Thursday, February 14, 2013

The Power of Love

Today is celebrated as the day of love, so happy Valentine's day to you!!

Love is a source of power. According to the Word, Love is the greatest gift of all. Those of us who love others, even the people who give you a hard time and may even put you down...love them any way. You read that and think, "Yeah Debbie. How do you love people who don't deserve your love and you come out better for it?" Truth be told..I try but sometimes fail.

It takes more energy to hate. It takes focus off of what is important in life if you take time not to love. When you love others, you forgive them what they do even though they don't deserve it. This way, you're not focused on the bad they did to you, because I guarantee they aren't.

A believer sometimes wonders why God isn't working in their lives or answering their prayers. If that's you, stop and think...Am I loving others? The Word tells us faith works by love...and without faith its impossible to please God. And God tells us to love. Jesus says its the most important command of all, first to love God with all your heart and all your soul and then to love others. Sounds like love is the answer.

So many of us go to church and are active. We are so busy doing at the church, serving God--but are we serving people? Loving people? As believers we are to imitate Jesus...and He served and loved others. Take a moment and look around at the hurting. Sure we can't help everyone. We don't have the money to fix every ones problems. But sometimes taking time to give some one a smile, or a word of encouragement, using love as the base of what you say or do, can make that persons day. It may not always work -- but its better to try. Love is free...give it to others around you.

Just yesterday we stopped at a place of business to pick up tickets to go see The Harlem Globe Trotters. There was a lady behind the wall at the ticket center that had the biggest frown on her face. I was determined to show her love. I smiled and said good morning. Tried to be pleasant to her with small talk. She merely stared at me and continued to frown. Okay. So that didn't work. I then tried to make sure I was pleasant in the transaction of our business hoping to make her day more pleasant. In the end when all was said and done, she managed to help me lose my smile, my joy, with her actions in fact. And in the end as I was walking away I can't remember what I said but I was grumbling. My husband told me to let it go. Then he reminded me we never know what that other person is going through that makes them act so unkind. He was right. Why did I lose my love? I gave her the power of killing the joy in me and it took several minutes of silent prayer and asking forgiveness to get joy back into my heart. I failed. But who knows if I hadn't lost it at the end I might would have planted a seed of love. I pray next time I don't fail, but in the meantime, whatever was wrong with her, I prayed for her. God's love is greater than any love I could try to share. But I won't give up. I hope you don't either.

What it boils down to is it's better to love...to give love, to walk in love, and of course receive love. So enjoy your day. Keep the love of Christ alive in you by giving it to others.

Happy LOVE day!!

Monday, February 4, 2013

Interview from Town Favorites Magazine

Hey everybody.. click the link below and read the article in Town Favorites Magazine, where I was interviewed about my latest novel, Crime in The Big Easy


Literary Louisiana

Friday, February 1, 2013

Revelation!!'

Good morning everyone. I was reading my devotion and felt lead to take a few minutes and share with you in my blog (after I finished my devotion). Every morning I try to sit down and spend time with God. I usually start with the devotion I follow and have been since Christmas 2006. It's Faith to Faith, A Daily Guide to Victory by Kenneth and Gloria Copeland. And then I pull out whatever Bible Study I'm doing at the time, and of course, I read my Bible during both, to whatever Scriptures either send me to. And the last week of December 2012, I started Joel Olsteen's 31 Days of Declarations. By the time I finished it, reading it one day at a time and adding a new declaration to speak boldly out loud over myself, my morning time has grown from an hour or so to more. I love it. Praise God for allowing me to be retired (and writing full time). I remember the last couple of years before retirement my time with God before going to work went from 15 minutes to 30 or 45, but I had to have it before I went to work. On the days I slept late and didn't spend my time with God, boy I knew it. Nothing went right on those days...or maybe some things went right but so much went wrong it messed up my whole day.

Well anyway, today a had a revelation. And I have to say, as long as I've been reading this devotion daily, you'd think I'd have every page memorized...but it's like God speaks to me differently at different times. And today it was -OH WOW!!

Today the title was HIT HIM WITH A ROCK. Of course, that's taken from David and Goliath. And the Scripture for us to meditate on after was Psalms 23. Anyone who's been a Believer or a listener at church or funerals should be familiar with that passage. In fact, at my grandson, Koby's, basketball game a couple of weeks ago, the man who spoke before the games started used this passage. Now me, when I hear Psalms 23 I think death. I think (or thought) The Lord is trying to give peace to someone who is suffering in their life of a slow death, letting them know I (He) will get them through. And then the preacher at the funeral uses that passage to ease the mind of the loved ones left behind, letting them know God stilled the troubled waters around their beloved and helped them face death peacefully.

Well let me tell you, it's not just for the dying. That passage is for the living. Most of us have heard of David, the one who slew the giant. He is cometimes referred to or called "the man after God's own heart." I don't know about you, but when I hear that, I want God to think of me that way. In fact over six years ago we did a Bible Study by Beth Moore called Believing God, and I cried out to God asking him to "help me to love You like she loves you."She is a woman on fire for God. And if you've ever done any of her Bible Studies you know this. Well, we are redoing it now. We're on the 8th week. It overwhelms me how much God has grown me in the last six years. I have friends whom I love a lot, that tell me they wish they had faith like mine. Sounds kind of familiar. I tell them, I was where you are six years ago. If you want it, it's yours for the taking. Praise God!

I'm going to tell you how we get strong like David and become a man after His heart and become a woman of faith like Beth Moore. We except God for who He is!! He is "our shepherd." Like David watched out for his lambs being their shepherd...like how he stood in the face of death for his sheep... like how he found cool still waters for his herd...like how when one was lost, he'd venture out to find it and bring it back to the herd...like how David sang and talked to the sheep--David realized God is his shepherd. And guess what believers, He is ours too. And non believers, He wants to be yours too. He's patiently waiting. Anyway, back to the revelation.

God watches out for us. He has big plans for us and if we stay in His will we get to live out those big plans. God sent His Son...Jesus. And Jesus died for us so that we might live eternally in Heaven. I wouldn't die for anyone but my kids and grand kids and now my kids-in-law...maybe for a friend or two...but for a stranger?? I don't think so. Soldiers do. I was never a soldier, never even thought about becoming one. Don't get me wrong. I'd do almost anything for anyone, but I don't think I would die for just anyone. But the old saying, never say never, comes to mind as I type this. So....God leads us into peaceful times if we'd only listen, obey, and do as He tells us. When I was lost, He found me at the age of 10 and has been working on me--showing me the right paths to take (and sometimes I followed). When I did, talk about wonderfully blessed days--but when I didn't, the seas were rocking my boat big time. And know, God is right there with you, where you are in your life (the boat rocking times and the peaceful waters times), and He wants to lift your heart in song, hold you in His arms, help you feel better and stronger and bring you through what ever is causing turmoil in your life.

Give it to God. Rest in His arms. You don't have to die to find peace. He wants us to have it here on this earth. God bless you all. I hope you find these words a blessing. God just filled my heart with the revelation that He is with me always, everywhere, wanting to fill me with peace, joy, goodness, and so much love. He is my Shepherd--AND He wants to be and do the same for you. I felt Him wanting me to share this with you all. I hope you take it in love. Now I need to get back to my devotion time with God. I started to say get back with God, but guess what? He's been here the whole time with us.

Have a blessed and wonderful day. I love you all (even if I don't think I'll die for you...but who knows?) I would have posted a smiley face there if I had that option on my blog, but I don't see it. Of course tears are sliding down my cheeks as I type, so I really can't see much of anything.

Bye now. I will do a regular blog in a couple of weeks...and I'll let you know how Scott does Tuesday with his surgery. I know it will go well and all cancer will be gone!!! God is my Shepherd and He is Scott's too.

God bless you!