Interested in Contributing to an E-book?

As you may have already read, the KJV Blog Directory is relaunching soon and we will be releasing a FREE EBOOK! But, life is a whirlwind! I read a post yesterday about how much time during a day people spend social-networking and blogging, and I just can't imagine having that much free time, although if someone told me I could spend 12 hours a day blogging I probably would.

Back to my lack of time though, I haven't had as much time  this week to update the directory list or finalize relaunch plans.  My sister is having her baby shower tomorrow and my husband and I spent a ridiculous amount of time driving to a dealership in the next county to buy a mini-van.

But, isn't it pretty?  And the best part is, no more shoving 3 kids in the back of a Camry!! Well after Monday anyway, that is when we actually drive it off the lot. (By the way if you're one of my real life friends we're selling my hubby's car so give me a call)

Back to the ebook. I love free ebooks!  My e-reader is filled with freebies I've gotten from other bloggers.  The unfortunate thing is like anything else, there aren't many KJV only e-books out there comparatively.  God really laid on my heart a year ago to stop complaining about the lack of KJV resources, and DO SOMETHING about it.

For our relaunch I'd love to have an ebook ready for subscribers, but I need your help. I would love to have this book be a compilation of devotions by our bloggers.  I think it will be a fabulous way to not only increase traffic to this ministry (blog) but your ministries (blogs) as well.

Here are the Submission Guidelines:

• Start each devotion with a scripture, KJV of course.  Try to limit it to just a few verses, but feel free to simply reference a longer passage, just don't write it out.
• Keep your actual devotion between 500-700 words
• No pictures, these just don't show up well on e-readers and are a nightmare to format.
• Please pretty please have someone else edit it for you.  It's amazing what a second set of eyes picks up.  I have 3 kids under 3 have mercy on me and get someone else to edit your work before submitting it : )
• Include your attribution information, if you want first and last name, just initials, a screen name etc.  Also include a website if you have one.  This can be a blog or ministry website.
• Write a 1 sentence biography. Keep it simple: Jane doe is a pastor's wife and Mom to three cute kids and she blogs at www.janedoe.com.
• Feel free to submit several devotions.  My goal is to compile 100, so ask your pastors, missionaries you may know, or spouses to write something too.
• Submit your best stuff, not only so this is a high quality book but so readers will be more apt to visit your websites.
• All submissions must be sent by March 15 2012 (Please send sooner) to kjvblogdirectory@gmail.com

By submitting a devotion you understand, if used, it may not be published elsewhere.  You also understand that I can do with it whatever I want. (Bwahaha, just kidding) The e-book will always be available for free through this website, but I will also format it and make it available for sale on several online retailers for $.99.

I will keep all proceeds from all sales.  If for some reason I wind up making millions (highly doubtful) you understand that you get no proceeds from it.  If you've never formatted anything for an e-reader trust me it's a booger, and the $.30 I'd make off of any sale is compensation for my time rather than hire a professional designer.  Plus I'll be editing and compiling all the devotionals so if you don't think it's fair don't submit anything : )

I hope you'll all send me some devotions! And please share this post.

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Thursday This n That: The Bustle of Boyhood

Time has a way of mellowing a mother, softening those rough edges that make life seem so intense.  I remember well the early days of motherhood where pregnancy after pregnancy produced a sweet baby boy.  I would tenderly love and nurture my precious little men, having no idea that one day I would wake to find a two year old on a mission...that still hasn't ended even now that we've reached the teen years.

It is said that girls are emotional and fickle.  No problem.  That's nothing that a tea party with some well-dressed dolls and a favorite stuffed bear can't cure.  But boys?  They're tightly wound bundles of energy and experimentation.  Their brains are constantly misfiring, causing strange and terrifying ideas to seem like good ones.  And the shut-off valve is controlled by the stomach.  A boy finds himself hungry and suddenly that overactive brain stops transmitting completely.

We have burn marks on an upstairs rug from a smoke bomb gone bad.  I open the freezer to find odd and sometimes frightening concoctions which are the result of reading from the Dangerous Boys collection.  My heart drops as I am called to "watch this" while they attempt the latest stunt on the trampoline.  They might have executed it perfectly 10 times before calling me, but as soon as I give them an audience, they fail...epically, as one of my boys loves to say.

As they get older, one of their favorite chat-time subjects is the trouble they found when they were small.  And the stories they pull out make me tremble.  I was an attentive and involved mother...how did they find the time or opportunity for such mischief?  Oh yeah, Mom does sleep at night.  Had I known what they were up to when I thought they were angelically at rest, I wouldn't have slept a wink in a decade.

But before you go feeling bad for me {or scared for yourself!}, my boys are also a great source of entertainment.  I try my hardest not to laugh at their antics sometimes, only to find myself bursting with the pure joy of being their mother.  I love to wrestle with them and talk a little good-natured smack.  Either I've still "got it" or they go easy on an old girl they love!  Regardless, a tussle with my boys sends a message straight to their hearts that words sometimes fail to do. 

And you know what?  They've got my back.  Always.  My oldest 3 boys are fast becoming men and that protective nature has already kicked in.  Yes, they drive me a little crazy at times with their boundless energy and hair-brained ideas, but when I have a need, they're on it.  Whether it be extra help with housework or jumping in on baby duty, I know back-up is just down the hall!

I have two more boys who will be a year in a matter of months.  I watch as they study their big brothers, taking in every move they make.  I can already imagine those tiny feet trying to fill the bigger shoes that have gone before them...and it makes my heart race a little.  With a bit of fear, I'll admit.  But mostly with anticipation.

And for the days I feel like I just might not survive all the boy, I'll offer praise and thanks that He also saw fit to give me a good dose of girl!




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Wednesday in the Word: Bear Them Upon Your Heart

I teach the preschool bus kids on Wednesday nights. One recent Wednesday night was a doozie! We have them for about 40 minutes, and in that time, my helper and I had to separate three boys at least three times. They had each other in headlocks! Two little girls went to the bathroom at the same time (my mistake) and didn't return for several minutes. My helper found them in the same stall playing with lip gloss. One little girl was crying the whole time because she was hungry. Another little girl insisted she was going to help me with everything and would not sit down - well, most of the children won't sit down for long. Crayons were tipped over intentionally - and all over the floor - and play dough time was wild. 

But also within that 40 minutes they quieted and listened to a story from the Bible about how God took care of the children of Israel in Egypt and a character-building story with two kittens named Boots and Mitten - yes, two stories! - and asked questions that let me know their little brains are processing information.

After class, I was reading in my Bible in Exodus, how Aaron was to bear the names of the tribes of Israel over his heart. He was to bear them constantly before the Lord in his priestly office (Exodus 28:29). And I was humbled that I can bear these children upon my heart before the Lord and challenged to pray for them every day. Children are precious to God, even children who have little or no training in their homes and who can drive you crazy in 40 minutes flat!

We have the opportunity to bear precious souls before the Lord on a daily basis. Who do you need to bring before the Lord today? It's a privilege, and a part of our duties as believers!

Susan Hutchens
ByGrace
Missionary wife in Kelowna, BC, Canada

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Announcements and Blessings

As most of you know, my husband and I have taken over administrative duty for the Blog directory from Deborah. It's been a difficult week for my family so I haven't had the time to do some of the things I wanted to with the directory, but there isn't any real rush.

I do want to take a minute and share some upcoming events and featured bloggers:

FRIDAY FEATURES ~ SAINTS

Here in the south we hear a lot about the Saints Foot Ball games.  Seems fans have to celebrate before and after every game and sometimes in between.  There is no doubt about whose side people are on.  That's all you hear if you walk in a store or homes and sometimes even at church.  Near time for games there is tail gating parties all over.  I'm not really a sports fan but I do like to hear when our teams win.

I started thinking about the Saints of God.   Romans 1:7   "Called to be saints."  1Corinthians 1:2   "Called to be saints"  
Seems to me like we  are all  have a calling by God.  That is to be a Saint.   I wonder how many of us celebrate our calling.  Do we talk about it when we see someone that may need to be told about Jesus?
Do we act like a saint?  Do we look like a Saint of God?  Are we taking our calling serious?

I read somewhere a question was ask; Why were the Saints, Saints?
It is quite simple.

      Because thy were "Cheerful." when it was difficult to be Cheerful.

     Because they were "Patient" when it is difficult to be patient.

     Because they pushed on when they wanted to stand still.

Because they kept silent when they wanted to talk.

Because they were agreeable when they wanted to be disagreeable.

Wednesday in the Word: Be Still !

Be still ! I remember saying these two words to my children so many times when they were small. I think that God says that to His children a lot also but I'm not sure we obey Him all the time.

Especially this week I have felt God calling me to "Be still" in some matters in my life. So many times we want to "do" things or "work things out" in our own way and in our own time when that may not be at all what God wants us to do! It's hard...for me anyway...to give up that feeling of being in control and just "Be still" and try to discern what God wants us to do or which direction He wants to lead us.

Remember when Moses and the children of Israel had gotten to the edge of the Red Sea and they didn't see a way across? This is what God had Moses to say to the people-- "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace." (Exodus 14:13-14)

That should bring a peace and a calmness to the heart of every Christian! The LORD fought battles for His children back then and He still fights battles for us today!

Lord, help me today to Be Still and rest in Your promises!

Marilyn

from "Walking in Truth"

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But For the Grace of God!!

It was late.  I had made one of those mid-night trips to Wall-Mart for who knows what.  On my way out of the store I was greeted by a blast of cold air.  Pulling my winter coat around tighter around me, and fumbling for my keys in my pocket, I nearly bumped into someone.  I glanced up and just about jumped out of my shoes!  

The girl I had nearly run into was just a couple years younger than I am and would have been very pretty, I think, if it weren't for all of the metal in her face I may have been able to tell for sure.  She glared at me as if to ask what I thought I was looking at.  {I'm afraid that was quite obvious.}  I tried to recover quickly and respond to her the same as I would anyone else.  The last thing I want to do is offend someone!  I got out of there as quickly as I could.

I couldn't stop thinking about her.  To be honest, the sight of her alone had scared me so bad that my heart was still thumping as I got in my van.  I wondered why she would wear all of those big, cold...things...right up against her skin - and in this cold?  {I'm not talking a few earrings and a nose ring here!  She was covered!}  

Then I began to wonder about her - the real her - and not just her appearance. 

Who was she?  Was she simply searching for love and acceptance?  I wondered how a conversation with her would go.  Would she even want to talk to me?

I realized too late that I should have given her a Gospel tract.  Would she have taken it?  Read it?  Would she have been saved?

Everyone wants someone to love them.  They want someone to care about them and genuinely cherish them.  I know.  I've been there.  But for God's grace, I'd be the girl with all the gadgets in my face.  I'd be the girl with all the tattoos. 

So, then, I started wondering who would have stopped me and invited me to their church?  What if my daughter decided to go and make a few really crazy decisions??  Would someone try to reach out to her?   I sure hope so!

We won't ever love them the way we ought if we can't look past the metal, ink and clothes and see the person.  A person with a soul that will spend eternity some where.  A soul that is just as important to God as yours and mine.

By the time I got home I was ready and willing to go right back and try to find that girl!  I wanted to give her a tract and invite her to come to church.  If it hadn't been so late and cold, and how on earth was I going to find a stranger in a Wall Mart at one in the morning??  She was probably not even there anymore.

I do hope that the next time I see someone like that I react the way Jesus would have.  I pray that the girl I'm talking about comes to know Jesus as her Saviour!  I'd love to see her in Heaven some day!! 

Angela @ Hidden Treasures
Preacher's Wife

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Monday Ministry Highlights: Prophets Chambers

        Our church has a ministry that is unique and not-so-unique, the ministry of our prophets chambers. The concept for this ministry comes from 2 Kings 4:10. Many churches have prophets chambers, so that's the not-so-unique thing. The unique part is the design. We have four separate bedrooms, each with it's own full bathroom, and one of the rooms has two beds, the others with one bed. When we built our family life center, our pastor (also my hubby) lead us to put in these rooms for preachers and missionaries and their families.      

        During the planning stages, Tony gave three requirements to the ladies that would take care of getting the furnishings for the rooms, each room must have the four elements from the above Bible passage - a bed,  a table, a stool, and a candlestick. So each room has four basic things, a bed, a table or desk, a chair, and lamps (with regular lighting of course.) Since we were devoting a large portion of the family life center to this ministry, we had plenty of room to do much more, the bathrooms, wardrobes if not a closet, and we added the distinctive decorative elements to each room. Our ladies have the ministry of keeping these rooms clean and amply supplied. There is a large, central seating area that is separate from the bedrooms, with a couch, a love seat, an automatic sleep-inducing recliner, some wing back chairs, a coffee table, lamps and end tables. 

        During construction (in the stud wall stage) Tony showed me a corner of the building that had no plans and asked me what I thought we should put there. I said, "Why not put in a whirlpool tub? Many preachers and missionaries can rarely afford one in there own home or even to rent one in a motel room." He liked the idea, and so did the building committee. So we put an eight jet whirlpool, a stool and a cabinet with towels and washcloths in that corner. The Lord gave Tony the idea of giving each room a name. The whirlpool room is called Bethesda; the bedrooms are The Elijah Room, The Boaz / Ruth Room, The Aquila / Priscilla Room, and the Abraham / Sarah Room.

        Many preachers and missionaries and their families have stayed in our Prophets Chambers over the past seven or eight years since we built them, missionaries to England, New Guinea, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Northwest U.S., Mexico, Cuba, Israel and many others. Preachers and pastors and their families from many different states have also used them. Though our church is small, this is one way we are having an impact for Christ. Our Lord is keeping records, and His Word promises we will be rewarded for what we do for Him. There is a specific passage in Matthew that addresses the rewards we will receive for these prophets chambers, not to mention the reward of the joy we get from helping these men of God and their families. As a preacher's wife, I have had the privilege of staying in several prophets chambers, and I can't say enough about the benefit they are to people in ministry. Often times prophets chambers have saved us hundreds of dollars on motel rooms. This might be a ministry your church could do. Or you could even make one from an extra room in your own home. That's what the Shunemmite woman did. A prophets chamber can be a small room with a bed and a shower. It doesn't have to be elaborate to be useful and appreciated. Are there any of you readers who have a similar ministry? I would love to hear from you. Maybe you have some great ideas for items that need to be included in a prophets chamber.        

Blessings!

Lisa

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The Laughter of Children

In the 50 and 60's when I was growing up, we played a good deal of our spare time. Often we played outdoors, making mud pies, making houses in Dad's shed. These houses were not only homes to us, but often were hospitals, churches for weddings, and shops.

Play was often quite physical with the customary games of tig chasie, hopscotch, skip jump and marbles and jacks. At school play time we made houses out of stones in the playground. We re-enacted shows on TV such as Flash Gordon and Jet Jackson.

When my children were little, they played similar games to us and I encouraged them by playing with them and making cubby houses for my little girl, S. She would spend many a happy hour making me cups of tea and serving them to me in her tiny China tea service.

Her brother M often would jump on her cubby house, trying to fly like Superman, a tea cloth tied around his neck. S and Superman would often have a falling out! And later on they were joined by their brother G and sister D, getting a ride on the back of their older siblings' trike with the little trailer on the back.

I can still remember with fondness my older son's patience with his baby sister as she toddled up to his cricket bales, knocking them off for the hundredth time, chuckling as he replaced it. She obviously thought that he was doing it for her amusement. They were happy and healthy times.

Today, I have noticed a shift in play. Children don't seem to have much imagination. They get bored easily and need constant stimulation. One child in our family needs a DVD to watch in the car because she gets bored going out and about... Bored? I can well remember our fights to have the window seats when Dad borrowed a car for our once a week outing. Everything was exciting!

We had an imagination that came from a natural curiosity with the world, not through constant stimulation of TV, DVD's and computer games.... There aren't even a lot of children out playing with new bikes and toys in the streets on Christmas morning like days of old. They are too busy being entertained by cyber games and computers. They are getting old and fat before their time.

I saw a documentary recently that said that we must return to the old ways of play, for in them children gained insight to how things worked, and became socially skilled. They learned many skills both vocal and social and learnt how to co-operate and how to assert themselves without resorting to fighting. They became more confident.

It also found that children who were denied the chance to play with other children or outdoors, lacked the social skills and motor skills found in children who played in the old-fashioned way.

Recently, I have been minding my grandchildren and I have been encouraging them to play out of doors. They have been having a great time riding their scooters, digging in the builder's sand, making mud pies and generally behaving like *children*

It has been good for them and fun for me too. Hearing their laughter reminds me of their mother and my other now grown children playing as youngsters and it is comforting to know that I am doing them a service by letting the children play.

Blessings, Glenys

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Zechariah 8:5

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Pro-Life Pictures

I don't have many liberal "friends" (people I haven't seen in years) on facebook. Most people in my circle tend to be like minded.  But occasionally some differing views tend to pop up on my status feed.  I'm sure you all can relate.

I certainly don't have a problem with these people posting whatever they want on their own walls, it's their page after-all, but there's one particular viral picture I've seen pop-up now  that I find offensive on so many levels.

The picture I'm referring to is of a woman's bare lower torso and upper legs with only an index card covering her nudity.  The index card says something to the effect, these are my privates you don't have a right to choose what to do with them.  (I've always hidden the picture before really studying it).

My heart aches when I see that picture, because people just don't get it.  Why should the rights of one human super-cede another? This may seem crass but bear with me, why should you have a right to do what you want with your privates, but deny the baby in your womb the same thing?

I don't like getting into facebook debates, so in response I created these photos.  I hope you'll take a minute and share one of them on your wall, pin them, or tweet them.  I don't expect them to go viral, but maybe they'll make a difference in some way.  

I'm putting the photos on our new facebook page so all you need to do is like KJV Blogs (link is at the bottom) and share one of the photos if you want.

(I'm disabling comments on this post because I know I won't be able to keep up, if this has blessed you though please share the pictures.)

Stay up to date on our re-launch.
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KM Logan
Visit me at Lessons From Ivy or 633 Music

Thursday This n That: The Grace of a Stranger

The mother in the waiting room appeared calm and rested.  Her children were quiet and well-behaved, talking softly to each other.  Several people questioned if they were "all hers" and complimented their sweet temperaments.  She simply smiled and thanked them, not mentioning the years of training that went into the moment or the quick pep talk that occurred just before entering the building. 

After a relatively short wait, the nurse called them back.  Her eyes popped a little as the children streamed by and piled into the small room.  She was polite, though, and just smiled.  A few questions were asked, and she took her leave promising that the doctor would be "right in".  

Minutes passed.  The room grew smaller and the air seemed to be rapidly being sucked out.  Those same cheerful children from the waiting room were slowly wilting, barely resembling their former selves.   The poor mother was flushed and frazzled, as her best efforts were failing to convince her perspiring babies that they would survive.

After nearly an hour, the doctor blew in, cheery and upbeat.  He glanced around the small examining room and took in the sight of children scrambling to pick themselves off the floor, in an attempt to keep up appearances.  He smiled.  His eyes rested on the two grumpy babies, loudly chewing on the rubbery ends of medicine bottles.  He just stood there for a minute, saying nothing.  And then he turned to the worn mother and beamed.  

He seemed not to notice that everybody's once neatly combed hair was now matted to their heads, or that the magazine so thoughtfully placed in the room to pass time was a bit crumpled and a little damp.  He didn't mention the fact that the strip of fresh white paper lining the exam table had gone from crisp to wrinkled and torn.  And it didn't phase him that this mom-of-many was sporting spatterings of spit-up on her previously clean clothing.  Nope, he saw only one thing.

That though everybody was hot and tired and had been left waiting far too long in a room far too small, they were smiling and helpful.  He wasn't concerned that the 7 year old girl had become fascinated with the privacy curtain and how it rolled forward and back.  Instead, he was impressed that when her older brother accidentally knocked her in the head, she just rubbed it and laughed.  When this mother was sorely tempted to narrow in on all the little things that were draining her energy, the doctor was busily pointing out all the good.

After a thorough exam, that resulted in the recommendation of further investigation by a different specialist, the hobbling boy was released from captivity.  His eager family scurried from the room with him!  But as the boys' mother was bringing up the rear of her little brood, her mind wasn't on what the doctor hadn't been able to tell her.  It was rather consumed by what he had.

That it was okay for her kids to be kids.  That combed hair and tidy clothing and perfect posture didn't impress him.  That he wasn't drawn to quiet, severe little children that had been carefully trained to "perform".  It was the spirit within that called to his heart.  An inner joy and peace that blinded him to the "poor" behavior making the mother cringe.

Thank you, Doc!  Perhaps today, by the grace of God, I will see my children as you have!