A Step in the Write Direction
August 11,
2014
Update: I cannot believe this
happened. I forgot to write and send
today’s blog!! I was thinking tonight of yesterday’s sermon and how I wanted
to include some highlights in the blog when I suddenly said, “Today’s Monday!”
“Yeah,” my hubby said. “My blog!! I forgot it!!” So here it is—a day late. But I
still want to include the main points of the message on Jesus’ turning the water
into wine at the wedding in Cana. 1) Invite Jesus into the significant events of
your life. 2) There’s a time for all of us when the “wine” runs out—our time,
money, energy, health. 3) Simple obedience to Christ will bring us through the
shortages of life. 4) Whatever Jesus says to you, do it. 5) The water pots were
dry and empty. Does our life ever get like that? 6) As He filled the water pots,
He fills our life with joy and happiness—up to the brim, and, 7) He saves the
best till last! (I hope that was worth waiting an extra day for!)
Thought for the Day: Count the cost of the conflict. Just
because I can win doesn't mean I should win. Some battles simply aren't worth
fighting. It takes discernment. In other words, at times I can be right but
still be wrong...(Daryl Blank, pastor, Goodlettsville (TN) Church of the
Nazarene).
Song for the Day:
What will you do with
Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be.
Someday your heart will be
asking,
“What will He do with
me?”
—A.B. Simpson, 1891
Laugh for the Day: The lady was trying to impress those at the
party. "My family's ancestry is very
old," she bragged. "It dates back to the
days of King John of England." Then,
turning to a lady sitting quietly in a corner, she asked condescendingly, "And
how old is your family, my dear?" “Well," said the woman with a smile, "I really
can't say. All our family records were lost in the flood."
Writer’s Tips: Writer’s Devotional (from unpublished
book)
Mission
Impossible
With man this is impossible, but with
God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).
A
popular television series some years ago was entitled “Mission Impossible.” At the beginning, the main character
turned on a tape recorder and heard the following words: “Your mission, Jim,
should you decide to accept it, is _________________. As always, should you or
any member … be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of
your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."
To
my knowledge, “Jim” never turned down a mission, nor did the secretary ever
disavow any knowledge of his actions.
I
wish I could say the same for myself when the Lord has offered me a writing
assignment. The many trials He brought me through so I could share hope with
others. Humorous experiences that would have brought a laugh to someone’s day. A
biblical insight that would open God’s Word to a new believer. A how-to article
that may have assisted an entrepreneur to begin a new business. A devotional to
help get someone’s day off to a good start.
But
to me, those were “missions impossible,” and I decided not to accept the
assignments.
·
I didn’t want to re-open that part of my life.
·
I thought what was humorous to me might not be funny to an
editor or reader.
·
My biblical insight would be “old hat” to other believers,
and they would wonder why it took me so long to grasp a simple truth.
·
The how-to article would have to include mistakes I made to
eventually reach my goal of running my own business.
·
And the devotionals—well, anyone else could write them
better.
But
God did not disavow my actions, nor did His tape self-destruct. He continued to
offer me the same assignments, until one day I realized that with Him,
all things were possible—even the writing projects He invited me to
do. And I finally accepted the mission.
What
mission is God inviting you to today? Will you accept it?
Have a good
week spreading the
gospel through
the printed page.
Donna Clark
Goodrich
dgood648@aol.com
www.thewritersfriend.net
http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com
Oh, Donna, this is such a good post, even if it was a day late! God has invited me on so many missions over all my many years of living, and I have this wondrous sense that His invitations to "go" will be just as exciting in the eternal as they are now. Like you, I've turned away from His invitations for so many of the same reasons you listed, until I realized that with His help I don't have to do any of them alone. One of His several missions for me lately has been to pray with and for others very specifically. His invitation wasn't hard to accept when I remember to trust the Holy Spirit to speak through me and to go, doubting nothing, (Acts 11:12)
ReplyDeleteThanks for a really thought provoking blog, Donna! ☺ I look forward to others' comments.
Thank you for your comment, Sally. I'm thinking of Moses who, when God called him, he said he was "slow of speech," but look at how God used him to lead His children out of Egypt. Someone has said it's not our ability that counts, but our availability. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI really needed that today. I learn so much from you!
ReplyDelete