Book Review - Awakening the Light by Natasha Woodcraft

Greetings, 

I hope everyone is doing well. I've had Natasha Woodcraft's new faith-based fantasy in my "to-be-read" pile since it was released in April, and I must tell you, it did not disappoint. 

I have read some of her other work, but Awakening the Light really stood out to me. I can not wait to share my thoughts on the first book in this series. So here you go. 

See you in the pages, 

MJE

Finding Philemon: Lessons Learned

Greetings, 

One of the things I've always desired to do in my career as a writer has been to publish a blog post or to record a video of the lessons I learned throughout the writing process and how those lessons impacted my life, whether it be in the spiritual sense, the emotional sense, or even the educational sense. I have to be honest here, I fully intended to have this post up last week. I failed to put the time aside to do that though. I am glad though, because it gave me more time to reflect on all the things that have taken place in 2023.

From the Darkside of the Light

“When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.” – Jonah  3:10 (NLT)
-----

Sometimes it is hard to really grasp what God is trying to say to us, isn’t it?  We live our live in the moment, as we should, and it just seems that finding Him at work is almost impossible at times. All to often we talk so much about the Love of God that we forget about His wrath, His judgement and His reactive spirit.

It took me a great deal of time to realize this but every time I see God at work in one of those three fashions, I am seeing Him work in Love. God reveals His love to us in so many ways  and we will never be able to comprehend them.

In the instance of the passage above, God had just told the Ninevites that he was going to destroy them. At first he was, but when they repented, He relented His Judgement. In our lives, there may be those moments in which we feel as though we are getting hit way more with the bad things of this world than the Good. Many would even say, it often seems as though He is letting more of the bad happen then the good.

I don’t agree with this assessment, because we live in a fallen world and because of that one fact, we will always have to face the consequences of a world that has turned it’s back on God.

Don't get me wrong, there are still a faithful few but the world we, as believers, claim to love so much has turned its focus away from the one who created it. To be completely honest, I don't really think that it’s really a fair gesture that we have to deal with these consequences, but it’s reality, so what are you going to do, right?

We can’t change what’s happened in the past but we can change will happen in the days to come. God used a very dark message to bring a heavenly outcome in the history of Nineveh. The King’s willingness to bring His city into a repentant mind set changed a dark and gloomy future into something bright and beautiful. He can do that in your life today if you let Him.   

Today, I believe I share a calling that few have been given. It’s a call to speak of the repentant heart. As I begin to embrace this calling those that read my content will see a change in venue, so to speak. I will begin to speak from the dark side of the light. For the longest time It was my passion, my desire to share content that is both simple and positively encouraging but times have changed and God has placed this passion upon my heart.

I believe that you will begin to see a darker side to what I post. In the midst of this dark tone, I also feel that there be an encouraging flair to what I share. Just as the Prophets of Old spoke through lamenting, cautionary thoughts and bold warnings, it has been placed upon my heart to do the same.

This is only the beginning and I truly hope you will join in as we journey together into a bright and beautiful future. 

Stay Tuned,  

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

A Call to Return to the Light (Election 2016)

Greetings, 

I have argued with myself over posting this for about a week now (and while I still have my reservations) here it is. Many of you know from social media outlets that there is a very important event planned for tomorrow, Super Tuesday. In the past I have stayed out of politics for the most part but this year the elections have weighed heavily upon my heart.  I am very fearful of what the outcome may be if we do not stand by our convictions as Americans and for those that are devout Believers.

I am by no means planning to endorse any particular candidate for the race this year, (nor do I believe such an endorsement would make a lot of difference) but I do feel compelled to encourage each of you that will be voting tomorrow (and in the coming weeks) to really take a look into who you're voting for.  By the time the votes come our way there may already be a nominee from each party, but this will not keep me from choosing my preferred candidate.

Don't vote with just your heart or with just your mind.  Take some time to think about whom you will be casting your vote for tomorrow. Set a side a few moments to simply google the candidates and truly seek out which candidate you feel is the right choice with both your heart, and your mind together. So often we act with one and not the other and that leaves us with only part of the truth that lies with in our souls. Don't let those around you determine who you will vote for. It is your choice and your choice alone. This election will change the face of our country even more than it has been changed over the past 7 years with the current administration (whether you believe that to be good or bad change).

theheartforabba.com

From my perspective, I will be praying that the heart of God is revealed to this nation and the foundation it was built upon will stand.  Honestly, a part of me is terrified that our great God has turned our country over to its sinful desires. Whether you stand with what I believe or not, we have strayed away from the country we were meant to be and if we continue down this path we will have to face the consequences.  Darkness has covered our land and the lights that shine upon the hill are slowly beginning to hide themselves under that bushel. In the end, I know that there is a plan for everything that will take place in the coming weeks (whether I like the end result or not). But I must encourage you all to decide for yourselves whom you believe is the best choice for the future of America. Scripture tells us in Joshua 24:14-15 ESV...

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We must choose this day whom we believe will serve our country with the right intentions and with the right motivations.  I truly believe the light that once shined from the mention of our country has begun to diminish. It is our choices in the coming months that will determine whether we continue down that path or if we fade into the darkness. Do not vote out of dependence on the candidates, vote out of dependence on God. Step forward into that light that once shined so brightly and vote for the candidate your heart, your mind and your soul determines is right, for this is our time to break free and to throw those bushels into the wind.

My heart goes out to all of you that will be casting your vote tomorrow and I pray that you will not be mired by the media, by those around you, or by the bushel that hides our light from this world. May you determine with your heart, your mind, and your soul who you will vote for tomorrow.

Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting "The Gathering Room"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.

Reflecting Christmas; The Lights of Christmas

The Lights of Christmas is a very special chapter of this eBook. So special I wanted to wait until our daughters 3rd birthday to share it with you all, because it was her birth that brought the Light of Christmas back into my heart. It suits her very well as The Lights of Christmas have been one of her favorite things this year :-).

-----

PHOTO CREDIT; www.christianity.about.com

Christmas lights are an important symbol of Christmas and they have been used for a good number of years to reflect the “Spirit of Christmas.” If we take a step back into history, the tradition of lighting something in celebration of the season of Christmas has been used for longer than most can remember. In the beginning, those that took part in this celebration actually used Candles to share the light Christmas offers.They would even place the candles directly on their Christmas tree. 
While there has not been a specific reason as to why people throughout history have done this, I tend to think it was done as a reflection of the Light that came into the world that dark and starry night.14 In Max Lucado’s Movie “The Christmas Candle” we see the impact that the light of Christmas Candle actually had back then. For years the character in the story have depended on the light of a Christmas candle to give them hope, It is only when we come to the end of this timely story that they see where there hope should be.
Before we get side tracked through lets bring ourselves back to the Lights of Christmas. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the idea of hanging electric lights became the more popular tradition. While candles are still used, the light bulb has taken on the more prominent role. Here in the United States, the tradition of using Christmas lights started happening more than using candles in the 1960’s.15 Since that time, the use of Christmas lights has become a very influential symbol of Christmas for many Christian believers. It reminds us all of that special Light that came into the world to outshine the darkness (John 8:12 NIV).

PHOTO CREDIT: Marchiano Ministries 

While Christmas lights are a symbol of Christ to many Christians, they also serve as a reminder to us. They remind us that we can be a light for others as well. There is a very interesting story about Christmas lights and while I cannot verify this story, it goes something like this: There once was a man who thoroughly enjoyed Christmas lights. He enjoyed them so much that he left them up year round way longer that most everyone else. One day one of his closest friends challenged him to find a reason leave them up all year. As this man sought to take on this challenge he was lead to a particular passage in the gospel of Matthew. The man thought about this passage for some time and soon found his reason. He would keep the lights up all year long because of his faith in God. Here is the passage he read: Matthew 5:14-16 ESV.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

He felt that this passage encouraged him to be a light in a dark world for all to see. He kept the colors pretty neutral, but the meaning was still there. While many asked questions, he didn’t take them down until the following New Year. This one simple act while unorthodox, began to make others think about what he was doing and why. In response to this, just as the characters in “The Christmas Candle” did after seeing the Reverend lead with his example, the people in the neighborhood around this man began to do other things throughout their community to bring a little more light into a darkened world.

PHOTO CREDIT: www.pinterest.com

We too, can be a light to those around us and it doesn’t take a special “Christmas Candle” or the hanging of some Christmas lights to do so. We can do small things. Remember, it is often the smaller things can make a bigger difference. We are all created with our own unique personality. You may be a writer at heart, as I am, a great musician, eloquent speaker, an amazing people person, or even wield a servant's heart. All these things and more can bring the Light of Christmas into the darkness of this world. As you look around at the Christmas lights this year remember that darkness is everywhere, and that we can reflect the spirit of Christmas as a light that shines into the darkness. Don’t ever forget that you are God’s Unique Creation and you can make a difference (Colossians 1:16 ESV).

PHOTO CREDIT: www.pinterest.com

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV),

M.E.