PAULA WISEMAN

Faith and life meet in a story

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Top Posts of 2013

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iStock_000018089816XSmallIn case you missed them or are just feeling nostalgic, here are the most viewed, most commented on, favorite posts of the past year.

(This was actually published earlier but was by far the most visited post even in 2013.) Underlining, highlighting, symbols, notes in the margin… Whether you use any or all of those elements, marking or writing in your Bible is great study tool. This post includes a picture of my marked up Bible.

How we receive that ‘no’ can reveal more about our relationship with God than a ‘yes’ ever could.

The Bible has several beautiful benedictions. This is one of my favorites.

The Lord doesn’t do anything outside the plan revealed in His word. He gave us the plan so we wouldn’t lose hope when things seem bewildering at best or an insane mess at their worst.

We keep our junk hidden. We protect it at all costs. We even deny that we have junk in the first place. We become mask-wearers… deniers… and yes, hypocrites. Sometimes to cover that up, we become critical, heartless and judgmental — the very thing we were afraid of in the first place — and no one feels safe around us.

 

Thank you for reading, for commenting, for being part of this journey. I welcome your comments and emails. Here’s a great 2014!

 

What topics would YOU like to see discussed here?

 

 

God Gives Perfect Gifts

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Indescribable GiftEvery good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17

 

Gifts are tricky business.

You can overthink them. I was Christmas shopping last weekend, and I snatched up a DVD I was sure a friend of mine would like. But then I started thinking … what if she didn’t? What if she already had it? It’s pretty presumptuous to choose entertainment for someone else … We’ve never really discussed what movies we like. Sigh … I put it back.

You can underthink them. My kindergarten-ish nephew once explained to his aunt that her present was, “Some old stuff we found on the floor that we wrapped up and gave to you.”

 You can be completely obnoxious about them. I saw a photo of a card with this note written inside. “Dear [daughter’s name], You are beautiful now. We are sure you will be a beautiful bride. To help insure our wedding dress investment, please buy some scales of your choosing with this money and weigh yourself once a week. We love you and want you to enjoy your wedding day. This present might help with some of the stress. Love, Mom and Dad.” Wow…

 

Giving great gifts – not necessarily expensive ones – requires at least two things.

  • Love for the person receiving the gift.
  • Knowing that person well.

 

Of course, the best gift giver is God.

He loves us. The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. (Jeremiah 31:3) From “Jesus Loves Me” to John 3:16 we are told and retold that God loves us. But He didn’t just tell us, He proved it. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

He knows us intimately. O Lord, You have searched me and known me. (Psalm 139:1) He understands the deep longings of our heart, the need for love, for acceptance, for purpose, for fellowship and so many others.

Plus, He has infinite resources available to Him. Ephesians 2:7 mentions the “exceeding riches of His grace,” which allow Him to give lavish good gifts on us.

 

All we have to do is receive them.

As Christmas approaches take some time to receive the gifts God offers. Receive them freely, without guilt, with simple joy and delight in His love for you.

 

Merry Christmas!

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

 

 

Anticipation

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Hispanic girl opening Christmas giftWe are under a winter storm watch. It was 65 degrees yesterday, but the temperature is expected to drop at least forty degrees today as the frontal system moves in bringing freezing rain, sleet and snow.

Snow.

There are few things that get our household as giddy as the possibility – no matter how slight – of a snow day. What a sweet unexpected luxury of going back to bed, of pajamas, not to mention, cinnamon rolls. We will light the snow candle and I will spend the afternoon comparing weather reports, latching on to the most dire of the lot, as one to three inches, becomes three to five, becomes five to eight.

The buzz generated by a little snow in the forecast is nothing compared to the anticipation in the hearts of God’s people some two thousand years ago. They knew the words Malachi had spoken 400 years earlier. “‘But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 4:2-3) God said those words. He said He would send Elijah the prophet. Then for four hundred years, He said nothing.

Nothing.

The United States hasn’t even been a country for 400 years. We can’t comprehend not hearing from God for 400 years. But then He broke the silence. When Gabriel recited the words of Malachi back to Zacharias, he knew exactly what the messenger meant. It was time. The anticipation was giving way to reality.

Two thousand years ago, Jesus said, “Behold I am coming quickly.” There will come a day when the anticipation once again gives way to reality, and to fulfillment. The amazing promises God kept at the birth of Christ are just a glimpse. In fact, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (2 Corinthians 2:9) The best is still to come.

 

Are you watching?

 

Thanksgiving

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Autumnal harvest“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 1:2

 

It never ceases to amaze me what wonderful, amazing people that God has allowed me to connect with just because I sat down one day and started to type a story.

Friendships have deepened. New ones have begun.

Your stories have enriched my life.

May God return your grace and kindness to you a hundredfold today and in the days to come.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Signs

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lightstock_50176_xsmall_user_527383In John chapter 4, there is a story in which Jesus performs a long-distance healing for the son of one of Herod’s officials. Jesus is on His way home from celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem. John 2:23 tells us many believed when they saw the signs He did, but Jesus knew they were only looking for the spectacular. So now, He’s made it as far as Cana, when this desperate father catches up to Him. A crowd of Galileans had gathered, ready to see what miracle ‘their’ prophet would perform, but Jesus disappointed them. He simply told the man, “Go home. Your boy lives.” Travelling back home, the father received news that his son was healed just as Jesus said, and he believed, and his household.

 

God occasionally provides signs, but they are on His terms and glorify Him. All of Jesus’ miracles were done to demonstrate His deity and authenticate His ministry.

Signs never produce faith. They strengthen what’s there. The father in the story had enough faith to come to Jesus, AND enough faith to go back home on Jesus’ word alone. Afterward, the father was absolutely sure Jesus was who he thought He was.

Jesus expects us to believe solely because of His word. He wasn’t about to feed the crowd’s lust for drama. He said the boy would live. That was good enough.

 

I’ve asked signs from God on numerous occasions, all under the guise of ‘wanting to know God’s will’, but in reality, they were faithless demands that God prove Himself. He didn’t answer me. The truth is, He is completely trustworthy and faithful. His word is more than enough. 

Dishes

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Expensive table setBut in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. (2 Timothy 2:20-1)

 

I have some dishes up in the corner of my attic, and every year, usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, I bring those dishes down and put them to use. After New Year’s, I pack them back for another year. In a sense, those dishes are sanctified, set apart for a specific purpose. If I chose, I could use those dishes in July. Or I could use them everyday. Either way, they are still set apart for a purpose, determined by the one who purchased them.

I am set apart for a purpose determined by my Lord, who purchased me.

My dishes are useful. The bowls don’t leak. The plates hold the food. They do what they were designed to do.

I was designed by my Father to function in the roles He assigns. And I’m suited for that role just like the bowl is suited for ice cream.

My dishes can be set apart and can be useful, but if they aren’t prepared- that is, clean and in the cabinet- I can’t use them. My kids have some old plastic dishes in their playhouse outside. The dishes are dirty, stained, and many are chipped and cracked. They are no longer useful. Truth is, they were no longer useful when they were relegated to the playhouse.

I need to ensure I stay prepared, by keeping clean and being available.

Now my nature is to be one of those dishes that gets used every meal, every day. But God in His wisdom knows that’s too much for me. He knows when and how to put me to work to accomplish His purposes and glorify Him.

 

One more point- what happens if one of my Christmas dishes is used for dirt in the yard? It’s still a Christmas dish that I bought and set aside for that purpose. After it’s been in the yard, I have to bring it inside and run it through the dishwasher on the super-hot “sterilize” cycle before I’d consider using it again.

If get out and get myself dirty, God may have to put me through some really hot water before He can use me again. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m His.

 

 

(This is a re-post. Thanks for understanding during NaNoWriMo.)

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