Let It Go!

Our princess, age 2 
2009

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil." (Prov. 3:5-7 NLT)

           Our granddaughter, along with millions of other little girls around the globe, loves Disney princesses. From an economic viewpoint, Elsa of Frozen holds top spot in popularity followed by Snow White, Cinderella, and Anna (Elsa's little sis), and her song, "Let it go," reached number one on the Billboard 200 list just one month after the movie's release.

            This morning, I had a "verily, verily" or "pay attention, pay attention" moment when the Church of the Highlands children's pastor said, "Don't try to control God dreams." 

     As I pursue God's dream of creating Christian storybooks for families, through Beth, the Lord reminded me to daily walk in obedience to the things He shows me to do, and when I try to take control to "let it go!"

Are you chasing a God dream, beloved? Trust Jesus with all your heart; don't depend on yourself, seek His will in all you do, and let go of control!

Read more...

He's Our Forever Friend

"Fern" by my gifted friend and artist, Dawn Copeland
(Illustration from Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer)

"There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother." (Prov. 18:24)


                In Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgetable Summer, the lonely, little tree frog befriends a small turtle made of stone that faithfully sits under a maiden hair fern on Mrs. Willowkins' screen porch.

                I count myself extremely blessed to have numerous faithful friends, but we've all had "fair-weather" friends who appear to love us unconditionally until we make them mad or unintentionally hurt their feelings; and then they're "gone with the wind." Jesus, on the other hand, will forever be our true-blue friend that sticks closer than a brother and promises never to leave us or forsake us come sunshine or hurricane.


Lord Jesus, thank You for being our real friend, and please help us to be real friends to others.


A sneak peek into the storybook-in-the-making: 

Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgetable Summer

                Mr. Greenleaf sat perfectly still and stared through the screen. He couldn't believe his peepers. On the other side of the wire, under a maiden hair fern, a small turtle also stood motionless - not twitching a muscle just like Mr. Greenleaf.
                "I think the she-human is gone," whispered Mr. Greenleaf.
                The turtle neither moved nor spoke.
                "I say, madam, I do believe the coast is clear," said Mr. Greenleaf. "How long have you been standing there as still as a stone statue, my friend?"
                 The turtle didn't answer or even so much as blink a glassy eye.
                 "On second glance, madam, I believe you are a statue," said Mr. Greenleaf. "Nonetheless, you shall be my friend - my stone turtle friend named...uh...uh...I have it. You shall be my little, turtle friend named Fern."1

1 MR. GREENLEAF'S UNFORGETABLE SUMMER. Copyright Jill Glassco 2015

Read more...

Time of Preparation

My little great-nephew, my Dan, and my niece

The Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses, "My servant is dead. Now you and all the people PREPARE to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites." (Joshua 1:2) 

                  When his mom and Uncle Dan put on camo, my little nephew thought he was prepared to deer hunt. He grabbed his camouflage hoody, toy rifle, and plastic knife and said, "I'm ready!" - not realizing that years of preparation and maturity are necessary before he's truly equipped to hunt. 

            A repetitive pattern in Scripture is God calling men and women to great things and then casting them into a grueling time of preparation. A wise one once said, "God doesn't call the prepared; He prepares the called." God called David warrior/king and prepared him in the stink of a sheep pasture. God called Joseph prince and prepared him in a cold, damp prison. God called Moses deliverer and prepared him for 40 years on the back side of a sweltering desert. 

            Has God called you to something you don't see happening? Maybe you're in His time of preparation. Diligently learn well, wait expectantly for His appointed time, and prepare to be His vessel of honor, meet for His use.

"Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for way, my fingers for battle" (Psalm 144:1). ~ Quote by King David, who never lost in combat. 

Read more...

National Pray-for-Teenagers Day

Our Teenagers - 1998ish?

"Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your...sons and your daughters." (Nehemiah 4:14b)

           I'm very proud of our God-loving, hard-working, adult children; but last night, when I dreamed of them as teenagers again, I woke up with that inner "foreboding" feeling.

              In a story time,  a little boy told his grandpaw, "Once upon a time there was this deep, dark jungle where wild animals lived. There were lions, and tigers, and snakes, and teenagers!"

               Today isn't officially "National Pray-for-Teenagers Day." We, however, need to pray for our teenagers everyday - praying that they will escape the lies and snares of the devil, love the Lord Jesus with all their precious hearts, obey His voice, and serve Him with whole hearts and willing minds.

             Parents and grandparents, I'm praying for you today, - praying that you will love your teens unconditionally, pray for them without ceasing, and keep on and keep on teaching them God's truth. Your kids really will grow up one day, and God's Word proclaims that if you direct your children onto the right path, when they are older, they will not leave it (Prov. 22:6).

Our kids, 2004

Read more...

When the RIGHT TIME Comes, God Answers

Our Princess

"But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children." (Gal. 4:4-5)

            Our grands readily agreed to serve as models for some of the illustrations in the latest storybook-in-the-making, Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer. In this picture above, my granddaughter posed as "Elizabeth" praying.

             Twenty years ago, my tears and prayers fell on the altar as I cried to God, pleading with Him to  awaken His sleeping church. This morning, as I stood among thousands of believers lifting hands and voice in praise to Jesus Christ, it hit me like a Hank Aaron home run - God has answered my long-ago prayers. Thank You Lord from whom all blessings flow!

             For hundreds of years, the Jews petitioned Jehovah God to send their Messiah, and when the right time came, God answered in a lowly stable in Bethlehem. 

            First John 5:14-15 reads, "And we are confident that [God] hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for" when the right time comes!

Beloved, are you praying pleasing prayers to God? Be confident, when the right time comes, He will answer. Trust Him, never give up, and wait expectantly for the appointed time.

Join 21 Days of Prayer Services online M-F 6:00 a.m. CST, Sat. 9:00 a.m. CST at:

www.churchofthehighlands.com

Read more...

Even Though

My beyond grand grands

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights!" (Habakkuk 3:17-19)


           Even though it was 9 degrees at their house yesterday, my grands went outside to play. And even though it was a brrr-willy-bo-jokin' 9 degrees in Alabama at 6 a.m. this morning, about 10,000 people gathered to pray at Church of the Highlands campuses on Day #8 of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting - giving Jesus first priority regardless of opposing circumstances.

In 2015, beloved, will you give Jesus first place, even though....

Read more...

Again and again!

My babygrand and me

"Listen...The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)



         At the tender age of seven months, our babygrand already loves books; and the Book I pray he hears again and again and again is the Holy Bible.

                Over three years ago, I began the adventure of writing Biblically based storybooks for families - fun tools, if you will, to help parents teach their children love for and obedience to the one, true, triune God: Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. Yesterday, I submitted the Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer manuscript to Deep Sea Publishing for editing. I had read the first draft to the older grandchildren in October; but over the Christmas holidays, the five-year-old said, "Memaw, will you read "Mr. Gweenweaf" again?"

Beloved, are you telling God's story to the next generation?

Sneak preview to Mr. Greenleaf's Unforgettable Summer - a storybook in the making:

Chapter 1

Mr. Greenleaf’s Not-So-Typical Day

            Mr. Greenleaf had lived beside the goldfish pond in Mrs. Willowkins’ flower garden as long as he could remember – which wasn’t very long since jumping and hopping, not recollecting, are a tree frog’s strong suits. Hidden behind one stone south and two rocks west of the waterfall, his tiny cave provided shade from summer sun, shield from wind and rain, and shelter from winter’s bitter cold.

            “A pleasanter cottage a froggy is yet to find,” J. Jehoshaphat Greenleaf estimated.

            A typical “day” for Mr. Greenleaf began when the sun slid under Double Oak Mountain and stars sparkled over Blue Heron Lake, because tree frogs are strictly nocturnal, you see – sleeping in sunshine and hunting and leaping and singing and playing in the dark of the night. So our story begins once upon a summer sunset…1

1 MR. GREENLEAF'S UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER. Copyright, Jill Glassco 2015

Read more...

Take Courage

"Flash"
Our little, super-hero

"After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua...He said, 'Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people...across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them...No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you...I will not leave you or forsake you...This is My command: be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.'" (Joshua 1:1,2,5,9)




            A super-hero "Flash" mask donned the head of one of our little grandsons wherever the sole of his foot trod throughout his Alabama Christmas visit...

See what I mean?  --->




                







      
    
               According to "Wikipedia", the original Flash comics appeared in 1940, created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert. This "super speedster," with the ability to move at lightning speed defying the laws of physics, fictitiously personifies strength and courage - fearlessness in the face of danger.


           Before taking the Promise Land, it was imperative for God's people to take courage. Forty years prior to His charge to Joshua in Joshua chapter one, because of fear over faith, the elder Israelites failed to take possession of that which God had already given them. Therefore, the Lord commanded Joshua three times (the Holman Christian Standard translation reads "above all else") to be strong and very courageous by trusting and obeying what He said more than what they saw or felt.


           One's head would have to be buried in the sand continually not to recognize that we're living in perilous times; however, God commands Christians to be strong and courageous - fearless in the face of troubles and danger. From Genesis to Revelation, God says that great promises He's already paid for are in His children's future. 

Refuse to be paralyzed by fear, beloved. Be strong, take courage, and take possession of all Jesus has for you in 2015!


       

Read more...

Connect and Disconnect

Our princess

"Set your mind on things above, and not on the things that are on earth." (Col. 3:2)

           Like most little girls, our seven-year-old's mind is often set on the land of make-believe. Over the holidays, our build-a-story game went something like this:

My turn: "So, Mr. Hyde looked across the river and saw a ferry coming toward him."

Princess's turn: "And Mr. Hyde fell in love with the fairy, they got married, and lived happily ever after."

J

                

                  Because Church of the Highlands' annual 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting launched yesterday, Pastor Chris reminded us that prayer helps connect us to God, and fasting helps disconnect us from the things of this world.

Want a happier, better 2015, beloved? Connect with Jesus everyday through prayer, disconnect from the world through seasons of fasting, and life will blossom - guaranteed!

"Happy are those whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8 TLB)

Join 21 Days of Prayer Services online M-F 6:00 a.m., Sat. 9:00 a.m. CST at:

www.churchofthehighlands.com

            

Read more...

FIRST Place

Family scavenger hunt - granddogs and all

"In the course of time Cain presented...an offering to the Lord. And Abel also presented an offering - some of the FIRSTborn of his flock." (Gen. 4:3-4) "[Jesus] is also the head the body, the church; He is the beginning, the FIRSTborn from the dead, so that He might come to have FIRST PLACE in everything." (Col. 1:18)

            Instead of placing gifts under the Christmas tree, Dan and Mandy carefully scattered their family presents across the woods at the farm and then gave us a map to help find them. After the scavenger hunt, the grandkids raced to see who could dash back across the bridge in FIRST PLACE.

            In Genesis chapter 4, the Lord accepted Abel's offering of his FIRSTborn, but rejected Cain's offering presented in the course of time. I've often heard Pastor Chris Hodges say that it's not the amount of our gifts that honors God but rather the order of the gift, because Jesus merits FIRST PLACE in everything. 

              Beloved, in your 2015, who will have FIRST PLACE?

Read more...