Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Coping With Fear: Hanging From the Ropes of Life (Chp. 7)

Posted on by Sharon

I was petrified. The dictionary definition says, ‘So frightened that one is unable to move.’

That was me, 9 metres high above the ground, standing on a wobbly piece of wood, only 18 centimetres wide.

At both sides of my body, level with my head, each fist was wrapped tightly around a thin piece of rope that swayed as my knees shook in fear. This was the moment I was expected to let go of each rope and catch another two which seemed so far in front of me, that I could only reach by leaning forward and falling to my death.

If the two 7 year old girls who were behind me knew what I was thinking, they would have laughed. Having originally been in front of me, they had already completed the course and were now positioned at the back of the queue, desperate for me to stop acting like a baby and get on with it.

hanging from the ropes of life

But I couldn’t. All I could see were tottering platforms suspended from the ceiling so that whenever anyone placed a foot onto them, they would shake to the left, to the right, backwards, forwards and in a wobbly circle. To make matters worse, I had only just begun the 35 metre course and so there were many more obstacles to tackle before I would complete the trek and come back to a steady surface.

I looked back at the instructor who was shouting persuasive words in my direction in the hope that I’d realise that even if my foot did slip, I wasn’t going to fall. However, although I could see I was strapped into a safety harness, all I could focus on was the ground beneath. It was a white roof covered in black netting. But the net had large rips in it and beneath those rips I could see gaping holes in the roof, revealing nothing but darkness.

“Have people lost their footing before and wandered into those cavities, never to be seen again?” “Is that a bloody arm I can see reaching up to me for help after a tragic descent last week?”

I looked back again, desperate for the instructor to somehow come and get me. I didn’t care how foolish I looked – all I wanted was to be lifted up and taken bodily back to a piece of ground that had a concrete foundation.

To my horror, he showed no empathy and gestured for me to move so the 4 people waiting behind could carry on being the High Rope Heroes they were.

At another point, I stopped again, this time pleading with the Lord to give me the strength and confidence to do the impossible.

“Step onto the pegs and hug the pole.” came the bemused voice of the instructor.

As I flew onto a thick wooden pole, it swung side to side like a Newton’s Cradle at top speed. There were three more to go.

Well, I eventually made it through to the end and even though I was a little aggrieved that I wasn’t given a helping hand back onto safe ground, I was too busy thanking the Lord that I finished the course to be bothered with scowling at the man.

That was until he casually mentioned that sometimes when young children have a meltdown halfway round, he zooms across on his zip-wire and fetches them back.

I narrowed my eyes and glared at him intently. “You mean you could have come and got me?”

He smiled shrewdly and avoided my gaze.

Suddenly, displeasure turned to gratefulness as my mind was filled with the reality of God’s love for his children:

  1. God won’t always take us out of difficult circumstances, because he wants us to learn that with Jesus, we can get through them. The bible reminds us, ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength.’ (Philippians 4:13)
  1. Even though it seems we will fall at the next step in life, we are being held up by him. He is our safety harness, that will never fray, snap or melt. In an arduous situation, nothing brings more peace than knowing we are secure in him. ‘The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.’ (Deuteronomy 33:27)
  1. The instructor was watching me closely. If I had slipped and ended up dangling in the air, or if I had remained petrified, he could have easily come to my rescue. God never takes his eyes off us and is aware of our every emotion. He truly will not suffer us to go through more than we can bear. ‘I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.’ (Psalm 32:8)
  1. I was unaware that help was at hand should I fall. I am also not always conscious that God is waiting to help me, but my lack of knowledge of this fact doesn’t stop it from being true. ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble’. (Psalm 46:1).
  1. The instructor did not really care about me. It is his job to keep the queues moving and he’s paid for making sure everything runs smoothly. When I landed back on sturdy pastures he wasn’t stood there applauding and telling me how he was routing for me to succeed. In contrast, when we feel like we cannot go on, God does not mock or roll his eyes in impatience. He is our heavenly father who cheers us on and delights when he sees us conquer a difficult task. His immense love for us means he will not leave us to face trials on our own. ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.’ (Deuteronomy 31:6)

The little girls, my husband and my daughter who had waited so patiently behind me, all went on to do 6 more rounds, including going backwards and doing it blindfolded. I may not have enjoyed my birthday treat, but I came away from that sky high adventure with a fresh appreciation of God’s love and a stronger faith that he is always with me.

So next time you are feeling scared, remember that God is waiting for you to call on
him so he can show you how he is your ever-present help in the time of need.

hanging from the ropes of life
Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Victory: You’re Alive! (Chp.6)

Posted on by Sharon

I was trapped with a mind
That was tormented day and night.
When I looked in the mirror,
It gave me quite a fright.
My eyes were so lifeless,
Like those lying in the grave.
My mouth spoke obscenities.
I just could not behave.
It seemed something was forcing me
To say and do bad things.
I felt out of control.
My behaviour made me cringe.
Then a man came into my life,
And I was instantly set free!
He addressed my demons,
And told them all to flee.
He became my best friend,
My father and my guide.
Whenever I was with him,
I felt so warm inside.
We sat up all night talking;
He was the brother I adored.
He was my perfect Saviour,
I was glad to call him Lord.

So, where have you put him?
He meant so much to me.
Tell me where you’ve laid him,
So I can go and see.
It was bad enough watching,
His flesh get ripped apart,
If I could just anoint his body,
That would begin to heal my heart.
Sir, please do not waste time,
My grief has made me weary,
Just tell me where…what did you say?
Sir you just called me Mary!

Oh, Jesus it is you!
I had just presumed,
You were the local gardener,
Here to clean around the tomb.
Jesus it is you!
Not here to prune a flower,
But risen to tell the world,
You’re alive and full of power.
Jesus it is you!
Not here to trim the weeds,
Or cut away the grass,
Or plant some tiny seeds.
But to plant within the heart of man,
Hope and joy and praise.
For you truly broke the curse of sin,
By rising in three days!

Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Victory: He Took the Keys (Chp.5)

Posted on by Sharon

The ghost of Tottering Towers had no manners. His behaviour was that of a teenager who had grown up having never been scolded by his parents. Afterall, who goes around scaring innocent 3-year-olds?

I was terrified. Marmaduke would stand silently at the top of the stairs and remove his head. He tucked it under his arm and just stood there. I never knew why he was dressed in a full suit of armour, nor why he chose to act in such an impolite fashion. People with etiquette don’t take their heads off in public.

I am assuming by his weird conduct, that old Marm’ was the spirit that once lived in the house. Tottering Towers was a large, dark mansion where a few people dwelled, but it was never made clear to me why the silent knight in this 1970’s T.V. programme was allowed to continue this delinquent behaviour.

It certainly made me scared to go upstairs to bed. How my knees shook! As a toddler, I was certain that while ascending to the pinnacle of the stairs, he was going to suddenly show up on the landing, with just a neck visible at the top of his metal torso.

After Jesus died, more than 500 people reported to have seen him, walking around Israel, and this was on 12 separate occasions. On top of that, many of the eyewitnesses had been non-believers who had a dramatic change of heart when they realised that dead people do not come back to life. Certainly not ones who had been abused so viciously, bled out all their blood and been stabbed in the gut.

He was traditionally bound in white linen and laid inside a heavily-guarded tomb. Not even the muscly soldiers who were stationed outside to protect it could have shifted the massive stone that was placed at the opening to make sure he didn’t escape. Well, they knew he was dead. Most people wouldn’t have survived the pre-cross violence, let alone the rest of it. But they had heard Jesus stating that in 3 days he would rise again and so assumed a few disciples would try to steal his body at night and then proclaim, ‘He is risen!”

Well, what a sight that must have been! Never mind Marmaduke strolling around on the first floor – this was a real man walking around the country, speaking to people and telling them, “All is well.”

All was not well for the Devil though. He was one of them whom Jesus decided to pay a visit.

He Took the Keys

He went deep into the prison,
The core of Satan’s lair.
Standing in the stinking Hell,
With all the demons there.
Each demonic creature
Looked to their master for a cue,
But Satan stood there petrified,
Not knowing what to do.
Jesus was alive,
And they all could feel his power.
After three days of laughter,
The atmosphere, now sour.
Jesus passed away,
So how could he be here…
Standing tall in victory,
Filling them all with fear?

He said, “I have won the battle,
And I’ve come to crush your head.
You thought you’d got rid of me,
But I’m no longer dead.
I’ve risen to life for evermore,
There’s power in my breath.
I’ve conquered sin forever,
And suffering, pain and death.”

He then snatched the keys from Satan’s hand,
As he cowered on the ground.
This evil one defeated,
Dared not make a sound.
Seventy two hours of mocking,
With boasting and so much pride.
But now seeing the Holy Son of God,
Made him tremble and want to hide.
He had revelled at the volume
Of blood that Jesus shed,
But the power in that same blood,
Rose his body from the dead.

Jesus said, “The keys to sin and death,
Are now held in my hand.
You have no hold upon the world,
You no longer stand.
The blood that poured out of me,
Now has power to set souls free.
The cross I was nailed to,
Now a symbol of victory.
The lonely can now smile,
Their heartache’s at an end.
For now they have a Saviour,
A dependable best friend.
A secret place to go,
To receive joy and peace,
Comfort in the hard times,
Love that will never cease.

The hopeless who close their eyes,
Wishing the day to be their last,
Will find strength to face tomorrow,
And forgiveness from the past.
The sad will have much joy,
And there’s courage for the fearful.
All the wounded in spirit,
Will be no longer tearful.

But tears of joy will flow
From sinners who look to me,
Believing I’m the Son of God
Who died to set them free.

As the ground shook beneath them,
Jesus left with the keys.
It went darker than the darkest night,
As they all fell to their knees.
Their master was defeated,
Jesus was the King.
And while the demons wailed in agony,
You could hear the angels sing.



Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Nobody Else Did This For You: I Thirst (Chp. 4)

Posted on by Sharon

Jesus had self-control enough to finish what he came on earth to do – die for the guilty. It takes supernatural humility to be accused of being a weakling when you have the power to annihilate every person in the world in one millisecond. And it takes indescribable love to suffer such humiliation and brutality for people you formed cell-by-cell in their mother’s womb. The soldiers who nailed his hands to
rough pieces of wood, were unaware that Jesus created the trees his cross was made from. While they spewed insults at him, they hadn’t a clue that he was the one who made the tongue they were using to curse him.

Pathetic soldiers, standing there with weapons he could melt with one gaze. People shouting obscenities from lungs he could deflate with one thought. Yet he looked past that to what his father wanted. To reconcile us to him.


I thirst.
My throat is so dry.
The sun is beating down on me
As vultures hover in the sky.
I thirst,
And it makes me think,
This thirst is much stronger
Than just wanting a drink.
It’s for the souls of those men,
Cursing my name.
They are the reason I’m dying.
They are the reason I came.
Oh, Father, these I pray for
As I’m hung up on this cross.
It hurts so much to die on here,
But I know it’s worth the cost.
They don’t know why they do these things
Or who they are doing it to.
I would gladly suffer,
So that they might know you.
The hatred in their eyes,
Makes me love them all the more.
I thirst for their souls.
It’s them I’m dying for.
Forgive them Father.
I love them –
I thirst.

Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Nobody Else Did This For You:Torture (Chp.3)

Posted on by Sharon

One day when you’re struggling for that last breath, I hope it won’t be too late for you to remember that while Jesus was asphyxiating, he had you on his mind. He hopes you will have the privilege of getting to know him long before that time, so you can live the life he has for you and be the person he created
you to be.

Torture

Pieces of metal and bone
flew into the air,
then came down with a great speed.
Then an agonising moan
was all they could hear,
as his back began to bleed.

The jagged edges got stuck
right inside the skin,
as dust on the ground turned red.
Then they gave a hard tug
on the bits inside him,
that were weighed down with lead.

Large clumps of flesh ripped away
and fell to the ground.
The torture made him shiver.
As the blue sky turned grey,
there was an awful sound
of blood pouring like a river.

With hatred, envy and scorn,
the voices all screamed,
“Yes, crucify him right now!”
Watching his dear mother mourn,
he had failed it now seemed.
He was the one to save them, but how?

Thorns on his head went in deep
as they pushed them hard,
and each one burst a vein.
He watched his friends weep
as more thorns pierced his skin,
and blood poured down his face like rain.

With his whole beard plucked out –
an unrecognisable face.
This seemed more than he could bear.
He cried out in anguish,
but the soldiers just laughed
and the scoffers just didn’t care.

With his back torn to shreds,
They made him carry his cross,
but nobody understood,
how they expected
his broken body to carry
a heavy, splintered block of wood.

His muscles dangled like string,
as they laid him down…
causing a flow of ribbon-like trails.
Then they grabbed hands and feet,
stretching them tight,
as they hammered in rusty, long nails.

So, when we become angry
and emotionally charged –
we’re shocked and want to exclaim,
it is not okay
to open our mouths,
and blaspheme his holy name.

Christ is not a swear-word
to declare when we’re cross,
and at times when things don’t go well.
Jesus suffered because
he loves us so much.
He did it to save us from Hell.

Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Why You Make God Smile (Chp.1)

Posted on by Sharon

None of us are perfect. As hard as it may be to believe, we all annoy somebody. I would like to suggest that the world divorce rate isn’t high just because people find it hard to be loyal. It isn’t high just because people find it hard to forgive. It is high because nobody marries themselves. Everybody lives with another human being whose reasons for thinking the way they do seems right to them and whose reasons for doing what they do seem justified in their eyes. Thankfully, our God in heaven knows us intricately yet still loves us. Not only that, he still hangs around when everyone else has given up on us – isn’t that great?

There’s coffee in the sugar,
There’s mould on the ham,
Toast crumbs in the margarine,
And butter in the jam.

She is so imperfect.
He’s defective and perverse.
They are all quite tainted,
But God knows you are worse.

Yes, we are more horrible
Than our conscience would believe.
We’re nastier and more evil
Than our minds perceive.

We’re deficient of true love,
Lazy and malicious,
With a tendency to think
Our sin is fictitious.

But we’re gossips and we’re proud,
We watch too much telly,
We eat too much chocolate
For the size of our belly.

We sulk when things go wrong,
We boast when there’s success,
We want to be admired
For the funky way we dress.

We crave recognition,
We long for much respect,
We want our opinions
To always be correct.

We want sympathy when sad,
And there’s anger and tears,
When it seems God is silent
And not answering our prayers.

But did you see God smile?
Did you see him wink?
He knows you are more vile
Than you actually think.

Yet he still loves you greatly,
You are his delight.
Despite your sinful nature,
He wants to hold you tight.

He wants to protect you
From your degeneration.
Because all of your iniquities
Are an abomination.

Our actions and our thoughts
Are corruption in his eyes,
And because he is a holy God,
He needs to chastise

So, he sent his precious son.
The only one he had,
And said to him quite sadly,
“Creation’s turned out bad.

Will you take their punishment
By dying in their place?
Will you let them beat you up
And mar your gorgeous face?

Will you take their sins
As if they were your own?
Will you die in agony
Rejected and alone?

For when you are penalised
For their heinous behaviour
And they gladly accept you
For becoming their Saviour…

I will look upon them
And see your sacrifice,
And be pleased with the blood
That paid the purchase-price.”

So, you see my dear friends,
Jesus was attacked,
To pay the precious ransom
That your goodness lacked.

No matter what your faults are,
Your soul was deemed worth saving.
God has affection for you,
Even though you’re misbehaving.

By now, you are thinking,
When will this poem end?
But I want to let you know
God’s thrilled to be your friend.

To him you are sensational.
For you, he has affection.
Stop trying to earn his love.
He cares not for perfection.

You make God smile because
He knows your potential.
But accepting his free gift
Is the thing that is essential.

So, open your hard heart
And let him come inside.
He wants to forgive you.
That’s why Jesus died.


Writing

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Posted on by Sharon

Hand: operates the fingers. Fingers do the typing, therefore, the talking.

Foot: the common phrase for speaking out of turn is, ‘putting your foot in it’.

Mouth: “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself and your religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)

“Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” (Proverbs 10:19)

“The mouths of fools are their ruin; they trap themselves with their lips.” (Proverbs 18:7)

Disease: A malady that does the person no good and needs to be destroyed as soon as possible, or it could be fatal.

The problem: a lack of verbal self-control, or not saying things in the right way.

As a writer, I think a lot, and those thoughts often spill out of me before I have sorted them out and decided which ones actually need to be shared. The bible makes no secret of calling this foolishness. I have always been hasty of speech, but I have learnt to be patient when it comes to churning out books. One does not need to get one’s thoughts and stories out to the public as a matter of haste – one should take one’s own time and learn to wait on the Lord and hear what he is advising should be shared.

No doctor can help me control my tongue and no medical practitioner can show me the difference between what is worth saying to people, and what is best kept to myself. Only Dr. Jesus knows this, and so when I write a chapter of a book, a piece of poetry or sometimes even a blog post, I tend to wait many months before pressing the ‘publish’ button.

One good thing about self-publishing with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is that its service is Print on Demand, which means a book is only printed when an order is made by a customer. Therefore, if the author realises they want to add, remove or correct something, this can be done with minimal fuss.

I had this dilemma with, A Manly Man. The required content for the book wasn’t my natural forté. My husband had asked me to write something for men – the type of man who would find my other books too girly to be given as a gift.

When I first published, A Manly Man, I shot my mouth off to quickly about its release (WhatsApp status) and a friend promptly ordered a copy before I’d even seen it in the flesh myself.

When my copy arrived, I was mortified. I spent the whole day cringing, because it was rubbish. I’m not just talking about typos and grammatical errors, but the content itself. It was awful.

How did I miss this?

The answer to this is simple. By getting too excited about publishing my next book and running ahead of myself (and God).

I immediately refunded my friend, telling her that it wasn’t worth the money. She was shocked, but it was the truth and I believe that one should be honest about one’s failings and mistakes.

Another difficulty I had with the book was that I had been asked to make it directly evangelistic. Yes, we are all commissioned by Jesus to “go into all the world and preach the good news…”, but some Christians are naturally more bent towards the pastoral side of things – encouraging those who already have a relationship with the Lord.

I didn’t want it to come across as ‘hellfire and brimstone‘, but in doing so, the first few drafts made it sound spiritually wishy-washy; like I was making light of sin and the need for true repentance.

Christian writers can be so scared of coming across as, ‘shove you in the corner and ram Hell down your throat‘, that we can easily slip into the other extreme by treading on eggshells so lightly that the reader comes away unaware of the holiness of God and his need to punish unrepentant sin.

It took more than 11 more drafts before I was happy with it. I don’t mean drafts on Microsoft Word – I mean that I literally published it again and again and again; each time thinking, “Ah, that’s better.”

I’m pleased to say that I am happy with it now, but what a journey it’s been! Kudos to KDP for allowing me so many edits.

If I have any advice for novice authors, it is, do not be in too much of a hurry to see your stuff in print. Book publishing is not to be rushed. It is better to take time and really know that what you are saying is what you want to convey.

I wish you all the best with your projects.

Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Religious Nutter? (Chp.2)

Posted on by Sharon

So, run this by me again – why did you give me a copy of this woman’s book? You know I’m not into this religious stuff, right?

What? It’s not religious? Well, what do you call harping on about the state of my soul and God and Hell? You trying to convert me or something? A bit too heavy for me I’m afraid.

So, you say this Jesus was with God when he created the world. I thought he was just a good man who had an exceptional tolerance for pain. Like a butch vicar. Anyway, I don’t care what he was. I’m not offended like them over there who say he was a prophet, not a deity. What bugs me is that you’re trying to say I’m a bad person just because I don’t think like you or do the wacky, churchy stuff you do. And I assume you think if I don’t become one of your lot, I’m going to frazzle in Hell. That’s what I find offensive!

Why can’t you just leave me to believe what I believe? You’re never gonna convince me about all this, so you’re wasting your time.

I hope you’re not going to start stalking me or spamming me with stuff like this. Are you?

I’ve not done anything wrong. Okay, no-one’s perfect are they? But I’ve cared for sick children, rescued abandoned animals and given much money to the poor. You can’t go around telling people like me that we’re serving the Devil just because we’re not hot on your hero, Jesus.

Man, that is so arrogant!

Why would I want to become one of your lot anyway? Do you expect me to give up my well-earned Sunday morning lie-ins to go to a silly church? They are either full of boring, old-fogey hymn singers or happy-clappy oddballs.

To be honest, I think you Christians are all imposters – out of touch with the real world and trying to put your craziness onto others.

In fact, who do you think you are?

I bet this book is just another example of bible-bashing literature that should be tossed into the trash.

I’m happy the way I am so please keep your opinions to yourself. No, of course I don’t know when I’m going to die. Why should I dwell on it? I’m sure I’ve got lots of years left to live. I haven’t got time to think about such morbid stuff and neither should you, Weirdo.

What do you mean by saying I may not see tomorrow? Planning to murder me because I don’t share your faith? I’m not the type of person who gets seriously ill or has accidents and I don’t want to ponder about bad things, alright?

And what if I did die? No more pain for me. What? A soul? I have one of those? It lives on forever in one of two places? Oh no, here we go. Ruin my day by predicting I’m going to be tormented day and night in the home of a cackling man with horns and a red leather jumpsuit. Such fairy tales! Why do you believe these stories? You’re an adult remember.

Look, do me a favour – leave me alone and go bug someone else.


And I’m warning you, you loony, if you send me anything else like this, it’s going straight into the fire. A really hot one. I like furnaces.

Why You Make God Smile Vol 1

Butchered Ice-creams (Preface)

Posted on by Sharon

Why You Make God Smile (despite your faults and weaknesses) Vol 1: Preface

There is an easy way to tell that you have reached your old age. When holding
an ice-cream that’s nesting on top of a cone wafer, what is the first thing you
do? If you sink your teeth in, leaving a moon-shape dent where it was once
rounded and smooth, you’re officially old.

As a child, I could never understand why adults did that. How could someone prefer
to shove a large dollop into their mouth instead of gliding their tongue slowly around the icy dome?

How could they gulp it down instead of letting the creamy delight drift
like a stream, past the lips onto eager tastebuds? Why would anyone not want to
take the time to enjoy the cold sweetness as it trickled down their parched throat?
The latter method forces the eyes to close for two seconds while one silently thanks God for creating cows.

My curiosity over this apparent grown-up gluttony would turn to anger when my
own personal ice-cream was the target. An adult would demand, “Let me have a
lick.” And I would have to oblige, so not to appear selfish. But I knew all along that
they were lying. Adults never, ever lick. They bite. Deep chunks would be snatched
from my prize possession like a hungry shark when it’s spotted a limb that has
travelled out too far.

The offender would then add insult to injury by taunting me with unnecessary jibes
pertaining to their dissatisfaction that: the nuts are stuck in their teeth, the
chocolate chips are soapy, the mint flavour isn’t strong enough, the strawberry
pieces are soggy, the toffee is too sweet, it’s not Cream of Cornish.

I would stare forlornly at my wounded dessert knowing that enjoyment of it would
never be the same since being butchered by a fully-grown person who lied about
their intentions towards my treat.

Patches of red lipstick would sometimes be seen dotted around the rim of the cone.
On days I dared to give it further scrutiny, I would occasionally spot a tiny blob of
clear elasticated fluid sitting on the top of my chocolate flake, reminiscent of what’s
commonly known as saliva.

I thought the ‘ice-cream felony’ was the worst misdemeanour that could ever happen to my reluctantly shared titbits – that was until one day, an adult asked me for a lick of my ice-lolly. I knew that by the time I would receive it back, it would look like a deformed lump on a stick, but nothing prepared me for the horror that was to come. Yes, they did indeed take a chunk out of it with their teeth, but it had also been sucked! Like Dracula himself, this wicked person had sucked my lolly so hard, that the top 2 inches had turned white. Having been drained of all its colour, I was left with a tasteless piece of pitted ice. Lollies were supposed to be coloured, and in my case, red! Anger prevailed and my juvenile brain decided there and then that nobody was ever going to share any type of food of mine again.

When we finally become adults ourselves, there is a nasty shock. People are still deceiving us and taking great big chunks out of the things we treasure; only now the gaping holes are in our dignity, our hopes, our finances, our self-esteem, our time, our happiness. They are also trying to suck us dry with negativity, mistruths about life, false stories, inappropriate entertainment and unfounded fears.

This book is dedicated to all those who are wanting to reconnect with the reason we are alive. Jesus did not promise a life without pain, but he did promise to walk closely with us through all the disappointments that come our way.

I have put together some short, true stories and rhyming reflections (I dislike the word ‘poems’) to help remind you that he is beckoning you to come and see all the good he is doing right now. He wants to be part of your life and to make you into the person he created you to be.

If you like fluffy-puffy poetry about trees, birds and cascading waterfalls, this book is not for you. If you are easily offended about topics such as sins, death and Hell, this book is for you, but you will hotly disagree with me about that. I would suggest in these cases, that you either use the pages to make origami shapes or demand a refund from Amazon. If, however, this book was a gift and the giver is at some stage going to ask you if you’ve read it…tough. I’m not helping you with that one.

books by sharon butt


Writing

Why I Don’t Use ‘Big’ Words

Posted on by Sharon

I beseech you to agree with me that authors who use grandiloquent language are being somewhat fatuous.

In other words, I see no point in talking like I’ve swallowed a dictionary, because it is totally unnecessary.

Besides, I don’t know that many unusual words and even if I did, I’m not pretentious. If people don’t understand half of what you’ve written, it is not an enjoyable reading experience.

I imagine that there are many byzantine books out there, but I consider it to be rather vexatious to confusticate people with such volumes of perplexing sentences.

When a word is frequently used in an article, I agree that in order to break up monotony, finding alternative ways of expressing that word is essential, but why use an anomalous expression when a simple one will do? It is utterly discombobulating.

I write like somebody’s sitting with me, listening to a story while sipping on some very frothy hot chocolate.

So, for anyone who may consider my books to be too colloquial, I make no apology in declaring that on this matter, I am pertinacious.

It is not a disease, it means a lack of will to move or change something, especially an opinion or action.

There is one vocabularian author who uses words I’ve never heard of before, who I think does it really well. While reading Jonathon Byran’s book, Eye Can Write, I was amazed at how many times this young man used unfamiliar words without it seeming superfluous. This wordy wonder who is quadraphlegic and cannot speak, is just naturally intelligent, so I do not consider him to be doing this to impress. It’s just his way and I enjoyed learning some new words, even if I shall never use them in any of my books.

It is much more fun being yourself. That said, I think it is important not to write too much how you speak. I often omit the word ‘that’ when I’m talking, but it is essential to add it in when writing.

For example:

“She wanted him to know she was able to finish the project.”

compared to:

“She wanted him to know THAT she was able to finish the project.” is better written English.

Oh, what an amazing language God has given us! All the rules and complexities of it truly amazes me.

I will confess one thing though: despite the pleadings of many an English teacher, I still love using the word ‘very‘. Everybody knows what this word means and trying to find synonyms for it can be rather tiresome.

It is a very lovely word. It comes in very handy,

I hope you found this article very interesting. If not, please give me a buzz and I will endeavour to be very gracious towards your criticisms.

God bless,

A Manly Man

Who is Manly? (Preface)

Posted on by Sharon

If you search the internet for the top manliest men in history, you will find a collection of heroes who are well known as physically fit guys, who have big muscles and own some kind of weapon that they use with ease. Their attire usually consists of leather, a smart suit, army gear, a vest, or a bare chest. Most of them are nifty with a gun and have scantily clad women following them wherever they go. They are most often the head of the organisation they work for, have something that’s alight hanging from their mouths and drive the fastest car, motorbike, or horse.

They are rarely portrayed as a loving husband of one wife, to whom they are faithful. Hardly ever do they appear to be home in time to help put their children to bed. Virtues such as humility, fidelity, patience, and forgiveness are not part of their persona, and good looks are considered more important than a good heart.

As a man, you have been given the awesome privilege of being head over women. The leader. You may be doing a much better job than you think, but deep down, you know something isn’t quite right. Since you were a little boy, you may have been brainwashed into believing you should grow up to be like one of your favourite heroes.

Brainwashed? That’s a bit rude isn’t it? Nobody brainwashed me, Love.

Okay, sorry. What I mean is, deep down, you don’t always feel like you will ever match up to those heroes and it sometimes scares you.

You don’t always want to lead. You don’t always feel as valiant as you try to portray yourself. You’re in a world that is pressurising you to be tough all the time and that can be intimidating, depressing and overwhelming. It may sometimes immobilise you.  Secretly, you may even feel at times, that certain women are doing a much better job than you are and that threatens your masculinity. You may have even given in and decided that you’re more suited to the gay community, because there is less pressure there to fit into the ‘macho-mould’.

Hold on a minute. Men are gay because they fancy men.

Yes, but sometimes they are drawn into that lifestyle because they felt intimidated around women and subsequently less of a man themselves. This especially applies to those who became effeminate before they ever considered having a relationship with someone of the same sex. It just felt safe to be girly.

We females often don’t help. We can put expectations on you by being demanding, we can confuse you by being fickle, we can hinder you by being manipulative, and we can distract you from being the person God created you to be.

Many of you are battling with guilt and feelings of inadequacy because you think you don’t really match up to what society expects. Some of you have spent time in prison owing to a regrettable bad choice.  Some of you don’t get to see your kids often and it’s not your fault. Maybe life has not turned out the way you hoped it would and you’re currently homeless, feeling ashamed, betrayed, or angry.  Some of you have worked hard to ‘look the part’ but all your crutches haven’t changed what’s going on inside. Something’s missing.

The investment portfolio is doing well, but your personal life isn’t. And of course, you won’t been seen dead dashing to a church to talk things over with the vicar, pastor, or priest. You don’t want to appear weak, desperate, or nerdy and there’s always that fear that you might come out feeling worse than you did before you took the nerve to step inside. There is a stereotypical image in the minds of many men that any guy who is ‘into Jesus’ is a little bit odd and definitely uncool.

This book is to help you stop and reflect on your life, so that you can hear in your spirit, your Creator telling you he sees the effort you are making to be a real man, but that some tweaking is required here and there. Mainly in the way that you think – because Jesus is the manliest man that ever lived.

Back to that list of the world’s most manly men: No matter who the paragon of courage is, whether he is portrayed as the dangerous guy or the selfless vigilante, there is one thing they all have in common: they all have an enemy whose desire is to see them dead.

This is a similarity they have with Jesus, but he handles his nemeses in a totally different way; a way that is not considered in this world to be very manly at all. For a start, he loved his enemies and repaid their evil with good. He forgave those who murdered him.

However, Jesus is no timid little wimp that lets bullies boss him into being pushed around. His wisdom far surpasses anyone who has ever lived or who will ever breathe on this earth in the future.  However, you have heard snippets about him being tortured and killed although he was innocent – about him telling people to turn the other cheek when insulted – about loving your enemies; and you have misunderstood those stories, assuming that if you follow him, you’ll lose your masculinity and credibility and become a gimpy little weirdo. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

…and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

(John 8:32)

A Manly Man

Chapter 1: Don’t Tell Me What to Do! (full written version)

Posted on by Sharon

Hey God, if you’re there. If you really exist. I don’t want to be told what to do. I’m quite angry at the thought that someone – anyone – would suggest that there’s something wrong with my life!

It’s really insulting of people to go around telling strangers that they need to change. I can’t be doing with pious folk insinuating that I’m in trouble with you if I don’t buck my ideas up. Don’t come picking fault and saying that I need to make some alterations. Do you know how much I’ve strived to do my best all my life? I’m a good, honest man who has never needed you and I’ve done very well on my own so far.

I’m where I am today because I pushed myself, grafted when I could have slept, studied diligently, and did my best for my family.

And now, some person is heavily hinting that I’ve missed the mark if I’ve never known you personally? They tell me I need to be pardoned, let off, forgiven. Forgiven from what? I’ve never been to jail you know. If you are as all-knowing as those Jesusy people say you are, then you already know that I am an upstanding member of my community who loves my wife and brought my kids up well. They all went to university and that isbecause of me. Me! I’m a great dad!

So, maybe they have not got the right person. They’ve picked on the wrong man. This isn’t for me. I don’t need releasing from sins. I’ve nothing to say sorry for, I told you.

Okay, so I lied to my parents when I was a boy and smoked in school when the teachers weren’t looking. I often dreamed of making-out with my mate’s Mrs. and I sold things that were faulty, claiming they were pucker. I guess I had a foul mouth too and yea, of course I swear when people wind me up; who doesn’t? Not been drunk that much and I only tried cocaine once. But you’re saying that these things are the more obvious sins and that I’m guilty of a whole load more? Like what, eh? Like what?

Well naturally, I sucked-up to my boss by bad-mouthing my colleagues so that I would get promotion instead of them. Of course I’m jealous when I see a geezer with a better car than mine. I’m a bloke, aren’t I? Of course I think I’m better than those homeless bums who are always nagging pedestrians for money. Should have worked harder in college, shouldn’t they?

Yea, I eat too much cheese and chocolate and gorge on stuff even when I’m not hungry – it’s comforting isn’t it? And what’s wrong with complaining about the government and calling those dumb politicians negative nicknames? I’m sure that I could do a better job than them. And why should I feel bad for the times I stopped my teenagers from playing with those grubby brats from across the street? They lowered the tone of the neighbourhood, didn’t they? Not my fault their parents couldn’t afford to feed them. When I was their age, I had the sense to do better things with my time than polluting the atmosphere with unwashed clothes. You know, great stuff like, having my friends round for wild parties and getting a few girls pregnant. Oh, don’t get all high and mighty with me. They were just tarts who’d go with any man and if they were too stupid to protect themselves it was their own blooming fault. Anyway, I had always had lots of cash on me and would have been more than happy to pay for their abortions.  Look, I haven’t got time for all this introspection.

I’ve got a business to run because I want to be respected – looked up to – you know what I mean?  If I waste any more time listening to you, I won’t earn much money this week. I want lots of it, just like all the guys I admire. I can’t afford to get all caught up thinking about what you call it: my soul.

And death. Why oh why do these Christians always go on about dying? Morbid or what! It’s because they have such boring lives isn’t it? Deep down they are miserable with going to church and praying and being all so good. So, they long for their lives to end because there’s nothing to live for but singing horrible songs and reading that weird book. And what an ugly thing that is. Really tiny type and super-thin pages. They try to cover up its dreariness by adding leather covers and gold trims, but it’s still the dull old bible. Ha, I’m not surprised they want to die so much!

What? They don’t? They love life more than anyone and even rejoice when things go bad? Who does that? Who sings when they are sad and laughs when they are broken? They do? Really? So why is the ‘D’ word such a frequent topic of their conversations?

Oh, I see, it’s because they are not scared of dying. I guess that is very different from actually wanting to die. But why are they so calm about passing away? It scares me so much!

Pardon? You are wanting to know if I have life assurance? Yes, I do. It makes sense doesn’t it? I am a wise man who knows how to put things in place to protect myself for the future. I have house insurance, medical insurance, pet insurance, car insurance, holiday…wait a minute, are you changing the subject? We were talking about why your followers are so morbid.

Right, I’m beginning to understand now. I have made an effort to protect everything except the one thing that matters the most. My soul is more precious than these other things because it will live on after I…here we go again…die. So, are you saying that Christians have a kind of insurance policy that others haven’t got?

Okay, I suppose we all have to expire one day, but I’m not ready for it yet, so you’ll have to wait.

Did you just say… I have no control over when my time is up, and it could be today?

Umm…I’ve never thought of it like that but, well…it wouldn’t happen to me would it?

No disrespect to you God, but this is getting macabre and I’m not planning on going just yet, so leave me alone. Please!

You just want to have the last say, don’t you? What you’re telling me is making me feel uncomfortable to say the least.

So, you are telling me that if I continue to shut you out of my life you can’t be to blame for where I go after it has ended.

You mean Hell and all that? Isn’t that just make-believe to get people to become all wimpy and start going to church? You’re shaking you’re head again.

But why would I go to Hell?

Oh, I see. All those things I listed earlier are a result of mankind’s inherent evil nature and nobody can correct it by themselves. It is an indication that I am not what you call, saved and therefore you have no choice but to let me go the way I choose. Me? It is me who chooses to go to Hell? Oh. I used to think that it was just you being mean, like looking down and picking people out at random.

Phew, I’ve got a bit to learn then, haven’t I? Well, I suppose it will do no harm to listen to you for a bit longer. That’s if you will promise to not send me to that hot-hole downstairs.

I suppose this life is bad enough and if that other place is much worse, I’d better find out what I have to do to avoid going there.

Okay God, you got me, I’m listening, but if I hear anything that rocks my boat, I’m coming back at ya.

A Manly Man

Chapter 11: Is Going to Church Girly?

Posted on by Sharon

Right, okay I get it. No more of your fancy analogies please. I’m not daft – I understand what you’re trying to say.

It’s great that there’s a big someone out there who loves me with no ulterior motive, no conditions attached. I think it’s fab that there is a God who not only knows me, but loves me just the way I am.

To be forgiven for all the wrong things I’ve done is wonderful and to know there is a higher power that is wanting to help me succeed, comfort me when I’m distressed and strengthen me along life’s journey, beats anything else that’s ever happened to me – even the birth on my first son.

As a guy, I find it liberating to know I can love a man, Jesus, and it be okay. Not weird, not gay, not silly. I got on well with my earthly dad, but I’ve got so many mates who didn’t have a good father-figure in their lives and I saw how that affected them immensely.

I’m so glad I have God as my heavenly father, Jesus as my saviour and the Holy Spirit as my comforter and helper. I understand that Jesus proved he was one with God and that he was not just a ‘good-hearted prophet’, but God himself. You’re right that we men need comforting and assurance too. I agree that I need a higher power to guide and direct my life because I’ve made a mess of many things.

But here’s the thing. I have one more issue that I can’t get my head around and to be honest, it scares the hell outta me. Is it okay to say that – hell? Well, it scares me. Terrifies me.

Church.

There, I’ve said it.

It has always seemed a bit girly to me to be regularly going along to church, singing songs, hugging each other and dancing about.

I know that not all congregations are the same and that some are less physically active, but it seems that churches are either filled with old men or females. It doesn’t seem very masculine to admit that I’m a churchgoer; that’s what I mean.

Hey, no worries. At least you are being honest. Well, it’s true that some churches do have a large population of elderly men and some have an imbalance of women in proportion to males. But there are a great many good churches out there that are full of teenagers, young adults, young families, businessmen and guys like you.

But aren’t the married ones just doing it to keep their wives happy? And aren’t the single ones just using the place as a social club?

Church is for everyone and it is not until you begin attending one that you will find your mind’s stereotype doesn’t always come into play.

You’re right that some men probably are just going along with their wives to keep the peace. And maybe some younger ones do use church as a social club.

But if that was the case, they would be gathering together to sing. Christians don’t sing, they praise. They don’t sing, they worship. There’s a big difference.

If they jump about, raise their hands, clap and close their eyes, it’s an outward expression of what’s going on in the heart.

For those who are expressing themselves in these ways out of a sense of obligation, it is as ridiculous as it looks. It is also hard to keep up the pretence, because quite frankly, it is boring.

I don’t know who you’ve observed, but if men were indeed just regularly attending church for a false reason, it would soon become a drudgery that nobody in the right mind would want to keep up.

No, regular male churchgoers go because of their relationship with their Lord Jesus Christ. I can’t vouch for every other religion, but I know that there are millions of men who attend their places of worship out of duty because they are petrified that if they don’t, God will punish them.

A relationship with Jesus is not one of obligation but willingness to be around like-minded believers. There are many other reasons for being part of a local church, but I’m trying to stick to your burning issue about feeling it is not for you.

Maybe much older men would be happy to continue attending their ‘club’, but most mobile non-believers surely would not. Gardening, reading the newspaper, walking the dog, listening to the radio and watching sports would draw them away soon enough!

God knows your innermost feelings. Give your anxieties and fears to him and ask him to lead you to a church where you will feel comfortable.

Word of caution here though. Churches are full of imperfect people so don’t expect everyone to be like you. Many introverted Christians have strayed away from certain places because they found it too much. Likewise, a good few extroverts have also left because they were impatient for recognition. What I mean is, they allowed their pride to get int the way of the importance of serving in areas that were not as glamorous and noticeable as they would have liked. Remember that devil we talked about? Well, he loves nothing better than to see people wander off on their own.

Think of it like a herd of buffalos. Does the wolf go for the one who is grazing in the middle of the flock or the loner who has strayed off to nibble the grass by the hedge? The wolf knows that if he tries to attack the one amongst the herds, they will all see and begin not only to protect it but will commence an attack back.

Sorry about using another analogy, but when a Christian stays away from meeting together with fellow believers, they become the lone buffalo that is munching dinner by himself, oblivious to the fact that the wolf is behind the foliage, ready to pounce.

Yes, people are annoying. Yes, many can be self-focussed and insensitive to the needs of others. Christians can fall into the trap of being worldly or too pious, fussy or plain barmy. But you need to be part of a family of like-minded people whether they feel like family or not.

It’s all about looking past the rough. A church family will always support you in prayer and other practical ways in time of trouble and sometimes it’s not until you hit hard times that you realise who is truly on your side and worth depending on.

Being part of a church brings so much more than protection. It isn’t a job to tick off your list on a Sunday to make yourself feel holy.

I’ve covered a lot of things here and I hope I haven’t confused you. In a nutshell, if you surrendered your life to Jesus, but refused to attend a local church, you wouldn’t last for long. The wolf would spot you from miles away and would begin making plans to swallow you whole.

Believe me, you will look more of an idiot blazing inside an unquenchable furnace, than sitting in a room amongst godly grandads and virtuous women.

Huh, Hell. It always comes back to that doesn’t it?

‘fraid so.

A Manly Man

Chapter 12: So, What’s in it for You?

Posted on by Sharon

Are you on some kind of commission? What’s it to you that I get this ticket to paradise? Do you Christians have an ulterior motive for speaking to people about Jesus? You know, a better life upstairs – lots of goodies from God for converting the sinners.

It is not surprising that people would be suspicious of strangers trying to help them get their lives right. We live in a time where almost everybody is trying to sell something for a profit in return. Even business gurus who love to share their knowledge out of the kindness of their heart, have some kind of course or workbook that is for sale. With this in mind, I don’t blame you for being cautious.

Unfortunately, there are some religious groups who believe that they will win favours with God if they successfully manage to get outsiders to join their fellowship. These people can often be identified by their importunate manner. If somebody tells them they already have a relationship with God, these people should be pleased for them and politely move on. But they don’t. Instead, they try to worm their way in the person’s house in order to get them to buy their church magazine and to change the person’s viewpoint to their own twisted way of thinking.

If you told a genuine Christian stranger who knew nothing of your lifestyle, that you were saved because you had a faith in Jesus, they would be delighted to meet you – they would not try to pester you to question what you believe or have a ‘you must join my gang’ attitude.

True followers of Jesus Christ are passionate about telling others about Jesus for two main reasons:

Firstly, we are so grateful that we have the assurance of salvation, that we cannot but want to share this good news to others. Jesus has changed our lives, taken our selfishness away and replaced it with a desire to see others as blessed as ourselves. It’s a bit like the entrepreneur who wants to share his success secrets, but without the pricey course he is offering you at the end of the long sales letter. There is no catch. We want to take as many people with us to Heaven for the sheer joy of knowing we have helped save another soul from the disaster of Hell.

But we are not doing it to get praise from God, or a marvellous gift. The bible says,

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8)

That basically means that nothing good that we do has any bearing on our eternal prize. Our prize is Heaven and that is only gained by giving our lives to Jesus, so that no amazing do-gooders can boast that they are scoring higher points with God than others.

The good we do comes out of a relationship with Jesus who rubs off on us when we remain close to him. We also know what good deeds to perform because the bible tells us to love on another and to put others before ourselves. It tells us also to feed to poor and stand up for those who have no voice. These are all good things, but we do them because we know it pleases God, but not because we are trying to gain his favour.

Secondly, Jesus commanded us to tell others about him. He said in his word,

 “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (Mark 16:15)

So, to answer your question, ‘What’s in it for you?’ more simply: 

The joy of knowing the devil’s clutch has been released on one more victim and that person is no longer a slave to him. The joy of knowing one more person will get the chance to live in the Kingdom of God – a realm where there is no sickness, loneliness, sadness, hate or dying.

A Manly Man

Chapter 14: The Alphabet of Becoming a Christian

Posted on by Sharon / 0 Comment

Before I explain what all the spiritual jargon in this book means, I would like to take you on a trip from A-P. This alphabetical checklist will help you know for certain that you have taken the correct steps to becoming a Christian. It is also a guideline to help you make sure you are going to a proper church and not being hoodwinked into getting mixed-up with the wrong kind of associations.

So, you have said the sinner’s prayer in the previous chapter. Sometimes it seems too easy to be believed and our intellectual brains try to convince us that we still haven’t become a Christian properly. The checklist below will help you confirm that you indeed have followed all the steps and that God is in the process of helping you get to the next stages. Remember that I said there is no rush – there are important procedures to follow, such as getting baptised, but for now, just enjoy the fact that the angels in Heaven are rejoicing that another sinner has been saved from eternal punishment. This is a miracle in itself, so enjoy basking in that amazing fact!

Checklist:

A. ADMIT that you are a sinner and have fallen short of God’s standards.

B. BELIEVE that Jesus died for you and rose again to give you new life.

C. CONFESS to God that you need his forgiveness.

D. DIE to self by deciding that God knows what is best for your life.

E. EXPECT God to lead you to the right church, friends and other things you need.

F. FOLLOW JESUS by regularly reading the bible to hear what he’s saying to you. With his words, he comforts, guides, instructs, convicts, teaches, corrects and helps you to see yourself the way he sees you.

G. GET INTO GOOD HABITS EARLY (prayer, church attendance, bible reading) but realise that none of these things make you more holy, nor do they impress God; in the sense that if you just do them to win his favour, you are being religious.

Christianity is about having a personal relationship with your God, not jumping through hoops to keep him appeased. That is religion and God hates it because it is insincere and based on trying to do good works to ‘keep him sweet’.

He loves you as you are. You cannot make him love you more. He is not an earthly person whose emotions fluctuate.

So to conclude on point G, these practices should be done out of a natural desire to get to know him and to live a godly life.

H. HARBOUR A SPIRIT OF FORGIVENESS towards others because people will still wind you up. Forgiveness is, ‘giving up my right to resent you for hurting me’. There is also a quote that says, ‘Unforgiveness is like pouring poison into your oppressor’s glass, but then drinking it yourself.’ Dwelling on hurts does you no good. Life is tough, but God knows how to bring you justice and restore relationships where necessary.

I. IGNORE THOSE WHO MOCK YOU for being a Christian and maintaining godly values. Morality and virtue are more important than popularity. People are fickle anyway. A great reputation can be ruined by the friends you thought were most loyal, just because of jealousy or misunderstanding. Trust God to uphold you during times of trial and betrayal.

J. JESUS WANTS TO BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. Talk to him about anything and everything. He can never be embarrassed or shocked at what you have to say, so chat away!

K. KEEP A SHORT ACCOUNT WITH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS with others so that the devil doesn’t get to cause disunity between you. Fall-outs happen. Make-up quickly and recognise that people will let you down. That’s humanity. The only perfect friend is God.

L. LEADERS IN YOUR CHURCH ARE IMPERFECT TOO. Your vicar, pastor, deacon, curate, elder, bishop or house group leader will irritate you at some point. Don’t look to leave your church each time things go wrong. Christianity is a lifetime of learning to love and accept others.

M. MANIPULATION BY CHURCH LEADERS IS NEVER GOD’S WILL. Make sure that in trying to remain in your church, that you don’t fall into the trap of being spiritually abused. Even though it is important to remain where God put you, it is never his will for you to be controlled, bullied, manipulated, emotionally blackmailed, publicly humiliated or insulted. There is a big difference between somebody correcting you lovingly, and them mistreating you because they are an arrogant leader, or insecure and feeling threatened by you in some way.

If things don’t seem right, recognise that there may be a problem and pray to God for emotional strength to make the right decision. Don’t remain among toxic people for fear that they will judge you for leaving or talk behind your back when you go. Escape and know that you are protecting yourself from further abuse.

N. NEVER LET ANYONE CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU ARE TOO BAD TO BE FORGIVEN OR TOO USELESS TO BE USED BY GOD. This is not from the spirit of God. Run from these type of people, no matter how godly others claim them to be. No matter how popular and successful they may seem.

Never give money to a church with the promise of a greater reward for the more you give. God blesses cheerful, willing givers, but some leaders take advantage of people’s generosity. Ask God for wisdom.

O. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD WILL BRING YOU CONTINUED BLESSING. (Read Deuteronomy Chapter 28.) If Christians around you seem to be doing things that contradict God’s word, know that you are right to question things. If you haven’t been a Christian for as long as them, don’t readily assume that you are just being fussy, over-reacting or misinterpreting scripture. You could be right. Ask God to lead you to other Christians who ‘fear him’ properly. This means, those who are concerned about pleasing him more than being double-minded. As you grow in your faith by studying the bible, you will learn to hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit when something is not quite right.

P. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ENJOY YOUR NEW LIFE IN CHRIST and don’t be scared of problems. Yes, Christians and churches can let you down and be a bad example of Jesus, but many places are full of loving congregations who want to nurture you and help you in your faith.

Don’t let potential catastrophes put you off, and if you have trust issues, your Lord understands. He will help you. Despite the many who give God a bad name, this world is still full of wonderful loving Christians – some of whom you will meet. May God bless you in your new and exciting journey with Jesus!

Writing

Are You Feeling Depressed?

Posted on by Sharon

Several of my readers struggle with depression and even though the issue of mental health is talked about more openly these days, it can still be a little bit of a taboo subject amongst church congregations.

The videos below are for those of you who may be finding it hard to read a whole book chapter, but would rather a quick, visual snippet that assists you to take that next step forward in life; whether that be driving the children to school, walking the dog, attending church, or taking time put to pamper yourself amidst your hectic schedule.

It is not a plug for you to visit the blog that is advertised on the end screens – they are there because that is the website I initially placed the videos on and that website is solely pertaining to the subject of depression.

The videos are short – less than 3 minutes long – so I hope you will find something to encourage you that a humongous God is interested in you, and sees every effort you make to survive in this often miserable existence we call life. Your life is worth something to him, and he wants you to know that fact, no matter what other voices say in your ear to try to contradict that truth. Blessings xXx.

Writing

Find Categories (Book titles) EASILY!

Posted on by Sharon

To easily locate each individual book title without frustrating page scrolling, you will find that the categories (book titles) are just beneath this post (or on your right if you’re on a larger device). There is an extra category called, ‘Writing’, which contains articles about the intricacies of being an author. Happy reading.

sharon