Kingdom Builders

Our Rebecca's family
2009



"Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home, and spare no expense!" (Isaiah 54:2)

When our three Indiana grands were little tikes, their mother (our daughter, Rebecca) made up a story about a fictitious Professor Sparrow that lives in an intriguing, for-real house in Bloomington. With her permission and God's help, I joyfully ENLARGED and s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d Prof. Sparrow's tall tale—a fun concoction of truth and make-believe, facts, and fiction. (As I'm typing, it just hit me—have I already told you this story?)

Anyhoo...This morning, I read Jesus' instructions in John 15:7: "But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!" So, I asked Jesus to use Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery to ENLARGE, s-t-r-e-t-c-h, strengthen, and lengthen the Kingdom of God. 

You know, that really should be our prayer in everything we do—Lord, please use __________ to build Your Kingdom. Beloved, you fill in the blank with the work of your hands.

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Lampstands

my cousin, Robin, as an acolyte
First United Methodist Church, 1983

"Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:15-16)

The manuscript and illustrations for Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery are off to Deep Sea Publishing, with a projected release date in May. This morning, I asked the Lord Jesus for His distribution plan. I believe He took me to Matthew 5:15-16 and whispered, "Jill, don't hide the light of Gospel-truths in this children's book, put it on lampstands."

So, dear readers, I need your help. I'm in search of lampstands—children's, women's, or senior's groups at churches, libraries, or schools that will allow me to come share (free of charge) a fun story and an eternal message. 

Contact Jill at:

misjill413@aol.com

(205)516-2113

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A Little Lower Than the Angels

Our grandgirl at four-years-old, 2011
(the nearest "angel" picture I could find)

"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with  glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:9)

"Jesus is God's final answer to the dilemma we face. He is God in the flesh, and the book of Hebrews elaborates on why Jesus is all we need. He is superior to every human leader, prophet, and priest. He offers us Himself along with forgiveness, life, and meaning." ~ Dr. David Jeremiah ~

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, beloved. He is your answer to every dilemma!

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A Big Ol' Whopper

grandboy and a whopper of a crappie

So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up." (Gal. 6:9)

After patiently fishing all Sunday afternoon, the four-year-old grandboy snagged a whopper—the biggest crappie we'd ever seen. That big ol' fish almost pulled the boy in the pond instead of the boy pulling the fish out, but Granddaddy grabbed him and saved the day.

Beloved, is your stringer empty after years of fishing on the sea of righteousness? Keep fishing. Don't give up. There's a whopper swimming your way.

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100

my superman
Sanibel Island 2019

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:4-5)

March 25th, 100 years ago, Pres. Woodrow Wilson's dream of a League of Nations became a reality after the League Covenant was adopted at the Paris Peace Conference.

As a kid, I loved getting 100s on tests.

Psalm 100 is my favorite Psalm.

And today, my Phillip officially hit the 100-pound weight-loss point. Woo-hoo! Thank You, Jesus! Good job, superman. Through Christ who gives you strength, you can do all things!

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Jot or Tittle

Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery
Cover art by Forrest Walker

Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn't to come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:17-18)

Working my last run through the Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery manuscript, I hit a punctuation dilemma: comma or no comma in the sentence, "They rolled on the ground, laughing and gasping for air." What do you think?

Both my English-major son-in-law, Stephen, and retired-college-creative-writing-instructor friend, Bruce, agreed—put in the comma. Bruce said it reminded him of tales of Hemingway saying, when asked what he'd worked on all morning, that he was putting in a comma, then taking it out, in and then out, all morning long.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus proclaimed that He came to fulfill  biblical teaching and prophecy down to the last jot (the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet) or tittle (a seemingly insignificant mark, yet critical in Hebrew for distinguishing between one letter and another). 

"Christ was indicating that He is the fulfillment of the law in all its aspects. He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the ceremonial law by being the embodiment of every thing the law's types and symbols point to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by personifying God's perfect justice." ~ MacArthur Study Bible ~

Want to write your manuscript of life correctly, beloved? Look to Jesus Christ, our perfect all in all, down to the last jot or tittle!

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Put Up Your Dukes

Granddaddy and grandboys

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith..." (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Put up your dukes, an idiom first used in the mid-1800s, are basically fightin' words meaning get into a fighting stance and defend yourself.

In First Peter, the seasoned apostle gives some good, straight-forward fightin' words: Satan is prowling around trying to destroy you and your family. So, watch out, Christian, put up your dukes—the word of God and fervent prayer—and firmly resist that ol' devil by the power of your faith in Jesus Christ. 

Devil got your kids in a chokehold, beloved? Don't just stand there! Put up your dukes!!!

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Gone Fishin'

4-year-old grandboy
and a big ol' crappie

Jesus said to them, "Come with Me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women, boys and girls instead of perch and bass." (Matthew 4:19 The Message)

Just like his daddy, our four-year-old grandboy loves to fish! Just like His Father, Jesus did, too—fish for lost souls that is.

Jesus said that when we follow Him, He'll make us a new kind of fisherman—the kind that catches people for God's Kingdom.

Are you a Christ follower, beloved? Are you going fishin' today?

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Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum

grandboys
two of my little lambs



"Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lost heart." (2 Corinthians 4:1)

Book number eight, Professor Sparrow and the Clear Creek History Mystery, is nearing completion, and I find myself asking the same question: "Lord, what's Your purpose for this book?"

Barring a miracle, my little, Christian storybooks will never be New York Times bestsellers, but like the little drummer boy's rum pum pum pum, they're my offering to Jesus to feed His lambs and sheep. 

What's your ministry, beloved? "Believe that God will use it to glorify His name!" ~ Pastor Larry Stockstill ~

I played my drum for Him

Pa rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum

Rum pum pum pum

Me and my drum. 

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Words

"By the WORD of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host." (Psalm 33:6)


I placed the only-family-friendly-books-allowed-please sign in the LittleFreeLibrary after discovering that, while we were away in Indiana, someone slipped three dirty-nasty-filthy fictions into the neighborhood box. Oh, my!

In the Royal Wedding Song of Psalm 45, the psalmist wrote:

"Beautiful words stir my heart...

for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet...

Gracious words stream from your lips."

Mother Teresa said: "We are all pencils in the hand of a writing God, who is sending love letters to the world."

Beloved, be cautious of words—the words you think, words you speak, words you read. Words have the power of life or death!

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and cursing. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (Deuteronomy 30:19)

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A Happy Pickle Week

Rebecca's "happy pickle" at Culvers Restaurant

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)


Before Rebecca's knee surgery, I asked God for supernatural healing but envisioned bringing her cool compresses as she lay suffering in the bed. Our week in Indiana, however, looked totally, amazingly different. 

We swam...

hiked,

played basketball,

strolled,

and even enjoyed a popcorn/movie night by a crackling fire.


And the Lord said, "Jill, you ask for much but expect so little. Where is your faith?"

How's your faith measuring up these days, beloved?

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God's Recipe

Our Rebecca and Glow

"Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens." (James 1:17)

My Rebecca and I love GLOW cream—the fresh scent, light texture, plus a little goes a long way!

Backstory: A few years ago, a sweet friend of mine found herself covered from head to toe with itchy eczema. Doctors were baffled, but the Lord was not. Following a God-given recipe, Eden mixed together a concoction of oils and tada! her skin cleared up beautifully and a new line of beauty cream was born. Check it out at: Glowskinlove.com

Life got you baffled, beloved? Fear not; God has the answer. Seek Him!

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From the Rising of the Sun

Today's sunrise
Lake Monroe



"From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the LORD shall be praised!" (Psalm 113:3)

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Deer in the Forest on a Snowy Day

Today: Deer in the forest on a snowy day

"As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God..." (Psalm 42:1-2)

I snapped a photo early this morning of deer in the forest on a snowy, Indiana day. Can you find three? Psalm 42 immediately came to mind, and I was reminded that our salvation and hope are in God alone. I shall praise Him again and again. Today, I'm praising Jesus for how amazingly well our Rebecca is recovering after ACL/meniscus surgery yesterday.

Beloved, have you praised Jesus today?

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Baby Girl

My baby girl and her baby girl

"He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him." (Psalm 91:2)

My baby girl is in surgery right now. I don't like it one bit but my trust is in Jesus.

Thank You, Lord Jesus that Rebecca lives in the shelter of the Most High and finds rest in the shadow of the Almighty! You, alone are her refuge, her place of safety. You are her God, and we trust in You. Please cover her with Your feathers and shelter her under Your wings. Your faithfulness is her protective shield. Thank You that You give Your angels orders to protect her—they hold her up with their hands. When we call to You, You answer us and are with us in troubles. Please give her knee full recovery that she may once again leap for joy! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen and Amen.

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Favorite

"Prepare my favorite dish, and bring it here for me to eat." (Genesis 27:4)

I spent the afternoon creating this sweet favorite—an Andes mint chocolate cake for my favorite son-in-law's and favorite grandgirl's birthdays because we're headed to Indiana in the morning to help our favorite daughter after knee surgery on Thursday.

So, to all my favorite readers, posts may be missing for a week or so on my favorite blogspot. Prayers appreciated for sweet Rebecca. May the Lord watch between thee and me until we meet again. 

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GLOW

Our Rebecca
The glowing bride
April 3, 2004


"Moses was not aware that his face was glowing because He had spoken with the LORD." (Exodus 34:29)

Years and years of conversations with the Lord had been poured into our daughter, Rebecca's, wedding day—by her parents and her. Like Moses, she glowed because she walking with the Lord Jesus that day.

I once overheard a special-needs little girl tell a woman, "You're glowing!" and wondered if God had given that child spiritual eyes to see what others could not.

The Message paraphrase of Psalm 89:15,17 reads: "Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of GOD. Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us—you've been so good to us! We're walking on air!"

Are you glowing with the vibrant beauty of the Lord, beloved? Bask in God's glorious presence today!

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Dispel the Darkness

Granddaddy and two grandboys
paddling down the flooded creek

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

"Every Christlike word and deed from you dispels an equal amount of darkness. Let Christ shine through you today!" ~ Dr. David Jeremiah ~ 

"But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day." (Proverbs 4:18)

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