Jeannie Waters, Author at Jeannie Waters, Writer & Speaker

What’s in Your Suitcase? Three Treasures to Pack and Three Attitudes to Leave Behind–a guest post by Sylvia Schroeder

June 28, 2022Jeannie Waters32 Comments

What's in Your Suitcase? Three Treasures to Pack and Three Attitudes to Leave Behind by Jeannie Waters — *JeannieWaters.com*

Welcome to Sylvia Schroeder, my friend and today’s guest blogger. Her excellent writing sprinkled with humor and biblical perspective will encourage you. Whether you plan to travel this summer or enjoy a staycation, don’t miss Sylvia’s wise words.

Her bio and website link are below. You’ll love her short blog posts filled with strong teaching and humor. As a mom, grandmother, and missionary, she shares heart-warming stories filled with truth.

What’s in Your Suitcase: Three Treasures to Pack and Three Attitudes to Leave Behind by Guest Blogger, Sylvia Schroeder

Suitcases lined the pathway to our front door.

“Are we moving?” I asked my husband.

His good-natured chuckle assured me the body-building trek to the car and back would not be held against me. Surely, I thought, we don’t need all this for a short vacation. But then, what if it’s cold? What if it’s hot? What if there’s rain? What if we’re hungry?

We’d checked the weather app, mapped cheapest gas, and bought a plethora of snacks. We prepared for every contingency we could imagine. We both have great imaginations.

However, in my detailed planning to get-away, sometimes I pack what I don’t wish to and leave behind what is most important. Perhaps you do the same.

I look at being on vacation as a blissful departure from reality. As if I can leave myself behind along with daily stresses. But I always come with all my own baggage packed too.

We find Paul the Apostle in 2 Corinthians feeling vulnerable like we do at times. His heart weighed heavy with concerns. “I had no rest in my spirit,” he wrote (2:13 NKJV). He was burdened beyond measure, above strength, and despaired of life (1:8). He felt hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down.” (4:8-9).

It sounds to me like he needed a reprieve. He needed a break. He could have used a vacation.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is beach.jpg

Recently my husband and I both needed to leave behind busyness and stress. We longed for rest and renewal. We desired a reprieve from distractions. A short holiday turned into a lovely respite. We walked the beach and delighted in the beauty and sounds of the water. Our time away achieved much for which we’d hoped. We returned ready to resume life with energy and clearer perspective.

However, I can’t say this has always been our experience. Sometimes we’ve folded into our suitcases too many impossible expectations and unreasonable wishes. Situations we desired to leave behind tagged along to our destination, and the bliss we’d envisioned came fraught with less than the imaginary photo promised.

The fact is leisure can be couched in self-centeredness. Vacation away can also become a vacation from God.

The fact is leisure can be couched in self-centeredness. Vacation away can also become a vacation from God. Share on X

Paul, whose resume included prestige, a pedigree of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of the Hebrews, Pharisee, zealous, faultless according to the law, had his share of troubles.

Yet, he considered knowing Christ above all else. He did not carry hidden baggage full of self-centered demands as I might. He kept sight of spiritual goals in each and every location, each and every season.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 NIV

Wherever your summer’s destination, regardless the number of bags you carry, keep them light by leaving behind the following:

1. “I deserve this.”

Isn’t that often our vacation bottom line? If a holiday is all about me, my luggage will not have room for much more. The change of pace we desperately need will be out of reach. I am a hard master to satisfy.

2. “It’s vacation, I can do what I want.”

Work hard, play harder we are told. In many ways vacation is a payoff for time spent in our daily trenches, but the subtle message of this mindset empties my jar without filling it with what is most important.

3. “I will leave all my problems behind.”

If my whole goal lies in getting away from, how dreadful it becomes to go back to.

So, what should you be sure to take instead?

Gratitude. Expectations belong to the Lord. A holiday provides opportunity for intentional thanksgiving. Allow time to bask in what God has done in the past. Name your blessings. Pause for spiritual reset and praise Jesus with renewed energy.
Discernment. Lasting satisfaction is in Christ alone. Choose to rest and replenish wisely. Consider the needs of others. Seek the kind of healthy fun that makes good memories for everyone.
Devotion. Pack a Bible and journal. Explore God’s Word with curiosity. Pray passages of Scripture. Love and linger in His Presence. Delight in Him. Worship and sing praises.

When you intentionally pack Jesus into your vacation, it is not a self-centered vacuum.

When you intentionally pack Jesus into your vacation, it is not a self-centered vacuum. Share on X

Paul, despite great daily stresses, found renewed strength by humbling himself. He looked away from self and gazed upward.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV

Are you planning a summer vacation? What’s in your suitcase?

Please share your comments with us. Visit Sylvia’s website When the House is Quiet and connect with her on social media.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Sylvia-Schroeder.jpg — SylviaSchroeder.com

Sylvia Schroeder loves connecting God’s Word with real life. She is an award-winning writer and co-author of “Be Still and put your PJs on.” She is a contributing writer for Salem Media, various magazines, blogs and in several book compilations. Mom to four, grandma to 14, and wife to her one and only love, Sylvia enjoys writing about all of them.

Her love for all things Italian stems from years of ministry abroad. She’d love to tell you about it over a steaming plate of pasta. Connect with Sylvia on her blog, When the House is Quiet, Facebook page or Twitter.

How to Delight in God’s Daily Walk Invitation with a Powerful RSVP

June 14, 2022Jeannie Waters30 Comments

How does your morning begin? After I’ve hit the snooze button once or twice, I glance out a bedroom window. If the sun is up, I admire its light filtering through one of our tree’s big green leaves.

The sight reminds me the Light of the World wants to shine through my life, and He invites me to walk with Him through a new day of adventures.

The thoughts prompt memories of the times my family rounded the last curve in the long country driveway to spend the day with my parents. Daddy, who’d been standing on the porch to wait for us, would wear a broad smile when he hurried to the car to welcome his children and grandchildren.

Imagine our heavenly Father standing on the porch of heaven before He illuminates the sky with warm light and paints splashes of color in the eastern sky. I imagine God stretching out His arms in anticipation of sharing the day He has made with His beloved child.

He doesn’t reach out to us from obligation or duty. His invitation is born of love, unconditional love. Love that sent His only Son to die for you and me.

Whether we bounce up with gusto in the morning, or roll out slowly, we can proclaim,

“This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”
Psalm 118:24 NKJV

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him.

Our heavenly Father knows we need Him, and each morning He waits and beckons us to spend the day with Him. Share on X

My favorite morning prayer often serves as my RSVP to God’s invitation.

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.
Psalm 143:8 NKJV

Let’s consider the powerful RSVP strategies below to help us react with joy.

How to RSVP to God’s Daily Walk Invitation

R Respond to His invitation. We can respond to God

with love because He first loved us.

with awe because He is Almighty God.

with our questions which He welcomes.

with thanksgiving for generous blessings.

in repentance when His Spirit convicts us of sin.

with obedience which demonstrates love for Him.

with the delight of a beloved child placing her hand in her Father’s.

S Spend time with Him at His invitation

in service to others as He leads us.

in worship and praise as we ponder His attributes.

in laughter when the joy of Jesus bubbles up in our hearts.

in prayer, an engaged conversation throughout the day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

in His Word filled with wise counsel and fresh revelation to apply to our lives.

V Value what He values

by trusting Him.

by using our spiritual gifts to serve others.

by helping a person in need (Hebrews 13:6).

by living for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31).

by giving our money, possessions, time, and talents.

by telling someone about our daily walk with Jesus and His grace and mercy.

by remembering to “Do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

P Proclaim truths from His Word.

“Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT).

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth” (Psalm 145:18 NKJV).

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8 NKJV).

“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at His holy hill. For the Lord our God is holy” (Psalm 99:9 NKJV).

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11 NKJV).

Like the way my dad delighted in our family spending time with him, God delights in our acceptance of His invitation to walk with Him each day. Our powerful RSVP of “Yes, Lord,” fills our hearts with His peace and joy, helps us enjoy His presence, and honors our Father in heaven.

How does God invite you to join Him and remind you of His presence? Please share the ways you walk with Him through your day.

Two Role Models Who Loved God as Their Heavenly Father and Thanked Him for Blessings

May 30, 2022Jeannie Waters23 Comments

This month’s calendar includes a day to honor fathers, but I want to tell you a true story about two mothers, my role models, and the way they thanked their heavenly Father for blessings.

My ninety-eight-year-old mother-in-law, Carolyn, went to her heavenly home earlier this year. When the family prepared to sell her home, I removed the plaque you see in the title photo. It hung on the wall over her table where we had eaten delicious fried chicken and biscuits for decades.

Carolyn had written my mother’s name and the year 2014 on the back of the plaque. Mama gave it to Carolyn as a birthday gift in August of that year. Mama died the following December.

Life was hard for these two beloved ladies, who each lost their fathers to tragic events during childhood. As girls and young women, they lived in near poverty and struggled through trials and disappointments.

Yet both surrendered their lives to Christ and lived lives of joy-filled faith in their heavenly Father. Rather than complain, each of them exhibited a cheerful outlook and gratitude for His blessings.

Today when I prayed about what I’d share with you, I looked above my desk and read the words on the front of Carolyn’s plaque. “God our Father, we thank You for our many blessings.”

Although we’ll honor fathers we know this month, let’s pause to focus on our heavenly Father. In a passage where Paul calls Christians to live a holy life and separate themselves from sinful living, he includes God’s promise,

‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV

Imagine the privilege—sons and daughters of Almighty God.

Imagine the privilege—sons and daughters of Almighty God. Share on X

My mother and mother-in-law understood although their earthly father was absent, their heavenly Father adopted them into His family (Romans 8:14-16) because they’d previously surrendered their lives to Christ. They knew the truth of John 1:12,

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 1:12 NKJV

The words “receive” and “believe” in this passage define God’s children as those who acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son, the Messiah, and surrender their lives to Him. Jesus clearly says, He is God’s only provision for salvation and eternal life with Him (John 14:6).

As God’s children, we can look in the Bible and list His numerous attributes which describe Him as the perfect Father. Today, let’s focus on those David recorded in Psalm 103:8-14. As we read the passage, let’s pause to thank Him for each quality.

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:8-14 NKJV

Take the truth with you

As we read Scripture this month, let’s list on paper or in an electronic journal the attributes of God we notice and how they make a difference in our relationship with Him. Let’s ask Him to show us the kind of Father He is and why we can trust Him. This practice will surely deepen our love for Him and remind us to pray the words on my mother-in-law’s plaque: “God our Father, we thank You for our many blessings,” including the privilege of being Your child.

Let’s hear from you

I hope you’ll share in the comment section your favorite attribute of our heavenly Father or an encouraging verse about Him. How does knowing about God help you trust Him?

Here’s a link to a post with memories of my dad. Memories of My Dad

Eight Strategies for Remembering Prayer Requests

May 17, 2022Jeannie Waters32 Comments

My Indy 500 day blew past like Dale Earnhardt. I looked at the clock. “Oh no! It’s 3:00. I completely missed my daughter’s exam time.”

I’d always promised to pray for her study time and success on final exams. This time, however, I neglected to fulfill this important responsibility.

Have you ever promised to pray for someone’s broken heart or surgery or job interview and then realized later you’d forgotten? We mean well, but our memories sometimes fail.

In my teen years, I often voiced prayer needs to Pam, a mentor. She would respond, “Let’s pray now. I don’t want to forget.” Her statement emphasized the responsibility of receiving a request and the importance of lifting it to our heavenly Father.

The Bible teaches,

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 ESV

Paul commended fervent prayer,

Epaphras … greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 ESV

Do you use memory aides or organizational techniques for important responsibilities like prayer? Methods for remembering the needs we notice can help us honor the privilege of communicating with God on behalf of others.

Methods for remembering the needs we notice can help us honor the privilege of communicating with God on behalf of others. Share on X

I hope you can use or adapt one of the strategies below.

Eight Strategies for Remembering Prayer Requests

1. Listen attentively to requests.

Establish eye contact and listen carefully when someone requests prayer. Ask an appropriate question or repeat the need to enhance your memory. When the ladies in my email prayer group read a request, they often ask a clarifying question and inquire later about results. This practice encourages believers and reflects the love of Christ to those who have not yet met Him

2. Seek God’s help.

Ask the Father to remind you of requests and lead you to an applicable Bible verse to use as a prayer springboard. On busy days, we sometimes hear His whisper in our minds and hearts reminding us of the need to pray.

3. Organize an index card file.

A simple file box with index cards and tabs can categorize requests and provide space for recording answers. Some requests are long-term and may require multiple cards. When I used this method of memory prompts, I enjoyed reviewing the cards in the “Answered Prayer” section which demonstrated God’s faithfulness.

4. Create a prayer journal or notebook.

A small loose-leaf binder can house dividers labeled with days of the week or categories like family, neighbors, church, missionaries, urgent, and government leaders. I currently use this system with a tab for each day of the week. Before the first divider, I added sheets labeled “Week of ___” to which I add Monday’s date and requests specific to that week.

5. Use sticky notes.

For urgent situations or daily reminders, affix colorful sticky notes to the refrigerator, a mirror, computer, key chain, or steering wheel. A friend once wrote a reminder note about praying for our family’s concern and placed it on his office shelves. Each time he sat down at his desk, he saw the note and prayed. Assurance that our need was being lifted to the Lord calmed our hearts.

6. Set a timer or a phone alarm.

When requests are time-specific, use of a timer or phone alarm may help. Today, while concentrating on writing, I’m praying for a friend’s health as she travels with airline delays and for family members on a lengthy road trip. My phone alarms cue me to continue prayer support throughout the day.

7. Design a bookmark.

Record a long-term request on a bookmark. Add an appropriate verse and insert it into a book you’re currently reading. You could write the same verse on an additional bookmark and mail it to the person you’re praying for with an encouraging note.

8. Construct a small table tent.

Write prayer reminders on stiff paper, fold tent-style, and place on the coffee table or beside your spot at the dinner table. Change the location from time to time to ensure the tent catches your eye.

When the minutes in your day fly by with race car speed, perhaps one of these strategies will bring prayer requests to mind. Although communication with God requires no system, reminders can keep us on track. Paul said, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you” (Colossians 1:3 ESV). What a worthy goal for us!

Your comments encourage me and other readers. How do you remember to pray for the needs of others?

Graduates: Practical Gifts of Influence, Inspiration, and Legacy-a guest post by Marilyn Nutter

May 2, 2022Jeannie Waters27 Comments

Marilyn Nutter, Author MarilynNutter.com

Welcome to Marilyn Nutter, my friend and today’s guest blogger. I know you’ll gain valuable ideas for blessing the graduate and others in your life with her ideas for practical gifts of influence, inspiration, and legacy.

Marilyn co-authored Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart with April White. This book offers hope in the life alterations and detours we all face. It’s a book I’ll read again and again.

Marilyn’s complete bio and a book link are below the post. You’ll love her website.

Graduates: Practical Gifts of Influence, Inspiration, and Legacy

I’ve witnessed graduations from kindergarten to college, and participated in hundreds of ceremonies as a faculty member. While waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin, I reflect on my association with my students, flip through the program, and see names, now with a degree, remembering where they sat in my class. I look for those who received awards and check the program for speakers and singers. The sound of the entrance music, “Pomp and Circumstance,” always gave me a chill and sometimes, a tear. After the ceremony, students invited me to take pictures with them and we needed no prompt to smile.

My husband and I taught in a Christian university and college for over twenty-five years and were privileged to share in our students’ academic, social, and spiritual lives. One of the joys of social media is connecting with many students years later, and having a front row seat to their lives now—careers, family, ministry. I am often overwhelmed at how they reflect God’s purposes for them and their faithfulness to Him.

Today’s students face different struggles than twenty years ago. Headline news and personal experience speak for themselves. How can we bless today’s graduates as they face new challenges and changes? We may live miles from them and perhaps not able to stay connected in next weeks and months as they venture out into new and unfamiliar places–career, school, and new relationships.

Whether your graduate heads off to work, college, or graduate school, or you want to implement these ideas for your student now, may I suggest ways to invest?

Prayer

Pray Scripture specifically. Find verses that are individually meaningful—trusting God, peer pressure, decisions, spiritual walk. Fill their name in Bible verses.

“I pray ‘God is able to make all grace abound to ________, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, _____ may have an abundance for every good deed.'” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV)

Source: 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

Journal

If you have a child or grandchild heading off to college, begin a journal and include your thoughts and prayers for them. I began a journal for each of my grands when they were born. I share Scripture, experiences I had with them, and prayers. I plan to give it to them on their 21^st birthday.

Text

Without being a nuisance (and not expecting a reply), send a text, forward an inspiring quote, Bible verse, or share a humorous meme. Laughter is good medicine and may be exactly what they need today. Copy and paste social media memes to send. You can subscribe to daily Bible verses, receive them on your phone, and forward them to your child and grandchild.

Source: Proverbs 17:22 ESV

Bible

Buy a new Bible and write notes in the margins, circle phrases, and star passages with Scriptures that are important to you. Give the Bible to them when they start their new adventure. Who knows what they will find for any day when they flip through it?

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:4 NIV

Source: Psalm 145:4 NIV

Devotional book

Today’s generation reads online, but a good devotional book is priceless and may be valued in years to come. Is there one that uniquely fits your graduate in style, depth, and topics?

Though we’d love to hang on tightly and hold hands as we did that first day of kindergarten, we need to let go. From a distance—whatever separates us from our child, grandchild, or a student in our church–we reach heaven when our prayers and Scripture touch them. We can influence and inspire, and at the same time leave a legacy of what, in our hearts, has eternal value.

Which of Marilyn’s ideas would you select for blessing a graduate? Marilyn and I will be honored to pray for graduates you list in comments.

From a distance—whatever separates us from our child, grandchild, or a student in our church--we reach heaven when our prayers and Scripture touch them. Share on X

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image.png — Marilyn Nutter, Author

Marilyn Nutter is a contributor to compilations, online sites, and print publications. Her book Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart, written with April White, offers hope in life alterations and detours. She is a facilitator for grief groups, a speaker, and a Bible study leader. Her family of eight grandchildren fills her cup to overflowing. In her life’s seasons, she clings to Lam. 3:22-23. Visit her website at MarilynNutter.com where you’ll find words to give you hope and purpose and an opportunity to download prayers for graduates.

Destination Hope by Marilyn Nutter and April White

I highly recommend this book: Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart

Marilyn’s inspirational website: Marilyn Nutter’s website