Please...

go here...and pray.

To good to not post...

Oh, and by the way...that borrowed tomb?

IT'S EMPTY!! HE ROSE AGAIN!!

It's Been Fun!

I'd like to thank all of my faithful readers of Wholly Devoted.

I've been able to share a lot of my thoughts, ideas, inspirations, and funnies, and I've loved every second of every minute.

But, as of today, Wholly Devoted will be no more.

I'm not dismantling the blog...but I will be rarely, if ever, posting here. Lots of my material is original, so I may print it out and scrap book the pages that mean the most to me. So don't worry about it going completely away.

My ego is too big for that!

But God has opened doors for me to do something that I have a passion for, and that is write reviews for Christian fiction and non-fiction. This has gone from hobby to ministry, and while it has it's controversial and frustrating moments, that is truly where my heart is.

Plus, with my various health issues, I haven't had a whole lot to say about me lately. I'm having surgery April 21st to take care of one issue, and my doctors are working on treatment for the other one I battle daily.

Still, God isn't done with me yet, and I may pop in from time to time to share something amazing He has shown me. You just never know...

So, thank you. Thank you for giving my voice a chance to be heard, for helping me realize yes, I do matter in the Kingdom, and for all of your encouraging and uplifting comments and emails.

I've had a blessed and fun time. I hope you have as well.

See you later, gater!

Deena

Why Is It...

...that often times those who are invalids feel invalid?

...that to be helpless can leave you feeling like you can help less?

...that the meaningless things in life aren't meaning less?

But isn't it great that those who are selfless think of self less?

I'm just sayin...

Deena

Another Verbal Faux Paux...

Time to press the old panic button again! Opened my mouth and out came something I didn't mean, expressed in the wrong way, and the moment to correct it was lost.

So, all of you have to endure my explanation, which I hope you will find as cool beans as I do:-)

A sister in Christ had asked for prayer at last month's Bible study (yes, we meet once a month for women's Bible study...that's an entire other subject...I'm working on it!), and my sister in law took that request especially to heart.

My sister (in law) had let me know before she left to return home that she was going to make it a point to pray for the hurting sister. She really connected with her request and the events surrounding it.

So, at Bible study, I let this sister know about that conversation, so she would know of the Spirit connection that was made that day. But what I said was "She's going to pray for you in this area, even if you don't need it!"

What I MEANT was "she will pray for you so faithfully, that even when God delivers you in that area, the prayer won't stop."

What God whispered to me while my face turned red and I felt stupid was this:

Even if we continue to pray for a need, and the need is met, and we continue to pray...He applies our soothing balm of healing prayer to another hurting area in the person's life. He knows our needs better than we do...and we may be praying in sincerity and in fervency for an area that has been healed...

But He won't waste a drop. Ain't that cool?? I thought so.

I hope you did too. Despite my faux paux...once again:-0

I'm just sayin'...

Deena

What's It All About...?

We just finished watching a movie tonight at our church. "Love's Enduring Promise", based on the books by Janette Oke. A bit cheesy, but it made a rather pointed...um, point.

That, coupled with the books God has led me to read lately, causes me to rethink some things. Things such as pain, loss and suffering.

We're told quite often, especially in James and I and II Peter to expect to suffer. "Count it all joy", "when trials come"--not if, "for your suffering builds" this and that and the other virtue.

But juxtaposed with Jesus' own promise that He "came to give us life, and give it to the full" (or as some translations put it--abundantly), how does it all fit? What's the answer to the age old question "why do bad things happen to good people"?

The answer lies in the definition of "abundance".

When Jesus promises us abundance, does He mean fat wallets, substantial bank accounts, full pantries, warrantied vehicles, and better homes (and gardens!)? Maybe...but not likely.

If you doubt me, read about Jesus' own life. If the King of Heaven lived like a vagabond and ate with others at their invitation, not the other way around...what can we expect?

I believe the answer to abundance is this...

When the diagnosis isn't good, and the worst possible could happen...knowing that to the believer, it is the greatest gain.

When your spouse or friend abandons you for no reason other than they can...knowing there is One who will never, ever leave...no matter what.

When the food supply dwindles, and your stomach growls...knowing that you can still feast on the Bread of Life that will fill your soul's content.

When you snap, crackle and pop without eating breakfast cereal every morning...knowing that one day a glorified body awaits you that will be friskier than any puppy, more flexible than any Olympic gymnast, and more limber than any deer.

When the clouds of depression refuse to part and let the light in...knowing that the joy of the Lord is your strength, and you don't have to dredge it up from yourself.

When evil seems to be overtaking the world and wounding those you love...knowing that He will ride in on a ride like no other and cry "It is finished!" and it finally will be as it was always meant to be.

When death takes a loved one and we grieve the loss...knowing that we are merely storing up our treasures in Heaven (if we will get busy sharing our faith).

When the things of this life pull, tug and lure you to the point of singing that old hymn "prone to wander, Lord, I feel it! Prone to leave the One I love"...knowing that one day you will sit at His feet with nothing else to do than to worship Him like you've always longed to do, with no distractions, no temptations...and No. More. Sin.

I think THAT'S the life abundant Jesus promised us.

Now, do I live it? No way, girlfriend! At least, not as much as I long to. And oh, how I long to live this way!!

And anyone who tries to convince you that they DO live this way, 24/7/365...don't believe it. We can't. We try. We fall. We get back up, and try again and again. And we live this life, knowing He knows we are jars of clay, holding the holy within us in His Spirit.

I'm trying. How about you? And isn't that what it's all about?

I'm just sayin'...

Deena