DEVOTION: Unchanging God

By Leila Halawe | @Lhalawe

And just like that, the new year has well and truly come and gone. The celebrations have settled down, the streamers have been pulled down, along with the Christmas decorations (mine, anyway) and everyone has gotten back into the daily grind. For many, the changing of the calendar is a time to reset. A second chance. A new beginning. A time to hope and dream and visualise all that could be. To say goodbye to what was and usher in a new season. While we are almost at the end of January, I am still reading many new year posts online claiming that this year would be different, it would be better. There would be more joy and happiness and success. Amen.

Like many people, I had a hard year in 2017. On just about front, things were difficult or hard or just downright exhausting. There was so many ups and downs but through it all, there was one constant: God. As I look back, I realise that while it was a difficult year for me, it was also a year where I repeatedly saw the goodness and kindness of God. It was a year that I felt the steadfast love of God in my life. Despite what I felt or did or said, He was steadfast. He was constant. His love was unconditional and endless. I wish I could say the same about myself.

But God.

But God was faithful and steadfast and true.

He was present.

He is still present.

New beginnings are wonderful, and ushering in new things is also wonderful, but so is steadfastness. So is faithful. So is familiar. These are all also good and wonderful things that we should be careful to not toss away in the search for new and exciting and comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, like many others I was more than glad to see the back of 2017, but I was also comforted in knowing that the midnight stroke on NYE wouldn’t change God. It wouldn’t change who He is. It wouldn’t change His love for me or His plans and purposes for me. The change in the date wouldn’t change the fact that God is still God, He is still on the Throne and Jesus is still seated at His right hand. It wouldn’t change the fact that I am loved with an everlasting love by a Heavenly Father that calls me by name. 

The ticking of the clock doesn’t change that for you, either.

You are still loved.

You are still a child of God.

You are still adored by Your Heavenly Father, the creator of the heavens and earth.

As we look ahead to new beginnings and as we make fresh starts, let’s also hold onto the faithfulness of God. Let’s hold onto the knowledge that He was and is and is to come. Let’s hold onto the truth that He is unchanging and His love is everlasting.

Blessings for a great year.


About Lays 

Leila (Lays) Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via her blog page Looking In . You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author  and via Twitter at Leila Halawe. 

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DEVOTION: Reflections in the New Year

by Shirley Corder @Shirl_Corder

Let me start this post by wishing you a very happy and blessed New Year!

As you look back on last year, what do you see? I see fruitful times—and a few good visits with family. I also see times of frustration and personal reactions which I wish had not happened.

Recently, my friend and fellow author on this blog, Ruth Dell, spent some weeks on holiday in Ireland. She sent me these photos, and as I looked at them, I saw a deep significance in each one.

This photo shows a pretty scene, with reflections clearly showing in the water. But the reflections are not clear in this particular image as there are too many distractions. It is a riot of color. Branches, bushes and plants of every autumn hue stick out in all different directions. Leaves float on the water, indicating a wind that had blown at some point.

I wonder how often my life reflected chaos last year? Is it shown in the reflection I showed the world? Too much going on. Did I reflect a riot of different ideas and actions and reactions? Were they frequently blown around by the winds of change that frequent our chaotic country as well as my busy-busy lifestyle. Was that me in 2017? Was it you?

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I love this relaxing picture. What looks like a lazy stream meanders across the level ground. I've since learned from my friend that it is not in fact a stream. This is a slob! No, not the type of slob we think of when someone takes no care over their appearance or behavior. This land was reclaimed from the sea using dykes with the work commencing in the 1840s. 

How did it earn the name, slob? The name actually comes from the word slab which means mud. The lands are drained by a network of channels. The water from these channels is then pumped into the sea by a pumping station.

In the photo, there are no signs of wind or any other interference from nature. And yet, it is not what it first appears to be. Muted colors all point together to the season of autumn (fall to you Americans!) A nearby road allows people to draw close and view its beauty, but I have two questions of this slob. Is it going anywhere? (The answer is, No.) And is it giving a wrong impression to the naive onlooker?

Were any of those observations true of me last year? Lazy? Often. There were many times when I knew I should be working, but I got distracted with unimportant activities or sat staring mindlessly at a TV program I wasn't even interested in.

Muted colors? As I look at last year, it was a rather drab sort of year. Trouble is, I enjoyed the lack of activity. It's not that I did nothing. I sat for hours at my computer and published two e-books plus over 50 blog posts. But I rarely went out or mixed with others. Yes, I think my year could be described as muted.

Did I at times give the impression of being one thing, when in fact I had a different agenda to that imagined by others who didn't know me well?

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Isn't this a wonderful scene? The still, calm water shows hardly a ripple. No wind. No rain. No disturbance. You could almost turn it upside down and see the same picture! You can take one look at it and see the sun was even shining—a rare occurrence in Ireland!

Was that true of my life in 2017? How about yours? When people watched me, did they see the calmness and the beauty of an unruffled life? Sure, the occasional leaves fell into the water. But they didn't mess up the surface of my day-to-day existence. Well, not every time. It's not that I was 100% perfect. Far from it. I didn't always behave in the best possible way. (If you did, please contact me and tell me how you did it!) But as folk saw the problems life threw at me, did they marvel at the calm reflection I managed to maintain? I have to admit—not as often as I'd have liked.

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And then we come to the crowning glory of this final photo. Once again, an almost perfect reflection. This time, no leaves float on the surface. For me, living in South Africa, I can only marvel at a pollution-free lake. No debris floats near the edge. No garbage spoils the beauty of this country scene.

Central to the picture stands a Victorian pumping station which pumps the water from the reclaimed land into the sea. I first thought this was a church, a symbol of God's presence clearly reflected in the still water.

If it was a church, would this be the image I portrayed to the world last year? Did I show my day-to-day contacts, not only a calm well-cared-for life, but the clear image of Christ reflected to them? What about online? I have so many cyber friends, and we often share good fellowship. 

Even now I know it's a pumping station, I can ask myself this question. Do I show my contacts a life centered on the One who stood with me throughout 2017, ready to get rid of unwanted sludge in my lifestyle as soon as it showed up?

It's too late to change a thing about last year. It's gone onto the shelves of history. God has been so good to me and to you. He has given us another package of 365 days! Okay, make that 360 days, because we've already used up five of them! 

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What photographs am I going to share with the world in 2018? When people look at me, what kind of reflection will shine back at them? 

As I look over these four photographs, my prayer is that we will de-clutter our lives of unnecessary "stuff." May we have a sense of purpose and present the world with a calm, unruffled life-style. No matter what crises we face (and we will), may we reflect the calm and beauty of a life unpolluted by the garbage of the world.

Most of all, my prayer is that the Son will be reflected no matter what 2018 holds for us.

Thanks to Ruth Dell for the use of her stunning photographs taken in beautiful Ireland.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the southern coast of South Africa with her husband, Rob. She has recently embarked on a series of eBooks titled, Out of the Shadow. Available now:

• Naomi, Beloved Mother-in-Law
• Eve, Mother of All
• Miriam, Devoted Sister
• Miriam, Gifted Leader
• Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations for those facing cancer.

Who Packs Your Parachute? by Shirley Corder

"In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you" (Matthew 5:48 MSG).

A story appearing on Social Media and other cyber sites tells of Air Commodore Vishal, a jet pilot. In a combat mission, his fighter plane was destroyed by a missile. He managed to eject himself and parachuted to safety. He won acclaims and appreciations from many.

About five years later, he was sitting with his wife in a restaurant. A man from another table came over to him and said "You're Captain Vishal ! You flew jet fighters. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Vishal.

"I packed your parachute." The man smiled as he replied.

Vishal gasped in surprise and gratitude and thought, If that parachute hadn't worked, I wouldn’t be here today. 

Vishal couldn't sleep that night, thinking about that man. He wondered how many times he might have seen him and not even said 'Good morning, how are you?' or anything because, he was a fighter pilot and that person was just a safety worker.

Who packed my parachute in 2016?

I don't know about you, but for me 2016 has been a tough year, both physically and emotionally. I'm looking forward to a clean slate in this new year.

When I ask myself this question, many people come to mind, such as:

     * the folk who supported me and prayed for me, perhaps unknown to me

     * the drug companies who created the drugs that helped me deal with the physical pain of a Total Knee Replacement followed two weeks later by a Cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder)

     * the shop workers in the Pharmacy who carefully counted out the right number of the correct medication prescribed by my doctor

     * those who bought the two e-books I published during the year, and

     * those who encouraged me in so many different ways

I could go on.

Let me start the new year by thanking each and every one of you who have packed parachutes during the past year. The Lord bless you for your perseverance and commitment.

Who will pack our parachutes in 2017?

Who will pack your parachute this year? 

And not just one parachute--there will be man, many of which are unknown to you at this time. You may need a parachute to help you get over a physical need. Perhaps you will need an emotional or a mental parachute. Or a spiritual one.

At this time when thousands make New Year Resolutions, let us each one resolve to notice, acknowledge, and pray for the people in the background, those who pack the parachutes that enable us to survive the many crises we are likely to face during 2017.

Please take the time now to jot down in the comment section one situation where someone packed a parachute for you during 2016.

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast of South Africa with her husband, Rob. She has recently embarked on a series of eBooks titled, Out of the Shadow. Book 1 is Naomi, Beloved Mother-in-Law and Book 2 is Eve, Mother of All. 

Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

Sign up here to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.

2017: For “Auld Lang Syne”

Well, it’s time for “Auld Lang Syne” again. 2017 is here. And being back at work after Christmas this writer found herself listening to the song a couple of times this week. My favorite versions are from Colbie Caillat and Susan Boyle. 

Celebrating New Year's Eve in Vienna 2014

Listening got me thinking about this song so closely tied to New Year’s Eve – what’s it all about? Is it really about the new year and its wishes? Maybe you’ve wondered this yourself. And as writers we definitely can appreciate words that have been immortalized through all the world since the late 1700s. Here’s the scoop from an article by Richard Curland of the Norwich Historical Society.

“It all started as a Scot poem by Robert Burns in 1788. He once admitted he had heard the first verses from an old man and quickly wrote down the words. Later, it was set to a tune of a traditional folk song...The earliest beginnings of the three-word song title have been traced back to the 16th century. However, the meaning of the title is now very different. The original title laments the fickleness of those who would seek financial gain from it. Its use in current times is as a farewell or an ending to the old year at midnight… 

“The Scots’ title can be translated into English as ‘old long since’ or ‘long, long, ago.’ Some have it as ‘days gone by’ or even ‘just old times.’ Storyteller Matthew Fitt, in the Scots’ language, used the phrase, ‘in the days of auld lang syne’ as the equivalent of ‘once upon a time’ in his retelling of fairy tales. Cultural historians, in general, believe the tune used today may not be the same one used when the poem was first set to music. Singing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ on New Year’s Eve as a Scottish custom soon spread to other parts of the British Isles. Immigration spread the song around the world.

“More than a century later, composer George M. Cohan quoted the first line of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in the next to last line of the chorus in his song, ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag.’ Along with ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ the Scot song is sung in England at ‘The Last Night of The Proms’ although it is not printed on any programs at those events.

Celebrating New Year's Eve 2015 with my husband (20s style)

“Recordings of the song are plentiful. In 1960, singer Bobby Darin changed a few words and sang it on his Christmas album.’ The Beach Boys in 1964 sang it on their holiday album, and it was heard on Billy Joel’s live ‘2000 Years’ album. Mariah Carey’s 2010 album, ‘Merry Christmas II You’ included it, and Rod Stewart’s 2012 album, ‘Merry Christmas, Baby’ also presented the song prior to the holiday, along with many others.

“In our society, the song is often referred to as ‘the song that everybody sings but nobody knows.’ Music historians tell us the first mention Burns makes of the song is in a letter sent to a Mrs. Dunlop in December 1788. He wrote that ‘both the old song and the tune thrilled through my soul.’ The song has inspired a number of translations into foreign languages. It remains as a means of making a toast to old friendships. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is the third most popular song in the English language. The first is ‘Happy Birthday To You’ followed by ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’ in second place.”

This post is from Historically Speaking, which appears on Sundays, and are short historical stories written by Richard Curland of the Norwich Historical Society in cooperation with society president Bill Champagne. Here’s the link.

Happy New Year to everyone wherever you are in the world!! Happy writing this year!! 

Morgan Tarpley

Morgan Tarpley is an award-winning newspaper reporter and photographer in Louisiana. She is also a historical novelist currently seeking representation. Besides writing and traveling to over a dozen countries, her interests include acting in her local theater, genealogy, photography, and singing. She resides in Louisiana with her husband. For more information about Morgan, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Goodreads.

DEVOTION: A New Heart ~ by Shirley Corder

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

On the slopes of Devil's Peak, a mountain adjacent to Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, stands the magnificent Groote Schuur Hospital.

This is the hospital where I trained to be a nursing sister (RN), and whenever I look at it a myriad of memories flood into my mind. Behind the hospital is the nurses’ home where I lived when I first made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ. A few weeks later, I met the young man who would one day become my husband. 

It is also the hospital which saw the world’s first ever human heart transplant.

In 1967, Professor Chris (Christiaan) Barnard performed this surgery on 53-year-old Mr. Louis Washkansky. Sadly, Mr. Washkansky died after 18 days due to pneumonia, but his new heart beat strongly to the end. 

Today, according to Wikipedia, 3,500 heart transplants are performed annually across the world. Recently, there has been a fascinating discovery. Several heart transplant recipients have reported how they have experienced memories, desires and even habits they never had before.

There is a story of a Spanish-speaking man who began using words he hadn’t previously used. The wife of the donor confirmed these were words her husband used to say. The recipient’s music preferences changed as did his choice of food. He went from being a vegetarian to craving red meat!

In another story, an 8-year-old girl received a heart from a 10-year-old girl who had been murdered. As a result of nightmares and help from a psychiatrist, the recipient was able to help police solve the case of the murdered donor. (Our own Harry Kraus has a book published called A Heartbeat Away which delves into this scenario. If you haven't read it, do yourselves a favour and get it here. It's a fabulous read.)

Some people have researched the background to their donated hearts, and a number of scientists have concluded that there appears to be some sort of intelligent memory tied into the heart. Is it possible? Critics argue these occurrences are not possible, but do the stories perhaps speak for themselves?

It is over 48 years since I gave my heart to my husband in marriage, and I started a new life as a young wife. It is over 52 years since I gave my heart to the Lord. But you know what? He gave me a new heart in return. A heart transplant, if you like. One which is just full of stories that speak for themselves. 

We have a New Year ahead of us. Let us make a new start once again, offering him our hearts of stone. Let us get busy creating new memories that will carry us way beyond 2016. 

And a very blessed New Year to you all!

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

Sign up here to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.  

DEVOTION: Happy New Year! ~ by Shirley Corder

At the beginning of February, 2014, I saw a post on Facebook that said, HELP! Has anyone seen the first month of the year? I seem to have lost it! At the time, I was busy writing a series of devotions based on some of the kings of ancient Israel.

It was refreshing to read of the godly King Hezekiah who did so much to turn the nation of Judah back to God. However, the king became critically ill and was told by the prophet Isaiah that he was about to die. His reaction was to turn his face to the wall and pray to the Lord. God heard his prayer and granted him an additional 15 years of life. You can read this exciting story in 2 Kings 20.

Over 17 years ago, I received a diagnosis of cancer. My surgeon didn't expect me to live as long as a year. God has given me an additional 16 years to date, and I'm still doing well. Praise the Lord.

During those bonus years I have become a published author with many articles and stories in print and online, as well as my book of 90 devotions for those in the cancer valley, Strength Renewed, Meditations for Your Journey through Breast Cancer. It has been a fruitful time, although I know I could have done more if I'd been better organised.

Unfortunately, Hezekiah did very little with his fifteen years. The one big thing he did do was very stupid. But you can read that for yourself.

Yesterday, we were all given 365 new days with the arrival of the year, 2015. Of course, we do not know if we will all get to spend all those days on earth, but is it the number of days that count? Or is it what we do with them that matter? At the time of posting this message, we've already used up one of them. Maybe by the time you're reading this, you've already used several of them. Have you used yours wisely? Do you wish you could have them back?

I know that a month from now I may well be asking that same question. Where has January gone? I will feel as if I've lost many of those days. I may wish I could start over. But of course, that's impossible.

Guess the question now is, What will we do with the next 364 days?

Oh, and a Happy and Blessed New Year to you all!

OVER TO YOU: What is the one thing you wish to achieve during this year? Share it with us!

 SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her time in the cancer valley.

Sign up here to receive a short devotional message from Shirley in your inbox once a week.

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook.  

DEVOTION: What Difference Will You Make? ~ by Shirley Corder

A few weeks ago in church, the preacher spoke of a brief trip he had just taken with his wife to Portugal. They went sightseeing, visited the beach and restaurants, enjoyed the different culture for a week, and then came home refreshed. “But,” he said, “Portugal remains the same. We did nothing to change it.”

In 1992, my husband Rob and I travelled to Israel as part of a group of 20 Christians. We spent two weeks touring the Holy Land. We met and interacted with a few locals, we visited many famous sites, we experienced spiritual blessings, and we returned home to South Africa with a new enthusiasm for God’s Word. Many of us were changed. But Israel remained the same.

In June of 1964, anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela, was sentenced to life imprisonment because of conspiracy to overthrow the state. He served 27 years in jail, 18 of them in the notorious Robben Island prison (picture above.). Even in that prison cell, he made a difference to the people he came into contact with. So much so that when he was released, he became the first president of the new democratic South Africa. When he died in December 2013, tributes from across the world gave some idea of the amazing difference this one man made in the lives of so many.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Saul of Tarsus, a rabid persecutor of the Christian church, became the apostle Paul. He too spent many years in jail, and from there he wrote a number of the epistles that we read in the pages of our Bibles today. Who knows how many lives have been changed because that one man used his prison time to write and to reach out to the world within his reach.

Paul didn’t intend to become one of the greatest apostles. He simply wanted to reach individuals with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mandela didn’t seek the highest role in the land, nor did he aim to become a world-famous statesman. He wanted to help his people—the people of Africa—to live in harmony, to find freedom. 

How about you today? Do you feel as if you’re in some sort of prison? Are you too busy, too committed, too tied down—with children or family commitments, with work and career engagements—to even consider making a difference in anyone’s life?

Determine now that during this already-not-so-new year, 2014, you will make a difference in someone’s life. And of course, the greatest way you can do this is by introducing that person to the One who can make the greatest difference of all. Jesus Christ. It may be someone close to you. It may even be through a seemingly insignificant act. 

The first person I led to the Lord as a brand new Christian came about as a result of a dare. She wanted me to climb Table Mountain with her. I was terrified. Confident that she would say "No" to my invitation, I retorted, "I'll go up the mountain with you if you'll come to church with me." 

She said "Yes". 

She came to church with me, and in the middle of that night she woke me. She wanted to give her life to the Lord. Oh and by the way, I fell in love with Table Mountain and climbed it many times over the next few years! Both of us had our lives changed as a result of that short conversation.

So who knows? By reaching out even in a little way, you could make a huge difference in someone’s life. By telling them your own personal story of how you became a follower of Jesus Christ, you could transform them for eternity. By finishing that book you’ve dreamed of for so long, who knows how many lives may be impacted?

The Lord bless you as you carry on into 2014 with a firm resolve that this year YOU will make a difference!
 

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her sojourn in the cancer valley. 

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook. 

Gratitude

I’ve recently been reading Deeper Places Experiencing God in the Psalms. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16234349-deeper-places. This book is written by Matthew Jacoby, pastor at a Baptist church in Victoria and singer with the band Sons of Korah, http://www.sonsofkorah.com/ whose music is based on the psalms. I have greatly enjoyed it and found lots of helpful insights. One that was not new but is one I think we often need to be reminded of is about the attitude of gratitude and thankfulness for all God has done and continues to do for us each day. So this is a list of some of the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful to God for the many years my husband and I have had together and look forward to more to come. It’s a great blessing to be walking with God together, starting each day with prayer and learning from God’s Word together.

One of the things would have to be the area where we live. It is a beautiful area. Each day my husband and I give thanks that God has brought us here.  But on Christmas morning as well as remembering the gift of the birth of Jesus, God sent us this sunrise.

 

It felt like a special gift from God for that day.

I am also thankful for having family all together between Christmas and New Year. Yes, it was noisy, filled with laughter and chatter with all the grandchildren and six adults in our not so large house but it was also a lot of fun. I praise God too that our son and daughter are walking with the Lord and teaching their children His ways. What a blessing that is!

I am thankful for the church God called us to, a church where God’s word is faithfully preached and where we were made to feel welcome from the moment we set foot in the door on that first day. This year will see some big changes for our church in some areas and that is a little daunting but also exciting to see what God will do.

I am thankful for the beach close by and opportunities to go and walk along the beach and swim.

I have been swimming more since we moved here than ever in my life before.

I am thankful for good and lasting friendships from years ago that survive despite distance between us and also for those who have spring up and bloomed since we moved here. I’m thankful for writerly friends who are always prepared to help each other with knowledge and advice.

I praise God for the gift of music. My music taste is pretty eclectic and runs the gamut from 60s rock to opera, ballads from the 1940sand 1950s, jazz, gospel, hymns old and modern and a whole heap more. Just about anything that has words I can sing along with.

I am thankful for the colour blue. Of all God’s colours and I love colour, blue is my favourite. I love the changing blues of the sea which is sometimes a greenish blue or turquoise, and other times a greyish blue, the blue of the sky, and the blue of flowers.

No surprise to learn my study is blue and so are other walls in our house.  It’s a colour I wear a lot, in all shades but teal is a particular favourite.  Red and purple, pink and black are other favourite colours.

I am thankful to God for my eyesight and being able to see the wonders of God’s creation as well as being able to read the Bible and so many other books. I could keep going as there are so many things to be grateful to God for. After all I wouldn’t even be able to draw the next breath if it weren’t for God. I’m thankful that He guides, protects, and enables me in tasks He has called me to do and that He is with me each day.

So at the start of this New Year what are some of the things that you are thankful for and that make you especially grateful to God? Please share them with us.

DEVOTION: Seek Me and Find Me - by Yvonne Ortega

Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”


I chuckled when I read an email from Barnes and Noble on January 3, 2013. It listed three diet books for the New Year at 20% or more off. On the news on TV, one of the newscasters talked about his new book on losing weight.

Some people need to lose weight for health reasons, but not everyone’s New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. 

Some friends told me they wouldn’t make a New Year’s resolution because they probably wouldn’t keep it after two or three weeks. A lady in my exercise class said the first two or three weeks in January the exercise classes are packed. Then they go back to their normal size.

My New Year’s resolution is not based on diet and exercise. Instead it is based on Jeremiah 29:13. I want to seek the Lord with all my heart and find him. I pray that resolution will become stronger with each passing month.

My citizenship is in heaven, and I’m going to spend eternity with my heavenly Father. I might as well get to know him now.

How will I seek him and find him? I’ll spend more time in prayer and daily Bible study. I’ll review more Bible verses on a regular basis and join the women’s Bible study group that resumes this month.

Praise & worship will become a daily practice. As I work at the computer, that music will fill me with the presence and power of the Lord. I will sing to the LORD and praise him as long as I live.

Will you join me in 2014 to seek the Lord with all your heart?

Dear God, help me seek you with all my heart. Amen.

Application: What will you do this week to seek and find the Lord?

Yvonne Ortega is a counselor, international bilingual speaker, trainer and eleven-year breast cancer survivor. She is the author of Finding Hope for Your Journey through Breast Cancer (Revell) and a contributing author to The Embrace of a Father (Bethany House) and Transformed (Wine Press). She has also been published in several magazines online and hard copy.

Yvonne hosted a blogtalkradio program on breast cancer, addiction, domestic violence, and other types of trauma. Archives are available. Visit her website

DEVOTION: The Gift of Hindsight, by Shirley Corder

Today is my husband's birthday. He's a year older than this time last year. (Strange that!) Yet it seems like only a few months since his last birthday. What happened to 2013?

Can you believe we are at the beginning of another year? It doesn't seem possible. I feel a bit like this little guy in the yellow shirt. Trying to keep up. How about you?

When I was undergoing aggressive cancer treatment, there were times when I longed for a tangible awareness of God. Oh there were many occasions when I did feel God's presence, but other times? It felt as if I had lost touch with Him, and I seemed to struggle through on my own. One day I was reading my Bible and I came to that well-known passage in Psalm 23.


The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalms 23:1-6 NIV)

"As I read the words, I allowed myself to dwell on the picture of the Lord as my shepherd. That made me a sheep. Yes, I could see the similarities, many of which I preferred not to dwell on.

"He makes me lie down. He leads me. He restores me. He guides me. Clearly the Lord was in charge. Just as well. I shuddered at the mess a sheep would make of things.

"When I reached verse 4, I paused. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . . I identified with that picture too. I often felt as if I was in the shadow of death. I read on. Goodness and love will follow me . . . (v. 6). Suddenly the words will follow seemed to stand out from the page." *

When I go for a walk with my dog, often she trots ahead, and that's fine. But when she lags behind, determined to sniff at every little bush, I don't see her. I have to stop and look back to see what she's up to. Look at the picture. That shepherd doesn't see the sheep unless he stops to look back.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. I thought back to some of the difficult times of the past months, the times when I hadn't been aware of God's presence. His goodness and His love had followed me. God was there all the time, even when I hadn't noticed Him.

I'm sure we've all seen situations like the one pictured above. The little chap in the blue shirt is striding out with confidence. He cannot see his little brother struggling to keep up. The only way he will see his follower is if he stops and looks around.

Every year end, my husband and I have a tradition. Near to midnight, we stop and look back. What has the previous year brought us? We think of the good times, and we think of the not-so-good times. We look for evidence of God's intervention in some of the situations. We marvel at the times when He brought us through, sometimes with us resisting all the way. We praise Him that even when we didn't see Him, He was always there. His goodness and love followed us all the way through the year.

Perhaps for you, 2013 has not been an easy year. Maybe there were times when you felt alone. Now's the time to stop where you are, and look back. Search for signs of God's love and guidance, perhaps His protection and mercy. He was there all the time.

Now move into 2014 with your head held high. No matter what lies ahead, God will be with you. We only need to follow. And have a happy and blessed New Year!

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her sojourn in the cancer valley. 

Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook. 

*Excerpt from Strength Renewed, Meditations for Your Journey through Breast Cancer by Shirley Corder. Click here to read some free chapters. 

ALL THINGS NEW

New . . . what a wonderful word, full of the promise of things to come. When I think of this word, several exciting things come to mind.

First has to be my new grandchild. Isn’t he cute? 

Only a month old tomorrow, Liam has crept into our hearts and we are enjoying many wonderful moments and new experiences with him. There are so many things I love about this new little life—his baby smell as he snuggles into my neck; when he wraps his tiny little hand around my finger and holds on tight; his little moans and groans as he sleeps in my arms; and I just cannot look into his sweet little face enough. I’m truly honored to be his grandma and excited to have the privilege of watching him grow and be an influence in his life.

No, it's not the cover art for my new novelette,
but Blueberry Eve, set in Finland will be coming soon with love
(that's hubby and I in Helsinki).

Second exciting thing is the new publishing contract I’ve just signed with Pelican Book Group (White Rose Publishing) for my novelette, Blueberry Eve, set in Finland. Being my first publishing contract, a whole new world is opening for me in the writing game. There’s a whole lot ahead for me to learn—from contracts, to official documents, to cover art, to first edits, second edits, royalties, marketing… Many of you have been there, and can relate to all the newness of that first contract.

The cottage I modelled my storyworld on for Blueberry Eve.

Fruit market in Helsinki.
I wrote a scene in Blueberry Eve where my hero and heroine,
Adam and Eveliina, visit this market.

Thirdly, I find myself thinking about the new country my son and his wife will be moving to later this month. Hopefully we will get to visit them in Budapest, Hungary, at the end of this year and then on to Finland where we’ll celebrate our first white Christmas at temperatures that will be entirely new for this South African. And I’m sure from that experience a new Eastern European novel will emerge too.

Budapest

My son and his wife, Kyle and Tiia, in Budapest in 2011,
the Danube River behind them.

But the final, most important thing that comes to mind are the words of our Lord Jesus when He said, “I am making all things new.” He is coming soon, and he’s going to create for us a new heaven and a new earth. 

Today is the start of a new year. What new things will 2014 hold in store for you? A new home? New country? Perhaps a new baby in the family? A new novel? New publishing contract?

Maybe we’ll even get to see a whole new world?

Wishing you all, our readers and writers, a blessed and prosperous 2014.

Marion Ueckermann’s passion for writing was sparked in 2001 when she moved to Ireland with her husband and two sons. Since then she has published devotional articles and stories in Winners (2009), The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter (published August 2011 by Tyndale House Publishers) and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miraculous Messages from Heaven (published 15 October 2013). She has just signed a publishing contract with Pelican Group Publishers (White Rose Publishing) for Blueberry Eve. Marion blogs for International Christian Fiction Writers and belongs to Christian Writers of South Africa and American Christian Fiction Writers. She now lives in Pretoria East, South Africa in an empty nest with her husband and their crazy black Scottie, Wally.

DEVOTION AND GIVEAWAY: The Best of 2013 by Shirley Corder

Full reading: Luke 10:38-42

Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42 NIV)


Recently my husband and I started a new ministry in our suburb entitled Prime-Timers. Its goal is to encourage and inspire the over fifties of our community. Each month we plan to have a time of entertainment and a demonstration that will teach a new “hobby” to encourage those present to develop their talents. There will also be a time of inspiration and a time of “Table Talk”, where they discuss some point around the theme of the day.

At the end of the hall, there will always be a “Talent Table”.  Folk will have the opportunity to share things they have made using their talents. They are free to sell their goods, and while enjoying tea and cake, the members of the group can mingle and buy from one another.

Our first meeting was in December, with the theme of Christmas. A tenor with a magnificent voice entertained us with Christmas-related songs. A sweet lady in her nineties demonstrated how to make bowls of various shapes and sizes using the art of decoupage. She donated two, which we filled with fruit and candies and gave as gifts to two of the gathering.  The local small businesses came on board, donating gifts and vouchers which we were able to hand out as prizes. How wonderful for those who went home with car-wash vouchers, or the gift of a free pizza, or a breakfast at a local coffee shop—not to mention the two ladies who received free manicures.

Well, Christmas has come and gone. It’s now time to prepare for our next meeting. The theme is no surprise—Keeping Track of the New Year. Our demonstration will show a few ways we can make and use calendars to balance the year 2013.

By the time of the meeting on the 12th January, we will already be nearly two weeks into the year 2013. Indeed, today, as you read this, you have already used up 4 of the 365 days God gave you as a gift on New Year’s Day. How often we say, “How time flies!” That’s not just a cliché. It’s a fact.

As we demonstrate various ways of making calendars, it will already be too late to start with January! Isn’t that sobering? Most new calendars will have to start with February. We hope that by the time the group say goodbye to one another on the 12th, they will have been challenged to put the rest of the year to good use. That as they go home, perhaps to make calendars for use as gifts or to keep track of their busy schedules, or even a calendar that will help them keep track of the birthdays of those important to them, it is our prayer that they will also resolve to balance their days.

Jesus commended Mary for choosing the best thing. Why? Certainly not because she was being idle as her sister suggested, but because she saw spending time with the Lord as her priority. So in every day of our diaries for 2013, the first thing we should write is an appointment with Jesus. In every month of our calendars, there should be days set aside for worship and spending time with the Lord and His people.

John Maxwell likes to say, “If we fail to plan, we’re planning to fail.” I want to suggest if we fail to have a plan for 2013, we’ll arrive at the end of the year saying, “Where has the time gone?” We’ll look back on the year with a sense of failure, missed opportunities to bless others with a phone call or a greeting on their birthdays, forgotten celebrations, and a lack of balance. Hectic days lead to crazy months and a year zooming past. Mary chose the best thing. There were plenty other things she could be doing, lots of pressure to perform. But she chose the best thing.

This year, let us keep a calendar, a diary, whatever will work, so that we can balance the year. So at the end of the year we can say, “It was a good year, because I chose the best things each day.” Don’t let’s waste one more day. This time next year, let us be able to look back and say, no matter what the year may have in store for us, “I lived 2013 in a way that pleased God.”

I wish you each one a happy, blessed, and productive year, with each day spent in the best possible way.

GIVEAWAY: I would love to start the devotional  year on this blog by blessing someone. Please share with us just one thing you can do as you seek to spend 2013 in the best possible way. If more than ten people leave a response to this question, together with an email address, I will have a draw from all the names on the 15th of January.  I will make and send the winner a perpetual birthday calendar with a theme of Africa which can be used for ever after to keep track of those birthdays!

So how about it? What one thing will you do to help you spend your time in 2013 in the “best” way? (Don’t forget your email address.)

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on times when God used the often unexpected things to help her through the rough times spent in the cancer valley. It is available globally in print or online, in print and e-versions. Please visit Shirley through ShirleyCorder.com, where she encourages writers, RiseAndSoar.com, where she encourages those in the cancer valley, on Twitter or on FaceBook. Sign up for her writers' newsletter.