My Life in Devotion: The Deepest Shades of Faith

My Life in Devotion

The Deepest Shades of Faith

Angela A Dockter

Copyright ©2016 Angela A. Dockter

All rights reserved.

Cover design by Jesse Kimmel-Freeman, original photo by Angela Dockter

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the author.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

My Life in Devotion

It’s scary to sit down and write one’s deepest thoughts. Some convictions. To willingly reveal some hurt or pain. A greater need exists in me, however. One to find a way to document my life lessons. Part of my testimony. Things I want to leave as life lessons for my children.

In essence this book is only between me and them. I want them to have something throughout all that life brings them. Something that says if mom was here she would remind me that Jesus never fails. To always forgive. To know without a doubt God never makes a mistake. To remember that God never wastes pain. To know above all how loved they are.

As I considered how to take all those parts and pieces of me and share them in one place for my children, the idea of a devotional came to me. As I finished up however it became almost heavy on me as I considered the larger audience that would be reached through publication. Calling it a devotional brings a responsibility of sorts that merely calling this a book doesn’t. So while I do not apologize for sharing these lessons and words, I give this caution. I’m a sinner saved by grace. I’m making no doctrinal claims, nor claims of being a final or expert authority on all things Bible/Biblical. I share my heart, my journey, my life and less – my love of Jesus and my belief in a personal relationship with Christ.

I do however believe that each person is on their own personal journey with the Creator and with that I may seem lax to some, yet overly conservative to others who read this. Most of all know this is written in love, as I try to set the example that no matter where anyone is on their journey that we all each answer to Christ alone. So even if you find something in here you differ with me in opinion on, I pray you will as well find deep blessings. These are the devotions of my heart. My gift to my children.

Dedication

To Jesus – My Everything

You bless me beyond what I deserve as You write the words on the pages for me and suddenly appears a book. I thank You for the lessons and count it all joy.

To Megan and Matthew,

You two are the absolute joy of my heart. I write this for each of you that you may always know your mother’s heart. I pray you will know and love the Lord and serve Him with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. I praise God for letting me be your momma!

Never forget the lessons He taught you as children— He was born, suffered, died, and rose again – for YOU! He NEVER fails – even when we do. He never changes. He will never leave you. He has a plan and a purpose for you. Trust. He loves you. Unconditionally. Forever and Always. Most of all, my deepest prayer is that Jesus becomes real to you. Every moment. Every day. In small things. In big things. In your failures and in your successes.

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them

anyway.

2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

3. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

Abundance

Acceptance

Adulthood Sucks

Attitude

Belief

Be Kind

Children of God

Children’s Responsibilities

Choices

Come Boldly

Compliment or Competition

Confidence

Deepest Shade of Faith

Dreams

Expectations

Faith

Fear

Forgiveness

Glorifying God

Grace

Gratitude

Honor

Hope

In the Wait

Joy

Judge Not

The Greatest of These is Love

Made

Marriage

Nothing Can Separate Us

Obedience

Opinion

Parenting

Parents

Purpose

Respect Your Children

Respect Your Elders

Self-Care

Small Minded

Sorrow

Suffering

Surprised?

Take the Easy Road

To Whom Much is Given

Transparency

Trust

Value

When the Going Gets Tough

Why?

Thy Will Be Done

Winds, Earthquakes, and Fires

Worth

About the Author

Abundance

John 10:10: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

If when you first read the title of this devotion, Abundance, and feel a check in your spirit somewhere, you might be living in poverty.

If you feel guilty for having money.

If you get angry at people who do have money or possessions.

If you have money but misuse it.

If somewhere inside you, you feel unworthy. Not educated enough. Not experienced enough.

If you are battling a physical illness or disease.

If you are continually struggling to make ends meet.

If you live life continually feeling unfulfilled.

If you are constantly running out of time. Delaying dreams. Putting off vacations. Struggling for balance. Living in clutter. Living in debt. Beating yourself up spiritually. For things seen, or things in your life that no one else knows about.

If you are stuck in a relationship where you are disrespected, mistreated, neglected, or abused.

If you are in yet another generation of any of the above because that’s just how life is.

You are probably living a life in poverty of some sort: spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, even relational.

Far too often in life the Christian will hear the word preached about dying to self, serving, being of service, sacrificing, putting others first, and giving. It is widely suggested that giving up and going without is the call of the Christian and that the first shall be last. I don’t think we always get the full message that Christ intended. The message that has both sides. The opposite side is abundance, and somehow it is often twisted and turned so that the Christian is left feeling nothing but shame and guilt if any thought of abundance were to enter their life. I’m not just talking about abundance of money, but in all of life. I truly believe that God desires us to live abundantly and not just in mere poverty. Poverty of health, mentality, emotional poverty, spiritual poverty, and sometimes yes literally poverty pertaining to wealth. While there is much merit to serving, giving, and sacrificing, I don’t believe God meant for one minute for any of us to get stuck in poverty. If we don’t learn and understand the balance of abundance and His desire to fulfill us to abundance, we live on a dangerous ledge.

Dangerous ledge? Yes. Christians live in dire consequences of poverty of physical health, all while we pray in the name of Jesus for miraculous healing, for God’s hands to be upon doctors and medical interventions which have nearly as much statistics in the cure causing death as the lack of no intervention. While no one at the pulpit is preaching against gluttony and teaching on the scriptures that God created herbs of the field for both our food and our medicine.

Many Christians are living in shams of marriages under the guise of spiritual abundance but truly end up living in spiritual poverty, slowly drained of themselves under the pressure of spiritual duty and slowly over time become so drained they live alone in silence in spiritual and emotional poverty.

Through many lessons in my own life I’ve come to learn even in the midst of being called to give, serve, and die to self, God never intended for us to live in poverty.

Take inventory of your life. Break down each aspect? What is within your power to change or begin to change? What cannot be changed? Take a step away from the list and come back again. Look at what you thought/think cannot be changed? Why can’t it be changed? What or who is holding you back? Does a wall of impossibility exist or are you just limiting yourself or living under the standards of what would others think of me?

Challenge yourself to take steps forward out of poverty. Out of your limitations. Can you finish your education? Get a better job? Get a hobby? Eat better? Sleep better? Stop a bad habit such as smoking or drinking or staying up too late? What is within your power to change today for a better tomorrow.

One of the biggest lessons in achieving success in abundance is practicing gratitude. Are you thankful for what you have? For where you are right now? If not, begin to give thanks for three to five things per day. Look for ways in which you are already abundant. Family? Friends? A roof over your head? Did you eat today? Have clothes to wear? Have access to running water and plumbing? Heat? Did you love today? Were you loved today? There are many ways we are already abundant that we over look