Tag: trust God

Faith, Prayer, Uncategorized

Suddenly

meghanewhite

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I planted morning glories for the first time about three years ago. It was early spring and those tiny seeds went into the ground, and were forgotten until the first signs of life appeared weeks later. Little heart shaped leaves sprouted from the soil.

It feels like a leap of faith when I plant some seeds. The pretty picture on the seed packet shows me what I will eventually have. Hope is sown in my heart as I cover small seeds with dirt.

Sometimes there are crop failures. Seeds never sprout. Or, the seedlings only have short lives. A rain storm, heat, wind, or lack of sun can destroy what’s been planted. Precious seeds are fragile, vulnerable. But they are also packed with everything they need to grow into full-sized plants.

Heart shaped vines covered the wrought iron fence that summer. I waited anxiously for the first purple flower to appear. Day after day I watered and watched. Nothing happened. I watered some more and watched. Still nothing. June came and went, no flowers. July passed, then August. Still no flowers. Oh sure, I had a beautiful vine, but that’s not what I wanted. Blueish purple flowers is what I wanted.

September came and went, then October too. Nothing. I had accepted the fact that flowers were not coming. Morning glories were not meant for me. Other people got to experience their beauty, but not me.

Suddenly, one day in November I noticed something. There was a sliver of purple on the vine. Could it be? Did the morning glory finally bloom? Yes indeed! Oh happy day! My first morning glory appeared. It opened its beautiful purple self to the sun and smiled at me. I know flowers don’t actually smile, but this one did.

God spoke to me through that lone morning glory. He said, “I love you. I showed up right on time. This flower is just for you. I never forgot you.”

God has not forgotten you. Are you waiting on Him for an answer? For a miracle?

Did you plant your seed of faith? You watered it, and waited, and watched. Yet nothing happened. At least it appeared that way. There is a lot happening in that soil that we cannot see. It takes dirt, darkness, sun, rain, and time for things to grow. Conditions have to be just right for plants to produce flowers.

This last spring, morning glory seeds were put in the ground. I waited again in anticipation. This time I had to wait longer. Blooms didn’t show up until December. This year I had more faith, more hope as I waited. Even though it took longer to get those gorgeous purple flowers, I knew they were coming. Why? Because God had proven Himself faithful to me before. He would do it again.

Now when I get that first morning glory bloom it speaks right to my heart. My hope is restored that God indeed has a plan. His plan and His timing.

When we ask God for what He has placed on our hearts we can give up when it doesn’t happen right away. We’re impatient. We want it now. God rarely works that way. He’s always working on our hearts and our faith. Working out much bigger things than we can imagine.

Do we trust Him enough to wait on His timing? Do we trust Him with whatever the answer is, even if it’s not what we would choose? Is He truly Lord or just a Santa Claus? If God is my Savior and King, then He knows what’s best for me.

What do I want more? His blessings? Or Him?

Be encouraged today that God is a God of suddenly. When things look bleak, when we think it’s over, He will surprise us. Ask again, today. Believe again, today. God loves you!

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11

Love you all,

Meghan

Faith, Jesus, Uncategorized

Cookie Crumbs

meghanewhite

I wrote this last year on December 24th. It’s my first re-blog of a previous post.

The faith of the Canaanite Woman always confused me until I got revelation on the true meaning of this story. Some crumbs have a much bigger meaning.

May it encourage you and refresh your faith.

Merry Christmas!

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Read about bold faith here:

via Cookie Crumbs

Faith, Jesus, Uncategorized, Volunteer

Remember Those In Prison

meghanewhite

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Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners. 

Hebrews 13:3 

I had the privilege to participate in an Angel Tree Party last Saturday. It’s a Christmas party for children of prisoners and their families. Before entering the prison, we waited in a line outside. Every volunteer and family member must be searched, and patted down. Cell phones, and pretty much all personal items are not allowed inside. After all the necessary safety precautions, we joined the party that was already in full swing.

Christmas music was playing. There was dancing, games, food, prizes, smiling children, and smiling dads. Local churches partner with Angel Tree to make it a fun, festive, happy occasion. Myself and a few friends from my small group helped with the craft area. Kids got to decorate a holiday frame with a picture of their dad. These kids were so precious, and so happy to be with their dads. There were little bitty toddlers all the way up to teenagers. So many of the children put “I Love My Dad” on their picture frames.

The kids are only allowed to see their fathers twice a year. Once at the Angel Tree Party, and once in June, around Father’s Day. That’s it. No children are permitted in the prison beyond those two days. So this party was a big deal and a very special time for all the families involved. There were also many wives, girlfriends, moms, and grandmas there.

Angel Tree is a year round organization under Prison Fellowship. Angel Tree has camps, mentoring, and sports clinics. There are over 2.7 million children of incarcerated parents in the U.S. Imagine the fear, shame, and loneliness that these kids must experience. Angel Tree is a blessing to these dear children.

I loved being involved with one tiny part of Angel Tree, but I only helped for a few hours. The real heroes are those who serve in this ministry year round. Like my sweet friend Holly. Some people wear their hearts on their sleeves, Holly is just all heart. She leads a men’s group at this prison called Alpha. It’s a mentoring/discipleship program. We got to meet some of the men in Holly’s group and she’s so proud of these guys. How awesome to have someone rooting for you when so many in your life have not.

This prison is for men who have done their time and been reformed. It’s a Christian program that gets these guys ready to go back into the world upon release as leaders and contributors to society. This special program allows only the select few to participate. These men know Jesus and they are forever changed. Gang bangers, murderers, dealers, and all kinds of hardened criminals radically changed by Jesus Christ. That’s the Gospel. The Good News. That’s the hope for all of us.

Jesus is not a respecter of persons. Jesus came for sinners like me and you.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Please remember those in prison. Prisoners need the love of Jesus just as much as your co-workers and neighbors. Pray for prisoners. Pray for their children and wives and families. Pray for ministries like Prison Fellowship.

I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:36

As I looked at the dads in white clothing, many covered in gang tattoos, I saw my brothers in Christ. I saw hope in their faces. I saw love for their children and wives. That room was filled with the Holy Spirit. It didn’t matter that we were behind prison walls. That won’t stop Jesus. Nothing can, except a hard heart. Let’s pray for soft hearts to the gospel.

“The ground is level at the foot of the cross.” Chuck Colson, Founder Prison Fellowship

Love you all,

Meghan

 

 

Prison Fellowship Home

Praising God in Prison by Meghan E. White

 

 

Image by Ichigo121212 from Pixabay

 

Faith, Trials, Uncategorized

Count Your Blessings

meghanewhite

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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17

 

We all have Christmas traditions. One of ours is to play the movie White Christmas while the tree is being decorated. I love all the music from that classic movie. Of course the iconic “White Christmas” song by Irving Berlin is one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time. And I do love that song. But there’s another song from the movie that I love. “Count Your Blessings” was also written by Irving Berlin. He wrote it during a time he was suffering from insomnia brought on by stress. A doctor suggested to count his blessings instead. Good advice.

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep counting my blessings
when my bankroll is getting small I think of when I had none at all
and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

 

I think about a nursery,
and I picture curly heads,
and one by one I count them
as they slumber in their beds.

If you’re worried and you cant sleep,
just count your blessings instead of sheep
and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

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Worry and stress are exasperated during this “Most Wonderful Time of The Year”. While it should be one of the happiest times, for many it can be one of the hardest. I think of this song often throughout the year when I feel stressed. When I stop and count all of my many blessings it gives me perspective. The problems will always come, but the gifts from our Heavenly Father will come too. So let’s thank Him for all He has given us, for all He has done and continues to do.
The Word of God is clear about what we are to do with our worry. Give it all over to Jesus. Here are just a few verses:
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7 (NIV) 
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 (NIV)
No matter what you are facing today, stop and take a few moments to thank God for everything He has blessed you with. Write these blessings down and look at them daily to remember how faithful God is. Let’s count our blessings! Our lists should be so long that we run out of paper. If you are in a painful place, at least write a few blessings down. There is always something to be thankful for. Your list will grow as you begin to think about all the good God has done.
Here is a big blessing to start you off. Jesus came into this world as a tiny baby to save us. Thank you Jesus for the blessing and miracle of Christmas.
When we thank God for His many blessings something happens. We stop focusing on the problems and stress and start focusing on God. That changes our mood and our attitude. Our faith grows, and our praise gets stronger. That’s powerful!
May your load be a little lighter today. May God give you fresh joy and perspective when you think on all He has done.
Love you all,
Meghan
P.S. If you need prayer leave your request in the comments or on my contact page.
Images by monicore from Pixabay
Joey Flynn's Extraordinary Tale, Uncategorized

Black Friday Giveaway

meghanewhite

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I’m giving away a copy of my book Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale and I want that winner to be you! It’s my debut Middle Grade Novel. Perfect for ages 8 and up. Both kids and adults have loved my little book. It’s a fun, adventurous story that happens to have a deeper message. To trust God.

But that’s not all. I’m giving away a T-shirt too! As you can see from the picture, the T-shirt has the theme of the book. It’s an adult size medium, and is unisex. It would easily fit an older child or small adult. My husband’s friend Adrien made these T-shirts for me last year, and my friend Nick designed them. The blue is actually much more vibrant than the picture is showing.

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If you want a different kind of children’s book that will encourage your faith, and maybe teach your kids something new about faith in God, then enter my contest. It will cost you absolutely nothing. Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale makes a great gift, and a fun read aloud with your kids.

How to enter the contest:

It’s that easy to enter the book and T-shirt giveaway.

The winner will be chosen and notified next Friday, December 6th.

 

It is my pleasure to share Joey Flynn’s Extraordinary Tale with you and your children! It was a labor of love. I never wanted to write anything, let alone a children’s book. God asked me to write, and you can learn more about why I wrote here: Why Did I Write A Children’s Book?

You can listen to an interview I did with Kid’s Stuff Podcast here: http://kidsstuff.libsyn.com/interview-with-childrens-book-author-meghan-white

 

Enter my contest today! It will cost you nothing and you may be the lucky winner!

P.S. I will sign the copy I giveaway. That’s right. You will have the signature of a famous author. OK, that’s not even close. You will have the signature of an unknown author.

 

 

 

Love you all,

Meghan