The Fizz Stopper

By Cheri Cowell –

Recently, I finally decided to tackle the cleaning of the dreaded “kitchen junk drawer.” Most of us have one of these drawers somewhere in our home. It’s the place where all sorts of odds and ends accumulate—the things that don’t belong anywhere else. Well, my drawer had gotten to the point I could no longer fit anything in and still close it. So, I was forced to tackle the job. To my surprise, I found amazing things in that drawer. One such find was a fizz stopper—the gadget that seals a soda bottle after it’s been opened so you don’t lose the carbonation. God sent us a personal fizz stopper.

When Jesus becomes a part of our lives, His Holy Spirit becomes the seal on our soul. He locks in the joy, peace, and contentment that come with His presence. His seal also keeps the air, or Satan, from contaminating our spirit, turning us flat and useless. Often, however, we forget to put the stopper back in after pouring ourselves out for others all week long. When we notice our fizz going flat, that is a sure signal we need time with Jesus who will refill us and seal us once again.

PRAYER: Thank You for sealing me at the moment I invited Jesus to be my Lord. Praise You for sending the Holy Spirit to re-invigorate me when I’ve gone flat and resealing me to His service.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Cheri Cowell, who writes and speaks on topics of Christian discipleship. In addition to her books and articles, you can learn about her speaking ministry and sign up to receive her daily devotional at www.CheriCowell.com

Watch Out For Wild Turkeys

By Aubrey Spencer –

Jarrod and I were out for a drive the other day on one of our “coffee dates” when all of a sudden we had to come to a quick stop in order to let a group of wild turkeys cross the road in front of us. (Not something I’d experienced before.) After four or five had crossed the road, we started to take off but noticed one turkey running full speed toward the road in front of us in order to not be left behind by his “buddies.” We slammed on the brakes, avoiding what could have been a nasty feather-flying moment, and watched as that last turkey joined his crew on the other side of the road. I had to laugh at the whole scene. I mean, how many people can’t drive down the road because a herd of wild turkeys are running around them? But then it got me thinking about life in general. How many times do we think we’ve got things under control and start to “take off again” just to be bombarded by another “wild turkey”? We take our eyes off our goal for a second and then get blindsided by problems, temptations, bad attitudes, etc. running full speed right at us.

We need to be prepared at all times—for the “turkeys” we can easily see. And for the ones that come sneaking up beside us, running wildly, ready to cause a crash in our lives. Who knew so much could be learned from an encounter with wild turkeys? I guess God can use anything to remind me of keeping my eyes on Him!

PRAYER: Father, help me keep my eyes on You. So often I get distracted and forget my focus. Remind me that You are in control and that You alone are worthy of my attention.

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Aubrey Spencer. Aubrey is a real housewife of northwest Kansas. She is a minister’s wife and a mom to two little miracles, Oliver and Ava. She has a passion for writing and entertaining but realizes her greatest ministry at the moment is to raise her children to be people after God’s own heart. She loves to see how God shows up in everyday situations. Read more of her writings at http://ministrymama.blogspot.com.

Voicemail in Heaven

By Peter Lundell –

What if God ran heaven like a business and installed voicemail? It might sound something like this:

Thank you for calling heaven. Please select one of the following options:
Press 1 for thanksgiving.
Press 2 for complaints.
Press 3 for requests.
Press 4 for all other inquiries.
[Press any number]

I’m sorry; all of our angels are busy helping other saints right now. However, your prayer is important to us, and we will answer it in the order in which it was received. Please hold for the next available angel.

If you would like to speak to the Father, press 1. For the Son, press 2. For the Spirit, press 3. If you would like to hear a Psalm while you are holding, press 4. To find a loved one residing in heaven, press 5, then enter his or her Social Security number followed by the pound sign. If you get a negative response, please hang up and try area code 666.

To make a reservation for heaven, please enter J-O-H-N-3-1-6. For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, life on other planets, and where Noah’s Ark is, please wait until you arrive.

If you are unable to reach one of our angels, please hang up and try again tomorrow.

This office will be closed for the weekend to observe the Sabbath. Please pray again on Monday after 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. If you need emergency assistance, please contact your local pastor.

Can you imagine this? No one would pray. Thank God—yes, I mean thank Him—that He gives us direct access. All the time. Remember that God hears genuine prayer, even when He’s quiet.

PRAYER: Father, thank You, thank You, that I have direct access to You. I’ve so often taken it for granted, but it is a supreme privilege to connect with You directly when I pray.

“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:1–2 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Peter Lundell, author of the award-winning book Prayer Power. A rising new voice on connecting with God, Lundell is a pastor, Bible college teacher, and conference speaker. Visit him at www.PeterLundell.com for his inspirational “Connections” and free downloads of articles, parables, short stories, and book chapters.

Let’s Eat In!

By Robin J. Steinweg –

As a bride, my entire culinary repertoire was a trio: Campbell’s chicken noodle soup, pancakes, and “Let’s eat out.” The latter sang the lead.

I had once been proud of not being domestic. But as a Christian, I developed a desire to honor God by providing good meals for my family. I could write an anti-cookbook about failed attempts. Did I mention we were all in the lower 5^th percentile on the doctor’s weight charts?

I attended a marriage seminar about speaking in faith. The principle taught that our words have the power of life and death (Pr. 18:21). And since we have a God who created everything with His Word alone, we can affect change with our words too.

I made a list to practice reading aloud: “I am a good cook.” I snorted. “I plan creative meals.” Right. “Baking is a passion of mine.” I looked in the mirror. “You are a miserable fraud, and these are bald-faced lies!”

For lack of a better idea, I kept up the farce. In weeks I quit laughing. In months, I’d had a few small successes and sported a more positive attitude. My repertoire expanded. A new friend came alongside, taught me professional cooking techniques and gave me new recipes. I think she prayed, too. In a few years, I could truthfully look in the mirror and say, “You are a good cook. You can plan creative meals. Cooking is at times a passion of yours.”

There is a difference between speaking in faith and speaking lies. Lies deceive, steal and harm. Speaking in faith flies in the face of Satan’s lies, and brings life and abundance.

Let’s eat in!

AUTHOR QUOTE: In what other areas might this principle work? Psalm 37:4 says if I delight in the Lord, He’ll give me the desires of my heart. Once I desire what He wants me to desire, I should speak in faith. As I cooperate with Him, He’ll make it happen.

“I am the Lord…who carries out the words of His servants and fulfills the predictions of His messengers…” (Isaiah 44: 24b, 26a NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

Revolutions of Resolutions

By Robin J. Steinweg –

January First circles around like a shark figure on a planet-sized carousel. The brass ring eludes me. Twenty-seven New Year’s Day journal entries reveal my redundant resolution: this is the year I conquer my arch-enemy, Paper Clutter. Twenty-seven years I have reached for but missed this particular brass ring.

You might call me an expert on organizing. After all, experts say it takes 10,000 hours of studying/working at something to become an expert (and they should know). This translates to about three hours a day for ten years. I have more than paid my dues. I’ve read a score of articles and dozens of books on the subject—some of them three and four times. Nearly twenty of these hibernate on my shelves. I even took notes. They are clearly labeled and stored in folders among random Tower-of-Pisa stacks. I could quote statistics and name the most effective methods, if I could find them.

Getting organized is not only my lifelong quest. It appears on most of the lists of Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions. One source had the nerve to say it “can be a very reasonable goal,” but gave no advice for reaching the goal. It was obviously written by someone who doesn’t suffer from C.H.A.O.S. (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome).

My journal entries often include practical Bible verses to encourage me that this is a godly pursuit. God is not the author of confusion, but of order; I can do this through Christ, who strengthens me; I should forget what is behind and press on to what is ahead, to win the prize. With scripture to back me up, and the strong resolve of so many years, what is keeping that brass ring out of reach? Pogo’s words pop up: “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

If I hear and don’t act, James says it’s as though I glanced in a mirror and then walked off, forgetting what I look like. What a concept. Do what it says. Maybe I should get off the carousel and make a decision about one cluttering piece of paper at a time. And remember that with God, fresh starts and new hearts never have to wait until January First.  Maybe that brass ring is within reach after all.

QUOTE: “Resolve to renew all your old resolves and add a few that are new. Resolve to keep them as long as you can. What more can a poor man do?” (Early 1900’s postcard)

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:22 and 23a NIV).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!

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