WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

My mom passed away a few years ago. In 1 Corinthians 15:55, God tells Christians to consider the question: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” The answer is that for Christians who take their last breath on earth, death no longer has a sting, and the grave has no victory either. We pass from one life to another, a life that is wonderful and everlasting. But when a pivotal person passes away, those of us who are left are sometimes forced to answer a different question: “Where do we go from here?” Everything is different now and it's kind of scary and empty feeling.

 

My mom’s passing was the end of an era: No dad and mom anymore, no more Christmases like before, no more laughing at silly cards, no more talking about the deer and birds we saw out her big picture window. Certain traditions stopped suddenly, and I asked myself: “What now?”  I realize many of you have experienced this feeling and you’ve gotten through it. People have lost husbands, wives, children, siblings, parents, and best friends. People have lost their countries altogether. I never knew how many things change as a result of certain losses. And I definitely feel like I have gained more empathy for those who have experienced great loss.

 

Some losses are less painful, and then there are those that hit deeper, and the changes are not gentle, but radical. I felt like I was stuck in a bit of an empty space. What am I going to do? This feels kind of lonely and weird. But I had choices.

 

I could either stay in a quandary and just let life happen, or I could change the “empty” to “opportunity.” I chose opportunity. It’s kind of like a rebirth. I could discover new things and make new traditions, but never without the guidance of my Lord would I ever even attempt such things. I had to let God guide me to the next thing, which at that moment, well, I had no idea what that might be.

 

This new frame of mind made me think of Abraham when God told him to take off to a place he didn’t know. 

 

Genesis 12:1-2 says: “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, ‘Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.’”

 

At the time, God didn’t even tell Abraham where He planned for him to go. It was less about the physical destination, and way more about the spiritual relationship, daily destined to pay attention to the Lord’s leading. Abraham’s physical destination didn’t matter nearly as much as his destiny to daily dwell in the presence of God. That is our ultimate destination and destiny as well.  

 

Hebrews 11:8 reiterates: “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”

 

Psalm 91:1-2 gives me inspiration: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

 

My mom loved God; she loved the Bible; she loved adventure; and she loved new things. Her passing not only opened a new life for her, but it opened new things in life for me, too. I now have more compassion for those who have lost pivotal people in their lives. I stick closer to God and to the Lord Jesus, living more by faith.

 

We obey the Lord like Abraham did, making new traditions, but always determined to be flexible to the Lord’s nudgings. We remember to live for God first.

 

Where do we go from here? I don’t know, but I do know we have the absolute best guide.

 

Love, Carolyn

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JESUS THE INSTIGATOR

JESUS THE INSTIGATOR  

When the dentist finished putting the composite filling in my tooth, the dental assistant held something in my mouth that looked like a fat pen. I heard it buzz a couple times. Then she took it out. What the heck was that?

 

The dentist explained that it is a blue light. He said it’s an instigator—it starts a chemical reaction in the two mixed materials for the filling.

 

In looking up the light spectrum, I found that blue light helps boost alertness, heighten reaction times, elevate moods, and increase the feeling of well-being. It’s a high-energy wavelength. I immediately related this to my Lord Jesus.

 

I thought of the verse where Jesus said: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). Jesus is like the blue light. He’s an instigator. He gets things started. He starts us out as a fresh Christian when we accept Him as Lord of our lives. His light cleanses us of all sin, guilt, and shame. Later in our spiritual walk when we need new inspiration or a fresh revelation, He’s there to give a jump start.

 

We call on Jesus to give us more light on a situation where we feel like we’re in the dark or confused or anxious. Jesus makes a way out of any aspect of darkness and will continue to guide us with His light if we let Him.

 

I’ve found that when I prayed for the light of Jesus to intervene in a situation, it triggered a domino effect in circumstances that I really had no control over, things I certainly couldn’t change or fix by myself.

 

The Instigator, Jesus, gets things rolling, and then we get to watch and see how awesome the results follow through, often in ways we would have never dreamed of or expected.

 

My dentist said the light instigator shining on the two parts of the composite material made it set up much faster than in the old days.

 

I want to be quicker to call on Jesus’ light in my situations. With His jump start, the results will most likely be speedier too.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

I have published two Spiritual Life Workbooks and am working on number three. They are designed to help Christians grow in spiritual understanding and practical application. These books are packed with 52 short true narratives (one for each week of a year) to inspire and enhance your spiritual growth.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=BOOKS+BY+cAROLYN+mOLICA&crid=16D4X7I4BV76Z&sprefix=books+by+carolyn+molic%2Caps%2C450&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

BODYGUARDS FOR LIFE

BODYGUARDS FOR LIFE

Mario told me he drives 23 hours straight through when he takes his family to visit relatives in Mexico. I asked him why. He replied, “There are many banditos in the hills along the way, and I am protecting my family.” It reminded me of Genesis 24, where Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for Isaac. The servant had doubts about the trip, but Abraham told him, “The Lord will send his angel before thee and with thee, and prosper thy way.” What did this mean?

 

The servant had to travel about 450 miles through rough lands carrying a dowry for the prospective bride. Like with my friend Mario, there were bandits along the way ready to rob the servant of his many precious treasures. Part of the angel’s job was to go ahead of the servant and make sure the bandits were not going to be around to attack and steal the goods. Abraham was wealthy, so he would have had many camels with loads of gold, silver, beautiful clothing, and other wonderful things.

 

The other part of “prospering thy way” was to make sure the servant got to the right destination and receive what the Lord had planned for him (the perfect wife for Isaac). And, indeed, it did happen.

 

How do these scriptures relate to us? If you consider that our lives are a journey, then these verses from Genesis 24 relate to us in many ways and can be applied in many circumstances. Even on a daily basis we want our journey for that day to be spiritually prosperous, and we want to get to the Lord’s desired destinations for each day.

 

Also, like Abraham’s servant, we travel with treasures. Our true treasures include our spiritual acuity, and our mental strength, as well as our physical ones. We want them to last and not be lost or stolen along the way.

 

In Matthew 26:53, we see that Jesus could have asked for the help of angels: “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” Twelve legions equal 72,000! Then Jesus tells us we can do the same: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12).

 

Considering all that the servant took with him, he most likely had other people with him as well, and the angel protected them, too. We can pray as Jesus did, and ask God for protection for our loved ones, as well as for our personal safety and the security of our goods.

 

Part of the angel’s mission in Genesis 24 was to prosper the servant by making sure he fulfilled the purpose of his trip. In this case, it was the right woman. Whatever things the Lord has given you a desire for, you can pray that He sends an angel to prosper your way, too, and direct you to be in the right place at the right time to receive that desire fulfilled in the very best way.

 

It’s also something to note in Genesis 24 that the angel was sent out to prosper the way of a servant. This guy wasn’t a king or a corporate giant; he was a servant. Every single born-again person has access to angels like it says in Hebrews 1:14: “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Galatians 3:29 says we are those heirs: “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

 

I hope you will take the time this week to read the record in Genesis 24 in light of your own life’s journeys and reflect on how you can receive the same kind of blessing that Abraham’s servant received: “bodyguards” to prosper your way and get you to your Godly destinations.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

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NO ANGELS UNEMPLOYED

NO ANGELS UNEMPLOYED

I had a $20 tip in my pocket for my gun instructor, but when I went to take it out to give to him, it was gone! I dug in my pocket and felt all around, but it wasn’t there, so I felt around in my other pocket—empty except for my keys. So, I went back to the first pocket and dug around several more times, even in the small pocket inside the bigger one—nothing! I glanced at the floor and didn’t see it, so I got another $20 out and gave it to him.

 

Then when I got in the car to go home, I looked around the seat and the floor, again with no success!  

So, when I got home, I prayed and told the angels I would like them to find the $20 and bring it to me.

 

Today I put the same pants on, and after doing errands, I went to take the pants off and there was a little crunching sound in my pocket. I pulled out the $20! The angels had transported it from wherever it was, back into my pocket. And just to show me it was them, the $20 had one corner turned down, like I sometimes do when I don’t have a bookmark and want to remember what page I’m on.

 

That turned-down edge made me smile. If you didn’t know it, angels aren’t always super serious. They can pull a few funnies at times too!

 

I know of three other believers who’ve had angels bring them items they “lost,” so I believed they’d do it for me too.

 

A very important promise from God’s word about what angels do is in Psalm 103: It says:

 

“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Well, the voice of his word certainly includes the verses of the Bible. So if I am speaking the Bible with believing in my heart, I speak the voice of God’s word.

 

I prayed Matthew 21:22 “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” And I followed it with Luke 1:38: “Be it unto me according to thy word.” “So, angels, there are the scriptures—the voice of his word—go do your job and bring back my $20, in Jesus’ name.” I believe and I receive.

 

And the angels did it in just one day! We are told in Hebrews that angels are supposed to minister for us. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth the minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” Well, that includes us!

 

I like to think that no angels need to be unemployed. Let’s give the angels an opportunity to get up off the bench and do the job they love to do—going out on the “voice of his word” to minister for God’s children.

 

Getting my $20 back with a fold in the corner was awesome! God’s love for us is so beyond awesome, and there are so many wonderful ways He shows it.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

I have published two Spiritual Life Workbooks and am working on number three. They are designed to help Christians grow in spiritual understanding and practical application. These books are packed with 52 short true narratives (one for each week of a year) to inspire and enhance your spiritual growth.

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Heavenly-Workbook-Christian/dp/1475244894/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E7BWN2Q2CX56&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._MDCpIwZDSdUj3lhSkGqXpjaNlUmCRA7RQpu3U9IYLtHKmICu8C_h--YLOmCshFe8xo466DFBV_oDF-nmXBtCXkz4duCA50eWpaxEIFCtJva0zEAWFXkqC7xnOXiEESXaWLMsOeHSVAh50PpCNA4BKBd30PLjh41gY-geWjF2jgv4tqPCGvQEbQaLzT2AAYp6UU9b9V5bdhWcikAyDM53QXR1Qt4dqrDC7OOkMOy3lU.dXp4Zv5UByno_HsTgMUqZs4aZpWkrR-iXdqbAD4sT2g&dib_tag=se&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&qid=1754853222&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica+%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-1

 

OUR YOUTH AND STRENGTH CAN BE RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE'S

OUR YOUTH AND STRENGTH CAN BE RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S

I’ve been very blessed with generally good health, and a lot of my strength and youthfulness I attribute to praying Psalm 103:5 every morning. It says: “He satisfies my mouth with good things so that my youth is renewed like the eagles.”

 

As the eagle goes through the different stages of its life, molting takes place, and the new feathers are graciously provided. God created a way for this majestic bird to grow the necessary new, beautiful feathers as it matures. We need the same thing: brand-new feathers to keep us youthful and strong as we also mature.

 

This scripture is not only talking about God providing good physical food we can eat that can renew our youthfulness, but even more important is the bread of life God’s given us to eat—His living Word. As we embrace the truths of the Bible into our hearts and as we speak them out of our mouth, we get new insight, answers that weren’t there before, fresh understanding, and youthful excitement.

 

I don’t know about you, but with everything that’s going on in the world right now, I feel a little faint-hearted, a little weary. But just a few minutes ago, I saw this section of scripture, and I was literally renewed and strengthened in my mind.

 

Isaiah 40:29-32 says: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

 

I believe that taking delight in God’s Word, both the written Word and the awesomeness of the Lord’s presence in our everyday lives, keeps us strong, and our youth can be renewed like the eagle’s. We must believe that what God says is greater than what we experience in the physical world. God’s truths take us out of the five-senses worldly “evidence,” and into His true reality. We must feed ourselves God’s food and drink the water Jesus offered the Samaritan woman in John 4:

 

“Jesus answered and said unto her, ‘If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life’” (John 4:10 and 14).

 

Take the time today to pick up your Bible and read Isaiah 40 from God’s Word. It’s only 31 verses. I know it will bless you. Cling to God. Today, our Lord is encouraging us to rise up like eagles, and we CAN do it!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

I have published two Spiritual Workbooks and am working on number three. They are designed to help Christians grow in spiritual understanding and practical application. These books are packed with 52 short true narratives (one for each week of a year) to inspire and enhance your spiritual growth.

https://www.amazon.com/WINGS-Journey-Heavenly-Workbook-Christian/dp/1475244894/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E7BWN2Q2CX56&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._MDCpIwZDSdUj3lhSkGqXpjaNlUmCRA7RQpu3U9IYLtHKmICu8C_h--YLOmCshFe8xo466DFBV_oDF-nmXBtCXkz4duCA50eWpaxEIFCtJva0zEAWFXkqC7xnOXiEESXaWLMsOeHSVAh50PpCNA4BKBd30PLjh41gY-geWjF2jgv4tqPCGvQEbQaLzT2AAYp6UU9b9V5bdhWcikAyDM53QXR1Qt4dqrDC7OOkMOy3lU.dXp4Zv5UByno_HsTgMUqZs4aZpWkrR-iXdqbAD4sT2g&dib_tag=se&keywords=wings+carolyn+molica&qid=1754853222&sprefix=wings+carolyn+molica+%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-1

 

WONDERFUL SPIRITUAL EVIDENCE

 WONDERFUL SPIRITUAL EVIDENCE

For a few weeks now, I’ve been mulling over a chapter about speaking in tongues for my next book. Then one day last week, one of my Facebook friends posted a list entitled “The Benefits of Speaking in Tongues.”

 

In Genesis 41:32, God shows us one of His universal truths when Joseph tells Pharaoh: “and for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

 

I believed this principle the first time I heard it, and I’ve seen God work this “double” principle over and over. So, when Tracy put the list of benefits up on Facebook, I took heed, knowing God was confirming His desire for me to take a closer look at some of the “whys” of speaking in tongues. So, I did.

 

The one that really stood out to me was number 7: “To have the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit – Romans 8:16.” The whole verse reads: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”

 

So, what does that verse really mean? Whenever I want to understand more about the deeper meaning of a scripture, the first place I go is to a Concordance, where I can look up the definitions of the individual words in that particular verse.

 

In this verse, ‘Spirit’ (pneuma) is capitalized, and is talking about the highest Spirit, God!  The next word, ‘itself’ is doubling down on the capitalized “Spirit.” It’s emphatic!! In other words, GOD HIMSELF is the subject, and HE is doing the action.

 

And what is the action? He is “bearing witness.” The phrase “bearing witness,” in the original Greek, is the word “symmartyreō.” It means “testifying unto, to corroborate by evidence, to bear joint witness together, in agreement.”

 

In agreement with what? “God agrees “with our spirit.” God Himself, as the highest spiritual entity, agrees with each of our born-again spirits. How do we know that? We know it for sure when we speak in tongues, because we could not speak in tongues without a direct spiritual connection with God Himself. When we speak in tongues, it is a joint effort between the person and God.

 

The act of speaking in tongues is a spiritual thing that you and God do together, both giving evidence of spiritual truth. The holy spirit in you that you received when you got born again receives the exact right words from God Almighty, and your part is to speak the words out almost simultaneously as your holy spirit is receiving them.

 

We see that Jesus met with his disciples before he ascended and showed them how to begin to speak in tongues: “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit!’” (John 20:22AMPC). The Greek word for “breathed on” means to “blow on, or breathe out” as you do when you speak. And the word “receive” here means “to take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience.”

 

So, Jesus is showing them that they begin by believing, by breathing out, breathing out the words, beginning to prove the presence of the holy spirit in them, and making a try at it, experiencing the wonderful connection with God through their own holy spirit inside them, speaking out in tongues the wonderful works from God.

 

And what does this spiritual togetherness prove? Why does God want us to speak in tongues? Because it proves the last part of Romans 8:16: “that we are the children of God.” So, every time we speak in tongues, even just a phrase or two, we are experiencing a direct connection with our God, our Father.

 

We are the sons and daughters of the Most High God, and we’ve got the words to prove it.  We’ve got the evidence every single time we choose.

 

“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Rom. 8:16).

 

I’ve included the list of benefits, in case you’d like to do your own research on one of the other benefits of speaking in tongues.

 

Love, Carolyn

 

P.S. Thank you, Tracy, for posting the list of benefits and being a part of God doubling down on what He wanted me to find out and share! 😊

 

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"OH MY GOSH, I'M SO OFFENDED!"

“OH MY GOSH, I’M SO OFFENDED!”

I remember when my 12-year-old washing machine stopped working. When we went to buy a new one, the worker told me they had a new delivery service and could deliver within two days. But, they couldn’t tell me what time the delivery would happen, so someone had to be home all day. What?!  They expected someone to stay home all day waiting for the washing machine? That was crazy. I was appalled, offended that they would expect us to put up with such an inconvenience! Added to that, my roommate overheard two ladies in the store complaining about the delivery service, so we were ready for a hassle, but what could we do?

 

As it turned out, our offense was unfounded. The delivery service called us the evening before, and though we had to wait on the line for about 15 minutes, a very nice woman answered and gave us a 2-hour window for the delivery. Two very polite young men showed up right on time, installed the washer, took the old one, and finished the whole process in only 10 minutes! Our offense was totally out of line! Sorry, Lord!

 

These days, it seems that we are so easily offended by everything: the internet is too slow; the traffic is too fast; the radio isn’t playing the songs we like; the neighbor’s dog is barking, and so many other things I can’t even begin to name. If we started to count how many things annoy us or offend us in just one day, we’d probably shock ourselves.

 

Offense is bad for the heart. It’s bad for the nerves. It’s just bad for the universe in general. Matthew 24:10 tells us that when people carry offense, they “shall betray one another and shall hate one another.” Let’s make a real effort to change the course of offense in our world. It’s become quite a big problem. But this kind of problem doesn't get changed by an edict or demand. This kind of problem gets solved by one person, making one decision, one incident at a time. And you are that person, and I am that person. We can change our world, by changing the way we respond to it, one person at a time.

 

First Corinthians 13 is the chapter in the Bible on the love of God. Verse 5 tells us the love of God “is not easily provoked.” God’s love is like a river; when it comes to an obstacle, it just goes up and over or around. It doesn't stop and have a hissy fit, but just keeps flowing. We need to be more like that, to stay healthy and out of stress.

 

Jesus said this to His disciples: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). We need to not get so riled up about everything, but calmly and prayerfully observe, then engage in life from a Godly point of view, a God-loving point of view. The Lord will help us and guide us. I’m not saying it’s easy; I’m just saying we need to judge each event on its own merit and not jump to conclusions (especially negative ones) so quickly.

 

We have a real problem in America with critically biased news. But we all are plagued at times with certain biases in our everyday attitudes and actions. Jane and I were offended by our perception of what the washing machine delivery would be like. We were biased by what we heard and swayed to think negatively, and instead it turned out more than wonderful. We need to be more careful about letting offense go wild and ruling our actions, rather than letting the wisdom and peace of God rule.

 

The disciples of Jesus were offended because someone who wasn’t part of “their group” was healing people. But Jesus handled it.  John self-righteously declared, “Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part” Mark 9:38-40). Jesus had a way to so calmly answer the disciples with the truth and take away the source of their negative bias.

 

When my experience with the washing machine delivery turned out so great, I immediately got on the phone to the store where I bought it. I told the lady in the appliance department the whole story and that the only glitch was that you had to wait on the phone a little bit before someone answered. She was thrilled to hear it and asked me to fill out a short survey so that others would know the truth. I pray that this will help stop the negative talk in the store and help the delivery company with their business.

 

We have a challenge, and that is put to us in Philippians 1:10: “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ.”

 

Our greatest goal is to love God above all else. That is the only answer to peace and the removal of offense. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them “(Ps. 119:165). Now that’s an awesome promise and challenge, wouldn’t you say?!

 

Love, Carolyn

 

M O R E of my TRUE STORIES ON CHRISTIAN LIVING: WINGS BOOKS AND BOOKLETS:

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