Seasons

---

Posted by Martha Wilson, October 29, 2024

"For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

It’s a new season! The cool morning air and the driveway littered with fallen leaves assure me that one season has passed and another is marching in. With every changing season come adjustments. I’m very aware that this is true in the weather as well as in my personal life.

Today also marks a new season for Touching Hearts. As our territory expands and new opportunities unfold, we are discontinuing the weekly blogs for this season. Just as the trees must release their leaves to make way for something new, we are blessed to do the same.

I want to thank you, readers, for following me through the years as I have written words from experiences in my own life. Sharing words of hope and encouragement with you has been a great joy. Over the past two years, I have been honored to have fellow writers join me in writing “Deeper Still” blogs. Our writers have opened their hearts and poured out words of life, hope, purpose, and direction, praying that it would help you grow deeper in your spiritual walk. Please allow me a shout-out to thank my fellow writers:

Annette Burrell, Priscilla Carr, Pat Elsberry, Toni Hebel,

Karen Kinnaird, Erin Roberson, and Kim Stanley

(Follow on Social Media or See links below.)

As we lean into this new season, we focus more intently on the “A Burst of Hope” Podcast platform. If you haven’t listened, I encourage you to find your way there. You will be encouraged by the amazing stories of hope shared by women from all walks of life.

A Burst of Hope

Annette Burrell - www.annetteburrell.com

Toni Hebel - www.forgivingforward.com

Pat Elsberry - www.hopeduringloss.com

Kim Stanley - www.joeandkimstanley.com

Martha Wilson is a writer, speaker, blogger and co-host of A Burst of Hope weekly podcast. She is the founder and director of Touching Hearts Ministries for women. She has led women to pursue an intimate relationship with Jesus for most of her adult life. She is bold, tender, and transparent as she teaches women to embrace powerful Biblical truths. Martha and her husband, Ed, live in Fayetteville, Georgia, and enjoy their blended family of five children, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. You can connect with Martha at: Facebook and Instagram @TouchingHeartsMinistries or listen to the A Burst of Hope Podcast.

Drawn to the Light

---

Posted by Annette Burrell, October 23, 2024

Is your character or personality such that your friends can read you like a book? Recently, I was at an annual Arts and Crafts festival in a nearby town with a friend. We had already stopped at several booths that she thought were interesting. Then one caught my eye, and I asked if we could stop and she said she knew I’d want to look in there. My reply was, “I can’t help it. I’m drawn to the light.” The merchandise was incredible.  Everything was adorned with lights. We lingered in that tiny space for way too long, but I think we both left with a bounce in our steps. I know I did anyway.

What is it about lights that have that effect on us? They brighten things up. They highlight things. They help us to see more clearly. It’s all of that and then some.

From the beginning of time, as we know it, God saw that light was good. He created the heavens and the earth in the first two verses of the Bible. He spoke light into existence in verse 3, then saw that light was good, and separated it from darkness in verse 4. He called the light “day”, and darkness “night”.  

The word “light” appears in the NIV translation of the Bible over 200 times. Most often, it is a metaphor, and a symbol used to highlight God’s presence, goodness, knowledge and truth. When we hear or read the word “darkness” it usually represents sin and evil. 

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5, NIV)

In the book of John, John uses the word light to describe Jesus 24 times, making it a significant symbol of who Jesus is. It’s no wonder God used a star to rise up to lead the Magi to Jesus.

It’s been a few weeks since that Arts and Crafts festival and I have just returned from a Christian conference in Tennessee, which I’ve attended for several years. Something was off this year. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until the last night and it was confirmed after I returned home.  

There was a darkness looming in the room that seated around 10,000 people. The speakers were fantastic, the singers incredible, the testimonies heart-wrenching and the comedian hilarious. But my spirit was off. I had allowed, for a period of about 24 hours, the darkness to penetrate by heart and soul. I didn’t recognize that was happening until the last day.

Walking back from the conference on the last night we commented that the twinkling lights hovering over the bridge had not been on all week and how sad that was. However, that street darkness did not compare to the darkness that had penetrated my spirit the night before. Evil had found a crack in my soul, and had crept in to crush my spirit. It wasn’t until I realized it, and spoke warfare over my life that the darkness fled.

Evil is all around us. Yes, even at a Christian conference. The devil will use whatever it takes to distract us from worshipping our Lord, and I had made a choice to listen to the ugly, and it had affected my worship. 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Hadn’t I just studied this and the entire passage on the Full Armor of God? Yes. And I found myself in the middle of the battle and I failed.

I allowed Satan to sneak in the crack I call “hurt” and the air was sucked out of my spirit that night.

When I realized it the next day, in my spirit I held up my hand and quoted Ephesians 6:12. I felt freedom almost immediately. And I have been praying light and compassion for my adversary since I have been home.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  (John 8:12, NIV)

Are you walking in darkness? Have you allowed the enemy to penetrate even the smallest of cracks in your soul so that you aren’t able to fully worship him and walk in the light?

Join me as I choose to follow Jesus, each and every day. Let’s suit up and put on our full armor so we are prepared to stand against the spiritual forces of evil that surround us. May we always be drawn to the light of life.

Annette Burrell is an author, speaker, and singer/songwriter. Through Annette’s years of being a public servant, and her devotion to studying the Bible, God has equipped her to lead women into His presence, and share with them how they can grow in Christ. Her passion is learning, sharing about the Heavenly realms, and God’s plan of protection for us as believers.

Remembering God's Blessings In Your Life

---

Posted by Pat Elsberry, October 16, 2024

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Some days, when we wake up, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. And if you're inclined to listen to the news, it's steeped in negativity, which can bring about worry and fear within us.

During times like this, it may be hard to remember what a blessed life we have.

Sure, life happens often, and things can seem overwhelming. If today is one of those days, let's take a moment to pause and remember when God has met you in your need. 

I love how Psalm 103 reminds us of the many ways God is there for us:

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

It is awe-inspiring to think about how God forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies us. It's a powerful reminder to "forget not all his benefits".

When we find ourselves in a funk or feeling down about our lives, it's often because we're focusing on what we can't do or what we've lost.

But if we shift our focus to what we still have and can do and remember God's benefits, it can be truly transformative.

One effective way to remember God's benefits is by keeping a prayer journal. I have a friend who diligently writes down all the people and situations she prays for. When God answers those prayers, she makes a note of it in her journal. This practice of remembering who God is and how He has answered our prayers in the past can truly transform our day and our perspective.

God is the creator of the universe and holds each of His children in the palm of His hand.

No matter what chaos may be swirling around us, as children of the King of Kings, we can be confident that the world we live in is in the capable hands of our great and good God. 

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Pat Elsberry is an author, speaker, blogger, and a passionate advocate for parents dealing with grief after the loss of a child. Pat created multiple social media groups focused on providing hope to others who are walking the same path, including her blog, Hope During Loss. Pat facilitates an in-person grief share for women who have experienced child loss, and is also a moderator for Team Sharing, a nationwide peer-led support group for parents who have lost children to substance use disorder. Pat is the author of Beautifully Broken: Finding Hope During Loss, and will soon release her first devotional, Comforted by God. Pat and her husband, Fred live outside Atlanta and have a blended family of 7 children and 5 grandchildren. Her favorite things include traveling, cooking, gardening, dark chocolate, and worship music. You can find Pat on her blog, www.hopeduringloss.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @HopeDuringLoss.