Hello .... Again

LONG TIME COMING

It's hard to believe that it's been so long since my last post.  I suppose I can sum up my absence by saying LIFE got in the way. So many changes that initially weren't welcomed. But, if you know God, you know His plans are the best, even if we can't see them.

God has been gracious to me and seems to constantly provide me with hope through His word.  And if we need anything in this world now, it's God's hope.

It's hard to gain perspective and step out of the circumstances into God's will for us.  Yet I believe it's harder if we stay in those circumstances.  They won't change.  Well, at least not by much.  But God never changes.  He's always there. He never leaves. EVER!!!

I have come to rely on several Psalms but one that carries me through some of my more anxious moments is Psalm 139.  I particularly like the Amplified Version of the Bible because it includes words that are closely associated with the Greek or Hebrew to provide clarity.

The other reason I love Psalm 139 is that it speaks to God’s Omnipresence and Omniscience.

If want to know how much you are loved and how close God is, this Psalm will paint a lovely picture.

Psalm 139, Amplified Bible (AMP)

139 O Lord, you have searched me [thoroughly] and have known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do];
You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue [still unspoken],
Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before,
And [You have] placed Your hand upon me.

Such [infinite] knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high [above me], I cannot reach it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
10 
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
11 
If I say, “Surely the darkness will cover me,
And the night will be the only light around me,”
12 
Even the darkness is not dark to You and conceals nothing from You,
But the night shines as bright as the day;
Darkness and light are alike to You.
13 
For You formed my innermost parts;
You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb.
14 
I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15 
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was being formed in secret,
And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.
16 
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were appointed for me,
When as yet there was not one of them [even taking shape].
17 
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 
If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 
[a]O that You would kill the wicked, O God;
Go away from me, therefore, men of bloodshed.
20 
For they speak against You wickedly,
Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 
Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 
I hate them with perfect and utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

23 
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;
Test me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 
And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way

I hope you'll visit again.

Blessings, Francine

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Anyone who has visited my blog and read through my postings knows that I write devotions to inspire others.  It's something God has led me to do.

What is harder is promoting two other things that God inspired.  One is my first contemporary suspense, "Death in the Desert."  The other is a new inspirational holiday book titled "Christmas Chaos."

Death in the Desert is available in several eBook formats, and Christmas Chaos is available as a Kindle eBook.  Both can be found on Amazon and Christmas Chaos just went on sale.

Finally, my new author interview is posted on Smashwords and will give you an idea about both my books.

I invite you to check out the interview and take a look inside both of my books.

I hope you'll be blessed by both.

Merry Christmas, Francine




HEADLINES

Headlines are everywhere in this digital age.  There's headline news on TV along with a bunch of "news" stations.  Then, there's the Yahoo home page with lots and lots of headlines.  If you have a phone or some type of tablet, there's many applications for reading news.  And yes, the daily paper.

Unfortunately, the high percentage of headlines is pretty depressing.  The economy, political battles and scandals, countries either at war or full of unrest, murders, abductions ... I could go on. But I'm thinking most would agree there aren't too many upbeat or happy headlines.  Then again, I'm a firm believer that bad news gets higher ratings.  Scandals sell.

How do you cope?  I mean, really.  What do YOU DO to not get caught up in the "circle of doom."  I mean, really, isn't that what it is nowadays.  You click on one story and then you may see a link and click on another, and another, and another.

If you have a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then you know where you should be looking.  And I know, we'd have to live in a bubble to NOT know what's happening in the world.  Still, taking our eyes off the circumstances and placing them on the Creator is the best place to begin.

These words from Ephesians don't come with screaming headlines.  But they are words we can begin to apply to our hearts.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. 
Ephesians 6:13-18, The Message

Blessings, Francine
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Or at least, that's what an old saying says.
Unfortunately, my absence has gone on far too long.  I must confess that I've let my full time job overtake my desire to share God's words and beauty in my writing and my photography.

Scottish author George MacDonald was a Christian children's author best known for his popular fantasy stories, fairy tales, and memorable young protagonists. MacDonald was an inspiration for writers of children's fiction such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein, Madeline L'Engle, Lewis Carroll, and even Mark Twain.  He was one of the most respected authors of his generation in 19th century Scotland. He wrote over fifty books, nearly half of them novels for adults, along with some theological studies, several volumes of essays & criticism, a few volumes of poetry, and three best selling children's novels accompanied by a couple more volumes of fairytales.
Two quotes by George MacDonald sum up my desire for all of my writing and my blogs:

If I can put one touch of a rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God.
If, instead of a gem or even a flower, we could cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give.
 
Blessings, Francine
 
 AT HOME

 To those who have followed my blog over the years, I want to apologize for so long between posts.  I've been working full time (economics) and made a major change in churches.  My new church home has provided me a wonderful place to worship, fellowship, and learn. 

John 15:5-8 in The Message says:

 "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

I've been able to also make myself "at home" again with the Father.  Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world.

I hope to return here to Words from the Heart and share how God has "grown" me during this time I've been away.

Until then, abundant blessings,

Francine
 
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