I looked around my office and sighed. What a mess. Books stacked knee-high, papers separated in every vacant spot on the desk. My to-do list had been shoved from the refrigerator door to the living room to the bedroom … ending up in my office. Moving it didn’t seem to make it go away.
The news roared from the downstairs television: attack on London, Barcelona, Brussels. I leaned against the door frame and bowed my head, “What next, Lord? What next?”
I used to love the holidays. Thanksgiving brought laughter and fun. Having tons of food and family was something I looked forward to. It seemed years ago when life was much simpler. My office wasn’t overrun with work, and the most the news had was the anticipation of the newest Macy’s Day parade floats. Now the holidays are dampened by disaster and sadness.
I kicked a box out of the way and made a split-second decision. I’m going to praise God despite the mess. I realized the world was doing to me just what Satan wanted it to do – drag me down. If it could blare the horrors of the news events at me, overwork me, AND make me miss my children worse than I normally do, then I was caving in to the sadness of sin. Satan was winning.
The writer of the Psalms must have realized this same thing. Chosen by God as the future king of Israel, David was just a child. God didn’t crown him and set him on the throne. Instead, he was sent back into the fields. There he learned about the hardships of life. Danger. Trust. And complete dependence upon God. There David found peace in praising God despite the trials.
These last few days I’ve spent the hard moments saying, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And as I prepare for Christmas, I’ve decided to come before Him with thanksgiving and praise. True thanksgiving and praise.
When you feel the weight of the world bearing down this holiday season, rejoice in the Lord. Shout aloud to the Rock of your salvation. Go before Him with thanksgiving and praise. Great is His faithfulness. Strong is our praise. Let your thanksgiving be filled with praise.
Cindy Sproles is an author and speaker. She is the cofounder of Christian Devotions Ministries and the cowriter of the popular He Said, She Said Devotions written with her cofounder, Eddie Jones. She is a novelist and best-selling author. Cindy’s devotions and articles are published in Christian newspapers across the eastern seaboard, including having been used to represent legislature for protection of the elderly. She is a speaker to women’s conferences addressing not only the heart of women, but also their biblical responsibilities to their families.
She is the mother of four adult sons and lives in the mountains of East Tennessee with her husband. Cindy can be contacted at www.cindysproles.com or by emailing cindyksproles@gmail.com.
Liar's Winter
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| Cindy K. Sproles |
The news roared from the downstairs television: attack on London, Barcelona, Brussels. I leaned against the door frame and bowed my head, “What next, Lord? What next?”
I used to love the holidays. Thanksgiving brought laughter and fun. Having tons of food and family was something I looked forward to. It seemed years ago when life was much simpler. My office wasn’t overrun with work, and the most the news had was the anticipation of the newest Macy’s Day parade floats. Now the holidays are dampened by disaster and sadness.
I kicked a box out of the way and made a split-second decision. I’m going to praise God despite the mess. I realized the world was doing to me just what Satan wanted it to do – drag me down. If it could blare the horrors of the news events at me, overwork me, AND make me miss my children worse than I normally do, then I was caving in to the sadness of sin. Satan was winning.
The writer of the Psalms must have realized this same thing. Chosen by God as the future king of Israel, David was just a child. God didn’t crown him and set him on the throne. Instead, he was sent back into the fields. There he learned about the hardships of life. Danger. Trust. And complete dependence upon God. There David found peace in praising God despite the trials.
These last few days I’ve spent the hard moments saying, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And as I prepare for Christmas, I’ve decided to come before Him with thanksgiving and praise. True thanksgiving and praise.
When you feel the weight of the world bearing down this holiday season, rejoice in the Lord. Shout aloud to the Rock of your salvation. Go before Him with thanksgiving and praise. Great is His faithfulness. Strong is our praise. Let your thanksgiving be filled with praise.
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| About the Author |
She is the mother of four adult sons and lives in the mountains of East Tennessee with her husband. Cindy can be contacted at www.cindysproles.com or by emailing cindyksproles@gmail.com.
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| Liar's Winter by Cindy K. Sproles |
Liar's Winter
Lochiel Ogle was born with a red-wine birthmark--and it put her life in jeopardy from the moment she entered the world. Mountain folks called it "the mark of the devil," and for all the evil that has plagued her nineteen-year existence, Lochiel is ready to believe that is true. And the evil surely took control of the mind of the boy who stole her as an infant, bringing her home for his mother to raise.
Abused and abandoned by the only people she knows as family, Lochiel is rescued by a peddler and given the first glimpse of love she has ever known. The truth of her past is gradually revealed as is the fact that she is still hunted by a brother driven to see her dead. Unsure if there's anyone she can truly trust, Lochiel is faced with a series of choices: Will she continue to run for escape or will she face her past and accept the heartbreaking secrets it reveals? Which will truly free her?
Set in the wild and beautiful Appalachian Mountains of nineteenth-century East Tennessee, Liar's Winter is an unflinching yet inspirational exploration of prejudice and choice.
Buy From: Amazon
Originally posted on He Said, She Said, November, 2015.
Abused and abandoned by the only people she knows as family, Lochiel is rescued by a peddler and given the first glimpse of love she has ever known. The truth of her past is gradually revealed as is the fact that she is still hunted by a brother driven to see her dead. Unsure if there's anyone she can truly trust, Lochiel is faced with a series of choices: Will she continue to run for escape or will she face her past and accept the heartbreaking secrets it reveals? Which will truly free her?
Set in the wild and beautiful Appalachian Mountains of nineteenth-century East Tennessee, Liar's Winter is an unflinching yet inspirational exploration of prejudice and choice.
Buy From: Amazon
Originally posted on He Said, She Said, November, 2015.
