Haughty Attitude

Isaiah 2:6-4:6

This section in Isaiah talks about Judah and Jerusalem’s prideful and haughty attitudes. Sometimes we have this same attitude. You see a small group of elementary aged children sitting in front of you at church. They are snickering and clearly not listening to the worship service. You think, “Where are their parents?” or “I’m glad my kids don’t act like that.”

You are passing judgment on someone else, when in reality your kids at some point have acted like that. I know mine have!

I struggle with this attitude more often than I really care to admit. I have been a Christian for almost 15 years. The church I’m a member of has several new (with in the last 12 months) Christians and some who have been Christians longer than I have been alive. Most of them at times seem immature in their walk. But then I think who am I to judge them, that’s between them and God.

The Lord will humble the proud and haughty attitudes in us (2:11-12). Usually He does this by showing us what our attitudes look like, by turning the tables on us. I don’t like being on the receiving end of judgment. Do you?

Run to the ROCK! The more you cling to Him the less likely you are to suffer from this attitude.

Thin Places by Mary DeMuth review

Book review Monday is here. The book is Thin Places by Mary DeMuth.

This is a very open and honest look into the life of Mary DeMuth. The chapter titled “Marked” touched me the most. Instead of running from the mark, as Mary did, I embraced it. That was how I felt loved. That is until I met my now husband and Jesus. They have become my safe havens.

It is still hard for me to trust people, but I AM healing. This book lets you know that it’s okay to have issues. You don’t have to have it all together, for God to love you. He will love you and heal you no matter the issue.

What the heck does Showing Vs Telling mean? And how can I tell when I’m telling when I should be showing?

It's Writer's Friday. So Write right, today!

I struggle with this. Honestly I think most writers do, to some degree. What I understand is that universal emotions shouldn’t be told. We should show how the character reacts to their feelings. We all feel nervous, sad, happy, or angry. These are universal emotions, everyone has them. But we all react differently to those emotions.

If a writer just tells you a character is angry, that’s boring and uninteresting. We’re reading the story. We see what caused him to be angry. Someone ran into his brand new sports car. I’d be angry too! More interesting is how he reacts to seeing his dream car smashed. Does he jump out of the car yelling and cursing? Does he calmly and methodically take out a gun and shoot the offender? Or does he just sit there and cry?

Even in a first person narrative the character knows he’s angry. It’s more interesting for him to show what he is feeling or what he’s thinking, instead of saying “I was angry!”

Showing applies to descriptions and relationships too. It’s boring to hear that someone was ugly. What makes them ugly? Show it! It’s boring to hear that two people are close. How are they close? What do they do together? Show it!

Going Through the Motions

Isaiah 1:2, 10-20

Judah had rebelled against God (1:2). What did they do? They were just going through the motions…and God was tired of it (1:14-15). He wouldn’t even listen to their prayers (1:15).

They were still meeting, sacrificing, and giving, but their hearts weren’t in it. Apparently, they weren’t taking care of their poor and needy (1:17). God’s chastisement was to make the nation suffer (1:5-7).
God is very clear on how to end the suffering. You have to be willing and obedient (1:19).

If we as Christians forget our needy we are no different from Judah of the Old Testament. God will chastise us.

Read James 1:27

Read Zechariah 7 to see what God did to those who didn’t care for the needy.

Need some suggestions:
1) Visit or call a widow.
2) Secretly pay a bill for a widow or single parent.
3) Take a single parent’s children to the park for the afternoon.
4) Write an encouraging note.
5) Sponsor an orphan over seas.
6) Become a foster parent.
7) Adopt .
8) Help an organization that helps orphans/widows.
The list of possibilities is endless! Be creative!

Symmetry by Joyce Sterling Scarbrough

Today is book review Monday! I first met Joyce Sterling Scarbrough in a writer's group we both belong to. Now She is one of my Diva sisters! This review is for her lastest book Symmetry. Look for more info on Joyce at the end of this post! Enjoy!


Symmetry is about Jess and her realization that she has trichotillomania, her pending divorce, and her relationship with family. This book touched a nerve in me. I know second hand how it feels to be “different”. My oldest son has been diagnosed with A.D.H.D, with possible Asperger’s Syndrome, and there are days when I think he has O.C.D. I love the characters and the drama of this book. It is an excellent read! I love how this book brings awareness to those who are “different” or might be labeled “freaks”.

You can learn more about Joyce and purchase her books at: http://www.lldreamspell.com/JoyceScarbrough.htm
http://www.joycescarbrough.blogspot.com
http://www.amazon.com

The Problem in Galatia

Galatians 1:6-7~I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

The basic gospel found in Scripture can be understood by even the most uneducated person. There are portions of Scripture that are hard to understand because they were written in a different time and in a different culture. Sometimes it is easier to understand these portions if we understand why they were written in the first place.

Galatians 1:6-7 clearly explains why Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians. The churches of Galatia were “turning to a different gospel”, a false gospel, while Paul was gone. So they needed correcting, thus the letter. Paul knew that if the churches in Galatia didn’t get the gospel right, it would be a spiritual death sentence for them. So Paul wrote this letter to reaffirm the simple truth of the gospel that he had taught them previously and to call out the false teachers.
Back in verse 4, Paul states the gospel as plainly as can be. That’s it, there’s nothing more to it! I can see why he was “astonished.” What he taught them all boils down to what he said in this verse.

The Galatians were not only “turning to a different gospel” but they were “deserting him who called them”. God called them to believe and they were turning their backs to Him.

Let us as Christians be careful to not allow false teachers to confuse us. The only way to do that is to be grounded in Scripture. Read 1 Timothy 4:1-10. Check out Jeremiah 28 to find out what God did to a false teacher. Church leaders please read Acts 20:28-35.

Tangled

Today I am going to share with you my review of Tangled by Lacresha Hayes. This is the latest book about by Larcesha. The book is available on Amazon and through Lacresha's many websites, blogs, and Facebook pages. If you are interested in finding out more about her and her ministries I will have contact info at the end of the post.


Tangled by Lacresha Hayes.

WOW! I loved this book! I hope Lacresha will write a sequel! Without giving too much away, Shannon is still in love with Derek, her husband, but Brian is back in her life. Who will she choose? You will have to read the book to find out. Watch Shannon struggle with God, herself and just life in general. You really should read this book.

You can check out Lacresha at Lacreshahayes.com, Learntofeelpretty.blogspot.com, Therapeofinnocence.blogspot.com or friend her on Facebook at Facebook.com/lacreshahayes

Your Character is a Failure!

It's WRITING FRIDAY!
Your protagonist has to fail. You need to show that she isn’t perfect. We aren’t perfect, so neither should our characters be. Perfect characters make for uninteresting stories.
When you create your characters create a small place in them where they hide their deepest, darkest secrets, desires and the feelings they don’t want to deal with. Now fill that place with the wickedness of their heart.
We all know about that, so this should be easy. Really it should, but it isn’t as easy as we might think. When creating well rounded characters, the author has to dig deep into themselves. Not always a pretty picture, but it can be a very healing experience.
Now pile on the character’s strongest weakness, until everything starts to shove against her. The she will have three choices. 1) She can choose to give up and fail. 2) She can choose to live up to her own expectations of herself. Or 3) she can answer the call for greatness, and do the right thing.
The stench of the filth of her wretchedness begins to invade her seemingly perfect life. It will upset the apple cart of how she sees herself, and force her to face her true self. This is how the reader knows she is real. Readers can relate to imperfection, and inner struggle. They will root her on and what her to have victory.
Someone shared this example with me: “Consider Woody in Toy Story. He enjoyed being the leader of Andy’s toys. He saw himself as the best until Buzz Lightyear came along. Then layer upon layer is pulled off Woody, until we see him (and he sees himself) for what he truly is. But we still love him. We want him to come out of the hovel of Sid’s room, a better toy, no longer driven by jealousy and pride. The story becomes more than just about two toys finding their way back to their own. The story really becomes one about someone learning to accept who he is and overcome it with greater and stronger character traits.”

Healthy Tips For Eating Out

You Can Eat Healthy When Eating Out. Tips to remember when you’re eating out.

1) Ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks with no added sugars. Forget the pops and juices. They’re loaded in added sugar.

2) If you are ordering a sandwich, ask for whole wheat bread. It is better for you and white bread has a lot of sugar in it.

3) Start your meal with a salad or broth soup. You will feel fuller sooner.

4) Ask for salad dressing on the side. This way you can control how much you use.

5) Choose main dishes that include veggies. Then eat those veggies first. You will feel fuller and be less likely to over do it on the starchy and protein foods.

6) Order foods that are steamed, grilled, or broiled over those that are fried or sautéed. If you don’t know how things are prepared, ask your server, that is what they are there for.

7) Choose small or medium portions. This includes main dishes, sides and drinks.

8) Order foods that don’t have creamy sauces or gravies. There are lots of calories, fats and sugars in them.

9) Add little or no butter to your food.

10) If the main portions are too large for you: share with a friend or ask for a “doggy bag” right away. This will help you from overeating.

11) On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some healthy snacks, like fresh fruit, cut-up veggies, low-fat string cheese, or a handful of unsalted nuts. This will help you avoid the sweet or fatty snacks on the go.

Forgiveness

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 & 2:7-8

God has allowed us to suffer and hurt for a purpose; that we may be able to help others who are suffering. People, will at some point, hurt us; whether it is physically or emotionally it will happen.

Someone close to me struggles with a very specific sin issue. (I do too, but on a different level.) In the summer of 2008 this issue go tout of control, to the point of this person needing to seek professional help.

At the peak I was so angry with this person. I couldn’t even look at them. This person’s actions made me physically ill. After a day or two, I saw that I needed to forgive. I knew I needed to, but with in a few more days I saw the “excessive sorrow,” Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 2:7. I forgave and made sure this person knew 100% without a doubt, that I still loved them. Now that I have gone through this issue, I am able to help others who are going through it now.

Are you hurting? If not you will be. So when it happens, trust the Lord. Forgive them and show them you still love them.

Fools!

This prayer is based on Psalm 104.

They are fools, to say “I don’t believe in God anymore.” That is a very foolish thing to say! They say “there is no evidence”. All they have to do is look around. The very air we breathe is a gift and a miracle. The grass we walk on, the tides, seasons, moon, sun, and stars are all miracles from you. Lord I don’t understand how they can deny your existence, when the world around them screams with proof of you.
Lord, may my thinking and life be pleasing to you. You are my Master and Creator. Mold me to do your will.

Your humble maid-servant

Tighten up Your Writing!

Today is Writer's Friday! Here are 8 thing that will make your writing better.

1)Get rid of as many adverbs as possible, especially the “ly” words. What is an adverb? It is a word that tells more about a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells “how”, “where”, “when” or “to what extent”. Examples of adverbs are: “quietly”, “sometimes”, “very”, “too”. Are these words necessary in your writing?

2)Get rid of adjectives. Just like adverbs, adjectives are over used. Often two or three are used, when one or none are needed. What is an adjective? It is a word that tells more about a noun or pronoun. It tells “what kind” “how many” or “which one”. Examples are “this”, “that” “good-looking”, “Irish”, “beautiful”. Are you using too many adjectives?

3)Be aware of “ing” words. They can make you sentences cluttered and wordy. Ask yourself these questions: Do I really need it? Can I make the verb simpler by getting rid of the “ing”? If so does it change the meaning? Does the sentence move quicker and smoother without the “ing”? Can I eliminate the phrase with the “ing” in it?

4)Get rid of any unnecessary back-story. Does the reader really need to know this? Is it relevant to the story? If not get rid of it!

5)Get rid of passages that tell the reader what they already know. No need to be redundant!

6)Get rid of passages that are overly descriptive. Readers don’t need to know the exact dimensions of a room or the exact description of a character.

7)Get rid of or edit passages that describe the character’s thoughts and feelings in too much detail. Example: long sections of internal dialogue or long narratives.

8)Get rid of passive voice when active voice will work better. What is active voice? What is passive voice? In Active voice the subject of the sentence is actually doing something. Example: Brenna hugged Scott. Brenna is doing something to Scott. In passive voice the recipient of the action is moved to the position of the subject. Example: Scott is hugged by Brenna. Scott becomes the subject, but he isn’t doing anything. He is receiving a hug from Brenna.

How content am I, really?

Philippians 4:11- Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Learning to be content is not an over night learning experience. Even now after being a Christian for over 15 years, God still has to remind me about contentment.

Whether finances, location, whatever the issue we are to be content. I had thought I was content. But looking back I see I really wasn’t. For a long time I wanted to sell our house and move to Uganda, Africa, and start an orphanage. I wasn’t content with living in Michigan, close to family and friends. I wanted with every ounce of passion, to live on the other side of the globe. Notice I said “I”. Jamie (my husband) didn’t. He said that was my dream not his. No matter how much I cried, pleaded or prayed his attitude didn’t change. Finally I took a different approach. I prayed that the Lord would either change Jamie or me. He did. He changed me! Africa is no longer my desire. I don’t long to go. I would still love to go and serve but only short term.

My heart still aches for what is going on in that country, but my heart isn’t wholly in it. I still have a strong passion for orphans, but the Lord will show me where and when and even if. I am content for now. Or am I really? Are you?