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."