Sometimes life just kicks you in the gut. Sometimes you deserve it, sometimes you don't, but regardless, it still hurts.

Lately, the air around me surges thick with spiritual warfare. I get through one thing, and then BAM, something else hits. One moment I seem down for the count, but then Jesus whispers in my ear, "Get up, don't quit, come on Rocky, give 'em the ole one-two."

Okay, well maybe He doesn't say it exactly like that. What He does say is, "Be strong and of good courage. Don't give up, I'm in your corner, get back up and brush yourself off, because I've trained you to be a winner, not a loser."

It isn't easy to roll onto my skinned knees, crawl to a stand on weak and wobbly legs, and hold my bruised and bloodied fists in varying modes of defense and offense as the enemy and I square off yet again. Every day the bell rings, and we come out fighting.

With determination, I swing until it's time to go to my corner. I get brief opportunities to catch my breath, swish my mouth, and let my Trainer blanket the cuts with binding salve. Once I’m revived, He sends me into the ring with renewed energy, and a go get 'em pep talk. I fight again. It’s been this way from the start.

When I first accepted God's call, I said, "Lord, put me on the front line, and I'll battle for you." I was so enthusiastic, and I meant every word. I still do.

A lot has happened since then. My faith has been tested through trial, tribulation, wilderness temptations, and persecution. If Satan can’t get a direct hit, he punches me in the kidney, or blindsides me from behind. How does he do it? He hits family and friends, anyone I care deeply for. He’s a wily opponent, and knows exactly where my weak spots are.

His strategy is simple; study my life to pinpoint the most effective attacks in advance. With stealth, tactical decisions, and methodical plans, he pushes me into corners. Gloves up, I bare the blows and cry out in pain. But his plan has a fatal flaw. He miscalculates the power of faith in Jesus Christ.

In weakened desperation I rasp, “Lord, how will you get me through this one?” His strong, steady voice reminds me, “I’ve never left you. I am here, and I won’t leave you. You cannot lose, because I cannot lose. The battle belongs to me.”

Like Nehemiah 8:10 I say, "The joy of the Lord is my strength,” and I push myself off the ropes. “That’s it; get up, don’t give up,” the Lord shouts.

Have you ever discovered an old family picture and wished that you knew the story behind it? The following questions might help you discover an important family story that you can share with the next generation!

People. Can you identify the people within the shot? If not, do you know anyone who can? Can you write a description of that person? Who else might have been around when the shot was taken?

Places. Do you know where the picture as taken? Can you describe the place or the area at that time? Do you know anything about the history of the area? What do you know about that area now? 

Time. When was the shot taken? What time period? What was going on in the world at that time? What changes have taken place since that time?

"Red sky at night, what a delight. Red sky in the morning, cloudy and storming." (Matthew 16:2-3 ISV) 

As I looked over from my computer screen, I focused on the breath-taking hues of the sunrise revealed over the horizon. And I recalled the captivating shades of crimson and pumpkin in the sunset on my drive home the previous night. 

Jesus called attention to a red sky in Matthew 16:2-3 in response to the religious leaders of His day, who had asked for a sign from heaven to confirm His authority. And He explained, "You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, yet you can’t interpret the signs of the times?" (ibid.)

Often I miss the signs of the times in our world today, too. But today, the sunrise and the sunset reminds me of another promise from Jesus, "I'll be with you ... day after day after day, right up to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:15 MSG).

YouTube/theaftersvideos

Are you trying to interpret the signs of the times? Or are you focusing on the promises in God's Word? 

Arkansas author Carla Killough McClafferty will share how she researched her book about George Washington with the Hot Springs Village Writers' Club on Monday, January 23, at the Home Plate Café, 5110 North Highway 7, in Hot Springs Village.

McClafferty’s McClafferty describes her book, The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon, as “C.S.I. meets the Biography Channel.” The book deals with the question, ”What did George Washington really look like?” To find out, Mount Vernon gathered the world’s leading experts to create three life-like figures of the man at the ages of 19, 45, and 57. Half of the book details the making of these figures, and the other half is a biography of Washington. 

Carla Killough McClafferty is an award-winning author of nonfiction books including The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon, In Defiance of Hitler: The Secret Mission of Varian Fry, Something Out of Nothing: Marie Curie and Radium, The Head Bone’s Connected to the Neck Bone: The Weird, Wacky and Wonderful X-ray, and Forgiving God. Her newest book, Tech Titans, will be published this spring through Scholastic.

McClafferty, a popular public speaker, has presented at venues including Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown National Battlefield, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the U.S. Consulate in Marseilles, France. www.carlamcclafferty.com

Village Writers’ Club members and guests will also enjoy an informal read-around at 11:15 a.m., followed by a “Dutch treat” lunch at noon and author Carla Killough McClafferty's program, ”The Many Faces of George Washington: Remaking a Presidential Icon."

For reservations (required), contact Joyce Anderson—(501) 922-9077. For more information, check out Hot Springs Village Writers' Club online at http://www.villagewritersclub.com.

Author ElizabethCarroll Foster, an Arkansas native and member of the Hot Springs VillageWriters’ Club, was honored by the Military Writers of America in their Dispatches publication as Author of the Month of December for her memoir, Follow Me: The Life and Adventures of a Military Family.

The National Association of Professional Women, 2010-2011, also featured Foster as “Woman of the Year.”

Follow Me. MWSA Dispatch reviewer, Charlene Rubush, recommends Foster’s memoir, “Her story will resonate with many who have lived a life in the military … It is a testament to the bravery and courage of the distaff side of military life, and a validation of their many sacrifices.”

Southern Winds A 'Changing. Foster, a journalist and newspaper editor before turning to fiction, sets her novel, Southern Winds A’ Changing, “at a time when racial tensions were alive in the South, the lives of two women-one a school teacher and one an African American sharecropper-become forever entwined.”

Musings, Mutterings, and Aw Shucks: Collection of Short Stories, Essays and Features, Foster's newest book, is a collection of fictional short stories, non-fiction essays and features highlight eclectic characters, embellish true experiences, and illustrate unconditional love, disappointment, and friendship. Some stories share poignant, as well as occasionally witty instances that allow readers to reminisce about holidays past, sympathize with middle-aged women unwittingly caught up on the cusp of the Women’s Liberation Movement. One story allows readers to empathize with young single mothers, another to love a golden retriever just as he loves his master. The stories are a glimpse into both imaginary and real-life worlds that share a perspective on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness.

For more information about author Elizabeth Carroll Foster, visit http://elizabethcfoster.blogspot.com.

YouTube/drigelio8 ("Rescue Me" by Selah)

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:30 NLT

Not only does Jesus listen, He discerns our needs. When His disciples come to Him after their ministry tour, how does Jesus respond to his friends?

Observation. First, He observes their need for solitude and rest, and He says, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”

Only when we really listen to others can we identify their needs and know how to respond.

Frustration. My friend once told me about a conflict between her young daughter and her "know-it-all" mother, who had a bad habit of giving unsolicited advice to everyone, without really listening first. Once, in frustration my friend's young daughter responded to her grandmother. "You think you know everything, but you don't!"

Sometimes our failure to listen before responding can provoke an negative, emotional response from our loved ones, who we may desperately want to help.

Decision. In fact, Proverbs 18:13 warns us, "Answering before listening is both stupid and rude" (MSG).

Photo/KarenJordan

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. Mark 6:30 NLT

Are you a good listener? In Mark 6:40, we see Jesus listening to His disciples with a discerning heart.

Jesus also taught His disciples importance of listening. In Matthew 11:15, Jesus asks his disciples, "Are you listening to me? Really listening? (MSG)

Frankly, I avoid confiding in someone that won't listen to me. When I lose eye contact with them, I know their mind is focused on something or someone besides me.

But as I look into the mirror of truth, I realize that I'm guilty of not listening, thinking only of myself. So, I'm asking God to forgive me for hurting others by focusing on my own needs, instead of theirs. And I'm choosing to forgive others, who have failed to listen to me when I needed their listening ear, because " … But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:10 NLT)