My new devotional book is out~Sapphires from Psalms: 31 Gems of Comfort for a Woman Seeking God. Start each day of the month with scripture from Psalms to instruct you, and a story illustrating that scripture to encourage and inspire you.  It will be available on Amazon.com in the next few days, but you can get a discount now by emailing me at lindanewtonspeaks@gmail.com. Let me know you saw this on my website, and get a copy for $12 plus $1 shipping.

REFLECTIONS ON FATHER'S DAY~

ABBA FATHER, “DADDY”

When I read in Proverbs 14:26, “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children,” I was troubled with the idea that we were supposed to fear the Lord. My mind conjured up pictures of a divine Dirty Harry in the sky, hovering over the smite button on His cosmic computer just waiting for me to mess up so I could make His eternity!  (Isn’t one day like an eternity to God?)
     The word for fear in this verse does not mean to cower in terror or anxiety.  There are other words used in the Old Testament that depict this kind of emotion.  But the word used in Proverbs 14:26 is the Hebrew word “yirah.”  It means to reverence or to treat with deep devotion and respect.  Vine’s Bible Dictionary explains it as a “reverential fear of God, as a controlling motive of life, in matters spiritual and moral.  It is not a mere fear of His power and righteous retribution but a wholesome concern for displeasing Him.”  Ironically, it is this kind of fear or awe that banishes the fear or terror that causes us to shrink from His presence.
     The Apostle Paul further explains this in Romans 8:15-16: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship (and daughtership).  And by him we cry Abba Father.  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  He tells us not to be debilitated by fear but to embrace God’s love like that of a father—more specifically “Abba” is translated as “Daddy”.     
     With this new understanding of who God is, I now crawl up into His lap, let Him comfort me, and tell me that Daddy’s going to make it all better.  Now that’s a day-maker!
    Here is a story from my book, Better Than Jewels that I think demonstrates the devotion our Heavenly Father has for His kids.

                                                        ASK YOUR DADDY
     It was one of those rare summer days in central California when the sky darkened and the air smelled like rain.  Ashley Rose, my five-year-old daughter, was playing outside with the little neighbor girl, Jessie.  Those two would occupy themselves for hours getting into all kinds of mischief and loving every minute of it.  But with the clouds coming up, I worried lightning might soon follow so I decided I had better call the girls inside.  
     As I approached the front door, their conversation caught me off guard. They spoke in slow, hushed tones in deep, meaningful discussion, uncharacteristic of the kindergarten girls who filled the hours with playful chatter.  Choking back tears, Jessie shared, “I have to have surgery on my foot. And I’m scared!”  
     I watched as Ashley wrapped her arm around her playmate and patted her back, knowing all too well what Jessie had to fear.  Ashley Rose had already survived two heart surgeries and was awaiting a serious open-heart surgery in just a few months.
      Ever since talk of this next heart surgery started, Ashley made it a ritual to squirm her scrawny frame into our bed every evening.   Needing a lot of reassurance, she would cuddle up between her dad and me and pose question after question.  “Is it going to hurt like it did the last time?” she asked with her big blue eyes open wide.  “Can Sissy and Jake come and see me?” she questioned, referring to her brother and sister.  “Will they let me keep Bobo with me?” she wondered about her favorite teddy bear.  
     As I lay next to her, all I could do was pray for fear that if I spoke, my words would belie my own fear and dread.  Yet, as she voiced her endless stream of concerns, her daddy patiently answered her questions even as the doubts she shared became more personal.  “Why am I like this and Jake and Sarah aren’t?  Will I always be this small?  Am I going to die?” However long it took to send Ashley off to sleep in peace, is the time her Daddy devoted to his special child.
     That’s why it came as no surprise to me that, as she sat with her arm around her frightened friend, Jessie, she shared with all the assurance in the world, “You don’t have to worry.  You just have to talk to your daddy.” Ashley had first-hand knowledge that her Daddy would be there to help her and offer her comfort and peace.  Our Abba-Father, our Daddy, longs to do the same thing for us if we’ll let Him.
     How long has it been since you curled up next to Him in the wee hours of the evening to let Him know your doubts and fears?  He’s waiting and He’s got all the time in the universe for you.


ENJOY THIS TRIBUTE TO MOMS EVERYWHERE~

MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME…
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE: "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION: "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL: "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC: " Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC: "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT: "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY: "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS: "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about STAMINA: "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
10. My mother taught me about WEATHER: "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
11. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY: "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
12. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE: "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
 13. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION: "Just wait until we get home."
14. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE: "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
15. My mother taught me ESP: "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
16. My mother taught me HUMOR: "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
17. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT: "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
18. My mother taught me WISDOM: "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
And my favorite:
19. My mother taught me about JUSTICE: "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

HELP THE HURTING PERSON FIND:

POWER IN GOD’S WORD, Psalm 119:105
Employ the FREEING THREE. Select 3 Scripture verses that address your need. Read them 3x a day for 3 weeks. Place them in 3 easy-to-see places like the mirror, screen saver, refrigerator. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” God’s Word is that truth about who you are in Him.

PRAYER: THE DAILY DIALOGUE, 1 Thess. 5:17
Once God’s Word builds a case for how much He loves us and wants to take care of us, we are able to connect with Him. That happens when we stay on-line with the Lord in prayer all day long. We don’t say Amen! We don’t click off the cosmic computer or hang up the hot-line to God. Instead we remain intentional about keeping the communication lines open throughout the day.

PATIENCE WITH GOD’S PLAN, Joel 2:27
Joel 2:27 reads, “The Lord will restore the years the locust hath eaten.” KJV. It takes time and patience for that to happen. Story below:)

PARDON: FINDING FORGIVENESS, Ephesians 4:32
Forgiveness doesn’t make your offender right, it just makes you free! Choosing not to forgive allows that person to continue to harm us as we endlessly relive their offense. Many times we are held back in our growth because we can’t let go of our pain. Let go of the offense, and free yourself from the pain.

PURPOSE: WHAT REALLY MATTERS, Ephesians 2:10
Many times a hurting person’s best therapy is to do something for someone less fortunate. It gets our mind off our problems and helps us count our blessings as we  realize we don’t have it so bad!

Adapted from 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise: Biblical Steps to Wholeness in Christ.
Click on “STORE” to purchase or amazon.com.

Here are 3 verses for your Freeing Three to use depending on your need. Print them off, read them 3x a day for 3 weeks, and put them in 3 places where you will see them regularly. Focus on the Word not your worries!

COMFORT
2 Thessalonians 2:16, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
Isaiah 51:3, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Psalm 91:1, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

PEACE    
Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!” NLT
2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”
John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

HOPE
Joel 2:25, “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” NKJV
Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”
Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

FEAR
Isaiah 41:10, “So Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God.
I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you” The Message.
 2Tim. 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Isaiah 51:12 , “I’m the One comforting you. What are you afraid of—or who? Some man or woman who’ll soon be dead? Some poor wretch destined for dust?” The Message.

PROVISION
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 121:3, “He will not let your foot slip — he who watches over you will not slumber.”
Hebrews 6:18, “God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us” CEV.

SECURITY
Psalm 125:1, “Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.”
Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.”
Psalm 62:1-2, “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.”

STRENGTH
Isaiah 40:28-31, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint”.
Psalm 37:23-25, "The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand. 25 Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned nor their children begging for bread,” NLT.
Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”
Isaiah 12:2, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Psalm 103: 8-12, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Isaiah 40:11, “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries
them close to his heart”
Psalm 40:1-3,” I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Zephaniah 3:17,”The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love he will rejoice over you with singing."

REST
Matthew 11:28-30,”Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Isaiah 30:15, “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,”
Psalm 46:10,”Be still an know that I am God.”

Joel 2:25, the scripture reads, “The Lord will restore the years the locust hath eaten” kjv.  Often after I learned this verse I would quote it to myself as, “The Lord will replace the years the locusts have eaten.” Then one summer I tackled restoring an antique oak library table that had been in my mother-in-law’s possession since the 1850s. My husband wanted to use it as a desk in his office, so the project had special meaning.  His mom had redecorated a dozen times, and now the once beautiful tiger-oak table was covered in several coats of garish paint left over from the psychedelic sixties.

             In order to get to the real wood underneath, I had to slather on a caustic paint stripper that was so corrosive it would eat my hide if it touched my skin.  I’d let it set a few minutes so the chemical could erode the paint and then the hard work began--scraping layer after layer of scummy sludge off the desk. The old paint was stubborn and I had to apply countless coats of the corrosive chemical to the top of the desk, and employ endless hours elbow grease to restore the wood.

             Before I even started on the ornate legs, I remembered a gorgeous roll-top desk I had seen at Costco just a few weeks prior.  More than once, in the middle of that challenging task, I thought of backing the truck up to the loading dock at the store and hauling home a brand new desk for my husband to use.  But I couldn’t because the table had sentimental value.  The project meant too much for me to quit.

                 Then one afternoon as worked diligently on this project, scraping and sanding for hours, I remembered the verse from Joel.  As I recited it to myself using the word replace instead of restore, it hit me. Replacing it would be a picnic, but restoring the desk required messy, arduous, and tenacious labor. The Lord doesn’t promise to replace our years; He promises to restore those years and that may require some laborious effort scraping the scum of pain and poor decisions from our souls. We have to scour off the sludge of bitterness and resentment, and scrape off the layers of fear and doubt so that God can restore the beauty He intends for each of His children.  In his book Heaven, Randy Alcorn states that, “God always sees us in the light of what he intended us to be, and he seeks to restore us to that design.”

                 I believe that Jesus reaches diligently toward His children, but many times our ability to reach back is impeded by a big pile of emotional baggage, heaped so high, we can’t respond to His embrace. The process of unpacking the emotional bags full of damage that has visited upon us or that we have visited upon others--and ourselves-- requires considerable emotional elbow grease. But we can’t give up because that transformation process means too much to us in terms of future peace and fulfillment.  The Lord will be there every step of the way encouraging and empowering us to continue, but we will have to do the painful part of peeling off the layers of spiritual sludge and surrendering them to God.  The process takes patience and God will even help us with that.  Philippians 2:13 states, “ For it is God who works in you to will and to work for his good purpose.”  Not only does God supply us with the tools for transformation, but He will also give us the want to.

                 I finished restoring the library table and it is a sight to behold! The rich buttery brown of the bare wood showed off the detailed grain of the tiger-oak. The exquisite filigree on the legs that was barely noticeable until the paint was removed now displayed an intricate design.  It now stands proudly in my husband’s office and serves as a constant reminder of God’s ability to transform us, especially when we do our part—even if it’s challenging.

(From 12 Ways to Turn Your Pain Into Praise available on amazon.com or click on the “store” to purchase your copy today.)

Try every year I try to keep the materialism from crowding out the true meaning of the season—God came to earth to be with us! It will take the rest of my life to get my head around that.

Isaiah 7:14-15 says, “The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel — 'God is with us.' 15 By the time this child is old enough to eat curds and honey, he will know enough to choose what is right and reject what is wrong.” Jesus was fully God so he could offer is forgiveness for our sins and fully man so he could pay the price for them. He was the perfect sinless lamb who sacrificed himself for our sins. What a gift!

Before the Christmas season overtakes you, pause a moment and reflect on the true meaning. Over the years I’ve stumbled on to a few ideas to help me do that.

•Brew a cup of Christmas tea, sit by the tree and think about the sacrifice Christ made leaving heaven to be born as a baby to die on a cross for YOU. Soak up the meaning of Immanuel-God with us, everyday all the time. Wow.

•Buy a book of Christmas stories about how God was with folks over the years. Read stories to your family by the tree each night. (I have long since forgotten the fastidious work I did trying to make the house perfect or to wrap a present to impress someone. But I haven’t forgotten all the cherished moments reading Christmas stories to my kids who are all moved out now.)

•Take your kids to the store and have each of them buy a gift for a kid their age and find a family who needs gifts for Christmas.

•Put your Christmas cards in a basket on the dinner table. Every night a dinner, have one of the kids pick a card. When you say the blessing, pray for the family who sent that card.

A few weekends ago, I did a retreat for some wonderful ladies and I shared about how life changing learning to live in gratitude can be. I explained what I share often—that we can choose each day to view the cup of life half full or we can choose to see it as half empty. How we choose makes all the difference in whether we live joyful, satisfied lives.

A beautiful young mother came up to me after the session and said that not long after the birth of her second child, she went to the doctor with symptoms of depression. While her doctor put her on medication, she also talked to her about her perspective on life. She informed her patient that living in gratitude would greatly alter her mood. This wise physician instructed the dear mom to engage in a RAMPAGE OF APPRECIATION,constantly, and relentlessly thanking God for everything. I love the way the good doctor phrased her spiritual prescription.

We can be persistently grateful. You can thank God that it’s not raining because you’re not getting wet, or thank Him that it is raining because your yard needs the water. Thank God that you have food on your table, and your children aren’t living on the dump sight like the children our church ministers to in the Philippines. Thank the Lord for your hot water. My friends just got back from a trip to Africa and had cold sponge baths for three weeks!

 All the things that we tend to take for granted or feel as though we are owed, we now incessantly show gratitude for. What a great spin on having an Attitude of Gratitude! This Thanksgiving season, I am making a daily practice of having a Rampage of Appreciation. It’s making even the dreariest of days brighter!  

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”