4 Remedies to Conquer Rejection

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me!” This often-taunted phrase is a lie. Words can hurt worse than a physical injury and last much longer. 

Bullying has always been around, but it seems more prevalent now than ever before. Children are exposed to torment from others and this can cause emotional scars that can take years to heal if not dealt with properly. Too many kids have even committed suicide because of what others have said or done to them.

We, as parents, grandparents, and friends can help our children and students by teaching them how valuable they are, and how much they are loved by God.

What is the Depth of Redemption?

 This week for Christmas in July, I am sharing an excerpt from my book, Redemption, the Heartbeat of Christmas, What the Birth of Christ Means to the World. The book is available on Amazon. I hope this reminder of what Jesus did for us will speak to your heart, as God did to mine. 

What is the Depth of Redemption? by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

In church, we hear a lot about redemption. Sometimes we hear the word so much we lose the depth of its meaning.

What is the depth of redemption? We can better understand how deep Jesus’ sacrifice was for us by thinking about a person in prison.

Those of us who have not experienced the despair of imprisonment can’t fully understand the feelings of this punishment. My husband and I were confined to two weeks of quarantine when a we arrived in a foreign country during the Covid pandemic.

We lived for two weeks in an Army barracks with only thirty minutes of fresh outside air per day.

Days dragged on minute by minute, hour by hour.

We walked ten feet from one wall to the other to stretch our legs.

We looked out the window at the scenic air conditioner unit below our floor.

Packaged food appeared at mealtime.

The next day repeated the same boredom, the same meals, the same hard mattresses. As bad as this felt, we were released after our required time ended. The day we left with our luggage blessed us with a small taste of freedom.

Our experience had no comparison to life in a penitentiary.

A Prayer for America

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

We celebrated the 250^th birthday of the Declaration of Independence last week in a spectacular display of fireworks, music, military drills, and speeches.

America has never seen an event like what Washington, D.C. displayed before.

Our history has been maligned over the decades until students and even adults are not aware of what the liberty they enjoy cost others. We need to protect this freedom from forms of tyranny like socialism and communism. We do this by remaining strong in biblical values, voting accordingly, and praying for America.

What can heal our land?

What Can Our Ancestors Teach Us About History? - Guest Post by Dr. Rebecca Price Janney

 

by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta 

This week's post is by Dr. Rebecca Price Janney. She has written a six-book series set in the Revolutionary War period of America. The main character in all these books is actually an ancestor of hers. As a person whose favorite part of history is this Revolutionary period, I learned a lot about some of the battles and hardships our founding fathers experienced. Travel back in time through these books and you will have more to appreciate as we celebrate our 250th birthday. She has also written two books about the Great Awakening in the early 1900's in Korea and the Korean War. Since we lived in Korea for two years, I found these novels fascinating. I think you will too! Welcome, Rebecca. Links to her books are at the end of the post.

             Four years ago, I got to address a group of newly-naturalized citizens from around the world. Most of them were with family members and wore big smiles to go with their American flags. What could I say to encourage and welcome them? Since I believe my family’s story reflects “the American dream,” I went with some of the details before bringing my journey to bear upon theirs.

3 Biblical Remedies for Guilt and Shame

 

 by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta

Even since Adam and Eve took one bite of fruit humans have dealt with guilt and shame.

God warned them.

Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV)

Up until that time they had only known good. Then a serpent’s words carried more weight to their minds than what their Creator told them.

The temptation to know everything sucked Adam and Eve into the trap.

Through mercy, God brought the skins of a slain animal to cover the guilt. The couple was forgiven.

But the shame continued. Their minds probably ran away with the accusations that came from the mouth of their tempter. “You are bad.” “Look at what you did.” “The human race is doomed because of you.”

This is what the devil does. He tempts and then when we give in, he accuses and condemns us.

What is the difference between guilt and shame?

How Can We Know and Do God's Will?

 

 by Barbara Latta

Sometimes we as believers struggle with wondering if we are following God’s will for our lives.

What if you discovered a resource that contained encouragement, Scriptural direction, and connection with other Christians that was offered at no cost to you?

Lighthouse Bible Studies publishes a digital magazine, Refresh, three times per year. The theme for the Spring issue is "Knowing and Doing God’s Will." Twenty-four authors share articles that help us follow God in every aspect of our lives and is offered in two parts.

 It’s free to sign up and receive this wonderful publication by email. Subscribe here 

Refresh Part 1

Refresh Part 2

Here are some examples and quotes from the Spring issue:

 

5 Parenting Lessons from Biblical Mothers

by Barbara Latta

I have joined a group of authors and bloggers by sharing free downloads to enrich your spiritual life. If you would like to have this bundle of freebies, click this link: https://jenniferthayerknight.com/seeds-of-faith/ before May 10.

 Mother’s Day is a time to honor and remember our mothers for their love and sacrifice throughout the years. As mothers ourselves, our children will be bringing gifts to honor us. 

When our offspring show us love, their words are appreciated more than we can express.

  But sometimes thoughts of all the mistakes we have made while raising our children attack us. This is when we need to rely on God’s Word and know He forgives us. 

He doesn’t want us to look back in regret. When we focus on training our children in the fear of the Lord, He blesses our efforts. 

We can learn 5 parenting lessons from these biblical mothers.