Apr
26
Evil to Live
By Julie B Cosgrove | Comments Off
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalm 37:8 ESV)
In the Lord’s prayer we pray to be delivered from evil. I always thought of it as an outside force. The big bad wolf, the boogie man, the wicked step-mother queen, the devil ( which is d-evil). But our negative thoughts can become evil as well, if we let them fester and brew inside of us.
It starts out wit
h VILE. Something sticks in our craw, something that is just not right. We want immediate action- justice, revenge, a wrong to be made right. At that point, we have two choices. We can either turn it over to God or churn it around in our thoughts.
Dec
15
It was not how it was supposed to be. . .
By Julie B Cosgrove | 3 Comments
I left in tears. It was not how it was supposed to be.
Each year, my church puts on a Christmas dinner for the battered women’s home. The women get a candlelit dinner with all the trimmings in the parlor and the kids romp in the social meeting room with hot dogs, ice cream and crafts. Then, they all regather for a visit from Santa. People in our church donate presents, but we never know until the last moment who is coming or what age and gender of kids will be there.
Dec
5
We interrupt this program . . .
By Julie B Cosgrove | 1 Comment
Lately, God has been my commercial God. That is not a bad thing.
Commercials are breaks in programs. As I go through my day, doing what must be done, God’s sound bites break through the day to day story of my life. Just when the plot thickens, the organ music goes “tah-dah”, or the pregnant pause dangles, He appears with a message for me. He gets my attention and breaks me away from the situation.
Oct
17
Bound Back
By Julie B Cosgrove | 2 Comments
Working at home during the day, which is a rabbit warren of
an apartment complex, my window faces a common area. I saw a young man I’d not
seen before with his dog. Dogs are supposed to be on leashes, but this guy
released the pet’s leash and let his dog romp, sniff and explore. It made friends with another dog.
Happy and bouncy, the dog had a blast, yet never ran off or
stayed far from his master’s watchful eye. He stayed within the parameters of
the common area. Then, after a few minutes, the master gave a short whistle.
Immediately the dog bounded back in obedience and stood quietly as the young
man reattached his leash. Together they walked away, the dog matching the man’s
steps.
Jun
17
Directions, Please
By Julie B Cosgrove | 6 Comments
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJ
A few weeks ago I traveled unfamiliar back roads to a workshop I was to lead in a small town. I plugged my cell phone into the car jack and gave the GPS app the address of my destination. The sweet, monotone, electronic female voice began to speak. Step by step, it told me when and where to turn or change direction. It even gave me a warning ahead of time. “In 1000 feet you will turn left onto Main Street.” When I approached, it repeated, “Turn left onto Main Street.” Then it would give me the next direction coming up.
Jan
24
Follow the Leader
By Julie B Cosgrove | 1 Comment
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5-6, NKJV).
Today, I am a widow with no steady income. I am too young, yet don’t have any children under twenty-five, so I can’t receive any benefits . I have been self-employed as a freelance writer for three years, a luxury my husband’s income allowed, so I don’t qualify for unemployment. I am in a house I can’t afford with a for sale sign in the yard collecting dust. Twenty-two resumes sent without a response and counting. His meager life insurance policy did pay his final medical bills and has given me a bit of a buffer. I have family I can move in with if necessary. I know I’m not an isolated case. Hardship is rampage in this country right now. I trust God will provide.
Oct
26
Shout Singing
By Julie B Cosgrove | 1 Comment
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy! Psalm 47:1
I love to watch small children when they hear a song. They grin from ear to ear and bounce. They giggle and twirl and clap their hands. I can’t help but laugh, and want to join in with them. They seem so uninhibited and joyous in the moment. They don’t care what others may think.
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