Kristin Saatzer

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I am delighted that you stopped by, welcome! The Lord lifts me up through His word and friends- personal friends and those who write words that minister to my soul.

What To Do In The Wait? Repost

February 15, 2021 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

I am in yet another long season of waiting as I have been ill for five months now. I thought I would repost this blog because  I find the words and scripture in this devotional ring true for me today. If you are in a season of waiting, I pray they will for you too.
Blessings,
Kristin 

What To Do In The Wait?

Originally posted January 17, 2017

Unwell. Unengaged. Uninterested.   aisle-690298_640

It was as if I stood in a hallway before an unopened door, knowing health and healing lay on the other side.

Ten years ago, I pleaded with God to heal my malaise. I desperately needed and wanted Him to open the door and allow me to step out of the gloomy hallway. Yet there were blessings in that place. Time passed and eventually, God drew me out of the hall, through the doorway, and into His healing light.

These days, I find myself in yet another hallway, praying for another door to open. Only this time it involves two family members struggling through deep waters of pain.

How about you?

Do you stand before a door today, waiting for God to answer? To heal? To provide? Do you need Him to show you the way you should go? Is there a difficult decision before you keeping you awake at night?

And the door seems bolted shut.

What to do in the wait?

~Praise Him: I call it “Praise Therapy”. Praising Him takes my eyes off me.

Hebrews 13:15  NET Bible
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.”

~Thank Him: For what I am learning and for who He is.

 1 Thessalonians 5:18 New Living Translation
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

~Hope in Him:  With God, there is always hope.

Romans 15:13 Berean Study Bible
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

~Accept His will:  Maybe the door will never open. Maybe it won’t look like I thought it would on the other side. Maybe the wait is the blessing.

Luke 22:42  Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me–nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.”

The door I stand in front of today may never open. To be honest, I have yet to accept that.  I’m trying to find the dividing line between hope and acceptance.  Can I keep one foot on each side of the line? How do I hope and accept at the same time? I suppose it is by believing in God’s will and trusting Him with mine. The blessing in this wait is surrender. Thy will be done.

We stand before many doors in our time here on earth, breathing our prayers in the hallway. There are blessings there as we praise, thank, hope, and accept.

What will you do in the wait?  

 

PC: Pinterest and Pixbay

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My Best-Loved Books of 2020

January 2, 2021 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Hello, friends!

I read quite a bit in 2020, as you can see by the pictures of the fifty-two books I tackled (copied from Goodreads). I reread seven from my shelves at home because of quarantine and the library was closed and I blew my book budget.

I would like to highlight some of my 2020 favorites for you bibliophiles (and wanna be’s) as I do each year on the blog. So, here we go…

Non-fiction:

  1. Chasing Vines by Beth Moore: I deeply enjoyed the lessons on viticulture and the tie ins between the Old and New Testaments. Great questions for readers about the fruitfulness of our lives.
  2. Doing Life With Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut & The Welcome Mat Out by Jim Burns:  So… funny timing… I read this book just before my three adult children moved back in for quarantine! There were no big light bulbs here for me, but it is all practical, doable, encouraging, and engaging.
  3. The Third Option: Hope for a Racially Divided Nation by Miles McPherson: This book is my favorite out of all I have read on this difficult subject. The author (a beloved San Diego pastor) brings much hope and positivity while writing through a biblical and practical lens.
  4. Irresistible: Reclaiming the New that Jesus Unleashed for the World by Andy Stanley: This is a controversial book. I find myself still thinking about it often and I read it over two months ago. There are points the author makes that are hard for me to swallow. Then, other points that challenge me in the deepest parts of my Christian soul and cause me to embrace the New Testament and Jesus as never before.
  5. The Path Between us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships by Suzanne Stabile: An Enneagram book by my favorite Enneagram teacher. If you know your number and the numbers of those with whom you do life, you will find this book an invaluable tool. I refer to it often.

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A Book to Keep, A Book to Share

November 26, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer Leave a Comment

Hello friends,

Many of you know that I published a book last year called Savor the Savior: Twenty-Five Devotions for Advent and Christmas Inspired by the Names of Jesus. For those of you new here, you may not yet have heard.

I can’t think of a more meaningful way to end this crazy year than to spend twenty-five days of Christmas and Advent learning about the names of Jesus and drawing close to Him…through a series of short and biblically deep devotionals.

If you purchase it now, you will get it in time to begin on the first day of Advent, December 1, 2020. It also makes a great Christmas gift.

Order a copy today (also available as an eBook):

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/savor-the-savior-kristin-saatzer/1134738504?ean=9781683149200

www.amazon.com/s?k=savor+the+savior+Kristin+Saatzer&ref=nb_sb_noss

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=savor%20the%20savior

 

Blessings and thanks,

Kristin

PS. If you read and enjoyed the book, I (and my publisher) would deeply appreciate a rating and/or a review on one of the above sites. It means a great deal in the book world. And it means a great deal to me!

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The Light of Life

November 19, 2020 By Kristin Saatzer 2 Comments

Gloomy clouds dawned in the morning sky yet again. The Coronavirus closures coincided with weeks of rain and gray skies that are atypical for sunny Southern California where we pay the weather tax. The dreariness outside and relentless bad news on my screen merged with underlying anxiety, depression, and the loss of my in-person community. It all felt suffocating.

From the edge of my bed, I gazed out my window and prayed. As I asked Christ to lift the dismal, heavy weight off my chest and bolster me for another long day, a stunning beam of sunlight broke through the clouds. A fitting symbol of truth I had failed to remember – Jesus is the Light of the World and the light of my life. And through this Light of Life, I’ve been charged to shine for Him individually and in community.

In that morning moment, God shone a bright dose of bravery into my gloomy soul.

I wish I could say that after that experience, all was peachy for me. It was not. Yet, a shift took place in my spirit as I focused more on Christ’s light and less on the shadows of the world. I stopped marking each day’s end with an “x” in my journal. I sought out happy, good news stories. And with great intention, I reduced my intake of news and social media and increased my intake of God’s truth. I put this verse on my phone and stuck it near my bed and computer as a reminder: “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12 NLT).

My bleak state brightened as 2020 carried on and I found wisdom as I focused on the Light of the World.

Eventually, the sun came out, but the black clouds of COVID stayed, as did the relentless torrent of bad news. And I deeply missed my friends.

One of the hardest parts of the pandemic (and my current health crisis) was and still is the absence of physically attending church. There is a hole in my week where there once was corporate prayer and worship. I’ve felt the loss of comradery, hugs, and screenless faces. We were created for community, weren’t we?

However, I remind myself that behind the monitors, the church is still The Church.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill” (Matthew 5:14 NASB). You and I belong to a body of believers whom God created to shine like one luminous flame on a moonless night. A city on a hill. In these historic days, we have an opportunity to radiate as one for Jesus as never before. I find myself hope-filled and compelled by these words of Jesus to join fellow Christ-followers as we shine collectively in person and through our screens.

And today, as the calendar continues to turn and the holiday season looms, I lift my face to the Light of Life when I am frozen by the fear that uncertainty brings.

Therefore, I am determined that in my little world, I will be a light bearer for my Savior. “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NIV). The holidays may look so different than normal for so many this year (my family included) and this scripture inspires me in my mission to shine and serve. As children of the King, we can reflect His radiant love to those He puts on our path. Hurting souls in desperate need of hope in an often lonely, difficult season.

As this strange, scary, arduous, and sometimes wonderful year closes in, I reflect on my journey with Jesus, the Light of Life. The One who shines through His Church, His beloved sons and daughters. I keep on returning to His light and wonder where would I be without Him? Without His word to lead me? Without His wisdom to guide me? My heart overflows with gratitude to the One who continues to rescue me in the dark morning moments, who guides me with bright courage, and leads me to shine for Him.

 

PC: Bradley Dunn

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From the Blog

  • What To Do In The Wait? Repost
  • My Best-Loved Books of 2020
  • A Book to Keep, A Book to Share
  • The Light of Life
  • Thankful for it or Thankful in it?

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