Believing for a Miracle from God was my only option

Part One

By babs kincaid

Believing for a miracle from God was my only option to sell my condo at top market value, pay off my loan, and buy another condo to become debt free. One of my friends at church had actually done this so I was inspired to follow her wise example. I decided to claim a promise from Jesus who said profoundly: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40 Let me give you a more comprehensive visual so you can understand my predicament. Built in 1985 my condo had seen better days in its 33 years old. For sure my location was a high drawing card for any buyer. Unfortunately, my lack of an updated kitchen and updated bathrooms was not a buyer’s delight! My shabby chic Key West décor was perhaps not the most desirable for staging a stylish presentation to score a sale. God so graciously ministered encouragement to me in His word. A beautiful promise jumped off the page of my Bible and locked into my heart: “The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.” Psalm 10:14b That’s me I said! God was my hero when it came to turning hopeless situations around for happy endings! So it was time for me to believe God for a huge miracle!

Financial freedom was a high motivator for me to declutter my home and make as many improvements as I could afford. Regrettably, my budget was extremely tight. I had to humble myself and ask my friends to do volunteer ministry work. No joke, my talents and skill set for home improvements was totally lacking which put me to another disadvantage for sure! My realtor informed me that the condos in my development that sold for the paramount prices were all remolded and updated!!! Ouch! Could potential buyers look past the outward appearance of my humble condo and see remarkable potential? When I looked at all the flaws in my condo I felt disheartened, but I had to trust the Master who turns crazy imperfections into creative possibilities.

Jenny Davis ties the knot with Kyng Ryan on Singer Island Municipal Beach.
Such a beautiful couple!

Was it a coincidence that Jenny recently shared with me her extraordinary story of believing God for a miracle when He was the only option? No!!! God was giving me more confidence in trusting Him. Listen to her Heaven drop story. Jenny’s idea of a happily ever after wedding was one on the sandy beach. It had to be held on the sunset beach at 5 pm. She wanted to feel the sand under her feet and the smell of salt spray on her face. Joyfully she woke up on her wedding day, and looked outside to be devastated with an ominous black sky threatening to burst into rain! Yikes! She immediately talked to God about her dream to be married on the beach without liquid sunshine! Check out God’s heart: “the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Proverbs 15:8b She refused to give up her hope for a beach wedding! She had contracted a company from Miami to bring all the decorations, chairs and design elements for the event. Her conversation with God continued throughout the day as she prayed and persistently believed God for a miracle. She proceeded to her hairdresser appointment with the fearless notion her special day was to be a beach setting. When she left the hairdresser at noon, it was raining so hard her hairdresser walked her to her car with a big umbrella. Her fiancé called her and suggested they move the wedding to the inside and she said emphatically no! By 3:00 pm it was still raining and her Mom told her to call the company and cancel. She gave lip service to her mom and then didn’t call the company. She was relentless about believing God would be faithful to allow her to have her romantic storybook ending at the beautiful beach! She was late arriving at the beach and when she did her eyes gazed into the sparkling sunshine and white sand. The sand appeared to have been untouched by rain! Yea God! Against all hope, she believed! Check out the nature of God: “For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 I know God was smiling that day as He watched that wedding unseen from a front row seat on the beach. Yea God!!!!

         The question is could I be relentless like my friend Jenny in putting all my confidence in God? Could I believe that all my hard work would yield a profit? Could I trust God to sell my condo and help me purchase another one so I could be debt free when all the odds were stacked against me?

...to be continued

Peace Comes When You Transition From

Anger To Acceptance

By Babs Kincaid

     Anger is a cruel drill sergeant, is what I learned growing up in the home of an angry alcoholic dad. God expresses it best: “Anger is cruel.” Proverbs 27:4a According to Strong’s Exhaustive concordance the Hebrew word #394 for cruel means “terrible.” My dad was a ticking time bomb who expected daily perfection from me. His tongue was like an arrow that pierced my heart as he tore me apart daily with disapproval and rebuke! Check out the perspective of the Creator of the universe: “A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4b  I felt pulverized like salt! As I grew up my love tank was depleted as the years progressed, until my love for him was replaced with pure anger and hate. 

          I spent many years carrying a backpack of anger that I felt justified to share with others. I had no idea that anger was ruling my life! God’s word shines the light on this issue: “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7b I had relinquished my control to anger and it ruled me! I could not shake off the painful scenario, so I replayed it for others any chance I could. I wanted the world to know how I had been wronged! I was a bitter woman with a deadly poison infecting my mind, body, and spirit! Reliving my pain over and over again only prevented my painful wound from healing! I was unable to move forward in my life. Resentment filled my thoughts, as I felt my dad had stolen my childhood. Check out God’s viewpoint: “The godless in heart harbor resentment,” Job36:13 That was an accurate description of me. “Resentment limits our ability to live in the present. Holding on to resentment causes anger, stress, anxiety, depression, and frustration. Resentment keeps us focused on the person or situation causing the negative feelings. It prevents us from accepting God’s healing.” Twelve Steps for Christians by Friends in Recovery.  I viewed myself as a pitiful victim in life. I had no idea that my negative drama was offensive to others. I was stuck in a toxic cycle:

A = annoyance

N = negative emotion

G = grudge

E = enraging

R = resentment

“sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7b

       When I finally allowed God to take the lead in my life, I learned that Jesus wanted joy to be my strength! I had been misguided into believing that anger was my strength. Check out the truth in God’s word: “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 To break free from my prison, I had to forgive my dad and allow God to heal my broken heart. I made a list of all the lies my dad had told me and lined them against God’s word. I learned I wasn’t created to be condemned by my earthly father. God’s word says it best: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 My dad had used anger to control me and my Savior Jesus has used mercy to love me! My dad had held me in bondage with his anger and my beloved Heavenly Father had set me free to love. 

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you…Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27

         When I transitioned from anger to acceptance, peace was my amazing reward. Anger is the second phase of the grief process and acceptance is the last. The grief process goes from shock, anger, negotiation, sorrow, to acceptance. The first two lines from The Serenity Prayer* hold some vital keys to acceptance: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” by theologian-philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr.

Forgiving my dad led to my accepting the abusive childhood I couldn’t change and my reward of serenity. I can now be thankful for the gift of mercy God gave me to minister to others because of my agonizing experience. Reaching out to others in compassion had replaced my motivation to react in anger and curse my dad!  God says it best: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:13b Yea God for my victory and peace!!!

          *Serenity Prayer   “The prayer was originally conceived in response to the barbaric evil of Nazi Germany that threatened civilization itself during World War II…Reinhold was a first-generation German-American…who was safe from persecution but powerless to intervene against Hitler.” Susan Cheever from The Fix

Bullying: An encounter meant for evil

God turned around for good

By Babs Kincaid

“you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Genesis 50:20

My heart sunk the day my oldest son came home from school and said: “I don’t want to ride in that carpool anymore!”  My son Sam was enrolled in elementary school and I was working so carpooling seemed to be a great fit for our family. Immediately, I asked him why he wanted to withdraw from the carpool. Then I heard the words every mom dreads to hear from my son: “They made fun of me and call me names!”  So I learned he was riding to school with a mini group of girl bullies! My blood was boiling and my first reaction was to remove him from the scene of the crime! “How dare they attack an innocent person who means them no harm?” I thought. The truth was Sam was going to a Christian school, but the girls were not living after the role model of Christ. The bullies had not understood or learned the scriptures: “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers…Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you…And be kind to one another,” Ephesians 4:29, 31, 32a Ending the carpool seemed like the most obvious solution, but I was checked in my spirit to pray to God for wisdom!

According to Parents Magazine, bullying can start at an early age and has possible root causes. Allan L. Beane, Ph.D., author of The Bully Free Classroom gives insight on the subject: “Research indicates that bullying behavior can start as early as age 3. Research also shows that children who are exposed to aggression on a consistent basis may imitate the behavior they observe. Such children, for instance, may live in an abusive household, witness their parents' uncontrolled anger, or feel neglected and unloved. Children must understand that bullies have a need for power and control over others and a desire to hurt people.”

“Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things

 which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

To my surprise, God gave me an astonishing and creative response to my prayers that I would never have dreamed of! Some of my favorite scriptures motivated me to dig deeper in prayer with God into my son’s dilemma: “Call to Me, and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 and “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 Meditate on those two scriptures to get a colorful visual of God’s brilliant ways! God told me to give Sam a pad of paper and a pencil to draw with on the ride to school! Are you kidding me, how will that ever help the situation I thought? God knew that Sam could draw and he had an extraordinary plan to capitalize on it! Even though that made no sense to me, I followed God’s instructions. Reluctantly, Sam entered the car armed with his weapons of a pad of paper and a pencil. I remember Jesus said: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Matthew 10:16 Totally he was fully armed and dangerous to fight the bullies! Not! To my great shock, Sam came home that day with a positive report! He said the girls asked him what he was doing and when he showed them his drawings he became a hero! He had moved from jerk to genius in their eyes! Game changer! Immediately one of the girls asked him to draw them a picture of a horse! God works in mysterious ways, but profound ways that make for a winning outcome for sure!  That was the end of the carpool bullying for Sam! Yea God!!! The encounter that had been set up for evil God turned around for good! Yea God!!!

 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Prayer… The untapped Gift for a believer

 to lead a rewarding life

by Babs Kincaid

Glorious prayer gave birth to one of my favorite mile markers in my life that occurred in a beautiful Easter pageant. I had been attending a small church and had been privileged to play the role of Mary. For me that was both intimidating and humbling! I surprised myself by agreeing to take on such a daunting assignment! I struggled with believing that I could do justice to such an eloquent task! I kept thinking it is going to take a miracle for me to do a credible job at this task! As we rehearsed the inspiring pageant, I felt so out of my comfort zone! I felt like I was just going through the motions at best! I was sure the choir director could sense my uneasiness! Easter is my favorite holiday beside Christmas, so I didn’t want my hang-ups to detract from the magnificent message of eternal life in Christ! The truth I knew in my heart was this promise: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 As I continued in prayer, I felt my confidence shift from myself to God! Talking to God has always made a huge difference in any challenge I have faced!

That Easter Sunday, it was almost as if that moment in time I was transported to “the Place of a Skull, which is called Golgotha, where they crucified Him…” John 19:17b in Israel. That morning, all other sounds and faces faded away and I believed I was there at the grief-stricken cross of Jesus. I removed the crown of thorns from the cross, studied it, and fell to my knees in excessive pain with tears streaming down my face. It was as if Simeon’s prophecy hit me like lightening, “a sword will pierce through your own soul also” Luke 2:35a. The Holy Spirit allowed me to feel a fraction of what Mary might have felt. When it was over, I marveled at what had just transpired! I mention it to my choir director and he said he had prayed all night for the cast by name. Wow, I felt so humbled and grateful for his fervent and passionate prayers! Truly the “effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16b Because of all the collective prayers God moved mightily!    I can’t tell you how fulfilling that experience was for me. Literally it was a moment in time that took my breath away! I felt like Heaven had opened up and poured out a tremendous anointing on me! What was phenomenal to me that day was my experience for the second service was precisely the same! I felt like the powerhouse of the Holy Spirit was moving through me in a wondrous way! What a gratifying gift from God!

“He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6b

      The day that God flipped a public speaking experience of mine from catastrophe to celebration because of humble prayer was unforgettable! It was a mile marker in my life, I will never forget. God had divinely placed a joyful mentor named “Uptown Patsy Brown” in my life. One day she asked me to share one of my original devotions with her women’s group. I said yes, even though I was shocked and terrified at the same time. I invited my prayer warrior mom to come for moral support! My car was meticulously packed with my Bible, purse, a beautifully wrapped package, and my easel of paper. In my frenzy to get ready, I had forgotten one key item! You guessed it…..my notes! Yikes! Way to crash and burn before I even begin right? My mind flooded with fear! I felt like I was about to jump out of a plane with no parachute! “Help God” was my silent prayer! I opened the group with prayer and confessed to them: “Unless God brings the message today we will not be hearing anything but silence!” Well, my prayer ended and timidly I opened my mouth to speak as I smiled at the welcoming faces! God showed up majestically to my great delight and relief and brought an inspirational message! Yea God for answering my contrite prayer! My mom and I both were amazed at what came out of my mouth! Check it out: “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:13 Glory to God! Yea Jesus! What a Heaven drop blessing! What a Heavenly Father, who I can always count on to be my knight in shining armor! Talking to God is truly a privilege and His faithful responses to my prayers are a double reward!
      
      Take away: I wonder how many Heaven drop stories I could share if I sought out God more often in fervent prayer for my solutions? 

 Easter:  Healer of the brokenhearted

Gives selfless love at the cross

By babs kincaid

Jesus, healer of the brokenhearted gave selfless love to the world and significantly to His mother, Mary at the cross.  Jesus, the only begotten son of God had come to earth on a strategic mission from God. Engaged couple Mary and Joseph were chosen to raise Him from a virgin birth. The problem was Man’s sin had separated them from God. Jesus was sent to pay our debt and unite us forever with God. Jesus declared his courageous mission in his hometown synagogue:

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Luke 4:18-19

         When Mary received the news that “The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God….For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:35b, she remained ecstatic with joy despite her unpopular status with others! Check out her words:

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for He has regarded the lowly state of his maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:46b-50

Jesus’ mother had observed Jesus life as he was worshipped, celebrated, and later mocked, betrayed and crucified. Flashback through a memory of Jesus as her cousin Elizabeth said to her: “But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my LORD should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Luke 1:43-44 Mary had the memory of the shepherds who came to Jesus’ manager to see a Savior and “…Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19 When Jesus was 8 days old and presented at the temple Mary had the memory of Simeon’s chilling words: “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel…(yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also)…”Luke 2:34b-35a Magi from the east coming into their house to see Jesus where “they fell down and worshipped Him…they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11b was a dazzling memory. Mary had the privileged memory of being at a wedding where Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. “This was the beginning of signs Jesus did…and manifested His glory…” John 2:11a What magnificent memories!

No wonder the Bible calls Jesus “a Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief” Isaiah 53:3a  as he was falsely accused, betrayed by a kiss, crowned with thorns, scourged, and crucified to pay for our sin. According to Pastor Chuck Smith the scourging (Matthew 19:1) that Jesus received from the Roman soldiers portrayed this picture: “They would tie a prisoner to a post so the back was stretched out. And then…a leather whip with little bits of glass and lead embedded in it designed to rip the flesh,...across the back of the prisoner thirty-nine times…Before the thirty-ninth stripe was laid upon them, they were already dead from the loss of blood.” But Jesus survived that horror. In Jon Courson’s Application Commentary New Testament there is a vivid description of crucifixion: “The pain from the nails piercing Jesus’ hands would cause His pectoralis major muscles to go into spasms and his lungs to no longer operate properly. The only way one being crucified could breathe would be to straighten his legs, place his full weight on the nail driven through his feet, and stand straight…To exhale, he would bend his knees, causing the full weight of his body to hang on the nails in his hands.” Every word that Jesus spoke on the cross was out of intense suffering! 

        The same mother, Mary that stood up for Jesus when He was dedicated in the temple was the one who stood up for Him when He was being tortured on a cross. Check it out: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother.” John 19:25a Though Jesus had a mutilated body with horrific pain, His priority was to cherish and care for His beloved mother. Consider His profound words from the cross: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” “Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother! And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” John 19:26-27 Wow, Jesus extraordinary and selfless love is too beautiful to comprehend! Two hearts were comforted together who were deeply in love with Jesus! It was agonizing for Jesus to speak and yet even in his last moments He was still doing an act of lovingkindness for His mom! “Love never fails,” 1 Corinthians 13:8 Happy Resurrection Day!

Falling in Love With The One Who 

Loves You the Most

By Babs Kincaid

       My heart’s desire is to fall deeply in love with the one who loves me the most. There is no doubt in my mind, that my Savior, Jesus is the one who loves me the most. Jesus himself said: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Jesus showed the full extent of his love for me by coming to earth, enduring ridicule, torture, character assassination, a painful death and overcoming it all by his resurrection life! Meditate on this compelling verse: “Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 Truly Jesus is the one who loves me the most!

The disciple John was captivated by the love of Jesus. I have always been fascinated with the disciple John who called himself “the disciple whom Jesus loved” John 13:23. John got it! His perception of Jesus was spot on! No wonder John was on Jesus’ inner circle with James and Peter.  When Jesus went into the garden of Gethsemane to pray before he would be arrested: “He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, …Then he said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.” Matthew 26:37-38 Wow, Jesus was pouring out his heartfelt struggle to John, Peter, and James! That is so deep God the creator being so up close and personal with his creation! God’s word says it best: “The LORD… takes the upright into his confidence.” Proverbs 3:32 What an honor for John, Peter, and James! I want to be on that level of intimacy with God!

Photo by distinguished NC photographer Alan Ostmann

I want to be deeply captivated by the love of Jesus. Check it out in God’s love letters: “For the love of Christ constraineth us…” 2 Corinthians 5:14a According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the word constraineth in the Greek #4912 means: “to hold together, compels, preoccupy, and to be taken with.” I want to be preoccupied with deeply falling in love with Jesus. I want the Love of Christ to hold me together when I face life’s temptations and the storms of life! I want my commitment level for loving Jesus to skyrocket because I am so taken with Jesus love for me! So often when the world fights for my affection, the world wins! I can easily get preoccupied with entertainment like watching wholesome Hallmark movies, that quality time for God slips out of my hands! I can get so preoccupied with my problems that I forget I am a child of God. I am not here to watch life drift by, but to experience the love of Christ and share it! I want to be so taken with the love of Christ that I hunger and thirst for more. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

It is written concerning one of my favorite classical composers Johann Sebastian Bach: “Bach worked as if God were at his shoulder, directing the scene. When staring at a page he needed to fill with notes---to have a new composition ready for the Sunday service, he often initialed the blank manuscript with “J.J.,” which stood for Jesu Juva, meaning “Help me, Jesus.” After finishing a manuscript, he frequently initialed the last page with “S.D.G.,” denoting Soli Deo Gloria or “To God Alone the Glory.” From Spiritual Moments with Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh. I want to live that way as if God is on my shoulder guiding my steps. The truth is God is continually with me and I need to remind myself of this verse: “Nevertheless, I am continually with You; you hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward, receive me to glory.” Psalm 73:23-24 My greatest blessing in life is to travel with Jesus so I want to love Him more and more!

“The True Light of Christmas - Beyond the Twinkling Lights”

by Babs KinCaid

Christmas is more than twinkling lights, spectacular presents, melt-in-your-mouth homemade cookies and the perfect family gathering. The truth is the heart of Christmas is galaxies beyond the beautifully staged Thomas Kinkade winter wonderland scene. The lie is you can shop till you drop and you can purchase what you need to make the best sparkling Christmas ever happen. The stress of trying to reach this unattainable goal is devastating. People go through rigorous torture to find the colossal gift of a lifetime! The only reward from that experience is debt and pure exhaustion!

The true Light is the extravagant gift that too many people miss each Christmas. Visualize God’s compelling true Light perspective of Jesus from the Masterpiece book of all wisdom: “…the world was made by Him, and the world knew him not… That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world… He came unto His own, and His own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1: 10, 9, 11-13 According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance  the Greek word “lighteth”  #5461 means  “to shed rays, to shine, or to brighten up: enlighten, illuminate, bring to light, and make to see.” So Jesus gives us His Light for us to shine and to see. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance the Greek word for power is exousia  # 1849 in John 1:12 which means  “privilege, force, competency, freedom, mastery,  (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence:--authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.” That is quite a gift!  Did you catch the phrase “delegated influence?” Think about it, everyone who believes in Christ has the delegated influence to become a child of God! Christmas is all about the true Light coming into the world to give mankind the privilege to become children of God! The shepherds received this gift and traveled to the manager where they worshipped the true Light. To the shepherds, an angel of the Lord said: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10

I remember my very first Christmas after I made the decision to receive Jesus as my Savior my Christmas was radically different. Surprisingly, I saw Christmas through a different lens after the scales from my eyes had been removed. My new and bright Christmas was about Christ and His amazing gift of love to me. All the twinkling lights reminded of the true Light of Jesus! Check it out from the words of Jesus: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12b    I felt very enlightened and illuminated with great joy! For the very first time in my life, I felt like Christmas came alive with worth and hope! 

When you connect to God’s heart and meditate on His word a masterpiece can be born. God is the masterpiece music writer. Didn’t God anoint all of the songs in the book of Psalms in the Bible, 150 to be exact? Shockingly, didn’t God anoint George Frederic Handel to write the Messiah? “In 1741, George Frederic Handel‘s heath was failing, audiences had deserted him and he was in debt. Seeing no hope for the future, his music, or his life, he was ready to retire in disgrace.” Spiritual Moments With Great Composers by Patrick Kavanaugh. Who did God choose to write the Messiah, but a 56 year old man going through a pit of disappointment and hardship? Yea, I love that God champions the underdog so many times! Patrick Kavanaugh quotes from his book: “At one point a servant came into Handel’s room…He reported having seen…a weeping Handel refused the food and exclaimed, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.” Wow, now that is an epic picture! Another quote from Kavanaugh sums it up quite nicely: “But Handel was a man listening to the voice of God. Struck with the power of the words of scripture, he opened himself to the Holy Spirit and let the Spirit work through him to produce what can be described as a wonder.” Jesus said it best: “But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:21The Messiah is nothing short of outstanding artistry! Here is a famous quote from composer George Frederic Handel about his music: “I should be sorry if I only entertained them, I wish to make them better.” I love the fact that Handel's heart motivation was to bring people to a  more excellent awareness of God that could transform them. Ludwig van Beethoven said of Handel: “He was the greatest composer that ever lived.”

One day at work the LORD orchestrated for me to wait on a vivacious little girl and her dad, no doubt to enhance my Christmas experience. The little girl was singing…you guessed it “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine.” I was so moved as I felt like God was reminding me of what life was all about. Jesus said powerful words on this subject: “You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14a, 16 The little girl was letting her light shine in a beautiful way and that is my prayer for all of us to do likewise!     

                                            

This Christmas, you can choose what is better. “The LORD is my light and my salvation.” Psalm 27:1a Sit at the feet of Jesus! God is the masterpiece composer of your best life experience! Enjoy a majestic Christmas by enjoying the true Light of Jesus and letting it shine through you! Then it will be a very Merry Christmas!!!

Rejoicing: My Thankful Life comes from my Relationship with God

By Babs Kincaid

Wow, because of God, I can live a Thankful life! My grateful life began one evening in Atlanta, Georgia when I received a surprise love gift from a humble hairdresser. I had no idea I was going to get a VIP haircut! My delightful hairdresser Peggy O’Barr was a stranger who was highly recommended by her twin sister Joyce. I had arrived at Peggy’s house in rough shape from pursuing a life of getting high and bar hopping! I was one angry and rebellious young woman who got high and ate health food! That reminds me of an oxymoron!!! My life was so out of control and my only strategy to console myself was to work on my appearance! Yes, I was so vain and shallow! Who gets a haircut believing it will improve their life? So Peggy was drafted to give me a new style! Picture it, Peggy was radiant with joy and I was melancholy with regret! Peggy’s peace and contentment made no sense to me, so I had to grill her on the source of her cheerful spirit! When I asked Peggy, “What is the source of your joy?” She boldly said, “Jesus.” Puzzled, I thought, what does that mean? I asked Peggy what did I have to do to get what she had. With great enthusiasm, Peggy told me the simple gospel: my sins separated me from God, Jesus died in my place to pay for my sins, my need to repent and surrender my life to Christ, God desired to have a relationship with me as my Father and his gift of eternal life.  I had no idea Peggy had friends in high places! Not everyone gets a life-transforming haircut with Peggy and Jesus! Yes, Jesus was at Peggy’s house and her heart, so I got a powerhouse haircut! What a priceless love gift I got from Peggy that wonderful day! I got a new hair style, a new heart and a new Spirit in one day! Check it out: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 Peggy will always have an endearing place in my heart! You can read my full story of transformation in my blog entitled, “My Ultimate Makeover from a Broken Spirit to a Joyful Heart.” How can I ever thank Jesus and Peggy for all they have done for me!!! Thank you, Jesus, for being my knight in shining armor! Thank you, Peggy, for being God’s faithful messenger!

God’s faithful messenger - Peggy O’Barr Hunt 2017

My gratitude reaches to the moon and back for my new Loving relationship with my Heavenly Father as a result of my salvation. God is called “A father to the fatherless” in Psalm 68:5a Since I grew up with a cruel and unapproachable earthly father I can so relate to this verse. God replaced the hate I received from my earthly father with His everlasting love. It is written: “Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3 My dad was a raging alcoholic, who kept a running inventory of my faults which he shared with me daily. In contrast, God’s love for me “keeps no record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:5b Growing up, I never went on a father-daughter date or spent quality time with my dad, so I felt insignificant. God is quite the opposite: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8  My eternal Father goes with me everywhere I go! Check it out: “the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 God cares so very much about the pain that I suffered as a child that his word says: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3 God is the one I now proudly call “Abba Father.” There is nothing sweeter than God’s Love!

One of my favorite gifts that God has given me has been Joy! Life with my alcoholic dad was filled with sorrow. The shame I experienced was continuous humiliation and disgrace because I fell short of my dad’s high standard of perfection. I lived in a constant state of feeling inferior and unworthy of doing anything successful due to his critical words. My earthly father used to tell me that “the only reason a guy would ask me out was to have sex with me!” Gee thanks dad, nice father daughter chat!!! God’s word says: “there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 After I asked Jesus into my heart, I received a flood of love, peace and Joy. My feelings of Joy were so inspiring! “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy.” 1 Peter 1:8 What a Joy to experience God’s supportive and uplifting spirit!

Imagine how profound it was for me to have God give me a special calling for my life! I went to a church class on Missions and we were asked to write a mission’s statement. I had an attitude right away. I thought “right, how am I ever going to come up with something, as if it depended on me?” As I sat in the class praying, a thought came to me, “Cheerleader of Faith.” God nailed it! God, I am so sorry I didn’t believe you cared that much about me to give me an amazing life purpose. One of my spiritual gifts is encouragement so it matched perfectly! “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD;…” Psalm 37:23a Yea God!

      God has given me back my voice to share with Him and with others. When I was growing up my dad wouldn’t allow me to express my thoughts or opinions on anything. I could be seen but not heard. God, on the other hand, values my thoughts. “Oh LORD…you understand my thoughts from afar off.” Psalm 139:2b I know have a Heavenly Father who wants to hear my voice and is always thinking about me. Listen to his heart: “How precious to me are your thoughts, God…Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.” Psalm 139:17a, 18 and “But certainly God has heard me; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.” Psalm 66:19 When I was going through my divorce, a dear friend of mine gave me a journal and told to write my thoughts in it. She said at first it will be full of negativity but keep writing. She said eventually, your writing will become full of positive thoughts. I soon discovered from my friends, I had a gift for writing from God. Check it out: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly Lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 God expanded my mission statement to “Writer of Light and Cheerleader of Faith.” It so matches my heart’s desire to use my voice writing and sharing faith-based encouragement to others!

          So I am counting my blessings again this Thanksgiving and my thankful heart comes from my loving, joyful, creative, and personal relationship with my Heavenly Father!

       

“I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.” Jeremiah 32:40