My latest nonfiction release...

My latest release...

God's Top Ten--By Linda Kozar

How many of us can name all of the Ten Commandments in the bible on the spot? Apparently, not many--and as Christians, we should be able to do so. In fact, we should be living our lives accordingly. Below is a gentle reminder for everyone. Commit these to memory--and heart.

From Exodus 20:1-17

1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, theLord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

If Mama Could Remember--by Linda Kozar

If Mama Could Remember

By Linda Kozar

If mama could remember, she’d know the names of all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She’d delight them with stories about her childhood growing up on a farm. If mama could remember, she’d whip up some of our favorite family recipes in the kitchen. She’d recall what she wore yesterday and wonder why she’s wearing the same thing today. If only mama could remember . . .

Are you a caregiver? I’ve been one for three years now. My mother whom we affectionately call, “Mama Rose” was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and will be eighty-one this month. Other than Alzheimer’s, she’s is remarkable health, and up until last year, on absolutely no medications. My siblings and I share caring for our mother in five-month periods, an arrangement that is sometimes difficult for us, but noticeably beneficial to her.

According to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org), Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. The disease is named for Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician who presented a case history before a medical meeting in 1906—of a 51-year-old woman who suffered from a rare brain disorder. A later autopsy revealed and identified the characteristic plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Hearing that diagnosis pronounced on a loved on is difficult to endure. The very first thing I imagined was a scene from the 1968 science fiction film classic, 2001, A Space Odyssey, when the lead character, Dr. David Bowman begins shutting down the rogue HAL 9000 computer’s processor core. As each bank of stored information is shut down, HAL eventually regresses to his earliest programmed memory, the song, “Bicycle Built for Two,” which he sings for Bowman. “Daisy, Daisy/Give me your answer, do/I’m half crazy/all for the love of you.”

Would my mother’s mind diminish in like manner? And would all her wonderful characteristics and personality be reduced to its lowest form? I grieved that diagnosis, as did my sister and brother. Our prayers for her continue, in spite of that pronouncement.

There are several scriptures I hold onto: John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said unto you,” and Philippians 4:7, “ . . . And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (KJV)

All in all, I know my sister, brother and I, made the right decision to take care of our mother. She is far better off being with us and interacting with her extended family than living alone or in a facility. We all love her and lavish affection on Mom. We feed her well, dispense medicine as needed, and provide constant companionship. Is caregiving hard? Yes, most definitely. And any activity we think of scheduling during our five-month rotation absolutely has to include her.

Mom asks the same questions of me, constantly and consistently. Each question she asks is a first for her, but for me, one of a hundred repetitions. One day, I came up with an idea. Was it possible Mom could keep a memory of a daily routine or schedule? If so, I could use repetition to my advantage. I scheduled her life around meals, two daily walks, and a relaxing soak in peppermint bath salts before bedtime. Once the schedule was implemented, she began to settle down. She still asked lot of questions, but not as many as before. I do my best to answer, but whenever I become frustrated with repetitive questions, I leave the room, pray a lot and regain my composure before she starts the process again.

Alzheimer’s has changed my mother’s view of the world, but because of the disease, she’s been able to teach me some very important things. Mom notices the smallest details—like the shape of a cloud or a sparrow flitting from tree to tree. And each day she finds some sort of lost treasure on the ground, while on a walk together, or in the mall or even a parking lot. Mom finds the most unusual items on the ground! I keep jars of her sparkly finds, and often wonder if some are tiny diamonds lost from ring settings or earrings.  She also finds coins, little plastic toys, sequins, metal pieces, dice, buttons, tacks, beads—you name it.

Mom's Little Treasures Jar

And rocks. We have a large quantity of river stones in our landscaping. She began to focus on the broken ones for some reason. One day, I began to understand why. She showed me the interior of the stones--ribbons of color, banded and swirled. Amazing. Why didn’t I ever notice them before?

Mom is teaching me to see the beauty inside the things I take for granted. The beauty inside simple stones, in the flight patterns of butterflies and birds, and the parfait of puffy, white clouds above our heads. All these nuances, like a twinkle in God’s eye, are special, beautiful—a wonder to behold.

She’s also teaching me patience. Everything I ever thought I knew about patience before is nothing to the patience required in caregiving. I often remind myself--she didn’t ask for this. She didn’t want Alzheimer’s. But she does want to be loved, to live in grace and dignity. The time I offer to care for her is the time I’m giving back to the woman who dried my tears, who treated me with tender care throughout my childhood and adult years, who taught me, sacrificed for, and loved me unconditionally.

Every evening, when my mom is ready to go upstairs to bed, I stand at the bottom and watch as she slowly climbs the stairwell. When she reaches the landing, she always turns to me and says, “Good night.”

And I answer, “See you in the morning.”

But one day I know my mother will go to be with the Lord and I imagine we will exchange different words. I see her climbing a heavenly staircase illuminated by the glory of God, her knees nimble and quick, a wide smile upon her sweet face. She will turn to me, and instead of saying good night, she’ll whisper a soft good-bye.

With tears in my eyes I will wave and answer, “See you in the morning, mama.”

For you see, the night is long indeed, but joy comes in the morning.

What is Love? By Linda Kozar

Wondering what love really means? Single women often wonder if they are truly in love or if the man they love is truly in love with them. But God spells out the definition of love in His Word. Hold love up against God's metric for your answer.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;  does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

A Walk On The Wild Side--Part II--By Linda Kozar

To My Readers--This is a continuation of my previous post "A Walk On The Wild Side," detailing my first visits to strip clubs and modeling studios with the Jesus Loves Dancers ministry.

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 

Luke 5:32

We prepared the gift bags and headed out on the highway, the sky ribboned with streaks of pink and orange. The first club we visited was just gearing up. Our group arrived just as the sun slipped away. The young woman at the front desk of this particular club was no fan of the "church ladies." She answered our greeting and accepted the gift bag, but her face could not hide her distaste. I couldn't help thinking she'd been hurt or judged by Christians at some point. It was clear she didn't trust us or our motives for being there. But, thankfully, the dancers did not share this woman's opinion of us!

A barrel-chested DJ accepted one of our gift bags as we walked past, the loud bass of rap music drowning out every other sound. Except of course the small audience of men and one woman sitting near in front of the stage watching the dancer's every move. The lone woman in the audience clapped and hooted loudly, her voice slurred. As our little group walked through the dark club toward the dancer's communal dressing room, the tiny audience stared at us as if confused.

There were only two dancers in the dressing room when we walked in and they both wanted prayer. One in particular, for her young son. We joined hands with these two and prayed together as the music blared outside. Another two dancers walked in, but weren't interested in joining us. Not this time, anyway.


At one of the clubs we visited before (where the managers are so kind to our group), we talked at length in the dressing rooms, praying with whom ever wanted prayer. Some dancers avoided us, but others were open and willing to share their needs as well as their hopes and dreams. My favorite memory of this club is seeing one of the ladies on our team at a trio of poles. She called the three dancers together at the middle pole and they all huddled in prayer for the longest time. The three poles brought to mind the three crosses. Jesus was clearly in the midst of them!

The manager talked with us for a long time as well. We complimented him on all the remodeling he had done on the club. Lots of cleaning as well. He proudly recounted how they cleaned and stripped the floors, tables and each of the abundant wingback chairs in the place and how difficult it had been to clean years and years of gunk off all that.


No amount of cleaning however, would ever take away the stain of sin. I realized the man is clearly in transition! Before the group started praying for him and his family, he didn't notice how dirty things were around him, but now he does and is trying to clean things up. In time, he will discover that no amount of effort on his part will succeed. Please pray that God will reach this man's heart and reveal the truth to him. Only the cleansing blood of Jesus can take away the stain of sin.

We visiting many more clubs, the same ones as the previous visit, except for one that was closed for whatever reason. Sometimes their liquor licenses are randomly revoked. Or maybe their air-conditioning situation caused them to shut down. From what the others told me, they've had air-conditioning problems for a long time.

So we visited a modeling studio instead--a different one. The glass on the door and store front had the indigenous black tint treatment, blocking all outside light. Three of us walked in to offer the gift bags and we met at the door by a middle-aged lady dressed in what looked like a bikini of sorts with a beach towel wrapped around like she'd just come from the pool. She was hungry for conversation and talked on and on about a lot of cases on court TV and those in the current news. When she wasn't busy at work, it was evident this lady watched a lot television. We talked quite a while and then asked if we could pray with her. Like many of the others, this woman was a mother and wanted prayer for her son and for their finances.

As I feared, we paid another visit to the modeling studio with the interesting smells. Two women got off the bus right away and the others, with more sensitive noses stayed behind. But not me. I decided to get off the bus and push past my discomfort. This time I made sure to avoid the incense burners near the door. Instead I moved to the middle of the room. So did the other ladies. We talked with the madam for a while and she told us the top of her foot was hurting. I knelt down to the floor and laid hands on her foot and we all prayed that God would heal her foot. Pretty cool!

We hopped back on the bus, happy and filled with hope. But the other ladies covered their noses. The smell of that incense combined with other unidentifiable smells was overpowering. Again, the stickiness of it seeped into both hair and clothing. But I felt a sense of personal victory. Sin is the aroma of death to those who are alive in Christ. And we brought the fragrance of life into that dark place.

I believe if Jesus walked the earth today, He would surely be on that bus with us. He would minister to the dancers, the bartenders and bouncers in those clubs and pour out His love and Spirit upon them. When He walked the earth, Jesus was always in the company of those who were considered the outcasts of society. When confronted by His own disciples and those who considered themselves righteous, He answered, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"--Luke 5:32. 

Jesus IS on that bus with us and in our hearts. He goes everywhere we go--sees what we see--hears what we hear and moves us to say what He wants to say. Every hand we extend, every prayer, every hug we offer, every gift bag we give is from Him.

Jesus loves us. And He loves people who are not like us. He wants us to love them too. He wants us to love them right into His kingdom!

"And He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left.

Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation, inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me,

I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?

And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?

And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?

And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least (in the estimation of men) of these My brethren, you did it for Me"--Matt 25:31-46.

A Walk On The Wild Side--By Linda Kozar

Three weeks ago I decided to get on a bus and visit six strip clubs in Houston.

Now before you say, "Linda Kozar is completely out of her mind," listen up! The bus was a church bus and I joined a ministry led by a good friend who founded the ministry over thirteen years ago to reach strippers and sex industry workers with the pure love of Christ.

My twenty-two year old daughter had already gone a couple of times and invited me to come along. But my friend has been inviting me for thirteen years. So it was quite understandable that she nearly fell over when I walked through the door!

These are some of the gift bags.

The first thing we all did was introduce ourselves. After that, we got right to work loading over eighty "gift bags" filled with scripture, chocolates, peppermints, a ministry card, and a personal fan with two fresh batteries taped to the package. The bag's contents vary each week, but there's always something fun or useful inside. With all the eager teamwork, we finished loading the bags in a short time.

Then we sat down to pray for the trip but also for individual prayer needs. All told, eight of us loaded onto the bus--four newbies and four veterans.

Was I nervous? You bet. I had no idea what I was in for, much less what I would see.

We pulled up to the first club and we each hurried to collect four or five bags. The bouncers welcomed us with smiles, especially when they received their gift bags. It seemed the "church ladies" their nickname for us, were welcomed, warmly into strip clubs! I followed the other ladies right into the stripper's dressing room, though it's more like an undressing room.

The dancers who knew the group smiled as we walked in. The new dancers stared back at us at first. I imagine they were confused about why church ladies were invading their space.  I listened to my friends ask if the dancers needed prayer for anything and they did! So right there in the middle of the janky-looking dressing room, we joined hands--all of us--and prayed.

Most of the dancers are mothers with young children, struggling to make ends meet. They're doing their best to support them, but losing more and more of their dignity as time goes on. The industry is soul-killing. Many turn to alcohol and drugs just to keep doing what they're doing.

The vibe at every club was different, but we had almost full access at each location. It's been years since I'd seen carpet on walls. And you can imagine all the bells an whistles going off if anyone dared to wave a black light around any of those places.

The veterans dove right in--greeting girls, bartenders and bouncers with hugs. It was clear they have established relationships with some of the workers over the years, but they treated new girls with the same regard. At one club I worked up enough nerve to ask a dancer if she had any prayer needs. She seemed a bit embarrassed and said, "No" at first.

But I pressed her a bit. "C'mon, everybody has prayer needs. How's your family? Do you need more money?"

She responded quickly. "Yes, pray for my children and my fiancé and so I can make more money."

I asked if I could lay hands on her and she told me I could. But I hesitated a moment because she was almost naked. I settled on her shoulder with her back to me. Another dancer and another "church lady" joined in and we prayed. Force of habit--I hugged them both after the prayer.

Afterwards, the Holy Spirit reminded me that Jesus hung naked on the tree for us, to pay the price for our sins. Stopped me in my tracks.

We are all naked before God, our sins and desires transparent to Him. He sees who we are inside. With that encouragement, I resolved to pray for the person inside the outer garment.

The managers met us in the hallway. My friend asked one about his son, born with a serious medical condition. The group had been praying for him for years. The other manager was intent on making us comfortable. He offered to give us water and Red Bulls. Though we politely declined, he disappeared and showed up a few minutes later, his arms full of refreshments. We thanked him and accepted his gracious offer.

The last place we visited will forever be the worst on my list. On the way there, the other girls warned us about the smell.

"Smell?" I asked.

They tried to describe it. "She has a lot of dogs and she burns incense and there are other smells as you might imagine. The place is a "modeling studio." I was to learn later that "Modeling Studios" and "Spas" are euphemisms for brothels.

Although we were only allowed in the foyer of the place, the smell hit me right away. I would say the olfactory assault was overpowering--smell on top of smell on top of odor on top of stench and all covered up with the scents of incense and baby powder.

The madam came out the office door to greet our group. A standard bank teller's type window predominated the room. A ceramic good luck kitty paw perpetually waving, enjoyed a predominant spot. The entry room was filled with beat-up furniture--a sofa, rug and coffee table and a credenza by the door. Three ceramic burners on top of the credenza, tiny candles lit, melted incense--the scent of which became distinctly unpleasant the longer you were exposed to it.

An older woman, the madam seemed genuinely happy to see us. She talked with us for quite some time. But I didn't talk much, or rather, could not. I was too busy dealing with the overwhelming odor of the place. In fact, I had difficulty fighting back the bile rising in my throat. When we first walked in, I tried not to pay attention to it. But it was truly a force to be reckoned with.

I realized later after talking with the veterans, that what we experienced there was more than just a physical smell. There was a spiritual aspect to it. The scent of sin and oppression, tangible and as real as any other. The smell of the place clung to hair and clothing and nestled inside our nostrils. It followed us back on the bus--a reminder that "... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" Ephesians 6:12.

Next Week:  The Return

THE Voice--By Linda Kozar

Matthew 22:29  "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."

Job 22:28  "Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto Thee."

Mark 16:18  "They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them."

Matthew 15:13  "Every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."

Psalm 91:3  "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence."

Joel 2:32  "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered."

Romans 8:32  "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

Psalm 97:10  "He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked."

_____________________________________________

There are so many voices in this world--all clamoring for our attention. Think of the New York Stock Exchange, with everyone yelling to, and over one another. The earth is a lot like this chaotic scene.

Everyone around you is vying for your attention, but people who are nowhere near you are doing the same! We are connected to electronic devices--phones and iPads, computers, television--in constant contact with others whether we are communicating with or passively listening to (as in the case of television). But there is a place where you can escape--a place where you can commune one-to-one with the Most High God to hear and listen to His voice. The Secret Place--prayer.

We need to be alone in the presence of God because we are His family. He wants us to spend time with Him to help, speak to, and instruct us, to refresh us, to fill us with perfect peace in the midst of a fallen world spinning out of control. How often do you take the time to disconnect with the world and connect with Christ? Once a month? Once a week? Once a day?

The news is buzzing with stories about threats of terrorist attacks, deadly viruses, rumors of war, murder, corruption and more. It is easy to succumb to fear, but it's better to come to Christ!

God is our refuge and our only hope. He gave us His Word--the Bible. Keep it close to you always. Study it. Be instructed. Live it. And when you have the least little twinge of fear, open the covers and keep reading.

I like to start off every day with a base prayer--a simple, short 5-10 minute prayer like this:

Dear Lord, please bless and protect and keep healthy and well:______ and _______ and _______ and________ etc. Set your angels about all of them in a hedge of protection. I pray Psalm 91 over each of these family and friends and co-workers. Thank you, Lord for your loving care.

I include my immediate family, and I name some, but not all--parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, neighbors and co-workers. This prayer is simple and is designed to build on. Time is at a premium for all of us, so I start each day with this and pray more during the day. The prayers I build on this base are more specific and tailored to the individual. I also build beyond my circle of loved ones to pray for my community, my country and the world.

There are days where I am so busy I never say another prayer. And if that is the case, I don't feel bad, because I know I've already prayed for those I love and care about. After I've said my base prayer, I can pray any time, anywhere, but I've already experienced my quiet time with the Lord. I've heard His voice speak truth into my heart. My heart is filled with His love and peace.

What else happens when we pray? Everything!

God is:

A refuge or hiding place to us. A fortress or place of protection. He is a place of security and trust for us to run to.

God will:

Deliver us from the snare of the fowler (a trap set for us by the wicked), and from the noisome pestilence. He will cover and protect us with His feathers as a hen covers it's baby chicks. He will make His truth as a shield and buckler (protects the vital organs from the weapon thrusts and arrows of the enemy).

The time it takes to pray is the time it takes to paint your nails or do your makeup--time we can easily fit into our busy routine by waking up a little earlier. We can't climb a mountain each day to pray, but we can take ten minutes to bow down before the Lord to pray and seek His face. Our time with Christ is the most important daily makeover we need.

I would blush with shame if I concealed the fact that Jesus is my foundation. He doesn't change like the shadows. His name sticks on my lips all day. My eyes line up on Him only. He polishes my heart and brings gloss to my life. The beauty He gives last forever.

Why settle for makeup when you can have a complete makeover?

Devo a Day--By Linda Kozar

This year I felt God leading me to read a chapter a day in the Bible and to write a short devotion about each. I'll share my thoughts and what God speaks to me. Why not read the same chapter in your bible and leave a comment here on what God is speaking to you? I love to hear the good words Daddy God is speaking to my sisters!