Ripples of Energy

I have a sign in my kitchen that says “I’m not weird. I’m gifted.” It was given to me by a friend, a very optimistic friend, and I look at it often, hoping it is true.

I, who made my worst grades in math and science, read quantum physics. Not real often but as often as I can make my mind work well enough. It all started during a drought in central Kentucky and I’d been praying for rain. I was at a yard sale and saw a 3rd grade science textbook. Thinking maybe it might be easier for me now that I was much older, I bought it. One of the first things it taught me was that all the water that was ever on the earth is still here. We are an ecosystem. No water molecules are lost. Water is recycled: steam, vapor, ice, back to water.

Wow! How had I missed that? That meant that I could be bathing in molecules of water that Jesus walked on, or was baptized in! Or drinking water that He changed into wine that eventually ended up being water again. It gave me faith to speak to water clouds and tell them to come to my area. And they did!

That little bit of information made me hungry to know more. Especially since a few years earlier, while I was alone floating on a raft on Green River, I experienced the Lord saying to me, “When you understand how the place where I live works, and how the place you live works, and how you and I can be in both places at the same time, you’ll begin to see miracles. And they won’t seem like miracles at all.”

Now you can understand why I look at my kitchen sign often.

Anyway, I began a treasure hunt among science facts that eventually led me to quantum physics. It’s important to be very grounded in the Word of God to read books on quantum physics because it’s understood and written about by many new age aficionados

That doesn’t make the facts less true; it just means we must always begin with the Word and see if the conclusions drawn match with what we KNOW to be Truth.

Yesterday, I was reading a book that described some wave functions and compared some things to a pebble being dropped in a pool and rippling out in all directions. Water again! And I know that Jesus is preparing and cleansing His Bride with the water of the Word. And I knew that the human body is approximately 2/3 water in makeup.

Suddenly I could see it. His Word, when dropped into and received in our hearts, starts waves of spiritual energy - faith - that ripples out in all directions to bring that Word to pass. Our wills, minds, emotions, bodies, and circumstances will change to conform to that Word. And, I believe, that energy can flood out to others in life changing ways as well.

So make waves! Start the ripples of energy! Drop the Word of God in your heart: read it, ponder it, speak it, expect it to be made flesh. And then watch Him work miracles.

And tell me and others about what happens!

“... Christ loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:25b - 27

Watching out for Whales

While cleaning out file cabinets I found some of the humor columns I wrote for the local newspaper years ago. I think it was in the late '80's. One really made me laugh so I thought I'd share:

WATCHING OUT FOR WHALES AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR
In my own personal vision of heaven, I see the greatest mansion, heaped full of the biggest rewards, sitting on the highest pinnacle, nearest the heart of God. It is populated with church nursery workers, elementary Sunday School teachers, and children's ministers. Eventually each one is released from his or her straight jacket, able to stop babbling incoherently, and free to enjoy the surroundings.

Having learned from reading the story of Jonah, who got swallowed by a whale because he didn't go where God told him to go, I minister to children about twice a year. God seems to understand that's all I can handle because so far I have not had any whales come to gobble me up.

Recently I made on of my semi-annual "insurance against being whale food" endeavors.
Several churches in a nearby community held an all day youth gathering and I was to speak to four different groups for 40 minutes each. The first seminar was a piece of cake and I relaxed and prepared to enjoy the day.

Then I went to the room set aside for 10 - 12 year olds. After ten minutes I had them all seated on the tables. (You notice I wrote 'on' not 'at'.) Before I could start my presentation, a charming bright-eyed lad named Chris spoke out.

"What I want to know is this: We call God 'he' so he's a man, right? Now, what I want to know is, who does he have sex with?"

After explaining the difference between spirits and bodies, I headed back toward my subject. By then 25 minutes had passed. I sat a chair in the midst of us and they all correctly guessed that it was to remind us that Jesus was present. Then I asked how we knew that, when we couldn't see Him.

I was encouraged when Chris said, "I know he's here because I'm here."

"But HOW do you know?" I was delighted that Chris would be quoting from the Bible and proving my point for me.

He answered, very seriously, "Because when I got up this morning, Jesus put a gun to my head and said, 'Come on boy, We're going to that church thing.'"

When the session was nearly over, I said I thought there was something we needed to do before we dismissed. Chris nodded wisely and said, "Yes, I know. Pray ... for me."

Concluding that there was no one present who was adept at casting out demons, I fervently asked the Lord to keep us all out of trouble for the rest of the day, especially Chris, since everyone might not enjoy him as much as God and I did.

At lunch there was much discussion about how to improve the afternoon sessions. Some of Chris' peers suggested hanging him by his feet on a tree at the far side of an empty field. I could tell by the gleam in the eyes of some of the adults in charge that they thought it was a case of "out of the mouths of babes" and I quickly mentioned that often great saints hide for many years behind a facade of youthful folly.

When I left before the evening session, Chris came running up, threw his arms around me and said, "I'm going to miss you." I was deeply touched and flattered until on the drive home it occurred to me that he may have been genuinely afraid for his life without me around to defend him.



What is funny is that now, over 20 years later, one of my greatest joys is that in the last year, we have children in my church and I do a children's message each Sunday. And I'm excited about the "Fun To Be One Club" book series, which are for mid-grade children. I'd forgotten about Chris; I just might have to write him in as a character in one of the books. He would be in his thirties now. And I now pastor a church in that county. I can't remember if I changed his name back then - to protect the guilty. Who knows? He could be a pastor in that same community. Wherever he is I pray for him and all the honest and exuberant children like him, no matter what age they are. I hope he and they and I all escape the whales.

Book Contest

Board to Death: A Trio of Mysteries in the Dangerous Games Series releases today. My “Victim” is the first story in the book, followed by Debbie Roome’s "Mind Games", and Tracy Ruckman’s “Sentenced.” This book was so much fun to write. I’ve written several fiction books but this is the first time I had a hint of what God must feel like. I created these characters and then they proceeded to take over their own lives and surprise me! I hope you check it out and let me know if they surprised you too.

We're having a fun contest to celebrate, and will be giving away 8 digital copies of Board to Death.

To enter the contest, just leave a comment telling us what your favorite board game is, and why. If it's not a widely-known game, tell us a little about it. Then, be sure to leave your e-mail address so we'll know how to get in touch with you if you're a winner.

Two from each blog will win, and you can enter once at each site. You'll get one extra entry for each method you use to help promote the book - you can blog about it, tweet about it, or post it on Facebook. Just be sure to leave another comment with a link to your post to get the extra entries. Your comments/entries must be posted by Saturday, October 1, 11:59 p.m.

Thanks for helping spread the word about our fun book.

Here are the sites where you can enter:


Debbie Roome
Tracy Ruckman
Write Integrity Press

and my website here.

Here's book blurb and the video trailer is below.

Baby Boomers Polly Nichols, Lindsay Wilson, and Gretchen Anderson may live worlds apart, but they have one common hobby – a penchant for board games.

Polly’s serene Kentucky campground turns sinister when the manager is a VICTIM of murder.

In New Zealand, Lindsay’s life is turned upside down when MIND GAMES and evidence drag her into a murder case - as a suspect.

At the Kettle’s On Campground in Georgia, Gretchen matches wits with a murderous wordsmith intent on winning the latest game of SENTENCED.

You’ll love the games, the characters, and the stories – and we promise, you won’t be BOARD to Death!

To our readers: Our characters are Christians, just as the authors are who created them, so their lives and their stories reflect this viewpoint. We hope you enjoy our fun and unique stories.

As Little Children

Today I was asked by my District Superintendent about the state of my soul. The only thing I could think of is that my soul right now feels like a little child at several Christmases all rolled into one. Every area of my life is bearing fruit of dreams given over to the Lord and thought gone forever. But Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

My “Everyday Spiritual Warfare” book is endorsed by some of my favorite internationally known ministers and writers, published and available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com and I’m having a book signing for that in November. It will also be for sale at an event I’m directing for the Lincoln County Arts Center in December “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.” I’ve written a skit for that too - another praise report.

I have two more books out in the next 3 weeks. Well, 1 and 1/3. My novella “Victim” is a third of the Christian Murder Mystery trilogy “Board to Death” with Tracy Ruckman and Debbie Roome, and is already available by Kindle and will soon be available in hard copy through the online markets too.

Then by October 15, “Which Witch?” a mid-grade Christian fiction about Christian kids fighting witchcraft in the classroom, will be out. And the Fun To Be One Club - which has had many deaths and resurrections since 1979, with all ages and all races, comes back to life in “Which Witch?” and there will be an online FTBO Club site for both kids and adults to join in an affirmation of our oneness in the Spirit, along some fun and interaction. The survey readers are boys and girls from fourth through eighth grade and their responses have brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Three new members joined Mortonsville United Methodist Church last Sunday - and that makes six within less than 5 months. Amazing - in our little church which doesn’t even have a parking lot! Just a whole lot of loving people. And since last January I’ve had the privilege of needing to have a children’s message each Sunday when for years we didn’t have any children. (By the way, I found out that the adults like that message as much if not more than the grown up ones :-).

Saturday October 1, is Voice of Joy’s annual women’s retreat “A Day in Narnia.” Speakers will be two of my daughters, Ginny Smith and Beth Marlowe, one of my granddaughters, Maggie Tirey, and me. Narnia and family and loved ones attending! How good can it get?

Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Hmm. Could it be that I feel like a child at Christmas now because somewhere along the way, I changed and became like an obedient child, gave up my dreams, and wanted only His will?

I did. And He is giving me back all the desires of my heart, purged of wrong motives and filled with humility and pure joy.

Happy Texting!

Now I know why James said that we should say "if it's the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that" (James 4:15). How many times have I foolishly said that I WILL write this blog regularly?

Okay, I've learned my lesson. I'm not going to say that anymore. It's been a month and a half since I've written a blog. BUT God's will for me for that time was that I completely revise a book I'd written, "Everyday Spiritual Warfare" which will be available for sale on Amazon in a few weeks. AND He helped me write a novella that a different publisher requested. I just finished that tonight.

But today while I was driving, I had a thought - not enough for a book or even a sermon, but just enough of a thought for a blog.

I realized that God used to send His Word to His people through others who spoke it or wrote it down, just like we humans used to have to write notes or letters to people in other places, or send messengers or both.

Later, God sent Jesus and then the Holy Spirit to communicate directly to us. Just like we eventually got telephones and could speak directly to people.

After home or office telephones we got cell phones where we could speak directly to any people anywhere, from anywhere - just like God speaks through His Body when He send us out to proclaim the good news of the Kingdom.

Then the cell phones added texting. Hmm. It's like we have gone back to writing notes instead of talking, but still it's very immediate and personal.

And that's like the Bible. The Scriptures are God's texts to us. Immediate and Personal if we'll read them. Hmm again! They are called texts - "the original words of something written or printed, not a paraphrase..."

So from now on you can think of your Bible as God texting you - open up and read so He can make it immediate and personal!

Happy texting.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." II Timothy 3:16,17