enLIVEn Devotional Ministry will be taking submissions for our next devotional anthology, Pandemic Devotionals. All proceeds of this book will go to the Salvation Army USA. If you are interested in submitting a devotional, please email us through our contact page.

enLIVEn Devotionals are personal stories from our writers’ lives, which God uses to enrich understanding and deepen spiritual maturity. These stories become a springboard for our writers to explore the insight and freedom they gain from their experiences. Our devotionals are not critical; rather, they are used to encourage and enlighten our readers through honesty and love.

Please incorporate at least one Bible verse and designate the translation used. Devotionals should be anywhere from 700-1000 words. If we accept your submission, we may do some light editing. You keep all rights to your devotional except in regard to its incorporation into the anthology. An e-contract will be sent to each writer whose devotional has been accepted. The contract must be digitally signed, so the devotional can be included.

Our theme for this book is Pandemic Devotionals: How the World Overcame Fear with Faith. Since March 13, 2020, the world has been on lockdown, not only in our lives but in our hearts and minds. What is God up to? We know that His mighty plan will be accomplished through the chaos of COVID-19. We don’t have to fear. Though the world seems to be in a mess, we know that God is restructuring our lives, our nation and our world for His Kingdom purposes. Pandemic Devotionals are stories about how God is shining His great light in the lives of His people during an unprecedented time of uncertainty. We don’t have to fear. The victory has already been won through Jesus Christ. We can stand firmly in faith that God’s supernatural hand will move through the earth.

Our writers will encourage readers with this revelatory truth using real-life examples from their life and biblical references from the Bible. Let us unite with one voice declaring that fear will no longer bully us from God’s best. As we learn to walk in freedom from fear, we can also support fellow Americans in need through the Salvation Army.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?” — Psalm 27.1 (NIV)

Please look at a few of our published devotionals on our blog to get a feel for the format. The end of every devotional includes a Bible verse, a prayer (abide) and a call to action (Overflow). Include a short bio (less than 300 words), author photo and your social media links.

Check out the enLIVEn BLOG for examples.

We are accepting submissions until mid-March. We hope to publish the anthology in Spring 2021.

We are excited to have your devotionals added to this ministry. Our words can be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need! Proceeds of this book will go to the Salvation Army.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).

With love,

Alisa and Holly

The post Pandemic Devotional Submission Call! appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

Imagine with me that you are running a 5K race and 60 feet from the finish line, you are ordered to not move another step. Do not sit down and no way to finish. Just stop. Breathe and recover while you wait. Drink some water. Here’s a towel.

That’s often how it feels when God holds you in a place of waiting. The finish line is within reach, and yet you are held back from completing what you know needs to be done. God is asking you–do you trust Me? Can you rely on My plan for your life? They are plans to prosper and not harm you. To go forward right now will harm you, Child.

Back to the running scenario…while you stand there, a catastrophic earthquake happens. With your towel and water in hand, you see the earth fall away all around you. The finish line is gone. And you are standing there alone among the rubble. Your feet are on the only solid ground you see. If you had sat down, you would have fallen, and if you had continued to the finish line, you would have died. But now what? You are saved from destruction, and destruction is all around you. God has taken the seemingly insignificant event and shown you the weightiness of it.

Yet, you are rooted on solid ground. This ground will hold. And help? Well help is on the way. Though you do not perceive it.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25 ESV

The first week of quarantine felt like an extended Spring Break. Then the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week happened. I don’t know, but I began to feel like it was all so unreal. Had I entered the Twilight Zone?

But it was real–very real. And as the weeks progressed, my family began to operate at a different place. Nothing was rote anymore. Everything was weighed and considered. What we expected is not what often happened–who would have thought that there would be shortages at the grocery stores and that how we did everyday life would be so impacted? I never once expected this to be part of our lifetime.

As Believers, we all find ourselves unearthed in this pandemic, yet our feet are rooted on solid ground in Jesus Christ.

Have you ever dug a deep hole and found an old artifact? You wonder where it came from and what the story is behind it. Maybe it is valuable. Perhaps it is just trash. But the value can be determined.

God, Our Heavenly Father, has Answers for You!

As we have been digging over these many weeks, we are finding our own artifacts. Some of them are lost, healthy life-skills we once saw as part of our every day landscape–walking with family, planting gardens, swinging on the porch, going on picnics and playing games until late–or watching birds build their nest and later feed their new family! We are rediscovering the simplicity of life at a slower pace. And many of these wonderful times are treasures of inestimable value!

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26 ESV

God is taking care of our every need. He is giving us life and developing in us godliness, as we are training our minds to trust this race to him. He is marking the path out a day, even a moment at a time.

These are the days where we are building complete trust in God in the midst of all our questions. He wants to go through it all with us, each part. He has a plan for rescuing us from the catastrophic landscape. He’s providing a way through.

In the midst of the unearthing of this time, I know some ugly things have cropped up in our lives, as well. Worry and anxiety have compounded. Our tempers have flared. We have left some scorched earth with people we love, tearing the fabric of our relational ties. We have found solace in binge watching, over eating and other addictive behaviors. Perhaps we have even have let our idols run our lives. We have forgotten our very good God, who controls every circumstance of our lives.

“We tear down arguments, and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:6 BSB

We can misplace our trust sometimes. When we recognize it, these are the things that have been unearthed in us that we really need to throw out. At this point, we can plant our feet again on the solid Rock that is Jesus, by tearing down the lies and trusting in, knowing only, Jesus. In the middle of it all, He comes to tend to our brokeness and restores us to finish the race — on the path He Himself has marked out for us. Look around again and you will see He has marked the way home. In fact, Jesus is coming with us!

SCRIPTURE

“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Matthew 6:27 ESV

ABIDE

Father, we are standing in the middle of a moment that we would like to rush through and move on from, but I ask you LORD JESUS to not let us be in a hurry. Sift through it all with us and show us the way forward in faith and trust in You by the power of Your Holy Spirit. And LORD? Please grow me in my faith today. I trust you to each bit of rubble and choose to awaken my heart to see the treasures in the ruins. Bind them to my heart, so that I may carry them forward as we walk through this place together, hand in hand.

OVERFLOW

Who can I come alongside today by writing a letter, sending a text or making a phone call to let them know that they are not alone during these days? Follow through on who God prompts in your heart this moment. Yes, even them. Don’t go another step in your journey ’til you have been obedient.

Writer

Holly loves being the wife of Chris (for 29 years!) and mom to Noah (22), Kylie (20), Tabor (17) and Sydney (13). God has gifted Holly with a love of all things creative — from painting and wall-papering to scrapbooking and design work — as well as a love for all people. Recently, she has laid down her web designing cap for her writer’s pen, which is her favorite form of art, especially communicating the love and work of Jesus in a way that reaches across all divides.  She serves weekly at a local, federal, women’s prison, as one of a team of three, teaching a faith-based parenting class. It is her highest joy, seeing these women “get it”– Jesus loves me, yes even me! She carries the stories of people in her heart and she prays for them, even many years later, anticipating the day she will meet them again to hear the great things God has done in their lives.  She lives to tell, in every season, God is faithful!

Holly Smith: Blog, Facebook and Twitter.

The post Unearthed appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).

enLIVEn Devotional Ministry will be taking submissions for our next devotional anthology, Kissing Guilt Goodbye. All proceeds of this book will go to world missions in the Himalayas. If you are interested in submitting a devotional, please email us through our contact page.

enLIVEn Devotionals are personal stories from our writers’ lives, which God uses to enrich understanding and deepen spiritual maturity. These stories become a springboard for our writers to explore the insight and freedom they gain from their experiences. Our devotionals are not critical; rather, they are used to encourage and enlighten our readers through honesty and love.

Please incorporate at least one Bible verse and designate the translation used. Devotionals should be anywhere from 700-1000 words. If we accept your submission, we may do some light editing. You keep all rights to your devotional except in regard to its incorporation into the anthology. An e-contract will be sent to each writer whose devotional has been accepted. The contract must be digitally signed, so the devotional can be included.

Our theme for this book is Kissing Guilt Goodbye. We have been given forgiveness, mercy and grace in Jesus and through His sacrifice on the Cross. We don’t have to live in shame or defeat anymore. The devotionals in this anthology will be about claiming victory over guilt. Guilt comes in all forms (guilt from past mistakes, guilt as a mother or father, guilt in not being good enough, etc.). However, according to God’s Word, we have freedom over guilt because Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. He came to free us from shame with the power of His Holy Spirit!

Our writers will encourage readers with this revelatory truth using real-life examples from their life and biblical references from the Bible. Let us unite with one voice declaring that guilt will no longer bully us from God’s best. As we learn to walk in freedom from guilt, we can also support world missions and the furtherment of the Gospel to the outreaches of the world!

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death” (Romans 8.1-2 NLT). 

Please look at a few of our published devotionals to get a feel for the format. The end of every devotional includes a Bible verse, a prayer (abide) and a call to action (Overflow). Include a short bio (less than 300 words), author photo and your social media links.

Check out the enLIVEn BLOG for examples.

We are accepting submissions.

We are excited to have your devotionals added to this ministry. Our words can be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need!

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV).

With love,

Alisa and Holly

God is the Creator of the heavens and earth.  Genesis 1:1

The Bible is God’s Holy Word. Hebrews 4:12

We have been saved by grace through Jesus Christ and His Finished Work on the Cross. Ephesians 2:8-9

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord you will be saved. Romans 10:9

The Holy Spirit lives inside every Believer. Acts 2:38

The post Kissing Guilt Goodbye: Open Submissions appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

12 Years Later… “And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51

I handed my joy away yesterday. It was effectively stolen really. And it took a good night’s sleep and fresh mercies of a new day from the LORD to reclaim it.

Then today, I received a gift of JOY in a message from one of my very first friends. A year ago, I had given her a gift.  So she told me that today she is passing a gift to someone else in honor of last year’s gift–multiplied joy!! When I read her exact words, I heard the LORD say, “Hold this close. Treasure it.”

And I am!  I am picturing the receivers of the gift.  I am amazed at the heart of kindness passed on.  I am jubilant at the life, walking on with a lighter step.

Oh, this world.  It is hard. The enemy of our souls comes to steal our gifts, to kill our spirits and to destroy our very lives.

So we must be vigilant in keeping watch, keeping silent, keeping still.  HOLD IT. Savor the good things and ones you know and see and have in your current sphere.

I think this is part of being still: of knowing God (Psalm 46:10), of knowing and relying on the love He has for us (1 John 4:16), of setting our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2) and of thinking on these excellent and wonderful things (Philippians 4:8).  When something wonderful happens to you or in you, hold it close and savor it for a time before broadcasting it.

That’s what Mary did!  She heard about the WONDER the shepherds had seen–Angels declaring and glorifying God, speaking of the birth of Christ Jesus born to her that day.

Mary sat in wonder, holding Jesus close.

Then she marveled at Jesus’ words at age 12 — that he must be in his Father’s house. She had amazement at what God was teaching her and her son…HIS SON. Oh my.

Someday she would share it for us to read today.  She would tell.  But at first, she did not.  In fact, she actually let the events unfold in Jesus’ life without her going before or beside with much fanfare to make sure everyone knew with whom they were dealing.  She actually let them DISCOVER who Jesus is for themselves, as she had to do, as well.  She knew the GIFT of discovering Jesus for herself.

And so shall we.  You wonder. You learn. You find the pearl of great price.  And friends?  The wonder of it is this–you actually can give this JOY away and still keep it!  God is amazing that way.

SCRIPTURE

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

ABIDE

Lord, we come before you in wonder at the gift that is your Son, Jesus.  We ask today that you will cause us to wonder over Him and treasure Him up.  He is the unspeakable gift we want to pass along–and treasure up.  No thief, no enemy of our souls, can touch the JOY Jesus gives to us.  We ask LORD that today you will show us how to share that joy without handing it over in exchange for unworthy substitutes–anger, bitterness and the like. We believe that you have come to set the captives free. Help us find our footing and rightly know You,  so we may lay our captivity aside to RUN to you and BE with you always and forever.  Amen!

OVERFLOW

Today, I challenge you to watch for opportunities to lighten someone’s load–be it a smile, prayer or even a gift of kindness!

The post Treasuring It Up: The Art of Being Still appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

On a recent evening walk, I noticed a neighbor’s teenager gearing up for a run. He tied his shoelaces then placed a strange contraption over his mouth and nose that reminded me of the frightening mask Hannibal Lecter wore in Silence of the Lambs. When the teenager rose after stretching, I couldn’t contain my curiosity.

“Why’re you wearing that on your face? Is it for warming up the air?” I live in Florida, and a recent cold front (don’t laugh, northerners) dropped temperatures to the low forties at night. For those who reside in the Sunshine State, this is cold.

He pulled off the mask and grinned. “No, it makes it harder for me to breathe, so when I don’t wear it, my lungs are stronger.”

I drew back in surprise. Because I’ve had mild to moderate exercise-induced asthma since childhood, the thought of wearing something so constricting to make it harder to breathe shocked me. Anxiety is a persistent shadow in my life—partly due to the asthma—and purposely making breathing difficult seems downright crazy.

He strapped the mask back over his nose and mouth and set off, and the experience reminded me of something foolish I’d done two decades ago. When I was twenty, I flew to Ohio to visit a long-time friend just before Christmas. Excitement flowed through my veins at the possibility of seeing snow and wearing real winter clothes, since Florida didn’t require them.

During my three-day stay at my friend’s parents’ house, I decided to go for a run. As a swimmer and frequent jogger, a couple miles didn’t seem a big deal, so I donned sweat pants and a jacket and headed out.

In Ohio. In December. At night, on a hilly road lined with massive piles of snow.

After one loop—about a mile—I rushed inside their house, wheezing like a dog’s favorite chew toy. Two puffs of my emergency inhaler helped, but didn’t fully alleviate the compressed sensation in my lungs. I used a third puff a few minutes later to shush the crackling sounds coming from my throat with each breath. Anxiety and I were still strangers at that point in my life, so after breathing in the warm indoor air and using a fourth puff of my inhaler, my lungs opened up enough that I could enjoy the rest of my visit.

When I look back on that irresponsible, dangerous decision to jog in frigid temps, I thank God He protected me from anything worse than an hour of tight lungs and breathless pacing. I learned my lesson, too—though I was in good physical shape, I hadn’t trained in the north nor was it wise for an asthmatic to run outside in the dead of winter.

In 2008 God planted a dream seed in my heart, and that year I started my first novel. From childhood I’d always loved reading, and writing was a natural overflow of that. After I finished it in 2009, I packed the printed pages into an envelope and sent it off to a contest—without any study of the craft, interactions with other writers, or critique from more experienced storytellers. It was a wordy mess with multiple POV (point of view), repetitive phrasing, stilted dialogue, and poor pacing. I had no idea what a character arc was or why conflict was vital to propel the story forward, and I never heard back from the contest coordinators.

But I clung to that story and that dream. In 2013, frustrated at my lack of movement toward publication, I cried out to God. Why had He put this dream in my heart if I couldn’t run this race—I couldn’t accomplish what I wanted? Was more training required? During my study of Colossians, the Lord pressed Colossians 4:17 (NASB) on my heart. “…Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

In other words, keep going and keep your eyes on Me.

Much has changed in the decade since I began pursuing traditional publication. God showed me that I needed training in the craft of writing, and He led me to more experienced authors who shared writing books and offered help. I joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and continued entering contests. Contest criticism transformed into encouragement and praise, then a contest final. And another. Then a win, praise God. In the beginning of 2018, I signed with a literary agent who has exceeded my prayers and hopes for a publishing teammate.

God trained my meager abilities to run the write race—and He still is. If you’re on a similar journey, “take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.”

Keep going and keep your eyes on Jesus.
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Because sometimes that ministry of words looks different than we expected or wanted, but His ways and His timing are much better.

SCRIPTURE

“…He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NASB).

ABIDE

God, You have planted a dream in my heart, and sometimes I get discouraged with the work it takes to cultivate and the time it takes to grow. Waiting is difficult, but I trust in Your promises. Help my faith to strengthen, so doubt will no longer plague my destiny. I will stay faithful to Your Word, and I choose to believe despite the circumstances around me.

OVERFLOW

Has God planted a seed of destiny in your heart? Write it down. Then make a list of actions that will respond from your belief in His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide you step-by-step on a faith-path that will lead to the fulfillment of His promises. Your journey will include seasons of working and waiting, as you rely on God to accomplish all that He has planned for you.

WRITER

Kerry Johnson has had a love affair with stories since she was a little girl. She worked in Public Broadcasting while earning her B.S. in English Education from the University of South Florida, then taught middle school remedial reading and drama before spending eight years as a stay-at-home mom and wife. She has been published in Creation Illustrated, Granola Bar Devotionals, and was a regular contributor to Tampa Bay’s Overflow Magazine from 2011-2013. In 2008 Kerry began writing her first story, and she dipped her toes in the blogosphere the following year. After nearly a decade of learning the craft of fiction, prayer, and (im)patience, God cracked opened the door she’d eagerly knocked on for years. Her contemporary romance, The Name Game, was a two-time finalist in ACFW’s (American Christian Fiction Writers) Genesis Contest (2016 and 2017), and her middle grade manuscript finaled in 2015 then won the Genesis Award in 2017 (YA). In 2016 and 2018, two of Kerry’s manuscripts won their categories at the Florida Christian Writers Conference (Middle Grade and Romance). Kerry lives, writes, and sips tea in sunny, stormy Tampa Bay with her patient engineer husband, two active boys, and way too many books. Her prayer is that readers will finish her stories with a smile and a sigh.

You can find Kerry at her Blog, Facebook, Amazon Page and Twitter.

The post Running the Write Race appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

We watched as he carefully stacked the rocks inside the jar one-by-one until they brimmed the top. He scanned the crowd and politely asked if we thought the jar was full. In uncanny unison we all said yes. But we were wrong.

Then he added pebbles, and after the pebbles, he added sand–until finally the jar was full. The pastor then went on to explain that when we take care of the big things in our lives first, the little things will fall into place, just like the rocks, the pebbles, and the sand.

But my life didn’t seem to be working like that.

I couldn’t help but wonder, “What if the rocks keep coming? What do you do when you have more rocks than room? How do you handle it when the rocks are more like boulders that threaten to crush your spirit and ruin your resolve?

At my age, I thought things would be less complicated. But they’re not. My younger self dreamed of a day when life would be filled with playing at the park with my grandchildren, hanging out with family and friends, and having spontaneous, adventurous travel with my man.

The empty nest was supposed to lessen my “to do” list, not expand it.

And it’s not like I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m the girl who touts the benefits of time-blocking, loves to establish goals, has no problem setting boundaries or saying “no.” I embrace intentionality, I prize priorities, I savor organization, and schedules make me smile.

So, in a perfect world, you’d think that making margin in my life would just be the natural overflow of an intentional life. But it’s not. In fact, for me, margin seems more elusive than ever.

Perhaps you can relate.

We all know that life doesn’t always pan out like we plan. Sometimes the rocks keep coming. Sometimes our overwhelming circumstances can’t be contained in a jar. And sometimes, the margin we long for looks very different from the margin we actually need.

A.W. Tozer once said, “God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows exactly what we need and when we need it.”

The thing is, God is not surprised by our rocks. So we shouldn’t be surprised when God shows us that the margin we long for isn’t the margin we need after all.

Do you remember reading about when Jesus called His disciples to come away with Him and rest? He knew they needed it because they lived most of their lives in the trenches. You see, margin was just as scarce for them as it is for us.

Sometimes, the most powerful margin we can give ourselves is the grace to know there’s no margin to be found–at least not for a season and perhaps not even the kind of margin we think we need.

I long for my not-so-perfect life to linger long enough that I don’t always feel like I’m living in fifth gear. But that’s not my reality right now. However, I’ve discovered that even when we can’t push pause on our lives, we can always push pause on our hearts.

Everyone’s life is filled with rocks, pebbles, and sand–those big and little things that fill our hearts and our days…events and circumstances we can’t control or contain.

That’s the story of my life lately. But, I’ve learned that margin isn’t so much about finding a place or making a time, it’s more about finding Him in the middle of the mess and treasuring the truth that He is the Rock Who is bigger than any rock life hurls my way.

You see, in a not-so-perfect world where our rocks often become boulders, margin isn’t defined by something we strive to get, but rather, it’s embracing with grace-filled faith the precious truth that we’re not in this thing alone…and that no matter what, we’re going to be okay.

Oh sweet friend, I don’t know what you’re going through, but the One who has called you to it will also see you through it.
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He is with you. He is for you. And in the middle of the messy places, when the margin you long for seems like a mystery, just remember, your rocks may be big and even threaten to take you down, but hang tight to the truth that The Rock is bigger than any rock you’re facing today.

Take heart and be encouraged. The Lord God is your margin and He is always enough. When you can’t push pause on your life, push pause on your heart and you’ll find He’s been there in the margin of your not-so-perfect world all along.

SCRIPTURE

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV). 

ABIDE

Father, I know You see what I’m going through and I feel as though I can barely catch my breath. I want to slow down and bask in the beauty of Your presence. I never want my life to be so loud that I drown out Your still small voice and then wonder where You are. So, for just this quiet moment, I’m pushing pause on my heart and pressing into You. You know the rocks in my life keep coming and are weighing me down, but I’m thankful that when I call to You, You lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. You lead me to Yourself (Psalm 61:2).

OVERFLOW

It’s easy to let the size and number of your rocks overwhelm you and leave you feeling frazzled. Sometimes you just need to remind your rocks (and yourself) just how big your Rock is. Perhaps it’s time you do that today.

Stephanie Shott is a conference speaker, Bible teacher, author, and founder of The MOM Initiative, a ministry devoted to helping churches and missionaries impact their communities and this culture for Christ through the power of missional mentoring. She is called upon by media outlets to share her story of abuse, brokenness, and redemption. To find out more visit www.stephanieshott.com and www.themominitiative.com.

The post Finding More Margin in a Not-So-Perfect World appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

“I want you to wear a braid that goes across your forehead.” I was told these words few weeks after dating and completely falling for a man. Seemed like such a specific request within such a new relationship, and I was confused and hurt by it at first. I don’t wear braids and never have.

Reacting to my confusion and obvious hurt, he simply said that he likes braids and wanted me to wear them, but I was free to do as I wish. It was such a small, minor request and it pleased him immensely, so I wore braids. We bend sometimes for those we love, and I enjoyed making him happy.

However, a pattern emerged when more requests from him pursued. Put my hair in ponytail, wear baseball caps, buy cowboy boots, get white tips nails, get dresses with multiple colors and ruffles, etc. Eventually, the criticism led beyond my outward appearance to my personality and my way of life. My entire being was analyzed and picked a part, and better options were indirectly provided with an air of judgment and sometimes disgust.

After several months of changing and bending to his criticism, I finally broke. I realized it didn’t matter how much I transformed, I could never reach his constantly changing idea of perfection, so I painfully let him go. Completely confused, defeated and in emotional and physical pain, I put my energy towards healing the shell of a woman I had become.

In life, there is always a balance of give and take—times we sacrifice our wants and needs for others and other times we hold firm to our boundaries regardless how it hurts another person. Most individuals can maneuver through life effectively with this ebb and flow compromise and firmness. Those healthy individuals can identify their needs and the needs of others and are able to use a balance of logic, insight, empathy and situational awareness to know when to bend or to hold firm—when to sacrifice and when to receive help.

There are some people who are chronically self-focused (Takers) when it comes to this give-take concept in life. In situations and interactions with others, they can only see through their personal life-lens; therefore, making decisions is solely based on their wants and needs without consideration of those around them. These individuals feel unsupported, unloved, and even attacked if their needs and wants aren’t completely met by others in most every situation.

On the polar opposite, there are some people that are chronically others-focused (Givers) within the give-take concept of life. These people are high in empathy and easily see the needs and perspectives of others. They are experts at compromise and bending to meet the needs of those they interact with. They feel anxious when it becomes necessary for them to assert their boundaries—especially if it causes discomfort or pain to another person. These people are at risk of feeling taking advantage of, becoming resentful and/or being lost within those around them.

Unfortunately, Givers and Takers in life attract each other like magnets. When people with healthy boundaries would quickly walk away from Takers, the Givers will stay and bend, and bend until they finally break or become completed submerged by Takers. On the other hand, Takers will quickly walk away from healthy individuals who assert their own boundaries and refuse to completely meet their every desire. The Givers and Takers seem to fit seamlessly together.

Takers put themselves above God, and Givers put others above God. Two outcomes of a single sin: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3 NIV).
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Our interactions with others can be so difficult to discern. It is mind-numbing to sift through the multiple variables associated with each interaction we have with different individuals in countless situations. The only gauge of truth we have is in Jesus Christ and His Word. He is our standard, and He will guide us into all truth.

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13 NKJV).

As we develop our relationship with God, we will not only experience His love for others, we will experience His love for us. Then our actions will be entrenched in His Truth, and we will express both the compassion and righteousness of Jesus—our Savior who in His holiness expected perfection, yet in His unfailing love gave His life for us. And in the balance of life, we will learn to both give and receive gracefully, as the compass of truth directs us.

Scripture

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NLT).

Abide

Father, I don’t want to be a Taker  or a Giver. I simply want to give and receive as You will it.  I want to be a Christ-follower who is guided by Your Spirit and Your Truth. In life, there are no easy answers, but if our motivation is to love and follow You, we can trust that our actions will be pleasing to You—no matter the outcome.

Overflow

When confronted with a giving or taking situation that feels uncomfortable, take a step back, self-reflect, ask others for their insight and seek God for discernment. Seeking God, especially when we don’t trust our initial response, is the best way to be guided by truth. As our hearts become more sensitive to Him, healthy boundaries will begin to shape our thoughts and actions

Writer

Christina Ketchum is a Clinical Social Worker who works for the Department of Veteran Affairs in suicide prevention and maintains a part-time psychotherapy private practice in South Texas. Christina specializes in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Attachment Trauma. Christina’s predominant God-given purpose in life is to love others and create a safe environment for change. Christina is a blessed mamma of 3 young children who make her a better woman and always keep her entertained.

The post Interacting in Truth appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

“He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields'” (Matthew 9:37-38 NLT). 

I woke up feeling the cool breeze of the Guatemalan morning. It was refreshing as my heart had been wrecked beyond what I could imagine the days previous.

Walking around the Guatemala City Dump community the day before had left me feeling overwhelmed. My mind continually thought, What are you doing here? This is too much. You cannot make a difference. One person cannot influence this much poverty. I have nothing to offer.

So waking up refreshed after my mind had stirred all night with visions of the children I had seen living in the dump was such a welcomed feeling. And wouldn’t you know it, that peaceful feeling didn’t last long as I soon heard we would be serving at a Cerebral Palsy hospital that morning. I don’t know if you ever do this, but I had a come-apart with God! I told him I couldn’t do that.

I had nothing left in me to give as I was already broken and spent. I wanted to fix things, make them better and this left me wrestling with God. I wondered why He would break my heart in such a way knowing I didn’t have the answer.

Arriving at the hospital my heart began to beat fast. Not with excitement, but with anxiety and fear. As I stood in the doorway of the Cerebral Palsy ward, I froze when I saw the level of need in these severely handicapped patients. And the thoughts began again. What can I do here? How can I make a difference? I don’t want to do this!

Realizing that standing in fear was doing no one any good, I began to walk through the rows of wheelchairs in the ward. Carrying these raw emotions around, I was fighting back tears when all the sudden a young boy in a wheelchair smiled and his eyes lit up to see me. I stopped and began talking to him. His eyes danced. His smile got bigger. And the shell around my heart began to break.

I learned his name was Micky from the nurse. Micky couldn’t talk or feed himself, but his eyes told a story.

I leaned in closer gazing into his eyes and questioning why God had me there. I was already devastated from the amount of need in this country and feeling like I couldn’t make a difference.

That’s when the whisper that changed my life came.

“Alene, Micky is enough.”

It wasn’t an audible whisper, but one of those quiet words spoken into the pit of your soul where you know it was from God. And so in silent awe I answered back, “Oh God, I know. Thank You for loving each of us as we are.”

And the whisper answered back. “Alene, you’re enough.”

There was no holding back the tears that I had been stifling. They spewed forth as I realized God didn’t need me to fix anything. He didn’t need me to have a plan to solve the poverty and heartache. No, God just needed me to be there.

My weary heart realized that showing up, loving God’s people, and serving others is enough.

Oh how there is such freedom in realizing that you are enough.
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Scripture

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV).

Abide

Lord, I realize that I am Your handiwork, and You created me with value and purpose. The needs around me are overwhelming and the world is filled with heartache and pain, but You haven’t called me to solve or fix every problem. Simply being obedient to show up is enough for You and can make such a difference in the lives of the lost and hurting. Thank You for showing me that I am enough.

Overflow

The needs of the world can be overwhelming and can cause us to fall back in fear or discouragement. But we are not able to fix all the problems around us. We live in a broken world, and God simply calls us to be ourselves and use the gifts and talents He as anointed us with to bless others. Sometimes just showing up is all that God’s desires. Where is God calling you today, and how can you obey?

Writer

Alene Snodgrass is a motivational speaker, writer full of encouragement, and organizer and founder of the Be Still ~ Beach Retreat. She has written, Dirty Laundry Secrets ~ A Journey to Meet the Launderer and I’m a Fixer-Upper ~  a Day-by-Day Remodeling Guide both Bible studies are for the busy woman of today. She has lead women’s ministries for 20 years, plus spent 7 years teaching and serving in the inner city. She co-authored a book, Graffiti: Scribbles From Different Sides of the Street with her homeless friend. Alene has been a contributing author in Praise Reports; Inspiring Real-Life Stories of How God Works Miracles Today (Xulon Press), Along the Way for Teens (Meredith Books, the One Year Life Verse Devotional (Tyndale House), and Granola Bar Devotionals (Marked Writers Publishing).

The post The Whisper that Changed My Life appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

A few months ago, I began to feel radiating pain up the right side of my back and neck and down my right shoulder all the way to my right index finger. The pain became so unbearable that even when I sat at the dinner table, the paralyzing ache caused my right arm to go limp. I didn’t know what caused the inflammation until I tried to use my computer mousepad. Simply lifting my arm to touch the pad sent a penetrating sting across the right side of my upper body.

Although I do enjoy lifting weights, I knew this injury was not caused from a bodybuilding injury. It had to be something subtler and more sinister. I did a quick Google search and found a condition called “Mouse Shoulder.” This condition is caused by the small, repetitive movements of using a mousepad. I’ve been writing and editing for all my adult life, and finally after publishing 15 books, the use of the mousepad had finally caught up to me.

Normally, I would simply rest the injured part of my body until the inflammation subsided and the injury healed. However, I couldn’t just stop writing. It was my full time job and my passion. Besides, I had over 40 writers depending on me to finish compiling and editing my first anthology with proceeds going to African Missions.

In my mind, I knew this was a spiritual attack on my calling and an obstacle that I needed to overcome. But how? I couldn’t just hire someone to do it all for me. That would negate the funds we were trying to create for missionary work. I also couldn’t use a verbal typewriter. I have nodules on my vocal cords, which cause me to lose my voice easily.

Satan knew that I was doing something that would not only pave the way for many women to become published writers, a dream that they had for many years, but my efforts were also supporting widows and orphans in Africa—a work after God’s own heart!

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress…” (James 1.27 NLT).

I knew for sure that God had called me to the assignment because I had sought His will concerning it for several days before I began. He would have to provide a way for me to complete the task—even if I had to learn how to use the mousepad with my left hand—which is exactly what I did.

I sat at my desk and removed the mousepad from the right hand side of my keyboard and placed it on the left. At first, I felt like I was in kindergarten again, learning to write for the first time. My left hand fumbled on the mousepad, and my right hand kept trying to cross my body to take over. I had to finally sit on my right hand to keep it still.

A devotional anthology was not the book to learn how to use my left hand. I had over 90 articles to copy and paste and over 40 bios and photos to gather into one book. Not only was I afraid that I was going to put a comma in the wrong place, I feared I would erase a writer’s devotional or the entire book! But my left hand had no choice but to rise to the occasion.

After the compiling, formatting and editing were finally done, I still had a ton of images to create. Every devotional title was an image that I created in photoshop and had to insert into the document. When those were finally completed, I needed to design the book cover. I bought an image for the cover that had many different elements that needed to be divided. My left hand literally learned to make fine movements around each element with precision that far surpassed my right hand.

When the book was finally complete, my left hand had transformed from a mousepad dud to a mousepad hero. And I had transformed in the process. I realized that when God gives us a calling, many obstacles will try to stop us. But we do not have to be defeated. God has gifted us with intelligence and imagination to think beyond the status quo and grow past our current abilities.

If we have received a confirming word from God, no obstacle is too big or too hard to overcome.
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We simply need to get creative and not give up.

Now my mousepad sits on the left side of my keyboard—a constant reminder that nothing—not even Mouse Shoulder—can stop us from achieving God’s will for our lives.

Scripture

“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?” (Isaiah 14.27 NLT).

Abide

Lord, there always seem to be obstacles that confront me as I pursue the great plans that You have for me. I’m tired of allowing those obstacles to discourage me and tempt me to quit. I know that if You have called me, there has to be a way to overcome. Give me Your imagination and wisdom, so I can rise to the occasion and have victory over the attacks to my destiny. 

Overflow

What obstacles are preventing you from reaching your goals? Are there creative ways you can overcome or is God simply calling you to wait and rest in Him? Look for any areas that God has called you to that you may have given up on because of obstacles. Try to go back to God’s confirming word and work at finding creative ways to achieve all that God’s has planned for you.

Writer

Alisa Hope Wagner loves deep simplicity. She is home most days, but if you do see her out and about, you may actually be face-to-face with her extroverted identical twin sister. More than anything, Alisa adores being a wife to her high school sweetheart, mother to her three awesome children and daughter of the Most High King. After hours of writing at her computer, Alisa cannot wait to workout in her garage gym. When the day’s work is finally done, she listens to smooth jazz and gets creative in the kitchen. Alisa writes across genres, including her four favorite topics—faith, family, fitness and fiction. You can find Alisa’s books and devotionals on Amazon and read what the Holy Spirit’s been teaching her at her blog, www.alisahopewagner.com.

Alisa Hope Wagner: Blog, Facebook and Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Instagram.

The post Mouse Shoulder appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.

God wants me happy, right? I said to myself. Everyone at church is happy. They think I’m happy. So why don’t I feel happy?

As a new Believer in Jesus, I went from experience to experience seeking fulfillment.  I went to Bible studies, women’s conferences, and coffee houses. I even worked at a Christian radio station. My heart did not match the smile on my face.

How could I stay happy when deep down I was crushed, miserable, and needed answers?

After three years of pretending—I wore the happy mask well—I learned that I could not achieve continued happiness, even if those at church seemed to smile all the time. I searched the Scriptures for answers.

My eyes fixed on Ephesians 1:4: “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (ESV).

Holy? Isn’t God the only holy one?

I studied more…

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1Thessalonians 4:7 NIV).

God called me to be holy, not happy. But what does it mean to be holy? I wondered.

“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14 NIV).

I asked my pastor.

“Holiness means to be ‘set apart’ or ‘dedicated’ to God. You belong to God, and every aspect of your life is to be directed toward God,” he explained.

“How can I be holy like Ephesians states?” I asked.

He answered, “We are in Christ and share in His holiness. Ephesians also states that God ‘seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus'” (Ephesians 2:6 ESV).

This revelation began my journey to spiritual healing.

I daily memorized, prayed, and meditated on Scripture. The truth of the Word revealed wounds so deep, only God could heal them. Under the mask hid the results of childhood abuse, self-hatred, and anger.

I did not want to hurt…my aim was and still is holiness.

There were times God seemed silent. Lord, You said you began a good work in me, so how come I don’t feel it? Have you left me?

I knew the Bible stated that He would never leave me, but I felt so alone. I had to cling to His Word.

The Bible is filled with people who endured emotional, spiritual, or physical pain. In the darkness, they searched for God.

The Book of Genesis tells the story of Abram, Sari, and Hagar. God promised Abram many children. When this promise did not happen right away, Sari decided to give Abram to her maidservant Hagar to speed up the process. Sari became jealous of the now pregnant Hagar and treated her harshly. Hagar fled to the wilderness.

God spoke to her and told her to return to Sari and submit to her. God told her she will give birth to a son and name him Ishmael. Even in the wilderness, God saw her. Hagar said, “You are the God who sees me…I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13 NIV). The Hebrew word for the God Who Sees is El Roi.

After Hagar returned, Sari had a child, Isaac. She had Abram kick Hagar out of the camp.

Once again, Hagar was found by God wandering in the wilderness.

“And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation’” (Genesis 21:17-18 ESV).

The Hebrew word for God Hears is El Shama.

As I searched the Word for other stories, I realized God sees me and hears me, too.

I memorized many Bible verses and allowed the Spirit to work in me. I call the process, spiritual surgery, because the Word is referred to as a Sword (Ephesians 6:17 & Hebrews 4:12).

The results of the Word working with the Holy Spirit were noticeable in my life. My misery was slowly exchanged for joy…a joy so indescribable. My complaining turned into compassion for others as

I gave my worries to God, and His holiness manifested in me turning my emotional pain to joy.
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God is fine with us having happy moments. He loves to see His children smile. However, His aim for our lives is holiness.

I no longer live from one happy experience to another.

I am a person filled with joy—the joy in knowing that my Abba Father loves me unconditionally, that He is still working in me, and that He is with me no matter how terrible the storm.

The holiness I share with Christ brings a joy that trumps happiness.
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Scripture

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9 NIV).

Abide

Father, I want Your joy to flood my life. I no longer want to jump from one experience to the next trying to grasp fleeting happiness. Let my goal be holiness because I have chosen and set a part as Your “special possession.” Thank You, God, for choosing me as Your own. 

Overflow

Do you feel like you are wearing a superficial mask of happiness? Why not take off the facade and let God see fully your heart’s condition. You don’t have to be embarrassed. Jesus loves you as you are, and He wants to bring healing to your soul and joy into your life. Allow God’s Word and His Spirit to do “spiritual surgery” on the inner most parts of your heart, mind and spirit, and He will fill the dark areas with His light.

Writer

Cherrilynn Bisbano is the founder of The Write Proposal book proposal services. As submissions reader and junior literary agent with Cyle Young, Cherrilynn learned the importance of a professional book proposal and many other aspects of the literary world. As managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest. She was the host of Genre Chat where she was privileged to interview expert writers like Cecil Murphy, Jerry Jenkins, DiAnn Mills, Edie Melson, Steven James, Lynette Eason, Doug Peterson, Bob Hostetler, Michelle Adams, Tim Shoemaker and more. She has taught, The W.R.I.T.E. Prayer, The Do’s and Don’ts of Book Proposals, and Book Proposal insights on Serious Writers weekly program, Writer’s Chat.

At the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference, Cherrilynn’s workshop on The W.R.I.T.E. Prayer obtained great reviews. Her leadership certification from Christian Leaders Institute has enabled her to instruct at lunch and learns and online. She has been teaching for twenty-five years and is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, prayer, book proposals, and the Bible. She is a member of the Hollywood Prayer Team and the Rhode Island prayer team. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers ACFW. She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. Cherrilynn’s a monthly contributor to the following blogs: Almost an Author: Book Proposals, Blue Ridge Conference: Aspects of writing, and Truth to Shine, her personal blog.

Cherrilynn is published in these online magazines: MTL-More to Life, Refresh, Broken but Priceless, Am Ramp, One Christian Voice, and Christian Rep. Also, she’s contributed to the following books: Chicken Soup for the Soul- Miracle, Heart Reno, and Breaking the Chains-Selah nominated. Her book Shine Don’t Whine-The Quest for True Star Quality won the Writer to Writer publishing contract. Due to illness and deadlines the contract expired. Other publishers are now reviewing her book through her agent Cyle Young. She has an associated degree in communications and believes that education is vital. She takes courses through Jerry’s Guild, Serious Writer Academy, Blue Ridge Teachable, and Christian Leaders Institute. She tries to attend at least two writer’s conferences per year. She served on the prayer team of Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference the last two years. Her spiritual gifts are teaching, mercy and compassion, and prophecy.

Cherrilynn proudly served in the military for twenty years, earning the John Levitow Military leadership award.  She lives with her sixteen-year-old son, Michael, Jr., and husband of 20 years, Michael, Sr.  She loves Christ, chocolate, coffee, and cats.

You can find Cherrilynn at www.truthtoshine.blogspot.com, www.thewriteproposal.com, Facebook, Twitter and Speaking.

The post Happy in Holiness appeared first on enLIVEn Devotionals.