January
21st is a regular day for most people, but for me, today is a day to celebrate!
Red Chair Moments turns 4 today!
Today, I will eat cake. Today I can point back to the history of God’s faithfulness over the past four years.
What day do you celebrate? Perhaps it is the day you heard “Cancer Free” or the day you said “I do.” Maybe its the anniversary of being drug free? Or the day you chose to make your marriage work? Everyone has a day to celebrate the faithfulness of God. What’s your day?
The History of Red Chair Moments
My first article, “Just Ask” debuted on January 21, 2012.
Red Chair Moments began as a humble response to share stories of God’s grace more frequently than my annual Christmas letter. What I didn’t know then, is that God would use Red Chair Moments to speak to thousands of hearts overseas and in my own backyard.
Who me?
I am not qualified to write. I possess degrees in Biology and Pharmacy not English. As a pharmacist I am more comfortable discussing the colons inside our bodies than the grammatical use of a colon. My calling to write thus proves three things:
God has a sense of humor.
God will equip those who he calls.
Kissing Ireland’s Blarney Stone in 2001 has lasting effects. (Legend states, if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will be given the gift of gab.)
In 2013, I sensed God stirring for something different with Red Chair Moments. For over a year, I prayed God’s will to be revealed. I wanted to use Red Chair Moments to raise money for Serving His Children, a non-profit organization that provides nourishment to children in Jinga, Uganda, but I didn’t know how.
In 2014, I met Brenda Gay Shumaker, a local writer, founder of Designs for Living and owner of Shepherd’s Gate Retreat. Little did I know meeting Brenda was part of God’s divine plan. Brenda offered to mentor me in my writing journey.
In 2015, Brenda invited friend and editor, Vie Herlocker of Cornerstone –Ink, to teach a weekend writing retreat at Shepherd’s Gate. In March, I allowed advertising on the website; however I never had peace about this decision. Two weeks later, I revoked the advertisements and prayed, “Lord, if you want to raise extra money for Serving His Children, you’ll have to find another way.” I took my meager $0.65 profit and wrote the smallest check to Serving His Children. Prior to handing over the check, I prayed “Lord, five loaves and two fish.”
Walk by Faith Not by Sight
With Brenda and Vie’s prompting, I leapt by faith to the five-day Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference in Asheville, NC. There I was invited to submit articles for consideration to magazine, Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. In November of 2015, Clubhouse purchased a craft article! Six months after I prayed for God to find another way to raise money, I presented Serving His Children with a check for $75.00!
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much.” (Luke 16:10, ESV)
Little is much when God is in it!
Over the years, my kids have taught me ‘new math’, but nothing compares to God’s math! In God’s math class, he doesn’t subtract or add, HE MULTIPLIES! My $0.65 faith check in March multiplied over 1000 times to a $75.00 faith check 6 months later. I am excited to announce Clubhouse purchased another article for the 2016 magazine. Like the little boy who shared his lunch, I too have little to offer. Also like the boy, I have firsthand knowledge of God’s enormous resp
onse to simple offerings.
What’s your day?
Everyone has a day to celebrate the faithfulness of God. What’s your day?
To God be the glory, great things He hath done!
Let’s eat cake!
~April