A Switch Before Christmas: a simple prank turns into a life changing lesson

A Switch Before Christmas by Karen McQuestion is a story of two young women trading lives for a day and learning a lesson of a lifetime. It is Christmas Eve, and the Sheridan Girls’ Home is about to get their annual visit from their benefactors, Frank and Irene Sheridan. Jane Shaw’s biggest concern is the behavior of the young girls. However, when the Sheridan's’ daughter, Jacquelyn comes in their place. Jane and Jacquelyn look amazingly alike and Jacquelyn suggests they switch clothing to see how long it takes anyone to notice the difference. Jane is hesitant but feels she can’t say no. Jane suddenly finds herself on her way to the Sheridan's’ mansion and Jacquelyn behind at the girls’ home. Can they undo the switch before Christmas? Will anyone believe them? 

Karen McQuestion is one of my go-to authors. Sadly, this Christmas story sat on my TBR for more than a year and I regret not reading it sooner. A mash up of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper and Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, A Switch Before Christmas is a sweet story of how one prank turns into a life changing lesson. At first, I did not like Jacquelyn, which I knew I wasn’t supposed to. The entitled brat who had no idea what was going on in the world outside the mansion’s doors. However, I loved her transformation and her journey to get there. I loved how individuals reacted to the switch. Overall, it is a great read for the holiday season. I highly, highly recommend A Switch Before Christmas. 

A Switch Before Christmas is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Priscilla: a wife, a disciple, and an example of spiritual maturity and understanding of the faith

This post is the last of my Women in the Bible series. I started in 2020 and it has been a great learning experience for myself and I hope that it has brought some insight for you, my readers. We end with Priscilla. Priscilla is one of the first missionaries and leaders of the early church. Along with her husband, Aquila, she risked her life for the apostle Paul. A woman of spiritual maturity and understanding of the faith, she helped build the early church. While she experienced opposition to the gospel from both Jews and Gentiles, she had the great joy to spread the gospel and nurture the church. What is her story? Why is she and her husband always mentioned together? What lessons can we learn from her example? 

Forced to leave Rome after Claudius ordered all Jews out of the city in 49 AD (Acts 18:2), Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, took their tentmaking trade to Corinth, a wealthy seaport, famous for its commercial might and appetites for vices. There they would become leaders of the church there. Her faith had begun many years prior in an atmosphere of strife and controversy in Rome and would be tested time and time again. In Corinth, she and her husband met Paul and witnessed the spread of the gospel as well as strife and opposition. After eighteen months, the Jews of Corinth would have Paul detained for spreading an illicit religion. Priscilla and Aquila would follow Paul to Ephesus (Acts 18:18). There, they would meet a Jew named Apollos, who was speaking with great fervor about Jesus (Acts 18:24-25). When Priscilla and Aquila realized Apollos wasn’t teaching the gospel fully, they invited him into their home and instructed him on salvation and “the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26). 

There are some couples that when one is mentioned, so is the other. They are a unit, never really without the other. They know how to make the most out of life. They complement each other. They capitalize on each other’s strengths and pick up the slack where one is weakest and form an effective team. Priscilla and Aquila were such a couple, never being mentioned without the other. In marriage and in ministry, they were a team. They worked as a team in their trade and in their church. They were partners in all they did. In an age when the focus is on what happens between a husband and a wife (i.e. conflicts, issues, etc), Priscilla and Aquila are an example of what can happen through a husband and a wife [emphasis mine]. Their effectiveness together speaks volumes about their relationship together. They didn’t stay in Ephesus. They would go back to Rome and continue to preach the gospel. Paul mentions them in his letters. First in Romans. “They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them” (Romans 16:3-4). Second, he instructs Timothy to “greet Priscilla and Aquila” (2 Timothy 4:19). 

There are a few lessons we can take from Priscilla’s story and example. First, she worked with her husband in life and in ministry. Couples can have an effective ministry together. Through prayer, support and encouragement, couples can learn how to work within their strengths for the Lord. Second, the home is a valuable tool for evangelism. Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 16:19 that “the church that meets at their house.” Any believer’s greatest ministry is within their home with their spouse, with their children and then can extend to the greater community outside. Third, every believer needs to be well educated in the faith. Studying the Bible is how we learn to apply its principles and we teach others about Jesus. How can we spread the gospel when we don’t know it? It would be like teaching someone how to cook without all the ingredients. 

In conclusion, Priscilla was a valued disciple being mentioned several times in Paul’s letters. One who made a difference in Paul’s life and in the lives of those around her. She was a woman of wisdom and faith. She is an example of a wife working alongside her husband for the Lord. She may not have realized that each task she completed, great and small, was an opportunity to spread the gospel and work for the Lord. We often don’t realize the influence we create as we interact with those in our lives. Our lives are meant to have a rippling effect from one person to another through our influence and faith. May God make a few waves, rock a few boats with our acts of faith and spread His love, grace and gift of salvation. 

The Woman with the Blood Issue: a desperate chance for healing and a lesson in faith

Desperate for healing, a woman ignores all societal rules for a chance, just a chance, to end her suffering. She suffered from a chronic illness causing her to be isolated from others. She tried everything the doctors of the day could do and nothing worked. When she heard Jesus was in the village, she knew she had to take the chance. A simple touch brought her peace and freedom from her illness. She is also the only woman to be referred to as “Daughter” by Jesus. But was it the touch that healed her or something else? What was her story? Why was she isolated from society? And what truly healed her? Her story is told in three of the Gospels: Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, and Luke 8:43-48. 

Staying on the edge of the crowd. Carefully trying to stay anonymous as she did not want to be recognized, she waited. Then she saw a moment, one opportunity, to reach through the crowd and touch Jesus’ cloak as he passed. As the tips of her fingers glanced at the cloak, she felt a warmth spread from her fingers. She knew she had been healed and she attempted to quietly leave as anonymously as she came. However, Jesus stopped and asked who touched him. An odd question to the disciples as the crowd was pressing against them. A lot of people probably touched him. But Jesus was speaking about a specific touch. She froze, afraid at first, and hesitantly told him her story. Twelve years, she bled and due to the bleeding, she was isolated from being able to interact in public, unable to live a normal life. Instead of the rebuking she thought she was getting, Jesus praised her, telling her to go in peace, freed from her suffering (Mark 5:34). 

Why would a bleeding issue cause her to be isolated from society? Menstrual bleeding was considered unclean. Leviticus 15:25-27 states that a woman is unclean during her monthly period. Anyone who touched her during this period of uncleanness would also be considered unclean. A cleansing ritual would have to be done when her monthly period was over (Leviticus 15:28-30). The woman with the bleeding issue had irregular bleeding in which she bled for 12 years. She couldn’t do a cleansing ritual. In addition, her condition most likely weighed heavily on her: physically and mentally. Modern medical knowledge can speculate that she might have suffered from uterine fibroids with endometrial polyps. She was most likely weak, thin and iron deficient. Adding to her physical ailment, I can imagine she was depressed from being physically isolated from others. Anyone or anything she touched would be considered unclean. People would have avoided her as if she had a horrible catchable disease. According to Mark 5:26, she endured more suffering under the care of the doctors. The “cures” made her condition worse, adding to her pain and doing nothing for her relief. 

While she felt healing when she touched Jesus’ cloak, it wasn’t what healed her. When Jesus speaks to her, after hearing her story, he tells her “Daughter, your faith has healed you” (Mark 5:34). Why did her faith heal her? She didn’t know if touching Jesus would work. She probably heard the stories of healing and didn’t know if it was something he had to say or do before he healed. She just wanted the chance. She took a leap of faith. Faith, genuine faith, requires action. Faith with no action is no faith at all. It is dead and useless (James 2:14-17). Genuine faith transforms our actions as well as our thoughts. If we reach out in faith, even despite our doubts, God is there to help. He is ready to help. We never need to allow our fears to keep us from approaching him. God promises to heal us (Jeremiah 30:17). While the healing could be physical, earthly healing, it could also mean spiritual healing. True health that comes in heaven with the ultimate healing of our bodies and our souls from sickness, disabilities and our inclination to sin. 

In conclusion, the story of the woman with the blood issue is a lesson in faith. Faith is a unique circular phenomenon. Faith increases when we use our faith. The more we reach out and act in faith, our faith will grow and produce faith. A woman who had suffered so much, had tried everything earthly possible, turned to God. Sometimes we allow our problems and fears to keep us from God but he is always ready to help. All we need to do is reach out. Jesus was not angry with this woman for reaching out. He knew she touched him and he knew why. He stopped to teach the crowd about faith. He knows what we need and he waits for us to reach for him. 

Land of Silence (2016) by Tessa Afshar

an excellent fictionalized story 

of this woman and her life before and after her interaction with Jesus

available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Jezebel: a lesson and warnings in idolatry

Jezebel is a name that has become synonymous with a wanton or sinful woman. As a Phoenician princess, Jezebel was the daughter of the priest-king of Sidon and became queen when she married King Ahab. She was a woman of great conviction and unwavering devotion. She worshiped Baal, the pagan fertility and Asherah, the mother goddess (Ackerman, 1999). She was a religious woman who set out to spread idolatry throughout Israel. She was a powerful, cunning, and arrogant woman who actively stood up and opposed God. She knew how to enhance and use her power at the expense of others. Jezebel meets a gruesome end as her arrogance leads to a death unworthy of a queen. What is her story? What is the significance of idolatry in her story? And why does God warn us against idolatry? 

Jezebel was so determined to convert all of Israel that she hunted and killed all YHWH’s prophets and replaced them with 450 prophets of Baal and 400 of Asherah. One prophet escaped and became her most hated adversary. Elijah, whose name means “My God is YHWH”, and Jezebel would square off and it would be a battle to the death. Elijah prophesied to King Ahab that no rain would fall except by his word (1 Kings 17:1) and for three and half years, there was drought and famine. Elijah would challenge the prophets of Baal and Asherah to see which god would rain fire from heaven. For twelve hours, the prophets called on Baal and Asherah to light the sacrificial fires but nothing. To add emphasis, Elijah doused his sacrificial wood with water three times and then called on God to light the fire which happened immediately. Elijah then rallied the Israelites to kill Jezebel’s prophets. Jezebel would be outraged and vowed to kill Elijah (1 Kings 18:19-40, 19:2). Jezebel would also plot to kill a man simply because the king wanted his vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16), Elijah prophesied Jezebel’s gruesome end (1 Kings 21:20-23) and it would come to pass as she was pushed from a window and devoured by dogs in the street (2 Kings 9:30-37). 

Idolatry is the worship of idols. It is usually an item that is worshiped as if it were the god. For example, an idol of Baal, which is in the image of the god, would be worshiped as if it was Baal himself.  Idolatry comes from the Greek, eidolatria, meaning “worship of idols” which appears to be borrowed from various Hebrew phrases meaning “strange worship” (Chrisholm, 1911). It is “humanity’s attempt to give material shape to religious ideals, symbols, and personages” (Lee, 2015). Today, it is also the extreme admiration, love, or reverence for something or someone. An idol is anything or anyone that supplants or placed higher than God in our lives. We need to be mindful of what could possibly be an idol in our lives. A few example of modern idols are sex, money, fame and even important people in our lives. Charles Spurgeon once said “If you love anything better than God you are idolaters: if there is anything you would not give up for God it is your idol: if there is anything that you seek with greater fervor than you seek the glory of God, that is your idol, and conversion means a turning from every idol.”

God’s warnings about idolatry are very clear. Exodus 20:3-6 warns against any idols before God or the worship of any of these idols. Leviticus 19:4 says “Do not turn to idols or make gods of cast metal for yourselves.” God would consistently remind the Israelites that the idols do not save them (Judges 10:14, Psalm 16:4, Isaiah 45:20, Jonah 2:8). The New Testament turns to warnings about physical and intangible idols. Paul warns us to stop (“put to death”) whatever belongs to our earthly nature including sexual immorality, evil desires and greed (Colossians 3:5 and Galatians 5:19-21). 1 Corinthians 10:14 and 1 John 5:21 instruct us to flee from idols. The question that remains is why no idolatry? I believe that the psalmist says it best in Psalm 135:15-18, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” Those who worship idols become like the empty figures they worship. They cannot see or hear God and cannot speak of Him. Trust in God himself not an image or a lifeless figure. 

There is no doubt that Jezebel was an educated woman with particular astuteness for the political realm. She was also a woman who hardened her heart and suffered the consequences. She has become the worst queen and one of the Bible’s most infamous women. Revelation 2:20, 21 uses her name as an example of those who completely reject God. Many pagan women married Israelite royalty, bringing their practices with them. Jezebel being the most vocal and determined to see God wiped from Israel’s consciousness. However, God is bigger than one individual on earth. Idolatry causes us to lose focus from God the Father and Creator of all to the image made of earthly materials. Ask God to teach and guide you in all your days, so that you can gain wisdom and fight against the evil that surrounds you. 

Reference

Ackerman, Sarah (31 December 1999). Asherah/Asherim: Bible, Jewish Women's Archive. 

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/asherahasherim-bible#:~:text=Asherah%2C%20along%20with%20Astarte%20and,found%20in%20the%20Israelite%20tradition. Retrieved March 21, 2022. 

Brenner, Athalya (31 December 1999). Jezebel: Bible. Jewish Women’s Archive. 

https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/jezebel-bible. Retrieved March 12, 2022. 

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Idolatry. Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Idolatry. Retrieved March 21, 2022. 

Lee, Dennis (29 July 2015). God warns us to stay away from idols. The Spectrum. 

https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/local/mesquite/2015/07/29/god-warns-us-stay-away-idols/30851977/. Retrieved March 21, 2022. 

Prayer: the basics, the purpose and examples we can follow

Prayer is an important aspect in the Christian faith as it is with most other religions. Prayer is the communication process to talk to God. It is our direct access to Him as we seek His guidance, His revelation, and provision for our needs and desires. He wants us to communicate with Him. He wants us to come to Him with all our fears, needs, wants and desires. Examples of prayers are found throughout the Old and New Testaments. People make prayer very complicated, but it is truly very simple. Prayer is like talking with your best friend. Just talk. There’s no formula, no right or wrong, just talk and let God know what is on our minds and hearts. What are the basics of prayer? What are examples of prayers in the Bible and how can we use them for our own prayers? What did Jesus teach about prayer?

Many people struggle with what to say in prayer. First, seek forgiveness of your sins. Acts 3:19 says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  Second, tell God about our needs and fears. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Many of my prayers start with speaking to God about my fears and anxiety. Third, pray for each other. In John 17, Jesus prayed. He prayed for himself (verses 1-5) and the completion of his mission on Earth. He prayed for his disciples (verses 6-19). He prayed for you and me (verses 20-25) and that we would be an example of God so that the world would believe (verse 21).  Lastly, thank God for sending His Son Jesus Christ as John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Many people also struggle with how to pray. First, pray with confidence. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” Second, pray with joy. Acts 2:28, Peter quotes David (Psalm 16:11), “you will fill me with joy in your presence.” Third, pray with expectation. Psalm 5:3 says “In the morning, O Lord. You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. Fourth, pray with faith. Hebrews 11: 6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Lastly, pray in worship and reverence. Psalm 99:5 says “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.”

There are many examples of prayers in the Bible. When you look at the reasons for their prayers, you can see that they prayed for the same reasons we do. Hannah prayed for a son (1 Samuel 1:11) and she prayed in gratitude when her son was born (1 Samuel 2:1-10). David prayed for guidance (1 Samuel 23:2), for revelation (1 Samuel 23:2) and for forgiveness (2 Samuel 24:10). Solomon prayed for wisdom (1 Kings 3:6-9) and Elijah prayed for fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36-37). For me, Job’s prayers are some of the most relatable because Job went through trials in his life he didn’t deserve. He turned to God in grief. Job 1:20-22, he prayed in worship, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Despite his intense grief, Job recognized the Lord’s sovereignty. He prayed to compliant and seek relief and forgiveness (Job 7:17-21, 9:25-10:22, 14:13-22). He prayed to confess. In Job 40:3-5, Job answered the Lord, “I am unworthy- how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer- twice, but I will say no more.” He prayed in repentance. In Job 42:1-6, Job says he knows that God can do all things and that Job spoke of things he did not understand. With Job’s example, we can come to God with anything. We can question him “why?” We can rant and rave about the trials we are going through and trust that God will answer us. When we pray with requests, God always answers. Sometimes he says yes, and the request is fulfilled. Sometimes he says no, replying that his grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sometimes he says not yet, and the fulfillment is delayed.

Another example of prayer is through Jesus. The Gospels gives many examples of when Jesus prayed, some of them I mentioned above. He taught how to pray in Matthew 6:5-15. He said to pray quietly and unseen (Matthew 6:6). He said to pray simply and directly, not to babble with many words (Matthew 6:7). Matthew 6:9-13 has been called The Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.” The Lord’s Prayer gives us a pattern to pray. First, praise God. “Our Father in heaven” not only acknowledges that God is holy but also personal and loving. It is a statement of praise and commitment to honor God’s holy name. Second, praying for his work in heaven and on earth. “Kingdom come,” his spiritual reign. “Your will be done,” is not a resignation to our fates but praying that God’s perfect purpose will be accomplished. Third, prayers for our daily needs. “Give us today our daily bread” acknowledges that God is our sustainer and provider. We trust God daily to provide what he knows we need. Fourth, we pray for forgiveness. “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors” is to remind us that when we seek forgiveness, we must also forgive those who hurt us. Lastly, prayers for help in our daily struggles. “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” is a prayer for deliverance. God doesn’t lead us into temptation, but he allows us to be tested (Job is a great example). We ask God to help us recognize temptation and to give us the strength to overcome it.

In conclusion, the exact words of the prayers are not what is important. It is the motivation behind it. Prayers help us communicate with God. Prayers help us bring our thoughts, our troubles, our worries, our wants and desires to Him. And if it is in His will for your life, he will grant it right away or in the future. Prayer is to repent and seek forgiveness. Prayer is for comfort and strength. People may say that repeating certain prayers is how you pray and if you want to pray The Lord’s Prayer, that’s fine. However, remember it is not the words that matter to God, it is you coming to Him. Sometimes its hard to speak the words and pray. Sometimes, coming to him in silence with tears running down our face is prayer enough. Coming to Him in prayer with a simple “Please, Lord, help me” is enough.

“Your silent prayers uttered on tearstained pillows were heard before they were said.

Your deepest questions were answered before they were asked.

He sees you, He hears you, He knows you.”

-Max Lucado, God Came Near (1986)

The Frog that lost his croak: a lesson in being a part of the world around you

The Frog that lost His Croak by Anne Toole is a lesson in the difference of a part of the world and trying to be the world. “A little frog that loved his croak night and day/Was very sad when his croak suddenly went away./While waiting and hope for his croak to return/What valuable lessons did the little frog learn?”

A frog loved his croak. He thought it was the best croak around and he boasted about it. The other frogs were mad. Until one day, his croak was gone. He talks to his parents who tell him to rest and his croak would be back. The other frogs now made fun of him for losing his croak. As he waits for his croak to return, he finally is able to hear the other sounds around the pond: the birds, the insects. He realized that it’s not all about his. There are a lot of beautiful songs in the world and his croak is simply one of them. The book is told in prose and I love poetry. It’s a great lesson about being a part of the beautiful world instead of trying to be its center. Written for children between the ages of 4-7, the story presents such an important way that captures their imagination. I highly recommend this book for family and school libraries. 

The Frog that lost his croak

is available on Amazon

in hardback for $18.95

and

in paperback for $15.95

Being a Captain is Hard Work: a lesson in listening to others

Another adventure of Captain No Beard is here. Being a Captain is Hard Work is a lesson in listening and to learn from the expertise of those around you. The day started out good on the Flying Dragon. Captain No Beard tells the crew to set sail. But Mongo warns that the seas look rough. Captain No Beard ignores his advice and sails on. With each direction, Captain No Beard is offered other options and suggestions. He ignores their suggestions and gets angry when everyone starts questioning his orders. Soon the ship is in very rough seas and it becomes very dangerous for the crew. Soon Zach is in danger! Will Captain No Beard be able to rescue him before its too late? Will the captain realize that even a good captain needs help sometimes?

I love the Captain No Beard series and this book is a great addition. The key lesson in the story is that no one knows everything and friends are a good source to get the information we do not know. I also loved that at the end of the story a glossary of the different types of clouds and what they indicate in the weather. Being a Captain is Hard Work is a great addition to any library for the great lessons and fun adventures.

Being a Captain is Hard Work

and the other Captain No Beard titles

are available on Amazon

in paperback and in the Kindle.

Another great addition in the Captain No Beard series

Captain No Beard: A Flag for the Flying Dragon by Carole P. Roman is another great addition to the Captain No Beard series. Everyone is busy working at their various jobs on the ship. But baby Zachary doesn’t have a job to do and no one wants him to help with his/her job. Captain No Beard must find a solution. He realizes that the ship doesn’t have a flag and he grabs a piece of cloth and makes Zachary keeper of the flag. Now, everyone has an important job on the Flying Dragon.

A Flag for the Flying Dragon is another great addition to the Captain No Beard series. I love that this story teaches the very important lesson of working together with everyone’s job is just as important as another. I highly recommend this book and the rest of the series for any family and classroom library.

Captain No Beard: A Flag for the Flying Dragon

Is available on Amazon

For free on the Kindle Unlimited

And in paperback for $10.99

Seedlings Fables from the Forest: a book with important lessons

Seedlings Fables from the Forest by C.D. Baker is a series of fables about trees. There are five stories which feature a different type of tree and each with a special lesson and Scripture which illustrates the lesson and questions to further the readers understanding of the lesson.

The first story features a blue spruce and the lesson of being thankful for what you have (Colossians 2:7). The second story is about a maple tree who was selfish (Ephesians 4:32). The third story is about a poplar is who too prideful (Philippians 2:3). The fourth story features an oak who was too lazy to work (Ephesians 4:2). And lastly, the fifth story and my favorite, features a beech who didn’t understand how each of us has our own talents (Romans 2:4).

I loved these fables. Each one written beautifully with an important lesson.  The pictures were beautiful and illustrated the actions of the story. When I requested to review this book, I was expecting a different kind of book. Seedlings Fables from the Forest took me by surprised and I thoroughly enjoyed reading the wonderful fables. I highly recommend this book for any family’s or classroom's library.

Seedlings Fables from the Forest is available on Amazon

in paperback for $8.99 or on the Kindle for $0.99