Pain

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Unexpectedly struck with bone-on-bone arthritis after having lived an active life which has included painting signs; painting houses; climbing ladders to paint billboards; mixing cement; rock work, and walking and running long distances—I had to wonder why. I love God. Why so much pain?

I already knew that God never intended pain, illness, death, and sorrow to be in the world. He created Adam and Eve and gifted them with a perfect world. They would have lived forever without tasting the sour fruits of pain, death, illness, or sorrow if they had obeyed the one rule God gave them: do not eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

They ate the fruit. Sin entered the world. The first animal died. Years later, Adam and Eve died. Sin births death, illness, pain, sorrow.

Today I realized something else. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

If Christians were automatically protected from every adverse condition in the world—where would be the need for faith?

When we can praise God in every circumstance, good and bad, and recognize as Job did, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God,” we are exercising faith.

https://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Parker-McKean/e/B00BOX90OO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Never Judge – Never

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Why is it so hard for me to learn to never judge? Never.

When news exploded with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s split from the Royal Family, I faulted Meghan for the enchanted wedding that almost all little girls dream about and living in a castle with lavish riches at her disposal—then walking out of the fairytale. My thought was—I hope people in the UK won’t think that all Americans are that selfish, self-centered and vacillating.

Then I read that Meghan had accepted a movie role and realized that God had gifted her with extraordinary good looks and talent, and that she was walking out her gifting. And I thought about my writing. It will never bring in lavish amounts of money, fame, and success—but it’s my gifting and I will continue to walk in it…even if I must walk out of situations to continue.

So instead of getting sucked into negative news again, I’ll celebrate the calling God gave me by introducing my newest book. And I will try not to judge so readily—really.

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Cordy arrives in Quartzsite, Arizona, from London, England, to decide the future of her aunt’s museum, a shrunken head that “speaks,” and to solve a 30-year-old murder—but she must not—simply must not fall in love again with her childhood sweetheart—because he might be the killer.

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Silent Alarm

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When I entered the bathroom of a restaurant the light automatically switched on. For a brief moment in time my presence mattered; just me being somewhere made a difference.

Later that day when I took our dog for a walk, I walked past a building with an alarm going off and red lights flashing over the door. No one came. Hour after hour the alarm rang and the lights flashed…and no one came.

Sometimes we just need to know we make a difference for one thing, or to one person. Sometimes our life derails, the alarms scream…and no one comes.

It is a comfort to know that no matter where in the world we live or what in the world we do, we matter to God. No matter what alarm bells shrill in our lives, God is never too busy to hear.

“Cast all your cares upon God, for He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

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