A place for Susan's musing, fussing, praise and thanksgiving...on life, religion and politics.
Sunday, September 08, 2013
Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye - Disappointing
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Friday's Five Picks.A Heart Surrendered
One of my favorite blogs to read is Michelle’s blog at “A Heart Surrendered”.
I happen to know Michelle through church and that’s probably what originally brought me to her blog. But that’s not what kept me coming back. Michelle is a woman who loves the Lord and continues to grow in Christ. Her love for the Lord impacts every aspect of her life. She is honest, open and shares from her heart.
When I read Michelle’s blog, I’m challenged, encouraged and convicted in my own faith walk and in my relationship with my husband, family and friends.
I would encourage you to visit “A Heart Surrendered” and bookmark it as a favorite.
Linking up with Wanda at The Watered Soul for Friday’s Five Picks.
Five Minute Friday - Still Small Voice
I cry out to the Lord for help
For the courage to carry on
To not give up
Depend upon the Holy Spirit within me
Filter all that I do and say
Through the grid of God’s
Grace
Mercy
Truth
Love
When I feel I can’t go on
Or take another step
Strengthen me
Give me courage
When I don’t know what to say
Help me to remember
It’s okay to say nothing
Ask my Heavenly Father for wisdom
Let my words reflect the Lord
May the words I speak into broken lives bring
Life
Healing
Grace
Hope
Truth
Light the path before me
Guide each step
Incline my ear so that I may hear
And listen closely to Your still small voice
Susan Wachtel
August 17, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge. Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”. Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers. I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Five Minute Friday – Lonely Painful Memories
Lonely…now that’s a word I’m all too familiar with. In fact I think I can say I was lonely for most of my life. All work and no play can make one very lonely. I knew how to work hard and strive to do my best, but developing friendships was not my strong suit.
- Memories of phones that seldom ring.
- Getting home late from work, left time for little else.
- I chose to let loneliness and lack of trust in God to influence me to make unwise choices.
- The weekends consisted of cleaning, shopping and church on Sunday.
- The Lord, church, Bible study and God’s people became my safe haven where the Lord would show me a way out of loneliness.
- I remember my Bible study leader impressing upon the small group leaders the importance of calling the women in their group each week. She said that in some instances that may be the only call they receive. How right she was…what a painful to admit.
As hard as loneliness is, there is a more painful loneliness and that is feeling a distance from God. It may come when I let the noise and demands of the world drown out the voice of God. Or when I stop paying attention to the still small voice of the Lord, or when I willfully choose to sin. It’s then that the silence surrounds me and I’m aware that the fellowship of the Lord has been broken. I feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. The Lord has a way of getting my attention through silence and draws me back to Himself.
He never leaves nor forsakes me, but there are times He is silent.
Lord…never let me forget the pain of loneliness. Help me to reach out to others. To be a friend, smile, listen and embrace them. I may never know what’s going on in their lives and how lonely they really are, but You do Lord. Help me to see them, hear them, love and care about them. Help me to stay close to You and listen to Your still small voice.
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge. Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”. Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers. I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Jim Allis - A Heart for God
It’s been over 2 ½ years since I first started corresponding with Jim Allis.
One of the best things about the internet is the friendships that you make with people, some who are far away, with whose hearts you are knit together and who share a love for the Lord.
In those ensuing years since we started corresponding, we have prayed for one another as we go through various trials and tribulations. Over the last year, the genuineness of Jim and Joy’s faith has been proven true through trials they’ve faced. Their love for the Lord did not fail them. Instead they continued to be God’s faithful witnesses wherever God led them.
Jim Allis has been a pastor and evangelist for over 40 years in England. He and his wife Joy love the Lord, His Word, the lost and fellow believers. The Allis’ know the power of God’s Word to save us and keep us. They know firsthand the power of God’s Word to convict, convince, rebuke, encourage and strengthen us.
Out of his passion for evangelism and a desire to equip believers Jim’s has been writing weekly articles called “Think Spot”. He also records them and Joy closes with a prayer.
Just recently, with the help of Joy’s son Mark, Jim has started a website JimAllis.co.uk where he has made the materials he has worked on over the years available to readers. If you prefer podcasts as opposed to reading, there are many resources available for the listener. More materials are being posted every day.
I encourage you to head on over to Jim Allis’ website and bookmark it as a favorite and visit weekly. Be sure to leave a word of encouragement to this man who is faithful and uncompromising when it comes to handling the Word of God.
A special thank you to Wanda at The Watered Soul for inviting me to participate in her weekly Five for Friday article. (I’m a wee bit late being that it’s Sunday.) Wanda’s is another website you should check out. She shares from her heart and highlights many Christian websites and resources.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Five Minute Friday - Broken Lives
It seems all around me
I see fragile lives
And broken people
Broken lives
Broken hearts and minds
Broken bodies, souls and spirits
Broken by sin
Selfishness, pride and arrogance
Sickness and disease
Left to our own devices
We are undone and without hope
Destined to a Christless eternity
But there is One
To Whom we can turn
The One who forgives, heals and restores
One God
One Father, One Son and One Spirit
One Way to salvation thru Jesus Christ the Lord
In Christ we are freed from sin
That so easily entangles us
God forgives us completely and we are restored
He gives us a new nature
We are dead to sin
Alive to Christ
He walks with us through every trial
Equips us for every battle, every day
One day He will lead us home victoriously
by Susan Wachtel
July 27, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge. Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”. Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers. I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Sunday, July 07, 2013
Saturday, July 06, 2013
Five Minute Friday – The Beautiful Cross
Thursday, July 04, 2013
A Prayer for America – Independence Day 2013
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Five Minute Friday - Strategic Connection
The rhythm of life
Continues to speed up and up and up
It’s such a frantic pace
I can scarcely keep up
Every day…from morning till night
I’m busy, busy, busy
Most of it
Is of no eternal consequence
All around me people seek connection
By Facebook, Twitter, email and cell
Talking to a friend face to face, iPhone in hand
They are disconnected and distracted
Is all this connection glorifying God
Is it putting the Christ and others first
Or have we been bamboozled by the enemy
Who strategically uses anything to keep us from what really matters
Susan Wachtel
June 22, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge. Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”. Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers. I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Blogger Posting Issues Continue
Well I continue to experience problems with posting to Blogger. I can login to Blogger without any issues, but when I try to post the page does not come up properly and I can’t take any actions.
So little by little, I’m making the transition over to Word Press. Thanks to some guidance from Wanda at The Watered Soul, I’m diving in.
Still learning the Word Press ropes and feel like I’m starting over at square one. But still hopeful that the Blogger folks will be able to find a fix so I can continue to blog at Blogspot. The good news is that Word Press is able to import all my posts from Blogger.
I’ve would love for you to stop by my new Susan’s Blog: http://thesusanblog.wordpress.com/
I’ve also transferred over A Poem by Any Other Name: http://apoembyanyothername.wordpress.com/
As I’m able I will continue to post at Blogspot, but until then blog on. Today I’m trying posting via email…so I’ll see how that goes.
Lord bless…Susan
Susan Wachtel
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, lute and harp! I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57:7-8
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