Tag: god

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While The Light is Still On, Love Warmly

"While you have light, 
Believe in the Light."
John 12:36

The Clock of Heaven was ticking.  Jesus was fully aware of that Fact, as well as the experiences that were to come  in the next few days. . . Experiences that were spoken of by ancient Prophets of His Father.  It’s extremely   poignant that Jesus spoke these Words to His closest friends at this Moment. Although his friends would not have known what was about to shatter their world in the coming hours, Jesus knew.  His Light was about to be extinguished.  He knew the “how”, the timing, the circumstances, the individuals that would be involved, and the horrific blow that would be dealt to this circle of friends with whom He had lived His Life for the past 3 years.  He knew exactly what He would experience in the coming hours.  He knew what His close friends would go through.  And He knew of the blow it would be to them and to the Faith they now carried in their minds and hearts..  Their knowledge of Him and shared experience was about to be challenged beyond anything they could imagine.  But He knew.  

Jesus continues to be Present in our daily lives.  He knows what lies ahead.  He has given Himself to each of us who have trusted Him with our lives.  And His Promises will remain true for us as we walk through each day.  He showed us with His own human life

as the  Picture of the “how,” “when” and the “what” comes into our lives.  He continues to give us His Light… each day, whether we are aware of that or not.  


We have His Light in us, if we have invited Him in.  That is His Promise.  And NOW . . . while we have it, is the time to believe in His Light.  Don’t let that Light be switched off by sin’s choices. . . Don’t step out of that Light, whether in hiding or shame,

or choices to invite darkness into our minds, hearts, homes, relationships.  Tend to that Light. Don’t cover it.  Don’t “unplug” it from its source.  Keep your eyes focused on that Light.  Let its rays guide you each day.  Tend to the Oil of His Spirit in you.  Don’t let it deplete through neglect.  Keep returning to its Source everyday, allowing it to be re-filled in your soul.  Watch for any dimness beginning to come on a whisper to your heart.

Eyes open, ears attuned, heart uncluttered. . . 

Live saturated with His Light.

Read Janet’s book Not Forgotten, Available on Amazon

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  When the Darkness Comes

LESSONS from a KING

When I was a young teenager, I went through a period of depression.  At that time, I was not aware of “depression,” and had never knowingly encountered anyone living with that reality.  In the “church world” in which I was fully immersed, there was no talk of someone battling depression.  People who followed God should not struggle with such things, it seemed.  As a young teenager, I was completely unaware that a young person might have such struggles.  And if they did, it was just something in my shy personality that caused me to be alone in my room so much.   But I knew that what I was experiencing was not good . . . it was not something that God would have put in my life.  

I will never forget the day when, at 14 years old, all alone in my bedroom, (which was becoming my “new normal,”)  I was sitting on the edge of my bed, filled with the deep sadness that I could not seem to escape.  I began to cry, and asked God to help me. . . I knew “it” wasn’t good . . . not something from God.  But I had no idea what to do about it.  In desperation, I picked up my Bible, and silently asked God to show me something in it that would help me get out of the dark cloud that was closing in on my life.  I simply let my Bible fall open with my silent plea.  The words that caught my attention were not words I had ever read before.   

  • Isaiah 42:3
    “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;”

  • And it is repeated in the New Testament. . . 
  • Matthew 12:20
    A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory.

My tears began to flow.  I knew that I was that “bruised reed” about to break.  I was that fragile, smouldering wick that would need only a wisp of air to snuff it out completely.

And I knew that God was holding me in that moment . . . He would not let my fragile heart be broken.  That was the Moment that will always be a turning-point in my Journey

with Jesus . . . when He met me there in the midst of my sadness and longing for Purpose,  and Hope, in my life.  He was with me . . . ME . . . personally, and permanently.  That very personal certainty was a major turning  point in my life.  And I never again had any doubts of His Presence, His Love, and His Purposes for my life.  That Bedrock of Truth has remained a reality from that Moment on, despite extremely difficult and painful seasons, He has faithfully protected and sustained that Flame, though flickering at times, that was lit in my heart as a young teenage girl.  And He is not finished!  He will continue to keep that Flame alive . . . even when it is barely smoldering, until justice (just as the reality should have been before the damage occurred) has been brought through to Victory.)   What a Promise!!!

Read Janet’s Latest Book – Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Talking to Yourself?

“Praise the Lord, my soul!

Praise His holy Name,

All that is within me!

Praise the Lord, my soul,

And never forget all the good He has done.”

Psalm 103:1

OK, . . . be honest.   Do you talk to yourself?   Do you say out loud what you are thinking, and you are the only one in the room?  Do you ask questions to yourself?   Do you answer them, too?

Well, though you may be teased by others who overhear your verbal activities, it’s nothing to worry about.  The Bible has lots of passages that are words spoken to the person saying them.  David did that quite a bit.  Out in those fields with just a bunch of sheep whose entire vocabulary was “Baah” or “Maah”.  David would have probably gone crazy if he hadn’t had someone to talk to.  David learned early on to talk to himself, . . . and to God.  He also put music to the words swirling in his heart and mind as he spent his days and nights with only the “Baah” and “Maah” vocabulary of his field-mates.  

David was never faulted for that, in God’s estimation.  God was listening.  And enjoying the boy’s words to himself.  And David’s words to himself seamlessly became words to God Himself. . . even adding melodies to those words.

Do you ever intentionally speak to yourself   . . . your soul . . . your heart . . . putting words to the emotions that can overwhelm you, especially when nobody else is there?  Well, you are in good company!   

But  there IS Some One there. . . near.. . .in the room.  Unseen, but real.  Present.  Hearing.  Understanding.  And Responding. . . .although we may not realize all that is true.  He is listening.  And He wants to hear all of it.   Yes, He knows it already, but He wants us to hear ourselves expressing those things that we don’t easily say out loud.  There is an old saying I’ve heard spoken in many Jewish homes  . . . “my lips to God’s ears.”    It’s a good, simple reminder.  Even if we are “talking to ourselves”, God hears it all.  Present.  Understanding.  Responding . .  whether we are aware or not.  Believing it or not.  

So next time you or someone near to you says something to himself or herself, or to nobody at all, pause a moment and think of what God is hearing….with full Knowledge of the thoughts behind the words.  Then listen for that “still, small Voice” . . . with your heart.

Read Janet’s Latest Book – Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Our On-going Conflict

"Stand fast, therefore,
In the Liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free."
Galatians 5:1

Paul, the writer of the Book of Galatians, was well-acquainted with conflict.   Paul literally met Jesus in the midst of creating conflict… targeting and wreaking havoc in the Christian world that was grappling with the effects of Jesus’ physical visit to Earth.  Paul had turned the religious world upside-down in his former life’s Mission to uphold the Faith of the God of Israel.  But then Paul whole-heartedly turned to Faith in the Messiah Jesus, following his dramatic, personal Encounter with Him.

Paul’s words echo through the ages to us, and the experiences each of us have had as a result of our own personal encounters with Christ . . . now in the 21st Century of history.  Paul presents the “Great Conflict” with which each follower of Christ must grapple throughout all of our days here on Earth.  As we individually choose to step out of the Kingdom of Darkness and step into the Kingdom of Light, we have each experienced the personal impact of choosing to stand with Christ in our life’s Journey here.  The world we each entered from the beginning of our tiny life is not the World that God had created before sin entered and became a permanent part of Life on Earth.  

Although the Kingdom of this World incessantly works to draw us into its Darkness,  Jesus stands with each of us who have chosen to follow and serve Him, having won our Freedom from that Darkness and bringing us into His Kingdom of Light.  Paul’s words give us a picture of that very real, very hard-fought Liberty that Jesus offers and provides for each of us.  It is our new Reality.  Always available.  Always True.  

“Stand fast” . . . not shaking in our boots . . . not turning and running . . . not hiding in a bunker . . . not running home to escape the dangers. . . not pretending there is no risk in our life’s reality.   

“Stand fast, therefore . . .  in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”  Period.  

Do we realize that our Liberty is a reality NOW?   We don’t need to cower in fear, peeking out of our bunker to check for danger.  We don’t need to hide behind someone else who seems to offer protection.  “Stand fast…”  He’s got you.  He’s got me.  That is the Reality, despite the Battle that rages around us.  We are His.  We are free.

See Janet’s book Not Forgotten on Amazon:

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God Protects His Tiny Sacrifice Lamb

“This is how you will recognize Him:
You will find
An infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:12

Jerusalem is an easy walk from Bethlehem. The Gate used for lambs to be brought to the Temple for sacrifice is within sight of Bethlehem.  Flocks of sheep have filled the fields between the two cities for centuries.

God’s Son, the Perfect Lamb of God, came into this world in that small town of Bethlehem.   His Purpose was to be the only perfect One who could be the ultimate Atonement Sacrifice for sin, making it possible for our forgiveness and the Hope of Eternal Life.

The town of Bethlehem provided the most convenient sacrifice lambs for all those who came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the God of Israel.  The flocks of Bethlehem were the key source of lambs used in the nearby Temple.  

But, considering how sheep are quite defenseless, the newborn lambs were the most defenseless of all.  And Mama could not be of much help.  So, the shepherds had to not only watch over all of the sheep, but those “perfect lambs” born within their flocks had to be protected above all.  If mama sheep are defenseless, how much moreso are their newborn lambs at risk.  And here is the missing piece of the puzzle (for me anyway) concerning those little, defenseless, newborn lambs that were the key piece of Temple sacrifices to the God of All Creation.

The shepherds used a simple system put in place for the survival of those perfect lambs.  They would wrap a perfect, newborn lamb in strips of cloth.  This would protect them from cold, as well as bites or cuts  that they might experience in the sheepfold.  If you’ve ever seen sheep get wind of the their shepherd coming with his buckets of food for them, you would understand the danger of anything getting in the way of those pushing, baaa-ing…pawing, shoving, trying to get on top of one another in order to get to their food.  The tiny, newborn lambs do not stand a chance!   

The ancient solution to this “manger danger” was for the shepherd to swaddle the newborn lamb with strips of cloth and put that tiny lamb into a manger  away from the rest of the sheep. 

Ring a bell?   The Wise men who were coming to find this Holy Child. . . the Lamb of God, were to look for “ an infant wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger.”  

The established protocol for protecting the perfect lambs destined for sacrifice was exactly the same protocol that Baby Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God, followed from His first breath as God-became-man in tiny human form.  

His Story never becomes old.  It is alive . . . active, drawing us deeper and deeper into His Love and Purposes for our lives and our world.   

May this Christmas season continue to unfold in  your own heart, and from your heart to this world that so desperately needs Him.

Read Janet’s book, Not Forgotten. Now available on Amazon

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Trusting God with Your Child’s Future Mate

“God will send His angel ahead of you,
And you will get my son a wife from there.”
Genesis 24:7

It’s scary when our kids reach an age of hormones and butterflies.  We are brought back to our own youthful season of awakening desires and the “yuckiness” of their previous aversion to the opposite sex becomes a thing of the past.  

Abraham knew that his son was reaching that point, and that they were in a land inhabited by people who had no consciousness of the True Creator-God that Abraham’s family worshiped.  Where was he going to ever find a young lady “good enough” for his precious son Isaac!

Abraham went to God with his quandary.  And God was faithful, as always.

Although Abraham’s family was in a “world” that did not have the Truth or connection with the God of Abraham,  Creator God was looking at the heart of a young woman to bring into their little family.  Abraham could have taken things into his own hands, but his Journey with God was proving again and again that God Knows . . . He is Able . . . His Ways are best.  Finding a young woman of virtue and character in that world was highly unlikely.  But “unlikely” is when God does some of His finest work.

It would require that Abraham be “hands-off” in finding his son a wife in their very un-Godly environment.  But unlike us, God sees the heart, knows the story, sees the future, and knows the Path that will lead to fulfilling His Purposes in this world.  

Even when it seems highly unlikely that He can really do that.

Abraham chose to put his trust in his servant.  As he had instructed, Abraham’s servant went to the land of his master’s birth, and the God of Abraham guided him to the woman who God had chosen for the beloved son.  

Sometimes God chooses to use people in our children’s lives to bring about His Purposes for them.  Trusting The Father of All Fathers is always best.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Your Treasure Trove


“Your heart will be where your treasure is.
Store up treasures for yourselves in Heaven,
where moths and rust don’t destroy and
thieves don’t break in and steal.”
Mathew 6:20-21

Throughout my life, I have had a strong tendency to spot and then collect little
“treasures” . . . often treasures that other people may or may not see as anything
special. Something that had caught my eye. And then, later,I would re-discover my
little treasure, having completely forgotten about it. The drawtowards a “treasure” is a
human thing. Children seem to always find little treasures that quickly find their way into
a pocket or a little container, often forgotten in a short time.

As those children grow into adulthood, the “treasures” change . . . often becoming of
greater earthly value, and taking up more space in our lives. It’s a prevalent reality in
our human nature. Our hearts are filled with personal treasures . . . both good and bad.

What “treasures” have come to occupy the precious spaces of your heart? When was
the last time that you took an inventory of the contents of your heart? What are the true
treasures? What are the “treasures” that are more “trash” than “treasure”?

Jesus’ Words, recorded by Matthew, are just as important today as they were when
Matthew was hearing them from the Heart of Jesus, in “real time.”

We would all do well to take a regular inventory of the “storehouse” of our own hearts.
How much rust has accumulated? How much damage has been done by the “moths”
that have taken up residence there? Rust and moths don’t do their damage overnight
… it takes time. Thieves do a quicker job of their damage . . . much more intentional
and sneaky. In and out . . . and it may take a while for us to realize that “something”
of value has been stolen from our hearts. It’s a slow process of realization . . . silent. . .
intentionally secretive.

The only Safe Place in which to place our treasures of this life is in Heaven, into the
nail-scarred Hands of Jesus. That act in itself helps us to consider those treasures with
a deeper awareness of just how precious they truly are.

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“What Should We Do?”

“Crowds of people were coming to be baptized by John.
He would say, ‘Do those things that prove that you have turned to God
And have changed the way you think and act. . .
‘What should we do?’”
Luke 3:10 - 14

Jesus was about to begin carrying out the Mission that His Father had given Him
to do on earth. His cousin, John (the Baptist) was in full swing in preparing the
way for Jesus. John, a Prophet of God, had a significant following of God-
worshippers. His Message was a very unique one to the people of Israel, stirring
and challenging hearts, motives, and actions of the people, exposing their needs
of forgiveness and focusing their attention on God’s Truths for human life.

Luke gives us some insight to the challenges the people of God were hearing
regarding from John about how they had been living. People in all circles of
society were hearing of John’s very unsettling challenges, and raising questions
in their own hearts of what needed to change in their minds and actions. John’s
challenges were troubling within many levels of Israel’s society.
The people were coming to John as they realized the troubling truths of their own
sinful hearts.

● The crowds of common folks were being called “You poisonous snakes” by
John. They had been hanging on to their ancestor Abraham as their way
to please God. They asked John, “What should we do???”
John said, “Do those things that prove that you have turned to God
and have changed the way you think and act. . . don’t go on your
ancestor’s faith …! … Whoever has two shirts should share with the
person who doesn’t have any. Whoever has food should share it,
too!”

● Some tax collectors came to [John] to be baptized. They asked him,
“Teacher, what should we do?” He told them, “Don’t collect more
money than you are ordered to collect.”

● Some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Be
satisfied with your pay, and never use threats or blackmail to get money
from anyone.”

● “When all the people were baptized, Jesus, too, was baptized.”
There are so many interesting pieces to this story. It gives us a glimpse of what
was already going on in Israel on the brink of Jesus beginning His public Work in
the Land for the next three years. John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, was laying the
groundwork for Jesus to begin His public ministry. Jesus “went public” with His
baptism by John, and His cousin John was going to become “less” in the public
eye. John’s life would end, not with the crowds and accolades, but in a prison
cell, beheaded.

John had become quite famous in Israel. But he did not hold on to his reputation
or fight for his popularity in his country. He knew his Mission, and had faithfully
carried out the Work that God had assigned John. There was no competition in
him as he watched his cousin Jesus rising in visibility and popularity. His
message was consistent with the Message that Jesus would bring to the people.
That question asked of John so often, “What should we do,” at last had a
definitive, final answer . . . “Follow Him.” The Messiah was now here, and John
turned all the attention to Him.

As we, as followers of Jesus, engage with our world, people are still asking those
same old questions they had asked John. “What should we do?” And like John,
we can point them to Jesus. “Follow Him.”

This is still the ultimate Answer for our lost and questioning world.

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Shared Worship in a Most Unlikely Setting

“All the inhabitants of the earth will fall down and worship Him. . . “

                                                               1 Peter 13:8

The first time that I went to the desert, it was with a woman who’s local organization had asked our church to partner in their humanitarian work.  She had called soon after our agreement to provide host families for nine children, asking if I would help  pick them up.  What I didn’t realize was that it meant going all the way to Algeria.  And I was terrified.  An all-Muslim nation, and I had no idea what might happen.   I expected the worst.

Our first stop in Algeria was its capitol city.  I had been cautioned to keep my faith quiet, and to not do anything that would draw suspicion to our little team of 3 women.  Our hotel was a lovely place near the city center, with a private garden area, and a large windowed lounge looking out into the gated garden.  Our second day in the hotel, I decided to venture into the garden, passing through a spacious lounge that included a beautiful grand piano.  A man was playing beautiful music, much of it famous classical and popular music which I recognized.  

After my garden stroll, I returned to the lounge to simply enjoy the live piano music.  After a while, as I sipped a cup of hot coffee, enjoying the garden view, I heard the beginning notes of a very familiar old song . . . “Amazing Grace” . . . I quickly looked up and our eyes met. 

The bar pianist gave a slight nod and a smile, as his skillful fingers played that beautiful old hymn through several verses and choruses.  He was wordlessly worshiping.  And so was I.  God’s Presence was there….being shared without a word between two Believers who had this Moment together.  No words were necessary. 

In a place where the Gospel could not be openly spoken, God’s Spirit connected two hearts in which His Presence lives.  The pianist and I never met. Never spoke.  I never saw him again.  But that sacred, secret Moment will stay with me forever.  And I know that God’s Spirit is alive and working in Algiers and all the way to the refugee camps that cover a piece of the Sahara Desert of that nation.  

Check out Janet’s book: Not Forgotten on Amazon

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Setting the Stage for Him

“He has told me,
‘My Grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness.’ 
Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, 
so that the Messiah’s power may rest on me.”    
2 Corinthians 12:9

I am now in a sixth decade of my faith journey with Jesus. I have a fairly extensive perspective and experience in church life and the way “church” has slowly evolved over the past half-century.   My earliest memories of “church” are of a rather humble space, with a pulpit and an old upright piano with several keys missing, some hymn books to share, and the pastor/greeter/song-leader/announcement-giver/daddy(all one and the same….including janitorial clean-up afterwards).  

I don’t miss those days, but I do miss some of the simplicity and authenticity that was inescapably present, whether welcome or not.  

Today’s “church” experience now commonly includes a stage, musicians, lighting effects, clear sound-system quality of everything unfolding on the stage,  and visual displays that not only help the congregation easily engage, but people, via media in their own homes can participate in what is happening on stage.  Technology, artistry, visual effects, talented musicians and speakers are all part of the stage experience. 

And in the majority of churches, the stage is set for the purpose of presenting Jesus.

Paul shares a perspective that seems incongruent to most of our experience.  Paul knew well the “higher-level” things of life.  Power.  Authority.  Fame.  Influence was his.  Paul had held a powerful position in the eyes of his own people, as well as in the eyes of the Roman Empire that ruled his nation of Israel.

The “Stage” in Paul’s message became “Weakness.”  Paul himself was that “Stage” upon which Jesus had stepped . . . as “Center Stage” of Paul’s life.  (Remember, Paul had literally fallen off his stage (and horse) at the height of his fame and power.)

God’s Power became Paul’s new reflective identity.  Laying flat on his face in the dirt, blinded and unable to do anything about it, Paul had his “Moment of Truth” with Jesus, in a very personal way.  His previous “M.O.” dissolved.  His “Stage” became dust.  What “was” . . . was no more.  His new “Stage” was a life of total submission to Him.

And that is the Favorite Stage upon which Jesus Himself chooses to step into the Spotlight. . . for a watching, waiting world to experience the “ONE and ONLY” . . . 

Light of the World.

Order Janet’s book, Not Forgotten, Stories of a Refugee People on Amazon