Quiet Moments With God -- The Compass

Have you ever been lost? I mean physically lost, like in the woods or while you've been wandering around a new city? Without a guide or a map, how did you know which way to turn? There is no way to know--we guess. And guessing sometimes gets us more lost than ever and sometimes into deep trouble.

Every day we make choices, thinking we know the way except we don't. Decisions are part of life. Some are inconsequential and others are of great importance. An imperative choice -- choose the truth or the lie. It's not an easy decision. The lies of this world are insidious. The enemy is crafty. And if we're not careful we may find ourselves captured within a sphere of bad choices with devastating consequences.

With so much at stake, how do we choose?

What is truth? Think about it for a moment. Do you have the answer? If not, how does it feel to be lost when you didn't even know you were?

Truth is reality as viewed by God.

We're not God and in a culture filled with lies we carelessly exchange the truth of God for a lie. When we find ourselves in a quagmire there is a way out. Reach for it.

The truth lies in The Word of God. Abide in Him and in His Word and faith will overcome feelings. Feelings mislead. Hang onto The One who is truth and find peace in knowing that He will not lead you astray.

The bottom line is it's up to us. We choose whether or not to dwell in the presence of The Almighty . . . or not.

Know truth because what we believe is real affects how we react and feel. Have you believed the lies of the world? I have and I've paid consequences for poor choices.

Truth or the lie. How will you choose?

Grace and peace to you from God.

Quiet Moments With God --

Topic of the Day: Book Review

I received my first review for my upcoming book, Wings of Promise. As much as I'd like to say I don't care about reviews, I do.

Romantic Times gave me 4 1/2 stars for my last two books. They don't give five stars, so those are excellent reviews. Four stars is also very good, which is what Wings of Promise received. I should be thrilled. Instead I'm having a bit of difficulty getting excited over four stars.

I realize I'm being silly and self absorbed over something like a review. However, I'm pretty certain that some of you authors know just how I feel. Writers work hard, putting months of work into one single book. We place ourselves and our skills out there for everyone to see, and we want the best results, not second best.

The truth is reviews are very subjective. I need to remember that I don't write for reviewers. I write for my readers and for God. They're the only ones who matter. So, here it is -- Romantic Times review for Wings of Promise.

"The Alaskan Skies series takes you into the forbidding Alaskan bush and gives readers new perspective on what it means to be a caring neighbor. The loneliness and desperation of the bush pilot makes a great story. This is about more than overcoming obstacles in the Alaskan skies. It is about finding the peace within ourselves to go on."

I feel much better after talking this over with you. Four Stars! Awesome!

Give the book a try and enjoy the adventure.

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- Don't Quit

I love a good movie, especially when it's based on a true story. And so a few nights ago when my husband and I settled down to watch the movie Secretariat I was looking forward to a good time. However, God never wastes anything and He had more than just fun in store for me.

From the moment Penny Chenery inherited the family stables she had a fight on her hands. It was her grit, belief in her father's dream, her refusal to give up and faith in a spritely colt that she called Big Red that launched a horse to greatness.

The movie was rife with treasures, but one scene stood out above the others. It is the night before the Premont Stakes. The Triple Crown is within reach. Penny Chenery goes to the stables to see Secretariat. She tells the big red horse, "I realized something. I've already won. I made it here. I didn't quit. I've run my race. Now you run yours."

Those words went straight to my heart. I want to be able to say that I've won--that I didn't quit and that I ran my race.

Life isn't easy for any of us. Illness, circumstances, people who don't believe in us or our dreams, fears and roadblocks placed in our way by the enemy try to keep us from greatness, from the calling placed upon our lives by God. I can't count the number of times I've wanted to give up. It would be so much easier to simply ignore the challenges placed in front of me and to curl up somewhere and hide from the world. And then I hear . . .

Don't Quit! Believe in The One who has called you.

God has a plan for our lives, but know this--nothing of value comes easy. We need what Secretariat had--heart. And we need what Penny Chenery had, faith and stamina for the race we've been called to run. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."


Don't quit. Run to win.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie

Quiet Moments With God -- A Glimpse

Who do you love--your spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, best friend? As the saying goes, "Isn't love grand?" We can probably come up with a list of those we love. How about one for the people who love us?

Many are alone and lonely. Cast off souls have always been part of this world, but in our present generation there are so many more. We're too busy, too self absorbed. We may be building careers or hiding out in homes sitting in front of televisions or computers.

What is love supposed to look like? In my reading this morning I found myself in 1 Corinthians 13, familiar passages for many of us. The chapter speaks powerfully about what love is and what it is not. We make choices about how we love--career vs family & friends, addictions vs connections, self vs others.

The chapter ends with this statement, "Three things will last forever--faith, hope, and love--and the greatest of these is love."

God is love. He has always been and always will be. Therefore love has always been and always will be. His love is incomprehensible. But if we look around and see what He has created--feel His presence--trust in His Son who was given for us--we get a glimpse. How great is God's love!

When my first child was born I was given a glimpse of this kind of love. My son was only minutes old when I held him in my arms. I gazed down at this miracle of life and my heart was flooded with a love I'd never experienced before. I would sacrifice my life for this child, and I understood that we were forever bonded.

I don't think we'll fully comprehend God's kind of love until we stand in His presence. In the meantime what do we do with it? Do we refuse the love He offers? Accept it, but go on ignorant and alone? Or do we accept, cherish and return His love and offer it to others? We choose.

No matter what choice we make it doesn't change God. He'll love us no matter what. But if we refuse Him we won't be His child, we'll simply be His creation.

Choose God as Father. Never be alone. Always be cared for. And loved even when we do the very worst thing.

It's a wonderful thing to be cherished. I think I understand. For the greatest of all things is love.

Grace and peace to you from God.

Bonnie