Just In Time

Just In Time

by | Aug 13, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

“Let us all say grace,” George Mueller said, but the 300 orphaned children sitting around the table were not convinced. They had heard the housemother whisper that there was no food in the orphanage. Why say grace when there was no breakfast to be had? 

George Mueller had founded and ran the orphanage in 19th century England. George insisted on living by faith–the orphanage relied on God’s provision in the form of whatever spontaneous donations came; they did not accept regular donors or sponsors. Because of this, they were forced to rely solely on God for any and all provision. God had always come through, but now here they sat–saying grace for a breakfast that had not yet appeared. 

 

As they bowed their heads for grace, there was a knock at the door and Mr. Mueller went to answer it. It was the baker; he had been awakened in the middle of the night and prompted to bake three batches of bread for the orphanage. They started rejoicing. Just then another knock came–the milkman’s cart had broken down in front of the orphanage and he had to do something with all the milk or it would spoil–could they use a cart full of milk? There was just enough milk to satiate 300 thirsty children. 

Just like God provided for the Israelites in the middle of the wilderness wanderings, so He still provides for us today. God gave the Israelites just enough manna to get them through the day, and once a week just enough to get them through two days. If they gathered more, it would spoil. God always provides in His time. Not always in the way we want but always in His time, and often just in time. 

This kind of reliance on God takes faith. It can be scary, but in these times it’s important to ask ourselves if we truly believe in God’s provision? Do we trust Him to take care of all our needs? I am not saying that we shouldn’t work and do what we were put on this earth to do–we most certainly should, but when our plans have failed and we have fallen short of what we need, do we trust God to close the distance?  

So many times we see the need coming and we panic. Before the need has even arrived, we look down the pipeline, and we do everything we can to close the gap. When these plans work, we congratulate ourselves for solving our problem. We take God out of the equation. We neglect to realize that God is the one who allows the circumstances to come together. 

Have you ever been in the middle of a scary situation that you were itching to jump in and try to solve and you felt God urging you to wait and to trust him? Have you listened? Or have you rushed ahead with your plan of how to solve things? How did that work out for you?

The next time things aren’t going the way you want and you feel like you’re trying to fix everything, and nothing, absolutely nothing, is working, pray that you will remember the faith of George Mueller, and then stop and ask God what His plan is, and then allow Him to show you. It could be that He wants you to work harder; it could be that He wants you to work differently; it could be that He wants to you to just wait and trust that He will come through for you—just in time. 

 

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The Impossible

The Impossible

by | Aug 6, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

Darlene Rose was stuck in a Japanese concentration camp. The conditions were rough, they were fed meal-wormy food, and she was beaten and bruised, close to giving up. 

Darlene Rose had been serving as a missionary to the native people of Papua New Guinea in the early 1940s when war broke out. Soon the Japanese invaded the village and not long thereafter all the foreign personnel and missionaries were rounded up and taken to a Japanese run concentration camp where they were forced to do back breaking labor. 

As an American living in the south Pacific at this time, Darlene was subsequently accused of spying on the Japanese for the Americans. This led to an even harsher internment as she was soon taken to a higher security camp and thrown into a solitary cell. Darlene read the sign above the door as she entered- she was on death row. 

During her confinement Darlene suffered from malaria. Darlene was able to grasp the bars on her little window in their cell and pull/crawl up just enough to get a little air to help soothe her fever. One day she looked out the window to see someone eating a banana. A banana! It looked so good! Her months of watery porridge had worn on her and suddenly all she wanted in the world was one banana. 

Darlene decided to pray about it. She asked the Lord to send her just one banana, please, just one! Having completed her prayer, she set about thinking how the Lord could get her a banana. There was an older guard who was somewhat nice to her, maybe he would give her a banana–but no. If he was caught he would be beaten or killed. After thinking about it a while longer, she finally concluded that there was just no way that God could get a banana into her cell. 

Shortly after she finished praying, there was a knock at her cell door and the door opened to reveal one of the guards from the camp she had been interned at first. She was glad to see him, and she shared the gospel message with him. He left and Darlene was grateful she had had the opportunity to share the gospel with him.

A while later a knock came at her cell door, the door opened, and a man stood there holding an armload of bananas for her. The guard from the first camp had unknowingly been the one sent to help answer Darlene’s prayer and he managed to send her 92 bananas! 

Do you believe God can do the impossible in your life?

In Ezekiel 37 God takes Ezekiel up to the valley of dry bones. These bones were old, bleached out and very dry. The Lord then asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” 

“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “You alone know the answer to that.”

God wasn’t asking a technical or hypothetical question, He was asking Ezekiel if he believed these bones could live again. God then gives Ezekiel a vision in which Ezekiel sees all the bones in the valley coming to life again. The bones could come back to life if God worked a miracle. 

What is the valley of the bones in your life?

Ezekiel was asked if he believed the bones could come to life. Darlene Rose had her mind blown by someone delivering her an armload of bananas in a concentration camp. What situation are you telling yourself is too dead for God to breathe new life into? 

Remember God doesn’t just deliver bananas to people in concentration camps, he doesn’t just bring dead bones back to life, He doesn’t just deliver envelopes of money to people in their mailboxes (That God’s Power May Be Seen). He also delivers you from the struggles in your life too. 

Sometimes we start to give up on God because He hasn’t yet worked the miracle we want in our lives. Many times we think that there is something special about these other people, or other times, that somehow matter more to God than our present circumstances–but that isn’t the case. 

I don’t know what season you are finding yourself in right now but I do know this–no matter how bleak the outlook, no matter how impossible the circumstances are, God is still able to do the impossible in your life too.

 

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

 

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Through Those Wounds

by | Jul 30, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

– Philippians 3:20 & 21 NLT

We walked down the old streets of Gettysburg, pausing to look at the pockmarked sides of brick buildings, riddled with holes from the bullets that had busted through. These buildings, though their original inhabitants are long gone, still remain, bearing their scars as witness. These buildings have seen some of the worst of what we humans can do to each other. 

Walking down to the bottom of the hill we then veered left and walked up a grade and came upon Evergreen Cemetery, where Abraham Lincoln stood to deliver his immortal words, “Four score and seven years ago…” 

We cut across the street and looked out over the hill, a scene of some of the fighting, though no major fighting, and beyond that we can see Gettysburg school; buildings and forests caught in the crossfire long gone, and new life having risen up in their stead. 

Gettysburg, like many old towns, has been preserved, in parts and pieces that we may not forget what happened there. Now, the sight of so much carnage, the battle that marked the turning point of the Civil War, is a booming tourist attraction, drawing visitors not only from all over our country, but from around the world. You can stand atop Little Round Top and look out over the battlefield; you can walk down Steinwehr street at night and hear ghost stories; you can visit the museums and soak up history about this country; you can visit any of the numerous curated stores, art galleries, or boutiques and see how an entrepreneur has brought their dream to life in their store. 

But what attracts me to Gettysburg the most isn’t the shops, or the new magnificent Visitors Center. It’s not the delicious coffee shop, or any of the various eateries. It’s not the shiny new things, but the old that attract me to Gettysburg. 

The historical houses that stand there, root us in our past, lest we forget it in our future. Those buildings, wise in their age, more beautiful for what they have endured, than if they were brand new, are what attracts me to Gettysburg. 

We will have glorified bodies when we get to heaven, but I don’t know that that means perfect (Philippians 3:20). After all, Jesus appeared before his disciples in his glorified body, and told Thomas to place his fingers in the scars in his palms. Jesus’s body, scarred though it was, told of his great love for us through his sacrifice, and therefore was glorified, even with his scars. 

We wouldn’t dream of going around to those old buildings in Gettysburg, filling the holes, sanding them down, and resealing them so that they look brand new. Rather, we leave them there because of the story they tell. 

What story does your life bear the marks of? What hard parts of your life define you? Are you trying to spackle over the parts of your life through which God has done the most amazing work? 

None of us are spared from hardship in this life, though admittedly, I think the Jews in 1940s Germany had it harder than many of us do today. God uses these hardships to mold and shape us, and yes, to give testimony of what He has done through us. 

I think perhaps the world could be a better place if, instead of seeking to hide all of our bullet holes that life has given us, we instead admit that they are there, and tell of the work that God has done in our lives though those wounds.

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

 

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5 Star Historical Summer Reads of 2023

5 Star Historical Summer Reads of 2023

by | Jul 29, 2023 | Book Nook

Summer isn’t over yet—it’s not!! We still have some summer left to savor and if you are looking for a few more titles that have a summer feel, that are hard to put down, then you have come to the right place! 

The following are a list of historical fiction titles that I think make for five star summer reading. It should be noted that my main criteria for what makes a five-star read is how well it holds my interest. All of these titles captivated me from beginning to end and I hope that they will do the same for you! 

 

We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall

Take a step back in time into New York City as the city hosts the 1939 World’s Fair. We meet Max, a student journalist who instead of getting the summer working for the New York Times, is stuck covering the fair—something she is less than excited about. Furthermore, she find that as the only woman journalist, she is expected to do administrative work instead of the journalism she so desperately desires. She can’t help but try to take the situation into her own hands and try to bend the rules a bit….

 

Vivi is an actress who just got demoted from starring in a lead role in Hollywood, to being transported back to New York where she is from, to star as the lead swimmer in the synchronized swimming show. But Vivi has secrets that could ruin everything if they are found out. She has a brother-in-law she must stay away from at all costs—what will happen if he finds out she is the lead in the swimming exhibit at the World’s Fair? 

 

As these two women meet and become friends, they find that they may have skills that can help each other—if they are willing to humble themselves enough to take the other’s advice.

 

Daughters of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt

Take a step even further back in time in the history of Nantucket and find yourself deposited on Nantucket’s shores when it was still a thriving whaling community. Eliza is the wealthy wife of a whaling campaign—or at least she is doing her best to look the part of a wealthy whaling wife.  Her husband’s last voyage returned home without much to show for his years at sea and his return is delayed this time by causes that he won’t disclose to Eliza. Suddenly Eliza finds herself wondering if she would have been better off marrying her old beau who has made a reappearance in her life.

 

Maria is the curator of the athenaeum.  She longs to preserve the history of this island, and from places around the world, but the fire that breaks out on the island of Nantucket threatens everything she holds dear.

 

Lastly, but not least, we meet Meg. Meg is a free woman of color, about to give birth, and trying to move their store to the main street of Nantucket—but they have an uphill battle in front of them. When Meg goes into labor on the night of the fire, she wonders if she will lose her firefighter husband, her baby, and their store all in one night. 

 

The Cuban Heiress by Channel Cleeton

This is Ms. Cleeton’s newest work of historical fiction: Elaina is onboard a luxury cruise liner heading from New York to Cuba—and she is pretending to be a dead woman. She must get to Cuba before someone else does—her very life depends on it. 

Katherine is onboard with her fiancé—but he mustn’t find out who she really is. When Katherine starts to befriend a handsome passenger also on board, she finds her guard starting to slip—what will happen if this stranger uncovers her true identity and realizes what she is also about? Keeping this stranger at arm’s length becomes even harder when she needs someone to help her dispose of a dead body…

 

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

This was a delightful little foray into a world of young adult historical fiction fantasy. Slightly outside of my normal reading zone, this story still has many elements of historical fiction to it, and doesn’t get too fantastical! 

Seventeen year old Alosa, daughter of the most powerful pirate in the world, has been captured. Well, actually she has allowed herself to be captured—she is on a secret mission. There are three pieces of an ancient map that will lead to treasure beyond imagination and Alosa has reason to believe one of the pieces is aboard this ship. Alosa must act the part of a prisoner while she endeavors to search the ship. However, this simple mission starts to get complicated as Alosa starts to develop a connection with her captor and the first mate of the ship, Riden. Will he discover her secret as to why she isn’t more worried about her current predicament? And will her feelings make it hard for Alosa to complete her mission? 

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

It is World War II and sisters Flora and Hazel are being evacuated to the English countryside during operation Pied Piper. To comfort her five year old sister, 14 year old Hazel invents the world of Whisper Wood for her sister. Whisper Wood is a world all their own, a safe place for them to retreat to during these scary and unknown times. They tell no one of this magical world they have discovered in Whisper Wood. They are enjoying life in the country with the family they are stationed with when disaster strikes and Flora disappears. 

Twenty years later Hazel still hasn’t forgiven herself for her sister’s disappearance. She is still in contact with the private investigator trying to locate her lost sister—Hazel refuses to believe that Flora is actually gone, despite the body that was found which appears to have been her Flora. Then one day while working her job in a rare book store, Hazel comes across an original manuscript—one to a book called Whisper Wood. Hope is reignited in Hazel and renews her efforts to find her sister. Along the way Hazel learns that sometimes to find peace means pursuing our hopes, and other times coming to peace means letting go.

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

 

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That God’s Power May Be Seen

That God’s Power May Be Seen

by | Jul 23, 2023 | Sunday Scripture

It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him”

John 9:3 NLT

I thought something was seriously wrong—I mean my husband knows better than to shake me awake once I am already asleep! 

It had been a trying few months. Money had been tight, expenses had been many, and it just seemed like one thing after another. My husband had just come home from yet another late night of work, and was now saying, “It’s not an emergency, maybe I should just have let you sleep but I can’t believe this!” 

“Huh?”

“Someone put an envelope of money into our mailbox!” 

That woke me up! “What? How much??” 

Sure enough, there was a bank envelope of $700 in cash in my husband’s hand—and less you think it somehow got in there by accident—our names were written on it. I had heard of money from heaven falling into the laps of other people but I had never before been the recipient! 

Two weeks later my husband pulled out a pair of shorts that he hadn’t worn in years. We were going biking and right before we got out of the car my husband reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. “Here,” he said, handing it to me. 

“What’s this?” 

“I don’t know, it was in my pocket so put it somewhere safe.” That wad consisted of $250. 

We are not careless with our money—we keep very close track of it and are very intentional with it. The fact that $250 had escaped our notice is a miracle in and of itself—finding the money when we did is just God’s divine timing. 

So many times God gets blamed for all the bad stuff—Why did He allow it to happen? When we find ourselves in a tough season, God must be teaching us something. But what about the good times? Are we responsible for those or is that God too? 

Sometimes God allows bad things to happen, sometimes He brings good that makes up for the bad. Sometimes bad things happen and we will never know why on this side of eternity. Sometimes God allows good things to happen just because He loves us and He wants us to be happy. 

In John 2, we hear the story of the blind man. Jesus and His disciples were walking along and they came across a man who had been blind since birth. “Teacher,” his disciples say, “Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sins or that of his parents?”

“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins. This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him.” 

So the power of God could be seen in him. So that God could be glorified. That this man could experience Jesus in a way very few people ever will. 

And sometimes it’s just that simple. Sometimes bad things are allowed to happen so that the power of God can be seen. And sometimes He allows good things to happen for just that same reason. The question is when these good and bad times happen, will we allow it to draw us closer to God? 

Many people walk away from their faith during very trying seasons, but just as many, if not more, drift away during the good seasons of blessings. “In your plenty do not forget the Lord Your God.” Deuteronomy 8:11

What season are you in? One of plenty, or one of deserts and famine? Both of these seasons can be used to glorify God, respond in such a way, that no matter the season God’s power can be seen in you.

 

 

 

Disclosure

Please remember that this post contains affiliate links; that means if you click on the link, I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a way to support my blog! I will only ever share an affiliate link if I love the product and think that you just might love it too!

 

 

 

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