Tag: god

The Master Craftsman: Finding Beauty in Life’s Struggles

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

January 14, 2026

The beautiful bowl’s beginning was anything but beautiful. A skilled woodworker turned the bowl from a large tree burl–an old knotty piece of wood. It has been said that stress, on a tree, causes a burl to develop. A car crashes into the tree, storms damage, insects attack, and abnormal rapid cell growth produces an ugly, dense, woody lump.

Stress can do ugly things to us as well. But we have a Master Craftsman who can produce something beautiful with it. God knows what to do with hazzles, heartaches, troubles, and tragedies. He is skilled in creating inner beauty from all of these. No difficulty that we will ever experience is outside of God’s ability to bring good from it.

In the book, “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” you will find an account of how my husband became a skilled woodworker. It all started with a big childhood disappointment. When Marlin was twelve years old, he found a scroll saw inside his Christmas package when what he really wanted was an electric train.

Now, in his retirement, he is having much more fun than watching a toy train run round and round on a track. He finds satisfaction and fulfillment as he works on his projects, plus, he has the added pleasure of blessing others with his finished pieces. He is not the Master Craftsman as this blog is titled. Only God deserves that title, but Marlin enjoys being the Master’s Craftsman.

We have the biblical account of Bezalel, one who was greatly gifted. “…He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of artistic workmanship.” Exodus 35:30-33 NKJV

The Master Craftsman has gifted you too. Give Him thanks and use your skills for His glory.

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

How to Have a Perfect Christmas

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 22, 2025

I had the perfect Christmas for years–in my mind, that is. As I prepared for this wonderful time when children and grandchildren would arrive, I imagined with pleasure just how it would be. The decorations would be amazing, the food delicious (everything being ready at the appropriate time–hot and tasty) perfect gifts, wrapped and ready, everyone having a fantastic time with lots of love flowing all around at all times. Everything was going to be perfect!

It never worked out quite that way.

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” contains two Christmas stories of how my imperfect Christmases turned into perfect ones. The first thing I needed to do to have a perfect Christmas was to not expect it to be perfect. I needed to realize that as an unrealistic goal. We don’t live in a perfect world, and we are not perfect people. The very first Christmas was the only perfect one. Christ came as a perfect Baby who would grow up to die for us so that someday we can live with Him forever in a perfect world.

The next thing I needed to recognize was that God is in control and I am not. When I quit striving and trying to make things happen on my own, He will gladly take over as I relinquish my plans to His. His idea for a two-toned Christmas tree turned out to be much more unique than what I had planned!

1Thirdly, I needed to relax and believe that it’s quite okay if Christmas isn’t perfect or exactly the way I planned. If God is glorified, if we experience Immanuel (God with us), if hearts are touched with His amazing love, Christmas will be fantastic!

Relax and enjoy a fantastic Christmas,

God Bless you and yours,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Finding Joy Amidst Christmas Mourning

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

December 12, 2025

Christmas joy comes in the morning; Christmas joy also comes in the mourning. Our young grandson found this out one Christmas when he was only eleven-years old. “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” tells the story of how Zach experienced both.

Part of Christmas joy in the morning is waking up with cousins you rarely get to see, excited about the days you will get to spend together. But now that joy was over and sadness had settled in on Zach’s heart as he tried to go to sleep that night after everyone had left for their faraway homes. Zach did what any wise person would do; He went to God’s word for comfort.

He was not disappointed. He opened his Bible to find the exact verse that eased his mourning and gave him the joy he needed.”God blesses those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” (Matt: 5:4 NLT) That joy was lasting and was not diminished by the absence of his beloved cousins.

Christmas can be very sad for various reasons, and joy might feel non-existent. But true, lasting joy can be had when we remember the reason for Christmas in the first place. Immanuel (God with us) came to die so that we now have an open door into God’s presence and can have fellowship with Him.

Are there circumstances making you sad this Christmas season? Do you feel like you are in mourning? Check out the reason for your sadness. Likely you will find it is only temporary, belonging to this world. True, permanent joy for eternity can be yours for the asking.

Joy to the world, The Lord is come!

Joy in Jesus,

Charlotte

Link:godinlifesmoments.com

“Family Stories for God’s Glory” is sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Blessings Book Store, Harrisonburg, Va. Books may also be ordered directly from: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Comments are welcome!

Dancing with a Broken Heart

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

June 10, 2025

Broken hearts don’t dance, do they? If you’ve ever had a broken heart, you know they don’t feel like dancing! I watched as the 98-year-old gentleman danced with his wife at our retirement home’s Sing-along. Watching this couple dancing, smiling, and having great fun at their age was amazing!

What others watching didn’t know–they both were dancing with broken hearts. Just days before, Carol needed to leave her husband of forty-three years in a unit for dementia patients. With eyes full of tears, she bravely accepted the inevitable and faced the challenge. My heart swelled with tenderness, and my eyes filled with tears as I watched her lead him down the aisle to our weekly Sing-along. They danced close together, her eyes held his; a smile lit up her face. Their joy came from within because their Lord lives there.

Broken hearts are all around us. Nurse Carly saw the broken heart of the grandpa who sat by the bed of his seriously ill baby granddaughter. Carly knew just what to do to comfort that broken heart. I hope you enjoy reading about it in “Family Stories for God’s Glory.”

The only way to dance with joy when circumstances are devastating is to know the tender Shepherd, who loves and cares for you.

Giving thanks to the One who heals broken hearts,

Charlotte

Books sold: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or contact author: chburkholder12@gmail.com

Blog link: godinlifesmoments.com

VESSELS OF HONOR

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

July 15, 2024

We all use vessels. We all are vessels. We use vessels to hold stuff. We may put an exotic dessert in a prized china dish or throw the garbage in an old tin bucket. God has a word on this found in 2 Timothy 2:20. Paul explains to Timothy whom he calls his dear son, that the wealthy folk use gold and silver vessels for special occasions, but the common wood and clay ones have lowly uses. Then Paul quickly jumps from talking about pots and pans to us–human vessels. What does your vessel contain when you take a look inside? Paul tells Timothy that if he keeps his life pure he will be a vessel of honor and the Master can use him for every good work.

In “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” you will find a story entitled “Vessels of Honor.” Learn what Carly was carrying in her inner vessel. Carly is a nurse and has many opportunities to pour out of her vessel. Thankfully, Carly is God’s vessel, and when she pours out, other people’s needs are met. Like the frightened grandpa sitting in a rocking chair in his granddaughter’s hospital room. He couldn’t understand why his precious, mischievous, joyful, energetic, toddler lay motionless with tubes and machines attached to her.

Carly sensed his feelings and knew what was needed for this grandpa’s hurting heart. She poured out from her vessel exactly what was needed for Grandpa’s comfort.

What are we pouring out from our vessels? Does it honor our Master?

Be a Blessing, Charlotte

My Journey to Book Publishing

Charlotte BurkholderLeave a comment

I never imagined I would author a book. But here is “Family Stories for God’s Glory,” with my name on the cover! Starting with childhood stories of myself and the young boy who would one day become my husband, it is a compilation of real-life stories featuring our children and grandchildren. Now, at eighty-five years of age, my last story is not my last story but hints of the best that is to come. Each story portrays the presence and power of God. I invite you to join me on my journey of how it all happened.

I began writing this book before I knew I was writing a book. I wrote about my experiences for my own therapy, sometimes to preserve precious memories, and sometimes just for the joy of writing.

“How long did it take to write it?” I’m often asked by interested friends.

“Oh, about fifty years,” I’ll tell them, and then explain that some stories I wrote long ago, but never dreamed they would eventually be part of a book. The majority of stories, however, were written in recent years.

This book is for all ages. From serious to hilarious, it brings hope to all situations. You will enjoy the story about our two-year-old grandson when he thought God had made a terrible mistake. Hopefully, you will know God better and realize how much he cares about the little, “insignificant” things of life as well as the major crises.

I plan to blog weekly about the contents of the book. Come along! I’d love to have you join me on the journey.

Blessings, Charlotte

My book is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Additionally, I sell copies directly. Contact me at chburkholder12@gmail.com.

For more insight, visit my blogs at: godinlifesmoments.com