Smart Purchases

Smart Purchases

Authored by Rickey Combs

My husband is the kind of guy who researches everything we buy. Sometimes I find it really annoying, but I know he does it with our family’s best interest in mind. He wants to make sure we get the best product for our money, since there isn’t a lot of it to go around. I just don’t always believe that customer reviews and consumer reports are that accurate. We have bought some things that come highly recommended that I don’t think are great products. The last thing he looked into was home alarm systems. He spent all this time looking for the right one at the right price, and then the one we got had so many problems. The alarm would go off all the time when no one was home, and no one was trying to rob our house. The noise was so loud, that all of our neighbors started to hate us. We signed a year long contract with the company, so it took us forever to get out of it. The one good thing that came of the whole ordeal is that my husband has started listening to me more when choosing what to purchase. 

February is Library Lovers Month

February is Library Lovers Month (Guest Post)

Picture courtesy of The Best of Times

At Home in the Library

By Gerry Wakeland

If you asked me to describe my dream home, without pause I'd respond, "My dream home would be an old vacant library where I would remove all the fixtures except the bathroom and the bookshelves and then I'd move my bed and desk into the center and start filling the shelves with my books." At which point you would stare at me quizzically.

My love affair with books and the library began as a child and continues to this very day. I remember as an elementary student begging my mother to take me to the library. She'd pull up to the curb in front and let me out, reminding me she would be back in an hour. Every time, I'd race up three sets of steps, fling open the double doors, run inside and stop. I would stand perfectly still and inhale the fragrance of the books. True love.

The library was my refuge. It provided a safe and silent haven from the noise and chaos of my home. But more than that, it opened doors for me, doors to the past, doors to the future, doors of adventure, and doors of romance, most importantly doors of wisdom.

I learned so much at the library. I learned that as a woman I could be brave and bold like Amelia Earhart or save lives like Florence Nightingale or Clara Barton. I could write poetry like Elizabeth Barrett Browning or books like Jane Austen. The library gave me hope!

Over the years I have continued to be a library patron. Sometimes I take my laptop and head to the library to work on a project. With the world at my fingertips, both digitally and in hard copy, I can research any topic to my heart’s content. Hardly a Saturday goes by that you cannot find me at some point in the day at the local library, perusing the new arrivals for the week.

Or sometimes I just sit quietly in one of the easy chairs wishing that the books could talk and wondering what they would say if they could tell the stories behind the stories.

I may never have the unusual, almost bizarre, home of my dreams. But the library is still my refuge, affording me a place that’s safe and silent, where dreams are born and hope exists.

Gerry Wakeland is the President and CEO of CLASSEMINARS, Inc. She loves helping Christian communicators identify their passion, clarify their vision and define their mission so that they can articulate God’s message effectively. Gerry is the mother of two grown daughters and grandmother to three precious grandsons. She makes her home in the land of enchantment, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her favorite pastime is reading and one of her favorite places is the public library. In March, the CLASS website will release news of the 2012 Christian Writers Conference: www.classeminars.org. Come meet Gerry and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!

February 9th is Read in the Bathtub Day!

February 9th is "Read in the Bathtub" Day 
(Guest Post) 

Take a Break

By Linda Gilden

I held the dripping book by one corner. Water poured from between its pages. How could that have happened? Until this moment I had never even gotten a cover wet.

For years the bathtub has provided my favorite literary getaway. Preparation for bath time means gathering the essentials: a glass of cold water, one towel for drying, a small one for drying hands occasionally, a flashlight, eyeglasses (a fairly recent addition to the list), and a good book.

You may not be a bathtub reader but finding a daily time for yourself is important and reading enhances that special, individual time. Making the effort to have personal time each day has great benefits.

1. Keeps you grounded. The best way to start every day is with a personal time of devotion. Making a connection with God when you first get up gives you a solid foundation for the day. This time may include Bible reading, your favorite devotional book, and a time of meditation and prayer. 
2. Recharges your “batteries.” We were not created to go and go and go. We need a break. Life is busy if not frantic for most of us and burnout lurks just around the corner. A few minutes away from the family, workplace, and the demands that go along with them gives you new strength, energy, and perspective to face your day.
3.  Provides a time for enjoyment. Everyone needs to have a little fun every day. Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. So relaxing with a good book, whether in the bathtub, under a tree, or wrapped in a blanket in the recliner gives me a few minutes of enjoyment and entertainment.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Linda Gilden is an author, speaker, editor, and writing coach. She has written hundreds of articles as well as the Love Notes series, Mommy Pick-Me-Ups, and has ghostwritten or contributed to over three dozen books. Directing the CLASS Christian Writers Conference in Abiquiu, NM, she encourages others to clearly communicate God’s love to the world. Linda lives in SC with her family – a great source of speaking and writing material!

In March, the CLASS website will release news of the 2012 Christian Writers Conference: www.classeminars.org. Come meet Linda and the rest of the CLASS faculty there!

Picture courtesy of Days of the Year.

He Sees You When You're Sleppin' - Guest Post

He Sees You When You’re Sleepin’... By Dr. Charles W. Page   Do you recall trying to sleep on Christmas Eve while waiting for Santa to come to town? The anticipation of Saint Nicolas and all his goodies was just too much—who could sleep? The lyrics of Santa Claus is Coming to Town taunted me. “He sees you when you’re sleeping—he knows when you’re awake…” I tossed and turned trying to fall asleep, fearful I’d miss out on Santa’s visit if he caught me awake. I never doubted Santa’s ability to be aware of my wakefulness. Unfortunately, as adults, the issues that keep us awake during the Christmas season are more complicated than those we experienced as kids. Financial burdens, strained relationships, difficult decisions, brooding regrets and fretful thoughts race through our minds and hinder our rest. There is someone who “sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake.” It’s not Santa Claus. The Bible reminds us, God’s eyes never close. Perhaps this truth can tuck us in for the night.     “He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” (Psalm 121:3-4)    We erroneously think that as we “turn in” that God somehow “turns off” or moves on to do more important things. But God doesn’t wait for us to wake up before He returns to work. God is just as active during our sleep—or sleeplessness. Believers can rest assured knowing God is awake guarding our lives. What does God do as we slumber? Psalm 127:1-2 reminds us that God gives to those that He loves as they sleep. What does God give? Understanding God’s generous nature, one rendering would be that God gives to the believer whatever is needed at the time. God can give you wisdom and direction with decisions as you “sleep on it” overnight (Psalm 16:7, James 1:5). Maybe there is a financial need. The scriptures are filled with examples of how God provided for the physical needs of those He loved as they rested (I Kings 19:1-8; Exodus 16:1-8). God’s gifts are good, perfect (James 1:17), eternal (Ephesians 1:3) and purposeful (Galatians 5:22-25). They do not require batteries, warranties and cannot be purchased in stores. But they are available 24/7/365—not limited to one night each year. God’s greatest gift did not arrive under a tree but on a tree (John 3:16). “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) It’s plain to see, God has our back as we sleep. Try this Christmas recipe for rest.   Repent—in areas where we are aware of our transgressions. “A clean conscience makes a soft pillow.” Release—control of problems you’re facing and give them over to God. Relate—connect with God through prayer and meditation while in bed. Rest—allow God to do what you cannot do for yourself as you sleep. Receive—God’s unmerited forgiveness, grace and blessings while you sleep. An English proverb reminds us, “As you make your bed so you must lie in it.” The truth of God’s Word helps us face our situations. Although we cannot change the failures of our past, we can rest with a clean conscience based on God’s gift of forgiveness. Our current circumstances may appear overwhelming, but God gives His presence and His guidance in our hour of need. Our future is secure and hopeful when God’s greatest gift—His Son—is kept in view. A life supported by a vibrant, healthy relationship with the Shepherd of Sleep makes the most comfortable mattress. In childlike faith learn to trust Him as you lie down to sleep and remember: “He sees you when you’re sleeping.”   Author Bio

Charles W. Page, M.D. Dr. Charles W. Page is a sleep-deprived surgeon who completed medical school and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Page is currently a rural surgeon and has taken numerous medical mission trips to South America and the Middle East. He and his wife Joanna live in Texas with their five children. He is the author of Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective. You can find more information at surrenderedsleep.com.

Surrendered Sleep A Biblical Perspective by Dr. Charles W. Page   PUBLISHER: Camino Real Publishers ISBN-10: 0983138109 ISBN-13: 978-0983138105 PRICE: Paperback: $14.95; Ebook: $10.95   Available at: Amazon Surrendered Sleep

This article content is provided free of charge by the author through Kathy Carlton Willis Communications. You are welcome to place this article on your site or in your publication as long as 1) it’s used in its entirety, 2) the full bio is also used, and 3) you notify KCWC.   All other standard copyrights apply.

Reflecting Him by Carla McDougal (Guest Post)

It is my pleasure to be hosting a guest post from Carla McDougal regarding her new Bible study - Reflecting Him.  Enjoy!

The Burning Light

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life – John 8:12

About twenty years ago, an experience opened my eyes to the light vs. darkness issue. After giving birth to Jake, our second son, I suffered from one of the common aftereffects of a natural delivery: hemorrhoids!

If you have ever experienced the throbbing pain of this annoying condition, you probably are empathizing with me at this very moment. A month after Jake’s birth, I awakened in the middle of the night to an immense pounding pain that ignited every nerve in my body. I quietly tiptoed to the bathroom to use the medicine I knew would provide immediate relief. As a thoughtful wife, I decided not to turn on the light because it might wake up my husband, Fred. I reached into the drawer for the tube of medicine, applied it liberally, and then staggered back to bed. Not thirty seconds later, I felt a fire ignite in my lower regions. Instantly, I realized the “hemorrhoid medicine” I had used was actually a tube of Deep Heat! Like a rocket in flight, I leaped from the bed to the bathroom, turned on the coldest water in the bathtub, stepped in, and bent over—well, you probably get the picture. In the meantime, Fred, awakened by all the commotion, walked into the bathroom and turned on the light to find his wife squatting in the tub with a horrid look on her face. He probably felt he was in the middle of a nightmare. I will leave you to imagine the rest of the story.

I learned a valuable lesson that night. If I had turned on the light, I guarantee I would have picked up the correct medicine. When we try to do things in the dark, we are apt to make wrong decisions. Equate this to our daily lives—if we live in Jesus’ light, He guides and helps us make the correct choices. By the way, in case you are wondering, the cold water did eventually relieve my throbbing pain, but my sweet husband continued to laugh for hours!

In Genesis 1:2–3, we read that the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and God’s Spirit was hovering over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and light appeared.

Imagine a world in total darkness. Think of the world before the creation of light. Light provides us with the ability to see the life on earth that God created. It produces energy, sustains the life cycle, supplies thermal heat, and much more. Without light, the world would cease to exist as we know it. Today, may your heart be enlightened as you focus on the gift of light.

This is an excerpt from Carla’s 10-week Bible Study, Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It.

About Reflecting Him

Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It is a ten-week women’s Bible study. Like Jesus’ parables (which teach important lessons by creating visual pictures for the reader), Reflecting Him uses familiar objects and situations (such as pottery, the human sensory system, and the sun-earth connection) and draws comparisons that help women become aware of Jesus working in various areas of their daily lives. The study is a unique and convenient lay-flat format, so you can write without that annoying bump (you know the one we're talking about.)

Each week is divided into five days (lessons), supporting the central theme for the week. Read the first two chapters (or weeks) online.

The study also has an online component through a Reflecting Him Bible Study Group on Facebook. Individuals working through the study on their own can still get the benefits of a group discussion while working at their own pace. Almost 200 people are in the group already and the discussions are really taking off.

This fall a leaders guide, videos, and music will be released to accompany the study.

About Carla

Carla McDougal is the founder of Reflective Life Ministries and Share Fair, an annual conference for connecting, equipping, and encouraging women in ministry. She speaks at women’s events, retreats, and conferences in the U.S. and internationally. Carla married her high school sweetheart, Fred, and they have four children ages 16 to 23 and live in Magnolia, Texas. Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It (WinePress Publishing, 2010) is Carla’s first book, although she’s been involved in leading and teaching Bible studies for more than 20 years. Carla writes a Monday morning e-votional at her blog, Carla's Corner.

Want Carla To Lead a Lesson for Your Bible Study Group?

With every group purchase of 25 or more studies before August 1, Carla will lead a tele-lesson (over speaker phone) for one of your group meetings. Please email windy(at)reflectivelifeministries.org to purchase books. Mention the blog tour and tele-lesson at the time of ordering.

You can purchase Reflecting Him through Amazon, Christianbook.com, or Reflective Life Ministries.
The Reflecting Him Blog Tour, hosted by RedCouch PR, is June 20 - July 16. Yesterday's post was at author Janice Thompson's blog and tomorrow's will by at A Room Without Books Is Empty. Follow along to read a different guest post, interview, or review each day.