Join Jane and Mary as they discuss the people God used in the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth. What’s so interesting is that God uses everyday people to bring about His plans in the world–and He wants to use us too!

We discuss Zacharias, Elizabeth, Anna, Simeon, the Wise Men, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. Find out what lessons we can learn from each of their lives as we delve into their parts in the Christmas story.

You can listen a couple of different ways. Simply click on the sideways triangle button below to listen right on your computer. Or …

Follow this link to Talk Shoe’s page, and you’ll be able to download the podcast or add it to your iTunes account.

Talk Shoe

Please click on the link to access  “The Christmas Story: Illustrated in Names”

Merry Christmas!!

Mary and Jane

“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” Matthew 11:3-5

I used to think that this verse was written only for those who suffered from physical blindness, deafness, sickness or death. But while I was reading afresh this passage of scripture during this Advent season, I realized that this verse applied to me as well. At times my ears have been deaf to the whisper of God’s voice because of the clamor of the world. I also have often failed to see the Presence of God because my eyes were focused on my circumstances. Moreover, due to the weight of my sin that I have labored to carry, I’ve been unable to walk with Jesus. As I considered this verse and how it applied to my life, God brought this prayer to my mind:

Dear Lord,

Please heal my blindness, that I may see You this day and the needs of others.

Please heal my deafness, that I may hear You and the cries of the lost.

Please heal my lameness, that I may walk with You and help my brother to follow you as well.

Dear Lord, please bring new life to the dead areas of my life that they may bring You glory. Amen.

Please take some time to get quiet before the Lord so you’ll be able to hear what He wants to speak into your life today. Also, ask God to open the eyes of your heart so you’ll be able to see His presence in the hardships, blessings, wants and comforts of this day. Finally, walk with Jesus this day by reading and heeding His Word and spending time in prayer. Be blessed!

How often have we been taught that being helpless is a bad thing?

I grew up in a family where my grandparents emigrated from Germany. They worked hard to establish a business, lost it all in the Great Depression and started over and did it again. I was taught that hard work and independence were important traits to have—and they are.

But it’s been revolutionizing to me lately to discover that our helplessness is the very thing that God is looking for in a person. What? Well in the book A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller, chapter 6 is actually about learning how to be helpless in prayer. He says that prayer is all about bringing your helplessness to Jesus. When we finally realize that we can do nothing lasting in our own strength and power and move out of the way and let God work through our weaknesses, then things start to happen. That’s what grace is all about.

Even more amazing, the more we mature in our Christian walk, the more helpless we realize we are, and the more God works through us. Jesus says in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” And you know what? This is exactly how Jesus prayed and ministered. He did nothing apart from the power of God. “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner,” John 5:19. So, feeling weak in a situation is actually a great thing. We turn to prayer and bring our helplessness to Jesus who sends the Holy Spirit to empower us.

Where are you weak today so that God can work?

Don’t see it as a hindrance, but rather see it as an opportunity for the power of God to work through your life. Has this ever happened with you? Feel free to share your comments on the blog.

Pray on!

I’m reading a good book by Henry and Norman Blackaby called Experiencing Prayer with Jesus:  The Power of His Presence and Example. I came across this quote that really made me stop and think .

Prayer is not for the purpose of getting God to help us … but for getting us in line with what God is about to do. Prayer is God’s invitation to enter His throne room so He can lay His agenda over our hearts.

I haven’t ever looked at prayer in quite this way before. It really is a training and molding ground for our hearts. It’s more about God preparing us so that He can start using us by working through us. I began to think about how much of my time I spend on asking God for things versus how much time I am in prayer for the Spirit to use me. Now I still think we need to bring our requests before God, but I also see how we need to be quiet so that the Spirit can start to do the work in our lives that God wants to do.

What do you think? What does this look like for your prayer time? Does it change anything?  

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment and pray on!

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Are you frustrated with the progress you’re making in your prayer life? Or just in your spiritual life in general?

You know, I’ve found that being conformed to the image of Christ is rarely a fast process. It often involves times of struggle, pushing ahead, falling back and eventually making slow, steady progress. Sometimes change can happen quickly, but most often, I am in it for the long haul. And at times, it can seem that I’m not making much progress.

A few days ago, I discovered some fun caterpillars in my garden, and I’ve been keeping tabs on them. I discovered they’re Monarch butterfly caterpillars. It’s been exciting watching them. Now, exciting may seem like a oxymoron when used to describe a caterpillar, especially after you look at the short video clip I have of them here. Take a few seconds to look at the video, if you can.

You may think that outwardly nothing exciting was happening at all, but on the contrary, much is going on.

What tips can we learn from my friend the caterpillar to help us in our struggles?

1. Be focused. The caterpillar has one thing in mind—and that’s eating. That is his sole purpose at the moment. What is your focus right now? Identify the change you want or need to make. Do you want to grow or mature in your prayer life? Do you have a fruit of the spirit you need to cultivate? Write it down—make it official. Confess any sin that may be entangled in this change and then ask God to equip you through the Holy Spirit to make the change.
2. Choose your source of nourishment carefully. The Monarch caterpillar loves the milkweed plant as his host plant and will slowly eat his way through the leaves. But, I learned that the Indian hemp dogbane plant resembles the milkweed—it even has a milky substance; one major difference is that it is poisonous to the caterpillars and will kill them if they keep eating the dogbane. Think about what you’re taking in as your source of nourishment during this time of change or struggle in your life. Are you surrounding yourself with scripture, good music, prayer, biblical teaching, books and wise counsel? Or are you feeding on a diet of questionable TV, movies, music and activities that are slowly poisoning you?
3. Be diligent. Just like the caterpillar eats a bite at a time, keep plugging away, doing what you know is right. We can only break a sinful pattern or cultivate a new habit one decision at a time. As Christians, we have the wonderful resource of the Holy Spirit to help us.
4. Look to the inside. Realize when it seems  from all outward appearances that everything has ground to a halt, profound changes are happening on the inside. The Holy Spirit changes us from the inside out into Christ’s image.
5. Rest when you need to. The caterpillar sometimes takes breaks from his eating to just rest. At times, we need to do that too. It’s hard work changing. Do something fun. Read a good book, go for a walk, sit on the beach or take a nap. Recharge yourself for the next phase.
6. Submit to God. When the caterpillar is inside the chrysalis, he is submitted to the creator who is changing Him. We also need to allow God access to all areas of our lives as we are in the chrysalis of change so that He can slough off the dead and replace it with life.
7. Spread your wings. In the fullness of time, dare to fly into what God has for you now.

What  habit have you now attained? Is there a new ministry opening up for you? As you celebrate what God has accomplished in your life, be open to what God has for you next.

As you feel led, leave a comment on a struggle that God has brought you through. Your struggle may encourage someone else to keep on.

Pray on!

Join Jane as she welcomes Pastor Dave Rodriguez of Grace Community Church in Noblesville, Indiana to discuss the attentive life. In today’s busy world, it is imperative that we take the time to cultivate time with God and pay attention to Him in our everyday lives. Dave recaps some highlights from his popular sermon series on the Attentive Life. For information on the entire series, go to https://www.gracecc.org.

Dave Rodriguez

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