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.

Here!

6 Replies

Today’s #FiveMinuteFriday could be my shortest post ever but it is packed with good stuff. Be blessed and check out some of the other takes on the word prompt Here.

Back in the day…the teacher took roll call.

Brian?

Here.

Pamela?

Here.

Tina?

Here.

Timothy?

Present. (You always had a wise guy in the class.)

Nannette?

Here.

Julie?

(Silence)

Is Julie not here today?

“She’s sick!”

Julie was absent. She wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

Paul said when we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. (2 Corinthians 2:5, 6) Yet, we know that Christ dwells IN us, He is always present, He is always here with us. The Apostle Paul knew we had a work to complete, a job to do, a purpose in this life that had to be fulfilled before we could go on to our reward in the next life.

“But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.…” Philippians 1:23, 24

We desire to be with Christ, He is the reason we were created! But to bring Him glory it is necessary, for the sake of others, that we remain here…for now.

here

We can’t afford to be absent in anything we do or say for the Kingdom. We must be on guard and sensitive in the Spirit to what is going on around us. The only way to do that is communication with the Savior!

He will call our name one day, we will stand before Him in judgment.

Nannette? Here, Lord! Here I am!

What a glorious day that will be! But until that day comes, we must go on about our Father’s business, declaring the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, His death, burial, resurrection, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of His soon return. Our mission is to let others know that even in this life there is hope, joy and perfect peace in our circumstances.

We must be willing to say, “Here am I, Lord, send me, use me, work through me until you return for your Bride, the Church.” (Isaiah 6:8)

Be blessed today as you pray for doors to open to tell others about Jesus. He will use you…here!

Kingdom2

 

DF cover side viewDo you have your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional? You can get it here on Amazon in paperback or for your Kindle! Fasting is always a good idea and this book is great for ANY FAST. Don’t wait until your New Year’s Resolution to fast…

 

 

Sharing with Faith Filled Friday, Grace and Truth

In God we still trust

2 Replies

We have a guest on the blog today! The Sweetheart, a.k.a. Douglas Elkins, has written a timely piece, In God we still trust. You can follow him on his website, Revival By Design, or on twitter! Be blessed and share with someone who needs encouragement!

The motto In God We Trust, was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment that existed during the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury at the time, Salmon P. Chase, received many appeals from devout people throughout the country urging that the U.S. recognize the Creator. From Treasury Department records it appears that the first such appeal came in a letter dated November 13, 1861. Written to Secretary Chase by Rev. M.R. Watkinson, Minister of the Gospel from Ridleyville, Pennsylvania, it read in part:

“You are about to submit your annual report to the Congress respecting the affairs of our national finances. One fact touching our currency has hitherto been seriously overlooked. I mean the recognition of the Almighty God in some form on our coins.

You are probably a Christian. What if our Republic were shattered beyond reconstruction? Wouold not the antiquaries of succeeding centuries rightly reason from our past that we were a heathen nation? What I propose is that instead of the goddess of liberty we shall have next inside the 13 stars a ring inscribed with the words PERPETUAL UNION; within the ring the all-seeing eye, crowned with a halo; beneath this eye the American flag, bearing in its field stars equal to the number of the States united; in the folds of the bars the words GOD, LIBERTY, LAW….This would place  us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed…”

Secretary Chase then instructed James Pollock, Director of the Mint, to prepare a motto. It was discovered that an Act of Congress, dated January 18, 1837, prescribed the mottoes and devices that should be placed on the coins. This meant that the Mint could not make any changes without the enactment of additional legislation by Congress. The new proposal would inscribe OUR COUNTRY; OUR GOD or GOD, OUR TRUST as the motto on the coins. Secretary Chase then sent another letter on December 9, 1863 adding:

I approve your mottoes, only suggesting that on that with the Washington obverse the motto should begin with the word OUR, so as to read OUR GOD AND OUR COUNTRY. And on that with the shield, it should be changed so as to read: IN GOD WE TRUST.

IN GOD WE TRUST first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin.

Congress went even further in 1956 when the President Eisenhower approved a Joint Resolution of the 84th Congress declaring IN GOD WE TRUST as the national motto of the United States of America.

Over the past several months, Americans have found less and less that we are able to put our trust in. Politicians, world leaders, financial analysts, the media, and ever-looming terrorism all give us cause to worry about the state of our country and the world. It would certainly be easy to get caught up in the doom, gloom and despair of our current plight.

But I have encouragement for you today:

My trust is not in Wall Street.
It’s not in a 401K, my financial advisor, Citibank, Wells Fargo or any other financial institution.
My trust is not in my president, my congressmen or governor.
My trust is not even in the hope of a new leader that would change everything and make it all “better”.
My trust is in the God of all creation who is my salvation. My trust is in the One who will still be standing long after this world has passed away.

I have been investing in a system with benefits that are secured and never in need of a bailout or a handout.

  • For Abraham…this system provided a ram when it looked as if it would cost him a son
  • For Joseph…this system provided a promotion when it life in prison was imminent
  • For the Israelites…this system provided an escape when it looked like certain death
  • For the disciples…this system provided sudden peace when it seemed as if the storm would win
  • For Mary and Martha…this system provided a fiesta when they were planning a funeral.

David, the young, ruddy teenager, found himself facing a giant in Goliath. An entire Israelite army was cowering and unable to stand against him. Yet, this young man, armed with an old piece of leather and five smooth stones, accepted the challenge.

Why?

Because he was invested. He knew he could trust in his God!

“David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of the Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” 1 Samuel 17:37.

His God had delivered him from the lion and the bear and had anointed him to be king.

David trusted in his God.

Remember the widow woman in the book of 1 Kings. She had just enough oil and flour for one last meal for her and her son. Yet, when she put the kingdom of God first, when she honored God with her first fruits: “And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.” 1 Kings 17: 15-16.

She made an investment.

She trusted in God.

She honored God.

She put God first and He came through!

It is this kind of trust, complete and unconditional that when all around us is failing…

  • When the market plunges
  • The banks fail
  • The bottom falls out of the housing market
  • The unemployment rate rises like a rocket
  • Our money fails
  • Our health goes bad
  • Even if we lose everything we have
  • Even if it costs us our lives…

We can hold to the words of Job: “…yet will I trust in HIM…” because He is trustworthy!

Do you trust Him for your provision?

Do you trust Him for your healing?

Do you trust Him for your deliverance?

Do you trust Him for your salvation?

Do you trust Him with your time, your calendar, your schedule?

How about with your checkbook or your talents?

Give your life and your worries to a never-changing God. He alone knows the future, the end from the beginning and we can trust Him.

Enjoy these encouraging scriptures and share with someone who needs to know that we can still trust God!

“O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me…” Psalm 7:1

“And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalm 9:10

“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2

And this version is from the TLB: “The Lord is my fort where I can enter and be safe; no one can follow me in and slay me. He is a rugged mountain where I hide; he is my Savior, a rock where none can reach me, and a tower of safety. He is my shield. He is like the strong horn of a mighty fighting bull. All I need to do is cry to him-oh, praise the Lord- and I am saved from all my enemies!” Psalms 18:2-3 TLB.

[Tweet “In God we still trust!”]

Fences & Boundaries: A few things I learned from The Amish

10 Replies

I’ve had the privilege to spend a few days in Amish and Mennonite country this weekend. I celebrated 36 years of wedded bliss with The Sweetheart on the 20th but we wanted to take a weekend and just relax. Thursday afternoon we headed north to Amish country. I had no idea 20,000+ Amish and Mennonite live in LaGrange and Elkhart counties! Indiana ranks third behind Pennsylvania and Ohio for total number of Amish residents with over 45,000. (This according to a 2012 study.)

We decided to drive the Heritage Trail and we are so glad we did. There is a free audio cd set that guides you along the way through the towns of Elkhart, Bristol, Middlebury, Shipshewana, Goshen, Nappanee and Wakarusa. You can start anywhere along the trail, stop at any roadside produce stand, restaurant, attraction that you please and start it up when you get back in the car. Had to share these shots I took of some gorgeous flowers at some of the Amish shops. Wow!

unnamed (5)

unnamed (6)

We saw so many beautiful homes, farms and small towns we just couldn’t take it all in. We even happened upon two weddings and I couldn’t resist this picture of the bridal party crossing the street while the bridesmaid pulls out her selfie stick for a Kodak moment.

unnamed (2)

We also stopped at a downtown farmer’s market that was mostly Amish/Mennonite. I bought a miniature pecan pie from a young Amish boy who was so eager to take my money and give good service. Just a few minutes later I walked around the back of the building to see if I could get a good picture of their buggies and there he was in his family buggy…counting his money. Some things are the same in every culture!

unnamed (1)

unnamed (10)

unnamed (7)

To a teenager, this sounds like a trip for gouging out the eyes or at least rolling them to a permanent fixed state. But to a 54 and 55 year old this drive offered some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere in the country. It takes you along back roads where you can get a real picture of Amish and Mennonite way of living. I’ve never seen so many black buggies in all of my life! And bicycles! I guess I didn’t realize how many rode bikes. How cute is this picture we happened upon?

unnamed (4)

One place we stopped was the Menno-Hof center where you can take a guided tour of the history of the Anabaptist people, their persecution in Europe and how they came to the United States. From there, you can witness their lifestyle and even see a full size replica of an Amish living room and kitchen. The tornado simulator is pretty awesome too.

During the first film we viewed, the narrator was talking about fences and boundaries that the Amish had set up so many years ago. These fences were designed to keep the influence of the world out of their lives so that they could more freely worship their creator. They did not want to be burdened or distracted by things that did not matter for eternity. Keeping life simple would mean they were less encumbered with snares and pitfalls that would hinder their Christian walk.

Fences Boundaries A few things I learned from the Amish

As the years passed, their plain way of living could easily become a snare all its own. The story was told of the Amish family leaving church after a particular service (which is held in their homes on a rotating basis). The husband/father remarked to his wife as they were loading their children in the buggy, “I believe that we were the plainest people there today!” Of this he was quite boastful. He was proud that they were following all of the rules to a T and it showed from the outside.

Now, before you misunderstand, I am most certainly NOT here to find fault with the Amish or Mennonite way of life or the choices they make to keep themselves untainted from the world. I admire their dedication and determination to stay the same in an ever-changing culture. This little story is just an example for us; we can learn many things from their devotion and commitment. The story above could apply to any sect, congregation or group. We must be careful not to be so proud of our stance that we are missing the entire point of our separation and dedication. Back in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s most women dressed similarly to the Amish as far as long, uncut hair, longer dresses and no makeup. They made most of their own clothes and life was centered around the home.

The Amish have just stayed the same when everyone else around them has changed with The Times and technological advances. They decided to keep things simple and one way to do that was to put up fences and boundaries.

The Amish originally put up fences years ago when they split from the Mennonites. They wanted a more conservative lifestyle in the way they literally lived and dressed. They decided to not conform to the world even when the automobile, electricity, telephones and so much more came to be common place. There are many other holiness organizations and religions that try to maintain a modest approach to dress and lifestyle but few, if any, have succeeded in staying the same for centuries when everything around them moved forward with technology and custom.

What can we learn from the perseverance of such a people? I came away impressed with their work ethic, friendliness, humor and close-knit relationships. They don’t change even when it seems the rest of us are forced to in order to continue to keep up with a world that is constantly moving forward. They just keep on doing what they have always done, the way they have always done it. Always the same.

What fences do we need to put up in a figurative sense and a literal sense to remain unspotted from the world? “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27.

Can we balance a separation from the world yet not alienate them in the process? Can we take a stand for truth, righteousness, holiness and the Word even when it is unpopular and possibly, someday soon, against the law?

[Tweet “Must we compromise our stand on holiness and godly living in order to win a lost and dying world?”]

I don’t think so! People want a change and expect a change when they come to The Church. They don’t want to remain in their sin or their sinful lifestyle. The Word promises them they will be filled with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who will come and live inside of them and make them more like Christ. They WANT to leave their chains behind them. They realize that light and darkness do not mix and they desire to leave the darkness behind.

Let’s not disappoint them by watering down our message or thinking we have to become like the world in order to win them. We must reflect Jesus and be instant in season and out of season so we are prepared to reap the harvest that is coming. As we near the coming of the Lord, and every day there are more signs that it is imminent, we must be Salt and Light in everything we say and do so that others may come to know Him.

Have a blessed week and be sensitive to how God may want to use you. Yes, YOU!

Kingdom2
Sharing with tellhisstory-badgeSunday stillness, Making your home sing, Good morning Monday’s, Amaze Me Mondays, Living Proverbs 31, Modest Monday’s,