My husband Eddie has written and published a novel titled 'I Called Him Dancer'. The novel was inspired by a song about the title character, written by Tom Webster and Tralena Walker. We heard them speak at a writer's guild meeting, where Tralena also sang the song 'Dancer'. We are having the official launch for the novel on April 12th to encourage as many people as possible to buy the book on Amazon.com that day, which will help the book move up in the ranks that day and get it noticed by more people.
'I Called Him Dancer' is a moving and exciting story about a homeless dancer who is changed by the God's love and the love of his high school sweetheart. All the reviews so far agree that the book is a page turner, and I think so too! Keep an eye out on April 12th for my announcement of the launch!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
O THE DEEP, DEEP LOVE OF JESUS - Selah
Thank You Lord, for Your great love, that doesn't let go of me even when I go astray. Thank you for your gentle voice and hand that leads me back to your side. I love You.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Ash Wednesday: begins a time of repentance, fasting, and prayer
This is a little late, since Ash Wednesday is almost over, but I think it's a good time to remember that when we are tempted to sin, our response should be to look to our God in submission, and to repent of our sins, and to spend time contemplating our dependence upon Him as our Provider, Helper, and Savior. I've been struggling a bit this last few days, and I don't think it is a coincidence that I was reminded of my need for repentance and dependence upon God by being reminded several times of the coming of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Following are some passages relating to fasting and repentance.
Matthew 4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Job 42
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.
Psalm 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 51: 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Matthew 4
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘ He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘ In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Job 42
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Daniel 9:3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. 7 O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.
Psalm 139: 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 51: 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Living Lovingly: Bob Burridge
Pastor Burridge has a really good post on 'Living Lovingly', which as I said a few days ago, is one of the most important things to learn in the Christian life.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Challenging Your Rome-Colored Glasses - Set Aside Your Anachronism
Here's an interesting post by Turretinfan. Basically, I think, helping to show that the Fathers were not Roman Catholics. Neither were they 'protestants' or 'evangelicals'. They were just themselves, and they, like us, were not perfect or infallible. I've only skimmed the comments there, but looks like there was a little spat going on based on a response by Scott to 'Natamallc'. I really like 'Nat' and he isn't easily annoyed, so hopefully it will be peacefully resolved.
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Challenging Your Rome-Colored Glasses - Set Aside Your Anachronism
Thoughts of Francis Turretin: Challenging Your Rome-Colored Glasses - Set Aside Your Anachronism
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Lots of 'little' things going on
I haven't shared alot on the blog the last few weeks. For one thing I've been busy with life and had lots of little things going on that I didn't take time to share; mainly because I didn't know where to start. I should have been sharing as I went along, but hopefully I can get it all down here going forward. I say 'little things' but they may not be so little; maybe little steps leading to bigger things anyway. Even though I am often unfaithful and forgetful, God isn't. He has been leading me each step of the way.
One of the not-so-little things is that the Lord led me to start a ladies' prayer group at our small church. As I shared months ago, I was feeling kind of left out of things, and being shy, had a hard time connecting. The Lord called me, the most fearful one, to step out and lead in an area that was very much needed. I had been seeing the need of more intimate connection between the members of the body so that we could help each other and lift each other up in prayer and encouragement. That has been happening as we meet monthly to pray and also have an online prayer site to share daily needs. Our church is becoming a safe place for us to share our faults and problems and needs, and God is uniting us and helping us to love one another more deeply. This is a big answer to prayer for me. Thank you Lord!
One of the not-so-little things is that the Lord led me to start a ladies' prayer group at our small church. As I shared months ago, I was feeling kind of left out of things, and being shy, had a hard time connecting. The Lord called me, the most fearful one, to step out and lead in an area that was very much needed. I had been seeing the need of more intimate connection between the members of the body so that we could help each other and lift each other up in prayer and encouragement. That has been happening as we meet monthly to pray and also have an online prayer site to share daily needs. Our church is becoming a safe place for us to share our faults and problems and needs, and God is uniting us and helping us to love one another more deeply. This is a big answer to prayer for me. Thank you Lord!
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