God’s Canvas
January, 2010 Love the Lord your God...
Key Verse:
“Your word I have hidden
in my heart, that I might
not sin against You.”
Psalm 119:11
Family Fun:
Family Mailbox
Everyone loves to get good
mail, kids and parents alike.
Family communication is impor-
tant, so add a little pizzazz to
the way your family communi-
cates and make a family mail-
box. What you need is a tin or
steel mailbox (a shoebox will
also serve this purpose), cut-
outs, paper, scissors, markers,
acrylic paints, paintbrushes, a
clothes pin or whatever crafty
items you have lying around the
house. As a family, work on a
design and decorate the mail-
box together, making sure eve-
ryone gets to put in their own
ideas. Create a cut-out for each
family member to use as their
“flag”. Place it where you all can
access it every day. Begin leav-
ing mail messages for each
other. It is a great way to allow
your kids to tell you what may
be upsetting them, as well as
share encouragement, love, and
support. When a message is left
for a family member, attach their
cut out to the flag with the
clothes pin. This lets them know
a message is waiting!
http://www.familieswithpurpose.com/
family-mailbox.html
...With All Your Heart
Please take the time to read the Bible verses below.
There is a saying that goes “your charac-
ter is what you are when no one is look-
ing.” I guess you could say it is the heart
that reveals a person’s innermost char-
acter. Noah Webster’s original dictionary
defines heart as “the seat of the affec-
tions and passions; the seat of the un-
derstanding; the seat of the will”. Notice
how the definition includes “the seat of
the understanding; the seat of the will.”
What abides in our hearts is not based
on fleeting emotions; it is a matter of con-
scious decision.
In 1 Samuel 13:14 King David was re-
ferred to as “a man after God’s own
heart.” This is a pretty special thing to be
called; especially since we know what
Jeremiah said is true; “The heart is de-
ceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) So,
knowing that David was a man after
God’s own heart yet the heart is deceitful
and wicked, how do we know what it
looks like to have a heart after God’s?
How can we model what it means to love
the Lord with all your heart?
To look at David’s life for guidance we
get a less than perfect example. He com-
mitted adultery (2 Sam 11:3-4), commit-
ted murder (2 Sam 11;15-17), and with
impure motives, he numbered the people
(2 Sam 24:1-9). As a result of these spe-
cific sins his son died shortly after birth (2
Sam 12;16-19), the sword never left his
house (2 Sam 12:10), and the Lord sent
a plague that killed 70,000 men of the
people Israel (2 Sam 24:10-17). These
alone seem to be enough to disqualify
anyone from having a heart after God’s.
Our humanity makes it hard to under-
stand how David could have a heart
after God’s, but praise God that “the
Lord does not see as man sees, for
man looks at the outward appearance,
but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam
16:7)! To really know why David was
given this special consideration we
need to look beyond the surface and
into his innermost being. To do that,
let’s take a look at his response to sin
as seen in the psalms.
David wrote Psalm 51 after his affair
with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah
the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband. In this
psalm are these famous lines: “Have
mercy on me, O God; according to Your
steadfast love, according to Your great
compassion, blot out my many trans-
gressions. Wash away all my iniquity,
cleanse me from sin.” “Create in me a
clean heart, O God, and renew a stead-
fast spirit within me.” David was broken
over his sin. He saw its ugliness in his
life and he desired to cast it away from
himself and make himself right before
God.
After David had wrongfully taken the
census of the people his heart con-
demned him and he repented, throwing
himself on God’s mercy. When the Lord
presented him with a choice for his pun-
ishment, David responded by saying “I
am in great distress…
Continued on Page 3
January, 2010
God’s Canvas
Love the Lord your God...

Grandmother’s of God— Submitted by Nana’s Corner

Titus 2:3-5 Let the Older Women Admonish the Younger...
According to the newer Webster’s Dictionary, the heart is “a chamber-muscular organ that pumps blood from vein
into artery maintaining flow of blood of the circulatory system.” This may be true in science, but we know that the
heart is much more than merely this.

God desires a heart with a willingness to serve… to put others ahead of self. We have just come through the most
sacred time of the year as we remember our Lord’s birth. He, who lived and gave Himself for others, taught us by
word and example to give freely to the needy, to serve those who are sick, to bring from our ample supply to those
who have nothing.

In Deut. 6:5 and 11:13 we are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and strength. As Christians, this
requires that we commit our very being to Him. If we are serving with half a heart, our secret motive being to “earn”
God’s favor, we will never make it. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God,
You will not despise.”

As we embark upon a new year, why not make a commitment to put God at the head of your life and trust Him for
all your tomorrows. He is much more capable of handling your worries and fears than you are. Start 2010 as
a servant who will give with a cheerful heart.

Go...serve...give and reap an abundant harvest.

From the Heart… My Ghana, 2009

...of Dorothy Brady
Actions Sing Louder Than Songs
Clippings from a church bulletin
We sing: “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and
content ourselves with ten or fifteen
minutes…”There shall be Showers
of Blessing” and don’t go to church
when it rains…”Blest Be the Tie That
Binds” and let the slightest offenses
sever it…”Serve the Lord With Glad-
ness” and then gripe about all we
have to do…”We’re marching on to
Zion” and then fail to march to Sun-
day School and Church…”I Love to
Tell the Story” and never mention it
all year…”Take Your Burden to the
Lord” and then worry ourselves into
nervous breakdowns.
- Selected
Do you simply sing or do you mean
The words you cite each day?
If today your sorrow grows
And tomorrow temptation sows,
Will you stand firm
or fall away?
By Carol Cascarano
While in prayer concerning what to share, I received the scripture 1 Co-
rinthians 12:25-26; “That there should be no division in the Body, but those
members should have the same care for one another. And, if one member suf-
fers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the mem-
bers rejoice with it”. We, as members of the Body of Christ as NLBC, serve
alongside our missionaries through prayer and giving as they are used as a tool
in our Lord’s hand all over the world, bringing salvation to needy people.
I have the privilege of serving alongside missionary Sharon Titian all
year long as Secretary/Treasurer of Missions International, but it was the Au-
gust 2009 short-term mission’s trip that brought this service to heart. There I
witnessed all that our Lord has done and is doing in the Volta Region of Ghana,
W. Africa. Sister Sharon recently celebrated 20 years of serving this people.
While there, one of the tasks I was assigned was to teach Vacation Bi-
ble School to the children, who were required to be on time, to come dressed in
their “special Jesus t-shirts” and to bring their Bibles and memory verses with
them. Every morning they came hungry for God’s Word and responded grate-
fully to the message that was taught. Following lunch, a special time of arts and
crafts was held where the children made shields of faith, note cards for the sen-
iors, and large banners in preparation for a Jesus march to the new property.
Our evenings together were celebrated with bonfires and roasting corn on the
fire. It was my privilege to introduce to them marshmallows and to teach them
how to roast them over the fire. They loved them and asked for more to be
brought on the next visit.
I would encourage you with 1John 4:12-13, quoting the footnote from
my Bible: “Although God is invisible, we manifest His nature through lifestyles
that reflect His love. The Spirit does not indwell us because of our love; on the
contrary, He enables us to love.”
God bless.
 January, 2010
God’s Canvas
Love the Lord your God...

“Weight”-Less
1 Corinthians 15:10—”But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His
grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they
all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
Chantel Hobbs is a Christian woman who struggled with obesity. As her Love...with All Your Heart”
view of herself grew worse and her failures with dieting grew more intense,
Continued from Page 1
she got fed up with it. Alone in her car, she surrendered herself to God and
called on His strength to fight the war over her ever increasing weight. It Please let us fall into the hand of the
was then that she determined to get the excess weight off. Since that day, Lord, for His mercies are great; but do
Chantel has lost 200 lbs and has successfully kept it off. The greatest se- not let me fall into the hand of man” (2
cret to Chantel’s success is her attitude. It is her commitment to God that Sam 24;14). The gravity of the situation
gave her the drive to succeed. The best reason to manage your weight before David was awful. The conse-
and care for your physical health is so that you can realize your full poten- quences of his sin would not affect only
tial in Christ. God has created you for a specific purpose, don’t let your himself, but all of Israel; yet he knew
body hold you back. For those of you participating in NLBC’s Battle of the the Lord intimately and trusted in His
Sexes/Biggest Loser, I encourage you not to lose weight for yourself or to mercy. It is in this that David found his
compare yourself to others, but lose weight to give God the glory, whether refuge; a rest found always in God,
over 50 pounds or 5. God gave His life for you; give Him back your best. never in the world.

CHALLENGE: In Jeremiah 29:11 God promises us this: “For I know the John MacArthur says this of 1 Samuel
thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and 13:14: “No man after God’s own heart
not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Claim victory over your weight is perfect; yet, he will recognize sin and
for the Lord. For every minute you spend caring for your body, spend an repent of it.” To be a man, or woman,
additional minute praising the Lord for what He has in store for you. after God’s own heart there needs to be
a response of understanding. You must
first understand who God is, and then
you must understand what sin is and
the state of the sin in your own life.
Once you have come to a full realiza-
A Taste of Heaven tion of your sinfulness, you throw your-
Garlic Mashed Potatoes self at the mercy of God and renounce
the hold that sin has over you. This is
Ingredients: Directions: what it means to love the Lord with all
your heart. Not to be perfect, but to
7 cups peeled and cubed potatoes Place potatoes and garlic in a continually let go of your sins, past and
6 cloves garlic, peeled saucepan. Cover with water; bring present, and to seek the Lord.
1/2 cup low-fat milk to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 20
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated minutes; drain. Place drained pota- The greatest struggle most people face
2 Tbs butter toes and garlic in a mixing bowl. when it comes to living our lives with a
1/2 tsp salt Add remaining ingredients; beat heart that pleases the Lord is comfort-
1/8 tsp pepper with a mixer until smooth. ability. We become comfortable in our
sin and we justify it. As long as we look
Serves 6 to 8. on our sins with laughter and indiffer-
ence we are not loving the Lord with all
our heart, no matter how small we think
our sin is. Sisters, I challenge you as I
challenge myself. Understand what
We are looking for healthy alternatives to the meals you love. If you have any
God sees as sin and understand what
suggestions, or would like us to help you find an alternative, let us know.
God says about sin. It is our response
to this understanding that will set us
If you and your family have a favorite spring recipe, please e-mail it to god-
free to love the Lord with all our hearts,
scanvasnlbc@gmail.com for inclusion in the next edition of God’s Canvas.
just as David did.

Contact God’s Canvas Newsletter by e-mailing GodsCanvasNLBC@gmail.com