Bibles Removed From N.C. Baptist Church

by Sally Matheny

Bibles Removed From N.C. Church

The event didn’t make the headlines, but it happened in a North Carolina Baptist church on a chilly, Sunday morning in February 2015.

The black Bibles, normally nestled between every two hymnals in each pew, weren’t missed until the morning worship music had already begun. A few people never noticed. But several of the congregation grew concerned. One of the deacons, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders, discreetly whispered the discovery to the pastor. The pastor nodded in response to the deacon as the praise band continued their music.

When the music ended, the pastor returned to the pulpit and announced for the children to come for the children’s message.

The pastor was my husband. The church was my place of worship.

Remembering Today’s Persecuted Christians

by Sally Matheny

The Story of St. Valentine
by Voice of the Martyrs/Cheryl Odden

Hidden under layers of commercialism, it’s difficult to find the origins of Valentine’s Day. 

One of my favorite children’s books on the topic is The Story of Saint Valentine, by The Voice of the Martyrs and Cheryl Odden. It’s a beautifully illustrated book about faith, love, and courage. 

It’s the story of one Christian’s brave perseverance in standing for truth no matter what the cost.

I think Valentine’s Day is a great day for remembering today’s persecuted Christians. Many think of Christian persecution in faraway countries.

The Voice of the Martyrs gives eye-opening information about the developments in Cuba, which is only about 1500 miles away.

“Despite improvements, the Cuban government still arrests, mistreats, marginalizes and openly opposes Christians. Christians are often prevented from working in certain jobs. Though there have been fewer arrests, both church leaders and evangelists have been detained, have had personal items confiscated, property destroyed, and some have endured beatings.”

VOM also states that rules established in 2014 limited churches to one bank account each and increased the power of the government to freeze those if they desire.

The government knows the best place to implement and gain support for their policies—with the country’s youngest citizens.

“Some children are required to renounce Christ and embrace communism in school, and Christian young people are often not allowed to graduate from high school or enter a university.”

A Delicious Review of Kristen Feola's Book: The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast

by Sally Matheny

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast
by Kristen Feola

When I first opened The Ultimate Guide I thought the book pertained to the Daniel Plan. The Daniel Plan focuses on the wholesome foods Daniel (of the Bible’s Old Testament) ate and why.

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is not the Daniel Plan. Same Daniel. Different agenda. Author and nutritional consultant, Kristen Feola presents an appetizing book for “everyone who is hungry to know the Lord in a deeper way.”

The book includes three parts: The Fast (17 pages), The Focus (27 pages), and The Food (140 pages).

After a brief introduction to what the fast is, Feola shares her own personal experiences resulting from the fast as well as the testimonies of countless others. Reading how God worked through the fasting of his people was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Feola also assists the reader during the 21-day fast by providing 21 daily devotionals. Scripture verses are included (most are NIV) as well as more references for additional reading.

Then you get to the food part—that ironically takes over half the book. But, I liked that because of what Feola offers here. At first glance, I wasn’t so sure the recipes would be to my liking. While I don’t fry foods, I’m as southern a gal as they come. My family is typical meat-and-potato eaters. Since they were not participating in the fast, my challenge was to cook something tasty for them without sabotaging my fast. Even my picky-eater enjoyed many recipes!

A list of foods to eat and foods to avoid are listed prior to some suggested meal plans. I don’t want to give away the whole content of the book so I’ll just share a few from each list. Three of the items on the “Foods to Eat” list are fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Three items off the “Foods to Avoid” list are refined and processed food, sweeteners, and meat.

There are over 100 recipes, many with full color photos. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to refer to this book often because all the ones I have tried were delicious! Many of the ingredients were new to my cooking. I soon discovered how easy it is to grind oat flour and flaxseed and use them in recipes.

Recipe categories include: Breakfast, Appetizers & Snacks, Salads, Soups, Vegetables, Main Dishes, and Juices. The most surprising recipe for me was the “Date Honey.” Not the prettiest fruit to work with, but the easy recipe produced a yummy food that could be used alone or in many of the other recipes.

Nutritional stats are not listed, such as calorie and fat counts but I think perhaps that was intentional because that isn't what the fast is about. 

This book is delightful and I will continue using it. The devotionals and recipes helped me, especially through the initial difficult days of the fast. 

I can’t forecast what the fast will do for you. That’s an individual heart issue between you and God. I know what it did for me. There were specific areas of focused prayer during that time where I drew closer to God and received great blessings. Also, after the initial headaches from sugar and caffeine withdrawal, my body felt more energized, less sluggish. Brain fog lifted and a clearer focus settled in. Because of Feola’s tasty and filling recipes, I almost felt guilty, as if I had not suffered enough for it to be considered a fast.

"Blessed are those who hunger 

and thirst for righteousness, 

for they will be filled." 

Matthew 5:6

Excavating Conversational Treasures with Loved Ones

by Sally Matheny

How to Excavate a Deep Conversation

Do you enjoy talking with your loved ones?

Some families never have conversations that scratch below the surface. 

While some people open up and their core beliefs easily flow out, others keep their spiritual thoughts in the vault.

Many Christians become distressed about their aging parents. Their love runs deep and they don’t like seeing their parents suffer. Yet, many times, we realize it’s the pain of not having had deeper conversations with them, and now time is running short.

Or perhaps other family relationships are merely cordial formalities. You long for something more but conversations seem awkward.

People who go forty, fifty, or sixty years not talking about their relationship with Jesus Christ camouflage the entrance of beautiful and precious relationships. It’s imperative you prune back whatever is stifling these important talks so you can excavate the treasures.

Most likely, the root cause is fear.

Fear of:

Misunderstanding

Inexperience

Inadequate words

Judgment

Rejection

We must remind ourselves we serve a God who casts out fear--who enables and empowers us to do difficult things.

If we long to have a deep and thriving relationship with family members then we must dig deeper in our conversations. How do we begin excavating after years of neglecting spiritual topics? 

The talking terrain may be plush with love, but difficult to dig beneath the surface. For others, talking grounds may have hardened or been covered in Astroturf.  

Some talking terrains are difficult to dig beneath the surface.

Gather Your Tools

Before you attempt to turn untilled soil, gather your tools.

You’ll need a powerful machete of prayer. Ask God to help you cut through any obstacles with which the enemy tries to entangle you.

Tote along a shovel strengthened with courage and discernment. Ask God for opportunities to break into conversations of the soul. Pray for strength for the task. Seek wisdom for word choice and timing.

Remember the tiny brush of gentleness. Once you penetrate the surface, it’s essential you use tenderness as you dust away the layers.

Start Small

You can start small, but start somewhere. Begin with snippets of blessings. During your next conversation, share a specific experience of how God has blessed you that day. Mention God’s name and be sure to give him the glory—not “luck”.

If necessary, begin by writing a letter, forwarding a devotional, or treating them to a faith-based movie. Think of ways to soften the soil for initiating a conversation.

Sweat and Tears

As you sweat through difficult situations in your own life, share how God is helping you through them. Confess your own inadequacies in understanding it all but, tell why you still cling to Christ, trusting him with all things.

Even through tears of sorrow, tell about the glimmers of joy and hope you still see.

Persevere

Recall with your loved one memories of times when exhaustion set in, mentally, physically, or emotionally.  Reveal your struggles. But also share why you persevered. What prize has God set before you that is worth enduring the trials of this world?

Tell them how you see God working through the struggles to strengthen you and prepare you for something better. Can you imagine your life without God in control? Share that.

Discovering the Treasure

Even though it seems the best route, it’s often difficult to unearth the treasure of a deeper relationship with your relative, if you use a bulldozer of sermons. While sermons have their place, they’re not conducive for two-way interactions.

Intentional, thoughtful, and gentle conversations are worth every effort. 

Regardless of the results you receive, don’t give up. Fear not. Maintain or upgrade your tools. Trust God to continue working through you.

Deep conversations take time and work. However, the more often you have them, the easier they become. And once you experience the richness of a deeper relationship, you’ll strive to keep that treasure flowing.

Who will you engage with a rich conversation today?

Engage in rich conversations

What Is Sabotaging Our Goals?

by Sally Matheny

What is Sabotaging Our Goals>

January’s fresh start enthusiasm is fading. Goals are melting into a puddle of best intentions. 

What were you aiming to have accomplished by now?

Healthier Eating and More Exercise

Completing a Project

More Quality Time with Family

Better Organization

A Deeper Commitment to Bible Study and Prayer

Disheartened? It’s easy to become discouraged when we fall short.

“But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.” Romans 7:17-20 (MSG)

Sin sabotages. It often glides smoothly beneath our radars, cleverly disguised as righteous justifications.

What Happened to the Sweetheart Bullies? (and a Children’s Book Giveaway)

by Sally Matheny

Bullies Are No Longer Sweethearts

What happened to the sweetheart bullies? No, they’re not a famous gang of outlaws from the wild, Wild West. Nor are they a rock band from the sixties.

While doing research about bullies, I ran across the origin and history of the word, bully.

Apparently, bully originated in the early 1500’s and was another term for sweetheart. Wow. Either pickings were slim back in the 1500’s or the meaning of the word depreciated.

Indeed, the word bully has traveled the rendition roller coaster from positive to negative on several occasions.

In the year 2015, Dictionary.com defines a bully as a "blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people."

According to the National Education Association:
90% of 4th - 8th graders report being victims of bullying.
1 in 7 students in grades K -12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people worked together to bring about a change of heart in those bullies?

Ministry-to-Children.com offers three great posts dealing with this topic from a Christian worldview:

Awareness http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-awareness/

Intervention http://ministry-to-children.com/practical-intervention-bullying/

and Ten Ways Your [Children’s] Ministry Can Help

http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-ministry-opportunities/

Lists of children’s books addressing bullying is located at http://childrensbooksguide.com/bullying 
and at

http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-books-about-bullying.html

Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully
by Chris Pedersen

One book that should be added to these lists is the recently published book, Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully, by Chris Pedersen. It is a charming book, written

with a Christian worldview. 


A young boy struggles through dilemmas with a bully at school. Throughout the story, opportunities arise for Ethan’s growth in wisdom, courage, and faith.

The author, Chris Pedersen, has kindly donated a book to give away to one of my blog readers. Enter the giveaway (begins 1/13/15) and Rafflecopter will randomly choose a winner next week.

Or you can find Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully at www.purplecarrotbooks.com and on Amazon.

Bully may never mean "sweetheart" again. 
But you can be a sweetheart by helping stop bullying.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top 2014 Blog Posts and What That Means for You (plus a giveaway!)

by Sally Matheny

Celebrating the Top 2014 Blog Posts

I pray you all have a joyful and blessed new year.

Have you spent time pondering on this past year?

It helps me to reflect on blog posts of the past year. I check out the stats to see what topics readers connected with the most.

Here is a countdown of the ten most popular blog posts written in 2014:

Commemorating Christmas in Bastogne 1944--Book Review of No Greater Valor

     by Sally Matheny

     

No Greater Valor commemorates
Christmas at Bastogne

      Seventy years ago, German troops outnumbered and surrounded the US troops in Bastogne, Belgium. Hopes of a silent night diminished. However, not only did the U.S. troops hold fast to their faith and courage, they witnessed divine miracles that Christmas. They held Bastogne.

     

     Dr. Jerome Corsi, author of six New York Times best-selling books, extensively researched numerous WWII resources including military documents, personal diaries and letters. The result of his research is his latest book, No Greater Valor: The Siege of Bastogne and the Miracle That Sealed Allied Victory.”

     

     “Battles are won by military power, but wars are won by spiritual power,” said William Arnold, the WWII US Army chief of chaplains.

    

     Dr. Corsi, intrigued by how the Siege of Bastogne was “won by a small group of American soldiers who largely believed in God in accordance with the Judeo-Christian traditions,” wrote No Greater Valor for a number of reasons, which he shares in a lengthy but enlightening introduction. He asks, “Is it possible to make the case, even today that the faith of those who fought at Bastogne invited God to play a direct hand in how the battle turned out?” Then, Corsi sets out to make that case.