Consider the Waterfall
by Julie Lavender

   I 

      love 

         waterfalls. 

DANCING INTO THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD

by Julie Lavender

Most weeks on my blog, I talk about one of God’s masterpieces that I notice on my morning walk. I love learning lessons from His creations. I sometimes discuss the lessons I learn along my writing path, too.

This week, I’d love to spotlight a young gal who was born with spina bifida occulta and a tethered spinal cord. She was delayed with each stage of development as a baby and toddler, and the surgeon couldn’t assure Katherine’s mom that she would ever walk.

Use your writing as a gift to others

By Julie Lavender

I recently shared the story below on Edie Melson's The Write Conversation blog. As we head into Christmas, I'm reminded that as writers, our words are firstly a gift to us from the Almighty Author. How we use those words God gives us can then be used as a gift to others. And often, our words don't return void, as they bounce right back to us as even more blessings. It's a wonderful cycle! 

Write on, my friends, and use your gift of writing as a gift to others, but most especially, as a humble sacrifice to the One who gave you the words in the first place! 

Share good news with the gift of writing 

I didn’t bring a gift to the birthday celebration. In fact, the gentleman celebrating his special day was the one who distributed gifts. Ninety gifts to be exact.

CONSIDER THE ARMADILLO
by Julie Lavender

My family took an afternoon walk the day after Thanksgiving in a nearby state park. The weather was beautiful here in south-Georgia, and I was on a quest to take pictures of autumn shades before the leaves completely let go for the season.

CONSIDER THE SWEETGUM TREE
by Julie Lavender

I’ve watched for weeks as many of my Facebook friends have bragged and boasted, gloated and crowed. Words and pictures piqued my jealousy. It’s just not fair. Everybody else has them …. why can’t I enjoy the splendor, too?

Thank you, God, for words to share.....

by Julie Lavender

Tonight, I’m especially thankful for a unique accomplishment in my writing journey: a cover story for a children’s magazine.

And, I’m grateful for this writing credit, because I recognize that the path to get here wouldn’t have been possible without my attendance at writing conferences.   

The opportunity to chat with magazine editor Jesse Florea during a one-on-one appointment at the 2017 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference enabled me to present a story idea for Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse Magazine.

CONSIDER THE ZEBRA LONGWING BUTTERLY

by Julie Lavender

I always forget they’re still here this time of year. 

Strikingly beautiful with their black bodies and black wings and impressive, light-yellow zebra-like stripes stretching across each wing, Zebra longwing butterflies glide about the lantana flowers in the front yard.

Thankful for Writing Friends and the Writing Journey
by Julie Lavender


I love writing about my walk with God in the great outdoors and the lessons I learn from His creative masterpieces that creep, crawl, fly, slither, or put down roots and send up sprouts and stems.



But, as most of you know, a huge part of my walk with God includes my writing journey. 


I'm blessed to be part of Edie Melson's writing website, The Write Conversation, and I contribute monthly. I hope you'll take a look at my Thanksgiving post on her site. You'll find it here.


I'll share part of the post below, and I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! 

With newspaper writing, I’ve learned to:

Tackle “writing tight.”

Hone valuable editing skills.

Accumulate bylines quickly.

Network with fascinating members of the community.

Kickstart platform and name recognition.

Share “little” stories that might otherwise go untold.

Gain experience writing on deadline.

Inspire readers with positive, encouraging, faith-based stories.

Value local stories of God’s work in the community.

Incorporate original articles in other outlets.

Notice and acknowledge community members of faith.

Generate income, albeit minimal, at times.

God bless you, my friends. 
I thank God for you often! 

GUEST BLOGGER

My guest blogger today is my friend Connie Edwards Wohlford, who was an online friend and then a conference friend - or vice versa! I feel like I've known her so long that I'm not sure just how we first met! We share words in person, on social media, and in a compilation, Heart Reno. And, I just recently had the pleasure of visiting with her at the Enrich Conference, where she won the First Place writing award at the conference contest! You'll see Connie receiving her award from Katy Kauffman in the picture to the right. 

I know you'll enjoy her writing, just like I do. Please enjoy her post below and take a look at her website for more great nuggets of godly wisdom and encouragement. 

The Stones Are Alive                          

1 Peter 2:4-5

One by one they placed a stone onto the grave of Oskar Schindler. Who were these people and why were they doing this? It was a solemn moment and there were few dry eyes as we watched this take place on the big screen in movie theaters across the globe. 

Those small rocks were released from the hands of Jews who were rescued or descendants of those rescued from the torment or death of Hitler’s Third Reich. Those small rocks were saying to the departed Gentile hero, “My memory of you is solid as rock. You will never be forgotten.”

If you saw the movie, Schindler’s List, I’m sure you remember the scene.

A rock or stone can symbolize many things. It can be used destructively in a riot or as a means of execution as with Steven, an early follow of Jesus (Acts 7:54-60). In Peter’s letter to some First Century followers of Jesus he sees stones as building materials.

Rejected, but chosen … and precious. Who is Peter describing? 

He had just affirmed the recipients of his letter, saying they have “tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:3b), professing that these people have partaken of the kindness of Jesus. Now he wants them, and us, to understand more deeply what it means to follow Christ. 

“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:4-5 NKJV).

From being like a new born babe and then maturing into having the ability to put away the traits of a dark heart—that is a sinful past—(v.2), now the Christ follower becomes like a stone—a living stone—like Jesus.

Peter knew about stones. When Jesus called him out to be His disciple, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas,” which is translated, a stone (John 1:42 NKJV).  

Later, when Jesus asked of His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter spoke up and answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:15-16). 

Jesus affirmed Peter in that moment and confirmed Peter’s revelation statement. The Lord said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah (meaning son of Jonah), for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:17-18 NKJV).

 Peter is translated, Petros - Petra (Greek), meaning rock.

Jesus is not saying that Peter is the rock on which the church is built, but that his faith, which Peter resolutely expressed, is the foundation stone of the church Jesus is building. Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone and He is the very foundation of His church, the body of Christ. 

Peter declares Jesus the living stone on which God’s spiritual house is being built and that as we continuously come to Jesus we recognize Him as the stone that was rejected and crucified by men (Psalm 118:22). He also points out that Jesus was chosen by God and is precious to the Father.  

The imagery of a stone or rock is significant in the Bible as well as in Jewish traditions. In Matthew 7:24-29, we’re instructed to build on rock, not sand, and Jesus is referred to as the Rock of our Salvation in Psalm 89:26.

Jesus is the solid foundation stone and, like Peter, our solid rock belief in Him makes us useful as His living building blocks.

Paul wrote a beautiful metaphor of God building His church: “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:14 NKJV).    

Stone upon stone, we are living, breathing members of God’s eternal construction project. It is our honor and blessing, as Christ followers, to be living stones. We are building materials in the the spiritual house which Jesus is raising up. And not only that, we are a holy priesthood offering up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God (v.4). Let’s take a look at that in my next post. 

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19 NKJV).

Your comments are welcome; join the conversation!

Bio:

Former public-school teacher and award-winning author, Connie Wohlford is passionate to see individuals deepen their intimacy with God and develop a Biblical worldview. She has written several Bible studies, six Christian children’s books, a devotional, and has been published in Christian magazines. She also enjoys speaking for civic and church events. Connie and husband, Guy, make their home in the Virginia mountains.

Connect with Connie: https://twitter.com/wohlford_connie 

https://www.facebook.com/ConnieWohlfordAuthor/  

https://www.instagram.com/conniewohlford/

Blog: http://godswordourdestiny.blogspot.com/  

Sweet surprises along the writing journey
by Julie Lavender

My walk with God this week takes me on an unexpected publication journey, rather than on my usual nature walk blogpost. Most of my writing projects have followed a certain, expected path - pray, research, read, attend conferences, pray, query, wait, receive a few rejections, pray, query more, celebrate an acceptance, praise, pray, write, hit "send," wait, celebrate publication! 


But, I love it when God surprises me, reminding me that He is the author and perfecter of my faith, as well as my writings! 

Several years ago at a conference, I met Michelle Cox during one of the amazing classes she taught. Her effervescent personality, never-ending smile, joyous spirit, and heart for the Lord inspired me from the moment I met her. Her passion for God is evident in all that she says and does.

CONSIDER THE MAYFLY

Its name is a misnomer. The diminutive insect is active more often than just the month of May. My husband and I spotted a plethora of those dainty mayflies flitting about while we were walking on an Indian summer day.

“Look quickly – they only live a day,” said my biologist husband. “Sometimes two days, at most.”

Mayflies, in the order Ephemeroptera, have one job as an adult: to mate and produce eggs to start the cycle all over again. The female lays the eggs on top of the water. As the eggs fall to the bottom of the water, the female quickly becomes fish food for surface lurkers.

GUEST BLOGGER

I "met" my guest blogger, J.D. Wininger, through our Blue Ridge Bible Study Writers group on Facebook, but I'll meet him in person soon at the Enrich Conference in just a couple of weeks. J.D. writes a wonderful blog each week at "Around the Cross Dubya," and his posts center around the ranch that he and his wife own and take care of. On his blog, he states: "As a Christian writer, my sole desire is to bring glory to God by using the gifts and talents He gave me, in his service." One of those gifts that I've noticed in our friend J.D. is the gift of encouraging. J.D. is faithful to respond to others' posts and comments with some of the most encouraging words I've ever read, words that lend spiritual insight and wisdom to the subject at hand, and words that encourage the writer with kindness and empathy. Please enjoy J.D.'s powerful post below, and then check out his website for more great posts.

Nature’s Webs

by J.D. Wininger

This morning while watering the calves, I glimpsed a grasshopper that seemed to be hanging in mid-air. Like a stop-motion video, I turned to understand what I was looking at. Sure enough, a grasshopper had jumped its way right into a web from one of my garden spiders. Here, it was suspended between the side of one of my stock trailers and its rear gate. As I watched the grasshopper struggle to free itself for about fifteen seconds, I noticed the spider on the other end of the web approaching. It quickly made its way to the prey, subduing it by injecting a toxin.

This week, I'm veering just off the path a tad, away from my nature-centered blog, unless you consider teenagers a bunch of "wild" creations, and at times, I certainly did with my own teens and with the ones I volunteered with at my church! 

I wrote about that in a devotional that was published in The Upper Room, and I would be honored if you'd take a look at that devotional and join in on the comments on that page. 

God does take us down various paths "on our walk" with Him, and I enjoyed my time of serving Him while volunteering with the youth group for many years.

Please click here to read. 

Also, please take a look at "more from Julie Lavender" and you'll see pictures of the two grandmothers that encouraged me while "on my walk with God" as a youngster. I'd be delighted if you'd check that out, also. 

Thank you, as always, for reading. I treasure each one of you!

CONSIDER THE MILLIPEDE

by Julie Lavender

The steamy hot humid nights we’ve had lately in southeast Georgia have brought out a plethora of millipedes on my evening walks with my husband. My morning walks seem to catch those arthropods heading back to daytime shelter after nocturnal foraging for decaying leaves and other dead plant matter.

CONSIDER THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY
by Julie Lavender

Beautiful Painted Lady butterflies caught my attention as I headed out for my morning walk with God. Flitting about the bright-colored lantana blooms, the winged insects searched for sweet nectar amongst the blossoms. Flashes of deep orange against black, with white-spot embellishments, are eye-catching and appealing as the butterflies never seem to sit still for longer than a few seconds.

CONSIDER THE CICADA 
by Julie Lavender

I love my walks with God anywhere, but I especially like the quiet, serene ones that take me out of my neighborhood and away from civilian life. Like the opportunity to hike in the mountains of north Georgia, where I know the roar of vehicles won’t interrupt my thoughts or the occasional plane flying over won’t distract me. Or the pleasant sounds of children playing won’t take me out of my daydreams or prayers.

GUEST BLOGGER

Please join me in welcoming my guest blogger today, Debbie Wilson. I met Debbie online first, because we had mutual writing friends, but then figured out we both graduated from the same college, Georgia Southern University! I enjoy her writing, and I know that you will also. I'd planned to share this post on my site at some point, and, with Hurricane Dorian on the prowl, this weekend seemed like the appropriate time! Delight in and be challenged by her writing, then check out more of her words on her own blog, Refreshing Faith.

How a Storm’s Anger Revealed God’s Angels

On a Wednesday evening my daughter Ginny opened a letter saying her insurance agency had suspended her comprehensive and collateral car coverage. Her records showed continued withdrawal payments to her insurance agency. She figured the notice was a mistake.

CONSIDER THE DEVIL'S WALKING STICK
by Julie Lavender

My early morning walk took me past a small stream, and just on the other side, I noticed the prickly-stemmed Devil’s walking stick standing resolute and firm in the bright sunshine.

Named aptly for the sharp, menacing spines all along the trunk, the Devil’s walking stick is a shrub or small tree that grows native in the southeastern United States. Armed with unforgiving prickles on the trunk, the upper portion offers green leaves, late-summer flowers, and juicy black berries.

GUEST BLOGGER

Please welcome my guest blogger, Adria Wilkins. I first met Adria at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and her JOY was evident with the first introduction. Her smile is never-ending, and her kindness extends to everyone around her. It's no wonder her newest book is entitled, The Joy Box Journal.

After suffering the unthinkable - the death of her son, three-year-old Blake, Adria found that Jesus sustains, and evens surprises His followers with joy. She shares that "joy" with readers in her book that just released in late July. 

Read her post below about a tender moment with her married kids' dog, then check out her bio and more information about her delightful book. 

CONSIDER THE BUTTONBUSH

by Julie Lavender

On a recent afternoon at our family riverhouse, my husband and I paddled downstream and wandered along the banks in a couple of places. One of my favorite shrubs along the water’s edge is the buttonbush.

GUEST BLOGGER

Please welcome my guest blogger, Judy Ducharme. I first met Judy in Rye, New York in the fall of 2014 when both of us were blessed to win the Guideposts Magazine writing contest. We joined ten other winners and Guideposts editors for a week-long, trip-of-a-lifetime in our writing journey, informative conference that taught us the ins and outs of writing for Guideposts publications. Judy and I have enjoyed staying in touch via social media, but we've had the pleasure to see each other face to face at several writing conferences since that time, too. 

Please read Judy's blog below about God's creations, check out her bio and book information following the blog, and be sure to visit her website and keep up with her on social media. You'll enjoy her work as much as I do!!  

Godly Grandeur – Perpetual Creation

by Judy DuCharme

Have you ever considered that our grief over the tragedies in our schools and world reveal the heart and purpose of God? Not the event, not the tragedy, but the grief. God's purposing for life is hard-wired into our very being.

GUEST BLOGGER

My guest blogger today is Dr. Roy Lucas. I first met Roy and his wife, Veda, at the Kauffman's Enrich conference last fall. (Go here to find out about the 2019 Enrich conference.) What a delight to meet the Lucas couple! Both are writers; how 'bout that? And both were so encouraging and inspiring, about the Word, writing, and just living this life in a godly way. I think you'll enjoy his words below, just as much as I did! Please join our conversation, and then check out his website for more of his words! 

Go to the Ant

Proverbs 6: 6-8

            Trudging up the side of Tel Gezer in Israel proved to be more than a mere walk. I served among the members of the Tel Gezer Archaeological Survey Team in June of 2016. The steep hillside of Tel Gezer is surrounded by farm land with productive fields and orchards, and other untended sections.

CONSIDER THE TIGER BEETLE

by Julie Lavender

A small flash of metallic green catches my eye as I head out for my walk with God. Closer inspection reveals a tiger beetle darting amongst the blades of grass in search of food.

Named for the ravenous eating habits of both the larva and adult, tiger beetles eat spiders and an assorted menu of insects. And, boy, can they move!

CONSIDER THE SPITTLEBUG
by Julie Lavender

My walk with God began early enough today that the dew still clung to the grass. That’s not always the case, which made me take notice of the splotches of spit that also clung to many blades of grass in my front yard.

Spittlebugs.

CONSIDER THE FIREFLY
by Julie Lavender

I love watching the fireflies this time of year! It’s fun to watch their twinkling lights at dusk. 

Fireflies, sometimes called ‘lightning bugs,’ are found on every continent except Antarctica. They like warm, humid places and only come out in the summertime.

GUEST BLOGGER

Few in the writing world have not heard of my guest blogger this week. Edie Melson is a writer's cheerleader and encourager and has such a wealth of knowledge about the writing and publishing world that practically anything she says or writes is a nugget of gold. 

Her recently-published goldmine is a book entitled, Soul Care for Writers, published by Bold Vision Books. Edie helps the reader find Soul Care solutions using devotions and prayers and opportunities for creative expression. As a result, the reader develops a deeper relationship with God and embraces rest for a weary soul.