Please welcome my first guest blogger Chris Vonada to my site.

"Shedding A Flood Of Light On The World"

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." Proverbs 4:18

Sometimes I think we take for granted the dawn of each new day. I know that I do. When this happens to me it's mainly because I'm caught up in the moment. Too busy to be thankful for a very basic need. If I pause and reflect I can gain perspective. Everything becomes clear like the midday sun. While there are other sources of light in our universe that we can see, the light from our sun is by far the brightest object in the sky. The sun's light that shines on our world is pretty amazing. We call the light "white" although it's actually colorless. And the cool thing about white light is that it's made up of every other color in the spectrum.

In Isaiah 45:7 the Lord says, "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things."

I guess the symbolism of the light of Jesus and the light of the world is pretty obvious then. We need it. I mean both. Too busy to be thankful? Yep, there are times when I have to admit that I'm guilty of that one.

It seems like most folks know the story of the promise that God made to Noah, that after the flood He would never again cut off the world from life by a flood. God's reminder of this promise to Noah was the rainbow. The sign of the covenant... God's reminder to Himself... and His sign to the world...

Rainbows form when "white" light from the sun is refracted through water in the atmosphere. We observe a brilliant display of color in the sky, and through God's promise. I think it's cool how our Heavenly Father brought together the themes of life, light and faith in the glorious rainbow.

Oh that rainbow and it's promise...

What do we need to see the promise of the rainbow? Just 3 things:

- Light. Light is made up of a whole spectrum of color. That's an example of Jesus' love being for everyone. What do we get when we mix all of the colors of the rainbow? White, or colorless light. That's what the Bible describes as the significance of Jesus. Jesus is called "the light of all mankind"

"The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:4-5

- Rain. Well, technically, just moisture in the atmosphere, but for the sake of this God post, I'm just calling it rain (hee hee). The rainwater is the 2nd component of the covenant that gives life. I guess that makes sense, we need water to live.

With the rain we receive another eternal promise, that of the living water...

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." Revelation 22:17

The next time the rain comes, think of it as a blessing. This shower falls all over the land. Sure, the folks in Seattle may be less psyched to see a rain cloud than the people of Phoenix. As for the rainbow, I can't ever remember seeing this reminder in the sky and not being filled with joy.

- Vision. Having the eyes to see. That's faith, right? The rainbow might be there but if our eyes are closed we aren't going to see it.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." Deuteronomy 4:9

Yep, a reminder, and encouragement to teach our children. Do you point out the rainbows to your children when you see them? I know I do, with my grandchildren now too. Maybe take the opportunity the next time you see a rainbow to talk to your kids about God, and explain to them the flood of light that shines on the world. Share with them about the light, rain and vision. When all of this comes together a new day is dawning.

When? It's happening everyday, somewhere. Just like the rainbow :-)

Open Spaces

Welcome to the newest addition of the Christian Writers Blog Chain. Each month a consensus determines the topic for the month. This month we chose an Open topic, not that unusual but an opportunity to express our individual thoughts. I usually don't chose the first day of the month, as a rule, but I felt brave to kick start this topic, set the tone, if you will.

As I pondered all the possibilities for this month, many ideas came to mind. Should I continue with the current series? Should I start another series? Should I share my thoughts on my current dilemma? Should I just skip the month?

If you have enjoyed our monthly posts, you've seen a decline in the participation. I know things happen in our lives. We get side tracked, become over burdened with current projects, become discouraged by events, or sometimes need a break from writing.

As Christians, we sometimes don't see the bigger picture of the spiritual warfare all around us. Every time we take our eyes off Jesus, we sink. Every time we make an excuse for not doing our job, (ie writing), we stumble. Every time we don't follow through with a commitment, we lose a bit of ground.

I want to express a heartfelt thanks to those who continue through all circumstances. I know several writers on this chain are very busy people who contribute to many sites, Lynn Mosher is one and so is Carol Peterson. Two ladies, excuse me, sisters I admire. I understand that things run their course, and perhaps this is one of those things, I hope we can keep going. The Bible teaches that we don't always know the outcome of our encounters, but we can trust that God will bless us as we step out in faith.

So What is the future of this ministry? I know I will continue to sign up each month and participate as much as I can. We are currently mobile and don't have access to the internet as often as I would like, but I don't let that stop me. I won't give the Evil One a moment's pleasure of trying to derail this child of God. The Lord does supply all my needs as I need them. I am not worried or afraid.

Beginning this month I have joined up with other writers to support them. We will host guest writers on each of our blogs to highlight their work. Topics and styles will vary, but I know you will enjoy their work. So please look for the new page link at the top of this page in just a few days—the road ahead is glorious!

" So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and courageous  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless" 1 Corinthians 15:58

In the words of Pablo Cruise “Keep your heart open – 'cause love will find a way”

Peace and Blessings!!