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Is it just me, or does it seem that with all of the many and various ways we can communicate with one another today, much of the time we misunderstand, misread, misconstrue, misuse, or just plain miss what is truly being said? As it was said in the “Apollo 13” movie, “Houston we have a problem.”

And have you ever thought about the heavens as a language? Just a few days ago, I sat down and began reading in Psalm 19. In verses 1-4 it says: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” In other words, the heavens and all of creation speaks evidence of a creator. The complexity, beauty, and wonder of it all expresses an awesome, powerful, and creative God through a language every human can understand if they just consider it.

In my own life I have found great inspiration and evidence of God through observing and enjoying His creation. My daily walks outdoors, often bring me wonderous delights through the sights and sounds of nature. They speak to my heart and mind in ways that no manmade structure, invention, or device ever could. 

However, some might say that after God created everything, He left us all to flail about in our own understanding. Never to guide, intervene, help, or interfere with our lives. That kind of religion is called Theism. But His language and words don’t just stop with His creation. And as I continued reading in Psalm 19, I saw that King David didn’t stop there either. In verses 7 -9 of Psalm 19, he goes on to say that God also speaks to us through His word. That His word, the Bible, contains great help to those who listen to its’ speech. And throughout my life, the Bible has continued to communicate most clearly to me with words that not only lift and inspire me but help with daily living.

Yet, our computers, news media, social media, and society’s values seem to be held as a higher authority than the creator of the universe. And when it comes to communication, our cell phones have become like body appendages. If we leave our phone in another room for a few short minutes, we panic when it rings. Then, after running down the hall, nearly tripping over the dog and breaking our neck to catch the call, we often find it was just a “scam” call. 

But wouldn’t it be great if a simple device like a cell phone was the answer to all that holds us captive? In my new fiction novel, “The Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café,” a nightmare awakens 18-year-old Elise’s need to escape the terrible abusive household she’d been captive to since a little girl. When a new friend gives her a cell phone, she perceives it as a “key to freedom.” While the device does aid Elise towards physical liberation, during her journey she discovers hope, help, and true freedom comes through a more enduring truth.  

Now if you’ve read “The Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café,” you’ll understand why I leapt with delight when I got to verse 10 of Psalm 19.  In it was another gem that spoke to my heart that morning. Verse 10 exclaims that God’s words are “to be desired more than gold, yea, more than much fine gold; sweeter also are they than honey and the honeycomb.” This verse stood out because “the Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café” has little tidbits about honey and bees throughout the story that brings a flavor of truth to it.

All through my life, God has continued to speak to me in many ways. Sometimes through His creation, sometimes through other people, rarely through His voice, and occasionally through vivid dreams. The story in my new book all began because of a nightmare I had. Through that dream, God spoke an inspiration to my mind that became a whole book. But mostly, God continues to speak to my mind and heart through His word. Hebrews 4:12 expresses that principal well: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

If you want to see my new video devotionals, Go to my “News” page on January 17 & 31 and the video will take the principle in this written blog to the next level. 

#thebuzz@chicky-piescafe #author #book #Bible #honey #bees #honeycomb #speech #language #WordofGod #heaven #speak #scripture #Psalms #dreams 

With Thanksgiving barely a speed bump in time before Christmas knocks at our door, don’t know about you, but I’m scrambling to get all my holiday chores finished in time. What else is new? Right? 

Yeah, like many of you, I often find myself running late with everything this time of year and when that happens, it’s easy to miss out on the truly important things—things like the importance of spending time with family, demonstrating love and appreciation to all who have blessed us over the past year, or helping someone in need. 

So, in light of the launching of my new book, “the Buzz @ Chicky-Pie’s Café” and the extra load of busyness it’s bringing, thought I’d save some time for family and re-share part of a blog post from last year. Remembering this holiday incident in the post is a timely catch for my own heart and I hope it is for you as well. But before I “replay” that memory, I want to express my overflowing gratefulness to all the friends and family who have contributed to the completion of my latest creative dream-publishing my first fiction novel. 

So, in the true spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to thank God for the many blessings He continues to pour on me including the inspiration and encouragement to write the story in the first place. Along its’ formidable journey, He continued to affirm His blessing and purposes for its publishing. Secondly, I want to thank my loving husband, Larry, for his patience and encouragement in the long process that frequently meant lonesome evenings while I polished up the manuscript, or worked on some marketing chore that took longer than expected. 

And coming into mind next is my friend Jessica Suggs, who came to me with a treasure trove of expertise and skills. She and her team at JSM books, including Amanda and Jessica Appel, worked joyfully and tirelessly for the past couple of years to help me in my book endeavors. And lest I forget, I am thankful for all of the many family members and friends who have encouraged me along the way too. I am thankful particularly for and to my daughter Ivy, who is an attorney and gave me precious time, insights, and legal knowledge for some important scenes in my book. As well as her husband Mike for his loving support. For my two sons Jason and Gavin and their beautiful wives, Lisa and Riki, who have all encouraged and celebrated the book’s completion— I am so grateful!

Not wanting to forget anyone’s contribution or support, I am so grateful for the dear author friends who gave me their valuable time and writing expertise to evaluate my book’s manuscript, then graciously gave me glowing endorsements. So, in alphabetical order, I say thank you, to: Author, Rich Bullock, Pastor & Author Sam Gallucci, Yvonne Noblitt, Pastor & Author Shawn Thornton, and Author, Margery Walshaw. You are all heroes to me.

So, here’s the heart of the blog from last year:

How many times have we all found ourselves in a fog as we rush down a road or highway and in an instant our distractions cause us to miss a sign or turn? Likewise, our own personal distractions, foggy spiritual focus and fears can take us off course or cause us to miss out on blessings waiting along the way. And though I try to stay fixed on the true meaning of Christmas, sometimes it’s hard to discern between all the voices that call to us. 

So, as a young homeless man called out a humble thank you to someone who’d given him a few dollars, his voice seemed to reach into my soul and reminded me of an encounter with another homeless person a few years back.

It happened when the piercing look of a homeless woman called to me as I drove out of a shopping center just days before Christmas. She was someone who’s need also caught my heart’s attention. But that experience brought a surprising and timely response from God that I’ll never forget. 

Her look of desperation had tugged at my heart causing me to pray and ask God what I should do. “Lord, If you want me to give that woman some money, just let me know. Give me a sign and I’ll turn around and go back,” I prayed.  The instant I finished that prayer, a song came over the airwaves of my car radio with stunning clarification. The song’s lyrics were: “She’s on the corner with a cardboard sign and it’s tugging at your heart.” 

God had answered my pleading question with a timely song that I’d never heard before and haven’t heard since that day. So, of course I’d turned around and went back to give her a hand up. God continued to confirm I was supposed to help her. As I handed her a few dollars and we chatted, I learned her name was Victoria and she had been sleeping under the freeway overpass along with her sister whom she’d only recently reconnected with. 

As I tried to help in other ways, I mentioned the shelters at many of the churches in the area including our own. Temperatures had dropped unusually low for So. Cal and had dipped into the 30’s the past few nights. I observed Victoria, noticing a cough she had as she mentioned a lung condition that kept her away from some of the local shelters. Then she told me that she and her sister liked to attend a small church nearby that I was familiar with. Turns out that was a church that my own had birthed, and I was very familiar with the pastor as a caring and helpful friend to the needy. Hearing that they were attending there, encouraged me to also give her a $20 bill, much more than I’d ever handed over to a stranger.

“Thank you so much!” she repeated. “Now we can get a room and won’t have to sleep out in the cold.” Victoria declared.

Seconds later a woman drove by slowly and handed a $5 bill out of her car window. I stood watching and praising God for revealing His will to me and for watching over Victoria and her sister. 

Maybe that’s why the recent plight of that young homeless man was weighing on me. There was a certain reminiscence about him that had me thinking about Victoria. It nudged me to be generous and reminded me to be grateful for the many blessings that God has poured into my life. Blessings that I want to share with others as God leads and gives opportunity.

It’s my hope that we will all be more aware of opportunities to bless someone else during this season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. It may be the simple act of giving a homeless person a few dollars, or it may be fully giving ourselves to a new friend who needs extra care, help, and hope. Much like the character, Elise in my story, who had suffers terrible abuse and needed help, hope, and a committed friendship from others to lift her out of the despair that clung to her.  

To all of you, my friends, readers, and subscribers, I thank you with my whole heart today and pray you will have a grateful Thanksgiving and joyous Christmas. 

#Thanksgiving #Holidays #Christmas #Helping #homeless #God #miraculous #giving #books #author #grateful

Ever look at a stranger and see a mirror of yourself in some way? Today, while running into a small market to pick up a couple items needed for dinner, it happened. She was a checker and hadn’t noticed me enter her check-out station. I watched as she proceeded to the nearby front entry to wash the smudges off its’ glass door. So while I patiently waited for her return, I could identify with her ambitious busyness. 

“Sorry,” she said, realizing I was waiting there. “I just have to keep busy.”

“No worries, I can identify.” I understood.

As a busy person myself, I often have a hard time standing still for long. Even while on vacation, there are many times when I find myself filling-in the void of every quiet moment with activity. Perhaps that’s why I’m drawn to calm waters and peaceful surroundings. Maybe it’s also the reason I often choose quiet water scenes as the subjects of my paintings— I need to be still. That kind of beauty draws me in and gives my soul comfort and serenity. But more than that, it is God’s call to my spirit to “be still and know that I am God,” as it says in Psalm 46:10.  

Now, as I gaze out the large windows of our vacation place, my eyes are drawn to the view of the harbor. The little boats sit with quiet submission to the calm water of the inlet as it brings colorful reflections below each one. Although they may bob and sway slightly, their anchors force them to mostly remain still. H-m-m-m! Guess I need to anchor myself to God more often and let Him hold me motionless too. To allow His light to become beautiful reflections of His hand in my life.  

Looking closer at Psalm 46 by examining the two verses before verse ten, I see that the psalmist was considering the wars and chaos of the world when he wrote this psalm. Yet he steps back and draws the curtain away from the turmoil of his day with revelation of God’s mighty power to bring peace. Then he challenges us to do the same, saying: “Come see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.”  

He completes it with, “Be still and know that I am God,” and reminds us that God will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. He reinforces our need to be still and anchored to God no matter what is going on, because God is with us and is “The Lord God Almighty.” 

So, as I vacation in this peaceful place, I am reminded that I need to be still so I can be refreshed and strengthened by God’s mighty hand. That, if I stop long enough to ponder who God is and rest in His promises, I will be unmoved by the distractions around me, no matter how horrific.

#calm #stillwaters #chaos #anchor #serenity #paintings #vacation #busyness #God #Mightyhand

#Peaceful #Bestill #reflections #Hislight 

Have you ever considered what special purpose God may have in a vacation you plan to take? Several years ago that idea was planted in my head as my husband and I were making plans for an epic road trip across country. Our main goals for that three-week journey included lots of sight-seeing and a family reunion in Georgia, my birthplace. The details of planning that kind of trip were daunting enough, yet a niggle of an idea kept nudging its’ way in as we charted our course and made hotel reservations. God seemed to be telling me that I should ask Him what His special purpose in our trip might be. 

So, after I bowed my head and asked God if he had some added purpose for our vacation, the clear message He whispered back was: Pray for all the believers you meet along the way. Although that trip began with a major set-back that nearly derailed the whole vacation, God used it to His purposes. The results of applying that special added purpose to our trip brought an anointing throughout the vacation with thrills and blessings that are immeasurable.

After that blessed experience, we determined in our hearts to always ask our Lord what His purpose for our travels are before we leave for vacation. One such trip followed with its’ own set of surprises and delays that revealed a unique purpose that only God could’ve tailored for us. We were set to travel to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, but it wasn’t until we were fully on our way before God revealed what His purposes were in that journey.

Knowing there were no straight flights to our destination, we chose to fly to Denver then rent a car and do some sight-seeing on route to Rapid City, So. Dakota. However, our flight was delayed by and hour. While patiently waiting at LAX, a young woman sat next to me and a conversation ensued. I learned very quickly that she was at a spiritual crossroads in her life. She was trying to decide if she should become a missionary or nun. God whispered to me to just listen. So I did. We had a wonderful chat and though I mostly offered my ears and a few short comments, it was clear she felt relieved by the end of the hour’s wait.

Then at the car rental in Denver, there was another hour’s delay towards our six-hour drive. Needless to say we got a late start that nixed any time for site-seeing on route. At around 8 pm, we found ourselves, feeling bedraggled, famished and in a very small town with only two restaurants. We picked the one that looked the best and entered at a late hour for dinner. Our meal took longer than it should’ve because they discovered the fish in my order was spoiled. By the time we got served and finished eating, we were closing the place down. As Larry got up to pay at the window, a young woman whom we hadn’t yet seen, came out and began bussing the tables. 

It was then that I heard the Lord whisper: “Compliment the young woman.” I observed this stranger closely trying to figure out what I could say. Then I knew. As she got close to our table, I asked: “Did anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like a girl who was in a famous painting?”

“No,” she said, “But I like to paint.” Wow! Obviously God knew we had something in common—art.

So a conversation about painting began, but before I could say “Vermeer, a Dutch artist.” this young woman began to open-up her whole life to me. She had a very tragic story of molestation and abuse by an older brother which was magnified by the denial of the rest of her family.  Added to that, she’d been bullied mercilessly at every school she’d attended.

“If my grandmother hadn’t sent me a plane ticket and given me this job, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” She proclaimed. Then; “You see that guy sitting at the table behind you?” As she pointed, I turned to see a young man eating his dinner. “He’s my fiance’. Well, you might as well say we’re married.” She went on. “Because we just had a baby, but the baby died.”

Although I didn’t know this beautiful young woman, my heart ached for her. “I don’t even know you, but you’re gonna make me cry.” Indeed, tears were already brimming in my eyes. “Would it be all right if I prayed for you?” I asked.

She humbly nodded yes. We stood in the restaurant and held hands while I prayed out loud for this beautiful child of God. At the “amen,” and in timely fashion, Larry returned to the table having paid our bill. She looked up and said something sweet about me being a “treasure.” 

I felt humbled and honored to be used by God in the young stranger’s life that day. As we drove on, towards our destination, I began praising Him for all the delays that made it possible for that meeting and the meeting at LAX. But it wasn’t the last one of that nature to happen. Another divine appointment occurred two days later. It also involved a long delay getting somewhere and a waitress. Of course, by that time, I was pretty much expecting God to do it again. And He did. The next encounter also revealed a young woman with a tragic life’s start but a happy ending. 

As she sat us at our table, she commented, “You’re here at the perfect time.” I knew she meant that we’d get better service since it was late, and things were slowing down. But, of course, by then I knew that it was God’s perfect timing. I also knew she’d probably have some extra time to share with us. As we finished up and paid our bill, I asked how long she’d lived in that area. Not so surprisingly, it opened another deep tale of a troubled childhood. Because of abuse, she had been taken out of her home by authorities when she was very young. But happily, she was adopted by a wonderful Christian couple and it was evident that she was now a happy and well-adjusted young woman.

• Adding a humorous note and reminder of God’s Sovereign hand in all things, not long after the first encounter with the waitress, we made a wrong turn and missed a speed limit change. While waiting to see if the police officer was going to give us a speeding ticket, I nearly laughed out loud as I realized it was God’s way of telling us to slow down and trust in His timing. We may have been on our way to Mt. Rushmore, but He wanted us to Rush Less. God had His own purposes set-out for us on that trip, we just needed to slow down and look for them. Oh, and thankfully we did not get a ticket. 

So, as you prepare for a vacation this summer, I hope you will consider one other important matter—God’s purpose in it, then pray and ask Him what it is. If you’ll be traveling with children, you can get them involved too. They may even want to ask God if He has some special purpose in it that’s just for them. Then be on the lookout for opportunities to apply that added purpose to your travels. Watch and see if your freshened focus brings any new and exciting dimensions to your vacation.

If you’d like to read more of the story that led us to ask God what His purpose in our travels were, you can purchase my book “Fresh Eyes: Seeing God in the Unexpected.” Order it right here on my website “books” page, or through Amazon. I’d love to hear about your purposeful vacations too. So, leave a comment here or let me know if this post inspired you. 

#Journeys #Purpose #Godly purpose #vacation #Mt.Rushmore #Divine appointments #God’s timing #Art #Painting #Dutch artist #Vermeer #travels #sightseeing