“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Buttercup Moments

Katie sat alone under the pergola on her roof-top garden, absorbed by the colors of the quiet evening sky. Muted golden hues blended with coral and purple, brought her peace. She sipped hot chamomile tea from a porcelain cup and thought of the years she had spent hiding the secret that could change the lives of her and her son.

In those days, she’d grown hesitant and unsure of keeping Danny. Alone and vulnerable, fear had consumed her, and anxiety monopolized her every thought. Thank God for Maggie, who came along and planted words of hope and scripture in her heart. The words were a balm to her weary soul. They had sat side by side on Maggies’ front porch swing and Katie had cried. “I don’t know what to do. I’m a mess and my life’s a mess,” she had confessed.

Giving Katie’s shoulder a gentle squeeze, Maggie handed Katie a flowered hankie from her pocket and whispered softly, “Honey, life isn’t always hot tea and sweet pie, you know.” She leaned to the table by her side and poured a cup of warm chamomile. “Life’s full of trouble. Jesus said so, Himself. And besides, who told you we wouldn’t have to go through storms.” Her gnarled, but strong and gentle hand passed the delicate cup to Katie. “God just promised to walk through the storms with us. “King David didn’t always know what to do either, but you can be sure that one turned to the LORD with his troubles. He had this to say about God in 138 Psalms:

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life.” In verse 7 David says, “When I called You answered me.”

“Sometimes, Katie, we don’t hear his answer, yet even in those times, we can keep on trusting, He’s right there with us all the time, and we can know whatever His answer is, it’s for our good. He knows you, sweetie. Every hair on your head, and He loves you. And that baby in your belly will someday be able to praise the LORD and say for himself, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. How precious are Your thoughts to me, Oh God.”

Katie smiled at the memory and stood. Walking with her cup to the short wall that surrounded her rooftop garden, she sighed. grateful for the private sanctuary it provided above her apartment on Mainstreet. The little apartment rose above her family’s diner, below. Leaning against the wall, she glanced across town square. Her baby was a big boy now. Danny meandered down the street with friends on his way home from the movies. What a joy he was. The sun dipped lower in the sky, as darkness settled over the small town. She brought the cup to her lips and watched him. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. She knew her secret would someday be revealed. When and how she wasn’t sure.

The tea had grown warm and brought Maggie back to mind. It had taken her years to see the growth her mentor had planted in her heart. Thankfully, she’d watered the seed. The older woman had been right, life wasn’t easy. Still wasn’t. But Maggie’s whisper of hope all those years ago had encouraged her. Had sustained her through being a single mom. Katie trusted the LORD, and as Daniel grew, she found peace and hope while her faith in God’s wisdom continued to blossom. Would her hope and faith be enough to sustain her when Travis hears of her secret?

Like feeding chickens from a bucket of cracked corn.

I’ve been a word gardener my entire life. My mom used to say I was born talking. Those who know me tend to believe it. Writing is like gardening; you start with seeds. Planting through fiction, essays, articles, and poetry, is one way, and for me, when I don’t know what to say, the words planted in my journal help.

At times, my words are broadcast across the page, like feeding chickens from a bucket of cracked corn. It isn’t until after I’ve written the words that I find their right row and depth. Then, I realize I’ve planted them too close together or that their pace is in full sun when what they need is slow and steady afternoon shade.

Sweet tea on the porch in early morning conversations.

Like Maggie, the written word isn’t the only way of sowing seeds. I have found myself serving scripture to my family along with their Christmas Cake or sitting on the porch in early morning conversations sharing life lessons over a mug of coffee or glass of sweet tea in the afternoon. Be prepared, because when someone needs a word from the LORD, He may send you to deliver it.

The quiet work of tending hearts.

Hearts are tender, though, and sharing your testimony is like pouring hot water into a fragile teacup. We must pour the truth gently and with a soft voice. Even still, we don’t see the young shoots come up the same day. And when we sow in someone else’s garden, we don’t always get to see the results of our gardening at all. Sometimes, we aren’t the ones who plant, but maybe we are the ones who carry the water bucket and sprinkle seedlings someone else planted. Or maybe it’s our job to transplant the seed into a sun sunny spot or move it out of the heat. Baby it a little until it gets strong enough to be on its own.

Harvesting Hope is a joy, and just like planting it, seeing hope grow gives us peace. God freely gives the words to plant to those who love Him, who are ready, and who trust in the Holy Spirit.

I like to think the words I use bring peace and hope to the hearts of those who hear or read them, and I pray some of the word-seeds take hold. However, I know some may not, and for others I plant, I may never know if the seeds grow. One thing I do know, as I write or speak, the words are sure to cultivate and shape me.

QUESTION: What seeds are you planting? Are you watering any that someone else planted? Will you be a word gardener and share your story of how God works in and through your life?

Maggie’s Whispers of Hope for August:

“Some seeds bloom after the longest silence. Just keep tending.”

Be sure to click Like and Share so others scan read the post. I’d love to see your comments in the section below..

Come on back and share a slice of life with me. The gate is always open.

The post HARVESTING HOPE appeared first on Shelia Shook.

Isaiah 55:13 – “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, and instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up.”

I stood behind the fence at the edge of the garden and studied the weeds filling the soil, again, crowding out vegetables. Time and again, I work on them only to have them return. I sighed and watched a wayward wasp land on the soft petals of a buttercup at the bottom of the fence post. One petal torn, the others perfect. Some call these flowers weeds. I call them whispers of hope, wildflowers in disguise, and I find them a beautiful reminder that not all unexpected things in life are negative. I thought of my Inspirational Romance Novel, BUTTERCUP FENCES. As the wise mentor character, Maggie, would say, “Weeds don’t always mean neglect, even weeds reach for light.” Stories have a way of stirring us forward, and Maggie always knows when it’s time to let go and plant something new.

Maybe, that’s why this blog is shifting.

Behind the posts is a new rhythm for this blog starting gently in July and unfolding weekly in August. You’ll read moments from my life and scenes with Maggie, Katie and Travis, and G-Pops. Stories all braided together by themes that matter love, forgiveness, community, and slow transformation. But all of them carrying a thread of faith and Inspiration; reflection as we Embrace Life; and a whisper of hope in Learning to Cope. We’re not here to rush, but to notice and maybe plant something.

You’ll see this space is growing—blooming slowly.

Not just to hold what’s personal, but also what’s quietly fictional and deeply true. You might read about joy tucked into thorns and growth in tangled places. Or maybe a page from Katie’s journal, a note from the margins of Travis’ planner, or faith rooted in whispers of hope shared during porchlight hours. The update on the posts is not the pickets or the gate, but the spaces in between the quiet posts of faith that hold everything steady, that’s where scripture stands. You’ll meet grace here with her wisdom, thoughts, and questions.

So, welcome to the new season.

Shelia’s Wit and Wisdom is still here. The whisper of hope is still soft as a buttercup, and you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me. The gate is always open.

QUESTION: What’s one good path you’ve walked lately? Write it down. Carry it this month. Let grace lead.

The post WHISPERS OF HOPE IN THE MIDST OF WEEDS appeared first on Shelia Shook.

I’m working in VBS this year, leading the Bible study and it’s been a while since I worked with children. They can be unpredictable and outspoken. What if they ask a question I can’t answer? I was nervous, anxious.

Oddly, I needed the lessons I would teach this week, and as I prepared the lessons, I found the messages filled me with the realization that we won’t always have all the answers. We only need to trust the one who does. As a child, I would ask a lot of questions, as most kids do. I trusted that my parents knew the answers. And when they didn’t know, they would send me to the dictionary or the library or encyclopedia to find it. As I got older, I realized that even knowing to send me to those resources helped me to trust them and so I did the same to my own children. I never minded when they questioned my logic. But I found directing them to my resources increased their trust rather than lessening it. The joke used to be “consider the source” when someone said something ridiculous. Sadly, the sources today, are not as dependable as we’d like. Many of them are ridiculous.

The Bible is a source we can trust.

However, the Bible is a source we can trust. Be sure you have an authentic version and not an AI inspired version that leaves out or adds in various false information.

God doesn’t mind if we question Him.

God doesn’t mind if we question Him or His Bible. He’s confident enough to handle our questions. It’s good to wonder. He wants us to ponder, study. Dig deep into our theology and into His word. He wants us to listen and hear. He wants us to look and see. He wants us to know without doubt that He is sovereign. He is who he says He is. Above all, He wants you to know that your faith is based on trusting Jesus. He is the guide; He is the answer to every question we will ever have. Does that sound hokey? Naïve, maybe? All I can say is that my trust in Jesus brings peace, and joy into my life. I am not afraid of being alone, he gives me courage and strength when I am worried or feel sad and hopeless. Honestly, He is my answer.

What do you worry about? What makes you anxious? How do you feel when you are powerless? Hopeless? Or alone?

The answer to all of life’s questions:

The answer to all of life’s questions is to trust Jesus. When we can’t find the answer, we are looking for, we can trust Jesus. when we feel alone, hopeless, powerless, afraid, we can trust Jesus. He is our compass. He is the True North. A compass can be broken, and sometimes it needs to be recalibrated. But Jesus is always the same. He never changes. He is always dependable. He’s never late or early.

Jesus is my True North! Is he yours?

The post DO YOU EVER WONDER IF IT’S OKAY TO QUESTION GOD? appeared first on Shelia Shook.

It’s that time of year again when I prepare garden beds for flowers, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Unfortunately, I’d allowed the weeds to gather and cover the beautiful soil, and I had a time trying to clear them all out. At first, I ran my gloved hand across the top of the soil and pulled as many as I could by hand, but these roots were so deep I needed a tool.

However, even a tool could only pull the large weeds. It couldn’t pull all the tiny hair-like roots that thickly invaded the soil. I knew anything I planted would be robbed of necessary nutrients, choking out the good roots of flowers, herbs, or vegetables that I wanted. Ugh.

I felt the heartache of hopelessness.

These weeds reminded me of the habits that take over the soil of my life. They were entrenched—firmly established, and the soil in my planters was hopelessly ruined. I could saturate the soil with weed killer and ruin the good soil with chemicals but then, I wouldn’t want to grow anything edible in that kind of soil. I could completely dump the weed-filled dirt, add fresh soil, and start all over with an empty planter. That seemed the easiest answer to the gardening problem.

What about the weeds in my heart?

I couldn’t very well replace my heart with a new one, could I? Can you? Of course not. But Jesus can. When we receive Him as Savior, He gives us a new heart, but we must guard it, protect it from invasive sin, realize we must deal with bad habits the same as we manage weeds and daily inspect our hearts as we do the soil.

Distinguish the good from the bad.

Think about it. Just because a weed has flowers, doesn’t mean it is beneficial, and it could even become out of control. (I Corinthians10:23). Every time a weed pops up or we recognize a bad habit is forming, we must do something about it quickly. We can’t let it linger and take root. Just as we turn the soil in the garden regularly to expose the roots to the sun, we must expose bad habits to the Son of God. Let Him scorch them out, forgive us, and help us start again. His love is the best weedkiller out there!

How do you manage the weeds in your life?

Remember, wherever you are, you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post WEEDS OF THE HEART appeared first on Shelia Shook.

Have you ever shortchanged God with your faith? Let me share a story.

The devil wanted to steal not only my joy, but my trust in God’s plan.

A few weeks ago on the eve of an arctic vortex, I was staying with family outside of Denver in Monument, Colorado. It was time to go home, but I worried my flight home to Houston the next morning would be canceled. After being up most of the night checking the weather report and flight status every few hours, I finally prayed and told God I would accept either way as being His will.

I said, “LORD, if the flight is canceled, I will take it that You want me to stay in Colorado another week. If it is not canceled, then I know You are ready for me to go home.” I took a deep breath and drifted off to asleep.

The next morning, I awoke to find snow and ice covered the driveway, yet the flight had not been canceled. My family and I started out early because a travel advisory warned to stay off the hazardous roads. We bundled up, grabbed a coffee, and headed out despite the warning. The usual one-hour drive took two hours in the blowing snow and frozen roads. I felt doubt creeping in, but I prayed and felt a peace that God would get us to the airport safely and on time.

At last, we arrived.

I said goodbye to my family, and they drove away to face the treacherous road back to Monument. I usually need wheelchair aid to the gate due to my bad knees, but they refused to take me due to the distance and length of time to get there. They said boarding would start in fourteen minutes. I argued that it was still an hour until they closed the doors. The manager of the service found an elderly man who would make the attempt to get me to the gate on time, but not to blame them if not.

However, the attendant was slow l, but there was literally no one in line at security so I felt a bit of hope. But then when we went through security the birthdate on my boarding pass did not match my driver’s license and I had to go back to the checkin desk to get it fixed. I was so disappointed. With the slow wheelchair driver, I knew it would be impossible to get the boarding pass fixed, go back through security, and still get to the gate on time.

Resigned, I called my family to come back to the airport for me.

However, while I awaited their return, I questioned God. “Why, LORD, would You allow the flight not to be canceled, and allow us to arrive safely through a gauntlet of snow so heavy that only one lane on the freeway was open, then allow me an hour to spare for me to then not catch the flight?”  Tears welled up and I blinked them away. “Whatever You want Lord, but help me understand. My family have gotten up before daylight on a horrible weather day for nothing?

I felt a nudge.

Oddly, hope began to swell. Then a stronger nudge sent me hobbling back to the wheelchair desk to ask again for an attendant to take me to the gate. I really expected them to refuse, but they didn’t. They asked me to wait for them to find someone again. I waited, unsure whether to call my family again or keep waiting. I prayed again.

Soon, a different elderly attendant approached me. “I want to help you,” he said. “I’ve been doing this job for six years and I believe we can get you to the gate on time.”

With my birthdate on the boarding pass fixed, he rushed me through security, wound me through and around groups of slow walking people, caught three elevators and we rode two shuttles to get to the gate. And when we arrived… the victory of our race had us both praising God. There were at least fifty people still boarding and another, maybe, seventy-five boarded after me.

I had prayed for God’s will.

He knew I was in a hurry, knew the odds were already foretold that I wouldn’t make it. So, if it was His will for the flight not to be canceled, and His will for us to arrive at the airport safely and with an hour to spare, why didn’t the rest go smoothly? Why was the birthdate on the boarding pass wrong? Why did my first attendant walk so slow? And why on earth was the gate so far?

I believe God wanted me to know without a doubt that it was HIM who got me to the gate on time. There could be no doubt, only God could have provided for my need.

And to think I almost gave up. I called my family back to let them know I had boarded the plane. I was in my seat with time to spare, and a long line of people still boarding. Had I not responded when God nudged me, I would have missed my flight. Had to stay in Colorado for another week for the weather to clear enough for me to fly home.

God came through for me.

He will come through for you too. Sometimes, we think if something is God‘s will, then everything should run smoothly, but maybe God wants to show us HE is the one answering our prayers.

I was prepared to miss the flight if it was God’s plan, but the Holy Spirit nudged me not to give up. I am so glad I didn’t. What a lesson I learned. And the wheelchair driver too. Prayer works. Next time you are about to give up listen to the little nudge. It may be the Holy Spirit.

Remember, where ever you are, you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post FAITH IN THE SNOW appeared first on Shelia Shook.

While it is true, we are wise to take care of ourselves, it doesn’t necessarily mean having a spa day. Taking care of ourselves involves our physical health, mental/emotional health, and our social/relationship health as well as spiritual. There is a little book I got somewhere in my life titled I DARE YOU, written by William H. Danforth, Founder and Former Chairman of the Board, Ralston Purina Company, Checkerboard Square, St. Louis, Missouri and published in 1958 by the Danforth Foundation. It has been in my personal library for decades and is a book that haunts me now and again. It is a reminder to look at the balance of my life.

Am I lacking in one area while spending too much time in another?

Danforth explains people are four sided beings. Let’s take a look at what they are and how we can take care of each of them.

PHYSICAL SELF: by eating right, getting fresh air, and exercising our muscles and joints to keep them strong. Getting enough rest, sleep and tending to our hygiene.

MENTAL HEALTH: by reading, learning, figuring math, science, and playing mentally challenging games. In other words, feed and work your brain as you would your physical body.

SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SELF: by spending time with others, the old saying No man is an island, is absolutely true. We are social beings. Giving and receiving support and feedback is important to our social health. Our relationships encourage and uplift us. And there is no relationship as uplifting as one with the Holy Spirit.

SPIRITUAL SELF: by connecting with GOD; praying, worshiping, serving others; practicing the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Meekness, and Self-control. And by maturing in knowledge and applying our understanding of Scriptures.

Of course, God wants to be the priority in your life, but He also wants to be a part of who you are—each side of you, not just your Spiritual side.

God created you to be four sided. And each side has purpose.

Think of your life as being a four-sided square. Draw a square. Make it, say, two inches on each side. In the center put your name. On one side of the square, write Physical, on another write Social, and on another, Mental, and last but definitely not least, write Spiritual.

A balanced life should look like an equally four-sided square.

Our Spiritual, Social, Mental and Physical sides connect to one another.

Sometimes I spend too much time sitting, thinking, reading, playing games, or studying things, and neglect to add movement to nourish my old joints and strengthen my bones. So, my mental side is no longer equal to the other sides. It is longer and, because I sat around all day, my physical side is shorter.

But if I am working with someone else to strategize a game, my Social side is fed. Or, if I am reading or studying Scripture, I am feeding my Spiritual side along with my Mental side. So, now that changes the balance yet again. Could be listening to Christian music while jogging. The premise of this exercise is to dare yourself to be the best you can be in each area of your life. To be well rounded.

What does your square look like? Is it lopsided, a rectangle? Or an equal sided and balanced square?

Remember, wherever you are, you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post Take Care of Yourself appeared first on Shelia Shook.

A Fifty-year Friendship

Today, I want to share something special with you—a letter of gratitude and thankfulness to my longtime friend, Gayle. This year marks our fifty-year friendship. Throughout this time, she has been a constant, faithful friend. This letter is my tribute to her and the incredible friend she has been to me and my family. 

As you read this, I hope it inspires you to reflect on the meaningful relationships in your own life and maybe even to express your feelings to those who matter most to you. 

Dear Gayle,

As I write this, I can’t help but think of the incredible journey we’ve shared over the years. From our first meeting in the Spring of 1974, to the countless memories we’ve created, our friendship has been a constant source of joy and support in my life.

Memories

Remember that time at my house in Galveston when we laughed our conspiratorial way through the movie, My Fair Lady? And the time we used a home-frosting kit on your hair at my apartment, and you sped back to your place to rinse it out? And then you got stopped by the policeman with your hair in foil? How about the time Bill sent me house hunting and you went with me. We blindly took a road trip in search of some small town and drove for what seemed like hours until we finally ended up in Dayton, Texas? We thought it was in the middle of nowhere and you laughingly said you would never live so far out of the city. Now, we’ve both bought our homes and raised our families in Dayton, and within fifteen minutes of one another.  It didn’t take long for our families become friends as well, and now the holidays would not be the same without you and your family.

Best of All

The most meaningful time for me, though, is the nights we’ve spent talking about our faith, fears, and everything in between. Each of these moments has etched a special place in my heart, and I am so grateful to have shared them with you. Your unwavering support and understanding have been my rock through thick and thin. You’ve seen me at my best and at my worst, and through it all, you’ve never wavered in your friendship. It’s rare to find someone who truly understands and accepts you for who you are, and I feel incredibly thankful to have you in my life. 

Friends Always and Forever.

Love, Shelia 

Do you have someone with whom you need to express your feelings?

Wherever you are, you are at the right place when you come to my website and read my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE appeared first on Shelia Shook.

When I was a little girl in Sunday School, we sang:

“He’s got the whole world in His hands,
He’s got the whole wide world in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

That was repetitive, I know. But those of you who know the song sang along, didn’t you? As a child, the world seemed big yet was actually very small. It consisted of family, neighbors, and school. As I grew older, my perspective expanded to include other states, countries, cultures—people.

The Expanding Reach of Today

Today, with the internet, we have Zoom and conference calls that can connect people literally all over the globe. So now, even though my sphere of influence is so much larger than when I was a child, it doesn’t feel so big anymore, and Jesus’ command doesn’t feel so impossible. My life overlaps with yours, and your life overlaps with the lives of others, and so forth. I believe if we each influence those in our own circles, we are fulfilling the Great Commission.

Fulfilling the Great Commission

Connecting with others brings us closer to the vision Jesus talked about in Mark 16:15 (NIV) when He said: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Though we may have wanted to be missionaries, many of us were not. A sense of regret or failure may fill us at times, thinking we didn’t do what we wanted to do.

Witnessing in Our Own Communities

Remember, you may not have been called to go overseas to a foreign country to witness for Christ, but you have witnessed to your own people. It is a matter of defining who those people are.

Ezekiel 3:5-6 (NIV) says: “You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel—not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you.”

As Christians, we each contribute to our own environments. This may be even harder, as God inferred when He talked to Ezekiel. Foreigners might be more inclined to listen to your witness, than your own family and friends, but we have no excuse as He goes on to say, “whether they listen or fail to listen ….” they will know.

Embracing Our Influence

Let’s embrace our surroundings, knowing that our influence, no matter how small it seems, is part of a larger tapestry woven by God’s hands. Together, we fulfill the Great Commission, one connection at a time.

The post Embracing Our World: A Reflection on the Great Commission appeared first on Shelia Shook.

Do you struggle with living in the topsy-turvy nature of today’s world?

I’ve read plenty of opinions on social media regarding the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony and its disregard for Christians and their values. It is heartening to witness the overwhelming support for the Christian community following the inappropriate displays at the Opening. The whole subject gives an opportunity for people to speak out about their beliefs.

It is hard to write this blog.

But I feel compelled to share a post to encourage and uplift my fellow Christians as we Learn to Cope during these end times. It has taken me two weeks of thought and prayer. I’m convinced we must keep on keeping on standing up for our LORD and His righteousness. Be the light and salt of the world. Be bold, but like Jesus, we must love the sinner while we hate the sin. Adopt an attitude of love and prayer, not judgement and hate.

Pray for them

“For the god of this age (Satan) has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  2 Corinthians 4:4 NIV.

The Paris 2024 Olympics declared their slogan: “Games wide open” as they committed to providing a Rainbow room. It was always their intention to support these minorities and make them feel welcome. I have people in my life who are in this same minority. I love them, but they are sadly wrong. It has nothing to do with judging someone’s sin, because one sin is no greater than another. Sin is sin. LGBTI sin is no greater than mine or yours. The difference for me is that when I sin, I am ashamed of my behavior while they flaunt theirs.

BUT is what they flaunt a sin? Paul, in Romans 1, says it is.

“26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned from the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.” Romans 1:26-27 NLT

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” Isaiah 5:20-21

The Olympics Board of Directors took a step too far for Christians to accept. It is said to merely reflect the “artistic” Feast of the gods, by Jan Harmensz Muller— instead it is merely a reflection of our times. When the pagan ideas and lifestyle of past centuries grew in popularity, they led to the persecution of Christians. Today, we are not far.

Imagine living in Biblical times.

We are upset now over a visual depiction of mockery, but just imagine living in Biblical times. How difficult would that be? For instance, when the Roman Empire crowded the Colosseum with spectators to watch the famous games where gladiators battled to the death, and Christians were thrown to lions. Today we are only facing the battles of the pagan religions being honored and lifestyles being accepted. No one has died—yet.

Imagine being pulled from your homeland as the Israelites were when they were exiled to Babylon. There they were forced to give up their holy practices and the rulers even disgraced the temples.  

Jesus said trouble would come.

He said there will be division because you follow Him.  “Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and have them killed. Everyone will hate you because you follow me. But the one who remains faithful to the end will be saved.”  Matthew 10:21 NIV

He warned us to be ready.

“But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:36 NIV

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”  Ephesians 6:12 NIV

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua1:9 NIV

“And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season, we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NIV

Where do you stand?

God knows. He sees us when no one else does. And loves us anyway. That is why He made a way for us to repent and receive forgiveness.

I would love to hear your comments.

Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post BE ENCOURAGED, GOD SEES appeared first on Shelia Shook.

I thought of the experience I had last month sitting on the porch during the storm and the excitement of feeling the power of the wind and seeing its effects. (WHEN STORM WINDS BLOW – Shelia Shook)

The Wind

The wind showed itself in the movement of the clouds, the rain, my hair. I called it exhilarating. Who could doubt the presence of the wind? We see its effects everyday across all nations, oceans, peoples. The wind is invisible, isn’t it? Yet we know there is wind. It is an energy we can feel with results we can see.  Meteorologists even report how fast the wind blows using miles per hour, though they cannot see it.

Atmospheric Pressure, Gravity, Electricity, Goodness, Justice, cannot be seen yet they exist

Can you see these? You feel them and witness their effects.

Hurricanes and tornadoes stir the wind to the point of violence. This is why people fear storms. The wind is unharnessed power. It can blow as gentle as the breath of a baby against your neck, or as savage as the breath of a roaring lion standing over you.

When there is no breeze, the air is still there. As you whiz down the freeway with your windows up and the AC on, the air is blowing past you. Or are you blowing into the wind? When the air is thick with fog or smoke you can see it as it holds other substances. It is measured by its own substance as well. Earth’s breathable air is made up of a combination of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide (along with pollution.)

God is like the air. He is always there. His presence can be seen, felt, and measured by His effect on individuals who believe in Him. I admit it’s hard to prove God’s existence without His scripture. But just look at the beauty of his creation. and compare it to the evil effects of His, and our, enemy. Someday, the enemy will be defeated, and evil will exist no more. Thankfully, God blesses us with a glimpse of the beauty to come.

Psalms 19:1

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” Kenneth Robb Kersey shares other scriptures on his website: God’s Other Ways (godsotherways.com) If we look, we can see many scriptures to support an all-powerful, all knowing, ever present, invisible, Spirit God. Check out 2Corinthians 4:18 and Hebrews 11:1. Also, see those below.

John 3:8

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

We are warned in Romans 1:20 (NLT)

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his Eternal power and Divine nature. So, they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Can you trust what you cannot see? We do it every day. What are some invisible things you trust?

Thank you for coming to my website and reading my blog. Come on back and share a slice of life with me.

The post Can You Prove GOD Exists? appeared first on Shelia Shook.