Move Over Orange

Here Comes PINK!!!

Until recently when I thought of October orange and black spontaneously came to mind.
Fat orange pumpkins and black, raggedy-looking cats with glowing green eyes.

But now when October rolls around I find that thoughts of pink occupy my mind. Have you noticed that happening to you also?


There are those loops of pink ribbon everywhere you look. I've seen pink bunches of flowers. Pink icing on cupcakes. Signs outside salons that boast of pink hair color. Pink tennis balls and rackets, pink folding chairs and coolers to match-- all of which I own.

 I'm sure that all of us reading this have known someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. There are so many women affected by it every day.


Pink represents the research and strides being made in the field.
It is a reminder and a hope to many.

When my dear cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, I wanted to show support. Whenever I purchased something pink I would call and tell her about it. We would laugh about our "pinkness".

Come to think of it we laughed about everything and anything. She had a wild sense of humor.
Pink gave her hope. Hope that a cure would be found.


But what color is hope really?
Or is it a color at all?


What is hope to you, dear heart? If all else fails and you were faced with your own mortality through breast cancer or in some other way, how would you view hope?


When I was faced with a cancer diagnosis at age twenty-four, I was frightened . . . well, let's be honest. I was terrified.


Suddenly, I, the all-sufficient agnostic had the realization that I might possibly die and if I did would most certainly spend eternity in hell.


Not a comforting thought. Not much hope there.
The comfort came when my husband suggested that we go to church.
Very soon after I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.


Now, that was the hope I had been longing for.
Hope that cannot fail.


My true hope is in Christ who loves me and died for my sins. The one and the same who defeated sin and death when He arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven where He now waits for me when my time here on earth is finished.


So now, dear precious friend, whatever circumstances you may be facing--where is your hope?


In what can you place your faith and your trust for all eternity?


Even if all of this world's pink research brings an end to cancer, which would be wonderful, someday my friend, every single one of us will come to the end of our days on this earth.
The question is where does your hope lie then?


I would like to share some more thoughts on this subject with you through a devotional that I wrote for my writers group blog. I pray that it will bring hope to you or to someone you know and feel led to share it with.


God bless you precious one, with His hope.

PINK HOPE

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.” Psalm 39:7 NAS

There is a pink pen in my Bible decorated with ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness. It has the words; hope, courage, strength, inspiration and cure. The message is clear to those diagnosed and struggling with surviving breast cancer: hang in there; don’t give up; be courageous and strong; live life renewed. There is hope—hope for a cure.

Those words so carefully chosen for those in desperate need of hope also describe Jesus. He is the ultimate hope and cure for all our ills, be they emotional, spiritual or physical. We have hope in all things on this earth and in Heaven through Jesus our Redeemer. We can have courage to face each day without fear when we know Jesus as Savior. He becomes our strength. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor.12:9)

 If there is any cure, any healing, it will ultimately come through His hands; whether it is miraculous thus defying explanation, aided by the skill of surgeons, or by the knowledge of researchers studying DNA and developing chemotherapy. There is nothing out of the realm of His care and providence. His hand is in it and on it—all of the time.

He is our inspiration. He fills us with desire to know more of Him. We are inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit when we meditate on His word and seek Him in prayer. He fills us to overflowing. He gives strength to the weak, hope to the hopeless, and courage to the fearful.

Precious loving Father, please fill the hearts of the desperate with the hope of You.

Amen.

(c) 2011 Bonnie Mae Evans

The Boots of God's Provision

Good Morning!

It's raining cats and dogs here!
I hope the weather where you are has been better than where I live. We have certainly had alot of rainy days all through the summer and now into the autumn! The good news is I have gotten lots of wear out of my fancy boots that I was forced to purchase two years ago.

Yes.
You read it correctly. I was forced.
You see it was one of those situations where I bought an adorable pair of boots for my daughter who was away at college. (It seems Nashville, Tennessee was experiencing monsoon season.)

They had the cutest blue and pink bunnies hopping all over them.
Well. Surprise of all surprises!  She did not think they were as adorable as I did.
As a matter of fact, I think I heard her gag a little over the phone when we were discussing them.
Imagine that!

Then I remembered, oh yeah, I'm the one who loves bunnies.

The next surprise came when I attempted to return them to the company where they were purchased.
Yep. You guessed it.
"Sorry. No cash returns. Only merchandise."

Quite naturally, after perusing the website there was not one pair of boots that my daughter would consider sporting across the runway of her college campus.
I would be the proud owner of a new pair of rain boots.
The problem was the bunny boots were not available in my size.
I hadn't worn rain boots since third grade!
I hated them!

And it's no wonder--do you remember those red shapless boots that pulled overtop your school shoes and fastened with an elastic loop that stretched over a black button?

HA! Like they might slip off if you didn't secure them. You had to practically pry them off with a tire iron, popping a hernia in the process! Usually you would get a friend to help out by pulling with all their might. Of course, once the boot dislodged they would go flinging across the room, crashing into a row of desks. But, that's what friends are for.

After much deliberation, I decided on black and white flowered boots that I knew would look good in the back of my closet, since that's where they would live.
I would never need to wear boots.

Well, isn't it amazing. It has been raining here ever since. I think we have broken all of the rainfall records in the past century since I got those boots. After ruining a great pair of leather shoes, I decided to give those boots a try.

Third surprise! They were great. They fit like a glove, kept my feet warm and dry and were easy to put on and take off! Boots have come a long way since I was in third grade.
I love them.
(Although sometimes I still secretly wish they had been available in the bunny motif.)

But, most amazing to me is how it all worked out for my good.
I am reminded of Romans 8:28.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those that love the Lord, to those called according to His purpose.

Our loving and caring Father knew He was going to send all this rain. He knew that this morning He would give me the idea to write this devotional about the boots and share it with you.
I don't know why, but He does.
So I am writing in obedience, giving all the glory to Him.

Sweet friend, possibly right now you are going through some rough terrain in your life. Maybe you are wondering how it will all work out. Perhaps you have needs that have not been met up to this point.
You're feeling anxious, a little frightened, alone, possibly depressed or in pain.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear but one of power and love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

Is your need material . . . spiritual . . .  physical . . . emotional . . .  or even social?

My flesh and my heart may fail:
But, God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26

Whatever your particular need is right now, at this very moment our precious Father wants you to tell Him about it.
Crawl up in His lap and feel the comfort of His love wrap around you.

But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Thy works. Psalm 73:28

For You have been my help I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 63:7

Rest there awhile. He knows you're weary. Let Him strengthen you.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord.
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14

He is the supplier of ALL our needs.

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Phillippians 4:19

Believe Him. Ask Him. Spend some time talking to Him today. He's waiting, not to be notified of your need, He already knows that.

Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exalts,
And with my song I shall thank Him. Psalm 28:6-7

He is waiting for you to come to Him.

Come unto me. Matthew 11:28

Precious sisters and brothers,
I am praying for you today. I am praying that you will see God's provision of just what you need at just the perfect time. He never fails. He is not capable of failing. He is never early or late. His timing is perfect. Wait believing.
He is the creator of all things.
Oh, how He loves you and me!

(c) 2011 Bonnie Mae Evans

Fill Your Pitcher

YOU CAN'T POUR FROM AN EMPTY PITCHER. 

Oh dear, dear friend, it is so good to be talking with you again.
I don't know about you, but I'm starting to miss you when I'm not writing.
I hope and pray that you have been well and growing in the Lord in one way or another.
Isn't it an exciting journey that we're on?

We just never know what the Lord has in store for us, but we can always rest assured that He will be there loving and guiding us and revealing more of His great holiness to us.
Praise Jesus!

But, sometimes in the midst of this challenging and rewarding Christian walk do you ever have the feeling that you're running on empty?
Like you're dry as a bone and don't have any reserves to help yourself, let alone anyone else?

Your spirit is parched.
It's so thirsty.
It needs to be refreshed.

So, what do we do when this happens or better still, what can we do to prevent this from happening?

I had the wonderful opportunity this week-end past to attend a Beth Moore conference with ladies from my Bible study group. What an amazing uplifting experience it was! Can you just imagine for a moment Five thousand two hundred wonderful women who love the Lord coming together in one place to receive His word, sing His praises and worship together?

Looking around at the sea of women on all sides suddenly my throat ached and I felt like crying.
I don't really know why. It was something about this flowing colorful kaleidoscope of beautiful ladies, all of these "X" chromosomes-- just like me, but each one so unique and special in their own way.

It's about this emotional bond we have just by virtue of the fact that we are women, designed by God's hand to experience the joys as well as the heartaches that only a woman's heart can.
What a blessing to be created by God to be a woman!

***

 Now guys out there who are reading this, please don't feel slighted. You are very special and designed by God's hand also and I love you too, but I can only tell about life from my perspective as a woman. Some other day we'll talk about what magnificent creatures you are!

My special prayer for you is that as you read this it will give you more compassion and insight into the hearts of those women who you care for; your wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and friends, AND that you also will find time to fill your pitcher to overflowing. Even great men like each of you need to do that. Please keep reading to find out how and why.)

Bless your dear hearts, I know sometimes we are a challenge, as you are to us.
But, just pray for us and love us, okay?
I pray that God will fill you to overflowing with His love.

***

Now, that being said, let's get back to . . . let's see . . . where was I?
Oh Yes! . . . the conference.

They came in every shape, color and description. Fragile, petite ladies that gave the appearance of having just stepped out of the center of a rosebud and others that might have just roared up on their Harleys. We are a magnificently diversified group.

I saw ladies that appeared to be in my age range, some precious ones who were quite elderly and sported their brilliant "white crown of glory" as the Bible refers to it.
I saw young exuberant girls in their teens and early twenties, there were those that came in wheelchairs and with canes, one lovely blind lady carried a white walking stick and was being gently guided up the arena steps by a friend, there were mothers-to-be braving the crowd and crowded bathrooms, while still others carried their infants in their arms and papoose style on their backs.
I saw nuns and covered ladies.

All walks of life and denominations were represented.
All ages and stages of the female continuum.

All so different and yet in one way all the same.

We are all in need of a Savior. We all need the love, forgiveness, salvation and redemption of our precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need to dwell close to Him and be filled up by His Holy Spirit.

We as women generally spend alot of our lives as caretakers in one way or another. We care and thus we take care of others if not physically, emotionally. It can be very taxing on our inner resources. We can begin to feel run down physically, drained spiritually and emotionally. When this happens satan can have a heyday with us. He slips his foot in the door and in comes doubt, depression, and discouragement.

The three deadly, devastating D's.

You know what I'm talking about. We've all been there, at the bottom of the pit looking up and wondering how we got there, feeling too weak to pull ourselves out.
That's what happens when we allow our spiritual pitchers to run dry. We have no reserves left. We have nothing to offer to those in need all around us, those who depend on us.
Before we can pour ourselves out in service to others, we must be refilled by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible speaks often of the Living Water.
God designed us for continual communion with Him.
His desire is for us to fill ourselves up with more of Him.

As a deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God. Psalm 42:1

When we are in communion with Him, our Source, we are filled up.

Oh God, You are my God.
Early will I seek You.
My soul thirsts for You.
My flesh longs for You.
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I looked for You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory. Psalm 63:1

This world we live in is a desert when it comes to the things of God. Dwelling here dries us up if we allow it. We must drink from the fountain that never runs dry. We must daily fill our pitchers with the source; the living water that Jesus offers us. It is cool and refreshing to our souls. It fills us up to overflowing. Then, when our spiritual pitchers are full we can pour out the love and grace of the Holy Spirit onto others and refresh them in His name.

It will never run out if we continue to abide in Him.
How do we do this?

We all need to spend time each day in prayer at the feet of our loving Father.

If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water. John 4:10

We need to read His holy word.

...that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of the water of the word.
Ephesians 5:26

We need the fellowship of other Christians. There are lots of options and opportunities for this but you must take the first step.

Go to church-one that worships the one true God and Father, Jesus the Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Get involved in a Bible study.
Listen to Christian music.
Read Christian devotionals.
Watch television church.
Take part in a prayer group.
Whatever you do, surround yourself with the things of God, and His word.

Hold out your pitchers and let the Lord fill them to overflowing
And, last but not least, as I was blest to be able to do this past week-end, go any chance you get to hear someone speak who has the special annointing of the Holy Spirit on their life.

Let them pour their pitchers over you.
My conference experience was truly overwhelming!
I left so uplifted and full.
Yes, full.
My spiritul pitcher was filled to overflowing.
Now, I am ready to pour out the love of God to others.

I pray for each and every one of you, every precious heart who is reading this today. I pray that you will be renewed and refreshed in your inner being and be filled with His Spirit. But, I also pray that you will be left thirsty enough to keep seeking the presence of our Lord.

I don't know about you, but all this talk about cool, refreshing water has made me really thirsty. My tongue is hanging out!
I can't wait to go and get a nice cold glass of water.

With each swallow I will think of the living water of God that refreshes my soul.

...He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul... Psalm 23:2-3

The water whose source will never run dry. It flows from the throne of God!

And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

(c) 2011 Bonnie Mae Evans