Golden Apples in Silver Settings: Words that have inspired audiences in snowy and sunny lands

What Others are saying about Golden Apples in Silver Settings

It is with pleasure that I recommend this book written from life's experiences: tests, trials, failures and successes. The simplicity and genuine tone endears one to keep on reading, for it touches the heart, mind and spirit. Susan connects with the reader while the Holy Spirit speaks to the souls of persons that strive for God's best. Together they make this book alive. The practical suggestions and encouragement give tools to live the abundant life, while the interest points offer geographical adventures in different locations.

Change comes when action follows a paradigm shift. Through God's anointing on her life, Susan has experienced this shift. This book shares situations from her personal life, and the impact of her Christian ministry on others. I can attest to her sincerity, having heard her speak on numerous occasions, and also from working with her on both secular and ministry platforms.

The wisdom offered in this book is timeless. The guidelines are clear and the measures achievable. To enforce them, the dependence of God is woven in the fabric of a Christ-centered life, as a life of victory, in spite of status, wealth, prestige or beginnings. The godly passion, friendly wit and charming style of this book both challenges and draws the reader to call on God and hear Him answer. This book is a definite winner.

Pastor Karen Beekee, World Harvest Ministerial Alliance

Golden Apples in Silver Settings

Words that have inspired audiences in snowy and sunny lands

Susan Harris

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Susan Harris

The first edition of this book is also available in print at http://www.susanharris.ca

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture references marked ASV are from the Holy Bible, American Standard Version.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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ISBN 978-0-9868928-1-3

Dedication

To my mother Pearly

who modelled godliness and prayer,

and raised nine children to live for God

To my brother Ronald in Heaven,

who told me the first time he heard me

speak that my ministry had an

international flavour

Contents

Chapter One - Dream Big

Chapter Two - Turning Dreams into Reality

Chapter Three - A Passionate Heart

Chapter Four - Breakthrough

Chapter Five - Open Doors

Chapter Six - Dear Captive

Chapter Seven - Echoes of Joy

Chapter Eight - Leaving Gethsemane

Chapter Nine - Seasons of His Presence

Chapter Ten - Bringing in the Sheaves

Chapter Eleven - Sweet and Refreshing

Chapter Twelve - A Peek into My Training Grounds

Chapter Thirteen - Pretty Women

Chapter Fourteen - To Love or Not to Love

Chapter Fifteen - Seasons by Divine Appointment

Chapter Sixteen - The Night Watch

Chapter Seventeen - Fresh Resolve to Pray

Chapter Eighteen - Answer by Fire

Chapter Nineteen - How to have a Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ

Chapter Twenty - Women of the Bible

Endnotes

Acknowledgements

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

Dream Big

January 2006

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A long time ago, in elementary school, I learnt a rhyme that went like this:

Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace,

Wednesday’s child is full of woe,

Thursday’s child has far to go,

Friday’s child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s child work hard for his living,

But the child who is born on Sunday,

Is fair and wise and good and gay.

(the word ‘gay’ means ‘happy.’)

Back then there were seven children in our family, and each of us was born on a different day of the week. I was six years old when I learnt the rhyme, and came up with the analysis below because I believed every word of the poem:

I could not be Monday’s child who was fair of face because my skin was dark. I did not want to be Tuesday’s child because ‘full of grace’ meant saying lots of prayers before meals. I did not know what woe was, but it sounded scary, so that omitted Wednesday. Thursday seemed more exciting, as ‘far to go’ brought images of travelling. Friday’s child seemed okay but I preferred to receive than to give. Saturday was booted out because I wanted fun instead of really hard work. Sunday’s child was the ideal, too good to be true, so I gave up that option.

I had made my pick and now it was left to my mother to confirm which day of the week I was born. I remember closing my eyes as I asked her, What day was I born?

In a matter-of-fact tone she answered, Thursday.

Can you appreciate the significance of this rhyme to my impressionable, six-year old mind? I was blown away. Seven children born on seven different days. My wish was to be born on Thursday, and I was actually born on Thursday. Then and there, in that moment, the desire to go to faraway lands was created. I somehow knew at that young age that I would go far in life. A dream was conceived and I had a vision for my life. I believed I was destined to move away from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and the blue seas that surrounded it.

Webster’s dictionary defines a dream as a strongly desired goal or purpose. ¹ A vision is a purpose; hence corporations have vision statements that guide the direction of their business. Lori McKenna penned a song called song called Fireflies, (sung by country singer Faith Hill,) and it speaks to the power of dreaming. One line of the song states, Because I was taught to dream.² The concept of ‘being taught to dream’ caught my attention, since I grew up reading a lot, and as a result I daydreamed of the places and people I read about. People are taught a lot of things, such as math, science and music, but not many are really taught to dream. In fact, I had never prayed that I would learn to dream either.

Dreams realized

Several dreams have come true for me. I wanted to be a teacher and I have taught school for twelve years. I wanted to work in Human Resources and I've done that. Travelling was another dream that materialized. The dream that sits at the top of the list, though, is sharing the good news of Jesus to the nations. When I was nine years old, I was trained in public speaking in order to represent my school. I remember how scared I was of the white haired principal, Mr. Dindial, and I was terrified when it was time to go to his office to learn how to intonate the poem Noise. In retrospect, that grooming was preparation for ministry.

How could all these fancies come true for a little girl growing up in the Caribbean and believing in a rhyme? Though I did not know it then, the plans and dreams were placed in my heart by someone bigger, and He describes this in Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good and not for evil to give you a future and a hope.

Slogans and signatures

A plan is a method for achieving an end. A dream could be described as the big picture and the plans are the steps for making that dream happen, and God was unfolding these through my school rhymes and poems. God’s plans are described as ‘good.’ Commercials and television advertisements carry slogans that define their products. The Coke ad says, Coke is it.

KFC says, We do chicken right.

One hairdressing salon has a sign, Curl up and DYE.

God has a signature mark and it is ‘GOOD.’

God has a signature mark and it is ‘GOOD’. Jeremiah 29:11 describes God’s plan for us as GOOD, and this is echoed in the pages of scripture.

The account in Genesis 1 is on creation, and God’s signature mark is consistent:

Day 1 -- on the first day God created the light ... and God saw the light, that it was GOOD

Day 2 -- God created the earth and the seas … and God saw that it was GOOD

Day 3 – God created the grass and trees … and God saw that it was GOOD.

Day 4 – God created the sun and the moon… and God saw that it was GOOD.

Day 5 -- God created the creatures of sea and air … and God saw that it was GOOD.

Day 6 -- God created the beasts … and God saw that it was GOOD. God created humans on the same day and they were made in His image.

Verse 31 summarizes, And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very GOOD.

God’s slogan is IT IS GOOD. Goodness stems from His character, His flawlessness, His inability to be anything other than good. The word ‘good’ means ‘of a favorable character or tendency.’ Hence it is consistent with God’s nature to have plans for us that are GOOD. If you are inquisitive like I am, you might ask, Why good? Why not better or why not best?

A class by Himself

Years ago I taught English Language in Trinidad at Ste. Madeleine Junior Secondary School. In English, when three or more things are being described, the superlative adjective is used (e.g. the biggest fish.) When comparing two things, the comparative adjective is used (e.g. the bigger fish.) When there is only one thing, the positive adjective is used (e.g. the big fish.) The positive, comparative and superlative of the adjective ‘Good’ are Good, Better, Best. When God uses the word GOOD, the grammar rule suggests that there is no comparison, and when the word is used to describe God, it reinforces that God is in a class all by Himself. This is totally in keeping with His attribute of incomparability (Isaiah 40:25-26.)

By being in the class of Good, God is making a statement that He is the Alpha and Omega, He is the great I Am, He is the Rose of Sharon, The Bread of Life and The Strong tower. God was announcing what all false gods know… that He is singular.

Jeremiah reinforces that God’s plans are good, honourable and legally valid. This infers that there are plans set by others which will not give a future and a hope, counterfeit plans that lead to despair and death. God’s plans will clearly give you a future. Do you know that God is very concerned about what will happen to you tonight, or next month, or in two decades?

Proverbs 29:18 states that without a vision the people perish. In this context, a vision means a revelation of God, and the word ‘people’ includes you, Dear Friend. Without a vision for your life, you would be aimless and hopeless. When people set goals for themselves and their families, they are acting in a visionary capacity. Losing weight, having a certain number of children, obtaining a specific kind of job or choosing a church are examples of visions people have for themselves. Just as without a vision the people perish, so too without a revelation of what we have in us, we will be discouraged and unfulfilled. Many persons sell themselves short because they have buried dreams, frustrated plans and scattered thoughts about the future.

The bigness of God

Our God is big, He is such a big God that the vast heavens declare His glory and the firmament shows His handiwork. When I was living in Langenburg, I visited a group of artists and noticed that they all had canvases that reflected their skills and ability level. I asked for a small piece of paper, because I am art-challenged at best.

God is so big that when He wants to paint, He needs a canvas that stretches from east to west. God’s canvas is the skies. On it He paints the sunrise and sunsets in incomparable hues of red and gold. He sets the cumulus clouds, the nimbus clouds and the cirrus clouds against the blue haze of space. God scrapbooks with the stars and planets, and entices the curiosity of skeptics. Artist God placed the mountains and valleys, and forces springs up against gravity so that they can feed lakes and sloughs.

The Asphalt Lake in Trinidad is an amazing sight of bitumen rising from the earth in pools of warm water. God defies duplication, and the saline Manitou Lake at Watrous, Saskatchewan, or the formidable Niagara Falls, challenges any to equal His majestic artistry. Friend, the great, big God who spoke it all into existence has great, big plans for you. Everything God does is on a large scale. When He made trees they were of every type: deciduous trees, coniferous trees, fruitful trees, colored leaves trees. He made the oceans with its species and diversity life that makes one dizzy when studying for exams. God is characterized by variety, out-of-the-box creations and massive scales.

God is characterized by variety, out-of-the-box creations and massive scales.

God is a visionary. He thought ahead and went