Michelle Ule's Blog

The Advent season is upon us. Here are some basics.

In my family, the concept of Advent is slightly different from that of Christmas.

It can be easy to forget the real reason for the season: the long-awaited Messiah’s arrival on planet earth.

Having a plan for Advent can shift the family’s focus from December’s busyness to focusing on Jesus’ birth.

I suffer from this problem every year.

But this year I’m ahead of myself. I actually found the Advent wreath before Advent started.

Meanwhile, while I hunt for candles, here’s a review of what it can mean to celebrate Advent–as well as Christmas.

What does the Advent season mean?

The Advent season in the liturgical church year (vestments are blue) is the four Sundays before Christmas Day.

They help us anticipate Jesus’ birth.

The word “Advent” is a shortened form of adventus Domini, meaning “the coming of the Lord.”

The Advent season anticipates three events:

The celebration of Christ’s birth this year.His resurrection celebration on Easter next year.His promise to return–anytime.How to celebrate the Advent Season at home with the candles?

Many people prepare an Advent wreath with evergreens and four candles. They light an additional candle on the four Sundays of Advent, one each week. We light all four candles to celebrate Christmas.

I usually forget to light the first candle.

The first Sunday in Advent in 2025 is November 30.

If you forget to light the first candle, light it the following Sunday with the second candle.

Jesus’ life and death are about grace.

There’s no reason to feel guilty at Christmastime.

Check out these posts to learn what you can expect about each candle of the Advent season:

A Candle for Advent Hope

A Candle for Advent Peace

Three Candles for Joy!

Four Candles for Advent Love

Other ways to remember the Advent season

One friend suggested reading a chapter from the Gospel of Luke every day during December.

Since the book has 24 chapters, you end on Christmas Eve. She then explained, “You wake up Christmas morning knowing who and why you celebrate.”

Other ideas

Celebrate Advent by singing a Christmas carol in place of saying grace before dinner.Read, sing, review a book like The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Suprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs by Andrew Gant.Maybe your family can read a book based on the nativity? (Here’s a list of suggested Christmas children’s books.)Tell a story about a personal Christmas past.Read the Christmas cards aloud, or pray for the people who send them to you.Why not pray about your gifts? Or for the people who will open them?If you have children, you might appreciate Karen Whiting’s book: Christmas is Coming! But Waiting is Hard!

My church handed out an entire Advent season calendar with something simple to do every day.

Another look at the Advent Stories

I’ve written many blog posts about the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ coming nativity.

These collected blog posts start with “Mary’s Challenging Year,” and follow the family all the way to Jesus’ Childhood.

You can read the stories starting here.

Enjoy Advent, Christmas, and the newborn King this December!

Tweetables

A variety of ways to celebrate Advent this year! Click to Tweet

Do we need candles to celebrate Advent? Click to Tweet

Advent basics to celebrate the reason for the season. Click to Tweet

Enjoy your Advent season this year!

The post The Advent Season Basics appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

Thanksgiving is next week in the United States, and I’ve been getting prepared.

Mostly, I’ve been working on my heart, which always needs scrutiny in the giving thanks department!

But this fourth Thursday in November holiday is one of my favorites because it’s family reunion time.

I love seeing my relatives.

As a genealogist, spending time hearing my family’s stories is always important.

Really, more important than the food.

But some years, it’s just a challenging trip.

Why go home for Thanksgiving?

I go home for several reasons, which I’ve articulated on this blog site over the years.

Yes, I go home for Thanksgiving to see everyone.

I want to see people who have known me my whole life. I know they love me. (Even if they disagree with me on a variety of subjects!)

Thanksgiving past!

I love to hear them telling stories around me and sigh with contentment.

On Thanksgiving day, they’re my past, my present, and part of who I’ll always be.

I love them. I miss them. We all celebrate when we’re together.

No matter how long it’s been.

What if you’re not invited?

It doesn’t always mean you’re not welcome if you’re not invited.

With family, well, anyone can show up at my brother’s house for the big meal.

One year, I realized I may not have been invited to dinner (my husband was out to sea, of course), because no one knew I needed an invitation.

No invite? Does anybody know you need one?

That particular year, I voiced my single status (other than the two toddlers) to our pastor.

He announced from the pulpit that a Navy wife needed a place to go for dinner that Thanksgiving.

Several people invited me.

It was wonderful.

Why not set a new tradition?

Then there were the Thanksgivings my husband was NOT out to sea, but we lived too far to go home.

So, we improvised.

No one in my family will ever forget the year we nearly starved over Thanksgiving weekend.

(Okay, it wasn’t that bad, but the kids thought so).

We took our dinner to the beach on Moloka’i that year and relished turkey with all the (sandy) trimmings.

And then discovered every grocery store on the island was closed for the weekend.

The children survived because we attended the Moloka’i Ranch Rodeo!

Adapting for the family

One year, we savored eating Thanksgiving dinner with our vegetarian relatives.

Ah, the food tasted so good and featured such different entrees!

Several years ago, we joined the “big” family and shared family history.

I brought my scanner. My cousins had old family photos I’d never seen before.

One year, we entertained ourselves with an elaborate family tree that filled a wall.

Everyone got a detailed name tag describing how they were related to my grandparents.

The name tags helped some of the older relatives identify which younger children belonged to whom! (And how many “removes” they were!)

What’s the real point of Thanksgiving?

Being thankful.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV

A meal, a time, with family and friends gathering together makes being thankful easy.

You’ve got a week. Can you find a way to be thankful–and to provide a reason for someone else to be thankful–by Thanksgiving day?

Tweetables

Four thoughts on Thanksgiving–every year. Click to Tweet

Why not be the reason for someone to be thankful this week? Click to Tweet

The post Why Celebrate Thanksgiving? appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States, the day designated to honor those who have served in the armed forces.

President Woodrow Wilson designated that particular day because the belligerent powers signed an armistice to halt World War I on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. For that reason, they called it “Armistice Day.”

My husband likes to point out that Veterans Day is NOT the same as Memorial Day (celebrated the last Monday in May).

“Memorial Day remembers those who lost their lives defending the United States. Veteran’s Day is to honor those who have served,” he reminds us most years.

(Note: there is no apostrophe in Veterans Day. Wikipedia explains: “While the holiday is commonly printed as Veteran’s Day or Veterans’ Day in calendars and advertisements [spellings that are grammatically acceptable], the United States government has declared that the attributive (no apostrophe) rather than the possessive case is the official spelling.”)

Remembrance Day

While the United States remembers its veterans this week, other countries around the world are also acknowledging the men and women who served.

The United Kingdom honors its soldiers with Remembrance Day.

Veteran’s groups handed out poppies, often with copies of the famous poem, In Flanders Fields by John McCrae. You know how it begins:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

Red poppies became a symbol of remembrance of the war. The red symbolizes all the blood spilled in death.

In 2014, the United Kingdom memorialized the 800,000+ deaths from their country during World War I by “spilling” red ceramic poppies from The Tower of London.

You can see what the moat looked like in September 2014 in the photo above.

Poppies grow all over the world, but became associated with the dead of World War I because they sprouted so quickly in soil churned up by battle.

Local Recognition

Our church recognized all the veterans in the congregation by having them stand and be acknowledged.

One woman served in the Navy in the 1970’s–well before women became as plentiful in the service as they are now. (And the stories she can tell . . . ).

We fly our flag on November 11 to honor family members who have served in the armed forces.

Most of them are dead– though none in my family died in uniform since Captain Dial of the North Carolina militia in 1753. (French and Indian War).

Serving in the armed forces made a difference in the lives of my family.

As a genealogist, I’ve learned that eight ancestors assisted the patriots in the American Revolution.  One of my ancestors served in the Confederate States Army–the same year his distant cousin, Abraham Lincoln, served as president of the United States.

Family veterans in the 20th century. My favorite private, 1918

My grandfather earned his American citizenship by serving in the US Army during World War I. You can read more about his surprising story here.

Both my uncles became skilled electricians in the service and spent the rest of their lives working in electronics, computers, and other communication technology.

My father-in-law served during the waning months of World War II.

My father served as a lieutenant during the Korean War.  He arrived on an aircraft carrier the day the war ended.

My husband worked with submarines for 20 years.

Americans learned a hard lesson following the Vietnam War. So many veterans were not welcomed home that many of us felt ashamed. Since the First Gulf War, we have greeted veterans with respect and honor.

I’m thankful for that change.

Most of the veterans I know will tell you they don’t need to be feted or honored; they were simply doing their job.

But I’ll say thanks to them anyway.

And I’ll thank God that the red poppy is not pertinent to my family’s history.

Tweetables

Veterans Day and Red Poppies: What They Mean. Click to Tweet

Remembering a family of veterans on Veterans Day. Click to Tweet

Why no apostrophe in Veterans Day? Click to Tweet

The post Veterans Day and Red Poppies appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

Many know the sad story behind Horatio Spafford‘s penning of the famous hymn “It is Well with My Soul.”Horatio Spafford (Wikimedia Commons)

(Spoiler alert. If you love the song, don’t read this blog post).

A lawyer and church elder in Chicago following the Civil War, Horatio Spafford’s home and wealth disappeared in the famed Chicago fire of October 1871.

Pretty much ruined, Horatio decided to take his family to Europe in December 1873 to regroup.

At the last minute, Horatio had to deal with yet another financial difficulty. He sent his wife Anna and four daughters, Annie, Bessie, Maggie, and Tanetta, ahead to France on the Ville du Havre.

Halfway across the Atlantic Ocean, a ship struck the Ville du Havre.

Anna Spafford grabbed the baby and led the girls to the top deck. They tried to get into a lifeboat.

Twelve minutes after the accident, the bow broke. Eleven-year-old Annie Spafford shouted, “Don’t be afraid. The seas is His and He made it.”

The girls were swept into the frigid water. The baby was sucked from Anna’s arms as the ship sank. A lifeboat captain later found Anna floating unconscious on a piece of wood.

Once arrived in Wales on a rescue ship, Anna wired to her unsuspecting husband: “Saved Alone.”

Library of CongressHoratio’s reaction

Horatio sailed immediately to join her.

When they reached the coordinates where the Ville du Havre sank, the captain brought Horatio to see the empty ocean.

That night, he penned the poem “It is Well With My Soul,” which became the song.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot,

Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain: It is well, with my soul, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His

Anna Spafford (Wikimedia Commons)

own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live: If Jordan above me shall roll, No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait, The sky, not the grave, is our goal; Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord! Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

Up until this week, the above was all I knew about the Spaffords. The song itself has always been special to me.

Migrating to Israel

I recently, however, read a biography of Lowell Thomas. He referenced The American Colony in Jerusalem, noting the Spaffords relocated to the Holy Land after the ship sank. They spent the rest of their lives there ministering to the local population.

Thomas first met Anna Spafford and her two daughters (born after the tragic loss of her other children) during World War I.

Further research took me to a terrific book which details the story: Jane Fletcher Geniesse’s American Priestess: The Extraordinary Story of Anna Spafford and the American Colony in Jerusalem.

In a nutshell, perhaps emotionally damaged because of the fire, the loss of the children, the humility of financial ruin, Spafford gathered a band of believers. He took them to Jerusalem (on someone else’s money), where they performed charitable acts and waited for the Messiah’s return.

Horatio died seven years after their arrival. Anna became the head of a cult-like organization that took Jesus’ words seriously about helping those in need.

Jerusalem Colony carried on without the Spafford’s leadership

They fed and helped educate Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Turks in late-nineteenth-century Jerusalem.

During World War I, as neutral Americans, they ran hospitals in the ancient city.

Anna was a seer who ruled her followers with an iron fist and routine prophecies. A group of industrious Swedish immigrants joined her fellowship in 1896 to await the Messiah’s return.

For many years, members of her flock lived in celibacy and poverty. They turned over all income and resources to Anna’s religious order. The Colony separated adults from the children they brought with them.

The children received only a meager education.

Since Anna preached that the Messiah was coming soon, there was no need for education or even book reading.

But they fed the poor. They provided a place where Muslims, Turks, Jews, Christians, and foreign visitors could mingle and talk.

The American Colony Photography studio took most of the significant photos of Jerusalem during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Colony photographers documented the great locust famine of 1915. 

The fellowship, as a religious organization, ceased to exist within a decade of Anna’s 1922 death.

What did the Spafford’s lives ultimately mean?

Geniesse summed up Anna Spafford’s life like this:

“Anna Spafford dreamed there would be peace between peoples, frequently declaring to her fellowship that ‘love could conquer disunity,’ and in many ways this is the American dream, rich with the conviction that there should be no distinctions between races, genders, ethnicities, or classes, with freedom and democracy available to all.

“. . . Perplexed, fearful of the future, swept by events out of their control, they did their best under the circumstances. The Spaffords in particular had to find a way to overcome crippling emotional wounds, while the Swedes and other members were overly susceptible to strong religious influences, paying the price in their captivity to Anna, who was hardly the first and certainly will not be the last, to use religion as a tool in the service of goals having more to do with Caesar than with God.”

I wanted the Spafford story to be a tale of deep religious faith that overcame tragedies and pointed to Jesus. Despite the hymn, that’s not what happened.

More Stories

Surprise! There’s another side to this story.

Bertha Spafford Vester circa 1903 (Library of Congress)

Anna Spafford’s daughter Bertha Spafford Vester relocated with her parents in 1881 (she was two years old). She lived in Jerusalem until she died in 1968. 

In 1950, at the urging of Lowell Thomas, she wrote a memoir titled Our Jerusalem.

Her version of her mother’s life differs completely from Geniesse’s story.

According to Vester, many of the stories Geniesse recounted were rumors, hearsay, and slander perpetrated by the US Counsel in Jerusalem.

The two men who served in the role for many years resented the American Colony’s influence in the area. They put words into the mouths of the colony members and distorted their beliefs.

Do actions speak louder than words?

Vester and the American Colony’s work during the early 20th century speaks volumes about their desire to serve God.

As always, there are two sides to a story. Our Jerusalem, now out of print, is available at the Internet Archive or on Hoopla. It’s well worth the read.

Tweetables

What happened to the writer of It Is Well With My Soul? Click to Tweet[image error]

The Women Worth Knowing podcast provides an even more sobering account of the Spafford’s lives: Here

Here’s Women Worth Knowing’s part two detailing Anna Spafford’s grim tale.

The post Was it Really Well with the Spafford’s Souls? appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

I went walking with lions in Africa this fall.

Wild has a question mark in the title because the lions lived on a preserve.

That meant that, while they were technically wild, they weren’t hunting for their dinners.

Still, they weren’t tame by any stretch–and I didn’t take the stick I carried in my hand for granted.

Indeed, I prayed the whole time.

Especially when other lions in the neighborhood began roaring.

Where did the lions live?

The lions and the other wild animals we saw lived on Ukutula Lodge and Game Reserve.

Located about an hour’s drive northwest of Johannesburg, the preserve “homes” a variety of wild animals and many bird species.

We were there to see lions while on a ministry trip to South Africa.

I had no idea what to expect.

It seemed an impossible idea–walking with lions, by myself?

And yet . . .

As you would expect, when not strolling the countryside, they lived in a closely watched and controlled area.

This sign gave me pause.

But then, so did the fences.

Just past the yellow signSee the fence height?Do you see the lion?Walking lions just outside their gate–and into the bush.

Once our group of about 14 gathered, the keepers brought out the lions.

They’d been fed the night before, the lion keepers assured us, then explained about the sticks.

The lions had been trained since cubhood that they could not go past the stick held in front of humans.

I believed them. I wanted to believe them.

It was hard.

They began walking with lions down the dirt road, with the rest of us quietly walking behind.

We all planted our sticks appropriately.

We paused for a moment when the lions went on alert–were those impalas running through the bush?

I watched everyone stroll without any problems, so I began to relax.

Sort-of.

Soon, we came to a bend in the dirt road, with an open spot sporting a tree.

The guides stopped us.

The biggest lion climbed into the tree!

Feeling foolishly confidentThen he roared; safer to face him.Safest with my husband beside me! I can run faster!Heart trembling, I took my turn walking with lions.

Eventually, the group turned back to the lion pen.

I was the final person walking with lions that day.

“Really,” I said, “I don’t have to.”

“No,” the guide said. “Everyone needs this experience.”

I took a deep breath.

I planted my stick firmly in the ground as the lions turned to look at me.

With a nod, we were off.

Long ago, I read Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides, and felt overwhelmed reading a scene involving a lion.

It haunted me years later during a visit to the San Francisco Zoo.

Don’t think about fear, I warned myself.

I took another deep breath, determined to stroll–no matter what my heart or stomach felt like!

My heart beat like crazy, I reminded myself to relax and breathe.

At some point, several caged lions began growling.

I began praying. I hoped this wasn’t a Daniel moment . . .

It wasn’t.

Then my husband joined me. I took a death grip on my stick and on his arm.

We survived.

Was it just walking with lions?

Of course not.

I also got to pet a cheetah. (Who was more mellow than our cat at home!)

The reserve features other big cats and a diverse array of animals.

We toured their conservation center and learned about their research efforts.

As we drove in, we saw water buffalo, zebra, a giraffe, and a splendid ostrich standing in a field.

It was a magical day that ended with a beautiful sunset.

I suspect my husband and I are the only people we know who have walked with lions.

What about you?

Would you risk it?

The post Walking with Lions (wild?) in Africa appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

“Learn how to choose?” the young mom said. “What does that have to do with my kids?”

Plenty.

Especially if you have a two-year-old.

Don’t you like to have a choice?

Of course, you do.

But making any choice and making a good choice are two different things.

Why does a toddler need to know how to choose?

Perhaps you’ve heard of the “terrible twos?”

Or, maybe like my friend Anne, you call them the “terrific twos?”

Often when a child celebrates their second birthday, they want to control their surroundings.

They want to exercise their own will, thank you very much.

This is where teaching them how to choose begins.

Present them with two different options–ones that you don’t care about.

As in, “Do you want to wear the green shirt with your jeans, or the yellow shirt?”

At least it’s got buttons! (Unsplash)

Hold out both choices. Let them select which one they want.

The result: they’re happy because they’ve controlled the outcome.

You’re happy because you didn’t care either way.

The toddler learns they can exercise some control.

And they like it.

Aging up in learning how to choose

It continues as they grow up.

I told my boys they had to wear a shirt with buttons to church on Sunday.

I didn’t care which one.

They had several options in their cupboard.

If the shirt had buttons, I didn’t say anything. I may not have liked that particular shirt, but it was their choice.

Similarly, I required them to pick up their room once a month so I could vacuum it. (In hindsight, I’d make that once a week, I’ve learned!)

An earlier version of this book changed how I saw parenting.

A lot of this decision-making came from hearing author Cynthia Tobias on the Focus on the Family radio show.

She spoke about “learning styles” that day in the 1990s.

I realized that just because I had trouble concentrating in a messy room, it didn’t mean my kids did.

I stopped telling them what to do and taught them how to choose what worked for them.

The yelling stopped. Complaining stopped. I learned how to phrase my “suggestions,” so the children recognized the benefit to them.

Shortly after this “cleaning breakthrough,” we introduced the clothing allowance.

The benefits of training kids how to choose for themselves

We only have our children in the house for a set number of years, usually about 18.

Once they leave home, the consequences of their choices are theirs.

At least, that’s what we hope for when we launch them into the world.

(Some, obviously, learn earlier.)

If they learn how to choose while still at home, we can supervise.

Rewarding good behavior, asking respectful questions

When a child came up with an idea, we listened and asked sensible questions.

Our tone made the difference.

I had to train myself to say, “That’s an interesting idea, I can see you’re thinking about it. Have you considered this ____________?”

Sometimes my teenager bristled.

Try to avoid asking this late, “Still think this is a good idea?” (Jennifer Kalenberg on Unsplash">Unsplash)

But if I asked it respectfully, they often paused and thought.

We paid them for unusual chores (cleaning the car, painting, heavy gardening).

They had routine requirements for living in the house.

When it came time to spend what they’d earned, I let them.

Sometimes, I had to bite my tongue and allow them to learn from their mistakes.

(One child had to help an auto body shop friend repair our car.)

Money and how to choose where to spend it

Learning how to manage their money was an excellent place for choice errors.

If they bought something over our suggestions, they lived with the consequences.

Mistakes rarely happen more than once if the children learn how to choose well.

One of our roles as parents is to prepare our kids for the future world.

Teaching them how to choose responsibly is an excellent way to help.

The post How to Choose and Other Parenting Tips appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

How do you do ministry to a soul’s dark night?

(See earlier post on Oswald Chambers’ dark night of the soul).

That post notes that a soul’s dark night often stems from spiritual confusion.

A person tries to hear God’s voice, wants to follow His directions, but can’t seem to hear anything–for sure.

They’re stuck.

How to tell if someone’s struggling with a soul’s dark night

A Christian is concerned about the quality of their relationship with God.

When a person first believes, they’re open to seeing Him everywhere. With their new birth into Christ, they’re delighted life looks completely new.

Joy flows.

Ozan Safak on Unsplash ">[image error] Ozan Safak on Unsplash">Unsplash

Openness and love fill.

They can’t believe their sins–many of which haunt them–are forgiven.

Some people stay on that joyous path forever.

Others soon realize that though Jesus died for their sins, new ones keep cropping up.

As time goes by, discouragement can set in. They ask questions like:

Am I really saved?Why do I still sin?Does God still love me?

How do you answer those questions?

That’s the ministry to a soul’s dark night.

So, what is the ministry to a soul’s dark night? Reminding them of who they are in Christ.

 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV)

2. Remind them about how to recognize God’s voice:

Jesus doesn’t condemn you.Jesus does not condone sinful behavior.He always commends.

If they’re hearing a “voice” sounding like the first two, it’s not God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit they’re hearing.

3. Is something causing the discouragement?

Is it sin, or is it life?Connect them with Jesus in prayer.Ask the Holy Spirit to bring something to mind–then pray about it.Speak truth into their life.

4. Remind them to put on the armor of God every day.

Oswald Chambers’ ministry to a soul’s dark night took time.

You can read the article I wrote for the Spring 2025 Christian History Magazine.

Or this blog post.

What is pertinent is that Chambers agonized over this for seven years.

Only the principal at Dunoon Bible School knew and provided the ministry.

As things came to a head in 1901, Chambers attended a Pentecostal League of Prayer meeting.

A woman told the congregation to pray while she sang, “Touch Me Again, Lord.”

As described in Oswald Chambers: His Life and Work:

“I rose to my feet. I had no vision of God, only a sheer dogged determination to take God at His Word and to prove this thing for myself, and I stood up and said so.”

That evening marked the turning point of his life.

“His inner turmoil had given way to transforming peace . . . When you know what God has done for you, the power and the tyranny of sin is gone, and the radiant, unspeaking emancipation of the indwelling Christ has come . . . Finally, the long night was over and peace had come.

The citadel of his heart had fallen, not to a conquering Christ, but to the gentle knocking of a wounded hand. In a new and powerful way, at the age of twenty-seven, the story of Oswald Chambers’ life had just begun.”

(David McCasland, Abandoned to God, p. 87)

What people don’t need for ministry to a soul’s dark nightCondemnation.Impatience.Empty assurances.Being gossiped about.

They need us to pray for them, to encourage them, and to love them.

Remind them of God’s promises–that can never be taken away.

And that there is no sin that Jesus’ death on the cross cannot/will not forgive.

Thanks be to God.

The post Ministry to a Soul’s Dark Night: How? appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

How to write Christian devotionals?

Obviously, the earliest writers like Theresa of Avila wrote under compulsion from God

Writers want to share what God put on their hearts, or because they have insight into helping others deepen their relationships with God.

Here’s what several contemporary devotional writers think about the process.

Six keys to writing Christian Devotionals1. Stick to the format.

Modern devotionals generally conform to a pattern provided by the publisher–who often seeks writers to create the Christian devotionals.

Since readers will be visiting the book regularly (often for a year), readers need to know what to expect each day.[image error]

“Many devotionals follow this pattern: Scripture, story, connection to Scripture, application, action point/takeaway, prayer,” explained Cynthia Ruchti.

Ruchti has written numerous devotionals, including Mornings with Jesus (Guideposts);  As My Parents Age; portions of Be Still and Let Your Nail Polish Dry: 365-Day Devotional Journal, and a devotional flex-journal Where Are You God?: Learning to Trust When Times Are Tough (Ellie Claire/Hachette).

“Sometimes the Scripture verse inspires the story that opens the devotional, sometimes a story presses me to consider which Scripture passages best undergird the principle,” she said.

Ruchti carries around a notebook to record snippets of conversations, concepts, and verses she finds while studying the Bible.

2. Make the Bible passage central–to the devotional and to your life

As author Carol Nasir noted, if it’s a Christian devotional, the primary focus should be on God and Jesus.

Regularly reading a book that encourages their faith can sustain readers in difficult times.

Ruchti agreed. “Writing devotionals for any other reason than to communicate timeless truths that connect readers to the God of Truth, to His grace, mercy, love, and hope will show in the end product.”

“Knowing God’s Word–as an unending pursuit–is the key to writing meaningful devotionals.”

“You need to have a love of God’s Word and have a habit of spending time in God’s Word,” said Tricia Goyer, who has written many devotionals over the years, including One Year of Amish Peace.  

Twenty-five years of disciplined Bible study and prayer enable her to write with confidence that she understands God and his word.

“I couldn’t have written a devotional when I was a new Christian. I needed time to learn what God’s Word meant to me first.”

Goyer emphasized that her words need to reflect how she lives; therefore, the messages flow out of her spiritual life.

3. Pay attention to the themes–however, it works for you.

Author Karen Whiting uses a spreadsheet to organize and develop the devotional books she writes. (Her devotionals include The One Year Devotions for Active Boys, My Princess Devotions, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front).[image error]

“It’s important to consider the reader’s needs,” Karen said. “Each audience has different needs, so you need to understand what engages each audience.”

Generally speaking,

Boys like humorMany women and girls like devotionals that include crafts.Military people tend to like real stories and history.“Each reader is looking for something to apply that meets their needs.”Karen has written devotionals for all ages, including preschoolers, tweens, teens, military, women, and families.Drawing on her personal military background, Karen’s books include 52 Weekly Devotions for Families Called to Serve.

Kathleen Y’Barbo wrote 365-Family Dinners and Devotionals that touched on two things important to families: food and God!

That enabled her to target specific days and seasons. “I spread out the devotions so that, for example, I talked about the birth of Jesus, who Mary was, and the wise men for most of December.”

She wrote about thankfulness in the closing weeks of November. “On days that were special to me, I chose a verse or devotional topic that fit the situation or person. It’s something a reader wouldn’t know, but I know.”

4. It’s not as easy as it may seem

It took Goyer six months to write 365 devotionals for her 2015 devotional book. With ten Amish novels and novellas under her belt, she already knew lots of Amish information.

Reviewing old blog posts and photos helped. “These became the seeds of the ideas that grew into devotions,” she explained.

“You need to be both a sprinter and a long-distance writer,” Whiting said. “You must write tight for each day (400 words max for adults; less for kids) yet be able to generate 365 ideas. Many authors die halfway through writing the book.”

5. Be open to surprises

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“Reader response has taught me that what I might consider less than my favorite may be just the devotional he or she needed on any given day,” Ruchti said.

Y’Barbo agreed:

“I would sit down thinking I knew what I was going to write, only to have God give me an entirely new perspective on the verse. It was so cool to have that easy flow of writing between me and God . . . I learned much from the writing of this book!”

6. Love and prayer are at the heart of writing Christian devotionals

The secret for Whiting? “Love your audience and be enthusiastic as you write.”

“As I write the devotional, I keep in mind a solid takeaway for the reader . . . and often the reader most in need of the actionable takeaway is me,” Ruchti said.

Y’Barbo prayed over her list of verses, “except for a few specific choices, the process was very free-form and Spirit-led.” The key to it all?

“Direct and open communication with God. Period.”

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I’m looking for a good Bible map book.

You know, a Bible atlas.

I want one that will tell me both the ancient names, as found in the Bible, yes.

But I’d also like one that provides the modern names as well.

You know. So I can find these ancient places on the map.

I’m a geographer’s daughter. I like to know the locations.

Why do I need a Bible map book?

During our 2022 trip to Israel, I was amazed at how close everything is.

It’s a 2.5-hour drive from Capernaum to Jerusalem.

Jesus and his disciples wouldn’t have walked that in a day, but it’s only 100 miles.

But they could have walked it in three days.

That’s how close everything is.

Yes, I own a map of modern-day Israel, but it lacks biblical names.

As I read my Chronological Bible in a Year, I’d like to know where all these places are/were.

Gilga: Red: archaeological discovery. Blue: Biblical mention, not discovered, location uncertain. Purple: discovered and identified with a Biblical site. (Wikimedia Commons)

Of course, even the best atlas will have problems.

Why did the Israelites name different places with the same names?

How many Gibeons did the Israelites need? Or is it Gibeah? Are they the same place?

What’s the deal with Gigal? (Mentioned 39 times but appears to be in two different locations)

The Bible stories can appear differently if you are familiar with the locations.

For example, Dr. Steven Collins finally located the ancient city of Sodom by comparing a Bible map with a modern one.

Reading through Genesis, he noted several factors about the location that many archaeologists had overlooked.

When he looked north of the Dead Sea, he found it.

While recently reading Genesis with friends, we discussed where Abraham lived at Mamre.

Looking at a Bible map, we realized it had to overlook the north end of the Dead Sea.

Thus, those Oaks of Mamre must have been just north of present-day Hebron. (Which is where Abraham’s tomb is still located).

Herod Antipas ordered John the Baptist beheaded at Machaerus (foot of Mt. Nebo west side, near Dead Sea shores).
In photo taken at Qumran, J= Jericho; B= baptism site area; N= Mt. Nebo area. (Author photo)Biblical fiction helps?

One of the things I appreciate about Connilyn Cossette’s Biblical novels is the way she uses the land.

By reading her books, I can better understand what the patriarchs endured in the ancient lands of Israel.

Her Cities of Refuge series brings the Old Testament books to life due to her attention to the landscape. (Not to mention I finally understood what the cities of refuge were!)

This is the role of Biblical fiction–to help us understand that Bible people were like us. They had similar fears. They didn’t want to walk through the desert without water.

Novels help us feel as well as think–they can help us to picture ourselves in the same circumstances.

That, in turn, can help us understand better.

Having maps for those stories helps, too.

BIble maps are available online.

Aplenty.

See the Holy Land, by the way, has plenty of information and photos

Bible atlas.org (on Bible Hub) has excellent maps for those using a computer.

I’d like to sit with my Bible, read, think, and examine the map from my armchair.

I don’t want to have to get up and move elsewhere to ask a simple location question.

(My Life Application NJKV Bible has maps. I’m using the Bible in a Year version these days.)

I bought this one today. Any thoughts or suggestions?

The post Looking for a Good Bible Map Book appeared first on Michelle Ule, Author.

Gold star joy is what I see all the time.

I’ve written about it before–using my finger to trace the star on someone’s sleeve.

But then a friend gave me a roll of gold star stickers. “You need the real thing,” she laughed.

So, I carry them in my purse, and when there’s time, I hand them out.

The reactions have been totally fun.

Gold Star Joy: the Men

Totally fun for me–seeing grown men accept a gold star and then turn into second graders!

“I can hardly wait!” one man laughed, stretching out his arm for ease in adding the star.

“My wife is going to love this!” another man said with a smile.

I was so impressed by the sermon preached by a Seattle pastor that I gave him three stars:

Quality of MessageWise use of ScriptureCourage

He didn’t know who I was, but he laughed when I stuck on the stars. “Finally! More than the kids bring home.”

They’ve all been gracious in accepting their stars with a nod.

They also can’t hide their smiles–so it’s fun for me.

Women and Gold Star Joy

I’ve been surprised when eyes suddenly fill with tears. “Thank you,” one woman whispered. “Someone sees.”

I stood straighter. “Yes. Thank you for your service.” (I may or may not have saluted her).

A hurried nod, a glance at her shoulder, and she was off.

I felt humbled by that exchange.

(Here’s your reminder: watch for people who need encouragement and give it to them!)

On a recent speaking trip, I got carried away and handed them out willy-nilly. So many women laughed when I gave them a gold star.

After shaking hands with several “mothers of three sons,” I gave them stars, acknowledging their participation in the unofficial club. (We then discussed how to feed teenage boys.)

When you’re feeding growing boys, gold star joy comes from simply having enough food! (Bonus if there’s leftovers).

One man preened at his wife, “I got a gold star. Where’s yours?”

I gave him a long look and stuck a star on her arm. “In honor of your marriage.”

Then there are the Gold Star Mothers

While I’m having fun handing out gold stars, I also need to remember the Gold Star Mothers.

The plaque, located in Ocala, Florida, explains why:

Gold Star Mothers Inc. was formed in 1928 and chartered by Congress in 1984.

In WWI a custom evolved to display red and white banners with a blue star for each living member of a family serving in the US armed forces.

A gold star was displayed on the banner to indicate service members who lost their lives in the service and sacrifice of mothers for our country.

The last Sunday in September is Gold Star Mother’s Day.

My gold star joy seems so tiny against these families’ sacrifice.

But, in the same way as above, those stars honor individuals.

What’s the criterion to receive a star?

Sure, I hand them out for good behavior or acts.

But really, the point is to make people feel like they’ve been seen.

And to make them laugh.

You don’t actually need to have stars.

I often simply trace a star on their arm.

It still makes people smile, knowing they’ve been seen.

Go on! Hand them/trace them out!

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