Happy New Year!

Another year has passed. We are now entering 2020. That sounds surreal to me. Can you remember as a young child thinking of 2020. It seemed impossible to reach. And here it is.
How do you approach a new year?  Do you have regrets because you failed to accomplish everything you desired?  Do you make a list of “unrealistic “ resolutions that you already know you will not complete?  Or do you go into this new year feeling grateful for all you did accomplish and the blessings you received throughout the year?
I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions.  I’d rather set goals, but work on those goals one by one, or little by little.  I feel much more encouraged when I’ve accomplished a goal and can check that off my list. I do not attack a list all at once, feeling so  overwhelmed that I soon throw the list away.
What kind of goals do you have?  We all have different ones because of our stage of life. My goals are not the same as our son’s. His certainly are not the same as mine. And that is a good thing.
The Lord places on each of our hearts a vision or goal. And He has plans for each one of us individually.
There is an important aspect for us all however. Seek the Lord with all of your heart. Ask Him what He desires of you this year. Read His Word. His Word contains everything we need to know, all of the tools we need to grow in Him.
What ever you have on your list, or what resolutions you make, we must have the Word of God and His Holy Spirit to guide us through life.
“Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭AMP‬‬
Our Lord Jesus has a plan for your life in 2020. But we must stay on track. Do not waver off the path He has paved for us.
Be encouraged my friends.  God loves you so much that He has put together a perfect plan for you.
He will guide you all of the way. Just remember to talk with Him.  Ask Him to help you.  We just need to take one step at a time. No need to accomplish our list in one day.
Happy New Year!

It's Christmas Time!

It's Christmas time again.  It seems the year flies by when we are adults. Do you remember when you were a child? It seemed like it took forever for Christmas to come. Then it flew by.
But as adults, we wonder where the time went. We get caught up in our daily schedules, work, school, and the things that take up our day. The weeks and months go by so quickly. Are we ever prepared?
As little children we are always ready and excited because we receive gifts from loved ones. As adults, we often fret because we aren't prepared as much as we thought we were.
This is what Christmas looks like when we take the focus off of Who we are celebrating.
Christmas is Jesus' birthday. If it weren't for Him, the meaning of Christmas would be totally commercial. As it is, many are trying to make it that way. But as a Christian, a Christ follower, it is so important to keep Christmas about Him. He brings the joy to Christmas. He brings the joy into our lives. The excitement is all because Jesus was born. Jesus came to save us. He was born for us.
Think about when we celebrate someone else's birthday, we are so excited to celebrate their life and bless them with a gift. It brings joy to our hearts to give to someone.
That is the joy Christmas brings to most of us. We love to bless others with gifts. The joy of seeing a child open a gift is amazing. And I am sure it brings joy to Jesus also.
We must remember, however, why we are celebrating. Christmas is empty without Jesus. There would not be Christmas if Jesus had not been born.
When we are celebrating on Christmas Day, it is joyous, exciting, and full of love. Being with family, having a special meal together, and sharing the love of Christmas, this is Christmas.
We must keep Jesus at the center of our celebration. We must teach our children why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus was born for us, Jesus is love, Jesus is our Savior. This is Christmas!
What does your Christmas look like? Do you fret because you over spent your budget? Is it just another day on the calendar that is busy and hectic? Are you frustrated, exhausted, and ready for Christmas to be over? If yes to these questions then you do not have the true joy of Christmas in your hearts.
What does your Christmas look like? Are you alone, without a family to celebrate with? Are you alone because you choose to be alone? If yes, then remember what Christmas is, Jesus' birthday. He came to this earth for you. He loves you more than any gift, or any job, or any bottle of booze, or any disease. Jesus has His arms opened wide, waiting to receive you. He will wrap you in His arms and hold you tight. Whatever you are facing, you will never be alone when you have let Jesus into your life.
So faithful readers, I pray that as you celebrate Christmas, you feel the love He has for you. I pray you feel the warmth of His arms around you. I pray you can hear His heart beating a song to comfort you. There is so much more to unwrap at Christmas time. That is the love of Jesus that warms you and welcomes you with open arms.
Merry Christmas, and Happy Birthday Jesus!

Thanksgiving and Miracles

This is the beginning of Thanksgiving week here in the United States. I think for all of us it brings so many special memories to mind. Especially gathering with family for that special Thanksgiving meal. So often today the true meaning of Thanksgiving gets forgotten in all of the mayhem of preparing for the gathering and feast. Let's think back to what that first Thanksgiving was all about way back when the Pilgrims celebrated.  They came together to give thanks to God for the new freedoms they have in this new land they came to. And also giving thanks for the harvest that provided all of the wonderful food they enjoyed with one another.  They also gave thanks to God for the health in their families, and the provisions God provided for them. And many experienced miracles throughout the year I am sure.
That brings me to what I'd like to share with you. 
Thanksgiving was always special in my family. We gathered together with extended family and Grandparents, and enjoyed the feast. We treasured the family times spent together.
When I was a young age my father was an alcoholic. Even though that often brought a cloud over our celebrations, my brother and I always knew he loved us, and cherished the holidays with us. It was when I was a teenager my parents were divorced. This was extremely difficult for us. My father tried every motive possible to get rid of alcohol for good in his life. Unfortunately the pull was very strong, and everyone who celebrated always seemed to have the need for alcohol to be involved.
Even when my father was not with us, he still tried to make our holidays special.
It was one particular spring that my father reached his final ultimatum. Go to a rehab facility or go to jail. My brother and I knew he needed more than a rehab facility. He needed Jesus to come into his life and deliver him from alcohol. My brother and I were adults at this point. Our Mom still cared.
My brother found a Christian organization that would take my father. We prayed and prayed that this would be the healing and deliverance from Jesus he needed.
My father walked through the doors, he was met by some men who instantly prayed for him. And in that very instant, my father was delivered and healed from alcohol for good. He stayed on at the center for 4 months. But he knew he had a family to return home to, including a wife to restore a marriage with.  Neither my Mom or Dad never remarried, they were apart for 12 years. My Dad said he never felt he was divorced. He returned home to us in September. He was totally restored and gleaming with the love of Jesus shining on his face. We enjoyed our holidays together. The next year we enjoyed being a family. My Dad asked my Mom to marry him again. And November 28, 1987 my parents were once again married. But this time Jesus was at the center. We had many wonderful Thanksgiving's and Christmas' together as a family. There wasn't a day that went by that we did not give thanks for this miracle.
My parents are both in heaven now. We miss them so very much. But we are so very thankful for the gift Jesus gave our family.
This year Thanksgiving is on November 28th. So I decided to write about our miracle. I want to encourage you all. There are many of you needing a miracle in your life. It may seem like it is impossible. It may seem like it will never happen. You may feel hopeless. Trust me, it is possible. There is hope. Jesus can restore to you what may have been taken. He can heal you. He can provide for you. The list is never ending what Jesus can do for us. He loves us so much. There isn't anything He does not want to do for you. He just asks for us to BELIEVE. This is the season for believing.
Whether you are in need of that miracle, or you know someone in need, call out to Jesus. He is right there by your side always. He loves you more than you can fathom. Trust Him, and BELIEVE.
As you gather for Thanksgiving dinner this year, take a moment and give thanks to Jesus for all He has done for you and your loved ones.
Also let us remember those less fortunate than us, let us pray and ask Jesus to bless them abundantly.
And finally, let us remember our service men and women, serving in our own country and overseas. Let us give thanks for their sacrifice as they fight for us, protect us, and serve us. And let us ask God to surround them with His love and protection.
I pray for you all, faithful readers, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and may the Lord drench you in His love.
Happy Thanksgiving!

HOPE! There is Always Hope!

Hope! What does it mean to you? Does it cost you anything? Where do you get it?
The hope I have is already bought and paid for by my Lord Jesus. He freely gives this to us, in abundance, if we so desire.
In today's world we definitely need hope. It doesn't matter where we live, or what type of job we have, or what our needs are, hope is ours and we need it.  As long as we are trusting the Lord Jesus for our needs and follow Him, hope is there for us at any time. Jesus is our hope.
There are so many people in need today. Whether it is a crisis in their life, or job needs, or anything else, Jesus is there. He has His hands held out to us, reach for Him, and He will pull you out of the mire. He will rescue you out of the pit. He will wash you clean and cover you with His Holy Spirit. He will save you. We all need Jesus to rescue us at times. He is calling us to Him.
Jesus gives us His promises. Those promises are true, and they will not fail us. Jesus' love for us is so vast and deep, we are never without it.
That alone fills me with hope. Knowing Jesus is always with me and by my side, watching over me.
This is our never-ending hope. This is our reason for Thanksgiving. This is our reason for rejoicing.
Faithful readers, all of you have the same love from Jesus. You all have the same hope within your reach.
The world needs to see this hope in us. There are many that need to see it, they need to feel it, they need to know it is real. We are the vessels the Lord will use to share this love and hope to the lost.
Jesus us calling us to Him. He has the same love for all of us. He has hope for all of us to hold on to.
He knows your name, He knows my name. And He will never leave us.
I pray that you all have this hope, and that you all can feel His love for you.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a
 11 For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12 You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration

It's not too late!

So often we hear people say they do not feel loved. Or someone will say they do not feel they have any worth. They do not think they matter to anyone. 

Then we see the other side of the spectrum, people feel they are invisible. They can do anything they like, whether good or bad. So many of these people have no respect for others, or themselves.

All of this is wrong thinking. We do have worth. We are loved. And if you are still alive, it is not too late. Not too late for what?

It is not too late to feel loved, to be worth something to someone, and to have self respect and respect for others.

Remember as little children we used to sing the song "Jesus loves me, this I know"?

Yes He loves me, the Bible tells me so. Or remember "Jesus loves the little children"? Yes! And those children are us. No matter our size, color, age, name, or our past, Jesus loves us. This very minute, where we are, what we are doing, Jesus loves us.

I was thinking about this when I was doing my devotions this morning. In the Bible we read in several occasions God tells of His love for all.  But to those who are denying Him and not obeying, He gives a warning to them. Change or they will die, and not live in glory with Him. Sometimes He gives them many chances. God is so patient. But as long as those people were alive there was still a chance for them to change and ask for forgiveness. God still loves them!

In today's world it doesn't take long to hear about horrific killings, abuse, drugs, prostitution, and sex crimes on children, and war. Like in Bible days, God gives us all the same chance to change and repent. To walk in the love God has for us. It is not too late. As long as you are alive on this earth, then it is not too late.

It doesn't matter where you live, or what continent you live on, the world needs to hear and see the love of Jesus Christ. That is the one thing God has asked of us, to spread His Gospel and tell of the love Jesus has for us. He sacrificed His own life on that cross for us. Why? Because He loves us! 

My faithful friends, I pray you know how much you are loved. That you never feel alone in this big world. I pray that whatever it is you do in this world, it glorifies the Lord Jesus and shows the lost His love. 

We all have worth. We all are loved. We all have a responsibility to share the Gospel to others.

When we are obedient to the Lord we do not have to search for love. Because it is right there with us.

When Life Gets Busy.....

We've all had times when we seem to be busier than usual. The days go flying by, then the weeks, months, years. When we do slow down a little bit we often think where did the time go.
The last several weeks have been more busy for me. It seems like my appointments with my doctors all seem due at the same time.  And add that on to life's busy moments, we seem to be running from sunrise to sunset. For me, I do not like it when it's like that. I like my routine.
A couple of thoughts come to mind when I think about this. First of all, my routine. Routines are good. They help us stay on track. However, there is nothing wrong with breaking a routine. Sometimes God has a task for us, or maybe a "divine encounter" with someone.  We may need to interrupt our routines for a day or two in order to serve the Lord in a special way. It may not be a large task, but I am sure it is still very significant to God. So when our schedules get interrupted for a short time, let's not fret but serve the Lord with gladness.
The next thought I have is about our busy lives and schedules. Your time is as valuable as mine, my time as valuable as yours. But the Lord's time is the most valuable.
The Lord certainly knows our daily routines and commitments. No matter how busy we are, we must save time for the Lord. We must stay in His Word, we must have our time with Him, praying and talking to Him. This doesn't mean we have to spend hours alone with God. But we must continue to read His Word. I have always felt that it is important to stay "in`tuned" to the Lord always. Throughout our day, we must be listening to Him. 
Trust me, I know what a busy schedule can do to our routines. But it is more important to listen to God. This day and age we all have gotten used to multi tasking. When we are cleaning house, we certainly can pray and intercede at the same time. When riding in the car, we can worship the Lord. There are so many other examples.
No matter where you live or what country you live in, there is turmoil and unrest. Christians are being persecuted. Our freedoms in the Lord Jesus are being pulled away. The Lord needs His church to be strong in Him.  The way to grow in that strength is to read His Word, pray to Him, and worship Him. He will equip us for the battle we may be in. Or for what is to come.
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and show you the way to go;
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.
The Lord Jesus is always by our side. Whatever is keeping you too busy to spend quality time with Him, I encourage you to examine those things. The Lord knows our hearts. If you are longing to have time with Him, He will make a way. Lay it down before Him. He will clear the path for you.

Special Memories and Blessings

I think I can confidently say ALL of us have those special childhood memories that make us feel warm inside. And along with those memories are blessings. We often recall special blessings the Lord has given us throughout our lifetime.  I think we all feel good inside when we think of those times.
However, along with the good times come the bad times. We all have faced times of trouble, times of disappointment, times of despair, and those times when we've lost a loved one. So often the Lord uses those hard times to help us grow. Let me tell you some of my story.
When I was a young girl my father was an alcoholic. My mother, brother, and I went through many disappointments and hardships. We never doubted his love for us. But as many times as my father tried to recover from the alcoholism, the more we were disappointed. Finally when my brother and I were teenagers, my mother and father divorced. At that time none of us walked with Jesus. Sure we knew who He was, but we did not have that personal relationship with Him.
I remember almost feeling relieved about the divorce, yet we did miss our Dad very much. When I was getting married, my brother walked me down the aisle. But we have always been very close, so that seemed perfectly fine to me.
When my husband and I became parents to our son, I then began to miss my father more and more. I wanted our son to know his Grandpa. By this time we had developed our relationship with Jesus and began to follow Him and His ways. We started to have a new found faith and hope that one day my father would be delivered from the alcohol.
Our son was 2, and my father was delivered from the alcohol. He went to a Christian Rehab program. He began serving the Lord Jesus and telling others of his own healing and deliverance. It was almost instantly. When he walked through the doors of the rehab center, he was immediately prayed for. My Dad went into that place knowing this was his only chance to be free. And he was set free indeed.
Within 6 months my Dad returned "home" a new man. But with the same love for us he always had. Our son had the Grandpa I truly longed for him to have. My Dad was so very proud of our son. He beamed when he spoke of him.
Not only did he return to my brother and I, but he returned still loving our mother. Neither one of them had ever remarried. They had been divorced for 12 years. A year after returning, my mother and father were remarried. Our family was whole once again.
There were many doubters. Those expecting my Dad to fall once again. But he didn't! When Jesus does something, it is done. It is finished.
We had over 20 years with my Dad before cancer robbed him. We are so very grateful for the time we all had with him.
Today would have been Daddy's 89th birthday. I know he is celebrating in heaven with our Mom, but mostly with Jesus. As much as we miss them both, we can rejoice because we know where they are. And some day we will join them in heaven.
My faithful readers, I write this to encourage you. Never give up. Do not lose faith. Jesus can do the impossible. He can change our darkest moments to the brightest. Even in our dark moments, Jesus continues to love us. He never leaves our side. He takes those moments and turns them around for His good.
No matter what your dark moment is, or your "crutch" is, or your addiction, or your need, Jesus is bigger, stronger, and in control. Jesus asks us to have faith the size of a mustard seed. Sure, He can change us whether we have faith or not. But it sure helps to have a little. Faith and hope helps us have that extra boost to push us through those hard times. My Dad knew if he could just get to a place where others would help him get closer to Jesus, where his faith and hope would grow, then he would be okay. He had that tiny seed of faith. And He was okay.
You can have the same victory. You too will be okay.
Matthew 17:20b
“For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Being Washed Clean!

It was 37 years ago that my husband and I both were water baptized in a river. It was a rather cool, rainy day. I still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember coming up out of that water feeling as light as a feather. I felt very clean. Much cleaner than I would normally feel after a shower.
Why is this important? For me I knew that the Bible speaks of water baptism. In my heart I felt an urgency to be baptized. I wanted to be washed free of any sin in my life. I wanted to feel free from any of that sin. I knew if I was to serve the Lord Jesus with all my heart then I needed to be cleansed by Him.
Many of you may have different views on baptism. That is fine. I just want to share my story and what it meant to me.
When we accept Jesus as Lord of our lives it is important to check ourselves everyday. We all are sinners, and will need to ask forgiveness. We are not perfect, and Jesus knows that. That is why He has given us ways to be washed and set free.
When I spend my time in the Word and prayer every morning I examine myself. I ask Jesus if there is something I need to ask forgiveness for. Or maybe something Jesus needs to help me with. Our Lord God does not expect us to get in a river everyday and be baptized over and over again. He has given us His Holy Spirit to cleanse us, purify us, and help us through those difficult situations.
Jesus loves us so very much that He has provided a way for us to be cleansed everyday.
Think about it, we take a shower on Sunday. Then we work hard Monday through Saturday.
We are out in the sun and heat, getting dirty and smelly. Sometimes downright stinky. Do we go home everyday and shower or do we wait for Sunday to come around? I don't know about you, but I would feel pretty dirty and "unclean". We must maintain our cleanliness everyday. The same goes for our spiritual cleanliness. We must be washed everyday.
We often put on our best clothing, and try to look our best when we are going to meet someone important, like our boss, our pastor, or someone else. How about when we go to talk with Jesus, do we want to look our best? I'm sure Jesus does not care about our outward appearance. But I know He cares about our inner well being. Our spirit. So much so that He gives us His very own Spirit to live in us, to guide us, care for us, teach us, and cleanse our hearts. 
I encourage you, my friends, take the time each day and examine yourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to wash you clean. Ask Him to set you free of any sin. Ask Him to help you shine for His glory.
You will feel light as a feather. You will feel clean and sweet smelling. Jesus loves you so very much that He takes those burdens from you.
Are you ready? Ready to be used by God for His glory? Have you asked Jesus to cleanse you and prepare you?

Perseverance, Disappointments, Dreams, Hard Work, and Rewards

You may look at the title of this post and wonder how all of those words can fit into the same title.
It is like this, we all have those dreams as children, of what we'd  like to be as we grow up. We daydream of what it will be like when we are doctors, nurses, teachers, and guitar players. Many of us learned at an early age, those dreams will not come true unless we work hard. Regardless what you desired to be, it took hard work to get there. It took never giving up on our dream. It took realizing very few are just "gifted" into a profession.
When I was pregnant with our son, my husband and I would sing to the baby every day that we could. My husband would play guitar. When he played, the baby would "dance" in my belly. It used to amaze us.  I am not a very large person in size. So to see that baby moving in my belly was amazing all in itself.
We used to wonder what he or she would be when grown. A nurse like me, or a guitar player like my husband. Or something totally different.
Our son was 4 years old when he first showed interest in the guitar. He would try to play along with my husband. The more he played, the more he asked for a "real" guitar. Needless to say, my husband was thrilled. But we could see something in our son that made us think this was real. We had those dreams of him playing before thousands. But we always prayed that he would grow up to do what the Lord desires for him to do.
My husband began teaching our son, in a more detailed manner, when he was 8 or 9. He did have his own "grown up" electric guitar. We impressed on him, if you want to play guitar, and be good at it, then you must practice everyday. He took the things my husband taught him, and he practiced everyday. Sometimes falling asleep on his bed, with his guitar still strapped to him. He wanted to be used in this way by God. He practiced, he was discouraged at times, he heard some critics asking him what real job would he have. But he also was encouraged, and was blessed many times throughout the years, as he was obedient to God. 
Our son went to college to learn more about the music business and take more detailed guitar lessons. We always encouraged him and believed in him. As a parent that never stops.
Eventually our son chose to move across country to attend a church and a school that ministered to young adults. He wanted to be sure he was doing what God would have him do. It wasn't long, a few weeks at the most, he was playing for worship. Then that moved into a larger role, eventually traveling around the world. He met his wife there as well. He was actually one of her teachers.
They decided to make the move to Nashville.
My husband and I were seeing our dreams for our son producing fruit. Our son continued to believe God would use him. He never quit. He continues to this day to persevere, and practice. As a musician in Nashville, to play at the Grand Ole Opry is a dream. And as parents, we definitely would dream about such an opportunity.
This past week that dream came true for our son. He had the tremendous honor of playing on the Grand Ole Opry. And as his parents, we couldn't be more proud, and humbled. God has a plan, He has always had a plan for his life.
My friends, it is okay to dream those dreams. Whether those dreams start at an early age, or they come later, dream. Along with those dreams, we must pray and seek the Lord's guidance. We must work hard, and never give up. Persevere, run that race. Yes there will be hardships, disappointments, and even critics. But when you serve God with all hour heart, and follow Him, then He will direct your path, guide your steps, and reward you.
Our son has been rewarded for his faithfulness to God, and his hard work along the way. Even though this dream came true for our son, he must continue to dream and set goals. It is important for all of us to continue to dream and set new goals.
My husband and I are nearing a new stage in life, retirement. It is still a few years away. But we are now dreaming about that stage in life. It is exciting to dream together, and to go through the stages of life together and with God paving the way.
Dream those dreams. Set those goals. And enjoy the journey along the way. God has special blessings and surprises at each stop. It is exciting!
Hebrews 12:1-[ The Call to Endurance ] Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,
2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith,

Linen Underwear!

Linen Underwear

Jeremiah 13- This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen undergarment and put it on,[a] but do not put it in water.” 2 So I bought underwear as the Lord instructed me and put it on.

3 Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4 “Take the underwear that you bought and are wearing,[b] and go at once to the Euphrates[c] and hide it in a rocky crevice.”5 So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord commanded me.

6 A long time later the Lord said to me, “Go at once to the Euphrates and get the underwear that I commanded you to hide there.” 7 So I went to the Euphrates and dug up the underwear and got it from the place where I had hidden it, but it was ruined—of no use at all.

You may be thinking what in the world will I write about Linen underwear. 

It took me awhile, but I did come up with a word I felt the Lord would have me share. 

As you can see , this is a word the Lord gave to Jeremiah when there was so much sin and destruction amongst the people. As far as what it actually meant for Jeremiah, that you can study on your own.

I am writing just what the Lord showed me about this topic.

As I was praying and asking God what He was showing me with linen underwear, that became rotten, I had a clear picture.

On the outside we can look clean, pristine, refined, perfect, and on and on. We clean ourselves and make ourselves look acceptable. But on the inside, have we dealt with the "dirtiness" in our lives?

None of us are exempt from needing that cleansing inside. We are like fine linen. We need tender care from the inside out.  A gentle cleansing, rinsing, and airing out. Only the Lord can do that.

Linen is made of some of the finest cloth you can find.  But it cannot take being exposed to the elements for a long period of time. It needs a gentle washing and rinsing, and then air dry. 

The linen underwear was left in water and under a rock for a long period of time. When Jeremiah retrieved it, it was rotten. I'd imagine stinky and dirty. So it was no longer any good.

Think about our bodies in that way.  If we constantly abuse our bodies on the inside and out, they will become frail. We won't look very appealing on the outside. As for the inside, only God can restore what we have abused.

When we come to the Lord and repent of our sins, (we all need to do that), then the Lord can cleanse us, refine us, make us like new. When we welcome Him into our lives, invite Him in, then He will make us like new. He will gently refine us and make us like that new linen. 

Think of yourself as that fine linen. It is not just a garment to wear, but it is the tender fibers that make up that garment. The tender fibers that make up each one of us on the inside. The Lord Jesus loves us so much that He makes us with His best fibers. We are His masterpieces. And He wants to take care of His prize possessions. He wants to cleanse us and care for us. But we have to allow Him in to do that. 

Call on Jesus, ask Him to come in and remove all of the cobwebs and stinkiness. Oh it feels so good to be so clean.

We are like fine linen!

Hope!

This morning I looked at my facebook page and a memory came up. The post was titled "Hope".When I read through it I felt this was a post many needed to see. After all, I do not think any of us are exempt from this need. We all need hope. Sometimes this need is more urgent than other times, but it never escapes us totally.
Here is the post I wrote 4 hears ago:
HOPE: I woke up this morning with hope on my mind. In this broken world we live in so many cannot find hope. But we must find it, we must have it.
I cannot imagine anyone prefers to walk in the doom and gloom of defeat and hopelessness. I know I don't. I want to walk in the victory of hope.
True hope, eternal hope comes only one way. Through the power and love of our Lord God, Jesus Christ.
You see Jesus fought the war for us. And He was victorious. The devil is forever defeated.
 But that doesn't mean we sit back idle and not fight for truth. We still need to fight for our freedom in Jesus. We need to have that eternal hope in Jesus.
It would be easy for me to sit back and say well I can't walk much anymore, therefore I'm done. But NO WAY! I cannot do that. My hope and faith come from the Lord. I know He has better for me. And I claim it.
So people, let's walk in the victory we have in our hope.
I pray that whatever your circumstance, whatever you are facing, you find this hope in Jesus Christ. I pray you can walk in confidence knowing God has you covered. He has every circumstance of our lives in His hands. He asks us to trust in Him, and hang on to that hope we have in Him.
Proverbs 10:28 A:   The hope of the righteous brings joy. 
Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

8 Years Ago!

Have you ever gone through something that forever leaves a very vivid impression on you? I’m sure most of us have. This could be something good or something not so good.
This has actually happened to me twice.  Once in 1991, and again in 2011.  Let me explain.
I was diagnosed with a very serious condition called a “Tethered Spinal Cord”. The first time in 1991.   This was a matter of life and death. I had to have a very serious and complicated surgery. My spinal cord was stuck and encased in a tumor and scar tissue. Instead of floating freely in the spinal fluid it was pulled very taut.  In 1991 I had to travel 6 hours away.  There was no one locally who had performed the surgery.  And even then, the surgery had never been successful on an adult.  My choice was to leave it, become paralyzed, and face death sooner rather than later. Or have the surgery and hope I came out on top.
The power of prayer got me through that surgery. The doctor said it was a miracle I had a child and survived.  And it was a miracle I was still walking.  I still suffered from much nerve damage to many areas of my body. But I knew the Lord Jesus had more for me, and that included my husband and my son. I went into that surgery with “blind faith”. I trusted God to get me through that surgery.  I had no idea what was to come afterward.
After a few months of recuperating I went back to work, as a nurse.  I was so very thankful everyday for the miracles I had received. This brings us to 8 years ago.
My spinal cord was heavily damaged.  The doctors explained to me that the nerve damage and spinal cord damage would continue to progress. They could not tell me how quickly I would reach the point of not walking.  But, again, I had faith that God was watching over me.
Over the years I did notice the decline.  And more areas of my body were not functioning well.  I kept working. I truly enjoyed the work I did.  I was not willing to give in.  But eventually I had to stop. That was 2007.  I could no longer work as a nurse.  The nerve pain in my legs became excruciating.  I was losing more function of my legs. Then came 2011.
I received news that I could not believe. AGAIN! The spinal cord was once again tethered.  This time worse than the first. There was much more scar tissue and the tumor grew larger. By this time it was actually part of the spinal cord. I could not even think.  I looked at my husband and felt sick.
My choice was the same as in 1991. Except the surgery had become more widely familiar.  And at a closer hospital. Back to the OR I went. Once again surrounded in prayer. Others had the faith for me. They stood in the gap for me and interceded.
The surgery lasted several hours. And I do not remember much of the few days afterward.  This time the cord was encased from top to bottom in scar tissue. The nerve roots to my legs were entangled and encased like a baseball.  I was heavily sedated for a few days.
When I finally became more alert I was faced with the same scenario all over again. Would I walk again. I was determined. However I came home using a wheelchair and still in severe pain.  That neuralgia can be quite intense. But it kept getting worse. It was now 4 weeks from date of surgery.  The pain was severe. Then I began with a spinal headache. Back in the hospital I went. It was an obvious spinal fluid leak.
Back to the OR. It wasn’t just a leak.  The sac that houses the spinal cord and fluid had ruptured.  The nerve roots to my legs blew out through the hole. That explains the severity of the pain.  The surgeon had a difficult time repairing the sac. It had become very brittle over the years from the scar tissue. He could not suture it. He had to use a graft and glue it.  This set me back several weeks.
Eventually I came back home.  Little by little my legs improved enough that I can walk short distances.  That is victory to me.  I still battle pain and weakness.  And several issues with nerve damage to certain organs.  But I still have victory.  And I still have faith, hope, and trusting my Lord Jesus.
There is another part of this story of 8 years ago.  The leukemia was also discovered then. I was convinced they had the wrong patient.  However, they were correct.  Once again through the grace of God, and many praying people, I maintain my hope in Jesus.
Why did I feel the need to share all of this?  Because someone out there needs hope. Someone needs to know that our Lord will carry them through. We all face a tragedy in our lifetime. We all receive devastating news in our lifetime. And we all need help to get through those times. The help of our Lord Jesus. Jesus promises us, we will never walk alone. He is by our side, and He will carry us if so needed. I have been carried by Him many times.
At times our faith may be very little. That's okay.
Matthew 17:20  For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
You see, Jesus knows our limitations. He knows our weaknesses. That is why He is always with us. We never walk alone.
My friends, I share this with you to encourage you. Whatever you are facing, God will give you the strength to get through. He will give you the grace you need, and the faith you need to go on.  Your victory is waiting for you.  Don't give up.

You Are Loved! (2)

I have been praying for the words for my next blog post. But I kept going back to the last one. So I think I need to share it again. There must be someone who needs the encouragement.

You Are Loved!

Do you ever reflect on all that God has provided for us. This beautiful earth to live on. The animals and plants to provide food for us. Our homes, cars, jobs, and the list goes on endlessly. There are so many reasons to thank God for. It makes one sit back and wonder why we deserve all of this.
There is not anything we have done to deserve all that we have. But God has graciously provided everything we have because He loves us. Out of everything God has created,nothing measures up to us. He created us out of pure love. A love we cannot even comprehend the depth of.
And knowing this, we continue to destroy the beautiful earth He has created for us. We take for granted that we will always have what we have now. We cannot get along with one another. Constantly trying to outdo one another. Trying to prove we are better than the next. Countries at war. Even people in the same country fighting with one another. More and more we see the elected officials abusing the power entrusted to them. Passing laws to kill babies. Yet allowing convicted criminals to go free and receive more than the honest working person. They pass laws that try to keep us from praying or worshipping God. These officials are constantly trying to remove God from our lives.
I think of these things and wonder what God must think. He must be so disappointed with us.
Yet He never gives up on us. He never stops loving us. No matter how much we may have denied Him, or walked away from Him, He never closes the door and locks us out forever. As long as we are alive and breathing we still have a chance for redemption. God says repent, ask forgiveness, and He will welcome us with open arms. He loves us that much!
Romans 8:38  For I am persuaded that not even death or life,
angels or rulers,
things present or things to come, hostile powers,
39  height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing!
This is the promise of God to us, His children.  So the next time the enemy tries to convince you otherwise, stand tall and rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Because we have the promise of God.
Lately there has been a lot of use of the "rainbow" for reasons other than what God intended it for. God gave us the rainbow as a reminder of His covenant to us and His promises to us. This is what the rainbow means. And for me it will always be a reminder of how much God loves us.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: 
13  I have placed My bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 
14  Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 
15  I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature.
 16 The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creatures on earth.” 
17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have confirmed between Me and every creature on earth.”
God loves us! Plain and simple. So much so that His only Son suffered and died on the cross for us. So that we can be redeemed and have that close and personal relationship with Him.
Faithful readers remember this. When you are facing trials and hardships, remember God's promises.
Remember that we never walk alone. He is always with us. He paves our way, clears our path, and walks with us always.
As you listen to this song, read the words. The promise the Lord has given us, He is always with us.
He loves you!

You Are Loved!

Do you ever reflect on all that God has provided for us. This beautiful earth to live on. The animals and plants to provide food for us. Our homes, cars, jobs, and the list goes on endlessly. There are so many reasons to thank God for. It makes one sit back and wonder why we deserve all of this.
There is not anything we have done to deserve all that we have. But God has graciously provided everything we have because He loves us. Out of everything God has created, nothing measures up to us. He created us out of pure love. A love we cannot even comprehend the depth of. 
And knowing this, we continue to destroy the beautiful earth He has created for us. We take for granted that we will always have what we have now. We cannot get along with one another. Constantly trying to outdo one another. Trying to prove we are better than the next. Countries at war. Even people in the same country fighting with one another. More and more we see the elected officials abusing the power entrusted to them. Passing laws to kill babies. Yet allowing convicted criminals to go free and receive more than the honest working person. They pass laws that try to keep us from praying or worshipping God. These officials are constantly trying to remove God from our lives.
I think of these things and wonder what God must think. He must be so disappointed with us.
Yet He never gives up on us. He never stops loving us. No matter how much we may have denied Him, or walked away from Him, He never closes the door and locks us out forever. As long as we are alive and breathing we still have a chance for redemption. God says repent, ask forgiveness, and He will welcome us with open arms. He loves us that much!
Romans 8:38  For I am persuaded that not even death or life,
angels or rulers,
things present or things to come, hostile powers,
39  height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing!
This is the promise of God to us, His children.  So the next time the enemy tries to convince you otherwise, stand tall and rebuke it in the name of Jesus. Because we have the promise of God.
Lately there has been a lot of use of the "rainbow" for reasons other than what God intended it for. God gave us the rainbow as a reminder of His covenant to us and His promises to us. This is what the rainbow means. And for me it will always be a reminder of how much God loves us.
Genesis 9:12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all future generations: 
13  I have placed My bow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 
14  Whenever I form clouds over the earth and the bow appears in the clouds, 
15  I will remember My covenant between Me and you and all the living creatures: water will never again become a flood to destroy every creature.
 16 The bow will be in the clouds, and I will look at it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all the living creatures on earth.” 
17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have confirmed between Me and every creature on earth.”
God loves us! Plain and simple. So much so that His only Son suffered and died on the cross for us. So that we can be redeemed and have that close and personal relationship with Him.
Faithful readers remember this. When you are facing trials and hardships, remember God's promises.
Remember that we never walk alone. He is always with us. He paves our way, clears our path, and walks with us always.
As you listen to this song, read the words. The promise the Lord has given us, He is always with us.
He loves you!

When God Calls Us, He Equips Us!

My last blog I wrote about God asking us to serve. Jesus asked us to make disciples of all men (Matthew 28:19-20).  There are many ways to serve. We all are gifted in different areas. I can list many ways that we are used differently. After all we do serve a creative and mighty God.
Even though we have read this in the Scriptures many times, we have heard different messages preached, we still tend to think of ourselves as inadequate. We tend to look at ourselves as not equipped as the other, or not as capable as the other, or not as "gifted" as the other.
That may be true for specific things, but it is not true when God has called you to do something specific for Him. God promises in His Word to equip us in the area He has asked of us.
One of the keys is feeling confident. We often question ourselves, did God really ask me? Did God tell me something different? Was that God or was it something I ate the night before? Yes, I've asked myself the same questions.
Philippians 1:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
6) I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
These are the words of encouragement the Apostle Paul gave to the church in Philippi.  Jesus knew the church needed to hear these words. And His Word remains true to this day and forever. He knew we also would need that encouragement.
Whatever God has placed on your heart, whatever He has asked of you, He will equip you. He won't begin equipping you and stop midstream. He will finish what He has started in you. He will teach us, make us grow, and definitely use us.  He will not ask us to accomplish anything impossible. He will not ask us to do a work we are not equipped to do.
How do we become equipped or able? I am convinced that our life's lessons equip us and prepare us. We do not start out in life knowing all of the answers. When we decide to follow Christ, we do not know all of the answers immediately. As we read His Word, and study His Word, He teaches us, He fills us with wisdom and knowledge. The Scripture in Philippians tells us Jesus will continue to perfect His work in us and complete it the day of His return. So our entire life, Jesus is teaching us, molding us, preparing us for the work He has asked us to do. If you remember from my last blog, He never leaves us, we never walk alone.
We all have gone through trials in our lifetimes. We have faced tragedies, illness, loss, hardships, and so on. All of those things, along with the good things we have experienced, Jesus will use them to teach us and equip us. We must remember to thank Him for the wisdom we will gain during the bad times. So often we only remember to thank Him during the good times in life.
We never walk alone! He is always by our side. He is always guiding us, paving our way. And one huge thing to remember, we will not fail. Even if we did not accomplish what "we think" we were supposed to, we did not fail. Jesus is never disappointed in us, especially when our intent is to serve and obey Him. We are not perfect, we will make mistakes. but Jesus is still by our side and loves us regardless.
Faithful readers, I pray these words encourage you. I pray that as you go through life, and you feel deep in your heart that Jesus has asked something of you, that you feel honored as His servant that He trusts you, and that you feel encouraged and hopeful in that new task.  Hang on to the words above in Philippians. They are true and for you.

A Willing Servant

As a follower of Christ we know what His Word tells us.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 
20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In these verses Jesus tells us clearly what He would like us to do for the sake of His Kingdom. For the sake of His children. Jesus doesn't want anyone left out. He desires all of us to be with Him forever.
How do we feel about these verses? Are we excited to be included in serving His church, His Kingdom, His children?
For me, I am very excited about serving the Lord Jesus. When my days are done here on earth I want Jesus to say well done faithful servant and daughter.
I know for many these words can be overwhelming. Many wonder what they can do or how can they serve. Servanthood has many different appearances.
Some may travel the world spreading the Gospel. Some, teach or preach to the masses. Some, lead the church in worship, singing and playing their instruments. Some teach Bible studies. And then others, like myself, may write a blog, or pray with someone, or walk along side a friend in need.
Jesus doesn't measure our levels of serving. He desires we serve with a loving heart and a desire to glorify God. Our serving is not to lift ourselves on a pedestal.
My friends, do not feel like you have to measure up to the next. But be obedient to the calling God has given you.
In my last blog I mentioned something took place while visiting our son's church in Tennessee.
Let me explain.
My husband and I live in a state that has politicians who do not put the Lord first. They have passed some very aggressive laws concerning abortion. Killing babies when they are born. And some other laws that do not line up with the Kingdom of God and the Bible. While visiting in Tennessee and church, the Pastor shared a video about a woman who has a pregnancy center in the state we live.
The center offers free ultrasounds to pregnant women, hoping when they see their baby and hear it's heartbeat, they will choose life instead of abortion. As my husband and I watched, we wept. We watched the video about this lady and her serving God and desire to save these women and their babies, in the very state we live in. The ultrasound machine the center was using became outdated and no longer functional.
The church in Tennessee became aware of this. They often take up special offerings to set aside when a need comes up. The need of an ultrasound machine came up. The church supplied the new machine, which is thousands of dollars, and they also updated the center with specific items.
A church over 1000 miles away took care of the needs of this pregnancy center, in the very state we live in.
This brought immediate hope in our hearts. The state we live in, which has some very dark leaders, has hope. There is one lady who had a vision to save babies. And she ran with her vision and is making it happen. God is at work through each one of us. Whether our task is small, or very large, God is using us.
We were so encouraged by this. God is moving amongst us. He will use us. He asked us in the verse above, to go into all the world.  He will do the rest. He just wants us to obey His Word, and be pro-active. We all have a part in building the Kingdom of God. This is an honor and a privilege.
Faithful readers, whatever it is that God has placed on your heart(s), take that vision and run with it. He will meet you on the very path He has given you. We never walk alone. He is with us always.

A Time For Rest

It has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote. My husband and I took a very needed vacation. I knew God would show me something during that time to share with you. So here it is.
While on vacation my husband and I both feel it is very important to continue to study the Word of God and spend time with Him. As time went on I found it so difficult to get into a study pattern. I found myself staring out at the beauty God created and thinking how He had so much creativity. From the flowers to the birds to the butterflies to the mountains and valleys. It was breathtaking.
I knew going into this vacation that my body, physically, would suffer. Riding in the car for 10+ hours for 2 straight days would take its toll on my damaged spinal cord, legs and back. But we were going south to warm, fresh air, and to our son and daughter in-law's home. Nothing will keep me from that.
Now I am sure some of you are thinking where was my faith that I would not experience those difficulties. Trust me, I always believe God will do a miracle in me and trust He has His best for me. But I also walk in reality, knowing this is my "fleshly" body in the condition it is now. And God will get me through. It is a miracle in itself that I can travel that far. I will take that.
With that said, back to vacation. For me vacation means a restful rejuvenation with God. A renewing of my spirit with the Holy Spirit ministering to me. So every morning I sat with my tea, my Bible, my journal, prepared to fill the pages with my notes. I would read Scripture, I prayed, and pen in hand I sat. And I sat. And I sat. Nothing on the pages. I said to my husband, what is going on here. He said soak up the rest and peace the Lord is giving you. Oh my goodness, a revelation. Yes, the Lord will fill us up, He will give us peace, He will rejuvenate our spirits. So I sat, and glared out at God's beauty, mind you, still with pen in hand just in case He gave me something to write. I looked out at His creation. I looked out at God's beauty. I gazed at the flowers I don't usually see here at home. I enjoyed the birds I don't usually see or hear at home. The more I soaked up that peacefulness, the fuller I felt.
Yes I was on vacation, but not on vacation from God. I was still in His presence. I was still being filled. Jesus was giving my body the rest it needed to endure the rest of our trip. I truly felt rejuvenated.
We went to Easter Service at our son's church. That was incredible and a story for another time.
But my husband and I both came away knowing our son and daughter in-law are being well ministered to. Another blessing from God while we were on vacation.
Vacation! What does it mean to you? I encourage you, whatever it means, do not leave God out. He will give you more than you can fathom. He will give you a vacation to remember forever.
We all need rest and rejuvenation at times. Take it, soak it up, be filled by the Holy Spirit. Then come home with your running shoes on to run and share what God has done.
Matthew 11:28-
Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
11:29- All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.
Jesus' very own words, "Come to Me".
My husband and I both came home feeling rested, rejuvenated, and filled in our spirits. My physical body is tired and beat up. But my spirit is filled and full of freshness from God. I will take that and run with it.

From the Inside Out

I was thinking about Easter drawing close and asking God what he wanted me to share. Of course my mind went to the usual topics about Jesus' death and His resurrection. But I really felt there was something else He wanted me to share.
I will start with the Scripture I had for today:
 Psalm 40:1-2
1. I waited patiently for the Lord,
and He turned to me and heard my cry for help.
2.  He brought me up from a desolate[a] pit,
out of the muddy clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.
When I focused on these verses I began praying for my life to reflect what God has done for me. Most of that occurs on the "inside". God desires our hearts to change and for our lives to reflect what He has done within us.
The above verses say how David waited patiently for God to come rescue him. To come and change him, forgive him, and make his life secure in Him.
I think most of us feel that way. We want God to come and rescue us out of the mess we created, we want His forgiveness, and we want our lives to reflect that.
That all starts on the inside. We all battle different things in our hearts and minds. We may be able to hide them from others but we cannot hide them from God. The sooner we come to that realization, the sooner we can walk in victory.
When we have been rescued, brought out of that muddy pit, cleaned up, and finally standing on solid ground, then we can have our victory. And I believe our faces will show it. How often do we hear the phrase "your face is glowing", or "you look radiant". That is God shining through us. That is the fruit of His Spirit alive in us and shining through.
When we finally set aside our pride, and let God do a work in us, it is then that He shines through us and on us for others to see His glory.
That is what "from the inside out" truly means.
How does this fit for Easter? Without Jesus dying on that cross and shedding His blood for our sins, going to battle and fighting the devil, and defeating the devil, and then rising on the third day, in victory, for us, we would not have the victories we have, we would not have the freedom from the bondage of sin, and we would not be glowing on the outside.
This is truly being changed from the "inside out".
As you celebrate this Easter Season, or some say Resurrection Day, remember to be thankful for what God has done in your life. And also when you see someone who has been changed, bless them and tell them they are truly glowing.
Happy Easter faithful readers.

The Power of the Cross

These 2 simple words, "the cross", have more meaning than most of the words we know.
Let's visit this. What does "the cross" mean to me? I guarantee you one thing, it probably means some the same things it means to you but with some different characteristics added.
When I think of the cross, the first thing that comes to mind is our Lord Jesus hanging on that cross.
The picture that comes into my mind takes my breath away. Why did Jesus have to endure that horrific pain and death for us? Well He didn't HAVE to. But He WANTED to. That's right, when Jesus knew He had to save His creation, His children, us, He knew this was the only way.
Jesus hung on that cross, and died, all for LOVE. He loves us so much that He wanted to give us a way to be with Him forever. For eternity.
Jesus walked that long road to the cross, carrying that heavy cross on His shoulders. All of this after being beaten severely, being mocked that whole time, hardly able to stand. He reached that final place where He would be nailed to that cross with huge spikes. And the weight just kept getting heavier with the burdens of our sins on Him. Why did He continue? He could have said no at any time. But Jesus knew we would need Him forever. He knew we needed a way for redemption. Jesus knew we would face sin every day of our lives, therefore needing Him and His strength to fight for the right thing. And at times we do fail, so again we need Jesus to redeem us. The only way this was possible for us to have was Jesus to die on that cross, then in 3 days rise from that grave alive. In those 3 days Jesus went to the pit of hell, snatched the keys to heaven from the devil's hands and took all power and authority from him forever. Jesus rose from that grave victorious, for love's sake, for our sake. He rose in victory for us, that we have a way to be redeemed and forgiven, and that we can walk with Jesus every day of our lives because of His Holy Spirit.
When I think of the cross, that is what I think about. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ going to battle for me so that I can have victory.
Jesus knows I am not perfect. I am far from perfect. But as long as I seek His face, strive to hear His voice in my heart, and do my best to live to honor Him, I know He is pleased and He will guide me every step of the way.
God didn't create us to be robots. He gave us a heart, a brain, ears, eyes, and our own will. He gave us a choice. That is one reason why the cross is so important. Because we all have our own will, we will fail. We will fall away from a relationship with Jesus unless we ask Him for forgiveness, and allow Him into our hearts. It is sin that separates us from Him. We are weak without Jesus in our lives.
As we approach Easter, I pray for you all, that you think about the cross. I pray you get your own vision in your mind about what the cross means to you. The most important thing is the cross was a vehicle God used, to enable us to have that close and loving relationship with Jesus. That close and personal relationship with Jesus.
Jesus is our strength, our Redeemer, our confidence, our counselor, our healer, and so much more.
Faithful readers, I pray you feel that love from Jesus today.
Take a moment and listen to this song.

The Lenten Season

The lenten season, the season leading up to Easter, is a time when most reflect on what was taking place back in the days of Jesus, walking this earth. Or at least we should be reflecting on those times and what actually took place, all for loves sake, for our sake.

During this time so often I hear of those fasting "something" for lent. What does that actually mean? Why are you doing this?  For whom are you doing this for? I will go out on a limb here and be bold. I think most of the time the act of fasting is being done for the wrong reason. Especially what is being fasted from. Sugar, or chocolate, or soda, or alcohol, or snacks, or some other luxury that doesn't really matter in our lives. Does that really glorify Jesus? Does it really bring us to a place of intercession and prayer? I doubt it.

You see when Jesus asks us to fast it is usually because we need a deep cleansing from God, or we need something very specific and important in our lives, or perhaps we need healing.  One thing I know we all need is forgiveness.  Yes, forgiveness. Because none of us are perfect and blameless until we go to be with the Lord for eternity. 

In my opinion, and I repeat, my opinion (yours may be different), fasting from sugar or chocolate or alcohol isn't going to bring me to a closer place with Jesus. What Jesus wants is when we fast to spend that extra time with Him in prayer.  For the hour you may fast from your favorite TV show, He wants us to pray. That is how we get to that closer place to Jesus. 

The lenten season is about us digging deep into our hearts and searching for cobwebs that need cleaning out. It is about us finding a renewing of our spirits from Christ Jesus. It is about us walking in integrity with the Lord.

I know Jesus desires that more intimate relationship with us. But it is up to us to take those steps and dig deep. It is up to us to call out to Jesus and ask for His redeeming love and mercy over us.

Jesus already did the hard part. He walked that road, being mocked, being ridiculed, being spat on, being beaten, being nailed to that cross, suffering the most horrible death on that cross, all for loves sake. All for our sake. 

He then rose from the grave, and went and snatched the keys to hell, defeated the devil, all for loves sake. He then rose to heaven, in victory, and sent His Holy Spirit to be our comforter, our counselor, and to be with us always. We are never alone. 

So let me ask you, why are you fasting, if you do? Why are you celebrating Easter, if you do?

Do you remember what took place that Easter week almost 2000 years ago? Do you remember why?

I can think of many reasons to fast and pray. Desperate reasons. But the most important reason is for our relationship with Jesus Christ to be strengthened, and to be more meaningful in our lives. That is the most important reason. Without that we have nothing. 

I encourage you faithful readers, this Easter season, search your hearts, search the Word of God, search and seek more of the Holy Spirit in your lives. Pray for more of Jesus in your lives. I know you will come away from that being so much more enriched, feeling so much closer to Jesus ,and feeling so much more loved from Jesus. 

That is priceless! That is worth fasting from something more important than sugar. It is worth every moment spent in prayer, and every moment spent worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Psalm 26:

Prayer for Vindication

1 Vindicate me, Lord,

because I have lived with integrity

and have trusted in the Lord without wavering.

2 Test me, Lord, and try me;

examine my heart and mind.

3 For Your faithful love is before my eyes,

and I live by Your truth.

4 I do not sit with the worthless

or associate with hypocrites.

5 I hate a crowd of evildoers,

and I do not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands[a] in innocence

and go around Your altar, Lord,

7 raising my voice in thanksgiving

and telling about Your wonderful works.

8 Lord, I love the house where You dwell,

the place where Your glory resides.

9 Do not destroy me along with sinners,

or my life along with men of bloodshed

10 in whose hands are evil schemes

and whose right hands are filled with bribes.

11 But I live with integrity;

redeem me and be gracious to me.

12 My foot stands on level ground;

I will praise the Lord in the assemblies.

A Comfortable Home

Today is a blustery and cold day. Even in a warm and cozy home the wind makes you feel cold.
My husband and I were talking about how the people in the 1800s and early 1900s dealt with this type of weather. Extreme cold, snow, blowing snow, blizzard type conditions and living in a one room log cabin. No electricity, the only heat was a fire burning in the fireplace. Having to retrieve food from hunting or what you had grown in the warmer months.  No inside restrooms. And many families had several children. So think about it. Here they were, all snuggled in together near the fire, probably telling stories of days gone by, and cooking dinner on the fire. They may have felt very comfortable. That is what they were used to. Hard workers, and managing with what they had. With what they built with their very own hands.
Could we be comfortable like that? I would love a log cabin, with heat and electricity that is. And an indoor restroom, a stove to cook on, and food bought from the local market. Most of us would agree, that would be nice. But like the 1800s, I do not think most of us could manage that today.
Then I opened my devotional and began to do my morning time in the Word and praying. The title of today's word was "You are a Shrine for the Holy Spirit". The Scripture reference :
1Corinthians 6:19-20.
19 Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 
20 for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.
Our body is the sanctuary, temple, home for the Holy Spirit. That's right, He lives in you.
Do you think this is a comfortable place for the Holy Spirit to live? When we first ask Jesus into our hearts we are still babes. We may have things we are still holding onto. We may be full of pride. We may be full of doubt. We may not feel worthy at all. Is this a place we would want to live? I would not feel very warm and cozy surrounded by all that baggage. But you know what, Jesus doesn't care.
He isn't looking for the best home in the neighborhood. He isn't looking for the most ornate palace to live in. He isn't looking for the largest house with the most rooms to live in. He isn't looking for the newest, most pristine home to live in.
He is looking for the most vulnerable, sincere, most "unfinished" home to live in. The Holy Spirit wants to come into our hearts, the temple of the Holy Spirit, and clean house. He wants to come and minister to us, clean for us, heal us, and love us. He will make it comfortable for Him. He will adorn His new home the way He desires. He loves us regardless of our shortcomings.
We do not have to be perfect. Jesus desires to come into our hearts and clean us, mold us, prepare us, teach us, heal us, and love us everyday. For all eternity, He wants us to be with Him.
Think about that. How awesome is that. The God of the Universe, our Creator, our Maker, our Lord wants us to be with Him forever.
So often when we may be expecting visitors we clean the house top to bottom. We want everything to be perfect. That is for a temporary visitor. But Jesus tells us He will come live in us forever, and He will do the cleaning. Even though we know this, we still have a responsibility to live in a manner that glorifies God. We know the Holy Spirit will continue to work in us. The last part of the Scripture above says "Therefore glorify God in your body". We must try to keep His home clean and tidy for Him.  When we clean our homes we do not like it if someone comes in and messes it up. We expect that respect. Well Jesus deserves that respect.
Let your heart, the home of the Holy Spirit be comfortable for Him.

Fear is a Liar!

Most of us, actually I'd say all of us have dealt with fear at one time or another. Everyday of our lives it would be easy for fear to grip a hold of us and ruin our day. Fear is one of the enemy's most useful weapon. Anytime we face an uncertain situation, fear could grip us. The devil wants us to live in fear. Then he would have a grip on us, manipulate our minds, and cause us to crumble in fear.
But we have a MAJOR advantage. We have Jesus! Jesus already defeated fear and the devil. And we have the power of Jesus in us, therefore able to defeat that fear or the tactics of the enemy.

Mark 4:37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.
 4:38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”
4:39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Jesus instantly calmed the storm that the devil meant to harm them with. The disciples became afraid, gripped with fear. Jesus spoke, and the storm was silenced. The devil tried to cause harm again, and failed again.
The devil will try and try. But we need to remember to stand firm in our faith in Jesus. Rebuke the devil and he will flee. We have that power in Jesus' name.
We all face fear. We are not exempt. In fact, when we follow Jesus the enemy really wants to bring us down. We have victory. We have the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We have the strength of our Lord Jesus. And Jesus has given us authority to rebuke the devil and cause him to fail.
Jesus gave us the armor of God to be clothed in. He gave us His Holy Spirit to always be with us. And He gave us the victory.
No matter what lie the enemy is tormenting you with, he is a liar. God made you to be who you are, to look the way you do, to speak the way you speak. He loves you more than anything. So much so that He has given us the power and authority of His Holy Spirit. Jesus died to set us free. We are free indeed.
We do not have to listen to the devil, the cause of most of our fear, because he is a liar.

We Are Loved!

We are loved by our Creator. When I say we that means all. Yes, every single human being that God has formed in the womb is loved by Him. So that means every person is loved.
God doesn't define us by the color of our skin, by the color of our hair, by our height, our weight, our capabilities, our talents, or the language we speak. He calls us all by name, and knows the number of hairs on our heads. He loves us all.
With that being said, His love does not give us permission to hate, steal, kill, destroy, murder, or any other sin. None of us have that right. It doesn't matter of you are a typical person like myself, or if you are higher up in politics, or are royalty. We all are created equal and therefore have the same "restrictions" to follow.
This time in our world we see so much hatred, so much killing, so much lying, so many drugs, and crimes, and the list goes on and on. It is easy to get caught up in that. The Governor of the state I live in just passed a law for late term abortions, up until the child is born, they can kill that baby that God created. This broke my heart, and many others, but imagine what it does to God's heart. Whether the Governor or someone else, you have no right to decide that. You have no right to condone murder.
As I was pondering and praying over this the Lord clearly reminded me about His love. Yes He loves the Governor, and those creating such laws. He loves the murderers, the thieves.  So instead of getting caught up emotionally in this, He reminded me HE IS IN CHARGE. Yes, no matter what, God is in charge. He created us with free will, so we have a choice to live for Him or live in sin. He will deal with those people responsible. Nothing is hidden from God.
I even asked God, why is this person allowed to create such a horrible law? Why couldn't God intervene. His reply, He(God) is in charge. And we are created with our own free will. We make our own choices. But God will deal with those bad choices. He will deal with every single person. We all will answer to Him.
So what are we to do?  Pray, and intercede for those things that go against God's commandments. Pray for those committing the sins that hurt others. Pray for our Country, pray for our states, pray for the world. This is the world God created, it is His.
He has enabled some of you to do more. Whether you are in law enforcement, or are in politics, or public speakers, God has given us all a platform to speak His Word, share His Gospel, and to pray.
We are created for His glory. We must remember to seek His will, and serve Him with our all, and to do so in love. He has never left us, He gave us His Holy Spirit to be with us always, and to equip us for the task God has given us.
We need the Holy Spirit to fill us and give us the stamina to push forward. The enemy doesn't want us to succeed. He will do anything to bring us down. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us, and to protect us. We do not need to get dragged down by the tactics of the enemy, because God is with us always.
Faithful readers, I know there is a lot in this blog. But there is a lot happening in the world today.
Be encouraged, God hears and answers our prayers. And remember GOD IS IN CHARGE.
2Chronicles 7:14  If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 

We Are Part of God’s Creativity

Creativity, that is a mouthful when you think about it. God has been creative since the beginning of time. He thought about this world, the universe, and how He would like it to be. He spoke it into existence. He envisioned the moon, the stars, the sun.  But His creativity didn’t stop there.  That’s right, He wanted to create us in His image. WOW!  We are created by God, in His image.
So that is quite a thought.  That alone tells us how much God loves us.
Back to creativity. It doesn’t take much for us to see how creative God is.  Every person we see is different that you or I. The color of our skin is different. The color of our eyes are different. The color of our hair is different.  And the list goes on.
Even though our body structure and organs are mostly the same, there is still a difference that is unique to each one of us. Like our DNA.  Again, showing us how creative God is.
“For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art].
‭‭EPHESIANS‬ ‭2:10‬a ‭AMP‬‬
Now that we see just how creative God is, let's take this a little further.
God created us in His image, therefore wouldn't it seem as though He has a specific "job", or task for us to do? God is not idle. I would think He doesn't want us to be idle either. And remember, we are all unique. The task He has for me to do is probably not what He wants you to do. Some of us will be involved in the same ministry or the same job. For instance, God has gifted my husband and my son in music. They both play numerous instruments. He uses them both differently, yet in the same area.
Even though they have the same gifting, they still have their own unique DNA of that gifting.
God has used me in Creative Arts ministry, when I was still physically able to do so. When my situation changed, He gave me this blog to write. Even though the dynamics have changed, He still uses me to be creative.
God created all of us in His image, and to be creative like Him.  He doesn't want us sitting around being idle. That idleness can lead to many problems like depression, loneliness, feeling of being useless, to name a few. He wants us to do His will. He has a "job" for you and for me.
I know when I am doing something for someone else, I feel so much better about myself. I have a relationship with Jesus. I want to please Him. I do not want to disappoint Him. That comes naturally when we love someone and want them to be proud of us.
Faithful readers, I pray that as you seek God's will for your lives, as you spend time with Him and in His Word, He gives you creative thoughts and a specific plan of how He wants to use you. If He already has shown you that plan, I pray that you see the fruit coming from your faithfulness and willing to serve God.
Remember, God created you, very uniquely. With a unique DNA, and unique talents, and unique personality, and on and on. He created you in His image. And He loves you!
I pray you all can envision your purpose that God has birthed in you.