Why Are You So Angry?

Photo credit: lesterp4 from morguefile.com

It would seem that anger is everywhere - on the roads, in the home and in the workplace. Road rage has taken lives; in the home children and parents, husbands and wives scream at each other and violence often erupts in places of employment. Why is there so much anger? If you find yourself becoming angry very often, you may need to slow down and try to determine what are the underlying reasons for your anger.

Your anger may stem from one or more of the following:

1. Fear. Surprisingly enough, a person who is angry is usually afraid of something. This quote from a Star Wars episode states, "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."

2. Frustration. Are you frustrated by your attempts to succeed at something and always coming up short? If you are always frustrated, pretty soon you'll become angry.

3. Exhaustion. Have you found that you become irritable when you are tired? That irritation can turn into anger if you don't slow down and get some rest.

4. Environment. Anger can also be learned. If you live in an environment where everyone is angry all the time, you'll soon follow their example.

5. Worry. This often leads to fear, which, as we saw above can turn into anger.

Anger in itself is not always a bad thing. It's how that anger is channeled that will determine whether you overcome it or allow it to overcome you. Ecclesiastes 7 : 9 says, "Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry : for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." Ephesians 4 : 26 says, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:" However, there are many references to people in the Bible who became angry. Remember Moses? Great man of God, chosen to lead God's people out of the bondage of Egypt. But if Moses had a psychiatrist he would have ended up in anger management classes. Because he couldn't control his anger, he was not allowed to enter the promised land.

Is your anger preventing you from enjoying the promises that God has for you? If yes, you need to confess it before God and ask Him to remove it from you. Jesus warned, "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say , Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire" (Matthew 5 : 22).

Anger can be a destructive force that prevents you from enjoying God's best and also land you in a lot of trouble. It can also be the catalyst that drives you to make positive changes in your life and the lives of others. In the coming weeks I will continue to explore other aspects of this emotion.

Like Father Like Sons

I've been reading from the book of Genesis about Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah. For those of you who have never heard of these people, Isaac was Abraham's promised son,who was born to him when he was a hundred years old and his wife Sarah was ninety. Isaac and Rebekah had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob tricked Esau into giving up his birthright, then later, on Rebekah's urging, tricked his father into blessing him instead of Esau, the firstborn.

Fast forward a few years and Jacob is now married with children. He has twelve sons who will become the twelve tribes of Israel. However, all those sons, except Joseph, the father's favorite, turned out to be tricksters as well. Look at their track record. A young man named Shechem fell in love with their sister Dinah and slept with her. The young man went to his father and told him he wanted to marry Dinah. But when Jacob's sons heard about it, they were furious. Instead of confronting the young man about what he had done, they agreed to the marriage, but on one condition: Shechem and all the men of his city must first be circumcised. The men agreed, and when they were weak and in pain from the circumcision, two of Jacob's sons went and killed all the men. When Jacob heard what they had done, he was afraid for his life, because he thought surely the Canaanites would kill them.

Following that, Reuben, his oldest son, slept with Bilhah, his father's concubine. All the Bible says about that is that Jacob heard of it. Jacob's sons again brought grief to their father when they sold their younger brother, Joseph, whom their father loved, to some slave traders. They took the coat that Jacob had made for Joseph, dipped it in blood and told their father that a wild beast must have killed the boy. Jacob pledged to mourn for Joseph until he died. And even though they witnessed their father's grief, they never confessed what they had done until years later.

As parents we must be careful how we live our lives, because our children learn by example, and our wrong deeds can come back to haunt us. God blessed Jacob exceedingly, changing his name to Israel and promising to make his descendants like the sand of the sea, but that didn't stop him from suffering grief at the hands of his children. (Read Genesis 34, 35 and 37).

There's No Charge For Being A Mother

Mothers Day Graphics

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful mothers out there. Whether you are married, single, an adoptive mother, godmother, grandmother, wherever you fall on the spectrum of motherhood, I salute you today. My own mother is long gone, but I still wish she were here so I could tell her how much she meant to me. If you are fortunate enough to still have your mother, take some time off today to tell her how special she is.

As I wrote in my book Women For All Seasons, God could have chosen a different way for His Son to come to this earth, but He chose that He should enter the womb of a woman and be born as a little baby. What an honor! What a privilege! So mothers, take some time to celebrate yourselves for the great distinction God has bestowed on you - the means to bring another human being into this world. I'm not writing a lot today, but I'm posting two videos by Shirley Cesar that I'm sure will bless your heart as they have blessed mine. The first one is I Love You Mama and the other is the perennial favorite No Charge. Enjoy!

What Do You Want From God?

If God were to ask you that question, how would you reply? Would you say, Lord, I want you to bless me indeed. Or would you ask for perfect health, a perfect mate, a better job, a bigger house? God asked King Solomon that question and Solomon replied, "...give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3 : 9).

And what was God's response?  ^"I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.  Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor —so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.  And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life” ( v 12 - 14).

Don't you just love it when God gives you more than you ask for? But you must ask with the right motive. James says that we lust after things and expect God to bless us with these things.  He says, "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4 : 3).

So what should we ask for and how should we ask? There's nothing wrong with asking God for health, a mate (there's no perfect mate), a better job or a bigger house, but when those things are asked for out of covetousness and discontent, then we have a problem. James says, " Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.   Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (v 8 - 10) . 1 Timothy 6 : 6 says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

So when we come to God, our motives must be pure and we must be content, whether God answers our prayers the way we want Him to or not. That may be difficult, but God requires humility and contentment.

Do You Need A Revision?

A friend and fellow blogger wrote a post about writing yesterday, and titled it "The End or The Finish." In her post, Glenda Mathes said, in essence, that when a writer has finished writing a story, novel or whatever, she still has to go back and revise it to make it the best it can be. I couldn't agree with her more, but as I reflected on the post, it occurred to me that her concept could very well apply to the Christian walk as well.

How many of us have found ourselves at the end of  the rope, so to speak, before we decided that something must be done. How many of us have ignored the signals sent to us by the Holy Spirit to turn around and revise our ways and now we are hanging by a thread, wondering when would it end? In the Old Testament God sent prophets to the people to tell them when they were doing wrong. But in most cases, they ignored the prophets and suffered greatly for it. Read about Eli the priest and his sons (1 Samuel 2 : 33 - 35); Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12 : 1 - 19); the prophets and King Jehoiakim (2 Kings 24 : 1 - 2) ; the prophet Daniel and King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4 : 25; 28 - 33) and many others.

After Daniel had interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him, he ended with these words:  "Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue" (v 27). This story has a happy ending. After the prophecy was fulfilled, and the king lost all he had, including his sanity, he looked up to heaven and acknowledged God (v 34 - 37). 

Maybe you are in need of some revision before you reach your end. Maybe you feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit, but don't know where or how to begin. You cannot do it on your own. Ask Jesus Christ to come into your life and make you a new creature. The minute you do that, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you and begins the revision process. He'll remove everything that is keeping you from being a worthwhile servant of God. Don't put it off. The end may be near. Are you ready?

The Testimony of Easter

Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, is the pivotal event of the Christian faith. It commemorates the day when Jesus slapped death in the face, snatched the keys of death, hell and the grave from Satan and rose triumphantly from the tomb. Jesus did exactly what He said He would:  "And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock , and to scourge , and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again " (Matthew 20: 19). Read also Luke 24: 7, 46; John 3: 16; 10 : 17. 

Jesus made many references to his impending death, burial and resurrection before they occurred, yet His disciples paid little heed to His word. Just as many of us still pay little heed to the hundreds of preachers, teachers and literature that proclaim His death and the fact that He is coming again. No wonder there are so many atheists and lukewarm Christians among us. This Easter Sunday and in the days to come, let us examine the testimony of Easter and see the truth that lies therein. Let us read the account of the empty tomb in Jerusalem, the discovery made by Mary Magdalene and the report of hundreds of eyewitnesses and we'll see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true. And as He died, we too must die - to self, to our stubborn will, to our selfish desires, and rise to a new life with Jesus Christ. Can we do it? The video below by Dr. S. M. Lockridge says it much better than I ever can. Watch and enjoy!

Everybody Ought To Know

Behold the Lamb of God (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today Christians all over the world are  celebrating Palm Sunday, the commemoration of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, just a few days before He was crucified. Every year my church puts on an Easter Cantata to portray this historic event. This year the theme  was "Everybody ought to know" based on the chorus by that name. And as I watched the old, familiar events played out before me, I thought what a wonderful way to present the Savior to those who know, as well as, those who don't know Him.


So, let me ask you, do you know who Jesus is? In case you don't know, Jesus is:


1. The Savior of the world. 


He came to this earth as a little babe, born to a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. However, Jesus was not conceived through the union of Mary and Joseph. The Bible says, "Behold , a virgin shall be with child , and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is , God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." ( Matthew 1 : 23 - 25).  Isaiah 33: 22 says,  "For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us."


2. The spotless lamb of God.


"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith , Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1 : 29).  In the Old Testament, God commanded the children of Israel to sacrifice a lamb as an atonement for their sins. But the lamb always had to be without spot or blemish.  "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats" ( Exodus 12 : 5). After the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt, God instructed them to keep a passover feast in celebration of this event. This was held on the fourteenth day of the first month. Fast forward to the New Testament and we see Jesus prophesying to His disciples that He would be betrayed around the time of the passover. And while the disciples prepared for the passover, the scribes and pharisees were plotting to kill Jesus. Only Jesus, because He was born without sin and lived a sinless life, was worthy to became the passover lamb.


He is seated at the right hand of God the Father 


"The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool (Matthew 22:44). After Jesus died and was buried, He rose on the third day and later ascended into heaven. "And it came to pass , while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven" ( Luke 24 : 51). And how do we know He is seated on God's right hand. First, David prophesied it in the quote from Matthew and Jesus stated it boldly when He was being tried by the high priest. "Jesus said , I am : and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Mark 14: 62). " So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right handof God" (Mark 16: 19).


He is coming again


Jesus told His disciples, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am , there ye may be also" (John 14 : 3). "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn , and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matthew 24 : 30). "Behold , he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen" (Revelations 1 : 7). When Jesus came the first time He came as a helpless little baby lying in a manger. When He comes the next time, He is coming as ruler and judge.


Yes, everybody ought to know what Jesus means to us as believers. We do not boast idly about Him or our relationship with Him. Everything we know of Jesus is authenticated in Scripture, and this is why the pageant we put on at our church each year, the Scriptures we read, the hymns we sing never grow stale to me, because they solidify my knowledge of my Savior and the hope I have in Him. 

Oh Say, Can You See?

No, I'm not trying to sing the American national anthem. I'm simply asking, "Can you see?" Most people may answer this question, "Of course, I can." But I remember when I got my first pair of eyeglasses  I felt like singing, "I once was blind, but now I see." When my little granddaughter, Tyler, just ten years old, got her first pair of glasses two years ago, she said to me, "Grandma, I didn't know my teacher has freckles." Well, now she can see. Of all our senses, I believe we treasure our sight the most. I mean, if you're deaf you can always read someone's lips, or learn sign language, but if you can't see, your whole world is in darkness.

I believe this is why Our Lord  had a lot of compassion for the blind, and during his earthly ministry, he healed all that were brought to him. Some of those recorded are the blind lepers, Matthew 9: 28-29; a blind and dumb demon-possessed man (12 : 22);  two blind men sitting by the wayside ( 20 : 30) ;other blind people who were brought to him ( 15 : 30 - 31; 21 : 14, Luke 7 : 21)  There are three specially recorded instances where Jesus healed the blind that I want to focus on.

Carry Your Candle

Photo credit: MarcoMaru from morguefile.com    I don't know what prompted me to start singing this song this past week, but the words have been going round and round in my mind every day. I can only attribute this to the work of  the blessed Holy Spirit.  This song  deals with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.  Part of the first verse goes like this: There is a spirit who brings the fire, Ignites the candle and makes its home. You see, when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, He lights our candle, empowers us to be the best we can be, so we can shine, not for ourselves, but for Him. On our own, we may just be carrying a candle "without a flame." What good is that?


In  Matthew 5: 14 - 16, Jesus says, " Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid . Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."


As Christians, we are called upon to be the light of the world. In other words, to carry our candle, to show the world we are proud to be followers of Jesus Christ, to make a difference whenever and wherever we can. This week I came across a great example of someone who is carrying his candle for Jesus Christ. He is Ramiro Garcia, worship leader, who was born without ears, and was not expected to hear or speak. Ramiro recently auditioned for American Idol, sang Amazing Grace and was included to go on to the next level. Check out the video on You Tube: 





This is black history month, and you may be hearing stories you've heard before of courageous African Americans such as Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglas and Harriet Tubman, just to name a few. Their acts of  bravery and courage may make many of us feel inadequate by comparison. You may never be featured on You Tube or in the daily newspaper, but you can carry your candle by helping someone in need, or by telling them about Jesus Christ. The good that we do is for God's glory, not ours. Think about it, then ask the Holy Spirit to ignite your flame and let your light shine - for Him.  

Related articles

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Do You Trust Him?

After months of house hunting, I finally closed on a condo a week ago. It was a very stressful time, but God was on my side, and even though many times I felt like giving up, I finally succeeded. If nothing else, this experience taught me two things:

1. Never give up.

Have you ever felt so discouraged, so overwhelmed that you wanted to give up? Does your illness seem unconquerable, your bills uncontrollable, your burdens unbearable? You feel like you cannot make it through another day, another sleepless night. David must have felt that way when he penned this Psalm. "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.  For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off ? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy ?   (Psalm 43: 1 - 3)

Are You A Witness?

Here in Florida, one of the most frequent announcements on the television comes from Crimestoppers. The police are always appealing for people who have witnessed a crime to come forward and testify. If you are ever involved in  an accident or some other situation that would warrant a court appearance, you would need a witness. To me, these things sound very unpleasant, and I thank God that I've never been a witness or needed a witness to testify on my behalf. However, the Bible does call on us as Christians to be witnesses.

My New Year Wishes

As 2011 rushes to get out of here to make room for 2012, my thoughts turn to what God has done in my life this year. While I have not had any earth-shaking success or changes in my life, God continues to show me that it is He who is watching over me and my family from day to day, providing for us and guiding us. I was able to continue working at my day job as an occupational therapist and while I'm beginning to focus on retirement, I still thank God that  I do have a job and am able to meet my financial commitments. That's a lot more than many people can say these days.

God Never Makes Junk

Photo credit: alvimann from morguefile.com
I was listening to a radio program the other day where the guest spoke of an experience she had in Rawanda. She said she looked out her window and saw a house that was surrounded by what seemed to be junk. Later that morning, a woman came out of the house and began to use every item that was in the yard. To her, everything was useful, none of it was junk. Someone said what impresses him when he enters a house is not how spotless it is or how artistic the decor, but the little things that may appear useless: a fading portrait, a chipped jar, a baby's first shoes. All these things which may appear to be junk are priceless to the owner. And that's how we are to God. We may be old and frail, young and addicted to drugs or alcohol, living a life of sin, but we are still precious to God.

 Some people may look at others and see them as junk. They may even treat them that way. Worse, some people may look at themselves as junk, good for nothing, fit to be dumped. Have you ever felt that way about yourself? Has your self-esteem sunk to the level that you see yourself as good for nothing? Someone, maybe a parent, a sibling or even a friend may have told you that you are no good and you'll never amount to anything. And you believed them. Well, I've got news for you. God does not see you that way.

There was an Israelite by the name of Gideon who felt very sorry for himself because Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites and Gideon and his family had fallen on hard times. One day, while "Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."  But Gideon replied, "Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us ..."(Judges 6 : 12).


Gideon felt unworthy of the angel's greeting. In Gideon's mind, he was a nobody. Later on in the chapter, he said to the angel, "Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house" (v 15). Have you felt that you are too poor, too old, too young, too whatever to be of use to God or even to yourself? God doesn't think so. He made you in His own image and likeness (Genesis 1 : 27). So then, how can you be junk? If you think of yourself as junk, then God has to be junk also, and you know that can never be true.


So, this Christmas season, if you are going through a difficult time, remember the reason Jesus came. He came because you are precious to Him and He wanted to lift you up out of the dump of sin and shame and give you a brand new life. You are not a piece of junk. You are God's special creation and He loves you very, very much.


Here's a lovely video by Scottish superstar Susan Boyle to put you in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!

Grab A Copy Of My Book

I never ever post twice in one week, let alone twice in one day, but I wanted to inform you of a great opportunity to get a copy of a book that will enrich your life and/or that of someone else. 
From now until Dec. 20, I'm making copies of my book Women For All Seasons available at a reduced cost. Women For All Seasons is a Christian non-fiction book, targeted to women of all ages and stages of life. It is based on stories of women from the Bible, and I’ve featured women who are young, single, married and widowed. In other words, women who reflect the different seasons of a woman’s life.

Are you a young woman, wondering what is your purpose in life or whether you should trust God and risk losing everything you cherish, maybe even your life? Read about Mary and Esther. Are you a married woman struggling with issues such as parenting, or step-parenting, and keeping your marriage going? Read Rachel and Hannah. Are you an older woman who thinks that maybe your useful days are over and you should take a back seat in your church or community? Read Naomi and Sarah. Are you a young woman in search of Mr. Right? Read Ruth. Are you a woman who has been ridiculed and ostracized as a result of your past? Read Mary Magdalene.

These are just some of the issues you will encounter in this book, but I guarantee you that every woman will see herself in the pages of this book. My goal in writing it is to first of all encourage you to read the Bible and to make it easier for you to digest its content. I have used a light and engaging style, like you would find in a novel or magazine and each story is written from the point of view of the main character, making her seem like a true flesh and blood person.  The selection of Bible stories in the book demonstrates the importance of trusting God when we go through the seasons of life. Women For All Seasons will make a wonderful addition to your library, or if you belong to a women’s Bible study group you may find this book helpful.

So, take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get a copy of this book in time for Christmas by clicking on the link below.

Should We Cease To Celebrate Christmas?

This week I came across an article on the origin of Christmas. According to this article, Jesus was not born on December 25th and the Christmas celebration has nothing to do with His birth, but has its origin in pagan worship of the god Saturn. The article also mentions the Christmas tree, wreath, mistletoe and Santa Claus as icons of pagan origin. According to the article, the festival was a time of revelry and debauchery, to say the least. After reading the article, I felt very discouraged. Why did Christian leaders choose December 25th, the date which, according to the article, marked the end of the Saturnalia festival, to celebrate the birth of Christ? The reason given is that they were able to convert many pagans to Christianity by promising that they could continue to celebrate the festival as Christians. Puritans later banned all Christmas festivities in Massachusets and the early colonies.

So, where does this leave us as Christians who look forward to celebrating Christmas every year?

My Anchor Holds

Don't you just love the way the Holy Spirit works in the life of the believer?  Before Jesus left this earth, He told His disciples, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not away , the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart , I will send him unto you" ( John 16: 7). I am reminded of the presence of the Holy Spirit whenever I feel  anxious or depressed, as I felt a few weeks ago. I was undertaking too much at one time, and my mind and body were rebelling. Who could I turn to? What could I do? Talking to my friends didn't help. They have their own problems. I needed the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit and He came to my rescue. 


I learned when I first got saved that one of the best ways to lift my burdens is to sing praises to God - whether I felt like it or not. And as I began to praise, one particular song kept cropping up in my mind and I found myself singing, "In times like these, you need an anchor ..."   Imagine my joy that Sunday morning when the choir sang that very song. I felt like shouting. Tears ran down my face as I experienced the comforting warmth of the Holy Spirit. He was telling me to hold on to my anchor, that He was there for me, He'd heard my cries and He would deliver me. 


Jesus knew that His disciples were grieved at his departure and that they would face many dangers in the years to come. This is why He said, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive , because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. " (John 14 : 16 - 18).


Jesus wasn't making this promise only to His disciples who walked with Him at that time, but to every one of us who has accepted Him into our hearts and has made Him our Lord and Savior. When Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, "Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" (v 23) Jesus replied,  "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" ( v 24). Therefore, once we have accepted Christ as our Savior, He lives in us and if He lives in us, His Spirit lives in us also. 


Friends, are you troubled, overwhelmed, distraught, afraid? Hold on to your Anchor, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom God has given us to comfort us. I have found many times when I'm feeling any of those emotions, the Holy Spirit would lay a song or a passage of Scripture on my heart and as I sing or recite that verse, I find comfort, peace and sometimes even the solution to a problem I'd been wrestling with. The words of the song ended with "Be very sure, be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. " 


As I listened to the words of that beloved song, I knew that as long as I held on to my Anchor  I would be okay. Do you have an Anchor? One that will never give way and leave you stranded? If you do, hold on to it. If not, it's available to you right now. Please pray this prayer with me: Dear Jesus, I need your support, your comfort, your peace. I repent of my sins and make you my Lord and Savior. Come into my life and live in me forever. Amen. 


If you prayed that prayer you are no longer alone, helpless or hopeless. You now have a solid rock to cling to. Please drop me a line in the comment box and tell me all about it. 

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Pray For This Pastor

An Iranian Christian is in prison facing a death sentence for leaving Islam. Iran's Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty for Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani who has been in prison since last year, although Iran has not executed a citizen for changing faiths since 1990. The pastor's death sentence sends a strict warning that other Iranians who have converted to Christianity could face a similar fate. Let us pray for Pastor Yousef and other Christians worldwide who are facing persecution.

Related articles

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• Iran: Christian Pastor Refuses to Convert to Islam, Faces Execution under Sharia (creepingsharia.wordpress.com)

When Everything Goes Wrong

Photo credit: alvimann from morguefile.com Have you had one of those times when everything that could go wrong does go wrong? You know, the cat gets stuck in the tree, your dog runs away from you and your best friend moves to Timbuktu? I had one of those last weekend (which is why I had no blog post). But I don't have a cat nor a dog and if my best friend ever moves to Timbuktu, well there'll be no more blog posts from me. So what did happen?

Moving to a new location can be accompanied by stress, but if you're moving from one state to another, it can be even more stressful. And this is what happened to me last weekend. I became so stressed I thought I would have a heart attack. Now that I look back on it I ask myself, why did I become so stressed? I know the answer. Nothing went according to plan. People who were supposed to help me either came too late or just didn't show up.

Be anxious for nothing

After I had calmed down, I looked to my Bible for answers. I asked God to forgive me because I know what His word says about plans, about anxiety and about people. Proverbs 12 : 25 says, "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up." Philippians 4 : 6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Did I know these verses of scripture before? Of course I did, but I allowed anxiety to consume my being until all I could see was the mammoth task ahead of me. 


God may stop your plans


I had everything figured out - or so I thought. I would go to the house, finish my packing and at the prearranged time, the people would come and get everything on the truck and I would be out of there. In the Bible we see many people whose plans failed. David was one of them. Even though he was "a man after God' s heart", his plans to build a temple for God came to naught because God didn't want him to. (1 Chronicles 28: 3). 


People may stop your plans


When Zerubbabel and his friends assembled in Jerusalem to build the temple of the Lord, they came up against serious opposition from their enemies. These people went so far as to write a letter to the king, telling him that if the wall was rebuilt the city would lose revenue. No king likes to hear this and so King Xerxes issued an order and the project came to a screeching halt. Their plans failed even though they were doing something for God. 


Proverbs 19 : 21 says, "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." I couldn't understand why my plans failed and, I daresay, neither could Zerubbabel and his friends.


What can we do when our plans fail? Should we gnaw our nails and pull our hair in frustration? David and Zerubbabel were godly men and yet their plans fell apart. We should not think that God is against us. The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29 : 11). 


So, here are a few things we can do:


1. Search His Word to see what is His will concerning your plans. (Psalm 119 : 105)
2. As God to take charge. (Proverbs 16 : 3)
3. Seek advice from others, (Proverbs 15 : 22; 20 : 18)
4. Take time to plan  ( Proverbs 21 : 5)
5. Do not trust solely in man, but in God. (Psalm 118: 8)


God wants you blessed, He wants your plans to succeed, but according to His will and in His time. Years later, under King Darius, the Jews were given free reign to build the temple. David allowed his son, Solomon, to build the temple as God had instructed him and this weekend I succeeded in getting my furniture and other belongings moved out of the house.