This story is about how my walk with the Lord got bigger through a terrifying time. It started last July when my husband, Joel, came home and said he wasn’t feeling well. I knew right then something was wrong; he’s never complained about not feeling well. He told me that he was bleeding when he pees and I knew that wasn’t good.
So off to the hospital he went. A few hours later he came back to say it’s just kidney stones. I said, “OK so what now?”
Well, we waited for a doctor to call. Finally, the call came in that we couldn’t get in until September. I said no that won’t do, he needs in now. We waited for a week… finally a day became available in August for surgery, so we took it.
My husband went in for kidney stones surgery or so we thought. The doctors came out with the report that they took out tumors of CANCER.
I hit my knees thinking, “What? Not my husband, he only has kidneys stones.”
They reply with, “We are sorry but it’s cancer.”
Being by myself that day, I had to process this alone. Now, I’m a Christian and I know my God has this but what a shock.
We saw several doctors who wanted to remove his bladder; we were ok with that because he would still be here with me, but something just wasn’t setting right with me.
Eventually a new doctor called to say I think I can save his bladder. So, we went ahead and met with this doctor. He discussed a treatment plan that if it worked, he wouldn’t have to take out the bladder. Let’s just say we were beyond happy.
I had prayed every hour of everyday that God would show a doctor a different way to save my husband’s bladder.
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, at a very present time in trouble.”
Jeremiah 33:6 ” Behold I will bring it to health and cure, and I will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.”
These two scriptures were all I would say. With a lot of prayers, my church family and our family praying, my husband chose to have the treatments. There would be six in all. The medication would not affect the rest of his body which meant no side effects.
Let’s just say God is a healer. I took Joel in for his checkup last month and the cancer is gone. We can’t give God enough praise.
Just remember to stand on God’s word. He is all you could ever ask for or want.
In addition to providing delicious recipes on her Faith and Food blog, Tina Rucker is a proud mom to her 18 year old son, happy wife to her husband Joel of six years, and the spearhead of the Five Loaves Food Pantry ministry in her local church, open twice a month.
Tina has worked in the food industry for over 25 years, and has a heart and a passion to serve, feed, and provide for those in need.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain (I Corinthians 9:24).
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).
The Race! It is set before us. All of us are in it. What is this race? It is the race of life. As we age, the race seems shorter, but in fact it has not been a sprint- it has been a marathon.
In this race, how we start is not nearly as important as how we finish. Our goal is eternal life. However, we must all admit we got off to a rough start because we did not start out living for our Lord. The Apostle Paul pointed this out in the following verses:
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6: 9-11).
That is how we started out. When we surrendered our lives to Jesus all of that changed as we now run this race to pursue the promise He has given us. What is that promise? I John 2:25 gives us the answer: “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
So, now we run. We are not competing against others, but we are definitely “in it, to win it.” With this in mind, we toss aside every weight and every sin that impedes our progress.
So, now we run. As a good soldier does not entangle himself with the affairs of this life, we look beyond the cares of this life to the goal that we are seeking. We keep in mind Paul’s admonition to Timothy: “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” (II Timothy 2:5). God’s Word is our source for knowledge of how God expects us to conduct ourselves during this race we call life.
So, now we run. It is not a fifty yard dash. It is a steady pace. Remember, it is a marathon- endurance is more important than speed. In Matthew 10:22 Jesus said, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.”
Let us hang in there. Let us keep on running. I will see you at the finish line!
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
There are a lot of things that I may not be able to do, but the one thing I can do very well is to hold a grudge. It’s not something that I am proud of, and God has really convicted me about it and has worked on me in this department.
Several years ago, I was upset with my husband when he insisted that he had to have a tonneau cover put on his new pickup. I felt we did not really need it and was not as much a need as it was a want and I really couldn’t see the justification to spend that amount of money on it. After several weeks of wearing me down I reluctantly agreed, and he purchased the cover and had it installed on his truck. I took that little nugget and put it in my pocket to use at a later date. I remembered the exact price of it for over a year. Harboring the resentment of wasting money on something just for looks.
Fast forward a year later, we were discussing how to spend our income tax refund and he wasn’t seeing things the right way (aka: my way). As the discussion ensued, I reached into my back pocket and grabbed that nugget that I had been hiding for the last year. BAM! I laid it down, the exact price he paid for the tonneau cover a year ago and that I felt it was a waste of money. I felt as if I was in a game of poker and just laid four aces on the table and inside of my head, I was doing a victory dance (in my mind I am a terrific dancer, maybe not so much in the real world).
He stopped and looked at me and said, “have you been saving that for a year just to throw it in my face?” I immediately froze. I expected such a zinger like that to make my point that I was right and feel really good about it, but all I saw on his face was hurt. It deflated my ego instantly and I no longer was concerned about winning the argument. I squeaked out a very meek ‘yes’ as we stood across the room just staring at each other. Then we both bursted out laughing at the ridiculousness of how all of this had sounded.
A while back I had learned that a friend had made remarks about me behind my back regarding one of my kids. I felt a rage take over me and I was furious; talking about me is one thing but my kids are off limits. The person who told me did not want a big fight to take place but just wanted me to know what my friend was saying about me when I wasn’t around.
At first, I wanted to call them and tell them what was on my mind, but I am trying to do the right thing and that would not be a good idea to do at that moment. So, I bundled up that information and tucked it into my back pocket. That may sound like I was being really petty because it is really petty and it’s not something I am proud to be telling everyone about.
Ephesians 4:31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.
Leviticus 19:9 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
The Lord really convicted my heart of how I was handling disagreements with people. Holding that resentment and anger about spending a few hundred dollars on a tonneau cover stayed with me for a whole year. My husband had no idea how upset I really was and he never lost any sleep over it, but I sure did. I have also learned that there will be people who are going to talk about me behind my back and that if they are only a friend to my face then they are not really a friend.
A grudge just lies deep in your heart and festers, rots, and eats away at you. It affects your heart, your mind, and your soul. I had felt a heaviness on my heart because I was constantly replaying what they said about me and my child over and over in my head and what I should say back to them. I began to pray about it and that is when I was led to stop and empty my pockets. In my mind I envisioned myself taking these little nuggets out of my pockets and handing them to the Lord for Him to deal with, it was too much for me. I never realized how much those little nuggets were weighing me down. Apparently, I had really big pockets because I unpacked a lot of things, but man did I feel so much more peace and freedom afterwards.
You can reach Tammy at her email: moppinguptheblessings@gmail.com or join her group of friends on her Facebook group, Mopping up the Blessings.
Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household. She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again. She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging. She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment. But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.
“So God created man in His own image…” Genesis 1:27
From the beginning of time we have been created in God’s own image. He breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Gen. 2:7). As you can see we were created for greatness. As some would say life happens, and the fall of man caused us to be separated from God.
The enemy immediately twisted our image making it distorted. Many of us are still living lives that are bound up by the enemy, keeping us captives to his lies and deceit. “You will never win.” “You will never be good enough.” “You are ugly.” “You are annoying.” “You are a loser.” “How could you be so stupid?” Lies after lies he spews out his mouth into our ears. It is time to cancel the lies and replace them with God’s truth.
If you have asked Jesus in your heart and repented of your sins then you are a new creation in Christ. Old things have passed away behold all things are new (2 Corthians 5:17). You are His beloved (Romans 1:7). You are holy and without blame before Him in love (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:16). You are chosen by God who called you out of the darkness of sin and into the light and life of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; you belong to Him (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Speaking God’s truth over our lives even heals the hurt caused by the enemy. Remember every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17). For His words are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:22). How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth (Psalm118:97).
You see, we are made for greatness! With God on our side we win! It is important to put ourselves in remembrance what the Lord says about us. To cast down the thoughts that go against the word of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:5) and think on these things….
Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise… (Philippians 4:8). Know who you are in Christ. Know your true identity. Always remember that you are loved and created for purpose. Until next time, keep your head held high as a child of God and know your DNA.
Tina Bassett resides in New Martinsville. She is a single mom of three beautiful daughters: Rachel, Charity, and Destiny. She is the director of the greeters/ushers, serves on the prayer team, and also participates on the praise and worship team at her local church. She loves animals and the beach. More than anything she wants her life to reflect God’s love and have an impact on those around her.
Abram passed through the land to the place of Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:6-8).
The terebinth tree of Moreh was a landmark that was probably used in some kind of pagan worship. The name “Moreh” means teacher or soothsayer. It is interesting to note that God promised Abraham the land of the Canaanites at the very place they worshiped a false god. As the following verses reveal, like Abraham, we are in this world but not of it. Despite this fact, we who are believers are blessed anyway:
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves (Matthew 10: 16).
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over (Psalm 23:5).
It is interesting to note that Abraham lived in a tent while the Canaanites lived in cities. To our way of thinking, this may seem odd. We have to remember- Abraham prospered regardless. His life shows us that two things are necessary for us to live as Christians in this world- the tent and the altar.
Hebrews 11:9 says, “By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.” Dwelling in a tent was- first of all- an expression of his faith. The tent also provided separation from the Canaanites. As God’s people we must also separate ourselves from the world. The Apostle Paul spoke to this reality in the following verses:
Therefore, Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you (II Corinthians 6:17).
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? For you are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
Obviously, this doesn’t mean that we are to avoid unbelievers. We can’t be witnesses to them if we isolate ourselves from them. However, we are to separate from the ways of the world that are in direct conflict with how God wants us to live. Abraham’s tent symbolized separation from the ways of the world- the same separation that we need as Christians in this modern world. Now, we will look at the altar.
Abraham built altars where he could separate himself to God in the middle of the pagan society around him. Remember: the tent was for separation from the world and the altar was for separation to God. If we are to live holy lives in this world, the altar is necessary because we can do nothing without God’s help. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” The more we stay in prayer and worship, the closer we are to God and the farther we are from the ways of the world.
Within the simple concepts of the “tent’ and the “altar” is the key to true fulfillment as Christians. However, these concepts need the correct balance.
Legalism concentrates on the “tent”. It stresses what we have to separate from, but there is no joy in it. A more liberal view of Christianity concentrates on the “altar”. This view tends to concentrate on prayer and Bible study without separating from sin and the world. In truth, we need the “tent” and the “altar” in order to live the balanced Christian life that God wants us to live.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
I have always heard that opposites attract and that is definitely the case in my marriage. When it comes to driving, people assume that since I am married to a truck driver that I have a great sense of direction. That assumption would be wrong, dead wrong! Do not confuse me with road numbers or directions like north or south, I’m more of a turn right at the red barn and go a while till you get to the big road then go straight till you see the McDonalds, kind of gal. I am directionally challenged and rely on GPS to take me anywhere I am not already familiar with. My husband on the other hand can get verbal directions from a stranger who speaks very little English and then drive across country to get to a specific location with no problem. We are not the same kind of people.
The other night I had a dream where I was driving to an appointment in a different city. I had never been to this particular location before or that part of the city but I decided that I knew enough to figure it out on my own and didn’t need my GPS. Needless to say, I was still directionally challenged in my dream and I got lost very quickly. I had somehow ended up on a road that was making me do a U-turn because the road ended. I made the U-turn very quickly because there were a lot of people standing around watching me and I felt like they were judging me because I was stupid enough to go down this road that was obviously a dead end.
Shortly after that I ended up on a road that was under a structure or a very large overpass. There were a lot of people standing around and no one seemed to be paying any attention to me. The road was so broken up and littered with trash that it was impassable. I knew I couldn’t just turn around because I had just made the U-turn that got me here and it made no sense, but nevertheless I was there. I stopped the car and got out and began asking people where was the road was that I was supposed to drive on. They all pointed to the road that was broken and impassable. When I told them this, they just shrugged their shoulders and went back to what they were doing.
I decided to get out of the car and walk around a little bit to see if I could figure out how to get out of this predicament. I knew I was going to be late for my appointment but was determined that I was going to try to get there anyways. I went up a crowded set up steps and a man stole my car keys out of my hand. I told him to give them back but he just ignored me, so I began yelling and when people started looking and staring, he gave them back to me and left.
After that incident I was really rattled and my confidence was shaken so I decided to go back to my car. I quickly got inside and locked the doors and decided to check my GPS to see if it could tell me where I was and if it could guide me out of this mess and lead me to my destination.
I was ecstatic to see that the GPS was working and told me to go forward on the road I was on and when I looked up the road was sort of bumpy but had been repaired and was now passable and I could get through without any damage to my car. I finally felt such a peace that I was no longer lost and was headed in the right direction.
I woke up still feeling this peace, and honestly, I have dreams quite often but this one was so vivid that when I woke up, I began writing it down immediately, so I didn’t forget it.
God was speaking so much to me in this short dream, and I was really overwhelmed with the symbolism. The GPS system that I depend on to navigate through life is the Bible, or God’s wisdom. There have been many times I feel like I know what I am doing so I just do it without consulting God or neglect my Bible time or prayer time. Whenever I do this, I will end up lost and usually have made a mess of what I was trying to do. In this dream, the appointment I was trying to get to was something that God had planned for me to do but instead of consulting Him on which path He wanted me to take, I decided to figure it out on my own, which is never a smart thing to do.
So naturally I would have to make a U-turn when I run into a dead end; I do this quite often literally and figuratively. Feeling embarrassed and judged by all the bystanders happens a lot in life. There will always be people standing along your path, some will be cheering you on and some will be snarky and judgmental, you must choose who you listen to and who you ignore.
Being under the structure or overpass when the road became impassable represented the point in life when you feel depressed, lost, and at the end of your road. I got out of the car and started asking people for directions, so similar in life when we ask advice from other people and start looking for the answers in the wrong places.
When the keys were stolen from me by the man on the steps he didn’t appear in dark clothes and a hood. I could see his face and he looked like everyone else around me, not especially scary or anything that you would expect the enemy to look like. The enemy will use every day people to try and get us off of our path (stealing our keys) and I was so scared I ran back to my safe place and looked to my GPS (God’s word).
The GPS told me to go straight ahead on the road I was on and not to veer off, but I knew the road was broken and impassable but when I looked up and seen it repaired, I knew that God had prepped the road for me to go down. There were still a few potholes but just like in life, we all have a few potholes we have to navigate around. The most vivid part of the dream was the feeling of peace knowing I was headed in the right direction and wishing I had just used my GPS in the first place and knowing that it would have saved me a lot of time and heartbreak.
Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household. She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again. She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging. She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment. But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.
So… who’s up for this??? I know I would love to do it!! And to think about it, why can’t we?
Isn’t this what our Jesus wants us to do? Take the time to talk to Him, lay down what’s on our heart and mind, what may be putting a burden on us.
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Because we live from our hearts, God wants access to our hearts, to form them so that from them, we live into His purposes.
YES! YES! YES! He doesn’t want us to be stressed, sad, or overwhelmed. He wants us to pull up a chair, grab that cup of coffee, and say, “OK Lord… we need to talk.”
Hey it can be the simplest thing or a huge thing. It can be a happy thing!! He LOVES to hear praises coming from you.
“Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.” Psalm 139:4 NIV
He will never ignore your cry of sadness or your song of joy. Will He speak in an audible voice to you? Maybe, maybe not.…it could be something so small that at first you don’t even realize it was Him.
He has so many ways to communicate with us. We just have to get all that busyness out of our minds.
We can talk to him in so many ways, just talk to Him like you normally would to someone else. If you are praying, you are talking to Him. If you are worshipping, you are talking to Him.
But I know just like the picture states that sometimes you just need to open up your heart to Him. Nothing else will do, and that’s ok. As I said above, He is always here to listen to us… messy bun, leggings and all.
So, I hope this will encourage someone today. You always have someone to open up to.
Be blessed and may your coffee cup never be empty. ☕️
Lou Ann Virden is the author of the blog Farmhouse, Coffee and Jesus. She is very active in her church. She volunteers in the food pantry, usher/greeter team, and cleaning crew. She is on the prayer team, is over the sound room team, and she writes the newsletter for her church. Lou Ann and her husband Donnie will be relaunching The Refuge 180 Evangelism Ministry. They have been married for over 40 years. They live on her husband’s family farm with their dog Hunter. In the summer they are busy canning what they harvest from their garden. Her hobbies include going to the beach, reading, camping, and serving however she can. She hopes that her blogs inspires someone that might be dealing with a similar situation.
“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all people, to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.” (Joshua 1:1-6)
“Moses my servant is dead.” These are the words that God spoke to Joshua. Moses had been his mentor and his leader during Israel’s sojourn in the wilderness. Joshua had faithfully fought many battles for Moses and had always stood by his leader – arguably the greatest leader of all time. Now, Joshua was called by God to complete the task that had been started.
We can all point to people who have greatly influenced our lives. However, sooner or later they move on. Some pass away. Some relocate. Some simply drop out of our lives. Then we have to move on also. We use what we have learned from them and learn to trust God to help us complete the tasks that He sets before us.
God clearly told Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” God had been provider, protector and ever-present companion to Moses. He would be the very same for Joshua.
We have seen people who obviously experienced – or now experience – the presence of God in their lives. What we have seen God do for these individuals, He desires to do for us because He is not partial toward anyone. The Apostle Peter stated in Acts 10:34: “of a truth I perceive that God is not respecter of person.” This should give us the initiative to carry on God’s work when others fade out of the picture.
Let us hear God say to us the very words He said to Joshua: “Be strong.” “Be courageous.” “Don’t let fear hold you back”
You see, whatever we need God to be, He will be for us. As He has been with others, so He will be with us.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
I was very disappointed in myself when I realized that I was not the mom who makes her own salad dressing.
That may sound a little crazy but let me explain. I watched a youtube video of a mom who made all her food from scratch: bread, pasta, salad dressing, etc. She picked the apples from her backyard orchard and made homemade applesauce that her kids loved. She also grew a large garden so she could can her own home-grown organic vegetables for her family to eat over the next year. She did this all while running a business, a farm, and homeschooling her six kids. Phew, I am wore out just reading about it. It looked great in her video, it showed that she loved her family so much and this was just a small way for her to show them her love. I didn’t feel bad before I watched the video but now, I feel that I have let my family down.
Sound ridiculous? It was.
I love my family just as much as she loves hers. I would lay down my life for my family, but sorry kiddos your ranch dressing is still coming from the grocery store.
This is the ugly truth of comparison. We see the Pinterest moms on social media, the ones who bring perfectly decorated homemade cupcakes to the class party when we felt lucky to have enough time to stop at Walmart and pick up a package of Oreos to bring.
Most Christian influencers on Tik Tok only show the good times; they never seem to have the struggles we do: sick kids, financial issues, disagreements with their spouse, lack of sleep due to overwhelming demands. But we all face daily struggles and comparing ourselves to those that only show the pretty side of things is inherently dangerous to our mental health.
Rule #1: Don’t believe everything you see on social media or the internet.
Be happy for those that have a spotless house while you continue to wipe off the boogers your toddlers have wiped on the walls, that is perfectly normal (please tell me that is normal). The mom down the street who fixes a four-course meal every night for her husband and kids is secretly wishing she had put chicken nuggets and french fries in the air fryer for dinner so she could have a few minutes to go on a walk with her kids instead of spending all afternoon in the kitchen cooking dinner, but her Instagram shows only what she wants you to see.
Comparing our lives breeds jealousy, depression and resentment and we begin to have negative thoughts that we are not good enough. You wish you had a bigger house, or if only my husband would do that for me like my friend’s husband does I would be happy, or if I had Ann’s job then all my issues would go away because more money will solve all my problems.
We homeschool our two youngest children, somedays it’s a blessing, somedays not so much. I have watched tons of youtube videos about how other homeschool moms have renovated their homes or added an addition onto their house to accommodate a designated area for their kids classroom, complete with lockers and a mini library. I have the dining room table and totes, but it works for us and we are doing well. No one knows your family better than you. There are always going to be the mommas whose homes are immaculate, they are willing to stay up till midnight cleaning their homes to perfection after the kids go to bed and then wake up at 5am to get a shower, complete hair care and skin routines and then fix a full breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, pancakes, and fruit smoothies
Over the years I have learned what works for us and I am happy with it. The house may not be immaculate, but I got sleep so I’m not cranky with my kids and husband (Iced coffee might have something to do with that also). I am also thrilled if I get an uninterrupted 15 min shower and the kids often have frozen breakfast burritos and yogurt for breakfast. Hey, it works for us.
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul states “… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation….”
When we become depressed, jealous, and angry and we begin asking questions about why we are struggling and feeling like we are the only ones without the “perfect life” remember that God has truly blessed us and there are a lot of people who wish they were in your house instead of sleeping in their car, eating your meal of leftovers instead of scavenging through a dumpster, and even though they may drive us crazy so many people wish they had a family like yours who loves them.
Remember to stop comparing and take a minute to mop up the blessings that are all around you.
Tammy Bassett is a speaker and the author of the Mopping Up Your Blessings blog. She was born and raised a country girl who’s roots run deep in the mountains of Appalachia. She has worked a wide variety of jobs ranging from radio to insurance agent. She is now a stay-at-home mom, who along with her husband, are raising five daughters (ages 10 to 25), seven cats and one dog. She uses her accounting and business administration degree to help run her busy household. She loves spending time with her family and homeschooling her two youngest children. She spends a lot of her day trying to conquer the obstacles in her home. With four of her children still living at home the laundry pile (nicknamed Mt. Wash-more) is her nemesis. Some days she wins and some days she doesn’t, but she always gets up the next day and tries again. She also loves camping with her family as long as there is a camper with air conditioning, a comfy bed, and indoor plumbing. Her downfall is her obsession with iced coffee. Thankfully the closest Starbucks is an hour from her home, or she would be broke. She also loves reading and learning new skills such as homesteading, being more self-sustainable, gardening and foraging. She relates the most to her favorite animal, the alpaca. They are both kind of weird and look like they are two months past due on a haircut. Much like alpacas she makes a gentle humming noise when happy and if irritated she often stamps the ground with her feet. Her husband has refused to buy her an alpaca much to her disappointment. But more than anything, she loves the Lord and is growing more in her faith each day and hopes to inspire others to do the same. She wants everyone to understand that God’s grace is truly amazing and has changed her from the inside out and he can do the same for you.
No matter what we’ve done or what has been done to us, it’s our responsibility to choose the path of healing. Strongholds are faulty patterns of thinking.. faulty belief systems.. in other words, LIES. Strongholds are often formed in a place of wounding. We get hurt, a lie begins to form. The longer we believe the lie, the more fortified the stronghold becomes. Healing of wounds means the enemy no longer has a legal right to harass you. Sin, trauma etc are access points. Cut off the devils access point and confess God’s Truth!
See, no one else can make us do anything. We operate either out of our soul or our spirit and they are constantly at war with one another. Our soul is our mind, will and emotions. We are to put its rule underneath our spirit. If we are unhealed, we have a greater tendency to operate from the soul. And, may I add, that’s been all of us at one time or another. We have triggers. Things that are said or done to us that trigger us back into the trauma or the lies we’ve believed.
How do we know if we have unhealed areas?
1. We experience emotions that are far beyond what the situation warrants.
2. We have repetitive thoughts such as I’m not good enough or everyone is against me.
3. We project blame onto others rather than acknowledge the situation and allow the Lord to hold us responsible for our own responses and actions
4. We internalize everything. It’s always my fault.
So, what can we do??
1. Love the Word and continually confess the Truth in place of the lie.
2. Pursue healing through inner healing/deliverance.
3. Walk it out. Maintain the place of healing by refusing to fall back into faulty belief systems. Stand on the Truth of God’s Word.
Healing looks like being unoffendable, being able to have the hard conversations in order to work it through, and taking full responsibility for our own actions without casting blame.
We will know because the next time a similar situation arises, our response will be much different. We will respond rather than react and will have the ability to hold our peace without projecting or overly internalizing. It not only shows individual health but it brings the body into greater health!
That’s the season we’re in, purifying the Bride for the greater glory.
Deidre Gaines resides in West Virginia with her husband and best friend, Richard. She has three grown children and one granddaughter. Deidre is a Licensed Minister, Prophetic intercessor, blogger (Shamar), speaker and encourager with a heart to see the nature of Jesus put on display for the world to see. She is passionate to see His love, unity, presence, power and authority transform hearts, cities, regions and the nations through bringing glory and honor to His name. Deidre desires to see the church walk in the fullness of His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6:10. She enjoys spending time with her family, sports, crocheting and being outdoors. Especially taking rides in the side by side with her husband Richard.
by leaps and bounds 