September 29, 2017

Coincidences, Miracles and Godwinks by Bob Jones



Some people call these coincidences, others call them serendipities. We can call them God’s connecting points or miracles. I like Squire Rushnell’s term “godwink.”

A godwink is what some people would call an answered prayer, or simply an experience where you'd say, "Wow, what are the odds of that!"

Godwink #1 - In October 2012, I “happened upon” a remarkable account while preparing my Sunday message on the subject of healing. The story was from the life of a Texas pastor, Duane Miller. Duane shared his miraculous healing in a book called Out Of The Silence.

Godwink #2 - I wanted to order copies of Duane's book from his organization so I dialed the 1-800 number. The online click signaled that my call was being re-directed. I heard a puzzled voice answer, “Hello?” My call had been re-directed to Duane’s personal cell phone in Houston. He was as surprised as I was to have a conversation.

I had the pleasure of hearing Duane’s crystal clear voice as he recounted his story. In 1990 he prematurely retired from pastoring because of a virus that penetrated the myelin sheath around the nerves in his vocal cords. His speech was reduced to a raspy whisper.

Godwink #3 - On Sunday January 17, 1993 he was asked to lead an adult Bible class. Teaching the class that day with a special microphone resting on his lips, he reaffirmed his belief in divine healing by referring to Psalm 103. Listening to the recording of that event, you can barely understand his weakly spoken, wheezy words. The miracle happened as he read verse 4, “…who redeems your life from the pit…” He commented, “I have had and you have had in times past, pit experiences."

On the word “pit” his life changed - the word was spoken as clear as a bell, in contrast to the imperfect enunciation of the preceding words. He paused, startled; began again and stopped. He said a few more words - all in a normal clear tone - and stopped again. The class erupted with shouts of joy, astonishment and sounds of weeping. God completely healed him as he was declaring the truth in this psalm.

Duane shared over the phone that he had over 200 doctors that were familiar with his case. His physician was the Head of Medicine at Baylor University. His was a well-documented miracle. He has since appeared on Oprah, 100 Huntley Street and traveled the world sharing his story.




Godwink #4 - Perhaps this post will be your godwink. Do you need encouragement regarding your writing? Do you need a miracle of healing? Listen to Duane’s experience in 1993 as he received his miracle.

Miracles and godwinks will happen to you.


Bob is a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. His office walls are adorned with his sons’ framed football jerseys, and his library shelves, with soul food. He writes to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose.

Follow his writing at Pointes Of View.

September 28, 2017

Providential Connections - Bruce Atchison

How I wish providence was taught as a primary doctrine in churches. Had this been done in my hearing before I joined a cult, I would have realized that house church for what it was.

This congregation believed that the name of Jesus was like a limitless credit card. If we just had enough faith, we could get whatever we wanted from God. And when my many tearful petitions during fifteen-and-a-half years for good sight went unanswered, I grew bitter.

This rage at a supposedly stingy deity drove me away from him for nine years. But he never gave up on me. For that, I'm eternally grateful.

I happened to be scanning the shortwave dial one winter evening when I discovered, of all things, a Christian death metal show called Tempered Steel. The enthusiasm of announcer Dale Early drew me into the music and I became a regular listener.

Since Dale seemed like a level-headed guy, I wrote and asked him about why I hadn't been healed of my poor sight in spite of my striving to build up my faith.

His hand-written answer pinpointed the problem. Nobody explained God's providence as plainly as he did.

Even knowing this, I still felt cheated by God since he could easily have healed me. But after some circumstances, which I need not explain here, I realized that I'd been swindled by phony Christians.

I wrote my third memoir in 2012 so that other victims of false teachers would see how the heavenly Father used providence to guide me out of error and into his restorative truth. Never have I ever been so content to rely upon his will for my life.

September 26, 2017

I Can See (More) Clearly Now - Marnie Pohlmann

The saying "Hindsight is always 20/20" may not be true if we don't take the time to look back for the lessons the past can teach us.

I admit there are things in my past I do not enjoy looking back to. I have needed to look back at past pain to heal my damaged emotions and self-concept. The exercise is not pleasant, yet it is necessary and may be necessary again in the coming months so I can see more clearly.

I have tried looking only at good memories, or fun stories my siblings have told, yet I cannot help but see the painful memories that bookend those times. These dark moments are part of my life and part of what has molded who I am today. However, the light of God's presence is also part of my life and who I am. Of course, this truth I didn't see at the time, but as I look back, I can see more clearly now.

As a little girl, I was afraid of the shadows that came out at night when the house went silent. The comfort of a small bookmark with a shining cross pinned to my wall, I can see now, was letting me know that even though what I feared still approached, God was hiding my face in His chest. God was present in my darkness, connecting with me. (This is the inspiration for my blog, Phosphorescent.)

A few years later at Bible camp, God revealed Himself to me in a new way.  I understood what was happening in my dysfunctional Christian home may continue, but God would be with me if I wanted Him to be. I said, "Yes, please," and invited Jesus into my heart. God was connecting to me amid life’s confusion.

As a teen, I was making plans to run away from home. Before I could run, my parents took my younger brother and me from BC to Ontario to visit some of my brothers. I took the opportunity to get a job and stay in Ontario, sharing an apartment with my brothers while I finished high school. The unwritten rule of the apartment was that if I was not at school or work, I was at church. I joined in youth events that included memorizing Scripture and writing for contests. God was directing my path, connecting with me.

As a young married lady, I learned to drink coffee - and liquor. We played slow-pitch with a partying group of friends and went to the bar to drink and dance. It seemed that every time we were at a party the song "Spirit in the Sky" would be played. This song is not about God, yet never failed to remind me that the Spirit, God, was in the bar, disappointed but not judgmental, just letting me know He was with me. Even in drunkenness, God connected with me.

Eventually, God caught my attention more fully, and then that of my husband. In many ways, God directed our paths as we healed in one town, grew in faith in another town, and finally went to train at Bible School in a city. The whole story is too long to go into here, but God changed our focus from Chaplaincy to Pastoring. God led us to our small church in northern British Columbia where we had desired to live even in our partying days. We were unaware of the church until God introduced us to it through non-believing friends! God continued to connect with me in unique ways He knew would reach my heart.

I see more clearly now when God connects with me. For example, God used my husband's favourite song, "It is Well with My Soul" to assure me in a frightful situation that it was well with my soul because God was with me.
 In 2013 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had surgery and radiation, and was prescribed Tamoxifen for the next 5 years. Over the next 2 years, I had more surgeries for cancer concerns that turned out to be benign. In 2016 when another cancer concern came up I chose to have a bilateral mastectomy to put an end to surgery.

During those years I had also developed Seasonal Affective Disorder;
I began experiencing symptoms of secondary Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from my job, which was compounded with the resumption of PTSD triggered by my childhood;
I felt medications I was taking, especially the Tamoxifen, were contributing to my depression and anxiety; 
During my mastectomy, my husband found out he was quite ill and months later was diagnosed with lymphoma so needed chemo - before and during his treatments complications brought him close to death several times;
As a Federal employee throughout all this, I was caught up in the "Phoenix fiasco" that continues to affect the pay of thousands of government workers.
Wally is presently doing well, and physically I am as also. I still struggle with mental health issues though and continue to reach out for help. I can see (more) clearly now, some of the ways God has connected with me through this dark time - and they are amazing! I will write about them all at some point, but this post is already longer than it should be.

Have you taken the time to look back, no matter how difficult, to see when God has connected with you? Perhaps as believers, we see this more clearly, but unbelievers can also become aware of God's presence in their past and present. He is never far away. Seeing God gives hope for the future. God reveals Himself in ways that are uniquely meaningful to each one of us.

God wants to connect with you.


*photos compliments of CCO license, Pexels.com and Pixabay.com

Marnie writes to show God is present, and that makes all the difference. 
You can connect with Marnie at Phosphorescent.


September 22, 2017

God in the Face of Alzheimer’s Disease by Alan Anderson


“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31: 6).


A few years ago while working as a chaplain in a care facility for people with complex care needs God showed up in a special way. Healthcare is a busy, stressful and bureaucratic system. Often time’s patients may be unconsciously overshadowed by the tasks at hand. There is always work to be done that is deemed necessary. There are also times where we may miss prompts from God that remind us of what really matters.

The facility I worked in was home to about one hundred mainly elderly people. This included a locked area housing people with Alzheimer’s. I spent about two hours each working day in the Alzheimer’s unit. It was a quiet area where music from a by-gone era played in the background through speakers in the ceiling.

Part of my routine was to sit with the residents during morning coffee time. We would sit together around a table. I enjoyed their company. Sometimes I would ask the folk simple questions like “how are you today?” The questions were usually followed by smiles or brief replies from the residents. Most of them no longer held conversations of any length. Needless to say, coffee table talk was minimal.

One morning while enjoying coffee and cookies with my tablemates a lady smiled at me from across the room. A nurse had informed me this lady loved to pray for people and liked to recite Scripture verses. This was all when she was able to communicate more often with people. I could see in her smile that she would still communicate from time to time.

Our introduction to each other came through a smile and a brief look in the eyes. Alzheimer’s had imprisoned her mind and she no longer conversed with anyone. It seemed most of the time she was in her own world. There were times where she was able to peek into the world once familiar to her. I was now about to share in one of these moments.

I walked over to her and said hello. Her name was Alice. I remembered what the nurse told me about the lady’s use of Scripture language. I said, “This is the day that the Lord has made…” She smiled yet again and said, “amen brother.” When I finished the line and said, “let us rejoice and be glad in it!” she said, “oh yes, yes, brother.” It was a brief connection. She then drifted off somewhere I couldn’t go. She smiled but her eyes turned from the sparkle I saw a few seconds ago to a look that did not seem to see me.

Teachers like Alice are real. Our teachers may impress on us the frailty yet beautiful gift of life. I hope I capture this in my writing.

If, one day I fall under the grip of Alzheimer’s disease and forget the world and those I love, I pray they will not forget me. I know God won’t. I can rest in that joy!

This brief interaction with Alice was an insightful reminder of the everlasting presence of God. It was amazing that when she spoke it was in the language of Scripture. In Scripture we are encouraged that God will never leave us or forsake us. Alice, as one of my teachers, impressed this promise on me. God never leaves us. Never! I will never forget Alice!

 

Blog: ScarredJoy@wordpress.com 
 

September 21, 2017

POLKA DOTS of JOY in the FABRIC of LIFE by Jocelyn Faire


In reality, serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life, work and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts.
Peter McWilliams

Jesus said, “You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all of this. You're at a dead end. If you won't believe I am who I say I am, you're at the dead end of sins.You're missing God in your lives.” John 8:23, 24 The Message

Serendipity the positive accidental occurrences that happen by “chance” from being in the right place at the right time. Some people call them miracles; I've called them God Moments and I'm guessing we have all had our share of them. I appreciated Michael Hyatt's reference to them being God's connecting points. I firmly believe that God does want to connect with us in our every day lives. The challenge for me is to be open to these points, to have my eyes in tune with chance happenings.To live on the serendipitous side of life can be a scary place. 

In the fall of 2008, four years after the great tragedy that divided my life into before and after, I moved to Australia. People thought I was very brave; I knew it was probably more desperation than courage. Without knowing a soul in the down under part of the world, I accepted a nursing job in a private hospital in Perth, Western Australia. One of my most frequent prayers at the time was Lord, let my paths cross with the people you want me to meet. That is an ongoing prayer. 

Several years ago, someone mocked my attributing some “miracle” to God, as he thought it was just a coincidence. To which I replied, well I know that when I pray about things, I do have more coincidences.


But, and it's a big But ... the randomness of tragedy is kind of the flip side of serendipity. The old song line says: If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all ... And on this note I am in North Africa on my posting date .... 

 After finishing their home assignment time, my daughter and her family returned early September. They had not even arrived in their home town. In the midst of their three day mini holiday/return to North Africa transition she called to ask my husband for signs of appendicitis ... she had been having unusual pains, moving to her low back as well. Harold asked her if she could stand up straight. So far she could. She feigned optimism. 
 A few hours later, she called again, she could not stand up straight ... she knew she had to go into an emergency to be seen. My daughter has delivered her youngest two children in Morocco and has helped many women in the N African hospitals, and has a healthy fear about being there. Why had this not happened four days earlier when she could have had surgery in a “safe” Canadian hospital? 
She calls again to ask if they would have time to drive the six hours required to get to their home. She read the white blood count, and Harold (a physician) gives them the travel go ahead. Besides it was now 11pm in their zone, and he wondered if they would gather a team to do surgery in the middle of the night. And so, she is given pain medication, and my son-in-law with three jet lagged children in the back seat, one appendicitis pained wife in the front seat, heads out on the dark African roads at night, while somewhat anxious families back in Canada lift prayers that they will find open gas stations along the road and no wandering camels. 

I do not sleep much that night ... but feel as though I must and can trust the Father to look after my daughter and her family. 

Nothing comes as a surprise to God. 

The surgery is successful. and the call from my daughter ... could I come for a short period to help with back to school week and surgery recovery. My mother heart knows immediately what my answer is. And truly I am fortunate to be able to find the time, find the flights ... and so as you read this, I know I will be experiencing God moments across the ocean.

Isn't life interesting. The song lines that came to mind as I write is from the old hymn: This is My Father's World. (a link follows) Don't we serve an amazing God?






photo from the north African country my grand children live in. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEE5MvoT3oI

September 20, 2017

IMPACT by Joylene M Bailey




I was 23 and seven months pregnant with my firstborn when God or His angels stepped in between the car I was in and the one heading straight for me.

I can still see the grill of that vehicle racing through a red light, aimed right at the passenger door where I was sitting. Time seemed to slow down as I closed my eyes and braced for the impact.

Instead, I heard WHOOOOSH and felt an intense gust of wind blow against my door. I opened my eyes to see that by some strange occurrence we were on the other side of the intersection. I twisted in my seat, as much as my pregnant belly would allow, to look for the car that had almost hit us. It was nowhere to be seen. The whole event had happened in the blink of an eye.

My husband hadn’t heard the whoosh, hadn’t felt the gust of wind. He had swerved but not enough to evade a collision. It was as though we had skipped ahead in time and that the event I KNOW happened, had not occurred at all. The memory is so vivid to me. Even after all these years I can’t explain it, but I know without a doubt that God intervened that day.

I believe it was because He still had plans for me, for the baby I carried, and for two more yet to be born. He intended for me to raise three strong, independent girls to women who would impact their world and the Kingdom. He intended for them to raise children of their own, to impact the Kingdom and their future world. This is no small thing.

There have been countless times in my life when God’s strategic providences were evident. Not all of them have been as time-warping as this one. But each event has added a brick to my wall of faith, making it stronger every time, so that when life takes a dive into the muck I can trust that He sees the Big Picture from His vantage point. And I can keep slogging it out in the sludge below, knowing He will help me through in His own timing.

He can be trusted.



He can be trusted with my writing too.

On those days when I wonder why in the world I think I’m a writer (which, to be honest, is most days), I can trust that there must be some reason He gave me this passion. He must need my voice for something. So I will write, and trust Him with whatever He wants to do with it.


Maybe, just maybe, God intervened that day so that I would be around to write this post. To give Him glory for the unimaginable yet very real impact He has on all of us who are privileged to call Him Father.


**********




Joylene writes from her home in Edmonton where she lives with her Cowboy, her third strong, independent daughter, and a cat named Calvin. She writes at 





Photos by Pixabay.

September 19, 2017

God Moments by Eunice Matchett


Every day, all around us, small insignificant events take place. Most go unnoticed,  but others are life changing. God moments, I call them. My interpretation of "be still and know that I am God." 


Ten years ago, my husband, Alex, was diagnosed with cancer and given five months to live. Shock waves shot through our family, neighborhood, and church.


Alex shared his time and resources with everyone. He had a marvelous sense of humor that lightened even the heaviest situations. So many people wanted to say goodbye and spend time with him. The phone rang constantly. Our front entrance became a revolving door. Our daughter came home to help me with Alex’s care.


One day, a month after his diagnosis, our daughter left for the day to spend time with her brother.  By mid afternoon, several friends dropped by, and our daughter phoned, saying she was spending the night at her brother’s. Unusual, I thought, but realized siblings can comfort each other in a way no one else can. I pushed the "unusual" from my mind.


I was exhausted, and deep shadows on Alex’s face bore witness to his weariness. With much effort, he pushed out of his recliner saying, I’m going to lie down. Please come with me. I glanced at all the dirty dishes in the kitchen, left behind by constant company, and opened my mouth to ask for fifteen minutes. But my words stopped.


Since it was too painful for Alex to lie down, I collected pillows from the beds around the house and made our bed into a giant recliner. As we snuggled together, warmth flowed through us, much like an electric blanket on a cold winter night, and nothing around us existed. Alex’s pain ebbed. We talked about the fun things we’d done, the places we’d been, the people we’d met, the mistakes we’d made. We laughed about the shenanigans our children had done. The wonderful adults they’d grown to be. Evening turned into night. Still we talked and laughed. With no warning, Alex’s mind softened and he returned to Bosnia, where he’d served as a military engineer years ago. I held him until he calmed, then we drifted off to sleep.


The following day, Alex’s pain returned and he was admitted to the hospital. Within hours he was gone, but stories pierced my darkness.


The night before, Alex’s cousins were coming from Edmonton to visit him, but a tire on their car went flat. By the time AMA changed it, it was too late. Friends were coming from Calgary, but a sudden blizzard closed the highway between Calgary and Red Deer. And our daughter chose to spend the night at our son’s home.


Wonderment filled me. God used blizzards and flat tires and sibling love to give Alex and I that last evening by ourselves, to lie down in green pastures. Even now, ten years later, when I find myself in darkness and see no way out, I remember that night and am filled with hope for tomorrow.

September 18, 2017

Dandelions from Heaven - Gloria Guest


This month I'd like to share another one of my columns written for the Moose Jaw Express (2011) and also shared on my blog.  I have had many God  moments in my life both as an individual and as a writer but this particular God moment was and is so poignant for me that I like to share it where I can and this months topic is perfect for it. I loved writing my column and hope to write one again someday; I found it to be the perfect intersecting of those God moments in my life both big and small with my love of writing, giving me the opportunity to share with others. It has been a huge learning curve to learn what to share and what not to, yet with this group, I feel free share to the circumstances surrounding the following crisis and so have made changes that reflect that trust. :) 


She was just a little girl of five out in a field full of dandelions. My younger sister used to spend countless hours picking the bright yellow-topped 'weeds' which she would then proudly present to our mother, who would of course place them in a cup full of water to be placed prominently on the table.

Brenda passed away from suicide on a beautiful, spring, sunny day in June of 2004 (on a perfect dandelion picking day) and we, her remaining three sisters, included this memory in her eulogy. To this day I cannot see a field of dandelions without thinking of her and on occasion have been known to pick a fistful for my own table in her memory.

During the grieving period there are many memories that re-surface, some good, some not so good, but all needing to be turned over and over in our minds, before we can finally lay them to rest. It can be a long, emotional journey with many twists and turns in the road, but one that is necessary.

Brenda at five years old
My family was no different. There have been all the typical questions of “why?” There were questions about whether she was truly at peace. Questions that often only God sees us struggling with and only He can answer.

One such question was answered for us in a beautiful way one warm, sunny day just a few days after our sister's funeral. My youngest sister was sitting in the stands watching her son play soccer when she noticed a little girl who she had never seen there before, running around. She appeared to be about five years of age and had long, auburn coloured hair, very much like Brenda's used to be. All of a sudden and for no apparent reason the little girl ran up to my sister with a fistful of dandelions, plopped them directly on the bench beside her and ran away.



That was it. It was such a simple, innocent act of a child yet full of meaning for us; dandelions sent from heaven to let us know that she was okay. God knew exactly what we needed and why. Through that incident and others, God has proved to me that He is there around the corners of life. He is there even before I get there and He knows exactly what I am going to need to get through it....even if it’s simply a fistful of dandelions.




Gloria Guest writes from her little log home on the prairies in Caron, Sk., on the subjects of Hope & Faith & Endurance with the aim of encouraging others. You can find her blog at www.gloriaguest.wordpress.com 



September 17, 2017

Even where I cannot see, God continuously provides - Rohadi

Even where I cannot see, God continuously provides.

I know this is true because it’s happened over and over again. You would think I’d be less surprised when it happens now, but there’s always a layer of stubbornness that eventually gives way to awesome wonder.

I remember a recent season when my first church plant was coming to a close. (Actually, I should say it was changing, not closing, since most of the people remain connected in community.)

I thought to myself, what am I supposed to do now? I wasn't worried about it, but I knew change that I could not see was coming. A new door was about to open.

Some context first. For a couple of years prior, a friend and I were having conversations about a new church community in our city for the, "outsiders". You know the ones, the people that surrounded Jesus, yet were simultaneously outcasts in their regular society. What would a church for the outsiders look like in the here and now?

For me, I had always advocated for a church plant; she wasn't on board for that size of commitment...yet.

Two days before Christmas I got a message from her, "let's do an event.” Basically, an idea for a kind of a service, once a month, to make inroads to the outsider community.

Let me think about it, I replied.

Inside I knew I wasn’t interested in doing an event. It’s easy for a church to do cool events/services to cater to a particular demographic. That wasn’t very appealing, it lacked a level of depth I think is necessary for any community, especially one for the outsiders. We needed depth for longevity, an event wasn't going to cut it.

Two days after Christmas I replied, "I'm not interested in an event, anybody can do something cool. But I'd do a church plant."

This time a surprising reply, "Ok, let’s do it...."

I don’t know what changed in either of us, other than the timing was God ordained. Right when my first church plant closed a new one came out of nowhere to begin.

Two months later Cypher Church launched and we've been figuring out how to live out community with the “outsiders” who’d otherwise never fit into contemporary churches ever since.

God always has a plan. Sometimes we can’t see how far it goes, but we get signposts along the way confirming we’re on the right track. The transformations seen in Cypher Church in our brief time have been miraculous to say the least. The pursuit without a known path has yielded incredible moments.

How did this experience impacted my writing? For one, instead of preaching (which I’ve never really done in a traditional sense) I changed to accommodate a new way of communicating. Rather than 30 minute teaching sessions, I had to distill my ideas down to 5 minute spoken word projects instead. A good challenge to communicate effectively.

The other is the one I cannot see. The work to translate beliefs and language we take for granted in church culture for the next generation who have no religious memory. This work seems to be shaping a future book. Where it goes I don't know because I can't see that far ahead. But even where I cannot see, God can, and I'm happy to meander down the path looking for signposts along the way to confirm I'm headed in a good direction.

_____

Let's connect. My blog on church and culture. Check out my adult colouring book too.

September 16, 2017

The Providential Hand of God by Nina Faye Morey


This month’s blog theme, “God’s Connecting Points,” brought to mind several key turning points in my life when I’ve felt God’s hand guiding me. Another word for “serendipity” is “providence,” which means that God intervenes in our lives when we’re in need of divine direction, physical protection, or spiritual care. Because He’s all knowing and all powerful, He’s aware of everything that’s happening in our lives. He knows our heart’s every desire, and He’s eager to answer our prayers. He willingly and lovingly cares and provides for us. He knows His purpose for our lives and wants to help us succeed. Every microscopic detail of our lives is under His control. Since we have such a providential and faithful Father, we should always remember to thank Him when we prosper, patiently wait on Him in the face of adversity, have confidence in Him when we falter, and trust that He has good plans in store for our future.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28

Even when our lives seem chaotic and out of control, we can still be assured that God’s watching over us. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I felt my world was falling apart and my life would soon be over. I grieved because I thought I’d never be able to do all the things I’d planned. But I never stopped praying, and God faithfully answered my prayers for healing. I’m now a five-year cancer survivor, and I hope He’s not done with me yet.

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

During my chemotherapy treatments, my immunity dipped so low I was even afraid to attend church. I still distastefully recall the daily shots I received to boost my immunity. On top of all this, I was allergic to one of my medications and developed a nasty, red, itchy rash! But God was there for me through all of this. He led me to watch religions programs like “The Living Truth” and “Joyce Meyer” on television. I found comfort through their teachings and scribbled down notes whenever a sermon moved me. I found many of these notes useful in my writing. Whenever I wanted to use scripture to illustrate a point, God’s finger pointed me to just the right verse in my Bible.




I first committed my writing to God, when He led me to 1 Corinthians 12, regarding the gifts given by the Holy Spirit. I felt I was being guided to use my writing ability to bless others. Since then, God’s led me to write about topics, like my cancer, that I would never have considered otherwise. Things I’ve had first-hand experience with that might help others to deal with these issues. The Holy Spirit has definitely been at work in my life. He’s a trustworthy mentor who’s helped me use my words to help, inspire, and comfort others.

Later, when I was feeling stuck in my writing career, God led me to InScribe through a local writing group (HisImprint). When it disbanded, that was His cue for me to get more involved with InScribe. Then I started to think about editing, and God sent Sheila Webster to my doorstep with an offer to become FellowScript’s columns editor and, subsequently, editor-in-chief. Once again, signs of God’s providential hand guiding me towards good things and a glorious future.



Photo Credit: Nina Faye Morey