Cross My Heart Ministry

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
I Peter 2:9

God chose the Jews in the Old Testament to be the light to the whole world. This call goes all the way back to Genesis 12 where He promised Abram (the father of the Jewish nation) that through him the whole world would be blessed. The promise was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ—God who became man, born into Abram’s family tree.

We Gentiles were not “Plan B” but were part of God’s plan all the way back to the beginning of the Jewish nation. The death of Jesus satisfied God’s righteous judgment. At the death of Jesus, the curtain separating people from the Holy of Holies was torn in two, top to bottom, rendering us priests. Through Jesus, our high priest, we all have direct access to God. A truth perhaps familiar to us—but absolutely, shockingly extraordinary to a first-century follower of God.

Through Jesus Christ, Jews and Gentiles are redeemed and become part of God’s holy nation. We are declared holy. Holiness is the result of, not the basis for, our salvation.

He has called us and delivered us out of the darkness of our sin and into His glorious, wonderful light.

Let that truth settle in a bit. Meditate on it. Savor it. Praise God for it. And let that truth prompt you to realize that you belong to Him. And so do I.

Using the currency of His own blood, Jesus bought you (and me). He paid the bloody ransom to release us from the grip of sin. As a result, we belong to the one who set us free. And that freedom comes with a new purpose: to praise Him, to worship Him, and to tell all who will listen of His amazing light and love.

How is He calling you declare His praises today?This week’s devotional video features Lesson 10 of our Bible study in I Corinthians. Paul provided a history lesson for the believers in Corinth: four choices made by the Israelites that serve as warnings for us today. Watch now as Laura outlines a 10-point battle plan to heed those warnings, fight the fight, and live victoriously.

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“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1-2

God has saved me and His light directs me. Because of this, I never need to seek help, direction, or protection from anyone else or look anywhere else.

My past is forgiven.

My present is illuminated.

My future is secure.

God is my protector and sustainer. When the Creator of the universe is your stronghold, there is none higher or better!

Nothing surprises Him.

Nothing hinders Him.

Nothing is too difficult for Him.

He is the light – in Him is no darkness. And (wonder of wonders) He is my light. If you and I were meeting in person, I would look you in the eyes and ask: Is He your light? Would you like Him to be?

David’s words in Psalm 27:1-2 flow from a life lived by learning them. He was a credible witness to God as a stronghold. Picture Him on the run from Saul, clinging to the rock face on one side of the mountain as Saul closed in on the other. Picture him betrayed by his own son.  This is the David who wrote Psalm 27 and many others.

The Psalms of David are not merely beautiful poetry—and a balm to hurting hearts – they are diamonds forged from stress, suffering, and difficult circumstances. David can share this truth because David lived this truth.

David declared the Lord his stronghold. He was the one David ran to and held on to in literal life and death situations. Who do you run to when life is hard? Who protects you from evil? Who catches you when you fall?

Hard times reveal the heart. When life gets difficult, the veneer is stripped away and the truth laid bare. The trials of life either prove our witness real or render it meaningless. We prepare best for the bad days by using the in-between days to abide in Him.

Can you declare with David: The Lord is my light…my salvation…my stronghold?

This week’s devotional video features Laura’s teaching lecture on I Corinthians 9. Paul begins by outlining the reasons why he has the right to financial support as an apostle, then changes course to explain why he willingly lays down that right. Paul’s words challenge us to ask ourselves what we’re willing to surrender for the sake of the Gospel.

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Cross My Heart Ministry exists for this purpose:
To encourage women to love God and His Word.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God saw the light was good
and he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:3-4

Apart from God, there is only darkness. The earth was dark until God spoke, and by His word alone, brought light to the dark world.

Darkness can be eerie, scary, frightening, and even hopeless. This is true both physically and spiritually.

Our hearts are eerie, scary, frightening, and hopeless until God’s light, the light of Jesus, illumines to our hearts, providing hope not just for today but for all eternity.

The light God brings cannot be manufactured by mere humans. There was no switch for Adam and Eve to flip – there was no Adam and no Eve, until God also created them! – to create light.

Our powerful, creative God spoke light into existence “in the beginning.” He thought it up and with just a word, He illuminated all of creation.

He provided light to the world physically. He also provided light spiritually through the person of Jesus Christ, the light of the world. John 1:1 says of Jesus,

“In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.”
John 1:1-2

Do you see the parallels between Genesis 1 and John 1?

God’s WORD was powerful enough to bring light from darkness … not just physically, but spiritually!

Is He the light of your world? Are you allowing his light to penetrate the darkness – to bring hope, illumination, and salvation to your life?

What’s the difference between a New Year’s WISH and a New Year’s RESOLUTION? Get Laura’s answer in our latest teaching video! We invite you to watch as Laura takes a deeper look at Psalm 89:15 – one of the verses on our Write the WORD bookmark for January 2023.

It’s not too late to join us this month as we read, write, and study verses with the word, “light.” Visit our Downloads page today to find your copy of our printable Write the WORD bookmark, S.O.A.P. Bible study outlines, and more!

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Happy New Year! This is the day many of us typically make a New Year’s Resolution–an annual tradition that’s more akin to a “wish” than a “resolution.”

Would you like to make this year different? I’m not talking about losing weight, calling your mother, painting your bathroom or hitting the gym (although all those might be worthy goals).

I want to challenge you to make a choice with eternal significance.

This decision has the potential to impact every other decision. I’m talking about choosing to become a woman of the Word. It’s a decision that can change your relationships, use of time, attitude, actions, and behaviors.

Yes, that’s a big claim. I can make it because it’s been my reality. God’s Word has profoundly changed me–and continues to change me–from the inside out. I know it will do the same for you.

When the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness after escaping Egypt, they didn’t just wander aimlessly and without direction. God guided them:

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud
to guide them on their way
and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,
so they could travel by day or night.
Exodus 13:21

Cool, huh? How amazing would it be to look up and just follow the light to make the best decision! While God may not provide a cloud or fire in the sky, He does provide light—the light of His Word! Psalm 119:105 says:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

If you are ready to choose to follow the light of God’s truth, we want to help you get started! Our ‘Write the WORD’ bookmark for January includes a daily verse or passage featuring the word light. We hope you will download your own copy, look up that verse in your Bible each day, and then write it out in a journal. Think, mediate, and pray over this verse. Allow the Spirit of God to use the Word of God to teach you, prompt you, and change you.

Are you ready to walk in the light? Why not give it a try for 31 days?

In this week’s devotional video, Laura introduces our January ‘Write the WORD’ topic: LIGHT. We hope that you will choose to start off 2023 in God’s Word, joining us as we read, write, and dwell on Bible verses containing the word, “light.”

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Matthew 1:23

He came.

Christmas – more than anything else – is a time to joyfully celebrate the familiar, but also astonishing, truth that Christ came.

God came to Earth. Immanuel means God with us.

Jesus, the holy perfect Son of God, took off His royal robe of glory and set it aside. He willingly put on a robe of human flesh. He was born a baby, lived a perfect, sinless life, and died a death He didn’t deserve for crimes He didn’t commit.

It is marvelous … but unimaginable.

Fantastic … but unfathomable.

Wondrous … incredible … life-changing.

Don’t let the familiarity of Jesus rob you of the wow and wonder of Jesus.

It’s Christmas morning. The gifts have been wrapped, the cookies are baked, the Christmas cards are sent. With the physical preparations complete, I encourage you to take some time this morning to prepare your heart to worship our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Be still. Thank Him for coming. Acknowledge His presence. Be filled with His grace. Abide in His peace. Lean into the wonder. He is the Prince of Peace. His presence is the best present of all.

Do you know Christ Jesus as your Savior? Do you bow to Him as your Lord? Is the babe in the manger also your resurrected Savior?

As we celebrate Christmas, do we also rejoice as we look ahead to Easter? Does your hope for eternity rest completely in a baby born over 2000 years ago in a stable?

Immanuel. He came. And He’s coming back.

Merry Christmas to your house from mine!

In this week’s devotional video, Laura shared a brief message to encourage each of us to make time to ponder the wonder of Christmas, and all it means for now and for all eternity!

As this year draws to a close, we are excited for the opportunities God will provide in 2023, for Laura to share the love of Christ by ministering to women and enouraging them to love God and love His Word.

Through this final week of 2022, we’re offering a FREE set of next year’s Write the WORD bookmarks, printed in full color and mailed to you, for readers who make a tax-deductible gift to support the ministry of Cross My Heart. (Given the cost to print and mail the bookmarks, we kindly request, but do not require, a gift of $20 or more to offset our expenses.)

Donations can be mailed to:
Cross My Heart Ministry, 1310 Scout Trail, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

To donate directly from your bank account through Zelle, please use email address cross.my.heart@cox.net.

Luke 1:26-38 records a conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary. The birth of Jesus is foretold to this teenage girl: the Holy Spirit will overshadow and, though still a virgin, she will miraculously be with child. Gabriel concludes with these powerful words: “For nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary responds with confident faith in the God she loves, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38)

Mary’s attitude is one of acceptance and humility.

She not only accepts this startling news, but writes a beautiful hymn of praise to God in response. These beautiful words, found in Luke 1:46-55, are known as Mary’s Song or The Magnificat (meaning “glorifies”).

Why does Mary have cause for praise?

She is a not-yet-wed teenager, engaged to a man but pregnant with a baby he knows is not his. In male dominated first-century Jewish society, the possible consequences of Mary being found with child included death by stoning.

Most of us would describe her situation as difficult, at best.

How does Mary respond? How would you have responded? What do we find Mary doing?

Perhaps we learn more by what she is not doing:

• She is not wringing her hands.
• She is not wailing, “Why me?” or “What will people think?”
• She is not asking or advice from strangers on the internet or social media.
• She is not downloading multiple self-help books onto her Kindle.

Mary is praising God. Her first statement says it all: “My soul glorifies the Lord!”

Mary is not just surviving her crisis; she is thriving. And we, too, can thrive in challenging circumstances when we remind ourselves why we are here. Our purpose, as found in Isaiah 43:7, is this:  we were created to bring glory to God.

That fact is our true north when the storms of this life blow us off course.

You may not find yourself unwed and pregnant this Christmas, but perhaps time with family is challenging. Perhaps the holidays magnify political, ideological, or religious differences between family members. This season may strain relationships, and bring reminders of memories not made (or some you would like to erase).

Whatever your situation or circumstance, check your compass.

Take some time to get focused. Pray for the E.G.R. (“Extra Grace Required”) folks in your life and in your family — and for an extra dose of patience and wisdom when interacting with them. Ask God to help you own your contribution to strained relationships. Pray some more. Ask Him to work through you to love them well and bring glory to Him. And then praise the One who made you.

As you acknowledge God’s gift of grace to you, it will be easier to release grace to others.

Even if you don’t say it with words, may your actions speak loudly: My soul glorifies the Lord!

With two weeks left in the year, we are looking forward to 2023 with great anticipation of the opportunities God will provide to encourage women to love God and love His Word.

Through December 31, we’re offering a FREE set of 2023 Write the WORD bookmarks, printed in full color and mailed to you, for those who make a tax-deductible donation to Cross My Heart Ministry. (Given the cost to print and mail the bookmarks, we kindly request, but do not require, a gift of $20 or more to offset our expenses.)
Donations may be mailed to:
Cross My Heart Ministry, 1310 Scout Trail, Siloam Springs, AR 72761.

To make a donation directly from your bank account using Zelle, please use email address cross.my.heart@cox.net.

In addition to year-end donations, you can help support our ministry year-round through the Amazon Smile program. Simply choose us as your designated charity, and Amazon will donate to Cross My Heart Ministry every time you make a purchase at Smile.Amazon.com or using the Amazon Shopping app — at no additional cost to you!
Click here to sign up today: smile.amazon.com/ch/46-4702149