Bible study desert devotion devotionals God H2O Holy Spirit Jesus Lord Scripture soul H2O water in the desert

  • First Facebook Live

    I finally did it!  I recorded my first real Facebook Live Video.

    I tried one before, but didn’t announce it and it didn’t really work.  The video was all fuzzy and didn’t post properly.  Since I didn’t announce only a couple people saw it, and I was good with that.  I didn’t make a real effort to do it right, so it still was a lingering desire to fulfill and it seemed wherever I went people kept encouraging me to do videos (Ahem…Jeane Wynn of Wynn-Wynn Media)…but…since I messed up the first time I was nervous to try again.

    Have you ever been there?

    With my personality I’m sometimes better to just spontaneously do something or I’ll end up overthinking it, and not doing it.  This was the case for my video.  At 11am I impetuously started writing a Facebook post informing people that I would be airing a Live Video at 12:15pm to announce the latest #PaperbackPic #EllensPicks . When I hit ‘PUBLISH’ I panicked a bit.  I knew that was just a waste of time, so I sat down to plan out what I was going to say.  I asked some friends to pray, then I drove to McDonald’s, grabbed a Coke along with a frozen lemonade because I planned to use the lemonade as a prop, and I really like fountain coke from McD’s 🙂  After I had things briefly outlined I taped the bullet points to my selfie-stick, got all my props around me and hit record.

    Once I started and people began popping on to watch I got so excited.  I’m glad I’ve watched The Communication Stylist, Nikki Elledge Brown presenting webinars before so I knew it was ok to say hello to people on a live video.  It’s kind of exhilarating to see the names and comments showing up as you speak. It’s also hard to stay on topic…thankfully I had my bullet notes.

    The purpose of my video was to reveal the latest book I had received for the #EllensPicks group (See pics below), to let more people know about my upcoming #SoulH2O Devotional book release and to ask for prayer to finish the last edit of the manuscript.  I share on the video how I have to have the final edit back to the publisher on Monday or it won’t be published this year.  There have been so many delays and set-backs.  Many as a result of my computer issues.  My computer was in the shop for the past 3 weeks and I just received it back at 5pm Monday.  Tuesday it crashed four times.  It seems someone doesn’t want this book to hit the shelves…I wonder who?  I went to bed and while praying felt to come downstairs one last time and perform a backup.  This didn’t make sense since it had just crashed and wouldn’t start only an hour previous to this, but it worked, so I decided to finish writing this blog post.

    Many times I share on my blog all the good things God is doing in my life.  I don’t ever want to focus on the negative, but I want you to know that I’m real.  I have problems just like the rest of you, lots of them.  Problems come to everyone, all the time on this earth.  The good is always mingled with the difficult.  The divine with a dilemma.  The issue is, are we going to let it get us?  Are we going to let the enemy of our souls cause us to give up?

    Galatians 6:9 says:

    “Let us not become weary in doing good,
    for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
    IF we     do not give up.”

    In John 14:1 Jesus encourages us to have faith and says:

    “Do not let your hearts be troubled”

    Don’t let the enemy of your life, the one who comes to ‘steal, kill and destroy’ get you to give up before you reap that harvest Paul is talking about in Galatians.  If I would have given up I wouldn’t have seen the results on my first Facebook Live video.  It’s only been up for less than 24 hours and has over 1000 views! If I were to give up on finishing this book how many people would miss out on being refreshed through scripture?

    You’ve got to put on your spiritual amor and Stand Strong.  ‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled’ sounds a little harsh to say when someone is going through a hard time.  Jesus didn’t make it easy on His followers.  Some people say being a Christian is weak because you’re relying on God for everything.  Well, I think it’s just the opposite.  If we follow these scriptures we aren’t weak, but strong because of our faith in Him.  When the world faces hard times they drink too much, work too much, do drugs, mess around…Christians Stand…and today, I’m choosing to stand in the face of manuscript deadlines with computer crashes and the financial issues that ensue.  Nothing will stop me from running towards the finish line in the race God’s called me to run.  I hope this inspires you to keep on running!

    If you need some more encouragement to BE BRAVE…Here’s some great scriptures to bolster your faith:

    Isaiah 41:10…Joshua 1:9…Deuteronomy 31:6,8,12-13,23…Philippians 4:13

    To view the Facebook Live Video,
    Click on My Facebook Account Sherry Stahl Author/Speaker/Blogger
    Don’t forget to ‘LIKE’ my page 🙂

    roots and sky
    Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons

    By Christie Purifoy  http://www.christiepurifoy.com
    Published by Revell on February 2, 2016.

    http://www.ellenspicks.ca

    Quote from the back of Roots & Sky by: Jennifer Dukes Lee
    http://www.jenniferdukeslee.com

    Keep your eye out for my #PaperbackPic Post at the end of the month on this book.
    Find it at your local Christian Retailer.

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  • It Ain't Always Easy!

    memorial stones

    “Choose 12 men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan from right where the priests stood and to carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight…to serve as a sign among you…These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”  Joshua 4:2-3,6,7
    A counselor I saw one time said “If God asks you to cross the road, you can bet there’ll be a parade on the street”.  God’s plan is often simple, but it ain’t always easy!
    not easy, AINT ALWAYS EASY           The Israelites didn’t know easy!
    This request from God was to me the most difficult in the desert exodus to the Promise Land.  At first all they had to do was dip their toes in the Jordan River and then God parted the waters for them to walk across on dry ground with a strong wind.  Scripture tells us that the river was at flood stage.   A rushing river and strong winds would make for a scary crossing over!  I would think the Priests first thought would be to get to the other side and away from the danger, but twelve men had to go back into the middle of the parted river and pick out twelve stones.  Research suggests that where they crossed the river would have been about 360 feet at that time.  To give you perspective, that’s the distance of an NFL Football field with raging water heaped up on either side of you!  Gulp.  Take a deep breath, and go back in there boys!  Imagine the faith they had to muster up to fulfill the task God called them to?  They probably were thinking, “This is stupid.  It doesn’t make sense.  What difference is it going to make if I get a stone and we pile them up?  Why is God making me do this?”
    They had no way of knowing how many sermons and books would be written about their heroic task.  No idea that their seemingly unimportant step of faith would motivate others for centuries!  Take a step of faith, no matter how difficult and follow God today!  You’ll never know how many people’s lives you will inspire!
    Prayer
    Father…I thank-you for all the examples you give in your Word that let me see real people, living out real faith.  Help me to go beyond the easy and press forward to what you’ve called me to do.  Let me not shrink back when things get difficult but accomplish what you’ve called me to do so that others will be inspired.  In Jesus name…Amen.

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  • VICTORY

    This devotion ‘VICTORY’ was originally published on my blog (March 14, 2014):  
 It was later published in Soul H2O: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions For Women:
                             (c) 2016 Word Alive Press Winnipeg, MB
The devotion was also featured on Danielle Macauley's Blog (January 9, 2016)  
www.frommilktomeat.com
    Watch my spontaneous Facebook Live “ON THE WAY TO VICTORY” where I read through this devotion and share what the Lord spoke to me as I read it for my devotions when the book published.   Not my professional best work, but from the heart <3 and encouraged so many. Praying it encourages you!  (November 2, 2016)

    VICTORY

    “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”                                               Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV

    The previous Soul H2O devotion; Obedient Faith…Brings Rest ended with today’s verse, some encouragement and a quote from Winston Churchill.

    “To keep your promise, you need to live out the words of Winston Churchill and
    “Never, never, never give up!”

    Reading the quote by Churchill led me to research his life. He was such an inspiring man in a potentially depressing time.
    In 1941, while World War II was raging and Europe was being held captive by a murderous madman, “Victor de Laveleye, former Belgian Minister of Justice and director of the Belgian French-speaking broadcasts on the BBC”7 encouraged Belgians to form their hands into the V shape to represent victory. Months later, Winston Churchill began using the V sign in a speech.
    For four more years, through great tribulation and much defeat, Churchill continued to use this hand sign to address the people of England.1 This was a visual sign of his confidence in their victory. To their enemy, it was also a visual defiance and a clear message of their perseverance as a nation.  The character trait that most impressed me about Churchill was his optimism.

    [tweetthis remove_url=”true”]Churchill impacted a nation to not throw away their confidence and persevere ON THEIR WAY to victory.[/tweetthis]

    Let this same mindset be yours. Signal to your enemy that you will endure until victory is achieved and you receive all that God has promised!

    PRAYER:

    Father,  May a spirit of confidence in Your promises sweep over my spirit so I can persevere through anything the enemy throws my way. Help me to signal confidence and victory that will inspire others around me to great faith! In Jesus’ name, amen.

    If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

    DRAWING FROM THE WELL
    • Hebrews 10:35–36
    • Genesis 17:5
    • Romans 4:17-18
    • Ephesians 3:12

    1  Wikipedia, “V Sign.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_sign Date of access: March 23, 2014

    Watch my spontaneous Facebook Live “ON THE WAY TO VICTORY” where I read through this devotion and share what the Lord spoke to me as I read it for my devotions when the book published.   Not my professional best work, but from the heart <3 and encouraged so many. Praying it encourages you!  (November 2, 2016)

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  • Lent

    StJamesSlider
    St. James in Waterdown, Ontario is using my book, WATER IN THE DESERT  to go through for Lent.   What an amazing endeavor this has turned out to be!  People young and well, “not-so-young” are journeying  through the desert to find water!  Adults are working through the books in Bible Study groups throughout the week.
    Screen Shot 2014-03-13 at 9.33.05 PMChildren and Jr. Youth in the Blast Kids Program are following along with Sunday School Curriculum pages that Todd and I are making up.  Even our kids are getting involved and giving us ideas to make up these fun pages, but Todd’s artistic abilities are the key!  I attached pictures of some curriculum pages below, but they’re not very good quality scans.
    For months I have been connecting with Lillian Young of St. James to organize the event.  She has been amazing to work with.  She is passionate about Bible Study and helping others focus on what Christ did for us.  I think I’ve found a friend for life!  Minister Cathy Dilts is another passionate follower of Christ!  She leads this amazing body of believers with tenderness and care.  Her daily inspiration on the church blog  during the Lent season is reinforcing the messages from the book.  Minister Bob Johnson was such a pleasure to meet!  So many wonderful people and I was so grateful to have my Aunt Marg join me.   There’s something for everyone at this church and their worship team is amazing!  The church website says it all, “A Caring Community Sharing Faith”.  It’s exciting to hear the updates of how God is using WATER IN THE DESERT hydrate one thirsty church!


    Screen Shot 2014-03-13 at 11.14.43 PM Screen Shot 2014-03-13 at 11.14.33 PM Screen Shot 2014-03-13 at 11.14.05 PM Screen Shot 2014-03-13 at 11.13.50 PM

     www.stjameswaterdown.com

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  • God Of The Turnaround

    turnaround
     “I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back…you can count on it”
                                                    Jeremiah 29:14 MSG
    In a week Olympic Fever will hit our TV’s!  I think my favorite part is hearing people’s life journey to the Olympics.  There’s something about a great turnaround story that gives you hope, especially when you seem to have lost your own!
    So many times in life I could not see how my life could turnaround: how God could take my mess and turn it into a message.  All I saw was brokenness and heartache, yet there was an underlying trust in my heavenly father.  When Jeremiah spoke these words recorded in scripture, the people of Israel felt like I did.  They couldn’t see how God’s promises to bless their nation could ever happen when they were in bondage—again.  They had been caught in the cycle of sin, slavery, sorrow and salvation for centuries.  How could things ever change for them?  They seemed to keep getting themselves back in the same trouble over and over.  The key to breaking free is found in verse 13.  Through Jeremiah God tells His people “when you come looking for me, you’ll find me…when you get serious about finding me…you won’t be disappointed.”  (The MSG) When the Israelites turn to God and away from their sin, God breaks them out of this cycle and brings them back into the Promised Land!
    No matter what your situation…whether you brought this bondage on or if it’s a result of others choices, believe God’s Word and His promises over your feelings.  He is the God of the Turnaround…you can count on it!
    Prayer:
     Father…I thank-you that you are all powerful.  Nothing is too hard for you!  No problem to difficult for you to break me free from.  Help me to stand on Your Word today and trust You for the turnaround in my life!  In Jesus name, Amen

    On Thursday, my blog
    http://www.soul-h2o.com
    will feature a story about an Olympic athlete’s incredible life story.
    A “must read” kind of post!

     

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  • Finding Christ

    cross-and-water1

    “Then Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood.  He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.”
                                                               Exodus 15:25 NIV

    Have you ever been going through a trying time and wondered where God was?  Well, I have and so have the Israelites. This scripture comes in the middle of the story when the Israelites had just gone through the Red Sea.  They had just broken free of bondage in Victory…only to wander for 3 days without water!   They finally find water and run to drink it, but the water is bitter and undrinkable.  That was enough suffering to make the people forget the miracle of the water parting and want to go back to their old life.  They grumble and complain to Moses.  Moses does the right thing and cries out to the Lord.  Oh, if we always took the time to cry out to the Lord like Moses did—and—wait for Him to speak!  Oh, how different our lives would be!
    God showed Moses a piece of wood.  Moses throws it into the water and it creates a chemical reaction to change the whole body of water.  Seriously?  A piece of wood?  This doesn’t make sense, if you don’t see the cross symbolism.  A piece of wood couldn’t change water in the natural.  God supernaturally used a piece of wood to be a type or foreshadowing of the cross.  Only Jesus can take the bitter sufferings that we face and bring something sweet out of them.  We need God to open our spiritual eyes so we can see how Christ is there, just like the wood was, mighty to save.
    Moses took the time to cry out to God and ask Him to be involved in his problem.  He expected God to show up, and show up He did, providing water in the desert.  Take time today to bring your needs before God.  Open up your spiritual eyes to see Christ in your bitter circumstances and allow Him to give you water!

    open your eyes

    Prayer:
    Father…You see the bitterness of life on this earth and you stand along the sidelines waiting for me to tag you in.  Please open my eyes today to see you working on my behalf!  May I never doubt that you are there, because you are!  You are Mighty to Save!  Thank-you!  In Jesus name, Amen

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  • Destined To Worship

    “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed…and they bowed down and worshipped him.”             Matthew 2:10-11

    Have you ever been listening to the radio and a song just grabs you?  This Christmas I was asked to make a short video introducing a trio in our church singing Kari Jobe’s song “Adore Him”.  In the song, she writes about the story of the Magi who followed the star to find Jesus.  Using the words and tune for the Christmas Carol  “O Come All Ye Faithful” for the chorus, she compels us to join her in worship as she repeats the phrase “Come Let Us Adore Him” with such passion.

    Music profoundly impacts my life.  I am brought to tears more by songs than anything else.  If only I could sing!  Listening to Kari’s song led me to spend a great deal of time thinking and reading about these men who travelled so far searching for a King.  Men who would have given up so much to make this journey, putting their lives at risk by not going back to King Herod after he sent them to find this King of the Jews.  Herod falsely claimed that his motives were to worship the King, but the Magi, they were pursuing their destiny to worship the King.

    Today my iTunes started playing Avalon’s song “Destined” and I was again moved by music.   This song helped me to realize that Romans 14:11 is true and that we all have the same destiny as the Magi.  We’re all Destined To Worship!  So, be like the Magi and seek after Jesus the bright Morning Star!  When you find Him, humble yourself and lavish Him with your praise!

    Prayer:

    Father…I praise you for who you are because, You are good!  Almighty…Always There, and You Know Everything!  I want my life to be an act of worship to you in the words I say and the meditations of my heart.  Help me fulfill my destiny to worship you!  In Jesus name, Amen

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  • Immanuel–Astounding Christmas

    The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and they will call him Immanuel—which means, ‘God with us’.”
    –    Isaiah 9:6-7

    Astounding Christmas

    This verse comes after the record of the angel visiting Joseph.  If I ever wondered before, reading through the Christmas story this year shows me how much God loves to astound people with His presence!

    The Group 4 HIM captured Joseph’s encounter with the angel best in their song “Strange Way To Save The World”.  The chorus is supposed to be Joseph questioning God while holding baby Jesus.  The words say so much:

    “Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
    Why Him, with all the rulers in the world
    Why here, inside this stable filled with hay
    Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
    Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say,
    But this is such a strange way, to save the World”

    Immanuel-Astounding Christmas

    Immanuel -God With Us

    The biblical stories of Christmas are more shocking than putting up your Christmas lights in an electrical storm!  A pregnant virgin rides a donkey to a town far away where she has to give birth to the King of kings in a stable, angels appearing to lowly shepherds, Magi travelling for years looking for a king and worshipping a child, giving him costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Nothing in the story makes natural sense…but they are the events that supernaturally changed the world!

    This Christmas, open up your heart, giving God room to show up in your life as “Immanuel”.  He wants to be God “with us”.  May His presence overwhelm and astound you with His peace!

    Merry Christmas!

    Prayer

    Father…I’m so thankful that you desire to be “God with us”, not “God far away from us”.  May I, along with the world, sense Your presence anew this Christmas in astounding ways!  In Jesus name, Amen.

    Soul H2OIf you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

    WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

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  • Do you trust God with your Due Date?

     Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
    —1 Peter 5:6

    When I was pregnant with my son Brandon, the doctor made me stop working a month and a half before the due date because I was in danger of preterm labor. The doctor knew Brandon’s best chance at a healthy life lay in prolonging his birth.
    I had to go in for weekly checkups, and every week they warned me about the situation. Days went by. Weeks went by. A month passed. Almost two months passed. By the time Brandon’s due date came and went, I felt like I had been pregnant for two years! All this talk of an early delivery for months on end kept me ready for the birth, but it didn’t happen. After the due date came and went, I wondered if he was ever coming out!
    Finally, it happened. Labor pains began, and a baby was born!

    Waiting for God’s due date often involves a lot of waiting. You hear God’s promise. Others confirm the promise and build your expectation of it. You see signs of it being fulfilled, and even a few false starts get your heart pumping!
    Then it seems like it’s never going to happen. It’s taking too long. Will it ever happen?

    The beginning of Proverbs 13:12 says,
    “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

    When we’ve been hoping for something to be birthed for a long time and we don’t see it happening, we get heartsick. We can lose hope and give in to discouragement.

    The ending of Proverbs 13:12 explains that
    “a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

    Just as surely as my son had a due date, so does your promise from God! Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
    Your time will come. Your promise will come. God knows what’s best for you and those around you. He knows what needs to take place so you’ll be ready to take care of your promise.
    Trust God with your due date!
    PRAYER:
    Father, today I humble myself before You. I put my life in Your mighty hand. Help me to trust You and believe that Your timing is best! May I know that You will bring to pass all that You have promised—on the perfect due date! In Jesus’ name, amen.
    DRAWING FROM THE WELL

    • 1 Peter 5:6
    • Proverbs 13:12
    • Ecclesiastes 3:11
    • Galatians 6:9

     
    This devotion is being shared on the SEE HOPE LOVE show website:  March 8, 2017

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