Celebrating A Half Century

Papa and me (1965)

You whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:3b-4 NIV 

What a great promise! As I reflect back over my last fifty years, I can’t begin to count the number of times in my life God has sustained and carried me—through loss and grief, the excitement of raising two beautiful children, and the roller coaster ride of both mountaintop and valley experiences of life. I’m fortunate most of my immediate family are still alive and my parents both in good health. I enjoy good health, a roof over my head, employment, and people who love me. I’ve been fortunate to have success in what I’m most passionate about—writing.

The reasons to give thanks are infinite! At the top of the list is the gift of forgiveness and grace God extends to me daily.

On a milestone birthday, one often reminisces about times of old and reflects on missed opportunities and achievements. I’m no different. A child of the 70s and early 80s, I witnessed the disco era, Watergate, and the introduction of computers.

Now the kings of disco (my favorites as a teenager), the Bee Gees, are no more. Only one silver-haired brother remains. My hair isn’t quite that gray yet, but it definitely makes me feel old when I mark time by the passing of cultural icons of my generation. Pay phones and snail mail letters are almost completely gone, too. Although, vinyl records are coming back among the retro crowd! I guess I’ve lived long enough to be retro. J

But rather than lament the passage of time, I am so grateful for the One who sustained me through change—both good and bad. And as I celebrate my fiftieth birthday, it’s not enough to reminisce or celebrate past achievements.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might… Ecclesiastes 9:10a 

If God chooses to bless me with continued longevity and good health, I want to be about doing His Kingdom work with all my might. In all that I do, I must continue to seek His will—to shine His light in this darkened world. I’m so blessed He gave me both the desire and talent to write. I can’t imagine a life without this gift. I want my writing to bear fruit, stay fresh, and encourage those who read it.

They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green. Psalm 92:14  

And to that end, in celebration of my fiftieth birthday, I’m giving away the Kindle version of both of my books. (Print versions are also available for purchase.) You don’t have to enter a drawing or leave a comment (though I always love hearing from my readers). Simply click on the links below through March 15, 2015, to claim your books. Share this with your friends. I’d like to give away as many books as possible to celebrate reaching the half-century mark of my life. What a glorious thing to be able to say! Praise be to God!

Click HERE to claim your free copy of my devotional

Click HERE to claim your FREE copy of my novella

If you have a prayer need, please leave a comment or email me confidential requests. I’d love to join you in prayer. J

God bless,

Laura

©Laura Hodges Poole

“Disc” image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Be The Gospel

"The Plaza"
Gainesville, Florida

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Regardless of our vocation or circumstances, as Christians, we all have a spiritual purpose. At the center of this is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than sharing His grace and love.

As you read through the New Testament, the road to salvation is clear (John 14:6), as is the purpose of a Christian’s life (Matthew 28:18-20). This can manifest itself in many ways depending on your spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12 & Romans 12:4-8). We can participate in a variety of Christian missions because they often utilize many spiritual gifts while sharing the love and grace of Christ. 

Recently, I was in Gainesville, Florida, for a family vacation and then traveled on to Hilliard, Florida, for an extended family reunion. (I’ll share more about that in a future post.)

While in Gainesville, I got to see firsthand one of the homeless missions my sister Teresa is involved in. Homeless are a huge challenge in Florida, particularly in the University town of Gainesville. This is too short of a forum to get into all the angles, but on one side you have fear, unease, mistrust, and on the other…well, basically the same. A large segment of the homeless population lives in or utilizes “The Plaza” downtown, designed for recreation and concerts. Many citizens don’t feel safe using The Plaza for its original purpose.

The city has attempted various solutions, some palatable and others not so much. In an effort to move the homeless from the downtown area, the city recently remodeled an old prison on the outskirts of town and renamed it “The Grace Center,” a one-stop facility to meet the homeless’ needs. (As of this writing, housing has been delayed 90 days due to lack of funding).

Convincing the homeless to make the trek from downtown has been a challenge. In the meantime, Christian organizations continue to go to The Plaza to feed the homeless on various nights while some have started serving meals at The Grace Center.

On a hot, humid Monday night, I accompanied one such group—“Be The Gospel”—to serve dinner at The Plaza.  

Pastor Lem sharing a short
message and blessing
before the meal

The leader of the group, Pastor Lemuel Simmons, gave instructions and prayed beforehand, reminding everyone that feeding the homeless wasn’t for our glory. It wouldn’t make us more holy or more acceptable to God. Our salvation is intact. Ultimately, our deed wasn’t to make us feel good. Our purpose was to love the people we were about to encounter. We’d love them with food, with eye contact, with smiles, with conversation, and our availability. In other words—Be the Gospel.

 

How often in our lives do we think about being the gospel? Sure, we can recite the Great Commission and the role we’re supposed to have out in the world to reach the unsaved. But what about the less desirable? The ones that make us uncomfortable? The ones that might even threaten our physical safety while we’re trying to help them?

What I discovered that muggy evening, as I have the other times I’ve participated in homeless ministries, is that you often walk away with more than you give. Being amongst these folks shines a spotlight into your own life, the things you take for granted, the things you waste every day, the fast track to nowhere everyone seems to be on. Jesus walked among the “least of these” in society with often little more than the garments on his back. His focus was on reaching the folks—not what was in it for him. 

I enjoyed the evening. I’m glad Teresa invited me. All of the folks served were grateful, some talkative, a few were angry and occasionally loud, while some quietly took their food and faded back into the scenery surrounding The Plaza. By the time the last spaghetti had been scraped out of the pot and the last glass of tea served, more than food had been shared. Jesus had been shown to the folks who live in The Plaza.

Me, Pastor Lem, & Teresa

Pastor Lem’s speech about not making the evening about us had been taken seriously. Yet, fellowship among society’s downtrodden had lightened everyone’s heart and step just a little—even if just for the night. And maybe—just maybe—that’s a little of what Jesus felt when he did the same. Because, you see, blessings are often a two-way street.

Sharing a laugh

If you’re not doing so already, look for an opportunity to Be The Gospel to someone. It might be the only encounter they have with the grace and love of Christ this week.

Do you already participate in a ministry? I’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments, along with any prayer requests you may have. Feel free to e-mail me confidential prayer requests.

God bless,

Laura

©Laura Hodges Poole

Special Prayer Request

Courtney is a young mother we've been praying for during the past two years while she's battled a cancerous brain tumor. She's had several clear reports after surgery, gamma knife radiation, and ongoing chemotherapy treatment.

She shares this prayer request:

I'm asking for a special prayer for me, my mom and my sister as we are on our way to Duke tonight. Praying for safe travels and excellent reports tomorrow. My schedule for tomorrow is: MRI 9:00 am, 10:45 lab, 11:30 PET scan and 1:30 for the results. As my sister says, we're planning on coming home with Kool-Aid smiles! Thank you in advance for the prayers.

Dear God, we lift up Courtney and her family tonight and tomorrow as she takes another step in her journey toward wellness. Please put your protection around them as they travel. We praise you for your faithfulness, grace, and mercy in Courtney's care and healing. We thank you for the many good reports she's had and your blessings in the ones to come. May she feel your comfort during these stressful times. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless you all for joining me in prayer.

Laura ✞

"Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life." Jonathan Edwards

Update on Injured Soldier

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9(NIV)

For those of you who follow this blog, you’re familiar with my weekly prayer post. Last week, soldier Jesse McCart’s aunt requested prayer for him. Since a few of you have asked for updates and due to the length of updates, I decided to share the news I’ve received and not wait until Wednesday. This is a timeline as it transpired since last Monday paraphrased from his family updates.

July 30: U.S. soldier Jesse McCart, age 26, was severely wounded in Afghanistan. He lost both legs (amputation of right leg at knee and left leg below knee) and part of an arm. Stabilized in a base hospital in Afghanistan with plans to move him to Germany. He has a wife Cassie, twin babies, and a toddler.

August 3: Jesse is on his way stateside tonight! He is in the air right now. He is responsive and following commands. They are telling us his hearing and motor skills are good. Another injured soldier sent a message that he talked to Jesse on the plane: Jesse knows where he is and what is going on, but can't respond verbally because of ventilator, but blinks his answers. He can hear and see and follow commands.

August 5: Jesse arrived in Texas safely in the middle of the night, last night. Cassie, his wife, his mom, and dad all arrived there safely today and are with him. He is still on life support and is sedated but knows everyone. Smiled once today when his oldest niece told him he is still good-looking.

Two other G.I.'s were injured by the IED at the same time. We are asking for prayer for them also.

August 5: Jesse is OFF THE VENTILATOR, is talking, and knows what's going on—is even cutting up a little bit (like Jesse does).

***********************

Folks, God hears our prayers and cares about our needs. Please continue to pray for Jesse’s recovery, and his wife, children, and parents during this long, difficult healing process. Pray for strength, comfort, and wisdom for all involved, including the medical staff. I will share any more updates received on the regular weekly prayer post on Wednesday. 

Praise to our Father whose grace is sufficient to meet all our needs!

God bless,

Laura

There Is None Like You

In many areas of understanding, none so much as in our understanding of God, we bump up against a simplicity so profound that we must assign complexities to it to comprehend it at all. It is mindful of how we paste decals to a sliding glass door to keep from bumping our nose against it. ~Robert Brault

God is difficult to explain because no words are adequate. Yet in everything I see and do, He’s there. Maybe Mr. Brault’s explanation is the best. We try too hard to explain someone who, though complex, is easily understood—if we’d just open our hearts and minds.

Every night, as the sun begins to set and a cool breeze rustles through the trees, my husband, my son, and I take a walk around our property with our Australian shepherd in tow. God is everywhere we look, in every nuance, sound, and scent we experience. Yellow-and-white honeysuckles trailing on vines, baby birds in their nests crying for food, spring rabbits playing leapfrog with each other—all bear God’s handprint. A supernatural quality transcends our minds and envelopes our senses when we become submerged in nature.

“Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.  You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:3b-5

On last week’s post, a comment was posted by Monica. The song by Casting Crowns, Praise You In This Storm, was a song she played repeatedly when her daughter passed away. I visited her blog and read her story, "Where is He in the Storm?" God’s grace and mercy shines through this young mother. Please take a moment to read her story and be blessed.

This was how she described her low point:

We were literally in debt, losing our home, our daughter passed away, our marriage was being hit, my relationship with my children was not what it used to be. I was in the midst of a STORM and I DID NOT KNOW WHEN IT WOULD END!! I went to GOD but did not hear Him nor see Him.

Monica lists four things God did to teach her and bring her out of the storm. I hope you’re as blessed by her story as I was.

My prayer for each of you today is that you pause to experience God in His creation and find peace often elusive elsewhere.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer requests from previous weeks include:

·       Unemployment (Several people have requested prayer in this area.)

·       Home foreclosure

·       Health issues – Please pray specifically for healing, comfort, strength, and wisdom in treatment.

            Karen – leukemia
            Courtney – cancerous brain tumor (repeat MRI this month)

·       Difficult family situations including children

·       People seeking God’s will in particular decisions

Please leave your prayer requests in the comment section or email me with confidential requests. I love hearing from you!

Our song this week is "In the Garden (There is None Like You)," by Watermark.

Quiet Rejuvenation

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father."~ Apostle Paul

Unlike many folks, I look forward to Monday morning. It’s a time for me to recenter my spirit on the ministry God has called me to do. Weekends can be a bit hectic, so it’s vital I rejuvenate in order to do His work.

Rejuvenation is multi-faceted. I draw on God’s grace, peace, and strength—but I also rely on the support and encouragement of other Christians.

I don’t take it lightly when someone sends me a card or tells me they’re praying for me. That support is greatly appreciated.

I love to sit in a quiet place and read Scripture. This morning, the Apostle Paul ministered to my heart and provided the path to rejuvenation.

Paul’s letters to the early church begin with the above greeting.

Why?

His own life was overwhelming at times, as evidenced by his prayer for God to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” We’ve all got thorns, right? Whether they’re situations, difficult people, or health problems, the only thing that sees us through is God’s grace and peace.

Paul knew the importance of God’s grace and peace to keep the Christian centered.

I’m encouraged by Paul’s statements which reflect his dedication to Christians’ perseverance. His burden and call went beyond his missionary treks and letters to the early Christians. I believe he was forward-thinking enough to realize, either intuitively or by divine leading, his message would be carried to future Christian generations.

Paul’s letters point to his vision of looking beyond the temporal to eternity, thus drawing on God’s strength when our own is depleted.

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Colossians 1:9

Just as Jesus prayed for future believers, to some extent Paul did, too. This prayer was directed at the Colossians, but it was also meant for us.

Paul modeled ministering to fellow Christians, in addition to bringing lost souls to Christ.

Our growth as Christians, as well as the ability to carry one another’s burdens and support ministry work, happens through prayer support. Sure, financial support is important, and Paul speaks to this aspect in ministry, as well, but I’m most encouraged by his dogged determination to impact others through prayer. 

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might…” Colossians 1:10-11a

In order to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of Christ, believers must be strengthened with God’s power. Paul’s message reinforces that the only way to do this is through prayer, Bible study, and uplifting from fellow believers. 

“… so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:11b-14

What a great promise! I don’t know about you, but I need God’s power to give me strength, endurance, and patience in this fallen world. Through Jesus, I’m qualified to share in His inheritance.

God rescued His children from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. Rest in that place of perfect peace today.

Praise His Holy Name!

Chasing Dreams

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Many times I’ve felt the Lord’s presence in my life, guiding me, and speaking to my heart about my decisions. Specific prayers have received specific answers. Usually, when I pray, wrestle with a problem, and then come to the end of myself and say, “What now, Lord?” He answers me the mightiest.

A friend commented this week, she believed it was the devil’s tool to crowd our mind. I couldn’t agree more. Recently I’ve begun to see the craziness in busyness. I’ve never been one to while away my time without guilt. The more productive I am, the better.  The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say my father wrote the verse that appears in Proverbs 6:10-11 and 24:33-34, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” When my father enjoys leisure time, he’s still doing something. He rests after he has exhausted himself with work or fun. He’s the only person I know who can accidentally take a 20-mile bike ride. But that’s a story for another day.

Each day is a gift—not to be wasted in worry, regrets, grudges, past grievances, or score-settling. You can do nothing to change the past and tomorrow isn’t promised. The time you’re in right now—the present—is the only thing truly tangible.

Apple founder, Steve Jobs, died yesterday. He will go down in history as a giant in the technological  age of the 20^th and 21^st century. Among his many quotes was one from a speech he gave six years ago during his battle with pancreatic cancer. That death would come sooner rather than later was an understatement. He lasted longer than most with this diagnosis.

“Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

Jobs’ statement strips away the pretenses we all live under. While the proverb above cautions against laziness, there is also the extreme of overwork while chasing dreams, fulfilling goals, and trying to please everyone around you. Somewhere in the middle of the two extremes, you’ll find yourself—the one God envisioned when He created you.

And in the quest to find the point of balance, take inventory. When was the last time you listened for a response from God when you prayed? Or sought God’s plan for your life? Or willingly laid your own plans aside for His?

“Here am I, send me,” Isaiah boldly proclaimed.

Prayer: God of the universe, grant me grace when I stumble, contentment when I desire more, clarity amidst chaos, hope during despair, and wisdom to seek the path You have designed for me.