Two Thumbs Up for "War Room"

Our Dan and Mandy
2008

"Do not be afraid...remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." (Neh. 4:14) "Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day...stand firm...with all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit...be on the alert with all perseverance..." (Eph. 6:13-18)



When our Dan came home from Iraq in 2009, the enemy stormed in like a raging army and almost destroyed his marriage. As a family, however, we fought the war on our knees before God's throne of grace. Praise be to Jesus Christ; He gave the victory!


Last night, superman and I went to see the new movie, War Room - a Sony Pictures Entertainment release produced and directed by Stephen and Alex Kendrick. In the story, Elizabeth (Priscilla Shirer) and Tony (T.C. Stallings) Jordan's marriage is on the rocks. When Elizabeth crosses paths with Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie) - a Bible-thumping, feisty prayer warrior - she's trained to fight the right way: PRAYER!

War Room -a must-see! It's good for marriages, good for wives, good for husbands, and good for the soul!

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Exuberance

my exuberant girls: granddog and granddaughter

"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again - my Savior and my God!" (Psalm 42:11 NLT)

When I feel lower than a bucket at the bottom of an dry well, I sometimes escape to my storybooks, because Shady Grove School, Ebenezer, Alabama, Hoot Owl Hollow, or the Willowkins' house are all happy-ending places. The ultimately very best uplifting go-to place for encouragement, however, is into the presence of Jesus. His Book, the Bible, promises happily ever after for whosoever believes on Him.

Oh, soul, why stay downcast when you can feel exuberant - filled with lively energy and excitement? Praise the Lord Jesus, read His Word, and find hope in Him today!

"Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night!" (Psalm 1:1-2)

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Is That True

my funny little boys - 1987

"Now these [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11)

When our Ben and Dan were little kids, Ben said, "Did you know that a chicken can still run around after it's head's cut off."

Dan retorted, "No, it can't!"

Ben, "Yes, it can!"

Dan, "No, it can't! Not if you'll cut it's feet off first!"

There are so many words and so many opinions flying around these days without an ounce of truth in them - sincere beliefs that are sincerely false. 

Beloved, don't believe everything you hear on the news or on the internet or at Starbucks. Be a Berean - examine Scripture daily to see if TRUTH supports what's said.

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Hair-raising Adventure

Our Dan and Gabe

"We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it...and [God] did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him and He will continue to rescue us." (2 Cor. 1:8b-10 NLT)


Last Saturday, Gabe, the granddog, got the ride of his life aboard a 180 HP Yamaha Wave-runner. Throughout the hair-raising adventure, he leaned into Dan, confident in his master's hand.

In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, he reported hair-raising trials - thrown into prison time after time, dangers in cities, deserts, and sea, five times beaten with 39-lashes, shipwrecked thrice, sleepless nights, hunger, thirst, bitter cold, and perils of rivers, robbers, his own people, the Jews, as well as the Gentiles. His conclusion? God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, is worthy!

Beloved, is your life a bit hair-raising these days? Lean into the Master - God the Father and the Lord Jesus who are worthy!


Mr. Greenleaf's hair-raising day, 
from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer, by Jill Glassco

“Fern,” said Mr. Greenleaf, “you won’t believe what just happened. I’ve unquestionably survived yet another hair-raising adventure with Mrs. Willowkins. Not that I have hair to raise, mind you. But if I did, I’m quite certain it would be sticking straight up like the black plume of a Mountain Quail - although the quail’s plume is most indubitably a feather and not hair. Nonetheless, I tell you truthfully that I’ve weathered another spine-tingling ordeal! A torrent of water washed me from the handle hollow onto foreign soil. Instantly, the brave she-human wheedled me back onto the watering pot, and then she rapidly carted me up a steep incline, past the Croaker-infested fishpond, and up Big-Blue Mountain; and I dare say, faster than a wild cheetah in the grasslands of Africa!”

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Beautiful Talking Feet

our  9-year old grandson

"How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring... the Good News of Christ" (Romans 10:15b-16)

Our nine-year-old grandson's creative writing teacher gave her students this prompt: "I bent over to tie my shoes and heard a voice." His cute, out-of-the-box story:

One day, I bought a pair of shoes for dancing class. When I got out of the store, I put my new shoes on; and when I started walking, I heard two voices under me. The voices were yelling, "Ouch!" I looked at my shoes. Then I jumped. I heard the voices again. I sat down and took off my shoes. Two pairs of eyes glared at me. Then the shoes continued arguing about who could make the funniest sound. I quickly put on my shoes and hurried home. Every step I took, the shoe on the right would bellow, "Moooo!" and the shoe on the left would screech, "Hello!" It was a little embarrassing because everybody was staring at me. Finally, I got home and sprinted to my room. I asked my silly shoes if they could help me dance for dancing class instead of making funny noises. They agreed, "Yes!" After dancing class, my teacher suggested that I was the best. I think I will keep these shoes forever!

In his letter to the Romans, Paul bellowed, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved! But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them...how beautiful are the feet of the messengers who bring good news." (Romans 10:13-15)

Beloved, let's put on our walking shoes and go tell the world the Good News of Jesus Christ!

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Colossal Give Away

Grandson #2 serving as a guide at
the Great Furniture Give-Away

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son [Jesus] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)



Our kids and grandkids live in a college town where thousands of students from around to world come to study at the university.

Grandson #1 serving as a guide at
the Great Furniture Give-Away

Because you can't pack a bed in a suitcase, these students need furniture.

Granddaughter #1 (the poke-a-dot headband guide) finding 

the home country of her previous tour group

So, each year, their church collects mountains of furniture and hosts a mammoth furniture give away.

This year, 400 international students from 31 countries got FREE beds, couches, desks, tables, chairs, bookshelves, recliners, stools,  and Christian love.

The Guinness Book of World Records' greatest give away in all of history, however, took place about two-thousands years ago. Father God gave His Son - Jesus, the sin offering for the world - so that whosoever, from whatever country trusts in Him receives the FREE gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal, never-ending life!

Beloved, have you received by faith God's free gift for you?

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A Baby Bird Story

A Baby Bird Story

(Story and photography by my baby girl: 
Rebecca Glassco Figert)

        One day when three children heard a small squeaking from the bush, they listened. They pulled back the branch and peeked inside. The three children discovered a little mockingbird nest!

The protective mother sounded strong warnings overhead.

So the children ran around the corner of the house and watched from the distance.

Over the next two days, the babies grew.

And two days after that, one of the little birds perched upon the branch dreaming of the sky above.

But suddenly he felt scared; the three children approached.

"I must alert Mother!" he cried. So the children hid.

The next day, the nest in the bush was empty. The children thought the baby bird was gone forever, but the children listened. The baby bird called from the neighbor's yard.

The children rushed over to see the baby bird. "Guess what! I can fly!" he announced.

The three children bid the baby bird farewell, and his mother prepared dinner for the long trip ahead.

THE END

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Tangled Web

Pappy Longlegs dangling from his messy, tangled web
from storybook-in-the-making: A Chancellor Ferry Tale

"...faithfully obey the Lord your God...listen to the Lord your God's commands...Do not turn aside to the right or the left..." (Deut. 28:1,13-14)


Yesterday, I got tangled in a messy-thinking web: "Did God really tell me to draw? This is hard! Why would You use me, Lord, instead of an artist? These pictures are pitiful and not book worthy. Maybe, You'll change Your mind. I'm NEVER showing these pictures to Dawn and Jane" (my extremely talented artist friends).

Today, I read: "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, both to will and to act for His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing..." (Phil. 2:12-13)

Beloved, has Jesus assigned you a challenging task, too? Let's stop arguing and cheerfully obey!


From A Chancellor Ferry Tale by Jill Glassco:

         "Where you going in such a big rush, sonny?" called a crackly voice from a dark corner. "Is your house on fire?"

          Norman paused for his five eyes to adjust to the dim light (yes, five: two large compound eyes and three simple ones in-between) and spotted a long-legged spider hanging upside down in a messy, tangled web.

         "No, sir," he answered. "I've been called to go tell the Good News of Jesus to a hurting world, and I must hurry home to leave immediately."

         "Who called?" said the spider.

         "The Lord God, Maker of heaven and earth," said Norman.

         "So where you going'," said the spider, " and how will you get there?"

         "Hmmm," said Norman. "I don't know. He didn't say."

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Scrambled Brains

My grandmother and brother, 1953

"Give me an undivided mind to fear your name." 

(Psalm 86:11b HCSB)

A Saturday morning "delicacy" at my grandmother's house used to be scrambled brains and eggs - yep, cooked pig brains! My older brothers loved 'em, but I didn't have the courage to even taste a bite.

We're living in a time of confused, scrambled brains, and our only hope for right thinking is Truth. Help us, Lord Jesus, for we are in trouble! Help us not conform to the ways of this scrambled world, but renew our minds with TRUTH and transform us to know Your will, that which is good and acceptable and perfect!

"O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Psalm 34:8)

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Interruptible

Alas, our unmade bed!

"Immediately they left their nets and followed Him." (Mark 1:18)


I confess. I'm a type-A, concrete sequential creature of habit that practically never, ever leaves the house without first making our bed. Today, a Jesus-assignment interrupted my routine.

In the gospel of Mark chapter 1, as Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing nets into the water. Jesus called to them, "Come, follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" At once, the fishermen left their nets and followed the Son of God.

Beloved, be interruptible. When Jesus calls, follow - pronto!

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Have You Asked

"...You do not have because you do not ask." (James 4:2b NASB)

I need a Mr. Greenleaf poster for an October book signing at the Mt. Laurel Library, so I texted my publisher: "What would it entail to get a poster?" Eddie's reply: "Just asking."

Sometimes our needs are unmet simply because we haven't asked. Beloved, do you have a need? Have you asked Jesus?

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God's Beautiful Bouquet

Mr. Greenleaf's tiny cave beside the goldfish pond in
Mrs. Willowkins lovely flower garden.
(From Mr. Greenlea'f Unforgettable Summer)

"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (Titus 2:3-8)


Remember that overjoyed, jubilant, over the moon happy feeling you had as a kid on Christmas morning or your birthday or the first day of summer vacation? Well, I'm tickled pick over my fall semester small group assignment: teaching young women Bible basic theology and everyday, practical applications. In anticipation, I'm beseeching the Lord to gather together a beautiful bouquet of His daughters to be trained and send forth, in Jesus' name.

O Holy Spirit, fill us and pour through us living water for younger generations. May they drink deeply, become rooted and grounded in Jesus, and walk in truth, love, purity, and great faith for Your glory!

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Crystal Clear

Crystal Clear View of the Coosa River from our cabin

"We know only a portion of the truth; and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled...We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us! But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." (1 Cor. 13:9-13 The Message)



Last spring, the older grands and I were playing the build-a-story game...

My turn: "Out of the fog, a ferry came slowly across the river."

My granddaughter's turn: "And the fairy met a handsome prince. They got married and lived happily ever after! THE END."

Every now and then, our conversations with Jesus are dangerously like a build-a-story game. Although God speaks crystal clear promises through His Word; because of strong desires of our own hearts, we sometimes believe what we've only imagined Him to say.

Beloved, if something God "said" never comes true, then simply file it away under "imaginations" and trust unswervingly in who God is and His crystal clear promises of forgiven sin, unconditional love, and eternal life through the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord!

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Out of a Wagon Rut

Margaret Smith
First Baptist Church, Centre, AL
(our Sunday School teacher 26 years ago)

"God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers, as you still do." (Heb. 6:10 NLT)



Out of work and out of money, one week before Christmas 26 years ago, we moved into a borrowed cabin in Centre, Alabama with three little kids, a stray dog named Jenny-Mini, and seven newborn puppies. Superman and I felt lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut. 

God will never forget, and I will never forget the love and kindness shown to us in those hard days by folks at the local First Baptist Church. Today, I had the glorious privilege of going back there and saying, "Thank you for being God's hands and hugs of encouragement!"

Beloved, "be ye kind one to another." God will never forget your works and words of kindness (which might just help someone out of a wagon rut).

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RACE is NOT an Issue Here

My Church of the Highlands Small Group
Spring 2014

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are You [Jesus] to take the book and break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.'" (Revelation 5:9-10)



When Superman and I got to church yesterday morning, beautiful, smiling faces of various colors greeted us. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that race is NOT an issue here! Red, brown, yellow, black, and white, they are precious in Your sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world; and at Church of the Highlands, we love Jesus and one another.

When I was a child in the 1960s, race was a serious issue. Today, the devil's working overtime to make it a divisive issue again; but in the Kingdom of God, race never has and never will be a problem - ever - period!

In Truth, only two people groups walk the face of this earth - those with Jesus and those without; and by His love, grace, and mercy, God commissions His believing children to go into all the world and make disciples - snatching unbelievers from the flames of judgment, bringing them into His everlasting arms, and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Beloved, if your making race an issue, STOP in the name of God's law!!!

"The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness...By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 2:9, 3:10-11)

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A Peek Into the Womb

Today's ultrasound picture of babygrand #6
Amazing!

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it." (Psalm 139:13-14)

Two more babygrands are on the way, and the pitty pitty patter of little bitty feet's gonna pitty pitty patter through our house." 1

My compliments to the Creator! What wonder! How marvelous, O Jesus, Lord God! You weave life into the womb and watch it form in utter seclusion. You see every person before birth and record in Your book every day of life. Each moment is laid out before a single day has passed. You are too great for words; too magnificent to describe. How fitting and delightful to sing praises to Your holy name! Thank You for the incredible works of Your hands!

1 PITTY PITTY PATTER. Susan Raye, 1971.

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He's Still Workin' On Me

Amazing photo of last week's "blue moon"
by our artistic Ben

"I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Jesus Christ returns." (Phil. 1:6 NLT)

To complete the storybook work God will accomplish through me, particular things must take place within me: increased love, humility, faith, selflessness, and strength in body, soul, and spirit; and God and I are working on those daily.

Not who you wanna be? Be encouraged, God's still workin' on you!

He's still working on me

To make me what I need to be

It took him a week to make the moon and stars

The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars

How loving and patient He must be

'Cause He's still workin' on me.1

1 HE'S STILL WORKIN' ON ME. Joel Hemphill.

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The Power of "Cheshchuns"

Our 2-year-old Dan holding a baby bunny
1987

"Jesus...asked His disciples, 'Who do people say that I am?'" (Mark 8:27)

As a preschooler, a recurrent phrase out of our Dan's mouth was: "Me dot a cheshchun" (I've got a question). As a kindergartener, on  a mini-van vacation out west and back, over and over and over again Dan asked questions such as, "Daddy, daddy, if a lion and a buffalo got in a fight, who would win?" Just this week, I got a call from my almost 30-year-old. "Mama, I have a question."

Across His ministry, Jesus used questions as powerful truth teaching tools. To the adulterous woman caught in the very act, He asked, "Woman, where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" "No, Lord," she answered. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."

This fall, I'm adding home school co-ops to my book reading tour and believe God has said to include the four-question gospel in story time.

Statements can make people defensive, but questions can open doors of opportunity. So, beloved, how can you use questions for the good of others?

Review of four question gospel for kids:

What is sin? Sin is breaking God's law by doing something He says not to do like lying or not doing something He says to do like obeying your parents. "Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God." (1 John 3:4)

What happens when you sin? Your sin separates you from God. "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore." (Isa. 59:2)

Who has sinned? Everyone has sinned. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

Who can get you back to God? Only God's Son, Jesus, can get you back to God. "For this is how God loved the world; He gave His one and only Son [Jesus], so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Me.'" (John 14:6) 

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Calon Lan

traffic leaving church at 7 a.m.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)



I left the house at 5:40 this morning and followed a long line of traffic west on the infamous highway 280, right onto highway 119, and then right again onto the Greystone Campus of Church of the Highlands. Superman was behind me; and when he got out of his truck, he said, "Wow, this is amazing" - a 6 a.m. prayer meeting traffic jam!

Each year in January and August, Church of the Highlands, along with hundreds more churches around the world, engage in 21 days of prayer, seeking the face of Jesus, the One true God. As I've looked forward to this summer's encounter, "Calon Lan," a traditional Welsh hymn, has played and replayed across my mind:

Calon Lan

(A Pure Heart)

Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus

(I don't ask for a luxurious life)

Aur y byd na'i berlau man:

(the world's gold or its finest pearls)

Gofyn wuf am galon hapus

(I ask for a happy heart)

Calon onest, calon lan.

(an honest heart, a pure heart)

Calon lan yn llawn daioni

(Heart that's clean and filled with virtue)

Tecah yw na'r lili dlos;

(Fairer far than lilies white)

Dim ond calon lan all ganu

(Only pure hearts praise God truly)

Canu'r dydd a chanu'r nos

(Praise Him all the day and night)

21 Days of Prayer - August 2-22

Participate via Livestream at: ChurchoftheHighlands.com

Central Daylight Savings Times:

Weekdays - 6-7 a.m. 

Saturdays - 9-10 a.m. 

Sundays - 8:00 a.m, 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m, 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. 

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