By Linette Crelly

The gift. I discovered it behind a door God opened. I unwrapped it, developed it, and shared it.  For a span of 15 years God poured a divine download of songs into my heart.  No sooner would one song get finished then another would be birthed. What a joy it was to share this gift as I ministered in worship.

Until one day. My left arm was heavy, my fingers tingled, my head throbbed, and my voice became weak… what was happening? After seven ailing years and countless expeditions down medical hallways, the door opened and the truth was revealed. I had a rare disorder called Mitochondrial Myopathy.

“There is no cure” declared my doctor, “your body has difficulty converting food to energy.” My heart wept before God. “Where are you Lord? Do you hear? I am knocking. I need your healing power.”  That’s when I heard God loud and clear… “I have you, my grace is sufficient for you, I won’t let you go.”

God does heal, but it’s always on His terms. God is ever healing, even when we don’t see it.  He even reaches places we don’t think we need it. Little did I know those years of being so broken in body were actually strengthening me in spirit, preparing me to withstand a different kind of storm. The kind of storm that takes you by surprise because you think, “That will never happen to me”, that is, until it does.

A few years later I stared in disbelief as my husband said, “I don’t love you anymore.” I watched as he walked away from our marriage and the ministry we had built together. Divorce. Shame. Loss. “Knock, knock, Lord…are you listening?” No, it was more like bloody fists pounding on a wood splintered door. That is when those same words of comfort washed over me again and again saying … “I have you, I’m right here, my grace is sufficient for you, I won’t let you go.”  

Our Papa God is a good Father, He did hear me. He is in the restoration and renovation business.  His Word says that “those who HOPE in the Lord will renew their strength.” Another translation says we will gain NEW STRENGTH. Hmmm… so that means new, BRAND NEW, a new strength we didn’t have before.

What about you? Have you braced a storm recently? Have you asked, “What do I do now Lord? What door should I walk through? I need your strength.” Jesus wants us to keep knocking. He will open the door. The Lord has good plans, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Dear Lord, show me the path where I should walk, point out the right road for me to follow, open the doors and I will walk through. I put my trust in you and you give me strength.  

Linette Crelly, Founder/CEO of Fellowship Hill Ministries, encourages, equips, and engages hearts to outreach through worship, leadership, and VOP events.  Linette is a Christian Chaplain, Speaker, and Worship leader, serving as an Outreach leader for the last 20 years.  Her down to earth style and heart touching message is evident through her music and inspirational blog devotions. Linette brings Vessels of Purpose! Workshops and Worship to Christian venues across the country.
 Connect with Linette @LinetteCrelly  
www.vesselsofpurpose.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/Fellowshiphill/

Linette Crelly received honorable mention in the CLASS Contreat Blog Contest. ​

God doesn’t open doors on demand.  He opens doors for His purposes. Years ago I desperately wanted to change my teaching situation. I came across a job opening that appeared absolutely perfect. It mirrored exactly what I envisioned my next career step might be. I was thrilled. I could use the skills I was best at and enjoyed most. This match was too great not to pursue. I visualized all the ideas and experience I could offer in my new assignment as a reading specialist as if I were already there. I prayed for Jesus to guide me during the interview and to provide that job for me. Friends prayed with me to affirm that this was what God would choose for me. One dear wise friend prayed that God would open the door to the place He intended for me to be and that I would feel His presence wherever He placed me. I was so disappointed that she didn’t ask God to provide me the specific teaching position I wanted. My other friends prayed that I would be given what I desired. She prayed only for God’s will. Later I came to understand that she was able to seek the Lord for me in a more accepting manner and honor His sovereignty.
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The teaching job went to someone else. I was entrusted with an enduring lesson about God’s provision and patience with me. He worked in and through me while I remained in my familiar classroom environment. A beautiful three- year old child from Ireland joined my class the next year. Donnacha immediately stole a piece of my heart. He displayed developmental delays and was not yet speaking. He was busy, curious, and noisy. My experience showed me that despite delays Donnacha was an exceptionally bright child who would flourish given correct teaching methods. The Lord brought this family here for 2 years on a work exchange with Intel. Donnacha’s parents expressed concern about the stigma and prejudice he could face when they returned to Ireland. God gave me two years with Donnacha in my classroom. He returned to Ireland to join his typical peers in a regular school program.  God opened a door for Donnacha and for me to display His compassion for us both. 

Because I love Jesus, my life and teaching career are not directed by my will alone. I praise God that He didn’t allow me to walk through doors without Him. He had His hand on marvelous details that He alone orchestrated behind the scenes. Growing up in faith gave me the understanding that it isn’t my own work but rather His work that pleases Him most and opens the door to His blessing. 

Susan Kendall received honorable mention in the CLASS Contreat Blog Contest. 

By Gerry Wakeland

Life can be complicated and confusing and sometimes just plain hard, but you will survive.  Marilyn Larson’s new book, Stories to Encourage Caregivers, talks about all of that and more. It talks about finding a ray of sunshine in the darkness, a glimmer of hope in the gloom, and the peace that only God can provide in the midst of your circumstances.

Growing up I thought my parents were invincible. Surely they would be around forever. Think about it. Even when we are adults ourselves we never really see our parents growing old. In today’s society, with the many medical miracles and treatments, life is so much longer than ever before, long enough for us to witness a significant role reversal in our family dynamics. Suddenly one day bam! It hits us; mom and dad cannot do what they used to. They need significant help. If our parents live long enough the day eventually arrives when the parents become the children and the children take on the role of parents. Sad but true.

Stories to Encourage Caregivers is not just for those caring for aging parents. Marilyn’s words and suggestions will help anyone who finds themselves in the role of a caregiver. Sick child, spouse recovering from an illness, friend who needs someone to walk the road of rehabilitation with them, these are all circumstances that we may one day be faced with. The coping ideas included in this book will provide the tools you need to get you through the tough times.

These true life experiences, written from the depth of a daughter’s heart, demonstrate Marilyn’s strong faith – a faith that got her through the toughest of days. You will laugh, you will cry, you may be provoked to think differently, but one thing is for sure you will see Jesus evidenced in every story Marilyn shares.

So if you feel alone, as if you’ve lost your sanity, if you struggle with worry and exhaustion, if you are on a roller-coaster of anxiety, anger or grief, this book is for you. If you know someone who is caring for a loved one, a professional who spends every day caring for those who cannot care for themselves any longer, this book is for them. As you read the pages and engage in the stories be encouraged. And remember, You Will Survive.

Marilyn Larson lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband, Bill. She taught fourth grade for thirty years and during that time she learned to teach deep truths in simple ways. She has over two hundred published articles and has written curriculum for both the Presbyterian and Southern Baptist churches. Marilyn has a passion for prayer and has been a prayer warrior for CLASSEMINARS for many years.

To order Marilyn’s book contact BookCrafters at www.bookcrafters.net.

Congratulations to Naomi Jewell Stahnke the winner of our CLASS Contreat Blog Contest. Naomi will be joining us November for the CLASS Contreat.

Receiving Honorable Mention were: Susan Kendall and Linette Crelly

Thank you to all who entered this year's blog contest.

by Naomi Jewell Stahnke

“Sit down, brother. Would you like some tea?” the little girl holds a plastic tea cup towards an empty chair across from her, “Yes, sister, I want a cookie! But first I have to go get the baby a bottle.”  She gets up from the table and skips across the empty yard and up the front steps, into her house. After grabbing a play bottle from her bedroom, she stops and leans on the arm of the couch, kicking her legs in the air.

“Mama, I want some brothers and sisters.”

Her mother smiles and takes another towel from the basket of clothes she is folding. “Then you should pray for some.”

So, the little girl did, every day, for what seemed to her like years. First it was one sister, no, a brother. Then it morphed into four sisters and five brothers! Yes, that would be perfect. And now, all there was to do was wait for her mother to announce that the first baby was coming ...

That was me, Naomi Jewell, ten years ago. There was no doubt in my seven-year-old mind that Jesus meant it when He said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” [Matthew 7:7]  I was sure that, if I asked enough, God would give me what I asked for.

But, I never got those four sisters and five brothers, and my mother has never had another baby. Though I knocked and knocked and knocked on that door, it never opened. Sometimes, I wondered if what Jesus said was really true. When I look back, though, I am very glad that door stayed closed.

You see, when I ask God if we can go somewhere, I usually have a detailed map in my head of how we are going to get there. When I ask Him for a gift, I generally have a “flawless” strategy for how He's going to give it to me. I always do my planning from the ground, and I am only ever thinking of one person . . . that's right, me! But, God makes plans from the sky, where He can see everything, and He thinks about everyone involved.

Like I said, I was never given my ten siblings in the way I imagined. Later I found out that it was because God saw something I didn't – three little kids roaming their ordinary Wyoming neighborhood, digging through trash cans, starving not only for food, but for love. He saw three precious gems that needed safety, security, and a family. He saw two girls and a boy that I now call my siblings, my answers to prayer.

So, did Jesus really mean it when He said, “. . . knock and the door will be opened to you.”? I think He did; only sometimes, it isn't the door that I'm expecting. It's a different one altogether, and it is always much, much better!

by Lora Armendariz

Today is Labor Day. Our nation has taken a day off to recognize all the past and present workers who have contributed to the strength of our amazing country. Of course, some of us are still working.

Right now I watch my husband on the tractor out in the fields. I wonder where he gets the strength and perseverance. He is not always thanked and it is back-breaking work. Whenever I ask him he always shrugs and says, "It is easy to keep going. It feels good to be productive. It is the right thing to do." I think about those words when I'm up editing late at night and wondering if my writing is worth the effort. When I ask God, He always gently reminds my heart that He has given me all I need to do His work. 

In the Bible, Paul wrote this, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters," Colossians 3:23 NIV. 

All Christians, from farmers to writers to Walmart cashiers to pastors and everything in between, are working for God. There is no work too lowly, no labor without meaning, when we are doing it for our Heavenly Father. I take great strength from that truth. Today, as the country celebrates the laborer, I hope we all take a moment to celebrate the Kingdom work that is poured out daily by all our Christian brothers and sisters. 

Happy Labor Day.

By Gerry Wakeland

Recently I was given a gift. It was more than just a book. It was the result of many hours of blood, sweat and tears. My Footprint for God is a product of Kenn Edward’s passion for helping people see how they can build their spiritual legacy and leave their footprint on this earth. In a sense, this book is a part of Kenn’s very own footprint.

I have to admit I have come to that point in my own life where I am starting to think about the legacy I will leave for my children and more importantly, my grandchildren. Kenn reminds us that our true legacy is intangible. It’s not money or material items. It’s how we will be remembered. It’s the footprint that we leave behind.

Our spiritual legacy is about investing in people, family, friends, even strangers God places in our path. It’s about financing Kingdom work in many different ways. My Footprint for God is filled with personal stories from Kenn’s many years in financial and estate planning and nearly 40 years of teaching God’s Word in small group settings.

In his book, Kenn covers a comprehensive list of practical financial issues and provides the tools needed to work through these issues. Estate planning, wise giving and good stewardship are only a few of the topics. Each one is supported by scripture helping the reader understand the biblical principles behind Kenn’s sage advice.

“It’s Not Mine” is the title of Chapter Four. It was my favorite. It reminded me of a sermon I heard years ago that taught us everything we have belongs to God and He just allows us to hold it. Learning that concept changed the entire way I treated my possessions and my finances. Scripture teaches us that we are blessed to be a blessing. Kenn’s teaching reinforces this philosophy.

This book also helps us to view financial issues that we tend to overlook or avoid. Matters like how to handle our resources if we were to remarry. How do we deal with yours, mine and ours? What do we leave to our children when we are called home? Tough but necessary topics.

For those melancholy readers who love charts, you will find a number of very helpful forms that can be reproduced. Other resources are available at no charge on Kenn’s website.

If you struggle with financial matters this book will be a great tool for you. It will also be an encouragement, instilling the confidence that, yes, you can do this. If you know someone struggling in this area, My Footprint for God would be a great investment in their life or a great wedding gift for a young couple just starting out.

This material is designed not just for individual study; it can also be used for small groups. It comes complete with discussion questions and exercises for each chapter. In my opinion money is a hard topic to discuss. Working through these issues with other Christians can be a helpful way to study financial principles. It may be the spark needed for someone to look more closely at their own relationship with God.

Whether you study alone or with others in a group, I encourage you to get this book and put it to work for you. Start now to build your own footprint for God. Start by asking yourself, “How do I want to be remembered?”

For more information about Kenn’s ministry or to purchase your own copy of My Footprint for God, visit www.FootPrintForGod.com

by Lora Armendariz

As a mother to a rambunctious four-year-old and a special needs toddler, I find my day spread thin. Writing cannot be placed high on my list of priorities when there are dirty dishes to wash and little bodies to bathe and read books to.
But the writing still happens.

I need it. It is a deeply seated passion for me, a calling from my Heavenly Father. When I find the time for writing I feel steadier, happier, and more peaceful. This year alone I have finished two novels, begun another, kept up a twice-weekly blog, and grew my audience through social networking.

You might ask, “How do you make time?” Or, “What do you give up so that you can write instead?”

Below are eight ways in which I have made productive time for writing. Perhaps some of them will work for you as well.

1. Start the day with a little writing. I like to wake before the rest of the family does, drink a cup of coffee with my devotional, and then write. I can get half-an-hour to an hour in before I need to start cooking breakfast.
2. Set an alarm on your watch or phone for 5-10-minute writing breaks a few times during the day. Concentrate on getting ideas down and forget about comma placements and grammar.
3. Dedicate a good block of time in your day for writing. For me, this is my toddler’s naptime. It might be an hour or three depending on her day. I lay aside house chores and set up my four-year-old with quiet activities.
4. Trade in TV time for writing. This is something I do depending on the goals I want to accomplish. Television has the potential to take leak away too many hours.
5. Turn off phones and Wi-Fi on your computer. Focus. That tiny little beep my phone makes has the potential to steal thoughts as fast as a power-outage. My curiosity can’t wait until I’ve read my notification or message and then before I know it I have lost valuable time engrossed in social media.
6. End the day with writing. Fifteen minutes of writing will not only help you get a first-draft blog done, or get in a word count for your novel, it will also help settle your mind much better than watching your favorite show.
7. Create your own “retreat”. Dedicate a day or two to writing. Pay for a babysitter or send children to their grandparents. Prepare yourself with caffeine, snacks, and the best distraction-free atmosphere you can make. Enjoy a deeper immersion into your project.
8. Connect with God first. Connecting with God helps me focus, clear my mind, and set my heart. I have less writer’s block and less mindless gibberish when I invite God first into what I am writing that day.

I hope some of the tips above help you in your own journey. Happy writing.  

by Gerry Wakeland

“Have you ever heard of Robert Benson?” This question was posed to me in a recent conversation with Gloria Penwell, the Assistant Director of the CLASS Writers Contreat. Gloria had just returned from an event where Benson had spoken on his book, Dancing on the Head of a Pen. She was quite excited about this book. I made a mental note to get a copy and then properly filed it. You know what I mean.

Robert Benson’s name was not new to me. I was first introduced to Robert and his writing when speaking at Ann Downing’s Middle Tennessee Women’s Retreat many years ago. Presenting on the same program was a delightful southern lady, Peggy Benson. Miss Peggy, as she was lovingly called, spoke with pride as she told me about her children. “And my son, Robert, is a writer,” she said. And indeed, he was and still is. He has written nearly twenty books, many on the topics of prayer and spiritual formation. A number of these books reside in my personal library. So one would think I would run right out to get a copy of his latest book on writing, but this was not the case.

Then one day a couple of weeks ago I had reason to be at our local Christian book store and there it sat, right in front of my face and my feeble mind reminded me of Gloria’s words. “You’ve got to read it.” So I took a copy home. That evening I climbed into my favorite chair with a cup of cinnamon tea and began to read and I didn’t stop until I came to the last period on the last page.

Like most of Benson’s books, Dancing on the Head of a Pen is filled with wit and wisdom, brilliantly woven together with stories and quotes. Peppered with personal anecdotes that perfectly exemplify the writer’s life, the challenges, the doubts, the joys and the triumphs, this book also leads the reader on a spiritual quest. It made me ask some hard questions.

But Benson does not just write to entertain or inspire, or even to provoke us spiritually. This book is like a toolbox for writers. It is filled with practical helps. Some of these were new concepts to me, others new twists on old philosophies. All were tried and true ideas based on Benson’s personal experience and that of other writing colleagues.

Reading a Robert Benson book is very much like taking a long walk with a good friend or sitting at the neighborhood coffee shop over a latte. You feel comfortable with the conversation as you discover that you have much in common and he has much to share. This book is no different.

It the responsibility of a writer is to open the world, or at least some small part of it, for others to see, Robert Benson’s Dancing on the Head of a Pen does this beautifully. And like Gloria Penwell said, “You’ve got to read it.”

To get your own copy of Benson’s Dancing on the Head of a Pen, click on the image below.