Author: Valerie Cullers

It was Love that held Him there…

Valerie Cullers 14 Comments

Sometime between 1574 and 1577, St. John of the Cross was in Avila, Spain. He had a vision of the crucifixion of Christ and later made a drawing of what he saw in his vision.  Salvador Dali saw St. John’s drawing and then added his own interpretation in order to make this painting. What I love about this painting is that if you look closely, you will see that Christ is hanging above the earth and has no nails holding His hands or feet to the cross. He is held there by the love He had for humanity. We are looking down on Him and see Him from the Father’s perspective. You will also see seven mountains below the cross, which represent the seven continents, signifying that Christ died for the entire world. In the foreground, there is a boat with men standing by ready to go out as they prepare their nets in order to fish for men. 

Of all the paintings I have seen of Christ on the cross, including those dating back several centuries, this is my favorite. To me, it signifies the universality of Christ’s death. As you think about Christ on the cross this week, I hope you will keep this image in your mind also. Remember, it was Love that held Him there.

“Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

The Faith Factor

Valerie Cullers 15 Comments

Has anyone ever said to you, “Just have faith,” when you were dealing with a problem? The phrase sounds nice, but it is vague and certainly uninspiring. Have faith, they say, but in what? God, yourself, your family, friends, the government…what exactly? Faith is an important factor in our lives, and who or what we have faith in will make the difference in our present circumstances and will eventually determine our eternal outcome.

I don’t know about you, but for me to have faith in myself is a little unnerving. After all, I recognize my own shortcomings and deficiencies. Same with my family and friends. For all the love I have for them, they are just as mortal and flawed as I am. And the government…well, there is nothing there to inspire any faith, that’s for sure. So what or who can I have faith in that will really give me the security I need to stay grounded in this life?

For me, that faith resides in the Father and in His Son, Jesus. The faith I have is not a vague faith in some myths or fairy tales from the past. As we enter this most Holy Week, it is a historical fact that Jesus came to earth, was crucified, buried and rose from the dead. There are extra-biblical sources that record this including the writings of Flavius Josephus. Flavius Josephus was a Jew but was NOT a Christian. He served the Emperors Vespasian and Titus and was their historian during the conquest of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and later served them in Rome. There was no Christian bias in his writings when he wrote about Jesus. He was just recording the facts as he knew them to be.

Ask yourself, where or with whom are you placing your faith? Is the faith you have enough to carry you through the present and into eternity? These are questions that are imperative to ask ourselves. It is not enough to blow through life like a leaf in the wind, hoping that you will land in the right place. Hoping that your vague faith will get you where you want to be will bring you to a disappointing end.

There is Someone you can have faith in that will provide you with the security you need…why not give Him a try? The Faith Factor, it makes all the difference!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Photo by TC Perch, Courtesy of Pixabay.

The Fear Factor

Valerie Cullers 21 Comments

Do you remember a television program called “The Fear Factor?” The contestants faced graduated situations that challenged their fear. The winner was the person who could face his own fears and complete the most challenges.

Fear is a very real thing. Most people have faced it with one kind of fear or another. Fears can be irrational or based on very real situations. I remember being in an abusive relationship with a man. I was threatened, stalked, kidnapped off the street, and unable to leave for years because of my fear of him. Oh yes, fear is a very real thing.

Growing up, I don’t remember having a lot of fears. Of course, I faced the usual kid fears. I remember being about five or six and watching an episode of “Sea Hunt” where Lloyd Bridges fought with sea snakes. Before I got in bed that night, I had to check under my covers and then the bed for sea snakes. Fortunately, I did not find any.

Other than that, I don’t remember a lot of fear. I loved to travel and try new situations. I loved to meet people and be in different environments. I had lots of hopes and dreams. After I got out of that abusive situation, I was left with a lot of fear. It was something I had to fight because I never knew if that man was coming for me. Day after day, I had to confront my fears. It was very difficult and the only reason I was able to overcome them was because of the Lord.

By becoming His child, I could rely on Him to take care of me. I had His word to rely on and I would find some verses, memorize them and meditate on them when I felt that fear. Some of my favorites are, “The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27: 1-2. I relied on the Lord and His word to get me through my days and especially my nights.

Since the pandemic, many have had to deal with crippling fears. I know people who wouldn’t leave their homes to go shopping. Some wouldn’t even go outside for a walk for weeks. Fear is a very real thing, and if you are struggling with it, there is Someone who can give you peace and deliver you from your fear. His name is Jesus, and He is just waiting to help you.

When you are in any situation where you are fearful, call out His name. He has conquered sin and death and reigns over hell and the grave. He can and will help you. Don’t live in a prison of fear. Call out to Him, He will be there for you!

Photo by Gerald Altman. Courtesy of Pixabay

The Pharisee Factor

Valerie Cullers 36 Comments

Have you ever experienced The Pharisee Factor? This factor is negative, and it can destroy relationships before they even start. A Pharisee is someone who looks down on another because that person doesn’t meet their particular standards. I was hit by it the other day, and it almost destroyed a friendship that was just beginning.

I had been chatting with a gal, and after a few days, realized that perhaps she worked in the sex industry. When I realized it, I wanted to reject her and not speak to her again. Boom! I had been hit by The Pharisee Factor. Fortunately for me, after a few minutes of that thinking, the Holy Spirit began to convict me of my attitude. He made me realize that I was acting like a Pharisee and that my attitude stank. I was judging her, and somewhere deep inside of me, I had forgotten about my own sins.

I repented of my bad attitude and began to feel compassion for the woman. For whatever reason, she was involved in a lifestyle that had to be very negative for her. I began to pray for her and am hoping for an opportunity to share the love of the Lord with her. I suspect that before that happens, though, I must look at my own life, my own heart, and pray that the Lord will give me a heart like his.

When we read about Jesus in the Bible, we see that He always reached out to those who were lost. When the Pharisees would criticize Him for the company He kept, He would always remind them of why He came to the earth. He would tell them He came “to seek and save the lost.” He would say that “the well have no need of a physician.” He had a heart for those who were hurting, and He wasn’t going to let other people’s opinions stand in His way from reaching out to those who needed Him.

Have you been hit by The Pharisee Factor? Do you sometimes reject people for the way they live and the things they do? Do you need a heart of compassion to reach out to them and offer help? If so, don’t be afraid to come to the Lord and ask Him to give you a heart like His. If we want to reach those who are lost and hurting, we must be more like Him and less like a Pharisee.

Image by John Hain. Courtesy of Pixabay.

Destinations

Valerie Cullers 10 Comments

We walked into our favorite travel agency, “Destinations,” with anticipation. It had been a long winter, and we were ready for another trip. We were going back to see the family in Italy, but every time we go, we like to plan several stops around the country. Our usual agent, Sylvia, was there waiting to help us. There was a new man, Damon, who was also there. She introduced us to him as he was a recent hire.

She handed us a complimentary chocolate as we sat down. She opened her map and we got to work. She asked us where our primary destination would be knowing we would say Milan. Then we got down to business. As we ticked off each city we wanted to go to, she would enter it into her computer and then say, “Next Destination?”

We were just about at the end of our list when I opened up the wrapper on the chocolate and popped it into my mouth. It was soft and creamy and as I closed the wrapper, I got chocolate all over my hand. I was distracted for a moment and I heard her say, “Final Destination?” I looked at my hand and said, “Could you excuse me a moment? I need to use the restroom.”

I walked into the restroom and ran the water. I washed my hands and as I reached for the paper towel, I touched the light switch and the light turned off. “No problem,” I thought, “I’ll just turn it on again.” I reached for the switch and as I touched it, a spark flew out and the light flickered. “Strange,” I thought, as I waited for the light to stay on. A moment later, the flickering stopped, the light came on and I exited the washroom.

Everything looked a little different as I walked towards Sylvia’s desk. I figured it was just my eyes adjusting to the light. I sat down but nothing seemed to change. There was an iridescent glow around everything. Sylvia looked down at me and again said, “Final Destination?” No longer was there a map of Italy on her desk but a picture of a road with a fork in it. One fork led to a beautiful oasis and the other to the edge of a fiery volcano.

I looked over at my husband and it was as if time had stopped. He sat there but he wasn’t moving. It was just Sylvia, Damon and myself who were having this conversation. Sylvia had the same kind expression on her face like she usually did but Damon had a greedy leering look on his face. It was as if he wanted to make me choose the path whose end was a fiery volcano. I could see his hatred of me and sense that he wanted me destroyed.

I gasped as I realized this really was happening. This was no longer a conversation about our next trip but about which path I would choose that would lead me to my Final Destination. Fear began to grip me as Damon reached for my hand. My heart started thumping in my chest, and I wanted to run, but I couldn’t move. Instinctively, I knew Damon wanted to take me to Hell. I shuddered and called out the only name I knew who could help me, “JESUS!” I looked up, and He stood before me. He took my hand and led me to my Final Destination…that beautiful oasis called Heaven.

Destinations aplenty, but only two choices when it comes to our Final Destination.

Which will you choose?

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3: 16-17.

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Photo by Pam Patterson, courtesy of Pixabay.

The Road to Ravenna

Valerie Cullers 22 Comments

In this sequel to “The Unwelcome Stranger,” we find Livia on the run from Lucius Marius. She has escaped the Marius home, married Marcus, and is well on her way to Carthage. A terrible storm suddenly changes everything. Their ship is damaged and they are forced to put in on the coast of Italia. Little does she know that Lucius Marius has come home and discovered her absence. He is on the Emperor’s business, moving down the coast, and is right behind her. When he doesn’t find her on the ship, he makes other plans to bring her home. He has one of his soldiers, Crispus Cadellus, disguise himself and orders him to find her and bring her back. Marcus and Livia fall for the ruse and take Crispus into their home, thinking he is a runaway servant. Will Crispus betray them to Lucius? Will Livia ever be free from her obligation to him? Come join Livia in this exciting story of deceit, betrayal and redemption.

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A Rorschach Test

Valerie Cullers 23 Comments

Life is like a Rorschach Test. It’s all in how you look at it. For decades, psychologists have given people Rorschach tests. They are shown an image of an inkblot and then tell the psychologist what they see. Everyone perceives them a little bit differently. Life is sort of like that.

Each day, we are confronted with a host of problems and different circumstances. How we navigate them is mostly determined by how we perceive them. For instance, let’s say a truck drove by your house and a small log fell off the back of it. At first, you would get the log out of the street and place it on your sidewalk, hoping the truck would come back and pick it up. After a few days, however, if it hadn’t been picked up, you would move it onto your property and decide what to do with it.

Some people would just see it as a problem and wonder how they could get rid of it. Others would see potential in the log. One might see it as a plant stand and place it by their front door and put a beautiful plant on it. A woodcarver may see the log and think he could sculpt an image from it. Someone else might think he could cut it up in rounds and make a design on a wall with the pieces. Another might view it as a source of firewood to warm his house. However, if you had a toothpick factory, you would look at that log for what it could yield; hundreds if not thousands of toothpicks. You would view each part of it as having potential. Very few people have the ability to see the log that way.

If only we could only see the problems that come our way with that kind of perspective. Every problem has the potential to help us with our character development and add something positive to our lives. Will we trust God with the problems we face and turn to Him for the answers or will we just gut them out and try to get rid of them? However we decide to face them will ultimately decide the amount of good we will gain as we walk through each one of them.

We all get a choice as to how we view our lives and the problems we face. And just like a Rorschach image, it’s all in our perspective.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

Image by Edith Luthil. Courtesy of Pixabay