Restore My Soul

Devotional Musings

Restore RekindleRekindle and Restore:

Ever feel like parts of you are irretrievably burnt out, broken, or lost?

Years ago on a long weekend getaway, I was catching up on my homework for a Bible study and came to Deuteronomy chapter 30. I had just told my husband that I felt like I’d lost part of who God made me to be. I’d been exhausted, confused, unfocused – some of the passion for Him that has always burned hot inside me felt fragmented, like a campfire kicked and scattered. In that place of need, I read this:

“When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the Lord your God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will RESTORE your fortunes, and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.” Deuteronomy 30:1-3.

To read about God gathering His nation Israel after they have been scattered, helped me believe He could gather the stray pieces of me from all the places I’d dispersed them. And because of the novel that is so dear to my heart, “The Restorer,” I sat up and gasped when I came across the word “restore,” in my reading for the day.

Then, in that wonderful way that God often reinforces something He’s speaking to my heart, the next day Ted and I read Psalm 71 as our morning prayer.

“Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will RESTORE my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.” Psalm 71:19-21

Can I get an Amen?

I pray that whatever wounds you carry today, God will RESTORE your soul and lead you in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (My paraphrase of Psalm 23 — another great scripture on the theme of God as our Restorer.)

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

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How to Welcome Each Day’s Seashells

Devotional Musings, Prayer

seashellSeashell Searches:

Years ago, I had the privilege of walking on a long, sunny beach in February. For this Minnesota girl, feeling sand between my toes in the winter was nothing short of miraculous. The sand was covered with thousands of seashells and I couldn’t wait to start collecting—hunting for treasures and dodging foaming waves.

As I watched an endless progression of waves sweep in to deposit scallops and conchs, I realized that every day I walked on this beach there would be new possibilities. New colors or shapes or designs to discover. If I trudged with my head down determined to find one particular kind of seashell, I could spend a wasted day and return feeling I’d failed. But if I waited to see what new blessings scattered onto the shore, something new and special would find me.

Lord, each day you bring me new treasures in all shapes and sizes. Give me patience to let the waves carry those blessings in. Give me openness to see the variety before me. Give me gratitude for your creativity and abounding goodness. Each day, let me collect your gifts of unexpected encounters, precious relationships, challenges to face, beauty to enjoy. And on those days where the beach of my life looks empty, let me enjoy the feeling of sand between my toes while I wait for the next wave. Amen.

What are some treasures God has sent your way recently? A phone call? A hug? A new insight? I’d love to hear about some of the blessings you’ve discovered recently!

Sharon Hinck

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How Well Are We Known?

Devotional Musings, Prayer

Known

Known by Our Maker.

Lord, we are known by You. That thought can both terrify and thrill us. We catch glimpses of the worst of ourselves, and wish we could hide from others and from You. Yet Your forgiveness covers us. So we can rejoice that You know us – with all our interests and quirks and dreams and experiences.

Even better, You know who we are meant to be. In Your love, You continue to shape us in that direction.

Thank You for reminding us that You care about every detail in our lives. When our own choices confuse us, show us the truths that will help us to grow and change. Amen.

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

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A Little Prayer for An Artist

Faith and Arts, Prayer

artist

A Prayer for All Artists

Are you a writer, an artist, a choreographer, a musician, a photographer?
Do you yearn to express the mysteries of God and the authentic truths of humanity through your art? It’s not an easy journey. I invite you to join me in prayer today.

Dear Heavenly Father,
We all need you SO much. You have the only healing to the pain we feel. You
alone can fill the empty, lonely places. Thank you –for often bringing us
comfort, healing, and fullness through your Body–through precious friends.

Encourage each of us in our writing, Lord. We are so often
tired of the struggle. The struggle to face the computer screen. The
struggle to find the right word. The struggle to let others read it. The
concerns about whether this is a legitimate use of our time (even though
you’ve asked us to do it, it still feels self-indulgent sometimes).

We surrender our need to understand, and simply make ourselves available.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit today. Open doors for our stories–in your
place and time and way.

Thank you for loving us. Thank you for giving us imaginations and the gift
of story. Thank you for your creative nature.
Amen.

As another artist on this challenging path, I thank you for the efforts you make to express, to illuminate, and to create beauty! Thanks for being you.

Blessings,

Sharon Hinck

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Do You Long to Bear Fruit?

Devotional Musings, The Restorer

Fruit

Fruit Restored

“The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob like the splendor of Israel, though destroyers have laid them waste and have ruined their vines.” Nahum 2:2

I’ll confess that the book of Nahum isn’t one of my “go to” books of the Bible when I’m looking for comfort or insight. But this verse resonated with me today. Because I wrote books with characters called “Restorers,” my ears always perk up when I see that word.

But what really grabbed me in this verse is the feeling of being laid waste by destroyers. Destruction can come to various aspects of our lives and from different sources. We may face the ruin of a career through the deceitful actions of someone we once trusted. We may see family crumble or drift apart. We may see our service to others bear bitter fruit instead of having the effect we intended. Others fail us. We fail ourselves. We look around at barren fields that look hopeless.

No Ruin is Hopeless

But God Himself can restore. In fact, He doesn’t offer a tiny patch-up job to get a few sorry plants to produce a few leaves. He talks about splendor. The devastated places in our lives can become lush and fruitful and new.

Nahum is still a difficult book, but I’m glad I lingered in its pages today.

I pray that if you have recently felt “laid waste,” you can take comfort in the verse above, as well as this one:

“The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7

Have you seen God bring restoration to ruined vines in your life? Feel free to share a testimony of His ability to turn emptiness into fruitfulness.

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

 

 

 

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Will Our Hearts Exult on a Day Like Today?

Devotional Musings, Prayer

Exult can be a challenging word.

Sometimes praise is as easy as inhaling and exhaling. Awareness floods us like a deep breath–renewed awareness that we are loved, that our lives are rich because of all our Savior has done for us, that we have a glorious eternal future.

Other days, the weight of our struggles makes it hard to draw even a tiny breath. We gasp at the sharpness of pain, and our throats close.

Recently as I was studying heaven, I enjoyed thinking about all the things this life has missed that the next life will contain. A new healthy body. A soul unfettered by sinful nature. No more “through a glass darkly,” but full understanding and full experience of the presence of Christ. Hooray!

But I also thought about what this world has that the next one will NOT have. One idea particularly struck me.

In this world, we have the rare opportunity to praise God from the midst of suffering.

We won’t be able to do that in eternity. That realization made me want to take full advantage of these days and hours on this planet. I want to serve and encourage others (in ways that won’t be necessary in the perfection of heaven). And I want to nudge my heart to exult from the midst of the tough stuff. This is our chance to tell God we love Him even though we’re in a dark place. One day, there will be no more darkness.

(Lord, our hearts exult in you today. You are good. Your love is boundless. And we know You have not finished the story of our life yet. In the place we find ourselves today, we invite You to guide and comfort and sustain us, and we thank You for who You are. Amen.)

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

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Have You Had a Serendipitous Adventure Lately?

Adventure in FloridaLife is an Adventure

In my recent years, adventure has felt a bit blunted. Limitations have loomed large. When friends or family ask me what I’ve been up to lately, I struggle to find anything interesting to tell them.

So when my hubby and I had the opportunity to spend four days in Florida (for sitting through a time-share sales pitch), we went for it. I admit to some second thoughts. Travel is tough for me. But I’m so glad we did it.

And I found it interesting that the activities we planned didn’t work out too great, but a few things we stumbled across were extraordinary.  Isn’t that just like life?

Serendipity is a Blessing

Cold and rainy weather kept us from relaxing hours in the sunlight, but as we huddled under raincoats and walked around Disney Springs, we came across Cirque du Soleil. Somehow as we prepared for our trip, we’d never noticed that they have a permanent tent there. We bought tickets for the evening show–a spontaneous splurge, and something on my bucket list. It was amazing. The variety of talent and the exuberance left me breathless and inspired.

Our second serendipitous adventure came on our last day – when the sun was finally shining. We checked out and had hours to fill before going to the airport. We had googled a park, but when we arrived, found it was now a housing complex. Disappointed, we searched again, and drove to Shingle Creek Regional Park. This park did exist, and we walked along a nice secluded trail near a river. But my gaze kept returning to the sign announcing kayak rentals. The black water, cyprus swamp, and dripping Spanish moss just cried out to be explored from the water. My husband reminded me that we didn’t want to risk getting wet (or exhausted) before our flight home…but it didn’t take long for me to win him over.

We rented a two-person kayak and glided into another world. Flocks of ibis picked at the ground along the bank, a deer bounded through a stand of palmetto, and the water that looked so murky from the shore created a perfect black-mirror reflection of towering trees.

Then in a little alcove, we saw a gator. My husband turned the kayak so I could get a better look before it sank below the surface. I said, “What are you doing?” and tried to steer the boat AWAY. (My love for adventure has its limits!)

Still, that glimpse was a thrill.

I feel so blessed by those few days away from the ordinary. As I delve back into “real life,” I’m going to remember that many of my plans will be thwarted by things I can’t control–but there is still beauty around to surprise and delight me if I’m open to it.

Praying you have a day of serendipity and adventure!

Sharon Hinck

Adventure kayak

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Clavo Tea Now Available

Random Thoughts, The Sword of Lyric Series,

Clavo teaClavo Tea

I’m delighted to share that I’ve created a “fandom” blend of tea at Adagio teas.

Friends know that my blood is about 50 per cent tea, and I get loose teas to brew from Adagio. My favorites from Adagio are Darjeeling, English Breakfast, Golden Monkey, and Irish Breakfast.

A reader of the Sword of Lyric series suggested that I create some “fandom” blends. I’ll be creating more soon (orberry, anyone?) The first blend is, of course, clavo. If you’ve read The Restorer and the other books, you know that this brewed drink is a favorite in the clans.

I had to pick from standard “our world” flavors, and it may not be as rich in clove flavors or as spicy as I imagined. But it’s got some cinnamon bark and ginger flavors in a strong black Ceylon tea, so it should be as strengthening and fortifying as clavo in the stories.

You can also try making Susan Mitchell’s adaptation of the clavo recipe if you want to make your own.

If you have suggestions for various clan flavors, feel free to let me know. Besides a fruity orberry herbal tea, I’m thinking of other blends that fit various nations or clans in the story. As I add more, you can find Sword of Lyric flavors under their “fandom blends.” Have fun!

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Coloring Books for Grown-ups

Faith and Arts, Random Thoughts,

Coloring PencilsColoring Conflict

My agent recently blogged about trends in publishing and mentioned the sudden surprising popularity of coloring books for adults.

I confess to conflicted feelings.

Years ago, I taught workshops on using rubber stamps to create homemade cards, scrapbook pages, and gifts. I still use my supplies to make cards, and part of the fun is stamping an outline image and coloring it in. So I understand the stress-relief and fun of coloring.

On the other hand, I hear the voice of my college art teacher, who encouraged us to never give a child a coloring book. He urged us to give generous pads of paper to children and to encourage them to create, not to “stay inside the lines.”

I see his point. So why have so many of my creative friends embraced coloring books?

Perhaps after struggling to be creative all day, it’s relaxing to enjoy someone else’s efforts. The picture is provided. The only decision to make is which colors to use, and there really are no mistakes – so no pressure.

Plus, some of the images are so appealing, it’s fun to linger with them. I’ll admit that I put a few coloring books on my Christmas wish list and am now enjoying filling small spaces and seeing the art unfold–art as a collaborative effort. The design of the line artist join with the color and medium choice of the colorer.

Color the Psalms

What do you think? Should those of us who are enjoying coloring books instead doodle and create on blank paper? Would that offer the same relaxation while stimulating more creativity? Have you dipped a toe into the trend? Why do you enjoy it?

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

 

 

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Christmas Blessing!

Prayer

Glory to God in the highest!Christmas Prayer

Dear friend, thank you for visiting me here. My heart is full of gratitude that Christ has loved us enough to enter our lives, and that we are made brothers and sisters in Him.

Here is my prayer for you this Christmas:

When you need guidance, may our Shepherd lead you.

When you feel grief, may our Resurrection and Life reassure you.

When you feel invisible, may the “One who sees” reveal Himself in your life.

When you hunger, may the Bread of Life sustain you.

When you feel worthless, may the King of Kings lift you up.

When you are lonely, may Emmanuel remind you He is with you.

When broken relationships wound you, may the Prince of Peace heal you.

Whether we are in a place of deepest pain or wondrous celebration, may we all join the heavenly hosts in proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest,” for our Savior has come.

Amen

Blessings!

Sharon Hinck

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