of the Bible to rhyme.  “The Rhyme and Reason Series” began in 2009 and is currently seven titles strong.

Catherine and her husband Jay have been married a very long time and have three grown children, the oldest of whom is with the Lord.

March 12, 2018
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Billy Graham, My Mentor

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Billy Graham, My Mentor and a story of how he lived his life.

“Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead don’t believe a word of it, I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address.” Billy Graham

When you saw the title of today’s blog, you probably thought Billy Graham had personally mentored me face-to-face. What an amazing blessing that would have been!

Actually, we didn’t meet in person, but I had the joy of being at two of his crusades. First time, as a teenager when our church took a bus of kids from Ventura to a stadium in LA. I had never heard anyone preach like that before! Even though I was a believer, I was drawn down on the field to praise and worship God with all the new believers.

The next time was with my husband, Dave, who had never heard Billy Graham in person. I wanted Dave to have the experience so we flew to Oakland when Rev. Graham had announced it would be his last crusade. But it wasn’t his last. God kept using him, and as he said so many times, he would keep preaching until God told him to stop.

[Tweet “Whenever asked on a survey or questionnaire, “Who is the earthly person you admire the most?” My answer, “Billy Graham.””]

Whenever asked on a survey or questionnaire, “Who was the earthly person you admired the most?” My answer, “Billy Graham.” So how did the Reverend Billy Graham mentor me?

Billy Graham my Mentor with his Beloved Bible

[Tweet “Mentoring doesn’t have to be face-to-face. Observe someone’s life and let his or her words and actions mentor you from afar.”]

Mentoring doesn’t have to be face-to-face. You can observe someone’s life and let his or her words and actions mentor you from afar. A verse I use to explain mentoring to mentors and mentees is Hebrews 13:7, Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Over the years, Billy Graham mentored me as . . .

  1. I remembered the impact the gospel had in my life when hearing Billy Graham share it so powerfully in person, and following his crusades and preaching over the years.
  2. I considered his way of life, putting Jesus first above all else, studying his Bible, and living with integrity and humility. I read his autobiography, Just As I Am. I also read several biographies of his precious wife Ruth, which gave tremendous insight into her husband as a man of God and life without him when he was on the road while she raised their family almost as a single parent.

I didn’t always live with integrity or humility, but after I rededicated my life to the Lord in my early forties, everything changed for me. I had a hunger and thirst to study my Bible. I understood that putting Jesus first might cause the loss of a career, which it did! But God opened a new door into ministry.

I would lose friends, and maybe some family members would even reject me, as I devoted time and energy to starting the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry, writing, and speaking a biblical world view.

I would need an understanding spouse, as Ruth was to Billy, who supported my ministry and the times I would need to cloister away in solitude to write, or be on the road sharing God’s messages, wherever He sent me. God provided that godly husband in my helpmate in ministry and life, my beloved hubby, Dave.

I would come under criticism.

I would need to live my message with integrity, as best I could, with the Lord’s guidance, admonishment, and discipline.

  1. I listened to Billy Graham’s message. A simple one he never wavered from because he spoke the Truth straight from the Bible, which never changes.

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:6-7

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 (emphasis added)

[Tweet “One generation must teach and train biblical truths to the next generation”]

God has given me a message of the need for one generation to teach and train biblical truths to the next, One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts, Psalm 145:4. And since the day I heard “Feed my sheep” twenty-three years ago, I’ve devoted the second half of my life to helping women understand the simple message of “Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.”

  1. I admired his passion for everyone to have an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior, right then, right now!

As we listened to tributes and segments of his sermons on TV last week, my husband commented on how passionate Rev. Graham was when he spoke. I remember that well. His passion came from knowing that those who did not accept the free-gift of salvation from Jesus, would not be in heaven, but in hell, and he couldn’t stand that thought.

The best compliment I hear when I speak is, “I appreciate your passion and enthusiasm!” I know that comes from the Lord. He chose me to share a simple message of mentoring, and I’ve always said, “Enthusiasm is contagious.”

  1. I observed his boldness and not wasting time defending himself!

[Tweet “Billy boldly took his message of salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ anywhere and everywhere the Lord led him.”]

Billy boldly took his message of salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ anywhere and everywhere the Lord led him. He was not intimidated, nor did he spend time acknowledging his critics. I’ve used this story about him many times when I talk about resolving conflict:

The third month of the Greater London crusade unreeled at the same frenetic pace as the previous two. Billy had lost fourteen pounds, and both he and Ruth were exhausted. The press had reversed their original cynical opinion of him. Several reporters had gone forward at altar calls. In part, the media’s change in attitude was due to his refusal to respond to criticism and insults “I do not intend to get . . . into endless arguments and discussion with them,” he explained in a letter to Ruth the following year. “I am going to take the position of Nehemiah when he refused to go down and have a conference with his enemies. He [Nehemiah] said, ‘I’m too busy building the wall.’ We are too busy winning souls to Christ and helping build the church to go down and argue.”

God gave Billy favor with both political sides. He was named by Americans as “One of the Ten Most Admired Men in the World,” a record-breaking 59 times with the Gallup poll.

Sadly, a Christian today would never receive that honor!

His son Franklin Graham, an evangelist carrying on his father’s mantel, receives continuous and ruthless attacks by the liberal culture and media, as do Christians. But like his famous father, Franklin doesn’t spend time defending himself. Every time I hear him speak or interviewed, he transitions the conversation to sharing the gospel, just like his father did.

[Tweet “Every time I hear Franklin Graham speak or interviewed, he transitions the conversation to sharing the gospel.”]

I’ve been called bold and either applauded or attacked. I try not to let either one influence me. If we say Jesus is the most important person in our life, shouldn’t we let people know about Him? If we know that those who don’t accept Jesus into their heart in this lifetime will be lost for eternity, how can we be quiet?!

[Tweet “If we say Jesus is the most important person in our life, shouldn’t we let people know about Him? “]

[Tweet “If we know that those who don’t accept Jesus into their heart in this lifetime will be lost for eternity, how can we be quiet!?”]

I know not everyone appreciates my boldness or style, but in our failing times, like Billy and Franklin Graham, I feel a sense of urgency that overcomes any sense of fear in sharing the gospel. Am I ever intimidated? Yes, sometimes. Do I worry about offending some people? Yes, I do. Do I still have work to do in this area? Absolutely! But Satan can’t keep me quiet or intimidate me, as I continue to pray for even more boldness.

The Bible tells us to tell the truth in love, but never waiver from telling it.

[Tweet “The Bible tells us to tell the truth in love, but never waiver from telling it.”]

What if every pastor was bold enough to share Billy Graham’s biblical message of salvation with his passion and urgency?! How many lives would be saved from eternity separated from God?

[Tweet “What if every pastor was bold enough to share Billy Graham’s biblical message of salvation with his passion and urgency?!”]

What if every Christian, you and me, took up Billy Graham’s mantel, not leaving it to his son and family alone?

[Tweet “What if each of us imitated Billy and spread the Good News that Jesus saves with every breath and in every circumstance where God puts us?!”]

What if each of us imitated Billy and spread the Good News that Jesus saves . . . with every breath we take and in every circumstance where God puts us?!

How different would our world be today?

How different would our lives be?

How different would our government be?

How different would our schools be?

How different would our children and the next generation be?

I believe God took Billy Graham home because God wanted the simple message Billy preached to come alive again, not just for a day or maybe a couple of weeks, but for a revival!

[Tweet “I believe God took Billy Graham home because God wanted the simple message Billy preached to come alive again in a revival!”]

What do you think? Are you with me on this?

Let’s remember our leaders, like Reverend Billy Graham, who spoke the word of God to us. We’ll consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith! (Hebrews 13:7 personalized)

[Tweet “Let’s remember our leaders, like Reverend Billy Graham, who spoke the word of God to us. We’ll consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith! (Hebrews 13:7 personalized)”]

Who has mentored you from afar?

Billy Graham, My Mentor

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*Two pictures from BGEA

February 26, 2018
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5 Ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year

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God's grace is how I find 5 ways to a fresh start in the New Year

First, let me extend to each of you a Blessed 2018! We’re only one week into the New Year, and I’ll admit I already want the year to slow down. I always feel that way as I watch January slip away and the exhilaration of starting a fresh new year morph into an overwhelming “there’s so much to do” feeling.

If you’re like me, I relax during the week between Christmas and New Year’s and enjoy a rest from activities leading up to Christmas. I don’t take my decorations or lights down till after the New Year because I still enjoy reflecting on the past year and the warmth of Christmas lights. Every year it seems the month of December just goes a little too fast, even though we put the tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving!

Some of you prefer to move past Christmas quickly and take everything down the next day or week. I’ve seen many on social media say that it feels good to have the house back to normal after what can sometimes feel cluttered with the trappings of Christmas. You’re ready for a fresh start in your home and the new year.

I have to admit that while I’m writing this note to you on January 5, I haven’t taken down one decoration yet, and my heart is a little sad and reminiscent as I consider putting it all away tomorrow for another year. Maybe those like me aren’t quite ready to bring closure to 2017’s Christmas memories

We each have our own way of ending one year and moving on to the next; but ready or not, 2018 is here!

[Tweet “We each have our own way of ending one year and moving on to the next; but ready or not, 2018 is here!”]

Five Ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year!

Aside from taking down Christmas decorations, here are five ways that help me get a fresh start in the New Year. Maybe some of what I do and the reasons why I do them will help you too!

  1. Priority one for me is to pray about how God wants me to commune with Him in a fresh new way. For a number of years, I’ve started January reading the Bible in a year. To keep it new and fresh, I choose a different translation and reading plan each year and even read the Chronological Bible one year. Every time I do this, the Lord reveals new insights and speaks to me through His Word in ways I hadn’t seen before, even in familiar verses. I love how His Word is new every morning.
  2. I start a yearly devotional to accompany my Bible reading program for the year. This year I’m reading Women of the Bible: A One Year Devotional Study by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda, which also doubles as research for writing my new book Get Your Brave On! I also asked for Christmas The Believer’s Code: 365 Devotions to Unlock the Blessings in God’s Word by O.S. Hawkins. Sometimes I’ll pull one of my previous devotionals off the bookshelf to read again because I see the authors’ thoughts in a new and fresh way depending on what’s happening in my life or maybe what book or article I’m writing.
  3. Yes, I do set goals, rather than resolutions. Goals seem more positive to me, and I like to frame my aspirations as doable. I’m more goal oriented than resolution motivated. According to Wikipedia’s definitions . . .

Resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something.

Goal is the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. The destination of a journey. (I especially like thinking of my goals as a journey to a destination.)

[Tweet “I especially like thinking of my goals as a journey to a destination”]

Our wedding anniversary is December 19, a perfect time for us to set new yearly goals for our marriage, and I set personal goals for the upcoming year. I write these in my One Year Walk With God devotional, which I’ve read so many times it’s literally falling apart.

Sometimes previous year’s goals carry over to the next year, and the next year . . . I don’t feel condemnation, just a fresh motivation to achieve them in the upcoming years. It’s important to set achievable realistic goals: not so high we give up, or too easy we don’t stretch.

On Facebook many have asked if anyone sets New Year’s resolutions and often the answer was no because they don’t want to break them or be disappointed. However, I did see a few setting goals. Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try. I hope I’m encouraging you to set some goals for 2018. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

[Tweet “Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try.”]

  • Do you set resolutions or goals each year? Why or why not?
  • What’s one goal you kept that changed your life?
  • What area of your life has God asked you to surrender to Him in the new year?

[Tweet “Progress doesn’t happen without a goal and a plan to achieve it. We never succeed at what we don’t try.”]

If the Lord does lead you to set new goals, or work on last year’s goals, refer to them regularly during the year and pray asking God’s guidance on where He wants your focus to fulfill His purpose for your life.

[Tweet “If the Lord does lead you to set goals for the New Year, or work on last year’s goals, refer to them regularly during the year and pray asking God’s guidance.”]

  1. Stay in the Moment—this is probably the hardest one for me. We all need a bit of forward thinking and planning, but I tend to let my mind race ahead to all that must be done in the future, which distracts me from what I need to do today. I watch with dread as the days of the month slip by and I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished enough. My husband is always reminding me not to worry, but trust God with the details. Can I hear an Amen?!
  2. When plans and goals get sidelined! 2017 was an extremely difficult year for me, as many of you know. Nothing I could have expected or planned to happen. On Christmas day 2016, I fell and started 2017 with staples in my head and a concussion, which left a continual ringing in my ears that God has not chosen to remove. Just as the concussion was subsiding, I had a horrific side effect to a medication and had bladder and kidney surgery that downed me for two months. Then in the fall, I had cataract surgery in both eyes that was supposed to be a “piece of cake!” But I had a reaction to the eye drops, and one of my new lenses has shifted, so I’ll be having another surgery on January 16 to rotate it back in place.

My plans to write the next book were “sidelined.” But in the midst of all the pain and setbacks, God birthed Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness and blessed me with an amazing launch team and caring compassionate editor who understood when I couldn’t meet all the editing deadlines after the kidney surgery.

Then to my surprise and delight, I was offered an opportunity to be on the teaching staff at Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in March 2018! Mount Hermon is where I learned to write and I’m honored and humbled by this invitation.

[Tweet “Ask God for forgiveness and grace for last year’s mistakes and blunders,”]

My point is that even when the year doesn’t go like you expect or want, trust God to meet His expectations and purpose for you and let Him turn what seems so bad into good. Ask God for forgiveness and grace for last year’s mistakes and blunders, and set a new goal of living for Christ and His ways in the new year. Be sure and give Him all the glory for the things He has done in and through you, no matter how it turns out.

[Tweet “Give God all the glory for the things He has done in and through you, no matter how it turns out.”]

And that’s really how to start fresh and stay fresh every day of every new year: Establish a fresh new perspective on our relationship with God who knows our future and reminds us that our eternity is with Him!

I know I’ve probably left some important things I do off this list, but a fresh start for 2018 is achievable for all of us. Won’t you share in the comments what helps you feel motivated and enthused with the prospect of a new year!? Often the first step is telling someone else.

5 ways to a Fresh Start in the New Year helps focus on what's really important in 2018!

PS I’m still receiving stories of God calling on you to be brave or do something you couldn’t do without Him. Contact me for more information.

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*Opening graphic courtesy of Our Daily Bread which I subscribe to and read daily.

January 8, 2018
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Stop the Politicization of Prayer!

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Stop the politization of prayer, couples who pray together stay together.

I’m back from cataract surgery. Well partially back, so this will be short but wanted to let you know that I’m seeing so much better. Still working on close up vision, but it will come. Every day is an improvement. Thank you whoever prayed for these two surgeries. I felt those prayers! Speaking of prayers . . . .

The Attack on Prayer

The attack on prayer is what God told me to discuss today. Yes, God talks to me, and if you’re a believer He talks to you too, just like you talk to Him . . . in prayer. As I prayed about the topic for my first blog back, I woke up this morning with a definite word from the Lord: Write about the return to politicization of prayer. “Return” because it was politics that removed prayer from schools. Politics removed mentioning God and Jesus in schools. Politics has removed God from the public square and replaced the ways of God with the ways of Satan.

[Tweet “Politics has removed God from the public square and replaced the ways of God with the ways of Satan.”]

That’s right, it’s not God’s culture today, it’s Satan’s culture. Jesus talked a great deal about the ways of the “world” and reminded his disciples and followers that Christians—us— are not of this world, we’re only in the world. We aren’t to conform to the world, but change the world.

[Tweet “We aren’t to conform to the world, but change the world.”]

I [Jesus] am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by[a] the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:13-121

Mentoring Can Change the World: Starting with Our Children and Grandchildren

Right now, a federal appeals court has banned prayer at the opening of town council meetings. Because the commissioners said Christian prayers, which they have done for years, the angry atheists and the ACLU filed a lawsuit to ban the prayers, but the ACLJ is fighting back at the Supreme Court. Pray for the SCOTUS to uphold the right to pray before these meetings.

Our President and Vice President called for prayer after the horrific massacre in the small First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, TX. As prayer vigils were held in that tiny town, the media, entertainers (I use that term loosely), and liberal politicians began criticizing prayer.

Which brings me to the world’s view of prayer:

They don’t understand prayer . . . because they don’t understand God.

They don’t believe in prayer . . . so they don’t believe in God.

They don’t think prayer is “enough” . . . they think action is enough.

They don’t want God’s laws . . . they want culture’s laws.

They mock prayer as weak . . . while they remain arrogant, prideful, and ignorant.

They don’t recognize the power of prayer . . . only the power of man.

They are lost souls without prayer!

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:16-18

Listen to Pastor Paul Buford, who pastors River Oaks Church two miles from Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church, when A MSNBC Anchor Asks Texas Pastor if Prayers Are ‘Enough’ After Church Shooting — His Answer Is On-Point

Thoughts and Prayers

Here’s my opinion on the phrase “thoughts and prayers.” Unbelievers say, “My thoughts are with you.” I even heard a member of a media talk panel clarify that he only supported “thoughts, not prayers!”

But Christians often say, “My thoughts and prayers are with you.”  What good are thoughts? Thoughts are how the situation makes us feel and may cause us to do something kind for the person suffering . . . but thoughts aren’t transmitted tangibly, mentally, or spiritually to the sufferer.

[Tweet “Thoughts aren’t transmitted tangibly, mentally, or spiritually to the sufferer.”]

“Thoughts” however can prompt us to pray for the person or situation. Every time we “think” about them, the Holy Spirit prompts us to pray. I think a better witness to the unbelieving world criticizing “thoughts and prayers” . . . and a more sincere comfort to those suffering . . . would be, “Every time the Holy Spirit brings you to mind, I pray for you!”

[Tweet “I see social media full of “praying” and prayer emoji’s comments, but we must not write that unless we’re actually praying”]

I see social media full of “praying” and prayer emoji’s comments, but we must not write that unless we’re actually praying. It’s often a sentimental response, but we’re lying if we don’t follow through and actually pray for that person or situation. They’re counting on those prayers.

Forsaken God?

If you haven’t read my book Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I encourage you to read it now! Here is a comment from an Amazon reader who said the book reminded her of the importance of every believer keeping God in the forefront of his or her life, and how we can impact our failing culture.

This is a very thoughtful and timely book. We watch even now, as our society pushes God out of the picture and yet Janet reminds us through scripture as well as personal stories of how much God wants to be in our lives and His goodness toward us. When we remove Him from our lives and our culture, we are the ones who pay the price as we forsake Him. I love the practical application steps at the end of the chapters. They are easy to do and follow and a reminder of the blessings that are available to us when we simply recognize and walk in the goodness of God.

Read Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten today!

I also want to encourage you to watch a new Fox News program, The Ingraham Angle, 10 ET weeknights. We DVR it. Some jealous media critics have labeled Laura Ingraham “The church lady” because she always wears a cross necklace, is bold about her faith on the program, and confronts assaults on religion. I’m impressed with her reporting style and conservative platform. Here is her coverage of “Are Thoughts and Prayers Now Political?”

My Surgery Prayer Witness

I guess I just can’t write a short blog. I’ve missed all of you, so I’ll close with a “prayer story” from my second eye surgery. When everyone left the room after the pre-surgery prep, like the first time, my husband took my hands, we closed our eyes, bowed our heads, and Dave prayed for my surgery. When we lifted our heads and opened our eyes, surgery nurse Martha was waiting with the wheelchair to wheel me into the surgery suite. The room was just as cold as before, and as they positioned me on the table, I began to tremble . . . like the last time. Maybe nerves, maybe the freezing temperature!

Nurse Martha calmly said, “You have nothing to worry about, you’re all prayed up!” I knew then she had seen us praying and waited quietly at the door until we finished.

She was right. I then told her how Jesus had reminded me that morning that He would be watching over the surgery. Then I added, “Of course Jesus is always with me. And so many people are praying for me, they’re praying for the doctor, and for all of you too.”

[Tweet “Don’t let prayer become political. Don’t let prayer become controversial. “]

Don’t let prayer become political. Don’t let prayer become controversial. Never be ashamed of a conversation with your precious Lord and Savior. Stand firm in the power of prayer.

Pray continually! 1 Thessalonians 5:17

See also my blog The Miracle of Steve Scalise: A Testimony to the Power of Prayer

Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, is available at all Christian bookstores, online book stores, Amazon, Kindle, and signed by Janet at her website store

Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten is available at all Christian bookstores, online book stores, Amazon, Kindle and signed by Janet at her website store.

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November 13, 2017
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Mentoring in a World Forsaking God

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Mentoring in a World Forsaking God discusses the need for bringing God's laws back into our world not gun laws!

We all woke up a week ago to the tragic news of the horrific shooting in Las Vegas. Those of us who know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior began to pray. We prayed for the families who had lost loved ones senselessly and for those who watched their friend or family member die in their arms. We prayed for those fighting for their lives in hospitals and the doctors and nurses going without sleep and rest to save as many as possible.

We heard the heroic actions of so many and the amazing, fearless first responders who walked into danger, not knowing if they would walk out, and we praised God for them. The very courageous police force, the subject of recent unjustified ridicule and disrespect, were the very men and women everyone relied on to stop the carnage. Because that’s what they do . . . regardless of skin color, gender, religious beliefs or political views—their goal and mission is to save lives, even at their own peril.

It didn’t take long however for the liberal media, Democrats, and Hollywood to politicize this tragedy. Pointing fingers, nasty words, criticism, turning their platforms into a political agenda even as many lay dead and hundreds wounded.

[Tweet “As our president called for prayer and unity, many chose harsh words of disunity. “]

As our president called for prayer and unity, many chose harsh words of disunity. They turned a tragedy into an opportunity to create more strife and grief in our country. Not one of the opportunists praised our president for calling for prayer and putting flags at half-mast—the very flag that has been the subject of protest and unpatriotic shameful rejection.

But the comment I can’t shake from my mind, I heard on a news clip “We don’t need more prayer, we need more laws.” God and the value of prayer discounted and replaced by opinions and verbal attacks. The name of God used only in exclamation not reverence.

Last week, I wrote about Steve Scalise’s shooting. He gave all the glory to God and prayer for the miracle of his survival and recovery. When asked in an interview if he had changed his mind about the 2nd Amendment, he said, absolutely not. Had he not had armed security with him on that baseball field, all might have died.

I’m not going to argue the 2nd Amendment, but the blatant hypocrisy of liberals arguing that more gun laws are the answer to violence and evil is misguided and misinformed.

  1. Hollywood glamorizes violence, bloody shootings, death, and random killing—the more gruesome the better—to depict graphic and horrific ways to take lives for the shock value and “thrill” for box office dollars. Stars live in alarm-protected homes with bodyguards and heavy protection.
  2. Then you have those people glamorizing the assassination of our president and supporting riots and protests, not condemning Antifa but encouraging them. People like Nancy Sinatra tweeting “murderous members of the NRA should be executed by a firing squad.” A former CBS lawyer saying she “was not even sympathetic” for those killed in Las Vegas because “country music fans often are Republican gun toters.” Right out of the terrorists’ and shooters’ playbook: kill those who don’t agree with you.
  3. Late-night so-called “comedians” becoming liberal politicians attacking the administration and the country.
  4. These same people want to remove every mention of God and the “original law”—the 10 Commandments—from public places, schools, courts, the public square, and yet, think more manufactured laws will trump “thou shalt not kill.” “Thou shalt not lie.”
  5. There’s no agreement on additional laws needed, ignoring the fact that criminals and evil people don’t follow laws.
  6. Football players politically and publically disrespecting our flag, the National Anthem, the police force, and our President.

To have their liberal voices heard in protest, they divide the country even more by blaming everything on our President, gender, race, political party, denouncing our history . . . everything and anything except what would really make a difference—turning our country back to God.

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” Luke 11:17

And that’s what our enemies see right now, a divided country ready for a fall.

[Tweet “THE ONLY GUN LAW WE’LL EVER NEED: Thou shalt not kill (Deut. 5:17 KJV)”]

THE ONLY GUN LAW WE’LL EVER NEED:

Thou shalt not kill (Deut. 5:17 KJV)

Christians Can Make a Difference

“One day Jesus told his disciples a parable to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Luke 18:1

I would encourage you to read the story Jesus shared with his disciples of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8.

In Mentoring for All Seasons, I have a chapter on Mentoring in a World Forsaking God, and you may remember that I wrote a book last year Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten. The world needs to remember God and we can make this happen.

[Tweet “The world needs to remember God and Christians can make this happen.”]

We live in tumultuous times in both the church and the world. Confusion and fear reigns among newer believers who don’t have a solid foundation in the truth to help them discern evil from good, lies from truths, abnormal from normal. If more women would reach out to each other with understanding, prayer, and biblical truths, there would be far less fear, backsliding, and sin in women’s lives.

[Tweet “Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, every generation has lived in a fallen evil world”]

Since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, every generation has lived in a fallen evil world. One of their sons killed the other one and since then, what one generation does in moderation, the next generation does in excess. Just as the apostle Paul saw the need for mentors in his day, we desperately need mentors today. Yet, many who should be stepping up to mentor and teach the next generation are falling away from Titus 2, just as quickly as our world is falling away from God.

[Tweet “Many who should be stepping up to mentor and teach the next generation are falling away from Titus 2”]

What Can We Do?

[Tweet “Mentors speak, teach, and train the truth to our mentees, straight from the Bible.”]

So how do we ordinary Christian women make a difference in today’s confused and fallen world? As mentors, we speak, teach, and train the truth to our mentees, straight from the Bible. We must daily read our Bibles and let God’s Word speak, teach, and train the truth to us so we can respond to life’s issues from God’s perspective. Together M&M’s learn spiritual wisdom and scriptural principles to help navigate the moral decline of our culture, and in some cases, the foundation of the Christian faith.

We can’t lose hope.

We can’t ignore what’s happening around us.

We can’t live fearfully.

We can pray for revival.

We can pray for everyone blinded by lack of faith in God . . . yes, all of them!

We can pray for the victims of evil.

We can ask God what He wants, us, His people, to do. What action does He want us to take?

We can share Jesus because we live in a time of uncertainty.

We can reassure our children and grandchildren that they can make a difference in this world too.

We can live by the 10 Commandments in our personal lives, and know that it’s not by law we’re saved, but by the grace of Jesus. We don’t follow God’s laws because we have to, we follow them because we have Jesus in our heart.

We live as godly role models in a world that has forsaken God.

Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. Galatians 3:23-24 NLT

 

Excerpts from Mentoring for All Seasons used with approval from Leafwood Publishers

Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, available at all Christian bookstores, online book stores, Amazon, and signed by Janet at our website store.

Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten also available at Christian bookstores, online bookstores, Amazon, and signed at our website.

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October 9, 2017
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The Miracle of Steve Scalise: A Testimony to the Power of Prayer

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Steve Scalise gives God the glory for the miracle of his recovery and tells how he prayed sepcifically and put everything into God's hands.

You probably remember three months ago when Republican House Majority Whip, Steve Scalise, was shot down by a deranged man trying to kill Republicans. Scalise was practicing on a ballfield with other Republicans preparing for an upcoming congressional charity baseball game. Several others were also shot on that June 14 morning, but Scalise’s wound was almost fatal had it not been for the quick actions of fellow players.

Scalise sustained a single rifle wound, entering his left hip and passing through his right hip, also known as a trans-pelvic gunshot wound. The round did substantial damage to bones, internal organs, and blood vessels. After extensive medial inpatient rehab, he returned September 29, 2017 to the floor of the House of Representatives, still on crutches. He will continue rehab now as an outpatient, so he’s still on the road to recovery. But following is how Scalise started his speech:

When I was laying out on that ballfield, the first thing I did once I was down and couldn’t move anymore, is I just started to pray and I’ll tell you it gave me an unbelievable since of calm knowing at that point it was in God’s hands. And I prayed for very specific things, and I’ll tell you pretty much every one of those prayers were answered and there were some pretty challenging prayers I was putting in God’s hands. But He really did deliver for me and my family, and it just gives you that renewed faith and understanding that the power of prayer is something that you just cannot underestimate. [Applause] So I’m definitely a living example that miracles really do happen.” Listen to this live Steve Scalise on his return to the House of Representatives 9/28/17

[Tweet “What a testimony to the power of prayer as Mr. Scalise publically gives God all the glory for saving his life”]

What a testimony to the power of prayer as Mr. Scalise publically gives God all the glory for seeing him through this horrific ordeal, right from the moment it happened. He understands that his life was touch-and-go from the ballfield to the hospital, and if there had not been someone who knew how to give aid before the medics arrived, he probably would have died on the grass that day. But he didn’t die, and he knows it’s a miracle! Even more impressive, he’s telling the world that God still performs miracles!

[Tweet “Have you remembered all the miracles God has done in your life?”]

Have you thought of that recently? Have you remembered all the miracles God has done in your life? He performs them every day. Have you told others about them? In Forsaken God: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten, I have a chapter “Honoring His Wonders and Miracles,” and in the Introduction, I write:

Memory builds faith.

Memories preserve the mighty works of God, but how many godly men and women failed to write down, or tell of, the miracles they saw God perform? How many works, deeds, and miracles has God done in your life … in my life … in the lives of our families … that we took for granted and never shared or acknowledged? Miraculous acts of faith lost to the next generation and lost to us when we need most to remember God’s goodness to help us through a trial or tribulation.

The power of prayer in mentoring relationships is remember how good God has been to us in the past.

Prayer & Praise Is An Integral Part of Mentoring

[Tweet “My tagline for mentoring is Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness”]

My tagline for mentoring is Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, the subtitle for Mentoring for All Seasons. Have you seen God at work in your life? Has He performed a miracle? Then just like Steve Scalise, share your story! Someone else may need encouragement in a particular season of life and walk with the Lord, or maybe needs to know that God is real.

[Tweet “The answers to life issues come through prayer and the Bible”]

A mentor, sharing her testimony and the power of prayer helps another woman discover the answers to her life issues are through prayer and the Bible. Mentoring is always a two-way relationship as they search the Bible together, pray for God’s guidance and wisdom, and wait for answers. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NLT) clearly tells us:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

As a mentee learns to depend on God and His Word in her life seasons, through the guidance, prayers, and support of her mentor, she can then help another woman going through similar seasons. Thus, the cycle of life and mentoring carries down through the generations: God’s plan for the propagation of Christianity and the church.

Prayer and Praise Journal Helps Record Prayers and Miracles

I suggest that mentors and mentees (M&M’s) always pray at the beginning, during, and end of their time together. The Bible and prayer is the foundation of spiritual mentoring. In the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry, prayer covers every aspect of the ministry and M&M’s are matched through intercessory prayer.

[Tweet “All my books have a Prayer & Praise Journal and that’s where you see the power of prayer.”]

Sometimes a mentee might feel uncomfortable praying if praying a loud is new to her. That’s fine, the mentor can pray for both of them, until the mentee feels comfortable. All my books have a Prayer & Praise Journal. In Mentoring for All Seasons, you’ll find it at the back of the book to record prayers, as well as God’s answers. And that’s where you begin to see the power of prayer. So often, we forget what we prayed for when God answers or we forget to go back and thank God. Recording prayer requests helps us remember God’s goodness.

Another way to use the Prayer & Praise journal is to help the mentee start praying. She can just read the prayer requests and praises aloud.

[Tweet “The beauty of Steve Scalise’s testimony reminds us we have an open door to God’s ear and He is the God of miracles.”]

The beauty of Steve Scalise’s testimony reminds us we all have an open door to God’s ear and He is the God of miracles. We don’t need a pastor or someone else praying for or over us. God hears the petitions of His people, on our own, or when two or three are gathered together in His name. When He answers, be sure you give Him all the glory.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:6-7

Have you got your copy yet of Mentoring for All Seasons? It’s available now at all Christian bookstores, online bookstores, Amazon, and signed by me on our website shop. I’d love to hear how God is using it in your life and the life of your church to bring about a revival of mentoring and Titus 2.

Thank you to everyone who left comments and emailed me with answers to my questions about the Ketogenic Diet in last weeks post. I’m still stumbling through starting and am not in ketosis yet. It’s a huge learning cover for me, so if you have any more tips please share!

October 2, 2017
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What to Do When You Don’t Like Your Life Season

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What Do You Do When You Don't Like Your Life Season? Cry yell scream get depressed? None of those things are going to change things. God tells us in Ecc. 3:1-8 that there's a time for every good and difficult season under heaven but read and discover how God and mentoriing can help you survive this season!

We’ve all heard it said, “There’s a time for everything.” Or “You’re just in a season, it will pass.” In fact, it’s Scriptural—

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”—Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The good and pleasant seasons sound wonderful and just what God wants for us, right? It’s so easy to think that God couldn’t possibly want what we perceive as a bad or unpleasant season for us. And yet this Scripture passage tells us that God made both, and while we’re alive, we’re going to experience every season—the good and the bad—under heaven.

Pastor Rick Warren often says that life is like a roller coaster: if you’re going up and experiencing a good season, brace yourself because in about three weeks you’ll probably find yourself going down into an unpleasant season, screaming all the way!

We try so hard to hold onto those feel-good seasons, and there’s nothing wrong with that—we should have times of joy, dancing, laughing, loving, and peace. But when the not so good times roll, we need to remember that God has not left us. He’s walking right beside us through the mourning, weeping, uprooting, and war seasons, and that’s when a mentor is so helpful to remind us that she made it through her tough seasons and we will too.

[Tweet “A mentor is helpful to remind us that she made it through her tough seasons and we will too”]

The focus of my book Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture has Forgotten is for us to remember how good God has been in all the seasons of our life. God never abandons His children. This is a message we need to share with each other and with the culture, especially during these challenging times we live in today.

Reasons for Not Liking our Life Season

Usually we don’t like our life season because:

It’s painful or uncomfortable.

We’re jealous and like what someone else’s life looks like more than our own life.

We’re living with the consequences of our, or someone else’s, behavior or decisions.

We’re discontent or discouraged.

We’re not sure if God still cares about us.

What would you add to the list?

We all have difficult seasons we want to end. Or maybe we’re in a wonderful season that we never want to end. Many life seasons we have no control over, even though advertisers and the culture would try to make you believe differently. They set us up to fail either way by thinking if we just drink the right cola, take the right pill, own the right car, use the right cosmetics and anti-aging products, eat the right food, reach success . . . every season of our life will be heavenly. The aging clock is going to stop and somehow God made our life to be different from everyone else’s life.

But that’s a lie and those who buy into it will never be content because everything God lists in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 is a season that everyone will experience.

What to Do When We Don’t Like Our  Life Season

We probably feel like crying, screaming, maybe yelling, getting depressed, ignoring, or trying to get out of it. If we’re honest, we’ve all been there.

[Tweet “The only thing that works when we don’t like our life season is to ask God how He wants us to deal with it”]

But soon we realize that the only thing that works when we don’t like our life season is to ask God how He wants us to deal with it, and then listen carefully to how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. It’s that still small voice we hear guiding us when we cry out to God. We might not know how to get through the season, but God does. So often He’s talking, but we’re not listening.

Someone on a friend’s Facebook post asked how my Christian friend knew what God wanted. Did he have a direct line to God? I thought, Yes he does! Every Christian has a direct line to God the world doesn’t understand, and one we don’t use nearly enough: praying to Jesus who hears every word and the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us even when all we can do is groan.

For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. Romans 8:26-27

While writing this post, I met a woman whose husband has cancer. As she shared her story, I heard in my mind hug her and pray for her. Mind you, we had just met, and I had already told her I would be praying for her husband and their family since I understood having had breast cancer three times. But as she kept talking, I knew I was to pray for her now. So I said, “Let me pray for you,” and stepped forward to hug her; but she didn’t realize that I meant right then. I knew God meant right then! She needed it and she was so grateful.

I had tried to talk myself out of it, and how many times is God trying to tell us what to do “right then,” but we’re dismissing His words of wisdom to see us through this season and on into the next one. That’s when a mentor can step in and do just what I was able to do for this woman, even though we barely knew each other. Can you imagine how much comfort can come from two women who have a personal mentoring relationship?!

[Tweet “Can you imagine how much comfort can come from two women who have a mentoring relationship?!”]

God doesn’t want us going through any season alone, but He also doesn’t want us listening to anyone who isn’t giving us biblical wisdom. That’s why in Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, every season has Scripture to study together that applies to the various issues women might experience in that season.

[Tweet “Being a mentor doesn’t mean you have all the answers or have the Bible memorized. “]

Being a mentor, or a mentee reaching out to another woman for guidance, doesn’t mean the mentor has all the answers or the Bible memorized. It just means she’s willing to search God’s Word and pray together for Him to tell you both what to do in the life seasons you might not like right now; and then, you both reach out and help someone else going through something similar.

And that’s exactly what Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 tells us we need to do when we’re going through a life season we don’t like!

What to Do When You Don't Like Your Life Season? Find a mentor who has experienced it already and let her support and encourage you. Read some helpful tips on how to survive those unpleasant life seasons.

Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness is available now for order or Kindle or signed by the author.

Author Bio

Janet Thompson is an international speaker, freelance editor, and award-winning author of 19 books. Her latest release is Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.

She is also the author of Forsaken God?: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten; The Team That Jesus Built; Dear God, Why Can’t I Have a Baby?; Dear God They Say It’s Cancer; Dear God, He’s Home!; Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter; Face-to-Face Bible study Series; and Woman to Woman Mentoring: How to Start, Grow, & Maintain a Mentoring Ministry Resources.

She is the founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring and About His Work Ministries.

Visit Janet and sign up for her Monday Morning blog and online newsletter at womantowomanmentoring.com

www.facebook.com/Janetthompson.authorspeaker

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https://twitter.com/AHWministries

August 7, 2017
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