Category Archives: heart

Religious Syncretism

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We are living a religious syncretism

Syncretism is the blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system, or the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions.

“Ah”, we say. “We would never do that!”

Oh, my friends we do this every time we bend the Word of God to suit ourselves.

The Bible says:

“Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.”  “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. (Malachi 3:8-10, NIV)

But we say: “Sorry, God, I don’t believe in tithing. I am poor. I don’t have enough for myself,

And thus, we syncretize the Word of God.

Or we read that God says:

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? (From Matthew 5:43-48, NIV)

And we say, “I will love those who I want to, I will determine by other means who to love and not to love. I am smarter than God.”

Forget the world-wide syncretism of religions and faiths. It starts locally right in our own home.

To be a Christian means to know, love and obey Jesus. Otherwise we are liars. The truth is not in us.

Why Bother?

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Do you wonder why God even bothers about you? Why has he made all these astounding promises to us? These verses give us the answer. Oh and don’t forget gals, he used here is all man/womankind so we are included! YAY!

“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” (Psalm 91:14-16, NIV)

Did you get that? Because we love him and acknowledge his name, he rescues, protects delivers and honors us.

And all we have to do is call on his name. Do you know the name he speaks of? Are you aware of the name above all names? Without it, God’s protection plan is not available to us.

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-12, NIV)

Lettuce Turkey

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It’s hard to pull a meal together when the oven is taken up with a big old fat turkey, isn’t it? I’m giving you this saving grace recipe now. Print it off and save it in case I forget to repeat it for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

  1. Cook the turkey the day before.
  2. Carve the turkey into serving size slices.
  3. Separate Romaine lettuce leaves.
  4. Wash them and pat them dry.
  5. Put a layer of Romaine lettuce in an aluminium pan or large roast pan.
  6. Add a layer of turkey.
  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6, ending with a layer of Romaine leaves.
  8. Cover tightly with foil and put in fridge.
  9. To heat the turkey, add about ¼ cup water to the pan.
  10. Heat in 250ºF oven till turkey is at the desired serving temperature.

P.S. Here is God’s recipe for lettuce: Let Us Love One Another.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35, NIV)

Prayer – Lord we pray that you give us the strength to do just that. Amen

Christ in You

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Are you suffering because some friend or relative can’t stand to be with you now that you follow Jesus as Lord and Savior? Don’t take it personally. It’s not you they hate, but Christ in you.

Because they can’t stand Christ here, God, ever the gentleman, generously refuses to inflict himself on them at a later date.

Psalm 1:5-6-Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction (NIV).

“Sinners cannot live in heaven. They would be out of their element. Sooner could a fish live upon a tree than the wicked in paradise.”–Charles Spurgeon

Truthfully, aren’t we happy about that when it comes to certain folks of our acquaintance? Perhaps that is why we’ve stopped praying for their salvation. Oh-oh, now we have a bigger problem…our heart and our attitude.

Prayer: Lord, our insides are not matching our ‘holy’ outside persona. Set us straight for Christ. Amen.

Still in Shock over this Review!! WOW

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Book Review

Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite
“Meeting Myself” is a well-written 98 page book that will appeal to anyone fighting off inner demons by eating and to all those who may have done so since an early age. Author Brenda Wood has issues with food since an early age. She even recalls herself starting to eat her younger brother Larry’s chocolate Easter Bunny as well as her own as a four year old. Brenda Wood admits to having great inner anger at having been abused as a child. She doesn’t say what the abuse was or when, but the reader will surmise it wasn’t nice. Brenda Wood went from satisfying her fear of things and need for comfort by eating on to eating and then throwing up in the toilet which is bulimia. Even a happy, satisfying marriage did not cure Brenda’s demons until she took her Christian faith seriously and learned that God is with us in good times and bad times and proved it in her daily life.
“Meeting Myself” is a book that should be in everyone’s hands everywhere. Brenda Wood honestly tells the reader about her not always smooth path to controlling her eating binges, her bulimia. Brenda Wood is forthright in telling the reader how she would decide to walk with God and then lose her resolve and go on an eating binge. What she shares with the Christian reader is priceless in its honesty. On page 93 she writes: “Expose both abuse and eating disorder to the light. ..Keep telling until someone believes you.” She admits that she had great anger against her abuser, anger against the people who should have protected her from that abuse, and anger against herself. “Meeting Myself” is a book that will guide, inspire and keep the reader going when the dark clouds of life are overwhelming.

John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop!!! NOW ON

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Welcome to the 1st John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop! As one of the members of this great network of Christian Authors, I am excited to participate in this event! We have come together this week to showcase our books and to give you, our readers, a chance to win some great prizes as you “hop” from blog to blog. A different prize is offered at each blog site (no purchase necessary), however if you want to have a chance to win one of two Kindles the network is giving away, the only requirement is that you sign up for the John 3:16 ezine newsletter. (Located at the top right side column of the John 3:16 blog site.)

(See official rules here.)

At the other blogs, each author will require that you leave a comment (and a valid email address) so they may contact you if you win a prize offered on their blog site.

May I also suggest that you show your love and appreciation to each blog host by either following them on Twitter, or “liking” them on Facebook or even subscribing to their blog. It won’t help your odds of winning a prize but I know each author would be thrilled and very encouraged!

Personally speaking. I, ( Brenda J Wood) am offering 4 giveaways

1/GET THE BIG RED CHAIR (by Brenda J Wood)–!!FREE!!

It comes in any format!!!

Just go to https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/141541

(cut and paste the smashwords address if necessary, then

USE THE COUPON # NM24D (see below)

Promotional price: $0.00 Coupon Code: NM24D Expires: May 14, 2012   

2/ (AND if you download it, your name goes in a draw to get the actual book and CD.)

3/Leave a note here and tell me you want the month of May from my book Heartfelt, 366 devotions for common sense living. I will send it ASAP.

See the book at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/130747 or on my web page.

4/ Sign onto my blog, be entered into a draw and the winner gets an authographed copy of my new book-Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind.

So tell your friends about the John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop! It’s going to be a great week of fun!

Just click on the links below to go from blog to blog! Happy hoppin’!

Blog Hop Participants:

  1. Lorilyn Roberts (John 3:16 Network Blog) – http://john316mn.blogspot.com/
  2. Lynn Dove – Word Salt (Host blog) – http://wordsalt.wordpress.com/
  3. Laura J. Davis – http://interviewsandreviews.blogspot.com/
  4. Paulette Harper – http://www.pauletteharperjohnson.blogspot.com/
  5. Carol A. Brown – http://connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com/
  6. April Gardner – http://www.aprilwgardner.com/
  7. Sue Russell – http://www.suerussellsblog.blogspot.com/
  8. Thomas Blubaugh – http://tomblubaugh.net/
  9. Susan F. Craft – http://historicalfictionalightintime.blogspot.com/
  10. Heather Bixler – http://heatherbixler.com/
  11. Joy Hannabass – http://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/
  12. Deborah Bateman – http://www.DeborahHBateman.com
  13. Kimberley Payne – http://www.fitforfaith.blogspot.com/
  14. Rose McCauley – http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com
  15. Lisa Lickel – http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/
  16. Alice J. Wisler – http://www.alicewisler.blogspot.com/
  17. Amanda Stephan – http://www.thepriceoftrust.com/
  18. Saundra Dalton – http://gracetolivefree.blogspot.com/
  19. Tracy Krauss – http://www.tracykraussexpressionexpress.com/
  20. Ashley Wintters – http://ashleyschristianbookreviews.blogspot.com/
  21. Deborah McCarragher – http://www.godmissionpossible.blogspot.com/
  22. Lorilyn Roberts – http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com/
  23. Anita Estes – http://anita-thoughtsonchristianity.blogspot.com/
  24. Martin Roth – http://www.military-orders.com
  25. Janet Perez Eckles – http://www.janetperezeckles.com/blog
  26. Kenneth Winters – http://www.lostcrownofcolonnade.com/
  27. Eddie Snipes – http://www.eddiesnipes.com/
  28. Diane Tatum – http://tatumlight-tatumsthoughts4today.blogspot.com/
  29. Janalyn Voight – http://janalynvoigt.com/
  30. Alberta Sequeira – http://www.albertasequeira.wordpress.com/
  31. Tammy Hill – http://tammyhillbooks.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html
  32. Marcia Laycock – http://www.writer-lee.blogspot.com/
  33. Julie Saffrin – http://juliesaffrin.com/category/blog/
  34. Nike Chillemi –  http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
  35. Elaine Marie Cooper – http://ReflectionsInHindsight.wordpress.com
  36. Sidney W. Frost – http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.ca/
  37.  Jairus B. King – http://ministerjking.blogspot.com
  38.  Bill Burt – http://kotbooks.blogspot.com/
  39.  Kathy Eberly – http://authorkathyeberly.blogspot.com/
  40.  Bob Saffrin – http://bobsaffrin.com/
  41.  Theresa Franklin – http://theresa-lifesjourney.blogspot.com/
  42.  Ray Lincoln – http://blog.raywlincoln.com/
  43.  Lilly Maytree –  http://www.lillymaytree.blogspot.com/
  44.  Valerie King – http://www.valeriekingbooks.com
  45.  Yvonne Pat Wright – http://www.spicetoeternity.co.uk/1/post/2012/05/come-blog-hopping-with-john-316-marketing-network-members-for-gifts-and-prizes.html
  46.  Pauline Creeden –  http://fatfreefaith.blogspot.com/
  47.  Katherine Harms –  http://livingontilt.wordpress.com
  48.  Brenda Wood – http://heartfeltdevotionals.wordpress.com/
  49.  Deborah Malone – http://deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com/
  50.  Melissa Main –  http://www.mainwriters.com/
  51.   Kevin Main – http://mainchristianbooks.com/
  52.   Sandy Humphrey – http://www.kidscandoit.com/blog/
  53.   Felice Gerwitz – http://www.writingandpublishingblog.com/
  54.  Hallee Bridgeman – http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee
  55.  Lisa Mills – http://www.authorlisamills.com/blog/

 

The Optimist Creed by Christian D. Larson

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Thanks to author Christian D. Larson, who placed thoughts into words

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side so long as you are true to the best that is in you.