Rainbow equals an everlasting covenant

Keona Tann | @ACWriters

I’ve always felt there is something special about rainbows. I’m excited every time I see one in the sky. As a child I loved running through the sprinkler, especially if I caught a glimpse of a rainbow! I’d imagine myself getting caught up in the colours and becoming a beautiful mix of colour. I’d try and get my wet skin to shimmer and shine like the rainbow which I found I could sometimes achieve if I added some detergent.

For quite a few months I’ve been researching and contemplating the true meaning of a rainbow, I desperately want to know the hidden mystery that God has placed within the rainbow.

The Biblical origin of the rainbow is found in Genesis‬ ‭9:11-16 (‭NLT): “Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth.” Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life. When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.”‬‬‬‬‬‬

As I read I was reminded that the sign of the rainbow is a reminder for us and for God. The rainbow equals an everlasting covenant between God and humanity. It is a visible reminder that God is faithful to keep the promises that He has made.

As I researched more I came across a verse which gives us a wonderful glimpse into heaven: “The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones — like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭(NLT)‬‬‬‬‬‬

As I reflected upon that verse rainbows took on another dimension, they are a glimpse into the heavenly realm. I am fascinated by the colours of the rainbow and desired to know the meanings behind each one. It has been hard to research but this is what I’ve found so far:‬‬‬‬
Red: represents the blood of Jesus; power and love; and the Spirit of Revelation
Orange: fire of God; and the Spirit of wisdom
Yellow: God’s glory; and the Spirit of understanding
Green: new life; and the Spirit of Counsel
Blue: Holy Spirit; holiness; the heavenlies; and the Spirit of might
Indigo: covered by God; and the Spirit of knowledge
Purple: royalty; and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord (that is awe and adoration over His wonder and majesty)

As I faced more challenges, and feelings overwhelmed me, I sat down and poured my heart out to God:
Lord as I sit here struggling to take the next breath
As I sit here and wrestle with these feelings
A rainbow breaks in the sky, right in front of my eyes!
A rainbow, the oldest visible reminder around that Your promises are steadfast and true
A rainbow reminding me of Your unending grace; mercy; love; and redemption
A rainbow, the oldest covenant made
the rainbow equals an everlasting covenant
Lord, all of creation is sealed with Your covenant
The rainbow appears to remind all that Your glorious reign is set in place
A rainbow reminds me of Your throne in the heavenly realms
God, You do not lie for it's impossible for You to do so!
Therefore the promised breakthrough will come
Just as the rainbow shines to declare Your promise, I will shine bright and new
Your saving grace will be outworked in my life
You will not abandon me to this cloud of despair
You will not leave me wandering in this wasteland
You will not allow the storm to blow me off course
I declare afresh that I’m in Your hands
I declare afresh God is with me!

I pray that today you’re encouraged to hold fast to the promises God has given you and inspired to declare that His promises are steadfast and true.

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:35-36‬ (‭NLT)‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
Many blessings, Keona

About Keona:

I’ve lived most of my life in Tasmania, which is one of the beautiful Australian states. Deliriously happily married to my college sweetheart for over 20 years, we consider ourselves extremely blessed to be raising 2 wonderful teenagers. Hubby and I have also been long time child sponsors with Compassion so we have overseas kids!

I struggled with illness and disease for most of my life. The biggest battles were: endometriosis for 28 years and adrenal/chronic fatigue which was severe for 28 months. In September 2016 healing was declared over my life, praise God, this set me on a path of deep inner healing, restoration and transformation. My passion to write was reignited and I wrote out a mission statement:

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NLT)

I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.

In my new-found boldness I’ve started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/

Many Blessings, Keona

How Well does the Bible use the Five Senses?

By Cindy Williams | @nutritionchic 

How well does the Bible use the five senses? Being written by God, it should do pretty well, and from the very first chapters, it does!!

See 

Genesis 1 is full of seeing. Six times ‘God saw that it was good.' Actually, on the final day he ‘saw all he had made, and it was very good.’ Most authors write the seeing sense without effort. Often we use this sense exclusively and it makes our writing one dimensional – just as life would be if you could only see and not hear, smell, taste and touch.

Touch 

Genesis 3 gives us touch and taste. Eve tells the serpent that God had said they must not touch the tree in the middle of the garden or they would die. Great tension – will they touch the tree? We know the answer!

Taste 

Eve sees the fruit is pleasing to the eye and she eats it. We can imagine how delicious it tasted – no cold room storage, no pollution, no pesticides! There’s a lot of talk about eating the apple, and then a line when God tells the serpent that from now on he will eat dust. Not quite such a good taste!

Hear 

Adam and Eve hear God walking in the garden. I wonder what that sounded like? God calls to Adam and he answers that he heard him in the garden and he was afraid. Why? If you don’t know you will have to read it for yourself but here’s a hint: it sends every kindergarten scripture class into fits of giggling.

 Smell 

In Genesis 2 God breathes into Adam’s nostrils but it’s not until God smells the pleasing aroma of Noah’s burnt offerings that we get the first reference to smell. For the rest of the Old Testament it’s pretty obvious that burnt offerings are God’s favourite smell. (Not for the same reason as we slaver over the BBQ!)

What about the New Testament? What is God’s favourite smell here? We are! To God we are ‘the aroma of Christ’ and through us ‘he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus.’ 2 Cor 2:14-15. Have you ever thought of your writing as a beautiful fragrance?

The Winner

And now for the winner of funniest smell reference in the Bible: Jesus tells them to roll the stone away from the tomb where Lazarus has lain dead for four days. Martha, in her anxious, practical way, says, ‘By this time, he stinketh.’ (Jn. 11:39 KJV). Love it!

What's your Favourite?

Throughout the Bible there are calls to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’, to hear his voice, to touch his hands and feet. There are flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder’; there are golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints’; there is honey sweet to the taste. 

God made us with five senses and He has made sure to use them all in His amazing book. Do you have a favourite ‘sense’ Bible verse?

 About Cindy Williams 

With degrees in Nutrition, Public Health and Communication Cindy worked for many years as a dietitian for sports teams, food industry, media, and as a nutrition writer and speaker.

Her first novel, The Pounamu Prophecy, was short listed for the 2016 Caleb Prize. She writes stories of health, history, food and faraway places at www.nutritionchic.com.

 Cindy lives in Sydney with her husband and son, writing stories of flawed women who battle injustice... and sometimes find romance.

Website | Facebook  | Twitter

More Mysteries Than We Can Imagine

Keona Tann | @ACWriters

I used to get so frustrated when someone would start to tell me something but then stops and say: ‘oh I better not tell you’. But then I realised that it was probably a prompting from the Lord for them to NOT say any more. Some people listen to that prompting and others ignore it and tell me stuff that I wished I hadn’t heard. I then have to spend hours praying to try and rid those words from my mind. I’m trying to not engage in these types of discussions but sometimes it is hard to stop people from ‘spilling’ all.

I came across a verse that reminded me very much of the ‘oh I better not tell you’ line. In John‬ ‭20:30 (NKJV) it states: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.”‬.‬

‭‭I read that and wondered why it was put there, is it there as a statement that Jesus did more mysteries than we can imagine? Is it there so that we press in to search for more mysteries? Or is it there so that we can know that the Bible cannot contain ALL of the wonderful things of God?‬‬‬‬
I’m not sure what the answer is, but it has sparked in me a great excitement to search for more mysteries than I can possibly imagine.

The very next verse goes on to assure us that the things that have been written are so that we may believe, with a deep abiding trust, that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) and the Son of God. We can know that by believing; trusting in; and relying upon Him we may have life in His name. (John 20:31 Amplified version paraphrased)

As I ponder on those wonderful words I’m so encouraged that my future will unfold, one wonderful mystery after the other. I cling tight to the process of preparation that is taking place right now and ask for Jesus to reveal what I need right for this moment. As I faithfully serve in the seemingly small things, things that are within my ability right now, I trust in and rely upon Jesus to unfold more opportunities to serve Him AND the ability to do it.

Right now my future is simply a dream, a desire and sometimes seems a long way off from becoming. BUT I believe in the miraculous Jesus and I trust that my future will unfold at just the right time. I surrender yet again to the process of preparation, trying hard to wait patiently.
As I think about the mysteries yet to be revealed, I’m reminded of the promise in Jeremiah 33:3 where God invites us to call to Him. He promises that if we ask He will answer! He longs to tell us remarkable secrets; marvellous and wondrous things; and show us great and mighty things. He promises to reveal the things that are fenced in and hidden; things we do not yet know; the things we haven’t yet distinguished and recognized; things that we don’t presently have knowledge of or understand about; the things to come; and things that we could never figure out on your own. We’re urged to call to Him because He promises to answer and tell us of all that is to come! (AMPC, NLT and MSG paraphrased).

How truly amazing that is! I pray that you’re encouraged today to press in and ask for more mysteries, more than you can possibly imagine.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I thank You so much for the wonderful promises contained in Scripture. I ask that You would grow within me a deep abiding trust in You my Saviour. I believe that You are the Messiah, the Anointed One, the precious Son of God who died to set me free. As I trust in You and rely upon You, I am promised to have life and life to the abundance.

Almighty God, You invite me to call out to You and You Promise that if I ask You will answer. I ask right now that You would reveal what I need for this moment. I ask that You would reveal to me remarkable secrets; marvellous and wondrous things; more mysteries than I can possibly imagine; and please show me great and mighty things. By Your Holy Spirit reveal the things that are fenced in and hidden, things I do not yet know. Reveal to me the things I haven’t yet distinguished and recognized; things that I don’t presently have knowledge of or understand about; the things to come; and things that I could never figure out on my own. I thank You so much Lord that I can call to You and for the glorious promise that You will answer and tell me of all that is to come!

Inspired by John 20:31, John 10:10 and Jeremiah 33:3

Many Blessings, Keona

About Keona:
I’ve lived most of my life in Tasmania, which is one of the beautiful Australian states. Deliriously happily married to my college sweetheart for over 20 years, we consider ourselves extremely blessed to be raising 2 wonderful teenagers. Hubby and I have also been long time child sponsors with Compassion so we have overseas kids!
I struggled with illness and disease for most of my life. The biggest battles were: endometriosis for 28 years and adrenal/chronic fatigue which was severe for 28 months. In September 2016 healing was declared over my life, praise God, this set me on a path of deep inner healing, restoration and transformation. My passion to write was reignited and I wrote out a mission statement:
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NLT)
I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.
In my new-found boldness I’ve started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/
Many Blessings, Keona

DEVOTION: Wrestling with God

By Leila Halawe | @LHalawe

When I became a Christian, the hardest thing for me was surrender – surrendering my life, my heart, my dreams, everything. God has a sense of humour because He has made me fiercely independent and put a control streak in me, yet He regularly asks me to hand over control to Him, and that has been hard for me. Very hard. So when God started asking me to completely depend on Him, it was foreign ground and I found myself wrestling with God instead of being still before Him. I found myself handing things over, only to try and wrestle them back from God. I hand it over, then try to wrestle it back. Hand it over, wrestle it back. I have spent many a night wrestling with God over things and to be honest, I felt bad about it for a while and felt like I wasn’t being a proper Christian, but then I stumbled across Jacob in the Old Testament and found myself feeling a little better.

In Genesis 32:22-31 we read about Jacob wrestling with God:

“That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” The man asked him, “what is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. Then the man said, “your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with god and with humans and have overcome.” Jacob said, “please tell me your name.” But he replied, “why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “it is because I saw god face to face, and yet my life was spared.”. The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.”

When I read about Jacob, I found myself identifying with his situation. As I said, I’ve wrestled with God often and at times have kept wrestling when I should have thrown in the towel long ago (that would be that stubbornness that I mentioned earlier.) But there were a couple of things that really stood out for me when reading Jacob’s encounter. Firstly, Jacob was stubborn. As in, really stubborn. As in, even an out of joint hip didn’t stop him from wrestling with God. I have been, on many an occasion, called a stubborn mule, and with good reason; I can be exceptionally stubborn and when I dig my heels in on something, it takes a lot to shift me. Which can be good and bad. Good in some instances, bad in others, especially when it comes to being stubborn with God because as much as I like to think I know better, to date, God’s ways and plans have always better than mine. But it’s God’s response to Jacob’s stubbornness that really intrigues me.

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. (Gen 32:25)

While this may look like Jacob was too powerful for God so God had to poke his hip to stop him, it is the complete opposite. God poked Jacob’s hip to protect Him; He knew that Jacob would keep going and going and it would eventually end badly for him, so to protect him, God pokes his hip to slow him down and prevent him getting hurt even more. He needed to slow him down. He needed to get him to a place where he could see him face to face. Where Jacob could focus on God’s face and hear God’s voice because the thing is, it’s only when we stop and look at God face to face, when we slow down and come face to face with Jesus, that our lives are changed.

God wants us to sit face to face with our Saviour.

God will slow us down, and occasionally stop us completely, to protect us from ourselves. He wants us to be with Him face to face, without distraction, so that we can properly hear His voice. So that we can walk in the ways He wants us to, not the ways we want to, because we can be stubborn and cause ourselves harm without realising it. And it’s only after we are face to face with Jesus that we are changed.

‘the sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.’ (Gen 32:31)

Jacob called the place he wrestled with God Peniel and Peniel means face of God. Amid his wrestling, when God slowed him down, Jacob saw the face of God. Jacob walked away with a limp that stayed with him because he had been touched by God. And when God touches our lives, we are forever changed. We are never the same. It is in those moments of intimacy with God, when we are before Him, when our heart is stilled on Him and our eyes are fixed on Him, when we are looking Him face on, that He will touch us and change us forever.

What are we wrestling with God about today? What do we still need to surrender? Maybe today, we will allow God to slow us down, to stop us so that we can look Him in the eye. Maybe today, as we surrender over whatever it is we’re wrestling, God will touch ‘our hip’ and change us. Maybe today, we will see His face and be ever changed into the likeness of Jesus. Whatever it is you may be wrestling God for, I pray that you will see His face and be forever changed.

This devotional was cross posted at ICFW and Looking In 

Leila (Lays) Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via her blog page Looking In . You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author  and via Twitter at Leila Halawe.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Book Review: Dancing in the Rain

by Jeanette O'Hagan  @JeanetteOHagan

The Book

Sometimes … life hurts.
What do we do then?
How do we keep going?
Who can help us?

The One who created you knows you by name. He draws near to the broken-hearted. He will gather you in His arms. He will hold you close. He will be with you always.

You will find—
• Comfort for your sadness.
• Peace for your fears.
• Hope for tomorrow.
• Light for the journey.
• And joy through every season.

Dancing in the Rain is a collection of poems, stories and life-giving words designed to bring you comfort and hope during life’s stormy seasons. 

Published March 1st 2018 by Armour Books
Available Books in Stock

The Author

Anusha delights in many things – life, the love of Jesus, people, the beauty of God’s Creation. She writes mostly for pleasure. She has decided never to grow old in spite of a body that is already defying her intentions! She enjoys the finer things of life including friendship and chocolate! Singing, walking, connecting with people and sharing God’s love are her some of her deepest passions. Like her writing, she is a work in progress! 

Anusha lives in Adelaide with her husband Shan and their son, Asela.

My Thoughts

I've been looking forward to reading Anusha's Dancing in the Rain as I'd enjoyed her story in Glimpses of Light and have also been encouraged and inspired by her regular blog of the same name. 

The book has a eye-catching cover that entices me to pick it up and read.  Inside, it has an interesting structure, broken up into sections such as Oh No! It's Raining; I need an Umbrella; It's OK to grieve; A Rainbow called HOPE; Splashing Through the Puddles; Laughter the Best Medicine; Tall Stories about Rainy Days; Sailing Paper Boats; How Green is my Valley; And Best of All - the progression seeming to follow, at least in part, the progression of emotional journey through difficult times. Each section is filled with reflections from the author (divided into Part 1 and Part 2), Friends' Stories (told in first person), Nuggets (quotes, epigrams, Scripture), My story (from the Anusha's experiences), a poem and a serialised story 'Each Monday'. 

It's an interesting mix, with different perspectives and approaches to our feelings, responses and options when facing difficulties and discouragement. The personal stories (both from Anusha and her friends) give testimony to depth of feeling, faith, and God in action in each one's lives. The reflections, nuggets and poems give both comfort, commiseration, as well as inspiration and hope in God's loving presence, spiritual meditations and practical ideas to gain a different perspective on the rain-soaked times, how to survive and even thrive. I think my favourite section is the Each Monday story, as I waited for the next instalment of the narrator's journey.

Overall, it's an easy to read, a part devotional, part inspirational gem that brims with Anusha's gentle and vibrant faith. Worth reading and also an excellent gift for those going through hard times.

Jeanette started spinning tales in the world of Nardva at the age of eight or nine. She enjoys writing secondary world fiction, poetry, blogging and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, time and cultures. They involve a mixture of courtly intrigue, adventure, romance and/or shapeshifters and magic users. She has published numerous short stories, poems, two novellas and her debut novel, Akrad's Children and new release Ruhanna's Flight and other stories.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Find her on:

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Why Should I Write?

Keona Tann | @ACWriters

I've been a long-term journal writer, I've always found it so therapeutic to pour my heart into those lined notebooks. During my illness the stuff that was brewing inside of me threatened to take me to a very very very dark place and I found it was simply a must to pour it all out. There were times that I knew I had to destroy those words because I never ever wanted to read or acknowledge them again! If I didn’t feel a need to destroy the dark moment I can now look back over those painful words and praise God at how much He has done.

For me the 'leap' between a closet journal writer and a blogger was a long process and came about kinda by accident. Over 12 years ago I thought I could share my struggle with endometriosis to encourage others and so I started writing about it. Then my computer ‘died’ and I lost all my writing. I figured that I wasn't a writer anyway so that had just been a silly idea. But at the end of 2015, I felt the desire to write return. I entered every competition possible during the first half of 2016 but didn't have any success. I chatted to a writer friend towards the end of 2016 and she suggested I could start a blog. I had been reluctant as I wasn't sure I had the energy levels to commit and I really didn't know if I wanted to go public in calling myself a writer. Therefore, I just 'sat' on the idea.

Then on the 27th of November 2016 I attended a writing workshop. I'm not sure if I misunderstood the blurb of what I had signed up for, or if it was a huge big push from God but suddenly I found myself in this workshop creating a blog site. Now of course I could have closed it down and again told myself: 'don't be silly, you're not a writer, why should you write? who would want to listen to your ramblings?' but something had been ignited in my heart. Suddenly I realised that the thing I'd been resisting for SO long was actually something I was called to do! I was given a mission statement by God:

I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” Psalms 40:3 NLT

I decided that November day that I would venture upon this journey called writing and allow God to take my seemingly small efforts and turn them into something truly extraordinary. I promised myself I would walk along the unknown path and rely upon God. I've placed my trust in God to turn a desire into a destiny. I'm allowing God to interrupt my schedule; my to do lists; and plans so that He can reveal something far greater than I could possibly imagine.

"Believing for something God put on your heart is trusting that He will bring it to pass in the way He wants to when He wants to. It’s also having the humility to understand our purpose isn't for our personal elevation, rather for the promotion of the Kingdom." Kristen Dalton

Why should I write? Well I decided that if my story only touched and helped 1 person it was well worth the uncomfortable-sick-feeling I get sharing my heart. To be a writer isn't an easy path in life and I know that there will be many people who simply don't get what I'm trying to convey but I'm trying to be ok with that. Because I believe God is calling me to write then I've just got to trust that He will get the right words out and into the right hands to read them.

So today, my dear reader, know that I've given you a piece of my heart here today. I pray you're encouraged by my story. If you're also called to write, then PLEASE do it! Don't wait another minute, quick get those fingers swiftly pouring out your own story. Remember that:

"Your story could be the key that unlocks someone else's prison. Don't be afraid to share it." Unknown

Now go and write, write, write!

Many blessings, Keona

About Keona:
I’ve lived most of my life in Tasmania, which is one of the beautiful Australian states. Deliriously happily married to my college sweetheart for over 20 years, we consider ourselves extremely blessed to be raising 2 wonderful teenagers. Hubby and I have also been long time child sponsors with Compassion so we have overseas kids!
I struggled with illness and disease for most of my life. The biggest battles were: endometriosis for 28 years and adrenal/chronic fatigue which was severe for 28 months. In September 2016 healing was declared over my life, praise God, this set me on a path of deep inner healing, restoration and transformation. My passion to write was reignited and I wrote out a mission statement:
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NLT)
I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.
In my new-found boldness I’ve started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/
Many Blessings, Keona

Devotional: Thoughtful Silence

By Keona Tann

As I read Proverbs 10:19 I was greatly inspired to reflect upon thoughtful silence:
“When there are many words, transgression and offense are unavoidable, But he who controls his lips and keeps thoughtful silence is wise.” Amplified version.
There have been many times that I’ve babbled on simply for the reason of filling an awkward silence. Sadly, I’ve also reacted to a verbal or written attack without careful thought and prayer.

The Passion Translation gets straight to the point:
“If you keep talking, it won’t be long before you’re saying something really wrong. Prove you’re wise from the very start— just bite your tongue and be strong!” Proverbs 10:19 - TPT
‭‭
Incessant babbling, speaking for no reason other than to fill silence, can be a dangerous trap which can lead me to saying something silly or wrong.‬‬‬‬
Speaking without prayer and thought can also be damaging. The Passion Translation suggests that we ‘bite our tongue’, which is another way to say: ‘count to 10 before responding’ and what I try to live my life by is: pray first then respond.
Thoughtful silence I translate as prayer. As I focus my thoughts on Jesus, I allow His Amazing Grace and Transforming Love to change me, which will change my response. Instead of retaliating with hurtful words I can respond with words of truth and life.
One of the weapons we have available to us, through the armour of God, is the Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17). God’s Word transforms us and the situations we face so it is a mighty weapon to have.

As I pressed in for more revelation around this I was led to study Proverbs 17 and I created the following prayer around my study:

Abba Father, I ask for Your discernment so that I can have true knowledge of situations that I face. Grant me wisdom so that I respond to situations with self-control and godly grace. Lord I ask for an understanding heart so that I can be cool, calm and collected in any situation. When I’m provoked and goaded into making a silly retaliation, I pray that I will bite my tongue and look to You Lord. May I always control my tongue and avoid using hurtful words by praying before I speak. Lord when I need to be discreet and close my mouth, grant me the wisdom to do so. When You grant me a message to share I ask for boldness and the right words. Inspired by Proverbs 10:19 & 17:27-28‬ ‭‬‬

I pray that You’re encouraged to reflect upon the phrase thoughtful silence and press into God to find out what it means for you.
Many blessings, Keona

About Keona:
I’ve lived most of my life in Tasmania, which is one of the beautiful Australian states. Deliriously happily married to my college sweetheart for over 20 years, we consider ourselves extremely blessed to be raising 2 wonderful teenagers. Hubby and I have also been long time child sponsors with Compassion so we have overseas kids!
I struggled with illness and disease for most of my life. The biggest battles were: endometriosis for 28 years and adrenal/chronic fatigue which was severe for 28 months. In September 2016 healing was declared over my life, praise God, this set me on a path of deep inner healing, restoration and transformation. My passion to write was reignited and I wrote out a mission statement:
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” Psalm 40:3 (NLT)
I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.
In my new-found boldness I’ve started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/
Many Blessings, Keona

Speak When Asked

By Keona Tann
Cross posted at https://internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/

I remember when I was first asked to give a talk about tithes and offerings at church, I REALLY didn’t want to do it. At the mere thought of public speaking I broke out in a nervous sweat and my mouth completely dried up. I initially said ‘no’, but I was asked to pray about it. A few days later I was vacuuming at church and as I prayed about it God directed me to read the story of Moses and the burning bush, found in Exodus‬ ‭3. ‬‬

Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org

Moses was out looking after his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness and came to Horeb (also known as Sinai), the mountain of God. “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” (Verses 2 - 4 NIV).
God asks Moses to take off his sandals for the place he’s standing on is holy ground. God then confirms who Moses is speaking to: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” (Verse 6)

God continues speaking and declares that He has seen the misery of His people in Egypt and heard them crying out in their suffering. God declares that He wants to bring them out of Egypt and take them into the promise land – a land that is good, spacious, and a place where milk and honey flows freely. Then God unfolds the plan and informs Moses that he is being sent to tell Pharaoh to let God’s people go free. But Moses starts a debate with God:

Moses: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (v11)
God: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (v12)

Moses: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (v13)
God: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (v14)

The conversation continues with God detailing instruction after instruction. Then we come to the part that I felt God was saying was for me to really listen to:
“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:10-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

As I read through that story I felt God say 3 very distinct things:
• Speak when asked - God has given me a mouth so I need to speak what He tells me to say.
• Trust Him to give me the message - He promised to give me the words.
• Speak His message with courage - I needed to step out in faith and speak.

As you can imagine it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. I hoped God would see my inability and say: ‘don’t worry I know you’re unqualified so just let them know you can’t give the offering talk’. But He doesn’t think that and He doesn’t say that to us. Instead God declares that where we are weak He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-11).

As look to 2018 I believe that I will have opportunities to speak, I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be speaking about, but I do know that I’ll need to go back to the 3 points God gave me over a decade ago:
• Speak when asked
• Trust God to give me the message
• Speak His message with courage

I pray that today you will be encouraged to speak when asked. I believe that each person is given a testimony that needs to be shared to encourage and build up the people around them.
If not you, then who?
If not now, then when?
You’ve been given a message to share, your audience may be small or large, whatever the size be bold. Take a courageous step forward in faith. I hope that when the opportunity presents itself, whatever format it is, that you will trust God to give you the message and the courage to speak it boldly!

Many blessings, Keona

For most of my life I struggled with sickness. The 2 dominant afflictions were endometriosis (for 28 years) and adrenal fatigue (I was severely debilitated for 28 months and the recovery has been a journey of 11 months so far). In September 2016 God declared healing over my life. This set me on a path of restoration and transformation. My passion for writing was reignighted and I wrote the following mission statement: I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding. “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I've started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/ I'm currently working on my testimony as well as my journey with endometriosis and adrenal fatigue. I hope that I'll launch my first book soon.

Continually Transformed

By Keona Tann

Looking back upon my walk with Christ I see that there has always been a passion to be all that I can be. Salvation is more than a ticket to heaven and a promise to try to be good, it’s actually an empowerment to be transformed. I lost my way many times and I lost sight of who I was created to be. But with a brand-new year comes a brand-new opportunity to continue the process of becoming more. There is an absolutely astounding promise found in 2 Corinthians‬ ‭3:18 that we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. We are promised to be progressively transformed into His image, which is explained as moving from one degree of glory to even more glory. These glorious promises come from the Lord, who is the Spirit working in our lives.‬

 It’s a truly wonderful promise that declares I can be more Christ-like than I was last year, last month, last week and even improve on who I was yesterday! The failures of the past are wiped away by the amazing grace of God. The sin and shame of yesterday is forever covered by the precious blood of Jesus. Holy Spirit promises to ALWAYS be my Helper, Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor (John 14:26) and Empowerer! My walk with Jesus is one where I’ll be continually transformed.

 As I continue to press in for my restoration, I approach 2018 with a great sense of expectation and excitement. I’m starting to see strength returning to my body; I’m beginning to feel more alive than ever before; and I’m able to realize and cherish the deep work that the Lord is doing! It’s just so exciting and wonderful.

In August 2016 I really felt as if I’d never impact the world, BUT God broke through my oppression and set me onto His path of restoration. It has been a longer time frame than I imagined and a far harder journey than I had anticipated. But as I start to see the freedom that the Lord is releasing into my life, I’m so grateful for the work He has done, is doing and will continue to do. I know that I’ll be a continuous work in progress, until I’m called heavenward, but the really big issues of the past have been dealt with! That is truly wonderful. Now I can move forward into the things I’m called to do. 

This is my prayer for 2018:
May I never again become complacent and never again ‘drop my guard’.
May I endeavour every moment of my life to live in such a way that God is glorified; Jesus is honoured; and the Holy Spirit impacts those around me.
Lord I know I cannot possibly do any of this without You, completely remove self-assurance from my life and replace it with complete reliance upon You!
Lord I need You more than ever and I’m not content without You, please remove all traces of self-contentment from my life and replace it with complete contentment in You!
Lord I’m far from righteousness, it is only because of Jesus that I’m able to live in righteousness, please remove all self-righteousness from me and empower me with Your righteousness Jesus!
Lord I’m so sorry for living so blindly, for allowing my emotions to rule rather than Your truth. Please continue to do a great work in my life so that each day I live in Your glorious light and shine it for all to see!
I thank You so much that You hear the cry of my heart; you catch the tears that I weep; and You accept my meagre offerings as precious gifts.
Lord be enthroned in my praise and be glorified in all that I do from this moment in time. Be lifted high in my life. Praise You Lord! Amen.

 I pray that you can trust God with the process of continually transforming you from glory to glory. It will be extremely painful at times but hold on because the end result will be breathtaking and truly wonderful! Take a deep breath and surrender it all to God, allow Him to do a great work within you.

Know that the Holy Spirit promises to always be your Helper, Comforter, Advocate and Intercessor (John 14:26). I pray that 2018 is your best year ever! Many blessings, Keona

KEONA TANN For most of my life I struggled with sickness. The 2 dominant afflictions were endometriosis (for 28 years) and adrenal fatigue (I was severely debilitated for 28 months and the recovery has been a journey of 11 months so far).In September 2016 God declared healing over my life. This set me on a path of restoration and transformation. My passion for writing was reignighted and I wrote the following mission statement: I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding. “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I've started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/ I'm currently working on my testimony as well as my journey with endometriosis and adrenal fatigue. I hope that I'll launch my first book soon. Many blessings, Keona

Hope Is A Mighty Anchor

By Keona Tann

We have been given a mighty anchor of hope, as promised in Hebrews 6:

“So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT)

What does this all mean? The lyrics from “I Can Feel You” by Jenn Johnson explain this anchor some more:

“Though the storm it rages
I won't be moved
I won't be shaken
I'm anchored in You
I can feel You
Jesus all around”

From these words I gather encouragement that:

God is stable

I can find refuge in God

God is truth

His mighty hope will keep me anchored

God is faithful

Hope can be described as a feeling that we know things will work out a certain way; we are implored to place our hope in God because He is stable and reliable;  when we have our hope in God, and we are reassured that it lines up with His will for our lives, we can have confidence that it will come to pass; we believe and trust in God which restores our hope; from that place of hopeful peace we can be assured, even when the situation and circumstances around us are contrary to the promise, that God will come through for us!

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom

“The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God’s fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer’s life.” John C. Broger

As the storms of life come and attempt to blow me off course I set my anchor. With my ‘anchor set in God’ I won’t be moved from the course set. I can feel tossed about but the anchor chain will never break and the anchor will never move! How cool is that? How amazing.

I pray that you can feel God surrounding you with His presence. I pray that you can feel the strength of hope arise within you.

Many Blessings, Keona

For most of my life I struggled with sickness. The 2 dominant afflictions were endometriosis (for 28 years) and adrenal fatigue (I was severely debilitated for 28 months and the recovery has been a journey of 11 months so far).
In September 2016 God declared healing over my life. This set me on a path of restoration and transformation.
My passion for writing was reignighted and I wrote the following mission statement:
I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I've started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/
I'm currently working on my testimony as well as my journey with endometriosis and adrenal fatigue. I hope that I'll launch my first book soon. Many blessings, Keona

Strong Shield Of Faith

By Keona Tann

For just over 12 months I’ve daily been putting on the Armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18, here is an example of my daily declaration and prayer:

I am strong in the Lord as I proudly wear the Armor of God:

Helmet of salvation - thank you Lord for the precious gift of salvation! Jesus dress me in your thoughts, grant me the ability to capture my thoughts and I allow you Lord to dispel the wrong thoughts. Open my eyes to see what you want me to see, open my ears to hear what you want me to hear and place a guard upon my tongue so that only words of truth and life spring forth.

Breastplate of righteousness - because of Jesus’ great sacrifice I have been made right with God. This breastplate protects my willing, courageous and bold heart! God create a new heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me (Psalm 51). Help me to have a tender responsive heart, full of Your compassion and grace (Ezekiel 11:19).

Belt of truth - thank you Lord for Your perfect truth in my life. Seep Your glorious promises deep into every fibre of my being!

Shoes of peace - which come from the Good News and enables me to be fully prepared. Flood me with a peace that transcends my own understanding and guards my heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-7). I absorb God's peace into every cell of my body.

Shield of faith - I praise you Lord that you enable me to quench every fiery arrow from the enemy. Grant me discernment like never before to enter into the spiritual battle around me.

Sword of the Spirit - thank you God for Your living active word! Lord I ask that You enable me to wield Your words wisely.

With this armour on I will pray unceasingly in all situations and God strengthens me to keep fighting the good fight!

As I’ve been pressing into God for my restoration and spending more time with Him I am seeing my spiritual strength growing. I’m seeing the effects and importance of the armour of God. I realise that before I go into battle the armour is the most important thing for me to wear.

"Don't allow your five senses to dominate your thinking. You've got to come to a place where Scripture is more real to you than anything you can see, taste, hear, smell, or feel. This won't happen accidentally. It's something you're going to have to pursue." Andrew Wommack

The times when the circumstances surrounding me seem contrary to what I’m promised I’ve been bold enough to declare God’s promises. It’s been a huge journey where I’ve see that my faith has grown and been strengthening, which results in this greater confidence, my strong shield of faith had developed.

In reflecting upon my shield of faith I felt prompted to research the history of shields:

The early shields such as the Zulu shield were made of hide and in particular cowhide from the Nguni cattle.

The majority of Anglo Saxon shields were made from wood as this was in abundance in Britain at the time. The most common types used were ash, oak, maple, alder, willow and poplar wood.

 Roman soldiers used a scutum which was a large shield consisting of two sheets of wood glued together and then covered with canvas and leather. Because of its size it was considered to be a body shield but was extremely heavy – 10 kg.

The Greek soldiers, known as the Spartan, used a large round shield call an Aspis. This was made of several layers of wood and bronze with leather between to absorb shock.

As I reflected upon the history and variety of shields I saw my own journey of faith started with me having a ‘flimsy shield of faith’. Then when I rededicated my life to Jesus I grew in my faith, I began to learn more about what it meant to be a Christian. As I pressed into God through my illness and losses my faith felt so small, tiny and weak! I questioned and doubted so much. Now that I've experienced a touch of God I can reflect back and see my journey. I can see how far God has grown me and how my faith is strengthening day by day. I am so encouraged that even a small amount of faith can do wonderful things as promised in Matthew 13:31-32 and Matthew 17:20.

As I grow more and more each day I pursue this glorious promise:

"Bold power and glorious majesty are wrapped around her

as she laughs with joy over the latter days! "

Proverbs 31:25 The Passion Translation

My prayer is that whatever stage your faith is at you can know that God is strengthening you and that even the smallest amount of faith can do wonderful things!

Many blessings, Keona.

History of the Zulu shield: http://www.africancraftsmarket.com/history-of-the-zulu-shield.html

More details on Anglo Saxon shields  http://www.medievalchronicles.com/medieval-armour/medieval-shields/anglo-saxon-shields/

Roman shields https://romanmilitary.net/tools/armor/

Greek shields http://deadliestwarrior.wikia.com/wiki/Aspis

For most of my life I struggled with sickness. The 2 dominant afflictions were endometriosis (for 28 years) and adrenal fatigue (I was severely debilitated for 28 months and the recovery has been a journey of 11 months so far).
In September 2016 God declared healing over my life. This set me on a path of restoration and transformation.
My passion for writing was reignighted and I wrote the following mission statement:
I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding.
“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I've started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/
I'm currently working on my testimony as well as my journey with endometriosis and adrenal fatigue. I hope that I'll launch my first book soon. Many blessings, Keona