Sony Elise

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What Will I Be Like?

I know a lot of people who are older, and I have begun making note of the character traits I would like to acquire and those I would like to discard before they become a part of my life. It seems many older people become bitter and unhappy in their later years while others are sweet and giving in spite of their pain. This latter group is the group I want to belong to but I realize they did not get this way overnight. I believe those who are a joy to be around in their golden years began to live a joyous life in their youth. Those who are bitter may have allowed roots to grow when they were younger, however, they were careful to keep it inside. As they got older and their mind began to go, what was in their heart came to the surface to where now they cannot let go of it.

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That is a sober thought. It’s not enough to look good on the outside. What is in my heart? Is it full of love and kindness, or is it bitter and angry, holding grudges that are going to die when I do? Will I be a joy to care for when I’m old or will everyone be drawing straws to see who has to take care of me? Although this is a ways off in the future, I need to choose now what kind of person I will be. I need to get God’s Word firmly planted in my heart that it is what flows out of me when I can remember nothing else.

For those who are already elderly, it is never too late to change. If you have become old and grouchy, don’t excuse it because of your age. Think about how it is affecting those around you and begin to be a blessing. It may shock your friends and family but they will recover.

For you young people, don’t think you have 40 years to develop better habits and treat people better. Begin now. It may seem like you have your whole life ahead of you but those years will go by faster than you think.

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What Are You Worshiping?

In Exodus 20:3-6, God gives the first commandment, and I think possibly the most important commandment since, if we master this, we will have no problem obeying the others.

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You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make to you any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

When you think of idols, you probably think of Bible days where people would build statues or poles and bow down to them, praying or worshiping their “god” made of wood or stone. Today, people don’t seem to do that as much but this doesn’t mean that we don’t have idols just the same.

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Here in America, we are inundated with so many things that can replace time we could spend with the Lord. Whether it’s TV, a relationship, sports, activities, etc., it is easy to get to the end of the day and realize God received a small portion of your time while these other things occupied a good bit of it.

God has blessed us with many things but everything serves a purpose. If any person or possession means more to you than your relationship with God, that thing needs to go. If you spend hours watching TV and only a few minutes with the Lord, your priorities are horribly misplaced.

I am currently evaluating my life in these areas as well. I hate the phrase “too heavenly minded to be any earthly good” because we must be heavenly minded to be any good on this earth. Everything we do should be centered around Christ and what pleases Him. If something does not please Him, it needs to go.

How do you spend your days? Are you daily seeking His face, drawing near to Him, worshiping Him as you go about your daily tasks? Or is he a tack-on to your already full day? I would encourage you to truly ponder this and ask God to show you if there are things in your life that are hindering the close fellowship that He desires to have with you. We often adjust to life and don’t realize that God has so much more for us. This is not a matter to be complacent about. Matthew 6:33 tells us, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” That needs to be our priority every single day of our lives.

Amid the frantic pace of life, don’t neglect quality time with your Savior, the only One you should be worshiping.

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Falling in Love with Jesus All over Again

Let me fall in love with You all over again
Let me know You as never before

As I was praying this morning, this song, sung by the late Kenny Hinson, became my prayer. There is nothing I desire more than to fall in love with Jesus all over again.

In the last few years, I’ve gone through a number of changes, some of which I struggled with a long time before surrendering to the direction God wanted me to take. I don’t like change, and I had to be absolutely sure He was leading. As I look back now, it is so obvious to me that He was indeed calling, and I am overwhelmed by His love for me and His willingness to use this weak, stubborn vessel.

In the last few years, God has also brought some wonderful people into my life–those who are willing to intercede for me, bear with me, and encourage me whenever God lays me on their heart. They say if you can count on one hand your true friends, you are very blessed. If I think about it, I can probably do that and more. At the same time, no one can replace my first Love.

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I am not always faithful. I do not always embrace the tests He brings but have instead cried and begged Him to remove tests when I thought I could not stand it. In the end, though, like the apostle Paul, I found His grace to be sufficient and His strength to be made perfect through my weakness.

I was watching Joni Tada last night on the True Woman Conference’s webcast, and she talked about the importance of surrender to whatever will draw us closer to Jesus. That is a lesson I am still learning but, if I desire a closer walk, I must be willing to accept whatever He knows will rid me of myself so that I can have true communion with Him.

Being over 40 years old and single, God has been my husband and Father. He has been the friend who is there in the middle of the night when all I can do is cry. I have felt Him hold me and assure me He is there, even when I knew I had failed Him. True to His Word, He has never left me or forsaken me but He has blessed me much more than I will ever deserve, and He has surrounded me with people who love me.

I have had an ear infection for several months and, yesterday, I finally got in to get my ears cleaned out. I cried as the doctor worked to remove all the junk in there, but I knew the pain was necessary if I was going to be able to hear again and heal completely.

This experience brought home the reality that it is the same way with life. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. The longer we live, the more sin accumulates until we meet Jesus and He begins to chip away the sins that ensnare us. Even after walking with him for over 20 years, there are still things in my life that need to go. Humanly, I don’t want to go through the pain I may need to go through so He can chisel them out of my heart, but I realize it is necessary in order to have more room for Him. He cannot dwell where sin is present and so surrender I must. If I do so, I will feel more of His love and peace, and I will in turn love Him more than ever before.

God, make that truly my desire, that I love You, not only on the mountain when the sun is shining bright, but also in the valleys when it’s dark and I can’t see You. Keep me looking straight ahead and not on what is going on around me for, with You holding my hand, nothing can touch me and, one day, You will lead me to my eternal Home where nothing will ever harm me again. Thank You, Father. Amen!

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20% Special Discount Offer

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I have had the privilege of introducing DefCon readers to a few new people in recent months. One of these people is Sony Elise, who runs her own editing business, and she is also a regular contributor here at DefCon. Since beginning her first editing job in high school, she has been proofreading and editing magazines, editorials, and books for over 25 years.

Sony Elise Editing Services is a new direction for her editing services starting this year. As she branches out on her own, she is offering an end-of-year special discount for the months of October through December of 20% off either of her editing packages. This is good for any book or story with a minimum purchase of $20. Having used her services several times, I know that her prices are more than competitive and you will be pleased with her work.

To obtain the discount, simply mention to Sony that you found the discount here on DefCon and you will receive the 20% discount. I realize this is unusual, but she recently was able to help a couple of pastors with their work, as well as some believers looking to break into publishing. It was my thought this might help you as well as help her also.

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Don’t Forget

I am reading through the book of Numbers and remembering how important it is to not forget the good things God has done. Unfortunately, humankind hasn’t changed and, when trials come, it’s easy to wonder how God can do these things to US–His servants! Bad things do happen to Godly people, however, and you must remember it is these things that increase our faith and have the capacity to make us more Godly if we would surrender.

This is a reminder I needed today. I have seen God’s hand at work so many times and, even when I can’t see, I need to trust and know that everything He allows in my life is for my good and His glory. It is often in the valley that I take more time to seek His face and listen for His voice. I admit this to my shame but it is something I think about when trials come. If this is the only way that God can get my attention, then I need not complain but, instead, I should be praising Him for His faithfulness in continually drawing me closer to Him.

I pray I never forget His goodness and His love for me. I hope you don’t either. Over and over in Scripture, God told the Israelites to Remember. God is still saying that today. Thank Him for His blessings for they are many.

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Lead Me to the Cross

“Lead me to the cross where Your love poured out. Bring me to my knees, Lord, I lay me down. Rid me of myself. I belong to You. Lead me.”

It’s been a hectic six months for me which has been followed by some trials that I would prefer not to walk through but God is giving tremendous grace, for which I am grateful.

The other night, I was experiencing immense physical pain due to an ear infection. As I was crying out to God for relief, He reminded me that He is no stranger to pain. As badly as I wanted the pain to go away, I knew then that, if God didn’t remove it, He would give me the strength to endure, and that is exactly what He did, enabling me to sleep in the midst of it. I am still dealing with pain but I know that this too will pass. He is such a good Father.

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Although my pain this past week was physical, this can apply to any trial or pain you’re going through. It does not compare to what He suffered. If you keep that in mind, you will not be able to rail against God but your heart will be filled with love for Him in spite of your suffering.

If you are going through a trial and don’t know how you’re going to make it, ask God to lead you to the cross, to rid you of yourself, to help you to lean on Him as never before. He will not leave you in the midst of your trial and suffering but He will carry you through it if you will surrender all to Him.

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Family Renewal – An Introduction

It is my privilege to introduce a fairly new ministry to the faithful readers here at Defending Contending. In 1999, our family first met Sis. Skeet Savage and her family which includes her daughter, Sony Elise and her son, Israel Wayne. Sis. Skeet is responsible for the writing ministries under the umbrella of Wisdom’s Gate Ministries. Down through the years, the ministry of Wisdom’s Gate has been a personal blessing to our family in so many ways.

In late 2013, the Lord graciously allowed the combined years of experience of writing, editing, and speaking to flourish into a new outreach entitled Family Renewal. Family Renewal is a ministry co-founded by Israel Wayne, his wife Brook, and Israel’s oldest sister, Sony Elise. The ministry is dedicated to family discipleship, teaching others how to defend their faith, and teaching the importance of a Biblical worldview.

Israel, Brook, and Sony Elise are all prolific writers and have been been a blessing to many down through their years of writing. In addition, Israel speaks throughout the year at various evangelical churches, homeschool conferences, and apologetics seminars.

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Recently, Israel had the privilege of seeing a new book published. This book, Questions God Asks: Unlocking The Wisdom of Eternity, would be a welcome addition to the library of every Christian home.

If you or anyone you know might be interested in having Israel speak at your church, men’s retreat, family camp, or for a Biblical Worldview or Apologetics conference, please contact Sis. Sony at (269) 282-6058 for further details or you may email them at Family Renewal Ministries.