Just Ten Things (Everyday with God)

(And Book Giveaway!)

We're home from vacation, and I'm getting back to my usual morning routine.

I get up when my alarm clock, er, the dog, wakes me; Grab a cuppa and sit outside and soak in my vitamin D3 while my doggie does his stuff; pick up after said doggie (on a good day); and then, the best part?

Talk to God.

Most days I have my daily devotional with me and I read that first, and then talk to God (Some call this PRAYER. I try to keep the line open so it's a conversation.) One of my favorite ways to start that dialogue is by thanking God for at least ten things.

My journal is another vehicle for a good list of "just ten things" (to be thankful for). Have you tried thankfulness as a discipline in your life? It is such a good exercise for increasing your sense of well-being. If NOTHING else changes, no matter what you're going through, the exercise of gratitude in itself is a game-changer.

Below is my list of ten from this morning.(Some days I want to go on for 20 or more. It's amazing that when you choose to be grateful you begin to realize you have incredible blessings to be grateful for.) If you do this exercise often, you will slowly start to live with an attitude of gratitude. Take it from me: a reformed worrier.

Are you a pessimist? Counting your blessings should be a mandatory routine! Gratitude leads to praise, and the Bible tells us that "The Lord is present in the praises of His people." Think about that: the Lord is present in praise! (Psalm 22:3)

"Draw near to me," says God, "and I will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

Don't know about you, but I'll take that any day.

JUST TEN THINGS

1. This beautiful, not-too-hot morning, with a clear sky.

2. The yard work that's been done (yay). (The yard work that WILL get done, yet!)

3. My family, despite the work a family requires.

4. My puppy, Ruffles. (More work, but more joy.)

5. Our country, which is still a better place than so many other spots on the globe.

6. Our recent vacation to the Smokies, and the wonderful homes of dear friends.

7. Dear friends.

8. Our church and it's leadership; our small group.

9. The work the Lord continues to do in me.

10. Life, breath, and the honor and capacity to commune with my Creator God!

What's on your list, today?

Leave a comment and share your top two with me and I'll choose one commenter to win a free book. It'll be your choice of one of my books (autographed to you, if you like) or a different Christian fiction read of my choice that I'm sure you'll love.

Don't forget to leave your email in a form such as this: Linore (at) LinoreBurkard (dot) com, so I can get in touch with you if you win!

Comments accepted through August 7th!

20 Promises For Your Life

Psalm 91 has long been one of my favorite portions of Scripture and this morning I was reminded why. Did you know that tucked inside the 16 verses of this Psalm are no less than 20 promises?

It's true.

There are nineteen instances of what God WILL do for the believer, and one "I WILL" (a promise) by the believer. That makes 20 promises. Nineteen for us to receive and one for us to do. I'd say that's a generous ratio!

Let's take a closer look:

1. Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High WILL remain in the shadow of the Almighty. (vs.1)

2. I WILL say of the LORD, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.(vs.2)

3. He is the one who WILL rescue you from hunters' traps and from the deadly plagues.(vs.3)

4. He WILL cover you with his feathers,
5. and under his wings you WILL find refuge. His truth is your shield and armor.(vs.4)

6. You do not need to fear terrors of the night, arrows that fly during the day,
plagues that roam the dark, epidemics that strike at noon. They WILL not come near you...(vs.6-7)

7. No harm WILL come to you.(vs.10)

8. No sickness WILL come near your house. (vs.10)

9. He WILL put his angels in charge of you to protect you in all your ways.(vs.11)

10. They WILL carry you in their hands so that you never hit your foot against a rock.(vs.12)

11. You WILL step on lions and cobras.(vs.13)

12. You WILL trample young lions and snakes.(vs.13)

13. Because you love me, I WILL rescue you.(vs.14)

14. I WILL protect you because you know my name. (vs.14)

15. When you call to me, I WILL answer you.(vs.15)

16. I WILL be with you when you are in trouble. (vs.15)

17. I WILL save you and honor you.(vs.15)

18. I WILL satisfy you with a long life. (vs.16)

19. I WILL show you (vs.16)

20. how I WILL save you. (vs.16)

Wasn't that fun? I love "unpacking" the scriptures, as my pastor, John Butler, likes to say. This is an amazing Psalm. What promises are speaking to you today?
What promises do you want to remember? Write them down somewhere now.

"For all the promises of God in Christ are yea and Amen!" (2 Cor.1:20)

Catch my guest post today on PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS about weapons during the Regency.
I'll be stopping by once or twice to say hi to visitors, too. One of my daughters' turns 13 today, so I can only hop by quickly, but I'll do my best.

Even if you can't come and visit, think about this truth today as you go about your tasks:
GOD IS GOOD.
(Ps. 119:68; Ps.136:1)

GOD IS FAITHFUL
(Constant, loyal, reliable, steadfast, unwavering, devoted, true, dependable)
Deut. 7:9
Psalm 119:90
II Timothy 2:13

Just this past week, I had occasion to experience the faithfulness of God. It had snowed a little during the night, but I was up bright and early to go to an appointment I had. As I was driving happily along, I began to notice that the road was perhaps a bit slippery, and decided to slow down. It was a country road and I had been driving around 45mph. As I began to slow, in one second I was suddenly on an angle and unable to control my van.

I frantically tried to remember what to do when a vehicle is skidding, but watched helplessly as my van crossed the road and went headlong into a ditch. Even in the ditch it didn't stop immediately, but continued along until a large, bare bush stopped me, ruining the driver side mirror in the process. But I was okay!

Heart pounding a little, I reached for my cell phone only to realize I hadn't brought it along! "Oh, no," I fretted to the Lord. "How are you going to get me out of this one?" The road was empty, a few houses along the way were all quiet and still--no sign of life anywhere. First, I did the thing a stranded driver should not do: I tried to back out of my predicament. When the van moved a few feet, I felt elated, only to have it start to dig into the snow and dirt. After that, I was well and truly stuck!

I looked in my rear view mirror at the looong stretch of road I'd just come. My home was at least a mile away, maybe more. I was wearing snow boots, thankfully, but I was not relishing the idea of that long walk in the cold. I prayed, "Lord, I don't see how you can help me, but I know you can. Please help!"

I got out of the van to survey the damage, and saw that I was definitely not going to get my van out of the ditch. The back tires had carved a deep gully around them of about half a foot. (Probably less, but it looked deep.)
I stood by the van just looking across a wide, empty, wintery field and down the road in the direction I was going to have to walk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. There was a woman walking a dog right on the side of her house.

Funny how good news brings energy. I was suddenly hurrying down the road towards that nice new house with a woman and a dog, but she was already disappearing around the back of her home. After a few calls, she re-appeared, and thus began my rescue.

She was visiting her daughter for the Christmas holidays, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my hero, er, my husband, and the next thing I knew I was inside that cozy home speaking with two sweet ladies who were so happy to help me. I love meeting neighbors, and a mile from home in the country means you're neighbors! It was great, and they were thrilled to discover that I was an author.

Later on, the woman's husband used a truck he owned to pull my van out of the ditch, so I gave the ladies a copy of my first two books. I love that I had them to give.
And honestly, sometimes I think that women who read and love Christian inspirational romance are the sweetest women on the planet.

Moral of the story: It doesn't have to look like help is there for God to have help there. : ) I missed my appointment, which was to have blood drawn for my annual physical, but that was rescheduled. Meeting those women was worth it.

At least it feels that way. When my husband gives me the bill for having the mirror fixed, we'll see. But THANK YOU, LORD. You have proved your faithfulness and loving kindness to me once again!

Zoom Out
(reprinted from the CAN blog --Christian Authors' Network)

For many, 2009 has been a tough year. Very tough. I've watched friends lose their homes, battle horrible illnesses, lose a loved one in tragic accidents, have financial setbacks. My family has endured its share of hardships as well. But, I want to talk about zooming out this season, because this is a time when we tend to focus on hope and God's promise that came in the form of his Son.

When we're trying to find a place on a Google map, we zoom in and check out the nearby streets, so we know how many blocks to go before we have to turn left. But, with the focus so tuned in, we often have no clue where we are, relative to where we are going. We have to zoom way out to establish our location in the bigger locale--and once we see the freeways and neighborhoods printed on the map, we relax, knowing exactly where we are.

I propose that zooming out is the antidote to succumbing to despair when hard times overtake us. Some call it looking at the bigger picture. But I like this image of a map, because we can often recognize small landmarks around us--familiar stores and parks and such--but can't put them in perspective with the world at large. Those of us who know God's purpose for humanity and the hope He holds out to us have this magical "zoom" button at our fingertips. Anytime we want, we can just click on it and voila! We've pulled way back to a God's-eye view of our lives. The problem is--we often forget that little button is there.

What happens when we zoom out? We see things from God's perspective, from his sweeping view of time playing out over the ages. We understand a thousand years is only a day to the Lord, and as a watch in the night. Psalm 30:5 says "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Jesus is our promised morning star, the daystar that rises in our hearts. Why are we told this? Because the promise of the morning star is the promise of a new day dawning. God used a star to lead the way to the infant Christ And so, in this season, we need to remember the promise of this star, which is foretold to rise in our hearts (2 Peter 1:19). The Bible speaks of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col 1:27). Do we ever really ponder this mysterious and precious gift--that Christ resides in our hearts--which is the promise of hope, a promise of glory.

So, as we weather more hard times to come--for there will surely be more--let's remember to zoom out. See things from God's view of time. Know that this "slight affliction" will pass and one day we will be with Christ and see him face-to-face. We are told to hang on to this hope, this anchor for our souls. May we be ever joyful in the midst of pain and sorrow, for the joy of the Lord IS our strength.

This article is reprinted from the CAN blog (Christian Authors Network).

E.M.Bounds: On Prayer

The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be, the mightier
the forces against evil everywhere.

Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventive. It purifies the air;
it destroys the contagion of evil. Prayer is no fitful, short-lived thing. It is no voice crying unheard and unheeded in the silence.

It is a voice which goes inot God's ear, and it lives as long as God's ear is open to holy pleas,
as long as God's heart is alive to holy things.

God shapes the world by prayer.

E.M.Bounds (1835-1913)
Author of numerous books on prayer, here is one that is free online.

Be Encouraged!

Life can be tough, there's no doubt about it. That's why I thought I'd share a link with you today from Nancy Leigh DeMoss about OVERCOMING. God puts trials in our lives, the devil tries to hit us when we're down, and the world can be a cold, cruel place. So take some encouragment. The Lord knows we must struggle in this life in order to grow, but He never intended for the difficulties we face to keep us down. Overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil is our heritage as followers of Christ!

Take a listen or read today's transcript from Nancy's teaching HERE. And hold your head up, fellow Christian, as you go about your day. We serve a risen Lord! The battle has been won.

Do You Love to Sing?

I certainly do. And one of the sweetest sounds to my ears is when I hear one of my daughters walking around the house singing. My six-year-old does this with infectious energy. She is loud, freely ad libs as she goes, (I can always tell what's on her mind from her spontaneous singing creations) and she has absolutely no worries about whether she is on tune or not. In fact, it is her tuneless, heartfelt songs that bring me the deepest joy.

When she wanders eventually into the room where I am, she will come in still singing, and then sometimes stop and say, "Mom, did you like my song?" It is no stretch for me to open my arms to her and say, with utter honesty, "I loved it! Thank you for singing that."
Songs have a unique special way of bringing beauty into our lives.

Did you know that the Lord also loves music? Well, you're probably not surprised, since He created it. But I'm sure He delights in our singing to him the same way I delight in my daughter's--if not more so.

In Nick Harrison's devotional, 365 WWJD?, today's verse is this:

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3

He quotes J.R.Miller, who says, "God wants our life to be a song. He has written the music for us in His Word and in the duties that come to us in our places and relations in life. The things we ought to do are the notes set upon the staff. To make our life beautiful music we must be obedient and submissive. Any disobedience is the singing of a false note, and yields discord."

Nick's reflection says, "If your life could be a song, what would it be? "Amazing Grace"? "I Love to Tell the Story?" "Awesome God"? Whatever the song, Jesus would have it be a song of joy, praise, and thanksgiving, not a gloomy dirge... Leave the house today with a song "in your mouth, a hymn of praise to our God."

For me, the song of my life is "Something Beautiful." I don't know off-hand who wrote it, but
the lines, "Something beautiful, something good/ All my confusion He understood/ All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife/ But He made something beautiful of my life," convey my life story in a nutshell!

What about you? What's your song? Share it with us, or, sing it to Him today!

Image from: Project Gutenberg: Victorian Songs: Lyrics of the Affections and Nature
Devotional adapted from, 365 WWJD? by Nick Harrison, Harper

Guest Devotional from Nancy Leigh DeMoss
The ChoiceI'm still using guest devotionals, and most likely will be until my current book manuscript is finished. I hope they bless you in your daily walk with Christ.
Hugs,
Linore

The Choice

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: A woman came to me one time and said, “How do you forgive a whole church?” She told me the story of how a year earlier the church had thrown out her dad as the pastor. They had sinned against him greatly. A lot of broken relationships had come about as a result of this situation.

This woman’s pain was still deep and fresh, but she was called to forgive. And in her case, she had to choose to forgive.

That’s because forgiveness isn’t a feeling. It’s a choice. It’s an act of my will. And it’s possible—thanks to God’s help. According to Philippians 2, God’s grace within us gives us the desire and the power to do whatever He has called us to do. Is there some area of hurt in your life? Ask God to give you His supernatural desire and power, and then—choose to forgive.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Guest Devotional: My Peace

I've been getting this wonderful devotional via email. It's an experiment on the part of Thomas Nelson Publishing in which they're giving a 30 day preview of the book, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence, by Sarah Young, for free to readers who sign up for it. To sign up for your own daily devotion (for 30 days, not the entire book), click HERE.

Now, prepare to hear from the Lord! [This is not on the level of Scripture, of course, but it's lovely and sweet and in line with it. It feels personal, and as part of a daily prayer time and study of the Word, it's been edifying to me. Hope you feel that way, too.--Linore]

MY PEACE is the treasure of treasures: the pearl of
great price. It is an exquisitely costly gift, both for the Giver
and the receiver. I purchased this Peace for you with My
blood. You receive this gift by trusting Me in the midst of
life’s storms. If you have the world’s peace—everything
going your way—you don’t seek My unfathomable Peace.
Thank Me when things do not go your way, because spiritual
blessings come wrapped in trials. Adverse circumstances are
normal in a fallen world. Expect them each day. Rejoice in
the face of hardship, for I have overcome the world.

MATTHEW 13 : 46 (NKJV) ; JAMES 1 : 2 ; JOHN 16 : 33

[Excerpt from Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young]

Girl Talk: What did you think? Did this format of a devotion work for you? Why or why not?

When the Church Thrives

The current political climate,(it is nearly impossible to miss) is becoming
increasingly anti-Christian. It is a difficult time for this country,
and for people of faith. However, read the following words and take
heart:

"Christianity has always thrived under persecution. At such times she has
no lukewarm professors, no adherents concerning whom it is doubtful to what
party they belong. The Christian then is reminded at every turn that his
Master's kingdom is not of this world. When all on earth wear a black and
threatening aspect, he looks up to heaven for consolation; he learns practically
to consider himself as a pilgrim and stranger...[But] when Christianity is in a state
of external quiet and prosperity, the contrary of all this naturally takes
place. The soldiers of the church militant forget that they are in a state of
warfare. Their ardor slackens, their zeal languishes. Like a colony long
settled in a strange country, they are gradually assimilated in features
and demeanor and language to the native inhabitants till at length almost every
vestige of peculiarity dies away."
William Wilberforce

Persecution is what separates the chaff from the wheat here on earth.

Most people who speak to me of why they do not come to faith raise
the issue of all the bad things happening in the world; how can God be
good, they ask, and allow all these things?
They have forgotten that mankind is in a state of rebellion against their Creator.
Unfortunately, in times of prosperity, the Church forgets this, too!

Mankind ignores and disobeys God, and then wonders why all is not well.
Until we fully accept that we are at war--whether it is a time of persecution
or not--we will continue to be surprised by the effects of that war. The
"fall out" of the spiritual battle raging constantly is the price of sin. It is "death"
in the material world, manifested from death in the spiritual one, which in turn is
a result of rebellion.

If we must face persecution, let it strengthen our faith, hone our convictions,
and bring forth a church triumphant in the end.
And, let us say with the writer of Revelations, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"

quotation taken from 365 WWJD? by Nick Harrison

GIVING

While catching up on my 365 WWJD? devotions today,
I realized something about giving. We're all familiar with the verse,
"Ask, and you will receive. You have not, because you ask not."
But sometimes, when we ASK for something, we need to
keep in mind that God may, in turn, be waiting for us to GIVE, first.

"Give, and it will be given to you." Luke 6:38a

Harrison quotes Charles Haddon Spurgeon who says, "Giving to God
is no loss; it is putting your substance in the best bank."

Do we seek reconciliation with someone? Do not wait for them to
initiate it. GIVE your forgiveness, first.
Do we seek more love from a relationship? GIVE more love into it.
Do we need something, anything? Look for a way to GIVE the very
thing you lack to God. For Jesus promises,

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down,
shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For
with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

As Spurgeon also says, "Giving is true having."
This is one of the paradoxes of the Kingdom. It is anti-intuitive,
and utterly Christian!

[image from www.openhandweb.org]

Devoted Music (To God)

I don't know about you, but it is rare that I can be satisfied listening to music with lyrics that aren't Christian in nature. I can enjoy a great song as much as anyone, and there's a really eclectic mix of musical styles that I like--from Handel to rock--but for day in, day out enjoyment, I almost always prefer a Christian artist. Why?

Because Christian music feeds the soul, not just the ears.

I recently picked up "The Ultimate Collection" by Rebecca St. James. There are quite a few here that were on her first 'best of,' but a few that are new to me. I love Rebecca's "sold out for God," lyrics, her passionate styling, , "pure" energy, and the fact that she lives what she preaches. She walks the talk.

If you're looking for some upbeat tunes to play while driving or cleaning the house, give Rebecca a try. Some of my personal favorites by her? "God," "Go and Sin No More," "Pray," "Song of Love," "Reborn," and "I Thank You."

Today's message is from Nancy Leigh DeMoss, that intrepid lady of faith:

April 27, 2009

El Shaddai

(baby crying)

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: A newborn baby can be so fretful and disturbed. It seems like you can’t do anything to comfort it. But when a mom pulls the baby close and begins to feed it, everything’s okay.

That’s the way God wants to relate to us. One of the names of God is El Shaddai. That’s usually translated “God Almighty” in English. But there’s more to this name than suggested by that translation.

El or Elohim speaks of God’s power and strength. But the word Shaddai is a tender, touching word that speaks of a nursing mother supplying everything a child needs.

The name El Shaddai tells us that God is the strength-giver and satisfier of His people. What do you need today? Instead of looking around for a solution or inward to your own strength, look to El Shaddai for everything you need.

With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss

This transcript is taken from the nationally-syndicated
daily radio program Seeking Him with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

April 17, 2009

The Unbroken Religious

(A Guest Blog Spot)

Nancy Leigh DeMoss: After studying God’s Word, I’ve had a sobering thought. We know that God is offended by people who don’t even pretend to be godly, such as adulterers, fornicators, abortionists, pornographers.

But it seems that God’s even more offended by unbroken, religious people—those whose spiritual-looking outside covers a proud, unteachable spirit.

Jesus had strong words for these people: “Woe to you hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

I think that proud, hypocritical Christians have done more damage to the church than any unbeliever. By looking down on others as “less spiritual,” we’re missing the heart of the Gospel and the grace of Christ.

So, whether you are a thief and adulterer or a whitewashed tomb, remember the grace of God is available to those who lay down their pride and come to Him with a repentant heart.

With Seeking Him, I'm Nancy Leigh DeMoss

To follow Nancy's teaching on a regular basis, click on the "Revive Our Hearts" button on the left side of this blog!

"TESTING, TESTING"


"God is always testing us, and his testing does not come when we are
warned and ready. Anyone can pass a test then.
God's tests catch us unprepared, off guard. It is when we are confronted
with some simple situation no one will know about that the tests of life
really come. When you are relaxing at home and the phone rings and
suddenly you are confronted with a call for help, or a demand for a
response--and you had planned to relax and enjoy yourself all
afternoon--what happens then? That's the test."
Ray Stedman (from 365 WWJD?)

Instead of a phone call, I could just substitute the needs of my
children, which sometimes arise with sudden intensity. My youngest
is particularly prone to stampede into my study with a need, large
or small, and my lap must be instantly available. I could be in
the middle of finally writing the portion of my book that had been eluding
me--or answering an important email; No matter. My child wants
first place in my attention, and I have to confess that it is not always
easy to give.

I remind myself that her needing me is not something I HAVE to
put up with--it is a privilege! I am honored to be a mom. I am grateful
for my children. Each of the "interruptions" are really just reminders
of my true life. I am here first of all as a daughter of God, wife, and mother.

What area of your life do you sometimes perceive as "interruptions?"
It may be that your interruptions, like mine, are little tests to see whether your
heart is where it should be.

When I manage to turn from my pc and fully embrace my daughter, or whatever
child it is needing my attention, I am richer for it. They are richer for it.
This is what my life should, and must, consist of. Putting people first.
Except me.

Hugs,

Linore