Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

Where was Jesus in MY storm?

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“He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26 NIV.

Every time we fly over the Big Pond, The Sweetheart teases me about my fear of water. When we first started traveling overseas, I would fret if our flight would be at night. I didn’t want to be over water in the dark. But then I would fret if it was in the daylight because I didn’t want to SEE all of that water down below. It was a lose-lose situation.

But being the loving husband that he is, Doogalas would remind me that it didn’t matter whether that plane went down in water or on land…the result would be the same.

He always knows how to cheer up this old gal.

So with my love of water, the ocean, and the sea in the back of my mind, I scheduled a day trip for myself, The Sweetheart, and our precious young friend visiting us from our home church in Indiana, Alyssa. We wanted her to be able to see Helsinki, Finland since we were only an hour and a half across the Baltic Sea.

I have ridden ferries before. I actually liked it! I have taken the larger ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and it was a nice, big boat and a smooth ride.

I have ridden a CAT ferry from Maine to Nova Scotia; loved it. I was amazed at how fast they were and how nice inside, just like an airplane, only it almost feels like you are in first class because you can actually move and feel your legs.

We were no sooner out of sight from the beautiful city of Tallinn, Estonia, when we began to experience rough waters. The boat was rocking back and forth so much I was beginning to get queasy.

Alyssa? She was asleep. It didn’t seem to bother her at all.

Me? I crocheted even faster. I would occupy with anything to keep my mind off of the choppy waters and the swaying of the ship.

We glide into the Helsinki port on time and I was just thankful to be back on dry land. In the back of my mind I was dreading the ride back, but that was still eight hours away.

Let’s go explore Helsinki!

When our day of exploring comes to an end, we returned to board for the trip back and look out across the sea, noticing the calm. We had rain earlier in the day and I am glad it is not storming.

On the way over, the boat rocked from side to side. It was horrible.

On the way back? It would hit waves as if they were brick walls. The boat would slam and then fly up into the air and hit just as hard coming back down. The crew came on the loudspeaker to tell us to remain in our seats unless we just had to be up for necessities.

This was unnerving, friends. I was joking about it because I was afraid that Alyssa would be afraid. If she was, she sure hid it well and spent the trip encouraging me.

When the storm began, I was in disbelief. I kept saying that Jesus would come walking across the water at any time to rescue us!

But He didn’t.

I kept praying for Him to calm the waters.

But He didn’t.

I asked Him to make things smooth as He did for the disciples that day.

But He didn’t.

Then the dreaded time came that I just could not ignore the need for the necessities. At our table, even though things were rocky, our drinks never spilled, nothing flew off the table and I assumed I could make it to the back with some assistance.

The Sweetheart, always the protector, said he would accompany me. We got up and started to take a few steps but were thrown against a pole. I tried to grab the next seat for support and am thrown against the other side.

Once into the lobby area, there was nothing to grab! We both were struggling just to stay up but we were laughing so hard that we surely appeared inebriated.

My biggest fear was ending up on someone’s lap unexpectedly.

When we arrive at our Destination of Necessity, we discovered it was almost impossible to accomplish our mission. We were literally thrown against the walls, back and forth, side to side; it was unbelievable how forceful those waters were attacking our little boat.

I prayed, “Lord, You calmed the storms in the Bible, You came walking on the water! Please calm this storm, in Jesus’ Name, so I can tell others how you came to our defense.”

The storm continued, the waters raged outside and we fought against all odds to return to our seats.

Why did Jesus not calm the storm?

Why did He not answer my prayer, my specific prayer?

I knew when I returned to my seat what He was teaching me. I knew without a doubt there was a bigger lesson for me.

Normally, in a situation such as this, I would have brought great drops of blood to The Sweetheart from the death grip I would have on his arm. During extremely turbulent flights, I have squeezed and dug in my nails on his forearm until he would have to pry them off.

But this time? Sure, I was apprehensive, and if you ask Alyssa, she will tell you that I repeatedly said, “Stop this boat, I want off!” But only so the two of them could hear.

Normally? I would have been in a panic. I would have been terrified and close to tears, if not sobbing, at least on the inside.

But this time, even though I was joking about occupying my mind and trying not to notice what was going on around me, I still had peace.

I had real peace.

I wasn’t really afraid the boat would tip over. I wasn’t truly terrified that I would have to try on that life jacket and get to act out what I had seen on the information screen when we started the journey.

No, I knew that same Jesus, the One who showed up for Peter, was with me too. He was there, He was right beside us.

[Tweet “He didn’t calm the outside storm; He calmed the one raging inside of me.”]

Can I tell you that was bigger to me? Yes, it would have been amazing to say, “Peace, be still!”, and to see the waves calm and the journey to be smooth sailing all the way.

But the greater miracle was that in the MIDDLE of the storm, WE were calm! We had peace, we had assurance that no matter what happened, He was with us.

With anxiety, depression and fear keeping so many in prisons of their mind today, it is overwhelmingly reassuring to know the One who is never ruffled. Outside turmoil cannot take away the peace of God. He is there. He is constant. He is faithful.

He calms the storms that rage within us and gives us lasting assurance that all is well.

What storm are you pummeling through today?
Do you feel defeated because the rains won’t stop?
Are your wiper blades worn out from trying to keep up with the winds and never-ending downpour?

Precious friends, let Him calm your inner storm. He is more than able to give that peace that passes all understanding and you can ride out the waves with the comfort of knowing He is beside you.

Verily, verily…Listen Up!

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Friends, I have been so burdened lately that I cannot sleep normal at night. I have these images in my head, in my heart, and the Lord is calling me, He is calling US, to stand in the gap. I have blogged about this crisis several times already, you can read What Did the Early Church Do When Persecution Came here and We Are N ~ Pushing Back the Darkness here. Please share this and most of all, pray.

I remember several years ago, a visiting missionary walking up and down the aisle in our church carrying a pocket watch on a chain. She was swinging it back and forth, much as a hypnotist would, singing, “Go to sleep, go to sleep…” to the tune of the children’s lullaby.

Why? She was trying to make a point that America was asleep when it came to reaching our world or being aware of what was going on around us.

Today, it seems as if we are still snoozing.

The apathy we are seeing in many ways is saying, “We don’t want to think about all that is going on in the world. We want our happy lives to continue, the sun to come up in the morning and everything to carry on as it always has.”

To Americans, it is half a world away. Most cannot begin to process the evil we are seeing, except on television, movies and video games. But these crimes against humanity, an R rating wouldn’t begin to touch it.

Senator Lindsey Graham warned this past Sunday that Iraq was not the only country in danger. He put out the alarm that they would attack on U.S. soil. It is inevitable, they have vowed to raise their flag in the White House.

“Mr. President, be honest with the threat we face,” Graham said. “They are coming.”

He isn’t talking about the 30,000-50,000 that have taken over Iraq. Most likely they are already here. On U.S. soil.

So what is the answer?

When Jesus wanted to get the attention of the crowds He used the term, “Verily, verily…” Of course that is the King’s English so what does it mean, or what did it mean to them?

Many translations of the Bible use the words truly and assuredly in place of verily. The Greek definition goes back to the word Amen in the Old Testament. We use it today at the end of a prayer, or as a confirmation when we agree with the words of a minister, friend, or speaker. So be it, is another translation, or meaning of the word, Amen. In other words, we make it our own; we take possession and agree with what has just been said.

Some scholars say that Jesus used the words, “Amen, Amen, I am going to speak to you…” as His opening remarks to silence the crowds. Imagine the thousands on a hillside gathering to hear The Teacher. It could not possibly have been quiet! There were no microphones, sound systems or sophisticated megaphones. He had to say something to get them to sit down and listen to what He had to say.

Maybe that is why He used Amen at the beginning of what He was about to say. Not just to quiet them down and prepare them but also to let them know that what He was about to tell them was of great importance. “Listen up!”

He warned of days like this, that our lives would be in danger, we would be persecuted because of His name.

Those days are here.

Jesus told the story, He sounded the alarm. He repeated Himself. He called urgency to His message. He gave it authority, using emphasis and stressing the importance of His words.

He wants us to do the same.

What is happening in our world IS our world.

[Tweet “It doesn’t matter how far away or that the Christians are not of our denomination.”]

What matters is that people are being killed, literally slaughtered, because they will not renounce their faith and will not convert to evil.

Children are being killed, even beheaded; women are being sold as slaves, raped, beaten, and torn from their families.

Some have been buried alive.

We have thousands of refugees trapped on a mountain with very little of life’s necessities to sustain them. They have NOTHING. No bed, no clothing, no documents identifying who they are or where they came from. They are literally people without a country!

Yet life goes on for us. We are free, we are happy, we have LIVES.

Friends, they have vowed to come for us, too. This is not pleasant to hear but we must prepare ourselves now. We must become unified as the Body of Christ in order to be able to stand. We need one another and our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world need our prayers.

Will the IS go away if we pray? Will Israel and Palestine sign a peace treaty? Will Russia withdraw from the Ukraine?

Probably not.

But prayer changes us and it puts warrior angels into action. They will fight on our behalf; they will stand in the gap. God does respond to the prayers of His people!

“‘And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:29-31.

It will strengthen those going through the fire; God’s Word is full of examples, such as when the Church prayed for Peter in Acts 12.

Look at what Paul says here to the Corinthian church concerning their prayers:

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” 2 Corinthians 1:8-11.

[Tweet “Prayer can move mountains, shake kingdoms and cause others to act.”]

It is the most powerful weapon we own.

“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.…” Acts 16:25-26.

Not only were Paul and Silas delivered but the keeper of the prison, and his entire household, were baptized! It matters.

Can we get involved? Will YOU get involved? Will you pray, will you share and let others know that you believe God hears us when we call on Him?

Will you cry out, “Listen up!”

If we intend to reach the world with the Gospel we must get our focus off of things and on to people. We must listen up.

Sharing with Testimony Tuesday, Let me tell us a story, UNITE, Wedded Wednesday, tellhisstory, A little R & R, Thriving Thursday, Friendship Friday, Essential Fridays, Faith Filled Friday, Fellowship Fridays

Uncle Arthur, Two Caroline’s and Me

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I have enjoyed having several guest writers while I have been overseas. They have been a blessing to readers and followers of Hope in the Healing. I have a few more in the wings, you will love them just as much. I have asked today’s guest to write for us several times, twisted her arm and tried to bribe her but it never worked. Thankfully, she finally consented. Friends, she is gifted with words. This beautiful soul has been a friend to me for 40 years. She was my Sunday School teacher, my youth pastor for a short while, taught me to sew (well, she tried to teach me, I was a poor student), and became my sister-in-law 35 years ago. She is the real deal. Always the same, keeps her promises and keeps her mouth shut. I have always admired that quality. Be blessed as I introduce my friend, Dixie Jones.

For as long as I can remember, I have had a love for reading. As a child, my favorite book was Uncle Arthur’s Bedtime Stories. It contained maybe 50 to 75 short stories, and each one had a moral truth that it tried to impart through the tale.

One in particular impressed me more than the others; it was about Two Caroline’s. This story was illustrated with a picture of two faces of the same little girl. The faces were three-quarter silhouettes which faced in opposite directions. One face was done in monochromatic color, and the little girl’s face was angry looking, with a frown on her brow.

The other face was done in full color, and the face of the girl was smiling and cheerful looking. I recall, when I was young, that I looked at those faces for quite some time before I comprehended that both faces were the same little girl.

The content of the story presented Caroline, who went to school, where she was the cheerful little girl who was loved by her teacher. Caroline was a pleasant student, and her teacher would brag to her parents about what a sweet young lady their daughter was and how proud they must be of her.

But at home, Caroline showed that other unpleasant face. She complained about cleaning her bedroom, and about helping her mother in general. It became so unbearable that Caroline’s mother decided that she must act to teach her a lesson.

One day at home, Caroline’s mother called to her to come to the parlor to help her. Caroline did not enjoy having her time interrupted, and she began to argue with her mother as she made her way to the parlor. She stomped her foot and complained loudly as she entered the parlor. She was behaving quite badly, and then her mother brought to her attention that they had a guest in the parlor that happened to have her back to Caroline.

Oh, how upset she was when the guest turned to face her and it was her teacher from school!

Caroline was quite embarrassed that her teacher had seen her as she was at home, and the teacher learned an ugly truth about her prized student that day.

Have any of us been guilty of acting like Caroline?

Do we gripe and complain in front of our family, and then go to church or some other public place and act like honey wouldn’t melt in our mouth?

I’m sure we have all been guilty of this at some time or other.

They don’t deserve that kind of treatment.

James 3: 10- 18 are precious verses which give us wise counsel in this area of our life. Beginning in verse 10- 11: “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?”

Jesus is trying to show us that this is contrary to what should be happening in our lives and our spirit. Our spirit should show consistent conversation and behavior as we grow closer to Jesus Christ.

To conclude the story of Caroline, she learned a lesson she never forgot. She no longer acted one way at school for her favorite teacher, and another way at home for her mother. She became a sweeter Caroline, at home as well as at school.

Life certainly throws us a few curves as we travel our pathway. But instead of speaking bitter utterances, let’s just go to our knees in prayer to the One who loves us the most, and seek His help in our lives.

Dixie Jones is a school teacher, former principal, a busy pastor’s wife, mother, daughter and friend. She and her husband, Danny, pastor the greatest church in Orleans, Indiana, where they initiated their own church plant over 13 years ago. They have seen family members, friends and strangers come to know Jesus Christ because of their sacrifice.

Sharing with Amaze Me Mondays, Inspire Me Monday, Sharing His Beauty, Living Proverbs 31, Modest Monday, Titus 2sday, Testimony Tuesday, Teaching what is good, Titus Tuesday, , Friendship Friday, Essential Fridays, Faith Filled Friday

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