Someone to Hold

By Heather Allen –

This summer I met a stocky toddler with honey brown eyes. She and her baby sister are wards of the state.  Over the past year I have spent some time with foster children. In the sadness of their situation there is also joy.  Many believers open their lives and homes to help care for these children. The duration is uncertain; it can be weeks or years. A housemother from a children’s home said girls in her care are constantly moved, often with only ten minutes to gather their belongings and adjust emotionally. I think about my belongings filling shelves and closets and counters while theirs fit in a solitary bag. What would it be like to not know the people you live with or how long you will be with them?

My friend Stephanie is fostering two little girls, and knowing their time together may be short, she longs to give them hope. Zephaniah 3:17 is painted on their temporary bedroom wall.

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (NIV)

Hurting over the toddler, who insists on keeping every possession by her side, Stephanie asked, “If that were you or I, stripped to one small bag that held all our belongings, would we still believe we were loved?  Would we believe our life had purpose? And how tightly would we cling to that bag?” She went further. “Imagine everything you hold is lifted from your grasp. Who would you be?”

In Egypt, the Israelites cried for a deliverer. They prayed God would rescue them. He did. Plagues that struck the Egyptians did not touch them. They were set apart but it was not because they had done anything right, they simply belonged to Yahweh. There was a distinction made. Sadly, knowing they were set apart was not enough to keep them content in the wilderness. Instead a generation fell.

I wonder if the longing to be free ever went beyond idealism.  Instead of having a micromanaged life, they could choose. And in choosing they longed for the certainty that captivity had provided. I feel conviction as I write this, compelled to admit that I sacrifice freedom for certainty too.

I think about that small bag of belongings and my hope that Stephanie’s tot will know there is more. I wish she knew that her little bag held no assurance, that Jesus is enough. And I wish that took the ache and loneliness from her small heart. If it would make a difference, I’d put my hands on her cheeks and kneel and say “let it go sweetie, let it go.”

As I contemplate what might help, a holy hushed whisper asks me the same question, “What would it take for you to lay down your bags and just hold on to me?”

I am bereft and filled with an intense longing for that to be our reality, hers and mine.

Heather Allen spends most of her time caring for her hubby and 3 kids.  Check out her blog: http://www.theknottedapron.blogspot.com/

Pouting Elmo

By Hally Franz –

Elmo is a favorite buddy of my good friend’s adorable two-year-old son. We had lunch recently, and she told me how much he enjoyed anything Elmo. Elmo is a classic. My son hung with Elmo, too; he had his own “Tickle Me, Elmo” doll.

This pal of mine is a young mother and assistant high school principal, and, as often happens, our conversation that day turned to parenting, education and discipline.

Her primary discipline challenges come daily at work rather than with her young son, but soon she’ll be facing them at home too. I know there are children in the world who snap into perfect behavior with a stern look or simple sentence of disappointment. They don’t live at my house.

So, whether out of careful contemplation or desperation, we have sampled a number of forms of discipline. I talk through these issues with our children, while my husband, with his military background, keeps things short and simple. We’ve counted them down, taken away privileges and possessions, and spanked. Success with any form of discipline depends almost entirely on assurance that something bad will happen when children don’t comply with the parental request.

It’s important not to make a threat or consequence that you can’t actually keep, because it blows credibility. I have taken away school field trips when behavior leading up to the day was poor and donated favorite toys when they weren’t being taken care of. Sometimes the follow through part is heart-wrenching.

When I’ve had a rough time with one of my children, I reframe the situation something like this. If God only gives us what we can handle, He must have confidence in me, because he (or she) was a real pain today. It makes me feel better. On those days when my confidence falters, I am careful not to let my kids see it. When it comes to matters of discipline, they simply can’t see me sweat. Kids can be like sharks when they smell blood in the water, merciless.

Consistency, confidence and compassion combined with consideration of the child’s personality and offense, and, of course, love, are perhaps the most important tenants of successful discipline.

Did I mention we used time out… a lot! Ivan became so comfortable with time out that he often disciplined Elmo and other friends, likewise. Occasionally, Elmo Schmelmo got downright cranky and in no mood for tickling.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for blessing me with my beautiful children. With Your help, may I model good behavior and train them in godliness so that they may better serve You.

“Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV).

Today’s devotion is by Hally Franz. Hally is a former high school guidance counselor, turned homemaker. Hally sees each day as a new exercise, where routines change and weights vary. Her goal is to maintain all-around fitness for service, while training her children to be competitive, compassionate and Christ-like in the world in which we live.

The 12 Steps—Life-Changing Baby Steps

By Julie Morris –

Last month I told you about how my version of the 12 Steps helped me to lose my harmful extra pounds in 1982 and keep them off. This month I want to tell you how I began taking each of the Steps—in hopes that you might want to join me on this exciting journey.

Short Form of 12 Steps and How I Began Taking Each Step

• Step 1 I can’t! I began taking Step 1 by giving up on the idea that I could lose weight by dieting.
• Step 2 God can! I began taking Step 2 by reminding myself of God’s awesome power and His promises to help me…if I’d let Him.
• Step 3 I’ll let Him! Eating too much and thinking about food all the time were making me miserable so I made a decision to cooperate with God every day rather than complaining and overeating.
• Step 4 What needs changing? I began taking Step 4 by listing my sins and the ineffective choices I had been making. Fortunately, in Step 4 I didn’t have to do anything but list these things. God would help me with them as I worked the rest of the steps.
• Step 5 I confess! I began taking Step 5 by admitting to God, myself and somebody else the things on my fourth step list. I felt a wonderful sense of freedom after I confessed these things to a friend who was also working the steps.
• Step 6 I’m ready to change! While taking Step 6, I thought about the harm the things on my list were doing to me. For example, overeating made my blood pressure soar; it caused me to feel ashamed of how I looked; and it caused me to beat myself up over being so weak.
• Step 7 Change me, Lord! This step reassured me that I didn’t have to change myself; all I had to do was to be humble toward God—teachable, willing to do things His way, and stay close to Him–trusting Him to change me.
• Step 8 Who have I harmed? Again, I didn’t have to fix anything while taking this step; I just had to make a list.
• Step 9 I’m sorry! Originally, I thought this step just encouraged me to apologize to a few people, but I realized that it also encourages me to recognize and put a stop to ineffective ways I relate to people every day.
• Step 10 How am I doing? (Steps 10-12 are the maintenance steps, and, though they come at the end, I started doing them as soon as I began working the steps.) While taking Step 10, I realized that I had been so busy doing, that I had little time to think about what I was doing! I started taking several minutes each morning to plan my day, evaluate how I had done the day before and confess my mistakes and ineffective choices to the Lord.
• Step 11 I’m seeking you, God! While taking the 11^th Step, I realized that I had been focusing most of my prayers on telling God what I wanted Him to do, rather than seeking what He wanted me to do and relying on Him to help me do it.
• Step 12 I’m practicing and praising you, Lord! When I began to take Step 12, I thought about the word “practice” and how much Olympic skaters have to practice. I determined to practice 12-Step principles every day and to tell others about how God is helping me as a result.

Why don’t you join me today in the life-changing 12-Step journey!

Julie Morris is founder of Guided By Him, a 12-Step Christian weight-loss program you can do by yourself or in a group (www.guidedbyhim.com). She is the author of 12 books and an inspiring motivational speaker. Email her for questions about working the Guided By Him program Julie@guidedbyhim.com.

“The 168 Film Project: A Crazy Act of Faith”

By Dianne E. Butts –

I’m going to be doing something just a little bit crazy this month. I’m a member of a team that’s going to make a movie. In a month? you ask. Well, actually, in a week. Oh all right—you should probably know it will be a short movie. Eleven minutes max. But still, acting and filming a whole movie, editing, adding music, etc., all in a week? That seems a bit crazy, doesn’t it?

What’s the movie about? Don’t know yet. How could I not know? Well, because it’s a timed contest. We can’t start making the film until 11:00 am on the production week. And the way they keep us from starting early is by assigning each team its topic. That will happen February 6^th.

What kind of a topic will it be? It will come in the form of a Bible verse.

Yep. That’s right. Our film team, one of about 80 teams, will be assigned a verse from Scripture, and it will be our task to write, film, and produce a story that “illuminates the Word of God through short film.” Through this competition, the 168 Film Project “provides a training ground for filmmakers.” They are giving pros and newcomers alike opportunities to learn about and get involved in film production. Teams are made up of people with diverse backgrounds, training, and experience in the entertainment industry. It is also an incredible networking opportunity which can open doors for future work in entertainment. The 168 says, “We encourage fair treatment of subjects, with emphasis on story and subtlety. But, more importantly, filmmakers are advised to honestly portray the tale that God inspires.”

“The tale that God inspires.” That’s the faith-walk part. Can God really help us make a movie in a week?!

There’s something strange going on in Hollywood. There has been an influx of Christians looking to make a difference. Not only do they want to make a difference in the content that comes out of Hollywood in film and television, these Christians want their presence to make a permanent impact. Every job they get, every set they work on, every person in Hollywood they encounter, will give them an opportunity to be a witness for Christ. These Christians plan to transform Hollywood from the inside out by reaching professionals in Hollywood for Christ.

Have you seen something you don’t like come out of Hollywood lately? What did you do about it? Turn off the TV? Stay away from the movie theatre?

Well when was the last time you prayed for Hollywood? If you, personally, would like to make a difference in Hollywood, a good place to start is with the Hollywood Prayer Network.

And when you think of me and this crazy thing I’m attempting this month, I’d appreciate a prayer, too. The 168 competition’s theme for this year’s contest is “Second Chances.” Our verse will be assigned February 6. We’ll have ten days to write a story script that illuminates that verse. Then we’ll be filming starting February 17^th and must turn in our film on the 24^th.

All films will premier at the 168 Film Festival April 1 – 2 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. If you can’t make that but would still like to see some of these short films that illuminate God’s Word, “Best Of…” DVDs from past years are available on their website. You will be inspired by what these up and coming filmmakers have done with one Scripture verse and 168 hours.

Dianne is the author of the new book, Deliver Me: Hope, Help, and Healing through True Stories of Unplanned Pregnancy (Connections Press, 2011), and an aspiring screenwriter. Her script, A Cowboy’s Faith, was a finalist in the 168 Project’s “Write of Passage” 2010 contest. When she’s not writing, she enjoys riding her motorcycle with her husband, Hal, and gardening with her cat, P.C. in Colorado. www.DeliverMeBook.com www.DianneEButts.com

Spiritual Vitamin B

By Donna McCrary –

Spiritual Vitamin Bs are guaranteed to boost your energy to supernatural highs, give you better mental focus on what is important and create an overwhelming sense of peace that cannot be explained!

Directions: Take one dose of the following Vitamin Bs each morning. Vitamins can be taken all at once without regard to meals. (However, a healthy diet of scripture and prayer will maximize the long term benefits.) Extreme caution must be taken while consuming these vitamins. The overall effect is so powerful you will be bombarded by others who will want to know the secret to the “new you.”

• Vitamin B1 – Be thankful (Colossians 3:15). This vitamin is known for its ability to increase positive mental thoughts and foster an attitude of humility towards others.
• Vitamin B2 – Be purposeful (Proverbs 3:5-6). This one vitamin boggles the minds of scientists because of the staggering stress reduction properties. Remarkable evidence supports this vitamin’s ability to clarify decisions and redirect energy to an eternal purpose.
• Vitamin B3 – Be teachable (Colossians 3:10, 16). This vitamin paired with scripture must be consumed on a regular basis for best results. Accepting weakness and learning from failures is the key ingredient to an overall sense of wellbeing.
• Vitamin B4 – Be you (Ephesians 2:10). B4 is simply the most fascinating antidote to improved health and mental clarity. Even though scientists haven’t cracked the exact way it works they all agree it is by far one of the most amazing spiritual vitamins known to man. You are unique and created with a divine purpose.
• Vitamin B5 – Be your best (Colossians 3:17-24). Be the best you can in all things simply because it brings glory to God. This vitamin is essential to establishing increased focus on one’s personal perspective. It is widely regarded as the number one way to find satisfaction in even in the most mundane tasks.
• Vitamin B6 – Be love (Corinthians 13:1-3). This vitamin is absolutely essential for every person. Studies prove with overwhelming statistics the magnitude of this one vitamin—love. Its value to the human body and soul is so necessary scientists can only speculate the damage caused when this vitamin is not consumed. The most amazing aspect of this vitamin is the “give away” phenomenon it produces in people. The more B6 love vitamins you consume from the heavenly Father the more unconditional love you are able to share. Simply indescribable!

PRAYER: Father, I’m grateful for the supplements You give me so that I might grow into the vital, vibrant Christian You want me to be. Help me absorb each of these vitamins in a way that will result in bringing You more glory.

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:14-17).

Today’s devotion is by Donna McCrary, a spiritual vitamin guru. Learn more about her ministry and the powerful life changing new curriculum she co-authored called DIVAS of the Divine: How to Live as a Designer Original in a Knock-Off World at www.walkofpurpose.com.

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