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This past week I had an amazing encounter with the Lord. It was one of those times when I clearly saw God directing my steps and changing my path. It wasn’t what I expected, but He is a Good, Good Father and He knows how to get us out of situations that are no longer beneficial to us.

As I was getting dressed that day, I prayed the Lord would take care of the situation quickly. I didn’t want it to drag out. There had already been too much drama. I dreaded going in. I didn’t know how it would all unfold, but I hoped it would turn out better than my gut was telling me it would.

As I was driving into what I felt would be a stressful situation, I had a song come to mind. It was Crucified with Christ by Phillips, Craig and Dean. I had the CD with that song in my car so I turned it on and had time to listen to the song one time fully before I arrived at my destination.

As the song played, the Lord began to speak to my heart . . . When you pick up your cross and follow, you know you’re walking to Golgotha. You know it’s about to get worse, but you still deny yourself and keep walking. The cross is heavy and you’re already in pain, but you keep walking straight toward death, ready to enter more pain and ready to forgive.

I thanked the Lord for going before me. I prayed He would order my steps. I had no idea exactly what to expect. The person I was going to talk to had shown two very different sides of himself. I didn’t know which one I would be encountering. I prayed the good side. I prayed the good side was the true side.

I wasn’t there even 15 minutes and the situation became volatile. There was nothing that could be done, but to leave with grace.

I know the situation was steeped in a spiritual battle. We don’t wrestle with flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickedness in high places. When a circumstance becomes unstable, confusing and full of lies and accusations, the enemy is present. The enemy of our souls comes to kill, steal and destroy. There are many “good” people out there that allow themselves to become a conduits and voice for the accuser and father of lies.

We cannot be surrendered to Christ and still maintain full control. There are many “good” people who say they live for Christ, but are doing it out of their own strength. Human strength is not enough to overcome the enemy. Unless we are willing to pick up our cross, lay down our lives, and allow Jesus full reign, we are fooling ourselves. We must be born again of water and Spirit or we will not see the kingdom of Heaven (John 3:5).

Living for the Lord isn’t about it being easy. The cross is about death. We must die so He can live through us.

Stay encouraged as you go through your battle today. Jesus was mocked, spit on, falsely accused, tortured and tormented. In pain, He picked up His cross and walked to the hill of death. He knew the worse was coming. Humiliation, more pain, rejection, the broken hearts of his friends and family. He suffered. He died.

And then He rose again, conquering death, hell and the grave!

What is your Golgotha today? What situation is God asking you to walk into? It may be volatile, dangerous and confusing. Keep walking. Keep following Him. Allow Him to direct your steps. He goes before you. He is with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. You may have to die, but you will rise again in new life!

The situation will end, and you will be out of there! You will receive victory. You may have some recovery time, but you will be strong again. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.

I’m praying for you today.

I enjoy listening to the Bible. Sometimes I color or doodle as I’m listening. Today I decided to make a coloring sheet to share with you all. You know those coloring books for adults or kids – they can be pretty fun!

Click the link to download a free PDF coloring page based on Psalm119:36 and Romans 8:28. I’d love to see your finished product, so comment below with a snapshot! Bible-coloring-page_Psalm119.36

Here’s my finished snapshot

I made these videos to post in a private Facebook group Bible study on the book of Acts and decided to share them here. Be blessed.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Do you want freedom from spiritual bondage and sin? This Independence Day, find freedom through the power of the Holy Ghost! Join me in a 30-minute Bible study. Student Study Sheet available for free PDF download below the study.

IndependenceDay_BibleStudy_StudentStudySheet

In graduate school, I had to cite an academic source for everything that I wrote. If there wasn’t research to back it up, then I couldn’t use it. Common sense, my opinion and personal beliefs were never enough to give validity to anything. I admit that I would often purposefully look for research that backed up my opinion, and I could usually find it. This type of research is what I am going to dub “top-down research.” I wasn’t really learning anything new, I was only validating that I knew what I was talking about.

“Bottom-up” research occurred when I started reading research without an end goal in mind, or when I stumbled upon something new, or when I couldn’t find research to back up my opinion and had to change my opinion.   I was thinking about my approach to grad school research last night, and came to the conclusion that my approach to life should be “bottom-up.” Instead of going around looking for answers to validate my opinions and prove to myself that I am someone special because I “know,” a bottom-up approach to life makes me teachable.

More importantly, the way I approach God must be a bottom-up approach. Instead of coming to God and listening for the answers that I want to hear, or even searching the scriptures of verses to validate my personal beliefs, I want to prayerfully read the Bible and allow the illumination of the scriptures to inspire me with new concepts from God’s perspective.   I often used top-down research when I was in a rush. It didn’t take me long to plan the outline of a research paper when I knew what I want to write about and I knew the point I want to prove. In 15 minutes I could plan a 30 page paper, in a few hours I could find all of the sources I need to back me up, and in a few more hours, I could have the paper completed.

When I wrote Angel: The True Story of an Undeserved Chance, it was bottom-up learning. In each interview, I had no idea what new information or insight was going to come at me next. I listened to the information, then I wrote it, and the organization came naturally. I was amazed at how the chapters naturally ordered themselves to approximately the same lengths as each other. The order of the book swiftly came together as well. When all of the information was in front of me, the patterns practically jumped off the page and I was able to sort it out and put every puzzle piece in place.

Life comes at me in the way that Angel’s story came in the interviews. I never know what to expect next. It feels like a jumbled mess as I first begin to process my life. Over time I’m able to look at it and see how everything seems to come together and make sense. Yes, I’m still waiting on some missing pieces. And there are some pieces of my life that seemed to have been put in the wrong puzzle box. I want to reject those pieces, say they don’t belong to me, but they do, and one day, I will see God’s plan and how it will all come together to make a complete picture.

I have a Life Coach; His Name is Jesus.

What’s a Life Coach? A Life Coach is someone who helps someone else overcome roadblocks in their life in order to reach their goals. My goal is to grow my business for the glory of God and His Kingdom. My obstacles are many, but with God guiding me I have no doubt I’ll reach my destination.

I recently interviewed for what many would consider an “amazing job” at a Fortune 500 international corporation. I was nervous as I waited for the interview and the nerves grew when I was escorted to a room with six people waiting to grill me and my resume. Overall, I felt like the interview was positive. They people were very nice, smart, respectful. At the same time, I didn’t really feel like I fit.

I sent a thank-you email as my job coach instructed me to. The hiring manager respectfully replied he was still interviewing candidates and they would notify me when they make their decision. I don’t expect to hear back anytime soon. I know in my gut I won’t be selected for the position, and I’m at peace with that. I don’t have an aspiration to make a ton of money, or to rise in leadership and be in competition for a higher paying job. Thinking about that world stresses me out. I wasn’t made for it.

Since my interview, I’ve done a lot of praying about what I am supposed to be doing for work. I feel at peace when think about focusing on my business. That peace is the spiritual confirmation I need to know I’m right where I need to be.

The rational part of me says I need to find a job and make enough money to pay all of my student loans off in a year (haha!)… I know that’s not going to happen. As I apply for job after job and the doors continue to slam shut, God continues to open doors for me through my business.

Today, I made some great contacts. It looks like I’ll be starting another book project soon! I have two potential books waiting for contracts with their authors and one potential ghost writing job. I have two freelance jobs I’m working on now and one book that is in the publication process.

I also just started a Life Coach certification course which I’ll use to teach classes in my community on life skills such as anger management, stress management, grief processing, self-talk, attitude, motivation and desire, goal setting, communication, time management and more. I will also be able to take on individual clients that want to work one-on-one to reach their goals.

Today I met a lady who runs a girls home in north Georgia; she has three life coaches on her staff. I am already making plans to go there to visit and observe, and to talk to the life coaches on staff. I can see how being a life coach and working with my publication clients goes hand in hand. It’s the missing piece to my business and career. It’s a good fit.

I’m so thankful for my Life Coach and the doors He opens for me. He provides for me daily and I have everything I need. Living for God – it’s amazing! I love the peace I have when I’m in the center of His will. I don’t have to make anything happen; God will guide and open the doors.

Rachael Hartman is an experienced writer and author. She has worked as a full-time newspaper reporter, and as a freelance contributor to magazines. She writes high school Sunday school material for Word Aflame Press as well as lessons for Project 7 (P7) student-led Bible Clubs, Link247. She enjoys health and exercise, reading, art, and playing with her two dogs Darla and Danny. She owns Our Written Lives of Hope, an online bookstore and publishing house in which she helps others share the message of the hope of Jesus Christ and promotes holistic health. Check out her web site at www.owlofhope.com and link to her on Facebook.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

I’ve experienced a lot of fear in my life. I’ve questioned why I have fear. I used to read this verse and believe that if I felt fear at all, then I must not be a loving enough person. I thought if only I loved more, the fear would go away.

One day I came to the point where I started seeing this verse in a whole new light. It was something about this part of the verse: “He that feareth is not made perfect in love…”  The sentence I just quoted passive. “He” is not the “maker” of perfection. “He” is the object of the sentence. If “He” is fearing, WHO hasn’t made him perfect (mature) in love?

The subject (the doer of the verb “made”) is not in this sentence, but is found throughout the chapter. The “WHO” of Verse 18 is the other believers who are not true, or the false prophets.

Here are a few key scriptures that I’d like to bring to your attention from this chapter:

Verse 1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

Verses 7-8, ^“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

Verse 11: “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Verse 21: “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

After studying 1 John Chapter 4, I came to realize that when I fear, it is a good possibility that I am not around people who are loving me. We fear when we are in danger. We fear when we are insecure. We fear when we believe people are out to get us or are attacking us. We fear when we are rejected, neglected or forgotten. We fear when we are abused. We fear when we are not loved.

That doesn’t mean there are no irrational, sudden over powering fears that have nothing to do with other people. There are, as seen in Proverbs 3:25-26, “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” In this verse, God was telling us not to have irrational fears about things that haven’t happened yet, even if they are on the way. God is our confidence.

I wish there were enough room on this blog post to type out all of 1 John, Chapter 4. The chapter is about love: God’s love and the church’s love for one another. If this blog post speaks to you, I recommend you read the entire chapter and allow the Spirit of God to put the message of 1 John 4 into your spirit.

Rachael Hartman is an experienced writer and author. She has worked as a full-time newspaper reporter, and as a freelance contributor to magazines. She writes high school Sunday school material for Word Aflame Press as well as lessons for Project 7 (P7) student-led Bible Clubs, Link247. She enjoys health and exercise, reading, art, and playing with her two dogs Darla and Danny. She owns Our Written Lives of Hope bookstore & publishing services. Check out her web site at www.owlofhope.com and link to her on Facebook.

Have you ever had an awkward moment that makes you think, why me, AGAIN? How about having a random stinky, old man kiss you? It’s happened to me twice, once several years ago and again a few weeks ago.

Both times I went out of my way to show kindness to someone I deemed as “needy.” I must have touched these people’s hearts because of their response, but honestly the unexpected pecks on the cheek made me feel the need to bathe in rubbing alcohol, or maybe bleach. I still get the hibigeebies when I think about it.

I have to admit my “random acts of kindness” resulted in feelings of disgust, humiliation, embarrassment and shame. How could my desire to be Christ-like bring out so much pride in me? Other people give their lives to missions and serving the less fortunate. When I try to do something simple, I feel inadequate and ill-equipped to selflessly love people.

I remember a story about Mother Teresa that made an impression on me. In the 1950s she opened a home for the dying. She brought in many dying people off the streets of India. She found one man in a gutter, brought him to her hospice, bathed, clothed and fed him. She held him as he died and he said, “I have lived like an animal, but now I am dying like an angel.”

Along with Mother Teresa I think of Princess Diana. I’ve seen so many pictures of both of them loving people that I would have be uncomfortable to show affection to… I wonder if Mother Teresa ever felt the way I did when the homeless man kissed me—uncomfortable? But she remained full of grace, and moved on to their next act of service.

The day I showed kindness to the homeless man that kissed my cheek, I ended up buying my sister’s lunch. She wasn’t homeless, destitute, or dying, but she was hungry. I fed a hungry person. She wasn’t someone I was embarrassed to be with, or someone that made me feel gross. She was someone I loved—not because I was “going out of my way to be a saint,” but because God put her in my life to love.

Who has God put in your life to love today? ^“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 (KJV)

Maybe loving people is not just about going out of my way to help those in need. Maybe it’s about loving the people that are in my life daily, instead of just when I’m trying to be a saint.