I seem to have reached a new milestone – 600 likes on my Lisa Heaton Books page. I’m sure there are people with hundreds of thousands of likes, but considering I was excited when I hit 50, 600 feels like an accomplishment. I have to admit, this is a team effort. Thanks, Emily for your hard work on my behalf and thanks for your creative ideas in reaching more people.

To help in this effort, we are asking you to invite your friends list to “Like” my page. On the right hand side of my Facebook page, you will see a tab that says, – Invite friends to like this page – (See photo below of what to look for.) Once you click that tab, your friends list will appear. You may not want to invite everyone, but invite those friends who you think would like to connect with me.

What will I win, you ask? This beautiful, handcrafted, one of a kind necklace. There are two other items in this prize package. The video is on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/lisaheatonbooks/

Early on I drug my feat on social media, but then I discovered the wonderful connections that can be made with readers. Through various forms of social media, I have been contacted by people from all over the world. That’s exciting. To know I am reaching people across the world in places like West Africa and the UK and Australia amazes me. God unites His faraway kids as only He can.

This little book writing thing has been a journey of one small achievement after another. Things I never dreamed I would do a few years ago, I’m doing. While this is a business, I find it’s also a ministry. I love what I’m doing. I love tapping into the heart of a reader in an unexpected way. I love that women contact me and say that God is using things I’ve written to help them draw nearer to Him. That’s not of me. And the more I see Him do amazing things, the more I know I have very little hand in it. (Just ten fingers to type.)

Thanks for your support and encouragement along the way. So many of you have kept me going when I felt like giving up. Many times, when I was at my most discouraged, some of you have messaged me with exactly the words I needed to hear. I’m grateful for connections. God created us to connect with one another. I can’t wait to see what He might do next.

Just a little while ago, I was watching out my kitchen window and saw my little neighbor boy jumping on his trampoline. He was holding something, but I didn’t pay much attention to it. Several minutes later I looked again and saw he was still jumping and holding onto something. Then it hit me, it was his security blanket. It crossed my mind: Too bad what we, as adults, can’t take our security blankets with us to cope with all of life’s ups and downs.

That thought no more crossed my mind when I remembered that we can and do, at least those of us who belong to Jesus. If you’re His, then He’s your Security Blanket – your covering, no matter life’s ups and downs. The key is that we need to learn to hang on, just like Cole was doing with his blankie.

While I considered using that in today’s blog, I thought of this: Yesterday, one of my favorite radio personalities was telling of how his toddler son was recently walking with him down the driveway. The boy is just learning to walk and felt the need for some independence. He pushed his father’s hand away. He took no more than a step or two when he went tumbling head over heels down the driveway. When he came to a stop, his dad said, “Are you okay, buddy?” The little guy just laid there, eyes wide in surprise, staring at his dad as if to say, “How could you let this happen?”

Don’t we do that? We push God’s hand away when His plan interferes with our independence. Then when we fall, we cry out asking why He let the difficulty happen. I think we adults are much more like children than we care to admit. Being like a child can be both good and bad. Jesus Himself said we should come to Him as little children. But He never said we should be childish, not in the negative sense of the word. Childlike is dependent. Childish demands independence.

It’s too easy once we get older to think we can handle things on our own. We can’t. Life has ups and life has downs. For both we need our Security Blanket – the hand of God to hold and guide us.

In my own life I’ve finally learned that the hand holding mine can be trusted. My Security Blanket has it all under control, no matter what my eyes can see. Not one thing will happen to me or the ones I love that isn’t first filtered through the One who carries us wrapped up in His loving care.

Not sure the point to today’s blog other than a reminder: Cling to your Security Blanket – the hand of God.

Comments are always appreciated. And feel free to share this with a friend if you feel it may meet them where they are.

I pray tons of blessings heaped upon you.
Lisa

For most of us pitchers, we have too many glasses to pour into. Somedays it seems endless, the number of people who need a drink of us. Most of our glasses, those people who need us to pour into them over and over, are supposed to be there, and we do need to continue to pour. Our children, grandchildren, friends, parents, coworkers (this list goes on and on), they need us, and it’s a good thing that we are pouring into their lives.

Today’s blog is more about our discernment. Are all those glasses really ours to pour into? I know in my history, I have continued to pour into others long after my season was over. When we have needy people who expect us to pour, it’s too hard to tell them no. We as the pourer have set a standard and the pouree expects us to continue. No is such a difficult word to say when the need is great.

Here’s my point: Sometimes we hinder God’s work in the lives of others when we continue to pour, bail out, give money to, enable, whatever you want to call it. At times, those we love need a larger dose of Jesus and a lesser dose of us. No matter our good intentions, we can’t solve the problems of everyone. If we continue to soften the blow of the consequences of others’ choices, how will they learn? If we keep carrying them, how will their legs become strong enough to walk? If they never feel the burn, why would they ever stop reaching for the flame? Enough cliches, but you get my point.

I return to the word discernment. You absolutely must learn to use discernment when dealing with others. You need to learn to pray about the extent of your involvement in the lives of those who expect you to pour. And just as important, you need to learn how to hear God’s response. Learn to listen and heed His direction through the Word and by His Spirit. It is one of the most freeing feelings to tell someone no when you know God has given you the answer. The one who hears no won’t enjoy or understand your position, but that’s not your responsibility.

One of the clearest ways God has given me a “butt out” was on the 19th of the month one year many years ago. I was praying about the expectations of someone close to me, something they pretty much demanded I do for them. That morning I read in my quiet time, as I always do, in a continuous flow of reading. Meaning, I didn’t go and search for the answer. I picked up where I had left off the day before. At that time I was reading a chapter in Proverbs each day – which I highly recommend for wisdom. I got to this verse: “A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty: if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.” Proverbs 19:19

You can’t imagine how well that verse fit my situation that day. When I said no to the person and situation, I wasn’t popular with more than one person I loved. But oh, well, God was on my side. Remember, I’m not saying this is easy, but to do the best for people who need more Jesus and less you, you are loving them well when you give them God’s no.

Now for you: What situations have you faced where an unpopular no was best for someone you cared for?

Thanks for hanging with me again today.
Blessings to you and all your glasses. 😉
Lisa