Jesus The Great Light

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine." (Isaiah 9:2)
     Is the light of Christ shining from within you this Christmas holiday season? Are those walking in darkness seeing the light of our Savior burning bright within your heart?
     The Christmas season is always a great time to share the love of Christ with others who don't know Him by feeding and clothing the homeless, giving toys to children who wouldn't otherwise have them, and sharing the gospel.
     Christmas is also a wonderful time to reflect not only on the birth of Jesus, but on who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He is doing in our lives right now. He's the Wonderful Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. He's loving us, blessing us, working within us, and working everything together for our good as we love Him. He's shining His light upon us to lead, guide, and direct our way. He's a lamp unto our feet and a light for our path. Jesus said "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).

     So as we look at the lights on our Christmas trees, and the lights wrapped around our bushes and shrubs in front of our homes, let us be reminded that Jesus is the light who came into the world to save us from our sins, and celebrate His birth now and into the new year. I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Christmas in the Lord. Merry Christmas!

* This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

The Demise of Dr. Conrad Murray

“He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy.” (Proverbs 28:12-14)

     I gasped as I heard the verdict read concerning Dr. Conrad Murray. As you know, he was found guilty of manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Shortly after the verdict was read, he was handcuffed. I shook my head in disbelief. I felt so sorry for him. Instantly, his life was in ruins. His sentencing is scheduled for November 29. He faces four years in prison, the loss of his medical license, and a wrongful death suit the Jackson family threatens to file. Everything he’s worked so hard for all of his life has gone up in smoke!

     While a large part of me feels great compassion for Dr. Murray and hopes he doesn’t go to prison, I can’t ignore the evidence that was stacked against him. He was involved in egregious malpractice. Michael was addicted to narcotics and Dr. Murray ordered a great deal of these drugs to give to him, and he administered propofol, a powerful anesthetic that’s to be used only in a hospital surgical setting, so Michael could sleep. Propofol isn’t a sleep aid. It’s absolutely unheard of for a doctor to administer such a drug in the home setting, and Dr. Murray ordered four gallons of the stuff to give to Michael over time. He left Michael unattended while he was on propofol; he didn’t have the appropriate equipment necessary to keep Michael’s airway open in case of an emergency; and he failed to call 911 in a timely manner to save Michael’s life. This was considered criminal negligence, and for this, among other things, Dr. Murray was found guilty of manslaughter. 

     Throughout the trial, Dr. Murray wore a perpetual frown. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot from lack of sleep, and he cried on several occasions. It was during those moments that my heart broke for him. He didn’t mean to kill Michael. He believed Michael was his friend, and that he was trying to help him.

Chance to Make Different Choices

     Instead of walking down such a destructive path, Dr. Murray could’ve made other choices. The moment Michael asked him to be his private doctor and get him the drugs and propofol he needed to sleep, Dr. Murray could’ve said “No.” Secondly, Dr. Murray could’ve contacted Michael’s family to tell them about the state Michael was in and what Michael asked him to do. Thirdly, he could’ve worked with Michael’s family to stage another intervention to get Michael the help he needed—if he really wanted to help him. But that didn’t happen.

     Michael shopped around for a doctor who would do anything he asked—even the unthinkable. And he found that doctor in Dr. Murray. Dr. Murray named his price, and Michael agreed. Or, maybe Michael offered the high price, and Dr. Murray agreed. Whichever scenario occurred, Dr. Murray was having financial difficulties, and he saw this as an opportunity to get out of debt and get back on his financial feet. Unfortunately for Dr. Murray, and Michael, their plans didn’t work out.

Michael’s Culpability

     I’m a big fan of Michael Jackson. I grew up listening and dancing to his music. He and his brothers were woven into the fabric of my daily life. I own every album of his. I still listen to his music: Every chance I get I listen to his oldies but goodies and his more recent hits. In fact, I listen to his music now more than ever since he died. I dedicated a page to Michael on this blog, called Remembering Michael, in which I wrote a heartfelt article about him. He will always have a special place in my heart. 

     But No matter how much I love and miss him, I believe that Michael had a huge hand in his own death. Despite how many times his friends and family pleaded with him to get help, he refused. He went into rehab for his addiction to painkillers some years ago at the urging of Elizabeth Taylor, and he ended up taking those same drugs again. He shopped for doctors who’d write him ongoing prescriptions, and when some refused to do it any longer, he used fake names to get those prescriptions renewed. His drug habit was out of control, and he went to great lengths to sustain it. I, and millions of others, wish he’d gotten the help he so desperately needed. I wish he’d spent $150,000 a month on seeking help instead of on dishonest, greedy doctors to take part in his dark world of addiction. Maybe Michael would be alive today, and he’d be well, or at least on the road to wellness had he taken that path.

     Sigh!!

     Here’s an unfortunate but sobering truth: If Dr. Murray had said no to Michael, Michael would’ve found another doctor to agree to his proposal, and that doctor would be behind bars today for his death instead of Dr. Murray.

     As Christians, let’s pray for Dr. Murray's mind, soul, and well being as he awaits sentencing, and for God to do a miracle in his life. In Jesus’ Name.

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays and Brag on God Friday.

Stopping to Smell the Roses

"How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming!" (Song of Songs 1:16)
     The sun is shining; the sky is blue; and it's 81 degrees!
     I couldn't imagine letting this weekend whiz by without enjoying the last of the beautiful, Indian summer weather. So I asked my husband if he'd like to go to the park, eat lunch picnic style and indulge in some picture taking. He said yes, so we headed out with my camera and tripod in tow.
     We needed to spend some time together. For a week I kept saying we should plan a weekend getaway, just the two of us so we can relax and have some fun. You see, we've been working really hard on our jobs. And while having a job these days is truly a blessing, we've been stressed, exhausted and just going through the motions of life just to survive. I felt like it was taking a toll, so I insisted we carve out some time together and stop to smell the roses. When we got to the park, we ate our lunch; I assembled my tripod with my husband's help, and set the timer on my camera to take some pics. I hurried to get into the frame before the camera snapped the picture. I did this several times until I got the perfect shot. Thank you Mike for being so patient. I think this shot came out pretty good, don't you?
     Afterward, we walked along one of the trails. As the sun beamed down on us, I took some photos of the beautiful fall leaves. Great exercise but boy was it hot. I looked for the deer who usually graze on the sides of the roads in abundance, but for some reason they weren't out today. Nonetheless, we had a great afternoon together. Something all married couples need to do — and often. To relax, talk, laugh, get reacquainted, stop and smell the roses and enjoy all that God has blessed them with.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for this beautiful day you have made. May we all rejoice and be glad in it. In His name I pray, Amen!

* This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays and Brag on God Friday.

Happy Birthday Michael Jackson

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it”
(Psalm 39:4-6 / NLT).

     It’s been two years since Michael Jackson’s shocking, untimely death. He would’ve been 53 years old on Monday, August 29, had he still been alive. In memory of Michael, I’ve played his music quite a bit over the past two years — his oldies but goodies, and his more current hits from the 80s and 90s.
     In the video above, during a rare interview, Michael talks briefly about the creative process. Actually he never explained his creative process. He says his creativity is a gift from God, something the interviewer didn't even touch upon; she was stumped actually so she asked a different question.
     I can relate to Michael on some level with regard to the creative process. He said he puts his heart into his music, that there's no formula, no set of rules he follows. He says his creativity and ideas come from God. As an editor and writer who's in Christ, I know my creative ideas come from God as well. Many will come at one time, or one will come here and one there. They come when I pray and need them most.
     Like many people, I grew up listening and dancing to Michael's music. To pay tribute to him, I’m posting these videos and the following link to an article I wrote about him from a spiritual perspective the week he died. (Click here to read the article.) I’d like for you to take the time to read it and let me know what you think. Also, please enjoy the videos below, featuring a younger, more vibrant Michael — the way I want to always remember him. Thank you!





** Linking up with Spiritual Sundays here.
** Also linking up with Brag On God Fridays here.

Losing My Spiritual Mother

“These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.” (Titus 2:4-5)

       “My mother passed this morning,” Vernesha said sorrowfully. It was 7:30 am Sunday, July 10.

       “Oh my gosh,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry.” “I know. I’ll be in touch to give you the details about the services later this week OK? “OK,” I replied.

       Tears spilled down my face.

       My spiritual mother Dorothy was gone.

       On Friday, just two days before, I rushed to see her after learning she had slipped into a coma after suffering a stroke earlier in the week. During my visit, I talked to her, sung to her with her grandchildren, and held her hand. She responded to my voice, but she couldn’t open her eyes or speak. I trust she knew I was there, because I had prayed that she would. After visiting with her and her family for about 3 hours, I planted a kiss goodbye on her forehead and headed home.

       Deep down I knew this would probably be the last time I’d see Dorothy. And I was right. 

Gift from God

       Dorothy had been a tremendous blessing to me since the day I met her in church. She came into my life when I was in the midst of tumultuous family issues that left me longing — even desperate — to talk to someone who could relate to what I was going through. (She was an answer to my prayers.) Dorothy sensed I was going through great difficulty based on a few conversations we had, so she gave me her phone number one evening at church and said, “If you ever need to talk, don’t hesitate to call me.” I took her up on her offer. That was 13 years ago. And we were in touch ever since — talking, laughing, and praying together. We sent each other Christmas, birthday and Mothers’ Day cards and called each other often. So many times I’d called her sobbing, wanting to give up. And she was always there for me with a listening ear. “Stay encouraged,” she always said. “Pray and never give up.” Every morning at 5 am Dorothy got up to pray for her family and friends. And she suggested I do the same. “I’ve seen God move in awesome ways,” she’d say. “There’s power in prayer.”

       Power indeed. Dorothy was a prayer warrior. She prayed faithfully for several people each day. “I call the names of all of your family members every day,” she’d say. “Your husband, son, your brother and his family. Your mother and father. I pray for them continuously. Oh yes.”

       Dorothy firmly believed and lived according to Titus 2:4-5. She taught the younger women how to love their husbands and families and use godly wisdom. Often, she gave me wise advice concerning my husband and family; wise counsel that to this day is probably responsible for my family remaining intact.

 Incredible Homegoing

       My spiritual mother’s homegoing service was beautiful. Her family and I couldn’t have asked for anything more wonderful. The Pastors and many who served in ministry with her said very loving things about her. The Senior Pastor preached a powerful sermon that uplifted our sorrowful hearts. He preached about how Dorothy “fought the good fight of faith”; he talked about the resurrection and that we’d see her again, and that she was now in glory in the presence of the Heavenly Father. After the sermon, I felt so much peace. That’s the awesome power of our Lord. In the midst of great sorrow and despair, He’s able to bring peace to our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit.

       Don’t you just love that about God? “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) These are comforting words from a Lord who loves us and looks forward to dwelling with us forever.

Dear Dorothy,

I love you, and I miss you. But I’m at peace knowing you’re with the Lord, and I’ll see you again. You were wonderful to me. You loved me and treated me like a daughter, and I loved and honored you as a mother. I’ll miss your voice, our phone conversations, and our prayer times. You’ll always be in my thoughts, and you will hold a special place in my heart.

Love Your Spiritual Daughter,

Judy


** This post is linked to Brag on God Fridays here.
** This post is also linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Major Testimony!

“Now to him Who, by the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. (Ephesians 3:20)

       Just last week a miracle happened!

       After almost two years of prayer, I was offered a leading Editor position at a business-to-business healthcare publisher of print and online magazines. I am in awe of what God has done.

       The journey I was on to search for this dream job was painstaking at times as some of you know, but along the way God enabled me to learn much about the changing landscape of my profession and reconnect with many of my former colleagues from years past. He also introduced me to new colleagues who encouraged and counseled me.

       

New Role

       In my role as Editor, I will be considered the face of a leading healthcare magazine, responsible for developing story ideas, assigning articles to junior staff and freelance writers, helping to create design concepts with graphic artists, communicating with readers on Facebook and Twitter, as well as editing and writing online content — everything I want to be doing in magazine publishing.

       God has truly answered my prayers. He gave me every single desire and secret petition of my heart (Psalm 37:3-4)!

God's Schooling

       Not only did I learn more about my profession, but the Lord taught me more about Himself, how He works, and that He never left me for a second even though at times it felt like He had. Each step of my journey, He placed many people in my path who helped me revise my resume, gave me jobs leads and great encouragement. All along God had the perfect job all picked out for me. He kept telling me to wait, be patient. And when the job became available, He led me right to it. All I had to do was apply and go through the interview process. From the moment I applied for the job to the day I received the offer was 7 days. God worked quickly. And I'm so thankful for it. 

Busy as a Bee

       During the first week of June the Lord gave me the incredible idea to create my own Website — an online portfolio of my writing and editing samples from previous journalism jobs. And guess what? I did it. For the past four weeks, I've been diligently scanning and uploading articles and supplements, launching another blog, and organizing the site. Which explains why I haven't had time to write articles for this blog or post new photos on my photo blog. I'm so thrilled with the way my Website has turned out. Please visit the site at judithriddle.com and my new blog, and let me know what you think.

Back in the Saddle

       Now that things have calmed down a bit, I'll be able to kick back, relax, post more articles and photos, visit your blogs, and leave comments again. I miss you guys. To God be the glory for all He has done. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you so much for your awesome love and power in our lives. When our faith wavers, you are still faithful. Thank you for your patience, compassion, mercy and grace. Where would we be without it? In your Name I pray, Amen!

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here. 
** It is also linked to Brag on God Fridays here.

Devotional Blog Makeover!

Hi Everyone!

       Notice anything different? Yep, I gave my blog a facelift. I don't know about you, but as a woman who thrives on creativity I get bored with the same 'ol same 'ol. I wanted to give my blog a new look to kick off the spring and summer. A template with lighter, brighter colors, a departure from the darker hues of fall and winter — and a new photo — this time without holding my camera. (Even thinking about changing the name of my blog.) So here it is.
       Let me know what you think. But please be kind. :-)
       Hopefully, I'll post a new article soon. Not sure what to write about next. May the Lord inspire me this holiday weekend.

       I have a slew of photos I took of cows, llamas, donkeys, and turkeys at a nearby farm I visited recently that I want to put on my photo blog. Just don't know how to package it yet. The photo above was taken the day I took the farm pictures. Yeah, that's me holding a branch of yellow forsythias.
       The picture to the right also was taken that day. I stood on a bridge to get that shot as cars and trucks whizzed by going 40 mph. A little scary — and risky to say the least. But I had to get that shot. Only a seasoned, diehard photographer could understand. Not that I'm a seasoned photographer, but I aspire to be.
       Well, if I don't get to speak with any of you in the next couple of days, please have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend with your family and friends, and write about it so I can get inspired.

Blessings,
Judy

Fallout from Harold Camping's Doomsday Prediction

       When the clock struck 6:01 pm this past Saturday, May 21, 2011, many Christians and non-Christians alike breathed a sigh of relief. The church wasn’t raptured, and a massive earthquake didn’t occur.

       Most of the day Saturday I joked around about Harold Camping’s false prophecy with my mom, my hairstylist, and a fellow patron while getting our hair done at a neighborhood beauty salon.

       “I’m getting my hair done for Jesus,” I quipped.

       “I want to have all of my errands done before 6 pm,” a woman giggled, “so I’ll be ready.”

       Don Lemon, a CNN news anchor, even joked a bit. “Well, it’s 5:52 pm, 8 minutes before the world is supposed to come to an end. I’ll hang around for a couple of seconds after 6 to see if we’re still here.” When it was 6 pm, Lemon said, “Well, looks like we’re still here. Now let’s go to The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” My son and I chuckled as I turned off the television.

Not so Funny

       While some poked fun of the doomsday prediction, because they simply didn’t believe it, at least one of Camping’s followers didn’t think it was so funny. In a news segment on ABC World News Weekend Edition filmed in Times Square New York City, Good Morning America anchor Ron Claiborne interviewed Robert Fitzpatrick, a Camping follower and retiree who allegedly spent a sizeable chunk of his $140,000 life savings on poster advertisements in the New York City subways. Claiborne reported that Fitzpatrick was clearly shaken, shocked, and saddened when nothing happened at 6 pm.

Interrogation Time

       News reporters, cameramen, photographers, and irate New Yorkers surrounded Fitzpatrick in Times Square and peppered him with questions. “We’re still here! We’re still here!” exclaimed an onlooker. “Why didn’t the earthquake happen?” “Why are we still here?” demanded a man in the crowd. Fitzpatrick tried to explain from the bible how Camping arrived at his doomsday prediction. “That’s God Word,” shouted another man. “You shouldn’t play around with God’s Word.” “I want my money back,” demanded a woman. “Are those people who spent money on buses to travel around going to get their money back?” “Are they going to get their money back?”

       My burning question is: What does Camping have to say about all of this? One news report said Camping was in seclusion in Oakland, Calif., and couldn’t be reached for comment.

Can Anything Good Come From This?

       The travesty behind this false prophecy is that many of Camping’s followers spent their hard earned money, left their jobs, left their families, and wasted time traveling the country to spread the news that the world was going to end on May 21, 2011. The false prediction made people nervous at the very least and almost caused a panic. The good news is that this false prediction got people talking about the bible, the gospel, who Jesus is, the fact you must be saved to go to Heaven, and that there will come a time when God’s judgment will come upon the earth. So if it takes an event such as this, even a duplicitous one, to spread the gospel and encourage people to begin thinking about their salvation and spiritual lives, it can’t be all that bad (Philippians 1:18). 


** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Is Christ Coming Back May 21, 2011?

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." (Mark 13:32-33)
       By now, you've probably seen newscasts, YouTube videos, Tweets, Facebook chatter, and billboards, declaring the message that Christ is going to return tomorrow, Saturday, May 21, 2011. You've probably heard that there's going to be a tremendous earthquake that will kill millions of people, and that the church is going to be raptured, and escape God's wrath; and five months later on October 21, 2011, God is going to completely destroy the earth and the universe.
       Well according to the Bible, these proclamations are simply not true. No one knows the day or the hour when the Lord will come back to this earth to take those who believe in Him to Heaven. There are signs of His imminent return (i.e., war in the Middle East, false prophets, earthquakes, tornados, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.), but we cannot know the actual day — no matter how clever our mathematical calculations.
       This false prophecy came from Harold Camping, a Christian radio broadcaster and president of Family Radio, a California-based broadcasting network. Mr. Camping has been known to use so-called Bible-based numerology to predict dates for the end of the world. He miscalculated that Christ would return September 1994. When he realized he was wrong, he recalculated and came up with a new date: May 21, 2011.
       The mention of Christ returning May 21, 2011, has caused quite a stir.
       Many of Mr. Camping's followers have left their jobs and families to stand on street corners and travel from town to town and state to state to tell people the news. I know they mean well, because Jesus said we should share the gospel and warn people of the coming judgment of God, because unless a person is born again, he or she will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
       Just as earthquakes, wars, and rumors of wars are signs of the end times and of Christ's return, so are false prophets spreading false information. "... many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:11). So let us be informed — not deceived.
       Everything we need to know about the truth of Christ's return is in our bibles. All we have to do is open it up and read it. Yes, Christ will return, and God's judgment will take place, but only according to His timing, not ours. "Jesus said to them [his disciples]: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority" (Acts 1:7).

** This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.

Experience God's Resurrection Power

“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength.” (Ephesians 1:17-19)

Three weeks have whizzed by since we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. And while some of us may have moved on with our lives and placed the significance of that day behind us, it’s important to reflect on the impact and the difference the resurrection should make in our daily lives.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we can have intimate fellowship with our Heavenly Father and get to know Him better. And we need the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation to accomplish this.

God wants us to get to know Him better and experience His resurrection power in every aspect of our lives — His incomparably great power for us who believe. Just the idea of being able to experience God’s power in every facet of my life gives me goose bumps. Hope. And great joy.

My Pastor said we can miss God’s power if we’re not in tune with Him, which is why we must have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation to discern when His power is at work.

However, my Pastor did say that even though we believe in God’s power, that doesn’t mean that everything is always going work out exactly the way we want it to. That grabbed my attention, especially since I’ve been praying and praying and praying for a successful career move for more than a year and not much, if any, fruit has resulted. “Why isn’t God answering my prayers?” I complain. “Is He not listening? Am I doing something wrong? Is God mad at me? How long, O Lord?” 

My Pastor reassured that God’s power is at work in our lives even though we don’t see it. “Whew! That’s a relief,” I thought. For a while, I’ve been wrestling with the horrible, unwarranted thought that God has abandoned me. I know He promises to never leave me nor forsake me, but lately I’ve just been feeling distant from God — as though I’ve entered a dry spell. My faith had been wavering back and forth.

“God’s incomparably great power is available today, right now for those who believe,” my Pastor asserted. I do believe. I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and I want to experience His great power in my life every day. I’ve experienced it plenty of times before, so why not now?

Shameful question.

I know God has blessed me immensely and continues to do so. I have a great husband, son, and family, wonderful friends, and all of my needs are met — and then some. So yes, God’s mighty power is at work in my life indeed. Because Jesus is alive, I have great hope; you have great hope; and our world has great hope.

May we ask the Lord to give us His Spirit of wisdom and revelation to get to know Him better. May we come to know the hope to which He has called us, and experience His incomparably great power as we daily believe and put our trust in Him.

* This post is linked to Spiritual Sundays here.