Category Archives: Uncategorized

Five Minute Friday – Broken Lives

Posted in Uncategorized by

DSC_5560-Pencil Detailed

It seems all around me
I see fragile lives
And broken people

Broken lives
Broken hearts and minds
Broken bodies, souls and spirits

Broken by sin
Selfishness, pride and arrogance
Sickness and disease

Left to our own devices
We are undone and without hope
Destined to a Christless eternity

But there is One
To Whom we can turn
The One who forgives, heals and restores

One God
One Father, One Son and One Spirit
One Way to salvation thru Jesus Christ the Lord

In Christ we are freed from sin
That so easily entangles us
God forgives us completely and we are restored

He gives us a new nature
We are dead to sin
Alive to Christ

He walks with us through every trial
Equips us for every battle, every day
One day He will lead us home victoriously

by Susan Wachtel
July 27, 2013

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday – Strategic Connection

Posted in Uncategorized by

The rhythm of life
Continues to speed up and up and up
It’s such a frantic pace
I can scarcely keep up

Every day…from morning till night
I’m busy, busy, busy
Most of it
Is of no eternal consequence

All around me people seek connection
By Facebook, Twitter, email and cell
Talking to a friend face to face, iPhone in hand
They are disconnected and distracted

Is all this connection glorifying God
Is it putting the Christ and others first
Or have we been bamboozled by the enemy
Who strategically uses anything to keep us from what really matters

Susan Wachtel
June 22, 2013

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday – Whom will I listen to?

Posted in Five Minute Friday, Uncategorized by

Bible Heart Sepia

Just coming back from vacation and after listening to the world’s messages on television, I’m struck by the contrast to the Word of God and Christ’s message to the church.

The world’s messages:

  • Entitlement
  • I deserve this
  • Dissatisfied with what I have
  • Always wanting more
  • It’s all about me
  • If it feels good, do it
  • Elevate myself
  • It’s important that people feel good about themselves
  • Approval of everyone’s choices and lifestyle, except the narrow minded, bigoted, rightwing conservative Christians who think they know right from wrong.
  • Everyone goes to heaven except for a few people who were really evil, like Hitler.
  • Get even when I have been wronged
  • All paths lead to God or heaven

Christ’s Messages to His followers

• Die to self, pick up your cross daily and follow Me.
• Forgive those who hurt you, persecute and despitefully use you.
• Trust God, in good times and bad
• Thy will be done
• Glorify God
• Be sanctified, set apart, dedicated unto the Lord
• Be thankful always
• Trust that God is doing a good and perfect work, even in your affliction and pain
• Do good, even to your enemies
• When I am weak, then I am strong
• Guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus
• Choose to meditate on that which is true, just, noble, pure, lovely and of good report
• Repent, godly sorrow leads to repentance
• What I deserve is hell for I have sinned against a holy, righteous and just God.
• What I have received is mercy and the grace of God.
• There is an objective standard of right and wrong which God has revealed in the inerrant Word of God, the Bible
• That which God has declared sin, is sin
• There is One Way to salvation, through Jesus Christ. Those who confess with their mouth, believe with their heart that Jesus Christ is Lord will be saved.

Lord, help me to listen to Your Word and tune out the world’s messages. Holy Spirit, guide me and help me to understand, apply and practice the truth revealed in Your word. Please put a guard around me, may I put on the full armor of God each day.

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge. Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”. Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers. I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday –Soon Fall Away

Posted in Uncategorized by

ImageFrom the dawn of a new day
Until the midnight hour
It seems as if I’m in a race

Non-stop
Fast paced
Going, going, going

The shot has been fired
A new day has begun
No time to rest

Oh Lord, I am so weary
More than fatigue
From a restless night’s sleep

It’s a weariness of my mind
Precious little time to think
Meditate on You and Your Word

Instead my day is filled
With things that are perishing
Worthless things of no eternal value

Thoughts, time and attention
On that which will soon fall away
Like chaff blown away in the wind

Lord, help me to desire You above all things
Pursue You diligently
Through the study of Your Word and prayer

May love for You consume me
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit
Give me the mind of Christ

By Susan Wachtel
June 8, 2013

Okay…I confess I took longer than five minutes…but I needed to reflect on what the last few months have been like.  I start each day with reading God’s Word, a devotional and writing in a journal.  I end the day reading the Bible.  I’m in prayer each day and listen to solid Bible teachers in my car and as time permits on my I-pod.  But I must say…even with that, it’s not enough.  The non-stop, fast pace has left me weary.  Thankfully not weariness of my soul…but of my mind and body.  

I’m looking forward to an upcoming vacation.  Where I can rest and draw near to the Lord.  Spend time with and enjoy the gift He has given me in my husband Chris.  

I’m asking for the Lord to show me how to have a balance.  To be a dedicated worker, with quality work, a good attitude and be caring about the people I see each day…but somehow, slow down and spend more time with the Lord.  Write down the things I am thankful for, the verses that jump off the page when I’m reading, the encouragement and conviction of the Holy Spirit and to meditate on the Lord.  

I want to be able to take the time to read more Christian bloggers, the words of precious men and women who love the Lord Jesus and share from their heart, encourage, exhort and challenge their readers.  

I want to be consumed by the Lord, with an unquenchable desire, hunger and thirst for His word and to know Him more and just spend time with Him and reflect on my awesome God.  

How about you precious friend…do you too need more time with the Lord?

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.

Five Minute Friday – A Heavenward View

Posted in Uncategorized by



Dear one, this is my prayer for you in your affliction
While you undergo trials and tribulation
Faith will rise
Hope will not be extinguished
        But the Spirit will fan the flames
                From the embers, your hope in the Lord will burn hot
Trust in the Lord will increase
Unquenchable will be your desire for God’s Word
Praise and thanksgiving will flow from your lips
Peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus
Joy will fill your soul
You will pray without ceasing,
Confident that God hears your cries
He sees your affliction and He cares
Your face will reflect the glory of the Lord
        Time spent with Him
Remember…you are a son or daughter of the King of kings
        And Lord of lords
Your focus will be heavenward, not inward
Confident that your deliverance will come from the Lord
Certain that the Lord is walking with you in your trial
        He is well able to bring you through this tribulation
The Lord is in the fire with you
        Refining your faith as pure gold
May you not loose heart or hope or faith
        May your trust in the Lord never waver

It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

Joni & Ken – An Untold Love Story – Open & Transparent

Posted in Uncategorized by

After hearing Ken and Joni Eareckson Tada on several radio programs I was excited at the opportunity to read their new book Joni & Ken An Untold Love Story.
Many people may be familiar with Joni and her story on how she became a quadriplegic and know her through her writing or ministry, Joni & Friends.  But many people may be less familiar with her husband Ken Tada.  Through this book you will get to know the man who made a commitment, for better or for worse.
Rather than your typical biography Joni & Ken’s story seems to be told from a perspective of someone looking back on their lives with a spotlight on significant events and seasons of their life.  Joni and Ken are open and transparent.  They are godly people who love the Lord and each other, but don’t try to pretend that after they married, life was happily ever after.  Even good marriages can be trying, but add to that the everyday challenges of quadriplegia.  In their book, Joni and Ken shared about their struggles and the toll that it took on their marriage and a stretch in the doldrums, living separate lives together.
Dealing with quadriplegia would be hard enough, but then came excruciating pain without relief.  What would the diagnosis of breast cancer bring?  That much strain could bring even the best of marriages to the breaking point.  But God had another plan…instead this would be Joni & Ken’s finest hour.  God had been preparing Ken for this season when he would called to take care of the precious gift of his bride, Joni. 
I must confess I found Ken and Joni’s openness and transparency painful, sobering and at times depressing.  I was challenged because it caused me to reflect my own brokenness, but it was a much needed reminder of my absolute dependence upon God, each and every day. 
I recommend this book, especially for couples and individuals who may be going through a difficult season in their lives.  I think your commitment to your marriage and faith will be encouraged and strengthened.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book free from the publisher through Book Sneeze’ book review blogger program.  I was not required to give a favorable review. 
Follow Me on Pinterest

Happy Mother’s Day!

Posted in Uncategorized by
Something I especially appreciate about participating in Five Minute Friday is reading the different blog post from other bloggers.  The word is the same, but each message is unique.

One post that I read touched me greatly.  To be blessed, whether you are a mother or not, head on over and read Gretchen’s post “To the God Who Knows”.

Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – In Christ I Find

Posted in Uncategorized by

In Christ, I find comfort
When I am afflicted
In Christ, I find strength
When I am weak and unable to go on
In Christ, I find peace
For my troubled soul, peace with God and with man
In Christ, I find wisdom
As I read God’s Word and obey
In Christ, I find justice
Assurance that one day there will be a reckoning
In Christ, I find abundant mercy
For on the cross He died take away my sin
In Christ, I find propitiation  
In His sacrificial death the Father’s wrath was satisfied
In Christ, I find grace
Abounding grace to live each day, for every situation
In Christ, I find forgiveness
For my own sins and the grace to forgive others
In Christ, I find direction
A Guiding Light for each step I take
Susan Wachtel
May 11, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s FiveMinute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – From an Enemy to a Friend

Posted in Uncategorized by

O Lord, won’t You show me how
To get rid of an enemy
By making her my friend

Burden my heart to pray
For her salvation
To grow in wisdom, knowledge, truth and understanding
May she be like David
A woman after God’s own heart
Love You with all her heart, mind, soul and strength
May she grow in grace and mercy
Even the thoughts and intentions of her heart
Be good and pleasing to You
May kindness be on her lips
Her words filled with encouragement and build others up
More concerned about others than herself
May she keep short accounts with You
Be quick to repent and turn to You
May she be bendable, moldable and teachable
May she hide Your word in her heart
That she may not sin against You
May her soul be yielded unto You
May she walk closely with her God
Others will know she is Your disciple
By her love
May her life be a sweet fragrant offering
A sacrifice
Good and pleasing to her Lord
Susan Wachtel
April 27, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I wanted to participate in Lisa-Jo Baker’s FiveMinute Friday writing challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

Put a Guard Over My Mouth

Posted in Uncategorized by



Lord, put a guard over my mouth.
Please do not let me speak from a place of
        Hurt
                Anger
                        Frustration
                                Or Fatigue
Help me to be respectful to those to whom respect is due, even when they don’t behave that way.
May I be mindful that I will give an account to You for every word I speak.
May even the thoughts and intentions of my heart be good and pleasing to You. 
Help me not to respond when provoked.
        Or pay back evil for evil.
                Or answer a fool according to their folly.
Help me to lift up my eyes unto Your throne from whence cometh my help.
Help me to keep my focus on You.
As soon as my thoughts wander and once again I start to ponder the wrongdoing of another, help me to rein in my thoughts. 
Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
Help me Lord to meditate on that which is
        True
                Nobel
                        Just
                                Pure
                                        Lovely
                                                Good Report
                                                        Virtuous
                                                                Praiseworthy
Help me to look for the lesson You have for me in the midst of the fiery trial.
Confident that You are able to use even the wicked, ill behavior of another for Your good purpose and plan.
Don’t let me become like the one whom I despise.
        Help me to do good to the one who hurts me.
                Help me to pray for the one who despitefully uses me.
Lord, I am overwhelmed.
        I don’t want to return to the lion’s den.
Help me to reach up and take hold of Your nail pierced hand as I enter in.
Protect me from the ravenous wolves and the sharp teeth and claws of lion stalking his prey.
Help me to stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord.
        Know that the battle belongs to You Lord.
You are a Giant Slayer and I’m facing some giants these days.
Let me face them with You at my right side.  
Help me to honor You in all that I say and do.
Let me not bring shame or reproach upon the name of Christ.
This has been a challenging week.  I can’t imagine getting through it without Christ. 

Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – Incline my Ear

Posted in Uncategorized by

 
Though the flood waters rise
Threaten to overtake me
Darkness of night descends
Dawn of morning light seems so very far away
I will incline my ear to hear
The Lord is singing over me
My heart will be strengthened and encouraged
I will rejoice in the Lord my God
Though obstacles surround me
I will dare to jump over them
Confident and sure
For nothing is too hard for the Lord
Though all come against me
I will remain steadfast in God’s firm foundation
When I feel all alone
And none go with me
I will incline my ear to hear
The Lord singing over me in His loving-kindness
Susan Wachtel
April 20, 2013
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

The Lord will command His loving-kindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:8
It’s another Saturday morn and I participating in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Fridaywriting challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

The Apple of God’s Eye

Posted in Uncategorized by


Today, we celebrate the birth
The life and gift
Of Charles Apple
He is a man well loved
By those who call him,
Son, husband, father and friend
He always has a memory to share
From his rich and varied life, a story which will bring
A smile to your face or a tear to your eyes
He has a heart like his heavenly Father
Generous and willing to help bear a burden
He comes willingly to the aid of those in need
He’s never known a stranger
He’s a man with a warm embrace
A tender heart
Today we celebrate the life
Of our good friend, Charles Apple
The Apple of God’s eye
Susan Wachtel
April 13, 2013
Happy 80th Birthday Charles!
Follow Me on Pinterest

Who’s your Daddy? by Pricilla Shirer

Posted in Uncategorized by

Do you ever need to remind yourself on who your God is?  Praying this list by Priscilla Shirer will encourage and strengthen your heart.  
He is the First and the Last
The Beginning and the End
He’s the Keeper of creation
And the Creator of all
He’s the Architect of the universe
and the Manager of all time
He always was,
always is
always will be
Unmoved,
unchanged,
undefeated
and never undone
He was bruised, but brought healing
He was pierced, but eased pain
He was persecuted, but brought freedom
He was dead and brings life
He has risen to bring power
and He reigns to bring peace
The world can’t understand Him
Armies can’t defeat Him
Schools can’t explain Him
and leaders they can’t ignore Him
Herod couldn’t kill Him
Nero couldn’t crush Him
The new age cannot replace Him
and Oprah cannot explain Him away
He is Light,
He is Love,
He is Longevity
and He is the Lord
He is goodness
and kindness
and faithfulness
and He is God
He is holy
and righteous
and powerful
and pure
His ways are right
His word eternal
His will unchanging
and His mind is on us
He’s our Savior
Our Guide,
Our Peace,
Our Joy,
Our Comfort
Our Lord
and He rules our lives
I serve Him because
His bond is love
His yoke is easy
His burden is light
and His goal for us is abundant life
I follow Him because
He’s the Wisdom of the wise
The Power of the powerful
The Ancient of days
The Ruler of rulers
The Leader of all leaders
His goal is a relationship with me
He’ll never leave you
Never forsake you
Never mislead you
Never forget you
Never overlook you
and never cancel your appointment in His appointment book, never!
When you fall He’ll lift you up
When you fail He’ll forgive you
When you are weak He’s strong
When you are lost He’s your Way
When you are afraid He’s your Courage
When you stumble He will steady you
When you are hurt He is going to heal you
When you are broken He will mend you
When you are blind He will lead you
When you are hungry He will feed you
When you face trials He is with you
When I face persecution He shields me
When I face problems He will comfort me
When I face loss He will provide for me
and when we face death
He will carry us all home to meet Him
He is everything
For everybody
Everywhere
Every time
and in every way
He is your God
And that sisters (and brothers) is Who you belong to
Pricilla Shirer
Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed
Follow Me on Pinterest

The Jennifer Barrick Story – Produced by Truth In Action

Posted in Uncategorized by

But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9
Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – A Broken Sinner

Posted in Uncategorized by

In the beginning God created man without sin
But with freewill and the ability to choose
On that fateful day, a choice was made
Disobedience…and sin entered the world
From then on, man’s nature was corrupted
Thereafter all were born with a sin nature
I’m a sinner, therefore I sin
I am broken, in need of a Savior
Before the foundations of the world were laid
A plan was made by Omniscient God
Genesis 3:15
A Redeemer was promised
In the fullness of time the Messiah came
Lived a sinless life and gave His life an atonement for sin
It was on the cross
God’s holiness and mercy met
Righteous God was able to dispense grace
To sinful man who is unable to save himself
How can I say that Friday was good
When the Son of God was put to death by sinful man
It was there that my sin debt was paid in full
This broken sinner was forgiven by God
Friday was not the end of the story
Sunday was coming
As Christ foretold
He arose from the grave
God gave convincing proof in the Resurrection
My sin debt…was marked paid in full
By Susan Wachtel
March 30, 2013
It’s another Saturday and I participating in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Fridaywriting challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

Damascus Countdown – Will Keep You Up At Night

Posted in Uncategorized by

It was my pleasure to read Joel Rosenberg’s newest novel Damascus Countdown.  This is the third book in his current series which included The Twelfth Imam and The Tehran Initiative. 
Damascus Countdown begins where The Tehran Initiative left off, with CIA NOC agent David Shirazi in Qom, Iran meeting with Javad Nouri, a personal aide to the Ayatollah and Twelfth Imam.  As the CIA’s plan is executed, suddenly flying overhead are four F16 fighter jets on a mission, a preemptive strike by Israel.  The war everyone feared had just begun.
This is a fast paced novel that will keep you up at night.  The storyline jumps between Iran, Israel, Washington DC, New York and Syria as characters, including the hero David Shirazi, do everything they can to prevent a nuclear holocaust against Israel, the United States’ ally and the only free and democratic nation in the Middle East.  The reader is taken behind the scenes with CIA operatives and their family and friends, top Iranian leaders and nuclear scientists, Israeli government officials, Mossad agents, and a genocidal Islamic messiah.  
One of my favorite elements of Joel Rosenberg’s novel is that he shows the development of faith in some of the characters.  As a Christian, faith impacts everything I do, so it’s interesting to see how the characters respond in their faith to the cataclysmic events they are involved in. 
Joel Rosenberg is a gifted writer and he seems to get better with each passing novel.  The characters are interesting, the good guys and even the despicable ones.  The storyline and scenes are gripping and I didn’t want to put the book down until I finished the last page.  The Christian message that salvation is found through faith in Jesus Christ alone is clearly presented, not in contrived manner, but is woven in to the experiences of his characters.  Joel has a good understanding of Biblical and Islamic prophesy which are woven throughout the novel. 
I highly recommend Joel Rosenberg’s novel Damascus Countdown.  I do warn you, you may have some circles under your eyes, from staying up late so you can find out what happens next. 
I thank Tyndale House Publishers for providing me a complimentary copy of the book to read and review.  I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – I Will Remember

Posted in Uncategorized by

Lord…I will remember You
In times of trouble
I will remember You are my Refuge and Strength
In the darkness
I will remember You are my Guiding Light
When my enemies are closing in
I will remember You my strong Deliverer
When temptation overtakes me
I will remember that You have made a way of escape
When fear grips my heart
I will remember You are my God, mighty to save
When the enemy’s lies overwhelm my thoughts
I will remember and speak forth truth from Your Word
When it seems as if all have abandoned me
I will remember that You promised to never leave nor forsake me
Lord…I will remember
You are Faithful and True and there is no one like my God
By Susan Wachtel
March 23, 2013
It’s another Saturday morn and I participating in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Fridaywriting challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest

The Faith I Want

Posted in Uncategorized by

I was thinking about faith today and here are some reflections on the kind of faith that I want to have:

A defiant faith

Faith that turn the world upside down

Faith that knows the battle belongs to the Lord

Faith that does not lose hope

Faith that sings hymns of praise in the darkness

Faith that praises God when the world expects me to curse Him

Faith that dares to ask the Lord to let me walk on water

Faith that trusts God to shut the mouths of lions

Faith that rejoices in all circumstances

Faith that forgives and prays for those who hurt me

Faith that does not doubt or waver when it seems like the Lord is silent
Faith that looks to the Lord when my world seems like it’s caving in

Faith that repents and runs to the Lord when I’ve sinned

Faith that truly knows…it’s all about God

Follow Me on Pinterest

Five Minute Friday – Not Home Yet

Posted in Uncategorized by


Daily I am reminded
I am not home yet
For I am a stranger
Living in a strange land
A foreigner in a land
Not my own
An ambassador waiting for the King
To call me home before the battle begins
A bride waiting
For the Bridegroom to come take me to the Father’s house
For He has gone
To prepare a place for me
He promised that where He is
There I shall be also
He will come and take me home
And all who proclaim Christ as Lord
We will soon be removed
Before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord begins
When God’s wrath will be poured out
On those who reject God with a hardened heart
Those who close their eyes
In willful blindness
On those who plug their ears
Least they hear the truth and believe
Of God’s promises I am certain
I look back and see His faithful deliverance
I see Noah and his family
Shut in the ark, the door closed by God Himself
Lot and his family were removed before judgment began
Then the Lord rained down brimstone and fire from heaven
The Lord struck down the firstborn of Egypt
But passed over the children of Israel, seeing the blood of the Lamb
I am confident that there is a generation
Who in the twinkling of an eye will be snatched away, caught up
But the dead in Christ will rise first
Together they will be reunited and taken home
Join together with the Bridegroom
At the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
By Susan Wachtel
March 9, 2013
I confess that today I wrote for longer than five minutes. 

It’s another Saturday morn and I participating in Lisa-Jo Baker’s Five Minute Fridaywriting challenge.  Head over to her website “Lisa Jo Baker Tales from a Gypsy Mama”.  Be sure to read some of the entries from other writers.  I can promise you that you will be blessed.
Follow Me on Pinterest