Repairer of the Breach

Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

"The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."


Lord, I just want to thank you. This has been a wonderful Christmas season. Our needs and many of our wants have been abundantly provided. We have enjoyed the company of each other as a family. We have been graced with the wonderful presence of friends & extended family. Our church srvices have been filled with celebration & worship of the birth of You, my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Our home has been filled with Your sweet presence through family worship of Your birth. Our life is being blessed with new family You are grafting in. Sweet, sweet memories have been made here this year.

God, as we enter into a new year tomorrow, I'm filled with great excitement to see what lies ahead. I'm filled with anticipation of what good things You have in store for us next. Let this entire year be filled withYou- growing closer to You in every area of our lives, experiencing Your presence, & witnessing Your miracles. Let me testify to everyone I meet of Your great & saving power! Hallelujah!

" Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In."
~Is 58:12~

Careful Words

Proverbs 13:3 NKJV

"He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction."

The Message words this scripture like this:
"Careful words make for a careful life; careless talk may ruin everything"

Ouch! How many times have I needed these words. I would do well to guard my conversations wisely, more than I do. I really can destroy what the Holy Spirit is building by my words.

Father, rather than defeat, despair, & death, help me speak life & faith & hope in every word I utter.

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."
~Ps19:14~

You Haven't Seen Anything Yet!

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

It's not an easy thing admitting we are wrong. Sometimes God tells me to take my hands off the wheel & let Him drive. Often, I didn't even realize I'd taken the wheel from Him. I do that so subconsciously, just navigate my own way, drive wide open in a direction, running from something that doesn't even exist- the enemy put the fear there in my mind.

Being strong & independant are absolute qualities the Lord loves to use, but they are also qualities satan likes to use. Finding balance can only come through submitting to God, one instruction at a time, small steps as they may be. These small stepping stones are laying the foundation to something much larger-something you're too close to see yet.

What area has God given you a simple command to follow? Have you obeyed yet? Pray for His strength to give Him the wheel, fresh & new every morning. Trust where He is driving you on the path just ahead. He is preparing something greater than your eyes have ever seen or your ears have ever heard! It's bigger than your heart can dream- you have't seen anything yet!

The Vapor of Our Calling

Psalm 39:5 NKJV
"Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah"

Even the life of our sweet Savior Jesus was a vapor here on earth. Although He is eternal, without beginning & without end, His ministry span & His mission here in earthly body was short- 33 years. I already have outlived His time here. Am I as focused on my earthly mission as He was? Do I understand the purpose of my calling? Do you? Make no mistake, there is a point to your life. A God-ordained calling for your time here.

Below are the words to the song "Mary Knew". As the mother of Jesus, she understood her calling. She endured in complete confidence & faith, to believe & live something so miraculous, it made no sense in the natural world. I pray you're blessed with the wonder of Christmas all over again this year. . .

An angel of the Lord, went out for visitation
Mary's willing heart was this angel's destination
He spoke of one, who would be born, to reign as King, and Lord
Overshadowed by the truth Mary knew

Everyone would question, her story's valadation
Mary's news did not bring a joyous celebration
Even Joseph could not understand, that this was heaven's Lamb
But a manger now held the truth that Mary knew

Mary knew Him at His best, she knew Him at His worst
She understood the man in Him, but knew that God came first
So she held her little promise, and she watched Him as He grew
Her faith necer waivered from the truth, that Mary knew

She followed all the way, to a top of a great hill
Mary watched in silent pain, the Father's plan fulfilled
And at His feet she knelt that day as tears ran down her face
For the cross now held the truth that Mary knew

Mary knew Him at His best, she knew Him at His worst
She understood the man in Him, but knew that God came first
So she held her lottle promise, and she watched Him as He died . . .

So she held her little promise and she watched Him as He arose . . .
Her faith never waivered from the truth, that Mary knew

Be Strong, Don't Dismay

1 Chronicles 28:20 NKJV

And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God— will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord."

The Land of Uprightness

Psalm 143:10 NKJV

"Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness."

HIS Eye

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye. "
~Ps 32:8~

It's an interesting time of life for me. Our schedule couldn't be more packed. It's just normal daily life "stuff"- work, ballgames every day, church activities, chores at home. It's all things we love and enjoy. But still, we get tired sometimes. Can I tell you that's when satan comes to attack, when your tired and weak and not expecting him? It's a scheme as old as Jesus' day. Satan did the same thing to Him, he brought temptation after Jesus had fasted forty days, when Jesus was weak in body.

It is these times I have to remember this verse: that He will guide me with HIS eye. Not my own eyes.

Listen to the next verse in this passage:
"Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you."
~Ps 32:9~

When my mind has difficulty focusing because of fatigue or discouragement, it's HIS eyes I need to trust.When I can't see any further than the nose in my face, I've got to remember He sees everything ahead, my future. When I cannot understand why I have to take this long winding road ahead instead of the short-cut, I've got to trust there is something dangerous He is detouring me around.

His eyes see my future, the grand plans He has for me. And they are bigger than anytting I could have dreamed on my own. I must not make Him drag me with bit & bridle. I must step forward with a willing spirit, trusting His eye.

Just Believe

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."
~Mark 11:24~

My Heritage

Psalm 61:5 "For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name."

Sing YOUR New Song

"He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord."
~Ps 40:3~

Songs of Deliverence

"You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah"
~Ps 32:7~

"Our vision is returning. Hints of creativity are reemerging. It's a new day, God doesn't hate us after all, and we can't help but praise. The wind is blowing in our faces once again and once more hope springs eternal."
~from Beth Moore's book: Get Out of That Pit~

Show Me The Path

"You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
~Ps 16:11~

Transparency-Teach Me

"Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness."
~Ps 143:10~

It takes time to learn. Time. And it takes a willing spirit to be taught. It also takes a willing spirit to teach others the ways of God. It's called shepherding. It takes extreme dedication to live God's principles before them, to practice unwaivering faith in front of them, and to be real before them in our failures.

Transparency- the defination reads: " 1- permitting the free passage of electromagnetic radiation; 2-the quality of being clear; 3-a picture consisting of a positive drawing or photograph viewed on a clear base; 4- . . .to be viewed by natural or artificial light, which shines through it

Be a transparent life for someone to view Jesus through you. Take time to shepherd someone young in their faith, so they can get a firm foundation for the rest of their life. It matters more than you know.

Your Reward Is Coming

"But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
~II Chron 15:7~

Tho My Heart May Fail . . .

"My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
~Ps 73:26~

A Royal Priesthood

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light"
~I Peter 2:9~

Faithful Heritage

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward."
~Ps 127:3~

"Our faithfulness, or the lack of it, will have an overwhelming impact on the heritage of our children."~Beth Moore~

BE that Godly influence in your children's lives! And if one parent has dropped the ball or even disappeared all together? BE that intercessary prayer warrior on their behalf to The Father. Storm the gates of heaven to see their needs filled. Nobody knows the depth of their need or your prayers like our Aba Father.

"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
He also will hear their cry and save them. The Lord preserves all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy"
~Ps 145: 18-20~

Taste & See

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

I'm trusting You Lord, for something good, even when I cannot see.

Enter With Thanksgiving

"A Psalm of Thanksgiving. Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations."
~Ps 100~

You''ve Got a Future!

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

. . .live today like you believe that with all your heart!

Golden Advice

"Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
~Matt 7:12~

This is the golden rule my generation grew up knowing by heart. But we haven't done the greatest job teaching today's generation this golden advice. I've had some great devotions this week about simple good manners. It begins at home with how we talk to our family. It carries over into our friendships, our job relations, & how we speak to the cashier at McDonalds. It then becomes our reputation, and finally our character.

Being right doesn't mean we have to be rude. Kidding around shouldn't involve insults. Being close to a family member doesn't give us a free ticket to be mean. We should honor the position of those above us in authority, even when it's hard to honor the individual, because it's more about our behavior as children of God than theirs. We should tell others we appreciate the small daily things they do we so often take for granted. And above all- how we speak to God matters. Demanding & begging shouldn't be our primary modes of communication wait The Almighty. We should approach His throne with reverence & thanksgiving, remembering His sacrifice, honoring His presence, respecting His power.

Sparkles

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
~John 10:10~

This verse was in my morning devotion along with this quote by Barbara Johnson:

"You have to look for the joy. Look for the light of God that is hitting your life, and you will find sparkles you didn't know were there."

Escape

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
~I Corinth 10:13~

Let God give you a means of escape, a way out. Don't turn a deaf ear to His warnings. He is not withholding something good from you for meanness. He is protecting you from some really bad consequences of those sins. Struggling doesn't mean you are weak, it means you are a warrior. Fight to obey God's general guidelines for all Christians so that He can bless you with the specific abundance He has especially made for you. He loves you. He has a plan. It's worth the wait.

Never Wasted

"For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."
~Heb 6:10~

Whatever you do in the name of the Lord, is never wasted. Stay the coarse, be steadfast. He will remember you.

Remember His Mighty Works

"From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised."
~Ps 113:3~

This is a special day-November 12th, 2010. My oldest son had open heart surgery Dec 3,2008 & today was the last payment on his operation. It's paid in full! Only God could take a single mom of 5, set up travel across the country twice, rent & expenses to live there for 2 weeks, a $100,000 operation & have the doctors forgive the $18,000 balance down to $1800, & the pay it all off in less than 2 years. Only God.

There were so many friends & family God used to help us through that time. I could never say "Thank you" enough. Only God could move people into our life when we needed them most. Only God.

As we made senior pictures Monday, I was reminded how different his senior year would be without that operation. No basketball season, no baseball season, how poor his health would be, could he even have survived til now? Only God could time this surgery a year & half after my divorce (so were more settled) & 2 yrs before his senior yr. Only God.

Every time he takes the court this yr, every time he takes the field this yr, it's another testiment of God's miracle. I will celebrate that. Only God.

Every time he works with his little brother & sister at the gym, & then cheers them on from the stands, it's a testimony of God's healing hand. Only God.

Only God could send His beloved Son to die on a cross for my sins, for your sins, and tell us "Paid in full". Your salvation & mine, paid in full. Only God.

And wouldn't you know, today he is standing at FCA doing devotion on "Running the Race for God" (II Tim). Only God.

Never doubt this: His timing is perfect. Always perfect.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
~II Tim 4:7~

Pray Fervently!

"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
~Jam 5:16~

Are you a person of deep conviction, steadfast devotion & relentless prayer? We are each called to these tasks as children of the Living God. We know so many hurting souls, lost persons in need of a Savior. He calls us to confess our own sins, get clean before Him & then- Be bold! Storm the gates of heaven seeking God's face. Go in the name of someone really needing God's intervention. Go for those who have lost their way. Carry your children's deepest needs before Him. Be that intercessory prayer warrior! YOUR fervent prays are effective & they avail much blessing!

In bearing burdens for others, don't be surprised if God answers the needs in your life, too while you're there.

"Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
~Gal 6:2~

"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
~John 16:24~

The Lost Is Found

"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
~Luke 15:7~

Have you had a salvation experience with Jesus Christ? Have you felt Him drawing your spirit to His & totally surrendered your life to Him? To believe there is a God, is not enough. To feel conviction & want to do better is not enough. To belong on a church roll is not enough. To be good is not enough. The only salvation is to accept Him, and totally surrender to Him. Don't delay. Settle eternity with Him today. Let the angels rejoice over you!

And then? Share this saving message with someone so they can accept & let the angels rejoice ovr them!

Let There Be Light

" Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."
~Gen 1:3-4~

Until God speaks light into your situation, the darkness will remain. Only He can seperate the darkness from us. His light IS the only goodness. Seek His light.

Our pastor Bro. Michael reminded us of this truth in yesterdays sermon: "God as a particular plan for each of our lives. But until we obey His general plan for all Christians to obey His commandments & live a life of holiness, His specific plan for us is put on hold."

So Order My Steps

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way."
~Ps 37:23~

God,
Put my steps in order today. Focus me in the things I need to attend to most. Make me a good steward of all my time & resources. Let every area of my life be free from sin & bring You honor & joy. Keep me in Your ways all the day long.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting."
~Ps 139:23-24~

Mighty Surfer, Ask Him!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
~Matt 7:7~

As a mother, my deepest desire & most fervent prayers center on this: that my children stay closely connected with Jesus & closely connected with me, all the days of their lives. I also pray for daily specific needs, for safety & health. But nothing else matters if they lose their connection to God.

Raising kids is like surfing. You ride out the tide. Sometimes the waves are perfect! They carry you on the coolest ride, sustaining you in perfect balance. You can have pure excitement & the thrill of a lifetime enjoying your kids. Other times, the waves look larger than life as they swell before your eyes. You can't imagine how you will ride this one & come out alive or sane. Yet, your Heavenly Father guides you, one step at a time. And you do. You ride this one out. And God uses your experience to strengthen another mother facing the biggest waves of her life.

Do you have a child you can't figure out? Ask God to show you. Do you have one that is entering a phase you need to address but don't know how to approach the problem or habits? Ask God to show you what step to take first. Do you have a child you have some how lost connection with? Ask God to show you what is going on in the depth of that child's heart & life, then follow every step He shows you to reconnect.

HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW THESE ANSWERS. HE WILL ANSWER YOU. Just like a surfer must feel the rhythm of the ocean's eb & flow to master the waves, we have to feel the heart of our children to raise them right. Stay connected. Ask God to show you how.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." ~Jam 1:5~

Him First

Matthew 6:33-34 NKJV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

You first, Lord. Guarding my mind, comforting my heart, resting my spirit, focusing my thoughts. You, always first, in my life.

Keep Your Mind on Him

Isaiah 26:3 NKJV

"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."

It's good to work hard, and know you accomplished things. It's a blessing to be healthy enough & have a clear mind so that we are capable of working hard. Lord, help me remember I can do nothing on my own, but in Your strength, there is nothing I can't do.

Here are some more quotes from Extraordinary Women's Conference 2 weekends ago. . .

"Battling doesn't mean you're weak, it means you're a warrior"

"Keep your blinders on. If David had looked around him as he faced Goliath, he would have seen the fear & doubt on every one's face. Keep your eye on God & His call for your life."

My Quiet With You

"For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
~Is 30:15~

Lord I have been privileged to witness Your greatest blessings and Your hand at work this last week. Even in the midst of busy schedules & tired bodies, we can smile with peace in our heart to know Your faithfulness. God, let me reserve the early morning hours for You, before the world steals my time & focus. Let me seek You first every day, inviting You to be my companion for the day. Let me teach my kids of You as the start the day before busy schedules take Your place. Thank You for health & freedom to enjoy these days raising my family & to work hard to support them. Let me soak up every joy of loving them & loving You.

I love You Lord, I love You.

Rags to Riches

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Have you ever witnessed God picking someone up & changing their rags into riches? I did today. I watched God silence tornado warning & give sunshine. Nothing is so sweet & rewarding to see God redeem a life & repurpose it. And its just our blessing to be a part of it. Praise His wonderful name!!!!

Be Diligent in Peace

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-…"
~II Pet 3:14-15~

This week, I want to share some things from the Extaordinary Women's Conference we attended this weekend. The theme was Powerful Peace. I "stumbled" on this verse this morning. It reminds me that my only peace wil come from diligence to His plan for my life. He says "Diligent to be found in peace". I am to persue peace with a passion. God intends His children to be at peace throughout our lives- peace to let Him lead. He knows there is peace in obedience to His commandments because the result is us, standing blameless before a Holy God. He expects us to seek a peaceful life. . ."If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." ~Rom 12:18~. He also expects us to seek balance & order for our lives. Too busy is sometimes just too busy. We need proper rest so we are alert to His Spirit every day. He wants us able to enjoy our lives, not just run from activity to activity checking off our to-do-list.

Below are some of the quotes from the women's conference this weekend . . .

"God's nature is peace. Thats is who He is, He can be no other way" (So, when we spend daily time with Him, we can't help but take on His peace)

"Women of peace are more rested, they lay down & sleep without problem. They think more clearly. A woman who remains in constant relationship with God IS a woman of peace."

So today, I urge you to seek peace with God, whatever it takes, find it. Don't give the enemy another day of victory over your life. Don't rob your family & friends of the woman of peaceful encouragement you can be. BE His minister of peace.

Keep Doing Good!

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."
~Gal 6:9~

This verse was in my morning devotion. . .I'm always amazed how timely God's word is! He knows I'm so excited for the blessings this week has brought- completely wow! But He knows I'm tired. Physically tired. And a little mentally tired, too. I love doing good for other people, He knows my heart. His message this morning couldn't have been plainer: "Don't grow weary! Fight off the fatigue! You're so close to a break through! Work out the soreness of aching muscles-Keep doing good! Your season is coming- the season to reap God's good blessings you've sown. Don't lose heart- keep your eye on the prize."

Rest-You Are Bountifully Blessed

"Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee"
~Ps 116:7~

O Lord, You have dealt BOUNTIFULLY with me. You, O God, have answered prayers this week. I could not ask for more perfectly timed blessings. Even though I'm tired, You return me to rest tonight, assuring me I'm on Your watch. I don't have to figure out the world. You already have. You assure me of Your protection, Your promise of blessing. You have seen me, heard my cry. "Rest, now My child, I've got this."

Truly God Is Good

"A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart."
~Ps 73:1~

God,
I praise Your goodness this morning. I feel honored to see Your handiwork first-hand, up close & personal. You are too good to me, better than I deserve. You have used the blessings of my family to prove trust to me. I'm breathless at how fast You answered the need. You didn't need me to fix everything. You needed me to ASK You to fix it & then trust You to do it. Forgive me, Lord, for the many, many times this all-too-independent girl fails to surrender things into Your care.
I love You, Abba Father.
Your girl,
Kristie

Be Wise

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction."
~Prov 1:7~

Sometimes God places difficult people in our life. Some people attract drama. The very sound of their voice on the phone means there is a catastrophy somewhere. Some individuals never grow up. They never mature. Their life is filled with poor decisions. And, if this person is your family member, often the result of their poor decisions affect you. What do you do? How do you help someone that will be back in the same situation 6 months or a year from now?

I'm still learning the answer to these questions myself. But I'll tell you what I've learned so far:

Set healthy boundaries. Pray about what GOD would have you do to help, within reason for what you are ABLE to do. Be firm. Don't be pushed into doing more than you can. Remember your other obligations God has filled your life with. If you exhaust yourself on 1 area, your life & those in it will become off balance. YOU will be the next one in crises.

Encourage self-help. It's tough love to make a person work themselves out of the mess they created. We as Christians, daughters, mothers, nurses, nuturers want to "fix" everything. But the best lessons are experience. If you bail them out, you may be cheating them out of the lesson God had prepared for them. It might cripple them &- render them unable to handle the next difficult circumstance they face. Go for guided help rather than totally assuming the help.

Give it all to God. Labor in prayer over it, for Him to open doors for this person & so order your steps. Ask God to supernaturally bless this person ON YOUR BEHALF. He knows the turmoil of your heart for them. You are not the Savior of the universe. . . .But HE is. Let Him work His wonder.

Just so you know . . .

"Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."
~Gen 50:21~

I've never thought about this until now-the authors who write devotions, books of encouragement & pen blog spots could not do it without some lousy life experiences. I know we all love to read uplifting words, but we would not understand the power of them without a pit we needed desperately to escape. So, our pits are for everyone around us too. To teach us lessons, sometimes the most difficult lessons, to connect with human spirits everywhere. We all need someone to understand where we are, what we are facing & how we feel. Thank God for the men & women of the Bible that we get to hear their story, see their struggle & see God's deliverance! God always has a plan to spread HIS message of hope & love- 2000 yrs ago & today. Wow.

You are not facing this alone. Many have been through this same fight & found victory in Christ. You will, too.

God takes care of His children. . . Always. Don't be afraid.

Stuck here?

"Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass."
~Ps 37:5~

Have you ever been whipped by the Lord? Let me just tell you, it stings a little while afterward. Have you ever prayed for something so long, only to realize you are hindering your own blessing by your disobedience? Whether it's something God has told you to do or convicted you to stop doing, obedience is the only way to move from where you are now to the next place you're going. It's an agonizing process to accept responsibility for slowing down your own blessing. It's easier to blame others for leading you here. It's sometimes easier to blame God or say it's "just His will" that I'm here & that I've been here so long. But I wana tell you, God is a persistent God.

The children of Israel were freed from slavery in Egypt & God had a divine promised land completely prepared for them. It was only an eleven day's journey away. Yet once they began the journey, they became discouraged, fearful, & ungrateful. They doubted that God would provide, their faith wavered. They even complained about what God did provide. And thus, the delay of their blessing began. An eleven day journey turned into a 40 year wander in the dry desert. It was never supposed to be this way. It was only supposed to take eleven days. . .

God is a persistant Father, determined that we learn the lesson He has put before us to learn. How long it takes is up to us. I've fooled myself in past times, believing God loves me so much & wants to bless me so much, that He will allow a margin of error, overlook some small sins or bad attitudes & give it to me anyway. Sounds like a small child in the grocery store, throwing a tantrum yet begging for candy, huh?

Total surrender, clean hearts & clean minds are a few of the beginning requirements to get moving on our journey. The quicker we wade into those difficult stagnant spots to dissolve them, the quicker we can restore the flow of His blessings into our life. "COMMIT your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass."

Only 1st Place

“You shall have no other gods before Me."
~Ex 20:3~

He is a jealous God. He will not allow anything to take His place in your life. He will not stand for anything or anyone to take your focus off His purpose for your life. He will not tolerate you loving any person more than Him. He must be 1st. Only first place. Anything we won't surrender to Him or move into 2nd priority for Him, we risk losing. God has painfully reminded me of that risk this week. I'm grateful He doesn't let us get too far from His heart & that He gives us the chance to make things right before disaster occurs.

Why so hard?

" Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son."
~Gen 22:9-10~

Why are the greatest acts of obedience so hard? God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac to Him on the alter. We know this story has a different ending however . . .

"But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son."
~Gen 22:11&13~

So, if God knew there would be a ram provided for Abraham instead, why did He put him through the torture of this test? Why didn't God just give Abraham the ram in the beginning?

"And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” vs 12

The answer: to test Abraham's love for & obedience to & faith in God. Period. A lesson Abraham could nevear have learned without the preparation of sacrifice.

Often in my life, I see the clear answer before my eyes & fail to understand the purpose of waiting to receive it. I don't see why God asks me to chose the difficult path when an easy one would get me there faster. I fear choosing the hard road, because I have no control here, only God does. I'm afraid if I lose site of my blessing, it may be lost forever. But, my answers are the same as Abraham's, there are lessons I can only learn in preparation for the sacrifice. One day my ram will appear in the bush, and I will know God is pleased with my sacrifice & that He has provided for me. My blessing was never lost, it was in His hand the whole time.

"And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”  Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
~Gen 22:14-18~

Carefull Consideration

"But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ."
~1Corinth 8:9&12~
"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
~1Corinth 9:27~

It's so hard sometimes to walk as straight as we should before others. Watching every thought, word, deed & action so that there is no wicked way within us is a full time job. God calls us to have the mind of Christ Jesus, putting on His love & mercy & grace fresh every morning. That is the only way we can succeed. We do not have the strength within ourselves to accomplish this feat alone. We have such an enormous responsibility to others, to our children, not to make them stumble, to be strong in the faith, not to be a spot or blemmish on our church, the body of Christ.

Help me, Lord Jesus to make You proud, to make You real before others. Forgive me for every time I've failed You. Give me Your eyes. Give me Your mind. Give me Your heart.

Gathered By The Redeemer

“Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord.
"Enlarge the place of your tent,
And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings;
Do not spare;
Lengthen your cords,
And strengthen your stakes.
 For you shall expand to the right and to the left,
And your descendants will inherit the nations,
And make the desolate cities inhabited.
Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.
For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,
Says your God.
For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you."
~Is 54:1-7~

Whatever things have brought you pain or shame in the past, it will only last a season. Your Redeemer has heard your prayers, & with great mercy He will gather you. Keep g-iving yourself, do not spare! Keep extending your cords and strengthening the stakes of your tent. God has promised good for you.

What if? . . .

"Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us."
~Heb 12:36-40~

What if God called you to believe in something you would never see in your life time? What if the promises He asked you to cling to & hope in & fight for all the days of your life, would only be for the next generation? Could you still love, and hope, & dream and believe? That's exactly what many men & women of faith before us did. They stood their ground against the enemy & mankind alike to obtain a perfect testimony through faith. . . Faith in something they would never see this side of heaven. All for a testimony for you & me to follow. All so that their children, and their children's children could reap the harvest of their seed of faith. Can you imagine how much determination it took to overcome questions of doubt, fear of failure, humilliation of mockery for believing when it made no sense in the physical realm to believe? Yet they persevered. Their heart for God & vision beyond what human eyes could see launched them on a path for eternity.

What if God asks us to do the same? What if the things we are promised are for our children? Can we still love HIM and worship Him with all our hearts, with all our strength, with all our might? He will strengthen us to answer "Yes, Lord, here am I, send me".

Stay

"But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
~II Chron 15:7~

When I woke up this morning, I only had 1 word on my heart-"stay". And this verse was in my devotion book. Last night was a little restless for me. I got up 4 times to check on a sick child. And I dreamed the entire night, random things that that the Lord hasn't revealed anything special about so far. I think it was the result of a trying week & weekend, my mind just hadn't unwound. If I've ever witnessed" God in control", I did last week. I've shared with you how God has been pushing me to a deeply trust with Him. I experienced the peace & power that deeper trust brings last week. I watched the devil try to get his foot into a pastor's life, into the church's future, into a relationship & into my future, all simultaneously! Yet, in the center of it all, I "just knew" everything would be ok. I knew, not because of the power of my positive thinking, but because of the power of His profound promises. There were still tense moments, some tears, & even the normal questions your mind asks when you face adversity. Yet, under it all, there was just calm. Knowing the will of God & standing on it, even when it makes no sense to human eyes, will always win. Jesus was victorious last week, in all areas. So, when you face something & you don't know where to be . . . Just stay. Stay in the center of God's will. It's the safest, most sure place on earth.

". . .Priceless"

". . .Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms."
~James 5:13~

After you've been through a tough season of life, you really appreciate cheerfulness. You learn the value of a smile-someone else's AND your own! You see the wealth in positive attitudes. You find a new appreciation for encouraging gestures. Good friendships / relationships take a higher level of priority in your life. Laughter becomes a your favorite treasure. And the ability to get out of bed every morning with cheer & excitement in your heart, just to enjoy the day, just to enjoy your life, thankful for ALL God's blessings. . .priceless.

Blameless Heritage

"And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
~Luke 1:6~

This was Luke's account of Zacharias & Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. God looked on their lives & favored them, because of their obedience. He chose them to have a child in their old age, but not just any child. The baby that would be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. The child that would one day prepare the way for the coming of the Savior of the world. The man that would one day baptize the Son of God. . . Wow.

The same holds true for you & I today. The heavenly Father loves to reward our obedience. He longs to bless our faithfulness. O, God, keep me in Your perfect will, that I might bring honor & glory to You, & that I may hand down blessings to my children....

(Continued from Beth Moore's book "Get Out of That Pit" . . .)
"One thing is certain: you can't accuse God of being short-sighted. God places a tremendous premium on lineage in His Word, and also on the influence one generation has on the next. God has the capacity to mark your entire family line-be it physical descendants or spiritual descendants you mentored in the faith-with blessing and with the highest privilege of bringing Him glory. God's agenda is not just to deliver you from the pit. His preeminent aim is to bring Himself fame, and you are the way He has chosen to do it. Anticipate it!"

The Waiting Room, part 2

"When You did awesome things for which we did not look,
You came down,
The mountains shook at Your presence."
~Is 64:3~

( . . .Continued from Beth Moore's book "Get Out of That Pit" . . .)

"The good news is we may have to wait for deliverance . . .but we never have to wait on God Himself. Never have to wait to enjoy His presence or be assured of His love. If we are willing to take God at His word, we can have any one of those relational delights instantly. The only wait is on seeing His work manifest in the physical realm, seeing our petition come to fruit. . .Despite appearances, huge things happen as you wait upon the Lord to deliver you from that pit. They begin the moment you cry out. When you are convinced that you're no longer stuck, when you assume a standing position against the enemy ( . . consenting to God), and you're regaining glimpses of vision, you're no longer in the dark of the deep.

As you read the psalmist's description of having "waited patiently for the Lord," don't get the idea that he sat around in the mire, sinking deeper all the time . . Here the phrase "waited patiently" is the Hebrew word "qwh" translated "expect". The psalmist didn't sit in the pit & twiddle his muddy thumbs until God delivered him. He postured himself in absolute expectation. He had a goal & his shoulders would not slump till he saw it fulfilled. His Deliverer was coming and, on His way, fighting battles and blazing paths somewhere beyond the psalmist's gaze.

Never fear that God is at work while you wait. He's doing what no one else can. If your eyes could only see how God is moving all those chess pieces around the board for maxium impact, it would blow your mind. He's up to something big that affects not only you, but those around you. . . . ."

The Waiting Room

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith."
~1John 5:4~

I pray this verse & quote from my devotion today, and the excert from Beth Moore's book bless you as they have me . . . .

"Worries carry responsibilities that belong to God, not to you. Worry does not enable us to escape evil; it makes us unfit to cope with it when it comes. "~Corrie ten Boom~

"I've come to the elementary conclusion that, to God, 'together' is the whole point of any process. Before man was created, God just said something & it happened: 'Let there be light' and all. He could still do that. Sometimes still does. But you might notice that alot of instantaneous action ceased after man came along, and obviously on God-purpose. Suddenly God wasn't so sudden. Time became the vechicle for this wonderful thing called history. You can neither rush it nor slow it. All you can do is ride it. History is told through the encounters and experiences of men and women God would call to know Him. To trust Him, often under nearly impossible circumstances. Not on superhumans. Not even on particularly impressive humans. People prone to wander, prone to bruising, prone to doubting, prone to losing. God takes His own sweet time because time is His to take. God created time for man. The Trinity has no such bounds in the eternal state. I think God often ordains a wait because He purely enjoys the togetherness of it. Relationship. Thats one of the best things that can come out of a waiting room. Even the faith in God that an intense wait demands is about relationship. God calls upon us to walk in faith because faith requires a partner to place it in. Sometimes He just misses us. Maybe we could take it as a compliment."
~Beth Moore, "Get Out of That Pit"~

Anointed Power

"But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him."
~1 John 2:27~

If you are a child of God, you are anointed with His power. He will teach ypu, He will guide through every area of life. Abide in Him

Sweet!

"How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way."
~Ps 119:103-104~

God,
I praise You for showing me truth, for showing me the deeper parts of You that I need to trust, that I deeply desire to understand. I love You, I love Your ways. I love the person I become when I trust You the fullest. Falling deeper into a relationship with You changes me. It changes the way I think, it changes the way I greet people & answer even simple questions lik, "How are you today?" It makes me love people deeper-family, friends & strangers alike. Having deeper faith in You changes the way I see life. It gives me a never ending spring of eternal hope- hope that is alive & flowing. A deeper relationship with You changes me. . . You change me. . .

. . . YOU make me.

The Width and Length and Depth and Height

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"
~Rom 11:33~

God, the width of Your forgiveness is unsearchable.The length of Your strength to us is indescribable. The height of Your plans for us is unimaginable. The depth of Your love for us is unreachable.

Ephesians 3:14, 16-21 NKJV

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

A Penny for Your Thoughts

"Isaiah 55:9-10 NKJV

9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 12 “For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

Thank You, Lord, for Your promises. Give us Your mind. Fill us with Your holy desires. Draw us to live in Your ways. Strengthen us to believe every word You speak into existance accomplishes what You purpose. When the enemy comes to steal our hope & implant fear within us, empower us in the name of Jesus to rebuke his destructive schemes. All this in the sweet name of Jesus I ask it all, Amen

Joy Comes in the Morning

". . .Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning."
~Ps 30:5~

Dear Lord, we lift up all those who are suffering to You. Those who have lost family members in sudden unexpected ways- soldiers lost in battle defending & protecting the innocent; husbands & wives who woke up to find death had stolen their life companion in the night; parents whose children never made the drive home alive. God, wake us up to Your mercy. Show us Your hand of grace. Let us feel Your Holy Spirit, the great comforter. Wrap us in Your presence. God, let these moments remind us to never take each other for granted, to say today every "I love you" and every "I forgive you", don't let us leave needed words unspoken. Moreover, Lord, do not let us delay settling our spiritual life with You. Press our hearts with urgency to draw close to You, to surender to Your will for our lives. Press us with urgencgy to sshare Your salvation message with all we hold dear to us, and strangers alike. For our life is numbered from our first breath. Make us messangers of Your peace & comfort.

"Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." ~James 4:14~

Choose Life

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,"
~Deut 30:15~

We choose. We get up every morning and decide how our day will go. We choose by our attitude. We can decide to live life on purpose, making every moment count, creating memories to enjoy a life time. We can determine to be positive, to smile, to take some deep breaths &calm our spirit, think before we speak. We can steal away for 5 minutes to re-connect with the Father & keep our focus straight. We choose. We are not captives in the enemy's camp. We are children of the Most High God who has a dynamic plan for our life, full of adventure & promise of abundance.

Choose life, choose a good life.


"In that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess."
~Deut 30:16~

Foot Off the Accelerator

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."
~Prov 3:5-6~

We have something new available to us through our health insurance--health coaching sessions. At first, I was completely uninterested in this, but I decided the reward points my employer offers for participating in them is worth it to shop in our on-line store! My interests were completely unrelated to health- they're related to a new purse!

But you know God always has a bigger agenda than my little brain. So goes the story. . .

After health coach Carl & I had discussed my diet, cooking for my family, my level of physical activity (or the lack there of), his next question was very nurse-appropriate type question (you know we nurses like measurable answers.)He asked, "On a scale of 1-10, what is your stress level?" I've never been asked this before, and I was pretty impressed that he did! After some quite thought, I responded,"4". . .

Health coach Carl went on to comment, "Well, that's not too bad, could be a little better, but not too bad." We went on to name the healthy things I already do every day to combat stress- stay active, exercise some, involved in church / community, watch movies with my family to relax, daily prayer & devotion time. . .

As Carl continued to talk, his words became distant. My mind realized a very important fact: my stress level has not been below "level 4" in 3 years. Sometimes its a 6 or 7, maybe more in extreme cases, but never below a 4. Its like sitting in your car, gear stick in park, with your foot still on the accelerator at all times, motor slightly reved up, RPM gage showing about 3-4, hands gripping tightly to the steering wheel, muscles tense, constant adrenolin flow.

So, now the deeper question- Why? This is not me! I used to exist on a level 1-2, and it took a major crises to shake me up, & certainly never the ordinary days routine. I hung up the phone from that coaching conference call with my heart stirred.

Later as I wrote in my prayer journal, I was talking to God about it. Then I wrote these words," I used to just know, I mean JUST KNOW " . . .At that moment He poured out His spirit over my head like a pitcher of water. I used to "just know" that everything was going to be ok in the end. I used to have a child-like faith, & believe that no matter what came, the end would be good, because God was in control, because He always has a plan for my life, because He wants to bless me with good. But some where 3years ago when I began to live through the unthinkable, when the unimaginable became reality, I some how lost confidence in happy endings, I lost assurance in safe landings.

At this moment, covered by God's sweet presence, He spoke in my heart this scripture from Proverbs. He whispered to my spirit, "Kristie, you used to trust me deeper than you do now."

I've often said the thing I miss most in my life over the last 3 years is "me". I miss the pre-divorce, pre-sons open heart surgery, pre- job change,"me". The me that rested, relaxed & enjoyed life, without fear. Most of this time I was convinced that when my circumstances change, then I'll relax & be myself again. But the deeper issue is not circumstancial, its trust. . . Total uninhibited, without reservation, stick your hair in a ponytail/ kick your shoes off & stay a while trust.

I'm so proud of all the layers of healing God has done within me up to this point. Now its time to give Him the final pieces. I can be me right now, by finding myself deeper within The Father. I don't have to wait longer.

No matter what comes, it will be ok, I will be ok. Whatever comes, He will strengthen me through it. And I do not have to lose my mind in the process. If He removes something from my life, He will replace it with something better. Even death is only a temporary separation for children of God

Time to get my foot off the accelerator & be me again. I do not have to constantly drive my life. Thats God's job. I'm just along for the ride. I can trust Him with the destination. And when God decides its time to change my circumstances, I wana be myself to receive it!

Answered

"And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."
~James 5:15-16~

God, I thank You for being a steadfast God. Thank You for still answering prayers today. Thank You for our yesterday, and our today. You are so gracious, so merciful. You never change, You're a timeless Father. You never abandon us, You always hear us, You always respond with strength & support in the hour we need it most. Thank You for Your hand on our family & friends, and for the honor & priviledge to witness Your miracles first hand.

Be My Rock

Psalm 18:2 NKJV

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

This verse was used by the guest preacher last night at church. It was also the verse in my devotion book yesterday.. . .

Dear Lord, thank You for being my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my salvation. I love resting in Your sweet presence, in the protection of Your arms. Thank You for sharing every day with me, willingly, just because You want to. Thank You for sharing every detail of my life. You are always our greatest companion. Help us listen to Your voice when You're trying to prepare us for something ahead. I love You.

Too Little?

"And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’"
~Luke 19:17~

Is there anything too little for God? We often ask ourselves if there is anything too big for God, but often just assume some things are too small to bother The Almighty with. I mean after all, He is God! He's got souls to save, lives to rescue, wars & catastrophic events of worldly proportions to navigate. How would He possibly have time or patience for my small tissue issues?

The answer is the same: He is God, after all! He is completely able to forge world peace, stop a tsunami, put out a house fire, & at the same moment, listen to me. About whatever- the kids, my life, directions needed.

When is the last time you prayed about details on your job or in your school? Don' t be surprised to find out how He is interested in them! He wants to see you succeed. He wants to hear you praise His name when you do. He wants to help you handle your failures with dignity & learn some really important lessons along the way. He has no intention of you carrying all that stress alone. So go ahead & lay it on Him! He is more than happy to handle it. He's been waiting to get His foot in your job place or school! He's waiting on your invitation to get involved. You may be just the "little" mouth piece He needs to work there.

"“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”
~Micah 5:2~

When all hell breaks lose. . Win

"It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him."
~Mark 1:9, 11-13~

The moment Jesus' great baptism occurred, all hell broke lose. The moment satan saw The Father so pleased with His child, he set out to defeat Jesus. And so it is with us. Following Jesus, pleasing The Father is the most complete satisfation ever known to man. Prepare for the battle just ahead while your heart is still full & overflowing. No time better, your fully armed, arsenal full, tank fueled. Lift a holy hand in praise for all the greatness this moment holds in the warmth of God's smile, & reach for your sword with the other hand, ready to battle the enemy to stay here in this holy place.

Our best weapons are the sword of the spirit (the Bible) & on our knees in prayer.

Enjoy this moment of victory! Just keep your eyes open & focused. Meet the challenge smiling & excited, you can have confidence our God is bigger than anything the devil tries. Enjoy the challenge with God's master plan to outsmar

"Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him . . ."
~Luke 4:13~

Like Minds

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus"
~Phil 2:5~

I love to see an active, thriving church, full of life & motion. Where there is love & unity & life, there will be motion-action as the hands & feet of Jesus. Saints being fed the word of God & growing will long to share it with others. Wounded souls that have been healed will desire others to be healed, too. Once you've experienced the comfort of the Holy Spirit, you will want to comfort others. Nothing feels as good as being totally used up& exhausted for the ministry of Jesus.

Have you ever seen the movie The Santa Clause? Or Evan Almighty? In both movies, the men shave their thick long beards, then watch them grow 10 inches in seconds right before their eyes! It's kinds that way serving the Lord. You pour out everything you've got-time, money, energy-and just when you think you've run out of steam, He suddenly fills you right back up. You can feel it instantly.

Share what God's given you, even if your present situation isn't perfect. Get your mind off you, and be about the Father's business.

Boiled Eggs, Please

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"
~Phil 1:6~

Nancy brought this verse up during discipleship training class Sunday night. She is standing on this verse & claiming it's promise for her children. She knows God has begun a good work in them, and even now, through the trying teenage years, she believes God to complete it.

It just spoke to me. I know God has removed some things from our life, but that was only the beginning of His plan, not the plan itself. He does not begin something only to abandon it. He is faithful to complete the work He began in you and in me. Our job is to look expectantly, trusting in His faithfulness, praying fervently all the while.

Selah, my 4 yr old, came up to me yesterday as I worked at my desk. She asked me to fix her some eggs. I asked is she wanted them scrambled or boiled. I know she loves boiled eggs, but I also knew how long she would have to wait for them to cook then cool. She said, "Boiled!" After I reminded her of the wait involved, she said "That's ok, I'll be patient like you've taught me to, like the book we read about being patient. I'll be playing while they cook anyway. I know you'll get them for me because you said so." With that, she went off to play. She was clueless how the Lord had just used her to speak to my heart.

Do I trust God for His best, or settle for less just so I can have it now? Can I wait patiently on God's promise, and be about the Father's work while I wait? Do I have the complete confidence He will do ALL He says He will? He is God, He cannot lie, He cannot be unfaithful.

"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."
~John 16:24~

Praise Him

"From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised."
~Ps 113:3~

This is the best dose of medicine for a downcast soul. Nothing lifts your spirit better than praising the name of Jesus. It's human nature & the influence of the enemy to focus on all that's wrong in our life.

For some, there are real tragedies, heavy burdens that must be faced, day after day, the aftermath of a storm, picking up the pieces, searching for answers, not knowing where to begin. For others, it's dealing with discouragement, disappointment, in our daily life routine, in our life journey, our destination, our traveling companions, or the lack of companionship, or even disappointment in ourselves.

I heard a tale once of satan's yard sale. He had all his tools & weapons on display. One man walked up & read the sign on each: "lies, stealing, adultery", there were sins of every kind imaginable listed on the tools. Then the man saw the most worn out tool on display. You could no longer read anything written on it. The man asked satan, "What's this one? It looks so worn out & yet it has the highest price of them all." The devil replied,"Ah, this is my most valued tool, a prized possession. I have used it with success countless times. It's guarenteed to work. You see, even when I could not catch my victims with any other willful sin, I could trap them with this. It draws a person into such a deep trap, they become paralized in life, in relationships, in ministries. This tool . . . is discouragement."

Put the devil out of business today, get him out of your business. Start out praising the Lord for all the really great things already in your life, & TRUST HIM WITH THE REST.

Jehova Jirah-Just Obey

"Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. . .
But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.”
Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.”
So the two of them went together.
~Gen 22:1-3, 7-8~

God tests us, to see how much we love Him, to see if we would give up the thing that matters most to us if He asked us to. He has perfect timing to send deliverence but we have to rise early & step out on faith, risk it all, before that deliverence comes. Our job is to obey. We cannot control His timing, or His plan for our life. We cannot control the obedience of others around us. We cannot pretend that we are ignorant, we know His voice & we have heard His instruction. It's time to stand as the children of light we are called to be. We are all called to a mission in life, & some of our missions aren't easy. Our job is to finish the task, finish strong in faith, knowing that the blessings are just on the other side of our obedience.

"Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
So he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
~Gen 22:9-18~

Gaining My Balance

" Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."
~I Corinth 16:13~

I love the thought of a well- oiled machine, the kind that operates smooth & quiet, seamlessly transitions from task to task; effecient, without waste, yet glides easily, making the job look simple as nature. No binds on the engine, motor humming like a kitten purring. I often daydream about being that well-oiled maching, running my household & family with easy & quiet strength, always organized, punctual, clean & relaxed. Kids well behaved & happy.

Every once in a while I get a glimpse of God taking over. I see Him running things so smooth, I'm just the vessel He manovers through. He gets so much more accomplished than I ever do when I try to run my own day, and my own life. And on top of that, He creates a calm within me that is overwhelming. It's just wonderful. It 's moments & days like these that I catch a glimpse of the girl I used to be, the girl I've missed through all these storms, the me He created me to be. Gaining my final balance. . .

Whatever you have faced in life, whatever rattled you to the inner core of your being, I pray you're gaining your balance, too. "Watch" Him work. "Stand fast in the faith. Be brave, be strong"

No Panic In Heaven

Last night was so peaceful. Time passed so slowly. The house was full, my kids around the table (and naturally, 3 extra kids) for supper. Everybody relaxed & swam & played after. It was the kind of night you really take notice of God's peace & contentment. We celebrated that during devotion last night. It follows some weeks here of crazy home & car repairs, so we are particularly grateful.

I don't believe anything happens by chance. Today I made a business call & the lady on the other end of the phone shared her story with me. Her opening words were: "There is life after death, and by death, I'm referring to divorce." She had accepted that the rest of her life would be suffering, as she faced the daily struggles of a single mom, & fought the bitter ache of loneliness. But God had other plans for her life. Three years after her divorce, God sent a wonderful man into her life. She has been happily remarried for 6 months now. She said, "I didn't know life could be like this, & never expected to find happiness again". God is gracious, God is merciful.

My morning devotion had this verse & quote today:

"The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
~Ps 138:8~

"God has no problems, only plans. There is never panic in heaven"
~Corrie ten Boom~

There was no panic in heaven when this lady faced a divorce that rocked her world & everything she held dear. God already had plans for her future, & for yours & mine. Only believe. He is perfecting that which concerns you& me.

Polka Dot Day

"I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember My covenant . . ."
~Gen 9:13-15~

We all have a gray day sometimes. A day ( or a week! ) when a cloud glooms over our head, life appears dull, lacks luster, everything seems heavy, you feel lost in routine, without purpose. But God is gracious to soon place a break in the clouds. First a ray of sunshine beams through, next a faint rainbow. Your mind is renewed with some hope & wonder. Before you know it, you get up one morning to a full scale polka dot day, your heart filled with excitement & anticipation, bubbling over; you feel proud to be here, what you've persevered through, content again, less chaos, life more manageable & in control again- and you appreciate every moment of being here!

Be somebody's polka dot today. Call, share a joke. Laughter is powerful medicine to a discouraged soul. Send a card. Share a recipe. Sit in the porch swing together, go for a walk, grab a milkshake, take a trip to the flea market. God's promises to us are sure & steadfast, just like the rainbow. But sometimes the journey has been long through our flood & we need a brother / sister in Christ to remind us this cloud won't last forever. Polka dots will come again.

"This may require some thinking . . ."

Anybody recognize that quote? It's Winnie the Pooh. Getting up in he morning, facing the many obligations of the day, taking care of necessities, & trying to find enjoyment in life between-- it all requires quite a balancing act! Pooh knew that good planning requires alot of thinking. I had that little quote stuck in my head all morning (in the Pooh voice, of coarse), then my morning devotion spoke directly to the things on my heart. It's easy to become overwhelmed or lose focus on what really matters in life. Hope these scriptures minister to you like they did me. Meditate on them today as you navigate your to-do-list . . .

"From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised."
~Ps 113:3~

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men"
~Col 3:23~

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
~Matt 6:33~

Skiing In Two Directions

"Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path . . ."
~Ps 27:11~

You ever just NEED a "smooth" path? I told a close childhood friend this morning sometimes it feels like I'm skiing with my legs going in two different directions! We had a good laugh at the mental image that brought.

But this is life, and often we feel tugged & pulled, tossed by waves of doubt & uncertainty. And it's an out-of-control reality that our future depends on the driver of our boat. We're just holding on to the rope for dear life.

Success only comes with practice. You have to learn balance & strength to pull yourself up & glide across the water rather than fighting it. You must learn to navigate the wakes that other boats leave behind. You soon learn when to hold the rope tighter, when to give some slack, & when to let go all together, crawl in the boat and start on a fresh pull in a new direction.

Some of us fell, & we are searching for strength to pull up again, still trying to gain our balance. Some of us got caught in someone else's wake & have never found the courage to try again. Some of us have never learned to glide on God's path, we're still fighting every ripple. Some of us are up & goin, just a little goofy at moments with skis going in different directions! (Honey, it's ok to cry if you need to).

Guess life would be boring if there was never a wave to conquer. Where ever you are on your adventureous journey, I pray God gives you some smooth places to test your skills & see that you're stronger than you realize.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living."
~Ps 27:13~

"Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!"
~Ps 27:14~

Help

" May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you; May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion; May He remember all your offerings, And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah. May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose."
~Ps 20:1-4~

What more could you wish for someone? We heard a quote on a movie this weekend: "The only happiness in life is to love & to be loved".

There is no greater love than God's. When you feel isolated & alone, He stays. When you have long exhausted human ears, He listens, and more importantly, He responds. When you cry yourself to sleep, He holds you til morning. When you think life will always hold you where you are at this moment, He reminds you that He is the God of possibility.

"We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God."
~Ps 20:5-7~

"Just Do It"- Aint Just for Nike

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? . . . But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God."
~ from James 2:14-24~

Have you ever just been discouraged? I mean, you know you have so much to be grateful for, and you are, really you are. And you believe every promise God's given, with the deepest fiber of your being. But still, you're not immune to satan's tactics of fatigue, discouragement & impatience.

You have gotten up, pushing forward in hope, morning after morning for days & weeks, watched them turn into months & years. Still you believe in what is yet unseen. Most days you find the child like spirit within you, to dream & I mean dream big! You look daily to the horizon, expecting today to be your day to receive a miracle.

But every once in a while, our faith grows weary, our spirit becomes tired of the fight. We get dismayed with always giving 200%, & receiving much less in return. We are tired of forcing something that should be so easy- it seems so easy for everyone else. . .just tired of being lonely on this journey. Our inner child threatens to grow up or grow synical, believing the enemy's whispers, "This will never come, it's never going to happen, not for you, you've misunderstood . . . ."

It's a tempting place to give up, to sit down & never work toward anything again. BUT DON'T. . .KEEP WALKING, KEEP WORKING, KEEP GIVING, KEEP LOVING. . .Just do it. These are the feet of your faith. When your heart wants to quit, & your mind's too overwhelmed to offer any help, drag your weary body to it's feet & keep moving. Just do it. HE will show you why later.

He knows your heart, He reads your mind. Maybe He just wants to see if your faith runs so deep that your feet keep goin regardless, completely programed to work for your faith, to work out your faith, even when it's hardest. Just do it.

" If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
~From James 2:14-24~

Life's Obstacle Coarse

"For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall."
~Ps 18:29~

If there is anything I've learned about life, it's an obstacle coarse. A fast run to navigate our way through trials, falls, & difficulties of many sorts. But as we avoid the pits, we can't lose site of the things we need to contact along the way. There are heartbreaks to heal & lost souls to lead to Christ. There are hungry to feed & sick to visit.

There is a battle we are training for- the battle for our souls. As you dodge pot holes & aim for the good times of life, don't site of your final destination- eternal life, one place or other, we're all headed there. Let's take as many to heaven with us as we can when we go

"As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip."
~Ps 18:30-36~

Suddenly

"Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
~I Corinth 15:51-52~

Often when God does something, it's very sudden. And certainly our life can change or end in the twinkling of an eye. How prepared are you to face eternity, to face the Lord?

Many in our church came to the startling reality they were not prepared. About 15 souls have surrendered their life to Jesus in the last month. Several of these thought they were saved at a younger age but did not have the peace or assurance to " know" if they died, that they would meet Jesus in heaven.

Bro. Michael Baker preached a dynamic message Sunday morning: "There's No Such Thing As a Casual Christian". The defination of a casual Christian is :
"one who would like to please God, however also wants to please the would & self; they try to squeeze every ounce of enjoyment out of the world so they can have the best of both worlds; they only come to church when it's convenient or there is nothing else going on; they are mostly committed to self. Their life reflects the world". . .

Then he gave the defination of a commited Christian:"One who's life is centered in Christ& His kingdom's work; their faith defines every area of their life & who they are. Their life reflects Christ consistantly to those around them"

Wow . . .which one of these define you?

Bro. Baker went on to say: I believe casual Christians are lost & bound for hell, & don't even know it.

1 John 5:12-13 says:
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. "

You can know for certain, you don' t have to live in doubt & wonder & fear. The day will come that your life will suddenly end. Don't delay. Settle this with Christ today.

Lemonade Is Free!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
~I Thes 5:16-18~

Ok, so here's my story. It all started with a faulty worn out tire. The side wall was seperating & it was unsafe to drive. Then it happened that I needed 4tires because they were all badly worn. When the tires were taken off, several lug nuts broke (common to my brand truck, so I'm told). Then we find that that 2 bearings are bad and it needs an alignment. We order those. Well the fan motor was sounding like a tin can, so we ordered that part too. We get everything broken down, ready to repair, & it's the wrong part. My bearings have an anti-lock break sensor. Put it all back together, order correct parts. Of coarse, it took 3 weeks to get the correct part in. In the meantime, we had noticed a slow leak of water from somewhere in the last several months but could never find it. Guess what? Not only did we find it, we poked another whole beside it with the new fan motor! So, we took that off, carried it to the next town to be welded, & of coarse he was so busy with his feet propped up on the desk, he couldn't possibly get it today- yes 2 trips to the next town to pick it up. Ok, radiator back on, filled with new anti-freeze, here we go, driving Ms. Daisy again. But wait, still a slow water leak. Oh, now it's the thermostat leaking. Ok, no big deal. That 's a cheep part & buy more anti-freeze. . .

Ok, to truly appreciate this story, you've gota hear what else is goin on at home for this single mom of 5 during the same time: septic tank pumped out, roof leaking, dishwasher repair, laundry room flooded, bathroom sink stopped up (part breaks), hole in pool hose, lawn mower belt broken.

Now, back to truck . . . Well, in taking off the thermostat, a bolt broke in the motor. Now, we have to haul it to a repair shop. . . So, that is where the story is today! Guess I've had my share of lemons this summer. Thank God He sends a little sweet with the sour to make lemonade-like the gentle selfless man helping me fix everything known to mankind! . . . . And thank God lemonade is free!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
~Phil 4:4-7~

The Weight of the Wait

"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him . . . "
~Ps 37:7~

Waiting on the Lord is never easy. It requires diligence & self discipline on the greatest level. He requires this sacrifice of time to build our faith; faith to stretch our vision beyond what is seen with human eyes . . . "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." ~Heb 11:1~

He is more interested in the character He is building within us than what we attain.

What makes the miracle so sweet to receive? The weight of the wait. Only someone who has sat quietly in the stillness of great need, can shout when that need is filled. Only someone who has desperately cried out to the Lord, understands the power of being heard. Only someone broken, sick, and wounded knows the power of forgiveness, healing & restoration. Only someone who has lived the pain of lonely nights, will cherish sweet companionship once again.

Only when you have trusted God for something so big that only He could deliver, do you then realize His hand as your blessing begins to unfold right before your eyes. Stand in awe & wonder!

" I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord."
~Ps 40:1-3~

While I'm Waiting

"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."
~Eph 3:13~

This verse has held special meaning thru the many twists & turns of my life's journey over the last 3 years. But today, I think of Dylan.

On Thursday last week, our camp group visited a group of medical apartments on the 7th floor called "The Neighborhood". Patients & families who live more than 60 miles away from can rent these apartments to be close to the hospital. Each apartment has a kitchenette, couch, bath, & 1-2 beds. There is a common room on the floor (like a den) & kitchen they can also use. They have access to stocked food & linen pantries, pot& pans, etc. If they cannot afford the rent, area churches sponsor each room.

Many there are waiting for heart & lung transplants. A few have cancer. One 31 year old (mother with small children) caught her skirt on fire at a camp site & was severely burned. Another couple gave birth to triplets prematurely May 29- the first little boy & girl passed away earlier this summer, & the last little boy is finally gaining some weight, getting stronger.

It was a very emotional mission site for many in my camp group. One teenager in our group was Logan. She is a leukemia survivor. I watched her get down on her face in the doorway of a cancer patient, praying for their healing. It was a personal visit for me too, remembering our time spent in medical apartments with Blake in 2008 having open heart surgery at age 16. And also with Wade, my first son, who died in surgery with a heart transplant.

I rejoiced meeting one family as they were checking out. He had a heart transplant 6 weeks ago, all rejection tests were negative, & he was heading home! I was overwhelmed with joy at the prayers answered for this man, the miracle healing we are all witnesses to! . . . Yet I grieved for the many, like my Wade, that will never go home again.

Dylan is 21 & waiting on a heart transplant. Last week when we were there, doctors expected he could only survive 2 more weeks without a donor organ. And today, another week of his life has passed by. I wonder what life looks like thru his eyes? I wonder what changes we would make if we knew this was our last week to live?

I heard this phrase on a movie last night: "Life is a wonderful terrible thing, & none of us make it out alive"

This life is temporary, whether long or short, healthy or sick, ended by death or by Christ's return- it is temporary. . . .are we investing in what's eternal? Are we focused on the things that realy matter with what ever time we have?

As the song says: " While I'm waiting, I will worship. While I'm waiting serve Him".

"There is something about having endured great loss that brings purity of purpose & strength of character" (Barbara Johnson)

A Cold Cup of Water

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."
~Col 3:17~

The last day on site at camp, we worked at a community kitchen feeding the homeless. I think every cold cup of water I handed out echoed verses of scripture in my ears.

For some in our group, it brought painful memories. One girl had been adopted & she remembered being in shelters like this. She stood strong as served them everyone, and then just broke into tears. But just look how God has restored her! Placed her & her brother in a home with loving parents & other siblings.

It was so humbling & heart breaking to watch men get plates of food out of the trash, & pack food into bags to sneak out just so they could have something to eat later.

We sat & visited with those we were so honored to serve lunch to. We listened to their stories . . .

Donald worked for Bama food company for 15 years until they closed the plant. Then, unemployed & unable to afford his medication, he suffered with uncontrolled schizophrenia. He now receives shots once a month to help the symptoms & a lady has graciously agreed to let him sleep in her spare room. He is excited to have a roof over his head & dreams of the day he will have a place of his own. We got to sing happy birthday to him! He had no other family to celebrate with. . . .

Willie was a blessed soul to talk to! He had surgery on his hip & leg and struggles to get around. He has a place to live but can't afford food. So he walks 2 blocks in the heat to have 1good meal a day. He was the most joyful person I've ever met, praising God every breath. He spoke with wisdom, knew the scripture, and grieved for past mistakes that landed him in jail. He has 2 grown kids he has good relationships with. He was so gracious & grateful. . .

James was not much younger than me. He has 4 children, 3 boys from 13 down to 2, & a little girl 1. Says he sees them every day. His eyes were blood shot, and I suspect he struggles with drug dependence. From our conversation, I'm not sure he has ever worked steady. I'm ashamed to admit at first, I wanted to choose someone else to serve, but just felt God leading my spirit to him. I almost missed a great blessing. Beyond the rough outward appearance was a gentle giant. His spirit was mild & tender, his smile warm & welcome. He looked at me & said,"I'm not a bad person, just a in-between-person". I thought in that moment how many times I've been "in-between" where God wants me & where I fight to have my own way? I wonder if this is the only life he has ever known? Did anyone ever care to tell him God has a better plan for his life? I desperately wanted to share the gospel with him in bold letters & wave my banner like the calvery to save this young man! Yet, God restrained me to just befriend him with love, without judgement; just to serve him a cold cup of water & a meal; just to treat him like Jesus would. I let him know I'd be happy to pray with him before he left, but all he left with that day was warm meal & a smile. God knows, only God knows what that man needed at that very moment. Hope I get to hear the rest of his story in heaven one day. . .

The Bible says some plant, some get to water, but God gives the increase. Which task has He given you today? Which blessing is He allowing you the opportunity to share?

"knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free."
~Eph 6:8~

One Mind

"These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers."
~Acts 1:14~

Another note from camp:

I was amazed to see the work our team accomplished. It's amazing how individuals from many different states who have just met can work together like the best of friends. I witnessed that Wednesday as our team of 28 folks organized clothes, food, furniture & baby items at a center for the needy. I saw it again today as Anna & Kayla ministered with our team to patients & their families in medical apartments where they live to be close to the hospital. Many await heart & lung transplants. Others battle cancer. And a couple has burried 2 of their premature triplets since their birth May 29; the last little boy continues to fight for his life.

Back on campus tonight, this same team won the camp mega-relay contest.

What is making the difference in this team's success in ministry & activities? What made the difference in our church VBS last week where 8 decisions for Christ were made?

One mind, one accord. They all continued in one mind & one accord. All were focused on the same common goal: the gospel of Jesus. No one stopped to ask what personal glory might be obtained. No one complained about their busy schedule, or how tired they were, or pointed fingers to someone else to do the task.

They just continued, united for Christ. I pray this the dawn of a new era for our church, our youth, our community.

Newly Purposed

"For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
~Esther 4:14~

Today our youth visited with residents of a personal care home. It's part of our M-Fuge Christian camp experience baced on missions of service.

The last lady Kayla & I visited today had many facinating life stories to tell about places she had lived & worked, & significant others in her life. But the most blessed story she shared is her current one. . .

She is 78 years old & one of the youngest residents. She fell several times at home, breaking many bones, & that landed her here, for safety purposesHer mind is sharp as a tack, make-up perfectly in place, & dressed really nice. She sits in a wheel chair on the patio, under the pravillion,reading a book.

When she 1st moved here, she cried for 3 months. She battled depression. But one day, God brought the needs of other residents to her attention. She began visiting them, making friends, meeting small needs in their life. Finally, her focus was off herself. She can meet their needs for a change.

She can tell you that God has placed her here to look out for the other residents.

Wow . . .God can re-purpose us at 78 years old. There is never a time our lives belong to us. They belong to God. And there is nothing more satisfying than fulfilling that purpose. Let Him use you, for such a time as this

Face 2 Face

"So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
~Gen 32:30~

Where is your Peniel? When is the moment you came face to face with God? Do you ever remember a time that you stopped focusing on His hand to look up into His eyes. It is a very sobering experience, to come face to face with The One who holds our very breath in His hand. Look into His eyes, feel the depth of love like you have never known, feel time stand still as you look into Eternity Himself. See yourself so clearly in His eyes, even if the reflection is painful to face. Feel the thickness of His Spirit surround you. Listen to His heart speak to yours. Let Him reveal some things to you- He wants you to know them. He has been waiting for this penial moment, to finally have undivided attention, just with you.