Tag Archives: God

Advent Day 9: ANGELS

07 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by in Advent

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My husband is a pastor. On Saturdays we serve at a mission church in a retirement/nursing home. On Halloween, the place was decorated with goblins, ghosts, skeletons, and all sorts of creepy demonic-looking decorations. There were coffins and skeletons, bowls of eyeballs, and spiders and webs hanging everywhere. I thought the holiday decor was odd and overdone in a place where people are living out their last days.

Now, in this season of Advent, this retirement/nursing home is decorated for Christmas with lots of greens and Santa Clauses. Not a nativity scene to be seen. The only “religious” Christmas symbolism I could find was the angel on top of the gigantic Christmas tree.

Angels…

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Photo by Holly Michael

Why is it that many accept the idea of angels, but don’t believe in God or accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah?

The angels did. They were present at the birth of Christ.

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Photo by Holly Michael

Angels are mentioned quite a bit in the Bible as messengers of God and beings created by God who worship God. God sent Angel Gabriel to Mary to ask her consent to be the mother of The Savior. Angels are always before the throne of God singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

According to the Bible, angels are God’s messengers, God’s Warriors, God’s witnesses, God worshippers, and appointed by God to be guardians of men.

Below are some angel facts from Mary Fairchild on Christianity.about.com

Bible Facts About Angels

Angels are mentioned 273 times in the Bible. Although we won’t look at every instance, this study will offer a comprehensive look at what the Bible says about angels.

Angels were created by God:

Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. (NKJV) 

Colossians 1:16
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. (NIV)

Angels were created to live for eternity:

Luke 20:36
…nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (NKJV)

Revelation 4:8
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (NIV)

Angels were present when God created the world:

Job 38:1-7
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “…Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? …while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” (NIV)

Angels do not marry:

Matthew 22:30
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. (NIV)

Angels are wise and intelligent:

2 Samuel 14:17
Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’ (NKJV)

Daniel 9:21-22
…while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, “Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.” (NIV)

Angels have knowledge of, and interest in, the affairs of men:

Daniel 10:14
“Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” (NIV)

Luke 15:10
“Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (NKJV) 

Angels are faster than men:

Daniel 9:21
… while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice. (NIV)

Revelation 14:6
And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. (NLT)

Angels are God’s Mighty Warriors

According to whyangels.com: “…angels aren’t just nice, kindly beings, they are also the mighty and powerful warriors of God. In fact there’s a dramatic description of a war in the spiritual realm between the Archangel Michael and God’s angels and The Devil/Satan/Lucifer and his rebellious angelic followers.”

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Photo by Holly Michael, Archangel Michael statue in the Michael Home

Though the fallen angel Lucifer was cast down to the earth, we do have hope. Jesus came into the world as an infant to be “Emmanuel- God With Us” and He will also come again: His second coming. And that is why we must prepare our hearts to receive Him, especially now during this season of Advent.

Hope you enjoyed the angel facts. The fact is that you can’t believe in angels and not believe in the God who created them. And if you believe in God, then you must accept the Son of God, Jesus, whom He sent as our Savior.  And the more we draw closer to Jesus, the more we are enlightened, blessed, and made whole.

Here’s an amazing song…Angels From The Realms of Glory…love this rendition.

 

Looking Back…Looking Forward – Amazing Life

16 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Betsy Byrne, Books, Christianity, Crooked Lines, Diabetes, Family, First and Goal, Football, Jake Byrne, Nick Byrne, tsunami 2004

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Hi Friends,

If you visited my blog about two years ago, you might have read the post about my son Jake, a type one diabetic entering into the NFL draft. At the same time, I was working toward my dream of becoming a novelist. (NFL Aspirations and novelists dreams: Follow the Fairytales as they come true.)

I’m reposting the text of the blog below and then giving an update because I’m simply amazed at how you can make life plans…then hope, dream, and pray, and then look back and smile, knowing that even if everything didn’t go exactly as planned, it went the way it was supposed to go. Life is amazing!

Here’s the blog post, then below that, an update and reflection:

I don’t remember the dream, only the worried face that popped into it. Jake. My four-year-old. Why was his face in my dream? Minutes later, a tap on my shoulder woke me.

“Had a bad dream, Mom,” Jake said.

I lifted the covers, pulled Jake close, and kissed the top of his head, amazed at this strange connection that allowed my son’s fears to travel from his dreams into mine.

Mom’s have connections like that with their children. Sometimes a prickle of worry regarding one of my kids will flash in my mind like a sudden rainstorm pocking up a calm lake. I stop, drop, and pray. Most times, I discover those feelings were on the mark, and my child needed prayers in that moment.

photoaJake had dreams of becoming an NFL player. What little boy doesn’t? Then as a sophomore in high school, he was diagnosed with type one diabetes. Jake refused to accept it as an obstacle. He wanted to play football on a college scholarship. He pushed himself hard: extra workouts, more discipline, never missing a practice. Jake gave his diabetes and his football dreams to God.

“Maybe God want’s me to have diabetes for a greater purpose,” Jake often expressed.

For the last last four years I’ve watched Jake start as a tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers. (Jake Byrne #82) Now, Jake has an agent and a good shot at the NFL.

Like my son, I proclaimed lofty dreams when I was a child. I wanted to be a novelist. I held onto that goal, learning and improving my writing skills in spite of rejection letters and self-doubt obstacles along my path toward publication. Now, an agent is reading my novel.

Jake and I aren’t sitting back, biting our nails as we wait for our dreams to happen. I’m working on my second book, blogging, and preparing to become a novelist. Jake’s preparing for the NFL draft.

If a boy with type I diabetes can work hard and become an NFL player, then his mom can be a novelist. Lofty goals? Fairytales? NFL player and Novelist. Sometimes we just know what we want and with God’s blessing, hard work, a little God-given talent, and support from others, it can happen.

Mother and child connections. Funny we’re both, at the same time, standing at the cusp of our dreams becoming reality, ready to wake up and be the people we were meant to be.

AND NOW, two years later, here are the updates:

20130925-153506.jpgJake: Type 1 diabetic since the age of fourteen, has since been proactive combating the disease and mentoring diabetic youth. After playing four years for the University of Wisconsin as a tight end, he went on to compete in the NFL. Originally an undrafted free agent who signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2012, he has also been a Houston Texan, Kansas City Chief, and San Diego Charger. And he got engaged at Christmas to a lovely, wonderful girl. I welcome Emma Erickson into the family with a great big hug and lots of love!

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Jake is moving forward with new goals and plans: Marriage plans and starting a foundation TYPE WON to help and encourage diabetic youth. He just moved to Dallas and is starting a new job with a PR/Marketing Firm.

hollyHolly: Indie published one novel, Crooked Lines, and have two more to be released this year. Also, after following up from a mission trip after the 2004 Tsunami, indie published a non-fiction book: Tsunami 2004: Still Wading through Waves of Hope.

As a hybrid author-traditional and indie published, I now write write fiction and nonfiction, on a slightly different path than I imagined two years ago. But loving my writing life (fiction and nonfiction) and looking forward to my 2015 book releases and 2016, too!

photo (79)Together: Our “mother-son connections” have brought us a book contract with Harvest House Publishers, due for a release date Early August: First and Goal – What football taught me about never giving up. We are so excited about this devotional and very grateful to Kim Moore, Senior Editor, who had faith in this project and who has been a joy to work with.

The rest of the family is doing great. My husband, Bishop Leo Michael, continues his work as an anglican pastor/bishop. (St. James Anglican Church, Kansas City)

Youngest son, Nick, plays football for the Ragin’ Cajuns at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. (Jake, above, supporting his team and wearing one of his shirts – holding our book contact).

1908477_10203058282048200_7841013063728876238_nAnd daughter Betsy is studying for her Masters and working as a teaching assistant at the University of Louisiana – Lafayette.  All three cuties to the left. Ahh…as a mom, I love that these three are best friends.

Reflection: Looking back, I’m amazed at how far we all have come since that post, two years ago. There have been rough moments. Ups and downs. Times when we didn’t know what was next. Jake was cut and picked up, again and again…even brought back to the same team again. I’ve had my own moments of doubt and worry. But, through our moments of uncertainty, we commit our plans to the Lord. Looking back, we can see God’s Hand has been in our lives in amazing ways. He is good. He is faithful. Always.

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During moments of doubt and insecurity, pray. Ask the Creator to show us the way. We are His creation and He knows us best and what is best for us.

Looking back or forward, Psalms 31 says it all:

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

Who wouldn’t want to be led by a Greater Power, the Creator and Source of Life and Love. Looking forward, here’s some advice from Psalms 37:4-6:

Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

Simple but profound bit of wisdom. We can never go wrong by committing our life and plans to God.

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Psalms 16:3

I may not blog too much in the next few months as I’m in the middle of several writing projects, including a few non-fiction book proposals and finishing three novels…committing it all to the LORD. Will see where He leads us all next. I’m not sure of anything, but only that life is an amazing and wonderful ride with Jesus at the wheel.

Would love if you’d click over and “like” Jake’s TYPE WON Facebook page. While there, would you please subscribe to his mailing list by clicking on the “subscribe” link.

Thanks a bunch!

Looking back, how has your life changed in the last two years? Hopefully, even through the rough times, you’ve moved forward on the path toward your plans, hopes, and dreams. Hopefully, you’ve seen the hand of God in your life. Need direction? Got worries? Let me know. I’d be happy to pray for you.

10999505_10155288525850635_6476870574761653437_nOh, and one more bit of news from me. My novel, CROOKED LINES, is on sale for .99 CENTS this week.

 

 

The Devil Marked Him for Death…

07 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Books, Christianity, Family, Holly Michael's New Releases, Holy Catholic Church - Anglican Rite, Inspiration

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I haven’t yet blogged in detail about that one heart-wrenching experience during our return trip to the 2004 tsunami-ravaged villages in Nagapattinam, South India.

My husband and I encountered many difficult situations and joyous ones too, but I’m writing today about the one that still nearly buckles my knees when I continue to hear statements like…

“The devil marked him for death.”

Or when a doctor friend recently said, “It is a true miracle the he survived a multi-organ failure.”

Or the heart tugging statements, said in several different ways:

“I prayed fervently.”

“I shed so many tears.”

“The spirit led me to pray deeply, like I’d never prayed before.”

(statements by even those I hardly know)

It gives me goosebumps, even now, almost three months later, when I think about what happened…in the spiritual sense of it all.

So…going back to late November 2014

…after my husband got bit by an affected mosquito.

…after we finished our mission work in Nagapattinam (my husband growing weak and feverish toward the end.)

…after we rode a bus for 12 hours from the remote villages in Nagapattinam with my beloved nearly lethargic from a spiked fever.

…after we arrived in a Bangalore hospital, my husband dehydrated with 103 fever.

…after the diagnosis of Dengue Fever (my sister-in-law died from dengue fever two years earlier).

…after we were left alone in a room with very little care.

…after I continued my attempts to communicate with the hospital staff that I didn’t think it was normal that my husband had swung from extremely feverish to unresponsive and almost completely cold (and they insisted he was fine).

…after the admitting Hindu doctor woke up in the middle of the night from a dream worried about my husband (one of maybe 200 patients she’d admitted that day) and called the ICU doctor to check on him.

…after he was rushed to the ICU blood pressure dropping and multi-organ failure.

…after I was stopped at the double doors to the ICU by a guard.

….after I sat in the empty hospital room in South India, alone, unable to communicate properly with hospital staff and no phone or means of communicating with anyone but God.

….after I’d finally got onto a hospital computer and asked for prayers through Facebook.

Which leads me to what I believe…

I BELEIVE….

…the heavenly realm, which is all around us always, was busy that night.

…the Holy Spirit touched the hearts of many to pray fervently after hearing my plea on Facebook (as many have testified).

…the Devil had slated my husband (a Bishop in the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite) for death.

…the prayers of the saints and all of the faithful allow me now to praise God for his full healing.

…Facebook is awesome and faithful friends and family are amazing. (I love you all).

…God is great, all the time, always!

I chronicled this experience and so much more from our trip to South India in my book, TSUNAMI 2004 – Still Wading through Waves of Hope. I share about the people and villages we visited and those we helped after the  2004 Tsunami, and the experiences upon our return, ten years later.

Ten years ago, after a major fundraiser, we went to the most devastated impassable villages in South India. My husband had a fabulous idea of asking the village headmen (hubby speaks the native language) to bring the orphans to the local bank. We established Bank CD’s in their names, so that ten years later, they would have funds to begin their lives–marriage, college.

Given the arranging of marriages and that the value of women is based on their dowry, the idea paid off literally in dividends.

I share these “then and now” stories and our experience in greater detail in TSUNAMI 2004 – Still Wading Through Waves of Hope. A percentage of the proceeds from the sales will go to support our continuing mission work in India. 

Some of our “then and now” pictures (the book also has more picture)

2004 Nagapattinam Harbor

2004 Nagapattinam Harbor

harbor now

harbor now

Nambiar Nagar boatmen discouraged, not wanting to go back to the sea. Boats are all destroyed

We had given funds to a man who owned a boat repair business. He put 50 people to work after the tsunami. Above, then...and now.

We had given funds to the man above on the left of my husband (in the blue shirt/khakis). The man owned a boat repair business, decimated by the tsunami. With funds we gave, he put 50 people to work after the tsunami. Some, (above in boat), after losing loved ones to the sea, did not want to go out and fish again.

Two friends (orphans) we'd helped then, and below now...

Two friends (orphans) we’d helped then, and below now…

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Some then photos….IMG_0975FH000002Long lines in Nambiar Nagar for foodIMG_0832Some now photos…

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Awestruck Sabeen looking at her picture then

Seeing herself in the photo from ten years ago

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Below, some of the orphans we helped then…Tsunami orphans 2004 who received CD Bank Accounts for approx. $230.And some of those faces now…
Tsunami orphans now

My deepest heartfelt thanks to all of you who helped with fundraising then and all of those who prayed for my husband and to those who also support my writing. Because of you all, we can continue to do the good works that the Lord has prepared for us to do and to go wherever and to whomever He leads us. 

*Special thanks to Roger Pierce, the husband of a Facebook friend, who happened to be in Bangalore, had been praying for my husband, and showed up at the hospital later and prayed with us. 

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To purchase Tsunami 2004 – Still Wading Through Waves of Hope (nonfiction)

Beautiful beach and sea

and

Crooked Lines (fiction), based on some tsunami experiences. (on sale for .99 Cents now)

Inspirational Story in Support of Life: Claire Culwell

05 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by in Inspiration

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Here’s a short amazing clip about a beautiful young woman who–after discovering her birth mother–found out that she survived the abortion that took the life of her twin brother.

Claire Culwell shares her story in honor of him. While her twin and other babies lost to abortion cannot be brought back, the beautiful girl’s story shows how a life saved from abortion can be an amazing witness of God’s love.

I will not be silent because each mother and child are in the same place my biological mother, my twin and I were in 22 years ago and I am here to say THERE IS HOPE and there are options! – Claire

Follow Claire on Facebook

Check out Claire’s blog

 

Jake Update and a Very Cool Romans 8:28 Situation

07 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by in Christianity, Diabetes, Family, Football, Jake Byrne

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Haven’t blogged much lately due to holidays and writing commitments, but I have been splashing photos and news on Facebook about Jake (my NFL player son).

A fantastic Romans 8:28 story! (And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.)

Even if you saw this on Facebook, here’s the story behind the story.

We’ve all had those moments when life is going great, plans are coming together, sun is shining, and bluebirds are singing on our shoulder, then BAM! We get slammed with the unexpected. Instead of bluebirds, feels like life is giving us the bird.

Happened like that a few weeks ago for Jake. He was cut by the Houston Texans. As a mom, my heart went out for the uncertainty he felt regarding his career and future. (And given his career is in the NFL, unfortunately he’s had these moments before).

I prayed for him, asking God for His perfect plan for Jake’s career and life (as I do for all of my children.)

Side line note

Secret to life as I know it:

1. Pray Submit yourself, your situation to God.

3. Trust. Trust God can work all things for his good. (Romans 8:28)

4. Thanks. No matter what your feeling, give God thanks for hearing your prayer. Because He’s God and you’re not, trust He will take care of things and don’t forget to thank Him.

Then let go!

That secret to life has never failed me. And it’s what both Jake and I did.

Then, BAM! Jake was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs on practice squad. I live in Kansas City! How cool is that? What are the chances?

While I relished in the mom role again (doing Jake’s laundry and feeding the big boy), as always, I know that God’s plans are always even better that we can imagine.

So….after only one week in Kansas City, The San Diego Chargers signed Jake onto their roster. While I loved having him here, I kind of thought he’d get snapped up fast by a team who needed his skills.

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And of course, the move is great for his career.

Imagine, being cut from a losing team, then getting picked up by a winning team now in the playoffs. Jake is playing more and has a greater role in the offense with the Chargers.

Jake (#81-Tight End) had a fantastic game this past Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Really good plays and outstanding blocks! Chargers won!

See how happy Jake and his teammates are. Photo from http://www.chargers.com

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So, this Sunday Jake will play in Denver against the Broncos. Please keep him in your prayers and cheer on #81 and the Chargers!

houston2And back to Romans 8:28…God can work all things to the good, even for a kid diagnosed with Type One Diabetes in high school who wondered if he’d even be able to continue playing football. God has a plan for this guy, who also spends his time encouraging youth with type one diabetes.

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Isn’t he cute? Follow Jake on twitter @sugarfreejb82

Isaiah 40:28-31 says, Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Quick Christmas Devotional: WONDER

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Christianity, Inspiration

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WONDER

The dictionary describes wonder as, “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.”

Wonder is often associated with Christmas, in regard to the wonder of the season, the “beauty” and “awe”.

In the song, (Mary’s Song), Breath of Heaven, Mary uses the word wonder to tell of her unfamiliar and unsure situation, traveling into the unknown, feeling her unworthiness to have been chosen by God to give birth to a baby who will become the savior of the world. After reading this, click the link below to hear this beautiful song.

Wonder. Amazing how this words meaning can change through the power of prayer.

I’ve been in a phase of waiting, “wondering,” for so long. I’ve submitted my “wonders” to God in prayer, then done my best to leave them with Him, trusting He would answer according to His perfect will.

Then, praise His Holy Name, I’ve seen real true miracles unfold around me, and I am in WONDER at how much He truly cares about the small as well as the big things in my life. I have so much to share, and I will, but can’t yet. So just for now, I’ll share one part of an answered prayer.

I have a book contract! In a day or two I’ll share the entire beautiful, and wonderful story.

What do you wonder about? Pray, then leave your wonderings with God, trust that He loves you, hears your petition, and will answer, according to His will. Then rejoice in the peace He will surely give you. And thank Him. By doing so, I am certain you will experience the WONDER of His Love! I have and am so thankful!

Miracle Mom Story

24 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by in Family, Inspiration

≈ 30 Comments

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Packing for a church visit to St. Peter’s Anglican in Albuquerque, New Mexico I was stressing over several chapters and a nonfiction proposal due to an editor in a few days. My husband assured me he’d drive there and back so I could write.

Then the phone rings.

My sister Jane.

Bad news.

Our mom had a A-Fib heart event that landed her in the ER, then the ICU. Jane said she was lucky to have survived because her heart had been pounding like crazy for too long. Here she is in the hospital:

mom

She looks happy and healthy, doesn’t she? Though the condition is chronic and she’ll have to take meds for life, the doctor said it’s a miracle she survived.

Miracle # 1

I spoke to my mom via Facetime. Jane sent the above picture, assured me she was fine and advised me to go ahead with my travels.

A few days after the event, the condition flipped and my mom’s heart went back to normal. No more meds. She’s fine.

Miracle #2

Then, that evening, my mother had a major stroke, was without speech and paralyzed. She was rushed to a larger hospital in Green Bay, given meds that they said could:

1. Kill her.

2. Heal her

2. Do nothing at all.

33% chance any one of those things could happen.

Thank God, the medicine worked.

Miracle #3

Here she is two days after her stroke, about to be released from the hospital:

mom1 Again, doesn’t she look happy?

The baby in her arms?

My youngest brother’s wife had a baby in the hospital the same day my mom was admitted (a hospital an hours drive from her home). Grandmother and grandson were released on the same day. A great-grandchild was born a day later.

Miracle # 4

Can you see God’s grace in all of this?

I phoned my mom yesterday, planning our visit home to Wisconsin. There was something different in her voice. A peacefulness I hadn’t heard in years.

When I asked her how she was feeling, she said, “In a lot of ways, better than before all of this happened. Not only physically, but something has changed in my heart…in ways I can’t even explain. All of this was meant to happen.”

The truth is, there have been family issues, wounds from the past plaguing her and our entire family.

My mother said that from her hospital bed she saw hugs between her children that she never thought she’d see.

My sister says she’s different. “Everything is different, ” Jane said. “You’ll see when you come home.”

Miracle #5

I haven’t been home for a very long time. We’re looking forward to going back.

Miracle #6

Trust

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Christianity, Diabetes, Family, Football, Inspiration, Jake Byrne, Prayers Needed

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Proverb1Big dreamers must be equipped with bucket loads of trust; trust they will see their dreams to fruition. They need to mix that trust with hard work, confidence, and a little brain power, too. BUT the most important ingredient needed to bind all of this together to really whip that big dream into a reality you can sink your teeth into: God!

We must trust in God. Have confidence in God. And use the brain power He gifted us with to know that ultimately, we can do nothing without Him.

I never understand how people disregard the power and strength of God while struggling to make their dreams become reality. Last night, during a Bible study at our church, St. James Anglican, our facilitator, Dan Hartshorn, drew our attention to Isaiah 40:12 which describes God: Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span.

Now, if you can measure the waters of the earth in the hollow of your hand and measure the heavens with the span of your hands, you have some really big hands! And these big hands are not only big, but loving hands. Why would we ever want to do anything without those big hands helping us? Seems pointless, really.

I’ve been working hard to finish a third novel and prepare for a very important writer’s conference. I’ve got really big dreams that I want to become reality.

My son Jake, a rookie in the NFL with the Houston Texans has big dreams too. He’s playing a very important pre-season game tonight (Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys) where he will be put in to play the entire game to really prove himself. Both of us realize that we need to rely on God’s power and strength so much now. Jake is a type one diabetic. He will surely need God’s strength tonight and always. Please pray for him. #89

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Funny, but reading the above verse, verse 12 in Isaiah 40, I read a little lower to verse 27 and had to text it to Jake. It begins with God addressing Jacob, so appropriate for my Jacob, too: 27 Why do you say, O Jacob and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted;31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Jake’s text response: “Love it! Thank you. I should be good to go for this one!!”

Yeah, I think we’ll all be good to go, trusting in our God.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will direct your path!

And thanking God for daughter Betsy getting an internship this week. (below, left of big brother Jake)

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…and getting ready for the next football game. younger son Nick (University of Louisiana-Lafayette-Ragin Cajuns), also a tight-end, will play against the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday! We’re pretty excited about that, too! Go Nick!!!

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God bless you all and I really appreciate your prayers and support!

Pleasing Who?

04 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by in Christianity, Inspiration, Writing

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Kristen Lamb blogs about the pitfalls in our writing careers when we try to please everyone. She references Aesop’s Fable: The Man, the Boy and the Donkey. The moral of the fable, below, is worth considering in every aspect of our life.

First, here’s the Aesop’s Fable Kristen referenced: A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”

Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey. By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them. The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at. The men said:

“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey of yours and your hulking son?”

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do. They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders. They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

After reading Kirsten’s blog, then reading this fable again, I considered that we should apply this lesson to all areas of our lives–especially today, on a Sunday, to our spiritual life.

Over the years, I’ve seen different church’s teachings swing in liberal directions because of the sway of society. Prayer books tossed and rewritten. Liturgy changed. Reverence to God diminished.

imagesCAFBP7I0The world has changed from how it was when I was a child. I’ve seen friends dump their entire belief system because they were told their thinking was “old-fashioned.” I once heard a grandmother say, “Well, I used to think that way, but now I go with the flow.” It made me sad to think a woman, so late in her life, would throw away what she’d believed for her entire life to “go with the flow.” I’m talking about moral teachings that society has maintained for….well….I guess since Jesus taught them to his disciples, or actually since Moses brought them down on tablets from Mount Sinai.

untitled (8)Not to say there wasn’t sin in the world since the beginning of creation, but for the longest time on earth, most people could agree on what was right and what was wrong.

I was raised in a conservative home. By the time I left home for college, I knew right from wrong. That didn’t mean I always did the right thing (I was a typical college kid) but when I did wrong, I certainly knew it.

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Then, something happened to me during my first semester at college. I had a shift in my thinking. My professors challenged my beliefs by teaching moral relativism and all sorts of other nonsense. I thought I was gaining an open mind. I wasn’t. I was losing myself and giving up all that I’d learned in Sunday School, all that my grandparents and parents taught me. I was losing my groundedness and my faith.

imagesCAN0ZHHDA few years later, maturing and following Jesus’ teachings brought me back to my original belief system. Whew! (Thank you Jesus, for never letting go of me.)

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And my lesson in this post is the same as Aesop’s with an added bit of wisdom: When in doubt about anything in your career or life, don’t be like the father and his boy in Aesop’s Fable. Seek the wisdom of God. Don’t follow what society dictates. Don’t always listen to your peers. Follow Jesus’ teaching. That way, you’ll never be carrying a donkey. untitled (2)

Have a great week!

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NYT Best Selling Author Don Piper is coming to speak to us! “90 Minutes in Heaven” is an Amazing Story!

04 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Books, Holy Catholic Church - Anglican Rite, Inspiration

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On his way home from a church conference in 1989, Don Piper’s Ford Escort was struck head-on by an 18-wheeler. He was killed instantly — pronounced dead by four sets of paramedics.

90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper crushed Car on Bridge insetBut God worked a miracle and sent Don back to a broken body. To date, 34 surgical procedures have taken place. He walks only as a result of miraculous and in some cases medically unexplainable circumstances. During the time he was dead, Piper was granted the extreme privilege of glimpsing Heaven itself.

Ninety minutes after dying, Don Piper came back to life where he faced a long and grueling recovery. Don travels across the country and around the world sharing his amazing story of hope and healing. His message is simple … We can have a better life now and an eternal life someday through faith in Jesus Christ! Don has appeared and shared his miraculous story in numerous national media outlets, including Fox News, CBN, “The Today Show” on NBC and Newsweek.

Here’s a video about his experience: 

And guest what? !!! DON PIPER has agreed to come to our little church in Kansas City!

St. James Anglican Church  (Holy Catholic Anglican Church-Anglican Rite) is pleased to announce best selling author and speaker, Don Piper, as its special guest on June 13, 2013 @ 12:00 noon or 7:00 pm.  

DPTo purchase 90 Minutes in Heaven, click here

To Purchase Heaven is Real, click here

To come and hear Don Piper’s talk, come to St. James Anglican church on June 13th. Yay!!!