David Gerrold said, “Life is hard. Then you die. Then they throw dirt in your face. Then the worms eat you. Be grateful it happens in that order.” Sometimes it just seems like we might as well give up. Life is hard. But we don’t want to give up; we want to keep believing that “the sun will come out tomorrow.” For every day, but especially for days when we feel like nothing is going right, God gave us a get-through-it formula through the apostle Peter.

“For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” 1 Peter 3:10-12 (NKJ).

That’s pretty clear, isn’t it? For those of us who love life (that’s us) and want to see good days (that’s us too), let me break this verse down for us. Here is the formula of three things to stop, three things to start, and one thing to keep you remembering those first six:

1. Refrain our tongue from evil – stop talking smack
2. Keep our lips from speaking deceit – stop trying to “get over”
3. Turn away from evil – stop messing up
4. Do good – start handling our business properly
5. Seek and pursue peace – start getting along
6. Pray because God’s eyes are on us and His ears are open to us – start turning to God on a regular basis
7. Realize that the Lord is against us if we do evil – remember that won’t be happy with us is we are screw-ups, so be sure to keep up with the first six.

Even when life around us is hard, the life within us will sustain us. So here’s the formula: stop, stop, stop; start, start, start; and remember.

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

As I sit enjoying Thanksgiving weekend football on television, I’m amazed by the precision of a quarterback’s pass. Disregarding the noise of the crowd, the QB must keep his eyes pealed downfield, usually in the face of 250 – 300 pound linemen rushing to make mincemeat of him if they can. He has to keep his cool, remember the route that was probably called from the sideline, and find his open man. Despite the imminent danger coming his way, he is often still able to thread the spiraling pigskin to his receiver between several defenders. A long completed pass is a thing of beauty.

Our sojourn in this life as believers is much like the job of the quarterback. We can’t be concerned about the noise of the crowd, all that society would tell us about how to live. We must only be concerned about the “plays” being called in from the sidelines – our Coach Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God (see John 1:14). Once we get the snap, we’ve got to keep our eyes pealed down toward the end of the field. We must not be deterred by the attackers rushing our way, but trust the blockers provided by the Holy Spirit so we can complete whatever God-given assignment that has been laid out before us. A life well-lived is a thing of beauty.

First Peter 4:7 tells us that “the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” (NKJ). Like a great quarterback toward the end of a big game, we need to be “serious and watchful” so we can make it successfully to the end. We want to hear our Coach say, “Well done.”

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

            In the book of Ezekiel, God gives the prophet all kinds of specific details about the temple and how the people of God should act in relation to it. Ezekiel 46:9 especially caught my attention. “But when the people of the land come before the Lord on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate” (NKJ).

            Every Sunday after the sermon, when my pastor extends the invitation for people to come into a saving knowledge of Jesus, he says, “We don’t want you to leave the same way you came.” Until reading Ezekiel 46:9, I took those words to apply only to those people who were realizing a need for a new relationship with Christ, or to those who had fallen away—the backsliders—and now wanted to renew that relationship. But now I see my pastor’s words in a new light.

         None of the altar call invitations may apply to us, but we all “shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate.” In other words, I believe this is speaking to us today to say that every time we read the Bible, hear a sermon or read a Christian book, we should be changed because we have been within earshot of the Master’s voice.

            Let’s listen for the word from God every time someone’s preaching or teaching. We can make it a habit to listen with our ears when someone is speaking the message, with our eyes when someone has written the message, and with our hearts in both circumstances. And after we’ve heard, may we leave different.

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk ) 

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

In 2000, I missed Thanksgiving. I was in Europe on a Tale of Two Cities field trip. The school vacation days made that time of year the best time for us to go. Our group had a fabulous time in London doing incredible things like seeing Big Ben and touring Buckingham Palace. After several days there, we headed to Paris. The Louvre is all it’s cracked up to be, as is the palace at Versailles, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. But even though we woke up in the city of lights, since that country did not have that holiday, Thanksgiving morning was incredibly strange. There would be no turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans, monkey bread, pumpkin pie, peach cobbler, etc. No one in the whole country was doing anything differently, thinking of visiting family, or focusing especially on being thankful.

By missing Thanksgiving I realized how much the holiday meant to me. I absolutely crave spending that day with those I love the most. The smells and tastes of the day bring back the wonderful memories of Thanksgivings past with my parents, my grandmother, my siblings, and special family friends around the tables.

This year, my husband and I are blessed once again to celebrate the Thanksgiving meal with family and friends. How thankful we are to have a place to be—to be special. We’re also grateful to know that we’re special every day, not only to our people here on earth, but to God. He has called us “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people” (I Peter 2:9 NKJ).

Whether you are eating today at a table of one or in a group of 30 or more, smile and know that you are one of God’s special people. Be thankful for every breath, a sound mind, and a heart open to the love of God and others. Happy Thanksgiving!

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

As we enter the end-of-the-year holiday season, I think back on being a child. It seemed to take Christmas so long to get here. Even so, I loved all the preparations that made the big day so exciting. Hunting for and finding the perfect live tree, and then helping Daddy center it in the tree stand so it stood straight and tall in our living room window. It was my responsibility to keep water filled in the stand so the tree would be fresh and safe through the few weeks it resided over the gifts. I loved decorating that tree, shopping for something special for each family member, wrapping those gifts, placing the mistletoe somewhere overhead, hanging the lights outside, planning the meal, helping Momma cook. Oh, I just loved everything about Christmas—except the wait. Patience was tough.

But now as I think about it, Christmas had to take that long every year or else all that went into making the day perfect wouldn’t have gotten done. The care we took to strategically place one piece of tinsel at a time looked much better on the tree than the just-toss-handfuls decorating technique. The buttery perfection of monkey bread could not be rushed faster than its two-day process. One shopping trip was rarely enough to locate the exact gift that would make each person’s eyes light up on Christmas morning.

As we enter the holiday season this year, let’s consider that the things for which we are desperately praying are like waiting for Christmas. We don’t know why God is taking so long to bring some things to pass, but we must trust that preparations are being made. The longer and more focused the prep, the better and more phenomenal the deliverance or healing or progress or change. James 5:7-8 encourages us to “be patient… See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Christmas is coming; wait for that. Jesus’ answer is coming for your situation; wait for that. And ultimately, Jesus is physically coming; wait for that! In the meantime, let’s occupy ourselves by playing our part in the exciting preparations.

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/

Hello Blog Readers,

Here’s another sneak peak at Life That Matters with  Sharon Norris Elliott from the Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network. This is the interview I conducted with my own great pastor, Rev. Welton Pleasant II of Christ Second Baptist Church in Long Beach, CA.

http://www.hsbn.tv/_demand/[life-that-matters]%20011.html

Let me know how much you enjoy this interview! Then surf around the network’s website (Hsbn.tv) surveying all the wonderful programming you’ll find there.

No pressure, but if you feel so moved, please contact the network and let us know how we are doing. It really does help us to get our programming right when you send us suggestions, helpful critiques, and uplifting comments. And as most worthwhile endeavors need financial support, I encourage you to send a financial gift to Life That Matters c/o the network once you are there on the network’s site. Be sure to mention my show when you call or write.

Again, enjoy the broadcast.

On the journey,

Sharon

Everything God made and gives is good. Read Genesis chapter one and you’ll discover that every creative word God spoke came instantly into being and was judged as good. James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (NKJ). So when I read Psalm 127:3 (NKJ) which says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward,” I knew I was reading about something good.

The word “heritage” means “an inherited heirloom.” Our children are to be viewed and understood as a precious, valuable inheritance given to us by God. The verse goes on to say they are a “reward.” Interestingly enough, the Hebrew word means “payment by contract.” In other words, we parents are under contract with God in the parenting of our children. God has entrusted these children to us and expects us to perform our job. Now no employment is easy all the time, and that is certainly true with this parenting job. But a loyal, conscientious employee doesn’t give up when the job gets hard, so neither can we give up when we don’t quite know what to do with our children. Just as God will not become our ex-Father, we cannot become an ex-father or ex-mother to our kids.

When we’re dealing with a son who has lost his way or a daughter who seems to be losing hers, it’s our job as parents to remember several truths:

1. This child is a gift from God, a precious, priceless heirloom that has been placed in our care.
2. This child is a reward and God expects me to fulfill my contract as his/her parent.
3. Satan is zeroed in on stealing, killing, and destroying everything good God made and that includes my child.
4. Just as there is no age limit on children honoring their parents, there is no age limit on parents providing parenting for their children.

It doesn’t matter whether we are birth, adoptive, step, or foster parents, children are gifts from God, Satan is out to steal them from us, and it’s our duty to fight for them. We’re not alone in our fight for our kids; God had trouble with all of His, yet He refused to give up on them. In fact, He gave us an example of how far we are to go in rescuing our children; He died to show His love for them – for us.

It may be that we’ll have to die to our old way of doing things in order to save one of our children. The death might consist of the temporary separation demanded by tough love, or the uncomfortable conversations initiated by confrontation. That’s the length to which love will go. What price is too high to pay for the salvation – spiritual, physical, or emotional – of such a precious gift as your child?

(Yes, the above photo is of my great children – Jerod, Lori, Mark, and Matthew!)

#HeartForTheWord

____________________________

©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

We read in the Old Testament about the priests who were in charge of everything pertaining to the sanctuary and the temple. All the priests were Levites, descendants of Levi, one of Jacob’s 12 sons. Their livelihood came from the offerings of the people and their job was to take care of the sanctuary – God’s dwelling place. Every priest had a specific job to do. Everything from killing the animals for the sacrifices to burning incense to baking the bread was handled by a Levitical priest. The High Priest was a most important position because he was the one who actually offered the sacrifices to God for the people in order for them to receive forgiveness.

As we move into the New Testament, the book of Hebrews explains to us how Jesus is our High Priest and lists many attributes of Jesus in that role, one of which is that He is “a Minister of the sanctuary.” (See Hebrews 8:2 KJV, NKJV, NASB.)

So what does this mean for us Christians today? First, let’s locate the sanctuary or temple about which we are referring. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (NKJ). Also look at 2 Corinthians 6:16b, “… you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people’” (NKJ).

Now that we realize we are the temple, the sanctuary, the place God dwells, we can understand Jesus’ role as “Minister of the sanctuary.” Jesus’ job as our High Priest is to maintain everything about our temple (8:2) and continually make intercession for us (see 7:21-24).

Do we allow Jesus to dust, mop, and vacuum our lives? Are there rooms He’s not allowed to enter? Are we saying things like, “Jesus, you can have my Sunday-when-I-go-to-church room and my how-I-dress room, but keep your hands off my love-life room and my habit-I-should-quit room”? Either He’s Lord of all or He’s not Lord at all. Who is really in charge of your sanctuary maintenance?

#HeartForTheWord

____________________________

©2009, 2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV show Life That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device at www.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)

In the United States, November 11th is Veteran’s Day, a holiday set aside to honor the men and women who have served our country so valiantly in wars, political actions, and skirmishes both at home and abroad. They’ve done so in the original Revolutionary War in which the point of the battle was to secure freedom from British rule and to establish ourselves as an independent nation. The Union and Confederate soldiers fought each other on our own land to free the country of the sinful grip of slavery. Our military fought the Spanish/American War to secure land that became our southern territory. And our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have continued to fight for us to maintain our freedoms and to assist in freedom from other tyrannical rulers in World War I, the Korean War, World War II, the Viet Nam Conflict, The Gulf War, the Iraq War, and currently in Afghanistan and in many other conflicts around the world. American servicemen and women are there to handle business, have our back, and do the doggone thing. We are thankful for their service.

I am proud to be an American, and I come from a family of veterans. My father, Vincent Norris,  was in the Army and served in World War II. My brother, Nicholas Norris, was a career Marine who served several tours in Viet Nam. My nephew, Eric Nelson, was an Army soldier who served in the Gulf War. Even my sister, Saundra Nelson, was a Marine. This close familial connection to the military has made me personally grateful for the privileges I enjoy as a citizen of my great nation. The message is not lost on me. Because of all who have served, I am free to do so much.

After all, it’s all about freedom, isn’t it? But as we stop on Veteran’s Day to thank the human members of the military, let’s also remember our ultimate Veteran who also lost His life so we might be free. Hebrews 7:27 reports that He is a High Priest “who does not need daily… to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself” (NKJ). Other verses that prove this Veteran’s war record include the following:

• For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJ)
• Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 1 Corinthians 15:22 (NLT)
• And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJ)

Yes, every day is Veteran’s Day when we remember our ultimate Freedom Fighter, Jesus Christ. He has freed us not just from the tyranny of human despots, but also from the eternal grip of sin and from the wrath of God. Shall we say it together? Jesus, thank You for Your service.

#HeartfortheWord

____________________________

©2013, 2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail atwww.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Watch The Holy Spirit Broadcasting Network’s new internet TV showLife That Matters with Sharon Norris Elliott from any internet-connected device atwww.HSBN.tv. (Stream current show Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or view past episodes anytime!)

Pick up a copy of Sharon’s newest release,

Why I Get Into Trouble as well as other favorites, Boomerangs to Arrows, and Power Suit

Why I Get Into Trouble link to our eStore: https://www.createspace.com/5131814

Boomerangs to Arrows: A Godly Guide for Launching Young Adult Children available from Judson Press (http://www.judsonpress.com/product.cfm?product_id=17387),

(Boomerangs Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2JH_gbinMk )

Power Suit: The Armor of God Fit for the Feminine Frame from New Hope Publishers (http://www.newhopedigital.com/2010/08/power-suit/)